Chapter 187 - 132 : Year 31 - 36 Physician

Chapter 187: Chapter 132 : Year 31 - 36 Physician

When Elisa finally asked the physician to teach her, he took her interest seriously, but he did not give her an answer at once. He served House Veymont, and before agreeing to take the count’s daughter under his instruction, he spoke with Lucian and Lucy about her request. They welcomed her interest and gave him permission to teach her, trusting him to decide what she was ready to learn.

When he next spoke with Elisa, he explained that learning to treat the sick would take time. He would begin by teaching her about herbs, medicines, and the care of simple wounds. She could watch him work and help with small tasks, but she would have to follow his instructions and ask whenever she was unsure.

"Wanting to help people is a good reason to learn," he told her, "but it isn’t enough on its own. You must learn what each medicine does and when it should be used. Two herbs may look alike and still have very different effects. Even the right medicine can cause harm if it’s prepared or used incorrectly."

Elisa listened closely, taking his warning to heart.

"You will make mistakes as you learn," he continued. "That’s to be expected. When I correct you, pay attention and learn from it. And never try something on a patient simply because you think it might work. You must understand what you’re doing before you take that responsibility."

She nodded, eager to begin. The physician could see that her interest was genuine, but he knew he would have to guide it carefully. For now, she would learn the basics, help with whatever tasks he considered suitable, and observe his work. Anything beyond that would have to wait until she had gained the knowledge and experience to handle it safely.

Elisa listened, considered his warning, and still wanted to learn.

Her parents welcomed the decision. Lucian understood the value of a skilled physician to House Veymont, while Lucy was pleased that their daughter had found an interest that gave direction to her longstanding concern for others. Both hoped that the work would teach Elisa how to help without making her feel responsible for every hardship she encountered. They also knew that a physician’s skills could serve the family in ways that extended beyond the treatment of ordinary illnesses.

In a martial world, the physician’s place was important. Soldiers and guards suffered cuts, fractures, sprains, and other injuries in the course of their duties, while martial artists put their bodies under demanding strain as they trained and tempered themselves. Knowledge of herbs and medicine could help treat wounds, ease bruising, support recovery, and prepare restorative decoctions, medicinal baths, and salves for aching muscles and damaged tissues. More experienced practitioners also possessed formulae suited to the needs of martial artists at different stages of body tempering. Such preparations could help the body endure training or recover from its effects, though they were no substitute for skill, proper cultivation, or the natural limits of the person receiving them. The better formulae often required rare or costly ingredients, and a physician needed sound judgment to know which preparation a patient could safely use.

A capable physician was therefore valuable to the family. His knowledge could help preserve the health of its guards and martial retainers, support their recovery after injuries, and allow the household to make better use of the resources it spent on their training. Lucian welcomed the possibility that Elisa might eventually acquire such knowledge. But he also understood that the profession had appealed to her for a more personal reason: she wanted to be able to help someone in pain and know that her efforts had made a difference.

Over the next two years, the physician taught her the foundations of his craft without allowing her enthusiasm to carry her beyond her ability. She learned to identify familiar herbs, distinguish plants that looked similar, and understand how a plant’s useful properties could depend on which part was gathered and how it was prepared. She helped dry and store medicinal ingredients, ground them under supervision, prepared simple mixtures, and kept clean cloths and supplies ready for treating patients. She also learned to observe people carefully, noting changes in their appearance, strength, and symptoms rather than assuming that two patients with similar complaints would respond to the same treatment.

Her studies extended beyond the ordinary remedies used for fevers, aches, and wounds. Her mentor the physician introduced her to the medicines used by guards and martial artists, including preparations for bruising and strain, restorative baths, and decoctions intended to support recovery after demanding physical training. He explained the importance of measuring ingredients carefully and following a formula rather than adding more in the hope of making a medicine stronger. Some preparations were harmless enough when made incorrectly to produce little benefit; others could be dangerous if used without proper knowledge.

As Elisa gained experience, she sometimes mistook one plant for another until she examined their leaves more closely. At other times, she remembered the ingredients of a remedy but missed a step in its preparation. Her physician corrected her patiently, reminding her to pay attention to the small details that could make a difference in treatment. Gradually, she learned to ask questions when she was unsure and to understand why a remedy worked rather than simply memorising its ingredients.

The work suited her. She listened closely, remembered what she was taught, and remained attentive even when a task was unpleasant or demanded more patience than she had expected. Most importantly, she began to see that helping did not always have to mean providing money or offering comfort after something had gone wrong. Knowledge could let her act before an injury worsened, give a patient a better chance of recovering, or help a family understand how to care for someone who could not immediately return to work.

Yet knowledge also made some of the limits clearer.

Over the past two years, Elisa had accompanied the physician on visits to nearby settlements, where some people could not easily travel to the castle or the city of Veymont for treatment. Lucian and Lucy had considered the arrangement carefully. Their second son had begun travelling with his master at just seven years old, and although the journeys carried risks, they had made sure he had proper guidance and protection rather than keeping him at home. Elisa had been around thirteen when she began accompanying the physician, considerably older than her brother had been when he first left with his master. If they had been willing to let their young son learn his trade beyond the safety of their walls, there was little reason to hold Elisa back when she had found a worthwhile path of her own to pursue.

Of course, Lucian and Lucy had not allowed Elisa to travel without precautions. She accompanied the physician only on visits to settlements they considered safe enough to reach, and a trusted escort always went with them. Alongside the ordinary guards, they assigned a martial retainer whose strength and experience would help protect the party against threats that the soldiers might struggle to handle. When a journey called for it, additional men kept watch ahead of or beyond the group. Elisa would not be taken on patrols into dangerous districts or sent anywhere the physician and his escort could not safely go.

Her parents still worried whenever she travelled beyond the castle, especially knowing that even a carefully planned journey could bring unexpected trouble. Yet they also knew they could not prepare her for the path she had chosen by keeping her within the castle walls. They wanted her to learn and gain experience, but only within limits that allowed her to do so without exposing herself to unnecessary danger.