Chapter 23

Woosh!

Suddenly, the wooden window shattered with a loud crash!

"...?!"

"A car, a window?!"

Raymond and Hanson were dazed and confused as they fell to the dry ground.

The next thing they knew, a fist and a half sized rock had shattered the window and was lying in the building.

"This is...."

Raymond's face went white.

It was an attack!

Someone had deliberately picked up a rock and thrown it!

"Who? Why?

Raymond was confused.

Just then, Hanson screamed again.

"Stop, old man! Look!"

Outside the door, he saw something even more alarming.

The wand of healing mark on the gate was marked with a crimson cross.

The sign underneath read.

[This is not a child's playground].

[If you don't want to die, get lost].

The words were eerily crimson, as if written in blood.

"...."

Raymond clenched his jaw.

This was getting out of hand.

* * *

"We need to leave this place now, sir, it's dangerous!"

Hanson shouted urgently.

It was a natural reaction, seeing what was happening right in front of him.

Raymond agreed that things were not looking good.

"People's reactions are more hostile than I expected. At this rate, we could be in danger.

According to Nunu, the favelas are not well policed.

If someone with hostile intentions tried to harm us, it could be dangerous.

To be honest, it might be wise to leave.

But Raymond shook his head firmly.

"No, no. I won't leave."

"Senior?"

"You're right, it could be dangerous, Hanson, so you can leave. No, I'll just stay here alone, and you can pack your things and go."

Hanson gave him a look of incomprehension.

Raymond sighed inwardly.

"To be honest, I'm scared too, and I want to leave.

Raymond was far from strong-minded.

His heart was still racing after seeing the blood-red warning.

But there was a reason he couldn't leave despite his trepidation.

"I took out a huge healer's loan to start a clinic, and if I leave, I'm screwed.

Raymond sulked.

He was penniless, so how could he afford a building, herbs, and tools?

All from healer loans.

"Damn it, I lost a lot of money on the building and remodeling, and even selling herbs won't make up for it.

Raymond bit his nails.

"It's still accruing interest in real time. We have to make it work.

There was something funny and sad about the idea that money was keeping him from leaving, but it was the reality of the situation.

Healer Loans is a generous lender, but the interest rates are diabolical.

Especially if you start paying late, it's not a healer loan, it's a devil loan.

"They're going to grind you down and make you pay them back, and you don't know how horrible you're going to look, so you have to succeed and pay them back.

Then, a message popped up!

[You are given a quest in the face of difficulty!]

[Turn the hearts of the slum people!]

(Ninjutsu Quest)

Prerequisite : Medium

Difficulty: Medium

Quest Description: The hearts of the slum dwellers have been hardened by years of external malice. Turn their hearts around!

Conditions: Earn the favor of the slum dwellers

Reward: Bonus Level Up, 30 Skill Points

Raymond clenched his fists.

Even if it wasn't a quest, he was going to do it.

Because he couldn't be fucked!

"I'm not going to back down because you threatened me once. I'm staying, Hanson, and you're leaving."

"...."

Why?

Hanson clamped his mouth shut.

"...Why are you so concerned for the patients of the slums?"

The question sounded like a misunderstanding.

"What? No, I'm not. I have a situation where I can't leave...."

"I know you're taking a risk for the patients in the slums. I'll stay with you too."

"No, it's not that, I really don't...."

I shook my head, but Hanson gave me a look that said, "You're serious. I know it.

Raymond coughed, feeling like he was in a solid misunderstanding, even if ... misunderstood.

"Anyway, that's not the point now.

Raymond stood up.

"Senior?"

"We can't stay like this. Let's move before things get worse."

Sitting and waiting would not resolve the situation.

Instead, public opinion will continue to build behind the scenes, and the situation will become irreversible.

So we had to be proactive.

"I'm not going to sit back and let this happen.

Raymond vowed.

Not for this shit.

It was all worth it for the riches to come.

Grab the fruits of success, Mara!

* * *

"Where are we going?"

"The square in the center of the slums."

The two of them left the healing center with their armor tightly packed inside their clothes.

"Isn't it dangerous in the square, with so many people?"

"No, I don't mind the crowds, it's much better than the deserted alleyways."

Even as he spoke, Raymond felt a sense of dread.

"Is the chainmail good?

Raymond sighed at the feel of the chainmail armor beneath his clothes.

He wasn't sure what good it would do in a real emergency, but it was reassuring nonetheless.

"Somehow we have to change the minds of the slumlords.

Raymond took a deep breath and reached the square.

The slum dwellers in the plaza looked at him warily at his sudden appearance.

"Who is it?"

