《The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away》 Chapter 1: The Villainess Who Destroyed the World Without any special events, the world was destroyed once again. I guess sometimes it just happens like that. You wake up, eat, go about your daily routine as usual, and then go back to sleep. When every day is the same, you start to lose track of time. You forget what day it is or what date it is. For me, the end of the world and death have become routine. So it¡¯s only natural that I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I''ve died or how many times the world has ended. ¡°No, wait, this time it¡¯s a bit different.¡± My eyes sting. The sky is blood-red as if the sun''s belly has been torn open and its contents spilled out. A choking stench fills my nose. It¡¯s the pungent, blackened scent of burning wood, stone, flesh ¡ª everything. Buildings and castle walls, constructed without a single gap using solid bricks, now have gaping holes and are collapsing. And most importantly, the sky is swarming with creatures, like a flock of crows appearing out of nowhere. A dragon legion. I can only let out a hollow laugh. ¡°Hah... well, shit.¡± There was a time when the hero¡¯s party was wiped out by the Demon King. There was a time when a plague turned all of humanity into undead. But this is the first time I¡¯ve seen the capital being obliterated by a horde of dragons. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to beat that? Status window.¡± ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Name: Lass Surname: None (Gotberg) Age: 27 Class: Healer Rank: Commoner (Fallen Noble) Affiliation: Hero¡¯s Party Talent: ¡ö¡ö¡ö (S) ¡ö¡ö (S) Objective: Clear by avoiding the Bad Ending. Upon Bad Ending, Death (In Progress) Time Remaining: 17 minutes 42 seconds ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D I really thought this time, we¡¯d finally manage to defeat the Demon King and clear the game, but here we are again. How long has it been since I got trapped in this pathetic fantasy game world? It¡¯s all a blur. ¡°If you¡¯re going to give me time, at least give me more of it.¡± In the original game, the in-game time was a month. I¡¯ve already repeated the same 30 days hundreds of times. When I first failed to clear the game and died, I regressed. When I realized that I couldn¡¯t even die for real, chills ran down my spine. It was no different from being imprisoned. Since then, I¡¯ve tried every possible way to clear the game, but it was all in vain. There¡¯s no way to clear it under these conditions. I¡¯m a worthless extra character, a healer with a background as insignificant as dirt, and talents that are all sealed. Yeah, a healer. I was in the middle of casting a healing spell on the warrior of the hero¡¯s party who had fallen to the ground. ¡°It hurts! It fucking hurts! Do it right!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fourth-degree burn all over your body. Of course, it hurts. Hold on, the cooldown¡¯s not over yet.¡± The warrior twisted his body like a shrimp, screaming as if he were dying from the pain. ¡°Argh...! Lass, you¡¯re part of the hero¡¯s party too, so take some damn responsibility! Try harder!¡± ¡°My healing spell is trash. Its target area is random, the speed is slow, and its effectiveness is garbage. If you¡¯re burned, you¡¯re supposed to cool it with cold water, anesthetize, and perform skin debridement. But here, I¡¯m just reading from a holy scripture.¡± In this world, if you tried treating a patient like that, people would call you a maniac trying to kill them. Here, when you get hurt, you don¡¯t look for treatment; you pray first. Oh, blessed healing spell. Despite my explanation, the warrior gritted his teeth in fury. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a healer, but all you ever do is spout nonsense! If it weren¡¯t for your skills, a sociopath like you would never have been allowed into the hero¡¯s party...!¡± I¡¯m not a sociopath. I just got possessed by one. But after all this time, even I can¡¯t tell the difference anymore. ¡°Listen up, buddy. Before I got possessed, I actually studied medicine. Yeah, I wanted to be a doctor. You know, a fancy, respectable job. Make good money, be a top pick for a husband.¡± I wasn¡¯t exactly a prodigy or anything. After all, who studies because they genuinely want to? I was just going through the motions like everyone else. ¡°But eventually, I got serious. During my practicals, when I treated patients, I actually felt some sense of purpose.¡± Back then, I treated patients using medicine, not healing spells. ¡°But it was all for nothing. I got into a car accident, and my nerves got all messed up. What kind of doctor has hands that tremble like a leaf?¡± I could¡¯ve undergone expensive surgery and rehab to recover, but I didn¡¯t have the money. Same as here. Only the rich can afford the best healers with real skill. Even the hero¡¯s party is stuck with a second-rate loser like me. ¡°I only graduated high school, man. After that, I became a useless bum, wasting my life playing games... and then, unlucky me, I got dragged into this world. Oh, cooldown¡¯s up.¡± ¡°Heal! Heal me!¡± The warrior¡¯s breathing was growing faint. Even if this world is about to end, I can¡¯t just abandon a patient right in front of me. It¡¯s a matter of principle. I open the holy scripture and recite a prayer. But there are no gods in this world, so it doesn¡¯t matter what I say. Any random mumbo-jumbo will do. ¡°Oh, merciful Goddess Pingchang, hear my half-hearted prayer and grant your shitty mercy upon this pitiful lamb...¡± The warrior¡¯s arm fell lifelessly to the ground. ¡°Hey. Hey, damn it.¡± Tch. He couldn¡¯t even hold out for that long. I tossed the scripture aside and immediately began CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It¡¯s an emergency procedure used to revive someone when you have nothing else at hand. I press down hard on the warrior¡¯s chest, but there¡¯s no response. ...Five minutes pass. The golden time is over. ¡°Haaah...¡± Drenched in sweat, I look around. The valiant members of the hero¡¯s party are all face down in the dirt, not even twitching. Well, what did I expect? As soon as we defeated the Demon King, hundreds of dragons descended from the sky. There was no way they could survive that. This is the end. I¡¯m out of divine power, and my head is spinning. I stagger to my feet and start walking. Without thinking, I step on the fallen holy scripture. ¡°I said I wanted to be a doctor, not a damn healer.¡± If they were going to send me to another world, they could¡¯ve at least made me a swordsman so I could feel something when I swing a weapon. Or a mage, blasting spells all over the place. ¡°I miss modern medicine. What kind of fantasy world doesn¡¯t even have potions?¡± If I could make some painkillers here, I¡¯d sell them like hotcakes. Then I could at least upgrade this garbage equipment to something decent. ¡°But I still managed to get this far.¡± Under these crappy conditions. The body I got possessed in is so out of shape that I¡¯m out of breath after just a short run, and my sleep problems are severe. There seems to be some hidden talent, but it¡¯s all locked. In a world where I only have a month to work with, there¡¯s no time to unlock it, let alone train. Besides, the game starts right in the middle of the battle against the Demon King¡¯s army, so there¡¯s no time to prepare. And to top it off, the character I possessed is such a jerk that everyone despises me from the get-go. But after hundreds of repetitions, I¡¯ve gained experience. Before getting possessed, I¡¯d only played the game once, so I didn¡¯t know much about this world. Now, after experiencing so many deaths, I¡¯ve learned about the characters¡¯ pasts, the weaknesses of monsters, and so on. Every time I die, I relive some of Lass¡¯s memories like a flashing reel. No, now I am Lass, the scumbag healer. I even managed to defeat the Demon King a few times. But what does it matter? It¡¯s still a bad ending. I move forward, my steps hollow and empty. Where should I lie down and die this time? As I wandered around, searching for a burial spot, I noticed someone waving at me from the palace wall in the distance. When I saw her face, nausea surged up from my gut. I felt like ripping my insides out and wringing them dry. Well, based on experience, there¡¯s never been a time when I peacefully met my end after pissing her off. Even the hero¡¯s party had to kneel and obey her without question. If she says kneel, you kneel. What other choice do you have? Dragging my feet, I climbed the palace wall¡¯s stairs. Even though it was obvious that she was the one who brought about the world¡¯s end this time as well. She was perched on the railing of the wall, surrounded by the corpses of soldiers strewn about. Her long silver hair, which reached past her waist, fluttered in the wind yet maintained its elegance. Her silver hair, the hallmark of a powerful witch, still carried faint traces of gold from her birthright. She casually swung her slender legs, a glass of wine, redder than blood, resting between her fingers. Her long lashes pointed toward the center of the capital being ravaged by the dragon legion. A subtle smile played on her lips. Seeing that smile, fear from countless deaths, now a trauma, welled up alongside a deep-seated hatred. If it weren¡¯t for this woman, my suffering would have ended a long time ago. But it¡¯s not a feeling I haven¡¯t experienced before, so it faded away like a mirage. Getting angry here would only hasten my death, after all. Now that I know a bit about her circumstances, I can somewhat understand her behavior. The Seventh Emperor of the Empire, Asella von W¨¹rttempelt, sneered at me like a devil. ¡°I expected you to despair more. I¡¯m rather surprised, you incompetent healer of the hero¡¯s party.¡± I pointed at the dragon legion that filled the sky. ¡°Did Your Majesty summon those?¡± ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re as blind as ever. That¡¯s why you continued your reckless behavior until the very moment your family was wiped out.¡± I casually kicked aside a piece of brick on the floor and plopped down beside Asella. When I reached for the wine bottle lying next to her, she swiftly snatched it up. ¡°How dare you lay a hand on a tribute offered to the Emperor of the Empire?¡± ¡°That Empire just got destroyed, didn¡¯t it? Come on, spare me some.¡± ¡°Kneel and beg like a dog. Perhaps then, I might consider it.¡± ¡°Oh, great and merciful Emperor, I humbly beg for Your Majesty¡¯s charity.¡± I bowed my head with exaggerated politeness, and Asella, seemingly satisfied, handed me the wine. From experience, it was a hundred times better to be drunk when you died. Since I wouldn¡¯t remember anything anyway, it was better to get a drink for the price of some dignity. Defying this woman would only lead to suffering through endless magical torment until death. ¡°Quite the view.¡± We were in the perfect spot to watch the capital burn as dragons breathed fire upon it. ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful? Today is the day the curse finally ends.¡± Asella stretched her arms out wide, as if to embrace the entire scene, her expression filled with ecstasy. ¡°Indeed, a masterpiece like no other.¡± ¡°Curious. I thought you¡¯d be so enraged that you¡¯d try to stab me with a dagger right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried that more than ten times. Couldn¡¯t even land a scratch on you. Only my head rolled.¡± I casually took another swig. As expected of the Emperor¡¯s wine, it was exceptional. ¡°You always speak such strange things. Like a madman.¡± ¡°Not as much as Your Majesty.¡± The Seventh Emperor of the Empire, Asella von W¨¹rttempelt, was a mad villainess. She was infamous as the ¡®Golden Witch.¡¯ Among all the world-ending catastrophes I had witnessed, nearly half of them had been caused by her. During the battles against the Demon King¡¯s army and even after the battles ended, she¡¯d do insane things that would eventually lead to the world¡¯s destruction. Whether by abusing her power or through the use of magic. ¡°You¡¯re more honest than before. Ah, but don¡¯t get the wrong idea. It doesn¡¯t mean I like you. Just imagine how horrible it would have been if the marriage between you and me, as arranged by our families, had actually gone through.¡± ¡°Oh, who¡¯s talking? You must have been delighted when my family was wiped out for that ridiculous act of treason.¡± ¡°It was the best birthday present ever.¡± Asella chuckled, a breathy laugh escaping her lips. The scent of grapes grown in the cold fields of the North tingled at my nose. As she said, we had been engaged. It was a contract made when Asella was still a princess. I had been from a prominent noble family, but now there wasn¡¯t a trace of it left. Not that it mattered. If I¡¯d married this crazy woman, I wouldn¡¯t have survived long anyway. ...Though I knew she hadn¡¯t gone mad by choice. ¡°Are you in pain?¡± The words slipped out before I could think. At my question, Asella didn¡¯t answer. Instead, her lips curled up in a faint smile. Even knowing she was the villainess who had brought about the world¡¯s destruction, her beauty was so bewitching that it was almost mesmerizing. Lost in thought as if recalling an old memory, Asella stared blankly into the air. She let down her guard just a bit, her shoulders losing a fraction of the imperial authority they carried. Then, in a small voice, she spoke. ¡°...Lass of Gotberg. I hated you my whole life.¡± A lifelong grudge. What was I supposed to say to that? ¡°Do you remember? We first met in the flower garden of your family¡¯s estate. That day, I despised you from head to toe.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± I think I remember something like that. If I retrace the flashes of Lass¡¯s memories, there¡¯s a faint recollection. ¡°How did you summon the dragon legion?¡± ¡°Oh, would you like to know? Since it¡¯s a rare occasion, should I tell you? I¡¯ve reached the level of an Eighth Circle mage, but there¡¯s no one to brag to.¡± Asella, like an excited child, began drawing a magic circle in the air. She always seemed genuinely happy when talking about magic. ¡°Look, this is the base formation. High-level magic is like drawing three-dimensional shapes in a higher dimension. You place the main circle at each vertex and then...¡± Listening to her ramble on, the alcohol took hold, and I started nodding off. I think it was around then that the dragon legion¡¯s breath attack descended upon us. A wave of searing heat engulfed us, my lungs burning, my insides twisting in pain. Just for a moment, everything went black. ¡®Huh. Pitch black.¡¯ That meant the regression was about to begin. I¡¯d seen this scene countless times. Soon, a notification would pop up, and I¡¯d be returned to the starting point. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Notification Clear Failed You have collected . Regression will now commence. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Right. Just like this. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Notification You have collected all Bad Endings. A [Privilege] has been unlocked to aid in clearing the game. ¡¤ [Ending List] has been unlocked. ¡¤ You can now select the regression point. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ...What the hell is this? A line of text I¡¯d never seen before appeared. The word [Privilege] snapped me to attention. ¡®What? There was something like this all along?¡¯ Did I really see all the bad endings? I vaguely remembered that there were 101 bad endings. When did I manage to collect them all? I¡¯ve died so many times that I must have lost count. Unbelievable. Absolutely insane. ...But a glimmer of hope sparked within me. I had a gut feeling that this regression would be different. And there was one thing that stood out more than anything. ¡®I can choose the regression point?¡¯ I scrolled through the list, trying to see how far back I could go. I kept scrolling. And scrolling. But the list just kept going. Finally, when I couldn¡¯t scroll any further, a small, incredulous laugh escaped me. [Regression Point: 10 Years Ago] ...Not a month, but ten years. I could change a lot in ten years. Without hesitation, I selected it. [Regression in progress.] My vision spun. Even in the darkness, I could feel myself turning. And then ¡ª ¡°...Ugh.¡± I opened my eyes in a bed. I got up and looked around. It was a clean, luxurious room I¡¯d never seen before. I checked the mirror. A fresh, youthful face stared back at me ¡ª a boy who hadn¡¯t yet been worn down by the world. ¡°I really came back ten years ago.¡± I opened the status window to confirm it. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Name: Lass Surname: Gotberg Age: 17 Class: None Rank: Heir of a Marquisate sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Affiliation: Healer Training Institute Talent: ¡ö¡ö¡ö (S) ¡ö¡ö (S) Objective: Clear by avoiding the Bad Ending. Upon Bad Ending, Death (In Progress) Time Remaining: 9 years 364 days 23 hours ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°It¡¯s real.¡± Countless possibilities began to blossom in my mind. My family was still intact, and my body was young. If I started preparing now, I could become anything. And I still had more privileges. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about clearing the game anymore...¡± I could change my future. Avoid joining the hero¡¯s ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) party ¡ª that nest of lunatics. I felt like I could succeed at anything now. I only had to do one thing. As long as I avoided the bad endings where I die. Just as I was mulling over what to do first, I heard a commotion outside and glanced out the window. My room was on the third floor of the annex. Far below, beyond the garden walls, the central entrance was bustling with people. It looked like some important guest had arrived at the estate, and knights were swarming around. The marquis, who I assumed was my father, was busy greeting them. ¡®The Empress must be here. It seems she¡¯s visiting the marquisate.¡¯ Then she must be here as well. I shifted my gaze to the back of the estate. There, in the meticulously maintained garden filled with lush greenery. Amidst the bed of golden roses in full bloom. A delicate girl with a head of rich golden hair was strolling leisurely, admiring the flowers. It was fourteen-year-old Asella. Chapter 2: Returning to Ten Years Ago Looking out the window, I took in the sight of Asella. At fourteen years old, she looked every bit the part of a princess. She wore an opulent, vintage-style dress, its voluminous skirts billowing elegantly around her. When the sunlight filtered through the willows, her slender silhouette became visible through the fabric. Her delicate, clean shoulders extended from her soft neckline, subtly hinting at the form concealed beneath her gown. Her expression was indifferent as she gazed at the flowers, with just a hint of curiosity glimmering in her eyes. It was hard to believe that this serene girl could be the same mad villainess who destroyed the world. ...She was undeniably beautiful. ¡°No. Snap out of it.¡± I shook off the absurd thought that this girl might be someone different from the Seventh Emperor of the Empire. She was the villainess who had killed me countless times. No matter how young or innocent she looked now, I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down. ¡°First things first ¡ª I need to assess the situation. I didn¡¯t just go back a month; I went back ten years. Are there any side effects?¡± A new line of text in the status window caught my attention. [All playtime has been exhausted.] [Regression is no longer possible.] ...This was my last chance. ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s more than enough.¡± Rather than endlessly repeating the same month, having ten whole years to work with offered limitless possibilities. It wasn¡¯t just ten years. In this life, there would be no bad endings. I¡¯d live it out to the fullest ¡ª no question about it. And there was one more privilege. ¡°Ending List.¡± A comprehensive list of endings appeared in the status window. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡ð Ending List You can now monitor the probability of each ending occurring in real-time from the current point. Bad Endings with a 0% occurrence probability will be removed from the list and will not occur again. ¡¤ Bad Endings No. 001: Dragon Legion (New!) ¡ª 42% No. 002: Great Collapse ¡ª 22% No. 003: Beheading of the Hundred ¡ª 87% No. 004: Sweet Poison ¡ª 56% No. 005: Demon King¡¯s Victory ¡ª 73% ...... No. 101: Mana Outburst ¡ª 4% ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°Damn. That¡¯s a lot.¡± I hadn¡¯t realized how many bad endings I¡¯d collected since they hadn¡¯t been neatly organized before. Now they were all conveniently numbered. I scrolled through them one by one ¡ª each and every one of them were deaths I had experienced. Some of them, like Bad Ending No. 005, the Demon King¡¯s Victory, I had experienced multiple times. It occurred every time we lost the final battle against the Demon King. ¡°Ugh. Just looking at them gives me the creeps.¡± Each word brought back unpleasant memories. Memories I¡¯d rather forget forever. But the list continued. I scrolled down further. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Normal Endings ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ª 0.1% ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ª 0.3% ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ª 0.2% ¡¤ Good Endings ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö, ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ª 0% ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ª 0% ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ª 0% ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ª 0% ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°There were good endings, too?¡± Normal and good endings were also listed, though their probabilities were abysmal. ¡°So, the current percentages represent the likelihood of each ending occurring if I do nothing from now on.¡± But the good endings were all at 0%. I could sue for false advertising. ¡°Does that mean the probabilities will change based on my actions?¡± Could I actually raise the chance of a good ending? This was something worth testing. Just then, a knock came from the door, followed by a middle-aged man¡¯s voice. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¨D ¡°Young Master, you must really get ready now.¡± I wanted to check the status window a bit longer, but it seemed I didn¡¯t have much time. Asella was not only my fianc¨¦e but also the Imperial Princess. Since she was visiting the marquisate with the Empress, it would be inappropriate for the marquis¡¯s heir to neglect welcoming them. Besides, the sun was already high in the sky. I must have overslept like a worthless bum. ¡®In the original game, I, Lass Gotberg, was a disgrace to the family ¡ª a notorious scoundrel.¡¯ In the current state, my status and reputation in the family were undoubtedly at rock bottom. That would explain why they shoved me into the most remote corner of the estate and didn¡¯t even bother waking me up on a day like today. ¡®Ten years from now, I¡¯ll have lost my family, my health, and everyone¡¯s respect.¡¯ If things continued like this, the future would be the same. Starting now, everything had to change. I got up and threw open the door. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re awake already?¡± The butler, startled, quickly averted his eyes. His face was vaguely familiar. ¡®If I remember correctly, this guy is my personal butler ¡ª Sievers.¡¯ I addressed him calmly. ¡°Good morning, Sievers.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah... Y-Yes, good morning, Young Master.¡± Sievers wiped his brow nervously. His expression was that of a man wondering if I had eaten something strange. ¡°Prepare my formal attire immediately. Apologize to Her Highness for my delay in greeting her properly.¡± At my instructions, Sievers¡¯s jaw dropped open. ¡°Uh... Did I speak too quickly? You¡¯re quite capable, so I assumed you¡¯d remember.¡± Sievers snapped back to reality, his head bobbing up and down frantically. ¡°O-Of course! It¡¯s just... You, uh, normally don¡¯t speak so... courteously...¡± ¡°Haha. My fianc¨¦e is visiting. Can¡¯t be dawdling around. And don¡¯t forget to bring some refreshments.¡± ¡°Understood! Right away, sir!¡± Sievers was about to dash off when I tapped him lightly on the shoulder. ¡°Yes, Young Master? Is there something else?¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing great work, Sievers.¡± His eyes widened, his lips quivering. He was clearly overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°N-Nothing, sir. I¡¯ve been serving you for ten years, and I never thought you¡¯d remember my name... Leave it to me!¡± With that, he rushed off to carry out his duties. Loyalty like that would definitely come in handy. I quickly finished dressing with the help of Sievers and the maids. Descending the stairs to the first floor of the annex, I was almost at the entrance. Just before stepping out, something caught my eye ¡ª a grand display of decorative weapons mounted above the fireplace. ¡°Hmm.¡± I scanned my surroundings. I had moved quickly, so the attendants hadn¡¯t caught up yet. In a swift motion, I grabbed a dagger from the display, slipping it discreetly under my belt. Then, as if nothing had happened, I continued walking calmly toward the entrance. The Gotberg estate, befitting a marquisate, was comprised of several buildings and vast grounds. My room was located in one of the annexes. The garden where Asella was strolling was right behind the annex, so I could reach her easily. As I stepped into the flower garden, the soft, muffled sound of grass being crushed beneath my shoes echoed. I passed through the towering willows. With each step, the golden hair shining like sunlight grew closer. A fresh breeze caressed her, and she slowly turned her head, meeting my eyes. ¡®Her eyes are still the same.¡¯ Asella¡¯s long eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a raven. Her golden irises glowed like topaz glinting in the desert ¡ª so alluring that if I let my guard down, I might get sucked in. Asella von W¨¹rttempelt. The girl who would one day become the Seventh Emperor of the Empire, the one who would reach the pinnacle of magic. Or perhaps, I should call her a magical weapon. A woman so consumed by hatred for the world that she wielded every means at her disposal to drag it into ruin. And right now, she was my fianc¨¦e. Ugh. Just the thought gave me chills. ¡°Your Highness.¡± I called out to her softly, and her small, delicate lips responded. ¡°The young lord of Gotberg.¡± ...Hearing her voice, I couldn¡¯t help but clench my fists. Was it fear from the countless deaths she had caused me? Or was it rage? Well, I¡¯d spoken to her. Now, what the hell do I do with her? Part of me wanted to punch her square in the face and pay her back for all the suffering she¡¯d inflicted. ¡®Calm down. Stay calm.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t afford to lose control now. This was my last chance. There would be no more regressions. Another part of me just wanted to run away. Just thinking about the magic she¡¯d used in the future was enough to make my heart pound in terror. It would be so nice to just sign a breakup agreement right here and now, go my own way, and let this villainess go hers. But if I ran away now, Asella would become the Emperor, and the likelihood of her destroying the world would shoot through the roof. The Ending List made that abundantly clear. ¡®Then what if I just kill Asella right now?¡¯ In the future, Asella would become a monster with unparalleled magical power and absolute authority. She would have no enemies left. If I eliminated her now, before she rose to power, I could prevent dozens of bad endings from happening. ...Right now, ten years ago, she hadn¡¯t committed any atrocities yet. But I¡¯d been killed countless times because of her. And it was an undeniable fact that she would go down in history as the worst villainess ever known. ¡°It is an honor to meet you in person, Your Highness. This is our first meeting. Lass Gotberg, heir of the Gotberg family, greets the Imperial Princess.¡± I bowed respectfully. Asella lowered her eyes slightly, glancing over me. ¡®Let¡¯s see how she reacts.¡¯ Slowly, my hand moved to the dagger hidden behind my back. I discreetly drew it, preparing to assassinate her. At this point, Asella wasn¡¯t capable of using any advanced magic. On the other hand, I¡¯d fought through countless battlefields. I could end this in an instant. Then, the numbers in the status window began to shift rapidly. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Bad Endings No. 001: Dragon Legion (New!) 42% ¡ú 0% No. 002: Great Collapse 22% ¡ú 0% No. 003: Beheading of the Hundred 87% ¡ú 0% No. 004: Sweet Poison 56% ¡ú 0% No. 005: Demon King¡¯s Victory 73% ¡ú 98% ... No. 101: Mana Outburst 4% ¡ú 100% ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡®Oh-ho.¡¯ Just as I expected, most of the bad endings involving her future atrocities disappeared. But one, Mana Outburst, shot up to 100%. ¡®Right. That ending where Asella¡¯s magic goes berserk and engulfs the entire continent.¡¯ I remembered it vividly. The sensation of my body being crushed under her out-of-control mana ¡ª an extremely unpleasant memory. If I kill her now, her magic will surge and consume everything. It¡¯s like she¡¯s a walking bomb. Damn, she¡¯s a troublesome woman. ¡®I can¡¯t just kill her, then.¡¯ And even if I did, it would be obvious that I was the culprit. I couldn¡¯t afford to be executed for assassinating the Imperial Princess. I¡¯d figured out how the Ending List worked. I slid the dagger back into its hidden sheath. ¡®If I can break her before she becomes that monster, I can prevent the bad endings. After that, I can escape.¡¯ Just as I was formulating a plan, a cold voice pierced through my eardrums like a needle. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to pull it out? That knife.¡± ...Damn it. One of the numbers in the Ending List flared up in a sinister red. [No. 056: The Villainess¡¯s Wrath 6% ¡ú 99%] ¡®No way. That¡¯s the ending where Asella just straight-up kills me.¡¯ That ending usually triggered when I lost my temper with her, provoked her, or otherwise pissed her off. This was bad. I didn¡¯t realize a bad ending could trigger so easily. I underestimated her. How did she even notice the dagger behind my back? ¡®Tsk.¡¯ There was only one thing I could do now ¡ª improvise. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll pull it out. A man who doesn¡¯t draw his weapon once it¡¯s in his hand is a coward, after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got some guts.¡± ¡°But in exchange, would Your Highness mind showing me what you¡¯re hiding behind your back?¡± At my words, Asella hesitated. From the moment we met, she had been keeping her hands hidden behind her back. I knew this story well. On this day, Asella had been wandering in the garden, picking yellow roses. According to her, I scolded her for damaging the flowers, yelling at her for destroying the property of my family. Apparently, she¡¯d held a grudge about it ever since. Women¡¯s grudges really did run deep. Since she was still hesitating, I pressed her further. ¡°It¡¯s only fair for us to show each other what we¡¯re hiding. After all, we are fianc¨¦s, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°...You do have a point.¡± Asella slowly revealed a handful of yellow roses, dropping them onto the ground. Even though we were engaged, this was still my family¡¯s estate. She must have realized she was in the wrong, as she looked somewhat tense. I approached her, holding the dagger in my hand. Then, I knelt down on one knee. And, with the dagger, I began trimming the thorns off the rose stems. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± ¡°Beautiful flowers tend to have sharp thorns. It would be a terrible disaster if Your Highness were to hurt your delicate hands.¡± I meticulously removed each thorn, one by one. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°My room ¡ª it¡¯s up there.¡± I gestured to my window above. ¡°I saw you from up there, Your Highness, picking flowers. So, I prepared this.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Was she buying it? Or ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) did it still sound too much like a lie? Stupid roses. Would¡¯ve been easier if an assassin showed up right now. Then I could just stab him and be done with it. But no. The assassin was me. Please, just let this go. While I was fervently wishing for mercy, Asella suddenly leaned down and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look directly into her eyes. Those golden irises gleamed, as if ready to devour me whole. ¡°You. Come to my room later.¡± Asella said with a devilish smile. It was a smile I remembered all too well. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Notification: The probabilities of endings have been updated. ¡¤ Bad Endings No. 056: The Villainess¡¯s Wrath 99% ¡ú 21% ¡¤ Good Endings ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö, ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ª 0% ¡ú 0.04% ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ª 0% ¡ú 0.001% ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Chapter 3: The Delinquent of the Marquisate (1) ¡°That was close.¡± Back in my room, I took a deep breath and ran a hand over my chest. All I did was greet Asella, but it felt like my lifespan had just been cut short by ten years. At this rate, I might survive the apocalypse only to drop dead from sheer stress. ¡°I need to erase those bad endings quickly. My heart can''t handle this.¡± Even when she was younger, Asella was someone I could never let my guard down around. I should''ve noticed it the moment I saw those eyes of hers. ¡°Asella is responsible for quite a few bad endings.¡± I scrolled through the list and counted roughly fifty. It was more than I remembered. ¡°The best option would be for Asella to just quietly die, but...¡± The problem is her magic. It¡¯s not something that can be dealt with easily. ¡°Asella already has more mana in her body than she can control.¡± If she finds herself in a life-threatening situation, her magic will spiral out of control and destroy the world. That¡¯s the [Mana Outburst] ending. Magic isn¡¯t my specialty, and even if some expert were to come, they wouldn¡¯t be able to comprehend the extent of Asella¡¯s abilities. At least, she hasn¡¯t reached that level yet. ¡°Assassination requires a lot more planning.¡± If I were to assassinate Asella, it would have to be with a meticulous, carefully crafted plan. I was lucky to get away just now. If Asella had summoned even one of her knights, I would¡¯ve been dragged off and executed for treason. The Gotberg family¡¯s downfall would¡¯ve been hastened by one foolish son. How proud would you have been of me then, Father? ¡°Why did she call me to her room, anyway?¡± It¡¯s not even her room to begin with. Wasn¡¯t it just a guest room provided by my family? ¡°Oh?¡± Grumbling to myself, I checked the Ending List. A few entries had turned green, indicating some changes. [No. 056: Villainess¡¯s Wrath ¨C 99% ¡ú 21%] [Modified] ¡°It didn¡¯t revert to its original value. That means she¡¯s still suspicious of me.¡± I couldn¡¯t ignore Asella. Once I was fully prepared, I would approach her again and try to gain her trust. ¡°Now, why did this probability drop?¡± [No. 003: Execution of the Hundred ¨C 87% ¡ú 64%] [Modified] Execution of the Hundred. This ending occurs if the Hero¡¯s Party fails during the subjugation of the Four Heavenly Kings. Distrustful citizens rise up against us, and Asella, driven mad by stress, ends up beheading a hundred people ¡ª including the Hero¡¯s Party and random commoners ¡ª and hangs their heads from the city gates. A truly grotesque sight. The only consolation was that my own head would be among them, so I wouldn¡¯t have to witness it in third-person. I looked through the Ending List again. None of the other endings had changed. ¡°Does this mean I now have the chance to erase this bad ending?¡± If Asella didn¡¯t come up with the idea of executing a hundred people out of nowhere, but instead got the inspiration from a particular event... And if that event started just now, during my encounter with her... Then it might be possible to alter Asella¡¯s experiences to prevent the [Execution of the Hundred] ending. ¡°But what does beheading a hundred people have to do with me?¡± I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what kind of twisted thoughts were festering in the mind of a villainess whose head was a bed of thorns, not flowers. Well, if it meant preventing my own death, then there was no reason to refuse. For now, it seemed like I needed to keep a close eye on the events that would soon unfold. ¡°There was one more change, wasn¡¯t there?¡± ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Good Ending ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö, ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö 0% ¡ú 0.04% ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D A probability that had been zero for a good ending had now appeared. Looking at the value, it was about as likely as winning the lottery. Hardly worth getting excited over yet. ¡°What¡¯s so good about a good ending, anyway?¡± I checked the description in the status window. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Good Ending: The best possible outcome for Lass Gotberg at the point of clearing the game. ¡¤ Trigger Condition: Occurs probabilistically when no bad endings have occurred. If the good ending doesn¡¯t trigger, a normal ending will occur instead. ¡¤ Probability Increase: Increases through the elimination of bad endings and Lass Gotberg¡¯s achievement score. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°Obviously, a good ending is better than a normal one.¡± This seemed different from the original game¡¯s ending. Since it specifically mentioned my name, it appeared to be an ending prepared exclusively for me. It might directly determine the circumstances I¡¯d face ten years later. ¡°To accumulate achievements, I need to become someone remarkable. If that¡¯s the case, it makes sense that the probability of a good ending would increase.¡± Rising to a higher social status, spreading my name far and wide, and making impactful contributions in various fields. Achievement scores would accumulate through such exceptional feats. ¡°If I succeed, it¡¯ll definitely be as a doctor.¡± That had been my dream. Though it was a profession that didn¡¯t yet exist in this world, ten years would be more than enough time to establish it. From now on, my objective was to eliminate bad endings and aim for a good ending. My direction was now clear. ¡°Alright, time to get moving.¡± I left my room and headed to the annex lobby, where a middle-aged man in a neat suit was sipping tea. Judging by the demeanor of the attendants, it was obvious who he was. The head of the Gotberg family, my father, Balduor Gotberg. My father glanced at me with a slightly troubled expression. ¡°My son, can we talk for a moment?¡± His voice was calm and deep, fitting for the head of a marquisate. But there was a subtle hint of unease. It must be difficult to face a son who was essentially a ticking time bomb. ¡°The sun has reached its peak, and I am blessed to behold my benefactor. Have you been well, Father?¡± I greeted him with a formal, noble gesture. His eyes widened as though he¡¯d just seen a ghost. ¡°Lass, did you hit your head or something? Or did you drink so much that your mind finally snapped?¡± My father stood up abruptly and examined me with a worried gaze. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry. My mind is clearer than ever.¡± ¡°Really? Well, that¡¯s a relief... Sievers was singing your praises out of nowhere, and now I see why. Your eyes do look different....¡± His gaze remained cautious as he studied me. For the Gotberg family, managing a territory as vast as a small country was no easy task. Even for a man like my father, the pressure of handling it all while having a delinquent son was palpable. There was a strange warmth in that realization. We both sat down to continue the conversation. ¡°I heard you met the princess.¡± It seemed he was worried I might have botched the first meeting with my fianc¨¦e. ¡°Yes. She was a woman of great dignity.¡± ¡°A-And? Was she displeased or anything?¡± My father realized his slip of the tongue and quickly cleared his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I was only asking because I thought the princess might not have liked our estate.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. In fact, Her Highness suggested a private meeting. I was just on my way to see her.¡± ¡°A private meeting? Already? Hmm.¡± My father stroked his beard, his face full of intrigue. It was as if he had just noticed something new about me. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy with work that I haven¡¯t had the chance to talk to you much lately. But now, looking at how neatly you¡¯re dressed and how eloquent your words are, it seems like you really prepared for today.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not every day that you meet your royal fianc¨¦e for the first time. I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down.¡± The more I spoke, the more surprised he looked. He was at a loss as to how to deal with a son who suddenly seemed to have pulled himself together overnight. Honestly, I would¡¯ve been the same. He¡¯d seen me for seventeen years, and now, out of nowhere, I was spouting sensible words. If it were me, I¡¯d be more likely to suspect my son had fallen into some black magic rather than suddenly become enlightened. I decided to put on a more confident front. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since such an important guest is here, I¡¯ll make sure nothing happens to tarnish the Gotberg name.¡± ¡°...You¡¯ve really changed a lot in such a short time. It couldn¡¯t have been easy to pull yourself together like this, so thank you. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Yes. Please do.¡± My father smiled warmly. The Gotberg family was still a powerful marquisate at this point. Later, we¡¯d get involved in some incident, be accused of treason, and face destruction. But if I could keep them from falling apart, they¡¯d be a solid backing for me. I knew exactly why the family would face ruin, and if I could prevent it, they¡¯d become a powerful ally. And seeing my father¡¯s relieved expression as he looked at me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit... good. ¡°The official meeting with the princess was originally scheduled for the dinner banquet. But since you¡¯ve already gotten acquainted, that¡¯s great.¡± My father¡¯s words piqued my curiosity. ¡°By the way, Father, what brings Her Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Princess to our estate?¡± ¡°Oh, I hadn¡¯t told you yet, had I?¡± My father took a sip of tea before getting to the main point. ¡°The imperial family is currently selecting a personal physician for the princess. Coincidentally, a competition exam was being held at our family¡¯s healing institute. One healer will be chosen based on the results.¡± A personal physician, huh. Now that was an interesting development. ¡®The Gotberg family was famous for its healers, after all.¡¯ Ten years later, I¡¯d become a fairly skilled high-rank healer myself. That was the reason. Even though I hadn¡¯t taken my studies too seriously, I¡¯d still graduated from the best facility with the best bloodline. ¡®If possible, I¡¯d prefer not to use healing magic.¡¯ Getting noticed as a healer would just end up dragging me back into that foolish Hero¡¯s Party. Even when I tried to use efficient strategies, I¡¯d often be hindered by having to cast endless healing spells. Honestly, I was sick of healing magic. All my memories of it were unpleasant. And no amount of money would make me join another party of lunatics like the Hero¡¯s Party again. ¡°Each member of the royal family has their own personal physician, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes. You may have heard, but the princess has been suffering from frequent ailments recently. Unfortunately, none of the healers who¡¯ve examined her so far have been able to provide any real improvement.¡± I knew about that. It was a side effect of Asella¡¯s increasing mana. ¡°Is there a strong candidate already?¡± ¡°I think Giss will likely be chosen. He¡¯s the top healer from our institute.¡± The institute was basically a healer academy. The Gotberg family¡¯s institute was regarded as one of the best in the empire, and it wasn¡¯t uncommon for graduates to be recruited by the royal family. If Giss was considered the ace of the institute, he was probably decent at least. ¡®But healing magic won¡¯t work on Asella.¡¯ Healing magic and regular magic might both be spellcraft, but they belonged to completely different systems. I¡¯d heard directly from Asella that her powerful mana rejected healing spells. The reason she became a crazy villainess was because of her uncontrollable magic. No, to be precise, she was already a villainess. Going insane was just the result of her magic. Maybe that¡¯s just how magic worked. Every mage or witch I¡¯d met seemed at least two screws loose. Asella, in particular, had a reason for it. She¡¯d reached a level of magic so extreme that her body couldn¡¯t handle it, and she was living in constant pain because of it. Unable to endure the pain, her magic eventually spiraled out of control, leading to a catastrophic incident. After that, Asella became a tyrant. And back then, healing magic was utterly useless. I¡¯d heard that directly from her, so I knew it was accurate. ¡®It¡¯s the price of having a gift.¡¯ One of the rules of this world. If you have a [Gift] that makes you exceptionally powerful in one area, you¡¯re also bound to have a [Debuff] that drags you down in another. A kind of karmic balance. For example, someone with immense physical strength couldn¡¯t possibly have powerful mana. No one could have it all. Right now, my gifts were still locked, so I didn¡¯t have any debuffs. But Asella likely had some kind of negative trait as well. ¡®Wait.¡¯ Not healing magic, but modern medicine. Would it be possible to erase Asella¡¯s debuff using the medical knowledge from my past life? And in the process, could I possibly ruin her magic as well? ¡®Nah, it can¡¯t be that easy.¡¯ In this world, there were no specialized pharmaceuticals, no basic surgical tools, not even antiseptics. The odds of success were practically zero. More importantly, if I became Asella¡¯s personal physician, escaping from the royal family later would be nearly impossible. Even if I managed to erase a bad ending or two, getting too deeply involved with Asella was a dangerous game. As I was sorting through my thoughts, my father spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ve kept you too long. You were on your way to see the princess, weren¡¯t you? Go on. I need to attend to the Empress.¡± ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s go together.¡± I walked alongside my father as we exited the annex. Knights and attendants followed behind us. We took the path that circled around the central garden. There were lakes and livestock pens on either side. The estate was massive. Beyond a wall, there was a church-like structure. ¡®That must be the healing institute.¡¯ Memories from this body¡¯s past life flickered through my mind like a mirage. The main building was divided into three sections ¡ª the east wing, west wing, and central hall. The Empress was staying in the central hall, and Asella was in the east wing. My father stopped in front of the east wing and gestured to me. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Go ahead and see the princess. Since she personally called for you, I won¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll see you at the dinner banquet.¡± I bowed and was about to head off when a commotion broke out beyond the fence. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± My father¡¯s voice was stern. An attendant, out of breath, rushed over and spoke quietly to him. Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t good. My father¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°The princess¡¯s pet?¡± Without another word, he strode quickly toward the scene. I immediately followed. The scene was a mess. On the lawn, a massive dog lay sprawled out, gasping for breath. It was Asella¡¯s pet, apparently. Four healers in white robes surrounded the dog. The dog was huge ¡ª probably a Great Pyrenees. It was taller than me, nearly two meters, with thick, fluffy white fur. The problem was that it was dying. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± My father¡¯s voice boomed. The healers, drenched in sweat, stammered their response. ¡°It suddenly collapsed...!¡± ¡°We¡¯re healing it right now!¡± But the dog kept gasping. And that¡¯s when I heard a familiar voice. ¡°Max!¡± Asella came running over, her eyes wide with panic. ¡°Max! Max!¡± ¡°Asella, the healers are treating him. Please, just wait a moment,¡± the head maid said, holding Asella back as she tried to rush toward the dog. ¡°So, his name is Max.¡± I glanced around at the so-called top healers from the institute. They were standing around, wringing their hands and muttering prayers instead of actually examining the patient. I stole a quick glance at Asella. ¡°......¡± Our eyes met, just for a moment. And at that exact moment, a number on the Ending List changed. [No. 004: Sweet Poison ¨C 56% ¡ú 71%] [Modified] What the hell? How did I end up affecting the conditions for the [Sweet Poison] bad ending? Was it because of this situation? ¡®Alright. A crisis is also an opportunity.¡¯ If this was the event that triggered the bad ending, then it was also a chance to erase it. Besides, even without the Ending List, I wasn¡¯t the type to just walk past a dying dog. Dogs are cute, after all. ¡°Tsk. Let¡¯s see.¡± I crouched down next to Max and started examining him. ¡°No visible external injuries.¡± So it had to be internal. Judging by his labored breathing, it was likely something in his airway. The thick fur made it hard to see anything with the naked eye. I pressed my hands against Max¡¯s body, feeling around carefully. ¡°Young Master, what are you doing?!¡± One of the healers grabbed my shoulder and tried to yank me away. ¡°I¡¯m identifying the cause. Don¡¯t get in the way.¡± I shoved the healer aside and focused on ? N§àv§Öl????ght ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Öl????ght) Max¡¯s neck. ¡°He¡¯s strangling the princess¡¯s dog!¡± ¡°That damned delinquent...!¡± They could say whatever they wanted. There was no time to argue. My fingertips brushed against something hard and round. ¡°What the...?¡± The cause was simple. ¡°Airway obstruction.¡± Something was lodged in his throat. Chapter 4: The Delinquent of the Marquisate (2) When I rushed toward the massive dog, the entire place erupted into chaos. ¡°The delinquent is choking the dog to death!¡± ¡°He¡¯s beating up the poor animal!¡± ¡°Did he start drinking in broad daylight? Someone stop him!¡± Ah, people and their prejudices. I¡¯m treating him, damn it. Sure, I don¡¯t have a medical license, so technically it¡¯s quack treatment, but what choice do I have? Time is running out. When I felt Max¡¯s neck, I could clearly make it out ¡ª a solid, fist-sized lump was lodged in his throat. Probably a large piece of fruit or a stone that he swallowed, and it got stuck in his airway. That¡¯s the problem with this world. Here, the standard practice is to heal everything with magic, regardless of whether it¡¯s an injury or an illness. No one bothers to identify the underlying cause. Healing magic being treated as a cure-all wasn¡¯t always the norm. Apparently, it all started in the Theocracy, a country ruled by the church, where the reliance on healing magic strengthened the power of the clergy. After centuries, it became ingrained in people¡¯s minds. But healing magic isn¡¯t a cure-all. Sure, it can treat any injury, but its effectiveness diminishes in certain cases. Especially in cases like this one. If the airway is blocked, it doesn¡¯t matter how much you heal the lungs or brain ¡ª the patient will just suffer longer before dying. ¡®Well, considering the time period, it¡¯s not surprising.¡¯ There¡¯s no concept of hygiene or infection control in this era. They haven¡¯t even developed basic anatomy, so no one knows how the body is structured. ¡®This isn¡¯t a job for healing magic. It¡¯s a medical emergency.¡¯ Time for some emergency first aid. The method is simple. I wrapped both arms around Max¡¯s waist, lifting his hind legs off the ground so that his head was hanging downward. ¡°Young Master! Stop this at once!¡± The healers went into a frenzy, convinced I¡¯d lost my mind. My father was sweating bullets, looking completely bewildered. But one person... Asella was looking at me with a different expression. Part confusion. Part anticipation. Like she was genuinely curious about what I was going to do next. I bent over, keeping Max¡¯s body pressed against me. I placed one fist just below his ribcage and wrapped my other hand around it. Then, with my knees slightly bent, I pulled inward with all my strength. ¡°Hup!¡± Max¡¯s gagging sound grew louder. I repeated the maneuver five times, but nothing came out. Did I fail? ¡°Oh no!¡± ¡°The young master is killing the dog!¡± Ignoring them, I repositioned myself, took a deep breath, and gave it one more, powerful thrust. ¨DCough! This time, Max made a different sound, and with a wet gag, a large chunk of something tumbled out of his mouth. Max gasped desperately for air, his breaths coming in frantic, heaving pants. Looking down, I saw the object ¡ª a hard piece of fruit. What an idiot. Probably tried to swallow it whole, drawn in by the sweet smell, and it got stuck in his throat. Max finally got back on all fours, coughing a few more times onto the ground. Then, as if nothing had happened, he wagged his tail and looked around as if to say, ¡°What¡¯s everyone so worked up about?¡± That¡¯s dogs for you ¡ª always acting like nothing happened. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the grass, drenched in sweat. Max was way too heavy. I really need to start working out. Max trotted over and nuzzled his face against mine, so I reached up and patted his head. ¡°What... what just happened?¡± ¡°What did the young master do just now...?¡± The healers stood there with blank expressions, completely at a loss. I decided to enlighten them. ¡°It¡¯s called the Heimlich maneuver. It¡¯s an emergency technique for clearing airway obstructions. It¡¯s simple to do, so you should all learn it.¡± They just stared at me like I was speaking another language. Maybe I should gather them all later and give a lecture on CPR. You never know ¡ª one of them might end up saving my life someday. ¡°Goodness, that was incredible. To think you¡¯d come up with such a method,¡± my father said, closing his prayer book with a sigh of relief. For someone who¡¯d spent his whole life relying solely on healing magic, it must have been quite the spectacle. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t saved that dog, it would¡¯ve been a terrible offense to the princess and, by extension, the Empress. You saved us from a huge disgrace, my son.¡± My father clapped me on the shoulder, helping me up. I got to my feet and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m the heir to the Gotberg family, aren¡¯t I? It was my duty to act.¡± ¡°Haha! When did my son become so reliable? Did you teach yourself that technique?¡± ¡°Ah, it wasn¡¯t healing magic.¡± My father¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Then what kind of skill was it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called medicine.¡± ¡°Medicine... So it¡¯s a study, not a spell,¡± he said, his expression softening into a proud smile. A new notification popped up in the status window. [No. 004: Sweet Poison ¨C 71% ¡ú 0%] [Modified] [Ending has been deleted.] ¡®Wow.¡¯ One bad ending erased. I couldn¡¯t help but feel the corners of my lips curve up. ¡®Now I remember. That was the ending where Asella suffocates people to death using her magic.¡¯ Yeah, that was a nightmare. But now that Max survived, Asella didn¡¯t form a strong impression of suffocation. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest, as though fresh air had flooded my mind. ¡®This might actually be more doable than I thought.¡¯ Erasing bad endings... it might even be fun. Max, who had been rubbing against my leg, suddenly bounded away. He headed straight for his owner, Asella. Asella, who had been panicking just moments ago, had returned to her usual cold-blooded demeanor. The intimidating aura she exuded at just fourteen years old made everyone around her tense up. She raised her finger and pointed directly at me. ¡°I want him as my personal physician.¡± Wait, what? ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Your Highness?!¡± Everyone was visibly shaken by Asella¡¯s declaration. Her attendants, who also served as her aides, were the first to step forward to dissuade her. ¡°Your Highness, please reconsider...¡± ¡°I believe the Young Master hasn¡¯t studied healing magic extensively.¡± ¡°It might be wise to reevaluate this decision...¡± Asella shot them a deadly glare, and they immediately clamped their mouths shut. Now the objections started pouring in from the healers on our side. ¡°M-Marquis! The personal physician selection exam is still ongoing!¡± ¡°This is a rare chance to enter the imperial palace!¡± ¡°If the Young Master goes to the palace as Her Highness¡¯s physician and causes a mishap, it would be disastrous!¡± My father looked just as caught off guard as the others. He seemed hesitant to speak, probably trying to choose his words carefully. It made sense. At this point in time, I was technically enrolled in the healing institute, but I was known more for drinking myself into oblivion than for studying anything useful. My engagement to Asella was purely a political arrangement between the imperial family and the Gotberg family. ¡®Well, that¡¯s your problem, not mine.¡¯ Not my concern at all. ¡®But I don¡¯t want to go either.¡¯ If I became her personal physician, I¡¯d be forced to stick by Asella¡¯s side constantly. Sure, it would give me more opportunities to erase bad endings. And yeah, my social status would skyrocket. But that would also mean seeing her every single day. As a physician, I¡¯d be expected to check her mana levels every morning, the first thing after she wakes up. I¡¯d die of a heart attack before the apocalypse ever happens. If that was the plan, why the hell did I even regress in the first place? ¡®The smarter move is to stay here, prevent the family¡¯s downfall, and make a name for myself.¡¯ A personal physician? The kind of job where you¡¯re expected to stay in the next room, ready to rush in 24/7 if anything happens? The kind of job that¡¯s practically a lifelong position because no one wants to take over once you¡¯re in? The kind of job where, if the royal family falls, you get executed alongside them, no questions asked? ¡®Hell no.¡¯ The imperial medical department was basically a university hospital. The Emperor had three personal physicians, and every member of the royal family had their own physician, each with a full team of assistants. It was a nest of healers ¡ª and a breeding ground for political backstabbing. A bunch of arrogant healers who spend more ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) time politicking than actually healing. In the real world, private clinics make more money and have less stress than hospital professors. That¡¯s the path I should aim for. Bad endings would occur ten years from now, so I had plenty of time to erase them one by one. Seeing Asella once a month would be more than enough. And in a year, I could break off the engagement and never see her again. That would be ideal. I needed to clarify the situation. I took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as possible. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your Highness, I am deeply honored by your offer. However, the healers do have a point. Our family is currently conducting a rigorous selection process to choose the most suitable candidate for you. If you could just wait...¡± My voice trailed off as a sudden chill ran down my spine. A new notification had appeared in the status window, and it was flashing ominously in bright red. [No. 056: Villainess¡¯s Wrath ¨C 21% ¡ú 64%] ¡®Oh, hell.¡¯ If Asella didn¡¯t get her way, she¡¯d pull out a sword and start threatening people. I glanced at her. Her expression had turned absolutely terrifying. Everyone around us felt the shift in atmosphere and clamped their mouths shut. Asella fixed her piercing gaze on me and spoke in a low, icy tone. ¡°So you¡¯re refusing?¡± ¡°...As I said, I haven¡¯t studied much healing magic.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to use healing spells.¡± ¡°Not going to do it?¡± The percentage ticked up again. 64% to 72%. She was ready to take my head off right here and now. I had to buy some time. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it this way.¡± I took a step back, and Asella tilted her chin up slightly, her eyes fixed on me. ¡°What concerns me most is my lack of skill,¡± I said. ¡°If I were to make a mistake and harm Your Highness, it would be unforgivable.¡± A spark of interest lit up in her eyes. I straightened up, projecting as much confidence as I could muster. ¡°Therefore, I will participate in the current personal physician selection exam. If I can prove my competence in a fair competition, then I will gladly accept the position as Your Highness¡¯s physician.¡± ¡°And you swear you¡¯ll do your best?¡± ¡°I swear.¡± Upon hearing my answer, Asella¡¯s lips curled into a devilish grin. ¡°If you do your best, then you¡¯re guaranteed to be chosen, right?¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t get selected, I¡¯ll hold you accountable for lying to me.¡± She gestured to the head maid, who was also her aide. ¡°From now on, you will personally monitor the entire exam process. Make sure there is no cheating or favoritism.¡± ¡°Understood, Your Highness.¡± Great. Now things had gotten even more complicated. Since the exam was being held by our family, I had planned to fail it on purpose. But now, there was no way to weasel out of it. I had underestimated Asella von W¨¹rttempelt. Even as a girl, she was already miles above me. ¡°Anyone have any objections?¡± Nobody said a word. Of course not. That was basically the equivalent of asking, ¡°Anyone want to volunteer to stick their neck in the guillotine?¡± ¡°You can all go. You, come to my room.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but blurt it out when she pointed directly at me. She furrowed her brow as though she couldn¡¯t believe what I¡¯d just said. ¡°I told you to come to my room earlier. Weren¡¯t you on your way there anyway?¡± Oh. Right. ¡°Of course, as you command, Your Highness.¡± I had no choice but to follow her, my steps heavy as if I were marching to my own execution. The maids surrounded me as if they were escorting a prisoner. Meanwhile, Max was already back to full health, happily panting and wagging his tail at Asella¡¯s side. Ignorance really is bliss. Dogs have it easy. Asella entered her room first, using the terrace door. She turned back and beckoned to me. ¡°Come in.¡± I stood there for a second, dumbfounded. Even if it was just a borrowed room and we were technically engaged, she was still a young woman. Did she really just tell me to enter her room without a second thought? But what choice did I have? Orders were orders. With a sigh, I stepped onto the terrace and followed her inside. Chapter 5: The Princess鈥檚 Personal Physician Wants to Escape The crisp autumn breeze softly flowed into Asella¡¯s room. The temperature and humidity were perfectly pleasant, yet my head felt a little dizzy, as if slightly intoxicated. Maybe it was because of Asella¡¯s gaze, fixed on me since earlier, tightening around my heart. Or perhaps it was due to the scent wafting from the table. ¡°A floral scent?¡± Something damp brushed against my hand, snapping me out of my daze. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± It was Max¡¯s tongue. Thanks to him, some of the tension eased away. Dogs are simple creatures ¡ª treat them well, and they¡¯ll love you openly. I can¡¯t help but like them too. I gently petted him, and Max raised his body, nuzzling against me for affection. Cute little guy. ¡°Max, come here.¡± Asella called, but Max clung to me, showing no intention of leaving. ¡°Max?¡± This is awkward. Hey, your owner¡¯s calling you. Look, she doesn¡¯t seem pleased. I might actually die here, Max. [No. 056: Villainess¡¯s Wrath 12% ¡ú 11%] [Fluctuating] Huh? Despite how things appeared, she didn¡¯t seem particularly angry. Rather, the probability of Asella¡¯s rage-induced ending was slightly decreasing. ¡°Max!¡± When Asella called more firmly, Max finally returned to her side. Asella, now seated, gestured at me. ¡°You. Come here.¡± I approached a few steps closer. On the table, a cluster of yellow roses she¡¯d cut earlier in the garden lay before me. She¡¯d gathered quite a lot. No less than a hundred flowers. [No. 003: Execution of the Hundred 64% ¡ú 63%] [Fluctuating] The numbers on the Ending List shifted slightly. ¡°So, the flowers are the key?¡± Suddenly, Asella turned her head sharply, glaring at me with those terrifying eyes. Damn it. My heart almost stopped. If she¡¯d just sit quietly, she¡¯d look pretty. Like a doll. ¡°Did you bring the knife?¡± ¡°Yes, as requested.¡± ¡°Just like before, cut off the thorns.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Standing by the table, I drew out the dagger and began clipping the thorns off the rose stems. ¡°What are you doing?¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Asella asked. I couldn¡¯t tell what she was getting at, so I hesitated. You¡¯re the one who told me to do it. ¡°...I¡¯m cutting the thorns?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a chair right there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me to sit down?¡± ¡°Do I really have to spell it out for you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± I immediately pulled out a chair and sat down. The chair was positioned at a right angle to Asella. Was this her way of showing consideration? No, she probably just wanted me to sit still and not make a mess. The work continued. The sound of stems ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) being trimmed echoed in the quiet room. Asella rested her hand on Max¡¯s head, watching me as if she were keeping an eye on a particularly unpredictable pet. ...Time passed. Repeating the same task over and over calmed me a bit. I was just starting to space out when ¡ª ¡°Ouch.¡± A short, pained exhale snapped me to attention. Asella was holding a single rose. It was one of the stems I hadn¡¯t de-thorned yet. ¡°It won¡¯t come off easily. Why is this one so troublesome?¡± A single drop of dark crimson blood trailed down Asella¡¯s index finger, which was clutching the rose¡¯s base. ¡°Ah, damn it.¡± I should¡¯ve warned her not to touch it. She just had to be so damn curious. Not that my reputation wasn¡¯t already bad enough. If someone saw and thought I¡¯d injured her, it¡¯d be a nightmare. ¡°If you think about it, only the head of the flower is pretty. The rest is unnecessary, isn¡¯t it?¡± With that, Asella snapped the flower head from the stem. The yellow rose was now stained red with her blood. And the Ending List¡¯s probability shifted again. [No. 003: Execution of the Hundred 63% ¡ú 65%] [Fluctuating] Based on what I observed earlier ¡ª ¡°It seems like the more negative experiences Asella has, the higher the probability of triggering that ending.¡± The more memorable and intense the experience, the easier it¡¯d be for her to act out those violent endings. If I treated her wound, it might decrease the probability. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°What?¡± I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket. I grabbed her wrist. It was a thin, pale wrist, as if life itself barely pulsed through it. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re hurt, it¡¯s best to treat it. It¡¯s simple. There¡¯s no need to snap off the flower heads.¡± I dampened the handkerchief with water from the teapot nearby and began to wipe away the blood from Asella¡¯s finger. Carefully, I cleaned around the wound to prevent infection. ¡°Now then...¡± There was a linen scarf lying nearby. I cut it into a thin strip with the knife, fashioning a makeshift bandage. I wrapped it gently around her injured finger, not too tightly. Asella tilted her head, her gaze fixed on the wrapped finger. ¡°What¡¯s this? Is this some sort of healing spell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not healing; it¡¯s treatment. Blood clots naturally, so this will help it heal. Using healing magic unnecessarily could actually make it worse.¡± I smiled lightly. ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t respond well to healing magic, after all.¡± ¡°...Hmm, that¡¯s right.¡± Asella continued to stare at her bandaged finger for a long moment. Her curious gaze drifted toward me. ¡°You did the same for Max earlier?¡± ¡°It was just a simple first aid treatment, like this.¡± ¡°You called it medicine.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°I like it. What else?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°What else do you know?¡± She grinned like a devil, her expression demanding more entertainment. ¡°What should I say?¡± [No. 003: Execution of the Hundred 68% ¡ú 42%] [Adjusted] The probability had dropped significantly. Good. An execution involving a hundred people? No thanks. If possible, I need to lower it further. The fact that Asella seemed to accept my suggestion of not snapping the rose heads was a good sign. Maybe I could push a bit further. ¡°Also, roses are more beautiful with their stems intact.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Look closely.¡± Asella leaned forward, her interest piqued. I picked up one of the roses that still had its thorns. ¡°As you can see, roses have thorns...¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to you, I got hurt. And yet, Young Master, you say the stem is beautiful.¡± I tucked the rose with remaining thorns into my inner pocket. It would be annoying if Asella mindlessly touched it again and got hurt. ¡°The more beautiful a flower, the sharper its thorns. The more captivating a being, the more enemies it attracts ¡ª so it must protect itself.¡± ¡°Hm. And so?¡± Asella tilted her chin up, as if waiting for me to continue. I gently bent the rose stem in my hand. It was relatively pliable. Yellow roses were a unique species that only existed in this world. I¡¯d seen them while researching medicinal plants before. This will work. ¡°What I¡¯m about to show you can only be made with flowers that still have their stems.¡± I placed the trimmed roses neatly on the table. Taking one stem, I folded it horizontally and began weaving. ¡°...Oh?¡± Asella watched my hands move back and forth with a fascinated expression. After some time, a floral crown made from the roses lay complete on the table. ¡°If the flower heads were removed, you wouldn¡¯t be able to make this.¡± Asella carefully picked up the floral crown, turning it over in her hands. Did she like it or not? I couldn¡¯t tell just by looking at her face. ¡°Why is it in the shape of a ring?¡± Oh. She didn¡¯t know it was a crown. I gently took the crown and placed it on Asella¡¯s small head. ¡°It¡¯s a decorative piece meant to be worn on the head.¡± Asella blinked her large eyes a few times, clearly not having expected that. ¡°Does it suit me?¡± She asked. ¡°You are the most beautiful in the world.¡± I answered. Please, let that be the right response. ¡°I see.¡± Asella replied. It was such a sudden remark that I asked again. ¡°See what?¡± ¡°Leaving the stems on is better.¡± Huh? Did she just agree with me? I glanced cautiously at Asella to gauge her mood. Her golden eyes were still fixated on the floral crown, as if she were entranced by it. That was... surprising. Until now, Asella had never listened to me. Then again, it was ten years ago. Maybe things could be different this time. Or maybe she was just in a good mood today. I decided not to dwell on it too much. I checked the status window. [No. 003: Execution of the Hundred 42% ¡ú 31%] [Fluctuating] I felt like I was walking on thin ice. ¡°Asella might have accepted it, but the ending hasn¡¯t been deleted. Judging by the dwindling fluctuations, this probably isn¡¯t the main incident yet.¡± Still, I¡¯d managed to reduce the probability by a lot compared to the beginning. Now, I was curious about the incident that would truly inspire Asella. I turned to Asella. ¡°By the way, Your Highness, what do you intend to do with these roses?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Asella¡¯s lower lip curled upward slightly. ¡°Keep it a secret from others.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give them to Mother later.¡± ¡°...As a gift?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Asella responded without hesitation. Why on earth is she giving her mother a gift made from flowers she plucked from someone else¡¯s garden? Is this some sort of ¡®Why pay for something when you can just take it from your fianc¨¦¡¯s estate¡¯ mindset? She truly thinks in a completely different way. Then again, she is the imperial princess and the future emperor. The empire will belong to her eventually. So technically, she¡¯s not wrong. ¡°Then, the flower issue is more related to the Empress than to me.¡± As I was sorting through my thoughts, Asella spoke up. ¡°Young Master Gotberg.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Do well in the physician exam.¡± This stubborn princess seemed awfully intent on making me her personal physician. ¡°Why are you so eager to have me?¡± ¡°I like you.¡± Looks like she took a liking to medicine. After all, I did save Max¡¯s life, so it was only natural that she¡¯d be interested. She¡¯s the type to push through her decisions no matter what. Now that I¡¯d caught her eye, refusing her offer could lead to unpredictable repercussions. At this point, there was no way to avoid getting involved. Besides, I¡¯d need to eliminate all the bad endings caused by Asella anyway. To do that, staying close to her would be the easiest course of action. To accumulate achievements, I¡¯d also need to elevate my social standing. Even if I decided to change course later, her proposal was a solid stepping stone. ...It¡¯s decided. I would become the imperial physician. But it would be better to attach some favorable conditions. ¡°When I become Your Highness¡¯s physician...¡± Asella raised a brow slightly. ¡°I intend to focus mainly on medical treatments. I will need an environment equipped for medical procedures.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°As the eldest son, I must also take care of my family. I may need to leave occasionally, but I will prepare a nurse to attend to you in my absence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s acceptable.¡± ¡°And one last thing.¡± I pulled out a letter envelope from the nearby desk and began writing. I sealed it with wax and stamped it with my insignia. ¡°If, as Your Highness¡¯s physician, I achieve significant merit, you will open this envelope and fulfill the request written inside.¡± ¡°What did you write in it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing unrealistic, like asking for the empire. It¡¯s a simple matter that Your Highness could easily grant right now.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fine.¡± When Asella reached for the envelope, I withdrew it slightly. ¡°I want a formal contract.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bold. Shall I use Geass?¡± ¡°Yes. And to verify that I¡¯m not lying about the contents, Your Highness may use any magic or artifact you see fit.¡± Asella¡¯s lips curved into a sly smile, as if to say, ¡®Go ahead and try whatever petty trick you have up your sleeve.¡¯ She traced a pattern in the air with her finger. Golden mana seeped from her fingertip, spreading like a hazy mist. Geass. The magic of oaths. A spell that compels the caster to keep their word, no matter what. ¡°I, Asella von W¨¹rttempelt, hereby declare.¡± Her clear, commanding voice reverberated as the magic circle pulsed. ¡°If Lass Gotberg, son of the Gotberg family, as my personal physician, renders substantial merit to me, I shall open the envelope and fulfill the request written within.¡± Three magic circles rotated clockwise, flashing brightly. ¡°In the name of the great sage Deliparcus.¡± ¡ªBANG! A burst of light exploded from Asella¡¯s hand, sealing the contract. ¡°Now I¡¯m really curious about what you wrote.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that will surely make Your Highness very happy.¡± Oh, you¡¯ll be thrilled, alright. I know exactly how much you despise me. [When Asella von W¨¹rttempelt annuls her engagement with Lass Gotberg, she will dismiss him from the position of personal physician and safely release him from the palace.] I had to take out at least this much insurance if I wanted to make it out of here with all my limbs intact. Chapter 6: Roses Have Thorns With the insurance policy set with Asella, there was nothing holding me back from participating in the physician¡¯s exam. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s think positively about this.¡± The benefits of becoming the imperial physician: The pay ¡ª it¡¯s massive. The annual salary easily exceeds a hundred gold coins. And if it involves treating a royal family member? That could go up to two hundred. In just five years, I could afford a mansion in the capital. The social standing was considerable too. In the nine-tier social hierarchy, it ranked at the third tier, on par with the mayor. Even within the palace, it outranked the head butler. ¡°Personally, there¡¯s also a lot I could accomplish.¡± I had already secured Asella¡¯s promise of support, so I could establish myself as a physician and build a track record. And being close to Asella would also give me more opportunities to eliminate bad endings she might trigger. I¡¯d also have the chance to get involved in imperial politics. It would make it easier to prevent the incident that would lead to my family¡¯s downfall. ¡°The only downside that outweighs all of that...¡± Was that I would have to see Asella¡¯s face every morning, see Asella¡¯s face every noon, and see Asella¡¯s face every evening. Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t even need the Ending List. Whenever I look at Asella, flashbacks of all the ways I¡¯ve died play out like a reel in my head. A living, breathing video recorder. She still had some baby fat left, making her face round and cherubic. Alright. I¡¯ve made my decision. No more whining. If I¡¯m going to do it, I¡¯ll do it. ¡°They said the head maid will be overseeing the exam, so I should start preparing.¡± The written exam had already been held, and some candidates had been eliminated. What was left was the practical exam. I¡¯d still have to take the written exam, but that would be a breeze. The crucial practical exam to select the final candidates was in a week. I needed to prepare for that. But for now ¡ª ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of this first.¡± [No. 003: Execution of the Hundred ¡ª 31%] It was the bad ending where Asella gained inspiration from the incident of giving yellow roses to the Empress. Asella was still examining the floral crown. After a while, she seemed to come to a decision and nodded to herself. ¡°Yes, this is better.¡± Asella picked up the crown and stood up. She walked gracefully out to the balcony. The head maid stepped forward to escort her. ¡°Where is Mother?¡± ¡°She is in the main hall, having a meeting with the Marquis.¡± ¡°I want to see her.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Asella left without so much as a glance back. Left alone, I looked at Max. His tongue lolled out as he stared at me with bright, innocent eyes ¡ª the only fluffball of sweetness in this thorn-filled palace. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Max.¡± I patted his head, and he let out a soft bark. *** Following the garden path, I moved from the east wing to the central hall. I was now trailing behind Asella. While the noble princess was accompanied by maids, the wretched fianc¨¦e wandered along alone. Asella didn¡¯t seem to notice that I was following her. The Empress was standing in the well-manicured meeting courtyard outside the main hall, conversing with my father. I slipped behind a willow tree, observing them. ¡°Third Empress Camilla von W¨¹rttempelt.¡± She wasn¡¯t a particularly powerful faction within the imperial palace. ¡°Silver hair. A witch.¡± The Empress was clearly a mage. Her hair was now a soft silver, the result of using excessive mana over the years. The same color Asella would have in ten years. ¡°So, a witch who fell out of the Emperor¡¯s favor was trying to latch onto our family¡¯s power.¡± I¡¯d heard that the Empress had pushed for my political engagement to Asella. Asella now stood quietly at the entrance to the central hall, hands clasped demurely. She seemed to be waiting for the Empress. My father noticed her first and spoke to the Empress. The Empress excused herself and walked toward Asella, her heels clicking sharply against the stone. The two moved to a more shadowed spot, as if intending to have a private conversation. I adjusted my position to a closer willow tree to eavesdrop. ¡°Asella, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I brought a gift for you, Mother.¡± Asella extended the object she had been holding. It was the floral crown I had made from yellow roses. A surprise gift from a daughter. Maybe I should give my father something like that to score some points? I thought, but the Empress¡¯s icy voice cut through my musings. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A yellow rose crown.¡± The Empress took the floral crown. Slowly, she turned it around in her hands. ¡°Asella.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Empress¡¯s voice was now frigid, stabbing through the air like a blade. ¡°I thought I told you to behave yourself quietly in the Marquis¡¯s estate.¡± The Empress stroked one of the roses with her wrinkled finger and then ¡ª snap. She plucked the rose head off the stem and dropped it. ¡°To think you interrupted an important meeting over this ridiculous trinket. Unbelievable.¡± The Empress¡¯s sharp words struck Asella. Asella pressed her lips together, unable to respond. ¡°Learn to distinguish between what is important and what is not. Do you think I came all the way to this backwater just to choose your personal physician? The Gotberg family¡¯s cooperation is crucial for seizing power within the imperial palace.¡± So that was her intention behind arranging the engagement. In the aristocratic circles, such schemes were commonplace. There are multiple factions within the imperial palace. Nobles are always testing the waters, trying to decide which side to align with. My father is a devout believer, so he''s relatively weak in politics. Geographically, the Gotberg estate is located far from the capital. However, looking to the future, our family¡¯s value could increase. ¡°Since we¡¯re a family of healers, the probability of a Saintess emerging from our lineage is high.¡± Right now, it¡¯s a time of peace, but if the Demon King were to appear, the faction holding the Saintess would naturally gain power. The Empress must have placed her bets on that possibility and set her sights on our family. The Empress continued to berate Asella. ¡°So, go back to your room and focus on seducing that stupid bastard. You¡¯re both equally idiotic, so you¡¯ll suit each other well. This engagement must not be broken. Use your body if you have to ¡ª just make sure to keep that fool tethered to you.¡± Did that hag just call me stupid? ¡°If you don¡¯t, your neck will eventually fall off your body just like this.¡± The Empress shoved the rose she¡¯d torn off right in front of Asella¡¯s face. She cast a spell. It must have been poison-related. The rosebud started to bubble and dissolve almost instantly. The blood-red liquefied rose dripped to the ground, powerless. Asella stared at the sight blankly, her expression as vacant as a doll¡¯s. The Empress dropped the floral crown from her hand. The rose crown Asella had painstakingly crafted fell to the ground, crumpling underfoot. The Empress turned on her heel and walked away from Asella. Slowly, Asella bent down and picked up the crushed floral crown. The probability percentage on the screen flared red as it surged upwards. [No. 003: Execution of the Hundred 31% ¡ú 77%] Before I knew it, I slapped my forehead. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t understand the importance of things now?¡± The probability had more than doubled. Or does it mean it rose because I didn¡¯t intervene sooner? Was this my fault? ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± I could tolerate being called a fool. But ¡ª ¡°I can¡¯t stand being called a fool.¡± I walked toward Asella. She turned to look at me. Her expression was that of a child caught in the act of ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) doing something wrong, surprised to see me there. I took the floral crown from her hands. Suppressing the throbbing vein in my forehead, I calmly called out to the Empress. ¡°Your Highness the Empress.¡± The Empress looked back at me. I bowed slightly, bending my knees just enough to display courtesy. Her expression twitched slightly, then quickly softened into a gracious smile. ¡°Oh my, Young Master Gotberg. I didn¡¯t realize you were here.¡± ¡°Haha, from afar, Your Highness¡¯s grace shone so brightly that it drew me here without a second thought. Forgive my impudence for running over without proper decorum.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Thanks to you...¡± ¡°But.¡± I cut her off. The Empress¡¯s face stiffened, clearly not expecting to be interrupted. Oh, if she¡¯s that shocked now, just wait. This is only the beginning. ¡°It seems Your Highness the Empress isn¡¯t too fond of our family.¡± ¡°Young Master? What are you implying?¡± ¡°This crown, for instance.¡± I extended the yellow rose crown toward her. ¡°These yellow roses are a specialty of the Gotberg family, a unique breed that our first patriarch personally cultivated. They¡¯ve been maintained exclusively by our estate ever since.¡± Of course, that was a complete lie. I didn¡¯t even know who the first patriarch was. ¡°Oh... Is that so? I wasn¡¯t aware.¡± A hint of unease flickered across the Empress¡¯s face. ¡°And this floral crown ¡ª I made it myself. It was a tribute to be presented to Your Highness through Her Highness the Princess.¡± ¡°Oh... was it?¡± The Empress had no excuses. If Asella hadn¡¯t informed her that it was a tribute, it would be a fault on her as the fianc¨¦e. But if the Empress claimed she never intended to accept it as a tribute, that would be a direct insult to our family. Granted, the Marquisate was still beneath the imperial family. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, Asella was still just the imperial princess. The Empress, on the other hand, had fallen out of the Emperor¡¯s favor. She needed our family. She couldn¡¯t afford to have a rift with my father. And what if the Marquis¡¯s son threw a public tantrum, claiming the imperial family had insulted him? Negotiations and the engagement would be at risk. Even if the other party was royalty, that kind of fallout was very possible. After all, I was a well-known delinquent. ¡°...Young Master.¡± She was trapped. The Empress must have realized by now that this was a trap I¡¯d set. Her gaze sharpened, the loathing unmistakable. But I couldn¡¯t care less. She couldn¡¯t kill me, but Asella could. And she actually would. So what are you going to do, you old hag? But standing here like this would only prolong the deadlock. I decided to give her an out. ¡°If Your Highness were to accept the tribute right now, I believe it would resolve the matter without informing the Marquis. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± The Empress reluctantly accepted the crown from me. Her nostrils flared, a clear sign of her barely contained rage. This is almost funny. ¡°...Looks like you¡¯re not just a mindless fool after all. To think you¡¯d dabble in politics.¡± She muttered under her breath as she turned away. ¡°Hah, really.¡± Did she really need to get in one last jab just to save her pride? If she¡¯d just walked away quietly, it would¡¯ve ended well. But I wasn¡¯t the kind to ignore a provocation. ¡°Oh dear, it seems a rose fell.¡± I pulled out a rose from my pocket. It was the one I¡¯d hidden earlier ¡ª the one with the thorns still intact. ¡°Please, take it with you.¡± I pushed the rose into the Empress¡¯s hand, where she was awkwardly holding the crown. ¡°Ouch...!¡± The Empress winced, her face contorting in pain. It was fine. I¡¯d positioned it so it wouldn¡¯t draw blood. But her lips quivered, as if she were about to curse and then thought better of it. What¡¯s she going to do now? With gritted teeth, the Empress finally turned and left. ¡°Phew. Now then, let¡¯s see.¡± I checked the system window. [No. 003: Execution of the Hundred 77% ¡ú 0%] [Adjusted] [Ending has been deleted.] ¡°Done.¡± A sense of relief washed over me. The future where I was executed had just been erased. It felt as if a weight had lifted off my chest. Yes, this is it. This is the feeling. I was basking in that sense of liberation when suddenly, I felt a tap on my back. ¡°Young Master.¡± I turned around and nearly jumped out of my skin. Asella¡¯s face was inches from mine. I stumbled backward, my heart pounding. God, I still wasn¡¯t used to her sudden appearances. While I tried to calm my frantic heartbeat, Asella stomped closer, her steps heavy and deliberate ¡ª like a scene out of a horror movie. ¡°Young Master, I have a question.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± She still didn¡¯t know? Chapter 7: Talent Unleashed (1) Now that I think about it, I¡¯d never actually heard Asella call me by my name. In the future, I¡¯d assumed it was because she was looking down on me. Now, I thought it was because she was maintaining formalities. But it turns out she simply didn¡¯t know my name. ¡°It¡¯s Lass. Lass Gotberg.¡± ¡°Lass.¡± Asella repeated my name once, letting it roll off her tongue before starting to walk away. Her long hair brushed lightly against my face as she passed by. ...A strange scent lingered in the air. ¡°Young Master, tell me what you want.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± She wasn¡¯t using my name. Then again, suddenly switching to a casual address would seem odd. ¡°Something in exchange for the roses. Since Mother accepted them, they now hold value.¡± Oh, so she didn¡¯t intend to just take them without compensation? I was genuinely touched by her sense of fair trade. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Consider it a gift.¡± ¡°No.¡± Asella spun around to face me, her expression firm. ¡°I told you ¡ª it¡¯s an exchange. If you gain something, you must give something back. It¡¯s the most important law in the world.¡± She raised a finger, tracing a simple spell circle in the air. A small flame flickered to life, like a match being struck, then dissipated into the air. ¡°With a small amount of mana, you can¡¯t cast powerful magic.¡± She was adamant over the strangest things. I was too tired to argue, so I just nodded. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡± Asella walked away, moving gracefully like a doll, her steps light and soundless. *** In the afternoon, I toured the estate with Sievers. Even the mansion grounds were vast, but once we passed through the walls guarded by knights, the territory extended even further. To the south lay a small town where the estate¡¯s citizens lived. To the west, a large river ran through the land ¡ª a bit chilly, but ideal for farming. To the east stood the Healer Training Institute, a small academy with dormitories that also served as a pseudo-church, though its religious influence wasn¡¯t particularly strong. I wasn¡¯t a boarding student, but technically, I was supposed to attend classes there. Not that I ever actually did. ¡°Haha! When I heard of Young Master¡¯s exploits, I was truly astonished! The entire mansion is buzzing with praise for you!¡± Sievers was being overly enthusiastic, so I waved my hand dismissively. ¡°Who would believe such rumors? They¡¯re probably cursing me behind my back.¡± ¡°Oh no, not at all, Young Master! I, more than anyone, can tell that you¡¯ve truly changed. Now, this area is...¡± While following Sievers¡¯s explanations, I pulled up the status window. ¡°Stats.¡± ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Strength: 6 Endurance: 6 Magic Power: 1 Mana: 12 Divine Power: 22 Faith: 100 ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Wow, what garbage. Is this a person or a paper doll? ¡°With these stats, the practical exam is going to be a nightmare.¡± I gazed toward the northern forest and asked Sievers, ¡°That area ¡ª is it uncharted territory?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. It marks the northwestern border of the empire. Beyond the forest is an unknown land, teeming with powerful monsters. You must be cautious, Young Master.¡± ¡°So, the practical exam will likely take place in that forest.¡± ¡°As expected, your insight is impeccable. The candidates will be tested on their healing abilities while subduing monsters alongside the knights.¡± Monster subjugation. I¡¯d grown sick of it during my time with the Hero¡¯s Party. The real problem now was my stats. At least my mana and divine power were decent, thanks to my bloodline. But my magic power was a pitiful 1. I had zero magical aptitude. If I¡¯d trained my body, that might¡¯ve helped, but this wastrel had spent his formative years drinking and lazing around. Now, my endurance was barely enough to run a lap. And my strength was nothing special. ¡°The fact that my faith is still at 100 is ridiculous.¡± Just as physical training increases strength, training in healing spells increases faith. Studying theology or praying also boosts faith. I was an extreme case of overdeveloped faith. After all, as someone who¡¯d possessed this body, I knew better than anyone that there was no god in this world. Ironically, my absolute conviction that gods didn¡¯t exist made my faith unwavering. Even ten years into the future, my faith stat remained at 100. The problem was that my divine power was underdeveloped, preventing me from using high-level healing spells. ¡°Giss probably has around 25 divine power.¡± He was the ace of the training institute, so that was a reasonable guess. ¡°I should focus on using medicine for the exam.¡± I wasn¡¯t a licensed doctor, just a quack who¡¯d done a few practical lessons. ¡°But no matter how much knowledge I have, in this world, what really matters are skills.¡± There was one thing that caught my attention. A part of the status window that had always been blacked out. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Talents: ¡ö¡ö¡ö (S) ¡ö¡ö (S) ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D I couldn¡¯t see what they were, as they were concealed. They could be magic-related or combat-related. If I could unlock my talents, I could open up skill trees. The only thing ¡ï ???????????????????????????????????? ¡ï I was sure of was that these talents were top-tier. Two S-grade talents. ¡°Usually, a person only has one talent. It was odd that I had two from the start.¡± I didn¡¯t know why, but without unlocking them, they were useless. ¡°Should I open them?¡± After all, life was short. Why live as a mediocrity when I could live as a prodigy? And right now, I had the perfect opportunity. *** Dinner Time Has Arrived. It was the formal occasion where the alliance between the Third Empress and the Gotberg family would be discussed. For nobles, etiquette and procedures were paramount. What a rigid way to live. My engagement to Asella was also one of the topics to be addressed. ¡°You look splendid! If this were a ball, all the young ladies from every household would be lining up to dance with you! Hahaha.¡± After finishing preparations to step into the main hall, Sievers adjusted my collar and let out a hearty laugh. Just as I was about to leave the annex, the basket of candies placed on the table caught my eye. ¡°Ah, they were meant for the Princess, but she refused them.¡± ¡°Candy¡¯s nice. Why would she do that?¡± Thinking I¡¯d snack on them one by one if things got boring later, I grabbed a handful and stuffed them into my pocket. I made my way to the designated location. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Lass, you¡¯re early.¡± When I arrived at the main hall, my father was looking at me with a pleased expression. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am to see you acting so diligently now.¡± ¡°As the eldest son of the family, it¡¯s only natural.¡± ¡°Forget about the family. As long as you¡¯re prepared like this, I¡¯ll support you in pursuing your ambitions.¡± ¡°I am undeserving of such words.¡± Father was the type to be overly kind to the point of being a pushover. If you gained even a little of his trust, he¡¯d sign anything you put in front of him. That¡¯s why he got completely swept up by the Empress, who was only looking to exploit him. ¡°Lass, I forgot the promise I made to your mother ¨C that I¡¯d do my utmost for you. Looking back, I realize that I prioritized work too much. But you matured first, and I am grateful for that. You truly are my son.¡± ¡°Haha, there¡¯s no need to doubt that.¡± ¡°I feel reassured. From now on, I¡¯ll cut back on work and focus more on you and Neria.¡± Neria. The term "you and Neria" was used. Aside from me, the Gotberg family had one other child ¨C a young lady. ¡°But what about the examination to become the Princess¡¯s personal physician? It was quite a sudden decision.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m a little worried. If I do enter the imperial court, it would certainly be an honor, and it would look good for me as her fianc¨¦, but...¡± ¡°Hmm, but you are my son. I trust you will do well. You have my support.¡± Looking into my father¡¯s innocent eyes, I instinctively knew that using any underhanded methods with him was out of the question. He was the kind of man who would never accept a bribe in his entire life ¨C utterly clueless about the scheming politics of the court. ¡®No matter how I look at it, the Third Empress¡¯s faction is a rotten rope to cling to.¡¯ That¡¯s how the Gotberg family ended up being falsely accused of treason and wiped out without so much as a whimper. If you¡¯re going to hitch a ride, Father, it shouldn¡¯t be with the Empress ¨C it should be with Asella. That would be a much smoother ride. While we were talking, someone entered the drawing room accompanied by a maid. ¡°Father, I¡¯ve come to greet you for dinner.¡± ¡°Oh, come in, Neria.¡± A petite girl bowed respectfully to my father. ¡®Neria Gotberg.¡¯ My half-sister. There was no denying our familial connection ¨C we all had silver hair, a trait of those born with strong divine power. Father¡¯s hair was ash gray, Neria¡¯s was a soft gray, and mine was nearly pure white. Neria was around ten years old, but she carried herself with an unexpectedly mature demeanor. ¡°Hello, Neria.¡± I smiled warmly and greeted her. But Neria seemed a bit wary of me. ¡°Ah, Brother... How have you been?¡± Neria avoided my gaze. It was a familiar behavior I¡¯d seen often in the timeline ten years from now. ¡®Neria is the Saint of the Hero¡¯s Party.¡¯ Right now, she was just an ordinary girl. She wouldn¡¯t be chosen as the Saint until after the Hero appeared ¨C which was after our family had been wiped out. One reason I was chosen as the healer for the Hero¡¯s Party was likely because I was Neria¡¯s brother. I didn¡¯t have any particular grudge against Neria. Maybe it was because she was the Saint, but she was one of the few people who had treated me kindly in the past. Though she had always been slightly afraid of me because of the lingering resentment from that time. Since we¡¯d be seeing each other often from now on, it would be better to get along. ¡°That dress suits you well. It makes you look taller.¡± ¡°Ah, really...?¡± Neria glanced down at her dress and smiled slightly. She was always self-conscious about her height, so being told she looked taller clearly made her happy. ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s head to the dining hall.¡± Following my father, we walked through the wide corridor. Beside me, Neria was walking with her shoulders slightly hunched. ¡®She must be nervous because the royal family is here.¡¯ I lightly tapped Neria¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ah! Y-Yes?¡± I took out one of the candies I had stuffed in my pocket earlier and placed it in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. I just met the Empress and the Princess, and they¡¯re nothing special.¡± ¡°R-Really...?¡± ¡°You probably haven¡¯t eaten anything because it¡¯s mealtime, right? Eat that. Sweet things can lift your spirits quickly.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you...¡± Neria popped the small candy into her mouth. A bright smile immediately spread across her face. ¡°It¡¯s sweet!¡± Sugars turn into energy quickly, so her mood would likely improve soon. At her age, eating as much as possible was the best course of action. ¡°I really do feel less nervous now. Brother, you know so much!¡± For a ten-year-old, she sure used some difficult words. Neria, you¡¯re the knowledgeable one here. ¡°If you want more, just let me know anytime.