February 14, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle
When Orion arrived at the church, he found a small crowd patiently waiting to enter the building.
The vast majority of those present were elderly people, many of whom had come from the nearby village they had just passed through.
"I'm going to look around on my own," Orion said, disappearing into his Pocket Dimension.
He walked into the church and reappeared inside, hiding in a dark corner to avoid drawing attention.
At the center of the small church stood a man dressed in priest's robes, whose body was absolutely imposing. Orion had seen many people with outlandish proportions before, but this individual was likely the largest he'd encountered so far.
Even through the robe, his powerful muscles were clearly visible, and Orion couldn't help but wonder how strong this man was. Especially because on the system screen, there was a marker indicating that he was a VIP Named Character.
This was the second VIP he had found after his master Roger—or the third if he counted newborn Ace—so his curiosity toward Kuma was immense.
Kuma placed his enormous hands on the back of one of the elders, and a ball of energy began to flow out from the man's body, floating in the air until it took the shape of a cat-paw pad.
The old man showed an expression of pleasure and relief on his face, and after the process ended, he turned around with a kind smile and said:
"Thank you so much, Kumachi, for always helping me so these old bones don't hurt so much."
The elder's voice was filled with respect and gratitude, and the people waiting their turn echoed his words, expressing their appreciation toward the priest.
"It's true, thank you for your work, Kumachi!"
"Kumachi is the treasure of our whole village!"
"Thank you so much, Kumachi!"
The priest—whom everyone affectionately called Kumachi—scratched his head shyly and accepted their kind words with a smile. The feeling Orion got when he looked at this man was one of warmth and peace.
Some people had a certain disposition, a kind of charisma different from that of leaders, which made others feel good in their presence. It was the unique quality of saints and deeply virtuous people.
Kuma thanked them without knowing how to respond to the compliments when suddenly a voice echoed through the church, silencing the others.
"All right! Next in line! Don't slow down the process!"
Orion looked at the new person who had appeared, and his heart skipped a beat.
This was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, so it was a huge surprise to find her so suddenly and without warning.
"Of course, Ginny, of course," said the elder who had just been treated, as he quickly stepped aside to let those behind him through.
"Haha, as always, Ginny is the one keeping things in order," one of the elders said.
"And she's as beautiful as ever," added another, his eyes turning into hearts and drooling.
A large number of men backed up this last comment, making increasingly inappropriate remarks, until Ginny silenced them all with an angry glare.
For a moment, Orion felt the urge to come out of hiding and join the chorus praising Ginny's beauty, but he managed to control himself and not ruin his image. Even though no one here knew him, he had to maintain a certain dignity appropriate to his status as a king, right?
Ginny crossed her arms, making her enormous breasts even more tempting, and watched as the line of elders resumed the treatment process. However, her expression wasn't particularly good, and she seemed to be in a bad mood.
The line continued moving, and one by one, all the people who had come were treated by the priest, who maintained his gentle smile throughout the process.
Only when the sun was beginning to set did Kuma finish treating everyone, and he said goodbye with his usual kind smile.
Once most of the people had left, the church was practically empty, with only a group of young men remaining. But they had no intention of receiving treatment, they were there for other reasons.
"Ginny, these flowers are for you. They're the most beautiful in all of the South Blue. Only such flowers are worthy of your beauty, which could even eclipse—"
Ginny took the bouquet, interrupting the boy's fiery declaration, and threw it straight into the trash can.
The boy didn't know how to respond and was immediately pushed aside by another suitor.
"Ginny! I brought you white boar meat. They say it's the most nutritious," said another man.
"I brought you fresh fish," added another, raising a basket above his head.
Ginny simply turned around and ignored them, causing the young admirers to sigh with love as they watched her leave. Seeing her perfect backside, they began to drool once again, their eyes turning to hearts.
They were used to Ginny's rejections but not discouraged by them. She was single, and all of them held out hope that someday she might accept their romantic advances.
They also knew how to handle the situation better than the newcomer with the flowers. Unlike him, they understood that if they wanted Ginny to accept their gifts, they had to bring something useful, like food or medicine.
That way, even if she didn't accept them, someone else would.
"Kumachi, here's a basket of fruit I picked for Ginny. Don't let it spoil," said one of the hopeful young men, offering the basket.
Kuma accepted it with a smile, and the young man gave Ginny a triumphant grin before leaving, feeling like he had accomplished something.
The rest followed suit, handing Kuma their gifts, which he received kindly.
