Ignoring the topic that Lappland had suddenly derailed, Shirou directly grabbed the hand she was pointing at him with and gave her an injection.
The inhibitor inside the syringe was quickly delivered into Lappland's body.
"Hey! Randomly injecting things into a woman's body is not a good thing you know?"
Seeing that not only did the other party show no hesitation, but even injected her without warning, Lappland did not react at first. Only after all the contents of the inhibitor had been administered did she realize what had just happened.
"It is just an injection. Do not make it sound so strange, alright?"
Hearing Lappland's blunt remark, Shirou replied with a helpless expression.
He was clearly doing something proper, so why did it sound like he was bullying someone when it came out of her mouth?
He was just short of rolling his eyes at her.
"I am just stating a fact. And you, using something this valuable on someone you barely know, are you sure that is a good idea?"
After Shirou let go, Lappland pulled her hand back and rubbed the spot where she had been injected.
Including this time, Shirou had used two doses of inhibitor on her.
As she had just said, this stuff was extremely expensive and it was not something ordinary people could afford. It was usually reserved for emergencies.
If used immediately after exposure to a large amount of Originium dust, it could reduce the chances of becoming infected.
Using it purely as a treatment was honestly a waste. It would be more practical to save it for critical situations to lower the risk of infection.
Besides, the two of them were not even familiar. Their only point of connection was Texas.
Although that was only how she saw it.
"Either way, it would just sit there unused. Let us call it helping to clear inventory?"
After thinking for a moment, Shirou replied.
He had originally planned to phrase it differently, but considering that she seemed to care about being on the receiving end of help, he casually came up with an excuse.
As for whether they knew each other well, Shirou did not really care.
Compared to the other strangers he had helped before, Lappland at least counted as half an acquaintance.
Even though Texas herself seemed quite displeased with the way Lappland behaved.
"…Even a child would not believe that reason. Can you not come up with something more convincing? I would have believed you if you said it was about to expire."
Hearing Shirou's answer, Lappland shot him a blank look.
He had even phrased it as a question.
Still, Lappland more or less understood why he reacted that way. Her earlier response had been a bit intense, so he was probably being cautious.
"You get the idea and inhibitors are not a proper treatment anyway. If you are willing, I can find a clinic I know to examine and treat you. It will not cost much."
Without dwelling on it further, Shirou shifted the topic to finding her a reliable treatment.
He had thought it through and ultimately decided to introduce her to Rhodes Island, though some preparations would be needed.
For example, setting some ground rules with Lappland and discussing things with the relevant people.
It might be troublesome, but Shirou did not mind.
Compared to letting her remain like this, refusing treatment and allowing Oripathy to worsen, he would rather she receive proper care.
After all, she counted as half an acquaintance.
"Oh? You are not planning to sell me off while you are at it, are you? If I remember correctly, quite a few gangs have bounties on me right now."
Lappland remained somewhat wary of this inexplicable goodwill.
Even if it came from someone who had already helped her many times.
After all, showing a bit of kindness could be a way to earn trust and deceive people more easily.
She had seen that sort of thing plenty of times.
That said, she was more inclined to tease Shirou than to stay on guard.
At least in her view, if he really tried something like that, he would probably end up getting himself into trouble.
He simply did not look like someone capable of deceiving others.
"I am not very familiar with that side of things. You seem to deal with them often?"
As for the gangs in the slums, Shirou admitted he knew very little.
The few times he had encountered them, it was either already in the middle of a fight or on the way to one.
It was not that all gang members caused trouble, but those who did were very likely to be from gangs.
Thinking about how Lappland had just been fighting them, along with what she said, Shirou wondered if she frequently interacted with such groups.
If that was the case, it would need to be taken into account, so that Rhodes Island would not become a target while treating her.
"It is work. Otherwise, who would want to deal with those idiots? And you cannot even make mille-feuille out of them. What a waste."
At that, Lappland let out a sigh.
"I see… Then what do you think?"
After confirming her relationship with the gangs, Shirou considered that it was still manageable.
At worst, he would have to "kindly communicate" with people like Yith, Chen, Hoshiguma, and Swire, and maybe throw in a few small-scale Broken phantasms.
A few explosions should be enough to make them behave, right?
Of course, that was just a thought. If he really did that, the people in the slums would never stand by and ignore it.
"At most, I would just drive away anyone who comes looking for trouble."
"…So, what do you want me to choose?"
Faced with Shirou's question, Lappland thought for a moment, then did not answer directly. Instead, she tossed the question back to him.
Though it was a pointless question anyway. After all, he had already arranged things this far, so he obviously hoped she would properly accept treatment.
Still, she wanted to confirm something, what exactly would this person in front of her do?
Would he give up because of her resistance, or would he force her to accept treatment?
Carefully watching Shirou as he thought, Lappland waited for his answer.
"I will not ask you to obey the doctors completely, but at least stabilize your condition first?"
After considering what he understood about Lappland so far, Shirou answered.
The reason she refused treatment was likely because she had never really considered it, or simply had no interest in it.
If that was the case, there was nothing he could do.
He could provide resources for those willing to receive treatment, but he could not force someone who had never intended to be treated in the first place.
Even if it was entirely beneficial, the most he could do was try to persuade her with words.
As for physical coercion, that was out of the question.
"…Alright, I will go with what you said."
His response turned out to be somewhat different from what she had expected.
But this was good. Compared to those who always acted under the banner of "for your own good," Shirou's approach felt far more comfortable to her.
"That is great. I will contact them first."
Seeing Lappland agree, Shirou let out a small sigh of relief.
This was only the beginning and the real challenge lay ahead.
