To Hell with Being a Saint, I’m a Doctor

Pelji, the Holy Commander, woke up two hours later.

He appeared physically exhausted; even after regaining consciousness, he still looked drained.

“Uhm…”

“Are you awake?”

“Oh, the Saint!”

He quickly regained his senses and hurried to his feet.

“I have committed a discourtesy. Please forgive me…”

“What have you done that requires forgiveness?”

Ray shrugged his shoulders and gestured to one side.

“Let’s hurry down the mountain. We might not be attacked by monsters again, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

At his words, Pelji, the Holy Commander, nodded in agreement.

“Understood. I will inform everyone.”

“I’ll go ahead then. The west side is still under guard.”

“I will see you at the castle.”

With a weary expression, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and flew away.

Watching his figure shrink in the distance, Pelji, the Holy Commander, turned to a priest.

“Priest Hella, what transpired while I was unconscious?”

The priest hesitated briefly before responding.

“…Right after you collapsed, the Saint arrived. He came running and immediately took charge without a moment’s hesitation.”

“I see. Well, he is the one who assumed leadership of the Holy Kingdom at such a young age. His quick response is to be expected.”

“Yes… But there are two disturbing points…”

The Holy Commander looked puzzled.

“Not one, but two issues?”

“Yes. The first concerns the Saint’s treatment of you… He examined your body several times and then proceeded to cut open your abdomen.”

“Cut open my abdomen…?”

In his astonishment, a priest who had been silently crouched in the corner spoke up.

“Precisely, he made the incision below the chest. Without any second thoughts.”

Hella nodded in confirmation.

“A normal person would have surely perished. That’s the first troubling matter.”

“…And the second?”

“The second is… the Saint did everything in his power to save you. Herein lies the paradox. He made the incision, yet his intent to save you was undeniable…”

He bowed his head heavily.

Even to himself, the thought seemed utterly absurd.

How could he think of saving someone while cutting open their chest?

In war, a chest wound usually meant a fatal injury.

That’s why soldiers typically wore sturdy steel plates and plate armor over their chests.

Whether the Saint intended to kill or save him was unclear, but the last image he recalled lingered in his mind.

Since childhood, he had worn a saintly robe, each stitch meticulously crafted by a master.

He had casually laid it upon a rock.

Furthermore, the saint’s baton he once held was now half whittled away.

From the bloodstains, he could roughly guess what had transpired.

Whatever the case, its use must have been necessary.

“Though the process was harsh, I still owe my life.”

Having sorted through his thoughts, he lifted his head.

“I really should express my gratitude.”

“…Pardon?”

Hella asked back, still not understanding, but Pelji just smiled blankly.

Upon arriving at the western boundary of the Heprian Mountains, the paladins who recognized him greeted him warmly.

“We see the Saint.”

“The southern mountains were attacked by the Monster Lord. We should retreat just in case. Inform everyone to prepare for our return.”

“Understood!”

The paladins, momentarily startled by the news of the attack in the south, but excited to return, hurried off.

No matter how rigorous their training, they all felt the same physical strain.

There’s no place like home, no matter where it is.

Ray shouted after them as they vanished from sight.

“Don’t wait when you’re ready, go ahead and make your way back!”

“We will! See you at the castle!”

As their response echoed, he turned away.

The last of his trials seemed to be coming to an end, and the day to return to the Holy Kingdom was drawing near.

Time was running short.

He found a secluded area and whispered, summoning the shadows.

“Soyeong, Heukyeong.”

From the deep shadows, two figures emerged.

“You called for us.”

“Report on the hero’s lineage I asked you to look into.”

“Understood.”

Soyeong stepped forward, bowing her head.

“To put it briefly, they are a hidden family. They have kept a low profile, not getting involved in any affairs, so there’s very little information known.”

She continued.

“To be honest, we thought they might just be a rumor until we followed the Saint’s order and searched. That’s how tightly their information was sealed and secretly stored.”

“Stored, you say?”

“Yes. We found it by pure chance…”

“Where did you find it?”

“…In the library of the Priyas Holy Kingdom’s royal castle.”

Ray frowned.

Why the Priyas Holy Kingdom, of all places!

‘Could it really be, as Iriel said, a lineage created by the Goddess of Priyas?’

If not, why would their information be in the royal library?

No matter how he thought about it, his family and the Goddess of Priyas seemed to have a significant connection.

“The story written in a short book is this: A cursed family and their history. Three places where they are presumed to be.”

A cursed family… It seemed just about right to him.

“Tell me everything.”

