He was looking forward to it, but there wasn't much to say.
"Haha, I don't know how to repay you, Light of the Foreign Lands, thank you so much."
"No, I'm just happy to be a healer."
"You really are amazing, your disciples say you're like a beacon of light, with no tongue for bathing, only for others. It seems to be true."
Raymond's chest burned.
'No, I'm not like that at all. Don't you have any sense of modesty, old man? If you make a promise, you keep it. Give me the treasure!'
Unaware of his true intentions, Tang Kan only smiled and praised Raymond.
When Raymond's insides had dried up with impatience, he spoke up.
"I am pleased to offer the treasure of my clan to the great Light of the Foreign Lands, please follow me."
'At last!'
Raymond's heart thumped in his chest.
'What a treasure? It must be a treasure of enormous splendor and cost, for Archduke Berard to want it.'
Who is Archduke Berard?
The man who has seized all the wealth of the Kingdom of Droton.
For a man like him to want it, it must be a treasure of great value.
Maybe this treasure alone will be enough to make him super rich..
"This is it."
Tang Kan led Raymond into an old-fashioned tent.
Raymond's heart swelled with anticipation as he saw an old, worn dagger.
"This dagger is the treasure of our clan."
"... pardon?"
Raymond's expression conveyed his disillusionment.
The treasure that Archduke Berard coveted was nothing more than this old antique dagger?
'No way! What kind of treasure is this?!'
He closely examined the dagger, hoping to find some hidden value in it, but to no avail.
Even the blade was dull and unremarkable.
But Tang Kan was proud as ever.
"This dagger once belonged to our clan's holy man, Ramen. He was a healer, and it is said that he risked his life with this dagger to keep enemies at bay."
"Ah, no... a dagger like this is..."
"Haha, no need to say no, since the Light of the Foreign Lands is also a healer, I think it would be a good fit."
'No, I don't want this antique!'
Raymond wanted to shout, but Tang Kan held out the dagger with a smile on his face.
'It's not antiques like this I was hoping for. I won't even get a hundred pena for it.'
His expectations were high, and his disappointment was great. He swallowed his tears and held the dagger in his hand.
[You have acquired a 'Special Weapon'!]
[Ramen's Dagger]
[Type : Offense Item (One-time)
Rank: Unique
-A dagger once wielded by the Lan saint, Ramen! By becoming the wielder of this dagger, you will inherit some of the power of the saint who died to protect his tribe!]
Wielder?
It was a puzzling moment.
[You have become the owner of the dagger through due process of acquisition!]
[You inherit some of Saint Ramen's powers!]
[Skill, 'Healer's Reanimation']!
'...What?'
Raymond's face went blank.
'Reanimation... What skill?'
[Healer's Reanimation]
[Classification: Self Defense Skill
Rank: Unique
Skill Level: D
-A skill inherited from the courage of the Lan saint Ramen. When defending a patient, you can deal a single deadly attack to the enemy.
-Gain 1.3x Stamina and 1.5x Senses when activating the skill.]
That wasn't all.
[Healers are tough when it comes to protecting their patients! Your 'Fighting Instinct' is unleashed when this skill is activated!]
[Note: can only be used once per week.]
"..."
Raymond was silent.
What is this?
'I had a similar effect when I wielded Count Maybo's Winter Sword before.'
It was a sword obtained after a bet with Count Maybo at Bioton Castle, the winter sword.
Holding the sword, his stamina stat increased by 5 points.
'Is this a special sword or weapon that can give me these effects?'
It seemed so.
Raymond looked at the old dagger again. Upon closer inspection, it emitted an eerie, deafening aura.
'A reanimated saint, by the way?'
Raymond shuddered.
'I don't want to go out on a limb like that, let alone a saint.'
He was a safety-first kind of guy. Risking his life for others? He hated to think of it. He would suck the honey where it's safest.
'Of course, it will be effective, but it will be triggered in conjunction with the Survival Instinct skill.'
For reference, Survival Instinct is a 1.5x stat boost, so if he used it together, he would get almost a 2x stat boost, albeit only for one attack.
He had no idea how much physical power he was going to get out of that.
Well, he still didn't like it.
Danger was scary.
'What's with the fighter instinct, anyway?'
Raymond vowed to himself.
I'll never use this skill!
It would be sealed forever.
'Give me a dagger that's worth money, not a dagger with this useless skill. Tsk!'
Meanwhile, Tang Kan laughed happily, oblivious to Raymond's thoughts.
"I'm glad the treasure has found a good owner. Hehe."
But then.
Suddenly, an urgent voice was heard.
"Master, we're in trouble!"
It was Hanson.
"What's going on?"
"Some merchant officials from outside have arrived!"
Raymond scratched his head.
"What's wrong with merchant officials arriving?"
Desert tribes had contact with the outside world, of course.
