Chapter 172: How to Tame a Saint (2)

Upon making an Incision on the Nanny's Upper abdomen, the Stomach (organ) and liver immediately became visible.

First, I carefully grabbed the Stomach (organ) with the Forceps.

Feeling the sensation transmitted through the tips of the Forceps, I adjusted my grip one step looser.

'As expected.'

When I clamped the Forceps, it felt slightly distended.

It meant there were contents inside the Stomach (organ).

I lifted that Stomach (organ) up and passed it to Lauren.

"Keep holding it up with the Forceps just like that. Since the Stomach (organ) is in a fragile state, you must hold it as carefully as possible."

Lauren, who received the Forceps, was also flustered.

It was because the Stomach (organ) was more distended than expected.

"W-Why is the Stomach (organ) so swollen? So much Time has passed since my Nanny had a meal......?"

"Because the Tumor is blocking the Stomach exit."

Also known as Pyloric obstruction.

It refers to a situation where a Tumor blocks the exit of the Stomach (organ), preventing food from passing through.

If this state persists, the Stomach (organ) could undergo Necrosis, and in the worst case, it is an emergency where it could burst.

"This is also why the Patient has been eating mainly a Liquid diet recently."

I had already noticed this fact during the Q&A with Lauren.

On the way today, Lauren said the Patient had no Appetite and only ate a Liquid diet like Porridge.

This was a signal that a Part of the Patient's Intestine was blocked.

Upon hearing this explanation, Lauren's Facial expression darkened.

"I didn't even know my Nanny was going through that and......"

"Save the Self-reflection for later. We are in the middle of Surgery right now."

Anyway, the Stomach (organ) is currently in a situation where it is filled with contents.

If I blindly try to Excise the Tumor in this state, the contents of the Stomach (organ) will spill out.

And those contents spilling out with Stomach Acid would melt the internal organs of the Abdomen.

Therefore, Treatment had to be done before proceeding with the Surgery.

"Scalpel, and please prepare a Gastric tube."

I flipped the Stomach wall this way and that to find a Part without Blood Vessels.

I made a very small Hole in between them and then inserted the tube.

As the contents drained out through the tube, the distended Stomach pouch shrank.

Only then was the Preparation for the actual Surgery complete.

"Metzenbaum scissors."

Scissors were placed in my hand.

As those Scissors headed toward the Duodenum, Lauren spoke carefully.

"T-That place is not the Stomach (organ) but the Duodenum......"

"I know. It's because I have to find the Duodenum first before cutting the Stomach (organ)."

To cut the Tumor properly, the Stomach (organ) had to be securely lifted.

Because only then would the Field of view and extra space be secured.

The problem was the difference between the Stomach (organ) and the Duodenum.

"The Duodenum is an organ anchored by the Mesentery. If you forcibly pull the Duodenum at this Time, it could snap."

That is why I first cut the membranes near the Duodenum with the Scissors.

It was to move the Stomach (organ) freely.

"It is listed as the Kocher Maneuver in the Surgical textbook I authored, so study with that if you have more Questions."

After saying that, I snipped with the Scissors as if making a slit in the Peritoneum.

The Duodenum, which was firmly anchored to the back, was separated from the back.

Along with that, the Stomach (organ) was easily pulled out, and the Outline and base of the Tumor were perfectly secured.

"Intestinal clamp."

Next, I received a large, flat clamp and firmly bit down on the top and bottom of the Tumor to secure it.

It was a measure to block the top and bottom of the Tumor in Preparation for any remaining Gastric fluid or blood spilling out.

In that state, I assessed the Location of the Tumor.

"Tsk......"

"What is it?"

"The Location of the Tumor is tricky."

I could tell from the Photograph that the Tumor was positioned near the Stomach exit.

The problem was that this Tumor was too close to the Pyloric sphincter (the muscle that tightens the Stomach exit).

"If Excised incorrectly, the Surgery could become too major."

I could cut it off leaving too much margin in the name of perfectly digging out the Tumor.

