However, there were many other nations on the vast continent, including the Kingdom of Droton and the Union of Southern States.
As the name "Union of Southern States" implies, the Kingdom of Droton was located to the south of the Kingdom of Houston.
In fact, the Kingdom of Droton itself was founded as an independent nation from the southern half of the Kingdom of Houston.
"Fortunately, the Kingdom of Droton and other southern nations have declared their neutrality."
The chief of staff reported to Duke Leif.
"Thanks to the evidence Baron Penin has uncovered. Now that the evil deeds of the Drottons have been revealed, the other nations have no reason to get involved."
This is where the rationale comes in.
The evidence Raymond has uncovered has isolated the Kingdom of Droton.
"It's going to be a very favorable war."
"Baron Penin has done a great job."
Several people in the barracks praised Raymond.
Duke Leif shook his head coldly.
"Enough. We must not let our guard down. The war has only just begun. We will march straight into the province of Rafalde."
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
Rafalde.
The northern region of the Kingdom of Droton.
It borders the Kingdom of Houston.
The war will begin there.
"When we enter the Rafalde Province, prepare for battle with the Drotonians."
"Yes, sir!"
As Duke Leif recounts, after entering the province of Rafalde, he encountered an enemy army.
Sixty thousand in all, the number of Drotonian troops.
A total of 70,000 men versus 60,000.
While the numbers may not seem like much, there was a decisive difference between the two armies.
Morale.
Unlike the Houstonian army, whose morale was high, the Drotonian army was low.
The Houstonian army won the first battle and succeeded in capturing the provinces north of the Rafalde.
Afterward, the Drottons changed their strategy.
Instead of circling the plains, they decided to defend the rugged mountainous terrain of the Rafalde provinces.
The Houstonian army split into a western, central, and eastern army to capture Rafalde, and the battle became a stalemate.
Raymond, who had set up a Penin healing center on the battlefield, was frustrated by the lack of patients.
***
Let's make the best contribution!
That was Raymond's determination on the battlefield, and he was determined to build a great reputation for himself, not to mention the Yolk Estate.
With that in mind, he eagerly opened his clinic, but there was a problem.
No patients were coming in.
'...Why? It's all sparkling.'
Raymond looked at the barracks.
It looked like the kind of barracks an emperor might stay in on the battlefield, or even bigger.
The interior was so neat and cozy that it was hard to imagine it being a battlefield.
If it's so nice, why isn't anyone coming?
'It's not like we won't have patients.'
The battle was still raging to capture the stronghold.
There must have been several wounded, but no one was coming to see them.
"Maybe people just don't know about it yet?"
Lyndon said.
But that didn't seem to be the case.
They'd advertised it heavily in their pre-departure 'first aid' training, and every soldier knew there was the Penin Clinic.
'Well, what the hell.'
He sneaked outside and saw wounded soldiers everywhere, but when they saw the barracks with the clinic markings, they didn't think to come in.
Instead, they were lined up with junior C and D healers.
Raymond overheard their conversation.
"What's that barracks over there, I assume?"
"Oh, it's a healer's barracks for a man named Baron Penin. He doesn't use heals, he uses something called medicine."
"What's medicine?"
"I don't know. I've never experienced it, but from what I've heard from my friends from the capital, it seems to work... he cuts open stomachs to treat people."
"What?!"
The soldiers looked shocked.
"Cut open their stomachs?!"
"They also say he injects human blood?"
"What kind of demonic cure?! His Majesty the King watched such a demonic treatment?"
Just then, a soldier hastily defended the practice.
It was probably a soldier from the capital, where Raymond was.
"No, no, no. It is not such a strange cure, and it works very well, and Baron Penin is a very good man."
"A good man cuts open people's stomachs and puts their raw flesh into their bodies?"
"No, not that, but..."
"Tell me he's a good demon!"
Other soldiers rebuked the soldier who sided with the medicine.
As Raymond listened to their conversation, he realized a major problem.
'Medicine... is an alien treatment to soldiers.'
It makes sense, he thought, because while the capital, with its Penin healing center, recognizes the practice, it's unheard of and unseen in the rest of the provinces.
Moreover, soldiers are sensitive to treatments.
It's a matter of life and death, and they won't accept new treatments easily.
'What can we do?'
He felt a twinge of panic, but quickly balled his fists.
'I'll show them the greatness of medicine.'
This is it.
It pales in comparison to the difficulties they've faced so far.
Back at the barracks, Raymond picked up the medicine bag.
"Let's get out of here, Hanson."
"Master?"
"For the time being, I'm in traveling healer service mode."
If the soldiers don't want to come to you, the answer is simple.
You go to them.
He would show them the greatness of medicine by force.
***
The quest happened just in time.
