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

In the Holy Kingdom of Gaia, dedicated to the Goddess Gaia.

Because they were members of that place, they were oppressed and accused of evil deeds.

The Heresy Inquisitors, as if to prove that human nature is ugly, indulged themselves all over the town.

But that came to an end as soon as Pope Eclair issued a retreat order.

Those who had their faces oily from eating well and living well left, leaving behind only the people who had lost everything.

The ingredients prepared for cooking and selling had already been used to feed them, and the inns emptied for guests were also taken by them, leaving only resentment in the hearts of the people.

If left as it is, a rebellion would surely arise.

Ray muttered as he looked around the village.

“This country is in total chaos. Even orcs would live better than this if they had settlements.”

He clicked his tongue and jingled the leather pouch he brought once before heading to the Merchant’s Association.

Destroying the trade route would be the perfect job related to this.

Of course, he could solve it using the power of the Saint that still remains, but if he did, the same situation would recur once he disappeared.

Better to shock the lords severely so that such an incident never happens again with shock therapy.

Moreover, wouldn’t it be easier if there’s a guild when there’s a need for money later?

It wouldn’t be bad to have a guild at times like this.

Upon entering the Merchant’s Association, the inside was so quiet that not even a puppy would pee there.

Most of them were just leaving in a huff, with no thought of accepting a new guild.

Ray approached someone.

“Excuse me. Is this where you register a guild?”

“That’s right, but… you’re registering now?”

The receptionist looked him up and down.

He was wearing ordinary leather clothes, and a dagger hung loosely at his waist, clearly a young child unaware of the ways of the world.

He shook his head as if to give advice.

“Now is not the time, kid. A storm has just swept through, and begging won’t be easy, even if you become a merchant.”

With a voice full of concern, he smiled reassuringly.

“I’ll be fine, so please give me the guild certification.”

As he spoke, he presented five gold coins, and the receptionist’s eyes widened.

Five gold coins?

How did he manage to get them at a time like this?

To call him a rich young master would be too ordinary, given his attire.

Curiosity piqued about the handsome child before him, he coughed, pretending not to care, and asked.

“What will the guild’s name be?”

After pondering for a moment, he replied.

“Salvation Guild.”

The trade routes of each territory had already closed.

The local nobles pooled their strength to trade among themselves, and the central nobles also checked them, so proper trade could not continue.

Thus, only the merchants were dying off.

“If everything is closed like this, where on earth should I go?”

“…If you go north, you will come across a kingdom. It might be better to do business there, outside the Holy Kingdom.”

As the situation unfolded, most of the merchants left for the neighboring kingdoms.

Now, not even the merchants remained, let alone the guilds, causing great difficulty for the people when buying and selling anything.

It’s about time for the Holy Kingdom to show mercy, but with no news coming, it’s just frustrating.

Half, who was moving the guild nearby, felt the same.

Running around on foot, it was quite disheartening to see the guild he worked hard to raise fall so easily.

With no money to pay his subordinates, even the guards had been gone for a long time.

Sitting at the desk, thinking about the future of the guild, a child walked in.

“Is this Halfman’s guild? It looks pretty shabby.”

“This is not a place for kids. Leave, while I’m asking nicely.”

“Do I look that young? In fact, I’m over forty.”

“Nonsense!”

Frowning and about to rise, the child had already approached and was leaning on the desk.

With hands like white jade, he placed seven gold coins down.

“Don’t you miss the bustling days of the guild? Don’t you want to revive it?”

He swallowed hard at the sight of the gold coins before him.

But then, he shook his head.

“A merchant lives on credit. It’s not right to be blinded by money and forsake our principles. You’ve just walked into the guild and offered money, but you have no credit yet.”

Even as he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on the gold coins.

He was as expected.

A person with an exceptional mind and a knack for understanding the flow of money.

Among the guilds, he was known for his solid credit and for not forsaking righteousness for the sake of money, making him an ideal partner to work with.

Ray smiled and began to speak.

“The guilds remaining in the Holy Kingdom are leaving one by one for neighboring countries. Because of that, the lords, desperate, will open the trade routes again.”

“That’s nonsense. The nobles are too busy checking each other. If the trade routes open, they can’t maintain their standoffs anymore; they won’t set aside their pride.”

“We’ll see who’s right later. For now, I’m going to buy all the grain I can with all the money I have.”

He put down a leather pouch on the table, and a glimpse of gold coins could be seen inside, heavy enough that it seemed to contain at least twenty.

Halfman was shocked at the amount but soon composed himself and said,

“Hmm. Timing is crucial for buying grain. It’s not something you can buy at any time.”

“Maybe the lords are screaming to sell their granaries to the guilds?”