What's the big deal about someone arriving?
"That's...! The merchants are transporting a body, and it's in a coffin with someone you know!"
"Someone I know?"
"Yes, His Excellency Duke Leif!"
"...!"
Hanson exclaimed heavily.
"His Excellency Duke Leif, who was the commander-in-chief, is in the coffin!"
Raymond's complexion went white.
***
Raymond immediately ran out and checked the coffin.
It was true.
Duke Leif was lying in the coffin, his face bloodless.
'Such horrible wounds.'
Raymond swallowed hard.
His whole body was bare. His entire body was soaked in blood and covered in wounds of all kinds.
The most serious was in the center of his chest.
A broken sword lodged in his chest.
'...There's no way he could have survived such a wound.'
Raymond asked the merchant who carried Duke Leif's body.
"What happened to him?"
"We stumbled upon him while traveling upriver near the Peter River, which flows through the central part of the Droton Kingdom. We thought he was already beyond saving, so we took him with the intention of finding his family and returning his body to them later. By the way, is this gentleman a high noble?"
The merchant raised his eyebrows and said.
"...Thank you for your service."
Raymond's face grew heavy.
To be honest, he had never been on friendly terms with Duke Leif.
On the contrary, their relationship had been awkward due to Seitil's involvement.
However, Raymond acknowledged that Duke Leif was an excellent commander who had listened to him without prejudice.
During the final moments of the battle, the Duke had single-handedly held off the Drotonian army, saving the lives of many Hustonian soldiers.
'...To die like this.'
Raymond sighed deeply, touching the veins on his wrist just in case, but they didn't jump.
"I think we should keep the body and give it a proper burial."
"Yes."
Christine, Elmud, and Hanson nodded heavily.
'Rest in peace.'
With that, they were about to close the coffin again.
Raymond stopped dead in his tracks.
Ssaeaek.
Very faint.
A faint, almost inaudible sound!
'What?'
Raymond focused and listened again.
Was it his 50+ stamina stat?
Once again, he heard a faint sound.
It was breathing!
'No, he's not dead! He's alive!'
He quickly checked his pulse.
Still no pulse in the wrist and carotid arteries.
He concentrated his senses on the femoral artery in his leg, and there was a faint pulse!
It looked like it could die at any moment!
"He's alive!"
"Is that true, Master?"
"Yes, apprentice. Get him on a line now! Hanson, check his EKG and prepare a blood transfusion!"
Raymond ordered urgently.
'Can we save him?'
Raymond surveyed Duke Leif's condition with heavy eyes.
He wasn't sure.
He was in too much trouble.
The Swordmaster's strong health seemed to be keeping him alive, but he had already crossed the threshold of death.
In this state, he was far more likely to die no matter what treatment he received.
Sure enough, a message popped up.
[Quest is occurring!]
[Give the Best and Final Treatment You Can!]
(Medicine Quest)
[Medicine Rank: Two and a Half Scalpels
Difficulty: Hugh
Quest Description: You have a patient whose chances of survival are extremely slim, but it is a doctor's duty to give them the best treatment possible. Give the patient the best and final treatment you can!
Clear Conditions: Best Effort
Reward: x2 bonus level up, 50 skill points
Perk: Gain a powerful patron if the patient survives]
When Raymond saw the quest, he closed his eyes.
The terms of the quest were different than usual. Instead of the usual "save," it said "do your best."
In other words, the chances of saving Duke Leif were slim to none.
But.
'Become my apprentice.'
Raymond clenched his fists, recalling Duke Leif's words.
'Damn it, I'm not letting go of a pushover in my clutches. I'm going to save him, I'm going to keep him alive, and I'm going to make him favor me the most.'
Just hope for the best?
Raymond shook his head vigorously.
It wasn't merely about doing his best; it was about saving Duke Leif, no matter what it took.
He made a firm commitment to himself.
***
Rapid infusion of fluids, blood transfusions, boluses, even heals.
He tried everything he could think of.
But there was no improvement.
He checked his EKG, and it was alarming.
"There's a strange rhythm on the EKG, Master."
Raymond bit his lip.
It was ventricular tachycardia, which means he's on the verge of cardiac arrest.
He was going to die at this rate.
He had to do something.
'What should I do?'
Raymond examined the Duke of Life from head to toe.
There were many wounds, but the most serious was the sword wound on his chest.
A long blade had pierced through it.
'The other wounds are not life-threatening, but the penetration in his chest must have caused this condition.'
Raymond recalled his B-grade knowledge of traumatology.
'I need to do an emergency sternotomy right now, or I can't save him.'
Sternotomy.
A surgical opening in the center of the chest.
He needed to open up the chest and treat the problem inside. It was the only solution.
But Raymond still had a dark look on his face.
'A sternotomy puts a lot of strain on the patient's body, and in his current condition, there's a very high chance of table death.'