I Was Mistaken for a Saint in a Dark Fantasy

The basic treatment method for a pneumothorax was a chest tube insertion followed by natural healing.

When a hole opens in the lungs, air leaks out.

Therefore, to prevent the air from pressing against the heart and lungs and killing the person, a tube is inserted into the chest to extract it.

However, the chest tube here does not directly treat the lungs.

It plays the role of buying time until the lungs undergo natural healing.

Therefore, if the hole doesn’t close even with a chest tube, there is a next step to use.

That is pleurodesis.

Since air continues to leak from the lungs, medication is put into the pleural cavity to make the surface of the lungs and the inside of the chest wall stick together.

And that medication was none other than the patient’s own blood.”From now on, I will use Student Kal’s blood to seal the hole in his lungs. Branton, watch closely what I do as well.”

First, I checked the location of the hole in his left lung with clairvoyance magic.

I inserted a chest tube into that side of his chest to first extract the pooled air.

Next, I drew about 200ml of blood from Kal’s forearm.

I immediately let that blood flow into the chest tube inserted in Kal’s chest.

”Student Kal. Take the postures I tell you.”

I instructed him to change postures this way and that.

This was to ensure the blood evenly touched the surface of the lungs and the inside of the chest wall within the pleural cavity.

With this, the autologous blood pleurodesis was finished.

Very easy, right?

Finally, by having Branton cast Heal to reduce air leakage, the urgent treatment was over for now.

”This technique is called autologous blood pleurodesis. Do you understand the principle?”

”Since there’s a hole in the lungs, you sealed the hole in the lungs with the patient’s own blood.”

”That is correct.”

Blood coagulates.

Using that principle, you use blood to seal the hole in the lungs like an adhesive bandage.

There is no need to worry about an allergy or rejection response.

Because it is the patient’s own blood.

”The most important thing is these postures. The blood must spread evenly across the lungs.”

After making Kal move this way and that for a few minutes.

Perhaps because the blood successfully filled the hole in the lungs, Kal’s facial expression became much more relaxed.

”Is breathing okay now, Student Kal?”

”Thank you, Lord Saint. I can breathe easily.”

Kal breathing carefully.

While his chest rose and fell, I listened to the sounds with a stethoscope.

It seemed the hole was successfully sealed.

However, the measure to prevent recurrence still remained.

”Pardon? It didn’t end with that?”

”The autologous blood pleurodesis was, at best, a supplementary means to reduce the consumption of divine power. The technique to prevent recurrence is a different technique.”

There are broadly two types of pleurodesis.

One is autologous blood pleurodesis.

Like what I just did, it’s a procedure that uses blood to seal holes in the lungs that don’t close well.

And the other is chemical pleurodesis.

”I will use talc.”

While Branton and Kal looked puzzled, I took out talc powder.

I mixed the powder into saline solution to create a suspension, then injected it through the chest tube just like I had put in the blood earlier.

And I instructed Branton.

”For the next few hours, Student Kal will complain of pain and a fever. At that time, you just need to cast Refresh instead of Heal.”

”Pardon? Why is that?”

”Because it is evidence that the medication we just used is working well.”

The principle of chemical pleurodesis is similar to Albothyl.

Since holes keep opening in the lungs, you sear that part to make it stick to the chest wall.

Because doing so makes it harder for holes to open.

Naturally, as one can guess from the principle, it hurts as terribly as Albothyl.

Continually exclaiming in admiration, Branton jotted down a memo about the pleurodesis.

Having finished the memo, he asked me a question lastly.

”Lord Saint, by the way, how did you find out about using talc on the lungs?”

”I learned it while performing surgery on Dwarves.”

I immediately brought out the reason I had prepared.

I couldn’t possibly say I knew it from my previous life, so I brought out an excuse fitting for another world.

”I noticed that many patients of the Dwarf race possess particularly thick chest walls. Some among them had pneumothorax, and while treating those patients, I was able to make the discovery that their chest walls had fused together.”

While performing surgery on Dwarves, you could often find those whose lungs had undergone fibrosis or stuck to their chest wall.

True to a race that loves mines and minerals, it was the fault of frequently inhaling talc.

”I got the idea from there.”

”Good heavens. I have many Dwarves among my patients too, but I am entirely ashamed of myself for not discovering that until now.”