The problem is that if that happens, it would turn into a complex Major surgery where the whole thing must be cut out and attached to the Small Intestine.

'I want to save the Stomach (organ), though.'

The Pyloric sphincter is the lifeblood of the Stomach (organ).

Because without it, food goes straight to the Small Intestine, making the Patient's life Uncomfortable.

So I checked the Location of the Tumor as carefully as possible.

'......If it is this much, it should be possible.'

Fortunately, it seems I can save the Stomach (organ).

If it were a standard Wedge Resection, the Pylorus would also be cut off while cutting the Tumor in a chunk.

However, I had a Technique to save the Stomach (organ).

Unlike usual, I made a V-shaped Incision near the Tumor.

By doing this, I could accurately cut out the Tumor without touching the Stomach muscle.

'This is why the flower of Surgery is Plastic Surgery.'

Interestingly, Plastic Surgery tends to mainly develop these kinds of delicate Techniques.

Because their job is to leave as much of the Patient's Normal tissue as possible by changing the shape of the Incision and experimenting with Suturing methods.

Just one thing.

If there is one regrettable thing about this Technique......

'It is a bit sad that there is no one who recognizes this Finesse.'

It's that there is no one in this Operating room who recognizes the Detail of this Technique.

At the Meyer Infirmary, there were many people with a decent amount of Surgery experience, so showing them something like this would erupt in applause and exclamations.

But it was not like that here.

Is it because they are not as accustomed to Surgery as the Meyer Infirmary?

The Onlookers at the Entrance of the Operating room were incredibly quiet.

Like that, I Excised the Tumor amidst the Indifference of the Healers.

"Suture thread."

Detail also goes into Suturing with the thread.

If it is Suturing general flesh, it is simple enough that I could have a Student do it.

However, this Part has important muscles of the Stomach (organ) nearby.

If Sutured incorrectly here, the muscle would not move well because of the thread, and the Patient could suffer from Indigestion.

Therefore, I had to tie the knot in a way that did not tighten the thread too much.

"......Done. Now, please Heal her."

"She has Tumorous Demon Disease, yet you're saying to cast Heal?"

"Did I not Excise it?"

"Aren't there many Reports stating that Tumors frequently grow if you restore an Excised organ?"

"That is in cases where a Transfer to another organ has occurred."

The reason Tumorous Demon Disease is terrifying.

It is because if you cut out that Part and cast Heal, a Tumor suddenly grows in a different Part.

This was closely related to the Principle of Heal.

Heal is a Miracle that drastically raises the target's Immunity Level and Regenerative Power.

The problem is that because Tumors are not subject to Exception Handling in this process, the Tumors also grow rapidly.

"Some Tumors undergo Transfer. It means there could be unseen Tumors remaining in other organs. Casting Divine Magic in that state causes the Tumors to grow massive."

"Then isn't there a possibility that it also Transferred in my Nanny?"

"I checked. It did not Transfer."

"......How do you know that?"

I pointed to the Liver.

"This Tumor mainly Transfers toward the Liver. If it does, noticeable pink Stomach tissue would be visible on the surface of the Liver. But I couldn't see any on her."

"If so......"

"First of all, since the Tumor has been completely removed, you can cast Heal."

Of course, if you deal with it more closely, the Principle is complex.

The Size of the Tumor.

The state of the Excision margin.

Whether the Pseudocapsule had burst.

Considering all of this, one grades the possibility of Cancer cells that might remain in Blood Vessels or lymph nodes.

The standard for grading this is the Cancer grading system.

However, this is not something that can be explained inside the Operating room, so I just explained it roughly like this.

'If he is curious, Lauren should study it on his own.'

"The Patient is someone with almost no possibility of Transfer."

Just because it is a Cancer severe enough to block the Bowel does not mean the Grade is unconditionally high.

This Patient is the same.

The Bowel was blocked because the Location was weird; it didn't block it because the Tumor was a serious Tumor.

