[Occupational grade has been changed from "Novice Resident" to "Senior Resident"!]
[Academic Skill: "Surgery" proficiency increased!]
[Academic Skill: "General Medicine" proficiency increased!]
[Academic Skill: "Internal Medicine" will be additionally mastered!]
...
***
At that time, after Raymond had left, Prime Minister Galman was having a back-channel conversation with King Odin.
"What do you think of what Baronet Penin said?"
"I think he has a point."
I think he has a point.
It meant that he agreed with it.
Prime Minister Galman remembered Raymond's words and marveled at them.
'Simple but to the point. Amazing.'
And so was the Bay Area Transformation Plan the other day.
Raymond showed remarkable acumen.
'Maybe Raymond's talents are not limited to being a healer.'
In Galman's view, Raymond was not simply a good healer. He seemed to have more knowledge and insight than the average administrative bureaucrat that was hidden because of his profession as a healer.
'By the way, what does His Highness think of Baronet Penin?'
What an acknowledgement.
Galman was surprised to hear Odin say that.
The Odin he knew was not the kind of person who would say such a thing easily.
But a closer look did not reveal any traces of special emotion. He just had the eyes of a cold, heartless monarch.
"So, Galman, who do you think is behind this?"
"It's obvious. There is only one place that has the wherewithal to airlift contagious diseases from the Principality of Michelan while wishing chaos on the kingdom."
Prime Minister Galman said coldly,
"Only in the Kingdom of Droton, isn't it?"
The Kingdom of Droton!
They have been the rival state of the Kingdom of Houston for over a hundred years, fighting battles large and small.
"It is highly likely that they were responsible for the assassination attempt on Your Highness earlier."
The air sank heavily between them.
It was such a serious matter.
"It is not a matter for urgent public discussion."
Galman agreed. It was a matter that could have sparked a war if the situation had not been handled properly.
"Look into it more carefully."
"Alright, Your Highness."
Galman stepped aside. It felt as if dark clouds were pushing in on a clear sky.
'I don't feel good.'
Galman shook his head, hoping his fears were simply unfounded.
***
The contagious disease incident caused many ripples.
Needless to say, Raymond's support in the Bay Area has grown even stronger.
Even outside the Bay Area, people were beginning to mention Raymond's name soon.
"I heard that the epidemic almost spread to the nation's capital recently, but one of the healers came out and resolved it."
"That's really good to hear. Who is it? That healer to be grateful for?"
"Don't be surprised. His name is Raymond. Isn't it? He's the illegitimate child of His Highness the King."
"What? Really? Wasn't he very ugly? I heard he's a bastard who couldn't even qualify as a healer for five years."
"I thought so too. I heard he had just completed something very difficult. I was surprised."
People reacted with astonishment.
Dirty illegitimate child.
Disgusting filth.
Ugly moron.
This was the general public's view of Raymond.
For the first time, however, other rumors began to circulate.
Many people were still skeptical, but the fact that such rumors were circulating was a very positive thing.
But some of the less pleasant reactions were due to the "Order of the Wand of Light" that Raymond had received.
Public healers were outraged that a "pseudo healer" like Raymond was awarded such a medal.
"Outrageous! No one who uses such phony tricks should be awarded the Order of the Wand of Light!"
Phony tricks. Referring to medical science.
For orthodox healers, medical science was nothing more than an unfounded cure that suddenly popped up.
"Saint Alex would weep in his grave!"
These were the healers of the Maple Healing Center, one of the three major healing centers in the capital.
"Something must be done!"
In fact, there was a reason they were so sensitive.
The Bay Area, where Raymond was located, and the Lyme area, where Maple Clinic was located, were right on each other's doorsteps.
If Raymond's reputation continued to grow, they might lose patients.
"We can't afford to lose our patients to a bullshit man who uses that kind of cheating."
The healers thought cheerfully. The Maple Healing Center had built up an absolute influence in the Lyme District, where the common people lived.
The Iron Fortress.
That was the prestige of the Maple Clinic in the Lyme area.
However, someone dared to look into its iron walls.
Someone who used the uninteresting art of medicine.
"I heard that the other day he used a bizarre technique called blood transfusion. Injecting blood into a stranger. Oh! Heavens!"
"We must find a way!"
"For the patient's sake, we can't just leave him like this!"
As their voices became more and more agitated, a gentle voice echoed through the conference room.
"Is that all the agenda for today's meeting?"
"..!"
It was a low, female voice, but everyone in the conference room kept their mouths shut as if they were lying.
"I don't know when the meeting of a healing center turned into a place where people just talk nonsense about others."
Beautiful.
