To Hell with Being a Saint, I’m a Doctor - Chapter 236: Preparation For Departure (1)

Hael shook her head and said,

“Do not kill him. He is a person who even threatened the life of the noble clan leader. The Council of Elders will have to discuss and deal with him.”

“I’ll torment him just enough for him to beg for death.”

The elders, looking like demons themselves, gasped in shock.

“Good heavens! Elder Hael! How could you let this foreigner act so brazenly?”

“That’s right! I’ve been watching, and this is a bit too much! This is shamelessness and arrogance at its worst!”

Relying on Hael’s backing, they spoke boldly.

As Ray frowned, they avoided his gaze as if to say, ‘Oh, it’s hot!’

He stopped smashing Elder Meade’s mana road and stretched his crouched body.

“He’s a real saint, isn’t he? I might not care, but you all revere that noble clan leader he tried to kill. Don’t these elders have any shame?”

His venomous words made some elders frown.

“What? Then we should also punish you for daring to touch the noble clan leader!”

“What right do you, an irrelevant person, have to speak?”

If they wanted to threaten, they should do it properly, not just point fingers while hiding behind Hael. It wasn’t even worth a sneer.

And let’s speak the truth.

He was the benefactor who personally untangled the hopelessly twisted mana road of the noble clan leader.

Not just that. He even melted down the irreparable mana road and transformed it into a dantian.

Shouldn’t those who bring such a revolutionary secret technique of enhancement be rewarded with gold in gratitude?

Where has humanity’s dear affection gone!

Instead of gold, they thrust a sword into his chest, making one want to applaud this distorted form of human love.

Having properly restored the noble clan leader, who was in a wretched state, it was inevitable to become twisted when only criticism poured in like a flood instead of praise.

Frustrated to the core, he casually kicked Elder Meade with the tip of his foot.

It was just a light kick, but from the receiving end, it felt like much more.

As soon as his foot made contact, the bone shattered completely, making the phrase ‘gently breaking bones’ seem more fitting.

“Aaaagh!”

The broken bone piercing nearby muscles doubled the pain.

Ray clicked his tongue upon seeing the elder faint without enduring much.

“Tsk, tsk. Such a fragile elder.”

Looking around for another target, the other elders once again averted their gaze.

In the brief silence that ensued in the hall, Iriel arrived late.

She entered through the broken door, letting out a deep sigh.

“Haah… where were you rushing off to so hastily…”

Iriel, about to speak, noticed the elder carelessly lying under his feet and quickly surmised the situation.

‘Ah, he came to punish.’

It was a common occurrence, so it no longer surprised her.

More importantly, she had news to deliver.

After surveying her surroundings for a moment, she whispered softly into his ear.

“Ray, we have no time left. We need to escape this island now.”

There wasn’t much time remaining until the waterways closed.

Even now, they needed to prepare a sturdy raft for departure.

Ray nodded in agreement.

He had forgotten in the midst of enjoying his sweet revenge, but it was time to prepare, or they would be too late.

If they missed this waterway, they would have to wait several months, which would be a significant waste of time.

After stepping on Elder Meade a few more times, he proceeded to the inner sanctum.

Hael followed him as he approached the noble clan leader.

“Do you still need to work on the mana road?”

“There’s nothing left to fix. I’m just waking up a sleepyhead.”

Still lying in his place, he knelt beside the noble clan leader.

Contrary to the cute expression of ‘waking up a sleepyhead’, the method of awakening was quite harsh.

A slapping sound resonated in the hall.

Slap— Slap—

“Uncle, stop sleeping and get up.”

With no hesitation in his hand movements, he slapped the cheeks, startling the elders and even her.

“What, what are you doing…!”

“Stop it right now, you brute!”

Despite their shouts, Ray seemed indifferent.

Would the noble clan leader, who had been in seclusion for three years, wake up just from being slapped?

Contrary to the elders’ thoughts, the noble clan leader let out a groan.

“Ugh…”

As if a skilled doctor had timed the anesthesia perfectly, a few slaps made him stir.

This was a natural outcome.

He had untangled the twisted mana road and even created a mana circle pocket.

Since he had collapsed due to twisted Qi and blood, waking up was the normal response once corrected.

“Stop sleeping.”

Slap— Slap—

“……”

“……”

His audacity left them speechless.

After a few more shocks, the middle-aged man slowly opened his eyes.

Just opening his eyes brought a heavy pressure into the hall.

“…Who are you?”

With his deep voice, a tremendous mana aura pierced through him.

But Ray, unmatched in mana, countered it without difficulty, causing the middle-aged man’s eyebrows to furrow.

“…A newly appointed elder? Your skills are quite remarkable.”

He didn’t seem to doubt Ray was a foreigner.