"So, cast Heal."

"A-Alright."

Lauren cast Heal on the Nanny's Stomach (organ) reluctantly.

Having cast a Minor Heal once, he staggered from Dizziness.

That sight looked just like an unskilled Student from the Department of Healing Arts.

'He really doesn't seem close with studying.'

The Runic formula of the Minor Heal he cast seemed to be the cause.

Other Healers usually twist their whole bodies to weave a Runic formula in order to save even a single drop of Divine Power.

They reflect as many Symbols and Catalysts as possible in the Runic formula, and make the Circuit as efficient as possible.

But Lauren's Minor Heal was not like that.

'Even a First year in the Department of Healing Arts would have a more delicate Runic formula than this.'

In his Runic formula, no Effort to save Divine Power could be seen.

He probably had no need for it until now.

Since he is a human whose Divine Power springs up like a fountain under Sunlight, there would have been no reason to Worry about such things.

However, today, because the sun couldn't be seen due to the storm, it seemed he hadn't been able to undergo enough Photosynthesis.

"......It's finished."

"Good. Next, we will perform Surgical Irrigation on the Abdominal cavity and close the belly, but do you have any Divine Power left?"

"It seems it will be difficult. I don't have enough Divine Power left to cast Greater Heal."

"Then it can't be helped."

As expected.

In a place without Sunlight, Lauren was incompetent.

Well, even taking that into consideration, he probably became a Saint because he was so useful during the day.

"Have someone else come in."

When closing the belly, I called another Assistant Healer.

The professional Healer, unaffected by weather or condition, neatly closed the Nanny's belly according to my instructions.

"Make sure she eats Broth and water separately from her meals."

It was a measure to prevent dumping syndrome.

Currently, the Patient's Stomach exit is in a weakened state.

In this state, if she eats water or Broth with a meal, it goes straight to the Small Intestine without even a moment to stay in the Stomach (organ).

If that happens, moisture will drain from the Small Intestine due to Osmotic pressure, and after this and that, the Patient will suffer greatly.

Simply put, since her Stomach (organ) state is just not Normal, she won't be able to endure it if she eats it with Broth.

Having heard the explanation, Lauren nodded and said.

"If so, would it perhaps be possible to return the Stomach (organ) to its original state using Regeneration?"

"......First, let's have a Discussion after roughly 5 years of Observation."

As expected of a Saint.

He brought up Regeneration easily.

A Miracle that can even resurrect completely vanished organs.

This Miracle was not an Option that ordinary Commoners could consider.

But Lauren was different.

If it weren't for the Typhoon, he looked as if he wanted to cast Regeneration right away.

However, I had no choice but to stop him.

"Even though the Tumor itself was Excised well, there is no knowing where a Recurrence might happen."

I confirmed there was no Transfer when casting Heal just now.

Nevertheless, the opponent is Cancer.

A Disease that 21st Century Humanity has not yet conquered.

Even if there are no Transferred Cancer cells, there are cases where it occurs unexpectedly in some Part of the body.

'Someone who has caught Cancer once tends to easily develop other cancers.'

In short, you can think of it as the Soil being in a bad condition.

Even if you pull the Weeds, completely different Weeds grow because the Soil is bad.

It might be unfair from the Patient's Stance, but it was an unavoidable Reality.

That is why we leave a grace period of about 5 years.

"If there is no Recurrence during those 5 years, we will consider it then."

"......Could you not treat it again if it has a Recurrence after I cast it as soon as the Typhoon ends?"

"You must also consider the possibility of the Patient suffering Death from shock before then."

It wasn't as if I hadn't kept complete organ restoration using Regeneration in mind either.

If so, there would have been no need to go out of my way to create Reconstructive surgery.

But as a Result of simulating it in my head, that was a crazy act.

Demon Disease makes a Patient dip their feet into the Jordan River and pull them out just by casting Greater Heal.

Casting Regeneration on such a Patient?

'I feel like she would suffer Death from shock before we could even perform First Aid.'

