Raymond's word swept through the barracks like wings.
The result?
Scores of wounded men came to him.
He had succeeded in breaking the prejudice against medicine among the soldiers!
'Great! This is just the beginning!'
Raymond clenched his fists and treated them all to the best of his ability.
"Welcome!"
"Where are you hurt?"
"Oh no. That's a bad wound, let me take care of it."
Seeing Raymond as kind and warm as rumored, the soldiers were even more impressed and moved.
"T-thank you. You've been so good to us."
"I-I won't forget this favor, heuk."
Raymond replied coolly.
"That's okay, I'm happy enough that you're getting better."
'If you get better, it's all my fault!'
Of course, besides this snobbishness, there was also a genuine concern for the patient.
As Raymond walked through the barracks, he thought a lot about the suffering soldiers.
As a healer, he wanted to help them.
'Of course, I'll have to pack my things.'
Raymond said to Hanson.
"Hanson, make sure you write down your medical notes. I'll be busy, so keep it short and to the point. But don't forget to write it down."
This was to be used as evidence for a merit application later!
While Raymond was working hard for his patients, he was also taking care of his own success.
'If I do good things and take care of my share, it's two birds with one stone, right?'
The fame and experience gained from the influx of patients was a bonus.
[Increased your reputation in the army by touching soldiers!]
[Earned the achievement, "He Who Comforts the Soldiers"]
[Gained experience!]
[Leveled up!]
[Leveled up!]
He was level 93! He was just a few steps away from graduating from residency.
'I'm about to become a specialist! Let's go!'
And just like that, Penin Healing Center was cruising.
Of course, he was just getting started.
***
"You're famous these days. Everywhere I go in the barracks, I hear Master's name."
Christine stepped into the barracks and removed her helm.
Her sea-colored hair, which had been pinned up inside the helm, spilled out from under her chiaroscuro.
"You have come, apprentice?"
"Yes. Now to see my patients."
For the record, she was there as a representative of the Duke of Laverne, which meant she couldn't be just a healer.
She led a double life, commanding the elite White Rose Knights of the Duke of Laverne, and coming to the clinic to see patients at night when she wasn't on duty.
Raymond shook his head at her enthusiasm and energy.
'I can't believe she's a mana-user level knight. Her power doesn't just come out of nowhere.'
Christine scratched her head.
"But why do you look so unhappy? The soldiers were all praising you, master."
"... it's nothing."
"Hmm?"
Christine narrowed her eyes.
Raymond's shoulders were slumped, so unlike him!
It was obvious something was going on.
"What's going on? Why don't you tell this sister everything? I'll go over and sort it all out!"
"... Why are you my sister? It's no big deal."
Raymond let out a low sigh and trudged over to see his patient.
"...?"
As Christine shook her head, Hanson approached.
"Understand, Your Highness. Three patients under his care have died today."
"Oh..."
"They were all patients whose wounds were so severe that it was unavoidable, but I can tell he's still upset."
Christine shut her mouth and looked at Raymond's back, who was watching the patients with an uncharacteristically subdued expression.
***
'I know it's unavoidable.'
Raymond sighed inwardly.
Even with his medical skills, he couldn't save every patient, especially on a battlefield like this, there were bound to be deaths.
'I hate being a healer, having to go through this every time.'
He never got used to losing patients.
He'd probably never get used to it.
'I thought I was making light of it.'
Raymond made a bitter face.
What favorable war.
He thought they'd win quickly, and he'd have a lot of merit, and he'd get the best estates for the most money.
But when he saw the soldiers dying, one by one, he couldn't take it lightly.
'Shit. I feel dirty.'
With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Raymond made a deliberate effort to be lighthearted.
'I'd like some beef, but I can't get any. I'll just have to save it for later. After all I've been through, I'm sure I'll get a good one.'
Just then!
Suddenly, a soldier entered the barracks with an urgent look on his face.
"H-healer!"
"What is it?"
Raymond scratched his head.
It was a soldier he'd treated before.
It was a minor wound that would heal quickly, so why was he here again?
"I-I've come to ask you a favor."
"A favor?"
The soldier bent down to his full height and said something unexpected.
"Please save our captain!"
"...!"
"Our captain, Knight Calpenter, is being treated by senior healers, but there is no improvement, and they say he will not survive the day!"
Raymond looked stunned.
Calpenter!
He recognized the name.
'A key knight in Sword Expert Intermediate!'
For the record, Sword Expert Intermediate was an incredibly rare core power that was rare in the entire kingdom, and Sir Calpenter was also known for his extensive network.
'Such a person is dying, and he's being treated by high-level healers?'
Raymond stiffened.
"How was he injured?"
"He was pierced in the abdomen with a long spear."
"Where exactly in the abdomen?"
"In the lower right side."
Raymond shook his head.
'If there are no vital organs on that side, why isn't he recovering?'
The lower right abdomen contained only the appendix and the small intestine.
There were no vital organs or major blood vessels.
'I'm guessing a Class A or better heal will heal him?'