After all, Hael had acknowledged him as one of their kin, sensing a similar aura.

If he was a noble clan leader, he should be able to easily distinguish whether someone was of the same lineage or not.

The noble clan leader, assessing his physical condition, mumbled with a serious expression.

“…I thought there was no way to wake up… Someone created a mana road.”

With those words, he turned his head with flickering eyes, scanning the surroundings. The elders shook their heads as their gazes met.

Unable to bear it, Hael pointed her finger at someone, and the noble clan leader’s head turned back to its original position, looking at Ray again.

“Did you save me?”

“I didn’t save you, just touched the mana road.”

“You’re remarkable, young man. Creating a mana road is not something anyone can do.”

The noble clan leader bowed his head in affirmation of Ray’s achievement.

This action caused the elders to frown deeply.

“Noble clan leader! It’s wonderful that you’ve regained consciousness, but there’s no need to bow to such a foreigner!”

“That’s right! It would have been a serious matter if something had gone wrong. It’s not a matter for a mere child to handle!”

Despite their criticism, the noble clan leader continued to speak his mind.

“I deeply thank you. Without you, I would have breathed my last in this hall.”

“Thanks are unnecessary. Next time, be careful not to rush when manipulating mana.”

“Hahaha. I will.”

“But why would someone like you make such an absurd mistake? It doesn’t seem like your mana control was poor enough to twist your Qi and blood.”

Asking a question that had been on his mind, the noble clan leader replied without changing his expression.

“I realized it during my seclusion. We must leave. Soon the island will sink into the sea, and all the remaining clan members will become dreadful corpses.”

“Huh?”

We have to leave the island?

It’s nice to have aligned interests for once, but this is too abrupt.

“What do you mean the island will sink into the sea? What are you talking about?”

“…It’s a magic circle.”

He said, pointing to the fierce sea outside with his hand.

“That sea wasn’t always so rough. Even a few hundred years ago, it was a peaceful sea.”

With mana activated throughout his body, he forced his muscles to move, slowly getting up and walking step by step.

His powerful steps, as if splitting a mountain in half, made the elders immediately bow their heads.

The middle-aged man’s gaze was far away.

His eyes seemed to pierce through something in the quiet forest.

“But a few years ago, I felt it. The magic circle was collapsing, and the mana was scattering… It was as if the island was screaming at me to leave.”

The island screaming… Such a poetic expression.

But it suited this situation better than anything else.

The sea seemed more intent on frightening and driving people away from the island than on protecting those inside.

The elders raised objections to his words.

“But, noble clan leader, this is a fortress created by our ancestors with their own hands. Leaving it would be like abandoning their legacy, wouldn’t it?”

“The old disappears, and the new comes. This too must be the will of the heavens.”

“That cannot be. How can we, mere humans, decide the will of the heavens? The gods will tell us when the time comes.”

Ray frowned deeply at this.

“So you’re saying it’s the gods’ will for us to leave? The Saint has been saying that from the start.”

Speaking, he scattered divine power, and the noble clan leader’s expression changed as if a guard had spotted a thief.

“Divine power? And you said… a Saint?”

“Yes.”

“God’s will… So, is this situation also commanded by the gods?”

He grinned nonchalantly.

“That’s right. The Goddesses Gaia and Priyas want the hero’s clan to leave. There are mountains of tasks to be done outside, so they commanded us to bring you.”

If the two goddess sisters heard this, they would immediately deny it.

But those unaware of the truth had no choice but to be deceived.

Who would doubt the Saint, the so-called representative of the gods, telling such a thing?

The noble clan leader nodded with a serious expression.

“There are many doubtful points, but let’s ask them after we leave. If it’s the goddesses’ will, how can we, mere creations, refuse?”

He raised his hand and commanded.

“Tell our clan members. We are going to the outside world. I will not accept any other opinions or advice from now on.”

“Noble clan leader!”

The elders’ faces were filled with anxiety and worry, but they did not dare oppose him.

Just that alone showed how much authority the noble clan leader held among them.

The man who could move a thousand people with a single word suddenly turned and looked at Iriel.

“However, there’s no need for unrelated foreigners. It’s been bothersome having non-kin in the sacred resting place of the holy heroes.”

Without hesitation, he created an aura blade in his empty hand and slashed at Iriel.

It was as if everything in the world was rushing to kill her.

A mere sword drawing a line, but it felt as heavy as a mountain approaching.

She couldn’t react in time, just staring blankly at the middle-aged man’s sword.

Then, Ray flicked his right hand, deflecting the middle-aged man’s sword.

Grinning, he scratched his head.

“Well, she’s an adult too.”

Watching him effortlessly counter his move, the noble clan leader’s expression gradually hardened.