Chapter 1

Translator: Nox

Warm sunlight filtered through the narrow bars of the window. It pierced my eyes as I leaned against the wall trying to sleep, forcing me to wake from my brief nap.

Judging by the orange hue of the sky outside the window, night was about to fall.

“Ober Teacher.”

At that moment, the small boy in front of me clutched the hem of my clothes tightly. Even dressed in ragged, threadbare garments, his cuteness hadn't faded at all.

His hair was greasy and filthy, but the platinum blond locks retained their beautiful sheen. His sparkling eyes were a clear, refreshing turquoise.

‘Ober Teacher.’

That was my name. Astrid Ober. It had been a week since I entered this damned body, but the name still didn't feel familiar no matter how many times I heard it.

“What's wrong, Rodent?”

I asked the boy gently.

Rodent. Naming a child after a ‘rodent’—how cruel. Apparently, it was a name someone had given him, a child who wandered the streets like a sewer rat.

And this unbelievable boy with that absurd name was the male protagonist of the novel I was now in, Liberators of the Underground City.

“……No.”

Rodent hesitated, his lips twitching before he clamped them shut.

I closed my eyes again. The scene before me was so disconcerting I couldn't keep them open.

This place, where Rodent and I were locked up alone, was the infamous prison of the Regnumia Empire. A cramped cell too narrow for a young boy and a petite adult woman to even stretch out comfortably.

As I closed my eyes, memories of my previous life flooded in like a tidal wave.

 

“Patient! Patient! Can you hear me?”

“It's a TA patient. 27-year-old female, BP keeps dropping.”

“Patient, do you know where you are?”

“Doctor, it's V-fib!”

 

That was my last memory. On my way to work, hit by a truck and rushed to the hospital. It was like a scene straight out of one of the medical dramas I'd loved since my school days.

Despite watching countless medical dramas for 15 years, I never imagined such a moment would come for me. And that... I would die.

V-fib

(v-fib)

, ventricular fibrillation. And probably expire

(expire)

. No memory of it, but the doctor must have solemnly pronounced time of death. My 27 years—short, if you think about it—ended just like that.

And when I opened my eyes, I was in this damned prison. I retained the memories of Astrid I'd possessed, hazy like fog, and was imprisoned here.

Astrid Ober was known as the Angel of Aub Street. Like Mother Teresa in my old world.

‘Angel, huh...’

The title made me squirm like a squid on a hot grill. But whether I liked it or not, that's who I was now.

Astrid Ober was 27, same as me. But 27 in this world was nothing like 27 in mine.

Here, women became adults at 18 and were married off like commodities to matches arranged by their families.

By 20, they were pointed at as spinsters. In such a society, a woman living alone unmarried at 27...

‘And on top of that, treating poor street kids. A true saint.’

Yes. The 10-year-old boy before me, Rodent, was one of the children Astrid had saved. In fact, the last one. We'd been thrown into this prison together.

“……Rodent, what's wrong?”

Lost in sentiment for a moment, I couldn't focus. Rodent was fidgeting anxiously. He looked extremely uneasy.

“Ober Teacher……”

Tears welled up in Rodent's mint-green eyes. Tears in a young boy's eyes were heartbreaking... but irresistibly cute.

I'd mostly been into medical dramas, but I'd watched other genres too. Among them, Liberators of the Underground City was a favorite I'd rewatched multiple times.

And now, my fave character at age 10 was right in front of me! Looking up at me, crying! But as the Angel of Aub Street, I couldn't have such irreverent thoughts before this weeping boy.

Ahem. I cleared my throat and asked kindly.

“Why are you crying, Rodent? Are you hurt somewhere?”

When I asked worriedly, Rodent shook his head. Then he gripped my sleeve tightly. Ugh, so... cute...

“Teacher, the guards said... you're going to be hanged tomorrow... Is it true?”

His question left me speechless. Those guards said that in front of a 10-year-old? Unforgivable.

Of course, they weren't wrong. Tomorrow morning, at dawn, I'd be dragged to the gallows and hanged.

The charge: ‘Unlicensed medical practice.’

The Regnumia Empire didn't allow women in professional fields. Though she'd inherited a clinic from her doctor father, Astrid had no license.

Practicing medicine without one was why I was imprisoned. Excuse, really—the real reason was they hated her helping the downtrodden and being hailed as an angel.

But according to the original story I'd read countless times, I wouldn't die. Tonight, someone would come rescue me.

“Don't worry, Rodent. That won't happen. It's okay. Everything will be fine.”

I hugged the fidgeting Rodent tightly, soothing him. My shoulder grew damp—his tears flowing. His small shoulders shook.

Astrid, who'd taken in homeless Rodent and treated him kindly, was fated to die tomorrow. A huge shock for a 10-year-old. Those guards who told him deserved to die...

‘Hmph. Anyway, they're all dead men in a few hours.’

Soon, the Liberators would storm in.

Regnumia Empire's current emperor, Solter III, was infamous for his excessive tyranny.

