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

Chapter 17: Saintess (4)

Ray hurried home from the viscounts house, lost in thought.

Is the Kingdom seeking me out? Do they want to make me a Saint?

This situation was more serious than he had anticipated.

In Rays mind, the Kingdoms people were fanatics, bound by their faith and unafraid of death.

They would likely disregard his right to refuse in the name of their faith.

If they capture me, its the end. My peaceful life could transform into a lifetime of toil, like an ants.

The Kingdom might not have the power to enforce everything, but Saints and Saintesses were a different matter.

Appearing in the world only according to Gods revelations, Saints and Saintesses were embodiments of Gods will.

Therefore, Saints and Saintesses had no right to refuse.

He might not know much about the Kingdom yet, but he knew that if they captured him, he would be taken to the Kingdom.

Of course, if he were taken to the Kingdom and allowed to live as he pleased, eating and sleeping, that would be fine. However, he would have to suppress his will entirely and live performing honorable work in Gods name.

Ray referred to this honorable work as hard labor.

They wouldnt kill him for refusing to be a Saint, but they were the type of people who wouldnt hesitate to use any means necessary to take him.

And he couldnt escape or hide because God would continually reveal his location.

God was like a stalker.

Ugh spending all day praying to a God Ive never seen, traveling to various kingdoms, returning, and praying again

The mere thought was terrifying.

The idea of being forced to do something he didnt want to do made him shudder.

Ray held his head in his hands, worrying.

What should I do? I cant hide, I cant run Im going insane.

He had no choice but to spend the night devising a plan against the Kingdom.

---

Even so, he couldnt come up with anything special.

Should he inform his parents and flee?

God would simply reveal his location again, whether he dyed his hair with mana or sought refuge in the shadows.

Moreover, even if he had run away, he would have needed money to live, and he was only fifteen years old.

If he hid his abilities and blended in, becoming a mercenary was absolutely out of the question, and at best, he could only imagine a future hanging out with the children in the slums.

Hoo

Ray regretted having rashly told Viscount Gaid that he was a Saint.

But he also knew that.

Even if he hadnt said he was a Saint, Viscount Gaid would have thought of him as a Saint.

It was just a matter of time, and there wouldnt have been much change in the fact that he would have been revealed.

Even if Viscount Gaid hadnt said anything, the Kingdom finding him wouldnt have changed.

A deep sigh escaped his lips.

Maybe I should go for a walk

His sigh, as if he had lived his whole life, filled the room.

---

The movements of the informants changed from inside the village to the outskirts of the village.

One by one, the shadows grew as they crossed the small bridge and followed the stone-paved road.

As they started passing places, they scattered, but none of them entered the forest that was prominently located in front of them.

A short man looking for the house of the child he was tasked to find spoke.

Where is the house in a place like this, seriously.

He grumbled but also searched the bushes to find the way.

Next to him, a young man awkwardly laughed.

At least youre looking everywhere you need to.

If you cant even do this much, youll be out of this industry. You have to at least pretend.

Youre right, you have to pretend. But still, I cant believe there would be a house in such a place

The young man said this while looking in one direction.

Nobody even gave a second glance at the dense, evergreen forest.

He started walking towards it, as if it was his destination.

Immediately, a short man grabbed his hand.

His hand was clenched so tightly it hurt, making him grimace.

Ouch! What are you doing!

Hey, you fool! Do you want to die?

First, release my hand! Its truly painful!

Upon hearing this, the man relaxed his hold.

Rubbing his arm and nearly crying, he shouted,

Why are you doing this! Is there gold concealed in that forest or something?

And why on earth are you heading there! Do you possess an extra life or something?

No one ventures there, thats why I wanted to attempt some work!

If you wish to perish while working, then proceed!

Upon hearing these ominous words, the young man furrowed his brow and inquired,

What is this place youre referring to?

Dont you know? Its an elf village! Its an ideal location to die if you enter unaware.

What?

He questioned back, as if doubting what was wrong with an elf village, and the short man continued,

Elves dont pardon intruders. They might not slay you if youre merely traversing the forest, but this is different.

How is it different?

That forest is the dwelling of high elves.

What!

He was shocked to discover that the forest he always observed was an elf village, and even more shocked to learn that high elves inhabited there.

High elves are scarcer than ordinary elves, and they possess three times the lifespan of regular elves. They are born with a hero-level comprehension of mana and affinity with spirits.

Since spirits are nature-friendly, it was understandable that they would be compatible, but it was astounding how much mana the high elves possessed from birth. If they consistently refined that, humans could never match them.

Therefore, no slavers dared to approach the village where high elves resided.

Elves also venerated and respected these high elves.

Who would invade their territory unless they sought death?

At least, not anyone he was acquainted with.

Why do high elves inhabit such a location?

Typically, high elves reside in unknown forests or areas where many elves congregate.

This facilitates them in protecting other elves and living without inconvenience.

This is also widely recognized among humans.

I dont know. Humans dont understand everything about elves.

Thats true

His voice lacked vigor, but he spoke the truth.

So, be cautious next time. Dont regret it if you accidentally enter there.

Despite the mans warning, the young man remained silent.

He simply gazed peacefully at the forest.

The idea of high elves residing there made him swallow hard.

But he couldnt even imagine defeating them.

As a human, that was a goal he couldnt aspire to.

---

Ray strolled down the familiar path to the village.

His mind was preoccupied with devising countermeasures against the Holy Kingdom.

What steps to take next, and how to come to terms with this reality.

Various thoughts intermingled and eventually caused him to halt his steps.

Surveying his surroundings, he noticed a large rock situated amidst the densely wooded area.

The towering trees blocked half of the sunlight, and the faintly visible vines and moss blended harmoniously with the scene.

Feeling somewhat soothed by this sight, Ray settled down on the rock.

Phew, I should sit down and rest for a bit.

He knew that constant contemplation wasnt always the solution, and that he needed to rest as well.

With this thought in mind, and actually setting aside his worries, he felt considerably at ease.

While contemplating the importance of mental and physical rest, Ray rose to his feet as he sensed a presence from deep within the forest.

The movement was unusually swift.

In a forest like this, where trees posed as obstacles, such speed could be considered as almost disregarding the trees and charging straight through them.

Ray discreetly activated his mana.

Ready to defend himself at any moment, the presence that was approaching him abruptly vanished.

He detected my presence.

Rays eyes flickered slightly.

The initial bold movement clearly indicated that he was unaware of Rays presence.

If he had known Ray was there, he would have at least concealed his presence or not disappeared suddenly as he did now.

Judging by neither of these actions taking place, the other party had just become aware of Rays presence.

Ray didnt dare to turn around rashly.

Instead, he focused all his mana to heighten his sensory perception.

Although he couldnt yet activate mana on his body like Eil, he could at least enhance one sense.

Has the information already reached the Holy Kingdom? With that kind of activity, it wont be easy.

Cold sweat trickled down his cheeks.

The two remained motionless, facing each other for about ten minutes.