To Hell with Being a Saint, I’m a Doctor - Chapter 202: Pilgrimage (1)

The day after the banquet ended, the pilgrimage began immediately.

Under the declaration of Iriel and another, the pilgrimage was officially announced.

Riding in a carriage and departing the capital, they headed toward a village teeming with healers and priests.

Fortunately, the Silia Kingdom was not very large.

It probably would not take too long to travel around it all.

They arrived at a fairly affluent village.

Was it because the kingdom was prosperous that its citizens were too?

The material of the clothes worn by the villagers was expensive silk, unaffordable for ordinary people.

Iriel looked around at the villagers’ attire from outside the carriage and said,

“This is quite something. It seems like we won’t have anything to do right from the start.”

Since the pilgrimage had begun, injured or sick people could receive free treatment from healers or priests.

But that also meant that it was not yet the Saint’s turn to step in.

It was just chatting inside the carriage until the pilgrimage ended.

“Well, it’s the first village.”

The first place they started was near the capital, hence there were only wealthy people there.

So, not having a turn to step in didn’t seem like a big deal.

Ray shifted his body this way and that, searching for the optimal position inside the carriage.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

“Please! Please heal my child!”

“…Step aside, let me try.”

“Yes.”

As they left the first village and arrived at the second, a noisy commotion arose from outside.

“It’s strange… Divine magic isn’t working…”

“…As expected, right?”

“…Unfortunately, this child might have to be given up on…”

The conversation turned the complexion of the middle-aged man holding the child pale.

“Pl-please, healers… I have been clinging to life, waiting only for the pilgrimage. My whole life has been leading up to this moment…!”

But what couldn’t be done, couldn’t be done.

As the two healers shook their heads, the man holding the child displayed a look of despair.

Ray, observing the situation from inside the carriage, opened the door and stepped out.

Iriel followed suit.

“The Saint.”

“Move aside for a moment. Let’s assess the condition.”

As he approached the middle-aged man, Ray knelt down swiftly and took the child into his arms.

Even before Ray could diagnose or begin treatment, the man’s tension eased at the sight of the Saint taking charge, and he shed tears of relief.

“Th-thank you! Sob…”

Ray examined the child’s condition.

The child appeared to be about five or six years old but was frail.

He pressed his finger into the back of the child’s upper arm.

‘There’s no subcutaneous fat.’

The muscles in the limbs were atrophied, which explained the lack of strength.

Ray noticed the long, unkempt hair was extremely dry.

When he gently tugged at a strand, it came out easily.

Considering the skin’s edema, prompt treatment was crucial.

“Did this happen suddenly?”

“No, it didn’t…”

So it wasn’t acute.

He sighed after concluding the examination.

“The child is suffering from protein deficiency. A diet rich in meat would be necessary for treatment.”

“Meat… are you saying?”

The middle-aged man’s expression grew somber at Ray’s words.

The implication was clear; they couldn’t afford meat.

Ray felt awkward, acutely aware of this fact.

It wasn’t a severe illness, but suggesting a fundamental solution was difficult.

Had they possessed the means, they wouldn’t be facing a protein deficiency.

Despite the Silia Kingdom’s prosperity, the capital’s neglect of its people’s welfare was evident, leading to such dire circumstances.

At a loss, Ray finally resorted to an unorthodox solution.

He walked over to a nearby pile of dirt and picked up something.

It was a common ant.

The bewildered onlookers seemed to question his actions.

“If you can’t afford meat, feed the child this instead.”

“What?”

“It may seem insignificant, but it’s actually quite nutritious. If you remove the head and feed it to the child, it should help.”

Ants contain 25 times more protein than beef.

It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was quite good as a temporary measure.

However, the onlookers didn’t seem to agree.

Despite his serious expression, there was no denying the awkwardness of holding a wriggling ant in his hand.

Iriel gently soothed the child’s skin edema.

With the flow of divine power, the edema that even two healers couldn’t completely remove disappeared.

Her divine power was impressive every time.

As she stroked the child’s hair, she echoed Ray’s words.

“It’s okay, follow the Saint’s advice.”

“The, The Saintess…”

With two saints saying so, he had no choice but to comply.

