I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 89: Yuria and the Strange Doctor (4)

"Unaware that Yuria was quietly eavesdropping with her ears perked up, Crowd and Alice were having a conversation that was clearly out of the ordinary.

Why had he concluded that Yuria might be cursed? The reason was simple—she was, in many ways, remarkably healthy.

Typically, people who are unable to speak fall into two categories of conditions: aphasia, caused by brain damage, and mutism, stemming from psychological factors.

However, aphasia involves issues in the brain's language processing areas, resulting in symptoms that manifest broadly. This was far from Yuria’s case, who had no problems hearing or reading language despite being unable to speak.

As for mutism, there were no signs of accompanying anxiety or stress that would normally follow such a condition. Yuria’s psychological state was so calm and serene that merely observing her could feel healing.

It was almost as if she was deliberately refraining from speaking or forcibly holding herself back. However, Crowd, being both a doctor and a Fixer, was more than capable of seeing through such patients.

Thus, there was only one possible explanation for Yuria’s condition: her ability to communicate verbally had been forcibly taken from her by a curse.

“Alice, you mentioned earlier that Yuria showed signs of momentarily losing consciousness while trying to write?”

“Ah, yes! Greg saw it clearly with his own eyes. She dropped the pen from her hand and later couldn’t even remember it happening....”

“Hmm. I’ve seen a patient exhibit similar symptoms before. Forbidden magic—a type of spell that imposes restrictions on the target’s actions. Of course, I couldn’t sense any magical traces from Yuria, but...”

“If it’s a curse that leaves no trace of magic... are you saying something similar might be possible?”

To be precise, it wasn’t exactly a curse but rather a form of sorcery associated with curses. Crowd narrowed his eyes as he supplemented Alice’s statement.

Curses. They were a type of sorcery that had nearly vanished over time.

Before magic had been systemized by a great archmage and even existed in the world, sorcery, built over centuries, dominated the now-extinct otherworld.

Sorcery involved sacrificing life imbued with mana, performing meaningless rituals to unify intent, and chanting nonsensical murmurs to accidentally align with the laws of the world.

It couldn’t truly be called magic, but it was undeniably close to it. People referred to this mixture of inevitability and coincidence as sorcery.

“But sorcery...”

“Yes. No one uses it anymore, especially after the destruction of the world we once lived in.”

Most sorcery was quickly rendered obsolete after the emergence of magic. It fell behind in every aspect when compared to magic.

The need for sacrifices made it inefficient, the mingling of mana with blood and flesh made precise control impossible, and the results were so inconsistent that outcomes varied even when the same rituals were performed.

Sorcery couldn’t compete and was naturally phased out once magic became dominant.

However, one particular branch of sorcery managed to survive: curse-related sorcery, which inflicted harm upon others.

Magic was like a cold, efficient machine, producing consistent results as long as mana flowed correctly, unlike sorcery, which wavered with countless variables.

Yet perhaps because of its inherent consistency, curse-related sorcery could achieve results equal to or even superior to similar magic. Its power amplified proportionally to the user’s malice toward the target.

“And as you know, the higher the skill of the sorcerer, the less trace their curse leaves behind. That makes it difficult to even confirm if someone’s cursed, let alone identify the caster.”

“That’s... yes, I’ve heard as much before.”

“Well, curses are best dealt with by other sorcery. But where in the world would you even find a sorcerer these days?”

Perhaps it was because sorcery consumed living beings imbued with mana as raw materials. The greatest advantage of curse-related sorcery—commonly referred to as curses—was the absence of traces.

Especially in ambiguous cases like Yuria’s, where it wasn’t even certain if she was cursed. Without specialized knowledge, determining the truth was nearly impossible."

"Of course, if there were still sorcerers around, they could easily identify the type of sorcery and how to break it. However, with the otherworld that provided materials for sorcery long gone, both sorcery and sorcerers had become nearly impossible to find.

“This is giving me a headache. As a doctor, I want to provide a solution, but I’ve never encountered a curse that leaves such faint traces. I’m almost certain that some kind of prohibition has been placed on her, though.”

“I see....”

“Don’t make that face. I actually like her; she’s a brave kid. I’ll make time to help whenever I can. And Yuria is perfectly healthy apart from being unable to speak. If you cry, you’ll only make her anxious.”

