To Hell with Being a Saint, I’m a Doctor

The tension in the room lessened slightly at the sound of Aira’s laughter.

Hope sprang up that the anger, which had driven her to declare her departure from the village, had somewhat abated.

She covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed, then addressed the elves, who were unable to lift their heads.

“Do you comprehend the consequences of your actions and words?”

Aira asked softly, her laughter fading from her face. An elf raised his head and responded.

“We were excessively presumptuous… We took your protection for granted.”

Following his admission, the other elves also began to voice their regrets.

“We apologize, Lady Aira.”

“Not all of us shared those sentiments. Please forgive our anger.”

Aira was genuinely upset when she announced her intention to leave, but her words were heartfelt.

Having been part of this family for many years, she experienced a profound shock and a sense of betrayal upon hearing their words.

It was inconceivable that no one had sought her out.

She had spent twenty years in bed, each day hoping ‘someone will come tomorrow’, while feeling her skin slowly decay and the pain from that being eclipsed by the loneliness of no one visiting her.

During that lonely and painful period, when she eventually sought them out herself, she was met with blame from the elves and the elder.

Had she been slightly more violent, she could have razed the village.

But as they bowed their heads in apology, she felt her anger ebbing.

Even though she had despised them enough to want to kill them immediately after waking up.

Aira sighed.

“Fine. I take back my declaration about leaving the village.”

Upon hearing her words, the elves breathed a sigh of relief.

Everything had transpired so quickly, a young elf’s misdeeds that couldn’t be prevented in time.

And even if she had been at fault, they were not in a position to judge her.

She was a high elf, and they were elves sheltered by her.

Over time, they had become accustomed to a life without her, as she was out of their sight.

Aira raised the previous issue that had been a topic of discussion.

“I understand your anger about that matter. It’s natural to be angry with the elder.”

At her support, the elves nodded.

Not informing their own tribe of a crucial fact, particularly one that involved their lives, was a serious sin.

“But the elder didn’t act with bad intentions. He must have thought that the fact I was ill could somehow reach human ears.”

At the mention of ‘humans’, the elves’ gaze momentarily shifted to Lei, who stood next to Aira, but then scattered.

“Moreover, you can’t claim you were without fault when you didn’t try to find out on your own.”

The elves bowed their heads.

Their peaceful lives had caused them to lose their sense of urgency.

In the past, they would have independently sought and researched information, but now they didn’t even try.

Had humans attacked them in their current state, the village would have fallen instantly.

Aira looked around at the elves and spoke.

“I’m not saying you should forgive the elder. But I hope you can show some mercy. Without the elder, there would be no elf to manage the village.”

If the elder was put on probation and vacated his position, even for just a few years, let alone decades, it would be difficult to make crucial decisions for the village.

That was what Aira was trying to convey.

The elves hesitated but then nodded, respecting her wishes.

“Understood. We will do as you say.”

“…I don’t agree, but we will follow your wishes, Lady Aira.”

Seeing that they had accepted her words, she felt relieved.

If the Elder disappeared or changed, the tasks she would have to undertake would increase.

The Elder’s sins were not nonexistent, but he had acted thinking of the tribe, so she didn’t want to blame him excessively.

Initially, the problem arose because she had contracted a mysterious illness.

Even though she did her best among the few options available, the severity of the situation was such that she had to face punishment.

Their lives hung in the balance.

Ray overheard their conversation and mused,

“Even if the races differ, their thoughts aren’t necessarily dissimilar.”

Their society mirrored that of humans.

Only habits, unique thoughts, common sense, and culture varied, such as the manner of managing long ears, unlike humans.

This was actually detailed in a book she had seen at Aira’s house.

It was only upon seeing Ray’s figure that Aira became aware of his presence.

She had been so engrossed in the tale that she hadn’t noticed him.

After collecting herself, she glanced at Ray to alleviate the awkward atmosphere and then smiled, stating,

“If the discussion about the Elder’s treatment has concluded, I propose we hold a feast in honor of our benefactor.”

Upon hearing Aira’s words, the elves’ gazes shifted to Ray instantly.

They had forgotten, but indeed, the more pressing matter than the Elder’s story was Ray.

He had healed a mysterious disease that no one else could.

A malevolent illness that made even eating impossible.

In Aira’s case, she possessed a tremendous amount of mana, so she could withstand it, but her mana would have been exhausted soon after twenty years.

Then, she would have inevitably perished.

Ray’s ability to cure such a disease lingered in the elves’ minds as an unforgettable memory.

And what about the mana he had amassed?

At that moment, many elves questioned whether Ray was not a great entity.

But they could dismiss their doubts with the human scent they detected from him.

However, numerous elves still harbored suspicions about his identity.

“I concur. We should regard him differently from humans, as he saved Aira and, ultimately, saved our lives.”