Laughter vanished from the streets, and the imperial army became objects of terror. Cross them, and you'd lose your life or be exiled beyond the walls teeming with monsters.

In such circumstances, rebels rising against the empire was inevitable.

The Liberators were a massive rebel group formed by such people. Enormously so.

According to the original, tonight, the Liberators would kill all the guards, rescuing Astrid and Rodent.

Anticipating the sweet revenge, I glared fiercely at the guard outside the bars. He flinched. ‘What kinda crazy bitch is this?’ his face said.

While soothing crying Rodent, darkness fell outside. The Liberators were due any moment.

I drew my hand across my throat at the guard still staring oddly. You're done for, got it?

But my heart wasn't at ease.

I'd avoid the noose, but Astrid's future wasn't smooth.

The Liberators stormed the prison to save Astrid because their dying leader needed saving.

The King of the Underground City, Jin. He'd be my patient from now on.

Thinking of Jin made me sigh. Astrid's ‘treatment’ for street kids was just good food and clean rest.

And me? In the modern world, I was a plain office worker. A lowly product developer at a confectionery company. A commoner like me as rebel leader's doctor?

In the original, Jin dies 3 months from now. After, Liberators scatter, Astrid gets killed. Yes. My fate ends in 3 months too.

‘...To survive, I mustn't go to the Liberators' Underground City base.’

That was my conclusion after a week of chaos post-possession. I'd tasted hellish death once. No more.

Then, commotion erupted outside the prison.

‘Here they come, the Liberators.’

I gripped Rodent's hand tightly amid the gunfire and screams.

“Stop them! It's the Liberators!”

The guards shouted. Futile. They're doomed anyway.

Soon, a man with ash-gray hair fluttering appeared at the cell door.

“Astrid Ober?”

He asked in a deep, trustworthy voice. His eyes looking down at me evoked a lion's gaze. Just like the novel: pale gray long hair, light sky-blue eyes. Ruggedly handsome.

Shoulders broad as anything—damn, he's built solid.

“……I'll ask again. You're Ober Teacher, right?”

I scanned him up and down without answering; he looked awkward, asking again. Geez, impatient guy.

“Yes. I'm Astrid Ober. Who are you?”

Of course, I knew, but courtesy's sake.

This was Rishar, Liberators' second-in-command. Jin's loyal right-hand man and best friend.

“No time to explain. Come out first.”

Rishar pulled out a keyring, fumbling for the right one. Then, distant shouts: “Over here! The Gray Lion's here!”

Gray Lion was Rishar's moniker. Come to think, the empire's third-most-wanted was before me.

“Wait a moment.”

Rishar said lowly, then fired at the charging guards. One shot, one down—impressive.

The novel hyped his marksmanship; it was real.

This era's tech was primitive—crude matchlocks max. But that revolver? Special-made by Liberators' engineer.

Soon, the ant-swarm guards lay fallen. Rishar hurried. Had to escape with Astrid before imperial troops arrived.

“Come out, Ober Teacher.”

Rishar opened the cell door.

Finally, out of this suffocating prison. I'd grown sick of the tiny window's sky view. Joyfully, I stepped out.

Fleeing frantically, we reached a deserted back alley. Eerily quiet—no pursuers, luckily.

“Mister, are you the ‘Gray Lion’?”

Rodent asked Rishar with sparkling eyes. Rishar glanced, then bowed politely to us.

“Forgive my late introduction. I'm Rishar.”

Rodent gasped ‘Wow—’

“Can I become a Liberator too?”

Rodent's eyes sparkled more. Rishar's stoic face softened with a slight smile.

“Of course. Come with us.”

Liberators took in all homeless street kids. Rodent would join as in the original.

“As for our purpose, Ober Teacher—you're needed. You're our only hope. Please come with us.”

Rishar said gravely. First meeting, heavy voice, ‘only hope’!? How's a girl's heart supposed to stay steady?

“I've heard the rumors, but... I'm not an outstanding doctor. No license either. I can't go with you.”

‘King of the Underground City’ Jin dying was empire-wide news. Original Astrid would've rushed into hellfire for a patient in need.

Not me. I want to live.

Jin's death tragic, but what could I do? Following Rishar to Underground City meant my end in 3 months.

Rishar's face flashed confusion at my refusal. Why, surprised the ‘Angel of Aub Street’ isn't angelic?

“I didn't expect Ober Teacher to refuse.”

Rishar said.

No ‘refusal not an option’ line, right? Please let me go, buff bro. I pleaded with my eyes.

Rishar sighed reluctantly, then spoke.

“……Pardon me, Ober Teacher.”

Very politely. Pardon what? I stared puzzled.

Then—

Click. Rishar cocked his revolver, aiming at my head.

“I'll ask once more, Ober Teacher. Will you come with me?”

 

 

 

<Note: The protagonist of this work is set as a non-medical professional, so the medical knowledge mentioned in the work may differ from reality.>