[Teach the soldiers the greatness of medicine!] (Medicine Quest)
[Medicine Rank: Two Scalpels
Difficulty: Medium
Quest Description: You're an army healer, but the soldiers are wary of your medicine. Let their guard down by telling them of the greatness of medicine!
Conditions for clearance: Prove the greatness of your medicine
Quest Reward: Bonus Level Up x2, 30 Skill Points]
As the quest described, the soldiers were wary of Raymond's medical skills.
"Do you want me to cure you?"
"What? Oh, no, I'm all right!"
"I'm fine too!"
Raymond frowned.
They were watching him warily, as if he were demob.
It had happened once before.
He opened his house call bag to heal a soldier,
"Huh! Knife!"
"Oh, this is a scalpel..."
"A-a needle assassination tool!"
The sight of the medical paraphernalia confused them and they ran away.
Afterward, a rumor circulated in the barracks.
The bag Baron Penin carries is an all-weather assassination weapon.
'Hyuk!'
For a moment, he felt a surge of anger, but it was Raymond he felt sorry for now.
Why was he sorry for himself, not the wounded soldiers?
'I went into debt to set up the Penin Healing Center on the battlefield... and if I don't get a yolk estate for my merits, I'm broke.'
His new debt was more than 200,000 pena!
And since supplies are hard to come by on the battlefield, he's had to stock up on herbs, bandages, and other medical supplies.
'I get some support from the military budget, but it's not enough.'
The military's finances are limited, so he had no choice but to go into debt.
Of course, it was a debt that would be paid back many times over.
The more patients he cured, the more merit he earned.
A debt of 200,000 pena.
It's ridiculous compared to the value of the yolk estates he'll earn later.
But on the flip side, it meant he had to see as many patients as possible.
He couldn't do this.
'I have to do something.'
Just then, there was an uproar in the barracks.
"Ack!"
A soldier was brought in on a stretcher.
"Move!"
"Hurry! Healer!"
A quick glance revealed a patient with a penetrating wound to the right chest!
'I can't save a patient like that.'
Raymond's eyes grew heavy.
The stab wound must have hit a vital organ in the rib cage.
Naturally, the healers in charge of the soldiers shook their heads.
"There's nothing we can do. Make him as comfortable as possible."
For reference, the healers in charge of regular soldiers are C and D rank.
All healers above rank B only treated knights, officers, and higher.
Considering that Class C Healers are not very effective at treating critical injuries, soldiers who are seriously wounded will inevitably die.
Then, an emergency arose.
"Mr. Raymond, please treat this patient!"
Suddenly, a soldier knelt down in front of Raymond!
"I am a soldier who has been treated by you in the capital before, and I believe that your medicine can cure him!"
Not all the soldiers were so dismissive of medicine.
The soldiers from the capital, where Raymond was based, believed in medicine.
'...Even I am not confident in this patient.'
Raymond made a troubled face.
Of course, it wasn't right to run away because you weren't sure.
Normally, he would have tried to cure him, whether it worked or not.
'But this is a very important situation.'
So many soldiers are watching him.
What if he tried to cure him and failed?
Then medicine would be branded as completely untrustworthy among the soldiers.
But.
"Ugh... M-Mary... I-I miss you..."
The moment he heard the patient call a name.
Raymond clenched his fists.
'No, this is an opportunity, a chance to impress upon the soldiers the excellence of medicine.'
It's always been that way.
A doctor's worth is measured by the patients they cure.
And aside from that, he's a healer.
He has a duty to treat the dying.
***
'Can I do this?'
Raymond sucked in a breath on the operating table in the barracks. His current rank is "senior chief," meaning he's still a resident.
But a penetrating chest wound was too difficult to treat at the resident level.
He needed to be at least a 'specialist'.
'I'm about to hit level 100, so I'm not far from being a specialist, but it's still not an easy surgery at my current level.'
Raymond put on sterilized gloves and picked up a scalpel.
'But I can't help it, I have to try.'
[Skill, 'Hand of a Warrior' is activated!]
[Skill, 'Experience of a Warrior (D+)' is activated!]
His senses have increased significantly.
As a side note, "Experience of a Warrior" has become "Senior Chief," raising the skill to D+, and the stat increased from 3 to 4.
'Let's do it.'
Jiiik.
The scalpel sliced through the chest wall between the ribs.
Blood poured out of him with a gurgle.
"B.P. is dropping, 60/30!"
"Give him fluids!"
"Please move the patient to the healer's barracks."
Raymond said to Hanson.
"I'll start surgery right away, so be ready."
"Yes, Master!"
Lyndon replied.
For the record, Christine was in command for the time being due to family matters, so Hanson was assisting in this operation.
Lyndon has been assigned the role of -rotating assistant.
He's not in the surgical field, but he's around, handing out tools and such.
Lyndon is very perceptive, so he's quick on his feet.
"He's losing a lot of blood. It didn't penetrate the aorta or the heart, did it?'
Raymond swallowed hard.