This was utterly unmanageable.

So I set a grace period of roughly 5 to 10 years.

Monitoring whether there is a Recurrence during that period, and if there is no Recurrence even after that, considering a Highest-grade Heal.

The important point here is that we 'consider' it.

We must not cast a Greater Heal immediately, but approach it carefully, slowly going up step by step from the lower stages.

"I also created Reconstructive surgery because the Patient has to live their life during that monitoring period."

There is no Living organism that can live without eating for 10 years.

At the very least, even Demonkin or 8th Rank Superhumans die if they starve for 10 years.

She can't just wait for Regeneration until then, right?

That is why I introduced Reconstructive surgery.

Telling her to live in that Uncomfortable state until then.

"Since we are closely in Discussion with the religious order regarding this system, it would be good if you, Lord Saint, could show a Great Performance then."

In the first place, this restoration using Regeneration is an Option that can be brought up because it is Lauren's Nanny.

Ordinarily, the Reality is that people lack the money or Personal Connections and have to live like that.

Although the world is getting better, one must not forget.

That this is a Dark Fantasy where resources do not offer Equality to all.

Having heard all this explanation, Lauren muttered blankly.

"You are literally considering everything. As if you had received a Revelation......"

I gave neither Affirmation nor Denial.

Because the 21st Century Modern Medicine Data and statistics accumulated over Hundreds of years by Humanity were no different from a Revelation in this Era.

"Then, the Admission procedure is......"

Just as I was about to have a Discussion on the Patient's admission,

I realized one fact.

'Ah, right.'

I don't belong to this Infirmary.

Despite being in a position where I blindly borrowed the Operating Room, it was so natural that I had forgotten.

I hurriedly made a Correction.

"......Please have a Consultation with the Healers here and decide."

***

Yulian, who saved Lauren's Nanny, was handed over to the Security Holy Knights.

A clear List of Charges for this also existed.

An Outsider not affiliated with the Infirmary had requisitioned the Infirmary's Manpower and Operating Room without authorization, far too naturally.

There were too many eyes watching, so it couldn't be easily glossed over.

— "This is strictly a formal procedure, so the rest of you do not need to Worry too much."

The Holy Knight Transporting Yulian spoke apologetically with an awkward face regarding this situation.

This was a trace of the past competition between Sects within the religious order.

The religious order had a law enacted to prevent a farce where Healers of a different Sect barge into a rival Sect's Infirmary and steal their achievements.

The so-called 'Anti-Unauthorized Infirmary Occupation Law'.

Since that law still remained, the Holy Knight Order took Yulian away.

Of course, unless they were crazy, they weren't going to seriously apply this law.

It's just that the law dictates it, so they were merely taking the format of an arrest based on Principle.

Considering it was an emergency and his position as a Saint transcending Sects, it was obvious he would be released without charges.

In a word, this was a kind of Scripted charade.

The other Healers present also knew this fact well, so they offered no Backlash.

As Evidence of that, instead of taking Yulian to the Holy Knight Order Headquarters, the Holy Knights took him to the Infirmary Security Room under the pretext of Temporary Detention.

No matter if it was a Scripted charade, Transporting a Saint without any List of Charges in such foul stormy weather felt like it would cause uncontrollable fallout.

Perhaps by now, Yulian was drinking Coffee in the Security Room while holding a Fan meeting with the other Healers.

Standing in front of his Nanny's Hospital Room, Lauren thought that and let out a small chuckle.

'......My situation is laughable.'

He, too, was a Saint.

And The Saint of Radiance, the most famous in the Holy City at that.

Yet the Healers headed to the Security Room to meet Yulian instead of The Saint of Radiance.

And there was no one by Lauren's side.

He guessed the reason why the situation had turned out this way.

'Even I wouldn't want to come to my side.'

Not long ago, he had been frantic with Jealousy, trying to drag Yulian down.

At that time, Lauren did not know that he was fading.

But now, he couldn't help but know.

A single Surgery.

