The Saint Without Holy Power
Imperial Year 1049. It was spring, yet the chill of winter had not yet faded. This was a time before the announcement of the new Saints and Saintesses, a period that reached back to the days before the world knew their names. It was not just the Empire that was in an uproar over the failure of the subjugation season. Spring was the best time to cull the magical beasts still groggy from hibernation, and nations other than the Empire actively utilized this window. However, this year’s subjugation season had been particularly cruel to humanity. A variant magical beast had appeared without warning, and that single creature had forced humanity to face a new turning point. Thus, the continent was submerged in a wave of mourning.
At the southwestern edge of the continent, the city-state known as the Holy Kingdom could not be free from this atmosphere. No, as the headquarters of the Sun Sect, it mourned the victims in an even more solemn atmosphere. "Let us pray today for those who could not return this spring." The elderly priest on the altar closed his eyes. The Archbishop, draped in purple vestments, bowed his head. Below the altar, the people in the square also bowed their heads. Throughout the square, the smoke of mourning rose from incense burners. The smoke drifted on the cool dawn breeze toward the other side of the cloister. And in the direction where the smoke vanished, a building composed of twelve spires came into view.
The Apostle Palace. It was the residence of the Pope, connected to the Grand Cathedral located at the heart of the Holy Kingdom. This building, where all secular and religious decisions of the Sun Sect were made, had been lit since dawn. Inside that building, there was a conference room where twelve people were seated beneath flags embroidered with symbols like swords and chalices. At the head of the table, beneath a flag depicting a sword and a torch, a middle-aged man rubbed his temples. "Cardinals. Did you all finish your dawn prayers well?" At the call of Pope Peret, the great elder of the Sun Sect, the eleven cardinals nodded.
"Yes, Your Holiness. All cardinals are in attendance." The head of the College of Cardinals answered on their behalf. The Pope gave a short nod. "Good. Then let us begin, Cardinal Thomas." "Yes, Your Holiness. Today’s agenda concerns the miracle that occurred at the northern gate of the Empire." The Sun Sect had a duty to verify all miracles. It was to distinguish whether they were divine grace or the wicked tricks of heretics, ensuring the faithful were not led astray. "For this incident, we shall refer to the report sent by the Diocese Bishop of the Imperial Capital." Cardinal Thomas turned a page of parchment.
"First, at the center of this incident was a classification system called Triage. It is a system devised by Director Shun and perfected in the field by Bishop Lailic." "Hmm... to think the mortality rate dropped to one-tenth just by changing the classification system. It is hard to believe even after reading the report." "As a result of cross-verification by the healers of the capital, there is no falsehood in the report." "I did not doubt it. I was simply astonished." The white-haired cardinal nodded. Following him, other cardinals chimed in one by one.
"Triage... to classify people by color to increase visibility, and to discuss the urgency of life first rather than worldly rank or status. It is a truly excellent attitude, even religiously." "Furthermore, to leave the finalization to the Bishop so that the criteria could be adapted to the majority of clergy rather than himself... usually, one would want to monopolize such a great discovery." "Every time I hear of Director Shun’s deeds, I feel a sense of reverence." Not long after the meeting began, the cardinals’ opinions had already tilted toward 'it is divine grace.' It had already been concluded among the cardinals that Director Shun could not possibly be a heretic, given his track record. He had saved countless patients by creating medicine, prevented the abuse of that medicine by ensuring it could only be prescribed through healers, and even readily abandoned the power he could have gained from vaccine patents. There was no reason to call such a person a heretic.
"It is not surprising if Director Shun made it." "The report is so full of praise that I am a bit suspicious. Is it possible that under this system, the treatment of a high-ranking hero is delayed, causing a delay in returning to the front lines?" "On the contrary, the return to the front lines was faster, and power loss was far less." This was because the goal of Triage was focused on initial treatment rather than a complete cure. "As it happens, the story about that is also written in the report. Damage... Control... Surgery? It says that after healing the red-coded patients just enough so they wouldn't die, they used the saved holy power to completely heal the injuries of those with higher ranks first." "Healing them just enough so they don't die and stopping in the middle... come to think of it, that would be much more efficient." "But doesn't that mean one must know that line very well?" "That is why it is a technique only Director Shun can perform."
The cardinals clicked their tongues. Director Shun’s ability in pharmaceuticals was already well-established. However, his healing ability was not yet properly known, so they had been looking at it with half-doubt. It was clear that such gazes would disappear after this incident. "Is there any possibility that the surgery is black magic?" In one corner of the conference room, a cardinal with a bushy gray beard spoke up cautiously. Cardinal Thomas shook his head with a serious expression. "The number of healers who directly assisted in his surgeries exceeds dozens. None of them testified that it was black magic, so they say there is no such possibility."
