The Neutral Saint's Return

The reincarnated protagonist chosen by the goddess had become the unlucky heroine of an apocalypse story. (3) —As expected of my lord's mother! —If it's my lord's mother, then of course she would be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a saint!

"What do you mean by 'as expected'! Ugh, ahem!" At Jack and May's exclamations, the supporting character reflexively replied before clearing his throat and brushing it off. Fortunately, the sentinel didn't find the supporting character's behavior strange.

"What is that supposed to mean? Did Mom go around telling people I was dead? No, with the world in this mess, I guess that's possible. But that's not the issue here. Mom is a saint? The Neutral Saint?"

"Only if what you're saying isn't a lie. Lady Sosia is the saint of this land who made it possible for both modern humans and magic users to receive treatment at this hospital."

"No, isn't the highest authority in a hospital the director? Besides, treatment is done by the doctors. Mom is just the head nurse, right? How is a nurse being called a saint while bypassing the director and doctors?"

"I don't know about the director, but there are plenty of doctors. However, it was Lady Sosia who shaped this place and kept people under control amid the chaos. The hospital's doctors acknowledge that and follow the saint."

'Charisma, my ass. That doesn't make any sense.'

The sentinel who had gone inside the hospital came running back in a hurry.

"They said to ask for your father's name and occupation to confirm you're not an impostor before letting you in?"

"You heard that? It's your father, the husband of the saint. His name and occupation."

Faced with the sentinel asking such an obvious question with such seriousness, the supporting character answered with an incredulous expression.

"Dad's name is Yeon. Ju Yeon. His occupation is a soldier, Lieutenant Colonel in the Army."

'What am I supposed to say if he asks what kind of occupation that is... Ah, same as you, Kahn. You were a knight protecting Lara's family. A soldier is, simply put, a knight who protects the country.'

'No no! It's similar, but it's not that grand!'

"It matches what the saint told us... But just in case, I'll go with you."

"Haa. Do as you please. Anyway, once I meet Mom, everything will be sorted out."

Unlike the Rion Party who entered first, the supporting character and Tiasia were allowed inside with two sentinels guarding the hospital's main entrance following behind them. Tiasia didn't hide her displeasure at the sentinels who didn't believe the supporting character's words, while the supporting character told her to calm down and asked the sentinels what he was curious about.

"Where's Mom? How did she end up being called a saint?"

"The saint is always in the emergency room. And as for why she's called a saint... it's because she's someone who deserves to be called that."

"What do you mean by that. Mom is just a nurse, you know."

"You'll understand everything once you meet her. See for yourself. This is the emergency room."

The emergency room they arrived at under the sentinel's guidance. Unlike the quiet main entrance, there were thirty to forty people gathered there.

"The saint is he—"

"No, what are you saying!"

A shout rang out from one side of the noisy emergency room. Not only the supporting character and Tiasia, but also the gazes of everyone else in the emergency room turned toward that direction. In the place where the shout came from were a middle-aged man, a young boy, and a doctor and nurse facing off against each other.

"You have to amputate?! Is that even something you can say right now?!"

"If we leave the infected area any longer, he'll die! The only method we can use here is amputation!"

"Don't be ridiculous! You said we don't have to amputate if we use holy magic!"

"Holy magic... This is a hospital! It's not a temple like you people know! We can't perform that kind of miraculous treatment here!"

"I...! You're lying because you think I don't know anything, right?!"

"P-Protector, please calm down a little. Our modern world doesn't have magic. We can't treat complex trauma like this at a hospital."

"Nonsense! He was only stung by a killer bee's stinger, though the injury is a bit big... But to amputate the whole thing!"

A verbal fight between a human from the magic world and a human from the modern world. With no sign of compromise between them, the surrounding atmosphere began to freeze as if infected by their tension. An atmosphere on the verge of exploding. Even a sense of danger began to fill the air.

Having the same thought as his followers, the supporting character nodded slightly and prepared to use 'Aura of Death' to sort out the situation for now.

'...This place isn't much different from the university either—'

"What do you all think you're doing!"

Yet right in the middle of a scene that could explode at any moment, a nurse burst in.

"If you don't want treatment, get out! We already have patients overflowing who want treatment! Go somewhere that can use that magic you want!"

A woman in her early to mid-thirties with short black hair, wearing a white doctor's coat over her blue nurse uniform. With a louder voice than anyone else in the emergency room, she instantly took control of the scene.

"Y-You...! You're saying we have to cut off the leg! To cut off a leg that's still moving like this!"

"We're saying that because it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠has to be cut! Then are you saying Doctor Choi would cut off a leg that doesn't need to be cut!"

"J-Just in case...! Our child, if treated roughly..."

"Doctor Choi!"

The nurse called out to the doctor who had been arguing with the man without even looking at him. The doctor who had been watching the man and nurse from the side answered with tension.

"Y-Yes!"

"The oath!"

The nurse raised her right hand while glaring at the man.