¡± I gently patted the top of Neria¡¯s head. She flinched like a small animal but soon relaxed. Neria continued to gaze up at me as we entered the dining hall. The dinner was lavishly adorned with extravagant dishes. Though there were only five people ¨C Father, me, Neria, the Empress, and Asella ¨C there were twice as many servants bustling around, serving food and wine. Asella and I exchanged simple, formal greetings. From then on, the conversation was dominated by Father and the Empress¡¯s stiff discussion. I could barely stifle a yawn. I might dislocate my jaw if this keeps up. It was mostly useless political talk that would soon be irrelevant anyway. The Empress seemed desperate to rope Father into the imperial power struggle. Father, on the other hand, was cautiously weighing the pros and cons, resulting in a never-ending back-and-forth. Father held the upper hand in the conversation, but the Empress outranked him, so he had to maintain decorum. How long was I going to be subjected to this nonsense? The Empress chattered on relentlessly, as if she were a court jester rather than a royal mage. ¡°In the imperial court, having the right pieces is crucial. For instance, let¡¯s say a prophecy of a Demon King¡¯s invasion ten years from now is revealed. What weapon would every faction desire most?¡± ¡°A Hero, I suppose. The faction with the Hero would have considerable influence in the imperial court.¡± ¡°Indeed. The optimal choice is, of course, the Hero. But doesn¡¯t the Gotberg family possess a second-best option?¡± ¡°You mean the Saint. Indeed, our family¡¯s lineage once produced a Saint.¡± The Empress shot a pointed glance at Neria, causing her to flinch. ¡°Lady Neria, what do you think?¡± ¡°M-Me...?¡± ¡°Have you ever considered becoming the Saint?¡± ¡°W-Well... wouldn¡¯t a Saint have to fight the Demon King and monsters and...¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honorable duty for the sake of the continent.¡± The Empress¡¯s firm tone made Neria shiver and hiccup. Neria glanced at Father, seeking help, but Father remained silent, as if to let her make her own decision. Seeing this, Neria misunderstood it as pressure, and with a trembling voice, she finally said, ¡°If... it¡¯s for the family...¡± ¡°Hold on a moment.¡± Before Neria could finish, I interjected. The Empress¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply, and Asella¡¯s expression shifted to one of interest. ¡°Why only a Saint? Wouldn¡¯t it be possible for a Saint to become a Saintess as well?¡± If the artifact was that rare, shouldn¡¯t I get a taste of it too? Actually, forget that ¨C just hand it all over. ¡°This is going to be fun.¡± Asella¡¯s lips curved into a chilling smile. Chapter 8: Talent Unleashed (2) ¡°A Saint and not a Saintess?¡± The Empress repeated my words, looking at me with a frown. I pointed directly at the artifact on the table and replied. ¡°That Holy Grail is an artifact that awakens hidden talents, isn¡¯t it? If a Saintess were to emerge from the alliance between the Empress and our family, it would be a joyous occasion without compare.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°I inherited Gotberg¡¯s blood more strongly than Neria did. Look at my hair.¡± I leaned back and tilted my head up for everyone to see. Snow-white hair. White hair was a defining trait of those born with potent divine power in our family. And my hair was far closer to pure white than Neria¡¯s. ¡°If I use the Holy Grail to awaken my talents, wouldn¡¯t the chances of me being chosen as a Saint be much higher?¡± The Empress¡¯s expression turned slightly displeased. Well, it must be confusing for her. The guy who stabbed her hand in the afternoon was now suddenly acting so cooperative in the evening. That confusion was precisely my aim. The incident with the flower crown earlier ¨C was it a mere accident, a careless mistake? Or was it the act of a genuine fool? She must be entertaining all sorts of suspicions now. People tend to let their guard down when they think someone is easy to handle. What the Empress needed was a reliable pawn to keep under her thumb politically. Neria seemed an easy target because she was quiet and docile. But a naive fool is far easier to manipulate than a righteous soul. Time to play the fool she wants. ¡°Are you saying you want that artifact?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just saying the probabilities are in my favor.¡± I shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Lass, becoming a Saint would come with significant responsibilities.¡± ¡°Oh, but I don¡¯t really know much about stuff like that, right? Father will handle everything for me if something goes wrong, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°Father, you can¡¯t retire from the head of the family until my children are grown up, okay? You know how much I hate dealing with troublesome things.¡± I slapped my father¡¯s shoulder and let out a boisterous laugh. Then, I grabbed the wine bottle and chugged it straight from the neck, letting out a long, exaggerated belch. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re out of wine here! Can¡¯t you be a little quicker [N O V E L I G H T] with the refills?¡± I shouted like a man already drunk. The Empress looked at me in utter disgust. What do you think? I¡¯m a harmless fool who will never betray this family. I¡¯ve already put the leash around my own neck. I kept grinning as I spoke to the Empress. ¡°Oh, look, the Empress is finally smiling. You were talking about such boring stuff that I was starting to doze off. Have you ever been down to our territory? The street food there is amazing. How about we go together tomorrow if you¡¯re free...?¡± ¡°Master Lass, please. Let¡¯s finish discussing the artifact first.¡± The Empress cut me off hurriedly. She was anxious, fearing that the topic might get sidetracked or forgotten. Such impatience was the reason she couldn¡¯t secure her position in the imperial court. She kept revealing her cards when she didn¡¯t need to. ¡°So, Master Lass, are you saying you want to use the Holy Grail?¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s good for the body, why not? Sure, I¡¯ll take it if you give it to me.¡± ¡°...Do you even know the value of that artifact?¡± ¡°Oh, how would I know something like that? But if it¡¯s that great, shouldn¡¯t I, the eldest son, be the first to use it instead of Neria?¡± I subtly hinted that if they gave it to Neria, I¡¯d make a scene. I wasn¡¯t really after it, but if they dared to ignore me, I¡¯d throw a tantrum like a spoiled child. The Empress¡¯s eyes darted between me and the artifact before she finally looked at my father. ¡°What do you think, Marquis Gotberg?¡± ¡°If that is what Lass wants, I see no reason to object.¡± At that moment, Asella interjected. ¡°Why not give it to the Young Master?¡± She had been bored all evening, but now, her interest was piqued. ¡°It¡¯s true that the Young Master¡¯s divine power is stronger. Just imagine if he were to become a Saint.¡± Asella¡¯s long lashes lowered subtly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be fun to have him as my personal physician then?¡± ¡°...I will consider it,¡± the Empress said, her expression strained. She rose from her seat, taking the artifact with her. Her knights and attendants followed her out of the hall. Asella shot me a chilling smirk before trailing after them. *** Once they were gone, Father, Neria, and I moved to the lounge to talk. ¡°Lass, it seemed like you were acting just now. What was your true intention?¡± ¡°That artifact is called the Holy Grail of Revelation. It can awaken hidden talents, but it comes with a price.¡± ¡°A price?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as gaining something for nothing. For every talent you awaken, you have to sacrifice something in return. Think of it as a curse.¡± Asella had said something similar. Now that I thought about it, what would she demand in return? I¡¯d have to think about that later. The way it worked was simple. Using the Holy Grail would unlock one¡¯s skill tree, but it would also inflict a debuff. The type of debuff was random, so if the talent level was low, using it could actually be more harmful than beneficial. But with my sealed S-Rank talent, it was worth the risk. ¡°Brother...?¡± Neria called out to me softly, her face showing a hint of fear. ¡°Thank you...¡± For what? If Neria were to use that artifact, she would indeed awaken her divine talent and be chosen as the Saint in the future. But the debuff she¡¯d receive would be Stunted Growth. Even ten years later, Neria would remain trapped in her current childlike appearance, unable to grow or mature. ¡®That kind of debuff is a small price to pay.¡¯ Besides, I had two talents. A Buy-One-Get-One-Free deal. How could I pass that up? If I wanted to buy the Holy Grail outside, it would cost at least five thousand gold, and that¡¯s if I could even find it. This was a golden opportunity. I was eagerly waiting for the Empress to hurry up and bring the artifact back when Father patted my shoulder. ¡°Lass, that was a truly noble act.¡± Was it? ¡°It would have been difficult to openly reject the Empress¡¯s proposal. If Neria had accepted, we would have had no choice. But you stepped in, knowing everything and sacrificing yourself for Neria. As a father, I¡¯m both grateful and ashamed.¡± I was only trying to take it for myself, but sure. ¡°Neria is still young and has a long future ahead of her. I couldn¡¯t possibly let her use such a dangerous artifact. As her older brother, it¡¯s only right for me to protect her.¡± ¡°Lass...!¡± Father¡¯s eyes glistened as he placed a hand on my shoulder. What a genuinely naive man. If it weren¡¯t for that Empress, he could have lived a peaceful life managing this rural estate. Just then, a knock echoed through the room, and a servant entered to deliver the news. ¡°Marquis, Young Master, Young Lady ¨C the Empress has reached a decision.¡± The old fox finally made her move. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Father.¡± I confidently strode toward the banquet hall. Neria Gotberg Was the Daughter of a Concubine. Her father was a powerful noble, but her mother was a commoner ¨C the owner of an inn, to be exact. By the time Neria became aware of her surroundings, she was already a legitimate young lady of the Marquisate of Gotberg. Despite being the daughter of a concubine, she wasn¡¯t treated any differently. The mistress had died more than ten years ago, and the only complication in the Gotberg family was the presence of a half-brother. Compared to other noble families, the Gotberg household was remarkably quiet and uneventful. However, since her mother didn¡¯t come to the manor after leaving Neria behind, she grew up somewhat lonely. Her father was a stoic man. But that was fine. Only... ¡®...My brother is scary.¡¯ Whenever he found an excuse, he¡¯d drink and go out to the streets, causing a scene. Even at night, whenever she heard screams or the sound of things breaking in the mansion, it was always him. Fortunately, the mansion was well-guarded by knights, so it never escalated to physical violence. And her father had already isolated him in the annex, so Neria rarely had to encounter him. That¡¯s why, when Neria found out she had to meet him in person today for the first time in three years, she was petrified. ¡®I just need to make sure I don¡¯t give him any reason to get angry. I can¡¯t bring shame to the family.¡¯ After all, her brother would surely despise her for being the daughter of a concubine. With that thought, Neria straightened her posture and took several deep breaths before entering the drawing room. The moment she greeted him, she regretted it. His sharp, menacing eyes frightened her, and she instinctively averted her gaze. What if he cursed at her? Her heart pounded in her chest, but then he spoke to her in a gentle voice. ¡°That dress suits you well. It makes you look taller.¡± ¡®Huh...?¡¯ Neria slowly lifted her head to look at him again. The older brother she remembered as a delinquent. But now, the rage and anger that once defined his face had almost completely burned away, leaving behind only a soft, faint smile. The fear she had felt moments ago gradually subsided. But the tension remained. Her body still remembered the terror of his past behavior, and today was an important day where she had to showcase her manners to the imperial family. ¡°You probably haven¡¯t eaten anything because it¡¯s almost dinner time. Here, have one. Sweet things can calm your nerves.¡± Her brother placed a small piece of candy in her palm. What did this mean? Was it a prank? Maybe the candy was extremely bitter. But the moment she put it in her mouth, all her suspicions vanished. A rich honey flavor spread across her tongue, sweet and soothing. The sugar rushed to her brain, and her eyes widened as her mind cleared. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®Is Brother a magician?¡¯ Neria marveled at how quickly her mood had improved. But the good feeling didn¡¯t last long. The moment the conversation shifted to the possibility of her becoming a Saintess, Neria¡¯s mood plummeted. The first image that flashed through her mind was the legend she¡¯d heard as a child ¨C the tale of the Hero¡¯s Party that fought against the Demon King. They fought bravely, only to sacrifice themselves in the end to bring peace to the continent. ¡®I-I don¡¯t want to die...¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to fight demons and monsters. Why was the Empress suddenly bringing this up with a girl she¡¯d never met before? Was this how adults always spoke? Her father was just staring at her. She had no choice. She had to respond. ¡°...If it¡¯s for the family...¡± ¡°Hold on a moment.¡± A strong, commanding voice cut in. Hearing that powerful voice, Neria was sure of it. Her brother was standing up for her. ¡®Heheh...¡¯ Neria propped her chin on her hand, watching as Lass brazenly challenged the Empress. Even though she knew it was a bad habit to eat snacks right after dinner, she instinctively popped another piece of candy he had given her into her mouth. ¡®My brother is...¡¯ Neria¡¯s cheeks puffed up, and her face was filled with a newfound sense of trust in her brother. *** Sipping her tea, the Empress brought up the main topic. ¡°Master Lass Gotberg, are you truly saying you can use this artifact to awaken as a Saint?¡± I shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Oh, come on. Isn¡¯t it obvious? My divine power is top-notch. Even the guys at the training institute bow down to me.¡± The Empress¡¯s eyes glinted as if she had finally made her decision. ¡°Alright. I will grant the artifact to you, Master Lass.¡± Perfect. She took the bait. ¡°Ahem.¡± My father cleared his throat, clearly displeased. ¡°We shall set the usage date for two days from now. What do you think, Marquis Gotberg?¡± ¡°Two days, huh...¡± Father was hesitating. He was probably still caught up on what I had said earlier about the debuff being akin to a curse. Maybe I had scared him a bit too much. Time to step in. ¡°Why wait? Let¡¯s do it right now.¡± Everyone in the room turned to stare at me in shock. The physician examination was just around the corner ¨C why would I want to take the risk now? But that¡¯s exactly why I needed to do it now. When you¡¯re negotiating, you strike when the iron is hot. Let a day pass, and people¡¯s minds can change. ¡°Right now? But...¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The Empress couldn¡¯t come up with a retort. She glanced over at Asella, as if seeking some kind of support. Asella met my gaze and smiled, her lips curling into a sly grin. Chapter 9: Talent Unleashed (3) ¡°Then Let¡¯s Begin.¡± The Empress declared solemnly. We were in the prayer room, a place also used for formal gatherings. It was a small chapel within the mansion¡¯s grounds. Two servants from our family brought in two transparent bottles. Inside, the liquid sloshed ¨C holy water. My father and the Empress both wore serious expressions. For entirely different reasons. The Empress was likely tense, having invested a fortune in a gamble, hoping desperately that I would awaken as a Saint. My father was simply worried that something might go wrong. Everyone was so serious. If they kept up that level of tension, nothing was going to work out. ¡°If you brought it, then quit stalling and hand it over already.¡± I snatched the bottle of holy water from the servant¡¯s hands. He looked at me as if he were afraid I might drop and shatter it. Don¡¯t worry. I wasn¡¯t planning on wasting it. I pulled out the cork and took a sniff. ¡°Is this spoiled? Smells kinda sour.¡± ¡°W-What? This is the highest quality holy water, made by the family¡¯s healers. There¡¯s no way it could spoil...¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m just kidding.¡± Without hesitation, I poured the entire contents of the bottle into the Holy Grail placed before me. This was the necessary step to activate the artifact¡¯s power. The liquid didn¡¯t have to be holy water ¨C even plain water would suffice ¨C but they went out of their way to bring the most expensive option for the sake of appearances. Might as well have gone with orange juice. These people are severely lacking in vitamin C. ¡°When the Young Master drinks the holy water from the Grail, his hidden talent will be awakened. Whatever it is will be displayed as a symbol on the surface of the remaining liquid,¡± the Empress explained. A symbol, huh? For me, it would show up as text in the status window. ¡°Now, please recite the prayer,¡± the Empress requested, handing the sacred text to my father. Father opened the book and began to read. As if a few words of prayer would change my innate talent. What a farce. This was like believing that praying before a gacha pull would net you a five-star character. The result was already decided. Before Father could finish the first line, I raised the Grail to my lips and downed the contents in one go. ¡°Wait, stop¡ª!¡± ¡°Bleh. Tastes awful.¡± Wiping my mouth with my sleeve, I clicked my tongue in disgust. I set the Grail back down with a loud thunk. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s see what we got here.¡± The remaining holy water inside the Grail rippled, forming a distinct symbol on the surface. The Empress immediately dropped to her knees, pressing her face close to the Grail. The sight was so ridiculous I almost burst out laughing. Silly me. Is this a scam? Yeah, it¡¯s a scam! I barely managed to suppress the urge to blurt that out and instead focused on the status window. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ A sudden, sharp pain shot through my head, and I grimaced. A wave of nausea rose in my throat, and I barely managed to hold it back. Was it the holy water? It tasted like months-old vinegar. ¡®Ah, my vision¡¯s going blurry.¡¯ The text in the status window wavered. My eyes couldn¡¯t focus, and the world split into two overlapping images. They must be preparing to give me something incredible, right? [The effect of the Holy Grail of Revelation has been activated.] [Talent lock has been released.] Yeah, yeah, I know. I just chugged it down. Now tell me what it is before I pass out. I need to know what I¡¯m getting before I keel over. [Talent has been unlocked.] [Medical (S) skill tree has been released.] ¡°Oh.¡± So, one of my talents was revealed. Among the two talents I possessed, one of them was [Medical]. ¡®Wait, medical? That¡¯s not a skill tree that exists in the original story.¡¯ This was a completely foreign concept in this world. Did my previous life¡¯s knowledge and skills carry over and become skillified? Now I ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) understood why I had two talents. ¡®I like it.¡¯ I immediately checked the basic skills I currently possessed. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡ð Medical D A skill based on modern medical knowledge that allows the user to treat patients. Diagnosis D: Partially assesses the patient¡¯s condition.Prescription D: Slightly improves the condition of a diagnosed patient.First Aid Mastery E: Provides emergency treatment slightly faster. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Starting at D-Rank, huh. So, it¡¯s a system where you gain experience to level up the skill or unlock higher-level skills. Which means I can raise it all the way to S-Rank.¡± These were the best possible skills for utilizing the knowledge I had in this world. Right now, I could only see basic abilities like Diagnosis and Prescription, but what if it later developed into things like dermatology procedures? After all, dermatology was famously known for having the lowest workload and the highest income among doctors. This was a jackpot. A grin spread across my face without me realizing it. ¡°There it is! That symbol...!¡± The Empress exclaimed as she stared at the surface of the Holy Grail. Right. There was still one more to go. The talent that belonged to Lass Gotberg, not me. ¡®What¡¯s it going to be?¡¯ The Empress, in her ignorance, didn¡¯t realize that there was no such thing as a Saint or Saintess talent. What Neria possessed was simply a divine-type talent that enhanced her healing abilities. The title of Saintess would only come much later. Since I was receiving it, I¡¯d better make good use of it. Holding my throbbing head, I scrolled down the status window to check the next line. ¡°What... What is this? ...What did you say?¡± The Empress¡¯s face contorted with fury as she listened to the servant¡¯s explanation. Of course, it wasn¡¯t the Saint talent she had hoped for. Suppressing my laughter, I focused on the second talent. [Talent has been unlocked.] [Alchemy (S) skill tree has been released.] ¡®Alchemy?¡¯ Now that was unexpected. ¡°Alchemy?! What does that have to do with being a Saint?!¡± The Empress shot to her feet, practically shrieking. I shrugged casually. ¡°Oh dear, was I destined to become an alchemist? Father, should I go and start mining for copper somewhere? If I rub my palms together, I might just become a millionaire overnight!¡± Feigning ignorance, I threw out a few lighthearted jokes, and the Empress grabbed the back of her neck, as if she were about to collapse. ¡°Oh, my God. I trusted this fool... Oh no.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Empress, did you just call me something strange?¡± The Empress bit down hard on her lip. ¡°You misheard. Congratulations on unlocking your talent, Young Master.¡± ¡°Oh, come on. What am I supposed to do with alchemy during a physician¡¯s examination? That artifact you hyped up turned out to be a dud. Empress, would you like to try it yourself?¡± I picked up the Grail, but the moment I touched it, the handle melted like wax and the entire thing dissolved into nothing. Of course, it was a one-time-use artifact. ¡°Oh, wow. You said it was expensive, but it disintegrates like that? Pfft.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m going to lose my mind.¡± The Empress stormed out of the prayer room, her heels pounding against the floor. I let out a quiet chuckle and opened the status window to check the new skill tree. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡ð Alchemy D A skill that allows the user to enhance or alter the properties and nature of materials. Enhance D: Slightly improves one attribute of a substance.Compress E: Reduces the volume of a material while maintaining its properties.Synthesize E: Combines two substances to create a new material with the properties of both. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡®Huh? This...¡¯ An idea struck me as I read through the descriptions. In this world, Alchemy was considered a support-type skill. Compared to combat skills like swordsmanship or magic, it was a throwaway talent. It was typically only useful for working with metals, like refining iron to create slightly higher-quality armor at a reduced cost. Most blacksmiths would take it as a sub-skill. But... ¡®It¡¯s not limited to metals?¡¯ I could use it on any substance. If I combined it with Medical... ¡®It¡¯s practically a pharmaceutical skill.¡¯ In a world where healing magic was the only way to treat injuries, what if I could create medicine? I could make money hand over fist. ¡®This is another jackpot.¡¯ I stood up, feeling satisfied. ¡°Lass, are you alright?¡± Father looked at me with concern. I nodded. ¡°Yes. Aside from feeling a bit dizzy, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go get you treated. I¡¯ve prepared a healing session.¡± Father was still hung up on the Holy Grail¡¯s side effects. I appreciated the concern, but receiving some dull healing magic wouldn¡¯t do me any good. I needed to assess my condition myself. ¡°I think I just need to rest. Don¡¯t worry about me... Cough, cough. Really, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Hmm... If you say so.¡± ¡°Yes. Cough, cough.¡± Why was I coughing so much? And why did it feel like I couldn¡¯t catch my breath? I reopened the status window. [You have acquired a debuff.] [Sustained Health Reduction E (Growth-type, Cannot Be Removed)] What the hell is this? ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Yes, Lass?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, but... Cough, I might need some... support...¡± ¡°Lass? Lass!¡± Before I could finish my sentence, my vision blacked out. *** [Health has decreased.] [Health has decreased.] [Health has decreased.] ¡°So, in other words...¡± Even while lying still, my health was decreasing by 0.1 points every minute. If my health reached zero, I¡¯d die. ¡°What a load of crap. Cough, cough!¡± The next morning, I woke up in my room, coughing up phlegm mixed with blood. My maximum health was 4. Now, I was down to around 2.8. The only good news was that while sleeping, my natural health regeneration outpaced the debuff¡¯s health drain. ¡°Neria only lost a few inches off her height, and that was it.¡± Why the hell was I suddenly at risk of dying within a few days? As if being engaged to a murderous villainess wasn¡¯t bad enough already. ¡°But still... I unlocked two talents.¡± Alchemy and Medical. Neither of them were ordinary skills. Medical had been formed from my previous life¡¯s knowledge, skillified and given a proper structure. I had always felt like I was stuck in a hamster wheel, but now, I felt like I had gained recognition for my efforts. ¡°I should be able to eliminate bad endings more easily now.¡± But if I collapsed before that, it would all be pointless. Was this supposed to be the price of the talent? ¡°Price, my ass.¡± If there was a Luck stat in my status window, it would be in the negative ¨C deep in the negatives. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll just have to overcome it using my own abilities.¡± If my body was going to crumble, then I¡¯d just have to fix it myself. So what if my health was dropping? I¡¯d just find a way to restore it. ¡°Medical and Alchemy.¡± Time to write a prescription and create some medicine. The patient: myself. The first consultation of a quack doctor begins now. Chapter 10: The Princess鈥檚 Magic Lesson My task is simple. The debuff currently afflicting me: [Health Continuous Reduction E (Growth-type. Irremovable)] This one is a debuff that I¡¯ll have to carry for the rest of my life. ¡°Well, if I calculate it, it seems like it decreases by about 0.1 every two hours. Cough.¡± When I cough, a bit of blood comes up along with my saliva. That¡¯s not a good sign. It means there¡¯s damage to the lining of my lungs or intestines. ¡°The health reduction manifests as internal injuries. That¡¯s the key point.¡± It¡¯s impossible to surgically remove the symptoms by treating the internal organs. After all, it¡¯s an irremovable debuff. In other words, it¡¯s an incurable disease. ¡°Well then, the solution is simple.¡± I just need to create a medicinal agent to treat the internal bleeding and take it. The effect: Health recovery, more than 0.1 every two hours. ¡°Luckily, I have a good idea for a remedy.¡± I immediately stepped out of the room. After a deep sleep, my body felt refreshed. It was still early dawn. The faint light seeping through the bluish sky gently touched the backyard. I ran toward the place, feeling a bit like a child again as the cool breeze brushed against me. ¡°This is kind of exciting.¡± Never in my wildest dreams did I think I¡¯d actually be making medicine in this world. My steps felt as light as when I¡¯d rush to buy a newly released game. ¡°This thing... it had a peculiar effect.¡± Without hesitation, I plucked a stem. A yellow rose that Asella had picked one by one, with much deliberation. They¡¯re rare, but not exactly a precious species. I¡¯d seen occasional mutations of it even in the demon realm while hunting the Four Heavenly Kings. When you brew tea with the petals of the yellow rose, it has a remarkable effect in neutralizing the toxins adhering to the lung or stomach lining. I¡¯d learned that through countless regressions after trying every possible method. In the end, I¡¯d searched for every hidden element in my desperate attempts to clear the game. ¡°It¡¯s definitely useful.¡± I plucked dozens of roses and stuffed them into my bag. Back in my room, I spread them out across the table. After plucking only the petals one by one, a soft, yellow mound quickly piled up. ¡°It¡¯s like preparing chicken breast nuggets.¡± With the materials ready, my mood lifted. It felt like I had my own little factory now. I grabbed a handful of petals and placed them down. ¡°First, I need to reduce the volume.¡± The goal was to compress it into a pill-sized form that could be taken in one gulp. ¡°Compression.¡± I tried using the alchemy-related E-rank skill, Compression. The method naturally came to mind. It was as if my body instinctively knew what to do. But this... ¡°It feels like using magic.¡± The process was similar to casting a spell. I spread my palm and let my mana flow through. A soft, white mana gently enveloped the rose petals. Clench! With a tight fist in mid-air, the petals crumpled as if vacuum-packed. ¡°Oh.¡± I wiggled my fingers, adjusting the shape meticulously. Finally, it was complete ¡ª in the form of a pill. ¡°For a first attempt, that¡¯s pretty good.¡± Though it was a bit lopsided, well... Seeing the bright yellow medicinal pill brought me a sense of accomplishment. Now then, let¡¯s see what the status window says. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Yellow Rose Petal Health Pill (Refined) Effect upon consumption: Restores 0.1 health over 6 hours from internal bleeding. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Just as expected.¡± The effect was precisely what I aimed for. However, the dosage was only a third of what I needed. In that case, I could just use the skill again. ¡°Enhancement.¡± I intended to increase the potency of the yellow pill. But as I tried to activate the skill... ¡°Huh.¡± I instinctively halted as I tried to emit mana like I did with Compression. It felt as though there was another step required ¡ª a step I couldn¡¯t quite grasp. ¡°Is it not just that?¡± Compression is E-rank, but Enhancement is D-rank. D-rank skills aren¡¯t just about emitting mana, right? ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t require magic power.¡± Magic power was only necessary when casting magic. Alchemy skills, as long as you knew the method, could be executed using mana alone. ¡°Ugh.¡± After struggling for a while, I still couldn¡¯t activate the Enhancement skill. Considering I¡¯d never failed to cast a healing spell before, the failure felt rather unsettling. ¡°What should I do? Cough, cough.¡± As I pondered, my health continued to decrease. Before I knew it, breakfast time had already passed. ¡°I need to get some help.¡± Someone who¡¯s a master at spells. ¡°There¡¯s one person who fits that description.¡± Actually, she¡¯s beyond a master ¡ª she¡¯s at the very pinnacle. But is it really necessary to ask Asella? It¡¯s just a D-rank skill. In terms of magic, it¡¯s only second-tier, not that complicated. ¡°Well, I do have a reason to see her anyway.¡± I could use that as an excuse to ask her to teach me the skill. I packed the pill and headed to Asella¡¯s room. *** ¡°The Princess is expecting you.¡± The head maid blocking the entrance to the room intercepted me like an impenetrable wall. I¡¯d rushed to find Asella, but now I was being made to wait. Not to mention, I¡¯d already been delayed after being held up by Father. ¨DLass, are you feeling alright? Come here. Let me cast a healing spell on you myself. You must be exhausted from overexerting yourself. It¡¯d be terrible if you collapsed again! I had a hard time prying my arm away from his grip as he fussed over me. Sure, Father could restore a bit of my health immediately, but this debuff is something I¡¯d have to live with for the rest of my life. Finding my own solution was more important, and the key to that was with Asella. I reached the terrace outside Asella¡¯s room. Having nothing else to do, I stood there idly. ¡°Oh, Max. Did you sleep well?¡± Fortunately, Max came bounding over to keep me company, wagging his tail energetically. This guy didn¡¯t seem to realize how massive he was. Every time he shoved his face at me, the sheer weight of his body hit me like a wall. Guess he wanted his face petted. I squeezed and rubbed Max¡¯s squishy cheeks, playing with him for a while until... Clack. The balcony door slid open. ¡°You¡¯re being noisy so early in the morning. What do you want?¡± Asella appeared. She looked just as impeccable as yesterday, every strand of hair perfectly in place. ¡°A good morning to you, esteemed lady. Did you sleep well...?¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± Asella¡¯s expression was sour. Was she in a bad mood? Did I just walk right into a minefield? If I turned around and said it was nothing, that would probably annoy her even more. I shouldn¡¯t have come. ¡°I¡¯d like you to teach me how to use a spell.¡± ¡°A spell, you say?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The frown on Asella¡¯s forehead eased just slightly. She sat down in front of me. ¡°You¡¯ve gained a talent.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s alchemy.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s unexpected.¡± Asella¡¯s deep golden eyes scanned me from head to toe, as though dissecting me. For some reason, it felt as if she were prying into every inch of my body. ¡°Do you know what my talent is?¡± ¡°Magic. And an extraordinary amount of it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re well-informed. I have two.¡± ¡°Two?¡± ¡°Two talents. Both related to magic.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± So that¡¯s how she can summon dragon legions or cause continent-shattering earthquakes with her insane magic. Of course. She¡¯s Asella, after all. ¡°You¡¯re not surprised.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You''re not surprised that I have two talents?¡± ¡°Oh, well...¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I nearly jumped. She just came out and said it like that. ¡°Why would I be surprised? Someone like you, Your Highness, naturally has extraordinary abilities.¡± ¡°Fine, let''s say that¡¯s the case. So, what spell do you want to learn?¡± ¡°Technically, it¡¯s how to use a spell. I gained a talent and can use alchemy now, but for some reason, I can¡¯t activate the spell.¡± ¡°Show me.¡± I took out a handkerchief and carefully placed it on the table. Inside, a bright yellow pill was revealed. ¡°Enhancement.¡± I tried to activate the Enhancement spell. Mana flowed from my hand but dispersed aimlessly like a heat haze. ¡°This is what keeps happening.¡± ¡°Draw a shape with your mana.¡± ¡°A shape?¡± Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely remembered Asella talking about shapes and three-dimensional figures in the past. Back then, I¡¯d let it go in one ear and out the other since magic wasn¡¯t my thing. ¡°Watch.¡± Asella extended a delicate, pale finger. Mana trickled from her fingertip. Her mana shimmered with a golden hue, forming a line, then a circle composed of two concentric rings. ¡°A circle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the simplest yet most perfect shape. The number of vertices is zero. If you inscribe a formula along the outer ring, that¡¯s a magic circle.¡± ¡°Do you always have to inscribe a formula?¡± ¡°A formula is nothing special. It¡¯s just writing down knowledge in letters.¡± Asella began inscribing text. The inscription read: [Flames shall rise]. ¡°It¡¯s even better if you condense it.¡± The sentence along the outer ring merged, forming a single symbol. A rune. It symbolized fire. Two circles and one rune. A simple, minimalist structure of mana. ¡°If you lightly spin it, it¡¯s ready.¡± With a flick, Asella touched the outer rim, and the magic circle began to rotate counterclockwise. ¡°That¡¯s the activation step. Now, when you pour mana into it, it will cast.¡± Whoosh! The magic circle radiated with Asella¡¯s golden light. She was pouring in a large amount of mana. Then, whoosh! A blazing flame erupted from the magic circle, shooting up into the sky. It looked like a sudden firework display. ¡°Now, you try.¡± She demonstrated it so easily and expected me to do the same. How generous of her. Apparently, she thought the whole world was filled with geniuses like herself. ¡°Sigh.¡± I started by channeling mana to form a shape. A circle was too difficult, so I started with a triangle. ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± I had no idea what /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ her reaction meant. Say something. It¡¯s my first time doing this. I inscribed the text along the outer rim. Alright, what I needed was a health recovery effect. Instead of ¡°healing,¡± I used the word ¡°treatment.¡± This distinction was crucial. That way, the medicine would align with my medical skill and its effects. [Increase Health Treatment Effect]. I painstakingly inscribed the words. This part felt harder than anything else. I really needed to study and develop some shorthand symbols. ¡°That¡¯s wrong. Look, the formula has to be inside the shape¡ª¡± Asella reached out, seemingly frustrated, as if she was going to correct my spell. But then she stopped. Our hands brushed for a split second. ¡®Was she really that annoyed?¡¯ Asella avoided my gaze, staring intently at the inscription. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°...Just stay quiet for a moment.¡± She whipped her head away. Was she trying to figure out how to fix this mess of a spell? For someone usually so composed, she was now fidgeting with her hand as if she were distracted. I looked down at her hand. A linen bandage still wrapped around her index finger caught my eye. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s your wound? Is it healing well?¡± Before I knew it, my hand reached out, but Asella quickly yanked her hand away to the opposite side. ¡°Focus.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± She was really taking this magic lesson seriously. Even though it was just an alchemy spell, my clumsy attempt seemed to be getting on her nerves. [No. 056: Villainess¡¯s Wrath 7%] The probability of a bad ending hadn¡¯t increased. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t going to kill me over something like this. At least she still had some basic sense of restraint. I tried casting the spell again. Whoosh! ¡°Oh.¡± The magic circle glowed faintly with a grayish light. That meant the casting was successful. ¡°What? It actually worked right away?¡± It wasn¡¯t as difficult as I thought. And here she was, acting all annoyed and making a big deal out of it. ¡°Your Highness, it worked.¡± Asella blinked several times, her long lashes fluttering. ¡°Well... you should at least be able to do that much.¡± So, it was just that simple. ¡°It¡¯s a second-tier spell. A promising commoner could master it in a few years. It¡¯s not unheard of to get it right on the first try... But, where did the additional formula go?¡± Asella muttered to herself. Indeed, whenever magic was involved, her words seemed to multiply. Was she impressed that I got it right on my first try? ¡°Did Your Highness manage to cast a spell perfectly on the first attempt as well?¡± ¡°Of course I did. Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°Why, the unrivaled magic prodigy, Princess Asella.¡± ¡°You know me well. Keep up that attitude.¡± She seemed pleased with my response, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly. If she wanted to smile, she could just do it properly. Why only one side? It felt unsettling. Ah, maybe she didn¡¯t want me to notice. Judging by how only her left corner lifted ¡ª the side away from my view. Her pride was something else. ¡®Anyway, the spell succeeded on the first try.¡¯ I checked the result ¡ª the pill. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Enhanced Yellow Rose Petal Health Pill (Refined) Effect upon consumption: Restores 0.3 health over 6 hours from internal bleeding. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Perfect. Now it had the precise specs to counteract the debuff. ¡°Did you make that with a spell?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She¡¯d never seen it before, after all. ¡°It¡¯s medicine. Let¡¯s call it a consumable item with healing effects.¡± ¡°A consumable? There aren¡¯t any cooking spells. It¡¯s alchemy, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Think of it as combining medicine and alchemy.¡± ¡°Really? And what does it do?¡± ¡°It restores health.¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± Asella picked up the rose pill and popped it into her mouth. Hey, that¡¯s my pill. ¡°Ugh!¡± The next moment, her face twisted like she¡¯d bitten into a wad of crumpled newspaper. She spat it out with a grimace. ¡°What is this? How can anything taste this bitter? Did you make poison instead of medicine?¡± She grabbed a cup of tea and gulped it down desperately. Watching her flustered expression gave me a strange sense of satisfaction. A smile crept up before I could suppress it. No, don¡¯t laugh. I am sad. I am very, very sad. Phew. ¡°Please don¡¯t waste it. I made it for myself in the first place.¡± I picked up the rose pill she¡¯d spat out and swallowed it in one gulp. Man, it really was bitter. The taste was awful, like swallowing the dregs of burnt herbs. [Health is decreasing] [Health is increasing] But thanks to that, my health depletion stopped. The amount lost and the amount gained balanced each other out, keeping my health stable. If I made these in large quantities, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the debuff for a while. But then, Asella was staring at me, her mouth slightly open, a stunned expression on her face. ¡°Did you just eat what I spat out?¡± ¡°It was mine to begin with. I worked hard to make it.¡± ¡°Uh, well... Forget it.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Asella turned her gaze away, falling into a brief, awkward silence. With nothing more to say, I stood up to leave. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Why now? ¡°Um... since Your Highness must be tired from teaching me the spell, I thought you¡¯d want to rest.¡± ¡°I need to collect my payment.¡± ¡°Payment? But the lesson was already the payment, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You made me eat that horrid thing.¡± You took it yourself. This is absurd. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you say the streets below the estate are full of interesting things?¡± Did I? I think I said something like that to bluff in front of the Empress. Asella leaned in close, her eyes gleaming with excitement. ¡°I want to go there.¡± ¡°Why are you whispering?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re going in secret.¡± Oh boy. Looks like she¡¯s latched onto another strange idea. Chapter 11: Street Inspection (1) "Compress, Enhance, Compress, Enhance, Compress, Enhance." Returning to my room, the first thing I did was mass-produce the rose pills. Even if I consumed several at once, the effects wouldn¡¯t stack. It just meant that the maximum health wouldn¡¯t increase. The pills only counteracted the debuff. ¡°Anyway, the limit is just restoring it up to the maximum.¡± The best way to maintain health was to sleep well and rest thoroughly. The best treatment when you¡¯re in pain: Sleep deeply and rest completely. If a patient doesn¡¯t do those two things, even the world¡¯s best healer prescribing a miracle drug won¡¯t help. ¡°Sigh, but no matter how effective it is, the taste is just unbearable.¡± It was like eating mud cakes made in the Nether Dimension Hell Peninsula, where ancient demons resided. In other words, it was disgusting. ¡°I can¡¯t keep eating four or five of these every day.¡± I glanced over the skills listed in the status window, searching for another solution. ¡°Oh, could this work?¡± The skill that caught my eye was the E-rank alchemy skill, Synthesis. I placed a rose pill on the left and pulled a random candy from my pocket, placing it on the right. It was a lollipop ¡ª a premium one made of honey. ¡°Let¡¯s try synthesizing the effect of the rose pill with the sweetness of the candy. It¡¯s a simple substance, so it might work.¡± I extended my hand and activated the skill. Now, I didn¡¯t even need to consciously think about the spell structure. The magic circle naturally formed, and the mana automatically found its place. Whoosh! A white light shone, and soon, the result appeared. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Enhanced Rose Honey Candy (Refined, Synthesized) Effect upon consumption: Restores 0.3 health over 6 hours from internal bleeding. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D It¡¯s incredibly sweet! ¡°Yes! This is it.¡± I popped one of the honey candies into my mouth. The rich sweetness spread throughout my body, awakening every one of my senses. I felt alive ¡ª truly alive. I could eat candy as much as I wanted. Of course, I¡¯d have to watch out for cavities. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a scaling skill be nice?¡± There was nothing better for preventing cavities. It would feel so refreshing and pleasant. While synthesizing the candies, I realized that it was almost time. The agreed-upon time to meet Asella in the backyard was approaching. ¡°If I¡¯m late, she¡¯ll definitely throw a fit.¡± I grabbed my coat and hat and left the room. *** The annex had relatively few servants. As long as I avoided Sievers, I could slip out quietly without causing a commotion. Asella wasn¡¯t in the rose garden. Not surprising, considering the rose garden now looked as barren as a middle-aged man¡¯s scalp ¡ª because I had happily plucked away at it all night. There were still enough flowers left, but I¡¯d have to tell Sievers to plant more. Where was Asella? I looked around and spotted some knights patrolling in the distance. I discreetly slipped behind the willow grove. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± ¡°Argh! Damn it, you scared me!¡± Before I knew it, Asella was standing right beside me. Did she use some kind of stealth magic? I barely managed to suppress the instinct to throw a punch. Seriously, this woman never lets me relax for even a second. Asella was wearing a hood to hide her flowing golden hair. She pulled out a pocket watch from her waist and checked the time. ¡°I wasn¡¯t late, though.¡± ¡°If you arrived after me, then you¡¯re late. Let¡¯s go.¡± Asella glanced around cautiously. ¡°Is it really necessary to sneak out like this?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fun if we had guards following us. I want to see things as they are.¡± ¡°As they are?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually get to see the imperial citizens going about their daily lives.¡± ¡°Not like you need to, either.¡± ¡°Someday, when I sit on the throne, I should at least know who¡¯s supporting it.¡± Asella said something incredible in such a casual tone. So she¡¯d been planning to take the throne since she was a child. ¡°Do you really have to? Become the Emperor?¡± Asella¡¯s eyes narrowed, her gaze turning cold. [No. 056: Villainess¡¯s Wrath 7% ¡ú 12%] [Updated] ¡®I really can¡¯t say anything to her, can I?¡¯ That question was a landmine. Asella scoffed. ¡°As someone carrying the royal bloodline, it¡¯s a goal I must have. You¡¯re my fianc¨¦, so watch what you say.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Now, lead the way.¡± I moved ahead, leading her to the backyard of the annex and to a section of the mansion¡¯s outer wall. There was a small hole in the wall ¡ª a gap I had discovered while scouting the estate. ¡°This is the way out.¡± ¡°Through there?¡± Asella hesitated. The idea of crawling through a dirty hole clearly did not sit well with her noble sensibilities. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just crouch down a bit.¡± I demonstrated first. I bent over, pulled my hips back, and wriggled my way under the wall, headfirst. When infiltrating the Demon King¡¯s Castle, I¡¯d had to go through far worse. This place was practically a palace in comparison. ¡°Oof.¡± There was a problem. My chest got stuck. The gap seemed wider at first glance, but apparently, it wasn¡¯t the one I¡¯d used before. ¡°Your Highness, could you help me a little?¡± ¡°No.¡± Asella flatly refused. I knew it. ¡°You were planning to shove me through that hole?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Really.¡± From my position under the wall, I desperately tried to explain. Hopefully, the bad ending probability wasn¡¯t skyrocketing right now. ¡°Your Highness? You¡¯re still there, right? Your Highness?¡± She didn¡¯t respond. My anxiety was growing. ...Was that the sound of suppressed giggles? Nah, must be my imagination. After a moment, I heard a soft rustling sound. Some bricks crumbled away, creating a wider gap. Asella had used magic. I dusted the dirt off my clothes and stood up. Asella watched me, her lips curled into a devilish smirk. ¡°Well, at least you don¡¯t look like a noble heir anymore.¡± ¡°...Thanks for the compliment.¡± I stood up, coughing a few times and shaking my head. Was that the debuff acting up again? Before I could even check, a new problem arose. ¡°Huh? Brother?¡± Neria was standing there, staring at us. Asella¡¯s expression instantly turned icy. Neria, clearly nervous, greeted her with a polite bow. ¡°Leave it to me,¡± I whispered to Asella. I approached Neria and leaned down. ¡°Hey, Neria. Were you out for a walk?¡± ¡°Yes... Brother, are you going outside with Her Highness?¡± I placed a finger over her lips. ¡°Shh. It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°A secret...¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be back by sunset. If you keep the secret, I¡¯ll give you ¡ã? N ???? v ???? l i g h t ?¡ã this.¡± I pulled out a honey candy from my pocket and placed it in her hand. Neria¡¯s face immediately brightened. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll keep it a secret! Have a safe trip!¡± She curtsied gracefully, holding the hem of her dress like a proper noble lady. Despite being my little sister, she was so composed. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet!¡± But the way she immediately unwrapped the candy and savored it like a child was endearing. If only Asella were half as sweet. I lightly tapped Neria on the top of her head and sent her off. Then, I turned back to Asella. ¡°All taken care of. Let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°You get along well with your sister?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden interest? Well, sort of.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a candy for me?¡± Candy? Out of nowhere. The rose pills were for me. They were my personal stash. I gave one to Neria as a bribe to keep her quiet. Besides, she liked it the last time. And as far as I knew, Asella had refused the candies Sievers brought her. ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡± Asella narrowed her eyes at my response, then fell silent for a moment. ¡°I see. If you were planning to give me any, don¡¯t bother. I¡¯d just throw them away. Let¡¯s go.¡± She turned on her heel and walked briskly through the hole in the wall and out to the other side. ¡®Huh?¡¯ [No. 056: Villainess¡¯s Wrath 12% ¡ú 14%] [Updated] [No. 077: Avatar of Jealousy 2% ¡ú 7%] [Updated] ¡®Why did that go up?¡¯ The red text flashed unexpectedly, and one of the bad endings suddenly increased in probability. ¡®What was that one again? I remember being burned to death by Asella. It was a public execution, right?¡¯ That was worse than the Dragon Legion. The Dragon Legion killed me quickly, but that one... she burned me slowly from the feet up. ¡®The reason was probably...¡¯ I vaguely recalled pretending to swear allegiance to Asella. Or maybe Asella had just misunderstood and decided on her own that I¡¯d betrayed her. And then she had calmly incinerated me. ¡®And now it¡¯s going up again.¡¯ Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, they say. With Asella, it was like winter all year round. *** ¡°This place is quite lively.¡± Fortunately, once we arrived at the street market, Asella¡¯s mood seemed to lighten. ¡°It¡¯s different from the capital ¡ª so much gray everywhere.¡± She was right. Most of the buildings in the Marquisate were made of gray stone. Despite being the territory of the Gotberg family, renowned for its healers, there wasn¡¯t much religious influence here. The shopping district, roughly the size of a small town, wasn¡¯t much different from any other region. Adventurer parties occasionally roamed the streets, having come to hunt rare northern beasts. ¡°This area is rich in granite. Is this your first time visiting the North?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time walking the streets.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°That. I want to try that.¡± Asella pointed to a shop selling a local northern specialty ¡ª butter coffee. ¡°For someone not used to it, caffeine can cause sleep disturbances. You¡¯re still growing, Your Highness, and considering your health...¡± ¡°Save the lecture for when you¡¯re officially my personal physician.¡± Without waiting for my response, Asella walked briskly to the caf¨¦. If I left her alone, she¡¯d definitely cause trouble, so I quickly followed her. We sat down at a table on the terrace, and the owner promptly came out to take our order. ¡°A table for two. What will you have?¡± ¡°Two butter coffees. Do you have decaf?¡± ¡°Deca... what? We don¡¯t have that.¡± Right. I shouldn¡¯t have said ¡°caffeine.¡± ¡°Just bring them. Keep the change.¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I handed over five silver coins. The owner smiled happily and left. Meanwhile, Asella continued to watch the streets, scrutinizing every passerby as if they were objects of study. I supposed it was a rare sight for her as well. Even during the war, there were times when I passed through towns, but I never got to relax and observe like this. ¡°Beautiful lady, would you like to buy some flowers?¡± A couple of kids approached Asella, holding out flowers. Judging by their ragged clothes, they were definitely from the slums. With kids like these, the best way to handle them was to give them a few coins and send them away quickly. If you gave them too much, they¡¯d come back with friends, and that would be a whole new problem. I reached into my pocket for some copper coins ¡ª but then, ¡°Wow!¡± The kids exclaimed. Asella was already holding the flowers and handing over the payment. And the problem was that she had given them a gold coin. A single gold coin was worth two weeks¡¯ wages for a regular commoner. ¡®Oh, no.¡¯ As expected, she had no concept of money whatsoever. She was the kind of person who¡¯d get grilled in a hearing for not knowing the price of a loaf of bread. The kids bowed deeply and ran off, beaming. I let out a long sigh. ¡°Your Highness, let¡¯s move somewhere else.¡± Asella, who had been inspecting the flowers she received from the kids, shot me a sharp look. ¡°Why? The coffee hasn¡¯t even come yet.¡± ¡°You gave them far too much money. This is going to cause trouble soon.¡± ¡°Trouble, huh? My mother said the same thing. Not to be too kind to commoners.¡± Asella turned to face me. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Golden mana swirled half a turn in her irises. The system window flickered. [No. 021: Crime of the Commoners 5% ¡ú 7%] The probability of a bad ending increased. I needed to choose my words carefully. As I considered how to handle this, ¡°Hey, lady.¡± Three large men were approaching us. ¡°We¡¯d like to borrow some money.¡± The man who seemed to be the leader spoke in a low, gruff voice. I quickly assessed the situation. Those kids from the slums whom Asella had just given a gold coin to ¡ª they weren¡¯t involved with these guys. These men had likely been watching when Asella pulled out the gold coin. The insignia embroidered on their shirts... I recognized it. ¡®They¡¯re lackeys from the Supre Trading Company.¡¯ Great. Looks like the neighborhood isn¡¯t as safe as I thought. Criminals working for a merchant guild were roaming around openly in my territory. The men started speaking again. ¡°Lend us some money, will you? We could use it for something important.¡± Asella lifted her chin defiantly, glaring at them. Her eyes were filled with contempt, as though she were looking at a pile of trash. [No. 021: Crime of the Commoners 7% ¡ú 25%] The probability was rising rapidly. She might not show it outwardly, but her negative emotions were piling up. This was bad. ¡°Sir, your coffee is ready¡ª¡± Crash! I took the coffee cup from the owner and deliberately smashed it against the ground. The shards scattered with a sharp clinking sound. I shot to my feet, causing the men to flinch and focus their attention on me. I shouted at the top of my lungs: ¡°Who the hell do you think you¡¯re trying to extort here, you bastards?!¡± It was time to play the role of the unruly noble. Chapter 12: Street Inspection (2) Bad Ending: [Crime of the Commoners] The Demon King¡¯s army attacked, contaminating wheat fields throughout the Empire with a deadly plague, causing an unprecedented famine. Asella allocated the remaining wheat supplies exclusively to the Demon King¡¯s expedition forces, ignoring the commoners who were starving to death. When the starving masses gathered outside the palace, pleading for bread, Asella mocked them. But instead of the typical, ¡°Let them eat cake,¡± she said something even worse: ¡°In truth, it was I who cursed the wheat fields. Wretched commoners like you deserve to starve and die.¡± The commoners, too weak to revolt, withered away, and the Empire collapsed. Only later did we learn the full extent of it. The despairing Hero abandoned the expedition, and darkness engulfed the world. As that ending clearly showed, Asella harbored no good will toward commoners. ¡®So, her resentment toward commoners is built up through small incidents like this street inspection?¡¯ I could understand it to some extent. If I were enjoying a peaceful moment and some thug tried to shake me down, I¡¯d probably start feeling pretty hostile too. And right now, I was just as pissed off as Asella. These bastards had ruined a rare moment of peace for me. Worse yet, they weren¡¯t even my subjects. If these merchant scum were bullying people in my territory, it meant they¡¯d probably been doing this to my people too. I stepped forward, standing between Asella and the thugs. When dealing with provocations, the loudest one wins. Attack first, win first. Etiquette? Forget it. Acting like a brute would be more effective here. ¡°I come out for a stroll after a long time, and some gutter rats are running a business in my front yard without permission. What the hell are you clowns doing here?¡± The leader of the group was a massive man. He puffed out his chest, pushing it toward me as if to intimidate. ¡°Watch your mouth, you little pimp. Chasing after some airheaded lady in broad daylight, hoping to snatch a few coins?¡± ¡°Hah.¡± This guy had some nerve. Did he just mistake me for some gigolo trying to swindle Asella? He must have a death wish. ¡°Are you deaf or something? Didn¡¯t you hear me say this is my front yard?¡± ¡°What do you think this is?¡± The man pointed to the emblem on his chest. ¡°All of the Empire¡¯s land is the Supre Trading Company¡¯s front yard. Know your place, runt.¡± ¡°Yeah! Get lost! Look at this poser with his floppy hat and pathetic pretty-boy look!¡± The other thugs were ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) getting cocky too. I chuckled, shaking my head. ¡°Calling yourselves a ¡®trading company¡¯ when all you do is scrape fees off deliveries. And this? It¡¯s just a vest.¡± I slapped the man¡¯s vest, sending a puff of dust flying. ¡°And who the hell do you think you are? You look like some filthy errand boy hauling crates. Ugh, you stink.¡± Whack! I swatted his vest aside. ¡°And what the hell does that have to do with anything? Why are a bunch of merchant punks trying to extort people in my territory, huh?¡± ¡°We were just asking for a legitimate loan. With a name like Supre Trading Company, we could easily borrow a gold coin or two, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, and you¡¯re just some dockhand who floated in for a quick delivery. When the hell are you paying it back? And look at you, a nobody throwing around your company¡¯s name.¡± The man¡¯s eyebrow twitched at my words. I could see his temper flaring. ¡°You little shit...!¡± If I provoked them any further, this would definitely turn into a brawl. Should I just reveal my identity now? Too late. The thug¡¯s fist was already flying toward me. Tsk. Impatient bastard. The guy was big, and if he landed a hit, I¡¯d be seriously injured. But I wasn¡¯t a pushover either. I easily dodged by turning my head to the side. ¡°Huh?!¡± The thug¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Didn¡¯t expect me to dodge, did he? You throw a punch, I throw one back. I clenched my fist, ready to counter. ...But wait. I¡¯m not exactly strong. In fact, I¡¯m pretty damn weak. Could I even do any damage with this punch? [Diagnosis D Activated] A message appeared in the status window, instantly providing crucial information. [Injury Status: Fracture] [Injury Location: Right Arm] So, the guy¡¯s right arm was already fractured. That¡¯s why he swung with his left. Smash! Without hesitation, I threw a straight punch at the highlighted area. ¡°Aaargh!¡± The thug, who had been speaking in a deep, intimidating voice, let out a high-pitched scream and collapsed, clutching his arm. Oh, so it hurt that much? Judging by his reaction, it was probably a compound fracture. Those really hurt. He was a laborer, so he must have sustained the injury recently while working. I didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. I pressed my knee into his back, pinning him to the ground. ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± The other two thugs lunged at me, but I pulled a dagger from my back pocket. ¡°Hey, hey. If you don¡¯t want to get seriously hurt, stay the hell back.¡± The glint of the blade made them freeze in their tracks. ¡°Wh-What the hell...¡± ¡°This guy¡¯s a maniac! Someone call the guards!¡± A crowd was beginning to gather, drawn by the commotion. That was fine. My focus was solely on one person ¡ª Asella. [No. 021: Crime of the Commoners 25% ¡ú 23%] She was watching me intently. Did she feel threatened by these merchant thugs? Disgusted, maybe? If Asella¡¯s resentment toward commoners was what triggered this bad ending, then... ¡®What¡¯s done is done. Let¡¯s redirect that resentment somewhere else.¡¯ I raised my voice, loud enough for the crowd to hear. ¡°Call the guards? Go ahead! Let¡¯s see who the guards of this estate are really working for!¡± I ripped off my hat and threw it aside. My silver hair, the symbol of the Gotberg family, caught the sunlight and gleamed. ¡°That... That guy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lass! The Marquis¡¯s scoundrel son!¡± ¡°The infamous Gotberg brat!¡± The bystanders recognized me instantly and started shouting. Not a single one of them addressed me as ¡°Young Master¡± ¡ª just ¡°brat¡± or ¡°scoundrel.¡± That was my reputation around here. The thugs¡¯ faces paled as they finally realized who they were dealing with. They had lifted a rock to catch a crab, only to find a venomous spider. I sheathed the dagger and leaned down, lowering my voice so only the leader could hear. ¡°Hey, why do you need the money?¡± ¡°W-What? Uh... Well...¡± ¡°Answer me quickly before I decide to slit your throat.¡± The man squirmed under my knee, his face contorted in pain as he spoke. ¡°T-The thing is... the head of our trading company is here, and I accidentally broke a crate of premium goods we were supposed to deliver to him. I need the money to pay him back....¡± ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s the head¡¯s fault then?¡± ¡°N-No! It was my fault...!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more time. And give me the right answer.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t, you¡¯re dead.¡± I cleared my throat and shouted for everyone to hear. ¡°The Supre Trading Company! Always intimidating my people and extorting them for money! Well, not today!¡± Some of the bystanders started murmuring in agreement. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Those bastards are always causing trouble!¡± ¡°Young Master! Just beat the hell out of them!¡± This might be the first time these thugs showed up in my territory. They probably hadn¡¯t been here long. But trading company lackeys were always rough around the edges. Since they spent most of their time on ships, they were naturally used to brawling. I had anticipated the bystanders siding with me. I grabbed the leader by the hair, lifting his head, and shouted loudly again. ¡°Speak up! You¡¯re a commoner too, so why were you trying to extort other commoners?¡± ¡°The- The boss ordered it!!¡± The leader shouted at the top of his lungs. Good. He said exactly what I wanted him to. ¡°Oh, so I figured there was a noble pulling the strings! It¡¯s always the nobles exploiting the clueless commoners. Looks like the Gotberg family will have to settle the score directly with the Supre Trading Company!¡± I released the leader and stood up. The crowd started murmuring among themselves. ¡°Hey, the Gotberg brat is going up against the trading company for his territory¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°I thought he was just a spoiled scoundrel, but turns out he actually cares about his people.¡± ¡°Young Master! You¡¯re so cool!¡± ¡°I like how fiery he is!¡± Fiery? My face was burning with embarrassment. I felt like I was in some low-budget street play, shouting lines in an exaggerated tone. Acting was never my strong suit, but what choice did I have? I glanced at Asella, who was quietly observing me while sipping her coffee. It was as if she were watching a live show, thoroughly enjoying herself. [No. 021: Crime of the Commoners 23% ¡ú 5%] The bad ending probability had not only dropped but fell even lower than it initially was. That was a success. ¡°What are you all staring at? A free show? Move along!¡± I growled at the onlookers, and they quickly scattered, resuming their paths. I turned to the thug leader still sprawled out on the ground. ¡°You. You¡¯re done here. Get lost. And don¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡± ¡°A-Are you sure? I deeply apologize for what happened today. If you could just overlook this incident...¡± ¡°Shut up. Oh, by the way, what was that stuff meant for your boss?¡± If it was a high-value item they planned to buy from my territory, I could pretty much guess what it was. ¡°It was premium holy water. About twenty bottles, but...¡± Since he said they broke it, it was definitely just the holy water. Twenty bottles was a significant quantity. So, the trading company boss must have some kind of illness that needs curing. That was useful information. I decided to let them go. ¡°Alright, now get out of here. And don¡¯t go around flaunting that broken arm. Wrap it up with something.¡± ¡°Huh? How did you know it was broken? And what do you mean, wrap it up with what...?¡± Why are they always so dense? Honestly, he deserved a few more punches, but his stupidity was starting to annoy me. I grabbed the wooden rod he had been carrying and used it as a splint. I wrapped the rope tightly around his arm, securing it in place. ¡°You¡¯re gonna keep that on for at least two weeks. If you can¡¯t afford a healer, deal with it.¡± ¡°Oh! Wow, it actually feels a lot better. Thank you, sir. And again, I¡¯m really sorry for causing trouble!¡± The thugs bowed to Asella and me before scampering off like scared rats. Ah, the convenience of having authority. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Your skill rank has increased. ¡¤ First Aid Mastery E ¡ú D You can now perform first aid slightly faster. The effectiveness of first aid has slightly increased. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D I gained some skill experience, and my rank increased. ¡®That was fast. Probably because I already have medical knowledge.¡¯ Because of that, the overall experience of [Medicine] also increased. ¡®I might unlock a new skill soon.¡¯ I returned to Asella. ¡°There was a bit of a scuffle, Your Highness. I hope you weren¡¯t too displeased.¡± ¡°I was extremely displeased.¡± Asella lifted the coffee cup to her lips, took a small sip, and continued. ¡°But it was a pretty good show to enjoy with my coffee.¡± So, my little clown act entertained her enough to forget about the commoners and everything else. Yeah, that was the same in the original timeline. Ten years later, the Hero Party and I felt like circus clowns performing for her amusement. Well, as long as the result was good. ¡°You don¡¯t have your cup anymore.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I didn¡¯t reorder.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°You told me not to hand out gold coins.¡± ¡°Well done. Let¡¯s go back and drink some water.¡± I shook my head and sat back down. But just then, the caf¨¦ owner returned with a new coffee cup. ¡°Here is your coffee, sir.¡± Wait, she ordered another one anyway? I was reaching for some silver coins to pay when the owner waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Oh no, no need. The young lady here already paid for it.¡± ¡°She did? With what?¡± I glanced at Asella, suspicious. She only had gold coins. There¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve paid with those. The owner smiled, clearly pleased. ¡°With flowers. They were fresh and lovely, perfect for decoration. It more than covered the cost of the broken cup. Now, please enjoy your conversation, Young Master.¡± The owner left, leaving a steaming cup of butter coffee in front of me. ¡°Conversation? What conversation?¡± I turned to Asella. She was avoiding my gaze. ¡°Flowers?¡± ¡°They were cumbersome to carry around.¡± She had used the flowers she bought from the kids to barter for coffee. It was a smart move. If she¡¯d paid with gold or tried to get it for free using the Gotberg name, it would have damaged our reputation. Asella set down her cup and spoke. ¡°Lass.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If something like that happens again, will you step in front of me like that again?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I answered without hesitation. If those red numbers started climbing again, my body would move before I even thought about it. Asella¡¯s lips curled up slightly at my response. At that moment, a bit of butter foam clung to her cheek, just above her still chubby, childlike cheeks. ¡°You have something here.¡± I reached out and wiped it off with my thumb. Had to maintain the Princess¡¯s dignity, after all. ¡°If you¡¯re done, shall we head back?¡± No response. I looked at Asella. She was biting her lower lip, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground. Why was she angry again? ¡°Lass.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chapter 13: Knight Commander (1) ¡°Compress, Enhance, Synthesize.¡± Returning to the mansion, I started mass-producing rose candies. Since they were for my own use, there was no such thing as making too many. After repeating the process several times, the [Compress] skill leveled up from E to D. ¡°Now, I¡¯m running low on candies. I should ask Sievers to order more.¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The taste was sweet yet pleasantly rich ¡ª something I could eat for a long time without getting sick of it. ¡°Five days left until the personal physician exam.¡± The Gotberg knights and healers from the training institute were scheduled to head into the northern forest for a monster subjugation. The northern region of the Marquisate was surrounded by a high wall. The northern frontier of the Empire was untamed, a wild land where monsters roamed freely. The Gotberg estate being located at the very front line was a statement of confidence in the territory¡¯s security. In fact, the wall had never once been breached in the 200 years since the Gotberg family founded it. ¡°There aren¡¯t supposed to be any dangerous monsters in the forest, but still.¡± I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down. With my current stats, even a low-tier monster could easily kill me. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Strength: 6 Stamina: 6 Magic Power: 1 Mana: 14 (UP) Divine Power: 22 Faith: 100 ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°My mana increased from using spells.¡± Practice makes perfect, after all. But since I had no magical talent, the growth rate for Magic Power was abysmal. ¡°As for Divine Power, it¡¯ll keep increasing, but I¡¯m not planning to use it.¡± Thanks to my bloodline, it could potentially reach 50, but after that, growth would slow to a crawl. Even ten years later, it never went higher. If you lack talent, both stats and skills would hit a cap sooner or later. My current talents were Alchemy and Medicine. ¡°So, technically, my mana has no cap.¡± Alchemy was a skill that relied on knowledge and was powered by mana. But medicine? I wasn¡¯t sure how it worked in this world. Was it just the same medical knowledge I already had? ¡°With these stats, it¡¯s not enough to keep up with the knights during the trial.¡± I definitely needed to increase my strength and stamina a bit more. If I could find someone to train me, it would be much more efficient. ¡°And there just so happens to be a suitable candidate in the family.¡± I¡¯d talk to that knight tomorrow. ¡°And I¡¯ll also need a good healing performance to score high during the trial...¡± Currently, the only tools at my disposal were the Rose Candies with their health restoration effect and the First Aid skill. ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± The candies were a sustained effect, meaning they didn¡¯t provide immediate, dramatic results when consumed. First Aid was the same. It prevented wounds from worsening but didn¡¯t heal them on the spot. In contrast, healing spells were less efficient but had an unmistakable visual effect, something the people in this world could clearly understand. And that difference was crucial. ¡°I need a strong, impactful healing method. If only I had a medical skill that packed a punch... But there¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯ll level up in just five days.¡± More importantly, I had no idea what kind of skill would even come next. ¡°Besides, even if I relied on healing spells, I wouldn¡¯t beat the ace of the institute with these stats. And I don¡¯t want to use those spells anyway.¡± Which meant there was only one option. ¡°I¡¯ll have to create a powerful, impactful potion.¡± Using alchemy would be the quickest way. ¡°Now, where can I find suitable ingredients...?¡± Since I was in the mansion, the available materials were limited. I opened the window. The rose garden in the backyard was almost bald now ¡ª thanks to me. Well, I had a mountain of candies piled up, so it was worth it. Rustle... A soft breeze blew, and I heard the leaves brushing against one another. The sound came from the willow trees planted near the annex. ¡°Willow trees?¡± An idea popped into my head. I grabbed a dagger and dashed outside. I approached the nearest willow and gently peeled the bark away with the blade. ¡°This is it.¡± Willow bark had pain-relieving properties. Maybe they didn¡¯t know about it in this world, but it had been used as a natural remedy for centuries. ¡°If I extract the beta-glucoside and apply compression and enhancement, I should be able to produce salicin.¡± In other words, I could make a painkiller. I brought the willow bark back to my room and immediately started the experiment. I placed the bark in a pile and sprinkled mana evenly over it. ¡°Compress.¡± The bark creaked and crunched, gradually reshaping into a pill form. I checked the status window. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Willow Bark Painkiller (Refined) Effect: Slightly reduces pain for 5 minutes. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Success. Now, time to inscribe the spell formula. According to what Asella taught me, the more vertices a shape had, the stronger the spell¡¯s effect. The shape had to be a perfect polygon. If the sides weren¡¯t equal, it could cause a backfire. Therefore, the best shape was a circle. No vertices meant infinite potential ¡ª or so she said. For now, I stuck to a simple square since I was still a beginner. ¡°Enhance.¡± Light erupted as the magic circle began to spin slowly. ¡°...This is taking a while.¡± Unlike the rose candy, the casting time for the painkiller was noticeably longer. The mana moved along the edges of the spell circle as slowly as a worm crawling. It was like a game with terrible load times. ¡°This is going to take forever.¡± I guess the better the product, the more time it took. My concentration started to waver, and the speed of the spell slowed down even more. Ugh, this was such a pain. After two hours of intense focus, the first casting was finally completed. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Enhanced Willow Painkiller (Refined) Effect: Significantly reduces pain for 5 minutes. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°The wording has changed.¡± Which meant the effect was stronger than before. Without hesitation, I popped the pill into my mouth and swallowed it. ¡°Hm.¡± I bit down on my finger. ¡°Oh.¡± It felt just like that numbing sensation you get during local anesthesia at the dentist. The nerves were slightly tingling, but the pain was almost completely gone. ¡°Nice. This should be impactful enough.¡± Healing magic didn¡¯t numb pain. In fact, during the healing process, the body¡¯s regeneration could intensify the pain to the point of causing shock. Of course, a painkiller made from willow bark wouldn¡¯t have had this level of effect before. ¡°Alchemy¡¯s pretty useful.¡± The enhanced skill had increased the efficacy beyond what was considered normal. Just then, the system window popped up again. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Your skill rank has increased. ¡¤ Synthesis E ¡ú Synthesis D ¡¤ Property Transformation E has been unlocked. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°A new skill on the alchemy tree.¡± Now, this was it. All that effort was paying off. After reading the skill description for Property Transformation, a new idea popped into my head. When you think of medicine, one particular type comes to mind instantly. A kind of medicine that¡¯s particularly familiar to men. ¡°If I don¡¯t make that, it¡¯ll feel like a missed opportunity.¡± *** The Next Morning. I got up before dawn, moving quickly to make use of the early hours. The knight I was looking for was a creature of habit ¡ª he¡¯d be up and training before anyone else. ¡®Here it is. The knights¡¯ barracks.¡¯ I found my way to the barracks at the back of the mansion. As expected of the marquisate¡¯s private forces, the facilities were well-maintained and quite large. The accommodations were decent, and the training grounds were equipped with the latest gear. However, the number of soldiers wasn¡¯t large. The Gotberg territory primarily focused on producing healers, not knights. Moreover, the Imperial family had strict laws preventing local lords from amassing large armies, fearing potential uprisings. During monster outbreaks, the Gotberg family usually hired adventurers through guild collaborations. ¡®It¡¯s a miracle someone with that level of skill came from this place.¡¯ As I approached the training grounds, a guard standing watch saluted me. ¡°Young Master? What brings you here so early?¡± He looked less than thrilled to see me. Considering my reputation as the ¡®Gotberg brat,¡¯ it was a reasonable reaction. ¡°I want to use the training ground. Open the door.¡± ¡°Training? Can¡¯t you do that back at the mansion? It¡¯s not time for the knights to be active yet.¡± ¡°This is my mansion too. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do anything ? N§àv§Ö¢ñight ? (Read more on our source) stupid.¡± I tried to step forward, but the guard blocked my path with his arm. ¡°Oh, come on. Did you stay up all night drinking again? You know the Lord will hear about this.¡± ¡°I told you, I just woke up. Ah, almost forgot.¡± I pulled out a lollipop from my pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into my mouth. The sweetness flooded my taste buds. ¡°Damn it. You¡¯re going to drive me crazy.¡± ¡°Well, you won¡¯t go crazy if you just let me through. Move.¡± ¡°What the...¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± A calm yet commanding voice interrupted our exchange. ¡®There she is.¡¯ A familiar face. Much younger than the last time I saw her, of course. Fiery red hair that seemed to burn in the early morning light. Sharp eyes that contrasted with her otherwise serene expression. A lithe, agile body. A single drop of sweat fell from her cheek, indicating she¡¯d been jogging. ¡°Good morning, Commander Tanya.¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± Tanya, the Commander of the Gotberg Knights, nodded in acknowledgment of my greeting. She was only twenty now, but she had already reached the level of a Sword Expert, a prodigy in the art of the sword. In a few years, she¡¯d be scouted by the Imperial Army, rise to the level of Sword Master, and carve out a meteoric career. ¡®Seeing her with both eyes intact feels a bit strange.¡¯ During the Gotberg family¡¯s downfall, Tanya would be falsely accused and lose an eye in the process. At the time, she was already part of the Imperial Knights, but she had still fought to protect our family, driven by her sense of justice. In the future, she became a reclusive master who would eventually assist the Hero. Since she was destined to rise in the world, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to start getting close to her now. ¡°What brings you here, Young Master? The training grounds don¡¯t open until nine.¡± ¡°You sweat more in the morning, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re out here running before dawn, right?¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true, but...¡± Tanya¡¯s eyes narrowed, clearly suspicious. ¡°I haven¡¯t been feeling well lately. Feels like I could drop dead any second. You know I¡¯m participating in the monster subjugation trial in five days.¡± ¡°I heard. You¡¯re taking the personal physician exam.¡± ¡°Right. So, could you train me a bit to prepare? Some basic combat skills would be good too.¡± ¡°Combat skills?¡± Tanya¡¯s face turned icy. She was always serious about the sword. Mentioning it lightly was a good way to provoke her. But right now, I needed her help, even if it meant provoking her a little. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t blame you if I get hurt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°Then what is?¡± Tanya¡¯s voice grew colder. ¡°Young Master, your body isn¡¯t even remotely ready for combat. Before you pick up a sword, you need to start with running.¡± ¡°Running? During the trial, if I turn my back on a monster and run, I¡¯ll be as good as dead.¡± ¡°Then run. If you value your life.¡± Running away in the middle of the trial? That would be the fastest way to jump straight into hell. Talking to her wouldn¡¯t work. I had to offer something in return. ¡°Tanya, you know who I¡¯m engaged to, right?¡± ¡°I do. But why are you bringing that up?¡± Martial artists were always weak when it came to politics. I had to walk her through it step by step. ¡°Imagine that I become Princess Asella¡¯s personal physician and enter the Imperial Palace. That¡¯s a very unique situation.¡± ¡°A unique situation?¡± ¡°If a noble of Count rank or higher gets a position in the palace, they¡¯re allowed to bring personal bodyguards. Two, in fact.¡± Tanya¡¯s eyes widened slightly. She was ambitious when it came to swordsmanship. That¡¯s why she accepted the offer from the Imperial Knights ¡ª to further her skills. ¡°And, of course, the most skilled knight in the Gotberg territory should be my bodyguard. What do you think?¡± ¡°...I have my duties as the Commander of the Gotberg Knights.¡± ¡°You should also get a taste of the bigger world, shouldn¡¯t you? Who knows? Maybe the Princess herself will want to scout you. And if you spar with the masters in the Imperial Knights, you might even reach the level of Sword Master.¡± I leaned in, whispering provocatively. ¡°That is... if you¡¯re really confident in your swordsmanship.¡± Tanya¡¯s expression hardened. After a long pause, she finally gave the order to the guard. ¡°Bring me a wooden sword.¡± Chapter 14: Knight Commander (2) A person who insults the sword is unforgivable, no matter the circumstances. This was the absolute principle of Tanya, Commander of the Gotberg Knights. From her days in the slums, the only thing that protected her was a single sword. When she opened her eyes, she swung it. Even when half-asleep, she would swing it. Her right hand always rested at her waist, ready to draw. On rare nights when she was lucky enough to lie down to sleep, the sword was neatly placed at her bedside. It was because she could wield a sword that she rose to the position of Commander of the Gotberg Knights. She left behind her life in the slums, embraced chivalry, and became a respected swordswoman. Yet, it still wasn¡¯t enough. The title of Sword Expert and the position of a provincial commander were insufficient. She needed to see just how far she could go with the sword ¡ª to reach the summit. Only then... ¡°Hup! Huff! Ugh!¡± Only then would she not have to bow her head to those who treated the sword with contempt ¡ª like the fool in front of her. ¡°Would you like to continue?¡± Tanya asked, her voice flat and emotionless. Inwardly, she felt slightly relieved and satisfied, though she kept her expression neutral. She couldn¡¯t even count the number of times she had to clean up after his messes. In a way, this sparring was a form of venting. ¡®It¡¯s true that what he said about the Imperial Knights intrigued me.¡¯ Even if it was a simple contractual relationship, she had pledged her loyalty to the Gotberg family. His words to abandon that, and his attitude of belittling swordsmanship, didn¡¯t sit well with her. ¡®There¡¯s no way the Young Master will pass the physician¡¯s exam, and even if he does, he won¡¯t take me as his bodyguard.¡¯ Under the pretense of sparring, Tanya unleashed her quick swordsmanship, too fast for the fool to respond. Her swift strikes hit his arms and back with precise, powerful blows. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Finally, the fool collapsed to the ground. After being beaten this much, he should give up and stay down. However... ¡°Ugh, painkiller... First aid. Phew.¡± Contrary to her expectations, he got back up, gripping the wooden sword once more. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep going. Is this the correct basic stance? If not, let me know right away.¡± The fool swung the wooden sword with all his might. His posture and trajectory were a complete mess. Tanya struck his sword lightly, sending him sprawling again. ¡°What the heck, are even the lowest-tier monsters this strong? This is terrible. Again!¡± ...He got back up. Despite his ragged breathing and bleeding wounds, he kept standing. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ For the first time, Tanya saw the look in his eyes clearly, through his disheveled bangs. ...Something had changed. The hazy, unfocused gaze from before had long since disappeared. Now, there was a madman fiercely burning with determination to survive. ¡®Wha...!¡¯ Tanya was so overwhelmed by his spirit that she unconsciously took a step back. ¨DThwack! Seizing the opening, the fool swung his wooden sword with all his strength, striking Tanya¡¯s wooden sword. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t fall over this time!¡± Tanya, without even realizing it, had assumed a defensive stance. Seeing no counterattack, the fool grew even more spirited and continued his relentless strikes. Watching his childlike enthusiasm, Tanya found herself unexpectedly letting go of the anger she had held toward him. She acknowledged it. ¡®The Young Master... has changed.¡¯ A faint smile appeared on Tanya¡¯s lips. Now she understood what he meant. He wasn¡¯t telling her to betray her loyalty to the Gotberg family. On the contrary, he meant he would surely pass the physician¡¯s exam and take [N O V E L I G H T] her as his personal guard. ¡®Was it my perception that was twisted?¡¯ Tanya herself hadn¡¯t been a knight from the beginning. During her youth, she was just another delinquent from the slums, learning chivalry only after joining the Gotberg Knights. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If he was showing this much resolve, it was her duty as a subordinate to respond. Tanya spoke in a much softer tone than before. ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°To be honest, you have no talent for the sword.¡± ¡°I know that!¡± Lass snapped back, clearly irritated by her blunt remark. ¡°So, I¡¯ll teach you some tricks. Practical techniques for fighting monsters.¡± Lass frowned, his face clearly displeased. For a moment, Tanya thought she might have made a mistake. But then, Lass shouted loudly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier! I¡¯m ready. What is it? Teach me already!¡± His straightforward reaction made Tanya suppress a chuckle. ¡°If you¡¯re caught off guard by a sudden attack, remember this stance. Assume you¡¯re holding a sword...¡± Tanya began to explain earnestly, and Lass listened just as attentively. As they trained together, Tanya realized she was unknowingly breaking into a pleasant sweat. *** ¡°Wow, that''s crossing the line.¡± When a person reaches their limit, they can''t help but be amazed. That''s how intense Tanya''s training was. And it lasted for four whole days! ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the first aid, I honestly wouldn¡¯t have survived.¡± But it was worth it. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Strength: 10 (UP) Stamina: 11 (UP) Magic Power: 1 Mana: 15 (UP) Divine Power: 22 Faith: 100 ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Just four days. In just four days, I managed to bring my pathetic strength and stamina to a level where I could at least do something. ¡°At least now I won¡¯t die... probably.¡± The practical exam for the personal physician position was tomorrow. In my seventeen years of life, I had never really exercised before, so every muscle in my body was screaming in agony. But I just had to endure it for one more day. Lying on the bed like a piece of seaweed soaked in water, I suddenly heard a thud near the door. ¡°What the...?¡± I got up and yanked the door open. Maybe it was the experience from fighting the Demon King¡¯s army, but I instinctively remained cautious, even in moments like these. If there was a rustling sound outside the tent while you were camping at night, there was a high probability that a monster was approaching. I tilted my head and caught sight of someone quickly darting behind the corner. Seeing that gray hair, I knew immediately who it was. My tension evaporated, and I called her name gently. ¡°Neria, what are you doing?¡± After a brief silence, Neria timidly peeked out from behind the corner. Sweat was dripping down her flushed face as if she were in a cartoon. ¡°Oh, Brother. Did I disturb you while you were resting? I¡¯m so sorry...¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. But...¡± I sniffed the air. There was a pleasant, buttery aroma wafting around. Looking closely, I saw Neria holding a tray with both hands, her stance overly formal. On the tray, there were cookies ¡ª palm-sized and piled high. ¡°Couldn¡¯t knock because of those?¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes. You¡¯ve been looking so tired lately, so I decided to bake some for you.¡± ¡°You made them yourself? Impressive.¡± The cookies were well-shaped, almost professional in appearance. Though they were noticeably larger than the usual cookies I¡¯d seen, Neria was generous with the ingredients. She¡¯d always had a big heart, even since childhood. ¡°I made them just for you, Brother... You seemed to like sweet things.¡± Neria looked up at me with those big, innocent eyes, blinking cautiously. She was probably worried that she might have been bothersome, doing something she wasn¡¯t asked to do. She had baked cookies solely for me. There was no way I couldn¡¯t feel touched. ¡°Haha, thanks. But honestly, I¡¯m more into savory stuff. If I had to choose, salty things are more my style.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I thought you liked sweets since you keep eating those honey candies every day.¡± That¡¯s just for survival. I don¡¯t dislike them, but... well, they¡¯re tolerable. I picked up a cookie and took a bite. The soft, chewy texture spread across my mouth, along with the rich, buttery aroma. And... it was sweet. She hadn¡¯t held back on the sugar. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s yuzu syrup. It has a much richer flavor than just plain sugar.¡± ¡°Did I always like sweet things?¡± I¡¯d never questioned it before. Hmm... my values were always pretty clear. No need for unnecessary embellishment ¡ª they were simply delicious. These cookies were the kind of thing I¡¯d want to stash a few in my pocket for emergencies. While I chewed, Neria watched my face intently. Her lips curled up, and her chubby cheeks puffed out like soft rice cakes. ¡°Hehe.¡± She looked so smug, as if she¡¯d just won a major victory. ¡°Why¡¯d you suddenly decide to bake cookies?¡± At my question, Neria¡¯s expression shifted to one of mild concern. She shuffled her feet nervously before answering. ¡°I saw you training with Commander Tanya... You looked like you were in so much pain. It reminded me of when I fell in the garden ¡ª it stung so much. I wondered how much worse it must be for you, Brother.¡± Neria¡¯s gaze softened as she looked at me. ¡°But that time, a maid gave me a cookie, and it made me feel a lot better! So I thought maybe you¡¯d feel better too if you had some....¡± Oh, she¡¯s so sweet. Ten years from now, Neria would be a shell of herself after all the fighting against the Demon King¡¯s army. For now, she was a little angel, concerned enough to bake cookies just for her troublesome older brother. ¡°Thank you, Neria. How about we go downstairs and eat the rest with some milk?¡± ¡°Milk?¡± It was as if she¡¯d never considered it before. Neria tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Yeah. Cookies taste way better with milk. And drinking milk helps you grow taller too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± At the mention of getting taller, Neria brought her hands up to her chest, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Yeah. At your age, getting enough calcium is essential for bone growth.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t really get it, but if you say so, it must be really important. Let¡¯s eat with milk!¡± Neria¡¯s face lit up like a chipmunk discovering a winter stash of nuts. If only Asella were half as sweet and innocent as Neria. With that thought, I led Neria downstairs to the kitchen to find some milk. *** ¡°All the candidates have gathered.¡± My father¡¯s stern voice echoed through the chilly morning air. The next morning, before the sun even fully rose, a crowd had assembled on the northern hill of the Gotberg estate. Tanya stood at the forefront, leading the Gotberg knights, all armed and ready for battle. I stood directly in front of my father. To my left and right, other candidates for the personal physician position were lined up, tense and nervous. My father¡¯s gaze swept over us, and then he spoke. ¡°From this moment forward, the practical exam will commence. Your performance during today¡¯s monster subjugation mission will be evaluated.¡± Chapter 15: Personal Physician Examination (1) The head maid had already composed herself at the break of dawn to greet her master. Members of the imperial family, sanctioned by the emperor, were considered beings of a higher race, distinctly set apart from commoners. Whenever a member of the imperial family took a single step, a multitude of retainers moved in unison to serve them. Knights, secretaries, attendants, and the personal physician. Currently, the emperor had over twenty members of the imperial family residing within the palace. And the specialized personnel assigned to assist them? Their numbers easily multiplied by several dozen. The Imperial Knights boasted the strongest combat power in the empire, and the internal medical division, comprising personal physicians and faction healers, was similarly renowned for its authority and exceptional skill. But the successor candidates, even more so than the other relatives of the emperor, held a special status. The internal factions of the imperial family were naturally divided into factions such as the First Prince¡¯s faction, the First Princess¡¯s faction, and so forth. Asella, despite being the youngest of the successor candidates, was steadily expanding her influence, starting with the knights. There was a specific reason why she did not have a personal physician. The head maid, who had been caring for Asella since she was a child, was well aware of the reason. It was because the healers couldn¡¯t endure Asella¡¯s magic and ended up collapsing. ¡°No matter how reputable the Gotberg family is as a household of healers, if they send some nobody, it would be of no help to Her Highness at all.¡± Yet, strangely enough, Asella seemed to secretly desire that delinquent to be chosen. When she heard such rumors, the head maid found it utterly mysterious. The Asella who had always detested the engagement ¡ª what could have caused such a change of heart? ¡°I have to keep an eye on the examination to ensure it proceeds properly. For Her Highness¡¯s sake.¡± She had been entrusted with an important task. The head maid steeled herself, determined not to blink even once during today¡¯s practical examination. Thinking so, the head maid stationed herself in front of the first floor of the east wing where Asella resided. Standing guard in front of her master¡¯s door before they awoke was the basic duty of a maid. With a strong sense of professionalism, she had never once been late in the eleven years she had served as Asella¡¯s maid. Once Asella woke up, it was her duty to handle the bathing, undressing, and overall appearance preparation. But then ¡ª thud! A dull sound echoed from Asella¡¯s room. Sensing something was wrong, the head maid boldly opened Asella¡¯s door without hesitation. ¡°Your Highness, pardon my intrusion.¡± Sure enough, Asella had fallen from the bed and lay sprawled on the floor. Her forehead was drenched in cold sweat as she clutched her abdomen. Though her half-open eyes maintained a blank ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) expression, her breathing was labored. ¡°Your Highness!¡± The head maid rushed to her side, carefully reaching out to touch her. When she tried to lift her, Asella recoiled like a turtle, withdrawing into herself. It was a sign of rejection. Moving her body carelessly would only worsen the pain. In the end, the head maid could do nothing but support Asella¡¯s head, ensuring she was at least somewhat comfortable. ¡°This again...¡± It was something that had been happening occasionally since Asella was a child. Asella lived with persistent abdominal pain. They said it was the ¡°price¡± of possessing magical ¡°talent,¡± but to the head maid, who had no such talent, it was impossible to fathom what that felt like. Occasionally, when the pain intensified during the night, Asella would awaken, writhing like this until morning. The sight of Asella rolling on the floor, unable to utter a single word, made it clear just how excruciating the pain was. What the head maid found most heartbreaking was that Asella had never once screamed in agony. Thus, until morning, the head maid had no way of knowing Asella¡¯s condition. ¡°When will this ever...?¡± Many healers had attempted to alleviate Asella¡¯s pain, but all their efforts had been in vain. That was why Asella had never had a personal physician. ¡°Lately, the intervals are getting shorter.¡± The head maid could now understand why Asella¡¯s tone had become increasingly sharp and irritable. A fourteen-year-old girl, living in a constant state of such pain ¡ª it was impossible not to become frustrated. Even Asella¡¯s mother, Empress Camilla, demanded her daughter endure it gracefully, claiming that the price of talent was only natural. The head maid felt utterly helpless, unable to do anything but watch. That was why she had pinned her hopes on the upcoming selection of a personal physician. She desperately hoped that a capable healer would be chosen as Asella¡¯s personal physician and finally cure her. ¡°But if that delinquent gets chosen...¡± The head maid couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this entire situation had been orchestrated by the empress for political reasons. It was thirty minutes later when Asella¡¯s breathing finally returned to a steady rhythm. Only then did the head maid manage to lift her back onto the bed. ¡°Please rest a bit more, Your Highness. I will inform the Empress that today¡¯s schedule will be started at a more relaxed pace.