Episode 243

The guards approached hesitantly, their demeanor much changed from before.

Ray spoke in a subtly mocking tone, “What about the beggar?”

“My apologies for the rudeness,” the senior guard quickly bowed, followed by several others showing respect.

Watching this, Ray inquired, “The docking permit has been granted, right?”

“Yes. You may stay as long as you wish. Although modest, our security team will serve you.”

The leading guard courteously gestured for them to follow. Shortly after disembarking, they were led to a rather expensive-looking inn.

The first floor featured a terrace and a restaurant, while the upper floors were designated for lodging, exuding a luxurious ambiance.

This must be the influence of the Priyas Holy Kingdom.

Thinking of relieving the journey’s fatigue, they dropped their luggage, and the guards bowed again with a look of regret.

“I apologize once again for the rudeness. As the head of security, I will accept proper punishment.”

Although not informal, seeing his firm sense of responsibility somewhat eased the awkwardness.

Moreover, staying in an unexpected inn and receiving support from the Priyas Holy Kingdom in their financially tight situation significantly improved their mood.

Naturally, the willingness to forgive seemed to double the size of the kingdom’s surroundings.

Ray waved his hand, “It’s okay. We did look a bit like beggars after all.”

Looking at another beggar in the same plight, Iriel glanced sideways with a pout.

“Are you really okay with this?”

“Let’s head back before I change my mind. Oh, and please tell the Priyas Holy Kingdom we are grateful for their support.”

“You need not tell me directly; the kingdom will send a representative soon,” the captain of the guards replied.

Ray shook his head, “No need for that. We’re just resting briefly before we depart.”

“Um… then, I’ll relay your message,” the guard captain said before leaving the inn after ensuring everything was in order.

Ray looked around at the others, thinking, ‘Finally, a step forward.’

Accelerating the medical academy.

Introducing a new civilization of systematic medicine.

It was the moment to advance a step towards achieving that goal.

Having rented out the entire inn, he gathered everyone in the restaurant.

The purpose was to discuss the upcoming schedule.

Without organizing things here, they might encounter troublesome issues later, so Ray found it easier to address everything now.

Tapping the large table to gather attention, the previously noisy room quieted down.

“You’ve all worked hard to get here. How does it feel to have escaped the cramped island?”

Only awkward laughter spread throughout the room.

“Hehehe. It seems adaptation is still challenging,” one elder commented.

Ray nodded, “It won’t be as easy as you think. You know life on the island, but not here.”

They had become fully accustomed to island life but could not immediately adapt upon arriving on the western continent.

However, there was no major concern.

Meetings and conversations with others, over time, would gradually resolve these issues.

“Our mouths might say otherwise, but we have enough resources to manage somehow, right?”

“That’s true. It would be a sorry sight if people called heroes couldn’t even adapt properly to society.”

After a few jokes were exchanged, he cleared the laughter and said, “Let’s get to the point… The reason I’ve called you all here is for a matter of some importance.”

“An important matter?”

“We need to board a ship again. We’ll be crossing from the Western Continent to the Eastern Continent on that ship. If you look at the map, it’s like this.”

As he spoke, he traced a part of the unfolded map, and the elders and tribal leaders stroked their chins, looking at it.

“That’s quite a distance.”

“It looks like it will take at least a week…”

To their murmurs, Iriel responded, “It will be a long journey, but it won’t be as hard as now.”

With the support promised by the Priyas Holy Kingdom, they would have food to eat and places to stay…

Indeed, it would be a journey of luxury.

He continued, observing the reactions, “Our destination is the Silia Kingdom on the Eastern Continent. From there, we’ll proceed to the Holy Kingdom by leapfrogging.”

Had he mentioned this to an ordinary person, they might have been scolded for thinking someone could walk between countries, but his audience seemed unfazed, almost as if it were no big deal.

“We’ve roughly figured out the route. When do we plan to depart?”

“We leave straight away tomorrow. We’ll acquire a ship in the morning and set off from the trade harbor by noon.”

“That should be no problem if it’s in the morning.”

“I’ll make sure to inform the children myself.”

“Thank you.”

“But… what will we do once we reach the Eastern Continent? Has the goddess given us a specific mission?”

The elders’ question captured everyone’s attention.

Though unspoken, it was a question on everyone’s mind.

Even Hael, who had been quietly listening, found the timing right to ask, “I’ve wanted to ask this before. What exactly are we going to do in the Eastern Continent?”

After a moment of silence, he spoke in a firm, yet gentle tone, “We’re going to change the world.”