"Ah, yes! The oath!"

At the nurse's shout, all the medical staff in the emergency room raised their right hands and recited in unison.

The Declaration of Geneva, systematized in the modern world and held in the hearts of all medical professionals, used as is with only one word changed in its contract content.

"That great magic you speak of! It's a promise made with our lives on that magic! Do you see it!"

The nurse pointed at the contract text that appeared in the air and shouted at the man.

"Ugh...!"

"We! Are medical professionals! People whose job is to save lives! Whether it's the modern world or the magic world! Whether good or evil! We are people who save anyone who wants to live! If you ask us to save your child! We will try to save them no matter what! Yet you don't trust us! Just because we were born in different worlds!"

"Ugh..."

Completely overwhelmed by the nurse's spirit, the man broke into a cold sweat before eventually kneeling and prostrating before her.

"I-I'm sorry...! When they said we had to cut off our child's leg... I couldn't help it... Sob...!"

The nurse patted the prostrated man's shoulder and comforted him.

"It's understandable. I understand. Even people from our world who know such situations can arise find it hard to make that decision. But! Right now, we must trust and rely on each other to survive."

"Sob... Sob..."

"Doctor Choi. What's the basis for saying the leg has to be cut? From what I see, the wound isn't big enough to require amputation."

The nurse examined the child's perforated thigh, who had lost consciousness from pain, and asked the doctor in charge.

"Y-Yes. The wound size isn't that big. But the problem is the poison we don't know. Since killer bees are monsters from the magic world, it's too uncertain whether our antidotes can neutralize it. Plus, we don't have the stamina to test them one by one. We judged that we need to excise the area itself before it's too late."

"I see. That was the best way to save this child."

"Y-Yes..."

"But if poison is the problem, there's still one method left. It was newly added. Miss Luna!!"

The nurse called out to Luna of the Rion Party who had entered the hospital earlier. The doctor and the boy's father, not knowing who she was calling, turned their heads following her gaze. Luna, summoned by the nurse, approached her side with a flustered expression. The nurse pulled Luna by the shoulder.

"This girl is an adventurer who came to the hospital this time. She's someone we're grateful to, who told us to call her if we needed help. A priestess affiliated with the temple. She can use the low-grade detoxification magic 'Cure.'"

"C-Cure...!"

"Miss Luna. From what I know, the 'Cure' magic can detoxify most poisons from small monsters. Can you detoxify the poison of a monster called killer bee?"

"Uh, killer bee... Y-Yes, I can definitely detoxify killer bee poison to a sufficient degree..."

"Doctor Choi! We can't delay any longer!"

Without even listening to Luna's full answer, the nurse shouted, and the nurse in charge of the child quickly prepared to move the child while the doctor approached Luna.

"You said your name is Miss Luna! Please! This is about saving a life! I hope you'll come into the operating room with us!"

When the doctor bowed his head and asked, Luna was momentarily flustered, but knowing her role was important, she steeled herself and nodded. Then the doctor approached the man again.

"Protector, it seems amputation won't be necessary. But surgery is required. Since this is the first time performing holy magic and surgery simultaneously, I can't guarantee a perfect recovery... But I will absolutely, absolutely succeed in the surgery. Will you give permission for the surgery?"

Seeing the doctor's serious expression asking for permission, the boy's father shed tears and bowed his head.

"P-Please... I beg you, Doctor. Please save our child...!"

"I'll do my best."

With the nurse's appearance, the situation was sorted out in an instant.

"No time to watch! Those who have time to spare, please help even if they're not your family or colleagues! It doesn't matter what world you're from! We're saving everyone!"

"""Yes!"""

People who had been divided by an invisible wall began to mix as one at the nurse's shout. The emergency room, once filled with dark energy, changed to a bright and hopeful atmosphere. Whether from the modern world or the magic world, people began to trust and rely on each other.

"See that. Showing such a miraculous sight every single day—who else but the saint could be called a saint."

The sentinel who had guided the supporting character spoke to him with emotion.

"It's already a completed dignity. It's not the effect of a skill. It's her own ability. It's not a level I can dare to evaluate."

Even Tiasia acknowledged it—to the point that the nurse before the supporting character's eyes was no ordinary being. Such a being, after sorting out the situation, immediately walked straight toward the supporting character standing with the sentinel. Then, looking straight at the supporting character,

"Haa..."

She let out a deep sigh. Seeing that, the supporting character looked at the nurse—his mother, Sosia—with a dissatisfied expression without saying a word.

"...Don't you have anything to say?"

"I do. You went around spreading rumors that your son was dead?"

"...That's not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it."

"Excuse me? It's not? Then, how does it feel to be called a saint?"

"That's not it either."

"Huh?... Um—I'm back?"

"That's not it either!"

"Then I don't know. What am I supposed to say?"

"You should say you're sorry for being so late! You stupid son!"

The Neutral Saint, who had completely dominated the emergency room just moments ago, began scolding her son.