”It’s fine. I believe Branton will also make a discovery that surpasses me someday.”

Rather, I was begging him to please surpass me.

If a healer like Branton surpassed me later on, wouldn’t I be able to wash my hands of that field from then on?

Besides, thanks to Shallot, Yulian’s fame rose along with it, and one fact I learned was that, as expected, auto-hunting was the best for honor.

It was the same for Eri, Ayla, and this infirmary.

Fostering them was also a part of this auto-hunting.

In the distant future, when I exhausted all my 21st century knowledge and my bottom line was exposed,

to be called a genius while just sitting with crossed arms and striking a pose back then, I needed to lay down this setup starting now.

It was a sort of misunderstanding-style retirement plan.

— ”Come on, would the Lord Saint not have known that? He obviously just gave an opportunity to his disciples.”

You could roughly consider this as my life plan.

For reference, I learned this life plan by watching my teacher, the Great Sage.

My teacher also delegated work to his disciples after creating the magic system, and spent his time only doing what he wanted. Yet, everyone applauded him no matter what he did.

I couldn’t have been more envious of that kind of life.

They say if you become famous, people will applaud you even if you take a stool, and I realized there was a reason for that saying.

If that wasn’t the life of a protagonist in a misunderstanding genre, then what was?

Anyway.

”Are there any other facts you are curious about?”

”I have a question.”

While I was passing down knowledge to Branton for my misunderstanding-style retirement plan, Kal, not Branton, asked a question.

”This is the first time Student Kal is asking a question.”

Ever since we had our first meeting at a mealtime, Kal had never asked a question.

It was the same even during my black magic class as Yulian.

I knew Kal was a student who wasn’t very close to studying, so I was never really disappointed.

That Kal had asked a question for the first time today.

Thanks to that, I needed a little time to accept the fact that Kal asked a question.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.

”You? Asking a question?”

Student Bear, Dorian, also looked at Kal as if he had seen something fascinating.

Kal replied bluntly.

”What, am I not allowed to ask a question?”

”I am worried that you might waste the Lord Saint’s time with a useless question.”

Kal threw back a retort by raising his middle finger, then met eyes with my crow mask.

And then he spoke,

”About the technique you used to fix my lungs like this, does Erika Nunim happen to know it too?”

”If you mean the autologous blood pleurodesis, Erika has already mastered it.”

Erika’s innate magic is blood.

Applications like using her own blood to fill up wounds were something she had been using since long ago.

Hearing the explanation, Kal nodded his head as if he understood.

”No wonder. When Erika Nunim fought a black sorcerer last time, her bleeding stopped surprisingly quickly.”

”Erika did?”

Eri was fighting black sorcerers?

At those words, Kal replied as if asking if I didn’t know.

”Did you not know? Doesn’t Erika Nunim go around hunting black sorcerers hiding in the Academy Territory after class? Because of that, she gets extra points, so her grades are high even among her peers.”

In the past, the academy went into a lockdown so that the black sorcerers couldn’t escape the academy.

Then they placed a bounty on the black sorcerers, making a declaration to grant extra credit to any student who captured them.

According to Kal’s testimony, Erika was at the very forefront of that.

”I also tried fighting black sorcerers to earn some points like Erika Nunim, but with my skill, it wasn’t even close.”

Kal laughed self-deprecatingly.

Beside him, Dorian also shook his head in disgust.

”I also encountered a black sorcerer with Kal once, and the two of us barely managed to hold out. If a professor on patrol hadn’t saved us just in time...... Phew.”

”What on earth is the academy side doing?”

”The Student Council protested once, but the reply came back saying that the professors are always watching to ensure they don’t die, so they should fight the black sorcerers to their heart’s content.”

Listening to the explanation, I also couldn’t help but be appalled.

Just how crazy were they about growth to only think about using even black sorcerers as teaching materials.

Since it was even a project being pushed by The Military, it had a slightly different nature from the kidnapping incident that occurred during the High School Division incident.

”Since the Lord Saint is at the infirmary anyway, it seems The Military is also trying to actively utilize that.”

Or perhaps their trust level in me was simply just that high.

”I understand. I’ll have to talk with Erika later as well.”

Just what was she going around doing while I was unaware.

I nodded my head with a bitter smile.

