With this opening, the three of them broke the ice and began to chat idly.
As the conversation progressed, Freya's understanding of the Mind Research Association deepened. For instance, the entire association currently had nearly twenty ordinary staff members and over a hundred psychologists, but there were only four doctors physically present at the association right now, even including Freya and Euphemia.
In other words, excluding the two of them, the only extraordinaries in the entire association right now were Luna and Doctor Ansel, who was downstairs eating like there was no tomorrow. There were no other extraordinaries around.
After all, the Mind Research Association was just a non-governmental organization, more like a club than a large corporation. All the psychologists were essentially members rather than employees.
These people could come and go as they pleased, or do whatever else they wanted. They only had to pay their membership fees regularly and were forbidden from using their abilities to influence ordinary people outside. Other than that, there were no restrictions.
To be honest, the vast majority of those on the Mind Pathway were quite wealthy. People from commoner backgrounds like Ansel were the minority. Consequently, many of them didn't need to come here to work as psychologists; they didn't rely on this to make a living.
It was worth mentioning that any money earned from consultations belonged entirely to the doctor; the Mind Research Association didn't take any commission.
Hearing this, Freya pondered. Thorne didn't seem to have ever mentioned anything about membership fees to her. But that made sense; after all, her joining the association was essentially a transaction. It would be too absurd if they still charged her membership fees.
Freya asked, “By the way, under normal circumstances, what exactly are the criteria for joining the association?”
Luna tilted his head slightly. “So, you mean you two didn't join through the normal channels?”
“Uh...” Freya realized her words sounded a bit off. She wondered if she had accidentally thrown Thorne under the bus. She said, “Well, the circumstances of my joining were indeed a little different from normal.”
Luna smiled. “Actually, there aren't really any strict joining criteria. The membership review is essentially just a simple psychological evaluation. The person in charge will check your core character, whether your mind is strong enough, and if you have the aptitude to take a Mind potion.”
“In other words, they don't accept bad people or those who lack the qualifications. So, joining is actually quite simple.”
“Eh?” Hearing this, Freya couldn't help but look at Euphy. Though she didn't speak, her expression made her thoughts clear: ‘Oh no, did we get ripped off? Before making the deal with Thorne, that guy never mentioned that joining was this easy.’
Luna said, “Judging by your expression, you didn't think everyone has the aptitude to take a Mind Pathway potion, did you? On the contrary, many people look strong on the outside but are incredibly fragile within. In this society, people with strong minds are few and far between.”
In a world where one had to work hard every day just to barely fill their stomach, simply figuring out what to eat consumed most of most people's energy. How could they have the spare time to ponder other things?
Luna added, “Besides, when it comes to character, people change. Someone might be a very good person at first, but even they might fall to various temptations, lose their way, and start abusing their abilities. Every month, when paying the membership fee, members must show up in person. The branch president will use his ability to perform a simple check on everyone, asking if they have abused their abilities over the past month.”
A higher rank of the same pathway exerted a powerful suppression over a lower rank. It was simply impossible for these Mind Pathway extraordinaries to lie in front of the branch president.
Euphemia looked at Freya. Although she didn't speak, her gaze conveyed her thoughts: ‘Looking at it this way, we didn't really lose out.’
After all, the terms of their deal were the potions from Rank One to Rank Four. If they had joined normally, even if Freya had the aptitude and passed the review, she would still have to face monthly fees and routine checks. It would probably take a very long time to apply for the subsequent potions. Just thinking about it was a major hassle.
While they were talking, an ordinary staff member of the association walked over and said respectfully to the three of them, “A patient has arrived downstairs for a consultation, but Doctor Ansel is currently unavailable...”
Luna looked at Freya and smiled. “Would you like to go down and treat them? You can practice your abilities, speed up the digestion of your potion, and earn some money. It's killing multiple birds with one stone~”
Psychologists in the Mind Research Association were categorized into different grades. For example, Ansel was a D-class doctor, which meant a Rank One Mind extraordinary, while Thorne was an A-class, which meant Rank Four.
As for Luna, he was a B-class doctor, the strongest extraordinary in the entire association besides Branch President Thorne.
Freya thought about it and didn't refuse the suggestion. She stood up and followed the staff member out of the lounge. Euphy waved her hand and said, “I'll keep resting here. Go ahead and see the patient, I won't tag along.”
Freya nodded. “Mhm, I'll be right back.”
In the first-floor lobby, an anxious-looking mother could be seen talking to a young boy of about seven or eight. Seeing the staff member come down, the mother quickly stepped forward and asked, “Has the doctor arrived?”
She completely ignored Freya, who was standing right next to the staff member.
The staff member smiled. “Doctor Freya is right here.”
Only then did the mother look at Freya, her brow furrowing. “Her? She looks like a little kid who isn't much older than my son.”
The staff member immediately stepped between Freya and the mother, taking a step forward with a broad smile practically right in her face. “Please rest assured, all doctors at the Mind Research Association undergo rigorous screening. Every single one is a master among masters, guaranteed to satisfy you. If the treatment results are unsatisfactory, you don't have to pay a single coin. We'll even compensate you.”
As the saying goes, one doesn't slap a smiling face. No matter how bad-tempered the mother was, she couldn't say much at this point and could only mutter, “Fine, fine. I'd like to see just how capable this supposedly miraculous doctor of yours is!”
Seeing this, Freya couldn't help but silently marvel at the staff member's competence. Peeking out from behind them—since the staff member was completely blocking her—she asked, “So, is there something wrong with your son?”
The mother wore an expression of deep disappointment. “This boy is good in every way, except he's too much of a coward! I want him to join the army, but he refuses to do so no matter what. He insists he wants to open a restaurant and cook for others in the future!”
