The Murderer Doctor and the Singing Saint

Prologue

"I want to be someone who saves lives."

It was far too soft a sentiment to come from the mouth of a mercenary whose daily job was killing people. I answered with silence, and Kiru awkwardly cleared his throat before continuing.

"Actually, I wanted to be a doctor."

Still too soft. Soon, we’d be thrown into a battle far more dangerous than anything we’d ever faced—what good was there in saying such things now?

When I looked at him with a sour expression, Kiru chuckled quietly.

"You’d never understand."

He was right. I was someone completely unrelated to the world of medicine. Since childhood, I’d trained with the sword, passed through the Empire’s special forces, and ended up a mercenary. What did any of that have to do with being a doctor?

"Then why are you telling me this?"

"Because if I die, I don’t think anyone will remember me as someone who once wanted to be a doctor."

"Are you afraid of dying?"

It was almost absurd that Kiru and I were in the same line of work. To be terrified of death while earning money with your life on the line—how strange.

I half expected Kiru to get angry at my words, but instead, he simply nodded.

"Everyone fears death."

"Mercenaries don’t. If you're afraid of dying, you can't accomplish anything in this line of work."

I intentionally made my voice firm, but Kiru didn’t seem the least bit inclined to back down.

"Mercenaries just pretend they’re not afraid."

"Then why did you become a mercenary?"

"I didn’t have a choice. The mercenary corps was the only place that took in an orphan like me, and naturally, I had to follow them."

"So that’s why you couldn’t become a doctor."

"Yeah. But not once have I given up on that dream. When I finally leave the corps someday, I’m going to study medicine at Tarinas University."

"A doctor, huh…"

I stared blankly up at the sky. Black storm clouds loomed overhead, and raindrops began to fall indifferently, one by one.

If someone like me, who had spent a lifetime killing people, were to become a doctor, how many lives would I have to save before it balanced out?

"It’s not a bad thought, but I guess it’s just not for me."

"Really? That’s a shame. If I died, I was going to ask you to become a doctor in my place."

"Cut the nonsense. We’re not going to die."

I stood, sword in hand. Better to swing the blade a few more times than trade meaningless jokes. That’s what survival demanded.

"One thing I’m curious about. Why did you take up the sword?"

"…To punish evildoers. That’s it. Stop talking about dreams and pick up your sword."

"Alright."

As Kiru and I resumed sword practice, the sound of a distant bell rang out—the signal to assemble. The most dangerous battle was about to begin.

***

Crushing defeat.

Even that phrase couldn’t fully capture the scale of our loss.

A pool of water, formed by blood and rain, soaked my ankles. The only sounds that remained were the agonizing screams of those dying around me.

It was my fault. If I hadn’t insisted on chasing down the fleeing enemies, our squad wouldn’t have been caught in their counterattack and slaughtered like dogs.

If I hadn’t blacked out when I met their commander, Kiru wouldn’t be lying before me now, bleeding and broken.

"Kiru! Reinforcements are coming! Just hold on! Please!"

I screamed like a madman as I clung to Kiru. I tried focusing my mind to cast healing magic I didn’t even know how to use, but it was useless.

Kiru, blood dripping from his lips, looked at me and whispered,

"I… wanted to be… someone who saves… people…"

Those were his last words. His hand fell lifelessly to the ground.

"No! You can’t die here!"

I clutched Kiru’s cold, limp hand and wailed. Whether it was tears, blood, or rain streaking down my face—I couldn’t tell.

If I were a doctor… would I have been able to save you?

My consciousness began to fade. I lost my balance and collapsed beside Kiru.

‘Is this the end…?’

Strangely, I still wasn’t afraid.

But I was afraid that no one would ever know what Kiru had truly wanted to do with his life.

‘If I somehow survive… I want to live your life for you.’

That was the last thought I had before everything went dark.

***

Every breath sends pain shooting through my wounds. My bones ache with cold.

But if I can feel pain… that must mean I’m still alive.

‘Kiru…?’

Fighting through the searing pain, I barely managed to open my eyes and look around.

It was a luxurious room I’d never seen before. I lay alone in a large bed. Kiru was nowhere to be found.

‘So he really did die…’

I already knew it. Kiru was dead. Dead beyond the reach of even the Witch of Resurrection.

We had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the underground lords who sought to destroy the Empire.

As I sank into grief at the thought, a young woman in a saintess's robe approached me.

"Are you alright?"

That was the first time I met the Saintess.