¡± ¡°That would just get me scolded.¡± Asella barely moved her lips as she spoke. ¡°Your health is more important. But for your condition to have worsened so suddenly... Did you go out to the streets?¡± At the head maid¡¯s question, Asella remained silent. ¡°It was the day you said you were going to meet Lord Gotberg. My negligence.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with that.¡± ¡°You must not overdo it.¡± ¡°But it was fun.¡± ¡°Fun?¡± The head maid was visibly surprised. Asella frequently visited the streets under the guise of inspecting the citizens. Yet each time, the commoners only disappointed her, and not once had Asella ever said she had fun. ¡°Yes, it was fun. The coffee was rich, and there were all sorts of commoners, and Lord Las was...¡± Asella¡¯s words trailed off, as though she were guarding a precious secret. Understanding her place, the head maid asked no further questions. ¡°Please oversee the examination,¡± Asella said. ¡°Understood.¡± What Asella wanted was, of course, the results of the personal physician examination. Leaving her position to the other maids, the head maid headed toward the northern gate of the estate. *** ¡°Master, the formation is complete,¡± Tanya reported to my father. My father nodded and reviewed the lineup. Thirty knights from the Condenburg Knights, divided into six squads of five members each. He glanced over the healers, including me, and delivered the instructions. ¡°The candidates will be assigned to the squads in pairs. Injuries are inevitable during monster subjugation. Your ability to respond effectively will determine the final selection.¡± My father¡¯s expression was stern. The healers, too, wore tense expressions without exception. No, there was one exception. ¡°Tsk, I¡¯m not an adventurer. Monster subjugation, really?¡± One of the healers muttered to himself in complaint. My father, with his sharp ears, caught every word and immediately responded. ¡°A personal physician must be able to heal their master under any circumstances ¡ª even in the midst of a battlefield swarming with monsters. If you disagree with the examination method, get out, Lucius!¡± ¡°N-No, sir!¡± Lucius, the healer who had been called out by name, immediately straightened up, his posture stiff. ¡°Now then, we will organize the squads based on the written test scores. Tanya, take charge.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Tanya began assigning the twelve healers to their respective squads. All of them were talents from the marquisate, awaiting only their graduation from the training academy. ¡®But in the end, they¡¯re nothing more than desk-bound healers.¡¯ Whether they spent their lives cultivating faith and divine power or aiming for the imperial court rather than personal practice or adventurer work, it didn¡¯t matter to me. I had no intention of losing to these bookish dandies who just wanted a cushy position under the warm glow of imperial power. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re with us,¡± Tanya said, gesturing to me. The squad under Tanya¡¯s command was waiting for me. ¡°Hmph! This formation suits me just fine,¡± someone said, throwing me a glare. It was Gis, the ace of the training academy. The same fool who had been fumbling around when Max had choked. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re pleased?¡± ¡°Yes. Young Master forced his way into this examination without proper qualifications. I was certain there must have been some backdoor deal due to your engagement with the princess.¡± Gis¡¯s gaze was sharp, filled with hostility. It seemed he¡¯d already crafted some elaborate scenario in his head. How tiring. ¡°But now that we¡¯re in the same squad, everyone will clearly see the difference in skill between you and me. I have no complaints. I won¡¯t be unjustly eliminated.¡± ¡°Haha. Naturally, that won¡¯t happen.¡± I smiled and responded to Gis, my grin wide. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to thoroughly convince everyone before kicking you out. I¡¯ll show you the skill gap firsthand, so there won¡¯t be any doubts.¡± ¡°Ugh...! Have you even attended a single lecture or prayer session? I¡¯ve been setting new records in the training academy every single day!¡± Gis¡¯s face flushed as he pounded his chest in indignation. ¡°What you have isn¡¯t confidence, it¡¯s arrogance, Young Master. I¡¯ve undergone countless practical training sessions at the academy. How could someone as lazy as you possibly defeat me?¡± Oh, practical training, huh? I was already bored stiff of practical combat. If there¡¯s ever a spot open in a hero¡¯s party in the future, I should strongly recommend him. ¡°There will be no disruptions during the operation,¡± Tanya interrupted firmly. ¡°The two of you were paired based on the written exam scores. Gis is ranked first, while the Young Master, who skipped the written exam, is assumed to be the lowest.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how you¡¯re balancing the teams, huh? Fine by me. Doesn¡¯t matter who my teammate is.¡± ¡ªCrunch. I took out a honey candy from my pocket. Carefully peeling away the wrapper to avoid breaking the candy, the sweet scent wafted into the air. I popped it into my mouth. Immediately, my stamina began to recover, and my mind cleared up. Ahh. I even felt my mood lifting. Now I could afford to be a little more merciful. ¡°Well, I suppose the knights in my squad are lucky then. Don¡¯t worry about injuries. Just fight.¡± ¡°I will do my best to fulfill my duty. During the operation, I am in command, so please follow orders strictly,¡± Tanya said, ever serious. Wow. Even when I make a joke, she takes it dead seriously. It¡¯s almost embarrassing. ¡°Of course. Just as the Young Master said, there¡¯s no need to worry. I, Gis, will guard the rear with the honor of the academy at stake!¡± Gis pounded his chest and held up his sacred book confidently before joining the knights. He looked to be in his early twenties, overflowing with confidence, likely because he was set to graduate as the top of his class at the healing academy. The typical overzealous rookie who wears everyone out right before entering society. Ugh, how annoying. But with the honey candy in my mouth, I felt generous. No need to waste my breath shouting pointlessly. I was about to step forward when Tanya lightly placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Young Master, I have higher expectations for you than for the other healers,¡± she said, her gaze intense and unwavering. Whoa. Coming on that strong all of a sudden is a bit overwhelming. Tanya stepped forward and addressed the knights. ¡°Recently, monsters from the northern forest have been descending into the territory. There have been reports of attacks on farmlands and roads beyond the city walls.¡± Monster subjugation missions were a regular task for the knights, regardless of the personal physician examination. Monsters tended to appear en masse depending on their species and the time of year. ¡°What kind of monsters?¡± I asked. ¡°Goblins,¡± Tanya replied. ¡°Just goblins?¡± ¡°Not exactly a tough opponent.¡± ¡°Will we even need to heal anyone?¡± The healers, who knew little about monsters, began to relax. I clapped my hands sharply to draw their attention. ¡°Think again. If the knights are being deployed for mere goblins, it means they¡¯re not ordinary goblins. There¡¯s probably a hobgoblin acting as a leader, coordinating them. Get careless, and you¡¯ll end up severely injured.¡± Despite my warning, the healers still looked like they didn¡¯t understand the seriousness of the situation. It wasn¡¯t surprising. They had no real combat experience. ¡°The Young Master is right,¡± Tanya said, backing me up. ¡°A goblin may have the intelligence and strength of a small child, but once they band together, they¡¯ll tear you apart in seconds. We¡¯re headed to the battlefield. Stay alert!¡± Thud. Tanya stomped her foot, and the healers jolted, swallowing nervously. ¡°Healers, especially, have no combat abilities, so be extra cautious. I expect no healer to end up injured before the knights in the front line.¡± The healers exchanged uneasy glances. Swish ¡ª Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tanya unsheathed her sword and pivoted toward the dark expanse of the forest ahead. ¡°Move out!¡± At Tanya¡¯s command, the knights and healers formed ranks and began to march forward. At the rear were the evaluators ¡ª my father, the instructors from the healing academy, and a few knights acting as guards. And one more ¡ª the head maid, who had appointed herself as Asella¡¯s examiner. ¡°Goblins, huh,¡± I muttered. I knew how to handle them. Compared to the Demon King¡¯s army, they were like children playing pretend. Not that I intended to fight. This was a physician exam, not a knight¡¯s exam. But still, I had to protect myself. I drew a sword instead of the holy book. Chapter 16: Personal Physician Examination (2) Even in broad daylight, the forest was dark as dusk, the thick foliage blocking out the sun. ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Gis, walking beside me, tripped again and let out a short scream. That made four times already. ¡°Keep your mouth shut. Are you trying to advertise our presence to the monsters?¡± One of the knights, apparently having reached his limit, snapped at him. It was the same knight who¡¯d been standing guard the day I visited the garrison¡ªhis name was Boris, if I remembered correctly. ¡°I can¡¯t even see my footing. What are we, savages? Can¡¯t we just light a torch?¡± I let out a dry laugh at Gis¡¯s whining. ¡°What did I just hear? Why don¡¯t we go all out and hand out flyers while we¡¯re at it? ¡®Fresh human meat, free samples, now open for business.¡¯¡± A few of the knights snickered at that. Gis scowled deeply. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to throw me off my game with intimidation, it¡¯s no use. I know very well that goblins are low-tier monsters.¡± ¡°I told you, we¡¯re dealing with hobgoblins¡ªthey¡¯re moving in coordinated groups. Don¡¯t underestimate them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not buying it. Either way, all I need to do is prove my healing skills. I¡¯ll be the one to become the princess¡¯s personal physician and secure a place in the Imperial Medical Division!¡± Gis declared boldly, brimming with self-confidence. But confidence doesn¡¯t mean much during a monster subjugation. ¡°Shh.¡± Tanya, leading at the front, raised a finger to her lips. The five knights spread out silently, signaling to one another and gripping their swords tight. ¡°Advance!¡± At Tanya¡¯s command, the knights burst forward through the underbrush. ¡°Hup!¡± ¡°Kyeeek!¡± The thud of blades cleaving flesh echoed between the trees, followed by guttural, sputtering screams. When the forest grew quiet again, we moved in to find three goblins lying on the ground, cleaved clean in two. Their performance was proof enough of the "Sword Expert" title Tanya bore. ¡°From here on, we¡¯re in goblin territory. Stay alert and eliminate them before they can call for reinforcements.¡± Tanya¡¯s command was sharp. The squad following behind quickly understood and moved with purpose. ¡°Is this really what you¡¯d call a group? Do we have to be this cautious just to hunt goblins...?¡± Gis looked puzzled as he eyed the goblin corpses. Still doesn¡¯t get it, huh. I kicked at a pile of branches scattered between the corpses and pointed something out. ¡°Look at this. It¡¯s a fire pit. Either they were planning to camp here, or they spotted us and tried to send a signal to their main group. Goblins aren¡¯t smart enough to do that on their own.¡± I turned to Gis and nodded firmly. ¡°This is clear evidence that they have a leader. So stop your whining.¡± ¡°When did I whine...? And since when did you become such an expert on monsters?¡± ¡°Excellent deduction,¡± I replied smoothly. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly studied hard. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Tanya affirmed my conclusion. Only then did Gis clamp his mouth shut. We continued deeper through the brush marked by goblin tracks. Any lone creatures we encountered were swiftly eliminated by the knights. Eventually, we discovered a pitch-black cave entrance carved into the cliff face. ¡°This must be where they¡¯re coming from.¡± ¡°Goblins living in a cave? That¡¯s rare.¡± ¡°Master, from this point forward we¡¯ll need torches. The risk of the operation will increase. Shall we proceed?¡± Tanya¡¯s question gave Father pause. He consulted with the senior healers serving as examiners. While they deliberated, I examined the area around the cave entrance. ¡°Found it.¡± I picked up an animal skull and held it out for my father to see. ¡°Take a look at this.¡± ¡°A leftover from a meal?¡± ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t rotted¡ªit was carved deliberately. Not for food. It was used in a ritual.¡± ¡°A ritual?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility a shaman, not a hobgoblin, is controlling this group.¡± The knightly ranks stirred at my words. The healers, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the gravity of the situation. Gis asked, ¡°A shaman? You mean a goblin that uses magic? What¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°The difference is massive!¡± Boris snapped. ¡°If they¡¯re enhanced by magic, we¡¯re dealing with a goblin army. Even adventurers differentiate between hobgoblins and shamans¡ªthey¡¯re ranked D and C, respectively.¡± Tanya offered her assessment. ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure yet, but if a goblin shaman really is inside, we¡¯ll have to prepare for casualties. Of course, our knights can handle it. But we can¡¯t guarantee the safety of the healers.¡± The healers flinched, shoulders tightening with fear. My father nodded solemnly. ¡°An imperial physician must be able to heal their master under any circumstances, that much is true. But that doesn¡¯t mean we can take unnecessary risks during an exam.¡± He came to a swift decision. ¡°The shaman subjugation will be handled by the guild later. For now, the exam will continue with clearing the surrounding monsters.¡± It was the right choice, considering we had healers tagging along who weren¡¯t trained for combat. Still, something I noticed bothered me, and I raised a question. ¡°Then when will the subjugation be carried out?¡± ¡°The guild will need to post the request and hire adventurers, so... in a few days, I¡¯d guess.¡± ¡°And if the kidnapped residents aren¡¯t alive by then?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± I ran my fingers along the cave wall. Sticky blood clung to them. ¡°Judging by the coagulation, it hasn¡¯t been more than six hours. It seems the goblins abducted someone and dragged them inside.¡± ¡°Hmm...!¡± My father¡¯s expression grew grave. Gis, of course, protested. ¡°That doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s human blood, right? It could be from some animal they brought in for food.¡± He¡¯s fully entered the stage of objecting for the sake of objecting now. Probably praying for just one thing I say to be wrong. Keep going, then. Let¡¯s see if I¡¯m ever mistaken. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Diagnosis D activated. Injury status: Bleeding Injury location: Left forehead ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D The diagnosis wouldn¡¯t have triggered unless the blood belonged to a human. It¡¯s rather convenient how it activates just from seeing part of the injury. I turned to Gis. ¡°You¡¯re a healer¡ªshouldn¡¯t you be able to tell human blood from animal blood at a glance? Look. It¡¯s human. And if we go back now and miss the golden hour, are you going to take responsibility?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s...¡± When I held out my blood-stained finger, Gis faltered. I turned back to my father. ¡°What will you do? The cave is clearly their den. It¡¯s true that sending this squad inside would be risky.¡± ¡°Hm. Healer Las, are you certain that blood is human?¡± Since this was an official setting, my father used my title. I responded without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡± ¡°Understood. Commander Tanya, prepare for entry.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. All units, form a defensive formation. Place the healers in the center to prevent ambush.¡± The knights moved quickly, forming a protective ring around the healers. A few lit torches. ¡°We¡¯re entering. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± We began to move. The moment we passed the entrance, the air grew thinner and darkness closed in, making it hard to breathe. The scouting team at the front used long spears to feel the structure of the walls as they advanced. Behind them followed Tanya¡¯s main squad. ...Tension filled the air. No one dared to speak. Not even a whisper. Shadows flickered along the cave walls. The torches were swaying¡ªair was flowing in from somewhere. This cave wasn¡¯t sealed. ¡°Commander, a fork in the path.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Tanya seemed uncertain about which path to take. Perhaps I should help. ¡°Cave-dwelling goblins always make multiple exits. It¡¯s so they can escape at any time.¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°But if they¡¯ve taken humans from the outside, there¡¯s no need to keep the prisoners near an exit.¡± I licked my finger and held it up between the two tunnels. Wind was blowing from only one direction. ¡°The hostages are more likely to be in the blocked path. I recommend exploring the right side first.¡± Tanya¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable. I¡¯m impressed. Have you ever worked as an adventurer?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I¡¯ve had more than enough of hero parties. Brutal job. Wouldn¡¯t recommend it. ¡°Then we¡¯ll proceed right. Watch for traps at the front.¡± The path narrowed, forcing us to slow our pace and move more cautiously. With the formation harder to maintain, we broke off into squad units again. Before long, Gis pointed urgently at the end of the passage. ¡°There! I see them!¡± He ran ahead, thrusting his torch forward. In a dark corner of the cave, alongside a pile of animal corpses, two people lay slumped. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t break formation!¡± Tanya shouted, but Gis had already sprinted toward the collapsed commoners. They did look in bad shape. Their clothes were shredded and their bodies bruised all over. A man and a woman¡ªblood streamed from the woman¡¯s head. It matched the injury I¡¯d seen through the diagnosis. ¡°Oh merciful Goddess above, hear my plea! Your lamb lies here in need of your compassion¡ª¡± Gis opened his sacred book and began chanting a healing spell. You could say he was being diligent, but it was reckless under the circumstances. ¡ªKIEEEEK! ¡ªKREEEK! Goblin shrieks echoed through the cave. Suddenly, from the shadows, a swarm of goblins emerged with clubs in hand. Their bald, wiry bodies and grotesque expressions were as disgusting as ever. ¡°Ugh!¡± Startled, Gis fell flat on his rear. The goblins rushed in like cockroaches, ready to pounce. ¡°Hup!¡± A bastard sword slashed through them in a single sweep. Tanya¡¯s blade. ¡°It¡¯s an ambush!¡± ¡°All units, prepare for combat!¡± The knights drew their weapons, and the narrow cave instantly turned into a battlefield. ¡°W-where the hell did they come from all of a sudden?!¡± Gis trembled, arms shaking. I smacked the back of his head. ¡°Leaving bait and using it to lure in prey with traps ¡ª that¡¯s textbook goblin behavior. Their bodies are small, so they move through hidden passages or crevices. Focus already.¡± ¡°Ugh¡ªy-yes, sir!¡± Gis wiped the sweat from his brow and returned to casting his healing spell. The other healers joined him in treating the wounded villagers. I glanced around, assessing the situation. The Gotberg Knights were performing admirably. Tanya had trained them well. Even caught off guard, they could handle goblins easily. The escort knights were protecting my father without fail. And the head maid who¡¯d come as Asella¡¯s proxy¡ª Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ...Hmm. Even in this chaos, she didn¡¯t seem fazed in the slightest. She was standing in just the right spot to avoid the ambush, as if she¡¯d anticipated it. Well, as long ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) as I protect myself¡ª ¡°Haaah!¡± No point in holding back. I let out a sharp breath and swung my sword with all my strength. ¡ªKIEEEEK!! A goblin charging at me took a direct hit to the head and went flying. Chapter 17: Personal Physician Examination (3) Crack! ¡ªGrrrkk! The goblin struck by my sword let out a rattling gasp as it slammed headfirst into the ground. I¡¯d landed a clean hit, but I couldn¡¯t kill it instantly. My physical strength was too weak. ¡°Ugh.¡± My hands were still ringing from the impact. That was less a sword strike and more like beating it with a club. Yeah, swords really don¡¯t suit me. I decided to just hold out until the knights cleaned things up. ¡°Hup!¡± It was the most basic technique Tanya had taught me. She said against bottom-tier monsters like these, if you just look big and swing recklessly, they usually hesitate, wasting time trying to find the right moment to charge. That¡¯d buy enough time for her to finish the job. She told me to swing big and wildly. The secret technique¡ªWindmill Slash. ¡ªWhoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡ªcrack! My sword tore through the air, slashing the ground and kicking up dust. The goblins stepped back, gnashing their teeth. Clearly weighing the moment to jump in. ¡°Ugh, my arms hurt.¡± It worked, but I wasn¡¯t going to last long. Still, since it was Tanya¡¯s technique, it worked like a charm. ¡°Young Master!¡± Just as I was flailing my arms around like a kid, Tanya appeared out of nowhere and swiftly cleaned up the remaining monsters. ¡°Ugh, my poor arms. Next time, deal with them a little faster, will you?¡± Tanya flashed me a bright smile. ¡°You fought well. You executed the technique beautifully, even in a real battle.¡± ¡°What, so you delayed on purpose?¡± ¡°Fufu. Of course not.¡± She said that, but the answer had a suspicious aftertaste. This girl... ¡°Thanks to you, I missed my chance to show off my healing skills. Six healers are already swarming the villagers, the /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ rest are backing up the knights¡ªwhat am I even here for?¡± ¡°Because of you, the other healers had the opportunity to shine. Situational awareness is just as important in real combat. The Lord will surely acknowledge that as well.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I turned to look at Father. He was quietly watching me. ¡°Oh¡ªare you starting to feel better?¡± ¡°Healing is taking effect!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll make it back alive now!¡± The noisy cheer from the healers meant the villagers had regained consciousness. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Young Master, we wouldn¡¯t have even known the villagers had been abducted. That alone is a major contribution.¡± ¡°Not like it matters. This is a personal physician exam, not an adventurer test.¡± Tanya replied with confident pride. ¡°But the goblin shaman subjugation isn¡¯t over yet. From here on, please assist the knights directly.¡± With a solid pat on the shoulder, she turned and returned to her squad. ¡ª In any case, the rescue of the villagers ended successfully. After some time, the healers stabilized them. ¡°Thank you so much! Our farmland is up north. We were just gathering fertilizer near the forest when they ambushed us.¡± ¡°We really thought we were going to die... I don¡¯t even know how to thank you enough.¡± They were apparently a young couple who had just recently moved out on their own. The two bowed repeatedly to Father. ¡°L-Lord Gotberg! What an honor for someone of your stature to come here personally...¡± ¡°A lord¡¯s duty is to protect his people.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Lord, the knights, and the healers... we¡¯d be dead.¡± ¡°We almost left without realizing you¡¯d been kidnapped. You should thank this man too.¡± Tanya stepped in and addressed the couple. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It was the Young Master who first realized you were in danger. Thanks to him, we were able to plan the rescue.¡± ¡°Lord Gotberg!¡± ¡°Thank you so much. You¡¯re our savior.¡± The couple rushed over and grabbed my hands, bowing deeply. Haha... no need to be that moved. I was just doing my job as a physician. ¡°You still haven¡¯t recovered from your injuries. Don¡¯t run around like that. You¡¯ll collapse again from low blood pressure. When you get home, eat some meat first.¡± ¡°Low blood pressure...? You sure know some refined vocabulary, my lord.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take your advice to heart.¡± It¡¯d be nice if even simple medical knowledge could spread among the general public. There are too many misguided folk remedies out there¡ªgetting the right information out early is key. And honestly, seeing patients bouncing around all energetic... makes me feel kinda proud. Tanya instructed one of the knights to escort the villagers back to the cave entrance. The rest of the unit resumed advancing. We returned to the fork in the path and took the left route this time. ¡°The ambush means the goblins are aware of our movements. We¡¯ll need to be even more careful,¡± Tanya said. ¡°Hm.¡± Father visibly tensed at her words. I added, ¡°It also means they¡¯ve got small, hidden tunnels all around us¡ªplaces we can¡¯t see. We have to assume a surprise attack could come at any moment.¡± ¡°I see. We need to protect everyone present.¡± Father pulled out his rosary and began chanting. It wasn¡¯t a healing spell. As he recited verses from the holy text, his body began to glow faintly. The divine power he¡¯d cultivated over a lifetime was responding, transforming the prayer into a concrete spell. ¡°...Grant us your light to pierce through this shroud of darkness. Bless us with your protection.¡± Tiny stars of light shimmered over the knights. It was a [Blessing] spell¡ªunlocked in the latter stages of the healer skill tree, usable only by top-tier healers. ¡°Ohh, a blessing spell!¡± ¡°I feel so much lighter!¡± The knights raised their swords and shields with renewed energy. The exam candidates were visibly amazed by Father¡¯s abilities. ¡°A blessing... isn¡¯t that something most healers couldn¡¯t learn even with a lifetime of training?¡± ¡°And he cast it on every single knight... truly, Marquis Gotberg is on another level.¡± ¡°No wonder Gotberg is a legendary healer family. Unlike the Young Master, though...¡± I could feel the way some of the healers were sneaking glances at me. ¡°He didn¡¯t even help the injured before. Just swung his sword around like a brute.¡± ¡°Maybe his bad habits are showing, huh?¡± If you¡¯re going to whisper, at least do it right. I can hear every damn word. Guess my ears are sharp. Comes from always keeping them open in case of night attacks. ¡°If you¡¯ve got time to gossip, use it to scan your surroundings again.¡± Tanya sharply rebuked the healers. Silenced, they followed the knights. We resumed the search along the tunnel. I stayed at the front with Tanya, leading the way. ¡°Goblins!¡± Boris, ever sharp, called out, and the battle began anew. These goblins were larger than the last ones¡ªcharging in squads with clubs raised high. ¡°So they¡¯re done hiding and just want a full-on war now!¡± Steel clashed against clubs, and heavy bodies slammed against the cave walls. With combat comes casualties on our side too. When goblins attack in numbers, even knights of the marquis family can¡¯t avoid a few hits. Bruised arms from clubs. Legs battered. Dislocated shoulders from falls. It was the healers¡¯ job to treat them immediately and support the fight. ¡°Ugh...¡± A few of the healers were trembling, barely managing to stay upright, unable to cast properly. When a healer is gripped by fear, their divine power¡ªrooted in faith¡ªwanes with it. Spells grow weaker. This is where the real scoring begins. ¡°From the sundered ancient land the Goddess descended, leaving three sacred scriptures behind¡ª!¡± Gis, at least, was chanting fluently¡ªbut targeting the wrong person. ¡°Diagnosis.¡± I scanned the battlefield. Prioritizing knights under the heaviest assault or showing signs of weakness. [Injury: Bleeding] [Injury: Fracture] [Injury: Contusion] ... Layers of status screens appeared¡ªone for each knight. ¡®Tanya¡¯s fine...¡¯ The knight with the fracture was the most urgent. I tapped Gis on the shoulder. ¡°Young Master? Don¡¯t distract me¡ª¡± ¡°Start with that knight over there, the one with the red armband on his arm.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Tanya¡¯s uninjured. Why are you casting on someone who doesn¡¯t need it?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know with all that armor? Besides, in a situation like this, you cast and pray it lands on someone who¡¯s hurt!¡± That¡¯s one of the downsides of healing in battle. You never know who¡¯ll get injured next, so healers just keep casting on rotation. And since target areas are random, brute-forcing spells is often the only option. ¡°Just do it. He¡¯s got a hairline fracture in his foot. Push him any harder and it¡¯ll shatter. Healing will take even longer then.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you do it yourself, Young Master?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something better.¡± I pulled out a vial from my pocket. Inside sloshed a vivid, ruby-red liquid. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Never seen it before? It¡¯s a famous miracle cure.¡± ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Enhanced Red Potion (Property-Altered) Effect: Disinfects applied wounds. Special Effect: Grants bonus healing when used on soldiers. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D The military¡¯s miracle cure. Good ol¡¯ red potion. Technically, it¡¯s povidone-iodine¡ªa disinfectant. Normally, you¡¯d need chemical synthesis to create it, which requires ingredients I didn¡¯t have. But the red potion most people know is a second-generation version. The first-generation one was made with mercury compounds. ¡®And mercury... is surprisingly common as a magical reagent.¡¯ I found some at the estate easily. Tinkered with it using my [Property Change] skill and got it to work. Since it was based on modern medical knowledge, I even added a bonus healing effect¡ªfor soldiers only. Close enough. Knights are like soldiers. Once the battle ended, the knights moved into recovery formation. I checked them using Diagnosis again. Boris, the knight who¡¯d been on watch that day, seemed like a good subject. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Diagnosis Activated Injury: Abrasion Location: Left shoulder ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡°Boris, your shoulder¡¯s scraped, right? Let me see.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh¡ªyes, sir.¡± I dipped a brush in the red potion and slathered it onto the wound. Boris flinched at the unfamiliar sensation. ¡°Whoa¡ªwhat is this stuff?¡± ¡°Hold still, would you?¡± After a moment, the vivid red layer began to shimmer faintly orange, like painted skin catching the light. The healing had begun. ¡°Hoooh, what is this...?¡± One of the senior healers, curious, came over to inspect. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s definitely working. Never seen anything like it. Knight, how does it feel?¡± ¡°Feels like the pain¡¯s just melting away. Really cooling.¡± I explained. ¡°The biggest advantage of this medicine is that it prevents wounds from worsening. And the vivid color helps you spot who¡¯s been treated right away¡ªit saves time.¡± ¡°Incredible. Is this holy water?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alchemy.¡± ¡°Alchemy, is it... hoh...¡± The senior healer looked amazed. Understandable. He returned to his peers and began discussing it with them, clearly surprised by this unknown method. Father, on the other hand, looked at me with quiet satisfaction¡ªas if he¡¯d expected this all along. ¡°Next knight¡ªabrasion. You get the red potion. You too, with the fracture¡ªapply some first. And this one¡¯s got a cold? Rub some on your neck.¡± While other healers were tending to one knight at a time, I was treating five. Highly efficient. Of course, only three of them actually needed disinfectant, but scoring points was what mattered. More is better. Always more. ¡°Recovery¡¯s complete. We march onward.¡± At Tanya¡¯s command, the squad began moving again. I could feel it. The leader of this goblin den was close. Chapter 18: Personal Physician Examination (4) ¡°Phew, how many of these damn things are crammed into this narrow cave, anyway.¡± Boris wiped sweat from beneath his clunky helmet and grumbled. That was already the third goblin group we¡¯d wiped out. Even with Father¡¯s Blessing of Vigor in effect, people were starting to tire. ¡°Any knights injured in the last fight, report immediately to the healers for treatment.¡± Tanya issued the order. Just as one knight started heading toward Gis, Boris patted him on the shoulder and suggested: ¡°Hey, go see the Young Master instead.¡± ¡°The Young Master?¡± ¡°Yeah. He put something on my shoulder earlier¡ªit worked like a charm. Cold as ice. Just stings a little when applied.¡± ¡°Is that so? Might as well give it a try.¡± Following Boris¡¯s recommendation, the knight came over to me. I used Diagnosis on him immediately. ...No response. Not even an abrasion. Just a few goblin splatters. What a drama queen. There¡¯s always one of these guys trying to act like they¡¯ve earned a medal with a ¡°noble wound.¡± Still, fake patients are a perfect match for a quack doctor. Welcome, dear customer. ¡°You there. Lift your shirt.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± I slathered red potion all over his stomach with a brush. The orange glow flared to life, signaling healing. Minimal recovery, but it works. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s actually cold. Thanks, sir.¡± ¡°See? The Young Master knows his stuff.¡± ¡°Heh, didn¡¯t expect that from him.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t expect? That¡¯s rude, you punk.¡± Boris gave the knight a light smack on the back of the head. I slipped the red potion back into my coat and turned to him. ¡°Boris, you weren¡¯t exactly thrilled to see me before. What¡¯s with the sudden friendliness?¡± ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯ve seen you and the Captain training every morning. I¡¯ve been on overnight watch this week.¡± Boris laughed heartily, his shoulder shaking from the motion. ¡°Anyone could tell you¡¯re dead serious about this exam, Young Master. And you¡¯re the Gotberg heir¡ªgotta be some talent there.¡± ¡°Smooth, Boris. Real smooth.¡± I like him. I¡¯ll remember his name. ¡°Hah! Nothing of the sort. But now I get why you¡¯re so invested in this exam.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Boris grinned and leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°I saw Her Highness for the first time yesterday. Even now, she¡¯s so dignified¡ªimagine what a beauty she¡¯ll become with age.¡± Why is he suddenly bringing up Asella? ¡°If I had a wife like that, I¡¯d want to be her personal physician too. I¡¯d stake my life on it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go around saying stuff like that so casually.¡± You have no idea how many times I¡¯ve staked my life already. One or two don¡¯t even begin to cover it. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy now. I¡¯ve got a fianc¨¦e too, actually. Childhood friend¡ªbit of a hellcat, though. Nothing like the Princess¡¯s elegance.¡± Boris started rambling happily about things I didn¡¯t ask to hear. ¡°Actually, once we get back from this subjugation, we¡¯re holding a small ceremony. Can you believe it? We already ended up having a kid!¡± Wait¡ªhold it. Stop right there. ¡°We¡¯d planned to save up and get married after five more years of knighting. Total surprise.¡± Buddy, you just triggered a death flag. ¡°Take care, Young Master. Babies are like Fenrirs. They strike when you least expect them¡ªpop out of nowhere.¡± ¡°Tanya, what¡¯s with the Gotberg knights¡¯ discipline?¡± I groaned, and Tanya, who had been quietly watching us, gave me a light nod. ¡°We¡¯re not in the capital or the Imperial palace¡ªjust a local province¡¯s order. They¡¯re competent, so please be forgiving.¡± ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± I gave an incredulous laugh. Right, most of these guys were just farm boys who could swing a sword. I''d forgotten since Tanya was so polished. Most knights were rough around the edges. ¡°But Boris¡ªkeep the chatter down during operations.¡± ¡°What, am I gonna get court-martialed?¡± ¡°No, but I can dock your pay.¡± ¡°...Understood.¡± Boris shut his mouth and adjusted his helmet. Tanya knew well how to manage unruly men, just as a ? N§àv§Öl????ght ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Öl????ght) proper commander should. ¡°Proceed to the next area. Stay alert.¡± At Tanya¡¯s order, the squad began moving again. ¡ª The cave grew deeper and darker. The air thinned, and it was getting hard to breathe. ¡°Can¡¯t believe they actually live in a place like this. I just want to wrap this up and get out of here.¡± Boris complained openly. He was just about to say more when¡ª ¡°Stop!¡± Tanya barked and raised a clenched fist. Boom! A burst of flame exploded above our heads, raining fire down on us. ¡°Retreat! All units fall back!¡± The squads in the rear began pulling back the way we came. But up front¡ªour path was blocked. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Magic? So there is a goblin shaman!¡± ¡°My Lord, please fall back!¡± ¡°Ngh...!¡± The knights closed in around Father, forming a defensive ring. If the enemy had spellcasting monsters, even the healers in the back weren¡¯t safe. ¡°We must eliminate the shaman immediately!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t see a thing through this smoke...!¡± The knights hesitated, unable to swing blindly for fear of hitting allies. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± Oxygen was dropping, and hot smoke filled my lungs. Not good for the bronchial tubes. Guess they lured us in and pulled the trigger once we were deep inside. Classic low-IQ monster tactics. ¡°Time to burn a little divine power.¡± I popped a candy into my mouth and bit down. ¡°Oh crummy Pingcheng Goddess, hear me now.¡± I mumbled whatever came to mind. It didn¡¯t matter. Prayer wasn¡¯t about eloquence¡ªit was about channeling faith into divine power. ¡°Protect us from these blazing flames.¡± I made sure to clearly define my intention. The divine skills under the healing tree relied on faith and used divine power as a resource. The stronger your faith, the stronger your spells. But like mana for mages, if you didn¡¯t have enough divine power, you couldn¡¯t cast anything at all. With only 22 divine power, I¡¯ve got one shot at this. Just one use would drain me. But one was enough. Good thing I¡¯d saved it for a moment like this. ¡°Blessing of Flame Protection.¡± ¡ªFwoosh! A wave of divine energy burst from me, enveloping the entire unit. A gentle pulse spread outward. Our fire resistance stats shot up. The heat dulled. Breathing became easier. ¡°Wait, what is this?!¡± ¡°The Young Master can cast blessings?!¡± Knights shielding their mouths and noses recoiled in shock, then quickly resumed their battle stance. When fighting the Demon King¡¯s army, it was the Dark Resistance Blessing that proved most useful... Unlike magic, divine spells didn¡¯t require ritual circles. If you had the will and the divine power, the spell drew its own sigils automatically. ¡°The heat¡¯s fading!¡± ¡°We can charge!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bash that goblin bastard¡¯s skull in!¡± The heat sparked their spirits more than it scalded their skin. The knights roared forward, eyes blazing. ¡°A blessing¡ªhow can you use such an advanced spell?!¡± Gis asked, stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t this basic toolkit stuff for a royal physician?¡± ¡°Hah... I won¡¯t lose to you!¡± Gis, rattled, charged after the knights, furiously casting healing spells. I didn¡¯t actually have blessings in my current skill tree. But I¡¯d cast them so many times before regressing that my body remembered on instinct. Like riding a bike¡ªyou don¡¯t think about the pedals, you just move. Ugh. Dizzy now. Naturally, there were side effects. My current divine power pool wasn¡¯t nearly enough to properly support a high-tier spell. The memory of my awful time in the Hero Party made my stomach churn. ¡°There he is!¡± Boris yelled, charging ahead. I saw it too. A massive goblin among the crowd, waving a crude wooden staff¡ªclearly the shaman. ¡°What, wear a rag and suddenly you think you¡¯re a mage? Filthy beast.¡± Boris pushed through the smaller goblins, charging straight for the shaman and swinging his sword wide. ¡ªGrrraagh!! Shwoop¡ªTHUD! But with a wave of his arm, the shaman smashed Boris aside and sent him crashing into the wall. ¡°Aghh!¡± Boris crumpled to the floor with a wretched cry. In his other hand, the shaman gripped a vicious club, swinging it lazily. Boris had charged in like it was just another goblin. But a shaman, while capable of casting spells, was also the leader of the pack¡ªits body and strength were in a whole different league. At best, it was a low-tier ogre. ¡°Boris!¡± Tanya entered the fray, sword flashing. ¡°Aim for the staff!¡± I shouted. Tanya responded instantly. She smashed the staff aside with the flat of her blade, broke the shaman¡¯s stance, and carved diagonally through his body in a single, fluid strike. ¡ªGrgkkk!! The other knights followed, slashing mercilessly. Unable to cast again or defend, the shaman was finally slain. ¡°Subjugation complete!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve succeeded!¡± The knights cleared out the stragglers. Time for me to do my part. ¡°Boris.¡± I rushed over to him. ¡°Grrghh... sss...!¡± He was writhing in pain, biting down to suppress a scream. No need for Diagnosis. His left shin was broken¡ªthe bone bulged visibly beneath the skin. ¡°Y-Young Master... If I don¡¯t make it, please tell Ney I... I loved her¡ª¡± ¡°Shut it, dumbass. Who told you to raise a death flag?¡± I flicked his forehead to shut him up. A gentle hit, just enough to snap him back. The angle he¡¯d hit the wall was terrible. Not a fatal wound, but serious enough. ¡°I¡¯ll heal him!¡± Gis rushed in and wedged between us. Big injury¡ªbig points. No way he was passing up the chance. His healing spell activated immediately. Light particles gathered around Boris¡¯s leg. But¡ª ¡°AAARGH!!¡± Boris began howling in agony. Even at a glance, I saw the problem. The broken bone had begun healing in the wrong direction. The shattered edge was stabbing from the inside¡ªit had to be excruciating. ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t, I can¡¯t take it! Stop, just stop!!¡± Unable to bear it, Boris shoved Gis aside. I caught him before he collapsed. He was panting, forehead drenched in sweat. ¡°The Goddess¡¯s blessing comes with pain! Bear it, even just a little longer!¡± Gis scolded him instead. Thwack. I stuck a candy stick to Gis¡¯s forehead. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± Just the stick from the candy I¡¯d been sucking on. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here. Patients have the right to refuse treatment, remember?¡± ¡°Wha¡ªwhat difference does it make if you do it? That red potion hurts too¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something even better.¡± I pulled another vial from my coat. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D +2 Enhanced Willow Bark Painkiller Effect: Eliminates nearly all pain for five minutes. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D A top-shelf painkiller I¡¯d spent hours preparing in advance. Chapter 19: Personal Physician Examination (5) I continued using Enhancement, and in the process, I came to understand its skill mechanism to a certain degree. Originally, enhancing a substance through alchemy boosts one specific property by a single tier. For example, iron is hard. Once enhanced, it becomes harder. Enhance it a second time, and it becomes truly sturdy. But here''s the catch¡ªif the first enhancement took an hour to cast, the second might take ten. Higher-tier enhancement inherently required significantly more casting time. Another thing: it depends on the material. The rose medicine, which carried the trait of stamina recovery, couldn''t even be enhanced to the second tier. It seemed to be a limit imposed by the properties of the ingredient itself. Willow bark, on the other hand, appeared to have more potential as a medicinal component, allowing for a second-tier enhancement. However, it required an absurdly long casting time. What I¡¯d produced by cutting back on sleep just to experiment¡ªwas this pain-nullifying medicine. Medicines meant to relieve a patient¡¯s pain could be categorized by potency: from mild painkillers to analgesics, then to pain-nullifiers, and finally anesthetics. The pain-nullifier didn¡¯t go as far as anesthesia, but its effects were considerable. To create an actual anesthetic, I¡¯d likely need entirely different ingredients¡ªor a higher alchemy skill rank. Among the medicines I could currently make, this was the highest level. I gripped the pain-nullifier in my right hand and used my left to open Boris¡¯s mouth. ¡°Boris, this stuff¡¯s valuable. Don¡¯t spill a drop¡ªswallow it down.¡± ¡°Guh... huff, yes...!¡± Boris¡¯s fractured leg looked grotesque even at a glance. The pain had to be excruciating. Especially after Gis had torn through it once already with healing magic, probably making it worse. I poured the pain-nullifier into Boris¡¯s mouth and followed it up with water. He managed to gulp it down, though with difficulty. ¡°Huff... huff...¡± Boris barely managed to steady his breathing. Before I knew it, the other healers, knights, and even my father had gathered around us. It was only natural. Boris was the one most severely injured in this battle. ¡°Huuh, huuh... Ugh, Young Master?¡± ¡°Yeah, Boris. You coming to your senses a little?¡± ¡°Yes... I feel kind of dazed, though.¡± ¡°Your leg? Still hurting badly?¡± ¡°Well... strangely enough, the pain¡¯s mostly gone. Actually, I can¡¯t feel much of anything down there...¡± ¡°The medicine¡¯s working, then. I¡¯m going to touch it.¡± I lifted Boris¡¯s leg and checked the angle of the fracture. The healers murmured nervously at the sight of my unflinching grip. But Boris didn¡¯t scream again. ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± ¡°What did the Young Master give the knight just now?¡± The middle of Boris¡¯s shinbone had snapped, and the lower part of the leg was twisted completely in the wrong direction. ¡°Hang on a second.¡± ¡°Y-yes...¡± Boris responded vaguely, still out of it. I positioned myself so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the wound and hooked his thigh beneath my armpit to brace it for better leverage. If the leg stays misaligned too long, it¡¯ll form blood clots. A knight who¡¯s supposed to be running around every day can¡¯t afford muscle necrosis. First, get it back in place¡ªeven if it¡¯s rough. I pushed the lower half of his shinbone with all my strength in one go. ¡ªCrack! It wasn¡¯t a pleasant sound. Still, visually, the bone was back where it belonged. ¡°A splint. Someone bring me two clubs.¡± ¡°M-me? What do you need clubs for...?¡± One of the healers tilted his head in confusion, clueless. Tch, no one here¡¯s remotely useful. Just as I felt the pressing need for a properly trained nurse, Tanya came over holding a staff and club she¡¯d taken from the goblin shaman. ¡°Will these do?¡± ¡°Perfect size.¡± Even though there were no obvious external wounds, just to be safe, I disinfected the area with red antiseptic. [Emergency First Aid is now activated.] I placed the staff and club on either side of Boris¡¯s leg and tightly wrapped them with linen bandages I¡¯d brought. My hands moved instinctively, driven by first aid experience. Once the treatment was complete, a faint white light shimmered over the area I¡¯d treated. It was a sign that Emergency First Aid had successfully taken effect, steadily restoring stamina. ¡°That¡¯s my part done. The bone¡¯s set, and I¡¯ve prevented secondary infection. The rest is up to the other healers¡ªuse healing spells to finish the job.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take over the rest of the healing.¡± Gis stepped in and began casting again. Unlike before, Boris¡¯s leg now started to recover naturally under his healing magic. ¡°Haaah...¡± I finally straightened my back and rose to my feet. ¡°His leg returned to normal in an instant... Under normal procedures, we¡¯d need an hour of spellcasting just to reconstruct it. Remarkable.¡± The senior healers looked intently at Boris¡¯s leg, clearly impressed. Boris, now beyond dazed, was blinking slowly, as though sleep was about to overtake him. ¡°Young Master... thank you.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re thankful, bring me a gift.¡± ¡°Haha... I do have a secret stash of liquor¡ª¡± ¡°Something tasty. Not alcohol. A doctor with a drinking problem ends up with trembling hands, and that¡¯s a death sentence.¡± Absolutely not. A trembling doctor is the worst-case scenario. ¡°With that, I declare the goblin subjugation and the royal physician¡¯s practical exam complete.¡± Father made the announcement in a low voice. The knights and healers erupted into applause and cheers. ¡°Well done, all of you. Stay alert on the way back so no one ends up injured.¡± With the exam over, Father returned to his usual gentle demeanor, patting ¡ï ???????????????????????????????????? ¡ï knights and healers alike on the back. The unit slowly began moving out. As I prepared to follow them, Tanya came to stand beside me. ¡°Young Master, you did well today.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the one who did the hard work, Captain.¡± ¡°What you did for Boris...¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t healing. It was treatment. Explaining the difference gets complicated, but they¡¯re not the same.¡± ¡°Right. Understood.¡± Tanya nodded. ¡°What you did for Boris was truly impressive. Healers are indispensable to us knights on the battlefield¡ªbut they also bring just as much pain.¡± ¡°Because the healing process itself can hurt, depending on the severity of the wound.¡± Take, for example, someone who¡¯s been impaled in the stomach by a demon¡¯s ice spear. Say part of their internal organs gets blown away. What happens when you try to heal that kind of wound with powerful healing magic? The answer: the original, damaged organ is discarded and replaced with a newly generated one. The divine power that regenerates a body part is miraculous in itself¡ªbut that process doesn¡¯t take the pain into account. In those cases, people can die of shock just from the pain during the healing. And even if the healing spell is continuously maintained, there¡¯s no guarantee that recovery will happen in a safe sequence. You might rebuild an organ, only for the patient to die due to sudden blood loss when the spell shifts focus to healing intact limbs. ¡°If it had been regular healing magic, Boris¡¯s leg would¡¯ve needed long, grueling retraining before he could even return to duty. Your treatment truly was different.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a good eye, Captain Tanya.¡± ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t reach this position with half-baked skills.¡± Tanya took pride in her competence¡ªand rightfully so. *** Outside the cave, I could finally breathe in the fresh air. The knights opened their canteens and splashed water over their heads. ¡°Collapse the goblin nest. Senior healers, bring me the score sheets.¡± Father quickly organized the situation, then gathered the reports. After checking the scores, he made a formal announcement to the healers. ¡°The results are in. I¡¯ll now announce the final candidates for Imperial Physician.¡± The healers visibly tensed. Most had been so focused on survival that few had likely given any thought to their performance. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°There are three finalists. The day after tomorrow, a Grade-2 Imperial Physician will visit from the palace. That physician will make the final selection from the three of you. The candidates were chosen based on the scores given by myself and five senior healers from the training center, excluding the highest and lowest marks.¡± Finally, Father began to call out names. ¡°The finalists are¡ªSebram, Gis, and Las. That is all.¡± Sighs and groans spread among the healers. Most had been eliminated, so the disappointment was understandable. Father turned to Gis and asked, ¡°Gis, you were in the same group as Las. Do you have any complaints about the outcome?¡± Gis flinched slightly and glanced my way. Then he slowly answered. ¡°...None, sir.¡± As he should. He¡¯d just witnessed a completely different treatment mechanism that could only be described as a cultural shock. ¡°Everyone, well done. Return and rest.¡± And just like that, the practical exam ended without incident. *** ¡°...Mmm.¡± Asella, who had tossed and turned all night from the pain in her abdomen, finally woke up late that day. Even the head maid had gone to supervise the physician exam, leaving no one to wake her. ¡°Disgraceful.¡± This wasn¡¯t the Imperial Palace¡ªit was a betrothal manor. No, even at the palace this would¡¯ve been unacceptable. Asella immediately summoned her maids to help her dress properly. That alone took over an hour. She left her bedchamber and stepped into the March estate¡¯s garden, calling her knights to assemble. ¡°Where shall we escort you, Princess?¡± ¡°To the annex.¡± ¡°By your command.¡± Asella had already brought her entire knight order firmly under her command. Her knights no longer served the Empress¡ªbut Asella herself. Even the Empress¡¯s knights and maids were beginning to sense, almost instinctively, where the tide of power within the Third Consort¡¯s faction was flowing. Asella¡¯s innate aura and immense mana. Anyone who had seen her cast high-grade spells even once couldn¡¯t help but be captivated. Everyone serving here had realized where the real authority was shifting. There was only one lingering point of unease¡ª The fact that Asella was still a young girl. But those who served her believed without question: My liege will grow into someone truly great. Not a single one of them, however, had any idea what was truly going through that young girl¡¯s mind. *** ¡°I¡¯ll go up alone.¡± Upon reaching the annex, Asella headed straight for Las¡¯s room. She was curious about the outcome of the practical exam and wanted to hear it from his own lips. As she was climbing the stairs, she spotted a maid carrying luggage. The maid noticed Asella and froze, quickly bowing low. Asella¡¯s eyes drifted to the large item in the maid¡¯s arms. ¡°What are you carrying?¡± ¡°P-pardon? Oh, um...¡± The maid stammered, clearly flustered at being addressed directly by the princess. ¡°It¡¯s the young master¡¯s blanket. I was taking it out to be laundered...¡± Snatch! Asella grabbed the blanket and unfolded it. Against the white, high-quality cotton, faint dark red stains were scattered. Bloodstains. ¡°What are these marks?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, Your Highness. The young master¡¯s bedding is always like that when we clean it...¡± ¡°Always? Since when?¡± ¡°Well, not always, just... I¡¯d say for the past week or so?¡± Asella narrowed her eyes and stared at the blanket in suspicion. Then she abruptly turned and strode toward Las¡¯s room. Her footsteps now echoed with a complete lack of grace. ¡°Young Master.¡± She knocked on the door roughly. The exam should be over by now. He ought to have returned. ...No response. ¡°Young Master Las?¡± Without thinking, Asella turned the doorknob. The door opened without resistance. Her curious golden eyes peered through the crack¡ª And on the floor¡ª ¡°......!¡± Las was collapsed in a pool of blood, having vomited it all out. Chapter 20: Lap Pillow ¡°Haaah.¡± I let out a ragged breath. My head was spinning. No matter how many times I blinked, my vision stayed cloudy. It was dark all around¡ªprobably nightfall. What... happened again? I remembered successfully finishing the practical exam and returning to my room in a rather cheerful mood. The stench of goblin corpses, damp soil, and mildew clung to my uniform, so I¡¯d taken off my top first, unable to stand it... That¡¯s where the memory cut off. ¡°Kuhak, kuhak.¡± I coughed uncontrollably. I wanted to speak, but the only sound that came from my throat was a harsh rasp¡ªlike the goblins I¡¯d heard earlier scratching with their claws. What the hell... What¡¯s going on? First, the status window. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Diagnosis D has ranked up to Diagnosis C. ¡¤ Medicine E has ranked up to Medicine D. ¡¤ Skill [Blood Test D] has been unlocked. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D My medical skill had leveled up. No surprise, really¡ªI¡¯d used medicine nonstop during the exam today. Having dealt with real patients all day, the experience gain was inevitable. ¡°Blood Test skill, huh. Wonder how far it goes.¡± In hospitals, the most common fasting blood test was CBC¡ªComplete Blood Count. It analyzed red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets¡ªletting you broadly assess a patient¡¯s health and detect various conditions. It was the most basic and versatile diagnostic test. If this skill could do something similar, it would allow for even more precise analysis than regular Diagnosis. But then... why is my body like this? I scrolled further down¡ªand found the reason. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Talent has ranked up to D. ¡¤ Debuff [Persistent HP Reduction E] (Growth Type, Non-removable) has ranked up to Persistent HP Reduction D. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Ah. So as my talent grew... the debuff evolved with it. Great. Just great. ¡°Ngh.¡± The stinging sensation in my upper stomach intensified. Felt like stomach acid was eating away at my insides from the inside out. My remaining HP was around 4. Out of a maximum of 11. I¡¯d used up quite a bit during the exam, and the debuff must¡¯ve been steadily draining me ever since. Guess I¡¯ve been slowly dying this whole time. They say {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} even a great doctor can¡¯t cure himself. And I couldn¡¯t use Diagnosis on myself. Based on the symptoms, it was probably a stomach ulcer. The debuff¡¯s rate of damage exceeded the recovery rate of the candy. That¡¯s what did it. I must¡¯ve collapsed into a relatively comfortable position while dozing off¡ªso the drain during sleep had been slower. Even now, something soft and plush was gently supporting the back of my head. ...Wait. What¡¯s cushioning me on the floor? I slowly turned my head. When I looked up toward the ceiling, I saw two golden eyes glowing in the darkness¡ªstaring straight down at me. Ah. I think I had a heart attack for two full seconds. Thankfully, I was still alive. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Asella¡¯s cold voice echoed in my ears. ¡°Your Highness, why are you he¡ªkugh, kuhak.¡± I couldn¡¯t even finish the sentence before another coughing fit hit me. Thankfully, I managed to cover my mouth in time, sparing her from the lovely scent of whatever I¡¯d coughed up. Still, her brow twitched. Seemed I¡¯d irritated her. ¡°You¡¯re even coughing now?¡± ¡°Just choked a bit, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°You were passed out on the floor.¡± Was she starting to suspect my condition? Having it get out that the personal physician couldn¡¯t even manage his own body would benefit no one¡ª Especially not if the patient in question was the one finding out. That would shatter professional trust. ¡°Me? No, no. I was just exhausted from the exam and fell asleep like that.¡± ¡°...On the floor?¡± ¡°I find it comfortable.¡± ¡°While changing clothes?¡± ¡°I was that tired.¡± Asella narrowed her eyes and stared at me as if she could see through every word. Also¡ªwait. Is she... holding my head right now? When did she even enter my room? ¡°Your Highness, why is my head¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± If you¡¯re asking whether I like it or not, then obviously not. Judging by the texture, my head was resting on her lap. And her hand was placed gently on top of it. It was like sticking my head into a crocodile¡¯s gaping mouth. And not just any crocodile¡ªthe one who had already clawed my face a few times before. I wanted to sit up before I gave her another reason to be mad, but my body wouldn¡¯t respond. I had no strength. When I stayed silent, Asella finally spoke again. ¡°Lucie usually does this for me.¡± ¡°Lucie...?¡± ¡°My head maid.¡± Oh¡ªshe was the one who¡¯d watched the entire exam stone-faced. ¡°Your Highness, I don¡¯t know what brought this on, but there must be some misunderstanding. More importantly, as a noble lady, it¡¯s hardly proper to be alone in a man¡¯s room, is it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re engaged.¡± ¡°Well... that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Did I misunderstand something?¡± ¡°The sun shines white and bright at noon, but by afternoon, it turns amber and sticky.¡± A metaphor¡ªwhat you see isn¡¯t always the full picture. I was trying to communicate that my body was fine. ¡°Why are you lying to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying. And even if I were, it wouldn¡¯t be something Your Highness needs to worry about. A personal physician¡¯s duty is to ease the concerns of his patients, not burden them.¡± ¡°...Is that so?¡± She seemed unconvinced but didn¡¯t press further about my condition. Thank God. ... A moment of silence passed between us. And then¡ªslide. Asella placed her hand gently against my cheek and leaned in. Her hand was cold, but comfortingly so. From my lying position, her face appeared upside down. ¡°Young Master... do you want to stay like this?¡± It was a hard question to interpret. She must¡¯ve been getting bored since I hadn¡¯t moved for a while. I wanted to move. I wanted to¡ªbut I had no strength left. ¡°Your Highness, may I ask you one small favor?¡± ¡°Try me.¡± As expected¡ªnothing came for free with Her Highness. ¡°...I¡¯ll give you one candy.¡± At my reply, Asella faintly lifted the corners of her mouth. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Ah, inside the jacket I took off. It¡¯s right behind you, on the bed.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see... ...You¡¯ve got a lot in here. One piece? That¡¯s not a fair trade.¡± ¡°One piece. That was the deal, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Rustle, rustle. I heard the sound of packaging. Asella pulled out two candies and tossed one onto my chest. ¡°Want me to unwrap it for you too?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± I couldn''t even imagine what she¡¯d ask for in return if I said yes. I unwrapped the candy and popped it into my mouth. A soft honeyed sweetness bloomed on my tongue¡ªand a system message followed, indicating stamina restoration. It wasn¡¯t enough to cancel the debuff outright, but at least it slowed it down for now. I¡¯d need to find a more stable solution soon. ¡°So this is what it tastes like.¡± Before I knew it, Asella had placed the other candy in her own mouth. Click, click¡ªthe candy clinked between her teeth as she rolled it around. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°No. I hate sweet things.¡± Same here, honestly. ¡°But this one¡¯s not bad. It tastes special... maybe because I took it from you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it pleases you.¡± Her way of thinking really was something else. The infamous villainess of this era¡ªhow she reveled in plundering, stealing, and enjoying the pain of others. Asella clicked her tongue and pulled the candy from her mouth with a soft pop, then waved it in front of my face. ¡°If I don¡¯t finish this candy I stole from you, you¡¯ll feel a deep sense of loss, right?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± If it makes you happy, sure¡ªtake everything. Apparently, my answer satisfied her. I could see her trying not to smile. ¡°So then... what should I do with this?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to throw it away, give it back. It¡¯d be a waste.¡± At that, Asella flinched and leaned her head slightly back. ¡°...You really want to eat something I already had in my mouth?¡± ¡°I like that candy.¡± ¡°No.¡± She rejected it firmly and pulled the candy close to her chest. She was going to throw it away¡ªbut wouldn¡¯t let me have it. Figures. Do as you like. ...Wait. Rustle, rustle. She was now carefully pushing the candy back into its wrapper. ...What is she doing? ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The exam?¡± ¡°I made it into the final selection.¡± ¡°As you should.¡± Asella replied calmly, then slipped the candy into the folds of her dress. ¡°Ngh.¡± Thanks to the sugar, I was starting to feel a little better. Time to get up. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s already dinnertime. Shouldn¡¯t you go have something to eat?¡± I offered politely, but Asella remained where she was, unmoving. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± She raised her palm toward me. What, does she think I¡¯m a loyal hound? I¡¯m not Max. Then again... I guess I am for now. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting up?¡± ¡°I said wait.¡± Looking closer, her legs were twitching slightly. She was fidgeting, especially with her small toes. Ah. Her legs fell asleep. ¡°Your Highness, when that happens, massaging from the upper thigh helps alleviate the numbness faster. Here¡ªfollow my lead. Straighten your knees a little and lean your upper body forward...¡± ¡°Young Master. Get out.¡± ¡°This is my room.¡± ¡°...Then at least put some clothes on!¡± Asella snapped, turning her head sharply away. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Damn. We¡¯d reached the irritation stage. Whatever I did, I clearly crossed some major line. And if I made her any angrier, it¡¯d definitely be my head on the chopping block. So I grabbed my jacket and ran out of the room like my life depended on it. *** I sent Asella off to the formal dinner first. During that time, I reworked my rose honey candy formula. Right now, using Enhancement alone didn¡¯t improve the recovery rate. I figured the problem was with the ingredient quality, so I applied Property Change to alter the rose medicine¡¯s components and then enhanced it. Since the outcome of Property Change depended on chance, I had to roll the dice multiple times. Eventually¡ªBingo. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Special Rose Honey Candy (Refined, Altered, Synthesized) Effect upon consumption: Recovers 0.6 HP over 6 hours from internal bleeding Flavor note: Extremely sweet! ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D I had finally crafted a candy that could cover my current rate of stamina loss. I did waste about twenty precious candies in the process, but hey¡ªI can always make more. I¡¯d have to, since the stamina drain would only keep getting worse from here. ¡°If it keeps dropping, I¡¯ll just keep recovering. No big deal.¡± Frequent sugar intake wasn¡¯t a bad thing either. ...As long as I didn¡¯t get diabetes. While treating myself, a question crossed my mind. What¡¯s Asella¡¯s debuff? It¡¯d be easy enough to find out with Diagnosis¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t just casually use a skill on her yet. Not until I officially became her personal physician. As someone highly sensitive to magic, Asella would notice the moment I cast anything on her. And even then, my current Diagnosis rank wasn¡¯t high enough to guarantee accurate results. Every talent comes with a price. If you remove the price¡ªthe debuff¡ª Then the talent would disappear too. Given how my own debuff was an incurable condition, that was likely true for her as well. But on the off chance I could remove hers... it might erase several bad endings all at once. Even weakening Asella¡¯s magic just a little would significantly reduce the number of disasters she could cause. But that¡¯s only possible if I become her official physician. The final evaluation would be held tomorrow. For now, I decided to rest as much as possible for what was to come. Chapter 21: Final Selection (1) The head maid, having returned from the monster subjugation mission, could only leave her post after conferring with the senior healers about her supervisory role in the physician¡¯s exam. She hurried her steps, still concerned about how Asella had collapsed that morning. ¡°The princess headed to the young master¡¯s room?¡± Upon hearing another maid¡¯s report, she changed direction again. It wasn¡¯t proper for a maid to wander through someone else¡¯s estate without her master, but there was no time to worry about appearances. When she rejoined Asella¡¯s escort knights, they informed her that the princess had entered Lord Gotberg¡¯s room and hadn¡¯t come out since. One hour passed, then two. Even as the sun began to set, her mistress remained inside, and the maid¡¯s anxiety grew. Lord Gotberg was surrounded by nothing but the worst rumors. Word had even reached the capital that he neglected his studies, constantly caused drunken brawls, and had been half-exiled to the Gotberg estate. As the only son of a marquis, he should¡¯ve received countless marriage proposals since childhood, yet Asella was his first match. Anyone could tell something was off. No head of any house¡ªno matter how politically motivated¡ªwould send their daughter to marry a beast who might kill his wife on the first night. It was clear that Camilla, the Third Consort, must be extraordinarily power-hungry. If that madman even so much as thought of laying a cruel hand on Her Highness... The head maid unconsciously bit her lip. Even so, what could a mere maid do? All the knights and maids had been ordered to wait by Asella herself. Her orders had to be obeyed, no matter what. Still, if there¡¯s any hope... During today¡¯s exam, Lord Gotberg had not been nearly the disaster she¡¯d imagined. In fact, he had been exceptional. He¡¯d earned the knights¡¯ trust and drawn jealousy from the other healers thanks to his outstanding skill. There had been no hint of cheating or favoritism throughout the entire process. If anything, both Lord Gotberg himself and the senior healers from the training center had gone out of their way to ensure fairness, preventing him from using any family privileges. Maybe... maybe the rumors were wrong. As confusion swirled in her head, Asella finally emerged from the annex. ¡°Your Highness.¡± The head maid and the knights bowed. Asella raised a hand, dismissing them with a nod. ¡°It gets chilly in the evenings.¡± The head maid promptly helped her into an outer garment. Asella accepted it in silence and began walking with her usual proud stride. ¡°Where shall I escort you?¡± ¡°To dinner.¡± ¡°Dinner...?¡± It was the first time the head maid had heard Asella express a desire to eat of her own accord. The princess, plagued by unpredictable bouts of abdominal pain, usually had little appetite even when presented with gourmet delicacies. ¡°Yes. The young master told me to eat. Said it¡¯s important for recovery.¡± ¡°What did you and the young master talk about?¡± Asella shot her a sharp look. The head maid instantly realized she¡¯d overstepped. A maid¡¯s role was to remain in the background, like a shadow. Normally, Asella would¡¯ve scolded her harshly for such a misstep. But today, her reaction was... different. Still maintaining her usual bite, Asella let out a soft scoff and replied with ease. ¡°Las... I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s clever or stupid. Somehow, he always manages to do exactly what I don¡¯t expect.¡± The head maid was perplexed. Because¡ªwithout a doubt¡ªAsella looked pleased. If she¡¯s even thinking about appointing him as her personal physician, it¡¯s clear she has some interest in him. They¡¯d gone out together. She had rushed out barefoot to meet him the moment he returned from the dangerous subjugation mission. And now, she¡¯d spent hours in his room, only to emerge in a noticeably better mood. ...No. It can¡¯t be. Shaking her head, the head maid dismissed the thought. Knowing Asella well, she could only assume the princess saw him the same way she did Max¡ªas something she liked and wanted to keep around. ¡°Oh, put this in my storage box.¡± With that, Asella handed the maid something. The head maid accepted it respectfully and looked down at the item. ...A lollipop? Partially eaten, at that. *** In front of the Gotberg estate stood a Warp Gate. It wasn¡¯t some simple portal that anyone could use. After all, High Teleportation, the magic required to move people through such gates, was a 6th-circle high-tier spell. Warp Gates functioned as checkpoints remembered and manually activated by high-tier magicians capable of casting such spells. In truth, the teleportation itself was performed manually by these magicians, which meant Warp Gates were typically reserved for the transport of high-ranking officials. ¡°The gate is opening. Arrival imminent.¡± The rare Warp Gate flickered to life, and a blue portal spiraled open. Standing in wait before the granite dais was the head of the Gotberg house¡ªBalduer. As the escort knights emerged first from the portal, a single dignified old man stepped forward under their protection. He wore a white uniform¡ªthe symbol of a healer. The embroidery on his chest and shoulders marked him as a Royal Physician of the Imperial Medical Institute. ¡°Welcome to the Gotberg estate, Sir Falkenhein.¡± ¡°Ah, Lord Gotberg. At long last, I meet the renowned master of healing. I appreciate the welcome.¡± The two men clasped hands. A marquis and a royal physician¡ªsocially, they stood on similar ground. Since they shared the same profession, Balduer used honorifics to show respect to the elder Falkenhein, despite their equivalent status. In noble society, such nuances in language mattered. But here, it wasn''t a matter of hierarchy. Rather, it was mutual respect between professionals. Balduer led Falkenhein into the estate. ¡°The air here is fresh. Back in the capital, the skies are so thick with grime. Magic residue, mechanical byproducts¡ªyou name it, it¡¯s floating overhead.¡± ¡°I¡¯d recommend a leisurely ride on horseback if you # N§àv§Ölight # find the time.¡± ¡°Ha! A royal physician barely has time to breathe. And now Gotberg is finally producing a royal physician of its own. The training center here has provided the Institute with many fine talents.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°I hear this new selection is Her Highness the Third Consort¡¯s will?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Smart decision. A personal physician should ideally be close in age to their patient.¡± ¡°You serve the Second Prince, do you not, Sir Falkenhein?¡± ¡°I do. Full of vigor, that one. A constant handful. I¡¯ve been meaning to find a successor...¡± Though he said so, Falkenhein had no real intention of stepping down any time soon. Even if stepping down were possible, few could walk away from the intoxicating scent of power. Then, with a subtle shift, Falkenhein leaned closer and whispered in Balduer¡¯s ear: ¡°You too are placing a loyal ear into the palace, but be careful. Two princes, three princesses, and a sickly old emperor... The royal court is a powder keg. Depending on who claims the throne, even swatting a fly could cost you your neck.¡± ¡°Placing an ear...?¡± Balduer looked puzzled by the phrase, prompting Falkenhein to smile broadly. Ah. This one¡¯s a pawn of the Third Consort. He¡¯d heard the man was skilled¡ªbut clearly lacked political sense. No good as a power player. Falkenhein gave Balduer a few casual pats on the shoulder. ¡°Well then, shall we go meet the new young physician candidate? We¡¯ll proceed as previously agreed.¡± ¡°We¡¯re evaluating them based on the healing spell cast on the Emerald Dragon hatchling, correct?¡± ¡°Exactly. Emerald Dragons are known for absorbing healing magic. For fairness, we¡¯ll do it as a blind test.¡± That was the official reason. But Falkenhein had another motive. There are 21 royal physicians in the Institute¡ªequal in number to the imperial family members. The ones with real power are those serving the Emperor and the heirs. There were four royal physicians serving succession candidates¡ªincluding himself¡ªand one assigned to the Emperor. Just as the imperial family was split into factions, the medical institute mirrored that divide. If I recruit one more, that makes six. If I choose the right one and win him over, that¡¯s two loyal to me. That¡¯s a faction no one can ignore. His goal was to expand his influence within the Institute by handpicking a promising new royal physician. The ideal recruit is a young scholar with bookish talent. And the most important thing is faith. I just need to pick the one with the strongest faith. Lucky for me, I¡¯ve been given an eye for it. The stigmata etched in his left eye allowed him to see faith¡ªhis divine gift. Balduer Gotberg... this man has strong faith too. His aura is overwhelming. Lacks political savvy, sure, but his healing ability is genuine. Brushing a hand across his left eye, Falkenhein stepped into the exam chamber. Snap! The lights came on. Behind a translucent screen stood the silhouettes of three candidates. Now, let¡¯s see... who among them has the strongest faith... As Falkenhein examined them one by one¡ª Crash! He suddenly toppled from his chair, landing squarely on his backside. ¡°Sir Falkenhein? Are you all right?!¡± ¡°N-no... I¡¯m fine.¡± Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Falkenhein blinked repeatedly. No matter how many times he looked¡ª That one candidate. Every time he tried to focus on him, an overwhelming aura flared up, flooding his left eye with blinding light. This... this level of faith¡ªwhat is this?! Has a saintess descended upon us?! Swallowing hard, Falkenhein turned to Balduer. ¡°Is... is one of the candidates a woman?¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°All are male.¡± A... a saint then?! Good heavens! Politics had already fled from Falkenhein¡¯s mind. All that remained in him now was reverence¡ªhis worldly concerns burned away by divine awe. We cannot let someone like this slip away. Even if he doesn¡¯t side with me, I must ensure he is chosen. With that kind of faith, there was no need to worry. He¡¯d handle the Emerald Hatchling healing task flawlessly. The exam proceeded. And finally, it was his turn. Let¡¯s see what kind of healing spell this sacred man will use! The candidate scratched his head, sighed¡ª ¡ªScreee! Screeeeech!! The hatchling let out a piercing shriek. The candidate was forcing something into its mouth with both hands. ¡°W-what on earth is happening?!¡± The supervising healers rushed in to intervene. Behind the veil, the silhouette darted to and fro like a chaotic pantomime. Then, at last, a furious voice erupted from behind the screen: ¡°Can we just switch to another task already?! I¡¯m here to treat people, not stare at some damned lizard!!¡± Falkenhein sat frozen, jaw agape. He slowly turned to Balduer. The marquis, clearly caught off guard as well, was pinching his temple. ¡°...It seems this candidate may not be a fit after all. He did inform us beforehand that he would use a different approach than standard healing magic, but... well, the subject was an Emerald Dragon...¡± ¡°A-a different approach?!¡± What in the world was going on? I need this guy to pass! Falkenhein wiped his forehead with a handkerchief in silence. Chapter 22: Final Selection (2) The final selection exam to determine Asella¡¯s personal physician¡ª Had run into serious trouble. ¡°Ha.¡± I let out a sigh the moment I saw the so-called "test subject": an Emerald Dragon hatchling. Dragons were magical beasts, deeply attuned to spells and magic. Even the flames that spewed from a Flame Dragon could be classified as a kind of magic. They preferred mana-rich food, so every year, there were always at least five mages who got eaten while carelessly wandering near a dragon¡¯s nest. Emerald Dragons, in particular, had a trait of eating healing spells. Even if this one was just a hatchling, the fact that they somehow obtained a member of the dragon race... Honestly, only the imperial family could pull something like that off. ¡°This really isn¡¯t something I¡¯m happy about.¡± This bastard wasn¡¯t sick¡ªhe just wanted to greedily devour healing spells like a starving pig. Ravenously, endlessly! The problem was, I had a prior conversation with Gis before the exam. ¡®Of course the young master will be using only medicine for this exam, yes? After all, someone of your caliber wouldn¡¯t need to stoop to our level!¡¯ He provoked me like that, and I confidently responded. ¡®Haha, of course. I¡¯ll pass using medicine alone.¡¯ Having made such a declaration, it¡¯d be incredibly humiliating to use healing spells now. Behind the blind, the royal physician from the imperial household must be evaluating me. I couldn¡¯t give up here¡ªbut damn it, what was I supposed to do? ¡°Hey.¡± I called out to the hatchling, and it gave me a disinterested glance before letting out a loud belch. Looks like it had already digested the healing spells it mooched off the previous candidates. The stench was godawful. ¡°Whatever. Maybe you''ll like this.¡± I offered the hatchling one of my rose candies. Sniff sniff¡ªits long-slit nostrils twitched as it took in the scent, and then WHAP! It sharply extended its claws and swatted the candy away. Unbelievable. Do you have any idea how precious that candy is? ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t be like that. Just try it. Hey, try it, try it¡ªokay?¡± I grabbed the hatchling by the neck, forced its mouth open, and stuck the candy onto its tongue. ¡ªScreeeee! KREEEEE! Now it was shrieking like mad. Hopefully that meant it just didn¡¯t like it... right? Wasn¡¯t this how dragon language worked? Or was it just so sensitive to the rose scent that even the honey couldn¡¯t mask it? In the end, due to my methods, a high-grade healer had to step in and restrain me. Wait¡ªmaybe it''ll like a different medicine. As I tried to press forward with the test, things got heated, and in the scuffle, the hatchling escaped from my hands. ¡°Hey, hey, hold on¡ª¡± CRASH! In the middle of trying to catch the hatchling, I knocked over a folding screen¡ªand locked eyes directly with the people behind it, who were supposed to be judging me anonymously. Standing beside my father was an old man, who appeared to be the supervising royal physician. Both of them had their mouths hanging open, staring blankly at me. ¡°Uh... good afternoon.¡± An awkward greeting passed between us. ¡°White hair... could that candidate perhaps be... wait, is he the Marquess¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Mm...¡± My father pressed his fingers to his temple, looking troubled. The exam was supposed to be anonymous to ensure fairness, so his reaction was understandable. Damn it. Is this how I lose the position of personal physician? I made it all the way to the final selection¡ªit¡¯d be such a waste to get disqualified over the format. I¡¯ve seen him before. The Imperial Medical Institute¡¯s royal physician¡ªFalkenhein. If this guy¡¯s my opponent, then there might be something I can work with. Tap tap. As I tried to come up with a plan, the sharp sound of high heels echoed loudly. The noise from the corridor drew everyone¡¯s attention. The door opened shortly after. Asella entered, her expression one of visible displeasure, sweeping her gaze around the exam hall. ¡°Your Highness the Princess.¡± Falkenhein greeted her. It wasn¡¯t exactly with full formal courtesy, but considering he served the Second Prince, that attitude wasn¡¯t surprising. Asella looked at me with her usual lowered gaze, then turned to Falkenhein and said¡ª ¡°Sir Falkenhein. What exactly is the meaning of excluding me from the selection of my personal physician?¡± ¡°That is...¡± Falkenhein seemed flustered by Asella¡¯s abrupt indignation. My father spoke up in his place. ¡°Your Highness. Sir Falkenhein personally prepared the exam contents to ensure fairness, and the tests were being conducted as a blind evaluation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying I have a problem with that. Isn¡¯t it only natural that I should be the one to decide who becomes my personal physician?¡± ¡°But Your Highness...¡± Falkenhein rebutted, his expression unusually serious. ¡°As Your Highness well knows, a royal physician is far more than just a personal doctor. It¡¯s a position that carries power and influence. Within the Imperial Medical Institute, which comprises over two hundred of the Empire¡¯s finest healers, it is the highest-ranking role and grants authority over an entire faction of physicians.¡± Falkenhein wasn¡¯t trying to provoke her¡ªhe was simply stating the truth. ¡°Which is why, as the senior royal physician, it¡¯s necessary for me to verify the final candidate. While I entrusted the Gotberg training facility to handle selection up to this point, if there¡¯s anything disqualifying about the finalist that could tarnish the reputation of the Institute...¡± ¡°And what else does my personal physician need to do besides treating me?¡± Asella raised her chin and glared at him. Overwhelmed by her intensity, Falkenhein fell silent. ¡°Whatever games go on inside the Institute, handle them among yourselves. I will manage my own physician. And the one person I want to pick from the finalists is¡ª¡± She lifted her arm and pointed her index finger at me. ¡°Las Gotberg.¡± A heavy silence descended. The other candidates, as well as the senior healers overseeing the selection, all stiffened with visible tension. Falkenhein was the first to speak. ¡°So, he really is of House Gotberg. Your Highness wishes to appoint that candidate?¡± The look on his face was... strangely relaxed. No, beyond that¡ªhe was practically grinning to himself. What the hell? ¡°Just a moment! I can¡¯t accept this!¡± Gis, who had been quietly observing until now, marched out from behind the blind. ¡°That candidate failed to produce any results in front of the task just moments ago! And the anonymity of the exam was completely compromised! If the winner was predetermined from the start, then what¡¯s the point of this entire process?!¡± ¡°I agree as well!¡± The third candidate also raised his voice. What was his name again? I forgot. Strictly speaking, their argument wasn¡¯t wrong. Gis probably felt this was unjust. Still, I had come this far. I wasn¡¯t about to back down now. Asella glanced at the other candidates. She walked up to stand before Gis and asked, her voice cold as ice: ¡°You there. Do you wish to become my personal physician?¡± Gis flinched and stepped back slightly, startled by her approach. ¡°O-Of course.¡± ¡°I asked whether you¡¯re prepared to devote your entire life to Asella von W¨¹rttempelt, Princess of the Empire.¡± ¡°...That as well, of course.¡± Gis¡¯s voice trailed off as he was crushed by Asella¡¯s sheer presence. Asella gave him a scornful snort and raised her hand, chanting a spell. ¡°Ice Spear.¡± Three magic circles formed instantly above her raised right hand. The air melted and gathered into shape, condensing into a razor-sharp spike before anyone realized it. Gis swallowed hard when he saw it. Looks like he was finally understanding what kind of position he¡¯d dared to pursue. But what Asella did next was unexpected. Slice! With a flick of her wrist, she drove the sharp ice spike into her own left arm. Everyone in the room froze like statues¡ªjust like the ice. Scarlet blood began dripping from Asella¡¯s pale-white forearm. ¡°Heal it.¡± Her voice was flat, emotionless. Gis, now pale as a sheet, slowly raised his trembling hands. ¡°...O merciful goddess, hear my prayer...¡± He began chanting a healing spell. Divine light bloomed from his palms and wrapped around Asella. In that instant¡ª Crack! The white holy light twisted in the air as if crushed by a fist, then warped and turned gold¡ªAsella¡¯s color. ¡°Wh-What...?¡± ¡°You try it too.¡± Asella shot a glance at the third candidate. He also cast a healing spell, but the result was the same. The magic failed to take hold. Asella¡¯s immense magical power was instinctively rejecting and distorting their low-grade spells. At last, she turned her gaze to me. So she really is a tyrant. I shrugged and stepped forward toward her. I pulled out a handkerchief from my coat. Carefully, I wiped the blood that had already reached her elbow. ¡°This might sting a little.¡± I took out some red medicinal solution and applied it over the wound. Her arm twitched slightly, but her expression didn¡¯t budge. The injury wasn¡¯t deep¡ªjust a light cut. It wouldn¡¯t leave a scar. I brought out a linen band and activated emergency treatment. A firm knot was tied over Asella¡¯s left arm. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Her arm glowed faintly orange. The treatment had taken effect. Asella tilted her head slightly and looked back at Falkenhein. No more words were needed. Falkenhein stood from his seat and clapped his hands. ¡°That was an excellent demonstration. While there were some procedural {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} issues, given the outcome, I find it entirely convincing.¡± He turned to my father and added, ¡°It seems Her Highness has made her choice. Congratulations, Lord Gotberg.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The senior healers also began applauding now that the selection was decided. I glanced over at the other candidates. Gis was gritting his teeth in frustration, but gave me a short nod. At least he knew how to accept defeat. ¡°Lord Las.¡± A sharp voice struck my ear, and I quickly turned to respond. ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look very happy.¡± ¡°Not at all. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be given the honor of serving you, Your Highness.¡± Asella¡¯s golden eyes gazed up at me. Ugh. This is way too much pressure. She gave the faintest smirk¡ªthe perfect expression for a villainess¡ªand ordered me: ¡°I¡¯ll show you around the Imperial Palace. Follow me.¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 23: Entering the Palace ¡°Congratulations on being chosen as the personal physician, my son.¡± After the final selection ended, I had a conversation with my father at the main estate. He seemed genuinely elated about my appointment, so much so that he forgot his dignity as the head of the house and couldn¡¯t hide his beaming smile. ¡°Haha, the student surpasses the teacher, doesn¡¯t he? It¡¯s all thanks to your teachings, Father.¡± ¡°No. I never properly taught you healing techniques, nor did I pass down any wisdom about life. The fault lies with me for failing to pay attention to you sooner. This success¡ªyou achieved it on your own, Las.¡± My father placed his hand on my shoulder and gave a nod. ¡°Brother, congratulations on passing.¡± ¡°Ah, Neria. Thank you.¡± Neria seemed a little deflated for some reason. ¡°Neria, is something wrong? Your brother just got great news, but you don¡¯t look happy.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I mean... it¡¯s not, but...¡± She shrank her neck slightly and responded in a soft, shrinking voice. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re going to the Imperial Palace now, right...? I finally got a chance to talk to you again, and now I won¡¯t get to see you anymore...¡± ¡°Haha.¡± How does Neria manage to say everything in such a sweet way? I gently patted her head and replied. ¡°I¡¯ll be on leave often, so we¡¯ll see each other soon. I already got advance permission.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Only then did her face light up with a bright smile. ¡°Yeah. And while I¡¯m at the Imperial Palace, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like you to do for me.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡°Mhm. You know the rose garden in front of the annex?¡± ¡°Oh, of course I do. You have to pass by it whenever you leave the estate, so¡ª¡± Neria suddenly clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing she had just let something slip. So that tunnel really was the route she used to sneak out for fun. ¡°I want you to tend to that garden and grow as many roses as you can. You¡¯ll need to send me rose petals along with the honey candies on a regular basis.¡± ¡°Rose petals and honey candies...¡± ¡°It¡¯s important. Can you do that for me?¡± ¡°Of course! Leave your garden to me, Brother!¡± Neria clenched her little fists and beamed with confidence. With Neria, I could entrust it without worry. Next, I made my way to the training grounds. Despite yesterday¡¯s massive operation, Captain Tanya hadn¡¯t taken any rest. She was still out in the yard, hauling stones as part of her strength training. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t seem to be a disturbance. When Tanya spotted me, she ran straight over. ¡°Hey, Captain.¡± ¡°Young master, I heard the news. Congratulations.¡± ¡°The real hardship starts now.¡± I gave a lazy answer, crunching on a candy, and Tanya let out a brief laugh, brushing her sweat-soaked bangs aside. ¡°Am I interrupting your ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) routine?¡± ¡°Not at all. This is the Gotberg estate¡ªof course you¡¯re free to come and go as you please. I¡¯m the one who should be prepared.¡± ¡°Mm, good. Keep that attitude.¡± ¡°As long as you stay just as diligent, young master.¡± Can¡¯t win a single line with her. I guess greatness really does show early. ¡°Captain, I¡¯ll be starting my work as a personal physician at the Imperial Palace tomorrow.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°As we talked about before, I was hoping you¡¯d come with me as my escort knight. What do you think?¡± I phrased it casually, as if I were just inviting her on a stroll. At my words, Tanya stepped forward without hesitation and offered me a handshake. ¡°I look forward to serving you, young master.¡± ¡°A handshake? Shouldn¡¯t you be kneeling and swearing loyalty or something?¡± ¡°You know how we northern knights are.¡± ¡°Try doing that in the Imperial Palace too, just like that.¡± Tanya smiled lightly and shrugged. Since a plain handshake felt dull, we gripped each other¡¯s thumbs and bumped shoulders. Tanya seemed to like that greeting more. ¡°I¡¯m allowed up to two escort knights. Do you have anyone you¡¯d recommend for the second?¡± ¡°What about suggesting it to Boris? Aren¡¯t the two of you close?¡± ¡°Close, huh. He can¡¯t come right away because of his injury anyway, and dragging a newlywed along¡ªcome on.¡± ¡°Mm... fair point. Still, it¡¯s worth talking to him.¡± When I visited Boris at the infirmary, he promptly gave me a recommendation. ¡°Man, it would¡¯ve been fun to go with you, young master, such a shame. But I think the marquisate is where I belong. Nothing like home turf, right? Instead, I¡¯d recommend Bruno.¡± As soon as Boris called out, Bruno came over fully prepared. Though we hadn¡¯t been in the same squad during the monster subjugation, I remembered him performing quite well. He had a massive build¡ªhe looked like a walking gray bear. ¡°Bruno, while the young master serves as personal physician at the Imperial Palace, he¡¯ll need an escort. Would you like to join him with me?¡± ¡°It would be an honor.¡± Bruno accepted the proposal without hesitation. I liked how straightforward he was. ¡°If both Captain and Bruno are gone, the order¡¯s strength will be down for a while.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll handle it just fine, Boris.¡± ¡°Oh ho, are you making me vice-captain? Does that come with a raise?¡± ¡°No extra pay¡ªbut more vacation days.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s fair enough, I guess.¡± And just like that, the members who would accompany me to the Imperial Palace were neatly decided. The next morning, I left the annex dressed in the outfit Sivers and the attendants helped me into. ¡°That the young master is entering the Imperial Medical Institute as a royal physician... I¡¯m moved beyond words.¡± Sivers always overreacted. I hadn¡¯t known him long, but maybe I¡¯d end up missing him eventually. ¡°It was fortunate the outfit you ordered arrived in time.¡± I wasn¡¯t wearing the ceremonial garb most healers wore. Instead, I wore a custom-ordered set layered over my usual suit. The iconic symbol of a doctor¡ªa white coat. ¡°Send me the extras as soon as they¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. Leave it to me.¡± I passed through the garden and exited the front gates of the marquessate. Father, Neria, the attendants, and the knights. Many waved to see me off. I gave them a casual wave in return. After leaving the estate, we headed toward the teleportation gate. My two escort knights were by my side. And at the end of the road, stood a small army¡¯s worth of knights and attendants. At the center stood Asella, chin raised, looking down at me with all the dignity in the world. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± I pulled out my pocket watch to check¡ªit was still well before the departure time. ¡°I¡¯m not late.¡± ¡°You¡¯re late if you made me wait.¡± Of course. Because Her Highness is the standard by which the world is measured. A moment later, Empress Consort Camilla arrived from the estate to join us. A court mage, already in position, released mana into the gate, receiving the signal from the palace and activating the portal. A cascade of blue light. Just before stepping into it, Asella turned to me and asked: ¡°Have you ever used a gate before, Lord Gotberg?¡± ¡°No.¡± Since my regression, I hadn¡¯t experienced it. So I answered honestly. Asella grinned devilishly at my reply. ¡°Good. It''ll be a fresh experience.¡± With those words, she strode ahead with grace and elegance. ¡°Shall we go, young master?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s. Captain Tanya¡ªah, and one thing. From now on, call me ¡®Doctor.¡¯¡± ¡°Understood, Doctor.¡± I may be a quack, but I¡¯m still a personal physician now. A little respect wouldn¡¯t hurt. With a honey candy in my mouth, I threw myself into the blue light. *** The teleportation¡ªmy first since the regression¡ªwas horrible. My head spun so badly I collapsed on the spot like an idiot. Asella laughed at me. And in the end, I had to be carried into the palace on Tanya¡¯s back. ¡°So this is the Imperial Palace...¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tanya was glancing around with great interest, clearly amazed by the splendid red structures towering around us. The palace grounds were located in the very center of the capital. And as expected of the Imperial Palace, its scale far exceeded anything the Gotberg estate could hope to compare to. The main palace, where the Emperor resided, was practically a fortress. On top of that, there were several auxiliary palaces built for the royal family members. The place where Asella and Empress Consort Camilla lived was called Moonlight Palace, located in the northwest section of the Imperial grounds. ¡°And this is the room I¡¯ll be staying in.¡± It was right next to Asella¡¯s own chambers. I thought there¡¯d at least be some distance¡ªbut no, it was right there on the second floor, separated by a single wall. ¡°Is your body all right?¡± ¡°Feeling a lot better now.¡± ¡°The appointment ceremony will be held this afternoon. For now, you should unpack and get ready.¡± ¡°What about the work schedule?¡± ¡°You start immediately¡ªtomorrow morning.¡± Tanya handed me the schedule. As a personal physician, my role was to check the health of my assigned patient¡ªmeaning the royal¡ªon a daily basis. Even the slightest abnormality had to be detected and treated immediately, in order to maintain perfect condition at all times. ¡°Wake up at dawn, perform a mana level check. Hm. They¡¯ve prepared dedicated artifacts too.¡± My room was stocked with all kinds of equipment and premium-grade artifacts for a royal physician. ¡°To someone like Asella, who nullifies healing spells, all of this is junk.¡± I shoved the mana meter into a drawer and closed it. ¡°She did say she¡¯d prepare the right environment for me.¡± So I should be able to request whatever materials I needed without issue. ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± Tanya and Bruno gave me curious looks. I smirked. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m looking to get revenge for what happened, but... this much should be fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about Her Highness... right?¡± ¡°Yeah. I mean, surely Her Highness isn¡¯t afraid of needles, right? What do you think?¡± As I scrolled through the [Blood Test] skill description, Tanya just blinked at me. Chapter 24: Time for an Injection (1) ¡°...Therefore, Las Gotberg is hereby appointed as the personal physician to Asella von W¨¹rttempelt.¡± The appointment ceremony for ? N§àv§Öl????ght ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Öl????ght) the personal physician ended quickly. It wasn¡¯t anything like the conferral of a noble title, nor did it involve pledging loyalty like a knight would. All I did was recite an oath to Asella, while a few healers from the Imperial Medical Institute stood by and chanted prayers. ¡°It seems we¡¯ll be working together at the Medical Institute from now on. If you ever need cooperation, don¡¯t hesitate to ask, Healer Gotberg.¡± I accepted Falkenhein¡¯s extended handshake and used the moment to clarify one important thing. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be entrusted with overseeing the sacred bodies of the royal family alongside you.