'It's going to go away someday, but is the next upgrade going to be level 70?'
It seemed so. It seemed like it would be the next step after becoming a senior resident.
'So I'm going to be a 'chief' resident, which is the head resident, but what happens when I get to level 100?'
As if to answer, a message popped up.
[The "prestige" of the class will be raised.]
There was no further explanation.
He assumed it meant that the class would be elevated from 'specialist' to 'doctor'.
'Haha. Anyway, good, very good!
He had a grand dream. To be the best healer on the continent and have all the riches in the world, and now he was just taking the first step!
"Hanson, to strengthen your stamina, today is beef!"
"Again?"
"Didn't we have it yesterday?"
Lyndon and Christine protested, but Hanson shushed them.
"According to the Master's teachings, beef is not only good for stamina, but also for immunity. Those exposed to disease, like us, should continue to eat beef to bolster their immunity."
Christine shook her head as if something didn't add up, but she quickly filed it away in her mind.
'I can't possibly understand all the ancient mysteries, so let's memorize them.'
And so the happy hours passed. Suddenly, a heartbreaking message popped up.
[A sudden quest will occur during a crisis!]
'Crisis?'
Raymond's eyes widened.
They couldn't be in a better place right now, what crisis?
[Defend the Treatment Center!]
(Medicine Quest)
[Medicine Grade: One-Half Scalpel
Difficulty: Medium
Quest Description: A patient with a plot has come to see you! Keep them alive! Keep them alive to uncover the truth behind the plot and take revenge!
Conditions to clear: Patient's survival
Reward: Bonus Level Up x 2, 30 Skill Points
Perks: Have the chance to take bloody revenge]
'What?'
Raymond looked around the clinic.
There were more than ten patients waiting in the small building.
All of them were ordinary commoners, with an unassuming appearances.
'Abt of these patients are hiding a conspiracy?'
Raymond's face hardened.
***
"They should have arrived by now, right?"
"Yeah, they're probably starting to work on it."
Pierre gave a mean laugh.
"As soon as the Actor gets involved, he's done for."
"Yeah, I have faith in the Actor. He's the best con man in the capital... No, more like a fraud technician."
Baron Canton recalled his conversation with the Actor.
'I'll do as you say and fake a major side effect from his treatment, so that word gets out that his cure is a complete joke.'
Baron Canton was not satisfied with that.
'It's more than just an act. Seek medical attention and take this poison.'
'... poison?'
'Don't worry. It's not a big poison, and if anything goes wrong, we'll take care of it at the Maple Clinic.'
So the actor decided to take the poison under Raymond's care.
In order to blame Raymond's treatment for being wrong!
"By the way, are you going to cure the actor if he's poisoned?"
For the record, the poison was obtained by Pierre on the black market.
"Well, isn't that something to ask?"
Baron Canton said slyly.
"Of course, I'll let him die, it would have a more dramatic effect."
It was a terrible story: he had deceived even the Actor on his own side!
To thoroughly destroy Raymond!
Baron Canton chuckled.
"Well, it'll make a big splash when a patient walks in and dies under his care, and it won't take much to ruin him."
"Surely that's better. And it also has the effect of silencing the Actor and destroying the evidence, so it kills two birds with one stone."
"Yes, let us drink some champagne and wait for the good news."
Baron Canton pulled a fine bottle of champagne from the shelf. It was the finest champagne from the Free City Federation.
"You have a glass, too."
"Yes, thank you."
The color was brilliant, like the finest champagne, and the bubbles on the surface were like heavenly clouds.
"Then, a toast to the downfall of that lowly bastard Raymond."
"Aye, a toast."
And so they drank merrily, and Baron Canton went to bed in peace.
'When I wake up, I'll have some good news. Kuku.'
Was it because he felt good?
Baron Canton had a good dream.
It was a dream of Raymond's demise.
While he was still dreaming, there was a rough knock on the door.
Bang, bang!
"...What is it?"
Baron Canton frowned, his happy dream interrupted.
"Who are you? Come in!"
But as the door flew open, Baron Canton's eyes widened in horror.
Armed soldiers and knights had stormed in!
"Are you Baron Canton?"
"...What's going on?"
"My name is Volton, knight of the Capital Guard, member of the Investiture Corps."
"...Yes. What brings you here?"
Baron Canton asked impatiently.
He saw no reason for a Knight of the Order to come to him.
"I think you've come to the wrong place..."
"Baron Canton, we're charging you with instigating murder, and we need you to accompany us to our headquarters."
"......what?"
Baron Canton looked like he'd been hit over the head with a hammer.
What was he saying to him now?
"Instigating murder?! What are you saying?! Are you crazy?! All of a sudden you're accusing me of something that doesn't make any sense..."
"Whether it's a ridiculous charge or not, we'll find out soon enough."
