Chapter 16: I am, after all, the Suwon Magistrate [4]

“Ah, and please go easy on him.”

The vice governor slightly opened the door and pointed at the magistrate.

The magistrate stood with his head bowed pitifully. His previous air of arrogance had completely vanished.

“He’s an old friend of mine from childhood. He’s not a bad guy, really.”

Since I had already agreed to grant the vice governor’s request, there was no reason to refuse. Besides, I never intended to refuse treatment in the first place, so I nodded slowly.

“Understood. However, there are others who have been waiting, so I will see them in order.”

“That’s fair. But why did you see me right away?”

The vice governor asked with a smile. He probably wasn’t really curious, just fishing for the response he wanted to hear.

Kang-hyuk decided to give him just that.

“How could I, after all the favors you’ve bestowed upon me, enforce some petty rules? You will always be first, no matter when you come.”

“You always know just the right thing to say. Well, I’ll be off then.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, by the way, there’s going to be a gathering at the pavilion near Paldal Mountain soon. I hope you’ll attend.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll be there.”

“We’ll be discussing poetry, so make sure you’re prepared.”

“Yes, sir.”

Although Kang-hyuk reflexively answered, he couldn’t help but sweat nervously.

“Poetry?”

He doubted they were talking about something as simple as children’s rhymes.

‘I do know a few poems, but…’

It would be embarrassing to claim he was knowledgeable in poetry. He could only recite a handful, which was hardly impressive.

Moreover, there was a high chance they would ask him to compose something on the spot.

‘That’s impossible.’

There was no way out of it. If he went back on his promise after answering so confidently, the vice governor would never forget.

‘Ah, well… I’ll just embarrass myself and be done with it.’

What else could he do now?

Kang-hyuk was someone who knew when to accept defeat. He quickly pushed thoughts of the gathering aside and resumed his medical duties.

“Dolseok, call in the second patient.”

“Yes, young master.”

At the mention of “second,” the magistrate’s face turned pale. He had expected as much, but being told to wait irritated him greatly.

Not that he could throw a tantrum. The vice governor’s parting words restrained him.

– Don’t think about causing trouble in my jurisdiction. And do you know who that man is? He’s the eldest son of Lord Baek Seung-mun. You’d best behave.

From the moment he had yelled earlier, the magistrate knew Kang-hyuk was no ordinary person.

But with the vice governor and Seung-mun involved, Kang-hyuk was someone far beyond the reach of a newly appointed magistrate looking for a quarrel.

“You, get out of the way. I need to sit down.”

The magistrate shoved a poor farmer who was sitting under a tree.

A guard quickly spread a cushion on the ground for him, and the magistrate carefully sat down. It was better than standing under the scorching sun, but just as tedious.

He had to wait for a long time.

It wasn’t until the sun had started to set that his turn finally came.

“Patient number 22, come in!”

“Use some respect, you fool!”

“Ah, yes, sir.”

The magistrate smacked Dolseok on the back of the head before stepping into the room.

Kang-hyuk, feeling a bit fatigued, looked at him with an annoyed expression.

“So, Magistrate, what seems to be the problem?”

Despite his tired appearance, Kang-hyuk still exuded an air of authority. The magistrate, who had been huffing and puffing just moments earlier, now looked as meek as a scholar.

“Uh… well…”

He fidgeted awkwardly, not even sitting down. Kang-hyuk, having anticipated this from the moment he saw the cushion, asked gently.

“Are you having trouble with your… rear?”

“Oh, oh! You really are a renowned doctor. Yes, that’s right. For the past few months, every time I use the latrine, there’s blood. I can’t even sit down properly anymore. It’s torture, really.”

Kang-hyuk nodded, looking as though he already understood everything.

Living in Joseon made it impossible to have a healthy bottom. They couldn’t even use the rare hanji (Korean traditional paper) to clean themselves.

Kang-hyuk still remembered how shocked he had been when Dolseok had handed him a bundle of straw for wiping.

‘Now, at least, I use a basin of water in place of a bidet, but…’

Most people probably hadn’t even thought of that.

‘Let’s take a look at what’s going on.’

It was obvious that the magistrate hadn’t washed properly. Looking at his face, Kang-hyuk guessed the situation down below was just as bad.

As much as he hated it, he had no choice.

A doctor is not a god, after all.

“First, lower your pants.”

“My pants? Here?”

The magistrate asked, alarmed.

Kang-hyuk remained calm.

“How else am I going to treat you if I can’t see the problem?”

“Oh… I see. Well, then.”

One thing Kang-hyuk had noticed since arriving here: people may hesitate, but they always did what they were told in the end.

The magistrate was no different, awkwardly lowering his pants.