“Ugh, fine, I’ll hold it in!”

Alice held back the tears that threatened to spill out in worry for Yuria. As Crowd had said, if she cried, it would only make Yuria feel uneasy. Instead of focusing on her sorrow, she needed to think ahead.

I’ll find a way to free Yuria from this curse no matter what.

Rather than succumbing to sadness, Alice burned with anger toward whoever had cursed Yuria.

Crowd chuckled, covering his mouth as he observed Alice’s determined expression. Relieved, he added,

“Thankfully, because the curse is so sophisticated, it’s unlikely to mutate or cause additional harm to Yuria. Still, come by at least once a month. Her condition could worsen unexpectedly.”

“Yes...! Thank you. I’ll definitely come back next month!”

“Fufufu. Oh, and bring Raven next time. I miss that firm backside of his.”

“Y-yes! I’ll have Jin bring him instead next time...!”

Alice was momentarily startled by Crowd’s fixation on Raven’s physique. Truly, the infamous “man-hunter” Crowd. She resolved to ensure Raven would be the one to come for the next check-up.

After finishing their conversation inside, Alice stepped out of the clinic with Crowd, where she spotted Yuria sitting quietly on a chair, deep in thought.

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t put her mask back on after the examination.

Even though she wore a blank expression, staring into space, her sheer presence had such charm that it made you want to hand over your entire fortune without a second thought.

“Yuria, I’m back!”

“...!”

Yuria’s power was only just beginning.

As she turned her head and locked her enigmatic violet eyes on Alice, a radiant smile bloomed on her face, like a flower suddenly bursting into full bloom.

Even when wearing a mask, Yuria’s transparent nature made it easy to guess what she was thinking. But without it, her face was even more expressive and honest.

I trust you wholeheartedly.

Her smile, full of warmth and trust, was like a battering ram to the heart. Alice felt her legs give way as an overwhelming sense of stimulation seized her chest, and she crumpled to the ground.

“Ugh... Huff, huff... I almost fainted...! I didn’t know Yuria could pull off such an attack!”

"....”

Of course, Alice’s exaggerated reaction stemmed entirely from the fact that Yuria’s face was a perfect match for her extreme love of cuteness.

Not to mention, Yuria, who usually acted as elusive as a cat, was now radiating an unmistakable signal of trust. It was no wonder Alice couldn’t resist and found herself utterly disarmed.

For Yuria, however, it was a bewildering situation.

No matter how much her face might align with someone’s preferences, was smiling at them really enough to provoke such a reaction?

She scratched her cheek awkwardly before grabbing her mask nearby and quickly putting it back on.

She liked Alice, but even she couldn’t bear to watch such a display for long.

Perhaps because Yuria had recovered her composure, Alice managed to calm down as well. Taking Yuria’s hand, she stood up and bowed politely to Crowd.

“Well then, we’ll be on our way. Thank you for taking care of Yuria today.”

“Not at all. I was just doing my job. Yuria’s the one who went through all the trouble. Take care, both of you.”

"...!”

“Hohoho, goodbye. ...Ah, wait, Alice?”

Just as they were about to leave the clinic with their belongings, Crowd called out to Alice as if he’d remembered something.

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Was there something else he hadn’t mentioned about Yuria?

Alice tilted her head, puzzled, and asked why he’d stopped them. Crowd answered casually.

“Next time, bring your sister. I’d like to check on her condition, too. She’s not fully recovered yet, right?”

“Oh, um, yes. I’ll let you know when I have time. My sister’s been really busy lately, but I think she’s about to have some free time....”

Perhaps because it was so unexpected, Alice glanced away awkwardly.

Inside her mask, Yuria pondered their conversation and eventually realized what they meant.

Ah, come to think of it, it’s almost that time—the Night Week holiday, when most of the companies in Night Haven, following the Dragon Mayor’s orders, take a break.

In the original story, this was when Alice’s sister, Lily, visited the office.

After spending so much effort removing all those miniature surveillance cameras, would this lead to any grudges?

Clutching Alice’s hand, Yuria couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease.

If possible, I’ll hide in the closet and make sure we don’t cross paths.

With her belongings firmly in her grasp, Yuria secretly began to formulate her escape plan."