Because he had clearly felt the difference in their class during that Surgery.

'I couldn't even recognize his Level of Mastery.'

Superhumans cannot recognize the Level of Mastery of a Superhuman far above them.

In that sense, if there was a Level of Mastery in Surgical Techniques, Lauren couldn't even guess how many Ranks apart he was from Yulian.

'I couldn't follow his Surgery at all.'

He had actually done Observation of large and small Surgeries in the Holy City multiple times.

So, before the Surgery began, he believed he could somewhat match Yulian's Tempo.

But when the Surgery actually started, he couldn't catch up to anything.

He didn't know why the Scissors were aimed at the Duodenum first.

He didn't know why the Stomach (organ) was distended either.

He didn't know the reason she bled due to the Tumor, nor did he know why it had to be carefully held to avoid touching the Tumor.

Yulian even looked at the Liver amidst all that to check if the Tumor had gone somewhere else.

Literally, in every moment the Surgery took place, the difference in class was felt.

An overly distant gap in class had opened between himself—who simply poured in Divine Power to somehow recover it—and him.

'I had no Usefulness other than Hemostasis throughout the Surgery......'

There, Lauren was merely a tool for Hemostasis, nothing more and nothing less.

Was it because of that?

'As expected, a Saint who received a Revelation from The gods is on a different level.'

Lauren could find himself already calmly laying down his own specialness.

Lauren shook off his Idle Thoughts and stepped inside the Hospital Room where his Nanny lay.

On the bed was his Nanny, whose Anesthesia had not completely worn off yet.

With a pale face, she exhaled heavily and kept trying to close her eyes.

Lauren hurriedly approached and carefully shook her Shoulder.

"Nanny. Nanny! You can't fall asleep! Open your eyes!"

"Mmm...... Lau, ren......"

"That Doctor gave an Earnest Request that you must not fall asleep right after Surgery. Even if it's hard, you must continue taking Deep breaths."

If it had been the Lauren of the past, he would have snorted.

Because he possessed overflowing Divine Power that wouldn't be an exaggeration to call omnipotent.

But in this Incident, he thoroughly realized his own powerlessness.

His Divine Power was not very helpful in saving his Nanny.

Even now, when Sunlight could not be seen, he was nothing more than an ordinary teenager.

That was why he thoroughly took Yulian's advice to heart.

For the first time in his life, taking the words of someone other than his Nanny.

"You can't fall asleep."

"Mhm...... Just 5 minutes......"

"Isn't that what I usually say in the Morning?"

Lauren, continuously waking the Nanny who kept trying to sleep.

His struggle to protect his Treasure began in the Morning and continued until late Afternoon.

As Time passed, the Nanny, having somewhat recovered her Consciousness, grumbled while lying in bed.

"I'm hungryy......"

"The food is here. Make sure to chew well and swallow. I heard your teeth need to take over the role since your Stomach (organ) has weakened."

Lauren's Nursing of her was full of extreme devotion.

It couldn't be helped.

For him, she was his only family.

Of course, there were those related by blood.

I mean the people of the Count's Family who showed their faces once a year.

The religious order hadn't particularly restricted their Meeting.

The Holy City is always bound to be open to a Saint's family.

It's just that the Count's Family only sought Lauren when they needed him.

"......Even amid this, they don't ask me for my Nanny's Regards."

"Who do you mean?"

"It's nothing. Eat your food, Nanny."

To the Count's Family, Lauren was simply a convenient political tool.

He realized that fact right after Lauren underwent Canonization as a Saint.

When they discovered his potential as a Saint and he was doing his Training in the Holy City, his family made Contact at least once a month.

Those same people only showed their faces once a year as soon as Lauren became The Saint of Radiance.

As if there was no longer any reason to allocate Interest to him now that he had reached Completion.

From them, Lauren couldn't feel anything like Familial love.

Because during his hardest times, his family was not by his side.

Instead, the one always there was his Nanny.

— "Nanny! I can cast Minor Heal now!"

