A Hospital in Another World?
Chapter 32

Sir Roman was irritated.

He was not just irritated; he was also terrified. Last night, after that young city guard was taken in by the necromancer, Roman discovered something wrong with his hand. His right thumb couldn't fully extend, nor could it bend properly.

Not being able to bend was one thing, but the inability to apply force was a devastating blow for him! He couldn't grip a sword anymore!

Roman clenched his right hand repeatedly, then released it in despair. He had hoped that after his release this morning, Priest Donald would perform healing magic for him—

But it was futile.

Absolutely futile.

Pure, sanctified light descended time and time again. Blood surged, warm energy flowed from his arm to his wrist. Yet when he clenched his hand, his right thumb remained utterly powerless.

At his most fearful moment, Roman remembered the youth's plea just before pouring the healing potion, "You can't heal this wound like that... external healing won't work, it needs to be fixed from the inside..."

Why did he say that? What did he know? Was it... intentional?

It's all that peasant's fault!

It's all because of him!

Roman roared softly. He turned to the apprentice knight standing nearby, his eyes so red they seemed about to bleed:

"Have they caught him?"

"I-I don't know..."

"Then go and find out!"

The apprentice knight bolted out.

How many times had it been now? From the temple sending people out until now, how many times had they sent him running! He was just a soldier; could the temple not capture him? Sending him out to check time after time, his legs were becoming thin—

The young apprentice knight sidled up to the side door, peered out, nothing. As he ran halfway back, a familiar guard, seeing him drenched in sweat, grabbed him:

"Still asking about this? They came in through the main gate!"

"Huh?"

The youth was dumbfounded.

Temple captures, especially of powerless commoners, never happened through the main gate. They were brought in through side entrances, thrown into dungeons, and when they saw daylight again depended on how quickly their families could pay the ransom or when some big shot remembered them.

But this time, Garrett was escorted by the city guard's captain and the bishop of the War God's temple. Why would these two take the side entrance?

The temple emissary claimed he wasn't tired of living yet to undertake such a death-defying task...

Besides, it wasn't his call. The bald bishop strode ahead, Nolan Knight following without hesitation. Garrett trailed behind these two, feeling like a fox parading in a lion's skin.

No, he should be a resident physician doing rounds with the head doctor!

The Spring Goddess's temple wasn't grand. Compared to the War God's temple and the empty Radiant Church, it was rather small. In early summer, vines covered the temple's outer walls, cloaking it in lush greenery, giving it a delicate and serene appearance.

At the temple's main entrance, on a small square, stood a pristine white stone sculpture: a graceful woman holding up a stone jug, standing in a pool of spring water continuously pouring from the jug's mouth. Around the statue was a pool made of white stones, where commoners would come to worship, scoop water from the pool, and carefully carry it away.

...Was this an artificial fountain?

What powered it? A water tower, a pump, or a magic circle?

Surely it couldn't just be a divine gift?

Garrett observed curiously. Even if it was a water tower or pump, it was quite impressive, ensuring an endless water supply. But he wondered if the water went through sedimentation, filtration, precipitation, post-filtration disinfection... Hm, they probably didn't have bleach; perhaps they used divine light for that?

After all, even on the streets, it was either dusty in good weather or muddy in rain. There were no sewers; the daily water quality was highly suspicious. If a cholera outbreak occurred...

If large numbers of people died, it would happen in minutes.

As a former emergency surgeon, just thinking about it made Garrett feel crazed for his former colleagues in emergency medicine.

He stopped his wild thoughts there. Two rows of guards hurriedly rushed out of the temple's entrance, split left and right, forming a queue. Following them, the temple officials of the Spring Goddess emerged in an orderly fashion.

Garrett's eyes lit up. The leader wore a silver crown, a light blue silk robe adorned with silver-thread embroidered daffodils on the belt, indicating his status as a seventh-level priest. He wore round-framed glasses on his nose, shimmering in the firelight—glasses! Glasses!

In this era, they could make glasses now! S~ᴇaʀᴄh the N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

With glasses came lenses, the foundation for medical observation!

Microscope, here I come!

E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, antibiotics, here I come!

He stared at them intensely; there was no one on their side doing the same. The high priest of the Spring Goddess hurried down the steps, took two quick strides, then gracefully stood still. Raising his hands in a praying gesture, he smiled at the War God's bishop ten paces away:

"May the Spring Goddess bless you."

Greeting, descending the steps, standing, and bowing—a sequence of actions flowed smoothly and elegantly. This process seemed meticulously practiced; every detail flawless. To Garrett, it was akin to when their hospital dean welcomed higher-ups during inspections...

"May the War God bless you."

The bald bishop smiled in return.

The two clerics finished their greetings, and the priest glanced at Nolan Knight beside them. Garrett distinctly saw the priest's gaze pass over him, then glanced at the temple emissary and two guards who had come to apprehend him. Yet they acted as though they knew nothing, smiling politely, and again bowed courteously:

"May the Spring Goddess bless you."

"Thanks for the goddess's grace!"

In front, to the left, to the right, soldiers chorused in response.

Garrett mimicked their posture, bowing his head along with them, murmuring the response. Pretending to be just an ordinary soldier, utterly inconspicuous.

But he failed. Half the group were War God priests, all dressed in robes; from Captain Nolan down, though the knights didn't wear robes, their armor's exquisite craftsmanship put Garrett in a completely different league.

Even the temple guards of the Spring Goddess, who came to capture someone, at least wore decent uniforms to save face outside...

With a single glance, amidst them in his rough linen cloak and knee-length shorts, he was the most strikingly different.

Not only that, after entering the temple, Captain Nolan pulled him over and pushed him in front of the high priest:

"This lad is our new recruit from the city guard. He recently awakened healing magic, and I have high hopes for him. I heard your esteemed temple wanted to ask him a few questions, so I accompanied him to listen. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

Garrett: ... I'm not a kid!

Ranked 25th in the new light novel list, only got 98 recommendations yesterday, breaking 100 for the first time...

Do you all not love me anymore, sniffle sniffle...

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