Chapter 101: The Beginning Of Medical Reform
Ray pondered Gregorys words for a moment before shaking his head.
Thank you, but I must decline for now. Theres still much to do in the Holy Kingdom.
Gregorys expression noticeably hardened at this.
I see. Understood.
Gregory gave a brief reply and awkwardly smiled as he excused himself.
Ill be going now. If you ever think of the Empire, dont hesitate to reach out.
I will.
Ray nodded in response to his polite farewell.
As the Lesian Empire faced rejection, the audience stood with uneasy expressions.
Ray looked around and said,
You all heard what I just said, right? I have no intention of going to another kingdom yet.
Hmm
Cough
Embarrassed, they coughed and dispersed.
Euclid approached Ray and asked,
Did you really decline because of matters in the Holy Kingdom?
Of course. Its not a good time to leave with the rebellion not fully suppressed.
But its not like theres something specific you must do as the Saint, right?
Ray shook his head at her words.
Im planning to establish a new organization in the Holy Kingdom.
Ray had learned from this war.
That divine power wasnt omnipotent.
It was nearly all-powerful against most wounds and diseases, but there were definitely gaps.
Therefore, Ray thought of establishing medical institutions.
To nurture beings worthy of being called doctors and aim for a new medical reform.
Divine power alone has its limits in healing.
Even a small organization of doctors would be a great help in daily life and war.
Euclid spoke with a stern face.
A new organization Are you abandoning us then?
Though her tone was flat, Ray could tell she was quite perturbed.
Why would I abandon you? You must be ready to support me on the front lines.
He said with a slight smile.
This reassured her.
She had momentarily feared being abandoned with Rays mention of a new organization.
But looking at his expression, it seemed he had no intention of letting them go.
If the current Saint were to abandon them, the three families would have to wait another century.
Euclid, gather the nearby nobles. We need to have an urgent meeting.
Understood.
No further explanation was necessary. She simply nodded and complied.
Euclid bowed to Ray and Iriel before walking away.
Watching her leave, Ray then spoke to Iriel.
Iriel, could you back me up like last time?
Iriel shook his head in response.
First, I need to know what youre planning.
Ray nodded.
Well, its not a secret. Itll all come out in the meeting anyway.
I plan to establish a place to teach my medicine. As youve seen on the battlefield, there are those whom divine power cant heal. If divine power can assist in healing what remains after treating such people, it would create a pretty good picture.
Iriel easily nodded at his words.
I understand. I can help to that extent. But dont expect complete assistance, okay?
I dont expect that much from you.
Depending on how its heard, that could sound a bit uncomfortable. Cough
Iriel glanced briefly at Ray before speaking.
However, my help might not be necessary. After all, you are now a war hero in the eyes of everyone.
As the nobles were summoned and Ray prepared for the meeting, he pondered over Iriels words.
A war hero, indeed.
After all, he had resolved a matter critical to the nations survival, so his influence was not insignificant.
How much this would play out in the meeting, he wasnt sure.
Ray ascended the platform and surveyed the gathered crowd.
The faces he saw confirmed that Euclid had effectively summoned the nobility.
Except for those in distant provinces or those urgently occupied, most of the nobles must have gathered here.
As all eyes focused on him, Ray began to speak.
Thank you all for gathering here. I called you today to discuss an important matter.
The audiences expressions stiffened at the mention of an important announcement from the Saint.
Ray continued smoothly, as if to ease the tension.
During this war, Ive realized the critical role of medicine in the turn of events. Not everything can be healed with divine power. Therefore, I propose the establishment of an academy to teach medicine.
Academy.
There were only three major learning centers in the Holy Kingdom.
In the capital, Selonia, were the academies for swordsmanship, magic, and divine power.
They were highly specialized and accessible to commoners for a fee, so the significance of an academy was immense.
Anyone who entered was guaranteed a path to elite status.
Rays suggestion of establishing another academy stirred resistance among the nobles.
The cost of expanding academies aside what exactly is this medicine?
Its a set of skills and knowledge needed to save lives. It includes methods for treating and preventing diseases and injuries.
I see. But the cost and time needed to train these people, even if they can heal what divine power cannot, is a concern.