¡± ¡°Haha, very good. Have you decided how you¡¯d like your title and form of address to be handled?¡± ¡°My title and form of address... Sir Falkenhein, you¡¯re known by the title Seongho within the Institute, correct?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a formal rank, much higher than a regular healer. A title is essential.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m free to choose any?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Falkenhein seemed momentarily thrown off. As fellow royal physicians, he and I held the same rank. So even if I demanded something like Healer King, he wouldn¡¯t be able to outright reject it. Of course, if I actually tried to call myself a king under the Emperor¡¯s rule, I¡¯d be executed on the spot for treason. ¡°My title will be Doctor. I¡¯d like to be addressed as Teacher.¡± ¡°Doctor? What does that mean?¡± ¡°It refers to someone who treats patients using medicine.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I heard you were well-versed in the field of medical science. I understand now. I¡¯ll have the Institute informed.¡± Well, I guess I¡¯ve officially earned myself a medical license now, huh. After the ceremony, I decided to check out my new office in the Medical Institute. Being a royal physician doesn¡¯t mean staying glued to your assigned royal twenty-four hours a day. Outside of official duties, we work from our offices within the Institute. I do need to be nearby during sleeping hours in case of emergencies, and I¡¯m expected to accompany the royal when leaving the palace. The Imperial Medical Institute was located at the southernmost edge of the palace grounds, right in front of the wall connected to the capital plaza. With Tanya and Bruno escorting me, I stepped into the building. ¡°It¡¯s definitely different from the marquessate.¡± There wasn¡¯t a trace of religious influence in the Institute building. Despite the flashy decorations, the place was large, square, and sharp in design¡ªcloser in appearance to a university hospital than a church. Or perhaps more like one of the academy buildings. It had that kind of presence. The entire palace grounds were saturated in red pigments to the point it hurt the eyes. It was the current Emperor¡¯s symbolic color. ¡°Your office is on the fourth floor.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s it so high up? Is there no elevator?¡± ¡°What¡¯s an elevator?¡± ¡°This is ridiculous. Are you telling me I have to walk up and down four flights of stairs every day? Bruno, secure a mage who can use levitation magic.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Bruno lowered his head without hesitation, prompting a sigh from Tanya. ¡°Bruno, don¡¯t actually go bring one. The doctor needs to build stamina.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± Bruno agreed instantly with her. Seriously, what is with this guy? ¡°Are you some kind of ancient chancellor? All you know how to say is yes? Who¡¯s your direct superior?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. Chancellor...? You mean that chancellor?¡± With the kind of piercing eyes that could kill a monster, Bruno answered in full seriousness. I was an idiot for trusting Boris. Of course¡ªhe recommended a complete lunatic. While I was joking around with my two knights, I heard whispers from passing healers as they caught sight of me. ¡°Look over there, that¡¯s the personal physician¡¯s insignia.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s with the Third Princess faction, just like the rumors say.¡± ¡°White hair... must be a bloodline blessed with divine power.¡± Even though the workday was over, the Institute was always busy, night or day. There were still plenty of healers walking around. Now that I thought about it, the Medical Institute also connected to the capital plaza. They treated regular citizen patients from there as well. All under the pretense of ¡°grateful service for the Emperor¡¯s grace.¡± I suppose you could call it a kind of popularity-boosting initiative. It also served to train the Institute¡¯s healers. As a personal physician, I didn¡¯t have to participate in any of that. ¡°Doctor, you¡¯re the highest-ranking person here, but not a single healer is greeting you.¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re from different factions. There¡¯s no Third Princess faction here in the Institute.¡± Every healer here belonged to the subordination of some royal physician. And royal physicians, by nature, belonged to the factions of the royals they served. Talking to someone from another faction could be branded as betrayal, so they had to be cautious. It really was a minefield of politics and silent calculations. But I didn¡¯t have the time or energy to care about the succession war. Just managing Asella was already overwhelming enough. Not that it mattered. She was going to be the next emperor anyway. ...Though, I suppose it was my job to stop that from happening. The office was spotless. There was quite a variety of magi-tech materials stocked up¡ªlooked like Asella had them prepared in advance. Did she order all this the moment she heard my requirements? Not only the materials, but even the worktables and tools were all there. And these were things that usually took a long time to arrive after being ordered. There¡¯s no way all this could¡¯ve ended up here unless she¡¯d started preparing from the moment I agreed to take the test. So she¡¯d planned to make me her personal physician from the start, no matter what. Chilling. The hairs on my arms stood on end. ¡°Well. I¡¯ll just have to live up to her expectations.¡± If I pulled an all-nighter, I could probably craft everything I needed for tomorrow using the materials provided. *** The next morning, at dawn¡ª My work as personal physician officially began. I woke up in a refreshingly good mood and immediately popped a candy into my mouth. Mmm. Precious sugar for the brain and stamina boost. This had become an irreplaceable part of my daily routine. I grabbed my tools and stepped out of the room. The head maid was already waiting. Wasn¡¯t her name Lucie or something? ¡°Doctor Gotberg. Please be ready twenty minutes earlier from tomorrow onward.¡± ¡°Has Her Highness finished preparing?¡± ¡°No. She¡¯ll be needing thirty more minutes.¡± So I¡¯m already early, huh. What a pain. ¡°Her Highness is beginning her morning routine.¡± A moment later, a maid emerged from Asella¡¯s room and gave the report. Time for me to begin. I picked up my physician¡¯s bag and entered Asella¡¯s room. It was larger than most mansion living rooms. The bed area was hidden behind curtains and out of view. She was seated at the table, looking bored, and tossed a glance at me through her long lashes. ¡°It¡¯s a radiant morning. Did Your Highness sleep well last night?¡± I asked while taking the seat across from her. Her voice came back sharp. ¡°No different than usual. Are you going to ask me that same boring question every morning, Lord Gotberg?¡± ¡°Since Your Highness is my patient, it¡¯s only natural that I check your condition every day. Also, my title is Doctor.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°...Nothing. Just saying.¡± I couldn¡¯t say anything more under that piercing stare of hers. ¡°There¡¯s only one person in the world I treat as a teacher. I¡¯ll continue calling you Lord Gotberg¡ªjust so you know.¡± ¡°Of course, Your Highness is free to do as she pleases.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my personal physician, but also my betrothed, aren¡¯t you? So it¡¯s not an inappropriate title.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± I mean... she wasn¡¯t wrong, logically speaking. Still annoying, though. This princess excels at magic, knows her politics, and she¡¯s smart to top it off. Or maybe she¡¯s good at everything because she¡¯s smart. I kind of want to put her in her place. Not that I could ever let that treasonous little thought slip out. I decided to focus on the job. While taking out the necessary tools from my bag, I struck up a topic for small talk. ¡°By your teacher, would you be referring to the Sage¡ªthe court archmage?¡± ¡°You¡¯re well-informed. He¡¯s a famous mage, after all.¡± She had one teacher in magic. A notoriously eccentric old man, avoided even by the royal family. I already knew that, but I brought it up as light conversation to ease the patient¡¯s nerves. ¡°First, I¡¯ll measure your blood pressure.¡± I wrapped a cuff around her arm and pumped in air to pressurize it. Blood pressure monitors weren¡¯t hard to make. Once I understood the principle, they were easy to build. ¡°A medical device?¡± ¡°Yes. The speed of blood flow through the body is important. It¡¯s a basic metric for checking someone¡¯s health condition.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Since Asella¡¯s dress was thin, I could take the reading directly without issue. ¡°Blood contains a lot of information. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say it can tell you everything about a person¡¯s illnesses.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sick.¡± ¡°You never know. People die suddenly all the time, without warning. There are diseases without symptoms. And Your Highness is gifted.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that a price came with that talent. As your physician, I intend to understand Your Highness¡¯s condition completely.¡± She tilted her chin upward and looked at me coolly. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She seemed... slightly offended. ¡°Lord Gotberg, you talk as if you know a lot about talent and its price.¡± ¡°I¡¯m simply making an educated guess based on my knowledge.¡± Asella kept staring at me the entire time I took her blood pressure. Her gaze felt like it was trying to pierce into my mind, reading my thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you too...¡± ¡°All done. It¡¯s quite a bit below average. Orthostatic hypotension... Do you ever feel dizzy when you stand up after lying down?¡± ¡°Hm... a little.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a note of it. As I said, analyzing blood is the fastest way to understand an illness.¡± ¡°...So?¡± Asella tilted her head slightly, curious. I pulled out the next tool from my bag. ¡°I¡¯d like to collect a small blood sample from Your Highness.¡± A syringe. For a CBC test. I¡¯d prepared a needle and two detachable glass collection tubes. I ground the metal for the needle myself to make it thinner and enhanced it with alchemy. No issues in terms of hygiene. The glass tubes were also reinforced with alchemy to prevent shattering. I lowered the internal pressure as much as possible so that simply attaching the tube would draw blood in automatically. ¡°...What is that?¡± Asella¡¯s reaction was strange. She stared at the syringe as if she¡¯d just seen a myth-grade monster¡ªneck stiff, pupils trembling violently. Her face had gone pale, and her gaze was locked on my hand, frozen in place. This really doesn¡¯t suit you, Your Highness. Surely... she¡¯s not afraid of needles, is she? Chapter 25: Time for an Injection (2) ¡°Lord Gotberg, what exactly is that thing?¡± Asella¡¯s voice suddenly grew urgent. Her reaction was more than a little strange. I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason. Surely she wasn¡¯t... scared of a syringe? I couldn¡¯t even imagine such a thing. I answered in my usual calm tone. ¡°It¡¯s a device called a syringe. I¡¯ll be using it to collect a small sample of Your Highness¡¯s blood for testing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying... you¡¯re going to stick that needle into me to draw blood?¡± ¡°Exactly as you said, yes.¡± Asella¡¯s mouth fell slightly open. She froze on the spot. She really could make a dumb expression when she wanted to. ¡°Lord Gotberg, are you... a vampire?¡± ¡°What on earth are you saying? If I were a demon, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to pass through the portal.¡± ¡°Well... okay, true, but still¡ªwhere exactly do you plan to stick that needle?¡± ¡°Into a vein. On the inside of your arm.¡± I raised my own elbow and tapped it lightly to demonstrate. Asella flinched and subtly leaned her upper body away from me, shuddering. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°You¡¯re messing with me right now, aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°A physician never jokes about medical procedures with a patient. Even the smallest misunderstanding can result in malpractice.¡± Asella tightly closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her forehead. Well, it¡¯s not surprising that she¡¯d be wary of something she¡¯s never seen before. She did ask if I was a vampire. And in this world, drawing blood really wasn¡¯t a normal thing. ¡°Excuse me, Doctor. Are you saying you intend to injure Her Highness¡¯s sacred body? That is absolutely unacceptable!¡± The head maid¡ªLucie, if I remembered correctly¡ªfinally couldn¡¯t hold back and cut in. She wasn¡¯t wrong, to be fair. ¡°That¡¯s understandable. But it¡¯s hardly worth calling an injury. It¡¯s no more than a tiny pinprick, and I¡¯ll treat it immediately. The information we get from the blood sample will greatly aid in protecting Her Highness¡¯s health.¡± ¡°Does it have to be blood? Couldn¡¯t you use... another method besides medicine?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Your Highness who promised to provide an environment suitable for practicing medicine?¡± ¡°...I did.¡± Asella backed me up, giving weight to my argument. She was biting her lip. Did she want to protest but couldn¡¯t? Maybe she couldn¡¯t turn it down out of pride, since she was the one who¡¯d said it. ¡°If this is standard practice in medicine... then I did give permission to use it, so... sigh.¡± Asella let out a long breath and steeled herself. ¡°Do it. Use whatever method you need.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Now that Asella had given the order, Lucie had no choice but to back down¡ªthough she added one final remark. ¡°Please conduct the test here, in this room. And when it¡¯s complete, dispose of Her Highness¡¯s blood sample in our presence.¡± ¡°If it were to end up used in black magic, it would be a disaster. I understand completely. I¡¯ll handle it accordingly.¡± My clear answer seemed to satisfy her¡ªno more objections followed. ¡°Your Highness, please extend your arm.¡± Asella bit her lower lip, then slowly stretched out her right arm toward me. ¡°...Do it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll begin the blood draw.¡± I tied a rubber strip around the upper part of her arm. Asella twitched the moment it tightened. ¡°...Is it over?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, no. That was just the tourniquet. It makes the veins easier to locate.¡± Next, I prepared a cotton swab for disinfecting. I had plenty of pure alcohol prepared¡ªcheap liquor I¡¯d refined with alchemy. Alchemy really was amazing. So damn convenient. I rolled up her sleeve. Her forearm was smooth and pale, the skin thin and delicate. I wiped the inside of her elbow with the alcohol swab. ¡°...Hic!¡± Was she alcohol-sensitive? She let out a sharp little noise like someone with an allergy. But no, she likes drinking, doesn¡¯t she? ¡°Are we done now?¡± ¡°No, that was just disinfection. Since the process involves breaking the skin, we need to avoid infection.¡± ¡°Ugh... infection... what even is that...¡± Asella turned her head away and clenched her eyes shut. ...This is when I finally started to realize something was truly off. The Golden Witch herself¡ªafraid of losing a single drop of blood? Could she really be scared? Deep down, a wave of satisfaction started creeping up on me. No, no. Focus, Las. Snap out of it. If she were truly terrified, I could be fast-tracking my way to a bad ending. ...Hmm. Then again, I wasn¡¯t seeing any new system alerts or number shifts. So it should be fine. I continued with the procedure. ¡°Please stay still.¡± Her skin was thin, and her veins were clearly visible. I didn¡¯t even need to tap her arm. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¨DSshhhp... The blood draw ended quickly. I pressed a cotton swab against the spot and applied gentle pressure. Asella slowly opened her mouth. ¡°...Is it over? Tell me it¡¯s actually over this time...¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over. There may be some bruising, so please wait a moment¡ª¡± ¡°You!¡± Asella suddenly turned her head toward me with an expression of raw frustration I had never seen before. She was practically huffing, like a steam engine about to blow its stack. Pshhh¡ª I had to fight with everything I had not to smile. The almighty Asella¡ªscared of a needle. Aw, poor thing. Should¡¯ve given her a candy or something. As I kept applying pressure to prevent bruising on Asella¡¯s arm, time passed slowly. ¡°...Hoo.¡± Asella exhaled a deep breath. The mark from the blood draw was already long gone, but she had thrown a fit demanding I wrap it with a bandage anyway. The needle was really thin, too. ¡°So, Lord Gotberg.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Asella kept rubbing the spot on her arm like it still felt strange. ¡°You¡¯ve drawn my blood¡ªso I assume you¡¯re confident you¡¯ll deliver results worthy of it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I answered without hesitation, but I immediately regretted it, wondering just how high her standards of ¡®worthy¡¯ might be. ¡°What kind of results would Your Highness like, more specifically?¡± Asella¡¯s lips curled ever so slightly. I was starting to learn¡ªwhenever she made that face, she was usually thinking something devilish. ¡°Lucie.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Have you briefed Lord Gotberg on the emergency protocol manual?¡± ¡°I was planning to do so today, since it¡¯s his first official day on duty.¡± ¡°Lord Gotberg, based on what you¡¯ve discovered from my blood so far, propose a countermeasure.¡± The head maid bowed and stepped back. What manual? What kind of situation are we even talking about? You could at least hint at the topic. I had no clue what she expected. ¡°Would you care for a candy?¡± On the off chance that a bribe might soften the punishment if I failed the task, I pulled out a rose candy and offered it to her. ¡°......¡± Hm. That look on her face wasn¡¯t good. Guess it was too cheap for her noble palate. Just as I was about to slip the candy back into my pocket, Asella snapped. ¡°Leave it.¡± I cautiously set the candy down on the table. She unwrapped it, and with her tiny tongue, began to lick it. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll begin the examination.¡± If blood isn¡¯t tested quickly, it can deteriorate from temperature and humidity exposure. Asella¡¯s blood, which I¡¯d drawn into two separate glass tubes, rippled a bright red inside. Three milliliters each. A backup sample was necessary in case the skill failed or contamination occurred. I shook one vial about ten times and uncapped it. I poured a small amount into a shallow dish¡ªjust enough to coat the bottom in red. Let¡¯s hope there¡¯s no contamination. If any foreign elements affected the results, the whole thing would be worthless. I had sterilized the dish beforehand, but given the hygiene standards of this era, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit skeptical. Let¡¯s try [Blood Test]. I activated the skill. I stared at the vivid crimson pooled at the bottom of the dish. ...Nothing happened. Is the activation method different from Diagnosis? Then let¡¯s try that first. Diagnosis should trigger just by looking at an injured person¡¯s blood. I figured I¡¯d at least get some kind of ~N§àv§Öl????ght~ feedback. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Injury Status: ¡ö¡ö¡ö Injury Status: ¡ö¡ö¡ö Injury Status: ¡ö¡ö¡ö Injury Status: ¡ö¡ö¡ö Injury ¡ö¡ö: Rank ¡ö insufficient ¡ö ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D The characters on the status screen began to break apart. ¡°Ugh.¡± A wave of pain stabbed through my skull. I canceled the diagnosis immediately and shook my head. Asella, watching from across the table, propped her chin on her hand. ¡°Not going how you hoped, is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going well. Please wait.¡± ¡°You were just trying to use a spell, weren¡¯t you? Looks like it bounced right off.¡± She sounded smug. She was relishing my failure. The diagnosis hadn¡¯t worked, but I had confirmed one thing. Asella¡¯s condition was far from normal. She was wounded¡ªinjured by a debuff linked to her own gift. I probably couldn¡¯t identify the debuff because the level of her magical talent was something I didn¡¯t understand. I need to use Blood Test. But how does it activate? In real-world medicine, blood tests worked by interfacing a sample with a machine. My medical skills were all based on knowledge from my past life. If I assumed I was the diagnostic device... ¡°Hm.¡± I rolled up my sleeve and dipped a fingertip into the blood sample. My nail was quickly coated in Asella¡¯s sticky blood. She looked slightly horrified at the sight¡ªbut disappointing her by failing to produce any results would¡¯ve been worse. Bingo. Text scrolled down the status window. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Blood Test Activated. Patient: Asella von W¨¹rttempelt Blood Type: B Rh- WBC: 24.7 HGB: 8.9 HCT: 28.8% ... ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D What the hell is this? Lines and lines of cryptic letters and numbers, like a coded message. Some terms were a little hazy, but I tapped my temple and recalled what I could. First off, her blood type was unusual. A rare type, which meant transfusions would be extremely difficult. What¡¯s with these inflammation markers? Asella¡¯s physical condition was in shambles. She was young, and with a good diet, so indicators like blood sugar, calcium, and protein levels were fine. Her liver was functioning normally, too. The problem was inflammation. Her white blood cell count was through the roof. There was internal damage and infection somewhere in her body¡ª And it was still ongoing. She can¡¯t possibly not feel pain at this point... I glanced back at Asella. Her face looked the same as always. Even ten years in the future, she never showed any signs of pain. I¡¯d heard something about this once, from ten years ahead. That Asella had lost control due to pain tied to the cost of her magic. But I¡¯d always thought that incident was unrelated to the present, just some future catastrophe. I¡¯d assumed the pain, like my own growth-type debuff, was something she¡¯d acquired after mastering a certain level of magic. But now... She¡¯s been enduring it all along? I couldn¡¯t believe it. This kind of pain¡ªit¡¯d feel like her insides were being twisted apart nonstop. Before I realized it, my hand had moved toward the vial of painkiller I kept carefully stored in my medical bag. It took hours to make. I only had one dose. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you... ever feel a squeezing or stabbing pain in your chest or abdomen?¡± The moment I asked, Asella¡¯s expression went ice-cold. As if I had uncovered a secret that was never meant to be known. Chapter 26: The Princess鈥檚 Magic (1) As soon as I mentioned Asella¡¯s debuff, her expression visibly shifted to wariness. She must have hated the idea of anyone finding out. But as her personal physician, I couldn¡¯t just ignore it¡ªso I pressed on with the questions. ¡°Your Highness, do you often experience abdominal pain or nausea?¡± ¡°No.¡± That was firm. She¡¯d already said she wasn¡¯t in pain, so I expected that. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was bluffing or if she¡¯d simply gotten used to the pain after enduring it for so long. ¡°Are there times when it worsens?¡± ¡°...Not sure.¡± That evasive answer sounded like a bluff to me. But there was no need to keep pushing if she clearly didn¡¯t want to talk about it. No point in souring her mood over it. ¡°In that case, please take this when it gets bad.¡± I handed Asella a vial of painkiller. It was a finger-length glass bottle, the kind usually used for small {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} mana stones. Pretty sturdy, too. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a pain-nullifier. If the pain ever becomes intense, taking this should help relieve it significantly.¡± ¡°Is that really true?¡± Asella looked doubtful. Lucie, the head maid, cut in on her own. ¡°Your Highness, if I may speak.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°During the selection exam, when His Lordship gave this to the injured knight, the man said his pain vanished immediately.¡± ¡°...Hmm.¡± Asella tilted the bottle with her fingertip, the pill rattling faintly inside. ¡°Lord Gotberg, if you¡¯re entertaining some wild theory, stop. It¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± I leaned in slightly, putting on a more serious face. ¡°As your physician, I ask that you do not lie to me. It is my duty to fully understand Your Highness¡¯s condition.¡± Even if I¡¯m a quack, I¡¯m still a physician¡ªand just this once, I insisted. Asella held her neutral expression for a moment, mulling over my words, then tucked the bottle away. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it for now. But Lord Gotberg.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There must not be a single baseless rumor circulating in the palace regarding my condition.¡± A command, laced with sincerity. She wanted me to keep her illness a secret. It made sense. Illness was a fatal weakness for someone sincerely aiming for the throne. If that was why she kept up the bluff, I could understand it. ¡°Of course. A doctor must take patient confidentiality seriously, even if it costs him his life.¡± Asella gave a small nod, apparently satisfied with that answer. ¡°That concludes the morning consultation. Since your blood pressure¡¯s fine, your mana levels are likely stable as well. You¡¯re free to go about your day.¡± I disposed of the remaining blood by mixing it with pre-prepared mercury. Just as I was packing up and standing, Asella called out to me. ¡°Lord Gotberg. You wouldn¡¯t ever lie to me, would you?¡± ¡°Not where it counts. Of course not.¡± ¡°Is that how you knew? Because you gained your talent, too?¡± Her golden eyes pierced into mine. She was asking if I¡¯d figured out her pain because I¡¯d also paid a price for my talent. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, Your Highness. That medication was crafted using alchemy, nothing more.¡± The silence lingered as Asella kept her eyes on me. ¡°...You¡¯re dismissed.¡± I offered a polite bow and turned to leave her chambers. ¡°Phew.¡± My gut twisted after that round of psychological warfare. That last lie hadn¡¯t come from Las the doctor¡ªit came from Las Gotberg, her betrothed. ...I figured that much was probably okay. A few days passed since I officially began work as Asella¡¯s physician. ¡°Switching shifts, entering protection detail.¡± Tanya, now perfectly adjusted to the workflow, reported from my office in the royal infirmary. ¡°Doctor, shall I tidy up?¡± ¡°I know where everything is.¡± The place was already cluttered with all the medical tools I¡¯d crafted. Tanya frowned at the floor, now cluttered enough that it was hard to find a clear step. She handled daytime duty while Bruno took night. They said they¡¯d rotate periodically. It was a grueling two-shift system with no weekends or real rest¡ªbut no matter how many times I told them to rest while we were inside the palace, they didn¡¯t listen. Tanya insisted it was her responsibility and always remained close by. ¡°Asella shows no anomalies today, either.¡± I continued writing on the observation sheet. Her blood pressure and general health remained in good shape. I had checked her diet too, and although nutritionally unbalanced, it wasn¡¯t terrible. I was considering proposing a new menu. But that would require a consultation with the palace kitchen, so it would take some time. More than anything, Asella barely ate. She picked at her food like a bird, yet somehow managed to grow into that future self of hers over the next decade. She¡¯s not an elf or a mana-absorbing lifeform... is she? ¡°...Probably because of the pain.¡± Putting on airs, of course. It suited her, sure¡ªbut now that I was her physician, I couldn¡¯t stop worrying about it. I ended up imagining it. A little imperial princess, born into royalty. Four years old¡ªno, maybe three. Or perhaps even a newborn. Her magical talent awakened. And along with it... came disease. One that brought excruciating pain. In an environment where dignity and formality had to be upheld, you weren¡¯t allowed to show weakness just because you were a little sick. If a member of the royal family displayed any sign of vulnerability, it would bring down the prestige of the entire imperial household. Especially someone with succession rights¡ªeven if it was the weakest faction. In truth, Asella was the next Empress. There was nothing ¡°weak¡± about her from where I stood. And her mother, Empress Camilla, was notoriously power-hungry. Given those circumstances, it only made sense that Asella had grown to believe she couldn¡¯t show any signs of pain. Either that, or she¡¯d come to accept her suffering as something natural. No wonder the stress piled up. ¡°...So what. Big deal.¡± That didn¡¯t mean the things Asella had done could be justified. I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to call myself her greatest victim, but still. ¡°For now, I¡¯m just doing my duty as her physician.¡± This was my chance to live as a doctor for once. I didn¡¯t want to mess it up by getting swept up in emotions. Whether I hated her or pitied her¡ªeven a little¡ªthose were feelings I¡¯d deal with later. ¡°Let¡¯s say her pain really is the price of her talent.¡± Then, like my own debuff, it might be some kind of incurable condition. But if it wasn¡¯t... If it was something I could actually cure with medicine¡ªsomething I could fix¡ª Then by removing the debuff, the pain, I might also erase the very talent that pain came with. I could completely destroy the creation of the so-called Golden Witch. ¡°That¡¯s not just blasphemy¡ªit¡¯s treason.¡± So what exactly is Asella¡¯s condition? Diagnosis didn¡¯t work on her, so I couldn¡¯t say anything definitive yet. I needed to observe her more closely. That¡¯s why I was sticking to her side during her daily schedule, watching her every move. As her personal physician, I said it was necessary¡ªand she accepted that. ¡°She is, for now, my assigned patient.¡± And it was a doctor¡¯s job to keep their patients at ease. ¡°Unless a skill stronger than Diagnosis appears...¡± I opened my status window. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡ð Medicine D A skill used to treat patients based on knowledge of modern medicine. ¡¤ Diagnosis C Allows you to partially assess a patient¡¯s condition. ¡¤ Prescription C Slightly improves the condition of a diagnosed patient. ¡¤ First Aid Mastery D Allows you to perform emergency treatment more quickly. ¡¤ Blood Test D Provides detailed information about the patient¡¯s blood. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Both Diagnosis and Prescription had reached Rank C. It was about time for a new skill to unlock. ¡°Time to pick a skill tree.¡± I tapped on the details to open the skill map. There were three basic skills given at the start: [Diagnosis], [Prescription], and [First Aid]. Each of them branched out like tree limbs, leading to similar skills waiting to be unlocked. [Blood Test] had branched off from the [Diagnosis] line. The next skill I could unlock was on either the Diagnosis route or the First Aid route. Two unopened slots were blinking on those paths¡ªit was easy to tell. ¡°[Prescription] seems like a pharmacological skill line, and [First Aid] might lead to more dexterity-based skills.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Since I already had alchemy, I didn¡¯t see much reason to prioritize the prescription line. ¡°So it¡¯s best to follow the [Diagnosis] path for now.¡± I needed to properly understand Asella¡¯s condition if I wanted to do anything about it. ¡°Blood Test is basically a CBC. A skill that requires modern medical devices.¡± If I had to choose the most universal diagnostic tool¡ª ¡°Then it¡¯d be X-rays.¡± What, was I going to shoot laser beams out of my eyes now? That would be ridiculous. I laughed under my breath. Well, technically X-rays have shorter wavelengths than UV rays, so they¡¯re invisible to the naked eye anyway... ¡°Doctor, it¡¯s time to begin today¡¯s schedule.¡± Tanya¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I rose from my seat. The Imperial Palace was the most extravagant waste of talent I¡¯d ever seen. Just one step from Asella, and clunk-clunk, an entire herd of servants and guards followed in her wake. I walked beside her like a guard myself, but she already had her own escort. Tanya was also glued to my side as mine. It made for a weird-looking group. Then again, I guess it wasn¡¯t a total waste. Job creation was important, after all. ¡°Asella, keep your shoulders straighter! And hold your gaze¡ªdon¡¯t lose focus!¡± But her daily schedule... it was so boring I could barely suppress a yawn. After breakfast, Empress Camilla personally oversaw Asella¡¯s studies. And after lunch? More studies. After dinner? You guessed it¡ªstill more studies. Imperial etiquette, political theory, formalities, dance, horseback riding. No clue what it was all supposed to prepare her for, but the level of intensity put even the most obsessive private tutors to shame. Was it Gangnam or Gangbuk? I couldn¡¯t remember¡ªit had been too long. It was practically a Spartan regime, leaving no time for rest. That evening, Asella¡¯s instructor handed Empress Camilla the graded exam Asella had taken that day. Camilla twitched her brow, then strode toward Asella and said: ¡°Your results are disgraceful. It seems your little vacation at House Gotberg went on far too long.¡± How bad could it have been? I glanced at the test¡ªshe¡¯d only missed two questions out of thirty. ...That¡¯s actually pretty damn good, isn¡¯t it? Asella stood perfectly straight, her face unreadable, but I saw her throat twitch. She must¡¯ve swallowed hard. Come to think of it, the one person Asella had never been able to stand up to was Camilla. Even ten years in the future¡ªor now¡ªI¡¯d never seen her act submissive to anyone but her. Watching it with my own eyes felt weirdly refreshing. ¡°Everyone, leave. I¡¯m taking Asella to the workshop.¡± At Camilla¡¯s command, the attendants and guards all promptly turned and exited the room. Only Tanya and I stood there, blankly trying to process the situation. And then¡ª [No. 058 : Magical Torture 48% ¡ú 62%] [In Progress] Another bad ending probability had just gone up. ¡°...There you are.¡± At this point, I almost felt happy to see the numbers. Yeah, would¡¯ve been lonely without you. Chapter 27: The Princess鈥檚 Magic (2) [No. 058: Magic Torture 48% ¡ú 62%] [In Progress] Seeing the words on the status window, a trauma I¡¯d tried to bury begins to crawl up from the depths of memory. There were a few times when Asella went completely insane, rampaging like a monster. In the later part of the game, she would sometimes appear as a mindless beast, incapable of speech or reason. It was like a hidden boss event. That ending... was a bad end where I was captured by the hidden boss version of Asella and tortured to death with magic. And now the odds of that ending are going up because of the Empress? I involuntarily frowned. The reason for the increased bad ending probability¡ª From this point onward, Asella would experience something deeply negative that triggered it. Then there¡¯s only one thing I can do. I just have to take the opposite action. ¡°Miss Lucie.¡± ¡°G-Goodness, Master?¡± I grabbed the head maid¡¯s arm mid-step, and she clutched her chest like she¡¯d just run into a monster. Bit too jumpy, aren¡¯t you? ¡°What does it mean, ¡®she¡¯s going to the workshop¡¯?¡± ¡°Um, perhaps we should discuss this outside first...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere until I hear an explanation.¡± ¡°Ah, really now...!¡± Lucie bit her lip in visible distress, then leaned in and whispered hastily in my ear. ¡°There¡¯s a magical workshop under Moonlight Palace, belonging to Her Majesty. When Her Highness falls behind in her studies, she receives... supplemental instruction there. At times like this, it¡¯s best to leave quickly¡ª¡± ¡°You mean she¡¯s disciplined with magic?¡± ¡°Well...¡± The head maid trailed off without answering. I got the picture. Camilla, the Empress, was no amateur when it came to magic. She was at least a fifth-tier sorceress. And magical punishment, from her? That¡¯s going to hurt. Though depending on the spell type, it might not even leave visible marks. As I lingered in thought, Camilla called out to us with a voice like cracking glass. ¡°Court physician. Did you not hear me? Leave the room.¡± ¡°I believe my proper title is ¡®Doctor.¡¯ It seems that wasn¡¯t communicated to you.¡± I stepped forward and replied, and the Empress¡¯s expression twisted. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re planning to discipline the princess with magic, I must intervene. As her personal physician, her physical condition is my responsibility.¡± At my words, Asella¡¯s pupils dilated. Her quivering eyes fixed squarely on me. ¡°Ha. So the little healer finally oversteps.¡± The Empress scoffed in derision. ¡°Discipline? This pertains to the education of the Third Princess. You¡ªthis is the Imperial Palace. Know your place.¡± ¡°If she gets injured, it becomes my job to treat her. That falls within my professional responsibilities.¡± ¡°Then treat her afterward. Sit down and stay quiet unless you want your house¡¯s name smeared. You were appointed through favoritism and manipulation anyway.¡± ¡°Wow. Me?¡± ¡°Lord Gotberg. When you committed blasphemy in the marquessate, we overlooked it. Even when you wasted the Holy Grail, we mercifully forgave you.¡± ¡°Right. Out of respect for my father, I overlooked your provocations, and I generously accepted the Grail.¡± ¡°You insolent little¡ª!¡± Now red as a steam engine under full load, the Empress ~N§àv§Öl????ght~ trembled with rage. ¡°There¡¯s only one reason I haven¡¯t dealt with you. Engaging with a witless brat is beneath me. But this time, you¡¯ve gone too far.¡± ¡°Excess is virtue, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Asella will be raised my way. And you¡ªwithout any qualifications¡ªare interfering in the Imperial Family¡¯s methods!¡± ¡°As her betrothed, I am qualified.¡± As I spoke, Asella¡¯s eyes widened again. ¡°You...!¡± The Empress gnashed her teeth and glared at me. ¡°How dare you talk back at every turn!¡± ¡°Then please inform me what this ¡®special education¡¯ entails. Depending on the content, I may permit it.¡± ¡°You expect me¡ªthe Empress¡ªto seek permission from a mere healer?¡± Step. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I advanced a step toward her. ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®mere¡¯ anything. I am the royal physician personally appointed by the Princess. Address me by my title. I serve the heir apparent and stand as a member of Her Highness Asella¡¯s faction.¡± As my words came out, clearly and logically, the Empress¡¯s aggression faltered slightly. ¡°If Your Majesty intends to harm the princess¡¯s body with ill will, then yes¡ªauthorization is required.¡± ¡°Did you just call me, her birth mother, an outsider?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case? In the royal family, blood ties don¡¯t make allies. I serve only one lord¡ªHer Highness Asella.¡± The Empress had clearly run out of patience. Unconsciously, she released her mana. A sinister, dark energy filled the air. ¡°Everyone else¡ªget out.¡± Her voice was cold as ice. The kind that might command a guillotine to fall. Tanya stepped between us. ¡°My duty is to guard the doctor¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Wait outside.¡± As a direct Gotberg, I might be spared, but she... the Empress could twist the law and frame her for blasphemy. I gave Tanya a nod to signal again. She hesitated, then exited. Slam. The door slammed shut behind them, leaving only Camilla, Asella, and me in the room. ¡°You said you were curious about the content of this special education,¡± Camilla said, her hand flicking casually as a magic circle unfolded into the air. Four intricate geometric shapes intersected, greedily absorbing dark mana. As formulas etched themselves along the outer rim, the spell reached completion. ¡°Mother...¡± Asella, silent until now, finally spoke. But the Empress paid her no mind, her attention wholly consumed by the magic. ¡°Why not experience it yourself? See firsthand whether it¡¯s harmful to Asella or not. That should answer your question.¡± Snap. With a flick of Camilla¡¯s fingers, the spell activated. Boom! In the same instant, a crushing pressure bore down on me like a mountain of boulders. ¡°Urgh...¡± It was a fourth-tier gravity manipulation spell. Gravity in my immediate vicinity had multiplied several times over. The weight was so intense I could hardly remain standing. My body dragged itself toward the ground against my will. ¡°How is it? It doesn¡¯t leave wounds or physical injury. It¡¯s simply a vital educational method to help Asella understand the weight of magic. Do you understand now?¡± Camilla sneered as she snapped her fingers again. ¡ªRumble...! The magic circle swelled in size and intensity. ...I couldn¡¯t even breathe anymore. The air had become so heavy, my lungs struggled to move. My back bent, and my arms hung limp at my sides. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. She actually believed this passed for education? This was nothing but torture. I was seconds away from collapsing. My upper body had already crumpled like a hedgehog curling in on itself. But somehow, my legs held firm. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly resistant to kneeling.¡± There was no doubt now¡ªAsella¡¯s sadistic streak came straight from her mother. Camilla. A woman who did nothing but obstruct me and increase the probability of bad endings. I hated her. I had no intention of showing her the reaction she wanted. I forced a twisted smile, my lips dragging upward like lead weights, baring my teeth. ¡°My knees are reserved solely for my liege.¡± Camilla¡¯s gaze sharpened into something murderous. Hmm. I¡¯d seen that expression before. Suddenly, memories flashed across my mind like a stuttering film reel. ¡ªYou certainly don¡¯t kneel easily, healer of the hero¡¯s party. Asella, laughing with a demonic grin. It was the look she wore in the final moments of countless loops, ten years into the future. Now, Camilla¡¯s face overlapped with the golden witch¡¯s in my mind. My vision crackled like static. The intensified gravity was cutting off blood flow to my brain¡ªblackout was imminent. Was this merely a hallucination before fainting, or a warning painted by instinct? A face I never wanted to see again surfaced in my mind. ¡ªHow dare you lay hands on an offering meant for the Emperor of the Empire? Asella¡¯s tone in that memory was calm and majestic. A far cry from her usual petulance. Thinking back, she really did take after Camilla... It made sense. Parents and children inevitably shared traits. Magical talent, genetic disposition¡ªfrom appearance to physical performance to mental tendencies¡ªgenes determined a lot. But environment couldn¡¯t be ignored either. I could feel it. Camilla had played a major role in shaping Asella into the deranged villainess she became. But why am I thinking about this now...? The thought floated up, unbidden. ¡ªBeautiful, isn¡¯t it? The day the curse ends. The curse. Asella used that word often. I could never quite grasp what she meant by it... ¡°Here, let¡¯s see if you can endure this too.¡± Just as Camilla raised her arm to summon another magic circle¡ª Crack! A golden magic circle pierced through hers. A spell to interrupt casting. ¡°Hahh...¡± I let out a pathetic gasp and clutched my chest. When I looked up, Asella had her hand raised toward Camilla. Golden mana shimmered from her small palm. ¡°...Asella?¡± The Empress stood frozen, as if she couldn¡¯t comprehend what had just happened. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Asella, her resolve visibly steeled, glared at Camilla with burning eyes as she spoke. ¡°Take your hands off my possession.¡± I recognized that tone. It was the one she used when she was truly furious¡ªsharp and shattering like an ice pick cracking a frozen lake. ¡°Now.¡± ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Notification: Ending probability has shifted. ¡¤ Bad Ending No. 058: Magic Torture ¨C 62% ¡ú 14% ¡¤ Good Ending ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö, ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¨C 0.04% ¡ú 2% ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Chapter 28: The Princess鈥檚 Magic (3) ¡°Phew.¡± I caught my breath and kept my eyes on the two of them. My head was still spinning, but I had to stay focused. As Camilla stepped forward, Asela took a step ahead in defiance. Golden mana shimmered at her outstretched hand. ¡°Asela, what on earth are you thinking?¡± Camilla barely suppressed her fury as she spoke. Asela, in the ruthless tone I¡¯d come to associate with her, answered firmly. ¡°Mother, my vassals are all essential assets to be used in my succession.¡± ¡°Not a wrong statement. But so what? You think that justifies interfering with my magic?¡± ¡°You truly believed I would just stand by and watch as you damaged my assets and undermined the authority of my faction?¡± ¡°Hah. Your faction?¡± Camilla scoffed. ¡°Your faction, you say? Where exactly is your faction in this Imperial Palace? Every knight and attendant here swears loyalty to me, the Empress.¡± ¡°That may have been true¡ªuntil now. But not anymore.¡± ¡°What did you just say...!¡± Ignoring Camilla, whose veins were visibly bulging in her temples, # N§àv§Ölight # Asela gave a light command toward the door. ¡°Knights, enter.¡± The door burst open immediately, and Asela¡¯s escort knights marched in. They surrounded her protectively. Camilla had issued an order for them to leave, and Asela had issued one to enter. The two commands directly conflicted. But the knights chose to obey Asela. It was proof that they now clearly recognized who the true master of Moonlight Palace was. ¡°You... Asela. When did you¡ª!¡± ¡°Mother, now is the time for you to choose. Will you stand by me, Asela von W¨¹rttemberg, and the Third Princess¡¯s faction¡ªor will you continue opposing my will and be pushed into the shadows?¡± Faced with her daughter¡¯s threat, Camilla raised her chin defiantly. Murky black mana churned in her eyes. Asela didn¡¯t back down in the slightest, as if to say she wouldn¡¯t yield this time. Sparks flew between them, and the flow of mana surged violently. After a tense moment of standoff, Camilla finally turned her back and walked out. Her personal guard followed silently behind her. ¡®The imperial mother-daughter dynamic is brutal.¡¯ And here I was, stuck in the middle of it for no good reason. [No. 058: Magic Torture 14% ¡ú 0%] [Deleted] All because of that dumb bad ending. Still, I managed to erase another one. I was satisfied, in my own way. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± I suppressed a bout of coughing into my sleeve. ¡°Doctor, are you all right?¡± Tanya came over to help me up. I waved her off to show I was fine. The fact that the Empress had been using real combat magic to effectively torture her own daughter... She really wasn¡¯t sane. The bad ending was gone now. Meaning, Camilla would no longer bother Asela with her magic. And more importantly, my own future torture was officially canceled. I decided to consider the earlier suffering a cheap preview. ¡°Asela.¡± Once I¡¯d regained my composure, Asela approached me. ¡°You called, Your Highness?¡± She didn¡¯t say anything¡ªjust stared at me. What now? Was she upset that I stepped in and worsened her relationship with the Empress? ¡°Is there something you wish to say?¡± ¡°...Why did you do it?¡± Asela¡¯s voice was weak, subdued. There was no way I could explain the ending list, so I gave the expected, proper answer. ¡°I simply did my duty as your personal physician. Preventing any harm from coming to Your Highness¡¯s body is part of my job.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Asela sighed softly at my reply. ¡°Sighing is a common symptom of stress. I recommend some rest and exposure to¡ª¡± ¡°Silence.¡± ¡°Then I shall remain quiet.¡± ¡°...Did it hurt?¡± To be honest? It hurt like hell. ...Hmm. What was the point of that question? Asela seemed hesitant, almost wary of my response. Unless it was Max, I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d worry about someone else getting hurt. ...Could it be? Was she actually worried about me? No way. I shook my head to clear the ridiculous thought. ¡°My strong body barely felt a scratch. That feeble magic couldn¡¯t possibly harm me.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Did she just laugh at me? Yeah, yeah, I know¡ªI¡¯m weak. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a spell that could¡¯ve caused Your Highness serious harm. I recommend suspending any further special lessons with the Empress.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... sigh.¡± ¡°This palace doesn¡¯t belong to the Empress, after all¡ªit belongs to you, the heir.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. But still...¡± Asela trailed off. ¡°She is... my mother.¡± Her voice was barely a whisper, but I heard it clearly. Since becoming her doctor, I¡¯d come to see sides of Asela I never expected. ¡°Did the confrontation upset you, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Doctor, don¡¯t pry into matters that aren¡¯t your concern.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Asela turned away abruptly and crossed her arms. She looked visibly unsettled. That¡¯s when the head maid leaned in to whisper to me. ¡°Professor, it¡¯s the first time Her Highness has ever clashed with the Empress like this. She might be more shaken than she lets on.¡± ¡°I was shaken too. Can¡¯t you comfort me instead?¡± ¡°You should ask Her Highness for that kind of favor.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather go on a date with the guillotine, thanks.¡± The head maid shook her head and added gently: ¡°Tomorrow, Her Highness has a magic lesson scheduled. Wouldn¡¯t she be happier hearing it from you directly?¡± Why me? ¡°She¡¯ll be studying with the court mage?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Since the head maid was being unusually helpful, I decided to play along. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± ¡°You have a magic lesson scheduled for tomorrow.¡± ¡°A magic lesson... Right.¡± At the word ¡°magic,¡± Asela¡¯s cheeks visibly puffed in delight. Come to think of it, Asela really did love magic. ¡°You¡¯ll be coming with me, right?¡± ¡°Yes, at least for now.¡± ¡°Hmm... What kind of magic should I show you?¡± For the first time since returning to the Imperial Palace, Asela left the room wearing a small, genuine smile, her steps light. *** ¡°Ugh... Huff... Huff...¡± My office on the fourth floor of the royal medical wing still left me winded every time I climbed the stairs. Turns out it had been assigned there because all the lower floors were already claimed by other factions. Not a single room was left. It was their way of saying, Take your weak little faction and stay out of sight. Makes sense, but still pissed me off. ¡°If I manage to grow a faction of my own here, maybe I can relocate to the first floor. Just you wait.¡± ¡°You could always just train your legs and be done with it.¡± Half-lounging in my chair, I was met with Tanya¡¯s disapproving glare. ¡°Carry me, Commander.¡± Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°My back¡¯s full.¡± Tanya had just hauled two large boxes on her back up the stairs. They looked heavy enough to fit an entire person each¡ªyet she didn¡¯t look even remotely tired. ¡°A package from the estate.¡± With a thud, Tanya set them down. It had only been a week since I arrived at the palace, and I was already receiving my first delivery. I peeled off the seal of the Shupre Merchant Guild and found the sender: Neria Gotverke. Judging from the date, she must have mailed it the moment I left. She really was something else. One box was filled with individually plucked rose petals, a bulk supply of honey candy, willow bark, and other useful ingredients. ¡ª Dear Brother! Today the weather was beautiful at the estate! ¡ª A handwritten letter began with that bright, cheerful opener. I read it carefully, then tucked it inside my inner pocket. The other box was packed full of local specialties: coffee beans, jerky, and other snacks. Apparently the jerky had been prepared by Boris. ¡°Jerky¡¯s always good.¡± Protein¡¯s vital¡ªespecially for a body like mine that was practically crying out for it. Comparing Tanya¡¯s solid biceps to my own spindly arms made the necessity painfully clear. ¡°If I want a proper strength booster... steroids would be the most straightforward.¡± Risky stuff, sure¡ªbut considering situations like the last physician exam, I was bound to need my body again soon. I should probably prepare a fast-acting strength potion as a contingency. ¡°At my current alchemy rank, I can¡¯t quite manipulate molecular structures at will...¡± If I could push past that bottleneck, I might be able to produce real pharmaceuticals. In the end, medicine is chemistry. ¡°For now, I¡¯m observing Asela¡¯s magic lesson.¡± Time to meet the one they call the ¡°Sage¡± ¡ª the Imperial Court Mage, Seymour. *** ¡°Hahaha! Look who it is! Asela! Meeting this tiny magic prodigy again¡¯s got this old geezer practically bouncing in his seat!¡± Seymour looked like a madman, his curled mustache twisting every which way. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Master. I¡¯m honored to learn from you again.¡± Asela, in contrast, bowed to him with impeccable courtesy¡ªsomething I found downright surreal. Like watching a high school girl respectfully learn Capoeira from a homeless man in the park. I stood off to the side, observing the lesson alongside the guards and attendants. ¡°Hoho! It¡¯s been so long I can barely remember where we left off. Ah yes¡ªthe method for casting arrays in overlapping planes without formulaic interference. An essential skill for developing high-tier spells!¡± Asela¡¯s expression was intensely focused. Her golden eyes sparkled with more brilliance than I¡¯d ever seen. Brimming with curiosity, she absorbed knowledge like a sponge and practiced relentlessly until her mana ran dry. ¡ªPazzzzz... Asela drew strange glyphs and shapes in the air. It looked like a M?bius strip brought to life, endlessly looping and morphing in strange geometries. Honestly? I had no idea what I was looking at. Eventually I gave up trying to understand. Asela kept glancing at me throughout, as if checking whether I was still doing my job properly. Two hours in, I pulled out a candy and popped it into my mouth. Seymour immediately walked over and peered at my face. ¡°That tasty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a specialty from the Gotverke estate. Would you like one?¡± ¡°Hand it over.¡± Luckily, I still had one of the original candies Neria sent¡ªthe unaltered kind. I offered it to him. He popped it in and crunch¡ªbit straight through. Guess his teeth were in better shape than expected for someone his age. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Beats me!¡± ¡°...Beats you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Sage, my boy. And you¡¯re Asela¡¯s new physician, yes?¡± ¡°Laz Gotverke.¡± Seymour gave me a sly grin and leaned in a little. For someone who looked like a hobo, he didn¡¯t smell bad. He chuckled and said: ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the talent, haven¡¯t you?¡± Clearly the Sage title wasn¡¯t for nothing¡ªhe had a sharp intuition. ¡°Interested in incantations?¡± He asked me, his tone oddly conspiratorial. Hmm. ¡°Do you have one for brewing a strength-enhancing elixir?¡± Chapter 29: The Princess鈥檚 Magic (4) When I asked about potion-crafting spells, Seymour widened his eyes with interest. ¡°Let me guess¡ªalchemy.¡± ¡°Correct. Impressive deduction.¡± ¡°Haha, of course. The words ¡®enhance¡¯ and ¡®crafting¡¯ tipped me off. Surely you weren¡¯t dabbling in black magic.¡± He associated enhancement with black magic? Well, it wasn¡¯t out of the question. You could gain power in exchange for your lifespan and the like. I didn¡¯t respond immediately, so Seymour narrowed his eyes and pressed again. ¡°...You weren¡¯t, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. No one with that kind of talent could become a royal physician.¡± Seymour nodded. ¡°Crafting spells, huh. What exactly are you curious about? You mentioned potions, didn¡¯t you. What are they?¡± ¡°Think of them as supplements that temporarily improve physical condition.¡± Technically, even vitamins or ginseng extract could count as potions. Energy drinks weren¡¯t exactly healthy, but since they produce specific effects, maybe they could be considered enhancement potions too. What I wanted to create most right now was a potion that would enhance strength in the short term. Not like I¡¯d use it just for climbing stairs. According to Asella¡¯s schedule, there was going to be an imperial martial gathering soon. A kind of family event where all members of the royal household would attend. Under the pretense of a martial arts competition, it was a three-day springtime flower-viewing trip. A vacation for the emperor, but for the princes and princesses with succession rights, it meant desperate preparation to stand out in the emperor¡¯s eyes. It was a chance to display the strength of your faction in front of the entire imperial family. Last year, it had taken place somewhere off in the eastern mountains, so if it was the same location again, I¡¯d definitely be running around all day. Asella, who had her eyes on the throne, wouldn¡¯t be treating the gathering lightly. I needed to be ready¡ªwith a strength enhancement potion¡ªfor any emergency. ¡°Would it make more sense if I said I¡¯m trying to use alchemy to enhance food items and increase their effects?¡± Seymour snapped his fingers. ¡°Trying to understand the essence of ingredients through alchemy instead of minerals, huh? Fascinating. Are you perhaps struggling because identifying that essence is difficult?¡± It was a surprisingly accurate observation. With my current alchemy, I couldn¡¯t manipulate the chemical formula itself. Using [Enhancement] and [Property Change], I could only eyeball things and create something that resembled what I wanted. That¡¯s how I¡¯d made the rose candy and the pain-nullifier. ¡°You¡¯re well-versed in alchemy too, Sage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m called a sage because I¡¯ve mastered the truths of all things! You there¡ªlend me that.¡± Seymour pulled a dagger from one of the escort knights and handed it to me. ¡°Can you turn this into a soft material?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± I activated [Property Change]. The blade was made of iron. Since it had the property of ¡®hardness,¡¯ I¡¯d have to use Property Change until it took on the qualities of something like rubber or cloth. ¡°Phew.¡± I drew a magic circle with mana. Just as Asella had taught me, I made it a bit more complex this time, drawing three perfect dodecagons. I reinforced the structure by connecting every other vertex with line segments. I inscribed the ancient word for soft within the circle. Iron required a second-tier spell to alter, so I drew a duplicate circle and connected the mana flow between them. I rotated the circles and cast the spell. A white light flashed¡ªand the dagger¡¯s nature changed. ¡°Ugh, what¡¯s that stench?¡± The dagger remained hard but now reeked with an unbearable stench. ¡°Yikes, please give me a moment.¡± This was how [Property Change] worked¡ªeven when I wrote a formula, the result was nearly random. It was the same problem I¡¯d run into when creating the rose candy. I cast the spell six more times. Only then did the dagger blacken and soften like rubber. ¡°There we go.¡± ¡°Haha, not very efficient, is it?¡± Seymour picked up the dagger and bent the tip. ¡°But the effect is undeniable. This is what happens when you cast a spell without understanding the material¡¯s origin.¡± ¡°Origin, you say. I do know the composition, though.¡± Iron is just iron. Rubber is a compound of carbon and hydrogen. ¡°An origin consists of a primary and a secondary. The blade¡¯s original form had one primary and twenty-six secondary elements. To make it soft, you need a configuration of thirteen primary and thirty-eight secondary¡ªforming a specific shape.¡± I was a little shaken by Seymour¡¯s words. Was he referring to atomic and electron counts of iron and rubber? There was no way he could actually observe elements... Had he instinctively understood chemistry through mana? ¡°You look intrigued.¡± ¡°Is there a way to apply that to spells?¡± ¡°Haha, origins aren¡¯t the same as magical arrays. Not even archmages have grasped them. It may sound insane to you, but...¡± I picked up a twig and drew a diagram on the ground. It was a depiction of synthetic rubber¡¯s chemical formula. ¡°If you structure the ¡®primary¡¯ and ¡®secondary¡¯ components as you described, in this form, the result becomes a soft material.¡± ¡°...Ho.¡± Seymour grinned wide, tugging at his beard. ¡°Well, now.¡± He suddenly threw an arm around my shoulders, and I nearly lost my balance. ¡°Would you care to take a class from me?¡± ¡°A class?¡± Seymour¡¯s offer was certainly tempting. Even outside of traditional magic, there were many skills that required spellcasting. My alchemy was one of them. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And a lecture from a sage would no doubt boost my alchemical skills. ¡°What¡¯s the price?¡± Seymour seemed pleased by my question. He was a court magician and a sage, so he clearly had talent. And just like Asella, he was bound to be sensitive about the price of his abilities, so I was sure he¡¯d appreciate the reference. ¡°I like someone who can take a hint. That¡¯s why Asella accepted you.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a little challenge. My talent¡¯s too easy to guess¡ªso instead, figure out the price I paid for it.¡± His talent was obviously magic, like Asella¡¯s. But the debuff that comes as a price for magical aptitude could vary wildly. There was only one method available to me to find out. Let¡¯s see if it works. ¡°Diagnosis.¡± I looked at Seymour and activated the skill. Instantly, text appeared in my status window. [Injury State: Congenital Analgesia] [Injury Location: Brain] As I thought. He couldn¡¯t feel anything. He had lost all sensation as the cost of his magical ability. Taste, touch, pain, smell¡ªnone of it would register. ¡°You¡¯ve lost your senses.¡± ¡°Oh? And why would you guess that?¡± ¡°The candy I gave you tasted quite good. There¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t have commented on it.¡± ¡°Haha! Sharp. Asella brought in a truly capable physician.¡± Seymour burst into a hearty laugh¡ªbut just then, I felt a chilling presence. The very same Asella was watching us, clearly displeased. ¡°Master, why are you chatting instead of watching my spell?¡± Seymour winced and gave an awkward smile, wiping at the cold sweat on his forehead. ¡°Ah, of course, of course¡ªI¡¯ve been observing carefully. Just now, your third array twisted by thirty degrees. Try reversing the stacking order.¡± ¡°Will do. ...What business do you have with my physician?¡± ¡°Haha. He¡¯s a more interesting fellow than I expected.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t steal him.¡± Asella snapped, then turned to me to add: ¡°Physician, did you see my spell?¡± ¡°Of course, Princess.¡± ¡°Well? What did you think?¡± I didn¡¯t understand a single thing. ¡°Without question, it is magic worthy of ruling the world.¡± ¡°...Hmph. Obviously.¡± Asella seemed satisfied with my answer [N O V E L I G H T] and turned away sharply, refocusing on her casting. ¡°You¡¯ve chosen a hard path, I see. Not just anyone, but Asella¡¯s physician! Until now, I¡¯d considered that the most unmanageable job in the world.¡± ¡°Are there no other members of the royal family with talent, besides the Princess?¡± ¡°Oh, there are. But none of the children with succession rights have two talents.¡± ¡°Then Princess Asella, with her magical prowess, would have a better chance at succession, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± I assumed that¡¯s how she¡¯d become the next empress¡ªbut Seymour shook his head. ¡°Quite the opposite. She¡¯s hopelessly disadvantaged, Physician.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because Asella is only good at magic.¡± ¡°Only at magic?¡± That didn¡¯t make much sense to me. The Asella I knew was a woman who wielded schemes and strategy better than anyone to achieve her goals. ¡°She has only two magical talents. From the beginning, the royal family never intended her to be a successor. She was born to become a mage.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Hmph. A physician who doesn¡¯t know this yet?¡± Seymour twisted his beard as he spoke. ¡°Well, not many in the royal household know either. But as her physician, you should.¡± He glanced over at Asella. She was deeply focused, struggling to complete the task Seymour had given her. ¡°Camilla, the Third Consort, is a fine witch¡ªhighly capable. Her condition for entering the palace was to give birth to a powerful magical weapon for the Empire, one that would pledge loyalty to the royal family and deter foreign powers.¡± ¡°So that would be Asella.¡± ¡°Her bloodline is impeccable. As expected, Asella was born with one magical talent.¡± ¡°One? Then what about the second?¡± ¡°It was implanted. When she was five years old¡ªalong with the price.¡± Implanted? That was different from someone like me, who was born with two talents. ¡°Asella is a weapon. A magical war machine the next emperor can use for conquest. She bears royal blood, so she won¡¯t betray them.¡± ¡°But no one knows who the next emperor will be. And it¡¯s not guaranteed that foreign conquest will even be necessary.¡± The current emperor was too frail to wage war. If the next emperor opted for peace, Asella would be rendered useless. ¡°In that case, she¡¯ll be discarded.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± ¡°Or worse¡ªthey could execute her for causing a scandal, using her death as a way to broadcast a new imperial direction to other nations. The more pieces you have in politics, the more options you gain. That¡¯s how the imperial family always plays the game.¡± My stomach churned a little at Seymour¡¯s words. Maybe I really wasn¡¯t feeling well today. In this place, family or not, everything was just a political tool. The values of this world were so alien, I doubted I¡¯d ever fully adapt. ¡°How exactly was the Princess¡¯s talent implanted?¡± ¡°That, I don¡¯t know. Only Consort Camilla knows the details. Ah, perhaps the Second Prince supporting her faction knows too.¡± The Second Prince was the heir under Falkenhein¡¯s charge. ¡°Enough secrets for now.¡± Seymour released his spell. At some point, he¡¯d cast a soundproofing barrier around us. He was thorough. ¡°Now then. From now on, come see me on Wednesday and Friday mornings. I¡¯ll teach you what real spellcraft is.¡± ¡°It would be an honor.¡± Seymour grinned wide, tugging at his beard. Chapter 30: Drug Abuse (1) ¡°The sage¡¯s performance is insane.¡± I muttered to myself absently while checking my status window in the office. [Alchemy C] After continuing my work as a royal physician and attending Seymour¡¯s spell lectures, my rank shot up in no time. [Property Change C] Manipulates the chemical structure of a substance. The range of eligible materials varies by rank. More than anything, Property Change had become far more intuitive and convenient. Previously, it was limited to basic transformations, like turning something hard into something soft. Now, I could adjust formulas in detail based on my own knowledge of chemistry. I also unlocked a new skill, [Extraction D], which expanded the variety of materials I could use significantly. ¡°If I had sugarcane, I could even make MSG.¡± Unfortunately, there was no sugarcane in this region. I¡¯d have to look for it if I ever got a chance to travel outside. I¡¯d been missing a good bowl of jjajangmyeon lately. ¡°Thanks to that, the scope of my pharmaceutics has expanded.¡± The problem was that I didn¡¯t know the exact formulas or ingredients for all those drugs. I remembered a few famous ones, but for the most part, I only understood the basic principles¡ªso testing was required. ¡°I tried making a strength enhancer.¡± I looked at the transparent liquid in the syringe I was holding. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Intermediate Strength Booster Effect on injection: Temporarily increases strength for 1 minute. May cause side effects. Drug abuse prohibited! ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D The liquid was slightly viscous. I extracted a hormone from cholesterol, slightly altered its chemical formula, and finalized it using enhancement techniques. Normally, anabolic steroids that promote muscle growth only improve exercise efficiency¡ªthey don¡¯t magically boost strength on their own. But when I mixed in alchemy skills, the result turned into an actual potion with visibly dramatic effects. ¡°One thing, though. The side effects are a problem.¡± And the duration was terribly short. This was strictly for emergencies¡ªdefinitely not something I could use casually. Like that time we were ambushed by a mob of goblins. I¡¯d even modified the syringe. The needle stayed hidden until the tip was pressed, then popped out for injection. A mechanism for emergency use. I slid the strength booster into the inside pocket of my coat and checked my pocket watch. ¡°Already this late?¡± It was time to start my afternoon duties. First up: reviewing Asella¡¯s dinner menu. ¡°But where the hell is Tanya?¡± Lately, unless I was in transit, I told her she didn¡¯t need to escort me and could train freely in the knights¡¯ drill yard. At first, she¡¯d refused using her mission as an excuse, but I could tell she had a keen interest in the Imperial Knights. In the end, she agreed to go train when she had downtime¡ªlike now. She was always precise about time. Given her personality, she should¡¯ve shown up ten minutes early to wait for me. ¡°What is she up to?¡± I had work to do too, so I decided to go find Tanya myself. I stepped out of the infirmary and made my way toward the Imperial Knights¡¯ barracks. There were four barracks total, one in each direction around the palace wall. She probably wouldn¡¯t have gone far, so she was likely at the southern barracks. When I arrived at the entrance, a few burly guards blocked my path. ¡°Please state your identity.¡± The hell are they talking about? Don¡¯t they recognize the crest? ¡°I¡¯m the personal physician of the Third Princess.¡± ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re that physician.¡± The guards chuckled under their breath. Hmph. I could already guess what kind of vibe this was. ¡°Please write your name and reason for visit in the logbook.¡± ¡°I just need to check something. Is my knight inside?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to go in and confirm for yourself.¡± ¡°Then move. I can¡¯t go in unless you let me through.¡± ¡°Haha, I guess you¡¯re new here, but first you need to sign¡ª¡± Tch. This crap again. ¡°Guard, which faction are you with?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even when I made my irritation obvious, the guards didn¡¯t drop their smug act. ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure, but the southern barracks here are supported by Tojin Palace.¡± Tojin Palace¡ªthe Second Prince¡¯s faction. One of the more powerful contenders in the succession race. No wonder these guys were feeling bold. ¡°Guard.¡± I stepped forward and locked eyes with him. ¡°A second-class royal official¡¯s duties are not to be hindered by petty procedures. That¡¯s because the weight of their responsibilities outweighs trivial formalities. You¡¯re standing guard and don¡¯t even know that basic rule?¡± When I cited official protocol, they went stiff and shut their mouths. Trying to put a rookie through a hazing ritual, were they? Harassing a clueless superior. Sure, it could be fun. But I¡¯d read through the imperial etiquette and rulebook front to back on my very first day here. ¡°Let¡¯s say something happened to Her Highness¡¯s health just now, and I was delayed here because of you.¡± I drew a hand across my neck. ¡°Get it now? Interfering with my work due to negligence and incompetence¡ªI could hold you accountable for that right here and now.¡± ¡°W-well, uh...¡± The guards flinched and shrank their shoulders when my reaction turned out differently than they¡¯d expected. They must¡¯ve thought I was just a pushover from a weak faction. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Why not be generous and overlook a minor mistake from the guards, Mr. Gotberg?¡± A large knight clanked out from within the barracks. Judging by the quality of his armor, he held a fairly high rank. And the fact that he correctly identified my title¡ªclearly, he wasn¡¯t a complete fool. ¡°I¡¯m the company commander of the Second Division of the Imperial Knights¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Haha. You¡¯ll want to calm your anger. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware that the Third Consort¡¯s faction has long been in alliance with His Highness the Second Prince.¡± Huh. So that was the arrangement. Apparently, Camilla, who had fallen out of the Emperor¡¯s favor, had chosen the Second Prince as her ally within the royal family. Georg, wasn¡¯t it? Seymour had mentioned something similar¡ªthat the Second Prince was supporting Camilla. He¡¯d also said Georg might know the exact details about Asella¡¯s talents and debuffs. So that¡¯s why these low-level knights thought they could screw with me despite me being a royal physician. There was a deeper context here. In a way, Camilla¡¯s faction had effectively been subordinate to the Second Prince¡¯s faction all this time¡ªlike Moonlight Palace had become a vassal to Tojin Palace. No wonder they looked down on me. ¡°You¡¯re looking for your escort knight, correct? She¡¯s currently inside. Our knights were kindly sparring with her just now.¡± So Tanya was here. And judging by the mood, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what had gone on inside. The knights must¡¯ve picked a fight with Tanya, pretending it was sparring while using it as an excuse to blow off steam by ganging up on her. ¡°I¡¯ll make one correction.¡± I stepped forward and spoke firmly. ¡°It¡¯s not the Third Consort¡¯s faction. It¡¯s the Third Princess¡¯s faction.¡± I didn¡¯t want to be mistaken as someone working for Camilla. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s how it was before¡ªbut if you keep treating us the same way, you¡¯re going to regret it.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Regret? Us?¡± The commander burst into laughter loud enough to split the sky. ¡°If we get hurt, you¡¯ll be the one who has to patch us up, right?¡± ¡°Oh, that part¡ªI¡¯m more confident in than anyone.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the best healer in this infirmary. If any of you get injured, feel free to come find me.¡± ¡°...Is that so? You¡¯re quite confident, aren¡¯t you.¡± The commander scratched the back of his head at my calm response. ¡°Lord Georg doesn¡¯t even assign healers from the infirmary to our company.¡± ¡°He¡¯s only focusing on the knights chosen to participate in the upcoming martial tournament.¡± ¡°Silence! Do you have any idea how great the backlash would be if His Highness were to take offense?!¡± The commander barked at his subordinates. Even so, the name Georg, the Second Prince, didn¡¯t strike much fear in me. Because ten years from now, not a single member of the imperial family would survive. Asella had purged them all after ascending the throne. If they¡¯d dropped Asella¡¯s name instead, maybe I would¡¯ve flinched a little. At that moment, I heard urgent clanking footsteps coming from inside the barracks. ¡°Was it the squad leader? What¡¯s the report on that knight¡ªhuh?¡± The company commander seemed to be waiting for his subordinate to announce how Tanya had been handled. But his expectations were hilariously off. Because Tanya herself came sprinting out of the barracks. ¡°Professor, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Tanya ran over and bowed to me. ¡°I got caught up in sparring with the knights and lost track of time. It was my mistake.¡± She bowed deeply in apology. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Injured? No, sir. It was a practice spar with agreed rules, so I wasn¡¯t harmed. However, a few of the knights did suffer minor abrasions.¡± Clang! The commander backed up and bumped into a fellow guard¡¯s armor. ¡°Y-you¡¯re joking. We had at least thirty knights in there, and she beat them all? Without even breaking a sweat?!¡± The commander¡¯s jaw dropped in disbelief. I couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle. It seemed Tanya hadn¡¯t even registered the knights¡¯ provocation as provocation¡ªshe¡¯d just accepted it as a normal sparring session. And now it sounded like she¡¯d taught all thirty of them a proper lesson and strolled out without so much as a bruise. Knowing how meticulous Tanya was, she probably realized on her own that it was time to head back, only to be held up by those idiots. And now she was trying to take the blame herself, as always¡ªreliable to the end. ¡°Thanks to you, we¡¯re behind schedule now. How are you going to make it up to me, Captain?¡± I teased her lightly just to mess with her a bit, ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) and Tanya tilted her head. ¡°I already apologized, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s your whole apology? You should show some sincerity, like Boris did.¡± ¡°You mean... with food? I¡¯ll try to find something.¡± ¡°What could you find that¡¯s better than imperial cuisine? And with your bland tastebuds? Carry me up to the office for a week.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll assist with your strength training instead.¡± ¡°Oh-ho? You left your liege to march alone, unguarded, and now you want to negotiate?¡± ¡°Three days.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Tanya¡¯s unimpressed pout was hilarious. More than getting out of taking the stairs, this moment was the real reward. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get back.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll escort you.¡± ¡°W-wait! Please wait a moment!¡± Just as we were about to leave the barracks, the company commander blocked our path. ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave after turning our whole barracks upside down?!¡± ¡°Your knights lost to Tanya because they were weak. Maybe if you¡¯d trained them better.¡± ¡°Wha¡ªwhat did you just say...?!¡± ¡°You heard me. Maybe if they¡¯d built up more strength. Seems like you¡¯ve just bulked up and let your muscles rot stiff. Do some stretching. Want me to show you how?¡± The commander finally lost it and started screaming his lungs out. ¡°You dare mock us?! That knight must¡¯ve used some underhanded trick! And you¡ªdon¡¯t you dare lecture warriors when you look so pathetic yourself!¡± What a stubborn guy. I wondered if his brain was made of muscle too. That¡¯s why stretching is so important. If your body¡¯s flexible, your thinking follows. So what if Tanya beat you? Time to settle this properly. Besides, I had a perfect comparison ready. Let¡¯s test it. I reached into my coat and pressed the syringe tip of the strength enhancer. A warm sensation spread from my left chest across my whole body. I stepped forward and gently grabbed the commander¡¯s arm with a soft smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be so prejudiced, knight.¡± ¡ªCrack... ¡°Wh-what strength is this?!¡± The commander¡¯s eyes flew wide open as I gripped his arm. Chapter 31: Drug Abuse (2) I grabbed both of the commander¡¯s biceps and stretched them straight out. ¡°Aaargh!¡± I pushed his head down and stretched all the way down his back, and he let out a shriek completely unsuited for his size. ¡°See? This is what happens when you skip exercise and stretching¡ªyour whole body locks up. Pull all the way through.¡± ¡°Gaaah! My arms are coming off!¡± The strength enhancer was highly effective. Even a commander who looked like he could split an ogre in half couldn¡¯t move an inch once I got ahold of him. I reached around from behind /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ and pulled his arms over his head in one smooth motion. I think this was a wrestling move... was it a cobra twist? ¡°Don¡¯t forget to open up your lats!¡± ¡°Uwaaah! W-wait a second, Professor!¡± The commander slapped my knee desperately as his whole body quivered. He tried to wriggle out of my grasp, but once my muscle-boosted grip locked onto its prey, it wasn¡¯t letting go. Incredible effect. How much did it boost me by? ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Strength: 41 (+30) Stamina: 12 Magic Power: 1 Mana: 18 Divine Power: 22 Faith: 100 ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D A thirty-point increase¡ªeven if temporary. That was the equivalent of ten years of training. Almost one minute now. I released the commander, and he tumbled to the ground in a pathetic heap, kicking up a cloud of dirt. Once he gathered himself and stood up again, he stared at me in utter fear. ¡°H-how does someone with such a thin frame have that kind of strength...?¡± I popped a candy in my mouth and answered. ¡°First time seeing someone from the North? This is normal back home. Right, Captain Tanya?¡± ¡°Young Master¡¯s frailty is a real concern.¡± ¡°H-he¡¯s considered frail...? Do you even need an escort, Professor?¡± ¡°Could you last three seconds in a spar with Tanya? I can¡¯t even land a single hit.¡± When I gestured to Tanya, the commander and guards turned to look at her, their mouths gaping. ¡°I-if that¡¯s the case... then it makes perfect sense our knights all lost.¡± ¡°C-commander, what should we do?¡± The commander instantly smacked the back of the babbling guard¡¯s head. ¡°You fools! You were rude to the Professor¡ªwhy haven¡¯t you apologized yet?!¡± The guards finally got the message and bowed low in front of me. ¡°We¡¯re sorry!¡± ¡°Our deepest apologies!¡± The commander scratched the back of his head and bowed, too. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to discipline these men properly. The knights haven¡¯t been in great condition lately¡ªthat¡¯s probably why they acted out. Please... I hope today¡¯s events won¡¯t be shared outside...¡± If word got out that the Imperial Knights were humiliated by a royal physician and his escort, they¡¯d be disgraced. Whether it was the North or the Imperial Palace, knights always had similarly simple minds. The whole situation struck me as pretty amusing, so I decided to let it end here. ¡°All right. Just be careful next time. And make sure to keep up with that stretching, yeah?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± With that, Tanya and I left the barracks. *** ¡°So you¡¯re saying they weren¡¯t sincerely sparring but actually picking a fight with me?¡± Tanya clenched her teeth after hearing my explanation later on. ¡°Even if I can overlook what they did to me, I won¡¯t forgive the insult to you. Allow me to go back and retaliate immediately.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I already punished them. And besides¡ªwe got some good information out of it.¡± ¡°Information?¡± This incident had been unexpectedly useful. First off, I got to test the strength enhancer. I¡¯d been worried I might turn into a green monster with shredded clothes, but thankfully, that didn¡¯t happen. Another thing¡ª ¡°Asella¡¯s faction... is still weak inside the palace.¡± The atmosphere had made it clear they were seen as underlings of the Second Prince¡¯s camp. If even a lowly guard felt bold enough to challenge the Princess¡¯s physician, that said it all. ¡°Where do Princess Asella¡¯s knights stay?¡± ¡°Her Highness¡¯s knights, Bruno, and I all reside in Moonlight Palace. There are no dedicated training facilities, so we usually train in the rear courtyard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rough. The southern barracks seemed pretty well-equipped.¡± ¡°Yes. Compared to our marquess family¡¯s facilities, there¡¯s no comparison. It truly felt like the imperial standard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous.¡± ¡°Of the barracks?¡± ¡°That too. But more than anything, of the power behind a strong faction.¡± Someday, Asella would become the most powerful among the contenders for succession. She would be Empress, after all. But as long as I was here, the timeline would keep shifting little by little. I¡¯d already managed to eliminate one of the bad endings¡ªand just recently, Asella and the Consort¡¯s faction had effectively split. In the original timeline, that wouldn¡¯t have happened until much later. More precisely, the Consort¡¯s faction had simply vanished. ¡°I don¡¯t have the patience to just wait and see when she¡¯ll grow stronger.¡± ¡°You¡¯re planning to get involved in imperial politics?¡± ¡°No way. Why would I jump headfirst into a firepit?¡± If I stuck my neck out too far, I¡¯d probably get a blade to the throat. Get too entangled, and I¡¯d be assassinated while trying to leave the palace. ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to use the people already in place¡ªlike those guys in the southern barracks.¡± Knights are simple. The Imperial Knights weren¡¯t officially part of any faction, but unofficially, it was clear which claimant had sway over which barracks. So all I had to do was get them to like Asella. ¡°Their skills weren¡¯t bad. The imperial style of swordsmanship is efficient.¡± ¡°They still all lost to you.¡± ¡°Well, I am strong.¡± ¡°You might want to work on that humility.¡± ¡°A subordinate learns posture from their liege.¡± Now she was blaming me. ¡°But overall, I got the sense the knights weren¡¯t performing at their best. They all seemed a little feeble.¡± ¡°Feeble?¡± Now that I thought about it, the commander had said the knights weren¡¯t in great shape. And when I touched him earlier, his body had felt warm. I¡¯d dismissed it as a natural difference in base temperature. ¡°It is a seasonal transition right now.¡± There could be a virus going around. I immediately used Diagnosis on Tanya. [Diagnosis activated] [Injury State: None] ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°No reason. Just remembered that saying¡ª¡®fools don¡¯t catch colds.¡¯¡± Could there really be a cold going around the barracks? Colds are such an annoying illness. They hit at the worst times, make people sluggish and stupid. It¡¯s considered incurable because new variants keep emerging¡ªso even if the body develops immunity, it gets breached again. ¡°Aspirin usually works best for most colds.¡± It¡¯s the most widely known fever reducer. Then I should just make it. Aspirin. ¡°I already made willow-based painkillers. Aspirin is basically a subclass of that.¡± With [Extraction], I could pull out salicylic acid from willow bark, then use [Property Change] to convert it into acetylsalicylic acid¡ªAspirin. ¡°This could be mass-produced.¡± This sounded fun. I found myself grinning uncontrollably. But then suddenly, my legs gave out and I collapsed. ¡°Professor.¡± Thankfully, Tanya caught me before I smashed my face into the ground. Text popped up on my status window. [Side Effect: Muscle paralysis for 10 minutes] ¡°Ah. That¡¯s what it was.¡± It was the side effect of the strength enhancer. ¡°I had a feeling you were overexerting yourself earlier. You used some strange technique rooted in medicine, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just carry me to Moonlight Palace.¡± ¡°I suppose this clears my debt.¡± Tanya scooped me up with ease and slung me over her shoulder. *** Just as expected, two days later, the entire Imperial Palace was in the grip of a massive cold outbreak. Cough, cough. Even in the infirmary, more and more healers were walking around coughing. Obviously, there were no masks. No concept of pathogens or contagion meant no one even followed basic hygiene like hand-washing. Healers did use magic for those in worse condition, but it wasn¡¯t very effective. With colds, the virus spreads through the entire body. Healing one part doesn¡¯t make you better. No matter how many times they cast spells, it wouldn¡¯t fix the problem. Even if someone recovered, they¡¯d get reinfected by a mutated strain in no time. And this particular strain was nasty¡ªboth potent and fast-mutating. ¡°The whole imperial palace is a disaster zone thanks to this virus.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fatal, but everyone looks drained. At this rate, I don¡¯t even know if the martial tournament can proceed.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll push it through no matter what. It¡¯s an event His Majesty holds in the highest regard.¡± I overheard conversations between healers as I made my rounds through the infirmary. Everyone was focused on the tournament, now just ten days away. Most of the infirmary¡¯s healers were slated to participate, so it was no surprise. ¡°The tournament... yeah, it¡¯s important.¡± I glanced at the mountain of aspirin pills piled on my office desk. I¡¯d asked Neria to collect willow bark for the painkillers, and this time it got put to good use. Compared to the painkiller, this was much easier to make¡ªI¡¯d churned out a massive batch in no time. *** ¡°Professor, it¡¯s time for your evening rounds.¡± That evening, Tanya and I headed to Moonlight Palace. When we arrived, Asella had just finished her training schedule and was watching her knights drill in the rear courtyard. I approached her, offered my greeting, and spoke. ¡°Princess, I¡¯ll take your blood pressure before bed.¡± ¡°Later.¡± Asella¡¯s voice was sharp. I could tell her mood now¡ªafter spending so much time with her, even her normally blank expression had subtle tells. She seemed slightly on edge right now. Cough, cough! The knights sparring with swords were coughing. One of the ones on standby looked dizzy, swaying on his feet. ¡°The knights look drained.¡± ¡°I can see that myself. There¡¯s a plague going around. No healers left in the infirmary, and Moonlight Palace is low priority¡ªso none have come. And what the hell have you been...¡± She finally turned to face me¡ªand tilted her head slightly, as if caught off guard. ¡°Oh, this?¡± I was wearing a mask. Given the time period, I hadn¡¯t gone full plague doctor with a bird beak. I¡¯d just layered cloth into a modern-style mask and wore it myself. ¡°What is that? No wonder your voice sounded muffled...¡± ¡°It¡¯s protective gear. Cuts infection risk by over half.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one wearing it?¡± ¡°I just finished making it.¡± ¡°You made it yourself? Hmm.¡± Asella looked closely at the mask with curiosity. What¡¯s she staring so hard for? Oh, I see. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She wants one. ¡°Of course I have one for you, Princess. Your health is my top priority.¡± I pulled out the one I¡¯d prepared earlier from my coat. I reached for her with the ear loops stretched out, but she jerked her head back. ¡°Wait a sec, what are you doing?¡± ¡°You should always wear it in public spaces. You don¡¯t need it while sleeping.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wear it myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your first time¡ªlet me help. If you wear it wrong, it¡¯ll lose effectiveness.¡± Asella pressed her lips together tightly. Then slowly adjusted her posture and held still. I unfolded the mask and gently placed it over her nose, hooking the loop behind her ear. Same on the other side. In the process, my fingers brushed lightly against her earlobe. ¡°...Hhk.¡± Asella flinched, squinting one eye and pulling her shoulder up with a strange little noise. ...Are her ears sensitive? Chapter 32: Cold Medicine (1) ¡°All done. There¡¯s a wire inside the nose section¡ªdon¡¯t forget to pinch it tight for a snug fit.¡± ¡°Stop fiddling with me. I said I¡¯d do it myself.¡± Asella, wearing a mask for the first time, kept poking at her face like it felt weird. Now that I¡¯d actually put it on her, I realized I¡¯d made it ¡ã? N ???? v ???? l i g h t ?¡ã a bit too large. Her face was smaller than I¡¯d estimated. ¡°The reason masks work is because infectious viruses mostly spread through droplets. That¡¯s how infection happens. Viruses are technically living organisms, and¡ª¡± ¡°I get the gist. No need to explain medical theory. Just make sure you understand it.¡± ¡°Is it hard for you to follow?¡± At that, Asella frowned slightly, clearly stung in the pride. ¡°Do you understand my magic?¡± ¡°Of course not. How could someone lowly like me possibly comprehend Your Highness¡¯s boundless realms on equal footing?¡± ¡°Exactly. Same goes for me.¡± ...Was that a compliment? ¡°Do you have enough masks for the knights?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t made that many yet. I do have extras for Your Highness. I recommend you have only your closest servants and escort knights wear them for now. More importantly¡ª¡± I pulled out a bottle from my coat. It rattled with white tablets inside. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a medicine for the plague.¡± ¡°For real?!¡± Asella shouted as she took the bottle in both hands. She inspected the contents carefully, and for the first time, I saw her genuinely excited. It was a refreshing sight. ¡°This will cure the infection?¡± ¡°The common cold is technically incurable, so it¡¯s not a full recovery. But it does greatly alleviate symptoms. The knights should be able to function.¡± ¡°If we have this, then the martial tournament...¡± Asella nodded firmly, then called for the head maid and instructed her to distribute the medicine. ¡°Warn them not to overdose. No more than two pills a day.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The knights popped the aspirin tablets into their mouths one by one. They might¡¯ve thought the act felt awkward, but since it was their lord¡¯s command, they complied without hesitation. I¡¯d noticed it before¡ªAsella¡¯s faction had unusually strong loyalty. After a short rest, the knights who¡¯d taken the aspirin were already regaining their energy and rising to their feet. Looks like the effect was solid. Watching them, Asella¡¯s shoulders finally seemed to relax. ¡°Lord Las.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This martial tournament is my one chance to leave a lasting impression on His Majesty.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°His Majesty is naturally a man of ambition. For now, he¡¯s named the First Prince as his successor for the sake of stability, but that man is far too timid to be worthy of the throne.¡± Asella suddenly began rambling about things I hadn¡¯t asked. ¡°If one of his children shows great talent and leadership, the old fire in His Majesty¡¯s heart will reignite¡ªjust like in his youth. And then he¡¯ll change his mind.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Second Prince Georg and First Princess Heike both know that. They¡¯ll pull out all the stops in this tournament to flaunt their power. I have to outshine them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been curious about.¡± Without thinking, I asked her. ¡°Why do you want to become Empress, Your Highness?¡± Asella didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she countered with a question of her own. ¡°Would my answer affect your loyalty?¡± She didn¡¯t seem keen to answer. And I didn¡¯t feel like poking the beehive. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll serve Your Highness no matter what.¡± ¡°Good.¡± That was all she said. No explanation followed. ¡°I¡¯ll count your treatment of the knights as distinguished service. What reward do you want, Lord Las?¡± ¡°A mage who can cast levitation magic.¡± ¡°I can use that. Why?¡± ¡°No reason. Just kidding.¡± If I asked her to help me commute, she¡¯d probably charge me hundreds of times the going rate. ¡°You still have the envelope with my list of requests, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve cast a preservation spell on it so it won¡¯t get damaged. No one can open it unless I activate a geas. Do you want it back? That doesn¡¯t seem like enough merit for that.¡± ¡°Of course not. As long as Your Highness hasn¡¯t forgotten it, that¡¯s enough for me.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re leaving the reward up to me.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± With Asella, there was always a risk she¡¯d bring out something absurd and demand a price from me. Let¡¯s see¡ªsomething I¡¯ve needed lately... The most annoying thing has been how small Asella¡¯s faction is¡ªso small that people look down on it. Maybe I should take a stroll around the southern barracks. ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow your knights temporarily, if that¡¯s acceptable.¡± ¡°Sure. That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Then shall we measure your blood pressure now?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡± Having resolved her concerns about the knights, Asella followed me obediently back to her chambers. *** The next day, I gathered twenty of Asella¡¯s knights in the rear courtyard of Moonlight Palace. All of them wore the same serious, humorless expression¡ªjust like Asella. ¡°Did I accidentally walk into a statue exhibition? Hey, you there¡ªStatue Number One. Had breakfast?¡± The knight I called on froze in place, holding his breath. He looked completely confused whether he was supposed to pretend to be a statue or answer my question. So jokes don¡¯t land here. ¡°Never mind. At ease.¡± God, I hate stiff atmospheres like this. It gave me a small glimpse into how Asella usually trains them. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve already been briefed. Today, instead of your usual drills, you¡¯ll be accompanying me. This is by order of Her Highness.¡± Still silent as stone. Come to think of it, the Imperial Knights had this rule: never speak unless a superior explicitly gives permission. They really took it to heart. No need to go this far. Their training was too thorough. ¡°First, a quick check. Everyone here is loyal to Princess Asella, not Consort Camilla¡ªcorrect? If anyone isn¡¯t, speak up now.¡± No answer, of course. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge here?¡± ¡°That would be me, Professor Gotberg.¡± One knight raised his hand. ¡°You¡¯re a squad leader?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the leader of the Moonlight Palace squad, yes. Technically, the title ¡®Commander¡¯ refers to the head of a regiment. Since our group is organized as a squad, my rank is officially Squad Leader.¡± ¡°I see. Then Tanya is a pretty big deal, huh?¡± ¡°Please stop teasing. You know as well as I do, in the Imperial Palace I¡¯m just another knight.¡± True, the provinces and the capital operated very differently. ¡°Squad Leader, tell me¡ªwhy do you serve Her Highness?¡± ¡°I became convinced she would be the next Empress based on her dignity and strength of character.¡± ¡°Hmm, good answer. Looks like we¡¯ve got some sharp eyes here.¡± These guys picked the right horse. ¡°You serve the next Empress. That means you, as her direct knights, need to be just as worthy. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Do you know how people see us on the outside?¡± ¡°...Shamefully, yes. We do.¡± The squad leader clenched his fist, visibly seething. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I plan to show Her Highness our full strength during the martial tournament so we don¡¯t disgrace her. Thanks to you, our entire squad is in good health again.¡± ¡°I think we should show it before the tournament. I went down to the southern barracks¡ªthose facilities are top-tier.¡± I looked out over the group. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be training in a place like that too?¡± At my suggestion, the squad leader looked flustered. ¡°Of course, that would be ideal, but... we¡¯re from a different unit.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go borrow it.¡± I said it lightly, like suggesting a walk around the neighborhood. *** Together with Asella¡¯s knights, I headed for the southern barracks. ¡°Which unit are you from¡ªhuh?! Professor Gotberg!¡± The guard saw me and flinched, stumbling backward. Same guy as last time. ¡°Good work. Why are you on duty alone?¡± ¡°Ah, well...¡± The guard sniffled mid-sentence. He looked disoriented, and soon enough the captain came rushing out behind him. ¡°Professor! What brings you here again?¡± ¡°Nothing major. Just want to borrow your training facilities. Got any open space?¡± ¡°Tr-training facilities? The southern barracks belong to our Second Regiment, but...¡± ¡°Any Imperial Knight can submit a request to use any training ground. Go ahead and file the paperwork.¡± ¡°W-well, technically that¡¯s true, but...¡± The captain was clearly stuck, not sure whether to argue or submit. Probably felt like a bolt of lightning just hit him out of nowhere. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit much? You can¡¯t just barge in unannounced.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, half your knights are out sick from the plague. It¡¯s not like the facilities are at capacity.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same for your side? The whole palace is infected. Why go out of your way to train here?¡± ¡°My knights are perfectly healthy. Show him.