Epilogue to Chapter 115 (Part 9): A Chieftain Fished from the River
Snap.
The ballpoint pen on the table was flicked away with a finger, making a rolling sound on the medical record paper.
After a moment, the ballpoint pen, which hadn't rolled very far, was reached out and taken back.
Snap.
The behavior of repeatedly bouncing away continues.
For a doctor to do something like this during work hours suggests that he must have been extremely bored, especially given the current scarcity of patients.
"It's so noisy, Rintaro!"
Alice, who was sitting on the steps drawing, protested, "If you're bored, go to sleep. Don't bother me here!"
"Alice-chan, we haven't had any customers today either,"
Mori Ougai, who was resting her head on her arm, looked up and said to her in a deliberately pitiful tone, "If this continues, we'll both end up on the streets, won't we?"
"You won't even have enough money to buy me clothes then..."
"Whatever you want,"
Alice puffed out her cheeks, not expecting anything from the possibility of wearing new clothes—in fact, she was just a supernatural life form created by the other party, and her personality, appearance, and even her preferences were all set by him.
"Do I have to tell you bluntly that the government did send you invitations before, but you just refused to go?"
"That was definitely the way out that Natsume-sensei found for me,"
Rather than saying Mori Ōgai was talking to Alice, it would be more accurate to say he was talking to himself: "But I still want to try things out in this city."
"Give up, Rintaro." Alice scribbled on the paper with her paintbrush, letting out a clear and lovely laugh.
“Even I know that the Mafia organizations in this city have been completely driven out, and the number of injuries caused by the fighting has also dropped to zero.”
"Oh, and there's even—"
"And the Mafia personnel who needed intelligence have also disappeared," Mori Ougai finished her sentence.
Besides being a black market doctor in the gray area, he has a second identity—an underground intelligence dealer.
At this moment, both of these identities will disappear with the complete annihilation of the underground illegal organization.
Just as parasites cannot exist without a host, in this city without the Mafia, unlicensed doctors, arms dealers, and intelligence brokers are all unnecessary.
According to his connections within the government, a mysterious and unpredictable "deity" seems to have recently emerged. It appears without words or warning, and once it does, it simply wields its sword to slay the most heinous criminals, much like a thunderous judgment descending from the heavens.
No matter how tight the defenses are, it only needs one strike. No defensive means can stop this penetrating sword strike from top to bottom; it is truly the [Blade of God].
Driven by the fear that they themselves would be the next to be pointed at by that sword, countless underground organizations have undergone a complete transformation, essentially turning over a new leaf.
After exchanging a few words with the person, Mori Ougai hung up the phone.
He knew that it was not a "god," but a product of the fusion of a "tripolar singularity" manipulated by someone and the blessed land of Sakura.
This message came from the president of the Armed Detective Agency, who was also the person who wanted to work with him to realize the "Three-Dimensional Plan".
But today, the "Three-Dimensional Vision" has never been realized, yet the city is gradually moving towards true peace.
Should he really leave and accept the contents of that invitation...?
The commotion outside the door suddenly interrupted Mori Ōgai's thoughts.
This small clinic is located in an old bungalow with very poor sound insulation; you can clearly hear the noise from the exhaust fan upstairs.
Is this the place?
"That's right, that's right."
He heard someone ask that question outside the door, followed by another person's affirmative answer—the voice was very familiar.
Is it... Dazai?
Before Mori Ougai could even wonder what he was doing here, the edge of the enormous cube that had suddenly unfolded swept past his eyes, until it formed an exceptionally sturdy, golden barrier around him and the ceiling.
"!!"
We're completely trapped!
The scalpel was already discreetly held between his fingers. Just as Mori Ougai was about to get up, a spatial wave blasted the door away, sending it crashing heavily against the wall.
Immediately afterwards, a humanoid creature formed from rocks cleared the way and squeezed in first through the doorway.
The door frame was a bit too small for its size, and it was stretched so much that several cracks appeared, with chunks of putty falling off with a series of thuds.
Mori Ougai watched helplessly as his clinic was demolished: "…………"
Moreover, this rock-type ability is his natural enemy; neither scalpels nor Alice's syringes can break through its defenses—if the inside is not the ability user's own body, then even if it is broken through, it will be of little use.
Once the rock giant stood in front of them as a defensive figure, the people behind finally stepped into the clinic.
Osamu Dazai—this was the suicidal patient he knew.
The black-haired, red-eyed youth beside him had distinct Slavic features... was he a superhuman from Russia?
Even if the other party's expression and actions seemed harmless, Mori Ougai remained extremely vigilant.
Speaking of Russia, everyone in the underground knows about the illegal supernatural organization originating there—the "House of the Dead Rats"—whose unpredictable and erratic behavior in recent years is simply unbelievable.
He had also heard of unconventional forms of superpowers, including those related to subspace.
After the stone man, Dazai Osamu, and the black-haired youth entered, along with Mori Ougai and Alice who were already in the room, and the office chairs, bookshelves, medical data cabinets, and other facilities placed there, the small consultation room was almost too small to fit everyone.