"I think it's the noble lord who came to set up a treatment center over there this time, but why would a noble lord come to such a filthy place?"

The people's eyes turned hostile.

"A healing center? In a place like this? Why? For what?"

"Isn't this some kind of publicity stunt, you know, like the princes who came before?"

"You think this is a playground?"

Sharp eyes focused on Raymond.

Thump. Thud.

Raymond's heart raced with tension.

Meeting the hostile stares, he found it difficult to speak.

"You better be good. You only get one shot at this, and if you don't, they won't listen to you anymore.

If I back down and fail, I'll be a slave to Demon Ron and never get out of the vegetable soup again.

At the thought, his courage rose.

Raymond balled his fists and stepped forward.

Luckily, a message came to him.

[I'm working on the slum patients!]

[Skill, Heart of Steel, is manifesting!]

My heart calmed down.

My fears were not gone, but I had the willpower to overcome them.

"It's been a while. I'm Raymond. How are you?"

Their eyes widened.

Raymond.

It was a name they wouldn't recognize if they'd lived here long enough.

"Raymond...?"

"Are you really the little Raymond who went to the castle?"

People scrutinized Raymond's face. It had changed a lot, but the features of his childhood remained.

The vivid emerald eyes were his trademark, and everyone recognized them.

"That's it! Thank goodness you remember me.

Raymond breathed a sigh of relief.

'Now that I have a memory of the past, I won't try to antagonize you as blindly as I did before.

'Once the memories arm goes into action!'

"It's been so long since I've been in the Bay Area, it's like coming home. It seems like just yesterday I was in that back alley with Bob and Tom, getting beat up like a dog... haha... haha."

I tried to be as nostalgic as I could, but unfortunately, people didn't like it.

"...."

No one responded to Raymond's story.

Everyone was still giving him the cold shoulder.

Then, someone stepped forward and said coldly.

"Why are you back here?"

"...!"

"Aren't you noble royalty, then why did you come back to this filthy place?"

The moment he heard the question, Raymond understood the source of the hostility.

"The people of the slums now see me as the child of a king, not a friendly little kid.

When he thought about it, it made sense.

It had been more than 15 years since he left the slums.

Enough time for the familiarity of the memory to fade.

Of course, Raymond was not of noble blood, but an illegitimate son who had suffered all sorts of persecution, but he was not a commoner, and the slum dwellers, cut off from the outside world, had no idea of the complexities of such a situation.

To the ignorant slum dwellers, Raymond looked just like any other nobleman or royalty.

"No, I'm not royalty, I'm an illegitimate child, and I've been persecuted for it. What an injustice.

Suddenly, he felt a surge of anger and resentment.

Then they said.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but please go home. This is not the playground of a noble man like you."

Raymond shook his head vigorously.

There was no backing down.

"I didn't come here thinking it was a playground."

Now that the memory arm had failed, there was nothing left but a straightforward method.

Raymond gritted his teeth and continued.

"How dare you think that. I'm here to treat patients."

[Appealing to the patient unleashes the 'Speech' skill!]

[Appeal for the Patient activates the Speech skill!]

[Synergizes with the Heart of Steel skill!]

The will of steel has been infused into your words.

Raymond's voice grew grave, and the mockers flinched for a moment.

"You're here to treat a patient?"

"Yes, that's right, I'm not here lightly, I'm here to heal the people here."

They looked at each other, stunned.

There was too much determination in Raymond's voice to ignore.

"...Why did you come to treat the people here?"

"Isn't there a better place to treat patients than here?"

Raymond thought to himself.

"To level up.

But he couldn't answer that question.

The first thing to do was to get people's minds off of it, so Raymond decided to mix in a little truth.

"Of course, I can treat patients in much better conditions than this. I could work in the best clinics if I wanted to."

"But why this slum, when no healer wants to come here?"

"That's why."

"It's ...?"

Raymond was silent for a moment. Thanks to his public speaking skills, he naturally drew attention to himself.

"Because no other healer wants to come. That's why I'm here. I want to heal all of you who are suffering from lack of proper care."

"...!"

"The poor are just as sick, aren't they?"

"...."

"I don't want anyone to go without treatment just because they're poor, just because they're powerless, just because they're lowly. That's why I'm here, and for no other reason, please don't get me wrong."

When he finished, Raymond glanced over at the others.

"Is everyone okay? Did I go too far?

Luckily, they seemed to be okay.

With the help of his speech skill, he was able to put his heart into each sentence, and many people were moved.

Even Hanson was impressed and muttered, "Senior, how could you have such a heart?

"Senior... how could you have such a heart...."