Chapter Fifteen: Scholar Helen

"Evil God's Finger?!" Baelif shouted, "That's right, it must be so! Some time ago, the court's grand scholar performed surgery on me, but he couldn't remove the root of the illness... These days, the curse has spread again, and he had no solution, so he sent me to consult the witches."

"You... really can't undergo another operation," Louis said, not knowing what else to say.

Court Grand Scholar... that's a witch doctor, isn't it?

This miserly Mr. Baelif, trying to save money, hired such a witch doctor, who failed to remove the real problem and left a gaping wound. Yet this 'grand scholar' was quite the professional charlatan, concocting some tale about 'the tentacle of an ancient god'.

Clearly, Baelif believed him.

And perhaps, the grand scholar believed it himself.

Louis rubbed his face and set aside the magical journal left by Mr. Triff. He pointed to a spell he had just found and said to Helen, "Try this one."

"A transfer spell?" Helen looked at it, her expression turning grave. "This spell is powerful, but... but with our abilities, can we really transfer something like a curse?"

"I believe in you," Louis patted Helen's shoulder, then fell silent.

What else could he say?

He simply didn't want to speak anymore.

Louis's encouragement and affirmation made Helen grow serious. She studied the journal carefully; it seemed she had researched this spell before, though this was her first time using it on someone.

Seeing this, Baelif grew anxious, glancing repeatedly at Louis. To Baelif, Miss Helen was like a nervous nurse—clearly about to give her first injection.

But Mr. Louis was different, appearing steady, exuding the aura of a professor.

Louis ignored Baelif and comforted Helen, telling her not to rush. His calm demeanor gradually eased Helen's nerves.

She took a few deep breaths, pulled out a leather band, and tied her hair into a ponytail.

Watching the nurse's preparations, Baelif now looked at Louis with pleading eyes.

But it was too late. Miss Helen had already grabbed her wand and was fiercely swinging it at Baelif's backside.

With a wail, Baelif cried out, and Louis saw a small lump begin to migrate from the afflicted area, wriggling across the goblin's body like a burrowing mole.

Soon, the lump vanished, its destination unknown.

The goblin blinked, then sat up with a start.

"Howler! Wohowler! This is miraculous!" Baelif exclaimed indistinctly, twisting his hips as if truly healed.

Helen, hearing this, clenched her fists in excitement and nearly jumped for joy. "I really did it, Louis! I truly did it! I am the best after all!"

Louis nodded and gave Helen a thumbs-up.

"Leh-coh," Baelif muttered, frowning and tilting his head in confusion. "Why does my jaw ache? It feels strange."

"Toothache?" Louis's eye twitched; his heart skipped a beat. He leaned in to inspect Baelif's mouth. "When did it start hurting?"

Baelif said it had just begun: "It really hurts."

Louis rubbed his face, knowing there was no need to ask further, for he could already see the problem inside Baelif's mouth.

Helen panicked as well. She and Baelif both firmly believed that the curse of the Evil God had spread and transferred because of the spell just cast. Helen, especially 'learned', knew that certain terrifying and incurable tumors could metastasize.

"What do we do? The ancient god's tentacle has grown into Mr. Baelif's mouth!" Helen was on the verge of tears, at a loss.

Baelif was nearly crying too.

Clearly, after Helen's scholarly explanation of the symptoms, the great banker Baelif had been scared out of his wits.

Sweep one house, sweep the world? Louis resolved to shoulder his magical operative's mission and fulfill this first important commission...

'I never said I'd excise a goblin's hemorrhoid!' Louis screamed inwardly.

Mission: Lofty Ambitions, Rising Fame!
Help the great banker Baelif dispel the terrifying 'curse' of the Ancient God's Touch.
Completion rewards:
1. Eight gold Gallons in gratuity;
2. +30 experience points;
3. +1 magic power;
4. +1000 Baelif family reputation, +50 goblin racial reputation;
5. +15 presence (your name will be known to the Baelif family);
Failure penalty: "Oh! So you two are just fresh graduates! And you tricked me with this Evil God's Finger nonsense! I'll file a complaint!"—toying with Mr. Baelif like this, the outcome is obvious.

Current: Baelif family reputation: Friendly (0/1000); Goblin reputation: Friendly (0/1000)

Louis rubbed his face.

Eight gold Gallons—that number stunned Louis.

'Work, isn't it? Medical compassion should not discriminate—just because it's a hemorrhoid, should I shun him? Goblins are people too!'

By now, Helen's explanations had completed their educational effect, and Mr. Baelif was nearly faint with fear.

Helen was heading to the desk, about to call Osikris.

Louis couldn't bear it anymore.

If Osikris got involved in this, what good could come of it?

What would she do?

Excise a goblin's hemorrhoid?

And this Ancient God's Touch business would surely be exposed.

Louis quickly stopped Helen and asked her to fetch a cage and a black rat commonly used by witches for experiments.

Helen was momentarily puzzled, then understood.

"What a brilliant idea!" Helen exclaimed, patting her pretty forehead. She rummaged through her stylish bag, plunging her arm and then half her body inside, finally pulling out a plump black rat.

Watching Helen with her rat, Louis fell into deep thought.

What do you usually carry in that bag? Are all witches like this?

"How do we use it, Louis?" Helen asked.

Louis pointed at the goblin's mouth. Helen's eyes lit up with understanding, and she was about to shove the black rat into Baelif's mouth.

"Wait, Helen," Louis halted her.

Baelif breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let him drink this first," Louis said, searching for the bottle of 'anesthetic energy stimulant'.

Such a good opportunity—how could he not experiment?

Quickly, Louis produced the potion and was dumbfounded.

This was Nutrition Express, wasn't it?

Nutrition Express, right? Huh?

Seeing Helen and Baelif's curious looks, Louis cleared his throat and declared, "A fine remedy. To banish the Ancient God's Touch, we need this."

He promptly poured the potion into Baelif's mouth, and Helen, acting with perfect coordination, quickly stuffed the black rat in after it.

Baelif: "???"

"This is the vessel, your substitute, Baelif," Helen said solemnly. "The Ancient God's Touch must be transferred to another living creature..."

Helen then launched into another scientific explanation, leaving Louis dumbstruck. He realized this girl truly had the makings of a grand scholar.

"But Louis, I find it hard to perform the transfer spell at a distance," Helen frowned. "Do you know much about this spell?"

Louis said no more and rolled up his sleeves, grabbing his cheap wand.

His decisive action gave Helen and Baelif great confidence.

Their eyes burned with anticipation and trust as Louis's expression grew serious.

Since Mr. Baelif had come all this way, Louis couldn't waste this chance to practice his spell.

Today, he resolved to level up his Transfer Spell to rank three.

...