Crown Prince Sells Medicine - Chapter 103

Naturally, the battalion commander didn’t respond immediately to the summons. He didn’t appear to be paying attention to what was being said on this end either.

“So, are you planning to go in directly now?”

“Yes, I must.”

Raciel moved forward with long strides. Demian followed him and inquired,

“Will you be okay?”

“Hmm?”

What does he mean by that question?

Raciel glanced back at him.

“You’re undercover right now, are you?”

“Ah. So, technically, I’m just a military officer, and there’s no reason for the battalion commander to listen to me obediently?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“It’s alright.”

Raciel shrugged his shoulders.

“I have a side of me that believes.”

Demian appeared bewildered. Leaving him behind, Raciel continued his brisk pace. Fortunately, locating the battalion commander’s command tent proved to be quite straightforward. All one needed to do was find the largest, most ornate, and best-preserved tent.

“It’s practically a palace.”

To exaggerate a bit, it was a tent the size of a two-room apartment he had lived in while in Korea.

He entered.

Flap!

“Excuse me.”

He greeted those inside warmly, but there was no warm response. Instead, a noticeably irritated gaze met his.

“Are you the new military officer assigned today?”

A middle-aged man with a black mustache sat on a makeshift bed. He seemed to be the battalion commander. Had he just woken up?

It seemed likely.

A smile formed on Raciel’s lips.

“Yes, I am Military Officer Rihan. But didn’t you receive the message I sent through the private earlier?”

“I received it. You said for me to come right away, didn’t you?”

“That’s correct, but…”

“Do you realize how unusual that request was?”

“In what way?”

Proveng Zajak, the battalion commander, openly questioned him. However, Raciel didn’t falter. He calmly replied instead.

The battalion commander’s mustache twitched.

“I am the highest authority and commander of this medical camp. Are you suggesting that you, a mere military officer, can order me around?”

“Ah. So you were displeased.”

“Of course. I may respect a military officer, but don’t expect any special treatment from me.”

The tone of the battalion commander grew stern. Had he misunderstood his authority here? It appeared so.

How insignificant.

Raciel wore an even more pronounced smile.

“Special treatment? Isn’t that what the wounded should receive?”

“What?”

The battalion commander hesitated.

Raciel said to him,

“I saw it on my way here. No, I saw it as soon as I arrived. I witnessed how the wounded in this camp are treated.”

“Treated? What are you talking about?”

“They’re not receiving timely treatment. Many are perishing due to what can only be described as neglect. Yet, Mr. Battalion Commander, you were enjoying a late sleep until just now. So, I want to ask. Is this truly a medical camp for the wounded?”

“Of course it is. If there are wounded, it’s a medical camp.”

“…”

It felt like he had just heard an incredibly absurd answer.

Raciel doubted his ears as the battalion commander continued to defy common sense.

“If there are injured soldiers gathered, then isn’t that an infirmary camp? And I am the one managing those injured soldiers. I provide them with a place to sleep and food and water so they won’t starve to death. Isn’t that enough?”

“What did you say?”

“Am I wrong? To be frank, they’re injured soldiers. They’re weak and frail; that’s why they couldn’t withstand the battlefield and got hurt. If they were stronger, faster, and smarter, they wouldn’t have gotten hurt like idiots or ended up dead. Right?”

“…”

“So why should I go out of my way for these weak and foolish individuals? If they can sleep and eat, that should be enough. They should be grateful and recover on their own, shouldn’t they?”

“…”

“Am I wrong? And if they don’t recover? That’s not a bad thing either. It reduces the number of useless mouths to feed. These guys can’t even return to the battlefield; they’re just consuming food. It’s better if they’re gone, isn’t it?”

“…”

“So, let’s just tolerate each other for a while, shall we? I am busy, and I’m tired. I’m sick of handling the daily disposal of the dead here. I want to get out of this godforsaken job and go back to the battlefield. To reclaim my honor by cutting down enemy heads, you know?”

“…”

“So, I’ll be focusing on facility management for a few months, earning merits, and then I’ll return to my rightful position up the chain. So, you should also take it easy, okay? You look like a newcomer to the battlefield. Let’s not make life difficult for each other with pointless enthusiasm, alright?”

“Ah…”

Raciel chuckled. His initial inclination was to think of insults he could hurl.

‘This guy is outrageously trashy and authoritarian.’

After listening to a few sentences, he grasped the situation. He had encountered similar individuals in Korea, especially during his military service.

‘Old-guard officers were just like that. With a bit of care and effort, we could have improved the situation. We could have eradicated various injustices. Everyone could have benefited. But they chose not to. Why? Because it inconvenienced them. Because it didn’t directly benefit them.’

That was the problem.

They prioritized only their convenience, regardless of whether their subordinates suffered or not. And it might have been tolerable if it ended there.

‘The worst part… they obstructed anyone attempting to bring about change.’

Time and again, they crushed the desire for reform. They wanted to preserve the status quo, even if it was filled with injustice and irrationality.

Why?

Because it suited them. It was advantageous for them. So they did.

‘I’ve observed this pattern in society too.’

He recalled a pharmaceutical sales representative who used to visit his clinic. She had shared her grievances about her similarly authoritarian boss.

With this in mind, Raciel quickly grasped the battalion commander’s motives.

‘He’s cut from the same cloth. His sole objective is to preserve the status quo, no matter how dire the current situation is.’

This was problematic.

He needed to save the injured soldiers to earn more “bonus life.”

‘And to think the manager of the place I was assigned to is solely fixated on maintaining the status quo. Well, let’s give him one last chance.’

Raciel’s gaze turned icy, but his lips maintained a smile. He spoke.