Orion watched the entire scene with great interest and wondered if these boys truly believed they could win a woman's heart that way.
Once everyone else had left, only Kuma and Ginny remained inside the small church.
"Why do you always accept what they bring? Their intentions aren't good!" Ginny scolded, clearly frustrated.
But Kuma responded, with a warm smile.
"We can't let food go to waste, Ginny." Then he took a bite of one of the fruits and added, "They're delicious! Want to try one?"
"Idiot," Ginny muttered under her breath and left the room.
Once alone, Kuma put aside everything the young men had brought and approached the large ball of energy floating in the middle of the church.
This was the energy that had been drawn from the people's bodies after Kuma placed his hands on them. Orion didn't know exactly what it was, but he had a theory.
After all, people came to this priest for relief, and once that energy left their bodies, they stopped feeling pain. It wasn't hard to conclude that this energy was likely some kind of negative effect or suffering that, when removed, brought them relief.
Ginny, who had gone to the next room, returned with a melancholic voice.
"Is it really necessary for you to do this?"
"You already know the answer. If no one absorbs the pain I removed, it will naturally return to them over time," Kuma replied kindly but firmly.
Ginny's eyes filled with tears, but she said nothing to stop him. She knew that despite Kuma's soft demeanor, he had an incredibly strong will. She could never convince him to go against what he believed was right.
Kuma took a deep breath and extended both hands, placing them into the large mass of negative energy, and in the next moment, a terrifying scene unfolded.
Kuma began screaming in agony as countless wounds appeared across his body at lightning speed. Blood sprayed through the air, and the kind priest collapsed to his knees, unable to stand.
The entire process lasted only a few seconds, but the pain Kuma experienced in those moments felt like an eternity.
Orion saw the priest's pitiful state and could no longer contain himself. Perhaps it was the influence of his 'Medicine (5)' skill, but he simply couldn't stand by and watch this man suffer.
To Ginny's utter shock—who was rushing over to treat Kuma with tears in her eyes—Orion appeared like a specter, reaching him first.
"Who are you?! What are you trying to do to Kumachi?!" Ginny shouted, charging at Orion.
"Gi-Ginny, calm down… He doesn't have bad… Intentions…" Kuma said with great difficulty.
But Ginny didn't hear him. She attacked Orion, throwing a punch at his face and preparing to follow up with a kick once he dodged it.
To her surprise, however, Orion made no effort to dodge and took the punch directly.
Ginny wasn't weak, and her punch carried enough strength to harm even Orion's body, which was naturally several times more resistant than a normal person's thanks to his 'Strong Body' passive skill.
Ginny stopped her next attack, seeing that her punch had made Orion's nose bleed heavily.
And yet, the strange man who had appeared so suddenly seemed completely unfazed by the state of his body, focusing entirely on treating Kuma.
Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. Seeing Orion so concentrated on helping Kuma, ignoring everything else around him, she was reminded of her childhood friend. Both he and Kumachi gave her a similar feeling—like a gentle, soothing breeze with unshakable strength.
In that instant, Ginny realized not only that Orion meant no harm, but that he and Kuma were the same kind of person.
In truth, she wasn't entirely correct in her perception. It was true that Orion could be gentle and kind, especially when treating patients, but his personality wasn't like that all the time. That was the key difference between him and Kuma.
Kuma was gentle to the core, the kind of man loved by everyone and regarded as a true saint. Orion, on the other hand, was much more dual in nature; he could be gentle, but also cruel and ruthless, depending on what the situation required.
A man like Kuma might find it hard to be harsh, even if it was the right thing to do, but Orion wasn't bound by that. He was willing to be cruel if necessary and bear the weight of his decisions.
In the public's eyes, someone like Orion could be seen as either a saint or a tyrant, depending on the light they viewed him in, and that made him fundamentally different from Kuma.
Orion ignored the beautiful woman beside him, even after she hit him hard enough to break his nose.
All his attention was on the priest before him, who still smiled kindly.
But Orion wasn't as calm inside as he seemed. A storm of conflicting emotions raged in his heart.
He felt admiration for Kuma, who could take others' pain so they wouldn't have to suffer, but he also felt anger that Kuma would hurt himself like this, sacrificing his health for others.
Torn between admiration and frustration, Orion treated Kuma's wounds with exceptional skill. His 'Medicine' ability was no ornament.
He estimated he was at the peak level of a normal doctor, and one more level would likely grant him a qualitative change, placing him in the realm of miraculous healers typical of a world like One Piece.