***

At that time.

Munching on the apple slices Freya had peeled in the private room, Erika was having a conversation with someone.

”I heard from Freya, Senior Jenny. You can handle Old Testament style divine magic?”

Jenny Raylick.

Eri spoke toward the second year student from the Department of Healing Arts who came for a sick visit.

Jenny looked down at Eri on the bed in disbelief.

”I’ve never said such a thing, though?”

Just like she did in the recovery room, Jenny took out her holy symbol from her arms.

However, Erika’s reaction remained unchanged.

”Come on, maybe Ayla would, but Freya won’t fall for a lie like that. She studied law, so you shouldn’t try to trick her with lies.”

Sitting quietly in the corner and listening to the story, Freya nodded her head.

At the bold demeanor of her two juniors, Jenny let out a dry laugh.

”When a junior I’ve never even met suddenly asked me to come for a sick visit, I didn’t expect you’d bring up a story like this.”

”Are you perhaps planning to keep feigning ignorance?”

”No.”

Jenny shook her head.

”That’s right. I know how to use Old Testament style divine magic. So, why did you call for me?”

”I’m currently putting together a Hero Party, you see?”

Erika said as she swallowed her apple with a gulp.

”Our party needs a priest who handles Old Testament style divine magic.”

”Does Junior Erika know the difference?”

”I studied it, so I know.”

New Testament style divine magic is specialized in treatment.

Most divine magic refers to this.

On the other hand, Old Testament style divine magic is specialized in ’holy miracles’.

Those holy miracles also included divine magic used in combat.

”Holy knights mainly handle Old Testament style divine magic, after all. Among the Lord Saint’s bodyguards, there seems to be someone similar, too.”

At Eri’s words, Jenny’s shoulders flinched.

It was from the thought that Erika might notice the connection between the Saint’s escort knight, Gregor, and herself.

However, whether to call it fortunate, or to say she had no interest, Erika only showed interest in Jenny.

”General healing priests are too fragile to bring along to a Hero Party, you see.”

”So, you’re saying you’ll take me?”

”Yes.”

In Erika’s eyes, Jenny was precisely the most optimal talent she was looking for.

Not only could she support combat with Old Testament style divine magic, but she could also provide treatment with New Testament style in a pinch.

Having learned from Yulian the fact that talent must be recruited when they are at their lowest point,

Erika was actively utilizing this for her own Hero Party.

”It doesn’t seem like a bad proposal for you either, Senior?”

”No. It is a bad proposal.”

However, Jenny’s reaction was firm.

”I kept it a secret that I learned the Old Testament style out of fear of this happening. Because I figured talk about becoming a holy knight or joining a Hero Party would come up.”

”Isn’t that a good thing?”

”It’s dangerous. And I don’t really like harming people.”

Jenny recalled her older brother.

The pitiful holy knight who had a kind heart, but was rather ostracized among the inquisitors because of that kind heart.

Her older brother who forcefully showed a facade brimming with confidence while wearing the unsuited shell of calling himself ’this one’.

After that incident, Jenny gained eyes that viewed the world cynically.

Even though her older brother was saved by the Saint, and Jenny herself had somewhat changed her stance on luck through Yulian,

her thoughts regarding holy knights and heroes still remained unchanged.

”I don’t want to get involved with such a dangerous group. What I want is a peaceful life.”

Jenny waved her hand in disgust.

”Like other healers, I just want to safely provide treatment from the rear.”

It was then.

Erika held out a gold coin toward Jenny.

It was the technique of negotiation she learned from Director Schun.

If the opponent refuses, first try offering a gold coin.

Then you will be able to hear their true intentions.

”Senior. One gold coin a week.”

”......”

”If that’s not enough, let’s make it two.”

Jenny stared at the gold coin wordlessly, then raised three fingers and said,

”Come to think of it, I’ve come to need an emergency fund lately. If it’s three gold coins, I’ll think about it.”

”Do you need that much? I heard you write novels, Senior? But your expenditure is that high?”

”My roommate took away my bank account. So I need an emergency fund.”

”Understood. Then how about a weekly wage of 3 gold coins?”

”Deal.”

Jenny held out her hand.

Gripping that hand, Erika exclaimed in admiration that Director Schun’s teachings were correct today as well.