As a mid-level Sword Expert knight, he must have the best healers around.
But why?
Anyway, Raymond went straight to Calpenter.
***
Calpenter was being treated in the healers' barracks around the command center.
'They have a lot of noble patients.'
The patients coming to the Penin Healing Center now were all common soldiers.
All of the wounded of higher rank were being tended to by the 'senior healers'.
"What is going on here, Baron Penin?"
Raymond looked surprised.
'Viscount Rand!'
He was the head of Raul Healing Center, one of the three major healing centers in the kingdom, and an A+ healer.
A high-ranking healer who is said to be in the top ten in the entire Kingdom of Houston!
'An A+ Viscount Rand is Lord Calpenter's healer, and he's not being cured?'
Raymond is not dismissive of heals.
For all its limitations, the heals had a definite healing effect, especially at the A+ level, where it could heal most simple wounds that didn't involve vital organs.
There must be some complication.
Viscount Rand asked.
"Why have you come?"
"I was told Lord Calpenter was in bad shape, so I came to see him."
"Ha? So? You're going to try and cure him?"
He looked very displeased.
Originally, Viscount Rand did not like Raymond.
It was because of the competition for healers in the capital.
The Penin Clinic had expanded their reach to the nobility, and the Raul Treatment Center had taken a hit.
And it wasn't just Viscount Rand who was against Raymond.
The other high-ranking healers in the barracks sneered at him, whispering among themselves so he couldn't hear them.
"He thinks he's here to heal Lord Calpenter?"
"What the hell is that?"
"I don't believe anything he's done so far. Isn't he practicing some sort of witchcraft?"
As a healing barracks for the nobility, none of the healers here were lower in rank, and most of the higher ranked healers looked down on Raymond for practicing 'heretical methods'.
"As you know, Lord Calpenter is a Sword Expert Intermediate Knight, a key member of the Kingdom's armed forces, and it would be unthinkable for such a valuable person to be treated with heretical practices..."
Viscount Rand was silent for a moment, then suddenly broke into a wry smile.
"No, I want him to come and try to cure him."
"...!"
"It's a treatment recognized by His Majesty, so let's broaden our horizons today."
Raymond saw through Viscount Rand's ruse.
'He's trying to blame me for what he considers to be an irreversible condition.'
There were several noble patients in the room now, and if he got it wrong, word would spread quickly.
'But on the other hand, it's also a chance to make a big splash.'
For reference, he decided to calculate merit as follows.
[For each soldier, 1.0 enemy soldiers.]
[For each knight, 0.3 enemy knights.]
[For each noble, 0.2 enemy nobles.]
So healing knights and nobles was a good way to earn merit.
'Is the problem a complication I can treat?'
Countless eyes were on him.
It's a burdensome position to be in.
Just then, the barracks suddenly erupted into an uproar!
"His Excellency Duke Leif!"
"...!"
It was indeed Duke Leif, the commander-in-chief!
All the healers in the barracks jumped to their feet and bowed.
"Enough greetings, let's get back to treating patients."
Duke Leif stared at Calpenter in the hospital bed with a fierce gaze.
From the look in his eyes, it was clear he'd come to see for himself how Calpenter was doing.
'He cares about his servants.'
Duke Leif was a surprisingly respectable knight.
Unlike his kinsman, the dastardly Seitil.
Fearful, strict, and protective of his subordinates, this was how Duke Leif was known.
He was especially greedy for talent and was said to be very protective of those with great talent.
It was then that Duke Leif turned to Viscount Rand, Calpenter's assigned healer.
"Is Calpenter in remission?"
"..."
"No, I ask again. Can he be saved?"
Viscount Rand grunted uncharacteristically.
"That's..."
He paused, then blurted out what had suddenly occurred to him.
"Baron Penin has agreed to cure Lord Calpenter with the ancient art of medicine!"
"...!"
"Baron Penin's medicine should be able to restore Lord Calpenter to health."
It was a cover-up!
He was beyond recovery anyway, and they were going to blame Raymond for it, so that he would be stamped by Duke Leif.
"Baron Penin, can you cure Lord Calpenter?"
Duke Leif looked at Raymond this time.
Raymond swallowed hard.
'What if he starts a fight with Seitil, or something?'
The Duke's piercing gaze pierced him.
"I've seen a lot of healers in my time, but I've never heard of medicine. If you do something wrong with a Calpenter with your nonsense treatment, I won't let you get away with it."
Was it because he was a Swordmaster?
The intimidation was real.
If Odin was aloof and cold, Duke Leif was a razor's edge.
A blade that dangled in front of his neck.
Raymond's heart pounded in his chest.
He froze, unable to open his mouth, but fortunately.
[You are under unreasonable pressure while treating a patient!]
[Your 'Heart of Steel' is manifesting!]
[The opponent is applying unfair pressure!]
[Confirms that the opponent is a 'jerk'!]
[The opponent's 'jerk level' is 'Medium'!]
[Your 'Jerk Coping Mechanism' is activated!]