¡± At my command, Asella¡¯s knights instantly snapped into formation and performed a precise series of movements. The captain¡¯s jaw dropped at the sight of their sharp, focused eyes. ¡°Huh? How...?¡± ¡°Professor treated us.¡± Tanya stepped forward and answered. ¡°You, Professor? Huh...¡± He scratched his head and finally stepped aside. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going that far, then sure, go ahead. We weren¡¯t planning to use it today anyway.¡± Thanks to that, Asella¡¯s knights got to train in a high-end facility today. The place was fully stocked with enchanted training swords and armor that could adjust difficulty levels, plus all kinds of simulated combat environments. Knowing Tanya¡¯s level, the other knights eagerly paired off with her for sparring. ¡°Wow... they really are all fine.¡± The captain scratched his head as he watched our knights. ¡°Your unit¡¯s not doing so well?¡± ¡°Our entire Second Regiment is almost wiped out. And the tournament¡¯s just around the corner. The healers from the infirmary have been working on us nonstop, but it¡¯s no use. How¡¯d you do it?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d give that away for free?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, help us out. We¡¯re all Imperial Knights here.¡± ¡°Why should I treat you? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re loyal to Princess Asella.¡± The captain hesitated, then leaned in and whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing those stretches you taught me, just like you said. Doesn¡¯t that count for something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually disgusting.¡± ¡°Then... at least treat my company. It¡¯s hard watching my men suffer. How about this¡ªwhat if we fought for Princess Asella¡¯s faction during the tournament?¡± Now that was interesting. ¡°Aren¡¯t you with the Second Prince?¡± ¡°Well, technically... but it¡¯s not so black-and-white around here. Honestly, Prince Georg¡¯s been working us to the bone over the tournament, and morale¡¯s low.¡± ¡°How many troops?¡± ¡°One hundred and twenty.¡± Hmm. Asella¡¯s faction only had twenty knights. They were sorely outnumbered to make a real showing in the tournament. ¡°Captain, think you can go all in?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m a knight, aren¡¯t I? I wouldn¡¯t go back on my word.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± I quickly drew up a contract. ¡°If you break this agreement, I reserve the right to take your head. You can read, right?¡± ¡°Hey, now. We Imperial Knights are all highly educated.¡± He signed it without hesitation. And just like that, First Company of the Second Regiment became part of Asella¡¯s tournament force. The condition: give it everything they¡¯ve got. And I decide if they lived up to that. ¡°So, does this mean you¡¯ll treat my knights now?¡± ¡°Hope you¡¯ve got the stomach for bitter medicine.¡± I pulled out a bottle of aspirin from my coat. *** Three days later. ¡°Professor! I was referred to you¡ªplease!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Second Company Captain! I heard you can cure¡ªno, treat this plague instantly!¡± ¡°Please include our unit too!¡± A crowd of burly knights barged into my office. I covered my mouth and told them, ¡°Try not to spit when you talk.¡± Chapter 33: Cold Medicine (2) My office wasn¡¯t some famous little gourmet hole-in-the-wall with limited-edition specials, but knights kept pouring in like a tidal wave, all shouting at once. ¡°Professor, the plague just won¡¯t go away. Please, we beg of you!¡± ¡°Our unit¡¯s training has been suspended for five days! The commander¡¯s gonna blow his top!¡± All of them looked desperate. Some were clearly feverish, their words slurred¡ªobviously down with colds. ¡°Cover your mouths first. I¡¯m ~N§àv§Öl????ght~ not dealing with anyone who steps within ten meters of me without one.¡± ¡°We¡¯re really desperate here, please hear us out. Just yesterday, over half the knights were down, couldn¡¯t even clean the barracks¡ª¡± One of them in particular was running his mouth a bit too much. Bruno walked up and silently planted himself in front of the guy. ¡°Back.¡± ¡°Wait, I just wanted to say¡ª¡± ¡°Back.¡± Bruno¡¯s towering bulk loomed over them, and the knights quickly deflated, retreating all the way to the office entrance. Tanya and he had been taking turns covering shifts lately, and honestly, in times like this, Bruno was surprisingly handy. ¡°First question. Who told you I was the one handing out aspirin?¡± ¡°Oh-ho! So it¡¯s called aspirin!¡± ¡°Is it really medicine? Or is it a sacred artifact solidified with divine power?¡± ¡°I heard it from Captain Gott, sir.¡± The same captain who signed a contract with me. So he couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut. I should¡¯ve reined him in more firmly. Still... Medicine doesn¡¯t belong to just one person. It should spread. The more people who benefit from it, the better. That¡¯s the whole point. Even Hippocrates, the father of medicine, would¡¯ve agreed. The fact that so many were coming on their own to ask for treatment? That was a good thing. The wider I spread medical knowledge, the more my achievements grow, and the better the odds of getting a good ending. This was an opportunity. ¡°Alright, listen up. Aspirin is a drug that alleviates the symptoms of the current outbreak. It was made possible thanks to a scientific discipline called medicine, and... ugh, I¡¯m tired of explaining.¡± I couldn¡¯t go on giving the same lecture to every single person who asked. Maybe I should write a book someday. No, too much hassle. I¡¯ll make an assistant do it. Wait, I don¡¯t have an assistant. Or a nurse. Other royal physicians had entire factions trailing behind them, dozens of aides. Why was I still doing all the grunt work myself¡ªformulating medicine, making masks... I really should put out a recruitment notice. ¡°Anyway, bottom line: I¡¯m not handing out any aspirin.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Why not?! Isn¡¯t this the Imperial infirmary?!¡± The knights were caught completely off guard by my response, gasping in disbelief. The reason was simple. I was out of stock. Only about a week left until the martial tournament. Just making enough for Moonlight Palace personnel and First Company of the Second Regiment was already cutting it close. But no need to expose my hand. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. We were already being looked down on¡ªI couldn¡¯t afford to give anyone more reasons to underestimate us. I leaned back in my chair and spoke. ¡°Judging by your insignias, you¡¯re from First Regiment¡ªFirst Princess¡¯s faction. And you¡¯re from the Third¡ªFirst Prince¡¯s. Why the hell should I do favors for people who¡¯ll just take the medicine and pretend nothing happened?¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t¡ª!¡± ¡°I get that you¡¯re desperate, but there¡¯s a proper order to things. You can¡¯t just barge into my office in the middle of the workday. And shouldn¡¯t you be offering some kind of compensation?¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re right. We apologize.¡± The knights looked flustered, clearly trying to read my mood. I understood¡ªsome of them were bedridden from the flu. They were in a rush. ¡°I won¡¯t give you the meds, but I can share a few methods that¡¯ll work better than healing spells.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Yeah. You see what I¡¯m wearing?¡± They nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve been wondering what that was.¡± ¡°Thought maybe it was the latest fashion trend.¡± ¡°Actually... it kind of makes you look better?¡± I pulled out a spare mask from the drawer and showed them how it was made. ¡°Doesn¡¯t need to be exact. Just make something similar from cloth, cover your nose and mouth, and wear it around. It won¡¯t cure you, but it¡¯ll cut the chance of infecting others by, oh... about ninety percent.¡± ¡°Something like that really works?¡± ¡°The Moonlight Palace knights were all wearing them. They looked completely fine.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s the secret! Thank you, Professor!¡± The knights bowed deeply, then rushed out of my office like a flood. They¡¯d probably raid the royal wardrobe next, demanding mask supplies. They were simple creatures. ¡°Easy to deal with.¡± In fact, they might be the only honest ones left in the palace. Not driven by politics, just sticking with whoever gave them decent meals. Tanya was the same way. The Moonlight Palace knights were an odd bunch. Too sensitive to political nuance. Well... Moonlight Palace was basically a freak anomaly in every possible category. ¡°But hey, Bruno... think this¡¯ll be okay?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, colds take over a week to get better naturally. Even if they start wearing masks now, the other factions¡¯ knights aren¡¯t gonna recover fast enough for the tournament.¡± ¡°Makes them healthier, right?¡± ¡°Too healthy is bad. If I help the other factions get strong again and we lose, Asella¡¯s going to torture me with magic.¡± ¡°...Is that your thing, sir?¡± Bruno asked me with a very serious face. I let out a short laugh and leaned back in my chair. ¡°Thanks for the answer. Good to know you¡¯ve confirmed it.¡± God, knights are something else. *** The next day, my office was hit again¡ªthis time by another outsider from one of the royal factions. ¡°Doctor Gotberg! So you¡¯re the one they say is Asella¡¯s new personal physician!¡± It wasn¡¯t often someone dared to speak to me so informally in the Imperial Palace. It was almost refreshing. Even more telling¡ªthis woman could call Asella by name without consequence. That alone said plenty about her standing. ¡°I greet Your Highness with all due respect.¡± I shot up from my seat and offered a proper bow. Being charged with l¨¨se-majest¨¦ wouldn¡¯t do me any favors. She had the same golden hair as Asella, but her eyes were a lavish shade of turquoise, reminiscent of precious jade. Her shoulders were bare beneath an opulent gown. ¡°Oh my, they said you were a notorious troublemaker in high society, but look at you¡ªso properly trained! Must¡¯ve been nonsense spread by jealous brats, huh?¡± The Second Imperial Princess, Lauga von W¨¹rttempelt, let out a tinkling laugh as she stroked my arm. A remarkably forward princess. ¡°I heard Asella dragged her unemployed fianc¨¦ into the palace and gave him a job. Honestly, I thought you were just her boy toy. But turns out the knights actually seem to like you?¡± She liked gossip, her tone was flippant, and her speech was borderline ridiculous. Everything she said fit perfectly with what I¡¯d gathered about her¡ªboth from Asella¡¯s accounts and from my own background checks. Lauga was the fourth-born among all the imperial children, but as the Second Princess, she shared the same mother as the Second Prince, Georg. Despite her status as a successor, it was clear she stood far from the line of actual power. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s an honor that Your Highness even knows my name. I did have some chances to bond with the knights, but I didn¡¯t expect those stories to make it all the way to the Forbidden Palace.¡± ¡°So you already know what my private quarters are called, and you''ve finished checking out all the royal ladies? Such a pretty face... No wonder Asella fell head over heels. Must¡¯ve been all that skill of yours.¡± She grinned, teasing me with sparkling eyes. ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding. The only skills I take pride in are medical and therapeutic.¡± ¡°Oh hush, don¡¯t be so serious. I¡¯m joking.¡± Lauga burst into giggles again, clearly enjoying herself. This lightweight of a princess seemed to live in a world permanently tinted rose-pink. Surely she knew Asella and I were engaged out of political convenience. ¡°And what brings the radiant jewel of the Imperial Palace all the way to this humble place?¡± Lauga reached a hand out toward my chin. Something about the casual gesture rubbed me the wrong way, so I pulled my head back. Her eyes narrowed like a perturbed bird¡¯s. Did I offend her? Surely she wouldn¡¯t accuse me of disrespect just for that. ¡°You and Asella react exactly the same when I do that.¡± Wouldn¡¯t anyone? A stranger suddenly reaching for your face¡ªit¡¯s not exactly welcome behavior. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Just... about this thing called a mask¡ªyou made it, right?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°I saw the knights from Moonlight Palace wearing them the other day. I tried asking Asella about it, and she threw me out cold. Can you believe that? I¡¯m her closest sister in age, and she treats me like a stray cat.¡± Not sure how we got from masks to family drama. Talking to Lauga took an immense amount of mental energy. Her train of thought was impossible to track. ¡°What piqued your interest in the mask, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Make one for me, too.¡± So that¡¯s what this was about. ¡°The masks were a gift, a tribute, to Her Highness Princess Asella. Distributing them without her permission would be an offense.¡± ¡°Pfft, I¡¯ll smooth it over with her.¡± ¡°They''re designed to prevent infectious diseases, so even a lookalike version would be effective. But I¡¯m quite busy with my duties as physician, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to make enough for your entire entourage...¡± ¡°No, no. Just one. For me.¡± That caught me off guard. Lauga waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Just yours?¡± ¡°Mhm. You know how Asella has those soft, full cheeks? But when she wore the mask, her jawline looked so slender. Honestly, she''s still my little sister, but I got the feeling she¡¯s going to grow up into a true beauty.¡± She had a good eye. One of the lesser-known perks of the mask was its visual effect¡ªan aesthetic buff, so to speak. Lauga wanted to be what people call a ¡°mask beauty.¡± ¡°Well? You can make just one, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hm, one unit is within reach.¡± Not that I had any real reason to do it. Unless there was a reward. I threw her a subtle look, and Lauga caught on immediately. She probably had plenty of experience at social functions. ¡°Greedy, aren¡¯t you? A marquis¡¯s son and a royal physician, you must not need gold coins.¡± Actually, I do. You can never have too much money. My father is one of those rare, incorruptible nobles. He funnels all our family¡¯s wealth into public funds, so the Gotberg household doesn¡¯t exactly have a mountain of private assets. And more importantly, I can¡¯t even access any of it for personal use. Right now, I¡¯m nothing more than a salaried employee. ¡°If I gave you one of the Imperial Treasures, would you sew it yourself for me?¡± She batted her eyes, her gaze brimming with allure. That kind of look might¡¯ve charmed half the noblemen at court into giving up their estates, but it didn¡¯t work on me. She was Asella¡¯s sister, after all. She had the same kind of aura¡ªone that triggered more warning bells than temptation. My more immediate concern was the upcoming martial arts competition, where I needed to demonstrate the strength of our faction. If we raised our standing, my own position in the palace would improve. Maybe even get us a better office. ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t seem particularly concerned about the tournament. Is that right?¡± ¡°The martial arts festival? The one with the sword and magic showcases during the flower viewing season? It¡¯s fun to watch.¡± ¡°Your knight order is competing too, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°They can handle it. Sweating together in youth¡ªthat¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not planning to shine in it yourself, then when your knights face other royal factions, might I ask for a little strategic cooperation?¡± ¡°What kind of strategy?¡± Lauga tilted her head. I answered casually. ¡°It¡¯s called trolling.¡± Turning enemies against each other is always the most efficient move. Let¡¯s throw a wrench in the works. Chapter 34: Cold Medicine (3) ¡°Trolling?¡± Lauga tilted her head, unfamiliar with the term. ¡°Yes. To put it simply¡ªmutual destruction. A strategy where even if we can¡¯t win, we can still block the enemy¡¯s victory and enhance the entertainment value of the match.¡± At my explanation, Lauga''s lips stretched into a wide, wicked grin. ¡°I knew it. You¡¯re a nasty piece of work, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Perish the thought. It''s all in service of an exciting tournament. The martial arts competition is a fine dish on its own, but wouldn¡¯t it be even better with a little seasoning?¡± ¡°Heh... I like spicy developments too. Have you read that romance novel that¡¯s trending in the capital lately? The twists are crazy.¡± Lauga started tapping her fingers on the desk¡ªtatatat¡ªalready off on another tangent. And just like that, I could feel the early tremors of a headache. I¡¯d need to take an aspirin later. ¡°Huhu, this year¡¯s flower-viewing is going to be so much fun!¡± Even now, right to the end, she was looking forward to the flower festival more than the actual tournament. Still, that was how our little transaction was finalized. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. *** Two days after I made the mask for Lauga, strange whispers began spreading through the capital. ¡°I swear, I can¡¯t leave the house without a mask anymore.¡± ¡°Look at how sharp my jawline looks! Why didn¡¯t someone make these sooner?¡± ¡°They say it helps prevent illness, so why wouldn¡¯t I wear it? It¡¯s less suffocating than a corset, honestly.¡± ¡°It was invented by the royal physician, so I trust it.¡± Masks were quickly becoming the hottest fashion item among noblewomen and young ladies in the capital. Since they were made of linen, they weren¡¯t too suffocating, and women who had lived their entire lives with corsets clearly found this level of discomfort more than manageable in the name of beauty. Any noblewoman who set foot near the palace was wearing a modern-style mask now. Apparently, every clothing merchant had copied my design, and people were buying them by the drawerful. ¡°Doctor, weren¡¯t those masks your original invention? Is it really alright for just anyone to produce them?¡± Tanya, who had been watching the trend unfold, voiced her concern. Fair point. ¡°Medicine should be made available to the people.¡± That was the spirit, at least in theory. ¡°But in this world, nothing comes free. I ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) should at least get royalties, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± I stepped out of the office, still in my physician¡¯s coat. *** Thanks to Lucie, Asella¡¯s head maid, who executed the day¡¯s tasks with her usual precision, another full day had flown by. She remained by Asella¡¯s side at all times. Her expression seemed a little uneasy. I could guess the reason. After their last clash, Queen Camilla had begun to distance herself from Asella. A cold war, essentially. Still, Asella stuck to her schedule, carrying out every lesson as planned. Even if the queen had ordered it, Asella herself had a strong will to become the next emperor. Though that determination may have been implanted by the queen in the first place... Lucie, who had watched her for years, thought so. Even if she rarely showed it, whenever Asella successfully cast a higher-tier spell, she couldn''t help but smile. A hunger for mastery. A drive to climb. It was a common trait among the imperial bloodline. Perhaps something engraved in their very DNA¡ªan obsession with reaching higher, possessing more. The current emperor himself had once been a battle-hardened warlord who expanded the empire through endless campaigns, driven by insatiable ambition. But even if Her Highness reaches new magical heights, no one ever praises her for it. It was the kind of thought that should cost a servant her head for treason. But what else could she do? Lucie had never thought of Queen Camilla as a good mother. Asella had already crossed into the fifth magical rank¡ªan inhuman realm that only those with both talent and relentless effort could hope to enter. Even though Asella could already wield third-rank magic at her age, Camilla never once showed surprise. She simply demanded more. To Camilla, it was basic magic, so basic she expected Asella to perform it with ease. But for anyone else, casting third-rank spells as a teenager would be a feat worthy of legend. In a mage tower, she¡¯d be hailed as a once-in-a-century prodigy. Her master, Seymour, was already being called a historic great mage and sage. Which only made the comparison worse. Her Highness doesn''t deserve to be treated like this, Lucie thought. To Camilla, Asella was a tool. A means to seize power. She only gave birth to her so she could enter the palace. Lucie wasn¡¯t even sure Camilla saw Asella as her real daughter. And no one else in the royal family supported her either. They either wanted her gone or were trying to use her. All her half-siblings were rivals or vultures. Maybe that¡¯s why she wants to become emperor. Maybe she just wants Camilla¡¯s approval. Lucie suspected as much. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next lesson.¡± ¡°Leave.¡± The private tutor, a former professor from the Hero Academy, departed. Asella didn¡¯t bother showing respect. Lucie, hoping her lady could rest even just a little during this short break, served the tea she¡¯d carefully prepared in advance. ¡°Your Highness, refreshments.¡± ¡°Pour.¡± Seeing Asella sip her tea like a squirrel, Lucie felt slightly relieved. The royal physician had said she should drink plenty of warm liquids while colds were going around. At least she listens to him, Lucie thought. Thanks to the physician, she¡¯d been able to worry less in recent weeks. Ever since he arrived, Asella had looked noticeably more at ease. Even if another attack came at night, Lucie had the confidence that he could handle it. ¡°Asella. Are you there?¡± A voice shattered the peace like a hammer falling onto glass. A sudden, unannounced visit. Queen Camilla had arrived at Asella¡¯s study, flanked by her knights. Lucie immediately dropped into a bow as Camilla stood before Asella¡¯s desk. ¡°Mother.¡± Camilla skimmed over the textbook Asella had been reading, then looked down her nose at her daughter. ¡°Still pretending to study, I see. Like you''d accomplish anything without my supervision. You can never stay focused.¡± Asella said nothing, just silently listened as the queen unleashed her scathing tirade. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ll inherit the throne without me? I kept wondering when you''d come crawling back, but I see you¡¯re still hiding. That delinquent¡¯s been poisoning you with black thoughts.¡± As soon as she mentioned me, Asella¡¯s brow twitched. ¡°You have no idea how important this martial arts tournament is. His Majesty might not live much longer. You need to steal the throne before that brainless First Prince gets appointed!¡± Lucie wanted to bite back. She knew better than anyone how hard Asella was preparing for the competition. Even with her schedule packed with lessons, she never neglected managing the knights, never stopped practicing magic for her performance. ¡°If you keep defying me, I¡¯ll cut off your support. Second Prince Georg asked if my mages could perform in his faction¡¯s demonstration.¡± ¡°You¡¯d lend your disciples to another faction?¡± When Asella finally reacted, Camilla smiled smugly. The confidence of someone with the upper hand. ¡°Prince Georg has always been close to us. No reason to treat him like an enemy.¡± ¡°You know exactly why he wants our support. He¡¯s not an ally¡ªhe¡¯s a rival for the throne.¡± Asella lashed back, clearly furious. Lucie could guess why. The Second Prince and First Princess Heike were the main contenders for succession. Whoever could control Asella¡ªarguably the imperial family''s strongest magical weapon¡ªwould hold serious leverage. Georg¡¯s support wasn¡¯t born of kindness or familial affection. He only approached because he saw Asella as a tool without rights. ¡°Asella, what have I always told you?¡± ¡°You told me to become the next emperor.¡± ¡°You misheard.¡± Camilla¡¯s gaze turned icy. ¡°I said I need an emperor. If you¡¯re not on my side, you¡¯re useless.¡± Lucie found the words cruel. Come back to me¡ªor I¡¯ll throw my weight behind the Second Prince instead. It was no different from a threat. Even if Asella acted cold, Lucie knew she had a deep attachment to anything she considered hers. That¡¯s why she never treated her knights or attendants with cruelty. Her commands might be demanding, but they were never irrational. Everyone in Moonlight Palace was loyal to her. Camilla, too, saw Asella as her possession. But unlike Asella, Camilla had never shown a shred of affection¡ªnot that Lucie had ever witnessed. Only seduction disguised as love. ¡°Do you really think you can win over His Majesty without me? With your pathetic training?¡± ¡°...That¡¯s...¡± Asella bit her lip. No matter how hard she tried, the odds were stacked against her. Her knight order was too small. And Camilla wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªher current training might be laughable compared to the others. The Second Prince and First Princess were undoubtedly planning far more elaborate strategies. ¡°Do you finally see reality? Without me, you¡¯re just a clueless little girl. Bow down. Beg. If you agree to special training, I might forgive that little incident¡ª¡± ¡ªBang bang. The door burst open with firm knocks. ¡°Your Highness, Doctor Gotberg reporting.¡± Camilla¡¯s head whipped around, her face twisting with irritation. ¡°You¡ª! Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m having an important conversation? Do you have any idea where you are?¡± ¡°And what is an outsider doing here?¡± ¡°What did you just say?!¡± I ignored the seething queen and handed Asella a report. ¡°I¡¯ve temporarily reorganized the Moonlight Palace knight order for the martial arts tournament. With your approval, we¡¯ll proceed.¡± Asella flipped through it. ¡°One hundred and forty?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The number made Camilla¡¯s eyes bulge. ¡°One hundred and forty?! What the hell are you talking about?!¡± ¡°Ah-ah, this is a classified document for Her Highness. Let¡¯s not peek, even if you¡¯re the queen. Some boundaries must be respected.¡± I turned my back toward her, shielding Asella from view. She unconsciously lifted the corner of her lips as she flipped to the next page. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A patent application for the mask. With your authority, it should pass instantly, right?¡± I gave her a small nod. ¡°The royalties will go into Moonlight Palace¡¯s budget. I¡¯ll... take a little for myself, of course.¡± Chapter 35: The Martial Arts Tournament (1) ¡°One thing at a time. Let¡¯s start with the martial arts tournament.¡± Asella carefully scanned the report I¡¯d brought. ¡°When did you even assemble this knight order...¡± She seemed ready to question the contents¡ªthen stopped herself. Camilla was still watching. She must¡¯ve realized there was no benefit in showing our hand just yet. Snap. Asella closed the report and leisurely sipped her tea. ¡°Well done, just as ordered. The 120 additional knights¡ªwe¡¯ll use them in the tournament.¡± ¡°One hundred and twenty?! Where in the palace did you get that many troops?!¡± Camilla practically shrieked in disbelief. A hundred and twenty made up an entire company. Four companies formed a regiment, and each of the four regiments defended one side of the Imperial Palace¡ªnorth, south, east, and west. Of course, the personal knight orders of the Emperor and each palace were separate from that structure. In the tournament, both faction-affiliated palace knight orders and some imperial knights participate. Since the Emperor himself moves, large-scale deployment follows¡ªbut the palace itself can¡¯t be left defenseless. Even the most influential faction wouldn¡¯t typically have more than 200 knights available for the tournament. With the 20 knights already from Moonlight Palace, that brought our count to 140. Enough to stand toe-to-toe with the other successors. ¡°Mother.¡± Asella turned to Camilla and declared, ¡°This time, I¡¯ll show you that I can win the tournament without any support.¡± ¡°You...!¡± Camilla bristled, unable to contain her anger. Hearing ¡°I don¡¯t need you anymore¡± said aloud had to sting. I¡¯d been listening from just outside the door. It seemed she¡¯d gone to great lengths to unsettle Asella¡ªdangling Second Prince Georg¡¯s support in front of her. All wasted effort. ¡°Hah! Let¡¯s see how long you cling to that scoundrel! Gotberg or not, how could you get tangled up with such a fraud!¡± Camilla grabbed the hem of her dress with both hands and stormed out of the room in a huff. Only once she was gone did Asella exhale a small, quiet sigh, the tension visibly leaving her shoulders. ¡°You schemed all this without my permission.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡± ¡°You think that was a compliment? Why did you expand the knight order without telling me?¡± Asella shot me a sharp look. Didn¡¯t seem like she was particularly pleased about this one. ¡°I just thought it would be better if our faction were a bit stronger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my job. You¡¯re the physician.¡± ¡°And also your fianc¨¦.¡± At that, her lips twitched ever so slightly at the word fianc¨¦. After a moment, she spoke again. ¡°These knights might be useful. They''re bound by contract, so they won¡¯t betray us for a single tournament. And these types are usually easy to handle.¡± Then she looked up at me, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Gotberg, what do you want?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s compensation... how about approving the contract behind that last report?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The mask patent. I hadn¡¯t filed a patent for generic mask production¡ªjust for the modernized design I¡¯d created myself. ¡°It¡¯s a licensing contract. I take 70 percent of the profits, the remaining 30 goes to Moonlight Palace¡¯s budget. Fair?¡± ¡°The mask, huh.¡± Asella didn¡¯t look too thrilled. Something was off. ¡°I heard you made one for Lauga.¡± Her eyes sharpened. I hadn¡¯t seen that threatening glare in a while. I hadn¡¯t even done anything annoying lately, so what was this about? ¡°You heard about that?¡± ¡°Keeping track of the other successors¡¯ movements is basic strategy. But.¡± Her tone dropped to a chilling register. ¡°It looked exactly like my mask.¡± ¡°The size was different.¡± I mean... a mask¡¯s a mask. Mine just happened to be the original. ...Wait. What? My status window started going haywire. [No. 077: Avatar of Jealousy 14% ¡ú 62%] What the hell? Is this a bug? Why did it spike that fast? My chest was already damp with cold sweat. One glance at Asella and the air felt like another cold wave had hit, despite the warmer weather. ¡°Gotberg.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you made a mask for Lauga?¡± I did... just now. Okay, so maybe I should¡¯ve told her earlier... From her perspective, I guess it could look like I gave something valuable to another faction without consulting her. Did she... take that as treason? This woman. Her thought process is way too extreme sometimes. I let my guard down because Lauga had said she¡¯d ¡°smooth things over.¡± I figured, since the mask helped Moonlight Palace¡¯s budget in the end, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°This is a misunderstanding, Your Highness.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the misunderstanding? I don¡¯t see one.¡± No way I was talking her down from this. Let¡¯s see if this works. I pulled something from my doctor¡¯s bag and offered it to her. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Your new mask, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You expect me to wear the same ¡ã? N ???? v ???? l i g h t ?¡ã thing as Lauga?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. If you look closely, you¡¯ll see the Moonlight Palace emblem embroidered on the lower right corner.¡± She flipped the mask over at the mention of embroidery and inspected it. ¡°Hmph.¡± Snorting, she unfolded it and put it on. Then she had her head maid fetch a mirror so she could admire the look. ¡°How many of these do you have?¡± ¡°I just made them today. I¡¯ve prepared three for Your Highness¡¯s personal use.¡± ¡°From now on, they¡¯re exclusive to me.¡± ¡°Of course, as you command.¡± I took a quick glance at the status window. [No. 077: Avatar of Jealousy 62% ¡ú 14%] Phew. Crisis averted. I¡¯d actually been working on a variant with the palace¡¯s insignia as a way to distinguish our members¡ªsince masks obscure faces. Glad it worked. Cleared of treason, for now. ¡°Ah, Your Highness. The left strap is twisted.¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, I¡¯ll fix it myself.¡± Asella shot out her palm toward me, clearly rejecting my help. Then, after adjusting it herself, she suddenly snapped her head toward me again. ¡°Gotberg. Did you show Lauga how to wear the mask?¡± Her golden mana flared behind her eyes like fire. Didn¡¯t know the details, but I instinctively knew I had to tread carefully. ¡°Not at all. She already seemed perfectly used to it.¡± ¡°If she hadn¡¯t, would you have... helped her?¡± ¡°Do you truly think I would do such a thing for another princess?¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± Finally, Asella seemed to relax, her suspicion fading. She turned her focus back to the first report and began jotting down a few notes. ¡°I¡¯ll overhaul our strategy for the tournament to account for the new numbers.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Gotberg, do you have any strategic suggestions?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. I heard you handled the goblin shaman subjugation with ease. Not much experience commanding knights?¡± Lucie, I¡¯m guessing. I hate having my workload increased. ¡°Of course, palace knights are on another level in terms of discipline, but I thought maybe an outsider¡¯s perspective could help.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve planned for Lauga¡¯s faction to throw sand in Georg¡¯s gears and go down with him in a mock skirmish.¡± ¡°...Explain that in detail.¡± Asella smiled like a devil, resting her chin on the back of her hand. *** ¡°Next, Her Highness Princess Asella. Please prepare for transport.¡± At the court mage¡¯s cue, we stepped onto the teleportation gate. Asella, two guards, Lucie, and myself. Five in total. As the mages traced their spell formations, mana began to rise around us like vapor. ¡°Engaging the spell.¡± The destination¡ªthe basin deep in the eastern mountain range¡ªwas two full days on horseback. So most of the forces had already moved there in advance, while the royal core traveled via teleportation on the day of. Considering the cost and difficulty of the spell, that made sense. The old Emperor probably couldn¡¯t handle a long trip anyway. Still... do we really need to go this far just for flower-viewing? If I were an enemy nation planning to invade, I¡¯d hit the palace right now. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Urgh...¡± The moment the spell ended, the nausea hit me like a wave. ¡°Doctor, shall I carry you?¡± Tanya, waiting nearby, offered her arm. She usually hid her expressions well, but I knew now. She was having fun watching me suffer. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not about to get wrecked by another teleportation.¡± ¡°You really do look better. You must¡¯ve been training hard.¡± ¡°Of course. Two hours of strength training every day.¡± Lie. In truth, I¡¯d just made and taken anti-nausea medication beforehand. Though I really had been building stamina. If my HP loss suddenly worsened, I could drop dead in a ditch, so I was trying to keep up with cardio as much as possible. Trying being the operative word. One day, while running the palace hills, I stumbled upon an herb nicknamed Madman¡¯s Root. Perfect for extracting scopolamine¡ªkey ingredient in nausea meds. Thus, teleportation magic was no longer my mortal enemy. ¡°Welcome to the tournament grounds. I¡¯ll escort you from here.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s see how well this circus is set up.¡± Royal physicians are required to remain within 100 meters of the royal family member they¡¯re assigned to while outdoors. So I followed Asella around the tournament arena like a loyal puppy. ¡°They carved out half a mountain and built a colosseum.¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly remote, but still far from the capital. To think this entire place existed just because the Emperor wanted to enjoy flower-viewing once a year... the construction, the logistics, the insane cost. This was the scale of the Empire. The most extravagant waste of money I¡¯d ever seen with my own two eyes. What even is the life of an emperor? ¡°The flowers are gorgeous, though.¡± The whole mountain shimmered in pale blue. I picked up a petal¡ªit felt just like a cherry blossom, both in size and texture. But it had a silvery dusting on a watery blue base, and sparkled like something out of a dream. ¡°They¡¯re called Silver Azure Blossoms. They only bloom here, thanks to the unique climate and soil.¡± So there were beautiful things in this world. I¡¯d never seen anything like this in my last life. ¡°Still, the real focus is the tournament.¡± As expected, Asella didn¡¯t spare the petals a second glance. She was already inside the colosseum, surveying the battlefield. The tournament had a few formats, but it was mostly a competition between knight orders, not mages. So there wasn¡¯t much for me to do. Cheer beside her, maybe? Eight factions were competing. Four belonged to succession contenders. Three came from the Emperor¡¯s cousins and nephews. And then us. With that spread, even placing third overall would make a big impression. Especially since Asella¡¯s faction had never stood out before. ¡°Gotberg.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to win the tournament.¡± ¡°Win? Well, of course, our knights will try, but even third place would be more than¡ª¡± [No. 012: Fall of the Empire 35% ¡ú 52%] Correction. The goal is victory. Chapter 36: The Martial Arts Tournament (2) ¡°Gotberg, don¡¯t you have a new coat?¡± As we stepped out of the colosseum, Asella, catching sight of something else displeasing, started picking a fight again in her usual cutting tone. ¡°My coat? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all wrinkled. His Majesty is attending¡ªyour attire should at least look decent.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m on duty most of the day.¡± ¡°So what, should I go around without a dress at night?¡± Well, Asella was always impeccably composed, without so much as a thread out of place. ¡°But Your Highness has attendants.¡± ¡°Mmm... True. Lucie.¡± Even without her giving explicit orders, Lucie had already set the maids into motion. They began tidying up my appearance with impressive efficiency. Within moments, my coat looked freshly pressed and stiffened. Did they have some kind of artifact for ironing? Convenient. ¡°Thank you, Head Maid.¡± ¡°Your gratitude belongs to Her Highness.¡± Lucie answered curtly. She never dropped her businesslike tone while on duty. ¡°That¡¯s much better. You looked half-dead just moments ago, like you were hungover.¡± I guess it finally met her standards. I blew my bangs out of my face with a puff of air. ¡°I¡¯m just a barely-visible court physician, after all. As long as Your Highness looks perfect, that¡¯s what matters.¡± ¡°You''re my fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°Well... you¡¯re not wrong.¡± I suppose I stood out more than the average physician. Trying to outmaneuver Asella with words really was a losing battle. ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty will arrive shortly.¡± Lucie gave the update. Most royals had personal secretaries, but here in Moonlight Palace, Lucie pulled double duty. At the teleport gate, several hundred knights formed up in ranks to create a ceremonial pathway. Flagbearers ran to and fro, flustered and bustling. Asella took her place at the far end of the path¡ªwhere the imperial family had gathered. I spotted Lauga standing nearby as well. I stood further back, grouped with the other physicians, knights, chief stewards, and Lucie. ¡°Outdoor ceremonies are always so exhausting, aren¡¯t they, Doctor Gotberg?¡± ¡°Greetings, Lord Falkenhein.¡± Second Prince Georg¡¯s personal physician, Falkenhein, struck up conversation. I answered him with bare courtesy. ¡°Ha ha, even though we work in the same court, it¡¯s rare to see your face. I¡¯ve been hearing quite a bit about you lately. I knew from the moment I brought you in that you¡¯d be something special.¡± ¡°You flatter me. I¡¯m simply carrying out my duties to the best of my ability.¡± These formal conversations drained me more than anything else. I couldn¡¯t exactly ignore him, though¡ªhe had been part of my recruitment. ¡°His Majesty approaches!¡± Just as I was yawning from boredom, the Emperor¡¯s chief secretary called out, cutting through the air. All the earlier bustle vanished in an instant, replaced by solemn silence. ¡ªFwaaaash! Light burst from the teleport gate, and elite imperial knights emerged in formation. Behind them came a large, imposing old man. His presence was powerful, but clearly, his body had deteriorated¡ªhe had to be supported by court physicians as he walked. ¡ªPwooooo! The sound of horns rang out, loud enough to split the sky. The orchestra played a welcome march as members of the imperial family stepped forward one by one to pay their respects. Even one¡¯s own blood had to kneel and wait for the Emperor¡¯s acknowledgment. They¡¯d all spent weeks preparing for this moment¡ªjust to leave a single impression. The Emperor greeted them with a wide, cheerful smile and waved a hand weighed down with rings. ¡°In this bright morning, I behold the gracious face of our benevolent father in the Square of Royal Medicine.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve grown, Asella.¡± After all her preparation, Asella¡¯s meeting with the Emperor was over in seconds. *** The Emperor then wandered freely around the mountain slopes, where flower petals danced on the wind. He chatted with his siblings about surprisingly mundane things. How he once hunted a boar the size of an ogre. How he just got a new model of fishing rod from the Grand Duchy. With noble audiences booked out for months, it was clear this was one of the few times the imperial family could talk freely. Only the First Empress joined in the conversation¡ªnone of the others. It was obvious, then, why the frail First Prince had effectively been chosen as heir. Even those who lived in the clouds were still human. At times like this, they seemed normal. Though most of the time, they were far from it. ¡°Doctor, mind your steps.¡± Lucie whispered just loudly enough for me to hear. The problem was that we had to remain on edge the whole time¡ªnot daring to interrupt the imperial small talk. Wherever the Emperor moved, his children followed, and with them a tide of knights and attendants. I had to stay close as the personal physician, tucked between knights like a crushed sandwich in a crowded bag. We weren¡¯t allowed to be seen, nor to make a sound. And yet we had to stay within a certain radius in case of emergency. Honestly, they should just slap invisibility magic on us. Crammed between armored knights, sweat pooled on my forehead. Whenever the whole family gathers, the adults always talk while the kids die of boredom. The princes and princesses¡ªincluding Asella¡ªand even the Emperor¡¯s nephews stood quietly, expressionless, with no chance to speak. Only after the Emperor had finished his private lunch¡ªevidently the highlight of his day¡ªdid he finally move toward the tournament arena. VIP seats for the Emperor and his siblings were on the highest level. His children sat on the tier below. Only then could Asella break away from the crowd and begin tournament preparations. ¡°No change in the schedule?¡± ¡°No, Your Highness. As listed, the first match is the representative knight¡¯s singles match.¡± At Lucie¡¯s reply, Asella summoned the Moonlight Palace knight commander. ¡°Are we ready?¡± ¡°Just give the order, Your Highness.¡± The commander bowed deeply. Wait. She¡¯s planning to send him? I checked the status window. [No. 012: Fall of the Empire 52%] Bad ending probability had climbed again. Fall of the Empire. An ending triggered when civil war erupts within the royal family, and Asella, overcome with rage, obliterates the palace. Not metaphorically¡ªliterally. A giant crater opened in the middle of the capital. The empire crumbled, the demon king subjugation force collapsed, and the hero¡¯s party was left stranded and died off. If today¡¯s tournament ends up triggering that... That would mean Asella is about to experience something here that makes her direct that hatred toward the imperial family. Maybe all her preparations go to waste and she¡¯s humiliated with a last-place finish. Let¡¯s just focus on winning first. Wouldn¡¯t hurt me either. To win, Moonlight Palace needed top performance in every event. But the knight commander¡¯s not strong enough to take the solo match. I made a suggestion to Asella. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Forgive me, Your Highness, for speaking out of turn...¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°For the singles match... may I recommend Tanya, my personal guard captain?¡± ¡°Your bodyguard?¡± Asella glanced over at Tanya. The moment her name was mentioned, Tanya stepped forward with steady confidence. ¡°No warning and you want to swap out our competitor? The commander¡¯s been training for this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to insult his skill, but Tanya is exceptional. She¡¯s reached the level of a Sword Expert.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Asella¡¯s curiosity clearly spiked at the term Sword Expert. ¡°Tanya.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She stepped back and demonstrated. She drew her sword and focused. A tangible aura rippled around her, and heat shimmered from the blade like a mirage. It was the mark of sword energy¡ªa technique only Sword Experts could wield. Asella watched her with clear satisfaction, then turned to the knight commander. ¡°Your opinion?¡± He answered without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve sparred with Captain Tanya multiple times.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I lost every bout. I can confidently say she ranks among the top knights in the entire imperial order.¡± He reported the facts without ego or emotion, allowing Asella to make the best decision. His loyalty was admirable. After a short pause, Asella made her choice. ¡°Gotberg¡¯s guard, Tanya¡ªyou¡¯ll fight in the singles match.¡± ¡°As you command.¡± True to her northern roots, Tanya answered crisply and immediately began preparing her gear. As she checked her sword, I walked over and said, ¡°Captain, you¡¯re representing Moonlight Palace now. You must win. Confident?¡± ¡°To whom do you think you¡¯re speaking?¡± ¡°I love the confidence. But don¡¯t forget¡ªthe imperial knights are ahead of us in real combat tactics.¡± ¡°Tactics?¡± ¡°Yes. Back home, that might not be the case, but here in the capital, all that matters is the result.¡± ¡°Could you give an example?¡± ¡°You probably think a duel is settled by swordsmanship alone, right?¡± ¡°Well, of course.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re gonna walk in there and get sand thrown in your eyes. And if there¡¯s no sand, your opponent will bring some. If it¡¯s not explicitly banned, it¡¯s fair game.¡± Tanya nodded as she processed my advice. ¡°I see. The only rules for the singles match are: drop your weapon or fall to the ground¡ªyou lose. Inflicting a fatal injury is forbidden. Just those two.¡± ¡°Exactly. That means your free hand can do whatever it wants.¡± I¡¯d watched the empire¡¯s tactics often during the demon king campaign. They loved to talk about honor, but when it came to real combat? Underhanded as hell. And that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Like when we fought Wilhelm, one of the Four Heavenly Kings¡ªthe Dragon of Death. The adamantium armor fused to his body could only be destroyed by the illegal mana bombs the imperial army smuggled in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whatever dirty tricks they pull, I¡¯ll cut through them all.¡± ¡°Honor¡¯s great. But tools are better.¡± I reached into my doctor¡¯s bag. ¡°Here¡ªtake these. I¡¯ll explain each one. Remember carefully.¡± I handed Tanya a set of clinking glass vials. Ampoules filled with colorful potions, glinting in the light. Chapter 37: The Martial Arts Tournament (3) ¡°The individual knights¡¯ match will now begin! Please welcome the finest warriors of the Imperial Knights with a round of applause!¡± The crowd filling the Colosseum¡¯s stands¡ªcomposed of imperial elites¡ªburst into cheers, stirring up the atmosphere. Imperial knights, attendants, and some outside nobles had also gathered. Asella sat in the mid-tier VIP gallery alongside the other imperial princes and princesses. I stood a bit farther back, like a shadow behind her. Lifting my head to look at the upper tier, I saw the Emperor watching the arena with gleaming interest. From the eight competing factions, their representative knights entered the wide arena to engage in one-on-one duels. To the Emperor, it was a pleasant spectacle for the eyes and ears. To the participating heirs, it ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? was a battle that would wring blood from their veins. ¡°The first opponent is a knight from the First Prince¡¯s faction, Ilsung Palace. A Sword Expert, famous as a rising star.¡± The head maid offered me an explanation. With the sounding of the gong, the match began. Tanya and the opposing knight clashed, their swords flaring with sword energy. The fierce aura rolling off them was palpable all the way to the seats, and the spectators were completely captivated. No matter how many knights there are, a truly skilled swordsman is rare. There are only two Swordmasters in the entire Empire. A duel between Experts was a spectacle in and of itself. ¡°Oooh...!¡± The Emperor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he watched the unexpectedly high-level match. Blades grazed dangerously close to flesh, attacks and defenses flowing simultaneously. ¡ªClang! Tanya¡¯s sword energy sliced sharply through the opponent¡¯s defenses, striking him with precision. The knight, who had assumed he¡¯d easily overpower Tanya, began to falter. His tongue clicked in frustration as the tide turned against him. It¡¯s about time for him to try something tricky. He pulled something from his coat and hurled it to the ground, shattering it. ¡ªBoom! A thick black smoke burst forth, engulfing the two fighters. A smoke bomb. Items and artifacts, as long as they aren¡¯t weapons, are all permitted in these duels. That¡¯s how the Empire fights. Inside the smoke, two silhouettes moved rapidly. The enemy knight was trying to circle around and strike Tanya¡¯s back while her vision was obscured. ¡°Tch...!¡± I heard Asella click her tongue. She must¡¯ve thought Tanya was in trouble. Clang! Clang! Swords clashed with ferocity¡ªat the same time, whoosh! the smoke cleared in an instant. ¡°What¡¯s the result?!¡± ¡°What happened?!¡± All eyes locked onto the arena. Tanya was standing tall, sword pointed at the neck of her collapsed opponent. ¡°Oooooh! Moonlight Palace defeats Ilsung Palace!¡± ¡°Who is that knight?!¡± ¡°How did she react in the dark?!¡± The audience broke into gasps and cheers, all focused on Tanya now. The Emperor stroked his full beard with interest. Smoke bombs are the most basic tactic in the Imperial Army. Of course, I¡¯d prepared a countermeasure. I pulled a small glass vial filled with orange liquid from my coat. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Vision Enhancement Ampoule [Doubly Enhanced] Effect upon ingestion: Your night vision is heightened. You can see clearly even in darkness! ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D A byproduct of making various vitamin supplements. After grinding two hundred of the palace¡¯s finest carrots to extract Vitamin A, only the strangest effects remained. Asella turned toward me. ¡°Hmph.¡± I decided to translate that snort into a sentence of praise. Tanya easily defeated her semifinal opponent and advanced to the finals. Endurance was combat power too. The individual matches continued with no breaks in between. ¡°The final opponent is from Tojin Palace.¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a knight from Second Prince Georg¡¯s faction. Also an Expert.¡± Even among Imperial Knights, those at the Expert level usually serve as unit commanders or personal guards to the Emperor¡ªyet every contestant here is an Expert. Goes to show how seriously each faction is taking this tournament. ¡°Haha, so it¡¯s Asella¡¯s knight who¡¯ll be facing off, huh? That¡¯s odd. Asella, since when did you have a Sword Expert?¡± The voice was light and casual. A man in his mid-twenties, dark-skinned and draped in flashy accessories. Second Prince Georg. Asella didn¡¯t even glance at him, brushing him off like a pesky fly. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, Georg.¡± ¡°Ah, scary. Don¡¯t be so cold. Aren¡¯t you supposed to call me brother?¡± Asella didn¡¯t bother replying¡ªjust gave him the kind of rotten expression one might wear to an execution. Whoa. That¡¯s kinda terrifying. I swallowed instinctively. Georg clearly had no idea how his antics would come back to bite him later. If anything, he seemed to enjoy Asella¡¯s reactions, laughing heartily. Might as well enjoy it while you can. Second Princess Lauga slapped Georg lightly on the shoulder in admonishment. ¡°Oppa, why are you picking on Asella like that?¡± ¡°I just find her so admirable. Our sweet little Asella, doing her best as a member of the Imperial family.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use words that sound like insults.¡± Asella, who had been keeping quiet, finally snapped back. It must¡¯ve struck a nerve¡ªbeing treated like the baby of the family instead of a rightful heir. ¡°An insult? Come now, Asella.¡± Shff. Georg dropped the act and leaned his large frame toward her. Even with his frivolous demeanor, he carried the blood of the Emperor. He exuded the aura of someone born to rule. ¡°Knowing your place is the most important thing. That¡¯s what they call self-awareness.¡± Even Lauga, the sister just older than Asella, had already turned twenty. To them, Asella must¡¯ve still seemed like a child playing pretend. ¡°At gatherings like this, you should act your age. Stay quiet, and I¡¯ll even pat your head and give you a piggyback ride.¡± ¡°Georg.¡± Asella picked up the golden goblet in front of her. ¡°Flame.¡± Fwoosh! A magic circle instantly lit up, and the goblet burst into flames. Drip, drip. The ornate golden vessel melted, losing its shape and dripping molten metal onto the floor. Asella stared coldly at the now-serious Georg and issued a calm warning. ¡°If you touch my head, you¡¯ll end up just like that.¡± ¡°Tch. Such a pain. All that pride and nothing but a magic weapon.¡± Georg clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair, pretending to smile again. ¡°Well, looks like our Asella¡¯s been putting in work. Haha, guess we shouldn¡¯t let our guard down. That knight of hers is more skilled than I thought. Right, brother?¡± ¡°Ah? Uh, yeah... I guess.¡± Georg had called out to the wiry young man beside him, who replied quietly. It was Gunther, the First Prince¡ªbeaten by Tanya in the first round. A surprisingly timid figure for someone designated the heir apparent. ¡°But still, even among Sword Experts, there are levels. How embarrassing would it be to lose to someone from Asella¡¯s camp?¡± Georg raised his voice again, shifting his attention to Gunther when Asella showed no reaction. ¡°Haha, our Hyuk is known as a future Swordmaster. Watch carefully, brother. If you¡¯re truly the Emperor¡¯s son, you should at least be able to command knights of this caliber.¡± He puffed his chest and gave a smug grin. Then Lauga patted his shoulder again. ¡°Oppa, your knight just got knocked out.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Georg leapt to his feet, startled. A sandstorm was already swirling in the arena¡ªthe final match had ended. At the center of it all, Georg¡¯s knight lay face-down with his butt in the air, while only Tanya stood upright. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat the hell...?!¡± Georg¡¯s mouth flapped open in disbelief, but the match was already over. Had he underestimated Tanya? Overestimated his knight? ¡°Hyuk couldn¡¯t have lost so easily. What trickery did you use, Asella?!¡± But Asella didn¡¯t give him the answer he wanted. She glanced sideways, a small smirk lifting the corner of her lips. Ugh. She¡¯s so smug sometimes. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So that¡¯s the level of knights you command? I enjoyed the show.¡± Lauga laughed gleefully, fanning Georg¡¯s rage. ¡°To think something like this would happen in front of His Majesty! Falkenhein! Was there something wrong with the knight¡¯s condition?!¡± Georg¡¯s personal physician, Falkenhein, stepped forward from near me and answered. ¡°Your Highness, Knight Hyuk was in perfect health. The plague was fully cured by the Imperial Medical Institute...¡± ¡°Then why¡ª!¡± Georg turned his eyes upward. The Emperor, clearly pleased with the final, leaned back in his chair and let out a booming laugh. The announcer approached Tanya. ¨DLet¡¯s hear a few words from the victorious knight. Please introduce yourself. His magically amplified voice echoed across the Colosseum. Tanya cleared her throat a few times and replied in a low, composed tone. ¨DI am Tanya, a knight of Moonlight Palace. What¡¯s with that tone? Does Tanya have stage fright? ¨DYou didn¡¯t stand out much before. When did you join the Imperial Knights? ¨DA month ago. I serve as the personal guard of Her Highness Asella¡¯s physician, Sir Gotberg. ¨DSo you¡¯re his bodyguard. Gotberg¡ªthe newly appointed royal physician, correct? ¨DThat is correct. I came from the North with Sir Gotberg. ¨DThe North! So it was your Northern training that brought you victory today? Tanya shook her head. ¨DThough my sword strikes true, it would have been impossible without my master¡¯s support. Sir Gotberg prepared the tactics and medicinal ampoules for dueling knights. ¨DAh, the very same master who designed the mask now popular in the palace! Then have you always served this physician? A bit of a sensitive question. What kind of loaded question is that? He¡¯s clearly from another faction. But Tanya, na?ve to politics, answered calmly. ¨DIt is true I am loyal to my master, but it was Her Highness Asella who appointed him. I received favor from them both. I represent Moonlight Palace. ¨DUnderstood. Please give a great round of applause to the champion¡ªSword Expert Tanya of Moonlight Palace! Cheers and applause thundered against the Colosseum walls. An impeccable answer. ¡°Hoho! Asella¡¯s knight won, did she?¡± The Emperor laughed heartily, as if his children¡¯s rivalry were his favorite pastime. ¡°Kh...!¡± Georg slammed his fist down on the armrest, grinding his teeth. ¡°Once is a fluke. Overall victory is determined by cumulative scores¡ªsecond place this round doesn¡¯t matter. There won¡¯t be another misfortune like this next time.¡± He shot a glance at Asella. But Asella ignored his look and turned toward me. ¡°Physician Gotberg.¡± Why now? The moment she said my name, the eyes of the other princes and princesses turned to me. ¡°Hi, Gotberg!¡± Lauga greeted me casually, and I returned the gesture politely. ¡°So that¡¯s the guy? Gotberg, the physician?¡± Georg¡¯s brows twitched as he looked me over. I stepped out from the cluster of attendants and stood before Asella. ¡°What do you require of me, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Tell me what the next event is.¡± Surely, she knew the tournament schedule better than anyone. Was she trying to display me in front of the other heirs? ¡°The team mock battle between knights will begin next.¡± Asella, apparently in high spirits, let the corners of her lips curl upward¡ªjust enough for me to notice. Chapter 38: The Martial Arts Tournament (4) ¡°The next event will be the team mock battle!¡± Trees, boulders, and various terrain features began to emerge inside the arena. The court magicians used relocation magic to bring in pre-prepared terrain from nearby locations. Apparently, since it only moves existing objects rather than teleporting them, the magic is fundamentally different and not particularly difficult to cast. ¡°I thought it would just be a flat brawl, but with terrain in play, strategy becomes viable.¡± Tanya offered her thoughts as she looked out at the arena, now transformed into a forest. I had just come down to the waiting room with Asella to check on the knights participating in the mock battle. Asella looked over the knights and gave her orders. ¡°Command will proceed according to training. The captain will lead overall. Make full use of Tanya at the front line.¡± ¡°As you command.¡± Gathered before us were a total of 140 knights. Regiment 2, Company 1 was joining the battle today under Moonlight Palace¡¯s banner as per contract. I spoke to the company commander. ¡°You remember the terms of our contract, right? If I see even a hint that you¡¯re working under orders from Tojin Palace, it¡¯ll become very troublesome for you.¡± ¡°Pfft, come on now. Don¡¯t go crushing morale before we even start. We owe you too, don¡¯t we? You think we¡¯d pull something that scummy?¡± The Company 1 knights were brimming with energy, loosening up with enthusiasm. Thanks to the aspirin I gave them, they¡¯d been enjoying a few rare days of good health. ¡°Just sit back and watch. We¡¯ll show you what we¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Good. Follow our knights¡¯ lead.¡± I clapped him on the shoulder in encouragement. Looks like I don¡¯t need to worry too much. ¡°Still, 140 is a bit short compared to the other factions.¡± The others each fielded about 200 knights. With all factions deploying their entire fighting force into the arena at once, a chaotic melee was inevitable. We didn¡¯t have enough ampoules to distribute to everyone. ¡°This should be sufficient.¡± In cases like this, it¡¯s best to go for the most efficient, easily understood method. I pulled a book from my coat. ¡°Oooh, is that the scriptures?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a novel. Got a recommendation and started reading it when I was bored. It¡¯s actually pretty fun.¡± A romance novel Lauga had mentioned. Even if it wasn¡¯t a holy text, it looked close enough to pull off the prayer act. ¡°Ah yes, dear Goddess or whatever¡ªyou know the gist, listen up.¡± I recited the prayer, and a bright surge of holy power burst from my body. ¡°Let their bodies be imbued with strength. Amen.¡± When I finished casting, the ground sparkled, and the knights¡¯ bodies were enveloped in radiant light. ¡°A blessing!¡± ¡°This feeling... I¡¯m overflowing with strength!¡± The knights cheered and jumped with excitement. I had cast a Strength Blessing. Muscle-bound folks like them would enjoy anything that thickened their biceps. My divine power was completely drained in exchange. But since I don¡¯t use divine spells that often anyway, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°To think you¡¯d even use a large-scale blessing¡ªof course, you¡¯re the royal physician!¡± The company commander flexed a now-bulging bicep and laughed. ¡°I usually charge for that.¡± ¡°Haha, if war breaks out, I¡¯ll pay any amount to stick by your side. Honestly, I thought you just didn¡¯t know healing magic since you never used it.¡± ¡°What the hell? Who says I can¡¯t use healing magic?¡± There were probably only a handful of healers in the entire Imperial Medical Institute who were better than me. ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve got even better techniques, there¡¯s no need to, right?¡± ¡°Exactly. Don¡¯t go spreading dumb rumors.¡± ¡°Whoa, I wasn¡¯t the one spreading them!¡± The commander craned his neck out like he was being falsely accused. I¡¯d only meant it as a joke, but was that rumor actually going around? Who the hell started it? ¡°Your Highness, the command to deploy.¡± The Moonlight Palace¡¯s knight captain stepped forward crisply, placing one arm vertically across his chest in salute. Asella raised her chin and gave her order with regal authority. ¡°Achieve victory.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± The knights surged out toward the arena. The clanking of their armored limbs rang loud in my ears. Once we watched them leave, I returned with Asella to the spectator seats. On the way, she turned to me and said: ¡°Physician, so you do know healing magic. That blessing spell¡ªI¡¯ve never seen one before.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°...Are you not using healing magic because of me?¡± No, I just got sick of it. Try spending day after day being the healing-slave of a hero¡¯s party and tell me if you¡¯d still want to cast it again. All I have are memories of dying while casting it. It was an extreme situation, with overwhelming odds stacked against us, but still. Whenever I cast healing magic, it pulls me right back into that moment. And those aren¡¯t memories I care to relive. Still, Asella¡¯s question gave me the perfect excuse. ¡°As Your Highness says. I am Your Highness¡¯s physician. Skills you do not require are also skills I have no need for. Even dedicating my life to perfecting treatments solely for Your Highness doesn¡¯t give me enough time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Asella took my answer without any particular reaction. Thanks to that, I gained a very convenient excuse I could keep using. After this event comes the Magic Tournament. Asella plans to participate directly. Now that I thought about it, where was Seymour? I hadn¡¯t seen a single trace of him all day. Maybe he didn¡¯t come to the tournament at all. Asella would probably know. ¡°Your Highness, may I ask a question?¡± ¡°...¡± For some reason, Asella didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°...Ah, yes?¡± She finally turned her head, startled, as if she¡¯d just realized I was talking. ¡°Is the Sage not attending today?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not... huuuh.¡± Wait a second¡ªdid Asella just use the wrong honorific? She took a deep breath, then returned to her usual expression and narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°You dare ask me such a trivial thing while I¡¯m in deep thought?¡± ¡°I have committed a grave sin.¡± She looked like she¡¯d taken offense again, so I immediately bowed my head in apology. ...She didn¡¯t respond. I tensed, wondering if I¡¯d crossed a dangerous line¡ªwhen her now-composed voice reached my ears. ¡°Raise your head.¡± ¡°Am I forgiven? Will I not be executed?¡± ¡°No. Because if you died¡ª¡± Asella trailed off, muttering to herself again. ¡°...There¡¯d be no one left to heal me.¡± *** ¡°Now look closely, and witness the glorious might of Tojin Palace¡¯s knights! Each suit of armor is crafted from thorium by dwarven artisans! And we¡¯ve got two hundred of them! Of course we¡¯ll be the last ones standing!¡± Georg roared with pride from the spectator stands, puffed up with confidence. Indeed, his knight corps, including Regiment 2 from the southern garrison, looked exceptionally well-prepared. ¡°Oppa, you¡¯re gonna get wrecked again if you keep showing off like that. My Geumseo Palace knights are strong too, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°Please. They¡¯re still wheezing their way into the arena post-plague. My knights, on the other hand, got special care from the Medical Institute.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so petty.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s all about what you can pull off before the match even starts. His Majesty values influence inside the palace, after all.¡± Georg wasn¡¯t wrong. The condition of one¡¯s knights¡ªincluding the quality of their armor¡ªwas a reflection of the faction leader¡¯s capabilities. ¡°Falkenhein! There won¡¯t be any screw-ups this time, right?!¡± Georg snapped, and Falkenhein stepped forward. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. The knights have been strictly managed and are in perfect condition.¡± ¡°Good.¡± With the booming of a giant drum, the battle commenced. The knight corps¡¯ roar shot into the sky with enough force to punch through the clouds. Over a thousand knights stormed into the ? N§àv§Ö¢ñight ? (Read more on our source) arena. Each faction started from their own base camp, navigating treacherous terrain to strike the enemy. There¡¯s no way we can win in a head-on clash with Georg¡¯s knights. The gap created by his wealth and resources couldn¡¯t be closed by skill alone. Even though the weapons were standardized for non-lethal use, taking a hit still caused injury. And armor quality played a huge role in sustained combat. To make matters worse, we were using Company 1, who¡¯d only been hastily trained. Tactical superiority wasn¡¯t easy to establish. No matter how strong Tanya was, she was still just one person. Which is why we need Lauga. Boom! Dirt flew in the distance. The impact of dozens of shields clashing at once echoed like a drumbeat. The real skirmish had begun. Formations were already collapsing, with knights falling left and right. ¡°What the hell?! That unit¡ª!¡± Georg peered through his binoculars and ground his teeth. His banner was already tumbling in the dirt. ¡°Lauga! That¡¯s your unit! Why are they launching a preemptive attack on my knights?!¡± Lauga giggled behind her hand at the sight of a flustered Georg. ¡°This is still the scouting phase. You won¡¯t win if you just charge in blindly, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to win. Festivals are fun as long as they¡¯re entertaining. Oppa, just sit back and enjoy it.¡± Georg sighed in disbelief at her shameless attitude. ¡°Anyone can see that was a malicious attack!¡± ¡°Oh, come on. I do have strategy, you know.¡± ¡°What about that is strategic?!¡± And to be fair, Georg¡¯s reaction made sense. Lauga¡¯s knights hadn¡¯t even drawn weapons. They were just charging recklessly while carrying giant barrels. Inside the barrels: sticky slime mucus. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It didn¡¯t have any special effect¡ªit was just gross. Caught off guard, Georg¡¯s formation began to crumble. ¡°Who are these lunatics?! All they do is charge!¡± ¡°Get back! Get that sticky crap away from me!¡± Lauga¡¯s knights clung to them like zombies, smearing them with slime. ¡°You jerks! You¡¯re the only ones who got cured¡ªso unfair!¡± ¡°We got dragged here with burning fevers! We¡¯ll give you our plague!¡± Forget honorable battle¡ªthis was a drunken street brawl. The Emperor roared with laughter at the sight. Clearly not because he was impressed by Georg. ¡°My knight corps!! What did I do to deserve this from you, Lauga?!¡± ¡°You stole the cake that was delivered to me last month. You forgot already?¡± ¡°Cake?! You ruined this whole tournament over a cake?!¡± ¡°¡®Just a cake¡¯? It was a rare cake made by a royal patissier, only twenty a day!¡± ¡°It was imported from an enemy nation! For heaven¡¯s sake!¡± Georg clutched his head and collapsed into his chair. I turned my eyes to the field. The Moonlight Palace knights steadily claimed the high ground, avoiding other factions and minimizing losses. Up front, Tanya was mowing down enemies like autumn leaves. At this rate, we could expect a pretty solid result. I walked up to Asella and struck up conversation. ¡°Your Highness, the Second Prince appears to be suffering from a headache.¡± ¡°Indeed he does.¡± ¡°Shall I lend him some aspirin?¡± Asella chuckled at my joke. Chapter 39: The Martial Arts Tournament (5) ¡°Enemy cavalry is launching a surprise attack from the rear! Hold formation!¡± Under the Moonlight Palace captain¡¯s command, the knights moved in flawless unison. After breaking through the knights of the Royal Prince¡¯s army¡ªone of the Emperor¡¯s nephews¡ªthey aimed to seize the next high ground. It was an ideal position to scout the entire battlefield. ¡°That northern knight¡¯s pretty tough.¡± ¡°She¡¯s been leading the charge solo since the ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) start. No wonder she won the individual match.¡± ¡°I heard she¡¯s from the Gotberg Marquisate. Thought they only raised healers, but I guess that house breeds talent.¡± The Emperor watched Tanya and exchanged impressions with his fellow royal princes. ¡°She seems very loyal to the Marquisate. If they can field a knight like that, then Gotberg¡¯s heir must be quite the youth.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he appointed personal physician to the Third Princess?¡± ¡°Anyone who can cast blessings over an entire knight corps must be the real deal.¡± Dust clouds billowed across the battlefield in the wake of a heated clash. ¡°My knight corps!!¡± Tojin Palace¡¯s knights had already fallen in mutual destruction with Lauga¡¯s forces. Georg tore at his hair in despair over his faction¡¯s humiliating defeat, having achieved nothing in the mock battle. The Moonlight Palace knights had charged ahead with momentum, but by the latter half of the fight, their limits were starting to show. They¡¯d done well to provoke the remaining two enemy units into fighting each other during the final three-way skirmish. But the surviving corps from that clash still had overwhelming momentum. Heike¡¯s knights. Heike wasn¡¯t in the spectator stands¡ªbecause she was in the arena herself, on horseback, leading her troops directly. Like Georg, she was dead serious about inheriting the throne. An ambitious, ruthless woman. ¡°Victory is within reach! Advance!¡± Galloping across the battlefield, her full, golden hair whipping behind her muscular and statuesque frame¡ªshe looked like a painting come to life. She resembled Asella, but with a sturdier build. Our Company 1 may have technically been part of the Imperial Knights, but they were still ordinary soldiers. They couldn¡¯t match the elite knights under Heike. Moonlight Palace¡¯s forces weren¡¯t being completely overwhelmed, but they were clearly outnumbered. Eventually, Tanya and the remaining twenty knights were surrounded by Heike¡¯s elites. ¡°You there¡ªnew knight from the North.¡± Heike pointed her sword at Tanya and shouted. Her voice boomed across the arena, amplified by a magical loudspeaker. ¡°You must see the state of the battle. The outcome is clear. Will you persist in this meaningless resistance?¡± She was pressuring us to surrender. Asella realized the implications and frowned deeply. ¡°Haha, urging loyalty¡¯s collapse from the enemy¡¯s best knight? Cold move, Sister Heike.¡± Georg smugly explained the situation to Asella, trying to provoke her. I understood what he meant, of course. Even if this was just a festival mock battle, and even if Heike was technically Asella¡¯s sibling, in palace politics, they were enemy factions. By suggesting surrender first, Heike had framed a tactically sound retreat as cowardice¡ªa betrayal. Cunning, for someone aiming at the throne. Now Moonlight Palace¡¯s knights had only one option: to fight to the bitter end. But that would lead to a humiliating beatdown. And Asella would lose the Emperor¡¯s favor. Heike had laid down a ruthlessly efficient trap in just a few words. ¡°...Tch.¡± Asella clicked her tongue. I leaned close and whispered. ¡°Your Highness, let¡¯s wait just a little longer.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Excessive stress inhibits digestion and causes sleep disorders.¡± ¡°...Huu. Took a hit there. I knew Heike¡¯s knights were strong, but still.¡± ¡°We only need to establish justification.¡± ¡°You have a plan?¡± I nodded. ¡°I already instructed Tanya on how to respond to a situation like this.¡± Asella turned her gaze back to the battlefield. Tanya lowered her sword and stepped forward to meet Heike¡¯s gaze. ¡°Have you chosen to surrender?¡± ¡°The reason Moonlight Palace¡¯s knights will cease battle here is...¡± Tanya removed the gauntlet from her arm and held it up to the crowd. Her arm was marked with various wounds and abrasions from the fight. ¡°...because continuing would show disrespect to the lord we serve.¡± She pulled a red potion from her coat and applied it to her wounds. A gentle glow signaled the beginning of healing. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that?¡± The Emperor, watching the scene, leaned forward in interest. Tanya continued. ¡°This is a wound-healing medicine crafted through alchemy. My master, Lord Las Gotberg, prepared it for me.¡± Her declaration caused a stir in the audience. ¡°Alchemy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an artifact?¡± ¡°Treating wounds without healing magic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Gotberg, the royal physician!¡± After carefully placing the red vial back into her coat, Tanya held up her now-healed arm for all to see. ¡°My master has poured his utmost effort not only into the Princess¡¯s care but also for the health of Moonlight Palace¡¯s knights. If I were to continue this fight...¡± She narrowed her eyes at Heike. ¡°...I would be stealing my master¡¯s time and labor. That would directly jeopardize the health of Her Highness Asella, and that would be disrespectful.¡± Nice. She¡¯s got a good mouth on her. Guess all that training in our Marquisate paid off. ¡°For those reasons, and in loyalty to Her Highness Asella, our knights hereby acknowledge defeat and withdraw from the mock battle.¡± Once Tanya finished, the crowd erupted into applause. Cheers of encouragement for a beautiful loser. ¡°The winner of the team mock battle has been decided!¡± The announcer¡¯s voice echoed through the Colosseum as knights began to calmly withdraw from the field. Heike stared daggers at Tanya¡¯s retreating figure before glancing up at our viewing stand, a crooked smile on her lips. Only half of her blood was royal, but the smile she wore had that same eerie quality all royals seemed to share. ¡°Physician, was that your doing?¡± As the noise in the arena swelled, Asella asked me a question. ¡°Yes. I¡¯d heard Princess Heike might personally take the field, so I prepared the red potion just in case something like this happened.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Did it displease you? I could¡¯ve had Tanya rehearse her lines a bit more thoroughly...¡± ¡°...No. We¡¯ll talk later.¡± Asella turned her head sharply, hiding her expression from me. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. *** After a short break came the Magic Tournament. They¡¯d packed all the highlights of the tournament into Day One. Apparently, the schedule was arranged this way for the Emperor¡¯s health. Day Two would be a wild fest of performances from the palace orchestra and kitchen staff. And on the morning of Day Three, we¡¯d all return to the palace. I had to monitor Asella the entire time, so I wasn¡¯t sure how long my focus would hold out. ¡°A mage from the Second Prince¡¯s faction is up now. The crowd seems to like him.¡± I peered through the waiting room¡¯s curtains and relayed the arena scene to her. ¡°They didn¡¯t even have any court magicians before. Must¡¯ve begged Her Majesty to lend them a few disciples.¡± Asella spoke irritably. The maids were adjusting her new outfit and reapplying her makeup. She was changing into her mage robes for the tournament. The staff she held in one hand had an elaborate ornament on top and looked a bit too heavy for her frame. She flipped her high-pinned hair with a swish and asked: ¡°Does it suit me?¡± ¡°More graceful than any Archmage I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got that silver tongue by birth, don¡¯t you?¡± She snapped back, but didn¡¯t seem displeased with the compliment. She sat quietly at the table, waiting for her turn. Now it was my job. I pumped the cuff and checked her blood pressure. ...105 over 50. A bit hypotensive as usual, but within range. Used a thermometer I¡¯d made¡ª35.8 degrees Celsius. I recorded the numbers in my notebook. ¡°What¡¯re you writing so much for?¡± ¡°These are all essential numbers for Your Highness.¡± ¡°You always carry that notebook around, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. Oh, please be careful not to expose it¡ªit contains top-level secrets, including data about Your Highness.¡± Asella glanced at the notebook. I kept the ingredients and formulas for my medicines written in there. Might be useful if I ever decide to write a book, so I treat it with care. ¡°Lastly, I¡¯ll check your pulse.¡± When I reached for her wrist, she pulled her arm back slightly. ¡°Do we have to do this every time?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s part of your mana circuit check. Especially today, we need to confirm everything is normal.¡± ¡°I already checked this morning. My mana¡¯s flowing like the Nekaa River.¡± ¡°That was ten hours ago.¡± ¡°...Seriously.¡± She scowled, then reluctantly offered me her right arm. Her wrist was so slender, I could wrap my thumb and middle finger around it and still have room to spare. Blood pressure and heart rate aren¡¯t directly correlated, so both had to be measured. If one was off baseline, it meant something was wrong. Of course, using a stethoscope would¡¯ve been easier¡ªbut if I did, she¡¯d probably say her soul was being sucked out through her chest. Ba-dump, ba-dump. I manually checked her pulse through the artery. ¡°All normal. As always, Your Highness has a fast heartbeat despite low blood pressure. Could just be your constitution, but I¡¯m a little concerned.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t ignore your physician¡¯s medical advice. You must be aware of your own condition for me to¡ªow.¡± Asella slapped the back of my hand, frowning. She was definitely the type of kid who hated hospitals growing up. Probably too clever to fall for bribes like ¡°I¡¯ll buy you pork cutlets.¡± More likely, she¡¯d dunk me in oil and turn me into a pork cutlet. ¡°Respiratory rate would be good to check too.¡± ¡°Breathing? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Like this.¡± I held my index and middle fingers horizontally under her nose. Asella didn¡¯t move her upper body, but jerked her face back like a turtle hiding in its shell. ¡°Just breathe normally. Respiratory rate is also a vital metric. Your Highness¡ªif you hold your breath, I can¡¯t measure anything.¡± ¡°You!¡± She slapped my hand again and stood up abruptly. Gripping her staff, her golden eyes flared with fury. Yeah, she looked more powerful than ever right now. Cheers rang out from outside. The Second Prince¡¯s faction had finished their magic display. Which meant Asella¡¯s turn was next. Only then did she rein in her hostility and straighten her staff. ¡°Good luck out there.¡± Asella didn¡¯t respond to my send-off. She walked out of the waiting room with firm, deliberate steps. Chapter 40: The Princess and the Personal Physician (1) ¡°Asella.¡± A cold voice rang in Asella¡¯s ears as she walked from the waiting room toward the arena. The guards and handmaidens took a step back. Click, clack. Camilla approached Asella with the sharp sound of her heels echoing through the corridor. Asella looked at her without responding. ¡°So now you don¡¯t even bother greeting me. Where did you learn such insolence? Are you just completely giving up on appearances now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for me to present myself before His Majesty. Would you kindly not get in my way?¡± ¡°Hah! The way you talk! Do you think you can impress His Majesty with some magic you practiced without me? My personal disciples already finished their demonstrations! They showed Fourth-Tier magic!¡± Reaching the Fourth Tier meant one had already achieved greatness as a mage. Camilla had indeed proven her competence by taking such individuals as her disciples. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Those who failed to gain entrance into the Mage Tower often sought her out just for the chance to train under her. Of course, very few lasted long under Camilla¡¯s harsh temperament. Only three mages had participated in today¡¯s contest. And the Imperial Palace already had a Sage. In truth, it wasn¡¯t enough to shift power dynamics in favor of Moonlight Palace. But on a special occasion like today, things were different. Camilla had handed over mages who could have supported Asella¡¯s performance¡ªstraight to Georg. Asella couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed by that. Camilla didn¡¯t trust her as a daughter. She was merely a tool to seize imperial power. So far, she had been the most manageable option¡ªnothing more. If that changed, Camilla would simply switch to her backup plan: Georg. That was all Asella ever was to her. ¡°Mother, I have one question.¡± ¡°You think you have the right to ask me anything?¡± ¡°Why do you need the Emperor? Don¡¯t you already enjoy power as the Empress?¡± At Asella¡¯s question, Camilla let out a short laugh through her nose. ¡°A brat like you wouldn¡¯t understand! I need the Emperor¡¯s power to finally realize my noble ideals.¡± The current Emperor, though aged, still possessed sharp judgment. He had taken Camilla as Empress only to forge a weapon named Asella¡ªand now, she was all but abandoned in the remote Moonlight Palace. Perhaps Camilla thought that if she became the true power behind the Emperor, she could finally reign supreme. Asella could only marvel at how simplistic that thinking was. ¡°Georg, that boy is useful. He¡¯s ambitious and has a natural talent for succession. He¡¯s so full of pride that he won¡¯t eliminate a threat unless it directly harms his interests.¡± Camilla¡¯s voice grew stronger with conviction. ¡°Asella, I raised you as a mother. Didn¡¯t you also dream of ascending the throne? What foolish obsession has possessed you that you¡¯d act so recklessly?!¡± As Camilla shouted, Asella blinked once. Her hand unconsciously tightened around her staff. It was a reflex¡ªa result of the special training she had received. ...The dream of becoming Emperor... Was only ever your dream. ¡°...Hoo.¡± Asella steadied her breathing. She recalled the advice of her personal physician. Breathing rate was crucial. It helped regulate the heartbeat and eased tension. ...And indeed, even in Camilla¡¯s presence, she now felt a surprising sense of calm. With her eyes open, Asella concealed her emotions behind a blank face and stated evenly: ¡°Watch my magic, Mother.¡± Leaving the fuming Camilla behind, Asella walked down the corridor. ¡°Next up, representing Moonlight Palace in the magical exhibition! None other than Her Highness, the Third Princess, Asella von W¨¹rttempelt!¡± Following the announcer¡¯s voice, Asella stepped into the center of the arena. The terrain used for the group match had already been cleared, leaving behind a clean stage. Asella recalled the magic circle she had learned from Seymour and raised her staff. ¨DPsh! The magic activated. The formula in Asella¡¯s mind was channeled through her staff and constructed into a smooth, stable form. Her golden mana shimmered brilliantly, forming a flawless circle without the slightest distortion. ¡°Oho, that¡¯s sharp.¡± ¡°They say the Sage has been teaching Her Highness Asella, haven¡¯t they?¡± The Emperor¡¯s siblings murmured their observations as they watched. Asella finished drawing the full array and moved into the casting phase. As mana flowed into the three drawn circles, they began to spin with a thunderous sound. As they interlocked to form a triangular prism-shaped space, particles of light gathered at the center and began to coalesce. It was a statue of the Emperor, depicted in a majestic pose. ¡°Bringer. That¡¯s a transportation spell.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the spell that conveniently summons objects from afar? I heard it¡¯s a fairly difficult Third-Tier magic.¡± ¡°Hoho, seems Her Highness Asella learned quite a bit from the Sage, wouldn¡¯t you say, Brother?¡± At the Emperor¡¯s brother¡¯s praise, the Emperor silently stroked his chin. Indeed, the magic Asella had shown was brilliant, especially for her age¡ªit was undeniably genius. ¡°But she¡¯s not the only one.¡± They said even the Sage Seymour had reached the Fourth Tier ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) by the age of ten. As though it were only natural to compare her to a once-in-two-centuries prodigy, the Emperor withheld his admiration. Just as he had sneered at Georg¡¯s knights during the group match¡ªhis standards were uncompromising. ¡°If that¡¯s all, I¡¯m disappointed.¡± The Emperor leaned his chin into his hand, his expression dull. Asella was a magical weapon crafted by embracing the witch Camilla into the royal family. She had not one, but two distinct magical talents. The Emperor expected more than this. ¡°Hah, only a measly Third-Tier spell? Even the court mages who set up the stage for the group match could cast Bringer.¡± Georg clenched his fist, sensing he had gained another step toward victory. ¡°If it¡¯s a transportation spell, she should¡¯ve shown Teleport instead of Bringer. Pathetic.¡± Lauga scolded the excited Georg. ¡°Teleport is a large-scale Fifth-Tier spell. It needs tons of materials and multiple mages. Try making sense, will you?¡± ¡°Magic is for mages to play with. A ruler doesn¡¯t have time for such trifles, Lauga.¡± ¡°You sound like a young boomer.¡± Lauga waved her hand as if shooing away a foul smell. Georg folded his arms, hiding his annoyance. Asella, seemingly unfazed by the lukewarm reactions of the crowd, didn¡¯t pause¡ªshe immediately began drawing her next spell. ¡°She¡¯s still going?¡± Georg furrowed his brow in concentration. This time, she drew four magic circles. A Fourth-Tier spell. ¡°Wait¡ªhow did she just build that?¡± Lauga, who had been watching Asella closely, suddenly tilted her head in confusion. The structure of Asella¡¯s magic circles was overlapping in a strange way¡ªforming a geometric pattern that made no sense. ¡°What spell is that?¡± ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯ve never seen that formation before...¡± The Emperor¡¯s siblings and children looked bewildered, unable to identify it. Then¡ªshrrrk. Asella drew one more circle and threaded it through the center. ¡°Is that a Fifth-Tier spell?!¡± ¡°No¡ªit¡¯s not a direct connection. If we had to classify it, it¡¯s more like an advanced Fourth-Tier... What kind of formula is that?¡± ¡°Wait¡ªdon¡¯t tell me...¡± One of the Emperor¡¯s brothers, well-versed in magic, nodded with a tense expression. ¡°It¡¯s a new spell. Her Highness Asella just invented a spell.¡± The Emperor¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly. With calm, measured breathing, Asella softly chanted: ¡°Recall.¡± ¨DKAGAGAK!! Golden mana swirled in violent rotation. From the structure shaped like a tesseract, particles began to materialize. The effect was similar to teleportation. When the spell completed, something appeared that had not been there before. A spell to bring forth something that did not exist in this space. And what Asella had summoned¡ª ¡°A hatchling?!¡± ¡°W-what?!¡± ¡ªwas a dragon hatchling. A palm-sized red lizard blinked around, seemingly its first time seeing a human. With a flutter, it spread its tiny wings and perched on the statue of the Emperor. Burp¡ªit let out a hiccup of mana that expelled a small flame. ¡°My God, did Her Highness Asella just use a transportation spell on a living creature?!¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that Teleport?!¡± ¡°Teleport is for moving the caster or opening a gate! There¡¯s no known magic that moves other living beings!¡± The stands erupted in chaos. Asella, filled with pride at her success, allowed herself the faintest smile. Seymour had told her she had a gift for spatial magic¡ªBringer, Teleport, Summon. In broader terms: space-time. Only those with a different perception of the world could achieve such things. ¡°Recall¡± was a spell she had invented for today¡¯s exhibition. A magic that existed nowhere else in the world¡ªsurely even the Emperor would reward such genius. Or so Asella thought. But¡ª ¡°Your Majesty, you must silence everyone who witnessed that spell immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, if word of this spreads, it will cause massive upheaval.¡± The Emperor¡¯s siblings and children grew hysterical. Even the Emperor was staring at Asella with a grave expression. A cold gaze¡ªas if weighing her value against fate. Why? Asella couldn¡¯t quite understand the reaction. Most of the knights, servants, and spectators were applauding her. Only the higher-ranking nobles, the ones with deep knowledge of magic, looked disturbed. ...Ah. Only then did Asella realize her mistake. The Emperor nodded slowly. ¡°Indeed... that is a dangerous magic.¡± *** ¡°Why are they reacting like that?¡± The head maid asked nervously. I had been watching Asella¡¯s exhibition from the succession seats. ¡°I can more or less guess.¡± Asella¡¯s performance had more than proven her competence. So competent, in fact, that it was a problem. ¡°Hah. Asella. Just like her mother¡ªso arrogant. I knew she¡¯d screw up eventually. She should know her place. Who does that tiny brat think she is, aiming for the succession?¡± Georg laughed gleefully, mocking Asella. Honestly, that pissed me off a bit. I knew how hard Asella worked in Seymour¡¯s lessons. It¡¯s not like she did anything wrong by putting in the effort. [No. 012: Fall of the Empire 52% ¡ú 92%] She barely managed to pull off that spell she worked so hard on, and this is the reaction she gets? Anyone would want to throw the whole thing away. I took a step forward. ¡°Doctor?¡± The head maid called from behind. ¡°Prince Georg, I have a few words for you.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Georg turned, frowning at me. Looks like you¡¯re the designated jackass of the imperial family. Well, I used to be the village¡¯s local jackass myself. Chapter 41: The Princess and the Personal Physician (2) ¡°Wasn¡¯t he Asella¡¯s personal physician? Gor... what was it?¡± Georg spoke with deliberate disrespect, sneering as he did. I gave him a fresh, pleasant smile and replied: ¡°Gotberg. I¡¯d appreciate it if Your Highness could remember it from now on.¡± ¡°So then, why did you dare interrupt the viewing and speak without being called? Can¡¯t Asella even manage her own subordinates properly?¡± I clasped my hands behind my back and asked him a question. ¡°You witnessed Her Highness¡¯s magic demonstration, didn¡¯t you? Do you understand what the issue was just now?¡± ¡°What? That is...¡± Georg furrowed his brow. He didn¡¯t understand magic¡ªhe¡¯d just gauged his reaction based on the Emperor¡¯s expression. ¡°There are several types of spatial magic.¡± First Princess Heike, who had remained quiet until now, spoke in a low voice. ¡°For example, Bringer can¡¯t retrieve someone else¡¯s belongings, and Summon only calls contracted spirits. What Asella showed was an entirely new spell.¡± Heike narrowed her eyes at me, sharp as a blade. ¡°Physician, do you know what part of that magic is dangerous?¡± I answered, hitting the core. ¡°It¡¯s a spell that can instantly bring any living being to the caster¡¯s side. The key is not the object¡ªbut that it summons a creature.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite educated for a physician.¡± Heike nodded. ¡°Imagine if that spell became widespread. What if the enemy used it to kidnap His Majesty the Emperor? It would be a direct threat to the throne.¡± Only then did Lauga nod as if she understood. Heike continued explaining. ¡°She summoned a red dragon hatchling. That¡¯s a monster that only inhabits the Midrealm. The range of that spell must be enormous.¡± Her eyes were firm, uncompromising. Emboldened by her backing, Georg smugly swept back his hair. ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying. What if Asella betrays the Empire¡ªwhat would happen then?¡± ¡°Her Highness is a member of the royal family. If she were to betray anyone...¡± I spoke with deliberate emphasis. ¡°...it would only be the kind of vulgar, ignorant scoundrel who spouts nonsense without understanding a thing.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± At my jab, Lauga burst into laughter. Georg looked around, not quite getting it. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°I was talking about myself. Her Highness is always scolding me for my crude manners. But, Prince Georg...¡± I took a step closer. Close enough that only his siblings would hear me. ¡°Are you sure you should be behaving this way? If you were to suffer a critical injury, there¡¯s no guarantee Sir Falkenhein would be there to save you.¡± Only then did Georg realize my intent. His face stiffened completely. Cold fury flickered in his eyes. ¡°Are you threatening me, court physician?¡± ¡°Heavens, no. I merely voiced my concern as a physician, worried about Your Highness¡¯s wellbeing.¡± I grinned slyly, letting it sink in. Neither Asella nor I are people you can just mock without consequence. ¡°If our Princess casts her new magic again, you could vanish without a trace. Have you not noticed why the other royals are choosing to keep their mouths shut?¡± ¡°...What?¡± A flicker of fear passed over Georg¡¯s brow. Asella¡¯s Recall spell. With it, a person could be summoned from anywhere on the continent, no matter what protection they had. Georg was clearly rattled¡ªbut he didn¡¯t back down completely. Instead, he fanned the flames. ¡°Treason. Physician, I will have your head struck off at once.¡± ¡°Mine? I don¡¯t recall saying or doing anything treasonous.¡± ¡°You just did! You threatened the life of a Prince of the Empire!¡± ¡°Oh, did I? Lauga, would you be willing to testify that I made a treasonous remark?¡± Lauga giggled as she watched us bicker. ¡°Mmm... I¡¯m not really sure~?¡± ¡°What...! Someone else must¡¯ve heard!¡± Georg gritted his teeth and looked around. But the only ones who had heard my words were other succession contenders¡ªall enemies of his. None had any reason to help him. ¡°You... you¡ª!¡± Georg jabbed a finger at me, veins bulging in his neck¡ªbut there was nothing else he could do. We were in enemy territory. In a twisted way, this was a rare chance to attack an enemy safely. Georg¡¯s rabid dog temperament needed to be reined in a bit. The Fall of the Empire bad ending happens because of the hatred Asella holds toward the Imperial Palace. Anything that¡¯s in her way needs to be swept aside. ¡°Like mother, like daughter... Hah! She¡¯s the witch¡¯s child, after all! You¡¯re betting everything on Asella becoming the next emperor, but it¡¯ll never happen¡ªnot even if the world flips upside down!¡± Oh? Is that so. ¡°Sooner or later, the price of that inserted magic talent will devour her! When Moonlight Palace collapses, I¡¯ll personally take your head too, physician!¡± Something caught my attention. Come to think of it¡ªGeorg seemed to know about the second magical talent implanted into Asella. ¡°Ah, the price, you say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s the witch¡¯s curse. She¡¯s fated to self-destruct without anyone lifting a finger! You fool!¡± Now this I wanted to hear more about. I was just wondering how to coax more out of him when¡ª ¨DWHOOOSH!! The sky darkened. A massive shadow fell over us. ¡°What...?¡± Georg looked up in alarm. A trumpet blared, followed by frantic shouting. ¡°Enemy attack! We¡¯re under attack!!¡± The stands exploded into chaos. Guards rushed in to escort the princes and princesses to safety, knights prepared for battle, and personal attendants¡ªincluding me¡ªgot swept into the confusion. I didn¡¯t know the full situation, but this was my chance. ¡°Your Highness! It¡¯s dangerous! Take cover!¡± ¡°Urgh?!¡± Before the guards could reach us, I lunged at Georg. Feigning protection, I tackled him to the ground. ¨DTHUD! ¡°Ow!¡± [Diagnosis activated] [Injury status: Bruising] [Injury location: Back of head] Oops. I accidentally tackled him too hard. He slammed the back of his head against the floor. I¡¯ll rub some ointment on him later. We disappeared into the fray of bodies. The guards would find us soon¡ªthere wasn¡¯t much time. I pinned him down, holding his arms. He wasn¡¯t very strong, fortunately. ¡°Aagh! You insane¡ªinsane bastard!¡± ¡°Your Highness, just answer one question and I¡¯ll put in a good word about you to Princess Asella.¡± ¡°What! What question?!¡± He responded instantly¡ªso deep down, he must¡¯ve been afraid of her. His adrenaline was through the roof. ¡°How was Her Highness¡¯s magic talent implanted?¡± At my question, Georg sneered wide. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re her physician and you didn¡¯t know? Asella was made as a magical weapon from the very beginning. I saw it myself when I was a child. That¡¯s why she¡¯ll never be fit to rule!¡± ¡°How was she made?¡± His eyes wild with adrenaline, Georg shouted: ¡°They inserted it. Empress Camilla stuffed the soul of a Grand Witch into her womb with black magic! That¡¯s how she inherited the talent¡ªand the curse!¡± So that was it. No wonder Georg always mocked Asella. He must¡¯ve been haunted by what he¡¯d seen as a child. He wanted to hide his fear, but couldn¡¯t ignore how powerful she¡¯d become¡ªso he buttered up to her by funding Moonlight Palace. ¡°Thank you for the answer. Please evacuate safely.¡± I grabbed Georg by the collar and pulled him to his feet. ¡°Prince Georg is here and unharmed!