"This is truly a God-given talent!"
"Lord, I thank you."
"Hoho, what a devout young man!"
"Haha, you flatter me."
Dr. Robert Liston, who had seen through my talent, laughed heartily and seemed to have found a divine connection.
He usually attended church diligently, and it felt like he was completely swayed by my words.
"Perhaps the Lord has brought us together here, professor?"
Encouraged, I cautiously took another step forward.
If he had been born in the Middle Ages, he would have been wielding a real sword, cutting down many heads, not the Liston knife he held now.
A born knight.
Even if he had been born a peasant, he would have become a knight...
If I could firmly secure such a person as an ally, what could stop us?
'No one... would be able to stand in our way, right?'
If your strength and my intellect combined, we would create a synergy a hundred times stronger than Lü Bu and Chen Gong!
As I looked at him with such thoughts, Dr. Robert Liston, with a face that made me feel slightly guilty, spoke.
"Indeed, it must be the will of God."
If it weren't for the dissection room, he might have knelt down.
He truly looked like he would have done so.
"Anyway... fine. If you have the talent to discern such things, it will surely be helpful in surgery someday."
"Yes, I will strive diligently."
"Good. Haha. Come assist in the next surgery."
"Huh? But I'm still..."
"What does your year of study matter with such talent! Just come when called."
"Uh... yes."
Even with his devout expression, Dr. Robert Liston's face was more suited for inducing repentance than conversion.
It was genuinely terrifying.
When such a person calls you, can you really refuse?
Even those who boast about refusing would just nod their heads when faced with him.
I was no different.
Damn it.
'Does this mean... I'll be participating in that act of slaughter...?'
I began to worry about all sorts of things.
I still just wanted to do dissections.
If someone could invent anesthesia, then maybe...
No, let's wait until the concept of sterilization is firmly established.
'More importantly, couldn't I die too...?'
If I were cut by that huge, bacteria-covered knife...
No one would treat me like I treated Alfred.
If someone did step forward to treat me, wouldn't that just hasten my death?
It was too frightening.
"Just keep going for now."
"Ah, yes."
What pulled me out of my thoughts was Dr. Robert Liston, who had thrown me back into those very thoughts.
It wasn't exactly a humane method.
He just told me to keep dissecting.
I've said it before, but with that face, you couldn't refuse.
It was too scary.
"..."
I was planning to do more anyway.
The cadaver's condition was good now, but if more time passed, wouldn't it end up like the one behind us?
Even I would get confused about the actual anatomy if I dissected a cadaver like that.
It had been decaying for so long that the internal structures were long gone.
I had to see as much as possible before that happened.
'No, it's not that I need to see it.'
I'm already so proficient in anatomical structures that I could draw them with my eyes closed.
It wasn't just the abdomen.
The limbs were the same.
Among these guys, I was in a league of my own.
These guys didn't even deserve a chicken.
Anyway, I peeled back the skin completely.
This part was much easier than with a formaldehyde-treated cadaver.
Formaldehyde not only prevents decay but also hardens tissues, right?
In comparison, this was completely fresh, so for a skilled surgeon like me, it was no big deal.
"Wow..."
"So this is what it looks like."
"Whoa..."
Everyone was marveling at the exposed muscles of the upper arm.
The cadaver was of a young man, so the muscle structure was quite good, and how many people could peel back the layers as perfectly as I could?
They were probably seeing this for the first time.
'Deltoid... Pectoralis major. Hmm... underneath is the biceps.'
Me?
It was a sight I was all too familiar with.
To the point where the names of the muscles popped into my head as soon as I saw them.
'At the back... the deltoid covers it... underneath is the triceps, and to the side... brachioradialis.
Wow... I really am a genius.'
The back was the same.
"..."
I picked up the knife, leaving behind Joseph, Alfred, and Colin, who was starting to look uneasy, along with his lackey.
The deltoid was obstructing the view, right?
I needed to cut it away to see inside.
Just as I was about to make the cut, a deep voice interrupted me.
It was Dr. Robert Liston, and I froze like a mouse caught in a trap.
I wasn't bold enough to move my hand further here.
"Uh... yes, professor."
"It's rare to see it exposed so cleanly... why don't you do a drawing first? I know an artist, so I'll contact him."
An artist.
Not a photograph, but a drawing of this.