“What future does a cook have? I just want you to cure his cowardice. Can you make him a bit braver?”
“Well...” Freya frowned slightly but still said, “Alright, let him come with me first.”
Freya beckoned to the boy. He first glanced at his mother as if asking for permission, and only after she nodded did he take a step forward and walk toward Freya.
Freya took the little boy's hand and led him toward a private consultation room nearby. Meanwhile, the staff member maintained that same smile and said, “Please leave him to our doctor with peace of mind. Just wait here for a moment, and feel free to let me know if you need anything.”
“Whether it's something to eat, something to drink, or even if you'd like me to give you a massage.”
The private consultation room wasn't large, containing only a table and two chairs. After Freya and the little boy sat down opposite each other, seeing his uneasy state, she first offered a sweet, reassuring smile. “It's alright, no need to be nervous. I won't eat you.”
“So, can you tell big sister what's going on?”
Although she had already heard the request from the mother, Freya still wanted to hear it from the boy himself.
The little boy hesitated for a long time before stammering, “It's basically like what Mother said, but I'm really scared. I'm just a coward. I don't want to join the army, I don't want to go to the battlefield, and I don't want to hurt anyone.”
As for whether 'cowardice' could be cured, it certainly could. All she needed to do was use Hypnosis to make the boy less afraid of pain and blood, and add a tiny urge to join the army. That would perfectly meet the mother's demands.
But the question was, did being a coward really count as a psychological illness? Freya didn't think so.
If she actually did that, it wouldn't be curing the boy's illness so much as forcibly warping his personality.
Furthermore, Freya's abilities weren't that powerful. Even if she completed the hypnosis now, it might be fine in the short term, but if the boy actually went to the battlefield in the future, got blood splattered all over his face, or witnessed his comrades dying, any major shock could easily break the hypnosis.
What would happen to the boy once he snapped back to normal on the battlefield didn't even need to be spoken aloud.
So, rather than treating the boy, Freya felt that the mother was the one who actually needed treatment.
Even if the boy was the mother's own flesh and blood, it didn't mean he was a puppet to be manipulated at her whim. A child had his own will. He should do what he wanted to do, rather than living according to someone else's ideas.
Freya reached out and patted the boy's head, smiling. “Can you help me call your mother in? I have something to say to her.”
“Okay.” The boy nodded and left the consultation room. Before long, the mother walked in with a disgruntled expression.
“Why so fast? Don't tell me you finished treating—”
But before the mother could finish her sentence, Freya simply looked at her and activated her Hypnosis. The mother's words cut off abruptly, and her expression became dazed.
But very quickly, the mother returned to 'normal.' Freya said, “Your child doesn't have any psychological illnesses. There is no need to worry. You may go home now.”
The mother said blankly, “Uh, oh.”
What Freya did was very simple: she transformed the mother's thought of 'wanting her child to join the army' into 'wanting her child to be a chef.'
In Freya's view, ninety percent of a child's misfortune essentially stemmed from their parents' flawed upbringing. After all, not everyone was cut out to be a good parent.
Finally, she waved to the mother. “Remember to leave a good review~”
The mother seemed to 'boot up successfully,' snapping back to her senses and smiling as well. “Of course, of course! The service here is so wonderful, I'll tell all my friends how great this place is when I get back!”
Just like that, Freya watched the mother and son leave happily. She couldn't help but sigh. In truth, she didn't know if what she did was right, but she had simply chosen the approach that made her feel comfortable.
However, she had no time for self-reflection. Not long after the mother and son left, Freya saw Thorne and Victor walking in side-by-side from the outside.
Freya had just come out of the consultation room and was about to head back to the third floor when the two parties ran straight into each other.
Thorne, of course, had nothing to be embarrassed about; he even waved to Freya with a smile. In contrast, Victor looked completely shocked and thoroughly embarrassed, like a child caught red-handed doing something bad. He quickly said, “Wait, Freya! It's not what you think!”
“Actually, I went out for a drink today and just happened to run into this guy on the way, so we had a few drinks together! That's really all it was!”
Hearing this, Freya said, “I understand, I understand. It was all a coincidence, right?”
Victor said, “What is with that understanding tone of yours?! I really wasn't on a date with this guy!”
Freya smiled with an incredibly gentle tone. “As long as you're happy. I don't discriminate against gay relationships, you know~”
Thorne walked over to Freya's side and said, “By the way, the Rank Two Mind potion has been approved. The Rank Three and Rank Four ones will take a bit longer, but it won't be too long.”
Freya nodded. “Mhm, but I actually came over this time because I have something else to discuss with you.”
Thorne said, “Shall we go upstairs to talk?”
Freya said, “Alright.”
On the third floor, as she passed the lounge, Freya called Euphemia out. Soon, the four of them arrived in Thorne's office, and Freya explained their purpose.
Thorne said, “You're saying you want to help investigate this case?”
Thorne's first instinct was to refuse. After all, Freya was only Rank One, and while he didn't know what rank Euphemia was, the Scholar Pathway didn't possess much direct combat strength anyway. This case was very dangerous—otherwise, the pink-haired lolita, who was a Mobile Squad captain, wouldn't be leading the investigation. Letting them get involved was simply too risky.
Euphemia said, “Don't underestimate us. We solved a nearly identical case back in the Kingdom, so we're very experienced!”
Freya added, “Is there any information you can share? Who knows, maybe we can really help? Besides, the sooner this case is wrapped up, the sooner you'll be free, and the sooner you can go on daily dates with Victor!”
...
Rate on N.U.
