Chapter 14: Psychiatric Diagnosis

The next day.

Inside the General's Mansion, Esdeath paced back and forth anxiously, glancing at the room from time to time.

The Three Beasts exchanged looks silently, not daring to speak a word.

This version of the Great General was something they were seeing for the first time.

Merciless to her enemies, Gentle to her subordinates, unrivaled war god on the battlefield, and the Ice Demon in the eyes of her enemies—

Yet now, she was so anxious over a little girl. It was truly an eye-opening sight.

In the midst of the tense waiting, no one knew how much time had passed when the tightly shut door finally opened.

A middle-aged man, dressed in a white lab coat and exuding a suave and carefree air, walked out.

"Doctor, what exactly is wrong with Yoshino?"

The moment the man came out, Esdeath urgently asked, "Is there really something wrong with her mentally?"

"First of all, General Esdeath, let me remind you once again—I'm not a doctor. That title is so outdated. I'm a scientist well-versed in medical science,"

The holder of the Imperial Arm Glorious Hands of God: Perfector, Dr. Stylish, first corrected Esdeath choice of words, then answered, "But back to the point—let's get to the conclusion. Yes, your sister does have a mental disorder."

Dr. Stylish—real name unknown—was famous across the empire for being the best in surgical procedures, and his reputation extended even to other countries.

Although his specialty lay in surgery—more precisely, bodily modification—his understanding of mental health far exceeded that of ordinary doctors.

After all, studying the mental state of his modified humans was a vital part of his research.

That was why Esdeath had entrusted Yoshino to him for diagnosis.

After their reunion, Esdeath realized that her sister's mental state was not right. Not only had she lost her past memories, but she also talked to a puppet—something that deeply concerned her.

If it were a physical problem, she might have had some idea how to handle it. But when it came to mental disorders, she was truly at a loss.

So after returning to the General's Mansion, she immediately sent people to find the best doctor in the imperial capital.

A few hours later, Dr. Stylish was brought in.

Though his field wasn't exactly psychiatry, the request came from a Great General—it wasn't something one could easily refuse.

So after gathering a basic understanding of the case, he requested to speak with Yoshino alone. The two stayed in the room for more than an hour before he finally came out.

"What exactly is the problem?" Esdeath frowned deeply. "My sister isn't insane, is she?"

"Dissociative Identity Disorder. I wonder if you've heard of it?"

"No, I haven't. Is it a serious illness?"

The world was still in a medieval era, and although the technological advancements in warfare were absurdly advanced, other fields remained primitive.

Ordinary people still suffered from illnesses and died from lack of sanitation or medical care, just like in any typical medieval society.

As for mental health? There had been virtually no progress at all.

So it was no surprise that someone like Esdeath had never heard of Dissociative Identity Disorder.

However, Dr. Stylish happened to have studied such conditions.

"Simply put, Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental condition. A normal person has only one way of thinking, but someone with this disorder has two entirely different ways of thinking coexisting within the same body," Dr. Stylish explained. "You could think of it as two people sharing one body. That is the situation Yoshino is currently in. Besides her, there is another personality named Yoshinon residing in her."

"That personality named Yoshinon... is she harmful to my sister?"

"Based on my assessment, she isn't. While in some cases, the two personalities may be hostile to each other—sometimes even trying to eliminate one another—in your sister's case, the two personalities seem to be friends. Very close friends."

"That's good to hear."

Esdeath let out a breath of relief, then immediately asked, "So, the one we were speaking with before—was that the second personality the whole time?"

"Exactly."

"Is there a way to bring out Yoshino personality?"

"There is, actually. Based on my observations, the second personality manifests through the rabbit hand puppet. In other words, if we take away the puppet and prevent the second personality from appearing, the original personality will naturally emerge."

"Thank you, Doctor!"

Upon hearing this, Esdeath face lit up. The next moment, she was ready to push open the door and enter the room to remove the puppet from Yoshino hands.

But Dr. Stylish hesitated.

To him, Yoshino was also a rare and intriguing subject. He, too, wanted to see what would happen once the puppet was taken away.

However, considering the potential risks—and knowing full well that if something went wrong, Esdeath would undoubtedly kill him for being an incompetent quack—Dr. Stylish ultimately conquered his curiosity and stepped in front of the door to block her.

"I wouldn't recommend that," Dr. Stylish said. "Yoshinon is a personality that split off to protect Yoshino. She is the one who handles all external interactions, allowing Yoshino to shut herself off emotionally. If you forcibly take the puppet away, it might trigger a breakdown in your sister's mental state, making things even worse."

"Shutting off emotions and feelings?" Esdeath paused. "Why would she do that?"

"Just as I mentioned earlier—for self-protection," Dr. Stylish elaborated further. "Protective personalities usually emerge due to intense psychological trauma. When a person faces pain too great to endure, the brain activates its defense mechanisms. To avoid a mental collapse, some people erase painful memories, while others split off a stronger personality to carry the burden. In your sister's case, it's very likely that both mechanisms are at play."

He was confident in his diagnosis.

Esdeath, too, did not doubt his professionalism.

On the operating table, Dr. Stylish had seen far too many modified humans break mentally from the unbearable pain of bodily alteration.

"By the way, the Yoshino personality likely emerged around eight years ago—at the same time your sister lost all her previous memories," Dr. Stylish added. "To heal her mental wounds, we must first figure out what exactly happened to her eight years ago. Only then can we apply the correct treatment. Do you have any leads on that?"

"Hmm..."

Esdeath slowly nodded.

"I think I already know the reason."