"Are you sure this will work out?" The merchant asked nervously, continuously tapping the side of his costly pants.

"Without a doubt, Mr. Reant," Reshin reassured with his most confident smile. Reshin discreetly examined the merchant, trying to learn as much as possible to impress this influential and wealthy merchant. He had a slight slouch, a pale complexion, and deep bags under his eyes; his clothes were slightly baggy, suggesting he had recently lost significant weight.

I need to project confidence and let him know I'm a professional who will do the job perfectly. I can't let this opportunity pass because I fear failure.

The merchant closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out. "Alright, please follow me." Within a moment, the merchant seemed to have grown two inches as he stood straighter and projected an aura of professionalism.

Reshin was taken aback by the sudden change but maintained his professional mask. Reshin followed the merchant up the stairs and down the very long hallway of his mansion, the servants bowing as they passed. As they grew closer, the merchant grew more distressed, which did not go unnoticed by Reshin.

A faint scent tickled his nose, and Reshin saw a potential opportunity. "The curse of rot?" Reshin said, causing the merchant to pause.

The merchant looked back, slightly surprised. "That's right, how did you know?"

"This is my specialty. If I can't notice, then who would?”

The merchant now seemed slightly more relaxed and less rigid in his movements. "Ah yes, of course."

He looks impressed and hopeful; now I need to deliver.

Stopping in front of a well-crafted door, the merchant knocked politely on the door before entering, even though the patient, his daughter, had remained unconscious. Her condition was worse than Reshin imagined;

This is quite severe. I’m surprised she’s still alive with the degree of decay she has. The merchant must have used some potent healing magic or potions to try to heal her. It didn’t work, but it kept her alive for me to arrive.

"This is quite bad; I'll need to operate immediately. Please give me some privacy."

"Mr. Lexington, please escort everyone outside the room and give Mr. Sho his privacy.

"Of course, Master Reant."

The old butler who followed them to their room ushered everyone out. Reishin looked around, his eyes stopping on the last people in the room.

"Mr. Reant, I must ask you to step out."

The merchant and Reishin stared at each other in silence. “This is my daughter, Mr. Sho. I'm staying.”

Hiding his anxiety behind a firm tone, Reishin stood his ground. “I need complete concentration. I must eliminate any distractions; your daughter's life depends on it. If I fail, the rebound could kill your daughter. I will not permit any distractions."

The merchant looked at Reishin with assessing eyes, reaching some conclusion. "Alright," he complied hesitantly before leaving and gently shutting the door.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Here we go.

Reshin released a sigh and sent his magical senses through her body to find the core of the curse, which was found in her midsection like a malicious tumor. He searched the rest of her body and carefully examined the core from every angle. He slowly sent his mana into her body and surrounded the core with surgical precision. After completely encasing the core, he began to expel it from her body. The curse was too powerful to suppress completely, and it violently struggled as it was expelled, causing the patient to groan in pain. Black smoke was emitted from her pores, and Reshin forced it into a magic-insulated bottle, similar to magic potion bottles used to preserve magical efficiency. After the curse entered the bottle, Reshin used a special cork to seal the bottle. Reishin made sure to to put the cursed bottle away in his bag, wouldn't want any strange questions.

That curse was no joke.

"You can come back in," Reshin opened the door and called out to the merchant as he wiped sweat off his forehead.

"How is she?" he asked nervously as he rushed into the room.

"I removed the curse, but she still needs immediate medical attention.”

"I already arranged for a healer, just in case," he says as his butler leads a beautiful healer into the room. The healer rushed to the young woman and cast a spell on her, lighting her body in a gentle glow.

"It's true; the curse is completely gone. I'll treat your daughter right away; her condition is still critical."

The merchant walked up to Reshin with a giant, relieved smile and handed him a small pouch. He opened it up and found it full of gold coins.

"Thank you, Mr. Sho. Your ability is even greater than what they say."

"You're welcome, but this is more than we agreed to."

"It's well worth the price; no one in this town could help my precious daughter. I also must ask for your discretion."

Some hush money, huh? Sure, why not?

"I'll accept this gratefully. It would be best if you took care in the future; the families of merchants are common targets for curses, and this one was powerful. Someone either paid a lot of money, or a Curse Master has a personal grudge."

"Of course, something like this won't happen again. I’ve already started to take precautions."

"You don't mind if I wait here for a little bit? I would like a moment with the healer when she's finished her treatment."

"Of course not."

The healer looked towards Reshin curiously before continuing her treatment.

"Mr. Sho, right? Did you need something?” The healer asked after finishing her treatment. The patient was still unconscious but completely healthy; it would only be a matter of time before she woke up.

"Since we're in similar fields, I wanted to know if we could discuss our experiences over dinner and broaden our horizons.”

She looked back with a slight smile.

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"I find age to be a construct; however, if you must know, I’m twenty-two."

"You’re pretty bold, Mr. Sho. I suppose I could spare some time for dinner.”

After a great dinner, Reshin didn't leave her house before dawn the following day.

"I'll be sure to visit soon," Reshin said mischievously.

"You're a rascal, Mr. Sho," she said with a smile.

“Please, Bella, call me Reshin.”

Reshin eagerly made it back to his small house, staring in dreary anticipation at the smokey black bottle.

Well, here goes nothing.

Reshin opens the bottle, and the curse rushes out, attracted to its victim's location. Reshin tightly grabs onto it with his mana and forces it into his body. The curse resists violently, and he grits his teeth, barely able to maintain concentration over the pain. His room isn't magically insulted, and he can’t afford failure. If Reshin passes out or loses control over the curse, it will return to the merchant's daughter, and everything will be for nothing, and his reputation will be at risk.

The pain was excruciating, but Reshin held back his screams and held on. It was only a short period, but it felt much longer before the curse of rot was gone, and in its place was the buff of healing. The healing effect is less than the original rotting effect due to the conversation losses. Still, after adding it to his other three healing buffs, the impact will be much more significant.

Ah, that never gets old.