¡± I handed him off to the royal guards. One more mystery solved. Asella¡¯s magical talent wasn¡¯t entirely her own. Black magic, huh. That meant demonic magic. No wonder even my diagnosis couldn¡¯t detect it. Well¡ªno time for side details now. First, I had to find Asella. *** After completing her magical demonstration, Asella bit down on her lower lip. Her grip on the staff tightened unconsciously. ...Urgh. A sharp pain pierced her side. Lower left abdomen. The advanced Fourth-Tier spell had demanded too much of her mana and concentration. Whenever she used too much magic, the price of her talent would strike her like this. Her thighs trembled from the pain, as if she might collapse at any moment. ...Still, if His Majesty gives a high score... Then it would all be worth it. Asella looked toward the Emperor seated in the distant royal box. The man she had never once had a personal conversation with¡ªnot even a single one since childhood. A father she knew only through formal titles and records. She could tell what he was saying just from the way his lips moved. ¡ªA monster. Looking down at her, the Emperor shook his head and turned back to converse with the other princes. Is that all? Asella lowered her gaze. Toward the section of the stands where the other royal children were seated. Georg, Lauga, Heike, Gunther. All of them feared her. She had thought that if she presented a new spell¡ªif she showed them something never seen before¡ªeven if they didn¡¯t praise her, they would at least acknowledge her. She had practiced so many times. Repeated again and again, relentlessly, to prepare for this martial arts tournament. ...It hurts. Her stomach ached. No¡ªmore than that. Her chest throbbed with shame and rage toward herself for having held out hope for approval from the imperial family. Only now did Asella understand. The Imperial Family is the enemy. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There were no siblings here. No relatives. And her mother... she decided to put on hold. After all, Camilla had given birth to her, had raised her. But if she were to become Emperor, a purge of the Imperial Family for the sake of national stability would be seen as only natural. ...No, that¡¯s not it. Maybe it wasn¡¯t about reform. Maybe what she really wanted... was to watch the entire palace burn. The pain spreading from her abdomen fed into a growing vortex of dark thoughts. Anger, hatred, injustice¡ªall of it seeped into her mind like poison. And just as those sticky emotions threatened to consume her¡ª ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!¡± Someone shouted, and the loud blare of an emergency trumpet rang out. Every knight gathered in the coliseum stood at once, drawing their swords. The Emperor¡¯s royal guard moved in to escort him away first. What...? It didn¡¯t take long for Asella to understand what was happening. Before the knights could even fully assume battle stances, the sky went completely black. ¡ªWHOOOSH! A gale swept across the coliseum, and a massive figure loomed overhead, casting a shadow that swallowed her whole. ¡°...Ah.¡± Asella let out a small gasp at the sight. Death mana¡ªblack mana¡ªradiated from the creature overhead. A death dragon had spread its enormous wings wide above the coliseum. ¡°A dragon! A dragon just appeared!¡± ¡°Where did it come from?!¡± ¡°The Princess must¡¯ve summoned it!¡± Panic erupted across the audience. Asella, her hair whipping in the wind created by the dragon¡¯s wings, shook her head. ...No. It wasn¡¯t me. She couldn¡¯t summon something that massive. Could someone have mimicked her spell after seeing it just once? But unless they were an archmage, there was no way anyone could comprehend the construction formula from a single observation. She shook her head again, trying to clear her thoughts. What¡¯s important now¡ª Trying to understand the situation first would be too slow. Dragons loved prey saturated with mana. With Seymour absent, Asella herself would be the most appetizing target in this place. And ironically, the most effective weapon against a dragon¡ªwas also magic. I have to...! Acting on instinct, Asella swung her staff to cast a spell. With her mana nearly depleted, she forcefully burned her dried-out mana circuits to generate a cluster of ice spears. ¨DKRAKAKAKANG!! The lances of ice shot toward the death dragon. But the shallow attack only enraged it. What the hell is this? She didn¡¯t even know why the dragon had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Why she was being ignored and treated like nothing at the very tournament she had prepared so thoroughly for. Why she had to suppress this boiling fury on her face just because she was a /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ princess. ...If this was how it was going to be¡ªthen maybe it would be better if everything just... perished. ¡°Your Highness.¡± A voice reached her ear. The same voice she heard every morning, every noon, every evening. Asella called his name as well. ¡°Las.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s me.¡± Las reached out and grabbed Asella¡¯s arm. Chapter 42: The Princess and the Personal Physician (3) I jumped down into the arena and sprinted straight toward Asella. Every time the enormous black death dragon above us flapped its wings, a sandstorm kicked up across the field. Wilhelm, the Death Dragon. One of the Four Heavenly Kings. There was no way I could be mistaken. No matter how dragon-like it was, I had seen that face hundreds of times. We¡¯d fought countless battles. It wasn¡¯t wearing its adamantium armor, and it was smaller than I remembered. Still in its juvenile stage¡ªbefore it rose to become one of the Four Heavenly Kings. The reason it suddenly appeared must be... I had a pretty good idea. Asella¡¯s Recall spell¡ªmagic that could summon a living being to the caster¡¯s side. Even ten years later, Asella remained the only person who could use it. She must have continued developing Recall, raising its tier, and eventually used it to summon an entire dragon corps. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Someone just saw Asella¡¯s spell and mimicked it immediately. A mage capable of understanding a new spell on first sight and casting it with more power than Asella. Seymour hadn¡¯t shown up to the tournament¡ªso that left only one culprit. Empress Camilla. I¡¯d be sure to interrogate her later about what the hell she thought she was doing. Asella mentioned Wilhelm before... ¡ªNext is the death dragon subjugation, I believe. About ten years ago? I once crossed blades with that little black lizard. Had I known it would become a high-ranking officer in the Demon King¡¯s army, I¡¯d have made sure to crush its windpipe back then. ¡ªWhat¡¯s there to worry about? You had a Hero on your side. A monster like that should¡¯ve been easy. Easier said than done. I distinctly remember five full party wipes against Wilhelm. So that ¡°duel¡± Asella mentioned¡ªthat must be this moment. And now I could see clearly that her earlier boast was pure bluff. Even from afar, the way she stood was nothing like the image she¡¯d painted ten years later. Tense legs. White-knuckled hands gripping her staff. Teeth clenched so tightly they might shatter. Her body frozen in fear, muscles locked in place. Her upper body was hunched, instinctively guarding her abdomen¡ªthe kind of posture you take when the pain is too intense to stand. What crushing its windpipe. You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t die. [No. 101: Mana Rampage 4% ¡ú 71%] [Fluctuating] The probability of the Mana Rampage Ending¡ªtriggered by Asella¡¯s death¡ªwas skyrocketing. That death dragon was clearly a direct threat to her life right now. I can¡¯t just sit back and watch. If she dies before I treat the cost of her talents, her mana will rampage. It could wipe out the capital in a flash. And I¡¯d be caught in it too¡ªnot a chance I¡¯d survive. So this was, ultimately, self-defense. It wasn¡¯t pity. It wasn¡¯t some noble instinct to help a frightened girl standing alone before a deadly dragon. Her entire royal family was too busy saving their own skins to care¡ªwhat did that have to do with me? She¡¯s the one who killed me, over and over again. If anything, I¡¯m the one who deserves sympathy. And I¡¯m not some battle-hardened warrior¡ªI don¡¯t have the power to bring down a death dragon by myself. Still... It¡¯s a physician¡¯s duty to check on their patient¡¯s condition. Besides, I¡¯ve received quite a bit of support from Asella since my regression. Becoming the Imperial Court Physician made life a hell of a lot easier for me. So for now... No¡ªuntil our contract is over, I should assist her as much as possible. This is just payment. ¡°Your Highness!¡± I¡¯d almost reached her, but she didn¡¯t even react to my voice. She was that tense. Borderline panic. In cases like this, an external stimulus was needed. A slap would¡¯ve been the fastest way¡ªbut I didn¡¯t have the heart for that, so I grabbed her wrist and pulled. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Finally, Asella looked up at me. A swirl of golden mana turned in her eyes. ¡°Las.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°...What are you doing here?¡± Her voice was heavy with confusion. ¡°I told you¡ªtake this when you¡¯re in pain.¡± I pulled a vial from my coat pocket. The pills inside clinked as I opened it and took out a painkiller. ¡°...I don¡¯t want it. It¡¯s bitter.¡± ¡°Listen to your physician.¡± I brought the pill close to her lips. Just from touching her with my fingers, I could tell¡ªher breath was ragged and hot. She was struggling far more than I expected. If she refused, I¡¯d planned to force it in. But Asella accepted the pill I placed between her lips without much resistance. She swallowed it with a dry gulp. ¡°...Hoo.¡± Her breathing began to stabilize little by little. I gently dabbed the sweat beading on her forehead with a handkerchief. ¡°Feeling any better?¡± ¡°...My head¡¯s fuzzy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the painkiller kicking in¡ªand your mana¡¯s depleted. Fortunately, I¡¯ve got a mana replenishment shot as well. It¡¯s single-use, but it should let you cast Recall about three more times.¡± I took out a syringe-like injector from inside my coat. Asella, dazed, didn¡¯t recognize what it was and asked a nonsensical question. ¡°...Did you see my magic?¡± ¡°Of course. I watched it clearly from the viewing stands.¡± ¡°What did you think?¡± ¡°Elegant. Powerful. Brilliant.¡± ¡°...Right?¡± Asella let out a silly, sleepy smile, her eyelids fluttering. ¡°Though it¡¯d be a bit disappointing if that were your last spell.¡± ¡°Last? What do you mean¡ª¡± ¨DBOOM! A black orb exploded in the stands. A death dragon attack. The knights stationed there were swept up in a curse and thrown into the air. They¡¯d tried to get its attention by throwing spears¡ªand paid the price for it. The dragon turned its glowing eyes toward us. It seemed very interested in Asella. ¡°See that dragon? It¡¯s about to unleash a massive curse on every human in this arena. Tough luck, Las.¡± I smirked and stepped behind her, gripping both her shoulders. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± I gently pushed her forward, standing her tall and steady, facing the dragon. ¡°Your earlier ice spell just had poor elemental affinity. Wilhelm the Death Dragon isn¡¯t that hard to take down.¡± While I spoke, I discreetly injected the mana replenishment dose into her neck. ¡°Nngh, that stings.¡± ¡°Good. That means you¡¯re ready to fight.¡± Asella¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Fight? You want me to fight that thing?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I answered without hesitation. ¡°You are the most powerful mage here, Your Highness.¡± You¡¯re the only one who can stop that thing. So show me what you¡¯ve got, Asella. *** After the magical demonstration ended, the first emotion to flood Asella¡¯s mind was confusion. Her head was spinning with countless questions. Why hadn¡¯t her magic been recognized? What was her place in the Imperial Family? Had her mother truly given up on her? Would becoming Emperor really fix all of this? ...But more than anything, the biggest question in her heart was¡ª Why was Las here? No, if she thought about it, the answer was obvious. Las had always been by her side. From the very first time they met in the rose garden bursting with yellow blossoms. Was it because he was her fianc¨¦? Or because he was her personal physician? Every morning when she awoke, Las was there. Every night before bed, he was there. And even now¡ª ...Why is it that, at times like this, you¡¯re always... Right beside me? She couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask aloud. Because if he ever changed¡ªeven slightly¡ªbecause he realized her intent... She felt like their delicate relationship would crumble. Everyone who followed her had clear motives and was easy to read. Loyalty came with sweet rewards. No one in this age clung to honor without material gain. Her attendants obeyed out of duty and for the stability that came with their post. Her knights followed for the power and prestige of serving the future Emperor. But Las was different. He seemed loyal, yet always prioritized himself. He seemed obedient, but constantly tested her limits. He flattered well¡ªbut never until she told him to. Honestly, it felt like she had to beg for it. He wasn¡¯t clinging to her for money or power. Then was he just some rotten delinquent trying to exploit their engagement? If he were, it would¡¯ve been easier to deal with. She could¡¯ve locked him up like a fool husband and roamed the social world in freedom. But he was nothing like that. He was diligent, always making new discoveries in medicine, crafting manuals like clockwork. What exactly is this man after? That question was what first sparked Asella¡¯s interest in Las. He was the first person she couldn¡¯t read at all. And his surprisingly normal appearance¡ªso unlike the rumors¡ªonly made it harder to understand his motives. So if she asked him the wrong question now¡ª If she said something like ¡°Why did you come here to die?¡± Or ¡°Why go that far?¡± Or even ¡°Are you on my side?¡± Then the strange, fragile balance they¡¯d maintained until now might come crashing down. She was afraid of that. She didn¡¯t even understand why she was afraid¡ªperhaps due to her lack of experience. But ironically, thanks to that fear¡ª I can fight. Even as the death dragon bared its curses with dark energy swirling, she could grip her staff once more. Her mind was foggy from the medication. But Las¡¯s voice pierced through, clear and unwavering. ¡°Are you in a lot of pain?¡± Asella shook her head. It was a pain no healer had ever been able to fix. Las had erased it with just a single, tiny pill. If that wasn¡¯t magic, what was? His voice echoed through her mind. ¡°Listen closely, Your Highness. ¡ï ???????????????????????????????????? ¡ï Elemental magic won¡¯t work on the death dragon. Even though it¡¯s a dragon, its nature is fundamentally different. It¡¯s elementally immune¡ªvery high resistance.¡± Las rattled off terms she had never heard before. ¡°Use a different element. Light, if possible. He¡¯s still a juvenile. You can take him down.¡± ¡°With my magic? That dragon?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Las answered with firm conviction. ...Why was it? Asella, who had lived her whole life as a princess, perceiving everything in the world with perfect clarity¡ª In that moment, saw nothing but Las¡¯s face. The face of her personal physician, who believed in her without an ounce of doubt. ¡°Hoo.¡± Asella steadied her breath. Four golden circles began to form. One pierced through them. They spun. They blazed. She chanted in a calm, low voice. ¡°Recall.¡± ¡ªFWOOOM! One of Wilhelm¡¯s massive wings suddenly vanished¡ª ¡ªBOOM!! ¡ªand crashed to the ground behind them. The dragon, having lost a wing, fell from the sky at the same moment. Chapter 43: Just the Two of Us (1) ¡°¡ªKaaaaah!!¡± The Death Dragon, having lost its wing, thrashed about miserably as it plummeted. Its massive body stirred up clouds of dust, kicking up a sandstorm. Thanks to the mask, I didn¡¯t end up with a mouthful of dirt. Wow. Even so, I didn¡¯t expect her to slice Wilhelm¡¯s wing off in one strike. Asella¡¯s teleportation magic had a smaller radius than the dragon¡¯s body, so only part of it was transported¡ªhence the severing effect. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just imagining that hitting me gives me goosebumps. ¡°Haah, huu...¡± Asella panted heavily. Looks like the mana consumption was bigger than expected. No surprise¡ªshe¡¯d forcefully replenished her mana with potions. But what choice did we have? The other imperial mages had all turned tail to protect the Emperor, so the only mage left to fight here was Asella. Still, I can¡¯t leave the chances of other bad endings alone either. Her subjugating the dragon is the best outcome. ¡°The second strike...¡± Just as Asella raised her staff, the Death Dragon lifted its head and let out a roar. The earsplitting screech made Asella grimace and falter. ¡°Whoa there.¡± I grabbed her by the shoulder and supported her. The dragon was flexing its dominance. Honestly, I¡¯d be furious too if I were suddenly summoned into enemy territory. Even so, the Middle Realm is ridiculously far from here. There¡¯s no way it was Recalled from there. The hatchling Asella summoned had also been pre-captured and prepped in a tent. Maybe it was native to this region? It might¡¯ve had a nest somewhere in the mountains. Maybe this event was what got it noticed and scouted by the Demon King¡¯s Army in the first place. If we slay the Death Dragon here... I pulled up the bad ending list: [No. 019: Curse of the Death Dragon ¨C 44%] This would erase the ending where Wilhelm defeats us. A win-win. ¡°Your Highness, focus.¡± ¡°...Okay.¡± Asella began forming a new magic circle. Now that she¡¯d confirmed Recall could be used offensively, she was planning to use it again. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll finish it.¡± Asella aimed her staff squarely at the Death Dragon¡¯s head. She was going to teleport only the head this time¡ªto sever its life completely. ¡°Recall.¡± The moment the casting completed¡ª ¡ªRumble! The Death Dragon stamped its feet. Its giant form lunged at us faster than anyone would¡¯ve believed possible. ¡°Gh¡ª!¡± ¡ªFwoosh! Asella¡¯s spell did hit. But it only grazed the dragon¡¯s side instead of targeting the head. Only a chunk of its abdomen was torn away¡ªbarely a flesh wound. ¡ªKAAAAH!! The Death Dragon roared in even greater rage and charged on. With its wings gone, it had truly become a massive lizard. Its claws tore up the ground, and it opened its gaping maw wide. ¡°Damn.¡± At this rate, we were going to be eaten. The bastard was surprisingly fast and agile, making it a difficult opponent. I reacted quickly, pulling a strength-enhancing injection from inside my coat and setting it vertically to my chest. Click¡ªI pressed the button on the end and injected it. Just before the dragon¡¯s jaws could reach us, I grabbed Asella and jumped, narrowly dodging its teeth. ¡ªKRAAAASH!! The ground shattered where the Death Dragon landed. ¡°Las?!¡± ¡°Are you hurt anywhere, Your Highness?¡± ¡°N-No...¡± The Death Dragon snapped its head toward us again without pause. Black energy began to rise from its mouth. ¡°It¡¯s going to breathe. If it hits, it¡¯ll burn us with a curse.¡± It wasn¡¯t magic. It was just raw dark-attribute mana detonated violently. It was fast, its aim was precise, and it wasn¡¯t easy to dodge. I figured I could still jump once more. Just as I wrapped my arm around Asella¡¯s waist¡ª ¡°Haaaah!!¡± ¡ªClang! A rugged bastard sword rammed straight into the Death Dragon¡¯s mouth as it charged the black breath. The dragon clamped its jaws shut, catching the sword between its teeth. The sword¡¯s owner, a red-haired knight, soared through the air. It was Tanya. ¡°Doctor! Your Highness! Get clear of here!¡± Tanya unleashed a burst of sword aura and forced the Death Dragon back in a clash of strength. Perhaps the dragon didn¡¯t expect to be overpowered by a human¡ªit froze, briefly stunned. ¡°Your Highness, now¡¯s your chance.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She understood instantly. Neither of us had any intention of running. I, of course, couldn¡¯t back down. And Asella wasn¡¯t the type to show her back to an enemy before settling the score. ¡°Your Highness?!¡± Tanya cried out, surprised to see Asella begin casting a third spell. Sweat poured from Asella like rain, but she grinned wickedly¡ªlike the villainess she was. ¡°To think I¡¯m fighting a dragon...¡± Golden mana exploded from her magic circle. ¡°This¡¯ll be the finest magic demonstration yet.¡± ¡ªFWOOOOOM! Asella¡¯s Recall spell activated. The magic circle spun and blazed in brilliant golden light, more radiant than ever. The target: the dragon¡¯s head, which Tanya had perfectly locked in place. Glittering light spilled from the Death Dragon¡¯s neck¡ªand the next instant¡ª ¡ªTHUD! The enormous head of the dragon dropped from the air in front of us, tongue hanging out. Clatter¡ªTanya¡¯s blade hit the ground beside it. The decapitated Death Dragon¡¯s massive body lost its balance and collapsed to the earth with a deafening crash. ¡°Haah, haah...¡± Asella gasped for breath. She¡¯d used several high-level spells back to back¡ªit was only natural to be completely exhausted. ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°...We won.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve won, Your Highness.¡± Asella looked at the severed dragon head lying on the ground and let out a faint laugh. Sticky blood oozed from it¡ªnot exactly a pleasant sight. Kind of grotesque, really. Still, she must be pleased¡ªshe¡¯d proven just how powerful her magic was. ¡°Her Highness brought down a Death Dragon!¡± ¡°That was incredible magic...!¡± ¡°So this is the power of Moonlight Palace!¡± The imperial knights who had been holding back and tossing spears from afar were left speechless by how swiftly the situation had resolved. They now looked upon Asella with awe. Most of them probably hadn¡¯t even understood the full danger of Recall. All they saw was Asella unleashing genius magic and single-handedly repelling an external attack. ¡°Princess Asella!¡± ¡°That was magnificent!¡± The knights cheered and applauded. Even if she didn¡¯t earn points with the Emperor, she had left a lasting impression on countless imperial officials during this tournament. Asella, too, didn¡¯t seem to mind the admiration. She slowly looked around. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°Do you dislike the Empire?¡± She replied to my question with a question of her own. ¡°Las, are you planning to stay with the Imperial Court forever?¡± Of course not. I¡¯d planned on opening a private practice from the start. Being a royal physician was just a stepping stone. ¡°I¡¯ll probably stay until I retire.¡± That was my answer. ¡°...I see.¡± Asella fell into thought, letting the cheers around her wash over her. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Bad Ending has been removed. No. 019: Curse of the Death Dragon ¡ª 44% ¡ú 0% ¡¤ Ending probabilities have changed. No. 012: Fall of the Empire ¡ª 92% ¡ú 30% No. 005: Victory of the Demon King¡¯s Army ¡ª 73% ¡ú 58% No. 101: Mana Rampage ¡ª 71% ¡ú 4% ... ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö, ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ª 2% ¡ú 11% ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D By eliminating the Death Dragon¡ªone of the Demon King Army¡¯s high officers¡ªearly, the chances of multiple bad endings dropped significantly. The ending where we lose to Wilhelm has been erased. The odds of the normal and good endings have also increased drastically. The Fall of the Empire hasn¡¯t been deleted yet, though. At least we¡¯ve caught our breath for now. Still, I felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing we were heading in the right direction. The Moonlight Palace knights rushed toward us. They¡¯d hurried, but Tanya had been too fast. ¡°Well then, shall we head back? That was an intense fight. Let¡¯s get you some rest, and I¡¯ll run a full examination of your condition afterward.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do that.¡± Asella was unusually docile¡ªprobably completely drained. Not bad. Maybe I should make her use up all her mana more often. ¡°...Hey, Las.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± She called, and I turned to face her. ¡°While I¡¯m resting... you¡¯re going to examine me, right? Then, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to say¡ª¡± But I didn¡¯t hear the rest. Because what I saw first was the black aura rising from her body. Its origin: the severed dragon head. A curse! Even in death, the Death Dragon had left a curse behind. I clicked my tongue and lunged at Asella. ¡°Las?¡± ¡°Your Highness, get back!¡± She reacted quickly, immediately beginning to draw a defensive magic formation to resist the curse. ¡°Gh¡ª!¡± But with a pained groan, her spell lost power and dispersed midair. She was out of mana. I threw my arms around her shoulders. Just as I moved to push her out of the way¡ª ¡ªFWOOSH!! Black energy exploded around us. It felt just like when we passed through a Teleport Gate¡ªgut-wrenching nausea roiled in my stomach. My vision went black. *** ¡°Ugh...¡± Asella slowly sat up. The smell of earth and grass filled her nose. Small insects crawled across the mud caked on her arm¡ªdisgusting. ¡°Where...¡± She looked around. Untamed wilderness. We¡¯d been dumped into the heart of nature. It looked mountainous. The thick canopy above blocked out nearly all sunlight. ¡°What the hell...¡± She stood up. Her ornate dueling outfit was soaked in mud¡ªutterly ruined. Only her staff, still clutched in both hands, remained intact. ¡°Where are we...¡± There was no doubt the Death Dragon¡¯s curse had activated. So then, what kind of curse was it? It wasn¡¯t an illusion. Illusion-type curses should break immediately upon the caster¡¯s death. ¡°A rebound.¡± A reversal. The Death Dragon had, in its final moments, used a curse that reflected magic back onto its caster. Recall had affected Asella¡ªsending her to the spot where the Death Dragon had originally been summoned from. This had to be somewhere near its nest. ¡°Wait...¡± She strained to remember. She hadn¡¯t been sent alone. He¡¯d been with her when the curse struck. ¡°Las.¡± Sudden anxiety swept over Asella. She frantically scanned her surroundings. Making your master worry... you¡¯re a failure of a physician. Not that she was actually worried. She was only looking for him because her chances of survival in this unexpected situation increased dramatically with him around. Though it contradicted her secret hope that he¡¯d stayed safely behind in the arena, Asella convinced herself with that excuse and wandered the wild, pathless slopes. Eventually¡ª ¡°Las!¡± She spotted a white-haired boy collapsed in a heap of leaves. ¡°Las, Las?!¡± She shook his shoulder hard, but got no response. Turning him over, she saw him resting peacefully, as if in eternal sleep. Her heart plummeted, and she tried to calm her breathing. ¡°He¡¯s alive.¡± His chest rose and fell¡ªhe was still breathing. Asella bit [N O V E L I G H T] her lower lip. ¡°Phew...¡± She was out of mana, and staying idle in a place like this would only lead to a quiet death. Asella mustered her remaining strength, slung Las over her back, and began to walk. Chapter 44: Just the Two of Us (2) ¡°Haah, seriously.¡± Laying Las down on the floor, Asella finally caught her breath. They had found the cabin halfway up the mountain not long ago. From the layer of dust covering all the magical tools inside, it seemed like it had once belonged to a reclusive mage. ¡°How did it come to this...¡± She may have belonged to a weak faction, but she had still lived her life as the Emperor¡¯s child. Asella had gone her whole life without so much as dipping her hands in water. Her whole body was filthy with dust. She had never felt this physically unpleasant in her entire life. The feeling of mud squishing between her toes was the worst of all. ¡°This is your fault, Las.¡± She resentfully smacked the chest of the still-unconscious Las. ...He didn¡¯t react at all, like a corpse. Her lips tightened. Just how much more was this man going to make her heart clench? It was infuriating. ¡°...He¡¯s not going to die, is he?¡± Even on the day he returned from the royal physician¡¯s practical exam, he had collapsed like this. Back then, Asella had thought he was dead and even started imagining what would be inscribed on his tombstone. But now... now she found herself hoping he wouldn¡¯t die. ...Why? Back in the imperial palace, it was common for nobles who committed crimes or plotted rebellion to be dragged off and executed. Camilla, saying it was important to be visible to the Emperor, would always make Asella attend the executions. So she had thought she was used to seeing people die. It was said that for retainers, dying for their liege was the greatest honor. And that their liege ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) should never waste emotion on expendable tools at the risk of jeopardizing greater matters. She had always been taught so, and believed she would not so much as blink in situations like this. But Las had somehow become an exception. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Max can¡¯t die either. Because he¡¯s soft. Las wasn¡¯t soft... but maybe it was a similar reason. Asella chose to defer judgment on the unknown emotion bubbling up inside her. ¡°When are you going to wake up?¡± To think someone would dare make me¡ªme, a princess of the Empire¡ªsuffer like this. Unforgivable. You¡¯re my personal physician. You¡¯re supposed to take care of me. She whined at someone who couldn¡¯t hear her. ¡ªTap, tap... Rain began to patter against the cabin roof, the sound quickly growing louder and filling her ears. With it, an unfamiliar feeling of liberation bloomed within Asella. Come to think of it, this was the first time she had left the imperial palace without a knight or attendant by her side. The first time she¡¯d escaped Camilla¡¯s surveillance. A place she didn¡¯t recognize, and the only thing she had was an unconscious personal doctor. The smell of moss rising with the rain gave her a fresh, vivid sensation. A feeling of being alive. She suddenly realized she was enjoying this atmosphere. It felt like she had escaped that suffocating palace¡ªand her heart fluttered with excitement. ¡°It would¡¯ve been more fun if you were awake to feel this too.¡± Asella absentmindedly brushed Las¡¯s cheek with the back of her hand. His skin was soft like a baby¡¯s¡ªnot very manly. It was oddly fun to observe his face. Even poking at different spots. She didn¡¯t like it when he touched her. It felt condescending, and made her oddly self-conscious. And realizing that she was self-conscious only made it worse. ¡°Yet even so, you dare to grope the imperial body as you please.¡± She knew it wasn¡¯t out of lust. Las was always extremely professional, and only touched her body in the capacity of her physician. He had absolutely no self-awareness. If anything, he was the one who occasionally showed discomfort. Asella had always noticed those subtle moments. And oddly enough, it hurt her pride a little. Maybe he was used to more voluptuous women back in his marquisate, living a decadent noble life. Her own body was still in the midst of developing¡ªmaybe it didn¡¯t interest him at all. ¡°But you¡¯re my fianc¨¦.¡± It was infuriating¡ªbeyond infuriating. Of course, if Las ever forgot his place and tried to treat her like a real fianc¨¦¡ªtried to take her as a woman¡ªAsella was fully prepared to cut his throat. It was a purely political engagement, one between their houses. She knew her thoughts were contradictory. But she had the right to be selfish. That was the privilege of one who carried imperial blood. It was tyrants, not sages, who built strong nations. ¡°I wonder what you''re thinking.¡± She had always been curious about that. Why was this man helping her? He always acted reluctant, yet at every critical moment, he was there to support her. The price of having a witch¡¯s talent implanted¡ªwas a stomach full of pain. Every time it flared, so did a wave of negative emotions. Strangely enough, lately this man had always been by her side when it happened. When Camilla spoke cruel words. When she had to endure her training, unable to resist. When her hatred of commoners surged. When she imagined Max dying and felt despair. Every time, something stirred inside her, whispering to her. Urging her to unleash her magic, to destroy the world. It was said that high-ranking mages often heard voices or saw illusions. Even Seymour had his own methods for keeping his mind intact. ...But was it really just the magic? Something stronger¡ªmore primal¡ªkept planting seeds of destruction inside her. ¡°Las.¡± Ever since you showed up... it¡¯s strange. It feels like those voices have quieted. Is there anyone else in the Empire who understands my condition so precisely? You stuck needles in this body, drew my blood. The pain even lessened. Even now, after taking your medicine, the sensations dull as if by magic, and peace settles in. And then¡ª ¡°Cough.¡± Her personal physician let out a deep cough. Asella immediately assumed he was waking and prepared to scold him solemnly. The crime of making a princess suffer like this was grave. She would extract her dues. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± But Las didn¡¯t open his eyes. He just kept coughing, deeper and deeper. ¡°Huh...?¡± Only then did Asella realize something was wrong. Her palm, still resting on his cheek, felt a sticky sensation she hadn¡¯t noticed before. Dark red blood. ¡°Las?¡± Startled, she shook his shoulder. Still no response. His frail body shook limply. Her hand began to tremble. A shadow passed over her face. Why had she waited so long? He¡¯d taken the Death Dragon¡¯s curse head-on too. It wasn¡¯t just a reflected spell¡ªthere could¡¯ve been other effects. She should have checked for injuries when he didn¡¯t wake. She¡¯d been too complacent. ¡°What do I... what do I do...¡± Asella racked her brain in desperation. She didn¡¯t know any healing spells. She had no helpful magic for this. Her mana was completely depleted. ¡°Something, anything...¡± Snap! She ripped off Las¡¯s coat. She rifled through his inner pocket. Syringes filled with liquids of all colors and bottles of various medicines spilled out. ¡°If I give him this...¡± She reached for a drug, then hesitated. Las had always warned her about overdosing. Even aspirin¡ªhe said never take more than two a day. If she fed him something without knowing what it was, she might end up killing him. ¡°What the hell is what?!¡± She clicked her tongue and ran her hands over his body. His muscles were stiff, almost paralyzed. If she didn¡¯t act fast, something terrible might happen. Her anxiety grew. ¡°This is...¡± She found a notebook. The one Las always carried¡ªwhere he wrote down everything. Flip flip. Asella flipped through the pages and quickly scanned the contents. Detailed notes on drugs and injections. Pages filled with records about her own condition. Some strange entries caught her eye. Some lines were crossed out, others were left intact: [Executed and beheaded. Deleted.] [Died by suffocation magic. Deleted.] [Defeated by the Demon King¡¯s Army.] [Failed to subdue the Demon King, leading to a demon¡¯s descent.] [Magic that destroys the Imperial Family.] ... No time to waste on irrelevant noise. She turned more pages, hunting for valid information. [Vomiting blood can be temporarily treated with candy.] [Needs enhancement if rank increases.] [Secured ingredients for candy. Candidate list:] [Golden Rose: High-grade version of yellow rose, mostly found near dragon nests or western demon lands.] ¡°Candy...¡± She didn¡¯t know all the terms, but she was certain¡ªit was the candy he always ate to suppress his symptoms. Asella roughly pulled candy from his pocket. She unwrapped it and shoved it in his mouth, but it didn¡¯t seem very effective. ¡°I need water.¡± She ran outside and caught rain in her hands. Her clothes were soaked, but she didn¡¯t care. Rushing back in, she let the water drip into his mouth¡ªslowly dissolving the candy. Las¡¯s breathing began to stabilize, bit by bit. But he still showed no signs of waking. ¡°Do I need another ingredient?¡± She checked the list in the notebook. Unfamiliar plants and berries were drawn and labeled. Thanks to her noble education, she vaguely recognized some of them. What she needed now was a Golden Rose. ¡°If this is near the dragon¡¯s nest...¡± She immediately grabbed her staff and bolted out of the cabin. *** ¡°Phew...¡± I finally opened my eyes. My whole body tingled. Side effect of the strength enhancer. Time must have passed¡ªmy muscles were slowly regaining movement. My mouth was sticky with dried blood. Must¡¯ve bled a lot while I was unconscious. ...Why do I taste something sweet? I was still dizzy as hell, and the system messages were flying past my vision: ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ [Rising Star] achievement unlocked. The Emperor of the Empire has taken notice of you. ¡¤ [The Beginning of Greatness] achievement unlocked. Some commoners now respect you. ¡¤ Your Medical Skill has ranked up to C. Choose two new skills to learn. ¡¤ Due to talent rank-up, your debuff [HP Drain: D] has ranked up to C. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D My medical rank increased. Probably thanks to the widespread use of aspirin and face masks¡ªand the knights¡¯ performance after using them. But the biggest boost came from Asella defeating the Death Dragon with my medicine. I gained a massive amount of experience. Still... given I took the curse head-on at the end, the timing wasn¡¯t exactly joyful. Health... I need to synthesize more candy. I had to move fast, but I couldn¡¯t muster any strength. I barely turned my head to assess the surroundings. The sound of rain tapping against the roof. A figure sat calmly before me in the dark. I immediately recognized her and called out. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Asella looked exhausted. Too tired to even yell at me. Even so, she showed a brief moment of relief¡ªand held out a single flower she¡¯d cradled in her arms. ¡°You really do need this, right?¡± A golden rose, shining brightly even in the dark. She held it out with her mud-covered hands. ¡°Where did you find this?¡± The question slipped out, surprised. Asella scoffed like it was nothing and replied. ¡°It was just lying there.¡± As I reached out to take the flower, our hands overlapped. She looked at me and said: ¡°Las, you asked me if I hated the Empire.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I do.¡± It was the answer I¡¯d fully expected. ¡°The Empire is full of enemies. Who else but Her Majesty could¡¯ve summoned that dragon?¡± She spoke with resignation, her voice weak. She looked truly tired. ¡°My siblings, His Majesty¡ªevery last one of them is an enemy. Why should I like an Empire like that? There¡¯s no family for me here.¡± Considering how they treated her during the tournament, her words made sense. She couldn¡¯t possibly feel any attachment to the palace or the Empire. Wiping them out like in the ¡°Fall of the Empire¡± ending might even feel justified to her. But we couldn¡¯t let it come to that. ¡°Is family important to you?¡± ¡°I think... it is.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll just have to make one. Like you¡¯ve acquired everything else, Your Highness.¡± ¡°How? No matter how hard I try, they never see me. Even Her Majesty only ever seems disappointed.¡± ¡°Family doesn¡¯t have to be something you¡¯re born with. You can make a new one.¡± I didn¡¯t know if it was the right answer, but I offered the most basic truth I could. Asella paused. Her hand, holding the stem of the rose, trembled faintly. She looked straight at me and asked¡ª ¡°...With you?¡± No, that¡¯s... that¡¯s not what I meant... S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 45: Just the Two of Us (3) Thanks to the golden rose Asella brought, I was able to enhance the candy. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Golden Honey Candy ¡¤ Effects upon consumption: ¨C Restores 1.5 HP over 6 hours from internal bleeding damage ¨C Reduces abdominal pain S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It melts on your tongue like heaven!¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D A candy with excellent performance¡ªrestoring more health than it loses¡ªwas finally complete. The moment I popped it into my mouth, I felt like I¡¯d narrowly swerved out ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) of a death race. Guess yellow roses aren¡¯t enough anymore. Thanks to Asella bringing back quite a few golden roses, I should be able to hold out for a while. I¡¯ll need to find a way to cultivate golden roses somehow. The only usable land in the Imperial Palace is the backyard of Moonlight Palace, so I¡¯ll have to send some seeds home. If I leave it with Neria along with instructions on how to build a greenhouse, she¡¯ll probably cover a whole mountain in golden roses in no time. She¡¯s a reliable little sister. So in the end, I owe my life to Asella this time. Really... after hundreds of regressions, you start seeing all kinds of absurd things. I owed her a debt now¡ªso I¡¯d have to repay it. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°This time, I owe you a great favor. The grace you¡¯ve bestowed on a mere court physician¡ª¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Asella frowned and pressed her index finger to her lips. ¡°I told you. I hate stuffy speech like that.¡± ¡°You did. Honestly, I do too.¡± In ten years, Asella had become the kind of woman who would snap a noble¡¯s fingers the moment they showed the slightest disrespect. I guess she hadn¡¯t tasted enough power yet. ¡°So how would Your Highness like to be repaid for today¡¯s debt?¡± ¡°A repayment, huh.¡± Asella rose to her feet. Her grip on the staff tightened slightly. ¡°Las, are you going to become the best physician?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about best, but I¡¯d like to be the most famous one, sure.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what the intent behind the question was, but Asella seemed satisfied with the answer she got. ¡°Then I¡¯ll become the Empress of the Empire.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± I had no idea how she¡¯d arrived at that conclusion. Asella¡¯s thought process was too far beyond a commoner like me to follow. Seeing my stunned face, she pouted with a sulky expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good enough for you?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± If Empress isn¡¯t enough, are you planning to unify the continent next? If that happens, we¡¯ll end up with new destruction routes, and the bad endings will multiply by the thousands. [No. 012: Fall of the Empire ¨C 30% ¡ú 8%] On the contrary, the system notified me that the probability of the ¡°Fall of the Empire¡± ending had decreased. It meant Asella¡¯s hatred for the imperial palace had softened¡ªat least to the point that she considered it a place worth living in. Most of the knights who had been present today had cheered when they saw her performance in the end. She doesn¡¯t show it, but Asella likes praise. That probably played a part in her deciding that the Empire could still be spared. ¡°I think I can manage one more Recall.¡± Asella focused her mind. After casting, the same hatchling from earlier flapped its wings and perched on her hand. ¡°This should be enough.¡± Before long, a flash of light burst¡ªand the fragile old cabin was blown halfway to pieces. An old man stepped in over collapsed logs, brushing his ridiculous beard with a finger. ¡°My word, I looked everywhere. Couldn''t you have signaled your location a bit earlier?¡± Seymour chuckled heartily as he walked toward us. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Thanks to you two, my vacation¡¯s been ruined. Still, seeing both my disciples alive is a relief... though, maybe I should¡¯ve arrived later? Looks like I interrupted something good.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t joke at a time like this. I¡¯m about ready to collapse into bed.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Seymour was asking strange questions again. The old man must¡¯ve finally gone senile. Even Asella looked irritated, her face sharpening. ¡°If you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s go back. High Teleport.¡± Seymour swung his staff, connecting six magic circles into a formation. Another teleport... I could only sigh. I was supposed to take the anti-nausea medicine hours before travel for it to work, but better late than never. I rummaged through my inner coat pocket for it. ¡°Mm?¡± A lot of stuff was missing. ¡°It got wet from the rain earlier.¡± Her Highness explained flatly, without a hint of guilt. Right. Take it all, please. After returning to the Imperial Palace, I ended up bedridden and groaning until the next day. *** ¡°A personal physician collapsing before his master? That¡¯s just pathetic.¡± Having returned safely to Moonlight Palace via Seymour¡¯s teleport, Asella hurled verbal abuse at Las. Las just coughed behind his mask, swallowing the insult along with it. Watching him suffer from the aftereffects, Seymour cackled in delight. ¡°You¡¯re done for today. I¡¯ll check Asella¡¯s mana circuits myself.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly impose on the Great Sage...¡± ¡°When I say go, you go.¡± Asella ordered, and Las sluggishly dragged himself out. Only Asella and Seymour remained in the Moonlight Palace study. Seymour grinned like a Noh mask. ¡°You must¡¯ve put on quite the magic show, Asella. I heard you took down a Death Dragon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk. The main delegation of the tournament is set to return tomorrow, I hear.¡± ¡°They¡¯re returning tomorrow?¡± Even after everything, the Emperor was intent on finishing his flower-viewing. Well, canceling an annual event over a mere monster incident would¡¯ve looked worse. It might¡¯ve given enemy nations the impression that the Empire had weakened. She decided not to dwell on the fact that no one had come looking for her. ¡°Recall will be banned. A spatial magic seal will be placed on you. All mages who were present at the tournament will be included. I¡¯ll probably be the one to handle it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Asella replied indifferently. Seymour paced the room but didn¡¯t sit. He couldn¡¯t feel discomfort, so he never noticed it. ¡°The structure was clever. I figured only you could use it. You pierced the fifth circle through a higher-dimensional direction, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. As expected of Master.¡± ¡°No risk of Recall leaking to other countries. But the Emperor won¡¯t see it that way. He¡¯s grown fearful with age.¡± ¡°But someone transferred the Death Dragon.¡± ¡°It was Camilla, no doubt.¡± The moment her name was spoken, silence fell. Only two people in this world truly understood Asella¡¯s magic. One of them was standing right here. So the remaining suspect was obvious. ¡°There won¡¯t be any proof left behind. The dragon¡¯s nest wasn¡¯t in the Middle Realm¡ªit was in the uncharted region beyond the eastern mountain range. An unexpected location. It wasn¡¯t even far from the tournament site.¡± ¡°...Why would Her Majesty do this?¡± ¡°To ask that, Asella, you first have to ask: why did Camilla come to the palace in the first place?¡± Seymour spoke calmly. ¡°With this incident, it¡¯s safe to say Camilla is your enemy now. You¡¯ll need to be careful for a while. Learn to distinguish allies from foes.¡± ¡°Are you my ally, Master?¡± ¡°Ha! Clever little thing.¡± Seymour smirked and tapped the top of her head. ¡°You know the answer. I side with the mage who has more value.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Asella knew Seymour well by now. He was a man obsessed with high-tier magic. He wouldn¡¯t show excessive affection, not even to his prized pupil. ¡°If you want a true ally, then take care of your physician.¡± ¡°Las...¡± Asella thought of him and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. What he¡¯s thinking.¡± ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re thinking?¡± ¡°Observation taints the unconscious.¡± ¡°But if you don¡¯t observe it, you¡¯ll never know. That¡¯s what we call conversation, Asella.¡± Seymour meant that she needed to have an honest talk with Las. But Asella didn¡¯t want to. He was her servant, yes¡ªbut also her politically entangled fianc¨¦. She didn¡¯t want to lose the upper hand. She didn¡¯t want him to know anything about her¡ªbut she wanted to know everything about him. The notebook. She thought of those strange sentences written in it. ¡°Master, what kind of person imagines the end of the world or their own death over and over again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of two things. A patient... or a prophet.¡± The unexpected answer made Asella blink. ¡°A prophet?¡± ¡°Exactly. By preparing for every possible scenario, they can lie and say they foresaw the event once it happens. Ninety-nine out of a hundred prophets are frauds.¡± ¡°Hm...¡± For some reason, Seymour¡¯s words struck a chord. ¡°Then what about the one true prophet?¡± ¡°They¡¯d have to be a powerful mage capable of using Clairvoyance.¡± ¡°Clairvoyance...¡± Her eyes sparkled with curiosity at the new word. ¡°What kind of magic is it?¡± ¡°A time-based spell. It observes every possible future event that could happen.¡± ¡°Every possible event?¡± ¡°Heh, it¡¯s just observing hypotheticals. It doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re seeing the actual future. It¡¯s a useless spell.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°Say I roll a die. You¡¯d think the result would be any number from one to six, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But Clairvoyance would also show the die falling to the floor, breaking on the table, or someone barging in mid-roll. All valid events. Things that may have happened in other timelines.¡± ¡°So you can¡¯t actually know what number the die will land on.¡± ¡°Exactly. You won¡¯t know until you roll it yourself.¡± Hearing that, Asella fell into thought. Ultimately, it was magic based on the present to deduce possibilities. If she were to become Empress¡ªand even after¡ªshe¡¯d be able to assess every political scenario. It sounded incredibly useful. ¡°I want to learn it.¡± ¡°Do you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be banned from using spatial magic anyway. You said I had a good sense of space and time, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If not space, then time, huh. Hmm, alright. I¡¯ll have to dig through my old books. But rest for now. Your mana circuits are completely dried up.¡± Once she learned Clairvoyance, she¡¯d probably see countless future versions of Las dying miserably. She¡¯d record them in a crystal and tease him to no end. Maybe he¡¯d be so scared, he¡¯d grab onto her skirts and beg her. The thought made Asella chuckle to herself without realizing it. Chapter 46: Head Nurse (1) "They responded to the carrier pigeon." The next day, I began work alongside Bruno¡¯s report. I¡¯d also sent word to Tanya that I was still alive. Unlike the Imperial Guard, who would be returning via Teleport, she had to march back with the main force. It would take a few more days. It was obviously something she¡¯d worry about, so I asked Bruno to send a pigeon. ¡°Damn, there¡¯s really no time to rest.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a rumor the Subjugation Medal for the Four-Headed Dragon will be awarded at Moonlight Palace.¡± ¡°Ah, how annoying. I hate having to decorate my uniform with medals. Any chance of a reward vacation?¡± ¡°Hm. Should I disguise myself as you and take your shifts?¡± ¡°Bruno, cut that deadpan face. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re joking or serious.¡± He was nearly twice my size. What the hell was he talking about? I tapped my status window and headed off to check on Asella. [Medicine has ranked up to C. You may now select two new skills.] Two new skills, no less. Just like I¡¯d planned, I was going to stay on the [Diagnosis] path rather than the [Prescription] route. ¡°Let¡¯s see, the next skill after blood tests is...¡± When I saw the skill name, I couldn¡¯t help the impressed sound that slipped out. With the rank-up came a new skill tree. The skill that followed after Diagnosis and Blood Test was exactly what I hoped for. [X-Ray Imaging D] No hesitation. I tapped the status window and acquired it. X-rays were the alpha and omega of diagnostics. Okay, not the best analogy. If we¡¯re talking about wavelengths, it¡¯s closer to gamma. With this, I could finally treat fractures based on sight rather than just touch, and detect all sorts of conditions with certainty. I¡¯d have to test how it actually worked. Surely it wouldn¡¯t be something absurd like lasers shooting from my eyes or seeing only skeletons in my vision. ¡°Let¡¯s see what else is here.¡± From the prescription path, [Prescription Writing] was now available. That route could synergize with alchemy, but I didn¡¯t need it immediately. Next, in the emergency care path, one skill stood out. [Surgery (Basic) C ¨C You may perform basic-difficulty surgical procedures without failure.] ¡°Oh.¡± Surgery, huh. Definitely interesting. I¡¯d observed surgeries before, but never actually performed one myself. I had the basic knowledge, sure, but I couldn¡¯t do any open procedures on my own skill yet. I was good with a needle and thread, though. Judging by the description, this skill probably applied only to lower-difficulty operations. ¡°But who would ever let a knife touch their body?¡± In a world where healing magic was taken for granted, cutting someone open with a scalpel would be seen as attempted assassination. Not like I¡¯d be operating on myself either. This skill might just end up being dead weight. Unless a cosmetic surgery path opened up later¡ªthat¡¯d be a hit. There was always demand for beauty work. Just look at how Lauga lost her mind over that mask. Still, even if cosmetic surgery became available, it¡¯d likely require some base experience with normal operations first. I decided to hold off on that selection for now. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time for your morning checkup.¡± Given everything that had happened, I had even more reason to follow my routine as her physician. When I checked Asella¡¯s vitals, her blood pressure was lower than usual. Her mana still hadn¡¯t fully stabilized. On the other hand, her pulse was faster than before. At this rate, I should probably start monitoring her for arrhythmia. She¡¯s young, but maybe she has some kind of dietary sensitivity. ¡°I¡¯ll have to prohibit magical activity for today. You¡¯re not back to full condition yet. Also, I¡¯d like to perform a more detailed examination.¡± ¡°A detailed exam?¡± ¡°Yes. Nothing serious. A blood test, and a photo.¡± ¡°A photo? What are you going to use that for?¡± ¡°To assess Your Highness¡¯s condition, of course.¡± She gave me a skeptical look. ¡°There won¡¯t be any recording in crystal or anything like that. No need to be so wary.¡± ¡°Fine. Go ahead.¡± Despite her grumbling, Asella obediently rolled up her sleeve and extended her arm. She still flinched when I wiped her skin with alcohol. That hadn¡¯t changed. To distract her from the pain, I started a casual conversation. ¡°What¡¯s the status of the Recall spell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been banned. All mages who were at the tournament. The origin was traced back to my master, who reverse-engineered my magic circle.¡± ¡°Even the Empress Camilla?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Blood slowly filled the syringe. Asella was so focused on the conversation, she didn¡¯t even notice the needle going in. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to the person who summoned the dragon? That¡¯s straight-up treason.¡± ¡°They caught a group of black mages nearby. The narrative {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} is that they performed the descent ritual.¡± ¡°What?¡± What the hell? Black magic out of nowhere? ¡°They died from self-inflicted curses before they could talk. There¡¯ll be an investigation, but it won¡¯t lead anywhere.¡± Did Camilla prepare them with Recall too? That woman always had a sharp mind¡ªfor evil, anyway. ¡°And knowing His Majesty, he¡¯ll prioritize using this for diplomacy or politics instead of actually finding the culprit.¡± In other words, the matter would be buried. ¡°Your Highness, there was someone who disappeared from the Colosseum when the dragon appeared.¡± ¡°I know who you mean. But that testimony¡¯s useless. Georg will vouch for him.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Camilla had become a full enemy of Moonlight Palace. Since the tournament, she¡¯d stayed exclusively at Georg¡¯s residence, the Tojin Palace. Asella, too, no longer seemed inclined to shield her. Perhaps the dragon incident was the final straw. ¡°A war with Tojin Palace seems inevitable.¡± ¡°If I want to become Emperor, it has to happen eventually. Every heir to the throne is an enemy.¡± ¡°Are you truly okay with that, Your Highness? Going to war with your own mother?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Asella gave a wicked smile. ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Hearing that confident voice reminded me of something she once said¡ª ¡ªA grudge is paid back tenfold. That¡¯s the way of the Empire. I show no mercy to enemies. ¡ªReturn kindness tenfold? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I gave you a chance to earn merit for me. Be grateful. Yeah, this was who Asella really was. I¡¯d almost forgotten. But should she really be turning toward me so confidently when¡ª ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re still mid-draw.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± Startled by the sight of her own blood flowing into the syringe, Asella quickly shut her eyes tight. I¡¯d treated the wounds, and now it was time to test my brand-new skill. X-ray¡ªhow would it work? ¡°I¡¯d like to conduct the imaging in a closed space.¡± Asella, licking the honey candy I gave her for the blood draw, frowned. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Just what I said. I need to see inside Your Highness¡¯s body.¡± ¡°What?¡± Poor phrasing on my part. Explaining light that penetrates flesh probably wouldn¡¯t help. ¡°Please just trust me. Is there any metal in your clothing?¡± ¡°Do you even hear yourself?¡± ¡°If there is, please remove it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not built to come off!¡± Asella snapped. ¡°You know exactly what you¡¯re doing, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The only clothes without metal are my pajamas. Are you telling me to come out in my sleepwear?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, too. You don¡¯t have magic lessons today anyway. A good nap would help recovery.¡± She stared at me with her mouth slightly open in disbelief before letting out a puff of air. ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you, Lord Gotberg?¡± ¡°Always. Your Highness¡¯s health is my top priority.¡± After quite a bit of back-and-forth, she finally gave in. ¡°...Fine. Lucie, prepare me.¡± I was shooed out of the room while the maids helped her change. ¡°The princess is ready.¡± The head maid signaled me in. They¡¯d drawn the curtains. The lighting was ideal for imaging. Asella was in a baggy pink nightdress. The lace at the sleeves fluttered¡ªprobably a size too big. She was also hugging a stuffed bear. I had no idea where she got it. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to put the bear down.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Realizing what she was holding, Asella chucked the bear onto the bed. It landed head-first under the pillow. The head maid leaned in to whisper. ¡°Her Highness can¡¯t sleep without her comfort toy.¡± Interesting. I didn¡¯t know that. ¡°What if it needs washing?¡± ¡°She rarely allows it. When she does, she sleeps with Max.¡± Well, thank goodness Max has a gentle temperament. I confirmed one last thing with her. Any metal would interfere with the scan. ¡°That dress doesn¡¯t have any metal, right?¡± ¡°I said it doesn¡¯t!¡± No need to shout. I had Asella stand in front of the wall and prepared the skill. X-rays were still radiation. I needed to keep exposure time to a minimum. This first use was just to see what else I might need. ¡°Beginning imaging.¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± I pulled out a random pen from my pocket. ¡°This. A newly developed artifact.¡± I activated the skill while looking at her. Oh. A photo appeared directly in my status window. So it really was a laser-from-the-eyes mechanism? No film? Nah. Let¡¯s assume the status window just reads what I see. Blurry. I could see the general structure of her internals, but the image quality was poor. Asella¡¯s frame is small and slim... 0.1 seconds of exposure... okay, let¡¯s estimate that as roughly 200mA current. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without actual instruments, I had to make some ballpark guesses. Still, better than nothing. I continued scanning. Adjusted exposure times. Tried different angles. I paid special attention to her abdomen¡ªwhere she often reported discomfort. ¡°All done.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? ...Did I come out pretty?¡± ¡°Yes. Your eighth and ninth ribs are very photogenic.¡± ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°If you''re curious, I can record it to a crystal later. That concludes today¡¯s exam. The results will take a bit longer.¡± Asella shook her head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s it? You made me change into pajamas and took pictures?¡± ¡°Well, the test is done. Nothing else to do, right?¡± ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°I was going to. No need to rush me.¡± As I packed my bag, she threw a question over her shoulder, disinterestedly. ¡°Lord Gotberg, how¡¯s your body? You were coughing up blood.¡± ¡°I was hit by a dragon¡¯s curse. Not sure if you¡¯re aware, but normal people don¡¯t have as much mana as Your Highness. That kind of spell wrecks us.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve let you suffer more.¡± ¡°If that makes Your Highness happy.¡± ¡°Shameless. Your face must be made of steel.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not planning to cook me on that steel, are you?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Wouldn¡¯t be the weirdest way this story ends. Still, back to the matter at hand. I spoke to Asella, who was glaring at me with arms crossed. ¡°Thanks to you, I survived. Forgive the delay, but... thank you, Your Highness.¡± She stared at me with disapproval, then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Patient rest is sacred. Naturally, I stepped aside. I left Asella¡¯s room. *** ¡°What the hell is this.¡± Asella¡¯s body, seen through X-ray. Of course the bones were fine. But her internal organs... A mess. I adjusted the colors for contrast and studied the image. Near her spine and left pelvis, dark blotches clustered. ¡°So this is what Georg meant.¡± The soul or curse Camilla implanted via black magic. ¡°This is the source of the cost.¡± The debuff that came with her talent¡ªnow visible to my own eyes. ¡°But even now, I can¡¯t pinpoint it exactly. I don¡¯t even know what to call it.¡± I pressed a finger to my temple. More detailed scans were needed. Better skills. But whatever it was¡ª ¡°It has to be removed.¡± No question. I opened the status window and acquired the [Surgery] skill without hesitation. ¡°I can¡¯t do this one alone.¡± It wasn¡¯t a simple operation. It was tangled with black magic. I¡¯d need a lot of equipment, too. The exact diagnosis might become clear once my medicine rank rose higher. Until then, there was one thing I could do. ¡°I need to build a medical team.¡± Starting with nurses. I headed for the Imperial Clinic. Chapter 47: Head Nurse (2) Imperial Clinic. The clinic was staffed by 22 court physicians assigned to the royal family and about 400 assistant healers. It was the gathering place for the Empire¡¯s most elite practitioners. As befitted a great power, the skill level of Imperial Clinic healers was on par with the Holy Nation of Law, where religion and healing magic had first originated. The primary duty of court physicians was to care for their assigned royals, but depending on their patron¡¯s interests, they also treated high-ranking nobles. Lesser-ranked healers affiliated with noble factions often took on both assistant duties and general treatment of commoners to improve their skill. That¡¯s why the clinic was located on the wall bordering the Imperial Palace grounds and the main plaza of the capital. Inside the wall were offices; outside, an open treatment area for citizens. A welfare policy designed to boost loyalty by letting the people ¡°benefit from the Emperor¡¯s grace.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t free. And so, the lowest-ranking healers were worked into the ground. Chloe, a fifth-year in the clinic, was one of those overworked healers. ¡°Healer, come on now, can¡¯t you do a better job? What¡¯s taking so long? I¡¯m a western noble! A baron, I tell you!¡± ¡°Uuh... J-just a moment, please...¡± Flustered, Chloe poured more divine power into the healing. Her ghostly long bangs flopped down to cover her face. The patient she was treating¡ªa sour-faced middle-aged man¡ªgrumbled loudly. ¡°Hmph! What a letdown. I came to the Imperial Clinic expecting miracles! I should¡¯ve gone to my personal physician!¡± Naturally, anyone who had a personal physician wouldn¡¯t have to come here. Nobles like him, so casually rude, were usually those who¡¯d bought their titles¡ªnewly rich men who¡¯d turned money into rank. Such people were almost always coarse. Though, to be fair, problem patients came in all stripes. ¡°U-Um...¡± ¡°What?¡± Chloe timidly closed her scripture. ¡°The treatment¡¯s done, but... um, these days, there¡¯s a new kind of medicine at the palace...¡± The man perked up. ¡°Medicine? I¡¯ve heard the rumors. Something called ¡®aspirin¡¯ that¡¯s good against the plague or something. Can¡¯t find the stuff anywhere. You got some?¡± ¡°Eep! N-No, I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Then why are you wasting my time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not aspirin... b-but...¡± Chloe pulled out a small cloth pouch from her robes. Inside were a few round, dried herbal pellets. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s supposed to prevent reinfection after you get sick... it might cause a little stomachache though...¡± The man sniffed it¡ªand recoiled. ¡°Ugh, what is this garbage?¡± He hurled the pellet away. ¡°This is moldy bread!¡± Chloe scrambled to pick it up, then opened a large book. ¡°It-it¡¯s just not properly cultured... but it still works! It¡¯s in this ancient text, see...?¡± ¡°Are you insane?¡± He cursed her out and stormed out of the clinic. Clutching the weathered, unmarked tome to her chest, Chloe puffed her lips. ¡°Hey, Healer Chloe. You didn¡¯t try one of your weird experiments on a patient again, did you?¡± A passing colleague scolded her. Chloe hung her head and shook it hard, her curtain of hair whipping around. ¡°Seriously. You know better. If the bishop hears you¡¯re using that ¡®folk medicine¡¯ stuff again, he won¡¯t let it slide.¡± ¡°Y-Yes...¡± Chloe was under Bishop Alberich, the court physician to First Princess Heike. Heike¡¯s faction was strong in the palace, and Alberich wielded great influence in the clinic. He was a hardline traditionalist from the Holy Nation¡ªa stickler who insisted on strict adherence to scripture. According to that doctrine, flesh and blood were divine gifts from the Goddess, and when lost to injury, prayer must come first to restore them. Ignoring faith and resorting to heresy would only worsen the wound. But Chloe thought a little differently. Folk remedies can heal, too... While formal prayer was the norm, folk medicine still circulated among commoners who couldn¡¯t reach healers. Most of them are fake, but... Chloe had been searching ancient texts from before the founding of the Holy Nation, hunting for real remnants of traditional medicine. The moldy herbal pellets she carried were reproductions from those texts. Aspirin is real. Curing infectious disease with a single small pellet wasn¡¯t just a rumor. Everyone at the tournament had seen how vigorous the Moonlight Palace knights looked after taking aspirin and wearing masks. I wonder what Doctor Gotberg is like. As a low-ranking healer, Chloe couldn¡¯t even dream of speaking to a court physician like him. Most of the time, she only caught fleeting glimpses of him from a distance while running errands. ¡°N-Next patient, plea¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, Healer!¡± An elderly couple greeted her cheerfully. ¡°A-Ah, hello!¡± ¡°Heh heh, back again. Thank you for last time¡ªmy wife¡¯s gotten so much better. You really are the best healer!¡± ¡°I-I was just doing my job...¡± Flushed and flustered by the praise, Chloe squirmed awkwardly. For a commoner to get into the Imperial Clinic, they had to wait months on a reservation list. Knowing this couple had waited all that time just to see her made Chloe genuinely grateful. She cast the spell with full sincerity. When she finished, smiles bloomed on their faces. ¡°Thank you, as always. Guess we¡¯ll see you again in four months¡ªif we¡¯re still alive, haha! ? N§àv§Ö¢ñight ? (Read more on our source) Got any of those folk remedies like last time?¡± The old man¡¯s question made Chloe¡¯s eyes sparkle. She immediately thrust her face forward and opened her book. ¡°Y-Yes! For the current plague, it says chicken soup helps. A-And have you seen people wearing masks in the streets? That¡¯s not fashion. They were developed by Doctor Gotberg¡ªhe¡¯s a court physician! They reduce the chance of infection!¡± She spoke like a machine gun, hardly pausing for breath. Still fired up, she bent down to pull out the herbal pellets again. ¡°A-And! It says here if you take this, you won¡¯t catch other illnesses. I tried it myself and only had a bit of a stomachache¡ª!¡± Grinning brightly, Chloe raised her head¡ª Only to find a brilliant white clerical robe blocking her vision. She looked up slowly into a stern, disapproving face. ¡°Did a healer of the Imperial Clinic just say the words ¡®folk remedy¡¯?¡± ¡°Ghk.¡± Chloe instantly knew she was doomed and dropped her pellets. The man standing before her was none other than Bishop Alberich, her faction leader. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of mold. ¡°This is why inspections are necessary. What a mess. You¡¯re fired. Get her out.¡± ¡°Hiieeek...! W-Wait¡ª!¡± Before she could even make excuses, other healers grabbed her by the arms and dragged her away. ¡°Waaaaah... huuuu...¡± Tears like chicken droppings ran down Chloe¡¯s cheeks as she carried a box of her things out of the clinic. ¡°I¡¯m amazed she lasted this long.¡± ¡°She was at the bottom for five years. No wonder she got kicked.¡± ¡°Now that there¡¯s a vacancy in the bishop¡¯s faction, maybe I¡¯ll apply.¡± Chloe ignored the jeers. She was sad that she wouldn¡¯t be able to treat patients anymore. Getting fired from the Imperial Clinic¡ªa place with guaranteed future prospects¡ªmeant she was utterly finished. No one would accept treatment from her now. Maybe desperate adventurers, at best. ¡°What¡¯s so wrong with folk remedies...¡± They were all some people had. Chloe glanced at the ancient book in her box. It was borrowed from the Imperial Library. That place was full of strange old texts. The librarians were so lazy, no one had asked for it back, even though it was long overdue. Or maybe the librarians had gotten fired too. If she was banished from the palace, where could she even go? As Chloe wandered aimlessly, lost in thought¡ª Step. Another shadow fell across her vision. This time, it wore a white coat. Her mom always told her to hold her head high. She almost bumped into him. ¡°Pick your head up, or you¡¯ll end up with a hunched neck.¡± The tone was casual. Chloe looked up slightly to see who had spoken. ¡°Ghk.¡± She inhaled without realizing. A noble figure, one she¡¯d only ever seen walking proudly through the clinic surrounded by guards. ¡°L-Lord Gorbachev...!¡± ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± She¡¯d just committed a massive faux pas. In her panic, she bit her tongue. Las Gotberg picked a book out of her box. ¡°This was on the library list but I couldn¡¯t find it. You¡¯ve got it, huh?¡± ¡°U-Uh... I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then Las picked up one of her herbal pellets and examined it. ¡°Penicillin, huh?¡± ¡°Ghk. Y-You know what it is?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Las leaned in without warning. Chloe froze when she saw his face. Her breath¡ªand her heart¡ªstopped. He made her an offer. ¡°You. Be my nurse.¡± *** ¡°You. Be my nurse.¡± ¡°U-uuh... ah-buh-buh...¡± At my offer, Chloe¡¯s legs gave out and she collapsed in a fit. I decided to wait until she stabilized. I¡¯d tracked her down after seeing her name on the Imperial Library¡¯s loan list. There were probably a dozen Chloes in the palace. No ID cards, so I had to go through every personnel roster in every building to find her. The book she had was one of the few remaining on folk medicine. Even if healing magic was the standard now, folk methods still existed. The problem was most were inaccurate and eroded trust in real medicine. Like how pricking your finger was said to help with indigestion. No, you need antacids for that. Because folk medicine couldn¡¯t foster real medical thinking, people just ended up relying on healing spells again. ¡°Nu-nurse... But what is a nurse?¡± ¡°Put simply, you¡¯ll be my direct assistant.¡± ¡°D-direct¡ª!¡± Chloe immediately fell to her knees in a deep bow. ¡°Th-thank you f-for reh-hiring me...!¡± Was that a sneeze in the middle? Maybe I picked the wrong person. She¡¯d borrowed the folk medicine text and even tried culturing blue mold¡ª The source of the first antibiotic: penicillin. That alone earned her points, so I figured I¡¯d try using her as a nurse. Technically, she¡¯d be older than me. But maybe she¡¯d be useful once trained. ¡°All right, Chloe. Let¡¯s start with your training.¡± ¡°T-Training?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll show you how to draw blood from Her Highness when I¡¯m not around.¡± Chloe¡¯s mouth formed a perfect O like a fish. ¡°...Princess Asella?¡± ¡°Yep. Her Highness Princess Asella.¡± ¡°D-Draw her blood?¡± ¡°Yup. Sliiide it out.¡± She looked like she might cry from joy. Honestly, made me proud too. Chapter 48: Head Nurse (3) ¡°How many times do I have to say it? That¡¯s not a vein. Your angle¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Hiieeek! Hiieeek!¡± After recruiting Chloe as my nurse, I¡¯d spent the past week using whatever time I could spare to train her. She was diligent and had experience, so her fundamentals were solid. The problem was her timid personality. ¡°If you can¡¯t find the vein and keep poking, slap the arm a few times.¡± ¡°H-How could I possibly hit your arm, sir...!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to hit Her Highness¡¯s arm too, eventually.¡± ¡°Gyaaaah!¡± Venipuncture was tricky, after all. It was a necessary skill, so I thought I¡¯d start teaching it, though it wasn¡¯t urgent. Since blood analysis tools were still in development, only I could handle it for now. Along with practical training like blood pressure measurement, I¡¯d been teaching her the basics of medical theory too. Maybe it was thanks to her folk remedy knowledge, but she managed to follow even when I skipped some of the scientific explanations. Explaining concepts like viruses or the human body structure made her light up like a baby chick. Honestly kind of funny. Healers whose minds were stuck in religious doctrine often couldn¡¯t grasp medicine at all. Chloe was the perfect candidate to become a nurse. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry through practice. You¡¯ve got a lot of work ahead. We still need to start producing pharmaceutical ingredients.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s fine. M-My usual sleep is five hours...¡± ¡°Days off?¡± ¡°U-Um... once a month?¡± A brutally overworked laborer. I hadn¡¯t rested either since starting this job as a court physician. At the very least, I had to check on Asella daily. Did the scriptures not mention anything about Sabbaths? Where the hell did the five-day workweek go? ¡°From now on, sleep seven and a half hours. If you¡¯re sleep-deprived, brain efficiency drops.¡± ¡°R-Really? I¡¯m allowed to do that?¡± ¡°Yes. Match your REM cycle. I¡¯ll explain later.¡± Once Chloe got up to speed, I could finally slack off a bit myself. The medical field was always hostile to work-life balance. A little vacation would be nice. I missed Neria. ¡°But you¡¯ll have to stay meticulous with your work. We¡¯ll be writing medical texts too, so you¡¯ll be busy.¡± ¡°A b-book?!¡± ¡°Yes. A book.¡± Explaining things verbally was tiring. To make my medicine more acceptable to the public, I needed to write it down. It was also a meaningful step toward building a legacy. ¡°All right, let¡¯s continue the practice. Let¡¯s just draw the blood and wrap this up.¡± ¡°W-We¡¯re really doing it? With a real needle?¡± ¡°What, you want to pretend? Here, hold the arm straight.¡± ¡°Hiiyaaa!¡± Even as she shrieked, Chloe didn¡¯t look away from my arm. I had to give her credit for guts. Then¡ªthud. My door slammed open. ¡°Lord Gotberg. I have a matter to relay¡ª¡± Asella barged in with her guards. She waltzed into my room here at Moonlight Palace just like she did back at the marquis estate¡ªlike it was her own domain. Well, technically, Moonlight Palace was hers. ¡°Hyaaaah! Y-Your Highness the Princess! Y-Your noble visage¡ª!¡± The moment Chloe saw her, she stiffened like a frightened marmot and dropped into a deep bow, trembling all over. Asella, naturally, did not acknowledge the greeting. Instead, she walked in and glared at me like I was a cockroach. What now? ¡°Lord Gotberg.¡± ¡°You summoned me, Your Highness.¡± ¡°What is this.¡± She jerked her chin toward Chloe. ¡°She¡¯s my head nurse. She¡¯ll be assisting me in caring for Your Highness¡¯s health.¡± ¡°You were holding hands just now.¡± ¡°Were we?¡± ¡°You flinched and pulled away when I came in.¡± ¡°She¡¯s timid, but competent. I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s properly trained.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all the excuse you have?¡± ¡°Excuse for what?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been under a delusion since the tournament. Your arrogance is through the roof.¡± Asella¡¯s cold voice stabbed into my eardrums. [No. 077: Avatar of Jealousy 14% ¡ú 86%] Ah. I screwed up again. Maybe she saw it as a betrayal¡ªthat I¡¯d brought a healer from Heike¡¯s faction into Moonlight Palace without permission. I¡¯d summoned Chloe here # N§àv§Ölight # because important tools like blood draw equipment weren¡¯t allowed to leave the clinic. Bad call, apparently. ¡°Your Highness, with respect, may I speak?¡± Until now, Tanya had been silently standing in the background. Now she stepped forward with a clank of her armor. Asella glanced sideways at her. ¡°Speak, Lady Tanya.¡± Lady? Did Asella just refer to her with honor? Why don¡¯t I get a title like that? ¡°The doctor was training the newly recruited nurse to better serve Your Highness. The scene you witnessed was part of the venipuncture instruction. There were no other intentions.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Hearing Tanya¡¯s explanation, Asella looked down at me with obvious displeasure. ¡°Lady Tanya, how long have you served his household?¡± ¡°Seven years.¡± ¡°Come to my quarters during my tea time later.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± That escalated quickly. ¡°Your Highness, Captain Tanya is my bodyguard. If she¡¯s absent, my safety may¡ª¡± Asella¡¯s sharp glare shut me right up. [No. 077: Avatar of Jealousy 86% ¡ú 22%] Well, at least the number dropped again. I decided to stay quiet. Wait¡ªno, it didn¡¯t return to the original level. It went up slightly again. ¡°Lord Gotberg.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°From now on, conduct training with gloves.¡± ¡°Hygiene is important. Excellent idea, Your Highness.¡± Asella turned her back to me with a dramatic spin. Her skirt¡¯s lace hem fluttered lightly. ¡°Lucie, deliver the message in my stead.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Then why didn¡¯t you send her from the start? The princess stormed in and flipped my room upside down just to leave a message. Only after Asella left could I finally breathe again. ¡°Interrupting like that... Tanya, don¡¯t you think that was too much?¡± ¡°This time, it was clearly your fault, Young Master.¡± ¡°Mine?! And why are you calling me Young Master again?¡± ¡°Who knows. I should go prepare tea for Her Highness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just gonna trot after her like that? Hey, that¡¯s dereliction of duty!¡± ¡°Her Highness outranks you, doesn¡¯t she? Orders take precedence. Don¡¯t trip over yourself and stay quietly in Moonlight Palace.¡± Tanya¡¯s shamelessness had become so exaggerated it somehow came across as courteous. ¡°Unbelievable. Chloe, don¡¯t let this set a weird example for¡ª¡± ¡°Glrk... gak...¡± Chloe was still collapsed on the floor, twitching. Apparently, Asella¡¯s pressure had been too much for her. ¡°Chloe, no time to be down. Thanks to Her Highness, today¡¯s practice ends here. Get back and continue the culture experiment.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°Everything going fine? I¡¯ll need materials soon.¡± Chloe wobbled upright and rushed to grab a file folder. ¡°The penicillin culture is going like this¡ª¡± She¡¯d written it all out in round, tidy handwriting. Even sketched it out, which made it easy to follow. I¡¯d told her to cultivate blue mold using discarded bread and cheese from the palace kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s the ingredient for that ¡®antibiotic¡¯ you mentioned, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Aspirin relieves symptoms, but to prevent reinfection, we need antibiotics.¡± Once the mold Chloe had cultured reached the right quality, I would extract penicillin. The current epidemic was a viral illness¡ªsome kind of respiratory infection. Usually, just as patients were recovering, their weakened immune systems would let bacterial infections take hold. For knights with those symptoms, I planned to prescribe antibiotics. Chloe fidgeted and made a request. ¡°S-Sir, I¡¯d really like to watch you compound it...¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get tired of it soon enough.¡± ¡°B-But still...¡± She was sparkling with enthusiasm, even drooling a bit. With this much progress, we¡¯d probably get a usable sample soon. ¡°Let¡¯s go test it.¡± I headed to the clinic with Chloe in tow. *** A crisp office lined with angular hardwood furniture. Heike von W¨¹rttempelt, First Princess of the Empire, was buried in paperwork from the tournament¡¯s aftermath. ¡°Hm. Deployment efficiency in the barracks is down. Bring me the surplus budget ledger.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Her poised command of the quill radiated charisma¡ªno room for error. Prince Gunther, the First Prince, was a coward, only considered heir because he was male. Prince Georg, the Second Prince, was ambitious but reckless. His zeal often led to poor decisions. Lauga and Asella, both lower in succession, weren¡¯t even being considered. If asked who best fit the throne, most would point to Heike. Even before adulthood, she had led knightly campaigns to subjugate barbarian tribes, and even now, she volunteered to enter danger zones during crises. More and more officials were drawn to her abilities. Heike¡¯s faction rivaled Georg¡¯s in strength within the imperial court. ¡°All drills have been canceled. Isn¡¯t that excessive, even considering the tournament?¡± Aide: ¡°It¡¯s due to the epidemic. Post-tournament, over 60% of knights have suffered long-term injuries.¡± ¡°An epidemic...¡± Even Heike couldn¡¯t solve every issue with ease. The illness spreading through the capital had been a headache for two months. The number of citizens booking clinic appointments had soared. ¡°The knights were pushed too hard at the tournament.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Confidential reports show a significant drop in combat strength among the Imperial Guard.¡± ¡°If an enemy were to invade, we¡¯d be at risk.¡± The Empire had plenty of forces. The border knights guarded the frontiers, the patrol knights roamed the capital, and the Imperial Guard was composed of elites. With several layers of defense, the odds of enemy infiltration were low¡ªbut Heike was not one to grow complacent. ¡°They spent how much on a damn flower viewing? And weren¡¯t there even monster attacks?¡± ¡°Those were caused by black mages, Your Highness.¡± ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d have beheaded them before they summoned anything.¡± Heike flipped through another document on the epidemic. ¡°What¡¯s this? Moonlight Palace is using the training facilities?¡± ¡°Um...¡± Hearing that, Heike paused to think. ¡°None of Moonlight¡¯s knights were affected, were they? The clinic didn¡¯t assign healers to them. And still, not a single new case...¡± She turned to her aide. ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°Rumor has it¡ª¡± The aide responded cautiously. ¡°They¡¯ve been using a new medicine to prevent reinfection. Distributed to Moonlight¡¯s knights.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this. Was it that aspirin?¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s something different now. They¡¯re calling it penicillin.¡± ¡°Penicillin...¡± Heike repeated the unfamiliar name. ¡°Apparently, other factions tried to acquire it and were turned away at the door.¡± ¡°Such technology is worth monopolizing. Asella¡¯s picked a capable court physician.¡± ¡°Well...¡± ¡°What?¡± Heike urged the hesitant aide to continue. ¡°The one who developed the penicillin... isn¡¯t actually Her Highness¡¯s court physician.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± ¡°She was a low-ranking healer, but is now the disciple of Gotberg...¡± ¡°Now? So before that?¡± ¡°...She belonged to our faction.¡± Heike¡¯s face turned ice cold. ¡°Why¡¯d she switch sides?¡± ¡°According to reports, Bishop Alberich dismissed her. Gotberg immediately rehired her.¡± The aide swallowed hard, feeling as though a blade was pressed to their neck. Heike gave a quiet order. ¡°Summon Bishop Alberich.¡± Chapter 49: Hearing (1) "Explain yourself, Bishop Alberich." Heike issued the command in a cold voice. Alberich cleared his throat awkwardly, overwhelmed by the aura radiating from Heike, who sat behind her office desk. "Your Highness, our faction within the Imperial Clinic remains strong. We have the highest number of healers, and we treated more knights than any other group during the martial arts tournament. Thanks to that, His Majesty even conferred us with¡ª" "Efficiency." Smack. Heike hurled a file folder across the desk, sending it flying toward Alberich. "As many as you healed, you also consumed the most funds. Now look at Moonlight Palace''s budget." "...Hmm." "Their medical expense item is in the negative. Do you know what that means? Moonlight Palace is making money through healing. Because the Gotberg physician developed that mask." "I... see." "The only real expenditure at Moonlight Palace is salaries. Their entire healing staff consists of two people¡ªjust the chief physician and his disciple." "...Yes." "That disciple, a healer named Chloe, developed a substance called penicillin. It has an innovative effect that prevents secondary infections in patients. According to testimony, the development process was already underway at the Imperial Clinic." "Your Highness, that wasn¡¯t development¡ªit was reckless endangerment using spoiled food! It posed a threat to patients and could have discredited the Clinic''s name¡ª" BANG!! Thunder cracked as Heike slammed her hand on the desk. Startled, Alberich immediately shut his mouth. "The epidemic in the 1st Barracks and Mokhwigung has burned through twelve hundred gold coins in just one month." "...Yes." "The same amount will be spent next month as well. Thanks to you firing that healer, Bishop." Alberich clenched his jaw. Nowhere in the Clinic was there a group of healers more effective than his faction. He was, after all, a bishop of the Holy Nation. A man once seen as a potential cardinal, maybe even a future pope. Though he had crossed over to the Empire after hitting a wall in terms of raw power, he had never doubted the supremacy of his faith and divine energy. Anyone who relied on herbs or folk remedies was a heretic. Not a healer, but a black magician. That conviction unshaken, Alberich found Heike''s criticism unjust¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t in a position to argue with his liege. "What sort of man is the Gotberg physician?" "Gotberg? Well... he''s a newcomer. Very young, too." "You don''t know him, then?" Alberich was utterly silenced. And Heike''s rage grew even sharper. "I thought he was just an impulsive hothead when he clashed with Georg." Heike leaned her chin on one hand, deep in thought. "But he¡¯s a man who can recognize talent, nurture it, and put it to use. I¡¯ve also heard the strategy that destroyed both Lauga and Georg during the martial arts tournament came from him." Healing and strategy were two entirely separate fields. Experts often struggled to see beyond their own domains. "And yet, the way he engineered the entire situation to benefit Asella... shows he has a wide view of the bigger picture." She grew increasingly curious¡ªhow had he developed such capabilities? Heike gave Alberich a sidelong glance and murmured her judgment. "He''s better than you." "Th-That¡¯s...!" Alberich ground his teeth, but Heike only gave her next command with icy clarity. "I want results. Bring them to me." Alberich bowed and exited the office. Heike nodded to herself, then said offhandedly to her secretary: "We need a scenario that will ensure Gotberg¡¯s loyalty to our faction." "Then you¡¯ll need to act quickly, Your Highness." "And why is that?" "We have intelligence that Princess Lauga is already trying to approach him." "Tch." Heike clicked her tongue and checked her schedule. *** "Hey, Las, is this good for your skin too?" "You mean the Vitamin C ampoule? Absolutely. It brightens complexion, increases elasticity, and slows aging. No risk even if you overuse it¡ªthe sour taste can be pretty addictive too." "My god, it¡¯s practically a miracle cure! No side effects? Sell me some too." "Two for one gold coin, Your Highness. Take one each morning." "Okay! Hehe, I can¡¯t wait." Lauga had stopped by my office again to be a pest. Still, she was a client who threw money around like water. I¡¯d left the work to Chloe and was entertaining the princess with a bright smile. "Hey, what about penicillin? Not for sale?" "Ugh, no way. Remember how mad Her Highness got over the masks? She nearly had my head off. I mean it." "Aww, fine. I guess I get it. Asella¡¯s been kind of scary lately." "Finally noticed? You¡¯ve had a pretty peaceful life, I see." "You¡¯re hilarious when you talk like that." She laughed and smacked my shoulder, then perched on my desk and lifted the lace sleeve of her arm. "Look at my skin. The tournament grounds were so dry, I¡¯m a mess. And I had to be there for three whole days." "You should¡¯ve come back with us. Risked your life, though." "The old Sage told me everything. Said you and Asella had a lovely time." "Lovely? Honestly, Your Highness, your vocabulary is far too refined. A commoner like me can¡¯t begin to comprehend it." "Don¡¯t play dumb. You¡¯re gonna get in trouble with Asella one of these days." "I¡¯ve already been in trouble plenty. Now please, pick your masks." Today she¡¯d come to buy more masks and demand more beauty treatments. Lauga reminded me of a seductive, cat-eyed version of Asella. We were about the same age. She had the kind of looks that turned heads just walking down the street, and yet a woman¡¯s desire for beauty knew no limits. "There¡¯s a big social party next week. I have to make my skin look as plump as possible by then." "You mean the event honoring the Western Duke. Since it¡¯s external activity for Her Highness, I¡¯ll be expected to attend as well." That was the message Asella had sent through Head Maid Lucie¡ªtelling me to prepare for a major party appearance. "What? You¡¯re going too?" "Her Highness is attending." "Asella is?! No way!" Lauga¡¯s eyes sparkled as she jumped up from her seat. Wait¡ªwas that supposed to be a secret? "So Asella¡¯s finally debuting in society! I thought she¡¯d never go, not in a million years. You know why, right? She¡¯s way too obsessed with magic." A party really was unnecessary for a magical war machine. "I asked her to come so many times, and she always acted like I was crazy. Something must¡¯ve changed. Hmph, maybe she has something to show off?" "The new line of masks turned out really well." "Stop pretending. If I landed a handsome, talented fianc¨¦ from a marquis family, I¡¯d throw a party too." Yeah... Lauga¡¯s head was full of flowers as usual. "I¡¯m just going as her physician." "Don¡¯t be so stiff. You should show up as her fianc¨¦." "Oh please, as if." Among the social elite, the name Gotberg¡¯s eldest son was infamous. If I strutted around claiming to be a princess¡¯s fianc¨¦ at a party full of influential nobles, it¡¯d be a disaster. I¡¯d only hurt Asella¡¯s reputation, and she¡¯d definitely come down on me for it. "You do know the tournament buzz has already spread through the noble houses, right? Everyone¡¯s passing around recordings from the knights. They¡¯re all asking who Gotberg is. Tons of people will be shocked to see you at that party." Sheesh, she was exaggerating again. If anyone deserved the spotlight, it was Tanya. She was getting scouting offers left and right now that she was on the verge of becoming a Swordmaster. My name had only come up a few times because Tanya had mentioned me. Maybe because she spent every day chasing parties, Lauga really was good at flattering people. "Even the Grand Duchess will be there, so pretty much every young noble around our age is attending. Can you believe that sweet-looking girl was caught with that guy from the coast¡ª" And off she went again, chattering about things I didn¡¯t care about. As I thought about whether Chloe was doing okay in the lab, her voice faded conveniently into one ear and out the other. Then¡ª Knock knock. A few healers entered my office with a knock. "Physician Gotberg." Their expressions were unusually solemn. From the crest on their robes, they were part of the First Princess¡¯s faction. The one in the lead addressed me. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We¡¯re here to inform you that a formal hearing will be held." *** Seriously? A hearing for a personal physician during a plague outbreak? Falkenhein, Georg¡¯s personal physician, cursed inwardly. Over ten personal physicians had gathered in the hall of the Imperial Clinic. All were leaders of their respective healer factions. Physicians to princes, princesses, or minor royals formed weaker groups¡ªbut personal physicians held high ranks and were undoubtedly skilled. The Emperor¡¯s own physicians were absent¡ªtoo busy. Attendance was optional, so Falkenhein didn¡¯t technically need to be here. But if Gotberg is involved, I can¡¯t ignore it. The one who had organized this was none other than Alberich. He and Falkenhein were the two major powers within the Clinic. It was only natural to monitor a rival¡¯s moves. But Prince Georg¡¯s stance now openly opposes the Third Princess. He had once supported Moonlight Palace because of his connection to Empress Camilla¡ªbut now that Camilla and Asella had split, they¡¯d become adversaries. That meant, unlike before, Falkenhein couldn¡¯t easily defend Gotberg no matter what came up today. Personally, I hope Gotberg pulls through somehow. They¡¯d met during the physician examination, and Falkenhein had witnessed his deep faith firsthand. He wanted to root for Gotberg. "Chief Physician Gotberg!" Alberich¡¯s thunderous voice rang through the hall. Las strolled in, casually sucking on a piece of candy. "That¡¯s me." He stood at the center of the semicircular table formation. Just standing there would make an ordinary person feel guilty of crimes they hadn¡¯t committed. But Las¡ªyoung as he was¡ªradiated nothing but relaxed composure. "You stand accused of corrupting the Imperial Clinic with heretical trickery. Are you aware of this?" Alberich fired the accusation without preamble. Las took the candy from his mouth and gave a lazy response. "Hmm, that¡¯s the first I¡¯ve heard of ¡®corrupting the Clinic.