"Hanson, please."
"Yes, Master."
Raymond entrusted the post-op care to Hanson.
He wished he could stay and tend to the wound himself, but circumstances didn't allow it.
He had to proceed to the capital with the young king before Archduke Berard became aware of their plans.
'He is still in a critical condition, and it would be best if I stayed behind, but I have no choice.'
The alliance with the Lans was made entirely by Raymond.
It made no sense, therefore, for Raymond, as a party, to fall in the capture of the capital.
'Hanson will have to be good.'
Did he feel the stares?
Hanson said.
"I'll do my best, don't worry, Master."
He spoke with determination in his voice.
"I am the Master's first apprentice. I won't let you lose a patient, even if it costs me my life."
Just then, an unexpected figure held up an arm.
"Don't worry too much about the patient, Light of the Foreign Lands. I'm here to help."
Raymond looked up in surprise.
It was the top Lan healer!
'His name is... did he mention it was Kurun?'
The man was roughly in his mid-thirties, and he had been looking at Raymond with great envy since he had healed the chieftain's heir.
'...Why does he look like Hanson 2?'
Raymond coughed in vain.
Anyway, he was an A+ healer.
He would help Duke Leif recover.
'Heals can be a useful force in patient care when used properly.'
Raymond nodded.
"Thank you, then."
With that, Raymond, Hanson, the chief Lan healer, Kurun, with Duke Leif, stood before the Lan warriors.
They were all waiting for him to say something.
'Well, what am I going to say? I'm not a soldier, and I don't know much about pre-battle speeches.'
Luckily, the skills came to his aid.
[Striving for victory for allies!]
[The 'Guardian Doctor of the Battlefield' attribute is manifested! You are more than capable!]
['Heart of Steel' skill effect is enhanced!]
['Doctor's Charisma' skill effect is strengthened!]
[Skill, 'Command Common Soldiers' is unlocked!]
The effects of several skills have been further enhanced by the 'Guardian Doctor of the Battlefield' attribute, making Raymond's will even stronger, and exuding an unwavering aura of trust.
At first glance, he appeared as an iron-blooded warrior, filled with great determination.
The Lan warriors gulped as Raymond stood on the dais, radiating strength.
'The Light of the Foreign Lands.'
'He's not just a healer, he's a warrior worthy of respect!'
Under such stares, Raymond opened his mouth.
"There is one thing I would like to ask of you."
Was it because of the skill enhancement?
A strong charisma pervaded his voice.
The Lan warriors held their breath and listened to Raymond's words.
"I won't make this long, but please come back alive, that's all I ask of you. Come back alive and let's bask in victory together."
This was Raymond's sincerity.
He genuinely hoped that no one would have to pay the ultimate price in this warfare.
As a healer, his responsibility lay in safeguarding people's lives, and he couldn't help but wish for the sacrifice to be minimized.
In the presence of the Lan warriors, Raymond's sincerity was palpable.
They stood silent for a moment, emotions welling up within them.
Then, one by one, they raised their voices in unison.
"Waaaah!"
"We will be victorious!"
"Long live the Prince of Houston! Long live the Light of the Foreign Lands!"
Their farewell shout reverberated across the desert as Raymond left the dwelling of the Lans, accompanied by 3,000 of the Lan's bravest warriors.
Now it was their turn to march towards the capital with the young king.
***
First, Raymond met up with Macapell III at his rendezvous point.
Thanks to Lyndon's nursing at the Winter Palace, Macapell III was almost fully recovered.
There was more good news.
"Greetings to Baron Penin, light of the Houstonian army. I am Baron Melik of Droton."
"I am Viscount Thys."
Thanks to Macapell III's secret communications, several nobles from Droton had joined the party.
While their soldier count wasn't substantial, around 500, when combined with the Lan warriors, their force numbered about 3,500.
They shouted in triumph, sensing an opportunity.
"The capital is empty now!"
"We must attack the capital immediately!"
Raymond shared their sentiment.
The recent victory of Marquis Durak had left Archduke Berard intoxicated with pride, leading him and his men northward, leaving the Drotonian capital with weakened defenses and devoid of soldiers.
It became a race against time, as they needed to capture the capital and declare Berard a traitor before he returned and realized the situation.
As they approached the magnificent castle, the soldiers who remained inside the capital were taken aback.
"N-no? What is that?"
"Enemy invasion!"
The sudden appearance of the enemy caused panic among the soldiers.
Just then, King Macapell III rode forward on his horse and proclaimed with authority.
"I am Macapell III, King of Droton! I have returned, and you shall all open the gates!"
"...!"
Droton's soldiers squinted.
The young king!
They looked at each other in disbelief.
"It's really the king. S-should we open the gate?"
"But... we've been following Archduke Berard's orders until now."
The appearance of the orthodox King Macapell III, shouting at them, left them bewildered and uncertain of their actions.