After the war, the Holy Kingdom, with support from its neighboring countries, grew into a powerful nation.

With Hongyeong and Euclid internally purging corrupt nobles and the saint’s family rectifying the finances, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say they were on par with the Lesian Empire in terms of living standards.

Moreover, Ray’s successful trade negotiations with the Lesian Empire greatly improved their finances.

In this explosively growing Holy Kingdom, one place showing remarkable potential was the medical academy.

With the pope’s endorsement fueling public interest in new knowledge and jobs, it was akin to giving wings to a tiger.

The number of students swelled daily, and with it, the academy’s size expanded significantly.

To put it somewhat exaggeratedly, it was almost on par with the academies dedicated to swordsmanship, magic, and divine power.

However, the problem quickly became evident.

The student population continued to rise, but there were only a handful of professors available to teach them.

Most were taught by a lich from Proxia.

These days, he felt as though he were living in a nightmare, day in and day out.

With no time to delve into the knowledge the saint had left behind due to his teaching duties, even a great magician of the 7th circle found it overwhelming.

Barely managing to survive the classes, he struggled to carve out time for his own studies, constantly facing the demand for more lessons.

Yet, perhaps there was some reward for his near-death teaching efforts, as the students’ level of medical knowledge steadily improved.

The medical gloves produced by the Holy Kingdom had already become a staple within the academy, and handwashing facilities were gradually being installed in other academies as well.

At this point, the significance of the medical academy could certainly not be considered minor.

When two classes expanded to four, unable to bear it any longer, the lich used the authority Ray had delegated to him to appoint new assistant professors.

They were a duo, a man and a woman, whom Ray had previously instructed to observe.

Their skill in dissecting a pig was exceptional, and now their sharp intellect was equally evident.

Should it be said that teaching them one thing led them to understand two?

They were not quite geniuses, but too talented to be labeled merely gifted. What then, should they be called?

However, it seems they still hadn’t met the lich’s standards.

The lich, teaching the two assistant professors, pounded his chest in frustration.

“You fools! Do you still not understand?”

“Sorry, sorry!”

“The lymphatic ducts are for transporting lymph! How can you conclude that the lymphatic ducts and lymph are the same? By your logic, ogres and elves would be the same species too!”

“But I don’t understand. The lymphatic ducts contain lymph, so why do we need to differentiate them? Either way, they contain lymph.”

Lich, looking as baffled as if he had heard a eunuch was getting married, sighed deeply.

“Sigh…”

He looked up at the sky, making a face as if questioning his existence, and muttered philosophical questions like ‘Where do humans start, and where do they end?’ about thirty times.

Finally calming down, he spread out a parchment.

It was a drawing made by Ray, neatly annotated below.

The complex drawing was made understandable with a lot of effort.

Even the two who couldn’t understand despite explanations nodded at once.

“Don’t try to understand it so hard. The lymphatic ducts have their own role, and lymph has its own role. How can they be considered the same?”

“I sort of get it but…”

“Do you think you can teach others with just a rough understanding? Forget about it for today.”

“Ugh…”

Lich, who hadn’t let them sleep for two days and nights, now threatened a third, making them regret their decision to become assistant professors.

But as they suffered, the medical academy continued to grow.

Incompetent but claiming to be professors, they took charge of two classes, giving Lich, who had been insanely busy, some breathing room.

Now, the greatly expanded academy was formal enough to request the Holy Kingdom for the construction of an academy building.

After he left the Holy Kingdom, the medical academy continued to grow endlessly, even daring to expand to other countries.

In the morning, as they packed their bags and left the inn, securing a ship at the temporarily closed trade harbor was too easy for them.

With a ship large enough for their numbers and supplies, and with the support of Priyas, they were quickly ready to depart.

Aboard the ship, Iriel let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Finally, we are returning.”

It had been an exhausting first pilgrimage.

While the Silia Kingdom was on the same Eastern Continent, wasn’t the Priyas Holy Kingdom on the Western Continent a bit too far?

Moreover, having to take care of the hero’s family had internally drained her.

Ray, slumping his shoulders on the deck, shook his head at her.

“The real start is from now.”

At his words, Iriel’s shoulders trembled nervously like a frightened herbivore.

“What, what’s starting? It’s not me again, is it? Me again?”

“Indeed, if it’s about companions, it’s Iriel; if it’s about suffering, it’s also Iriel.”

Iriel, honored to be chosen by such a unique monster, wore a face full of injustice.