“I also concur.”

“Anyone would recognize that this human is our savior. Hahaha.”

Most concurred and stepped forward.

And rightly so, for he was the one who saved Aira.

Receiving favor from a high elf equated to possessing a pass that permitted free entry and exit to the village.

But it wasn’t just about receiving favor; he had saved a life on the brink of death, so the reward couldn’t be insignificant.

He had become the benefactor of the entire Grandel Forest tribe.

Ray scratched his head and laughed.

“It somehow ended up this way. Hahaha.”

Even the great priest Dara, who lived in the past, wouldn’t have been able to cure her, yet Ray had miraculously healed her with his hands.

Except for Pia, the elf who had observed the healing process from the side, no other elf was present, but the mana they sensed was overwhelming enough.

As the elves valued strength as a virtue, they recognized Ray’s existence.

---

After briefly returning home for a day, Ray was taken aback when he arrived at the elf village again.

In his absence, they had prepared for the festival.

He had assumed that a festival held by elves would be quiet, but he couldn’t deny that it was his prejudice.

The festival in the elves’ village was genuinely grand.

From children to adult elves, everyone was boisterously present.

It was unbelievable that it was morning.

When Ray was outside the village, pausing to observe them, Pia, who hadn’t been seen until now, approached him.

“Did you come?”

She approached slightly awkwardly and said with a bright smile.

“Welcome. Everyone has been waiting for you.”

As she spoke, she pulled me toward herself.

Ahead, there were many elves.

Elves who had only stayed home until now and young elves who had never ventured out were seen in large numbers.

All together, it was a significant population.

Easily, there seemed to be about 500 of them.

“Wow, were there always so many elves?”

To the surprised Ray, Pia laughed with a snicker.

“There are elves who haven’t shown themselves because they’re raising children, and those who live in the outskirts.”

“That’s incredible.”

Pia glanced at Ray and then let go of the hand she had been holding.

“Huh?”

I looked at her with a questioning heart, but she gave a slightly sad smile.

“I have a task to attend to… Can you proceed on your own from here? The village is more vulnerable than ever during a festival.”

Pia gestured with her hand.

As the elves’ guardian, she often missed out on the festivities.

The festivals were infrequent, reserved only for significant occasions.

If the guardian partook in the festival, she couldn’t guard against potential threats that might emerge.

Wouldn’t she want to enjoy the festival?

However, accomplishing her assigned duty was far more important to her than indulging in enjoyment, so she had no other choice.

Ray chuckled softly at the disappointment on her face.

“I’ll come and join you in the evening.”

“Really?”

Her mood brightened immediately, and she asked with enthusiasm.

Ray nodded, and she leaped for joy.

“This is the first time someone has promised to visit me!”

As the guardian, there were periods when she couldn’t visit the village for years.

Having company while performing her duties was something she could only dream of.

It was no wonder she was so thrilled.

Pia hopped around joyfully and was taken aback when she noticed the sunrise.

“It’s already time…”

She glanced at the sky and murmured briefly before hastily waving at Ray.

Ray muttered to himself as he watched her hopping around joyfully and then scampering off in surprise.

“…She’s not normal either.”

---

The expedition team decided to set up camp after fending off the monsters.

Since the holy maiden had selected a relatively elevated area for the campsite compared to the surroundings, it was challenging for the team to prepare.

Because the terrain was uneven, they had to dig slightly into the ground to erect tents.

Furthermore, the ground wasn’t sturdy enough to hold the tent poles, so they had to secure them by tying ropes around nearby trees.

Some grumbling words naturally came from the younger dispatch members.

“Why does the holy maiden choose to camp in such a place…”

“She probably doesn’t know that tents should be set up on flat ground since she’s still young.”

“Sigh… We’re the only ones who suffer…”

These words were spoken in hushed tones, so no one heard them.

However, their expressions betrayed their thoughts to some extent.

But that was only for a moment.

As they prepared to camp and started fires, monsters launched another attack.

“It’s an orc!”

“Argh! Why is there an ogre here!”

Screams filled the air as everyone braced for battle.

The sounds of weapons clashing and the unpleasant noises of flesh being sliced filled the air, transforming their intended sleeping area into a battlefield.

However, there were no casualties during the battle.

Thanks to Iriel’s instruction to set up tents on high ground, they were able to use the terrain to their advantage.

Attacking from above proved easier and more effective than attacking from below.

Even the dispatch members who had complained the most felt this during the fight.

They murmured as they tirelessly swung their swords.

“Could it be… did the holy maiden anticipate this?”

“Nah… She’s still young. The priests beside her must have advised her.”

“Not sure. She’s known as the epitome of perfection in our holy nation, you know?”

There were various opinions, but the prevailing thought was that it was her command.

Especially since the holy maiden had never shown any incompetence in managing affairs until now.