“Yes. Firstly, about the family, it is said to have been formed due to wars from ancient times. The Goddess of Priyas is mentioned in their history.”

“Does that mean the Goddess of Priyas has been interfering with our family until now?”

“My guess is… yes.”

“And the places?”

Heukyeong silently pulled out a map from within his robes.

He pressed it onto a tree, and with a small puff of smoke, it stuck to the tree.

Soyeong began explaining based on the map.

“The first suspected place is here.”

She pointed to the middle of the sea.

She corrected herself, pointing to an island nearby.

“Are you talking about here?”

“No.”

She pointed again to the middle of the sea.

“This is the place, Saint. The first suspected location is right here, in the sea.”

“Are you suggesting there’s an unseen island on the map?”

“No. It’s just the sea.”

“……?”

He couldn’t believe the absurdity she delivered so calmly.

How could people live in the sea? They’re not shellfish!

Floating around like starfish, scavenging for clams?

He shook his head, laughing.

“That was the funniest joke today.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s not a joke.”

“……”

“……”

“Do we really have to go?”

“The choice is yours alone, Saint.”

“Even so, the sea is a bit much.”

“There’s an island nearby, so it’s possible to rest appropriately while searching.”

“It seems like there won’t be enough time for that.”

“Then we must hurry.”

Her words sounded too simple.

Looking back at the sea, a sigh escaped him.

“Sigh… Where’s the second location?”

“The second one is a bit easier.”

He felt hopeful at her words.

Well, anything is easier than the sea, right?

As he followed the direction of her pointing finger, something familiar yet unmarked came into view.

Soyeong spoke with a serious expression.

“Here it is.”

“I must be seeing things. It looks just like the first one.”

“You are perfectly normal. The second one is also the sea.”

“Hahaha.”

An incredulous laugh burst from his lips.

Soyeong and Heukyeong smiled widely, joining in.

“Hahahahaha.”

“Hohohohoho.”

When the Saint laughed, they laughed. When the Saint cried, they cried.

That was the ingrained etiquette among them.

A sea of laughter erupted in the woods.

Apparently, he was dearly loved by the sea.

Overwhelmed by such excessive affection, he didn’t know what to do.

“And you said the second one is easier?”

“It is. The first sea has rough waves, while the second is relatively calmer.”

“I see. Very easy indeed.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He wanted to give up on finding the divinely created lineage, but he suppressed those thoughts and continued.

“What about the third?”

“The third will be more challenging.”

She pointed once more at the sea.

“It’s the sea.”

“Of course, it had to be the sea. I really love the sea.”

The lineage of a hero, my foot. This village is just full of seamen.

Already, I could almost smell the saltiness.

“This is really strange…”

The black-haired young man scratched his head.

Somehow, he hadn’t seen Hesia for about a week now.

There had never been such an incident before, and he felt inwardly anxious.

‘Could something have happened to her? It’s not like her to get lost… or to be attacked by monsters…’

As he agonized over various thoughts, he quickly drew his sword from his waist upon sensing a faint presence outside.

His eyes, previously filled with anxiety, were now coldly composed.

“It’s not Hesia. Who is it?”

“Calm down. It’s me.”

A blond-haired young man waved his hand and stepped out.

“Glain.”

He returned his sword to his waist.

“What brings you here? You don’t usually visit my house.”

“Feeling hurt here. I came to tell you about Hesia, whom you’ve been waiting for.”

“Hesia?”

His interest peaked at the mention of her, Glain gestured inside.

“Can we talk inside? I haven’t eaten yet. Hahaha.”

“Still as shameless as ever. Come in.”

When Glain sat at the table, he tossed a piece of jerky to him.

“That’s all there is to eat.”

Glain pouted at the statement.

“That’s too harsh… When Hesia came, you made her a tasty-looking soup…”

“You and our Hesia are fundamentally different. I can’t feed a low-grade guy like you high-quality stuff.”

“That’s mean! You’re really bad!”

Contrary to his words, he enjoyed the jerky.

It was unclear how many meals he had skipped, but he continued to suck on his fingers for a while even after finishing, before starting to talk.

“Uhm. Well, I’ve had some jerky, so I guess it’s okay to tell you now.”

“What’s this about? Is it related to Hesia not being around lately?”

“It’s very much related.”

Glain spoke, showing a weary smile.

“It’s about time.”

“Time? What time are you talking about…”

He frowned, about to speak.

“Don’t tell me… again…”

“Right. Another thirty years have passed. Now it’s someone else’s turn.”