¡¯ As for trickery?" "Feeding patients spoiled bread, for example. An utterly irrational act." "Ah, you mean the medicine. Medicine is meant to treat a wide range of diseases, after all." "A substance that lacks divine blessing or sacred power¡ªhow could it possibly heal? What you¡¯ve done is no different from black magic!" Alberich launched a fierce offensive. It was {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} obvious this hearing had been convened solely to crush Gotberg. Well, he has been making waves recently... A rising star like him needed to be stamped out early if Alberich wanted to keep his grip on the Clinic. How would Gotberg overcome this crisis? Falkenhein watched intently¡ªand their eyes met. A plea for help? It was a wise move. In this room where Las had no allies, the only one both opposed to Alberich and with the authority to speak was Falkenhein. If he defended Las, the tide could turn. But due to Prince Georg, Falkenhein¡¯s hands were tied. Las glanced at him and mouthed something. ¡°Diagnosis,¡± it looked like. "Medicine isn¡¯t black magic¡ªit¡¯s simply a different path. And drugs can accomplish what healing magic cannot. For example..." Las looked straight at Falkenhein¡¯s barren scalp. "...they can even regrow thinning hair." "Is that true?!" Falkenhein leapt from his seat. Chapter 50: Hearing (2) "Physician Gotberg." Falkenhein rose from his seat and approached me with a grave expression. Once he was close enough that the other personal physicians couldn¡¯t see, his face relaxed, and he leaned in to whisper. "Is there really a medicine that can restore hair?" Desire for hair often outweighs even greed for wealth or power. Just one mention of hair loss treatment, and his eyes glazed over¡ªhe¡¯d completely joined my side. From this point on, I had to involve Falkenhein in my testimony. "It depends on the case, but in your situation, Lord Falkenhein, yes¡ªit¡¯s possible." "Ohhh!" After diagnosing him, I determined his condition was alopecia areata. It wasn¡¯t a debuff caused by lack of talent¡ªjust an age-related symptom. "There are two kinds of hair loss: receding hairline, or ''M-type'' pattern baldness, and circular baldness on the crown, or ''alopecia areata.''" "Exactly. Mine is the latter." "Judging by the condition, it hasn¡¯t been long since it began. No more than six months, I¡¯d say." "Accurate. It¡¯s been five months." M-type baldness is genetic, thus incurable without a hair transplant. But alopecia areata is caused by stress or environmental factors, so it can be delayed¡ªor with luck, even reversed. Considering Falkenhein developed alopecia at his age, he was probably healthy overall and not genetically predisposed. I slipped a small vial into Falkenhein¡¯s hand, already prepared in advance. "This medicine inhibits the enzyme responsible for hair loss. Simply put, your hair will grow faster than it falls out¡ªso in a few months, you¡¯ll recover." It was my version of finasteride. The composition differed slightly, but I¡¯d boosted the enzyme-blocking potency with enhancements. "My God, such a cure exists? In my life, I¡¯ve never once seen someone regrow their hair. I¡¯d make a pact with a demon if it meant getting it back." "I¡¯m a doctor, not a demon. That¡¯s a month¡¯s supply. It has side effects, so take half a tablet a day. Don¡¯t think the more you take, the better it works." "I¡¯ll remember. You, sir, are a true saint." Falkenhein clutched the vial to his chest and returned to his seat. "Lord Falkenhein, what are you doing?" "I¡¯ve verified a few things about Physician Gotberg. Let the hearing continue." Falkenhein replied with perfect nonchalance to the other physician¡¯s question. A clear signal: he was ready to defend me. *** Alberich resumed his attack. "Chief Physician Gotberg. Even if the medicine you use appears to heal patients, it is still an extension of unlicensed folk remedies." He looked like a direwolf, ready to rip my throat out. Right. He¡¯s the zealot type. Imperial physicians like Falkenhein do worship the Goddess, but they¡¯re pragmatic enough to balance faith with utility. But bishops from the Holy Nation? They outright reject anything outside divine healing¡ªjust like this. I¡¯d expected trouble eventually, but not for him to come at me this fast. "The healer you employed was dismissed from the Clinic for using banned folk remedies. You were aware of this?" "I was." "Then you must have used that healer¡¯s techniques to create this so-called medicine, correct?" "No." "No? The causal link is obvious. If you deny it, you¡¯ll need a convincing explanation." It was time to make this absolutely clear. "I used my knowledge. The field of medicine. That healer only had potential¡ªI taught her." "You admit it!" Alberich shot up and pointed a shaking finger at me. What an ill-mannered old man to act like this with someone he just met. "You have disrupted the Clinic¡¯s structure with unorthodox techniques. You have denied the Goddess¡¯s mercy, desecrated Her name, and corrupted the Empire¡¯s faithful! You are unworthy of being a physician, let alone a healer!" He was grossly exaggerating, but I understood the tactic. When you want something, start with an outrageous demand¡ªthen negotiate your way down to your real goal. He¡¯s trying to tarnish my reputation. Clearly a preemptive strike to stifle Moonlight Palace¡¯s growing influence. If I got angry here, I¡¯d be playing right into his hands. It was time to pull out the script I¡¯d prepared. "You seem to be mistaken, Bishop Alberich." "And what might that be?" "The one who commanded me to use medicine... was none other than the Goddess Herself." "...What did you say?" Of course I was bullshitting. But judging from how the other physicians were stirred up, it worked. All of them were highly skilled personal physicians. Even if not all were devout, most had some degree of genuine reverence. No one here could ignore the weight of a claim like receiving a revelation from the Goddess. "The Goddess told you to use that technique?" "Yes." "And are you claiming that you''re the kind of healer whose faith is strong enough to receive such revelations?" "It is." Alberich, sensing a weakness to exploit, was reinvigorated. "Blaspheming the Goddess is a grave offense in the Clinic. Surely you know this." Too bad for him¡ªI had insurance. "You think I wouldn¡¯t be aware of that? Fortunately, someone here can testify to my faith." "Indeed, there is." Falkenhein answered without hesitation and launched into a passionate speech. "As many of you know, I have a talent. A divine eye that lets me discern true faith. With it, I trained without wavering, reaching the position I hold today." His voice rang out, unwavering and resolute. "Physician Gotberg is a talent I personally scouted and brought up through my own training facility. I¡¯ll testify here and now." Falkenhein raised a hand toward me, his voice full of conviction. "This man has the most devout heart I¡¯ve seen in any healer in my life. I see it now¡ªhis upright spirit burns more brightly than any." Alberich scowled and countered. "Lord Falkenhein, this hearing concerns the grave matter of blasphemy. Can you take responsibility for your words?" "Responsibility? Are you asking the chief physician of Tojin Palace if I can take responsibility, Bishop Alberich?" Falkenhein raised his voice in turn. He was also a faction leader under the Second Prince. He wasn¡¯t about to be spoken down to like a subordinate. "Are you questioning the talent granted to me by the Goddess?" "I would never doubt the Goddess. I doubt your distorted faith¡ªyour loyalty to your lord over Her Holiness." "So you''re saying I¡¯m falsely defending Gotberg under orders from my superior? Hah. You really are behind the times on court politics." "Then you''re denying it? That this young, green healer is supposedly the most faithful person in this room?" "You look pretty green to me too." "What? You senile old man¡ªhave you finally lost it? Did your hair fall out along with your sense?" "I¡¯ll send you across the River Yordan before my last hair falls out, you bastard!" "Life and death belong to Heaven. Even if my time¡¯s short, I¡¯ll outlive you, you relic. Retire and change your grandkid¡¯s diapers already." Watching these old men spit and bicker like children was grotesque. Entertaining, though. I didn¡¯t feel like stopping them. "All talk. There''s still no proof that Gotberg is truly devout." "Oh, I¡¯ve got your proof right here." Falkenhein drew out his Bible. Cradling it close, he raised his other hand and closed his eyes in solemn oath. "With reverence for our beloved Goddess, I swear to speak only the truth. With my sacred sight, I testify: Physician Gotberg possesses far deeper faith than Bishop Alberich." Fwaaa! A brilliant backlight flared behind Falkenhein. Radiant divine energy glowed softly from his body. It was a phenomenon only seen in high-level healers and clergy. "Such pure divine power." "Not a tremble in his aura." "A sign he hasn¡¯t sworn any falsehoods." "So Gotberg really is that gifted?" The other personal physicians murmured. "Swearing an oath... for something like this?" Even Alberich seemed rattled. He hadn¡¯t expected Falkenhein to go this far. Should¡¯ve kept the provocation moderate. I stepped forward. "Looks like that settles it. As I said, practicing medicine isn¡¯t heresy." "You still can¡¯t call it the proper way. A healer should offer prayers, not poison patients!" Alberich was still fuming, veins bulging in his neck. That¡¯s when¡ª SLAM. The doors to the hall flew open, and the heavy thud of boots echoed across the floor. A woman strode in with a billowing cape. It was First Princess Heike. Every physician present bowed their heads. I followed suit. Heike swept her gaze across the room, then issued her command like a general: "Everyone except Alberich and Gotberg¡ªout." The physicians immediately vacated their seats. Yeah... I¡¯d almost forgotten how intimidating royalty could be. Spending time with Lauga earlier had thrown me off. This was the true weight of a royal¡¯s words. "Alberich. I ask you¡ªwhy did you convene a hearing to dismiss Physician Gotberg?" "Your Highness, this was not a dismissal¡ªit was merely to address suspicions and verify qualifications¡ª" "Same thing. Don¡¯t waste my time. I already wasted some by visiting Gotberg¡¯s office." So she¡¯d come looking for me directly. No way that was good news. Lauga usually left me mentally exhausted after a month¡¯s worth of chatter in one visit¡ªthis was going to be worse. "I¡¯ll ask again. Why this hearing?" Alberich wiped sweat from his brow, answering slowly like a man grasping for excuses. "...Your Highness reviewed Moonlight Palace¡¯s budget and appeared concerned about the growth of the Third Princess¡¯s faction..." "Broadly speaking, that¡¯s correct." "Then... then surely this proceeding isn¡¯t a problem¡ª?" THUD. Heike stomped her foot, her eyes blazing. Alberich flinched and hung his head. Even I wouldn¡¯t survive a second under that gaze. If Asella¡¯s glare felt like she¡¯d kill you out of spite, Heike¡¯s was like a killing machine that¡¯d end you the moment you pressed the wrong button. "Bishop. What is your profession?" "...I am a personal physician." "Do I seem so incompetent that I¡¯d leave political ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) decisions to a physician?" "N-No, of course not." "Are you my strategist?" "I am not." "I ordered you to reduce Mokhwigung¡¯s healing budget, not to suppress Moonlight Palace. I make the judgments. Am I wrong?" "You are absolutely correct, Your Highness." Alberich could only nod and agree with every word. His dark circles were sinking to his cheeks. "Then¡ªChief Physician Gotberg." "It is an honor to be in Your Highness¡¯s presence." So now she addresses me. Judging by this, it was definitely about the penicillin. "I wish to recruit you into my faction." A proposal beyond anything I¡¯d imagined. Even Alberich froze, mouth agape, paralyzed. "May I ask your true intention?" "A literal offer of favor. I want you. Become my vice-physician and introduce your new healing mechanisms." Poaching staff from other factions must be common among royals. Even the imperial knights switch sides often. That I was Asella¡¯s physician didn¡¯t seem to bother Heike. To them, a vassal was just an object¡ªlike stealing your sibling¡¯s toy. She was over ten years older than me, too. "Are you saying I may use medicine freely?" "Yes. I¡¯ll provide full support to develop, mass-produce, and monopolize your medications." Hmm. Being Heike¡¯s subordinate... S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. On paper, the offer wasn¡¯t bad. Her faction was the strongest in the palace. If Asella failed to become emperor, Heike was the most likely successor. She was a woman who calculated profit with precision¡ªrewards for loyalty would be guaranteed. But¡ª "My apologies, Your Highness. I¡¯ve already pledged myself to Princess Asella." Deeper entanglement with the royal family would only hurt me. Once you sink waist-deep into the mud, there¡¯s no getting out. My goal was to delete the bad endings¡ªnot rack up more side quests that make escaping harder. "And why is that? You¡¯re only bound to her by contract, aren¡¯t you?" "Well, I¡¯m not just a physician¡ªI¡¯m also her fianc¨¦." "A political arrangement decided by your family, no?" Heike pierced right through the situation, searching for an opening. "Do you truly desire a nominal engagement to the royal family?" "Eh? That¡¯s not¡ª" "I myself am without a fianc¨¦." "...Pardon?" "Broken engagements and new ones are routine business in noble politics. Physician Gotberg¡ª" Heike looked me straight in the eyes, voice deadly serious. "Do you want me?" Chapter 51: The Jealous Princess (1) "I asked you if you wanted to be the fianc¨¦ of the imperial successor." Heike posed the question flatly as she looked straight at me. Alberich, who clearly couldn¡¯t follow the flow of the conversation anymore, made a strangled choking sound, utterly aghast. Let¡¯s think this over, just for a moment. The Emperor¡¯s consort. A position called gukseo. Your wife is the highest authority in the entire Empire¡ªyou¡¯d barely even get to see her face. And I¡¯d be locked up in that suffocating palace for a hundred, a thousand days, until I dropped dead. I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep properly for fear of assassination every night. I get it. It¡¯s the same situation I¡¯m in now. A prisoner in a gilded cage. So yes, I decline. "I¡¯m afraid that position is not one prepared for a humble man like myself." "Hmm." At my answer, Heike gave the faintest twitch of her lips. "To show not even a shred of greed at such an offer... You are the ideal servant." Isn¡¯t it the royal family that¡¯s too greedy? "Relax your face. I was joking. Even I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to steal my sibling¡¯s fianc¨¦." "I didn¡¯t realize Your Highness enjoyed jokes." Heike drew her lips taut, seemingly displeased by my comment. "Even royalty can make a joke. But if you act this rigidly, there¡¯s no opening to work with." I hadn¡¯t meant to come off that harsh¡ªbut maybe I¡¯d raised my walls too high. If I let Heike walk away now, I wouldn¡¯t get tangled up with her again. But I had a slightly better idea. "Depending on the terms, I could consider selling penicillin to Mokhwigung." "Truly?" Heike uncrossed her arms, interest piqued. "How could I let Your Highness, who graced this place with your noble presence, return empty-handed? That would be the height of discourtesy." "You¡¯re certainly a well-mannered noble scion. And the condition?" As expected of royalty¡ªthey calculate profit and loss with cold precision. She was definitely cut from the same cloth. Time to collect what I¡¯m owed. With a firm voice, I made my proposal. "An alliance between Mokhwigung and Moonlight Palace." "Hmm." If my faction was to grow quietly within the Imperial Clinic, I¡¯d need backing. Even if I coaxed Falkenhein into supporting me, he couldn¡¯t openly side with us while Asella and Georg were enemies. And if Alberich kept obstructing me like this, working inside the Clinic would only become more difficult. I hadn¡¯t asked Asella¡¯s permission for an alliance, but... well, I figured she¡¯d understand once I explained it. Once allied with us, Heike would inevitably enter open conflict with Georg. If the two of them drained each other¡¯s strength and collapsed together, that would be a win for Moonlight Palace. It¡¯d raise Asella¡¯s odds of winning¡ªbut... the bad ending probability hasn¡¯t changed yet, so I¡¯ll think about that later. "An alliance, you say." What Heike wanted was my medical expertise. Accepting this deal would allow her to trade with me long-term for medicine, equipment, and more. If she saw it as an investment, it was probably a sweet enough deal. Heike finished her calculations and replied. "I¡¯ll consider it favorably. I¡¯ll meet with Asella myself." "I look forward to your cooperation." Already, I was bubbling with excitement over how much I could bleed out of this arrangement. *** "I''m glad you¡¯re safe." I returned to Moonlight Palace with Tanya. There had been enough chaos, so I left the office to Chloe and just wanted some rest. Chloe had worked herself into a nervous fit worrying about me, but still managed to handle the office perfectly in my absence. Right now, only I could create penicillin by applying alchemy to the blue mold she¡¯d cultured. At this pace, I¡¯d be able to entrust Chloe with mass production soon. We might even start making medicine without alchemy at all. But when I arrived at Moonlight Palace, I found a face I hadn¡¯t expected to see¡ªand it was a welcome one. "Big Brother!" "Neria?" The moment she saw me, Neria came sprinting in socks and beamed with a radiant smile. Before I could help it, I smiled too, overcome with joy. "You¡¯ve been well?" "Of course. Thanks to the ingredients you sent, I¡¯ve been just fine. But what brings you here?" "Hehe, surprised?" She hadn¡¯t hinted at anything in her letters. This was a proper surprise¡ªand a well-executed one. I patted the top of her head, and she giggled, her silvery-gray hair swaying. After all that suffocating palace life, I finally felt like I could breathe again. "I came because there¡¯s going to be an important social party." Ah, she must mean the party honoring the Duke. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Did Father come too?" "Father¡¯s busy, so I came in his place. Neria is the face of House Gotberg now!" "That¡¯s reassuring. I¡¯ll leave the family honor in your hands." "Haha, I think it¡¯s time the Gotberg family got a younger public face!" A loud voice joined in, and I turned to see Boris helping tidy up the horses and carriage they¡¯d come in. The wounds he¡¯d suffered from the goblin shaman had healed completely. "Have you been well, young master?" "You look great, Boris." "Thanks to you. It¡¯s good to see you again, Commander." "Hmm." Tanya acknowledged Boris¡¯s greeting with a nod. "Boris and the knights escorted me all the way to the palace." "That¡¯s a long trip. Must¡¯ve taken two weeks?" "We lost a full day just at the palace walls. The entrance procedure is brutal. I can¡¯t even count how many security checks they ran on us." Boris grumbled, then grinned, showing his teeth. "More importantly, young master, Commander¡ªwe¡¯ve heard the news." "What news?" "We saw the footage from the Imperial Martial Arts Tournament. Commander Tanya was amazing." "You flatter me." Tanya answered Neria¡¯s praise with humility. "The Commander kept mentioning you the whole time. Word spread like wildfire¡ªthat the eldest son of House Gotberg turned the tournament on its head as a personal physician." "Hmm, is that so?" It was good news for me. The wider my name spread, the easier it¡¯d be to rack up achievements. "Thanks to that, the whole marquisate is in a festive mood. They say applicants for next year¡¯s training academy are already lining up." "Father was happy too. He sent a letter¡ªI''ll give it to you later." "Looking forward to it. Shall we go inside and talk? Neria, I¡¯ll prepare some tea." "Yes!" Excited to be in the palace, Neria looked around curiously as she entered Moonlight Palace. "I¡¯m due to switch shifts with Bruno, so I¡¯ll excuse myself for now." Tanya left to take care of other duties. I brought Neria to the receiving room and asked the attendants to prepare refreshments. "About those golden roses you sent¡ªthey¡¯re growing fast. I think we¡¯ll be able to harvest them soon. It¡¯s getting hotter, but they say we can use higher altitudes. And the roads near the estate..." Neria began rapid-firing everything she hadn¡¯t been able to say in her letters. If I left her alone, she¡¯d pass out from lack of oxygen, so I popped a cookie into her mouth to slow her down. "Palace snacks are so sweet!" She munched away, unaware of the crumbs on her cheeks. After a while, once we¡¯d caught up a bit, I brought up the topic I wanted to discuss. "Neria, have rumors about my medicine reached the marquisate?" "Yes. Ice... uh, sorry, I forget the name. Something about curing a capital-wide epidemic without using healing magic?" "Right. Only I can make it for now, but with proper training, other healers could too." "Really?" "Yeah. The key ingredient is willow bark¡ªthe same stuff you used to send me." "Ahh... that¡¯s amazing." I hadn¡¯t brought this up to Neria just to show off. When Heike made [N O V E L I G H T] her offer... The idea of setting up an environment to mass-produce and monopolize medicine had tempted me more than I expected. But then I thought¡ªwait. If it¡¯s that good of a deal, why don¡¯t I just do it myself? And since Neria happened to be here, it seemed like the right time to float the idea. "Neria, want to start a business?" "A business?" "Yeah. The healer academy only brings in tuition and donations¡ªit¡¯s not a huge moneymaker. And our family isn¡¯t exactly rolling in wealth. Running an estate takes serious funds." "That¡¯s true. I want to grow up fast and help the family like you do. But what kind of business?" I pulled out a medicine case from inside my coat. It was a sample kit, with everything sorted by type. "Aspirin¡ªfor colds and headaches. Penicillin¡ªantibiotic that prevents secondary infections. Red balm¡ªtopical antibiotic. Seasickness pills, antiseptic. I¡¯m also working on digestive aids and burn cream." I explained the plan while jotting it down in a notebook for her to follow. "That¡¯s a lot of different kinds." "The more advanced medicines only I can make, but these basic ones could be mass-produced with the right training, equipment, and materials." Then I said what I¡¯d really been leading up to. "Let¡¯s build a pharmaceutical factory in the marquisate." "A medicine factory...!" Her eyes widened with interest. Neria had a good education and was naturally bright¡ªshe understood right away. I had no plans to run House Gotberg myself. Being both a doctor and a lord would be impossible. The pharmaceutical business would have to be led by Neria once she inherited Father¡¯s duties. "We could help so many sick people!" Right now, I sell the medicine at high prices because I¡¯m the only one who can make it. But with a factory, we could lower the cost dramatically. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t have to pay so much to see a healer¡ªthe burden would shrink massively. She really was sharp. "I heard there¡¯s a candy factory in the Empire." "There is." "Could we make sweet-tasting medicine like that too?" "Hmm... maybe?" She was probably imagining some kind of chocolate medicine. That her mind shifted so quickly was a reminder¡ªshe was still a kid. "But wouldn¡¯t building a factory that big cost a fortune?" "It would. Starting without investors would mean heavy risk for our family." We could maybe begin as a cottage industry, but even then, it¡¯d take serious time and money to train pharmacists and set up the infrastructure. "We¡¯ll have to find investors. Either way, this will take years¡ªso let¡¯s start slow." "Okay, Brother. I¡¯ll do my best!" Neria clenched her little fists with determination. She was clearly trying to look serious¡ªbut her flushed cheeks just made her look even cuter. If Neria took the lead on this, I could relax. Hopefully, the factory would be ready by the time I retired from being a personal physician. How nice would that be? A peaceful, prosperous life. "I¡¯m counting on you. First, let¡¯s convince Father and start planning." "Leave it to me! Father always lets me do what I want!" So energetic. I suddenly wanted to stuff those puffed-up cheeks with more sweets. "Want a candy?" "Yes!" I unwrapped a honey drop and passed it over. She popped it in her mouth in one bite. Just as I was thinking I wouldn¡¯t be bored for a while, I heard a commotion. Clanking footsteps¡ªknights moving fast. The palace guards flooded into the receiving room and took position along the walls. Only one person could be making an entrance like that. Asella. "Ah, Your Highness!" Neria quickly turned and bowed politely to her. But Asella ignored her greeting. Arms crossed, chin raised, she stared down at me with a sharp glare. "Physician." "Yes." Golden mana blazed in her eyes. Now what was she angry about this time? Asella spoke in a frigid voice. "Is it true you were proposed to by Heike?" How in the world did that story get that twisted? Chapter 52: The Jealous Princess (2) The peaceful tea time had ended, and a sharp tension stretched between Asella and me. The guards standing nearby could feel the oppressive silence between us prickling against their skin. It¡¯s starting again. Her Highness is going to win anyway. Though it looks like the doctor has something to say this time. While maintaining their solemn duty, the guards couldn¡¯t help but observe us directly. Back when Empress Camilla held power, Moonlight Palace always felt like a swamp¡ªsticky and suffocating with hidden threats. Even young as she was, Asella¡¯s charisma had far more dignity than Camilla ever did. Now, Moonlight Palace felt like a sharp, icy palace with blades hidden in every direction. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Still, thanks to the Gotberg physician, unexpectedly entertaining incidents like this happened from time to time. The guards weren¡¯t about to miss a second of it. I spoke up first. ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve done nothing wrong, and I¡¯m the one misunderstanding for no reason again?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°I heard Heike offered you the position of her fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°Taken in isolation, that statement is technically true.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Asella turned her head in disbelief and scoffed. So it was true. The First Princess tried to court the doctor? That¡¯s a pretty big deal. Still, the age gap... has she lost her mind? Hey, older women and younger men pair well. You trying to get executed by Her Highness? Get it together. It must¡¯ve been a provocation. The knights of Moonlight Palace were more elite than any other royal guards. They could exchange detailed opinions just by moving their eyes¡ªan ability honed to launch ambushes during operations. Now, that high-level skill was being wasted watching the emotional quarrel between the princess and her doctor. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a social proposal like Your Highness imagines. It was a metaphor tossed out during faction negotiations.¡± ¡°What kind of negotiation?¡± ¡°A limited-term alliance proposal.¡± ¡°An alliance?¡± ¡°Moonlight Palace is lacking in knights and funds while opposed to Tojin Palace. If we also become hostile to Mokhui Palace, our movements will become severely restricted.¡± The doctor¡¯s not wrong. We do need allies. It¡¯s not like he initiated it either. The knights¡¯ pupils darted left and right, gauging our reactions. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? But why does your name come up in the form of a marriage proposal?¡± ¡°First Princess Heike said it was a joke...¡± ¡°A hilarious joke. I¡¯m just laughing nonstop.¡± ¡°You look pretty serious to me.¡± ¡°Your vision seems fine. You must¡¯ve gotten a good look at Heike¡¯s seductive face too, huh?¡± Asella¡¯s sharp tone cracked the teacup on the table. This is getting out of hand. The First Princess really dropped poison into Moonlight Palace. Has Her Highness ever reacted this violently to another faction¡¯s provocation? I want out of this minefield, please. I let out a quiet sigh, barely audible. My patience was starting to fray. I had made the correct decision in this situation. It was objectively right. Why was Asella so fixated on that one line? A headache started to build behind my eyes. ¡°So? How did you feel about it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much to say. I refused the First Princess¡¯s proposal immediately.¡± ¡°...You did?¡± At my answer, Asella slightly leaned back, her chin lowering toward her neck. ¡°Of course. It was clearly a trap meant to test my loyalty.¡± ¡°Of course it was. Hmph.¡± Having nothing more to say, Asella pursed her lips for no reason. But she didn¡¯t want to appear soft in front of me either. Some strange, squirming emotion stirred inside her chest, but it wasn¡¯t strong enough to override the anger boiling in her head. Determined to find some fault, she continued her accusations¡ªbut now with noticeably less confidence. ¡°If there¡¯s something as important as an alliance on the table, you should report to me first. Why are you sitting here drinking tea?¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± A small girl who had remained silent in the corner took a step forward. Neria gave a respectful bow and spoke clearly. ¡°I am Neria Gotberg, daughter of the Gotberg family. Forgive me, but may I speak?¡± Though she¡¯d met Asella before, she lowered herself in proper respect. Even Asella wouldn¡¯t snap at a little girl. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡± ¡°My brother... Doctor Gotberg was surely on his way to deliver that important report to Your Highness. But I showed up without notice, and he delayed to greet me. So this incident is my fault. Please don¡¯t be too harsh on my brother...¡± Neria spoke with careful clarity. ¡°Miss Neria, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± Asella began to reply but hesitated. Neria¡¯s innocent eyes looked like they would well up with tears at any moment. Normally, Asella wouldn¡¯t have been swayed by something like that. But Neria¡¯s expression was powerful enough to break through. She even kind of looked like Max. Her Highness missed her chance to stay angry! Anger has timing. Miss it, and it just becomes awkward. The guards watched the mood shift with fascination. Truthfully, Neria was someone who might¡¯ve been chosen as a Saint. This confrontation could be seen as a clash between absolute good and absolute pride. And the result of that clash was¡ª ¡°Hh-ing.¡± The small, animal-like whimper from Neria broke the tension, signaling the victory of absolute good. Feeling like a villain for bullying the girl, Asella averted her gaze. ¡°Fine. I only took issue with the delay. Since I know the reason, I won¡¯t mention it again.¡± Everyone knew the real issue was Heike¡¯s proposal. But Asella smoothly changed the topic. Did Her Highness just... make an excuse? She opted to retreat from an uncomfortable situation. Miss Gotberg¡¯s offensive power is no joke. The guards mentally applauded Neria, who had endured a face-off with Asella. ¡°My apologies, Your Highness. I¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°...All right.¡± Asella awkwardly accepted my apology. Her gaze fell onto the notebook I¡¯d left on the table. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing to concern Your Highness. It¡¯s a family matter.¡± ¡°Then I definitely need to know.¡± She skimmed through the project plans for the pharmaceutical factory. ¡°This¡¯ll require a lot of capital.¡± ¡°It will.¡± ¡°Moonlight Palace will invest.¡± ¡°Really?¡± My face lit up at the word ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) "invest." Wait, if she keeps demanding equity even after retirement, that could get annoying. I should set a clear expiration date, I thought. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a promising business. If our allied funds circulate well, it¡¯ll benefit the Gotberg estate too. Doctor, bring important matters like this to me immediately next time.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll submit the proposal soon.¡± ¡°And gain some awareness.¡± ¡°What kind of awareness?¡± Asella closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. Why does this man always follow up a good remark with such clueless ones? Her insides were boiling, but she couldn¡¯t get angry again¡ªnot in front of all the watching knights. They knew exactly why. She already changed the subject. Raising her voice now would just hurt her dignity. That doctor... must¡¯ve driven plenty of noblewomen crazy in his time. Unless Her Highness gives a direct order, the doctor won¡¯t back down first. Who would lower their pride first? Or would this end in a draw? All eyes were on us. In the end, Asella pointed at me and declared in a clear voice: ¡°I¡¯m talking about the awareness that you¡¯re my fianc¨¦.¡± I bowed respectfully, unfazed by her words. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Asella turned sharply and exited the reception room. Her footsteps were unusually loud. She¡¯s sulking. Definitely sulking. The guards were quietly impressed by the unexpected victory of the Gotberg faction and marched after her in formation. *** ¡°I''m so wronged.¡± After the clash with Asella, I was too drained to even think about working in the afternoon. I¡¯d gone to extract leverage from Heike and ended up getting scolded. My heart was all scratched up. Unfortunately, that¡¯s not something medicine can fix. So I soothed myself by squishing Neria¡¯s soft cheeks. ¡°My apologies,¡± Tanya bowed her head to me. ¡°I judged the alliance with Mokhui Palace to be urgent and reported it in your stead since you were busy... But I acted rashly. Her Highness ran out before I could even finish explaining¡ª¡± ¡°Good work. Her Highness must not trust me that much.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the opposite, brother?¡± Neria¡¯s eyes sparkled, even as I held her face between my hands. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that Her Highness cherishes you so much.¡± What on earth have you been watching, Neria? ¡°If the report had been any later, Her Highness would¡¯ve been even more furious. Think of it as me taking some of the beating for you.¡± ¡°Captain, you¡¯ve gotten bold since hanging out with Asella.¡± At my jab, Tanya just shrugged innocently. Well, she wasn¡¯t wrong. It was an important matter, and I should¡¯ve reported it. Tanya made the right call. And in the end, we secured support. Now I had to wring everything I could from Asella in return for her torment. ¡°You¡¯ll be accompanying Her Highness to the party, right, brother? I can¡¯t wait!¡± I patted the head of the little saint who had so gracefully defeated a villainess. Chapter 53: Social Party (1) ¡°P-Prepared!¡± Chloe thumped down the day¡¯s batch of finished materials. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s more than enough to meet the deadline. We start deliveries to Mokhwigung next week, so keep everything strictly managed.¡± ¡°Yesssir!¡± For now, it¡¯s faster and more accurate to do the compounding myself with alchemy. Once she builds up more skill, I plan to have Chloe handle even the compounding for delivery batches. I told her to put up a hiring notice since we¡¯d soon be short on hands, but no applicants so far. I opened my status window and checked the skill list. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡ð Alchemy C ¡¤ Enhancement C ¨C Property Alteration C ¡¤ Compression C ¡¤ Synthesis C ¨C Extraction D ¡¤ (Unacquired) ¡ð Medicine C ¡¤ Diagnosis C ¨C Blood Test C ¨C X-ray Scan D ¡¤ Prescription D ¡¤ First Aid D ¨C Surgery (Basic) C ¡¤ (Unacquired) ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D I¡¯ve picked up a decent number of skills now. I need to use them properly, in the right places. For drugs like aspirin that utilize the raw ingredient¡¯s effects, the compression and enhancement processes are efficient and yield quick results. On the other hand, medicine that requires chemical processing must start with extraction, which takes significantly longer to make. ¡°Doctor, the materials have arrived.¡± ¡°Oh, just stack them over there for now.¡± Tanya aligned a large box precisely in the corner. The office was starting to look more like a logistics warehouse. I really do need a bigger space. Right now, what I want to make most is a digestive medicine. Which means I¡¯ve been collecting bizarre ingredients like pig pancreas, corn, and random leafy greens. ¡°This is taking way too long. Mass production''s not happening.¡± I gave up on producing the digestive base. If I sink this much time into making just emergency meds, it¡¯s not efficient. Using simpler ingredients drops the efficacy too much, making it unusable for patients. If I¡¯m going to spend this much time anyway, I should at least make something like a painkiller, a strength-enhancement tonic, or a mana potion¡ªsomething that packs a punch. A so-called finisher. I decided to postpone the digestive meds until I had a full production line. ¡°Might as well make soda water for now.¡± It does have a mild digestive effect. Though, if overused, it becomes harmful to the stomach instead. Coke... sounds good right about now. I moved on to making my finisher. Conveniently, there was one project I¡¯d been working on persistently for days, and it was nearly complete. I prepared two syringes of liquid. Got the idea from that thing they distribute in the military with gas masks as part of CBR gear. ¡°It¡¯s an antidote.¡± This antidote temporarily nullifies neurotoxins, buying time to receive proper treatment. Ironically, most antidotes are toxic themselves. There¡¯s a reason for the phrase ¡°fight poison with poison.¡± The idea came to me after the Camilla incident with the black magicians. Black magic tends to induce hallucinations or deal damage over time¡ªbasically [N O V E L I G H T] a kind of poison. The Curse of the Death Dragon is technically black magic, too. Asella got caught up in it during the martial arts tournament, and something like that could easily happen again. And if Asella ends up poisoned and dies? No need to overthink it¡ªthat would lock me into a guaranteed bad ending. This antidote is insurance for her. ¡°The small one is atropine, the large one is oxime.¡± It was the fruit of my alchemical grind, wandering the northern palace mountains gathering poisonous herbs. ¡°Synthesize.¡± I completed the final process with a spell circle. Mm. Lovely. It¡¯s for emergencies. Hopefully I¡¯ll never need to use it. I tucked it neatly inside my coat. I have so many different syringes in my emergency set now, I¡¯ve memorized exactly where each one is placed to avoid confusion. ¡°Doctor, shouldn¡¯t you be heading out soon to get ready for the party?¡± Prompted by Tanya, I took out my pocket watch. ¡°Still three hours left.¡± ¡°Which means it¡¯s time to go.¡± ¡°It takes like five minutes to change.¡± ¡°Are you serious? With that hairstyle?¡± What¡¯s wrong with my hair. ¡°I-It¡¯s an important event... P-Please leave the office to usss...¡± Even Chloe was fidgeting and pushing me toward the door. When they go that far, there¡¯s no choice but to go. Besides, if I¡¯m late, Asella will definitely chew me out. I set off for Moonlight Palace. *** Darkness had settled over the imperial ballroom where the party was being held. The sparkling stars were drowned out by dazzling chandeliers. Sure, it was important that the Duke of the West came from a venerable bloodline that had served since the empire¡¯s founding, or that he had just won a minor skirmish against a neighboring kingdom. It was important, but not the reason Asella sighed as she gazed out from the balcony. Winning over noble support was essential for a successor. Even if you became Emperor, it was meaningless if a rebellion erupted immediately. Social circles were something she had to face eventually. Especially tonight¡ªa gathering of the empire¡¯s next generation of powerhouses, heirs to their noble houses. But right now, Asella was already swamped with growing her faction in the imperial family and keeping rival successors in check. Too much work. Faction building, palace administration, noble outreach, academics. She was confident she could handle it all. Moonlight Palace had grown visibly stronger compared to when Camilla held real power. Even so, what she was accomplishing as a mere girl was superhuman. But such things are simply expected from one of royal blood. Maybe it''s getting to me a little. The sigh she let out had slipped past without her noticing, accumulated from chronic stress. She also prayed she wouldn¡¯t suddenly suffer a stomachache in the middle of a crowd. That was the main reason she¡¯d declined Lauga¡¯s invitations up until now. Showing weakness in front of nobles would be hard to recover from. She had planned to debut in society a few years later¡ªtwo or three years at most. Still... Now she wanted more. The Emperor had grown old. As if next year might not even come, he was straining to prove he was still strong. He pushed forward with the martial arts tournament despite a plague and monster attacks. He didn¡¯t even watch most of it, nodding off from the second day onward. The court healers and physicians had a hell of a time. He wasn¡¯t ancient, but he¡¯d used up all his energy in youth. Since no one knew when he might collapse, she had to move faster. And... Now she felt she¡¯d be fine, even if an unforeseen event were to occur. Just a bit longer. She was thinking that when¡ª ¡°Asella.¡± A voice called her name, and Asella turned her head. Camilla, extravagantly dressed, had stepped onto the balcony from the next room. ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°You seem to be doing well.¡± Camilla offered a bitter smile. Her venom seemed to have diminished a little compared to before. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Moonlight Palace to run so well without me. Color me surprised.¡± ¡°I am a princess. What brings you here?¡± Asella wasted no time getting to the point. Camilla never initiated conversation without a purpose. ¡°My pact with Georg is complete.¡± ¡°What kind of pact?¡± ¡°You know the Second Empress is just like Lauga¡¯s mother¡ªutterly unfit for politics. A pampered caged bird who¡¯s only ever known luxury.¡± She was talking about Georg and Lauga¡¯s birth mother. A stunning foreign princess the Emperor had taken during a conquest 25 years ago. ¡°What puts Georg at a disadvantage compared to Gunther or Heike is that he lacks a legitimate Empress Dowager.¡± Click. Camilla walked closer. ¡°I agreed to support Georg. In return, once he ascends the throne, he will treat me as his Empress Dowager and grant me authority. That is the pact.¡± In other words, Georg would recognize Camilla as his de facto political mother. And conversely, Camilla was cutting ties with Asella and the imperial family. ¡°Asella, I needed an Emperor on my side. His Majesty turned his back on me long ago.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I was greedy. I wronged you. I¡¯m reflecting on that.¡± Asella listened quietly. ¡°Maybe I burdened you, the youngest of the royal family, with too much. It was my war to fight alone.¡± Camilla¡¯s lips curved in regret, her eyes misty. ¡°Asella, you no longer need to cling to succession. Live happily like Lauga, enjoying the privileges of royalty.¡± ¡°...Am I allowed to?¡± Camilla brightened and answered. ¡°Of course. Leave the headaches to me and rest. No more studying, no more palace management, no more magic lessons. I even consulted my Sage.¡± She grew more animated, raising her voice. ¡°He said your magic talent and its cost can be removed. Asella, from now on, you can live freely and normally.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Unlike the impassioned Camilla, Asella remained cold and composed. Her sharp gaze pierced through Camilla. Then she spoke plainly. ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°What?¡± Camilla¡¯s face twisted¡ªno trace of the gentle smile left. Asella hadn¡¯t flinched the entire time. And her calmness had a simple reason: She¡¯d seen through Camilla¡¯s performance from the start. ¡°I said I refuse. My desire to become Emperor is my own. Even without your wishes, I have more reasons to claim the throne than I can count.¡± ¡°H-How can you speak so firmly?¡± ¡°Your voice always rises when you lie, Mother.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve spent years using every means to turn me into an Emperor. You wouldn¡¯t throw away all that time and investment so easily. Did you really think I, Asella von W¨¹rttempelt, would fall for such cheap acting?¡± ¡°You insolent little...!¡± Camilla bared her fangs, knocking a glass off the table. The shattering echoed on the floor. ¡°I raised a monster! How dare you defy me like this?!¡± Birds of a feather, she thought. Georg and Camilla¡ªstill terrible at managing their tempers. They had vastly underestimated her. Did they think some sweet offer would sway her like a child? If she truly cared about her, Camilla would¡¯ve first asked about the Curse Dragon incident at the tournament. Only the imperial Sage knew more about magic than Camilla. If she cared, she would¡¯ve at least asked if Asella had been hurt. Camilla was still filled with nothing but her own ambition. Asella reflected on Camilla¡¯s real goal. The strangest part of that conversation... There was no sign she wanted the knights or finances of Moonlight Palace. She lied about consulting her Sage. Why bring up that sweet story about removing the cost of magic? She doesn¡¯t want to remove my talent¡ªshe wants to steal it. Asella immediately deduced Camilla¡¯s motive. If she had chosen Georg, then she¡¯d want to secure every asset she could. And there¡¯s something more valuable than Moonlight Palace. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She¡¯s after my talent itself. What could she possibly have that made Camilla go so far as to fake being a good mother? And how did Camilla even know about it? Come to think of it... She¡¯s never once called me her daughter. Not even referred to herself as a mother. Always said ¡°I.¡± Asella reaffirmed her conviction. Camilla was a power-hungry demon¡ªan enemy. From below, the orchestra¡¯s music vibrated through the floor. The nobles¡¯ banquet was ending, and now it was time for the young heirs to enter. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my turn now. Please send further communication in writing.¡± ¡°Asella!¡± Ignoring her cry, Asella turned sharply and stepped back into the room. Her face remained calm, but her heart pounded. That confrontation had made everything clear. Camilla was no longer her mother. She had no family left in the imperial court. Asella crushed the creeping emptiness and locked it away. She turned her gaze. I¡¯ve always done everything alone anyway. Nothing¡¯s changed. There¡¯s nothing left to be disappointed by. She had accepted it. She knew. The path to the throne would be lonely, brutal, and drenched in blood. But she had to walk it. If she became Emperor... ¡ªShe would flood the world with ruin. Without even noticing her steps had quickened, Asella exited into the hallway with her lady-in-waiting¡¯s help. And then¡ª ¡°Your Highness.¡± A voice called to her. A man was waiting for her. The dark haze that had been weighing on her body slowly lifted. The tiny boat adrift in her mind finally caught the breeze under a calm moon. It¡¯s almost strange. Asella took a good look at him. His snowy hair had been carefully trimmed and styled, full of refinement. His slim formal suit accentuated his lean frame¡ªnot rugged, but delicately attractive in a way that tugged at her protective instincts. And yet, his noble manners made him look like a proper escort¡ªoffering his hand with grace fit for a queen. Las tilted his head. ¡°Are you feeling alright? Your forehead seems a little flushed. I can examine you if¡ª¡± ¡°Take my hand, sir.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Asella placed her gloved hand lightly atop his. They walked down the hallway. She could tell immediately he was matching her pace. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Be confident. Straighten your shoulders.¡± ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t dare tarnish Your Highness¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°Cut the chatter. Don¡¯t speak a word to any lady who tries talking to you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What a high-maintenance man. Asella found herself sneakily glancing at his profile again and again. ¡ªNow entering, the jewel of the Imperial Moonlight Palace, Her Highness Princess Asella von W¨¹rttempelt, and her fianc¨¦! The doors opened, and brilliant light poured in. Asella stepped forward in sync with Las¡¯s right foot. Chapter 54: Social Party (2) Impressions. Noble social parties are exhausting. I¡¯m no different from Asella¡¯s brooch. Like an ornament, I stayed quietly by her side. Since this was her first party appearance, Asella received greetings from countless nobles. It¡¯s honestly impressive how she remembers all their names. Standing like a silent decorative object with a polite smile, just as she ordered, wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°So you¡¯re the eldest son of the Gotberg Marquessate? It would be an honor to shake your hand.¡± ¡°I watched the martial arts tournament video. That Sword Expert Tanya! If she¡¯s loyal to you, then you must truly be extraordinary!¡± ¡°I heard you cured the entire palace of the epidemic by yourself. Ho ho, I¡¯m dying to know your secret.¡± Dealing with middle-aged nobles is draining. Well, even if Neria had come as our family¡¯s representative, anyone trying to forge ties with House Gotberg would naturally go through me. I¡¯m sure some of these connections will be useful once I expand my business. Father was never the social type, so it was up to me to make a good first impression. ¡°Onii-sama, look at this cake! It¡¯s piled up like a mountain!¡± Neria, having completely forgotten her role, excitedly bounced around the refreshment table. ¡°Oh my, Lady Neria. Do try this Mont Blanc.¡± ¡°This cr¨¨me br?l¨¦e is delightfully sweet too.¡± Still, she was steadily increasing our family¡¯s favorability. She was being adored by several noble ladies all at once. With Boris and Bruno on guard duty, there was little risk of any trouble. Setting aside the old men, that is. ¡°Wait, he¡¯s really the Gotberg heir? That¡¯s not what I heard at all!¡± ¡°Hey, he¡¯s the chief physician of the Imperial Clinic! I heard even the First and Second Princesses tried to recruit him!¡± ¡°A scoundrel? He¡¯s nothing like that¡ªhe¡¯s a total gentleman. If I¡¯d known, I would¡¯ve accepted the marriage proposal and met him at least once.¡± ¡°How did Princess Asella snatch him up first? I¡¯m jealous. The royal family¡¯s intelligence really is on another level.¡± ¡°Young Master, do you have any siblings?¡± ¡°Or even cousins?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be fine even as a concubine. If I send a letter to the Clinic, will it reach you directly?¡± I never realized the Empire had so many noble families. And just as many daughters, apparently. One by one, they¡¯d greet Asella, then come over and throw some line at me before walking off. Since Asella had ordered me not to open my mouth, it was torture. At this rate, I¡¯ll probably get rumors going that I¡¯m mute. Surrounded by noble girls, I glanced at Asella. She looked¡ªsurprisingly¡ªrather pleased. Could it be that the social scene suits her after all? Well, when she became Emperor, something like 80% of the imperial nobility supported her. ¡°My weakness, you ask? Ahahaha! That¡¯s the most foolish question I¡¯ve heard all year, healer. Do you really think I, of all people, have a weakness?¡± ¡°Since childhood, I mastered every discipline¡ªmagic, politics, and rhetoric. Even the socialites couldn¡¯t keep up with my conversation. I¡¯m sure they all realized, too late, that they¡¯d been thoroughly outwitted.¡± ¡°But why ask, hmm? Going to jot it down and make sure to kill me next time? You¡¯d have better luck shooting down the moon.¡± For anyone else, that level of arrogance would be unbearable¡ªbut for Asella, it was just confidence. She really is a genius. She¡¯s probably laying bait right now, reeling in the young nobles. She must¡¯ve memorized all their profiles like study material. I have no idea when she had time for that. ¡°I¡¯ll receive the next round of greetings in one hour.¡± Asella¡¯s knight stepped forward. Royals don¡¯t get a break from greetings at parties, so they have scheduled rests. Asella slipped away from the crowd and sat at a secluded table. A steward came with a cocktail, but I stepped in. ¡°No alcohol. Bring her herbal tea instead.¡± ¡°Understood. Herbal tea.¡± As the steward took the glass away, Asella grumbled. ¡°I wanted coffee.¡± ¡°No, ma¡¯am. When you¡¯re an adult.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had it before. I was fine.¡± ¡°And at the time, you said if I became your physician, you¡¯d start listening to me. Oh dear, someone dropped their Imperial Clinic pass. I wonder whose it is?¡± ¡°...Annoying.¡± Asella scowled, then subtly pointed with her chin. ¡°That¡¯s Lady Schwarzschweik. The star of today¡¯s party. Her father earned the merits, but the duchy is sure to prosper.¡± ¡°Indeed. Quite the crowd around her. The man on the stairs must be the Western Duke.¡± ¡°Correct. I¡¯ll wait to approach. If I go first, it¡¯ll look bad. My rank is higher anyway.¡± Even at her first social debut, Asella already had it all mapped out. Looks like she plans to dominate the duchy from here. ¡°His Majesty isn¡¯t attending?¡± ¡°The Duke probably had a private audience. His Majesty doesn¡¯t do well with events like these. Besides, the vibe¡¯s relatively young.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°...Is it boring?¡± Asella, oddly fidgety, asked me. ¡°This gathering? Boredom isn¡¯t the issue. It¡¯s an important day for you, Princess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Still...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Asella pursed her lips, then held back whatever she¡¯d been about to say. ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°During breaks like this, it¡¯s best to just rest. It¡¯s called zoning out.¡± ¡°I know that. Don¡¯t be so uptight even here.¡± Since she was irritated, I shut up. A moment later, music began to play and the lights shifted. The spotlight illuminated the stage as several nobles paired up to dance. ¡°Do you know how to dance?¡± ¡°Ha, not at all.¡± ¡°...Seriously? What were you doing instead?¡± ¡°Studying healing magic?¡± ¡°Liar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± I spent my life hunting monsters, slaying demons, and crawling through battlefields. When would I have had time to dance? Only the stage was lit, the rest of the room dim. It felt like watching another world entirely. I stared blankly as Lauga danced exuberantly with some noble¡¯s daughter he¡¯d snagged from somewhere. As I watched, Asella suddenly grabbed my wrist. ¡°Come.¡± She led me out of the ballroom and down the corridor, arriving at a quiet balcony. ¡°You can still hear the music from here.¡± ¡°Yes. And the view¡¯s quite nice.¡± I looked down. A perfectly manicured garden stretched below, with a life-size goddess statue at its center. That statue was a checkpoint in the original story. I¡¯d seen it a few times in the palace too. ¡°Princess, did you know? When you¡¯re near a goddess statue, you get minor passive buffs. For example, it nullifies low-grade black magic¡ª¡± ¡°Enough of that. Look at me.¡± Orders are orders. I stopped rambling and turned to face her. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Take my hand and raise your arm.¡± I moved as she instructed, and she stepped in close. Her hair brushed just under my nose, tickling faintly. ¡°Step forward with your right foot on the next beat.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Beat.¡± Without warning, Asella put weight on me. I stumbled into step. I lowered my gaze, following her footwork. I¡¯d already missed the rhythm. Trying not to step on her toes tangled my timing further. All I ended up with was an awkward shuffle like clattering hooves. If this were tap dancing, I¡¯d score high, but unfortunately, it was supposed to be a slow blues. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re terrible.¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯ve never done this.¡± Asella looked up at me with a satisfied smile. Apparently, tormenting me brought her joy. ¡°Having fun yet?¡± Her golden eyes caught the terrace light, sparkling like gemstones. I remembered that the eyes were where mana overflowed the most easily. It felt like swimming through a lake at sunset. ¡°A little.¡± Well, it was a novel experience. Asella snorted at my reply, then looked down and resumed the steps. Rustle, rustle. Her hair drifted gently as we moved, and then she spoke quietly. ¡°Hey, Young Master.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡± ¡°Please ask.¡± ¡°...Do you dream often?¡± ¡°Dreams?¡± Why bring this up now? I couldn¡¯t begin to guess. ¡°How about you, Princess? Sleep quality matters. Nightmares are common when your breathing is disrupted, such as with nasal inflammation¡ª¡± ¡°I hear voices.¡± ¡°Voices.¡± ¡°Yes. They say things... awful things I¡¯d never think of.¡± Could it be the lingering traces of the black magic embedded in her womb? Georg said Camilla implanted the soul of a grand witch into her. If he heard it from Camilla, it might not be completely false. I don¡¯t know exactly what Asella¡¯s fighting. I¡¯m no expert in black magic. But I do know what pain feels like in a body ravaged by disease. Whether it¡¯s a spirit or a curse or whatever¡ª To me, it¡¯s just a pathogen tormenting my patient. It must be removed. So I asked her again the question I once did before. ¡°Are you in much pain?¡± Asella gently shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. For now.¡± ¡°Princess, I meant the sickness that torments you from within.¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± ¡°I will cure it.¡± She accepted my declaration calmly, replying in a soft voice. ¡°You promised.¡± I felt her fingers tighten around mine. Even for her age, her fingers were frighteningly thin, and compared to my unimpressive strength, far too frail. Like a rose stem ready to snap at a touch. A long silence followed. The midsummer night breeze was warm enough that no coat was needed. Step by step, I danced slowly with Asella as time drifted by. ¡°You should answer too.¡± ¡°About the dream?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you... have nightmares?¡± Nightmares. Not a topic I liked revisiting. ¡°Why the face?¡± Had I made a strange expression? ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Ever since I experienced my first death, I kept flashing back to it under similar circumstances. Naturally, the more deaths I went through, the more variations I saw. One hundred and one, to be exact. Sometimes the flashbacks helped me plan better, so it wasn¡¯t all bad. Even in sleep, it ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) wasn¡¯t an exception. I usually woke up from dying in a dream. If I fainted instead, I wouldn¡¯t see it¡ªthat was better. When I wake up, I make sure to forget immediately. Letting it linger would ruin my day. But sometimes... Even during the day, the images come back. ¡°Las? Why¡¯d you go quiet?¡± Like now¡ªwhen I look directly at Asella¡¯s face. I raised the corners of my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m still human. I have nightmares too. But I get good dreams as well. Just this morning, I flew through the sky on a unicorn.¡± ¡°If you were flying, it was a pegasus. Unicorns don¡¯t let flirts like you ride them.¡± ¡°Haha, well, a dream¡¯s a dream.¡± Even though she was insulting me, Asella didn¡¯t look amused like usual. She seemed... uneasy. She hesitated for a moment, then finally opened her mouth again. ¡°...Then what¡¯s that notebook you keep writing in?¡± Chapter 55: Social Party (3) ¡°Notebook?¡± I reflexively echoed Asella¡¯s question. She emphasized it again, as if suspicious of my reaction. ¡°You wrote all kinds of weird lines in it. Stuff about ruin and death¡ªsome were even crossed out.¡± ¡°...Wait, you read that?¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve taken better care of it.¡± This was a bit of a disaster. That notebook contains everything¡ªAsella¡¯s physical data, reagent formulas¡ªI never let it out of my reach. Whenever I move on to a new volume, I transfer only the essentials and burn the previous one. She must¡¯ve seen the bad ending list. Now that I think about it, I did write that down once. The status window only outputs the name of the ending¡ªit doesn¡¯t explain what happens. I had tried to reconstruct each one, connect them to present events, to understand what led to those ends. When did she even steal a look at it? It irritated me, but this wasn¡¯t the time to pick a fight. If she learned the actual contents, that alone could become a trigger and send us hurtling into a bad ending. Realizing that made me aware of how careless I¡¯d been. From the way she spoke, it didn¡¯t sound like she read any full sentences. I could still talk my way out of it. I let out a faint chuckle and replied. ¡°Ah, you saw those notes and thought they were from nightmares, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Then what are they?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a novel I¡¯ve been reading lately. It¡¯s nearing the finale, and fans are all arguing over how it¡¯ll end. I was just theorizing for fun, but I¡¯m not used to stories like that, so even after lots of thought, I couldn¡¯t make sense of it.¡± ¡°All that was about a novel?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s ? N§àv§Ö¢ñight ? (Read more on our source) a war epic between two families. Seems like either the protagonist dies or the world ends.¡± Thankfully, there was actually a novel I¡¯d been skimming for entertainment¡ªso I could run with this excuse. Asella narrowed her eyes like a suspicious cat. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked novels.¡± ¡°They¡¯re more interesting than I expected. If you¡¯re interested, I could recommend a few volumes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that. Still, what kind of notes does someone write about a novel? Something about ¡®mana going berserk,¡¯ wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ha ha, did I write that too? I don¡¯t even remem¡ª¡± Right as I tried to deflect, our eyes met. Maybe it was the proximity between us. Or maybe it was hearing the words of a bad ending spoken aloud. ¡ªOut of the way! Get out of the way, Gotberg!! ¡ªAh... why... why are my mana circuits...! Asella rampaged before my eyes. Her entire body lit up with flashing mana circuits gone wild. Mana burst out of her uncontrollably, and everything turned gold. BOOM¡ªa deafening explosion rang in my ears. The sensation of death swirled vividly in my fingertips as my vision flickered. ¡°Ugh.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back and doubled over, collapsing to the floor in disgrace. ¡°Young Master?!¡± Asella¡¯s panicked voice. I clamped a hand over my mouth and sprang back up like a spring. Asella stood frozen, face pale, her lips trembling. Can¡¯t blame her. If your personal physician suddenly collapses, even I wouldn¡¯t trust him again. I waved my hand quickly to signal I was fine. ¡°Must¡¯ve danced too long. I felt dizzy for a second, but I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°...You scared me.¡± Asella exhaled hard, hand over her chest. ¡°You must be frail. How are you planning to survive in the palace like that?¡± ¡°Ha ha, I¡¯ll train harder.¡± ¡°Phew... you¡¯re really okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Dizziness is temporary. A little rest is all I need.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head back in.¡± And so, our brief dance ended, and we returned to the ballroom. *** The music had shifted to a gentler tune. The lighting had gone back to normal. After resting a little beside Asella, I felt fine again. Looked like I¡¯d survive the rest of the party. The nobles had moved on from greetings to casual chats in small groups over light drinks. Now then... Lauga was laughing like a maniac with the duke¡¯s daughter. About twenty young men and women were clustered around them. That must be the ace circle of the social scene. Some were diligently charming old geezers for business, others sulking in a corner with gloomy auras. Same dynamics as any other society. ¡°Young Master, I have to go mingle with the nobles again. Can you stay here?¡± ¡°No problem. If I suddenly vanish, that would be more awkward.¡± ¡°...Right.¡± Asella was oddly... gentle. Well, by her standards¡ªnot snapping counts as kind. Maybe even she wouldn¡¯t lash out at a sick man. I¡¯ll have to remember that the next time I want to fake an illness for some time off. ¡°Haa...¡± Asella closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again¡ªface now a portrait of royal charisma. From afar, the Western Duke spotted her and approached with his knight in tow. The main target of tonight. ¡°Princess Asella, it¡¯s an honor to behold your presence.¡± The duke greeted her first, formal and polite. ¡°Congratulations on your victory at the Central Canyon defense, Duke Schwarzschweik.¡± As expected of Asella¡ªshe immediately asserted dominance by dropping formal speech. Technically, she outranked him, but he was a duke and a war hero. She could¡¯ve used some honorifics¡ªbut no hesitation whatsoever. Judging by his expression, the duke actually seemed to respect her confidence. He smiled and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m honored by such generous praise.¡± ¡°Thanks to your efforts, a hundred million imperial citizens woke to a morning free of invaders.¡± ¡°I simply served under the blessings of the Empire¡¯s banner.¡± With the formalities exchanged, Asella got to the point. ¡°But tell me, Duke. In this battle, how many knights retired due to injury?¡± In high society, every conversation has political weight. While Asella¡¯s royal rank put her above the duke on paper, his house wielded power rivaling a royal palace. Meanwhile, Moonlight Palace¡ªAsella¡¯s faction¡ªwas the smallest among the five succession contenders. And this was the duke¡¯s party, after all. Realistically, the advantage lay with him. So Asella made a bold move¡ªshe offered a topic no one else would¡¯ve brought up. The duke raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the angle she¡¯d taken. ¡°Retirees, you ask? If you mean knights whose wounds left them permanently unfit for duty¡ª120 in total.¡± ¡°That battle fielded thirty-two banneret knights. To emerge with only that many losses is, in itself, a testament to your leadership.¡± She could¡¯ve credited the Goddess¡¯s grace or the Emperor¡¯s blessings, but she specifically praised the duke. Unlike the rest, she made her intentions to forge a personal rapport crystal clear. She also proved her competence by knowing precise combat figures. ¡°The honor belongs to Your Highness, whose governance strengthens the Empire.¡± Despite it being their first meeting, the duke deflected the credit back to her. He was the one who extended a hand first. Every word exchanged was veiled in ceremony, but none were wasted¡ªeach one chosen with care. Political rhetoric is a hard game. The duke had shown goodwill¡ªnow it was Asella¡¯s turn. In politics, friendship alone means nothing. Mutual benefit must underlie every bond. So what would Asella offer him? A single misstep here and she¡¯d look hollow. ¡°If those 120 retirements had been reduced to just 10, it would¡¯ve been a great boon for your duchy. A shame, really.¡± The duke¡¯s lips curled upward. Asella had just laid out two cards: First, an offer to strengthen the duchy¡¯s military medical capabilities. Second, a suggestion of support for expanding his knight corps. The size of the duke¡¯s military is, of course, limited by imperial law. Should he ever declare independence, the Empire would weaken. And now Asella was offering him the tastiest bait of all. ¡°You say there¡¯s a way to reduce the number of retirements?¡± The duke asked for details. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Asella raised her chin and spoke the word. ¡°Have you heard of penicillin?¡± Ah. So she¡¯d planned to pitch me from the start. As a result, the duke took deep interest in the antibiotic, and a foundation was laid for a partnership with Moonlight Palace. Infections like tetanus often result in limb loss from even minor wounds. Antibiotics are vital on the battlefield. Asella had made her pitch flawlessly. She lured the duke with the promise of antibiotics that the Gotberg business would mass-produce once it launched. Of course, large-scale knight corps usage would require full commercialization¡ªwhich would take years. But the current peacetime gave the duke plenty of room to wait. ¡°This party must be a divine blessing from the Goddess herself. I¡¯ve met the most important guest of all.¡± The duke seemed truly pleased with the interaction. If his duchy grew powerful enough, it might become an independent principality¡ªand now he had a direct link to a royal successor. No wonder he was happy. Though he didn¡¯t realize that if Asella ascended the throne, she¡¯d tighten a noose around his neck without hesitation. Forming a partnership equal to a duke¡¯s faction at her first social debut¡ªyes, Asella really was on another level. ¡°I¡¯d like to propose a toast. You there.¡± The duke waved casually, and a nearby attendant brought over two glasses of champagne. Asella raised her glass as well. Ideally, I¡¯d have stopped her from drinking alcohol, but the content was mild, and she was clearly in high spirits¡ªone glass wouldn¡¯t hurt. Or so I thought, until¡ª No. 040: Poison Trap 19% ¡ú 86% No. 101: Mana Rampage 4% ¡ú 100% The moment I saw the status window numbers, my body moved before my mind did. Even before the flashback of dying from Asella¡¯s poison trap kicked in¡ª CLANG! I had already knocked the glass from her hand. ¡°Young Master?!¡± ¡°Do not drink that, Princess.¡± THUD! A loud crash followed by screams. I turned¡ªonly to see the duke on the floor, choking and convulsing. So he drank it after all. ¡°Diagnosis.¡± Status: Neurotoxic Poisoning Was the target the duke? Or Asella? Or both? An assassination attempt. First priority: treatment. I unbuttoned my suit jacket. Chapter 56: Assassination (1) VIP lounge on the upper level of the ballroom. Camilla stood by the curtain, looking down at the nobles dancing below. Her black eyes were filled with open disdain. ¡°So this is where you¡¯ve been, Your Majesty the Empress.¡± A voice, familiar but flippant, called out to her. Second Prince Georg entered the lounge with his escort knights in tow. Camilla greeted him warmly. ¡°Georg, I take it the negotiation is concluded?¡± ¡°A lady who was just a common count¡¯s daughter before her father died last year¡ªdo you really think she can manage the position of house head? That mining right belongs to Tojin Palace now.¡± ¡°Truly capable as always. There¡¯s no doubt in my mind now¡ªGeorg, you are the only heir fit to be the next Emperor. I grow more certain each day.¡± ¡°Well, thanks to the groundwork you laid, Your Majesty, it was an easy job.¡± Georg took a seat and picked up a glass of wine. ¡°You really do have an impressive network. After that monster outbreak near the mine, the count¡¯s house came running to me, begging for help. How did you manage that?¡± ¡°Heh. Could you even begin to comprehend my magic?¡± ¡°Haha, I wouldn¡¯t presume. Weren¡¯t you the only mage ever to wield duplication magic?¡± Duplication Magic. A spell that conjures a being entirely identical to the caster. Illusion magic can mimic appearances, but Camilla¡¯s duplication creates a perfect clone¡ªsuperior and unique. The duplicate can also use the same spells, learn new knowledge, and accumulate experiences. When reabsorbed, all that growth transfers to the original. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you use it in the palace. Is it difficult?¡± ¡°Very. But now I have apprentices, so there¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°Thanks to your apprentices, Tojin Palace saved face. Court mages are rare, after all.¡± ¡°They were ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) even rarer when I first entered the palace. His Majesty only began embracing mages because I persuaded him. Thanks to the Teleport Gates, the Empire¡¯s reach is now swifter than ever.¡± ¡°And yet such a brilliant Archmage is kept tucked away in that rustic Moonlight Palace. His Majesty¡¯s priorities baffle me.¡± Camilla wrinkled her nose ever so slightly. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be angry. Unlike His Majesty, I am very mage-friendly. The more soldiers with skills, the better, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Georg laughed heartily. ¡°When I ascend the throne, I¡¯ll grow the mage corps just as extensively as the knight orders, per your vision. I honestly don¡¯t get why His Majesty is so wary of magic.¡± ¡°To him, it must have seemed like an unknown force. He even intended to continue his conquest campaigns until he had Asella.¡± That had been the reason Camilla was pushed out of court¡ªbecause the Emperor decided to halt wars and suppress magic instead. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it your ambition to spread magic widely?¡± ¡°It still is. Georg, your policies align perfectly with my ideals.¡± ¡°Must be upsetting, then, that Asella grew into such a disobedient brat.¡± ¡°Asella.¡± Camilla¡¯s brow twitched faintly. She inhaled through her nose in silence, contemplating Asella. When she finally spoke, her tongue carried a cold, simmering wrath. ¡°I told you, Georg. To create magic for the mage armies, we need the soul of a grand witch.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just break her down eventually?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time. If Asella fully masters it, we¡¯ll never get it back.¡± ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a simple method.¡± Georg chuckled at the hidden implication behind her silence. As expected, mages possess an abnormally intense obsession with their art. But surely, this would be a last resort. After all, Asella was her own flesh and blood. With a hint of jest, Georg asked: ¡°What, have you scheduled her assassination or something?¡± Camilla responded with a twisted smirk, lifting only one corner of her mouth. *** ¡°Kyaaaa!!¡± ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°The Duke¡ªHis Grace has collapsed!¡± The ballroom, moments ago filled with music, erupted into chaos. The escort knights, until now only on alert, drew their swords and formed protective circles around their lords. ¡°Doctor!¡± Tanya, who had been shadowing me at a respectful distance, rushed over immediately. Asella¡¯s three escort knights followed. ¡°Protect Her Highness first!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Asella looked visibly shaken. Her chest rose and fell rapidly¡ªshe was breathing hard. As her physician, it was important to check on her. But the Western Duke, now convulsing on the floor, was both a national hero and the first political ally Asella had secured. If he died, the consequences would be dire. Hyperventilation, muscle spasms. Classic neurotoxin symptoms. Exactly as the diagnostic skill reported. Basically, it¡¯s like he swallowed an entire bottle of pesticide. A cursed liquor brewed with black magic. The [Poison Trap] bad ending percentage had spiked earlier. It was the same ending where the world fell because Asella¡¯s black mages had poisoned the court. ¡°Your Grace!¡± The duke¡¯s knights clanked and rushed over. ¡°Is there no healer? We need a healer!¡± ¡°Already summoned one!¡± They paled when they saw the duke writhing on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s black magic! A necrotic curse¡ªit¡¯ll kill him in under a minute! How long until the healer gets here?!¡± ¡°At least three minutes...!¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This can¡¯t be!¡± The knights broke into a sweat. Nobles around us gasped behind their hands. ¡°Why today, of all days?!¡± ¡°How did a black mage infiltrate the palace?!¡± ¡°We have to get out of here!¡± The ballroom descended into mass panic like a runaway truck. I focused solely on the patient. If it were gaseous, treatment would be harder. But these symptoms could be addressed directly. Inside my suit were two syringes. Antidotes. ¡°Wait, what are you doing?! Step away from His Grace!¡± As I crouched next to the duke, one of the knights moved to block me in alarm. But Tanya¡¯s eyes blazed with fury, and her voice cut through. ¡°This man is Gotberg, royal physician to the House. If you want to keep your lord alive, stand down.¡± ¡°You¡¯re... the chief physician? Please¡ªhelp him!¡± The knight stepped aside immediately. I was already ready. First Aid C activated My body moved on its own. I ripped the fabric of the duke¡¯s suit trousers at the thigh. First syringe¡ªatropine. I removed the cap and positioned it vertically. Click. The needle popped out, and the liquid was injected. I continued until the fluid reached the marked dosage line. ¡°What is he doing?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no divine power in his hands...¡± I ignored the nobles and knights murmuring. Work... ¡°...Haa... Haa...¡± The duke¡¯s breathing began to normalize. His muscles, stiffening into rigor, started to relax. Atropine reduced symptoms enough to buy time. Immediate death has been averted. Now for the real treatment. I pulled out the second syringe. Obsidoxin. Pressed the button¡ªadministered it the same way. Antidote delivered. I waited. The status window pinged. Prescription C activated The efficacy of my treatment had risen. Confirmed¡ªObsidoxin was breaking down the toxin. ¡°...Phew.¡± Only now could I wipe the sweat from my forehead. ¡°Huff... Huff... Ugh... what... what happened...¡± The duke looked up at me, barely conscious, and muttered. ¡°The worst has passed. You were lucky.¡± ¡°You¡¯re... Her Highness the Third Princess¡¯s physician...¡± ¡°Yes, I am. You¡ªget him to a proper resting place.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡± His knights quickly lifted him up. The summoned healers arrived and began chanting their spells over the duke. ¡°Is His Grace okay?!¡± ¡°The chief physician saved his life!¡± There were no other casualties in the ballroom. ¡°I repeat: do not consume any liquid in this venue!¡± Once treatment concluded, I stood up and issued a warning to everyone. Then, with Tanya, I returned to Asella. ¡°Your Highness, are you alright?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. And you...?¡± ¡°Treatment was successful. He¡¯ll be fine. But you may have been exposed to the poison. I¡¯ll disinfect you now.¡± I took her trembling arm. She flinched slightly when the alcohol touched her skin. ¡°This place is no longer safe. You should evacuate, Princess.¡± ¡°...No.¡± Asella bit her lip, but her voice was firm. ¡°This was an attempted poisoning inside the Imperial Palace. If the royal family flees first, what message does that send? I have to stay until the other nobles evacuate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary...¡± ¡°The steward who served me the drink¡ªhave they caught him?¡± Asella¡¯s resolve was already set. This was a public assassination attempt on both a duke and a royal successor. To preserve the Empire¡¯s honor, they would need to uncover the truth and punish the culprit without mercy. ¡°I understand how you feel, but Your Highness, your safety must come first.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t argue, Young Master. Tanya, Slan¡ªtrack down the steward who brought me that drink.¡± Tanya looked to me for guidance. If she left, I¡¯d be without protection. Still, two of Asella¡¯s knights remained, so it was manageable. ¡°Neria needs looking after too. Go join Boris. Tanya¡ªdo as the Princess commands.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The knights left. I turned to Asella. ¡°Why are you being so stubborn?¡± ¡°¡®Stubborn¡¯? Everyone¡¯s watching. What else should I do?¡± ¡°We still don¡¯t know if the target was the duke or you. If it was you, then you¡¯re still in danger.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a member of the royal family. I can¡¯t just hide behind safe walls. Even Heike fights on the frontlines.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t lead the charge swinging a sword. Recklessness and courage aren¡¯t the same. You need to protect yourself.¡± ¡°Why do you keep treating me like a child?!¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m your physician! I care!¡± I raised my voice without meaning to. Asella pursed her lips, clearly taken aback. I hadn¡¯t expected it either. I¡¯d let my emotions spike. Crap. She¡¯s mad now. ¡°...I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the target.¡± She mumbled, unsure of herself. ¡°If I was, they wouldn¡¯t have chosen this venue. The duke, out of his territory and in contact with many outsiders¡ªhe was the better target. A rival noble probably smuggled in a black mage...¡± Then my status window lit up with a new alert. No. 086: Assassin in the Shadows ¨C 37% ¡ú 75% ¡°No. The target is you, Princess.¡± ¡°...What?¡± I grabbed her wrist. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know how to avoid this ending.¡± Chapter 57: Assassination (2) The enemies a Hero¡¯s party had to fight weren¡¯t just monsters or the Demon King¡¯s army. There was even an event where other nations, wary of the Empire gaining too much prestige after the Demon King¡¯s defeat, sent assassins after us. They couldn¡¯t assassinate the Hero¡ªif he really died, the fate of the continent might shift¡ªso the target was usually me. You¡¯d think no one would be dumb enough to send assassins when weakening our party could cause the subjugation of the Demon King¡¯s army to fail. But no, there really were idiots like that. Countless ones. They tried to replace me with their own healer to rack up achievements. Political motivations like that. The assassins who came for me were all from a group with the simple name, ¡°Shadow.¡± They were the best assassins in all the continent, operating in every single country. If you died to them, you¡¯d get the [Shadow¡¯s Assassin] bad ending. That¡¯s why I always made sure someone was on watch in the party. On nights when everyone was too exhausted to stay up, I stayed awake myself. It wasn¡¯t even a particularly hard bad ending to avoid. I eventually got so used to them that I could capture and interrogate them. They were a mercenary group that moved for money. The clients changed each time¡ªkingdoms, theocratic states, magic nations, duchies, underground empires, beastfolk kingdoms. I¡¯d become a target for every kind of country. And once, even the Empire sent an assassin. ¡ª¡°Kuaaagh! I-I¡¯ll tell you everything! It was Asella! Empress Asella sent me!¡± ¡ª¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me. What would the Empire possibly gain from sending an assassin to the Hero¡¯s party?¡± ¡ª¡°Th-the target was just the healer! She pretended not to know him during the last audience...!¡± All that nonsense about former betrothals, and she¡¯d still coldly have me executed? It made me realize just how deeply Asella hated me. Still, thanks to that, I learned she had connections with Shadow. And now I finally understood why. Asella had once nearly been assassinated by someone hired from Shadow. She must have learned about the organization then and decided to use them rather than punish them. Even if I don¡¯t do anything, there¡¯s a chance she¡¯ll survive, right? [No. 101: Mana Rampage 4% ¡ú 52%] As the status window informed me, the probability of Asella¡¯s death from this event was 52 percent. Like flipping a coin and getting heads. Assassinations over succession were a tiresomely common occurrence in the Imperial Family. How did Asella survive all that and rise to the throne? Ten years later, I must have stood atop the time that had crushed all those odds. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. You can¡¯t just sit around and wait for heads when a coin toss means death. Might as well throw the damn coin into a lake. ¡°Lord Gotberg, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Asella looked flustered as I grabbed her wrist. ¡°We ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) need to move to a wider area. Knights, stay close to the Princess and be on alert. There¡¯s an assassin nearby.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± There were two Moonlight Palace guards currently escorting us. They immediately followed orders, drawing their swords and glaring intensely around us. ¡°An assassin?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. It gets dangerous when the darkness settles. We need to¡ª¡± Fwoosh. Before I could even finish speaking, all the lights in the banquet hall went out. My eyes, unaccustomed to the sudden drop in brightness, recognized nothing but pure blackness, like I¡¯d gone blind. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± ¡°Lights! Turn the lights on!¡± ¡°Where are the attendants?!¡± The party had already been tense due to the earlier poisoning incident, and now it was fully gripped by panic. The acoustics in the hall were designed for music, so the echoing screams and stampeding footsteps made it hard to tell what was happening. ¡°Lord Gotberg!¡± ¡°Princess, stay close to your knights.¡± I had a grip on Asella¡¯s arm, so I had a general sense of her location. I shoved her between the two knights, who immediately moved to block her from both sides. ¡°Lord Gotberg, you too...!¡± Asella reached out with her other arm and pulled me toward her¡ªprobably in haste, given the situation¡ªso it ended up looking like she was grabbing me by the collar. ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± The guards were competent. Even in the pitch darkness, one of them must have sensed the killing intent or presence and ignited his aura, forming a defensive stance. ¡°Kh¡ª! Gurgh!¡± But it only lasted a moment. One of the knights collapsed, his strength draining, his weight slumping against us. Hot liquid splashed against Asella¡¯s dress. It was unmistakably blood. ¡°Barren!¡± Realizing his comrade had been killed, the other knight gripped his sword even tighter. ¡°Haa... haa...¡± I could feel Asella¡¯s hot, shallow breathing close by. The adrenaline from fear had pushed her into a hyperactive state. Not good in a crisis. I wrapped my arms around her neck and held her tightly. ¡°Uhk...?!¡± ¡°Princess, stay calm.¡± She tried to regulate her breathing with deep inhales, but it wasn¡¯t working. This was Shadow¡¯s standard assassination method. They actually preferred assassinating in places full of light. Because when the light around someone vanishes in an instant, the human body becomes its most defenseless. The poison was likely their work too. The attendant who brought the champagne had to have been a disguised assassin. The Imperial Family had probably tried to opt for safer methods, but in the end, they¡¯d gone back to what they were best at. Unfortunately for them, I¡¯d fought these bastards more times than I could count. Shadow was essentially an organization of dark mages and rogues. The dark mage cast enchantments; the rogues executed the kill. The lethal poison and the spell that drowned the room in darkness were based on black magic. The darkness they conjured was unusual¡ªit didn¡¯t spread light far and instead hung in the air like mist. First, I needed to get rid of it. ¡°Princess, if you want to survive, we need light.¡± ¡°Light... light...¡± Asella muttered to herself, then immediately began drawing a magic circle. Her trembling hand couldn¡¯t draw a perfect circle, but it didn¡¯t hinder the casting. ¡°Enchant: Light.¡± ¡ªFlash! A burst of light erupted from the fallen knight¡¯s sword. And at that moment, we saw the assassin¡¯s face, twisted like a skull, drenched in black magic. ¡ªClang! His wicked dagger clashed with the knight¡¯s sword. ¡°Huh... uhh...¡± Asella, having seen the assassin¡¯s face, flinched and squeezed her eyes shut, her hands trembling. Her spell flickered, and the light began to dim. Asella¡¯s afraid of an assassin? It was unexpected. A dragon at the tournament? Sure, understandable. You don¡¯t usually see monsters just walking around the city. And it wasn¡¯t just any monster¡ªit was a dragon. But this was a human. An assassin. Dangerous, sure¡ªbut still human. The Asella I knew as Empress had always been arrogant, prideful, and imperious. But the girl standing in front of me now¡ªso scared she couldn¡¯t even cast her specialty magic¡ª ¡ªlooked more like a normal girl her age. This isn¡¯t the time to get sentimental. I grabbed the sword imbued with light magic. The glow was already fading. So the spell turned the blade surface into a luminous emitter... I couldn¡¯t fully understand the magic, but chemically, I got the concept. Even if I couldn¡¯t decode how mana worked, I could enhance the luminescence through alchemy. ¡°Gah!¡± The last guard was cut down by the assassin. He fell with a short, scraping cry. Next target would be Asella. ¡°Las!¡± As she called out, I swung the sword and began casting. A 64-sided geometric array¡ªjust as she¡¯d taught me. ¡°Amplify!¡± ¡ªBOOM! A blinding flash burst out and struck the assassin in the stomach. ¡°Ugh.¡± He groaned faintly. It didn¡¯t deal actual damage, but blood began to pour from his eyes as he writhed in pain. They amplify light sensitivity to see in darkness¡ªso bright light is their weakness. When exposed to intense light, they bleed from the eyes in agony. Their bodies were practically gimmick puppets, reconstructed with black magic. ¡°Princess, run!¡± Sword in my right hand blazing, I grabbed Asella¡¯s hand with my left and sprinted. It was just bright enough for us. I could see the path to the exit. ¡ªShuffle! The assassin, momentarily stunned, began chasing us again. The ballroom was still drowned in chaos and darkness. No one had even realized an assassin was here, let alone come to help. ¡°Faster!¡± I forced my legs to move harder. Even if my thigh muscles tore, I had to go faster. ¡°Hey!¡± I locked onto our escape route and hurled the sword at the assassin. He staggered again, and in that brief moment of confusion, I turned the corner. Ten meters to the exit. ¡°Las...!¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± Our steps quickened, and finally¡ª Thud! We burst through the ballroom doors. It was still night outside, and only a few torches lit the way¡ªit was still dark. The buzzing of summer cicadas battered my ears. ¡°Just a bit more!¡± We didn¡¯t stop. But I could sense it¡ªhe was right behind us again. ¡°Tch.¡± ¡ªShnk! I twisted my body and pulled Asella into the bushes. We tumbled down together. The assassin¡¯s dagger narrowly scraped past my ear. ¡°Good reaction speed. Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be this hard to deal with.¡± The assassin¡¯s gaunt face twisted into a sneer as he glared at us. ¡°The assassination¡¯s failed. The guards will be swarming us any second. You won¡¯t make it out alive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But I¡¯ll still complete the mission.¡± He swung his dagger at us without hesitation. Even if it meant getting caught and killed, he¡¯d finish the job for Shadow. ¡°Las!!¡± Asella grabbed my collar and shut her eyes tight. And then¡ª Clatter! ¡°Ahh... huff...!¡± The assassin dropped his dagger, clutching his chest and staggering. Asella slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Las? What happened?¡± ¡°We just needed to get this far. That was close.¡± I looked up at the statue of the goddess above us. ¡°Why... guh!¡± The assassin stumbled backward. He couldn¡¯t come any closer now. [Status Ailment: Burn] [Location: Entire Body] His entire body was cooking like boiled chicken. It had to be excruciating. Shadow¡¯s weakness was simple. Their black-magic-enhanced bodies were completely neutralized by purification effects. The area around the goddess statue emitted several beneficial effects¡ªincluding low-grade anti-dark magic. Ever since I learned of their existence, I always carried an artifact with purification properties. ¡°There they are!¡± The sound of clanking armor drew near. The assassin fled in panic. The guards chased after him. [No. 040: Deadly Poison Trap 86% ¡ú 0%] [No. 086: Shadow¡¯s Assassin 75% ¡ú 0%] [Deleted] [No. 101: Mana Rampage 52% ¡ú 4%] Crisis averted. All the strength drained from my body. I collapsed into the grass. ¡°Las, Las!¡± ¡°Just a short nap. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°What? Hey. Las!¡± I closed my eyes to Asella¡¯s frantic voice like it was a lullaby. Didn¡¯t help much, though. Too loud. *** ¡°Hm.¡± When I opened my eyes, it was a familiar scene. My room, my bed. Technically, it was a room in Moonlight Palace, but I¡¯d grown used to it by now. It felt comfortable. ¡°...No, wait. Not comfortable.¡± My whole body felt heavy, like something was pressing me down. There was an assassination attempt, right? Maybe I got poisoned? That thought ran through my head, and I glanced down¡ª And immediately froze at the bizarre sight. Asella was curled up in my arms, fast asleep. Chapter 58: Your Highness, this is my bed Asella was sleeping peacefully, clinging to me under the blanket. Hmph. What the hell is this situation? My last memory was of running with Asella and driving off the assassin. I felt clear-headed¡ªmaybe I¡¯d slept well thanks to passing out. ¡°Your Highness?¡± I called out softly, but there was no response. ...Yeah, that¡¯s Asella for you. Wait, no. What the hell. My body was clean, and I¡¯d been changed into fresh clothes. Must¡¯ve been the maids. Asella was wearing nightclothes. The same design I¡¯d seen during the X-ray exam, but in black. But why is ¡ã? N ???? v ???? l i g h t ?¡ã she in my bed? In my room? ¡°Your Highness.¡± Still breathing softly, sound asleep. ¡°Asella.¡± ...She really seems to be asleep. Good. If she were awake, I might¡¯ve been dragged off for l¨¨se-majest¨¦. As I watched her with her face buried in my chest, a strange impulse began to stir. If I compared Neria¡¯s cheek to Asella¡¯s, which would be softer? Even as a royal physician, I couldn¡¯t just touch the imperial body for no reason. Only what was medically necessary. For treatment purposes only. Ten years later, Asella¡¯s arms and face would be all slender, so I might never get the chance again. Let¡¯s see... I carefully brought the back of my hand to Asella¡¯s cheek. She turned her head slightly but didn¡¯t react much. ...Does she sleep really deeply? I¡¯d never run a sleep test, so I didn¡¯t know her sleeping habits. Just a little more. I brushed her cheek with my thumb. It might¡¯ve felt similar to Neria¡¯s. Like a luxury linen balloon stuffed with flour. I added my index finger and gently squeezed her cheek into a full pinch. ...Hmph. Comparison complete. Neria had better cushioning, by far. Still, her skin was strangely cool, and it felt like I could mold it however I wanted¡ªkind of addictive. ¡°Uunngh.¡± Asella seemed uncomfortable and buried her face even deeper in my chest. Whoa. Almost got caught. As I stared at the back of her head, which looked like she was digging for food in a burrow, her protruding ear caught my eye. That looked soft too. As I gently ran my fingers over the edge of her ear¡ª ¡°Hyaak!¡± A strange shriek. Asella shrank her shoulder and gripped my side in a hard, pinching twist. Ow. ¡°Your Highness? Are you awake?¡± Her back still twitched. ¡°Muscles don¡¯t stay that tense for that long during sleep. If you¡¯re awake, just say so...¡± Finally, Asella groggily lifted her head. Her brows were furrowed like something had seriously pissed her off. ¡°Why¡¯d you wake me up?¡± ¡°You seemed to be sleeping in the wrong place.¡± ¡°...This is my palace.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But it doesn¡¯t have to be my bed, does it?¡± ¡°...I thought it was Max¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Max?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sheila went to take a bath...¡± ¡°Sheila is...?¡± ¡°My doll... You don¡¯t need to know!¡± Asella threw a fit and kicked at the bed with her foot. ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± ¡°I usually don¡¯t sleep long. Though last night was surprisingly restful.¡± ¡°...So annoying. I was going to leave before you woke up.¡± ¡°What was?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± As always, Asella was in a terrible mood in the morning. Her blood pressure was probably low¡ªI had to be understanding. ¡°After what happened yesterday, Your Highness should rest more. I¡¯ll assess the situation and act accordingly.¡± As I started to get up, Asella abruptly pushed my shoulder down. ¡°You rest too.¡± ¡°Pardon? But¡ª¡± ¡°Rest.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± In my experience, making Asella repeat an order three times never led to anything good. I opened my eyes wide and decided to count the stars in the ceiling pattern. *** ¡°My sincerest apologies.¡± Tanya knelt before me, her head bowed. ¡°As a knight, I failed in my duty. While you were being attacked by an assassin, I wasn¡¯t even there...!¡± She seemed to carry an enormous weight of responsibility from the incident. Her clenched fists trembled. But I¡¯d sent her off knowing that. I could handle the assassin alone. Besides, it had been Asella¡¯s order, and capturing the culprit had been important. This was the first time she¡¯d ever shown such complete deference. I felt like teasing her a little. Leaning back in the chair, I pressed an ice pack to my forehead. ¡°Ugh, my back. Commander, can you see the cut on the back of my head? I scraped it when I fell. My whole body aches from running full speed.¡± ¡°Urrgh, it¡¯s all my fault...¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve got trauma now. Just seeing anything sharp makes me tremble in fear.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll commit seppuku to atone!¡± Tanya closed her eyes tight and cried out in desperation. If I kept teasing her, she might actually do it, so I decided to stop. ¡°I¡¯m joking. I¡¯m fine. They caught the assassin disguised as an attendant, right? Good job.¡± ¡°But the mission failed nonetheless...¡± ¡°It was under Asella¡¯s orders. Besides, Neria¡¯s safe, and that¡¯s what matters.¡± ¡°Ughh, I thought something terrible had happened to you...¡± Neria, still shaken, kept sniffling into her handkerchief. ¡°I heard Boris and Bruno got you straight to the guest room. Good work.¡± ¡°We were just doing our duty, sir. You¡¯re the one who had it rough.¡± ¡°Should¡¯ve smashed that assassin¡¯s skull in, though.¡± Bruno cracked his fists together, and his thick deltoids bulged threateningly. ¡°This assassination attempt is serious. Infiltrating the palace and targeting both the duke and the princess? If we uncover who¡¯s behind it, it¡¯ll be a huge achievement. I already have a good guess.¡± ¡°R-Really? Brother, is the Imperial Court always this dangerous? I... I don¡¯t want you to get hurt...¡± Neria trailed off. She must¡¯ve realized that being the royal physician wasn¡¯t all prestige and comfort. But she couldn¡¯t exactly tell me to quit, so she probably felt conflicted. ¡°This kind of thing doesn¡¯t happen often. I¡¯ll coordinate with Asella and respond accordingly.¡± ¡°O-Okay... But I wish you¡¯d come home more often.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a vacation soon.¡± I patted her head to reassure her. I wanted to go home, too. I really did. But for now, I had quite a few things to clean up. ¡°Commander, how long are you planning to kneel like that?¡± Tanya had gone from bowing to the floor to gradually shifting into a full kneel-and-prostrate. I helped the dazed Tanya to her feet and moved on to examine Asella. *** ¡°The mastermind confessed?¡± ¡°Yeah. A baron from a minor faction no one even knew was invited to the party. Probably a front they paid off in advance. He¡¯ll be executed, and that¡¯ll be the end of it!¡± Bang! Asella slammed the table during her examination, visibly irritated. ¡°Please don¡¯t get angry. We¡¯ll have to start the vitals check over.¡± ¡°How can I not be angry? We almost died, and now they¡¯re telling us to swallow the enemy¡¯s plot like it¡¯s nothing.¡± She clicked her tongue and glared. ¡°Two of our knights are dead. Lord Gotberg, I don¡¯t show mercy to enemies. A grudge like this¡ª¡± ¡°Must be repaid tenfold.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you know? Exactly. I¡¯ll tear them apart.¡± Asella was expressing her rage more than usual. Probably one of those moments. You know, when you get home after a traumatic event and lie in bed, thinking things over, and get even angrier? The scapegoat baron must¡¯ve pushed her over the edge. She¡¯d likely already deduced that the true culprit was from Tojin Palace. If the duke was the target, then someone else¡¯s interests were involved. The actual target might¡¯ve been a noble or even another member of the royal family. But so far, the only people willing to assassinate Asella were other successors. ¡°I won¡¯t let this go. I¡¯ll declare war on Tojin Palace.¡± Her heart rate and blood pressure were higher than usual. Her pupils were dilated¡ªadrenaline was flooding her system. I gently stroked her back. ¡°Eek, what are you doing?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good for your health. Calm down. Remember the breathing technique I taught you?¡± ¡°Sometimes you need to express your anger.¡± ¡°Then do it in front of the enemy. Right now, we¡¯re surrounded by allies.¡± ¡°Allies...¡± Asella seemed to take my advice and slowly returned to normal breathing. ¡°Do some stretching too. Raise your arms above your head.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it myself, so don¡¯t touch me.¡± Didn¡¯t you cling to me this morning? Asella¡¯s personal boundaries were... strange. ¡°Would you like me to fetch your comfort doll? It¡¯s sitting right there.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah.¡± When I pointed at the doll neatly placed beside the bed, Asella flinched and licked her lips nervously. ¡°U-Um, Lord Gotberg, that¡¯s, uh...¡± She scratched the back of her neck and mumbled awkwardly. ¡°It is a doll, but... you remember when I said I washed it? That wasn¡¯t a lie...¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Must¡¯ve finished drying quickly.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. That¡¯s it. ...Why is it sitting there?!¡± Even though I¡¯d told her to stretch, Asella curled up her shoulders and clicked her tongue. After a while, she calmed down somewhat, but the resentment still lingered. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s war. Prepare for armed conflict with Tojin Palace.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not fully calm. But as a princess, I believe you can make a more level-headed decision.¡± ¡°Are you disobeying me? We were attacked first¡ªhow can we stand by and do nothing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. But even if we went to all-out war, could we win against Tojin? Just dragging in the 2nd Regiment alone would crush us.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡± Asella wasn¡¯t foolish enough to deny the reality of the numbers. ¡°And it¡¯s likely His Majesty made the call to end this by executing the baron.¡± ¡°You¡¯re unusually perceptive at times. You¡¯re right. His Majesty must think this is just another internal succession squabble.¡± ¡°Really? And there¡¯s no punishment?¡± ¡°Succession battles are seen as normal. Assassinations, political intrigue¡ªit¡¯s all par for the course.¡± Normal, huh. In the Imperial Family, the Emperor decides what counts as normal. This place really is just a den of lions painted in gold. That¡¯s why Asella and the other successors were so desperate to expand their courts and factions. Come to think of it, there were still siblings of the Emperor alive, but not his older brother. He hadn¡¯t been the firstborn¡ªthere was probably a history of purges during the succession. And now he was repeating it with his own children. ¡°If it becomes known that this was a royal power struggle, it¡¯ll be bad for His Majesty. The Duke might even demand reparations.¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s more convenient for them if the duke was the target. So he accepted the baron scapegoat.¡± ¡°Right. Which is why we need to hold back for now. If we charge in recklessly, no royal faction will side with us. We don¡¯t have a legitimate cause.¡± ¡°So we just let this go?¡± Asella looked deeply conflicted. If this incident, like the Death Dragon, was swept under the rug, more attacks would follow. And that would not only trigger bad endings but weaken Moonlight Palace¡¯s entire faction. Time to sweep Georg off the board while I still could. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll retaliate, Your Highness. But there¡¯s a way to reverse the power disparity.¡± ¡°How?¡± I gave my answer. ¡°We¡¯ll request a duel trial.¡± Chapter 59: Trial by Duel Clank, clank. The heavy plate armor of the Moonlight Palace knights clattered loudly as it echoed down the corridor. Naturally, leading the procession with firm, confident steps was the mistress of Moonlight Palace herself¡ªAsella. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unlike usual, the knights were in full plate armor with even their banners raised high. They looked ready to march off and slay a dragon. BANG! As the attendants flung open the doors at the end of the corridor, Asella stepped into the courtroom. I quietly positioned myself at her side. The courtroom was built symmetrically. On the right side sat rows of spectators, including several members of the imperial family. From the other side, another group of knights entered with strong, synchronized strides. At their front, his golden hair gleaming, was none other than Second Prince Georg. Asella and Georg met at close range in an instant. The air was thick with tension. ¡°Asella, you dare drag me into a trial and waste my precious time? Shouldn¡¯t there be a shred of courtesy for your brother, who is as lofty as the sky?¡± Asella crossed her arms and glared sharply at him. ¡°No room for words. Draw your sword.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know your place. You claim I tried to assassinate the Duke of the West? That¡¯s baseless slander with no proof. Utterly absurd.¡± Georg scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Well, we do have evidence.¡± ¡°What?