The voice was familiar, and Baron Canton's eyes widened at the sight of the face that followed.
It was Raymond, a handsome young man with a face as calm as a lake!
"You, you... Why are you here?"
"Baronet Penin is accompanying me as a witness."
Raymond wasn't the only one who appeared.
Baron Canton's mouth dropped open when he saw the next person.
"T-that's right. Baron Canton dictated the entire plot."
The actor appeared, pale and pointed at Baron Canton.
"Baron Canton is the one behind this. Let me explain everything: Baron Canton handed me the poison and said..."
As he continued to explain, Baron Canton's face turned into a corpse.
It was all over.
***
'It could have been very bad.'
Raymond's heart sank as he remembered what had happened at the clinic.
At first, he tried to figure out who was behind the plot but failed.
'I can't believe it was that nice-looking middle-aged guy.'
It was just a guy with a common cold.
He prescribed some medicine to bring down the fever, but suddenly he collapsed with difficulty breathing.
"Poison symptoms! He's been poisoned on purpose!
Being a Grade S herbalist, Raymond was well versed in poisons, and immediately took action, which thankfully saved his life.
'It was a close call, but thank goodness. If it had gone wrong, I would have had to pay the price.'
The rest was history.
Christine's bodyguard, Leroy, had a "private interview" with the perpetrator, and he confessed to everything.
'Baron Canton deceived me! I would never have consumed it if I had known it was such a serious poison! I want revenge!'
'Revenge?'
Feeling betrayed, the criminal and Raymond joined hands.
To put an end to Baron Canton!
"Baron Canton asked me to take the poison, and he even went so far as to have me spray the patients at the Penin Treatment Center with poison!"
"My, my when!"
Baron Canton's mouth dropped open.
When did he tell him to spray poison?
"He's framing me!"
He had only told them to take the poison himself.
He didn't say anything about spreading the poison to his patients.
But the Actor lied with all his might.
"Baron Canton was jealous of the Penin Clinic and made me do such a terrible thing. He asked me to kill innocent patients."
"No, no, no!"
Raymond, beside him, paced.
Raymond turned pale and terrified.
"This, this terrible thing has happened to me. I'm very afraid. Please, knights, give me justice."
It was an act, of course.
Raymond hadn't forgotten to send this look while feigning fear.
'Are you ready to eat some rice and beans?'
Baron Canton saw that look and felt like he was going crazy and jumping.
At this rate, he would be accused of instigating murder.
This was not a crime that a nobleman could get away with.
"You, you bastards! How dare you think you can get away with spewing such nonsense?!"
"Calm down, Baron."
As the knight of the Order pleaded, Baron Canton cursed.
"Calm down?! Are you mad, too?! Do you believe such an unproven story?!"
Baron Canton refused to budge.
"Do you have any proof that I gave him poison, and you come out like this with no evidence?"
But the knights of the Investiture had an unexpected answer.
"We do have proof."
"What?"
"Not long ago, you sent one of your servants to procure this poison from a dark street, a fact that has already been verified."
Baron Canton's face paled.
'H-how?'
The Knight of the Order shrugged.
"We had an informant."
An informant.
He meant Raymond.
'There's plenty of people in the Bay Area who can look into this.'
The Bay Area was the home of the Dark District Guild.
At his word, they rushed to the rescue, and soon they could see the tracks left by Baron Canton's henchman, Pierre.
"I-it's a set-up! I would never order anyone to kill...!"
He pleaded, but it didn't work.
The witnesses, the evidence, everything was clear.
"Let's go to the investigation center to talk about it, so you don't feel uncomfortable."
"Let go, let go!"
Soldiers grabbed Baron Canton from either side and overnight he was turned into a suspect and taken away.
"Raymond, you bastard!"
Baron Canton called out to Raymond in frustration as he was dragged away.
Of course, whether he called him that or not, Raymond didn't budge.
The cries of a prisoner.
He couldn't strike a blow against the strong, unyielding Raymond.
Instead, Raymond sneered slyly.
From an angle no one else could see. Exactly so that only Baron Canton could see it.
"You should have been a good boy."
"What, what?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. The words just came out of my mouth. Anyway, don't worry about it too much. The truth will come out, unless you're guilty of something, of course."
So much for the mild mockery.
Raymond said what he really wanted to say.
"Stop whining, and do penance in prison for all the patients you've neglected."
"...!"
"There are many who have shed tears of blood for you."
Baron Canton's eyes widened, his fists shaking, but he said nothing as he was dragged away.
Raymond grinned cynically as he watched the shriveled figure behind him.
In truth, Raymond was just as much of a money-grubbing snob as Baron Canton.
But unlike Raymond, Baron Canton had abandoned his role as a healer and crossed the line.
Now it was time for him to pay the price.