After finishing the treatment, Orion spent 50 SP to buy a 'Health Brownie' from the system shop and shoved it directly into Kuma's mouth, not giving him a chance to refuse. Then he knelt down and, to Ginny's astonishment, lifted the priest's massive body onto his shoulders as if it weighed nothing.
"Excuse me, could you show me where his bed is?" Orion asked with a smile.
Ginny saw the blood still trickling from Orion's nose, staining his face, neck, and shirt, and felt a twinge of guilt for having acted so rashly.
However, she quickly brushed it off and flashed a bright smile.
"Of course, follow me."
She was a cheerful and straightforward person. She didn't like overthinking things. If she made a mistake, she just had to apologize.
If Kuma was like a warm and gentle breeze, Ginny was like a ray of sunshine that lit everything up.
Seeing her radiant smile, Orion's heart skipped a beat again, and he had to fight the urge to blush like a teenager. He didn't expect to behave like such a novice in love after spending countless nights with Giolla. But some women's beauty was simply overwhelming, and Ginny was one of them, or at least, she was from Orion's point of view.
Orion followed Ginny to Kuma's room and gently laid him on the large bed, making sure not to disturb his wounds. Once Kuma was resting, Orion finally had time to tend to his own injuries.
He took out a mirror from his Pocket Dimension and reset his nose. Then he drained the blood and applied an anti-inflammatory made from herbs he kept in his inventory.
Ginny waited in silence until Orion finished, then stepped forward and bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle. Orion couldn't help but catch a magnificent view, and he felt like his nose was about to bleed again.
"Sorry for attacking you like that!" Ginny said sincerely, not raising her head.
"And thank you for treating Kumachi's wounds."
"No problem, I understand why you attacked me. I did appear out of nowhere; it's partly my fault," Orion replied with a smile, trying not to look straight ahead to avoid worsening his nosebleed.
Ginny immediately straightened up and beamed with joy.
"Well, you're a pretty friendly young man. I like your personality!"
Orion was using his 'Age Change' ability to maintain his adult form. The further he advanced his age with it, the more energy it consumed, so he typically settled on the appearance of an 18-year-old, when his body was strong enough to use his physical abilities comfortably.
To Ginny, who was currently 28, Orion was just a friendly young man, and it was natural to refer to him that way.
"Thanks for treating my wounds," said Kuma, still smiling.
Orion dropped the friendly expression he had used with Ginny, and his gaze turned sharp as he became more serious.
"Even though your actions are noble, as a doctor, I can't praise them," Orion said bluntly.
Kuma wasn't offended and simply responded calmly:
"Thank you very much for your concern—I truly appreciate it. But this is something I've decided for myself. If I can help ease even a little of their daily suffering, I don't mind even if my body falls apart."
Ginny's eyes filled with tears again, and Orion sighed bitterly.
Kuma's eyes revealed how firmly he believed in his actions, and it wouldn't be easy to convince him to change, if that was even possible.
Orion didn't want this kind man to live in pain and die young because of reckless choices. He understood that some people were willing to give everything to help others, but it left a bad taste in his mouth that Kuma didn't care about his own well-being.
Perhaps their ideologies were incompatible from the beginning. Orion also wanted to help people, but never at the cost of his own health, not without a solid plan behind such a decision.
For example, Orion would be willing to take on others' pain like Kuma if it was truly necessary, but he'd never see that as a good solution and would always look for an alternative that didn't involve living in agony to achieve the same result.
*Ding*
A bell rang in Orion's mind, but before he could check the new notification, Ginny wiped away her tears and walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"By the way, we still don't know your name. I'm Ginny, and this idiot here is Kumachi."
Orion smacked his forehead and said:
"What a brain I have—I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Orion, nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you, Orion! You have to stay for dinner!" Ginny said with a big smile, slapping his shoulder hard. Despite her stunning looks, she acted like a tomboy, which was a refreshing change for Orion.
"Of course. Would it bother you if I invited two more people?" Orion asked, looking at the two Named Characters.
"Not at all! The more, the merrier. Right, Kumachi?"
Kuma nodded in agreement, and Orion opened a door in the air, allowing Lucky Roux and Christina—who had been waiting outside the church—to suddenly appear before Kuma and Ginny's astonished eyes.
Lucky Roux stepped forward and said:
"Mind if I do the cooking?"
He had been observing everything with his monstrous Observation Haki, and he was already drooling at the thought of all the food Ginny had received from her suitors, which he could now use to prepare a feast.