Chapter 164: Request For A Visit From The Lesian Empire
Ray had been very busy lately.
Juggling lectures at the Medical Academy with special lectures at the Magic Academy, he was barely keeping up.
In the midst of this, a mage from Proxya appeared.
Watching them dissect, Ray noted their knowledge was solid, and their hands were exceptionally skilled.
It was a very good situation.
It seemed like time to create a second Zik.
Just as he had taught swordsmanship and ordered the guarding of the house(?), this time he planned to entrust the mage with responsibilities at the Medical Academy.
He was not completely free of suspicion that they might betray him, but it seemed there was no need to worry for now.
After assigning them a dorm and accepting them as a new student, they didnt show it, but they seemed to be enjoying life at the academy.
At least, they seemed unlikely to cause trouble until he safely completed the request from the Lesian Empire and returned.
Perhaps they might even protect the Holy Kingdom safely.
But complacency is dangerous.
Ray didnt trust the mage from Proxya at all.
Therefore, it was better to leave someone he could trust, who could also handle them.
Of course, that person would be Zik.
Recently, after training with him, Zik had become much stronger and could probably hold his own against a 7th circle mage.
In the worst-case scenario, when he returned from the empire, he could just cut off the mages life, so there wasnt much to worry about.
Rather, accepting them into the academy was more beneficial than risky.
He could teach them basic medical knowledge and use them as an apprentice professor, and they would be a great help in practical sessions like pig dissections.
And the benefits didnt end there.
The pride of a Lord who had reached the 7th circle reached the sky.
Thanks to that, they didnt go easy on the students from the Magic Academy who picked fights, completely crushing them, which significantly reduced the bullying of students from the Medical Academy.
Some students already revered them as a hero.
Although they became arrogant quickly and were weak to compliments, they werent fools who recklessly destroyed everything, so it was somewhat reassuring.
Ray looked at the letter while lying on his bed.
The elaborately embroidered decorations and the heavy seal indicated that this letter was anything but ordinary.
As he unfolded the letter again and read its content, it said the following, excluding the many adjectives and embellishments:
The emperor is critically ill, come and cure him.
The story was simple, but its implications were far from light.
Entrusting the emperor to him probably meant the Lesian Empire could find no other solution.
Why they specifically called him, and not the Saint, for such a disease, might be due to a peculiar illness unknown to him.
The weight of the meaning started from there.
If he went to the Lesian Empire but failed to cure the emperors illness, the responsibility would fall entirely on the Holy Kingdom.
Simply put, it was because they overly trusted divine power.
The divine power of the saints, which could heal even an exploding heart in an instant, was like an extra life.
Yet, failing to cure such a disease would be considered as having no intention to heal the emperor.
In other words, the moment he failed the treatment, the empire would judge that the Saint didnt fail to heal the emperor, but refused to do so.
As always, Ray believed that there were limits to divine power and magic.
There were definitely things that only modern medicine could cure.
But he couldnt impose his thoughts on this world.
That was why he established the Medical Academy, to naturally convey this.
Not being able to cure the emperors illness would be a problem, but curing it also presented a problem.
That would give the Lesian Empire an excuse to call on him anytime under the name of gratitude.
That would be a hassle.
He couldnt rule out the possibility that he might be asked to hold a banquet or arrange meetings with important figures as a way of repaying a favor.
Just as he had started to get the academy up and running, he wanted to decline traveling around the empire.
Fire.
Ray burned the letter in his hand.
It was a confidential letter, so keeping it would have been troublesome for both the Holy Kingdom and the empire.
He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
I cant just say no, but treating the patient would complicate things.
It seemed like a situation with no good outcome.
Whatever choice he made, it appeared to be a loss in the current situation.
Still, maintaining relations with the empire might prove beneficial when sending doctors from the academy to various places.
He was earnestly teaching medicine, yet problems kept arising endlessly.
He shook his head and sighed.
He didnt mind going to treat a patient, but the thought of the complicated situation that would follow made him sigh.
Lich received the parchment papers handed to him by Ray.
Lord, are you leaving?
Yes. Just do as we discussed before. Dont think about any mischief. Ive written most of the lesson content on these parchments, so start learning them and then teach them.
I understand. I will complete this task excellently and earn your trust, Lord.
His chest-thumping words were hard to believe.
Ray looked at Zik and said.
Zik, keep a close watch. If anything suspicious comes up, contact me immediately with the magic tool.
Zik immediately kneeled on one knee.