Just then, a knight emerged from the castle, revealing his loyalty to Berard and dismissing the young king.
"Hush! Our master is the Archduke Berard! How dare you listen to a scarecrow child king who is about to abdicate!"
"...!"
"Everyone, stay put and take up a defensive position! Reinforcements will arrive in just a few moments!"
In response to their immediate commander's orders, the defenders raised their weapons.
Confused about whether to take up arms against their own king, they felt compelled to follow their superior's command.
Raymond frowned, realizing the situation.
"We'll have to lay siege to it and take it."
And then it happened. An unexpected message came to Raymond's ears.
[A quest is coming up before the big battle!]
[Capture the Castle With Minimal Damage!]
(Medicine Quest)
[Prerequisite: Middle Physician
Difficulty: Medium
Quest Description: A fierce battle is about to begin. Many sacrifices will be made. As the guardian doctor of the battlefield, minimize your sacrifices to reduce damage to your allies.
Conditions: Minimize damage to allies
Reward: Bonus level up x2, 50 Skill Points
Perks: The respect of your soldiers. An unexpectedly large merit(?).]
The quest - Raymond paused for a moment.
'Minimize damage?'
He quickly understood the quest.
'This time, we're the ones attacking the castle, and if we push through, we'll inflict a lot of damage.'
In a siege, the attacking side usually bore the brunt of the damage.
It became evident that he had to find a way to minimize harm to his allies.
'Moreover, I can't guarantee with 100% certainty that we'll successfully capture the castle if we continue this siege.'
In terms of power, they held the advantage over the enemy, but the castle's formidable walls posed a significant obstacle.
Simply pushing forward might not guarantee success.
'Can we do something?'
He wondered.
[In an effort to reduce the sacrifices of your allies, the character of "Guardian Doctor of the Battlefield" is expressed! Exercising power beyond your abilities!]
[Your Intellect stat increases by 10 points!]
He wondered if that increase in intellect was a good thing.
An idea popped into his head.
"Your Majesty, is there a secret passage that connects the palace to the outside of the castle?"
Historic royal castles often have secret passages of this nature.
This was in case the castle was about to fall.
"A secret passage?"
King Macapell III nodded, puzzled.
"There is a secret passage that has been known to the king for generations, but why, do you think?"
Macapell III's eyes widened as he realized Raymond's intentions.
Raymond smirked.
"If we lay siege to this place, we'll cause a lot of damage. Why don't we use the secret passage and execute a two-pronged attack?"
***
A small group of elite knights would sneak inside and open the gates while the defenders were distracted by a siege outside!
This was Raymond's plan.
'This way, we can take the castle with minimal casualties!'
The others agreed with Raymond's plan.
"That's a great idea, we'll be able to capture the castle quickly and with less sacrifice. This is indeed the genius of the Houston Kingdom's army, Baron Penin!"
"We Lan agree with the Light of the Foreign Lands. It is a fine view of the Light."
King Macapell III and the noblemen of Droton were as impressed with Raymond's plan as the Lans were, but there was one problem.
"Do you mean that His Majesty must be present in person?"
"There is a magic circle in the middle of the secret passage that can only be opened by the royalty of the House of Droton. I must go there myself. "
"That's..."
The Drotonian nobles balked at the idea of the king taking the risk himself.
Of course, King Macapell III stepped forward bravely.
"Do not worry, though young, I am the King of Droton. I will not be left behind to reclaim my castle."
"But Your Majesty hasn't even fully recovered yet, have you?"
"What does it matter? Baron Penin is going with me anyway."
Raymond looked at Macapell III in surprise.
'No, why would I go there?'
He was not eager to join the party; he preferred a safety-first approach.
Staying in the rear, where it was safer, seemed like the wiser option.
Being in danger was something he actively wanted to avoid.
As he realized this, Raymond rolled his eyes at his own mindset.
'Wait a minute. Is the castle really dangerous?'
With most of the soldiers gone, there were only a handful guarding the castle now.
Berard had taken the majority of his troops northward, confident of victory, so when the siege began, the remaining soldiers would be mobilized to defend the walls.
The inside of the palace, where the group would be heading, would naturally be empty, presenting little chance of conflict.
'On the contrary, if I stay here, I'm more likely to get caught up in the battle, right?'
Their troops now numbered 3,500.
It wasn't a small force, but it wasn't a large one either, so staying in the rear wasn't exactly safe.
If there was an actual battle, they'd likely be caught in it together.
At worst, you could be hit by a blind arrow from the top of the castle.
'What's more, I'll get extra credit for joining the ranks, since I'll have had the most to do with the fall of the capital!'
On reflection, it was a low-risk, high-reward proposition!
"I'll join you."
"Baron Penin?"
"The Order needs a Healer because we don't know what dangers lie ahead. As a Healer, I'll be with you, no matter the risk."
He stepped out when it was safe to do so, but outwardly he pretended to care for the patient.
Raymond never forgot to make an image.