"But..." The gray-bearded cardinal’s gaze turned to the report. "They say he saved a man whose jaw was destroyed, cut out the internal organs of someone with a stake in their stomach and someone whose pelvis was crushed by a magical beast, and even nailed the head of a man whose skull was half-destroyed, and he lived. Are you telling me this is truly not black magic?" "...It is probably not." Honestly, even Cardinal Thomas was unsure. What was the principle behind a person living after their internal organs were cut out, what kind of technology allowed a person to wake up perfectly fine after their head was opened, and what kind of magic was it to create a jawbone out of ribs? The most impressive part was that a patient whose entire body was charred by lightning opened their eyes in two days. As a living, breathing human, not a ghoul or undead. If this wasn't black magic, it was at a level that was even more frightening.
"...Probably... yes. It is probably not." However, the healers testified that they felt no mana in the process, and they said they treated it directly with their own holy power during the surgery. This could only be seen as an extension of holy magic. "Then may we consider that this miracle can be sufficiently explained by holy magic?" "For now, it seems we must see it that way, Cardinal Thomas." *Thud, thud.* The head of the College of Cardinals struck the desk with a gavel. With this, the Pope stamped the report. Thus, the official position of the Sect that this miracle was not a heretical trick was confirmed. After the meeting on several other agenda items ended, a short break was given. During the break, the cardinals drank tea. The topic of the day, accompanied by warm tea, was undoubtedly the first agenda item.
"My god..." Cardinal Wendras Lister of the Healing Sect. The cardinal with a moon-round head covered his mouth with both hands, unable to contain his overwhelming emotion. "If what is reported in the first agenda item is true, then... has Director Shun reached the truth of Amputation Surgery?" Cardinal Wendras was an absolute believer in amputation surgery. In healing arts, there is a technique to quickly cut off an injured area and regenerate it with holy magic if there is a painful part. There is a minor side effect where about 30% of patients fail to overcome the pain and bleeding and pass away, but the history of healing arts has developed by processing that amputation process less painfully and more quickly. The cardinal was also a healer who had spent his whole life refining that technique. However, this amputation surgery had a limit. "Then, are you saying he can perform amputation surgery on areas other than the limbs? Even on the head?"
That limit was that amputation surgery could not be performed on areas other than the limbs. It was a matter of course. No one could live after cutting their torso. But Director Shun in the report had done it. He had cut internal organs and opened heads to save patients. To Cardinal Wendras, Director Shun felt like a prophet who had seen a glimpse of the truth. "...Haa. I want to go to him right now and learn that secret method... it is the first time I have regretted so much that I cannot leave the Holy City because I am a cardinal." Cardinal Wendras muttered, looking at the ceiling. The cardinals who were former healers also nodded as if agreeing with his muttering. Another cardinal who had been watching pressed his temples as if complaining of a headache. "Even without that, it is said that healing centers all over the Empire are suffering from headaches related to it." "Why, what is happening?" "It is said that other healers who heard stories from other healers who returned after observing Director Shun’s healing arts are all leaving their healing centers." "Oh my... have they lost their confidence?"
"That is not it." The cardinal pressing his temples shook his head. "The healers who returned from observing explain what they saw, but they themselves do not know how it was done, so they cannot teach it properly. So the healers who became frustrated just by hearing about it are applying to Director Shun’s clinic to learn that technique in detail." Director Shun was certainly not stingy in teaching his techniques. Unless it was an urgent situation, he would explain everything and teach the principles as well. The only problem was that it was not a technique one could master just by seeing it once. In the end, the observing healers had no choice but to return to their bases and tell only what they had seen. — "Well, on the first day he opened the stomach, and on the second day he recreated a missing anus?" — "How?" — "I don't know." Hearing only the results without knowing the principles, it felt like a mad movie to the healers. In the end, the somewhat lacking explanation ignited a fire in the hearts of the healers. "They say the competition is fierce because the Merkur Clinic, unlike other healing centers, has no restrictions on the sects that can apply." "...!" "Cardinal Wendras. The cardinal position is a lifetime appointment. You signed it, didn't you? They won't accept your resignation." "...It is a pity."
In the corner of the conference room, an old man with a bushy beard sitting under the compass and book flag adjusted his round glasses and scanned the report. His gaze suddenly rested on one phrase. "This miracle is a miracle, but I have a question. The report says that the clinics belonging to the Merkur Merchant Group had a significantly lower mortality rate than other clinics. Weren't those clinics mainly taking care of red-coded patients?" "Yes. We have secured testimony from other healers regarding that as well." The head of the College of Cardinals continued. "The Merkur Merchant Group uses a substance called Lax as a catalyst." "Lax?" "It is said that the clinics belonging to the merchant group periodically spray that substance all over the building. They say that if you use holy magic after spraying that Lax, the consumption of holy power is less. I suspect it might be a catalyst like holy water." "Hmm... would it be a great discourtesy to ask Director Shun directly about the raw materials of that substance?" "It would be." Taking the manufacturing method of a catalyst discovered or developed by a mage or healer was a great discourtesy. It was comparable to stealing a grimoire. "Then it is a pity, but..." "I have heard about that. It is said that anyone can freely purchase that Lax substance from the merchant group." "Really?" "Yes. They said they had been selling it for a long time, but it was an item no one bought." "Then it seems like a good idea to have the healing centers purchase it from now on." To make a catalyst that was like a mage’s entire life available for anyone to buy... the clergy in the conference room were struck with admiration at the size of Director Shun’s vessel. As the story of Director Shun was being discussed among the cardinals, *ding-ding*—the bell rang. "Then we shall resume the meeting." Following the declaration of the head of the College of Cardinals, the cardinals covered their cold teacups and fell silent. "This agenda is the last one. It is the most important agenda. The one who raised the agenda is..." The gaze of the head of the College of Cardinals rested on the Pope for a moment. The Pope nodded calmly. "Proceed." "Understood. This agenda is a discussion on the canonization of Director Shun and his disciple."