“Hmph! Why would the nobles hurry to sell their grain?”

“Ah, just wait and see.”

Faced with unconvincing rhetoric, Halfman sighed.

The rich kid in front of him must be crazy.

A decree came from the lord.

It read, ‘The trade routes between territories are now open again, and guilds may pay the toll and use them.’

Halfman murmured, his lips trembling,

“How could this be…”

“The nobles prioritize money over pride. Money is leaking to neighboring countries; of course, they had to reopen the trade routes.”

It was as if he had foreseen the future, and there was no way to argue against it.

He didn’t stop there.

After being away for a few days, he purchased grain under the name ‘Salvation Guild.’

With the lords running out of money and selling high-quality grain at low prices, all he had to do was buy it up.

After spending all his gold coins, the grain filled the warehouse to the brim.

In the past few days, the world had turned as he had predicted.

Halfman’s tone had noticeably changed.

“What are you planning to do with all that?”

“Here, the grain overflows. If we go to territories that lack grain and sell it, we can get double the price.”

With a brief word, he quickly left Halfman’s guild.

Now was the time to be busy.

From the next day, he hired coachmen, loaded the wagons with grain, and set off for the nearby territories.

Even from a distance, the sight of the wagons full of grain had the territory’s people rushing in like mad dogs.

“Give me two sacks!”

“The restaurant can’t operate without grain!”

They shouted and wailed, like chicks begging for food from their mother bird.

Ray shouted back, infusing his voice with mana.

“Line up! There’s plenty of grain, so there’s no need to fight!”

What’s the use of talking?

Instead of lining up, they scrambled and rushed, making it hard to distribute the grain.

With an enthusiastic response, the sale of grain went on, and all 75 bushels of it were sold.

Despite this, he made more than three times the original amount of gold, which is quite successful for a first-time merchant.

There were still 25 bushels of grain left, but they were not meant to be sold.

Ray gestured to a child lurking in the corner.

“Come here, come here.”

Like calling a puppy, the child ran over.

There were quite a few orphans around here.

Judging by their clothes and gaunt bodies, this child must be one of them.

The child, starved and thin, looked up eagerly.

“Are you hungry?”

Nod, nod—

He smiled lightly and patted the girl’s head.

“Call all your hungry friends. I’ll share some food.”

Gathering the territory’s people and orphans who couldn’t afford to buy grain, their numbers were quite significant.

The 25 bushels of grain began to dwindle rapidly.

“Thank you so much…!”

“Truly grateful… I don’t know what we would’ve done if we hadn’t eaten today or tomorrow…”

They might have turned to banditry otherwise.

He waved his hand and spoke to the child clinging to his side.

“You did well. Thanks to your help, things went smoothly.”

He ruffled her hair, and even though it was a mess, she seemed pleased, sticking out her head and even closing her eyes in contentment.

Feeling a strange emotion stirring, he shook his head to dispel it.

As he was preparing the wagon to return to his original territory, the child showed no signs of leaving his side.

“Do you want to come with me?”

Nod, nod—

“…It’s fine. A female clerk might be better, after all.”

Nod, nod—

He had no particular reason to refuse, especially if the child wanted to.

Life in the back alleys would surely be worse than taking care of the guild’s chores.

After counting his gold coins once more, he set off in the wagon.

Despite handling a significant amount of money, he had yet to build any credit.

Now was the time to start building that credit.

Returning with more than sixty gold coins and a girl in tow, Halfman asked in astonishment,

“Who’s this kid?”

“My hidden daughter.”

They clearly looked of the same age, making his joke hardly convincing, prompting Halfman to sigh in exasperation.

“Enough with the jokes. But… with that amount, it seems you’ve earned more than you mentioned.”

“The situation was favorable. There were many territory residents who had money but no grain.”

Halfman silently observed Ray.

A sharp mind capable of foreseeing the future and the courage to spend all his money were intertwined.

‘He possesses everything a merchant needs. This guy is destined to be a merchant.’

Having made too much money too quickly, he aimed to instill a sense of caution.

“Lucky for you. Knowing before others allowed you to make money.”

Ray shook his head.

“It’s not just about the money or the situation. From now on, it’s about winning the hearts of the people.”

“Catching hearts? You’re venturing into strange fantasies. A guild is simply a group in pursuit of profit. No matter how much credit and recognition you gain from people, without profit, it ceases to be a guild.”

“Money can always be made. But winning the hearts of the people? The right moment to do so is rare.”

“What’s the point in talking? Do as you wish. But I won’t invest a single penny.”

At his stubborn words, Ray simply smiled.

Actions speak louder than words.

To win Halfman’s heart, a significant gesture was necessary.

It was two days until his identity as the Saint was revealed.