Conservative estimates suggest there are at least three more people outside, two of whom are extremely powerful and difficult to deal with.
Is opening up the subspace first to seal off any possible secret passages and prevent him from escaping...?
"Isn't it a bit of a waste to use such a force against a poor, destitute quack doctor like me?"
Mori Ougai almost gave a wry smile. "Dazai-kun, have I offended you recently?"
The ability to make targeted and precise blockades in advance based on his style of doing things and the characteristics of his superpowers is clearly the work of Dazai.
"It's hard to say."
Dazai tilted his head innocently. "However, if I contacted you in advance, you would definitely refuse, and you might even run away. So I was thinking—hey, why not just come over without telling you and give you a surprise? That would be more exciting, wouldn't it?"
"That was definitely too much of a surprise..."
Mori Ougai took a breath, realizing that he had no choice but to cooperate, as the young man in front of him was most likely the leader of the "House of the Dead Rats".
He turned his back in the chair to face them, sat up straight, and resignedly asked.
"So, what do you need me to do?"
"That's how it is,"
Having just arrived to visit, Ye Yihe was a little embarrassed when a stone golem conjured by Lamboga Ivan forcibly demolished a door. "Our little building currently has a guest from another world..."
He explained the whole story to Mori Ougai in detail, including how the other man immediately recognized that the old man leader was a fake, or even a dead one. Therefore, he urgently needed to find a living former port mafia member to get close to Dazai and hopefully open up to him.
"...You mean, I need to pretend to be a member of the Port Mafia and be responsible for making Dazai-kun, another member of the Port Mafia from another world, happy?"
Mori Ougai pointed to himself, his expression a complex mix of emotions that defied description, as he made a precise summary.
There are so many things to criticize about that statement that he didn't even know where to begin...
“Yes,” Ye Yihe said with a troubled look, “We can’t rely on Oda Sakunosuke to knock us out every time we need to give us medicine or feed us, it’s not good for our health.”
"Furthermore, he's extremely wary of members of the 'House of the Dead Rats.' As soon as he hears that any of us are employees of the 'House of the Dead Rats,' he immediately shows... well... an expression similar to 'the sky is falling'?"
Mori Ōgai: "…………"
He really wants to look like the sky has fallen right now.
"Back then, in the [Port Mafia], I was just the leader's personal physician,"
Mori Ougai said helplessly, "Even if I pretended to be a cadre, it wouldn't work. He would see through me at a glance."
"Come on, Dr. Mori."
Dazai Osamu bluntly exposed him, "Being the leader's personal physician isn't something just anyone can do. If you're planning to impersonate the leader's orders, it's as if you possess the power and resources of the entire organization... Ah, I meant 'if' and 'plan.'"
He deliberately emphasized those two repeated words, the implication of which was self-evident.
Even though he had only spent a short time at the Port Mafia, Dazai Osamu knew that the man before him was a born strategist and schemer.
He's not the type to follow the rules at all.
After listening attentively to Dazai Osamu, Ye Yihe's gaze returned to Mori Ougai.
"That's how it is, since my Dazai has said so."
He said calmly, "If you don't cooperate, I'll plant a supernatural virus in your body that takes effect in 48 hours. You know, it's the same virus that wiped out the entire Port Mafia. No medical treatment will work."
Mori Ougai: "...You're even more ruthless and efficient than me. No wonder you can rule the entire city, no, you even completely control the government, [Grey Cardinal]."
"Thank you for the compliment," Ye Yihe said without changing his expression, "because I've understood a principle for a long time."
"Morality and tolerance are useless when it comes to punishing evildoers."
…………
Inside the small building.
Oda Sakunosuke withdrew the back of his hand from the forehead of the young version of Dazai Osamu.
"The fever has completely subsided."
He announced the conclusion in a calm tone, and casually handed the curry on the coffee table to Dazai Osamu, who was lying on the sofa.
"Would you like to try some? I made it myself."
After Oda Sakunosuke withdrew his hand, Dazai Osamu also raised his hand and touched his forehead.
After a moment, he put his hand down, propped himself up, and sat up, staring at the bright red curry rice bowl in front of him.
After two days of rest, and with Oda Sakunosuke's meticulous care, the fatigue and weariness that had been lingering on Dazai Osamu's face finally dissipated considerably, and even the dark circles under his eyes faded a bit.
At least I'm no longer like I was when I first woke up, completely submerged in a deathly despair and a pessimistic world-weariness.
"Finally, we don't have to drink porridge anymore?"
Dazai Osamu finally breathed a sigh of relief; he really didn't like the taste of the porridge.
If it was a meal prepared by Oda Sakunosuke himself, he would still be willing to finish it to save face—besides, it was the other party's favorite curry, so there was no way it could harm him.
Then, Dazai Osamu choked on the terrifyingly spicy curry and his eyes welled up with tears.
"Ugh, you did that on purpose...!"
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