The conference room was filled with murmurs. The head of the College of Cardinals tapped the desk lightly to silence the commotion and continued. "I think it is necessary to settle the canonization of Director Shun first in this place." As soon as those words were finished, a cardinal with fierce eyes raised his hand. "Speak, Cardinal Stuma." "Hasn't it already been concluded that he does not meet the conditions for canonization?" No one in the room sent uncomfortable gazes to Cardinal Stuma. That was his role. He was the cardinal in charge of verifying the traditions of doctrine and law. Whether they liked it or not, it was his duty to raise objections. Cardinal Thomas, the head of the College of Cardinals, knew this well, so he just nodded calmly. "That is correct. Director Shun does not meet the conditions for a Saint in the slightest, legally."
When canonizing Saints and Saintesses in the Sun Sect, there were five strict conditions that had to be met. One. Must never have contracted an infectious disease. Two. Must naturally possess a sacred symbol on their body. Three. Must possess at least twenty times the holy power of an average high-ranking healer. Four. Must be able to perform a top-tier divine miracle rarely recorded in history. Five. Holy power must recover on its own even without prayer. The title of Saint and Saintess is a guarantee issued by the Sect that they are the most outstanding healers of this era, above high-ranking healers. It didn't matter how many of them existed in one era, but they had to be cautious about canonization because the prestige of the Sect was at stake. At this time, achievements were only matters to be referred to in the canonization process, not conditions. That was why Director Shun had not been canonized as a Saint until now. "As you know, Director Shun does not meet even one of the five conditions. That is why we haven't blessed the medicines he has created so far, have we?"
However, they could not ignore his great achievements. The Sect had been bypassing this by blessing his medicines instead of Director Shun until now. But the Pope was proposing to break that long-standing custom at this very moment. "Your Holiness. Is there a passage in the scriptures that I have overlooked?" Cardinal Stuma’s strict gaze turned to the Pope. The Pope slowly shook his head. "There is no such passage written in the scriptures regarding this." "Then why are you making such a proposal all of a sudden?" "It has become impossible to delay it any longer." Pope Peret’s weary voice echoed in the conference room. "Director Shun performed divine miracles without using any holy power at all. And on a scale that would require dozens of top-tier healers. Since he even performed resuscitation that is impossible even for top-tier healers, is holy power really that important? Weren't those five conditions just criteria to distinguish skill?"
The conference room went quiet. No words of rebuttal came out. There are already three Saints and three Saintesses in this era. But none of them could perform miracles on the scale of Director Shun, who was written about in the report. "..." Cardinal Stuma let out a low groan. Cardinal Wendras brought his hands together to his forehead and then pulled them away. "I have no disagreement with Your Holiness’s words." One cardinal said calmly. "Neither do I." Another cardinal. Agreements increased one by one. But the agreement had not yet passed the majority. It was clear that Director Shun was a great figure, but it was difficult to readily change the rules that had been kept for the past thousand years. Moreover, once an exception was made, they would have to face countless arguments in the future. They had no choice but to be cautious in their choice. However, just as the cardinals who had not yet agreed were agonizing, the Pope opened his mouth. "Information has come in that the Empire is preparing to bestow a title upon Director Shun."
The air in the conference room froze instantly. "A title...?" "That is correct." The cardinals’ expressions hardened in unison. Originally, a person with a title could not become a priest, and a person who became a priest could not receive a title. This was the result of the Empire’s principle of separation of church and state, combined with the doctrine that the eldest son serving God should not be loyal to the Emperor. So the Empire tried not to bestow titles on those who proved their ability through holy magic. They knew the Sect would take them anyway. But the Empire was breaking that unwritten rule. "Director Shun is receiving a title...?" The cardinals’ minds went blank. Even if Director Shun became a noble of the Empire, the weight of the authority of healing arts would not tilt toward the Empire. Director Shun had been friendly to the Sect so far. But that was not the problem. The real problem was the fact that the Sect could lose him completely. At that moment, the cardinals found themselves thinking of Director Shun as a person of the Sect.
"...Such a thing must not happen." "If such a thing were to happen, we would become a shameful College of Cardinals that would go down in the history of the Sect." "Actually, the canonization was too late from the beginning." "Tradition originally exists for the sake of people." The cardinals agreed one after another. Even Cardinal Stuma, who had opened the fire, was agreeing. He was even urging the Pope with his eyes. As if asking what he was doing without deciding quickly. At this, the Pope slowly stood up from his seat and said. "Then... let us decide unanimously right here and now. We shall canonize Dr. Schnabel as the Black Saint."
Thus, the most unusual Saint in the history of the Sect, a Saint without holy power, was born.