The middle-aged man took the completely healed child and bowed deeply.

“Thank you! I will never forget your kindness!”

“Forget it. It’s not a big deal.”

Ray dismissed it and tapped the shoulder of the knight standing beside him.

“Your command?”

“Feed those two with enough meat. The current situation can’t be sustained by eating just ants.”

“…Understood.”

He boarded the carriage after the response.

After that, it was the same as in the first village.

Healing and being healed.

They didn’t have much room to intervene in this series of processes.

Whenever the healers and priests ran out of divine power, Iriel’s blessings continued.

Revitalized by her endless divine power, they continued the pilgrimage.

Excluding sleep, they spent all their time inside the carriage.

After finishing their meal at the inn they had rented in the village, they went to their rooms.

Iriel personally made tea and went to Ray’s room.

As the aroma of the fragrant tea leaves spread, it felt as though both body and mind were relaxed.

“More difficult than you thought?”

It was much harder because there was nothing to do.

Not moving or doing anything, just killing time inside the carriage.

“……”

“Hehehe. Here, take it.”

He silently took the teacup and sipped.

A plain yet slightly bitter aroma immediately rose.

Surprisingly, this single cup of tea seemed to relieve his fatigue.

‘Incredible.’

Given Iriel’s extraordinary abilities compared to an average person, he wondered if her talent for tea-making was innate as well.

Noticing his thoughts, she asked playfully with a smile, “Tastes good, right? Doesn’t it relieve fatigue?”

“Tsk.”

His response was a testament to his refined taste.

The subtly bitter aftertaste cleared up cleanly.

“I actually learned tea-making from Faeya.”

“…Really?”

He couldn’t help but be genuinely surprised.

He had thought she only knew how to provoke Zik or irritate him, but to make tea at this level!

“Every time I go on a pilgrimage, I make tea. It’s my first time with Ray, so I made it especially for you. You can feel a bit more proud, you know?”

She spoke with her usual smug expression.

Why she felt so proud of herself was a mystery to him.

As Ray looked at Iriel with disapproval, a dull sound came from the door.

Knock- Knock-

Iriel smiled gently. “Come in.”

“This is definitely my room…”

“Although it’s modest, please come in.”

“…?”

Despite the odd conversation, the visitor opened the door without hesitation.

“Saintess… Oh, the Saint is here too?”

It was his room, after all.

What were they thinking about the Saint’s assigned room?

As Ray looked at them with displeasure, Faeya, holding her own brewed tea, grinned broadly.

“It’s a joke. Ahaha. I was looking for the Saintess, but I thought she might be in the Saint’s room. Ah, and don’t worry, I’ve brought enough for you too!”

Upon hearing this, Iriel’s face turned a pale yellow.

It was the color of a ripe mango.

She hurriedly rose from her seat.

“I, I think it’s late, so I should return.”

“Ah, wait! Have a cup before you go! It’s really good for fatigue.”

“I’m quite full right now…”

“Hmm… If that’s the case, I can’t insist. I’ll make it again tomorrow, so make sure to drink it?”

“…!”

Iriel quickly disappeared from sight.

As she departed, Faeya offered a cup to Ray.

“Here you go, Saint.”

He hadn’t expected to be the one to follow up.

The tea was so potent that even Iriel had reacted strongly.

He sniffed the aroma, his composure intact.

“…”

It smelled just as fragrant as the tea Iriel had brewed.

The aroma was superb. It was certainly on par with what Iriel had learned from Faeya.

If the taste matched the aroma, it would be quite delightful.

But what could explain Iriel’s odd reaction?

Ray, capable of dueling a swordmaster without a hint of anxiety, now sipped the tea with a bead of cold sweat on his brow.

Gulp-

“Hehehe.”

A chuckle slipped out unintentionally.

Was it a taste to be laughed at, per se?

Who would dare to call this black tea?

It might be akin to someone forcing muddy water down your throat as herbal medicine.

He quickly summoned mana to purify his palate.

“Clean.”

It was improbable that the Saint, having just consumed poison, would say anything complimentary.

After wiping his mouth, he addressed Faeya,

“Leave.”