This was the first thought of everyone who saw her.
She was soft and intelligent at the same time, but her dark black hair was calm and sunken beneath her shoulders.
Her eyes were like a dark sea light, but they were radiant.
There was a gentle smile on her mouth.
The healers in the conference room nervously called her name.
"P-Princess Christine."
She corrected their words, still smiling.
"Please refrain from using the word "princess." I am not here as a daughter of the duke."
"S-Sorry, representative healer."
Her identity is Lady Christine!
She was the second daughter of Duke Levon, one of the three major dukes of the Kingdom of Houston.
And she did not only have a noble pedigree. She also had other amazing qualities.
Healing power!
With a whopping B+ grade healing power, she was one of the most powerful healers here at the Maple Healing Center.
A noble bloodline and powerful healing power.
No wonder everyone was puzzled by her words.
"Is it so important to belittle Baronet Penin? Is it so important that you have to devote the entire meeting to it?"
Lady Christine asked, tilting her head. The voice was soft, but it was a clear reprimand. The healers gulped down their spit and said.
"We think the harm Raymond is unleashing is too great to be left alone."
"Hmm."
Christine jawed in frustration.
Then she looked at the healers who had gently started to speak.
She looked at them as if to ask if they were really talking about the patients.
"..."
Did it sting? The healers stealthily avoided looking at her.
Christine sighed lightly and rose from her seat.
"I understand. You're even good at talking.
I have patients I need to see, so if you'll excuse me now."
As she left the conference room, she raised her eyebrows and clicked her tongue.
'Tsk. Anyway.'
It was obvious why those guys did that.
It was so pathetic how ugly they looked.
'Of course, in this case, they're not wrong from the start. There are certainly problems with the treatment of Baronet Penin.'
And she looked out the window.
It was northwest, toward the Bay Area.
"Medical treatment, eh? Surely we can't just let such bizarre healing practices go on like this..."
She kicked out, not wanting to see the ugliness of her fellow healers, but she was just as opposed to Raymond's medical practice.
However, the reason was different from other healers who blindly opposed it because of greed and malice, but it was really for the patient.
'Common sense tells me that there is no way such a bizarre treatment will help the patient. There would surely be major side effects.'
Christine was a healer who really cared about her patients. Therefore, she believed that such miscellaneous medical procedures that were clearly harmful to patients must be prevented.
'... I'll see patients first for now, and I'll think about it later.'
She stopped her thoughts about Raymond and got to her feet.
It was more urgent and important to treat patients in front of her than to think about the nonsense healer using such pseudo-medicine.
***
Even after Christine left, the healers continued to discuss how to prevent Raymond's medical treatment.
But it was not an easy conclusion to draw, for, to their surprise, Raymond's medical practice was approved by King Odin.
It could not be prevented, unless for obvious reasons.
At that moment, a middle-aged man with a sneaky impression, seated at the top of the conference room, spoke up.
"If not, then we can have his healer's license revoked."
"Director?"
Baron Canton!
He was a Class C healer and the director of the Maple Treatment Center here.
Considering that the directors of other well-known treatment centers were all A-grade or at the lowest B+ grade healers, he had very inferior healing powers.
Baron Canton's true power lay not in his healing power, but elsewhere.
Political power indeed.
From the beginning, the Maple Healing Center did not monopolize the Lyme area.
Originally there were many other competing treatment centers.
It was entirely due to Baron Canton's skill that the Maple Healing Center was able to tower over the Lyme area and grow to become one of the three major treatment centers.
Through his clever, yet unobtrusive and vicious techniques, he had managed to eliminate their competitors one by one and now had a monopoly on treatment in the Lyme area.
With such amazing skills, he came up with another brilliant idea.
"Soon there will be mandatory training for new healers. At that time, we can give him a failing grade and disqualify him."
"...!"
Everyone looked surprised.
Baron Canton gave a big smile.
"Just as I have decided to take charge of this new healer's mandatory training, it won't be hard to give him a failing grade."
Mandatory training for new healers!
They were going to conduct education for the new healers.
"I see... That's a great idea."
"That way, we can legitimately suspend his healer privileges."
The healers marveled and smiled in congeniality.
"I wonder how much talent he would have had to have done a whopping five years of apprenticeship alone."
The healers smiled with admiration,
"There is no way someone who uses such a crude art such as medicine can pass the exam."
"I really wonder what kind of embarrassment he will have when he takes the exam."
The healers chuckled and made a fuss. Everyone was dismissive of Raymond's abilities.
Perhaps it was a natural reaction.
So, they all smiled pleasantly, not doubting Raymond's omission, something they couldn't imagine in this world of non-heal healing.