In the distance, a rather distasteful hiss sounded out, "Ah, be more gentle or you'll be finding yourself in that dungeon after all. You lowly peasant perhaps, Boris was right, and you are a quack."

The doctor replied in a submissive tone, "My apologies, unlike lord Boris, your injuries are more than skin deep. If I do not set your bones now, they may become deformed, the art of healing has always involved a certain amount of pain concerning the damage one has incurred." 

Loud knocking reverberated on the door startling Clarence, but the underappreciated doctor was able to continue the healing process without missing a beat. 

An old, slow voice crept through the door, "Knight Clarence, my lord wishes me to report tonight's happenings. May I enter?"

Clarence's eyebrows knitted. Since when did a butler speak that way to a noble. "Its senior runic knight Clarence and what business is there to report that needs us face to face to be done. Just speak your detailed piece through the door, and I will return my well thought out response through the very same door." Clarence gritted his teeth as the last bone was set by the sweating doctor. Ah, he has finally finished anymore, and I would be unable to bear. 

A whisper appeared in Clarence's ear "now that the bones have been set, we can move onto the injections."

The startled Clarence leapt up in a hurry causing pain to surge through his body. 

A powerful palm forced him back into sitting. Alfred cautioned, "Careful now, knight Clarence, you have a mission, and being injured would prove a problem." You want to suckle from our teat, it's only right you work hard for your meal.

"How did you get in here?" Clarence looked around in confusion, but all the doors and windows were shut. Only he and the doctor were in the room. How could this lowly butler get in? And what does he mean by mission? Does he not see how injured I am?

"Don't look so surprised. I merely let myself in." A wry chuckle followed as Alfred relayed mostly everything that happened.

Clarence, hearing everything, replied, "So, I am to trail Requis. Ok, it shall be done. After my healing process is complete, I will leave immediately. How long shall it take, doctor?" Clarence attempted to ignore Alfred, who had a dangerous vibe and menacingly stared down the doctor.

The doctor licked his lips nervously, "Well, with injuries of your level, the fastest recovery speed is at least four days, maybe a week."

"What? Four days? Nonsense. What kind of treatment did you give to me?" Clarence grabbed towards the doctor to choke the life out of the fool.

But a firm grip grasped around Clarence's arm. Alfred drowsily butted in, "No need to hurt the poor doctor, his diagnosis is correct. Under normal circumstances, his abilities would actually warrant praise. Unfortunately, we are under not so normal circumstances, hence why I said the time for injections has arrived. Now hold still, so I do not have to do this more than once." It's like handling a child. No, at least the child has the capacity to improve. This is just a man-child filled with arrogance and delusion. I shall be dragged down at this rate.

 Clarence began to frantically pull his arm and shouted, "Wait, what are you doing, unhand me. I have not agreed to any injections." How is his grip so strong? Fuck I didn't come here to be a guinea pig.

Alfred consoled in a not so soothing voice, "Shhh, its ok lad. These injections are free of charge and will grant you great strength." If you survive, that is. A giant 4-inch needle with a bubbling concoction appeared in Alfred's free hand.

Clarence's face went pale at the sight.

On the other hand, the doctor's face brightened up when he saw the weird mixture. Admiring the substance, the doctor exclaimed, "Ah, this is indeed a remedy that can hasten his recovery. Under the proper conditions, he will be back to his prime in 30 mins, and above it in an hour. Though the chance of failure is not low."

Alfred admired the learned man in front of him. This was a real doctor, not some shaman or priest. "Rightly said, doctor. I must apologize for my lord's ignorance of your expertise. Regardless of knight Clarence's actions, I will keep you from the dungeon. Now, I will have to trouble you, for this is not my expertise." Alfred passed the needle to the doctor.

Seeing this, Clarence growled, "I swear you, lowly peasant, if you stick me, I will rip you limb from limb. You will suffer 100 times greater pain than I." Clarence was still struggling wildly, but the now two-handed Alfred easily subdued his movements.

The doctor felt around Clarence's arm until he found the proper blood vessel. Then he steadily pushed the needle in.

 A sharp pain coursed through Clarence's arm as the long needle entered. Right as he was about to yell at the doctor, an extreme pain arrived as the concoction entered his bloodstream.

A gurgling "AHHH" was released from Clarence's mouth for a good 2 mins until the whole concoction was injected. What looked like worms slithering appeared on Clarence's face as his blood vessels were invaded. 

The roaming guards could hear the inhuman shrieks and fear gripped their hearts, hoping to never be treated by the sadistic doctor.

The doctor wiped away his sweat after removing the needle. He informed Alfred, "we must quickly move him to cold water, or his body temperature will flare until he dies from shock." 

Alfred nodded in confirmation, lifted up the reddening Clarence, and walked him steadily to the bath. Once there, he lowered Clarence in and began filling the tub with ice and freshwater.

Alfred wiped his hands with a handkerchief. "What shall we do next, dear doctor." 

 The doctor quickly examined the current situation."It depends on his strength. If he is too weak, we must brew a concoction to relieve his blood vessels. If he can endure, then he will reap greater benefits. For now, his condition should be stable, so I will leave the choice to you, sir."

Alfred chuckled, "The boy hungers for power like a plant hungers for the sun. He is like a puppy begging for a bone. I must admit I've always pitied such simple creatures." Be glad lad, I have thrown you quite the bone. Alfred nodded at the doctor, then calmly walked to the door, opened it, and left. 

Alfred walked down a long corridor until he arrived at a crate. Once he opened it, a brilliant magic armor was shown dazzling like the stars in the sky. "My lord, you dote too much on a boy who is conspiring behind your back. But it isn't the place of a butler to question his master's decisions." Sigh. Alfred carried the crate and left it outside of Clarence's door. 

Alfred then proceeded to Boris's room one last time and found Boris still in a slumber. Alfred mumbled to himself, "If my old master knew of what I was doing, he would slap me on the head for not acting sooner." Alfred was greatly dismayed seeing his ailing master, then he vanished from the room.

Not too far from the castle sat a tall building with a faded Adventurer's Association logo proudly taking up a large chunk of the front. Inside, the building was mostly empty. The adventurers found in the building were only silver ranked at the highest, with most not even being bronze. 

Requis was carefully preparing his old battle uniform. It has been so long since a quest worthy of my status has arrived. Requis looked around the shabby and mostly empty room. Soon I'll be free of this place.

 An old hag, the guild's receptionist, handed Requis his cane. 

Requis winked at the old lady, "Thank you, my lovely Maria. Are you sure you do not wish to come along? This may be your last chance at a real adventure."

Maria merely gave a sweet smile and lamented, "My days of adventuring have long ended Requis. Even in my prime, this would be too great for me."

Requis chuckled, "you will always be that little young miss with an unending amount of cheekiness in my eyes."

Maria blushed as if remembering her foolish younger self and retorted, "we can't all be unaging monsters like you."

"Haha, there it is, but even this old monster ages. One day someone will ask me the very same question. But unlike you, my dear, who has lost her spun.k I will gladly agree. No matter the difficulty. I'm off." A remnant of youth exuded from Requis after this statement like a brash adventurer who only knew how to run towards death.

"Go and come back," Maria replied like an old wife seeing her husband off to work.