SSS-Ranked Surgeon In Another World: The Healer Is Actually OP!

The carriage rattled softly as it passed over uneven stone.

“But even then,” the rider continued, a bitter edge creeping into his voice, “Second Class just means warmer streets and better food. It doesn’t mean freedom. It doesn’t mean choice. The walls don’t disappear, they just move closer.”

Bruce listened in silence.

Outside the window, the looming silhouette of the second wall grew larger, its shadow stretching across the road like an unspoken verdict, swallowing the street inch by inch as they approached.

The rider sighed.

“That’s Eiskar,” he said quietly. “A kingdom where how far you can go is decided long before you ever take your first step.”

The carriage rolled on.

Its wheels creaked softly as they crossed from packed snow onto stone reinforced with iron strips, the rhythm steady, almost hypnotic. Outside the narrow windows, the streets grew cleaner, wider, yet emptier. Buildings stood farther apart, their designs more uniform, less personal. Even the lanterns here burned brighter, colder.

The rider didn’t look back.

He kept his eyes on the road ahead.

“You know,” he continued after a moment, voice low and reflective, “when I was younger, I used to think the walls were there to protect us. That if I worked hard enough, proved myself useful enough, one day I’d pass through them naturally.”

He gave a dry laugh.

“But years pass. You grow older. And you realize the walls don’t move.”

Bruce remained silent, hands resting loosely in his lap, gaze fixed on the passing cityscape. He listened.

“People like me,” the rider went on, “we’re taught early what’s expected. Don’t stand out too much. Don’t cause trouble. Do your job. Pay your dues.” His grip tightened slightly on the reins. “You survive well enough… but surviving isn’t the same as living.”

Duke nodded faintly, expression calm but attentive.

“It’s efficient,” Duke said. “A system like this doesn’t collapse easily.”

The rider hummed in agreement. “Aye. It’s stable. Predictable. You always know where you stand.”

He paused.

“And that’s the cruel part.”

The horse snorted softly as cold air filled its lungs.

“Some nights,” the rider continued, “I wonder what it’d be like to wake up somewhere without walls. Without guards watching who goes where. To take a road just because I can, not because I’m allowed.”

Duke glanced at him. “And then?”

The rider sighed. “Then morning comes. And I hitch up the carriage again.”

They passed beneath another archway, Royal Guild patrols stationed at either side. The guards barely spared them a glance, third-class transport, routine, unremarkable.

“Hope,” the rider said quietly, “is expensive in Eiskar. Most of us can’t afford to spend too much of it.”

Duke was silent for a few breaths.

Then, as the second wall loomed closer ahead, its massive gates visible through drifting snow, he spoke again.

“Let me ask you something,” he said casually. “If you were given the chance to leave Eiskar, start fresh in another kingdom, would you take it?”

The rider didn’t answer right away.

His shoulders sagged slightly as he guided the horse forward.

“That’s a hard question,” he admitted. “I’ve lived here all my life. My parents lived here. My grandparents too.” He shook his head. “Eiskar is harsh, but it’s familiar. I’ve learn how to endure it, I’m used to it.”

He inhaled slowly.

“And who’s to say another kingdom would be better?” he continued. “Different territory. Different masters. Same struggle.”

The second wall grew closer now, its presence dominating the road ahead.

“And even if I wanted to leave,” the rider added, voice rougher, “it’s not simple. You don’t just walk to another kingdom. There are beast territories. Horde zones. Awakened creatures that see travelers as prey.”

Bruce’s eyes flicked briefly to him.

“Even if I survived,” the rider went on, “how long would it take to rebuild? Find work. Earn trust. Get recognized? Starting over isn’t just dangerous, it’s slow.”

He exhaled.

“And time…” he said softly, “…is something people like me don’t have much of.”

The carriage slowed.

Ahead, the gates of the second wall rose high and imposing, Royal Guild Awakeneds already visible atop the ramparts, eyes sharp and watchful.

The rider brought the horse to a steady stop, it let out a low neigh that reverberated through the place…

“This is as far as I go,” he said quietly, reins tightening as he turned slightly. “You’ll need another carriage from here.”

Duke nodded, expression thoughtful.