Understood. Please go without worries, Lord.
Lich spoke as if he had been treated unfairly.
Even so, being watched by such a thing doesnt feel good, Lord.
Sovereign, to dissent against your command, this one must be insane. Please allow me to take responsibility and end him.
They glared and growled at each other.
With the situation as it was, he felt uneasy leaving them behind.
Though he had secretly assigned the Seven Guardians to keep watch, the situation still seemed volatile.
In a way, they appeared well-matched.
Ignoring them, Ray, who was packing his bag, suddenly spoke as if remembering something.
Ah, and there will be a noticeable man and woman during the practical sessions. Keep an eye on them and let me know when I return.
I will do so.
Then Im off.
With these words, Ray left the academys office.
It was time to head to the Lesian Empire.
First, he had to stop by Selonia.
Reflecting on the matter, he realized he had relied too much on Iriel for work recently.
He had been so busy getting the academy on track for almost half a year, and it was all thanks to Iriels assistance.
Honestly, without her taking on much of the workload, the current state of the academy would have been an unattainable dream.
I should help out a bit when I arrive in Selonia.
He had only done paperwork in the Holy Kingdom, like stamping or inspecting, but he could still be of some assistance.
Ray arrived at Selonia Castle and sought out Iriels mansion.
Guided by the servants, he made his way to the office, where he found Iriel sound asleep on the desk and Griaia nodding off in a chair.
They must have been deeply asleep due to a lack of rest.
Even Iriel, with her extremely sensitive senses, didnt wake up when he entered the office.
Ray sat down, feeling sorry at the sight of them sleeping.
Lets see
Upon examining the parchments, he discovered that most of the contents were similar.
Some required repeated calculations to respond, but most were mere nuisances.
Indeed, if those who sent these letters held such titles, it was understandable that the lower administration couldnt handle them.
The fact that these two were dealing with such a volume explained their deep sleep.
Ray picked up Iriels pen and began writing responses himself.
He sorted all the letters.
He categorized formal requests requiring his seal as A, general correspondence as B, and financial letters needing calculations as C.
His mind effortlessly retained countless documents and computed values for responses.
Consequently, the stack of paperwork rapidly diminished.
For requests from other nations that promised benefits or diplomatic opportunities for the Holy Kingdom, he affixed his seal without hesitation.
For category C, which was simply a matter of calculations, the process was faster than for category A.
Of course, these calculations were not straightforward.
Indeed, they were so complex that basic arithmetic was insufficient.
This was more than just a numerical issue.
Each decision could significantly affect the Holy Kingdoms future.
Even proficiency in mathematics didnt guarantee ease, as he had to weigh the benefits and risks for the Holy Kingdom.
Nonetheless, Rays pen did not stop moving.
Taking into account the Holy Kingdoms budget and human resources, he processed each letter in less than two minutes.
He declined numerous foreign invitations with politeness, making it clear not to send further requests.
This action alone would substantially lessen their workload.
Only matters of importance or genuine benefit to the Holy Kingdom were left.
Thanks to his previous life devoted to constant research, his speed of processing was extraordinarily rapid.
In three hours, the large pile of parchments had shrunk to just a few sheets.
Those that remained unaddressed were due to his knowledge of the Holy Kingdom being less comprehensive than Iriels.
Ray stretched in his chair.
It was more exhausting than he had anticipated.
If they witnessed his fatigue after only three hours of work, work that would take them a week, they would likely scold him.
Considering Iriels exceptional performance compared to past saints, the task would have been even more daunting for others.
As he finished his tasks and strolled around the office, Iriel awoke to the warm sunlight pouring through the window.
Mmm
She stretched just as he had.
He chuckled at her yawn as she covered her mouth.
Awake?
Startled by his sudden voice, Iriel reacted.
Ah! Make some noise when you move around!
Talking about making noise seemed unnecessary when she slept soundly even as he sorted papers.
Wipe your drool first.
I-I didnt drool!
She hastily touched her mouth, jokingly accusing him.
Noticing the missing tower of papers on the desk, Iriel panicked.
Did you Did you throw away those parchments?
No, I took care of them, so dont worry.
As her forehead wrinkled in confusion, she pointed to the Saints seal on the desk.
What?
Even for a saint as exceptional as Ray, this was incomprehensible.
What did he mean by took care of them?
Had he really processed all those letters in less than a day?
Surely he hadnt just hastily written responses?
With undisguised suspicion, Iriel asked.
Where are they? Did you write them properly?
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