Cost, you say The harvest yield has tripled, and weve made a substantial amount from mercenary priests If cost is still a concern, should I look into how these funds have been used?
The nobles, stung by Rays words, coughed awkwardly.
He knew.
He knew where these funds were going.
Until now, he had let it slide because of other pressing matters, but if he started investigating, many nobles would be subject to sanctions.
The nobles stepped back at Rays words.
Still, establishing a new academy might be a bit too much.
As they retreated, it was time for him to do the same.
Building a new academy building would take too long, anyway.
What about using one of the existing three academies to teach medicine?
The nobles thought for a moment, then shook their heads.
There would likely be strong opposition. The professors at the academies are people with strong pride.
Hmm
The nobles fell into thought. The academies were governed by a board and professors, and convincing the board was no easy task.
They were not swayed by money.
Although supported by the Holy Kingdom, the academies were somewhat independent entities, difficult to meddle with.
They had some influence but did not absolutely follow the commands of the Holy Kingdom.
The nobles, at a loss for good options, groaned in frustration.
It was then that Iriel, who had been silent until now, made a suggestion.
What if the Saint uses the magic academy for teaching on the condition that he also provides magic lessons?
Her words broke through the deadlock.
The nobles started to agree with enthusiasm.
Thats a great idea! If the Saint himself teaches, even if its just magic, they will surely be convinced!
I agree with that proposal.
Many voices of agreement made the situation a bit awkward for Ray.
He didnt have the time to teach medicine, let alone magic, considering he would need to gauge the students knowledge level and establish a curriculum.
Ray shook his head and responded.
I dont have the time to teach magic while also teaching medicine.
Iriel then made another suggestion.
How about as a special lecturer? If its just once a week, I think you could manage that Couldnt you, Saint?
She said, winking.
Was that her own way of showing affection? If so, it was quite effective.
Iriels suggestion was so appealing that Ray almost wanted to applaud her.
Indeed, a special lecture was feasible if he managed his time tightly.
There are only two people in the Holy Kingdom who could teach medicine properly.
One was himself, and the other was Eclair.
Eclair, who had substantial medical knowledge, could be considered for a professor role in urgent times.
But for her, the chief administrator, to take on a professorship? Ray would have to shoulder the teaching of medicine himself unless new professors were recruited.
He wasnt sure about the students level of knowledge, but he assumed it wasnt very extensive.
Many probably didnt even understand what the word medicine meant.
Ray nodded at her suggestion.
Once a week is doable. Lets discuss what well need for that.
First, we have a shortage of people to teach. There might be some with divine magic, but very few are trained in medicine.
Thats true. That means you, the Saint, would have to take care of all the responsibilities related to the medical lessons.
Ray was already aware of this.
Since he was taking on all the tasks related to the lessons, it might lead to neglecting his lectures.
It was an unfortunate situation, but unavoidable until they could find more teachers.
The other nobles began to voice their concerns as well.
The number of students wanting to learn medicine might also be an issue. If a new academy is established, the number of students will likely be small at first.
Im aware. Thats why Im planning to break through with free lectures. If we allow open attendance for the first month, even to those not enrolled in the medical academy, we can expect some promotional effect.
The nobles nodded at Rays words.
A sound plan. Free lectures would plant a positive impression, which would, in turn, increase the number of students.
The discussions continued several more times.
Establishing an academy was an important matter, after all.
Fortunately, establishing a new academy didnt require the Popes permission.
Had it been necessary to obtain permission from the Pope, who was already engaged in quelling the rebellion, it would have been impossible within the year.
Once the necessities for the academy were gathered and the nobles and board members convinced, the job would be done.
Convincing the board would be easy with the condition of Rays special lectures, so the establishment of the medical academy was just a matter of time.
If that wasnt enough, there was one last resort.
As a war hero who protected the state, he could use the merit he accumulated to force the establishment of the academy.
Unless the academys board was unreasonable, they couldnt oppose it.
To do so would be expressing a desire to break away from the entity of the Holy Kingdom.
Rays planned medical reform gradually took shape within the Holy Kingdom.
Little did anyone know, this was just the beginning of something that would later have a significant impact across the entire continent.
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