“Causing unnecessary friction with excessive enthusiasm, you say… I understand what you mean. Therefore, I have a few requests.”

“Requests, you say?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, tell me, what are these requests?”

“Firstly, please replace the tents where the injured soldiers are staying with higher-quality ones.”

“…What?”

“As I mentioned, I noticed that the tents used by the injured soldiers are in terrible condition. They don’t appear capable of effectively shielding against the cold or rain, and that’s a problem. The injured soldiers need to rest as comfortably as possible to conserve their energy.”

“What absurdity is—”

“It’s not absurd. Additionally, I will enlist the assistance of the regular soldiers in the camp.”

“The regular soldiers? Why?”

“To organize the injured soldiers.”

“Organize…?”

“Yes. I’m contemplating the implementation of a triage system. Given that we have a mix of patients with varying degrees of injuries, from severe to mild, we need to differentiate between patients requiring immediate treatment and those who can wait. We must establish treatment priorities since we have many patients and limited manpower.”

“……”

“We also need to pay more attention to personal hygiene and supplies. I observed the condition of the food provided to the wounded earlier, and it was…”

“Stop!”

“……”

Raciel locked eyes with the battalion commander. The commander’s face reddened.

“Heh, didn’t you hear what I said earlier? Let’s not exhaust each other. And now, what? Replacing all the tents? Sorting patients? Hygiene? What about the food? What’s your game?”

“I’m trying to save the wounded.”

“Heh. You’re just wearing everyone out. Do you think you’re the first medical officer I’ve encountered who’s like you?”

“Was there more?”

“Of course, there were more. Plenty, in fact. They all arrive at the wounded camp with naive faces full of enthusiasm like yours. They talk about changing the environment and saving more lives.”

“……”

“All they do is tire people out. I used to cooperate with them because, after all, saving even one more wounded person isn’t a bad thing. But the end result? They all run away in less than a month. No exceptions.”

The battalion commander clenched his teeth.

“So, I don’t want to cater to naive folks like you. People who have never touched blood or cared for dying people, but think they know everything because they’ve read books. It’s exhausting for both of us. Are you any different?”

“……”

“Why aren’t you answering? Then let’s make a bet.”

“What kind of bet are you talking about?”

“Save a wounded man right in front of me. Then I’ll acknowledge your skills and cooperate fully. How about it?”

“……”

Is the battalion commander insane?

While Raciel was thinking that, the commander summoned a soldier and issued some orders. The soldier hurried out, and soon after, the area outside the tent became bustling with activity.

And then…

“We’ve brought the wounded man as ordered.”

Soldiers carried the wounded man into the tent on a stretcher. It was evident that his condition was critical. The battalion commander pointed at the wounded man and said,

“Look, we’ve brought the wounded man you care so much about. Now, save him right here. Let’s see your skills.”

The battalion commander’s tone had progressively grown more arrogant. Did he believe he could intimidate Raciel? Did he hold him in such low regard?

A laugh escaped Raciel’s lips.

“Heh heh heh.”

He was the one who established a clinic. He was still the director of Star Palace Clinic.

Anyway, seeing the attitude of the battalion commander, he became sure.

‘The negotiations have broken down.’

To be honest, he had intended to give him one last chance. He had tried to cooperate as amicably as possible, which would have also made things easier for the commander.

‘The operational status of this camp, the supply state of various goods, the condition of equipment, the personnel trends of each unit’s medical staff—I assume that person knows it all.’

After all, he was the battalion commander.

He was the commanding officer.

By cooperating, he wouldn’t have to concern himself with such trivialities, allowing him to focus solely on treatment.

So, he had evaluated the situation for cooperation and given the commander one last opportunity. But just now, the commander had squandered his chance.

Now, the conclusion was clear. The course of action was also clear. Raciel’s gaze grew colder.

“Demian.”

He called out to Demian beside him and signaled towards the battalion commander.

“Restrain and detain him.”

“Understood.”

The command and execution occurred simultaneously. As soon as he issued the order, Demian unsheathed his sword. The battalion commander’s eyes widened. In the blink of an eye, Demian moved.

Whoosh, bang!

“…Ugh!”

Demian’s sword swung low, striking the battalion commander’s ankles. His legs shot up into the air, and he landed flat on his back.

“Argh!”

The battalion commander writhed in pain.

The nearby soldiers recoiled in shock.

But they didn’t have a chance to react. Demian’s drawn sword was already pointed at the fallen battalion commander.

“What in the world is going on?!”

The battalion commander yelled with a flushed face.

“Are you out of your mind? Huh! This is my camp, and I’m the commander here! Do you think you can get away with this, just being a mere military officer?”

He raged at him, spewing anger with his words. Raciel couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Enough. Let’s put an end to this.”

“What? You think I’ll stop just because you say so?”

“Especially after you see this.”

He had heard enough of the commander’s tirade. He had no intention of following his lead any longer. He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and displayed it to the fallen battalion commander.

“Do you see this?”

“What is this?”

“It’s an authorization for the complete delegation of authority over the wounded soldiers’ camp, directly granted to me by the heir to the throne, Princess Adeline Boarne Anbouaz.”

“…”

“And what now? Will you cooperate if I save the wounded? Will you acknowledge my abilities? Are you daring to assess me?”

“Uh, well, that’s…”

“That’s precisely why when I kindly requested you to come forward, you should have complied. You should have willingly cooperated when I asked for it.”

“Uh, I, that’s…”

“Demian. Take him away.”

He had been patient enough. There was no need to listen to any more excuses.

He gave Demian the order, and the battalion commander’s flushed face turned dramatically pale.

(To be Continued)

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