— "Oh my! Lord Lauren is definitely a genius!"

Sometimes as an older sister.

Sometimes as a Mother.

She was always by Lauren's side, supporting and comforting him.

Whenever he put in Effort to learn Healing Magic at a young age,

it was his Nanny who gave Acknowledgement to that Effort and wrapped it up as specialness.

If she hadn't been there, Lauren wouldn't have been able to somehow learn Regeneration at this age.

That was why, from before he became a Saint to after.

It was no exaggeration to say he became a Saint entirely for her.

"Cough, cough. Lauren...... water...... I'm choking......"

"I'll give it to you 10 minutes after you finish your Oatmeal. The Black Saint told us to be careful with water."

Seeing his choking Nanny, Lauren returned to Reality.

The one who saved her was Yulian.

No matter how much Gratitude he expressed, it wouldn't be enough.

And with that, one thought came to mind.

"Nanny, by any chance."

"Yeah......?"

"If I say I am leaving the Holy City to go to another region...... will you follow me, Nanny?"

"Well. I'd have to receive instructions from the Main Estate on what to do......"

"Don't Worry about that, since I am here."

Anyway, the Nanny was no longer tied to the Count's Family.

Because Lauren was a Saint.

What was important was the Nanny's free will.

"The Newspaper said other regions are incredibly dangerous places. They say the Academy Territory and The Capital have relatively better security, but......"

"What suddenly brought this on?"

"......I gained a goal for the first time."

I repeat, the reason Lauren became a Saint was because of his Nanny.

But what saved that Nanny was not the Title of The Saint of Radiance, but the Technique created by The Black Saint.

It was enough for him to feel skeptical about his own specialness.

"I want to become special. Not with innate Talent, but through Effort."

Not with a Title, but with a Technique.

"To do that, I think I have to leave this place."

"In other places, the Sunlight isn't that clear."

"It's fine. As long as there aren't dark clouds, I can at least become a High-rank Healer."

Rather, that was exactly what he wished for.

To grow through Technique rather than overflowing Divine Power, he had to do Training in a place like that.

However, there was one thing weighing on his mind.

"I want to go to the Academy. Will you follow me too, Nanny?"

It was hard to endure his Nanny not being by his side.

Because he was not that bold and strong of a human being.

Without someone beside him giving Encouragement and comfort, he was a weak boy who would find it hard to last even a single day.

If people Pointing fingers said he couldn't escape her Apron strings, it was to the extent that he could calmly admit it.

"......"

The Nanny paused her spoon for a moment and looked at Lauren wordlessly.

Soon, she wiggled her weak fingers to grasp Lauren's large hand.

"What kind of Question is that."

Between the Nanny's heavily cracked lips, a faint but affectionate smile spread.

"I told you I would always be by your side."

"Nanny......"

At that weak smile, Lauren felt his cheeks getting wet.

At the same Time, he realized.

'Ah...... I see.'

Why other Healers could pray so fervently for others.

He could finally understand the reason now.

'Since I received this kind of Devotion, I wanted to bestow it upon other people.'

He hoped other people could feel this kind of happiness too.

Just as someone had made an Effort out of Goodwill for him and his precious person, he hoped this Goodwill would spread throughout the world as much as possible.

This was a dream difficult to explain with logic or rationality.

If forced to express it in a sentence,

'......Because Yulian would have done so.'

It was a desire that this Goodwill would not succumb to the Malice of the world.

Lauren brought his Nanny's thin hand deeply to his Forehead.

And without suppressing those naturally welling emotions,

he began to pray just like that.

'O The gods. Offering Gratitude for bringing me such happiness and Privilege......'

The specialness of a Saint was nothing else.

It was because they could easily see these kinds of smiles a lot more than others.

That is why a Saint is special.

The boy who, until now, did not know what or why he should pray,

'grant Permission so that I may fulfill the Mission you have bestowed upon me......'

that day, for the first time in his life, was able to pray sincerely.