Thinking about the era, it made sense.
It was 1831.
The first camera had appeared, but the photos it took were at a level where you'd just say, "Oh, it's a photo."
The resolution was so poor that it had no academic value.
So Dr. Robert Liston's suggestion had merit.
'If it were anyone else, I'd brush it off... but what can I say...?'
I needed a reason to refuse.
What to do?
'Lord...'
Looking up, all I saw was a dark ceiling.
Pale things were moving around.
Maggots.
They would soon swarm here too, right?
Then I wouldn't be able to see the proper structure.
'I must use the wisdom the Lord has given me.'
Feeling anxious, I decided to use the "genius" meta once more.
Just saying it wouldn't be enough, so I added some theatrics.
"Hmm... hmm."
"What are you doing?"
"I've memorized it."
"Memorized?"
"Yes, I've always been good at memorizing things, especially things like this."
Joseph's face showed doubt.
Kid, just shut up.
Despite my wishes, Joseph stayed quiet.
Of course, he would.
No one would dare interrupt a conversation with Dr. Robert Liston.
Maybe only the Queen could do that without hesitation.
"You're confident, you say... hmm... you're certainly a genius, but... still, no. There's not much more below this. Just a few muscles and some blood vessels."
"Oh..."
What could I do?
If he says no, what can I say?
'A few muscles, you say? There are several rotator cuff muscles underneath! Do you know their functions and structures?'
In my mind, I was channeling Lü Bu and shouting, but my head was already bowed.
"Yes, I'll wait."
"Good."
As expected, Dr. Robert Liston nodded.
He probably always got this response.
Still, perhaps because of what I said earlier about God connecting us, he looked at me, who had put down the knife, and twitched his lips.
"Hmm."
It seemed like he wanted to say something.
At the same time, it seemed like a difficult topic.
Whatever it was, I was ready to listen.
No, I was ready to say yes.
"Have you ever been to a party since coming to London?"
Oh.
This was beyond my expectations.
A party...
Isn't that a culture for the popular?
Who would invite someone with a yellow face like me...
"No, I haven't."
"Not once?"
"No."
"How could you... didn't you know it's party season now?"
This thought wasn't unique to me.
Even Joseph and Alfred must have thought the same.
Racism in 19th-century Britain was immense.
Among acquaintances, it was somewhat better...
But strangers? They'd openly discriminate.
It was the British Empire era, so it was probably worse than other European countries.
Anyway, having nothing to say, I stayed quiet, and our professor, sensing something, continued.
"Well... if you come with me, nothing unpleasant will happen. It's not a snobbish party, just a modest gathering of my acquaintances. It wouldn't hurt to know some decent people."
This was consideration.
No, an opportunity?
Honestly, I wasn't exactly thrilled.
Those who've experienced racism know how unpleasant it is.
'If I go with the professor... and he introduces me, who would dare say anything...?'
But this was an invitation from Dr. Robert Liston.
If anyone treated me rudely, they'd have to be at the core of the British Empire.
Even if I faced some discrimination, it would be worth it to make an appearance.
'Fine, whatever.'
Honestly, I doubted anyone would openly say anything.
The word "dare" came to mind.
"Yes, I'll go. Can my friends come too?"
"Of course. Everyone on this team can come."
Ah.
Not Colin and his lackey, though.
But in this atmosphere, saying no would be suicide...
"Yes, thank you."
"Yes, professor."
Colin must have thought the same, as he bowed his head as politely as possible.
Then he glared at me.
I glared back.
Bastard.
What can I do?
I don't like it either.
"Alright, let's go."
The artist arrived as soon as Dr. Liston called.
He looked quite nervous, almost frightened.
"Yes, professor."
After that, we followed the professor to where the party was being held.
I couldn't remember whose house it was.
I figured he'd introduce us when we got there...
"Whoa."
The atmosphere was a bit strange.
I expected a stiff atmosphere since it was a party doctors attended, but from outside, there was a lot of laughter.
"Hahahahahaha!"
I thought some hilarious incident had occurred, but when I peeked through the open door, I saw something unexpected.
Three middle-aged men were sitting there.
They looked utterly uninteresting.
But they were laughing like mad.
As I stood there with a question mark on my face, the professor explained.
"Ah, there's something called laughing gas. Inhaling it makes you feel good."