After all, he was the one bringing her there, so he had to keep an eye on her and make sure she did not cause trouble.
Taking out his phone, he quickly explained the situation to Minmin, then decided to bring Lappland over today.
When it came to treatment, there was only "now" and "as soon as possible." There was no such thing as waiting until tomorrow or the day after.
Especially not for a disease like Oripathy, which could consume a person entirely.
After saying goodbye to Rope, Shirou set off with Lappland toward Rhodes Island's Lungmen office.
Although this differed somewhat from his original schedule, there was not much for him to do at the shop anyway, so it did not affect him much.
"Hm hm~"
Walking behind Shirou, Lappland hummed a little tune with her hands behind her head.
"Let me tell you first, when we get there you will probably need a full-body examination. Just cooperate simply when the time comes. It is not difficult. The doctors will tell you what to do. Try not to touch things randomly. Those machines are very expensive…"
As they walked, Shirou explained what would happen.
He used the same explanation with the children at the Fuyuki shop.
It was detailed, but also somewhat annoying.
"Alright, alright, where did this housewife act come from? I am not a child. I know what to do."
Annoyed by Shirou's nagging, Lappland stopped humming and covered her ears.
"…Housewife…"
Hearing that, Shirou's mouth twitched slightly.
He admitted he might have said a bit too much, but being labeled like that was a bit excessive.
People from Penguin Logistics and the Guard Department alike why did they all like to give him that kind of nickname?
"Oh? That is a compliment, you know. It means you are thoughtful and even take care of the people around you."
Seeing his reaction, Lappland looked like she had discovered something new. She lowered her hands and began bombarding him with remarks.
"… "
Now it was Shirou's turn to cover his ears as he walked.
"Oh come on, do not be shy. Do you not want to hear more of my praise?"
Having found this rare chance to tease Shirou, Lappland had no intention of letting it go.
And so, under her relentless verbal assault, the two quickly arrived at the office.
Whenever they passed people along the way, Lappland would consciously fall silent, only resuming once no one was around.
After entering the office, she naturally quieted down completely, following behind Shirou while looking around at the layout.
Her first impression was not that of a hospital or clinic, but rather an ordinary office.
However, after following him further inside, she confirmed that it was indeed a clinic.
Looking at the large and clearly sophisticated machines, she could only recognize a small portion of them.
Just from this alone, Lappland felt that treatment here would definitely not be cheap. She wondered how "low" the cost Shirou mentioned actually was.
If he happened to be wealthy and simply did not care about the expense, then she would be in trouble.
Although she had some money, most of it was needed for her work, especially for gathering intelligence. What remained would definitely not be enough to cover the bottomless pit that was treating Oripathy.
Just as Lappland was thinking about this, Shirou suddenly patted her shoulder and said:
"Take off your weapons first, then follow Dr. Minmin here for the examination. I will wait outside."
Shirou pointed at the two large swords at Lappland's waist, then gestured toward Minmin beside him.
"I am starting to feel more and more like you are trying to sell me off. Now you even want my weapons."
Hearing that, Lappland could not help but complain.
"You can leave them nearby if you want. Just do not bring them inside."
Ignoring her remark, Shirou offered an alternative. Some of the equipment inside had strong magnetic fields and if her swords got pulled in, that would be a problem.
Especially since he figured that someone like Lappland who clearly loved fighting would rarely let her weapons out of reach.
However, to Shirou's surprise, she handed the swords over quite readily.
"You hold onto them for me. They are a bit heavy, and I am afraid I might bump into something here."
Handing both swords, hilts included, to Shirou, Lappland then went off to change into the examination gown.
"Ah? Oh… alright."
Although he did not understand why she suddenly became so cooperative, it was a good thing for him.
Holding the two large swords, Shirou stepped outside to wait.
The examination clothes were fairly light, and the only reason he had stayed inside last time was because Rope had specifically asked him to. This time, he had no intention of staying.
Not to mention, last time he had been focused on calming Rope down, constantly thinking about what to say.
With Lappland, there was nothing to soothe. If he stayed inside, he would probably just watch Minmin operate the machines and spend a rather boring half hour.
Besides, he had no interest in watching someone else's medical examination.
Meanwhile, inside, Lappland was surprisingly cooperative. She did whatever Minmin instructed, and the examination proceeded smoothly.
"How did you meet that guy?"
During the checkup, Lappland struck up a conversation with Minmin.
"How did we meet? Probably through cooperation, I think? I do not quite remember. Now, do not talk, keep your eyes looking upward."
While operating the equipment, Minmin answered.
Earlier, Shirou had mentioned that Lappland might be a bit difficult to deal with, so she should be careful.
But was that really the case? She seemed quite easygoing.
She spoke well, was polite, and knew quite a lot and talking with her was not boring at all.
Though she did make quite a few dark jokes. If Minmin had not held back, she might have burst out laughing.
"Cooperation?"
After the machine finished its scan, Lappland sat up and asked.
"Mm. Shirou has taken in and helped many infected children who cannot survive on their own in the slums. The reason we work together is because he asked us to provide regular checkups and treatment for those kids."
Since Lappland had been brought by Shirou, and she had a good impression after chatting with her, Minmin answered seriously.
"Taking in children… the Fuyuki Shop?"
Hearing that, Lappland quickly connected it to the shop Shirou had been at earlier.
When Rope went into the kitchen earlier, she had noticed there were many children inside.
"Yes, that is the place. I really admire him, you know? He puts in both money and effort just to help others."
"…Pure goodwill, huh?"
Hearing Minmin's words, Lappland finally understood what she had failed to grasp about Shirou during their encounters.
It was a selfless kindness, a simple wish for others to be happy and joyful.