‘As expected, it’s a mess.’

Hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and an abscess—he was like a hospital for anal diseases all by himself.

“Alright, lie down.”

“L-lie down?”

“It’s going to hurt a bit, but you need to hold still if you want to get better.”

“Hurt? How much worse could it—AH!”

Kang-hyuk swiftly administered a local anesthetic injection, targeting the most painful area.

Then he immediately began the procedure.

Perhaps due to the sensitivity of the area, the magistrate screamed in agony.

Dolseok, who was assisting nearby, couldn’t help but shake his head.

He whispered softly enough that the magistrate wouldn’t hear, although he probably wouldn’t have noticed even if it were spoken aloud.

“Young master, it feels like you’re making it hurt on purpose.”

“Hmm? That’s not the case. No physician would do such a thing.”

“Ah, true enough.”

“I’m just not going out of my way to avoid causing pain.”

“Huh?”

Isn’t that the same thing?

Dolseok figured Kang-hyuk’s personality hadn’t changed after all and continued assisting.

At first, seeing blood had terrified him, but now he was completely desensitized. In fact, he even found it satisfying to drain the pus.

“Look, it’s coming out.”

“Yes, that’s all pus.”

“These damned abscesses.”

Dolseok pressed out the yellow pus with a gauze pad.

If popping a pimple hurts, imagine the pain of draining an abscess in the rectum.

“Aaaahhhhh!”

The magistrate screamed, completely forgetting his dignity. But with Kang-hyuk and Dolseok holding him down, escape was impossible. The two of them were much bigger than the magistrate, making resistance futile.

“You devils, you’re killing me!”

He couldn’t see what was happening, but the pain was unbearable. The magistrate was genuinely terrified that he might die.

He screamed so loudly that the guards outside started to hover near the door, unsure of what to do. However, they didn’t dare enter because Mak-bong and Yeon were standing there like sentinels.

Normally, Kang-hyuk would try to reassure them, but this time, he bellowed in a deep voice.

“How can you call yourself a gentleman if you can’t even endure something like this?”

“What? You’re torturing me, and—ARGH!”

“Just hold on a little longer. We’re almost done.”

The abscess had already been drained, and the hemorrhoid removal was nearly complete. The magistrate would be in pain for a while, maybe even pass some blood for a few days, but soon he would feel like a new man.

“We’re done.”

“Oh, my…”

Even under proper medical conditions, hemorrhoid surgery was grueling. But to undergo it with only a scalpel and thread? The pain must have been unimaginable.

The magistrate was drenched in sweat, completely limp.

“You did well. Now, make sure to soak the area in warm water every day. Do that for a few days, and you’ll be fine.”

“How long will the pain last…?”

“Take your medicine, and it won’t be too bad.”

While Kang-hyuk explained the aftercare, Dolseok gathered the medicine and placed it in the magistrate’s hands.

“My lord, take this.”

“Oh… oh…”

Groaning, the magistrate swallowed the medicine.

The treatment was done, but he felt worse than when he had arrived. He wanted to get angry, but he didn’t have the energy or the time.

Kang-hyuk quickly gave him a dismissal.

“Take your master home. He doesn’t need to come tomorrow, just send someone to pick up his medicine.”

“Yes, sir.”

The guards, now fully aware of Kang-hyuk’s capabilities, obediently followed his orders.

They dragged the limp magistrate onto a horse and quickly disappeared.

Though the magistrate did regain some energy and cursed under his breath, he never returned.

Not that coming back would’ve helped anyway.

“Was the magistrate the last patient?”

Kang-hyuk asked as he wiped the blood and pus from the floor.

“Yes, young master. Even if there were others, they would have run away after hearing all that noise.”

Given the sounds that had echoed out of the room, it wouldn’t have been surprising.

“He held up well, though.”

“So you did do it on purpose?”

“You were squeezing the pus with all your strength, weren’t you?”

“Well, I did get smacked in the head. There won’t be a drop of pus left in there now.”

They both laughed as they exited the room.

By now, the sun had completely set, and they would need torches to find their way home.

“Ugh, my body aches. I should buy some liquor on the way home.”

Kang-hyuk muttered as he stretched.

Just then, Yeon approached with a troubled look.

“Uh, young master. There’s still one more person left.”

“What? Still? Who is it?”

“I think it’s the person the vice governor mentioned. He’s been waiting for a while…”

Yeon pointed to a shadowy figure standing in the dark yard.

The man was tall, with a commanding presence, and his posture exuded discipline. His eyes were particularly striking, glowing brightly as if they were the only thing visible in the dark.

But what truly caught Kang-hyuk’s attention was something else.

‘Wait, do I know that face? Why does he look so familiar?’