I think I lost consciousness for a moment at the director's words.
I'm not entirely sure, but there's a gap in my memory.
'Was it a dream?'
It must have been a dream.
Otherwise, there's no way our director would suddenly recommend that I get a circumcision, right?
If it were done privately, that might be one thing, but asking me to undergo surgery in front of others, in a public setting, is just improper.
Especially if that surgery is a circumcision.
"Hey."
While I was lost in these thoughts, Liston spoke up.
It was a voice that was impossible to ignore, no matter when or where you heard it.
Low, thick, and above all, deeply intimidating.
A sound that awakened a primal instinct buried deep within, one that had been passed down since ancient times.
"Huh?"
Naturally, I snapped out of my daze.
Though, to be honest, it probably wasn't really a daze to begin with.
Anyway, I came to my senses.
As I opened my eyes wide, Liston patted my shoulder a few times.
"I know exactly what you're worried about."
"Oh, really?"
As expected, he's my senior.
My hyung.
Huh?
No matter how much I've fallen into this city of 19th-century London lowlifes, Confucian values are deeply ingrained in my bones—how could I ever bare my precious parts openly in front of others?
"You think it's too small, is that it?"
I was about to nod when this madman continued his nonsense.
"Don't worry. It's just that I'm too big; you're perfectly average, aren't you?"
I've never really thought of myself as small.
There was a urologist who was also a YouTuber back in the 21st century, remember?
He talked about average sizes too.
And I was actually slightly above average.
In my past life, and now too.
"No, no! That's not it!"
"If that's not it, then what are you hesitating for?"
I shouted, feeling strange that he'd even suggest such a thing, and Liston looked at me with a completely baffled expression.
His sheer confidence left me speechless; I could only stare at him with wide eyes.
Then, Liston started talking a mile a minute.
"I also think you're contributing to the advancement of medicine. But… well, you've never truly dedicated your whole body to it, have you?"
...
Listening to our director, I started to think—
What is he even talking about?
I'm pouring my entire life into this.
I had a lot I wanted to say, but for some reason, my mouth wouldn't open, so I stayed silent.
"Have you ever drunk urine? Or water contaminated with feces? Or, at the very least, had a urinary catheter inserted? These are all experiments you led, without knowing for sure if they'd yield positive results—but when it came time to actually carry them out, it was Colin or Alfred who did them, wasn't it?"
"That's correct."
"He's right."
I'm not sure when they got here, but Colin and Alfred stood on their tiptoes behind Liston's shoulders and started shouting.
"See, I heard it too. You really…"
The director chimed in.
"...…"
"Choose. Colin had his tooth pulled and drank contaminated water. Alfred had a catheter inserted and drank urine. So, what will you do? Two of the four I mentioned? Or circumcision?"
"Others didn't even have the freedom to choose. Aren't you being given a choice? This is all for your own good."
"How is this…"
"You've received a title, haven't you? Not to mention the money. But when it comes to experiments, you've only had others do them. These two here are tight-lipped, but the others are consumed by jealousy. You'll need something to say when the time comes."
Is this right?
After thinking it over, it kinda seems like it is.
Well, isn't it my role to conduct experiments from now on too?
Just off the top of my head, there's smog…
'Vaccines…'
Smallpox vaccines are somewhat established at this point.
But vaccines for other diseases are still not accepted at all.
In that situation, experiments are necessary.
Animal testing is one thing, but…
That can only really be done for zoonotic diseases.
For other illnesses, human testing is still the only method.
"There are even rumors calling you a human butcher. Mostly among prisoners, but…"
"What?"
"Whenever you show up at the prison, someone always ends up dead."
"Ah."
That's not exactly wrong either.
It felt like the world's understanding was as small as a sparrow's, unable to comprehend the ambition of a great roc.
But I'm not a cowardly person, am I?
Neither in my past life nor in this one have I ever been like that.
'Besides, compared to feces, urine, catheters, and tooth extractions… a circumcision is nothing.'
Now that I think about it, I did get circumcised in my past life too.
I had it done when I was young, so I don't remember much about it, but…
"Alright. I'll do it."
"Oh."
"That's our man. At this rate, our hospital might just circumcise every foreskin in London."
Liston gave a thumbs-up.
The director chuckled.
I would've felt prouder if he hadn't said that thing about "every foreskin in London"...
Anyway, I've decided to do it, so what choice do I have?
"But I have conditions."
I'll do it.
But I can't just do it without terms.
"Conditions? Be a man and just do it."
"No, hear me out. I'm average, remember?"
"Oh, right."
"Don't just slyly change the subject."
Fortunately, these two owe me so much it's no exaggeration to say they're in my debt.
They should be prepared to listen.
"Not in the public square."
"Ah… I hadn't planned to go that far either."
"Right. You'd be charged with public indecency. It has to be in an operating room."
Moreover, 19th-century people had more common sense than I thought.
"Did you have some fantasy about it?"
"If you want to do it in the square, you can go ahead."
It's a slightly irritating kind of common sense, but anyway.
"In the operating room, but with no more than ten observers."
"Ten? That's too few…"
"Right, who would agree to that? Think about it. If we announce it as the circumcision of Park Yeong-sik, the Joseon shaman physician, it'll probably make the newspapers."
"Just make the papers? It'll be the headline of the day."
"True. Perhaps even His Majesty the King might attend."
I'd rather they just be irritating.
The thought of His Majesty the King observing the surgery is downright terrifying, isn't it?
"That's a bit…"
"He'll probably come."
"I'm certain of it. When it comes to enjoying himself, His Majesty is second to none, isn't he?"
"What can we do? You're just too famous."
"I may not be a lord, but anyway, I'll limit it to ten observers. Thinking about it… since you're not nobility, it makes sense to go for premium marketing."
But…
I probably can't stop it.
It's because these people aren't just taking 21st-century medicine and its concepts from me—they're also picking up other pieces of the 21st century.
Not that I'm an expert in other fields either, so what I teach them is rough around the edges.
Nevertheless, the power of marketing tactics—the pinnacle of 21st-century capitalism—was…
Whether it was crude or just a fragment, it was immense.
I mean, we saw it with the condoms, didn't we?
'It might not be so bad to become the guy who's on intimate terms with the King and… well, you know.'
It feels a bit too one-sided, like I'm the only one putting myself on display.
But no matter what happens, even if something unpleasant comes my way, won't he forgive me at least once?
Especially since I've essentially become his lifeline.
It seems like they've even developed a kind of… superstitious belief in me, but…
If that's the case, I think it's better to show a humble attitude.
"Alright. Well… let's do it that way."
"Good."
"Haha. Then I'll start sending out the notices."
Anyway, with my permission, the director laughed cheerfully and scurried out of the room in a rush.
Since the food wasn't that appetizing anyway, Liston and I half-heartedly finished our meal and followed him out.
A circumcision is called a surgery, but it's not particularly difficult or dangerous, and since I'm practically a VVIP in this hospital, the date was set quickly.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes."
The problem is, this isn't a surgery that can be scheduled just because I'm free.
Ten carefully selected high-ranking officials of the British Empire are supposed to attend—can it really be arranged this quickly?
As I was pondering this, both the director and Liston seemed to read the doubt on my face and smiled with slightly embarrassed expressions.
The director was the one who spoke up.
"I feel a bit sorry saying this, but Liston here is rather useless at anything besides surgery or fighting."
Even when we're in the same room hearing the same things, he's not great at grasping the broader political situation.
"This isn't exactly an ordinary matter, you know."
"My circumcision?"
"The circumcision itself. Those Jewish guys have been hiding this skill—no, this art—keeping it amongst themselves. But apart from that… a great advancement for humanity is right before our eyes. There's even talk on the streets that it's the secret to extending one's life."
What kind of mentality is it to think that cutting off a little foreskin will extend your life?
If it were that easy, 21st-century humans would be living to 200.
"The higher-ups are extremely interested. The problem is… you know Sir Jamie, right?"
"I know of him. We're close."
"Right. That whole thing about him having his testicles removed…
… it's spread everywhere now."
"What? I thought everyone who knew about it had their necks slit? Aside from us, I thought almost everyone involved was silenced?"
"Damian… that guy made a mistake while drunk."
"Uh, where?"
"Buckingham."
"Crazy. So what happened?"
The director nodded at my question and continued.
"They've become cautious, that's what. Can you blame them? Everyone knows they're walking around with their testicles cut off and fake beards plastered on."
"Well, I suppose…"
This is actually a good thing.
No matter what, it's better for 19th-century people to be more careful.
"But in the midst of that, hearing that you're undergoing surgery puts them at ease. Of course, some doubt whether you're really getting it done. We have over fifty applicants. You're a superstar."
"Sigh."
Should I be happy about this?
That London's high-ranking officials are so eager to see my... private parts…
"It's only around fifty because we only informed about seventy people. These are all noble individuals whose names alone are recognized, even beyond London—across Europe."
"That Duke from back then probably would have come if he'd heard in time."
"Ah, him・・・・・・
Well, his results turned out great."
The gentleman who went from having nothing to having something hurried off to the Duchy of Hanover to show off his improved appearance.
He even loaded up on a ton of red ginseng, worried that his newly implanted might fall out.
When Liston saw that, he became desperate to get his done ASAP, but it seems the circumcision is more urgent, so here we are.
The red ginseng is just sitting there, untouched.
'What would happen if I told them it was actually all a lie?'
Probably better not to.
Lying to people who are this desperate is never right, no matter how you look at it.
It's not like the British would understand that everything I do is for the sake of patriotism.
"So, how are you feeling?"
Now, as a true patriot, I found myself lying on the operating table.