¡± Georg¡¯s brow furrowed at my words. ¡°There were two assassins who attacked the ballroom. The rogue was killed on the spot by the knights. The dark mage was captured alive and is currently in Moonlight Palace custody. Turns out he¡¯s quite a talkative one.¡± Georg bit his lips and glared at me. Of course, the captured assassin had actually been magically silenced with a black magic gag curse. We couldn¡¯t dispel it, and he was barely alive. But Georg didn¡¯t know that. The fear that the truth had leaked meant he had to shut down this trial at any cost. Asella raised her hand and pointed at Georg. ¡°For endangering my life¡ªand beyond that, threatening the safety of the imperial family and many nobles.¡± She spoke clearly, pronouncing each word with calm venom. ¡°You will pay with blood, Georg.¡± ¡°Urgh...¡± Georg¡¯s brow twitched for a moment, but he quickly regained his bluster. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Framing me with baseless lies¡ªyou¡¯re the one who¡¯ll pay dearly for this, Asella!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with the trial, Your Highness. The truth won¡¯t reveal itself just by shouting.¡± I pointed to the left. Asella and Georg stood across from each other at the centerline that split the courtroom in half. Following that central line led to the judge¡¯s bench, where the presiding magistrate sat. ¡°Do you, Prince Georg von W¨¹rttempelt, and Princess Asella von W¨¹rttempelt, agree to settle this through a duel trial?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this.¡± The two declared their agreement without hesitation. ¡°Bring forth the observers.¡± ¡°Me, me! I¡¯ve always wanted to try this!¡± Lauga bounced forward eagerly. She wasn¡¯t allied with either party and was herself a successor, so she was a suitable neutral observer. ¡°Let¡¯s see. We need a devout attendant, too. Court physician Boishu, come forward!¡± ¡°At your command, Princess.¡± Lauga¡¯s court physician, Boishu, stepped forward. I¡¯d seen him a few times at the Imperial Clinic. A short, baby-faced young man¡ªhe looked like a boy at first glance. Standing next to Lauga, he almost looked younger than her. Lauga would oversee the process and outcome of the duel, while Boishu, through faith, would provide it divine legitimacy. Boishu explained calmly in a soft, youthful voice. ¡°In a duel trial, the victor¡¯s claim is deemed true. For it is only right that the Goddess grants victory to the one who speaks truth.¡± That was why duel trials were viable in an empire dominated by goddess worship. It didn¡¯t make logical sense to me, but hey¡ªwhen it¡¯s useful, you use it. Instead of a military clash between factions, we could flip the balance of power through a one-on-one duel. ¡°Then please declare before the Goddess. What truth does the Second Prince assert?¡± ¡°Asella slandered me without cause, and she must be punished for that. I demand compensation from Moonlight Palace.¡± ¡°And what truth does the Third Princess assert?¡± This part, I handled. ¡°That Prince Georg knows the identity of the true culprit behind the attempted assassinations of Princess Asella and Duke Schwarzschweik.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a true culprit behind the assassination?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s Moonlight¡¯s main accusation, huh.¡± The audience began murmuring. ¡°As for compensation, we consider it sufficient if Prince Georg reveals the true culprit and lives outside the imperial palace for three years.¡± ¡°What did you just say? Are you saying you¡¯ll banish me from the palace?¡± Georg clearly hadn¡¯t expected that and faltered. There were several reasons why I reworded the charge to say he ¡°knew the culprit¡± rather than ¡°was the culprit.¡± In a duel trial, the victor¡¯s statement becomes truth. If Georg wasn¡¯t the actual assassin but merely gave the order, then the existence of a mastermind could be erased. Also, this would frame the assassination as internal strife within the royal family¡ªsomething the Emperor would hate. The Emperor¡¯s word was absolute. If he voided the duel, everything would fall apart. The real culprit was probably Camilla, anyway. ¡°Plenty of nobles come and go from Tojin Palace. If one of them was the true culprit, and Your Highness covered for them, then a three-year exile seems like an appropriate punishment, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hah! You dare presume to punish me?! You lowly court physician!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one delivering judgment. This is a trial.¡± Georg clenched his fist, his face reddening. ¡°Your insolence pierces the heavens. You think I, of all people, would lose? Do I look like some frail weakling to you?!¡± Shrring! Georg drew his sword from his waist¡ªa gaudy greatsword gleaming with jewels. ¡°I¡¯ve trained under a Swordmaster of the Imperial Knights. It¡¯s obvious who¡¯ll win this duel between me and Asella!¡± Honestly, his confidence wasn¡¯t unfounded. He was a sword user who¡¯d received formal training. Probably on par with a mid-level knight commander. And while Asella was a skilled mage, in a one-on-one duel, a melee class overwhelmingly favored over a ranged one. Once the distance closed, she¡¯d have no means of defense. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t seriously going to fight to the death, are you?¡± Lauga asked, sounding worried. Georg and Asella both snapped back. ¡°I¡¯m dead serious! I won¡¯t take this insult lying down!¡± ¡°The insulted party here is Moonlight Palace. I¡¯ll rip Tojin Palace up by the roots.¡± Lauga shrugged and nodded, catching the mood. ¡°Got it. A proper live duel between Asella and Georg, then.¡± ¡°Princess Lauga, as witness, please confirm Rule 6 of the duel trial regulations.¡± ¡°Rule?¡± At my request, Boishu opened a lawbook. ¡°Rule 6: In duels between a male and female combatant, the male side receives a handicap.¡± ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Georg protested, but the presiding judge solemnly agreed. ¡°It is as stated. This rule exists because women are typically at a disadvantage in terms of strength.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a regulation from before magic became mainstream!¡± ¡°Tradition is tradition. In some precedents, the male participant fought with his lower body buried in the ground. What shall we do?¡± Asella tilted her chin up and replied coolly. ¡°In duels, participants may carry one weapon and a set of armor. I wish to add one more item.¡± ¡°An additional item... That has precedent. What do you say, Princess?¡± Lauga nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of. As observer, I approve!¡± ¡°Already scheming, are you...¡± Georg looked uneasy. He realized¡ªthe duel had already begun, Georg. You should¡¯ve read the regulations ahead of time. ¡°What item do you wish to bring?¡± Asella answered flatly. ¡°A retainer is property of their lord. They should serve as shield or weapon. I will bring one of my retainers into the duel.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s absurd! I refuse to accept that!¡± Georg blew up. He¡¯d realized our intent. Naturally, we were planning to send in Tanya. As an Expert, she could subdue Georg instantly. ¡°Forget the handicap! Let¡¯s make it honorable¡ªa pure one-on-one duel with no outsiders!¡± ¡°And you think it¡¯s honorable for you to go full force against a girl eight years younger?¡± ¡°You bastard...!¡± Georg ground his teeth at me. ¡°We¡¯re simply invoking established regulations. If that displeases you, feel free to admit the accusation and flee.¡± ¡°You... You¡¯re behind this, physician!¡± Georg swung his finger at me. ¡°Fine. If you are the extra item, I¡¯ll accept. I¡¯ve lost count of the times you¡¯ve disrespected me. If I get to cut your head off, I welcome it!¡± The courtroom buzzed with tension. In a duel, killing your opponent was legal. If Georg killed me, I¡¯d have no right to complain. He probably assumed I was a noncombatant, dead weight, no threat to his chances of victory. If Georg refused the trial, we couldn¡¯t exile him from the palace. I looked at Asella. Even she hadn¡¯t expected things to go this way. She hesitated. [No. 012: Fall of the Empire 30% ¡ú 38%] Asella¡¯s hatred for the imperial family was slowly rising. No wonder¡ªthis was revolting. We had a chance to get rid of Georg. Since we¡¯d come this far, we had to make the duel happen. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll participate.¡± At my answer, Georg smirked confidently, certain of victory. ¡°Then the terms are agreed. The Goddess shall grant her blessing to the one who speaks truth.¡± Boishu invoked divine power to conclude the process. Clap! Lauga clapped her hands together. ¡°As official observer, I hereby declare the duel trial between Georg and Asella established! The match will take place in two weeks!¡± Asella lifted her chin arrogantly, looking down on Georg. ¡°Tch! What a revolting woman.¡± Georg spat a curse and turned to leave the courtroom. We, too, exited back into the corridor. ¡°Lord Gotberg, what the hell are you thinking?¡± As expected, Asella scolded me right away. ¡°Georg was supposed to back out or push for favorable terms. What are you going to do now that you¡¯re entering the duel with me?¡± She was really pissed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re going to win this duel.¡± ¡°Georg isn¡¯t some pushover. He¡¯s a proper swordsman. You really might... die.¡± ¡°He may talk tough, but Georg can¡¯t just try to kill Your Highness in plain sight. With this much spectacle, His Majesty will be watching. He won¡¯t take kindly to a successor setting fire to the palace.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant... Argh, forget it.¡± Asella crossed her arms, clearly still annoyed. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll make sure we win decisively. Are you going to practice swordsmanship, at least?¡± ¡°As much as I can. Please focus on your spellwork, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± I shrugged and made a request. ¡°Just lend me the knight order. I need manpower to gather materials.¡± Chapter 60: Clairvoyance (1) "Ice Ball, Mana Wall." A magic circle instantly drawn from Ashella''s staff manifested mystery into reality. Mana, which had been no more than a flowing current, turned into ice and shot toward the target, and became a shield to protect the caster. ¡ªPababak! Ashella''s offensive spell struck the training scarecrow in rapid succession. Watching the scene, Seymour stroked his beard and nodded. "You''re getting quite used to rapid casting. As I thought, the freezing-type spells suit your nature better than fire or lightning. Focus on improving the precision of this school of magic." "Yes, Master." Ashella wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "Would you like to rest? Your attending physician advised taking a break once every hour." "I¡¯ll go just a little longer." ¡ªKwa-kwang! Ashella continued her practice. Right now, she needed to refine her skills even a little more. She absolutely could not lose to Georg. From the beginning, whether it was that side or this one, the duel was one where losing meant losing everything. No matter that it was a clash between heirs¡ªthere was no way the Emperor would favor a merciless killer. Georg might not go so far as to actually take her life unless cornered to the extreme, but her attending physician was a different story. He was filled with the intent to kill Ras. In this duel, she had to completely overpower him. Fortunately, Seymour was on her side¡ªas a mage. "You called it a duel trial, didn¡¯t you. I won¡¯t watch my disciple lose to some sword-swinging thug." Seymour raised his left hand and cast a spell. The sword and shield held by the scarecrow popped off and clattered to the ground. "A disarming spell. Second tier. Essential when you have to fight on the frontlines alone. Now that I think about it, Ashella, I haven¡¯t taught you many practical combat spells, have I?" "I can create an opening. But there¡¯s not enough time to only cast attack and defense. Even if I buy time, if I can¡¯t get the next spell out first, I¡¯ll be the one hit." "¡®I¡¯ll be the one hit,¡¯ huh. Are you actually worried that your partner will be the one hit?" Ashella hesitated at Seymour¡¯s sharp-eyed question. "Well, I mean... If the Young Lord gets hit, then it¡¯s my turn next." "Haha, back in the day, you¡¯d have thrown him in as bait and spent that time preparing a large-scale spell instead, wouldn¡¯t you?" "That¡¯s one strategy. But the risk is high. If it fails, there''s no fallback." Just the fact that she was even considering the possibility of her spell missing or failing¡ªthat alone was an uncharacteristic mindset for Ashella. Seymour, entertained by her recent changes, approached her and quietly said, "Shall I tell you a secret? This is a trick I¡¯ve never shared with anyone." "Really?" "Indeed. Aren¡¯t you curious how I cast spells so quickly?" "I¡¯m dying to know. Master, you just twitch your fingers and the formation¡¯s already omitted and the spell¡¯s cast." "I store my spells." "Store... them?" Hearing the unfamiliar term, Ashella tilted her head. "More precisely, I memorize the spells perfectly. No matter how familiar a spell is, the form of the circle, the scale, the mana quantity¡ªit changes slightly each time, doesn¡¯t it?" "Yes, it does." "When a spell becomes perfectly consistent, you can input it through physical reflex. You don¡¯t think when you dodge a ball flying at your face, do you?" "You¡¯re saying if I train a specific action, my body will automatically cast the spell?" "Exactly. In my experience, the best method was to curl the second joint of a specific finger." Seymour held out his left hand. With a small cough, he bent his ring finger slightly. Then¡ªwhoosh! Without warning, the sky opened, and a flock of doves burst out, scattering and flying off in different directions. "Hmm, I meant to summon a storm spirit... Must be the nest¡¯s shifted location." "You stored a summon?" "Not just that. By combining which fingers I curl, I can store hundreds of spells." "What if you accidentally cast one in daily life?" "You can prepare a preliminary action. In my case, I always cough once first." "I see." Ashella crisply crossed her arms beneath her chest, curling her left ring finger as she practiced the disarming spell. "It looks cool, but if I lose an arm, I won¡¯t be able to use it." "That is a drawback, yes." Ashella continued training the spells she intended to use in the duel. Even after Seymour¡¯s lesson ended, she didn¡¯t stop. She reviewed what she had learned today and repeated the drills. She tried applying the spell-storing technique Seymour had taught her, but it wasn¡¯t easy. Of course, no one could expect a human''s reflexes to form overnight. ¡°Hoo.¡± Tired from repetition, Ashella decided to take a break, just as Ras had advised. Her idea of rest was practicing magic she liked. While other princes and princesses might take to riding or hunting as hobbies, Ashella found her greatest joy in using magic. Especially lately¡ªthere was a spell she couldn¡¯t wait to cast. "Clairvoyance." A fifth-tier spell¡ªone that ordinary humans couldn¡¯t even hope to reach. Aside from basic utility spells, the branches of magic were vast and varied. The most fundamental was elemental magic, but even within elements, there were countless sub-branches. Most mages, at best, mastered three branches in their entire lives. Clairvoyance was part of the time-based branch. Even Seymour hadn¡¯t mastered it, so he had only been able to guide her through books. It was still too difficult for Ashella, so she was stuck in the practice phase. "Maybe if I try installing the base circle in a higher dimension..." She tried interpreting and reconstructing the spell circle her own way. Five layers was too difficult. Her circle only reached 128 sides instead of a perfect circle. Ashella had always loved how spell circles spun wildly once mana was infused. ¡ªFwaaaah! "Huh?" Usually, this was where the clairvoyance spell would fail to connect¡ªbut today, the initial activation succeeded. Ashella¡¯s vision, hearing, and all senses abruptly shifted. She was briefly flustered, but soon realized¡ª She had successfully cast Clairvoyance. Her body remained where it was. But she couldn¡¯t move at will. Even her breath was being taken by some other will. ¡®This is...¡¯ It was a place she recognized. She¡¯d been here before¡ªbefore the cold of winter ? N§àv§Öl????ght ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Öl????ght) had completely faded. The Marquisate of Gotberg. "Ashella, get a hold of yourself." A voice warning her from the side. It was Empress Camilla. Ashella quietly let out the breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding. Clairvoyance showed one among many possible outcomes. A future that might have been. A moment that could come. "We''re deeply grateful for all you¡¯ve done. Please remain in good health." Her attending physician bowed deeply and left for the Marquisate. Ashella was momentarily surprised¡ªbut quickly tilted her head in confusion. The physician wasn¡¯t wearing a doctor¡¯s robe, but formal dress. It was a face she recognized from the finalist list of the royal selection. Gis. That had been his name. This meant the physician had been dismissed from duty. Like any other healer, he had been of no use to Ashella. "I apologize, Your Highness." The Marquis of Gotberg bowed his head in apology. Now that the top talent of his territory¡¯s training center had been exposed as incompetent, he owed Camilla a debt. "My Lord Marquis. Regrettably, that physician was such an inept failure he was even expelled from the Imperial Clinic. He couldn¡¯t even measure Ashella¡¯s mana circuit." "Hmm..." "This incident is a grave loss to the Moonlight Palace. Some form of compensation will be necessary." "...If it''s within my means." "Still no sign of the Lady¡¯s Saintess Revelation?" "That is..." "In that case, I¡¯d prefer she be housed at the Moonlight Palace going forward." Camilla used the physician matter as leverage to take the upper hand over the Marquisate. It may not have been her original plan, but she¡¯d been waiting for an opportunity like this all along. Ashella, who had seen Camilla exploit her for all kinds of gain, could easily read her intentions. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t selected Ras...¡¯ Would this scene have come to pass? The Moonlight Palace still... flows according to Mother¡¯s will. ¡®Then where is Ras?¡¯ The moment Ashella wondered that¡ª Bang! The drawing room door burst open and a young man with messy hair stumbled in holding a liquor bottle. "Hey, when your fianc¨¦ shows up, isn¡¯t it proper to greet your husband first? Huh?!" His face was beet red with drunkenness. Seeing him babble nonsense in broad daylight, Ashella couldn¡¯t help but let out a quiet laugh. "Ras! We have an honored guest! Get out this instant!" "Ha¡ªhow long do you think I¡¯ll just sit around obeying Father¡¯s orders... huh?! You¡¯ll see, when that girl becomes emperor, huh? I¡¯ll be like, you know, some real high-and-mighty guy or whatever!" "Guards, remove Ras immediately!" Tanya dragged the drunken Ras out. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He couldn¡¯t even stand properly. Pathetic. Watching him, Ashella felt a slow bloom of delight rising from the depths of her chest. ¡®Ras, you really ought to be grateful to me.¡¯ If I hadn¡¯t selected you, you¡¯d still be rotting away as the Marquisate¡¯s disgrace. I¡¯m the one who made you into something resembling a person. I really wish you could¡¯ve seen this scene. "I¡¯m sorry you had to see that disgraceful display. We¡¯ll compensate you for the matter of the physician¡ª" ¡ªFwoosh! With the short spell finished, Ashella¡¯s vision returned to normal. She gently curled her fingers into a fist. "Hmm... it wasn¡¯t a perfect casting." A perfected Clairvoyance spell allowed one to view multiple possibilities at once, to roughly designate the time and place one wanted to see. Its purpose was, above all, to gather political leverage for succession. But¡ª "Ras, you pathetic man." Ashella decided she needed to find a way to record the scenes shown by Clairvoyance into a crystal. If he had seen that just now, he¡¯d turn obedient like Max. Having finished her pleasant hobby time, Ashella returned to live practice in preparation for the Duel Trial. *** Because of the trial by duel, my schedule had gotten quite hectic. Sword training with Tanya, checking on Asella¡¯s condition, brewing medicine and injection solutions. And on top of that, there was one more thing I had to do. I headed toward the annex of the Imperial Clinic. The annex was the inpatient ward. It wasn¡¯t for commoners¡ªonly royalty were permitted to use it. Right now, there was one external patient admitted. Needless to say, it was the Duke of the West. I stood in front of the guarded patient room and knocked on the doorframe. Bishop Alberich, who had been tending to the Duke inside, came out with a deep scowl. ¡°What business do you have here? His Grace the Duke is under the care of the Mokhwigung. By His Majesty¡¯s decree.¡± ¡°I know. I just want to check on his condition.¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m in charge! Are you trying to meddle again with your so-called folk remedies?¡± ¡°This is medicine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same damn¡ª!¡± ¡°Excuse me, are you Doctor Gotberg by any chance?¡± A voice came from inside the room. Alberich could no longer block my way and reluctantly stepped aside. When I entered, the Duke was lying on the bed with a visibly gaunt face. As soon as he saw me, he smiled warmly. ¡°So it was you, Doctor. I¡¯d hoped to see you. I heard something grave happened.¡± ¡°Haha, nothing too serious. How¡¯s your condition?¡± ¡°Much improved, thanks to you. If it weren¡¯t for your intervention, I¡¯d be in the ground already. It was a deadly black magic curse. The moment I drank the wine, I felt death crawl right up my throat.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve endured a lot. Here¡¯s a prescription and some medicine that should help with the aftereffects. If you follow it, your recovery will be quicker.¡± I handed him the prescription. It included ingredients useful for detoxification and recommended light exercises. I warned him to take the medicine only if his condition worsened. ¡°Thank you. If it¡¯s your guidance, I¡¯ll follow it without question. Please convey my deepest apologies to Her Highness¡ªI haven¡¯t had the chance to thank her personally.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass it along.¡± The Duke, I judged, could now be safely left in the healers¡¯ care. Ignoring Alberich, who was still grumbling about folk remedies, I left the room. Poison is a vile tool¡ªit ruins the body of someone perfectly healthy. Maybe Georg should experience it firsthand. Might make him reflect a little. Chapter 61: Clairvoyance (2) "I hereby declare the opening of the Duel Trial! The officiator is none other than the Empire¡¯s Second Princess¡ªme, Lauga von W¨¹rttempelt!" With Lauga¡¯s chirpy shout, the curtain drew open. Asella and I stepped into the bright arena lights without hesitation. "Young master, your shield¡¯s slipping." "It¡¯s just heavy. Don¡¯t worry¡ªonce the duel starts, I¡¯ll hold it properly." Asella snorted, lifted her staff, and strode forward. Her tightly bound blonde hair swayed with her steps. She wore a specially-prepared magical outfit for dueling. From afar, with the skirt fluttering like that, she looked like a tiny fairy. I held a large shield and a short sword. My armor was light plate. It didn¡¯t offer much protection, but the mobility was excellent. "At least you didn¡¯t chicken out, Asella! That I¡¯ll praise!" From the opposite end, Georg marched in, clad in ornate full-plate armor covered in elaborate engravings. From head to toe, everything on him was enchanted¡ªa full legendary-grade set. Money really isn¡¯t an issue for him. If he had that kind of gear lying around, why not give it to one of his so-called champions? The arena we stood in was small in size¡ªlike a compact coliseum. The floor was packed dirt. As both sides entered, polite applause rose from the audience seats. They were filled with royalty and high nobles. Since this was an imperial trial, the mood remained solemn¡ªthis wasn¡¯t entertainment. Still, it¡¯s a spectacle. A bloody fight between succession candidates? To them, it was undoubtedly thrilling. Even if their expressions stayed composed, they were probably enjoying this. Among them, I spotted a familiar face. The current Emperor. He sat in dignified silence, watching his children pick up swords and staffs as if it were only natural. Rather than concern, he seemed eager to see how much they¡¯d demonstrate in this duel. Lauga¡¯s voice spread through the arena via an amplification spell. "The truth of the assassination incident at the Duke of Schwarzschweik¡¯s party will be revealed here and now! Both parties, prepare yourselves!" Asella raised her staff in her left hand and began drawing incantation sigils. Georg planted his feet, ready to charge the moment the signal came. "The rules are simple: the one who dies or yields first¡ªloses!" I was considered an accessory to Asella, so my opinion or survival didn¡¯t factor into the outcome. "Honor in the left hand, conviction in the right. Only those who struggle shall be deemed just!" Lauga kissed a gold coin laced with magic and flung it toward the arena. In the whispering wind, the small, sunlit projectile spun and fell¡ª ¡ªBoom! With a puff of smoke, the duel officially began. ¡ªBoom! Georg burst forward at the same moment, kicking off the ground with explosive speed. Faster than expected. Blessings. He must¡¯ve gone through a truckload of healers. Recruiting that many healers capable of bestowing blessings couldn¡¯t have been easy. He was literally a bundle of money charging at us. "Iceball, Mana Wall!" Asella quickly chanted her spell. A blunt projectile of ice shot toward Georg¡ªfaster than a Major League fastball. ¡ªCrack! Though precisely aimed, it shattered harmlessly against Georg¡¯s armor. Asella looked startled. "Magic resistance enchantment...!" "I¡¯ll end this quickly!" Georg had already closed in on her. At this range, close combat had the clear advantage. That¡¯s why I was here. I stepped between Georg and Asella. Without hesitation, he swung his sword at me. ¡ªWhoosh! He didn¡¯t land a direct hit, but I wasn¡¯t a stranger to dodging the swordsmanship of the Four Heavenly Kings. My reflexes were nothing to scoff at. ¡ªClang! My quick counter deflected Georg¡¯s sharp longsword. "Wha¡ª?!" He was caught off guard by the unexpected parry. It was the defensive stance. The one and only technique Tanya had drilled into me over two weeks. And I¡¯d been jogging a lot lately. I probably couldn¡¯t win in a full fight, but I could at least trade one or two blows. ¡ª¡°Ohh! He blocked the Second Prince¡¯s attack!¡± ¡ª¡°Wasn¡¯t he just the Third Princess¡¯s physician? Who knew he could fight?¡± ¡ª¡°He¡¯s the one who cured the plague, isn¡¯t he? Must be rare to master both magic and martial arts!¡± Oh please, stop. I¡¯m a Gotberg. I would¡¯ve loved to give them a dazzling smile, but unfortunately I had no leisure for that. One strike, then another¡ªGeorg¡¯s blows came rapidly. "A lowly healer like you dares deflect my sword?! My blessed strength rivals that of a Sword Expert!" "Blessings aren¡¯t exclusive to Your Highness." "What did you say?!" Boom! My counter, bursting with divine power, struck Georg in the stomach and shoved him back. It didn¡¯t hurt him much, but it broke his stance. "Such pathetic tricks¡ªgrhk!" As he staggered, Asella¡¯s spell hit Georg squarely on the helmet. "Take this!" Sturdy, no doubt about that. He shook it off and swung again. As if she hadn¡¯t thrown snowflakes, but a damn shot put. He should¡¯ve had a concussion, but his helmet was saturated with magic resistance spells. Georg¡¯s eyes glinted menacingly through the visor. "You¡¯re not even a proper warrior. Stop grappling and fall already. If you keep pushing, I won¡¯t forgive you!" "There¡¯s nowhere to climb in Tojin Palace. It''s only three floors." "You damn physician!!" Wham! Georg stomped the ground. Rumble! Cracks splintered across the arena floor. The dirt tore up, and dust scattered. Fwoosh! A wave of heat surged, raising the temperature around us. "Ugh." The magic circle Asella had been drawing melted mid-air like soft clay, losing form. So that was the signal. Between the cracked earth, something sparkled. He buried anti-magic stones under the arena. They¡¯re stones naturally found in the Demon Realm, like granite. They only activate when a mage tries to cast spells nearby. Georg had set this up to seal Asella¡¯s magic. His men triggered them at just the right moment. "Hahaha! Look upon her now, unable to cast even a single spell before the might of Georg von W¨¹rttempelt! Behold, Your Majesty! Witness the charisma that shall overwhelm the people and lead the Empire forward!" Georg raised a triumphant fist like he¡¯d already won. Asella sneered at him with contempt. "How cowardly, Georg. You claimed this would be a duel of honor¡ªand yet you laid traps in the arena?" "Traps? What nonsense. Are you trying to cover up your own incompetence, Asella?" The princes and princesses in the stands murmured to one another. ¡ª¡°It does look like the Second Prince used underhanded tricks.¡± ¡ª¡°Still, it¡¯s part of his skill. Using all your assets is part of dueling, isn¡¯t it?¡± Even the Emperor nodded. ¡ª¡°Wealth and manpower are part of a ruler¡¯s strength. If Asella loses because of them, she¡¯s simply less capable than Georg.¡± Asella kept trying to cast, but her spells wouldn¡¯t link. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Those anti-magic stones must¡¯ve cost you, what¡ªthirty-one hundred gold to fill the arena?" At my words, Georg scowled. "You bastard¡ªhow did you...?" "You didn¡¯t know? Budget allocations from each palace are submitted ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? to His Majesty. It¡¯s public information." Monitoring your enemies is basic protocol. I¡¯d predicted the setup from the sudden budget increase for Tojin Palace and the size of the delivery crates. And we had time to rig the arena too. "Even if you did know... h-hmph, what use is it? Asella can¡¯t use magic, and with your skills, you can¡¯t possibly beat¡ªatchoo!" Georg suddenly sneezed. It didn¡¯t stop. His nose started running profusely. ¡ª¡°There¡¯s a strange haze drifting across the arena.¡± ¡ª¡°Is it just dust?¡± I activated a skill while looking at him. "Diagnosis." [Symptoms: Chrysanthemum Pollen Allergy] Georg had no major illness or injury¡ªbut he had a glaring weakness: allergies. I¡¯d had the Moonlight Palace knights harvest a bunch of chrysanthemums and spread their pollen across the arena. Once the anti-magic stones triggered, the pollen would naturally fill the air like this. "What the hell¡ªatchoo!¡ªdid you do?!" "Consider yourself lucky chrysanthemums aren¡¯t cultivated in the palace." "You damn physician!!" Georg suddenly began to glow. Healers outside the arena were layering him with blessings. All of them strength blessings. He¡¯s going for the kill. Georg charged straight at me. He wanted to settle this with brute force before the situation got worse. That¡¯s just what I wanted. I grabbed the syringe hidden behind my shield. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Advanced Strength Booster Effect on use: Greatly increases strength for 3 minutes. May cause side effects. No, it¡¯s not protein, I swear. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D I jabbed the shot into the inner thigh where the armor was light. Adrenaline rushed through me. My body heated up. ¡ªBoom! Georg crashed into my shield. Felt like getting rammed by an iron rhino. My arms went numb. I skidded across the dirt but managed to hold my ground. "Why¡ªatchoo!¡ªwhy won¡¯t you fall?!" Georg was flustered. Given our size and gear, it should¡¯ve been like a bus hitting a bicycle. No wonder he was confused. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Strength: 63 (+50) Stamina: 19 Magic: 1 Mana: 28 Divine Power: 22 Faith: 100 ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D The strength booster, refined to C-rank with alchemy, gave a +50 strength boost. Right now, I was as strong as a mid-tier knight. "Ugh...! If I just get past you!" He thought Asella would be easy to finish off once he got through me. But his allergy made him impatient. He couldn¡¯t maintain form and relied only on brute force. His eyes were watering. His arms were weakening. We stood locked in place. Then Georg sneezed again¡ªloud. "ATCHOO!!" I slipped sideways in that moment. "Wh-whoa?!" He lost balance from his own momentum. This was the setup I¡¯d waited for. With him exposed and off guard, it was the perfect time for magic to land. I shouted. "Your Highness, now!" Asella dropped her staff and crossed both arms. Only one finger curled. She didn¡¯t need a drawn magic circle. Mana in her body transformed directly into a spell. "Disarm." ¡ªClang! "Wha¡ª?!" ¡ªBoom! Georg¡¯s ornate armor shattered apart, scattering into pieces. ¡ªThud! Thrown completely off balance, Georg fell flat. I pulled out another syringe and drove it straight into his exposed calf. "Gahhh!" Georg collapsed, eyes rolling back, trembling like a newborn in the dirt. "Y-you d-damned... physiciannnn!!" He had guts¡ªstill grinding his teeth at me through the foam. "Young master." Asella walked over, her ponytail swaying like a tail. "Yes, Your Highness." "Tangled in your own trap. That¡¯s my favorite kind of strategy. Keep it in mind." She really does have a twisted taste. Standing beside Asella, I raised the syringe. "Your Highness, what I just injected you with was a black magic toxin¡ªsame as the one that struck the Duke. Taken from the assassin." "W-what...!" Crinkle. I pulled a rose-shaped candy from my pocket and popped it into my mouth. Then held up a different syringe for Georg to see. "The antidote¡¯s only with me. So, what will you do?" Georg rolled his eyes around. To the left was Asella. To the right¡ªme. Aw, crap. He¡¯s tearing up. Chapter 62: Clairvoyance (3) ¡°A victor has emerged! I hereby declare that Third Princess Asella von W¨¹rttempelt has triumphed in a rightful duel trial!¡± Lauga¡¯s voice rang out loud enough to shake the arena. In front of me, Georg, who had just come back from the brink of death, was gasping for breath and clutching his chest. ¡°This can¡¯t be... I... I¡¯m the master of Tojin Palace, the rightful next emperor¡ªhow could I...?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wearing triangle briefs, sir.¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Georg flailed an arm at me. He was stripped to his underwear thanks to Disarm, his face smeared with snot and dirt¡ªhardly intimidating. It was a mild poison, just enough to weaken him, and I¡¯d already administered the antidote, so he wasn¡¯t in any danger. Asella stepped forward, her chin raised as she stomped against the ground. ¡°Georg. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten. You lost the duel¡ªso you¡¯re banned from the imperial palace for the next three years.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd. Tojin Palace is mine. I¡¯m a member of the royal family! A successor! Who dares banish me, and by what authority?!¡± Georg jabbed a finger toward Asella, his voice rising in desperation. ¡°Go ahead and try! It¡¯s still up to the Grand Justiciar to make the final ruling. You think anyone has the right to bind a royal like me?!¡± He was starting to throw a tantrum. Can¡¯t blame him¡ªhe was about to get kicked out on the spot. That¡¯s when a voice, thunderous and clear, echoed in the arena. ¡°How disgraceful, Georg!¡± The overwhelming pressure that surged through the air¡ªlike an electric current¡ªcame from none other than the Emperor, who had risen to his feet. His beard and hair were snow-white, but his gaze still had the intensity to give an entire army a heart attack. It was the aura of a true war hero¡ªthe man who had led the Empire into its golden age. ¡°Y-Your Majesty...¡± ¡°Every member of the royal family has witnessed the duel¡¯s process and outcome. Defeat is not shameful. Not knowing how to lose¡ªthat is the true disgrace!¡± The strength drained from Georg¡¯s shoulders. He must have realized there was no escape. ¡°Your Majesty, please take care of your health...¡± At the royal physicians¡¯ urging, the Emperor slowly returned to his seat. Propping his chin in one hand, he looked straight at me. It felt like we locked eyes¡ªthough I wasn¡¯t sure¡ªso I decided to wrap things up with Georg. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s proceed with the truth declaration. Prince Georg, you know who hired the assassin that used black magic to target Princess Asella and the Western Duke, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ggh... T-that...¡± Georg visibly faltered. If he said Camilla¡¯s name, there¡¯d be no saving him. He was already being expelled. If Camilla were ousted too, their entire faction would collapse and Tojin Palace would fall to ruin. ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t dare lie during a sacred duel trial.¡± ¡°O-of course not.¡± He was calculating which outcome would hurt him less, probably still shaken by the Emperor¡¯s outburst. At last, Georg slowly opened his mouth. ¡°...Let me state first: I was not involved in this matter. I had no prior knowledge of any assassination plot. I bear no responsibility!¡± ¡°Whether you bear responsibility or not, we¡¯ll take that into account.¡± ¡°I was told the one who hired the assassin is within Tojin Palace. That¡¯s all I know.¡± Georg averted his eyes. So that¡¯s how he wants to play it. ¡°So, the baron who was about to be executed¡ªhe was falsely accused?¡± ¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Well then, it seems the real culprit has hidden themselves quite deeply. Even the prince who governs Tojin Palace couldn¡¯t uncover their identity.¡± ¡°Th-that...¡± ¡°There are a lot of people in Tojin Palace, aren¡¯t there? Visiting nobles...¡± I subtly glanced at the Emperor. ¡°Even royalty, perhaps.¡± The Emperor¡¯s brow twitched. He understood. That we¡¯d brought this to a full-blown duel trial because we suspected Camilla was behind it all. This was my message to him. We¡¯d stop pushing for the real culprit¡ªso long as he kept Camilla under control. No need for reparations to the Duke. Just handle your own house. With Georg gone, Camilla would be practically imprisoned in Tojin Palace anyway. ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t even know if the true target was the Duke or the Princess, correct?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s right...¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Georg.¡± Asella walked over, steady and stern, and stood before him. ¡°We¡¯ve learned all we needed. Now get the hell out of the palace.¡± Georg couldn¡¯t even reply. He simply bowed his head in silence. Asella turned to me with a smile tugging at her lips. ¡°The truth has been revealed! With that, I¡ªofficiator Lauga von W¨¹rttempelt¡ªdeclare this duel trial concluded!¡± Under the light applause of the royals, Asella and I exited the arena. Back in the waiting room, someone was waiting for us. ¡°Asella. Gotberg.¡± It was First Princess Heike. Asella scowled as soon as she saw her. ¡°Trying to enjoy my victory, and here comes the interruption.¡± ¡°Hm, still as sharp-tongued as ever. A good sign. Gotberg, impressive work.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I gave a modest nod. Didn¡¯t fully bow¡ªAsella was watching, and last time I got a talking-to. ¡°What do you want? If you¡¯re here to poach my retainers again, you¡¯d better be ready to duel me yourself.¡± ¡°Relax. I came to bring good news. Georg¡¯s expulsion is good for me too. As an ally of Moonlight Palace, I¡¯d like to offer a congratulatory gift.¡± With Georg¡ªher biggest rival¡ªout of the picture, Heike was making a calculated move to strengthen ties with our weaker faction. It wasn¡¯t a bad offer. We could probably squeeze quite a bit out of her. ¡°Can I get something too? I feel like I earned it today.¡± ¡°But of course, Gotberg.¡± Heike acknowledged it coolly. Seeing her attitude, Asella gave a sly smile. She was clearly plotting something wicked. Just then, the head maid came rushing in. ¡°Your Highness! His Majesty summons you immediately.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± ¡°Ah¡ªhe asked for the physician to accompany you.¡± ...Me? Asella and I exchanged a glance. ¡°Let¡¯s talk later, Heike.¡± An imperial summons wasn¡¯t something you ignored. We left Heike behind and moved immediately. We climbed the stairs to the royal box overlooking the arena. The Emperor, who had been chatting with a princess, turned toward us when his head butler whispered something in his ear. As Asella and I bowed, he gestured for us to come closer. ¡°Asella. You¡¯ve grown proficient in magic.¡± ¡°Your words honor me, Your Majesty.¡± The Emperor gave a rare smile at her graceful response. Then he shifted his gaze to me. ¡°You¡¯re Asella¡¯s personal physician. Gotberg, correct?¡± ¡°To have such a humble name remembered by Your Majesty is more than I deserve.¡± ¡°I hear you¡¯re also her fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°The truth revealed in the duel trial is final. I shall accept it as law.¡± That was his way of acknowledging my real message¡ªand agreeing to keep Camilla in check. I liked that. ¡°Was it you who spoke the truth, Asella?¡± She hesitated for a moment before replying. ¡°Gotberg did.¡± The Emperor turned to me with a generous smile. ¡°A fascinating young man has arrived.¡± I bowed and discreetly watched his expression. He looked amused¡ªbut something about his smile felt unsettling. Now I knew who Asella got her eyes from. ¡°I was childhood friends with Charlotte, you know.¡± Charlotte¡ªthat was the name of the current Empress, the First Consort. ¡°I once thought Heike or Georg would be the first to take Gunther¡¯s head. But now, who knows?¡± So he¡¯d only named his eldest son as heir out of obligation to his first wife. He fully expected the others to fight over the real succession. In truth, the war between his children was his doing all along. This man... his way of thinking wasn¡¯t sane. Ah. So that¡¯s why the royal family¡¯s such a mess. Hack, hack. The Emperor suddenly burst into a fit of deep coughing. Once the royal physicians tended to him, he resumed speaking. ¡°I accept the truth of this duel. Gotberg, what do you think?¡± Of course¡ªthank you very much. But given the way he asked, he was probably testing how I¡¯d respond. Even Asella seemed nervous. Let¡¯s take a look. I cast Diagnosis. [Injury Status: Pneumonia] [Injury Status: Hypertension] [Injury Status: Osteoporosis] ... Mostly age-related diseases. Lots of them. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°As thanks for witnessing the duel, I would like to offer Your Majesty a small gift.¡± ¡°Granted.¡± I pulled a medicine packet from my robes. ¡°Take this after meals, morning and evening. It¡¯ll help with your cough.¡± It was a cocoa-based cough suppressant¡ªcompressed and enhanced. Natural, but almost as potent as narcotics. ¡°You dare offer such a thing to His Majesty? This compound hasn¡¯t even been verified!¡± The Emperor¡¯s own physician scolded me. I replied calmly. ¡°It¡¯s effective. Just as much as aspirin.¡± ¡°Aspirin may be¡ªbut this I¡¯ve never even heard of...¡± The Emperor raised a hand. The physician fell silent and stepped back. ¡°Hm.¡± The Emperor examined the packet and handed it over to the physician. ¡°Gotberg. How would you rank your skill within the Imperial Clinic?¡± I answered plainly. ¡°Far above any other healer, without comparison.¡± The Emperor narrowed his eyes. I added one more line. ¡°Except for divine power. That part still needs training. But honestly¡ªit¡¯s a bit of a pain.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± The Emperor roared with laughter, then burst into another fit of coughing. ¡°I¡¯ll hold onto it for now. If it proves effective, I¡¯ll use it.¡± Much more open-minded than I expected. This was a great opportunity. If the Emperor used my medicine, it could accelerate the spread of modern pharmacology and stabilize the pharmaceutical market. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll return with results.¡± ¡°Haha, I look forward to it.¡± The Emperor turned to Asella. ¡°Asella.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Let us meet again.¡± He smiled in clear satisfaction. *** ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ [Promising Newcomer] Achievement Unlocked. The Imperial Family is eager to see what you do next. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D As I dismissed the message from my status window, Asella scolded me. ¡°Why would you do that without consulting me? If that drug had any side effects, it¡¯d be a huge scandal.¡± ¡°What, don¡¯t you trust my skills?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the issue...¡± On our way back to Moonlight Palace, Asella kept grumbling. ¡°Well, we won. You sure know how to stay alive.¡± ¡°I was a renowned fighter back in the marquisate.¡± ¡°Liar. Those aren¡¯t the arms of a fighter.¡± I chuckled. [No. 012: Empire¡¯s Fall 38% ¡ú 24%] Maybe it was the victory, or the Emperor¡¯s approval, but Asella looked pleased. ¡°You¡¯re experiencing things you¡¯d never get to otherwise, thanks to me. Who else gets to trample a prince underfoot?¡± ¡°I thought I ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) was going to die.¡± ¡°If you¡¯d stayed in the marquisate, you¡¯d have drunk yourself to death.¡± ¡°Come on, that¡¯s a little harsh.¡± ¡°Heh. They say ignorance is bold¡ªsuits you perfectly. I saw it with my own eyes...¡± She trailed off mid-sentence. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Asella grinned like a villain scheming something awful. Chapter 63: Lifting the Curse (1) ¡°Antibiotics, antibiotics, antibiotics here too, and this is... huhh¡ªDoctorrrr.¡± As always, Chloe greeted him while stammering. When he told her the duel trial had ended well, only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°H-How was the antidote?¡± ¡°The antidote. It worked. Well, if you think about the mechanism, it¡¯s a similar word.¡± ¡°Yees. Because it was a poison made with black magic.¡± Antidote. A process to dispel curses. ¡°I¡¯d let it slip my mind for a bit because of the duel.¡± He had straight-up declared at the party that he was going to dissect Asela. ¡°The problem is this.¡± He used the recording function of the status window to check the X-ray image transferred into the crystal orb. While researching shadow poison, he¡¯d found the same mechanism in Asela¡¯s image. The tangled black mass inside Asela¡¯s abdomen was judged to be a curse. Poisons he could detoxify. But for high-level curses that couldn¡¯t even be identified through diagnosis, he needed to know exactly what they were to respond properly. If he cut her open carelessly, the curse could explode that very moment. ¡°Chloe, do you know much about curses?¡± ¡°N-No. There are dedicated healing specialists for curse breaking.¡± ¡°Curse healers, huh.¡± I¡¯m going to need one. ¡°Who¡¯s the best curse healer in the Imperial Clinic?¡± ¡°U-Um, probably Hugo... I think?¡± ¡°Hugo? ¡®Black Hand Hugo¡¯?¡± ¡°Huh? You know him?¡± Know him well. From ten years in the future. ¡ªA warrior sent by the hated Empire! I¡¯ll repay the grudge I¡¯ve held for ten years! ¡ªA healer, eh! You¡¯re from the Empire¡¯s clinic, right? I¡¯ll never forgive those devils! The memory of Hugo, dramatically delivering lines like a raid boss, rose in his mind. He opened the status window. [No. 025 Curse of the Black Hand 21%] Hugo had been the leader of a black magic cult that worshipped the Evil Dragon. He¡¯d been a formidable opponent, wielding fairly powerful curses. ¡®He was kicked out of the clinic after some incident and walked the path of a black magician.¡¯ ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°Umm. Probably... still working on dispelling the Evil Dragon corpse?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still doing that?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, apparently it¡¯s proving quite difficult.¡± The corpse of the Evil Dragon, defeated in the martial arts competition, couldn¡¯t simply be burned or buried. The curses stored in its body would scatter everywhere. ¡°Isn¡¯t a dragon corpse incredibly valuable? Even a single tooth should go for three gold at least.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enormous. The faction handling the curse removal gets to keep it, so everyone¡¯s scrambling over it.¡± Extra money is always ? N§àv§Ö¢ñight ? (Read more on our source) good. But an Evil Dragon would hold top-tier curses, and while Las could handle some curse breaking, he was only capable of low to mid-level at best. ¡°Guess I should go meet Hugo soon.¡± Since the side effects of the strength enhancer used in the duel trial were starting to kick in, he decided to take the rest of the day off. *** Some time later, Las headed to the underground of the clinic, where curse removal operations were underway, but the news he got was far from good. ¡°Hugo was fired?¡± A healer, sweating bullets as he restrained the Evil Dragon¡¯s corpse with sacred ropes in the underground altar, explained. He was a friend from the Heike faction, meaning under Bishop Alberich. There were many staff here, and naturally, they tended to group by faction. Being an Imperial native, he was relatively friendly to Las. ¡°Well, the faction Hugo belonged to was disbanded recently. He was under Sir Armin, the Crown Prince¡¯s eldest son.¡± ¡°Right, he was recently granted the rank of viscount and went independent.¡± ¡°Yes. That seems to have caused some kind of issue... I¡¯m not sure of the details, but Hugo left the clinic months ago.¡± ¡°Do you know where he went?¡± ¡°He worked here for over ten years, so maybe he found a house somewhere? I heard he has a family.¡± ¡°Oh, that guy? He¡¯s flat broke.¡± Another healer, overhearing the conversation, joined in. ¡°Healer, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Ah, Doctor Gotberg. Hugo paid more in healing fees than he earned. I bet his debts are massive.¡± ¡°Why would a healer need treatment at the clinic?¡± ¡°Maybe because of that blackened hand? I heard he got injured during curse removals.¡± ¡°Right, his hand. The guy couldn¡¯t use healing spells. Spent his entire fortune on his daughter¡¯s treatment. The little girl was always sick.¡± ¡°His daughter, huh.¡± The reason Hugo harbored such hatred for the Empire was now clear enough. He couldn¡¯t even cure his own family at the job he¡¯d worked his whole life. Only bled money. Maybe he dabbled in black magic as his knowledge of curse breaking grew, dreaming of revenge. Seriously though, no employee discount? No occupational injury coverage? The Imperial Clinic, a true dream workplace. ¡°Guys with debts like that have nowhere to go. They can¡¯t get past checkpoints, so they can¡¯t leave the capital. They just hide out in the slums.¡± ¡°The slums... come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen a resident from there.¡± ¡°They have no reason to come here for treatment, of course.¡± In other words, a blind spot in the healthcare system. ¡°Must be crawling with patients.¡± ¡°P-Probably?¡± A good idea struck him. He also had to prove the efficacy of the cough medicine to the Emperor. He needed a lot of data. ¡®There were tons of drugs I wanted to test anyway.¡¯ It would help level up the now sluggish medical skill. ¡®And I might even lure Hugo in.¡¯ No guarantee Hugo would cooperate, but at least it was a chance to delete his bad ending. There was a lot to gain. ¡°Agh, it¡¯s happening again!¡± ¡°Cover it, cover it!¡± ¡°Bishop¡¯s going to chew us out again!¡± A viscous black fluid oozed from the Evil Dragon¡¯s severed neck. The healers scrambled to wrap the head in fresh sacred cloth, grunting all the while. ¡°If Hugo were here, we¡¯d be done already.¡± ¡°Exactly! Of all times to quit, he picked the worst.¡± Las folded his arms and watched the curse removal scene for a moment, then moved on. The next stop was the Wood Ash Palace. Delivering the aspirin and penicillin with Chloe in tow, he was met with great satisfaction from Heike. ¡°Right on time. I¡¯ll have the payment sent to Moonlight Palace.¡± ¡°Sounds good. How about the reward for taking down the Dustquake Palace?¡± ¡°We agreed to split the 2nd Company and its barracks with Asela, who was aligned with that faction.¡± ¡°Good to hear.¡± Asela really didn¡¯t miss a beat. She¡¯d already snatched up one of the four barracks belonging to the Imperial Knights. Heike might have yielded a lot in goodwill, not yet viewing Asela as a threat. But the day he regrets it will surely come. ¡°Gotberg, have you thought about what reward you want?¡± ¡°I appreciate you asking. It¡¯s nothing too grand.¡± Las paused briefly before replying. ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow some healers from Your Highness¡¯s faction. About ten of Imperial origin.¡± ¡°Healers? What for?¡± Heike looked curious. Las answered with a light smile. ¡°Just a little business trip I¡¯d like to take.¡± *** ¡°Phew.¡± Hugo finished a grueling day of labor and held a small handful of wages in his hand. Most of the day laborers he worked with were homeless. Living day-to-day. Those with slightly better means stayed in inns, but most were sleeping rough. Usually, the wages went straight to drinking at taverns. But Hugo couldn¡¯t afford even that. He had to save every coin to hire a healer. His gloved hands were hiding something. Beneath them, curses had taken root. Not just a single curse. Like dirt accumulating under the nails, remnants of countless curses had built up over years of curse removal and seeped in. ¡°...Tch.¡± He tried releasing holy power, but it came out blackened by the taint. If he used healing magic in this state, he¡¯d just transfer the curse to the patient. Hugo shoved his gloved hands into his pockets and hurried his steps. He was heading to an undeveloped clearing on the capital¡¯s outskirts, now dotted with tents. The slums. Until not long ago, he¡¯d worked at the Imperial Clinic. Now, he¡¯d hit rock bottom. Yet his eyes were clearer and more resolute than ever. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hugo walked until he reached a tent barely worthy of the name ¡°home.¡± ¡°Eri, Daddy¡¯s home.¡± ¡°Daddeee...!¡± Inside, a girl around five years old lay under a blanket. Her jet-black hair was just like Hugo¡¯s. ¡°Did you do okay while Daddy was out?¡± ¡°Uh-huh...! I played with Charlie and Maxie. Cough cough.¡± She was referring to the dolls placed neatly beside her pillow. Though she said that, it was clear Eri had been too weak to even move all day. ¡°Eri, let¡¯s sit up and drink some water.¡± ¡°Okay....¡± Hugo carefully poured water into a small paper cup and helped Eri sip it. Even while swallowing, she soon coughed it back up. ¡®It¡¯s been over three months since her last healing.¡¯ Hugo felt a tight knot in his chest. Eri had been born healthy. She started getting weaker and coughing all the time three years ago. Maybe her health had only seemed fine. His wife, always frail, had passed away after giving birth to Eri. What pained Hugo most was that, as a healer, he couldn¡¯t heal his own daughter. ¡®I spent every coin I had trying to cure Eri.¡¯ No matter how much he healed her, she only improved briefly, then declined again. Treatment at the clinic was expensive. He¡¯d used every connection to get her treated more often, and when he came to his senses, even their house had been sold. Still, without those treatments, Eri might already be dead. ¡®If only I could¡¯ve kept working...¡¯ His greatest misfortune had been choosing the wrong faction. Patients cursed enough to need curse healers were rare. Most healers handled it on the side. But when Sir Armin declared independence, Hugo wanted to follow. Upon learning that he couldn¡¯t take Hugo unless he cleared his debts, Armin immediately cast him aside. In the end, the world ran on money. ¡®And no other faction wanted me.¡¯ He¡¯d been discarded in an instant by the job he¡¯d worked at his whole life. ¡®So much for the Emperor¡¯s grace.¡¯ A simmering resentment toward the clinic and the Empire began to rise within him. It was absurd, but... if something happened to Eri... Then the ones to blame would be the Empire bastards who failed to heal her. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± ¡°Eri!¡± Hugo could only lay her down and stroke her forehead helplessly. Eri slowly opened her eyes and murmured with her small lips. ¡°Daddee....¡± ¡°Eri, is there anything you want to eat? I¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡± Eri shook her head. ¡°Just stay here....¡± She gently grabbed the hem of his coat with her tiny hand. How lonely must she have been while he was away? Hugo was furious at a reality that gave him no time to be with her. It was then. ¡°Hey, big guy in there?¡± A voice from outside¡ªanother slum resident. Hugo pulled aside the tent flap. ¡°You looking for me?¡± ¡°Yeah, you. Didn¡¯t you say your daughter¡¯s sick?¡± ¡°...I did.¡± ¡°Bring her out. Quick.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± The man gestured urgently, voice excited. ¡°Starting a week ago, someone from the clinic¡¯s been here. A personal physician, even! They¡¯re treating everyone for free. Hurry and bring her!¡± ¡°The clinic came here? Treating patients for free? That makes no sense.¡± Hugo frowned, skeptical. The man clicked his tongue. ¡°Man, you¡¯ve been living under a rock. Fine, whatever. But they¡¯re even giving out some good stuff called... uh, SCP or something.¡± ¡°You mean aspirin?¡± ¡°Yeah, that. Whatever it is.¡± Hugo¡¯s eyes widened. He¡¯d heard a rumor just before he was fired, around the time the martial arts competition began. ¡°Eri, let¡¯s go out for a bit with Daddy.¡± He picked her up, blanket and all, and rushed out of the tent. He ran toward the crowd gathered in the distance. ¡°Diagnosis. Scrape¡ªapply antiseptic. Diagnosis. Ah, coughing patient. You¡¯re the one I was looking for. Take this regularly and record your condition every day. If you take the medicine and run, this knight lady will spank you, got it?¡± A man in a white coat stood at the front of the line, patients stretching out before him. Hugo knew that man¡¯s name. Before getting fired, he¡¯d heard all about the newly rising private physician of the Third Imperial Princess. ¡°Doctor Gotberg!!¡± At Hugo¡¯s booming voice, everyone turned to look. In the midst of shocked silence, only Gotberg looked at him¡ªand smiled, satisfied. Chapter 64: Lifting the Curse (2) ¡°Doctor Gotberg!¡± It was a booming voice, like someone who had boiled and eaten a train whistle. Hugo, drenched in sweat, looked quite desperate¡ªand it wasn¡¯t hard to guess why. ¡®So the child he¡¯s holding is his daughter.¡¯ When I¡¯d reviewed Hugo¡¯s medical records, I saw that all the healing logs from the Imperial Clinic were for his daughter. I¡¯d seen families ruined by medical bills before, but I hadn¡¯t expected to see it in this world, too. Hugo¡¯s appearance was so ragged you wouldn¡¯t believe he used to work as a healer at the Imperial Clinic. I grinned and waved at him. ¡°I get that you¡¯re in a hurry, but I¡¯ve got a line of patients here. You¡¯ll have to wait your turn.¡± ¡°T-The line, you mean?¡± Hugo sighed as he looked at the long queue, but quietly moved to the end of it. Maybe it was because he hadn¡¯t become a black magician yet¡ªhe was more docile than I¡¯d expected. ¡°Knight.¡± ¡°You called, Doctor?¡± I spoke to the Moonlight Palace knight standing beside Tanya. ¡°The man who just arrived¡ªthe child patient he was holding. Bring them some water and a blanket.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± [No. 025 Curse of the Black Hand ¨C 21%] Hugo¡¯s hatred stemmed from his daughter¡¯s death. Sure, child survival rates weren¡¯t high in this world, but for some people, that child is their everything. You can¡¯t just brush it off as bad luck or poor odds. Besides, I didn¡¯t want to watch a cute kid die either. I decided to give Hugo¡¯s daughter the most sincere examination I could. ¡°Next patient. Diagnosis¡ªjust a cold. Take some aspirin and a mask, and make sure to wash your hands regularly.¡± I continued seeing patients. Hugo stroked Eri¡¯s back as he waited in line. Just then, a knight came over and handed him a blanket and a bottle of clean water. ¡°The doctor asked me to give you these.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°He said your daughter looked like she was in pain and wanted to offer some kindness.¡± The knight delivered the message in a blunt tone and walked off. Hugo wrapped Eri in the soft blanket and slowly gave her water. She seemed to settle down a bit. ¡®He noticed all that in such a short time?¡¯ Hugo was surprised. Royal physicians usually didn¡¯t even look at regular patients, let alone take interest in them. He sneaked a glance at Gotberg treating patients. ¡°Oh, Doctor, thank you so much.¡± ¡°Ah, you came in three days ago, right? Let¡¯s see¡ªno secondary infection. You don¡¯t need antibiotics anymore, just keep washing your hands.¡± ¡°Thank you, but... what about the treatment fee...?¡± ¡°What? Fee? What do I look like, a tick? Forget it. I¡¯ll take your gratitude instead. Take this candy and give it to the little one.¡± Despite dealing with patient after patient, I wasn¡¯t showing any signs of fatigue. If anything, I looked like I /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ was enjoying myself while treating them. Hugo thought I was an odd person. From my unique treatment methods to my indifference to money. ¡®The Imperial Clinic was full of healers obsessed with getting promotions through performance metrics...¡¯ Unlike the others, Gotberg¡¯s line of patients was moving fast¡ªthanks to his quick hands. And yet, not a single patient complained. ¡®If it¡¯s this man...¡¯ It felt like grabbing a lifeline. Finally, Hugo¡¯s turn came, and he stood face-to-face with me. ¡°Next. Ah, the loud one. Let¡¯s see¡ªboth your hands are contaminated.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Doctor. Please take care of my daughter instead.¡± ¡°Knew you¡¯d say that. Captain Tanya, if you would.¡± The knights brought over a portable bed. Hugo laid Eri down on it, and I examined her with a serious look. But only for a moment. Then I relaxed my expression and spoke lightly to her. ¡°What¡¯s our little princess¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Cough, it¡¯s Eri.¡± ¡°Eri. I¡¯m going to check what¡¯s making you sick. When we¡¯re done, I¡¯ll give you this.¡± I pulled a candy from my coat. Eri¡¯s eyes lit up, and she nodded with a bright smile. But soon after, she started coughing violently again¡ªso hard it seemed like she was about to stop breathing. ¡°Diagnosis,¡± I said, then checked the inside of her mouth. Using a light artifact, I examined every corner before speaking to Hugo. ¡°Chronic tonsillitis. Some kids are born with it. Most grow out of it once they¡¯re past early childhood, but this is a critical phase. Did you have anything like this as a kid?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Her mother was weak, but Eri wasn¡¯t like this at birth...¡± ¡°Her immune system¡¯s weak, so she¡¯s got a bunch of secondary infections. High fever, heavy coughing, general fatigue. Her throat probably hurts like hell. She¡¯s holding on admirably.¡± ¡°I-Is she in critical condition?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s focus on reducing the cough first. This will help a lot.¡± I gave Eri some cough medicine. With its effects kicking in, her coughing subsided noticeably. ¡°Oh...¡± At the Imperial Clinic, even if you managed to book a healer and get a spell, it took forever for symptoms to improve. But my method was fast and accurate. Hugo was intrigued. ¡°Since she¡¯s a kid, I¡¯d rather avoid aspirin. To restore her strength, this¡¯ll be better.¡± I took out my notebook. ¡ªFwoosh. A soft white light bloomed from my fingertip. The hazy aura formed a gentle wave that enveloped Eri¡¯s small body. ¡®A healing spell...!¡¯ Hugo couldn¡¯t hide his amazement. The healing spell I cast was cleaner and more intense than any he¡¯d ever seen from another healer. It was clear I was exceptional even among healers. ¡°Hoo.¡± As I finished casting, Eri¡¯s complexion changed drastically. Her skin glowed with life¡ªit meant her energy was returning. ¡°Doctor, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± I gulped down some water. I didn¡¯t look tired, but beads of sweat were forming on my forehead. ¡®Does he have bad memories with healing spells?¡¯ Hugo could relate. He himself was struggling more and more to cast healing spells. Not because of his body, but his mind. The more he used healing magic, the more it became tied to the pain of failing to heal Eri. He was building resistance. ¡®Maybe the doctor¡¯s experienced something similar.¡¯ And yet, I had treated Eri without hesitation. Hugo felt sincere gratitude. ¡°I only eased the symptoms. The root cause is still there. At this rate, she¡¯ll relapse in a few weeks. Has she been like this for years?¡± ¡°Yes. Every time, we went to the Clinic for healing.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a photo.¡± ¡°A photo?¡± I brought Hugo and Eri into a tent nearby. Inside, I did some work with Eri, then had Hugo sit down and projected the image into the air with a crystal orb. ¡°Look here for a moment. This is the inside of Eri¡¯s throat.¡± ¡°Her throat?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you understand what you¡¯re seeing?¡± Hugo nodded. He¡¯d dealt with curses often, so he was used to seeing human bone structures. He quickly recognized Eri¡¯s skull in the image. ¡°That¡¯s the jaw. And inside is the throat.¡± ¡°Not bad. Now, what do you make of this part?¡± I pointed with a rod. There was a long, white object embedded inside Eri¡¯s throat. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It looks... different from the surrounding tissue.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s a foreign object. A splinter, a needle, something like that. From the imaging, it¡¯s metal.¡± ¡°A foreign object?! You mean it¡¯s stuck inside her throat?¡± I nodded. ¡°More precisely, inside her tonsil. Since she¡¯s a child, you can only see it at certain angles. It¡¯s constantly irritating the area, triggering tonsillitis over and over. It¡¯s developed into a peritonsillar abscess.¡± ¡°An abscess...?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lump. It has to be removed. Healing magic just regenerates tissue with the foreign object still inside¡ªit¡¯s useless in this case.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No way...¡± Hugo buried his face in his hands, trembling. ¡°So that¡¯s what¡¯s been hurting her all this time... That tiny thing... how painful it must¡¯ve been.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s almost impossible to catch. Healing spells regenerate over fragments like this, and those fragments stay as infection triggers. Dissection is illegal here, so this isn¡¯t common knowledge.¡± He was right¡ªanyone cutting into a living person was considered evil. Usually black magicians. And they often used corpses as offerings, so dissection was strictly forbidden. ¡°What should I do, Doctor?¡± I tapped my temple a few times before answering. ¡°Hugo, how open is your mind?¡± ¡°Wha¡ªhow do you know my name?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? I saw you at the Clinic.¡± ¡°Ah... I didn¡¯t think you remembered me.¡± Hugo scratched his head, embarrassed to show his current state. ¡°When you say ¡®open-minded¡¯... what do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean¡ªwould you believe me if I said I could cure her... by cutting her open?¡± ¡°Cut... her?¡± Hugo gulped. There was only one reason to bring a knife to another person: to threaten, harm, or kill. But this was Gotberg. He¡¯d already cured so many with innovative methods. And though his demeanor might be light, his attitude toward patients was never insincere. ¡°...I¡¯ll trust you, Doctor.¡± Hugo clenched his fists. ¡°Please. I don¡¯t care what method you use¡ªjust save Eri...!¡± He bowed deeply. I smiled slightly as I looked at him. ¡°Good. Leave your daughter to me. I will cure her.¡± ¡°R-Really?!¡± ¡°Well, now for the matter of payment.¡± Thunk¡ªHugo¡¯s heart, full of hope, sank to the floor. Come to think of it, it was a bit much for the royal physician to spend this much time on a single civilian patient. Of course it would cost money. But he didn¡¯t have a single coin to his name. As he considered giving up, I clapped a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I heard you¡¯re decent with cleansing spells.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, y-yes... I can only do cleansing magic.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a high-grade curse I need lifted. Could be a top-tier one. I need someone to evaluate it. But first, we¡¯ve got a dragon corpse to cleanse.¡± Hugo could hardly believe the proposal that followed. *** ¡°They still haven¡¯t lifted the curse from the Four-Dragon¡¯s corpse? What the hell have you all been doing!¡± Only belatedly grasping the situation, Alberich stormed down into the underground sanctum and began scolding the healers. ¡°You useless salary thieves. Do you not realize how valuable a dragon corpse of this size is? Her Highness Princess Heike is breathing down our necks¡ª!¡± Thud. The door to the underground sanctum opened, and a group walked in against the backlight. Alberich squinted at the fluttering white coats and furrowed his brow. ¡°You again, Gotberg! How dare you take my healers out for external work without permission. How long do you intend to run rampant through the Imperial Clinic?¡± ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s not make a fuss. Step aside, would you? I¡¯m here to collect the Four-Dragon¡¯s corpse.¡± At my relaxed response, Alberich snorted derisively. ¡°Ha! You don¡¯t even understand basic protocol. You can¡¯t move a cursed corpse even a single step outside this sanctum without first lifting the curse. If the curse leaks, we¡¯ll all be damned!¡± ¡°I know. Obviously, I intend to lift the curse before taking it.¡± I casually stepped aside. From behind me, a large-built healer from the Black Hand strode in confidently, wearing the same white coat as me. Chapter 65: First Surgery (1) Morning at Moonlight Palace. Asella began her day following the same routine as always. Lately, things had been relatively peaceful. Well, even if you called it peaceful, she was still buried in work as one of the imperial heirs. That part never changed. The biggest factor was that Tojin Palace had collapsed after Georg¡¯s exile, finally giving her some breathing room. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Camilla had, for all intents and purposes, been placed under house arrest by the Emperor. She couldn¡¯t take a single step outside Tojin Palace. Moonlight Palace had begun establishing direct channels with various nobles, and as an ally of Mokhwi Palace, it was growing steadily stronger. Asella should have felt more at ease than ever. But of course, that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Y-your Highness. I-I¡¯ll be taking your blood pressure nowww!¡± Asella let out a sigh when she saw Chloe trembling like a leaf again. ¡°It¡¯s you again today?¡± ¡°Y-yes, y-yep! I¡¯m s-sorry! I¡¯m so, so sorry for showing up like this!¡± It had already been a full week ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) since Chloe started handling her morning and evening checkups. What had started as occasional visits had become daily occurrences. And that fact was beginning to irritate Asella in an oddly specific way. ¡°What¡¯s the doctor doing these days?¡± ¡°H-he¡¯s, um, volunteering... in the refugee camps...¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing that to himself on purpose, huh.¡± If her personal physician was doing external work, it was bound to cause a stir. It wasn¡¯t necessarily bad¡ªafter all, it would only elevate her name and the prestige of Moonlight Palace. Shouldn¡¯t I be his priority? He¡¯s my doctor. When was the last time she¡¯d had a private conversation with Las? ...At the social party, she thought. The incident in his room the following day¡ªAsella was trying to forcibly erase it from her memory. Since then, things had been... awkward. Like she was avoiding talking to him altogether. What if he completely misunderstood what happened? Sure, she had barged into his room on her own, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to turn out like that. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have pretended to be asleep. He¡¯d touched her face all over like it was nothing. Even called her by name. Hey, Asella, he¡¯d said. He dared to say her name? And that hoarse voice, freshly woken up, nothing like his usual flippant tone. ...They were engaged, after all. Was Las planning to keep calling her that after marriage? What the hell am I even thinking?! It was a political engagement. She¡¯d only agreed because it created an opening to work with the Gotberg Marquessate. That had always been the point. Asella shook her head furiously. What was even more infuriating was that Las hadn¡¯t shown the slightest reaction to what had happened that day. I told him¡ªclearly¡ªthat he should start acting like a fianc¨¦. This man never did anything she wanted unless she spelled it out. Asella unknowingly pressed her lips together tightly. Idiot. Stupid. Back at the banquet hall, he¡¯d spoken as if he¡¯d give his life for her¡ªand now he hadn¡¯t even shown his face for days. ...Well, he had risked his life a few times, technically. She flexed her fingers absentmindedly and brushed against Chloe¡¯s wrist. Her gaze slid down the girl¡¯s arm, lightly grazing the skin that had once been flaky and cracked from overwork. ¡°Eep! Y-your Highness?!¡± ¡°...It¡¯s different.¡± Asella muttered the words, not even knowing what she meant by them. Yeah. Nothing like that was going to happen again. That day... that was just... the doll didn¡¯t cut it. She¡¯d needed something bigger to calm down. Whether Las came for checkups or not, he could do whatever he wanted. ¡°Gyaah! Gyaaah!¡± Chloe yelped as Asella unconsciously pinched her hand, but the princess didn¡¯t even notice. After the morning checkup, Chloe cross-checked the chart and nodded carefully. ¡°Your blood pressure¡¯s a bit higher than usual... but by the doctor¡¯s standards, you¡¯re still cleared for activity.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the doctor doing today?¡± ¡°U-um, he has something important at the Imperial Clinic...¡± ¡°Important. Of course it is.¡± ¡°I-it really is! There¡¯s a patient... I¡¯m assisting in surgery later.¡± ¡°Surgery?¡± The unfamiliar term piqued Asella¡¯s interest. *** ¡°I¡¯ve secured payment for the Death Dragon corpse.¡± Tanya dropped a heavy coin pouch onto the table. It hit with a loud thump. ¡°That didn¡¯t take long. Good work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rare material¡ªhigh in demand. As you requested, the heartstone has been stored separately.¡± The Death Dragon¡¯s heartstone was a valuable item. It might be necessary for Asella¡¯s future surgery, so they weren¡¯t selling it. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s stash the gold as an emergency fund.¡± ¡°An emergency fund?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re not seriously planning to go running to Asella and report it, are you?¡± ¡°A knight would never divulge their lord¡¯s secrets under any circumstances. What I see and hear during escort duty may as well not exist in this world.¡± ¡°I like that.¡± It was a cardinal sin for a bodyguard to ever speak of their master¡¯s private affairs. Just grounds for immediate dismissal. That was also why nobles could speak so freely around their knights. ¡°Still, preparing an emergency fund this early... You¡¯re very thorough.¡± ¡°Not early at all. It¡¯s always necessary.¡± There would definitely come a time when he¡¯d need to move without drawing Asella¡¯s attention. I clapped my hands to change the mood. ¡°Enough about money. Let¡¯s check if we¡¯re ready for the surgery. We¡¯ve got all the materials?¡± ¡°Nothing missing from the list.¡± Tanya took out the paperwork and began checking through the supplies one by one. ¡°Twelve mithril scalpels, specially made for surgical use in multiple sizes. Surgical bed. Green gowns. Five barrels of distilled alcohol you brewed for sterilization. And...¡± Just as she neared the end of the checklist, Hugo spoke up from where he¡¯d been quietly standing. ¡°Doctor, judging from the brief overview, this must have cost a considerable sum. Are you sure you¡¯re alright with this?¡± ¡°Please. The Death Dragon corpse paid for everything and then some. We¡¯ve got plenty of change left. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°...Hearing you say that is reassuring, at least.¡± Hugo pressed his palms together in a gesture of prayer. ¡°I-I¡¯m baaack!¡± Chloe reentered the office after completing Asella¡¯s checkup. She¡¯d been steadily training as a surgical assistant. Everything was ready, at least within what was possible. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. Let¡¯s begin the briefing.¡± Chloe pulled the curtains and projected an X-ray through the crystal orb. ¡°Patient is a four-year-old girl. Peritonsillar abscess. One week of penicillin treatment already administered. I¡¯ve judged that incision and drainage is necessary. Along with the abscess, we¡¯ll remove foreign matter in the area through a localized excision.¡± As I explained, Chloe carefully double-checked the chart she¡¯d reviewed multiple times already. ¡°It¡¯s not a particularly difficult surgery. I¡¯m confident, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll operate solo. Chloe will assist.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve sterilized the operating room over the past few days. As I¡¯ve said repeatedly: during surgery, no one is allowed in or out. Tanya, be ready for any emergencies.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± Hugo asked, and I smiled faintly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you need to assist with for this surgery. Just say a prayer for Eri. Who knows¡ªmaybe someone up there is listening.¡± I meant it casually, to ease the tension, but Hugo pounded his chest with both fists, steeling his resolve. ¡°Understood. I¡¯m counting on you, Doctor.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Surgery prep didn¡¯t take long. Chloe and I entered the sterilization chamber between the office and the operating room and changed into our gowns. Hugo brought in Eri, who¡¯d been waiting in the adjacent room. He soothed her gently so she wouldn¡¯t be scared. Chloe changed her clothes and brought her into the surgery room. Normally, local anesthesia would be enough for a minor procedure like this. But children could thrash in the middle, which made general anesthesia the norm. I prepared a sedative stronger than the painkiller. I need to get the dosage exactly right. It was my first time administering general anesthesia, so I was a little nervous. I fitted the breathing tube to Eri¡¯s mouth and stroked her head. ¡°Eri, when you wake up, all the pain will be gone.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. Just trust your doctor.¡± ¡°Okaaay.¡± Even though I was masked and covered head to toe in green, the girl didn¡¯t flinch. She obediently nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s count together, okay? One, two, three...¡± ¡°Okaaay... fooour...¡± Eri drifted into sleep. I checked her status. [Status: Sedated (92%)] [Injury: Chronic Tonsillitis] [Injury: Peritonsillar Abscess] [Injury: Foreign Body Inflammation] [Location: Neck] Anesthesia successful. As long as it doesn¡¯t exceed 100, it¡¯s stable. Chloe began prepping the surgical site. She secured Eri¡¯s head to the bed to prevent movement, then inserted a device to keep her mouth open so nothing could fall into her airway. I slid my glasses down. Fitted the secondary lens to increase magnification. Click. Chloe illuminated the field with focused light. ¡°Phew.¡± I took a deep breath. It wasn¡¯t a difficult surgery. Even if this wasn¡¯t my field, I could do it. No¡ªI had to do it. Chloe placed the syringe in my hand. ...No tremor at all. That alone steadied me. First, the preliminary step. I carefully inserted the syringe into the affected area. Started by reducing the abscess. Pus began to flow, shrinking the swelling with each draw. After several extractions, I judged it sufficient and handed the syringe to Chloe. She understood perfectly and passed me the scalpel. Custom-forged in mithril. Light, razor-sharp, and rustproof. I gripped forceps in my left hand. Weirdly, the feel of the instruments fused with my senses. Like my fingers were the scalpel. I focused on the incision site, brought the blade to the tissue with extreme care. [Skill Activated: Surgery (Basic) ¨C C Rank] ¡°I¡¯m beginning the surgery.¡± ¨D Slice The cold blade slid gently into soft flesh. Chapter 66: First Surgery (2) The First Break Room of the Imperial Clinic was spacious. It could easily accommodate a large number of people, but most of the space was occupied by healers aligned with the First Princess¡¯s faction. ¡°Hey, you''re on indoor duty today? Didn''t you get drafted into the Third Princess¡¯s volunteer service?¡± As with any workplace, the healers were casually chatting over drinks or smoking herbs. ¡°Yeah. Gotberg-sensei is doing desk work today.¡± ¡°Been a while. How¡¯s it over there?¡± ¡°Better than I expected. Volunteering''s actually kind of rewarding. And the doctor... he¡¯s fun.¡± The healers gathered around a table, sipping their coffee as they continued talking. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that. There¡¯s been a ton of deliveries going to that office lately. I even saw a dwarven blacksmith stop by not long ago.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been collecting all sorts of stuff, sure, but lately it¡¯s been even more unusual.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous? The bishop always said we should never use folk remedies.¡± ¡°Changed my mind after seeing them firsthand. They¡¯re surprisingly effective. Healer Hugo transferred over recently too.¡± At Hugo¡¯s name, one of the healers snapped his fingers. ¡°Hugo? Yeah, he¡¯s been bringing his daughter here a lot. She didn¡¯t look good. Can¡¯t be long now.¡± ¡°Yeah. Poor kid¡¯s so young too. I think she went to Gotberg¡¯s office again today.¡± At that, one of the healers fell into brief thought before his expression turned serious. ¡°...Wait. You don¡¯t think he¡¯s actually using black magic or something, do you?¡± ¡°Black magic?¡± ¡°Hugo¡¯s already been tainted by a curse, right? And all those weird materials being brought in¡ªkinda suspicious, don¡¯t you think? Maybe he¡¯s offering the girl up as a sacrifice or something.¡± ¡°Come on, he¡¯s her personal physician. He wouldn¡¯t do that. The materials all have legitimate uses...¡± ¡°What exactly is Gotberg doing?¡± The two healers flinched at the solemn voice. Alberich had approached without them noticing. ¡°B-Bishop.¡± ¡°So Gotberg is practicing black magic, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Alberich began interrogating the healers. Soon, he found out about all the suspicious materials going into Las¡¯s office. What were these things? Tools more suited for a black magic cult. Why would an imperial clinic need mithril scalpels? ¡°He¡¯s finally showing his true colors. All of you¡ªcome with me!¡± Alberich summoned the faction¡¯s healers and marched toward Las¡¯s office in long, determined strides. Soon, he came face-to-face with the towering figure blocking the doorway: Tanya, the bodyguard. ¡°I have business with Gotberg. Stand aside.¡± Flash¡ªTanya¡¯s eyes opened. The sheer pressure radiating from her was like that of a wild beast. Alberich instinctively took a step back. ¡°W-what is the meaning of this? Is Gotberg inside?! I demand to know what he¡¯s doing right now!¡± ¡°Step back. No one is permitted entry.¡± ¡°What?! There¡¯s no reason the court physician shouldn¡¯t come out of his office! This is dereliction of duty!¡± ¡°The doctor is busy. Come back later.¡± ¡°Busy doing what exactly? What is he hiding?!¡± As the argument escalated, the office door cracked open. When Hugo stepped out, Alberich paused. It wasn¡¯t just his massive frame¡ªit was his expression. The look of a man with nothing left to lose. One wrong word and he might explode. But Alberich couldn¡¯t back down either. He raised his voice in anger. ¡°So you''re that bodyguard. Do you think standing there like a thug will stop me? Is this a clinic or a gangster den?! Is this the standard of Gotberg¡¯s faction?!¡± Alberich jabbed a finger at Hugo, provoking him. And then something happened no one could have predicted. With a loud thud, Hugo dropped to his knees and bowed deeply toward Alberich. ¡°The doctor is treating my daughter!!¡± His voice boomed like a bear¡¯s roar. The sheer force of it silenced Alberich, who involuntarily stepped back. ¡°My only daughter is very ill. My only hope is Gotberg-sensei.¡± Hugo positioned himself like a stone wall in front of the door and cried out desperately. ¡°Please don¡¯t interfere! I beg you!¡± It was all Hugo could do. He hadn¡¯t been employed by Las for long. If things turned violent now, Las would be dragged into open conflict with Alberich¡ªbecause of him. The outcome was obvious. He couldn¡¯t do that to the man who saved him. Holding back the urge to punch Alberich in the face, Hugo pressed his forehead to the ground. The healers watching whispered among themselves. ¡°That¡¯s Black Hand Hugo.¡± ¡°He kept bringing his daughter to the clinic. So she really was sick.¡± ¡°Gotberg¡¯s treating her?¡± Even as Alberich faltered under the weight of Hugo¡¯s plea, his suspicion didn¡¯t vanish. Nor should it have, in his mind. ¡°If it¡¯s truly treatment, then why not show us? Unless you''re conducting some unholy ritual behind that door.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Then let us see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. The doctor requires absolute concentration.¡± Alberich¡¯s face reddened, and he stamped the floor in frustration. ¡°Unacceptable. I¡¯ll force my way in if I have to!¡± The knights accompanying him stepped forward to grab Hugo. But in the blink of an eye¡ª Shing. A blade hovered at their throats. Tanya. ¡°Take another step, and it will cost you your life.¡± ¡°Y-you lunatic...!¡± Alberich hadn¡¯t expected her to actually draw her weapon. One minute passed. Then five. A tense standoff. Who would strike first? Just as one of Alberich¡¯s knights reached for his hilt, Tanya began channeling aura into her sword. That was when¡ª ¡°Wow. Quite the gathering we¡¯ve got here.¡± Click. The door opened. Las stepped out, a lollipop in his mouth. ¡°Gotberg!¡± Alberich stepped forward, and the tension broke. Hugo stood up as well. ¡°What is this about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve received testimony that you¡¯ve been stockpiling materials for black magic. What were you doing in there?!¡± ¡°Treating a patient. What else would I be doing in a clinic?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Were you offering up a young girl as a sacrifice with some ritual knife?!¡± ¡°Appaaa¡ª¡± A child¡¯s clear voice cut through Alberich¡¯s rant. Chloe stepped out, gently cradling a drowsy Eri in her arms. ¡°Eri!¡± Hugo immediately scooped her up. Eri giggled, resting comfortably in his thick arms. ¡°Doctor, is Eri alright?!¡± ¡°Yeah. Surgery went well. She¡¯s loaded up on healing spells too¡ªfull of energy.¡± ¡°Ha... really... Eri, does your throat still hurt?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Eri answered cheerfully as Hugo held her close. The healers stared, mouths agape. ¡°She was practically dying this morning, wasn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been like that for years too.¡± ¡°What the hell did he do...?¡± Even Alberich was left speechless. The child¡¯s health and Hugo¡¯s emotional state were clearly not an act. His voice sounded deflated. ¡°...Gotberg. How did you heal her?¡± ¡°Aw, Bishop, # N§àv§Ölight # you¡¯re asking me to share trade secrets just like that?¡± ¡°This is the Imperial Clinic. If your methods are unorthodox, there could be grounds for disciplinary action...¡± ¡°Going to start another witch hunt? Better bring proper evidence this time. Otherwise, Princess Heike¡¯s going to hear about it.¡± Las wagged his thumb across his throat. A silent warning: You¡¯ll be the one getting cut. With Las aligned to the Third Princess¡¯s faction¡ªHeike¡¯s ally¡ªAlberich couldn¡¯t throw his weight around like he used to. To drag Las into a tribunal now, he¡¯d be risking his own position. Today was his best shot. He¡¯d even brought a crowd of healers to use as witnesses. But¡ª ¡°Since we¡¯re all here, I¡¯ve got an announcement.¡± Las turned toward the gathered healers. ¡°Those who¡¯ve been volunteering with me lately¡ªraise your hands.¡± About ten hands went up. ¡°The rest of you, talk to them about their experiences. If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯m open to transfers. And if you¡¯re curious about what¡¯s behind this door, it¡¯s always open to you.¡± Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Gotberg! Are you poaching my healers now?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what the Clinic¡¯s all about? Oh, and Bishop, one more thing¡ª¡± Las casually patted Alberich¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Even if you apply, I¡¯m not letting you in.¡± ¡°Y-you¡ª!¡± Alberich stormed off, seething. The healers followed after him, murmuring about Las¡¯s open recruitment. Las watched them retreat like defeated soldiers. Hugo bowed deeply beside him. ¡°Doctor... I don¡¯t know how to thank you. I owe you a debt for life...!¡± ¡°Then just do your job well from now on.¡± Las popped the last of his candy into his mouth and held out a hand. ¡°Ah, my hands are still a bit...¡± ¡°Shoulder bump, then.¡± Hugo lightly knocked shoulders with him. *** The first surgery was a complete success. After draining the abscess and extracting the embedded needle behind the tonsil, I sutured the site, prescribed penicillin, and followed up with healing spells to restore her strength. Honestly, I still feel weird using healing spells. Makes me feel like I¡¯m back on the battlefield, fighting demons for my life. But since the patient was a child, it felt necessary. Chloe and I cast them together. It was just one case, but the experience gain was significant. If possible, I want to hit Rank B before I ever cut into Asella. ¡°Procedure went well and Eri¡¯s healthy, but watch for complications. Keep an eye on her for a while.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Hugo was already adopting a focused, professional demeanor. ¡°Then, Hugo¡ªit¡¯s time to put you to work.¡± ¡°Give me your orders.¡± ¡°Start by having Chloe teach you medical theory. Your top priority is to understand this.¡± I projected several crystal spheres in front of him. The first was an X-ray of Asella¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Hmm... beneath the ribs?¡± ¡°Correct. And this one¡¯s an image of the Death Dragon¡¯s head before purification. That one was an undead, animated by a mid-tier curse.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Your job is to identify what curse is present in the first image, and its level. Eventually, you¡¯ll have to perform the purification.¡± ¡°Curse research. I can do that.¡± Hugo had the makings of a top-tier black magician. He¡¯d find the answer. ¡°Who is this person afflicted with the curse?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when the time comes.¡± I hadn¡¯t told him yet that the target was Asella. Until the plan to operate on her was fully laid out, it had to remain secret. If word reached her that I intended to cut into her divine body, I¡¯d be executed on the spot. ¡°Doctor, I have a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Hugo peered closely at the X-ray, his tone serious. ¡°Has this person been possessed by an evil spirit? Or had another soul sealed within them?¡± He¡¯s already figured out that much? Impressive. ¡°Tell me more.¡± I sat down in front of Hugo, intrigued. Chapter 67: Sleeping Together (1) ¡°Based on everything I¡¯ve studied so far, curses don¡¯t affect the body¡ªthey act on the soul itself,¡± Hugo explained. I found his theory intriguing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. So they¡¯re more like soul-borne diseases?¡± ¡°You could say that. I¡¯m not entirely sure how these internal imaging photographs work, but they definitely capture curses.¡± ¡°That blackened part¡ªis that the curse?¡± Hugo nodded. ¡°Yes. The soul mirrors the shape of the body. The curse forms as a mass that either wraps around or replaces part of the afflicted area.¡± He pointed to the X-ray I¡¯d shown him. Just as he said: the Death Dragon¡¯s skull, and the entire exterior of the undead corpse, were shrouded in black clumps of energy. ¡°Can we try imaging my hand right now?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I scanned Hugo¡¯s hand and projected it through the crystal. His arm looked normal, but the outer edge of his hand was surrounded by a dark rim. ¡°When only part of the body is cursed, this is what it looks like.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Do you notice anything different between the first image and the others?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a curse inside the body.¡± ¡°As expected¡ªsharp as ever, Doctor. That¡¯s exactly the strange and unusual part.¡± Hugo pointed to the dark mass within Asella¡¯s abdominal cavity. ¡°If this curse were affecting the organs, you¡¯d expect to see the outline along the abdomen. But instead, the black is concentrated inside. That means¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s another soul in there. One that isn¡¯t hers.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Hugo emphasized his conclusion. ¡°I believe the soul is the source of the curse. It¡¯s essentially a malevolent spirit. The fastest way to break the curse is to extract and destroy that spirit.¡± Could it be the soul of the Grand Witch? So in exchange for accessing the magical talent of that soul, Asella also inherited its curse¡ªand its pain. ¡°Is there no way to extract the spirit without harming the host?¡± ¡°Impossible. It has to be physically removed. But it won¡¯t be easy. You can¡¯t exactly cut open a living person¡¯s abdomen...¡± A valid point. ¡°And if the spirit is strong and self-aware, it could go berserk once it¡¯s out.¡± ¡°If that happens, can you handle it? What if it starts casting magic?¡± Hugo seemed to understand what I was implying. The surgery plan. The idea of physically extracting the curse. He met my gaze with unwavering resolve. ¡°I¡¯ll stop it. No matter what.¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s keep identifying what kind of spirit this is, and how powerful it might be.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll deepen my research and improve my ~N§àv§Öl????ght~ skills.¡± ¡°Excellent mindset. Chloe, you¡¯re in charge now.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± Leaving the office in their care, I stepped out of the clinic. Now that I thought about it, I hadn¡¯t seen Asella in a while. She might start complaining again¡ªI should at least do a checkup myself from time to time. Hearing Hugo¡¯s theory made my plans for Asella¡¯s surgery feel more concrete. It wasn¡¯t something I could keep putting off. The surgery needs to happen within the next few years. There was clearly a time limit. I recalled a story she once told me. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fitting that the Empire ends today? Gotberg, come drink with Me.¡± ¡°You ask how I became Emperor? Hah! Isn¡¯t it obvious? I was born for it. What other choice did the world have?¡± ¡°Still, if I had to name the turning point that hardened Me...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll confess something. Even I wasn¡¯t good with magic as a child. Surprised? Hehe. I lost control often¡ªthere were times My magic circuits would surge violently. My stomach, especially...¡± ¡°One day, My circuits ran wild. Magic erupted from Me uncontrollably. The only one who could stop Me was My mother¡ªa witch.¡± ¡°I ended up committing matricide. I killed My own mother, Camilla von W¨¹rttempelt, the Third Empress. Was she a good person? No. She was evil¡ªundeniably so.¡± ¡°The former Emperor actually praised Me for it. That¡¯s when he started to favor Me.¡± ¡°But she was still... My mother.¡± ¡°My one and only mother.¡± ¡°After that day, the voices got louder. Hahaha, I¡¯ve done it now! Burn, burn it all!¡± Asella¡¯s silhouette, dousing the crumbling palace in wine, was burned into my memory. Bathed in the flames, clutching her skirts, she skipped through the ruins like she was dancing the can-can at a festival. Ending list, check. [No. 101: Mana Rampage 4% ¡ú 7%] [Status: Changed] Even though there hadn¡¯t been any major events recently, the probability was rising. Left unchecked, it would keep climbing. Which meant there was a small but real chance that on the day she¡¯d told me about, Asella had lost control of her magic. That was probably the day she went mad. Though she had no qualms about hurling harsh words or acting cold toward others, when it came to Camilla, Asella always hesitated. Blood ties held her back. After that day, she hardened her heart completely¡ªtook the shortest, most ruthless route to the throne, and waited for the Empire¡¯s demise. I still didn¡¯t know why she had to destroy the world. But there was still time. I would remove the ticking time bomb inside her before it exploded. *** ¡°Evening checkup, Your Highness.¡± I met Asella after she finished her day. She opened her mouth like she had something to say¡ªbut then shut it again and glared at me. Tap, tap. Her footsteps sounded sharper than usual. Or maybe I was just imagining it. In the tense silence, I began a routine checkup. Making sure nothing had gone wrong during the day, ensuring she could sleep comfortably. If the patient struggled to sleep, it was always the physician¡¯s responsibility. ¡°Your mana circuits are stable. Please get some rest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got to say after four days?¡± ¡°Uh...¡± There hadn¡¯t been any major issues recently, and Moonlight Palace was running smoothly. So why was she upset? My mind raced¡ªhad she somehow found out I sold the Death Dragon¡¯s body? ¡°Would you like any additional tests?¡± Asella stared hard at me for a long moment before blowing out a sharp breath and turning her head. ¡°Forget it. Get out.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ...Touchy. Very touchy. I should ask the head maid later if something happened today. That night, I stayed up late organizing Asella¡¯s medical records. I cross-referenced everything I¡¯d recorded to track the latest developments. ¨DThud! Just then, I heard a commotion outside. Doors opening. Knights on the move. ¨DBang! The door slammed open without a knock. Boris stood there, his expression grim. ¡°Doctor. You need to come. Now.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Boris wasn¡¯t the kind of man to disturb my rest lightly. I stood from my desk at once. ¡°Her Highness collapsed.¡± I immediately threw on my coat and ran. Though her room was next door, it was so large I had to sprint twenty meters just to reach it. ¡°Doctor!¡± The knights guarding her room shouted as I approached. Asella lay at their feet, clutching her stomach. I dropped to my knees beside her, checking her condition. ¡°Your Highness.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, but she was conscious. Barely. The pain had rendered her speechless. Her breathing was labored. She was soaked in sweat. Her nightgown was damp with cold sweat¡ªthis had been going on for a while. She must¡¯ve crawled out of bed on her own, unable to endure it. I quickly took out a painkiller and placed it in her mouth. Her lips were cracked and dry. ¡°Can you drink some water?¡± She gave the slightest nod. I used a beak-shaped cup to gently pour water into her mouth. Gulp. She swallowed. After a few minutes, her breathing began to stabilize. The head maid soon arrived and waited nearby. I asked her to help change Asella¡¯s clothes and get her into bed. I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed and waited. Three minutes. Five. Time passed slowly. ¡°I was careless.¡± The rising probability of mana rampage meant her circuits were growing unstable. If I¡¯d been more attentive, maybe this could¡¯ve been prevented. Soon the head maid returned. ¡°Her Highness is asking for you.¡± I entered the room. Asella was lying in bed. Her breathing had calmed, but she was still sweating. I dabbed her forehead with a towel. ¡°...Doctor.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I¡¯m here.¡± Her eyes opened slowly. Golden mana shimmered faintly within them. She couldn¡¯t even muster the strength to resent me. Her muscles slackened completely, leaving her limp. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t feel anything right now.¡± ¡°This is my fault. I failed to properly monitor your mana circuits.¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°...That¡¯s right. Reflect on that.¡± Her voice was slurred, the painkiller making her drowsy. ¡°Be punished.¡± ¡°Uh... Can¡¯t you let it slide just this once?¡± Hearing her say the word punish sent a chill down my spine. ¡°...Doll.¡± ¡°You want your doll? I¡¯ll go get it.¡± I stood, but Asella grabbed my coat. I lost my balance and fell onto the bed¡ªmy shoulder brushing against her small frame. My head sank into the softness of the mattress. When I opened my eyes, her golden hair glinted in the dark, tickling my nose. Her thin fingers fumbled through my coat, sneaking under my arm and pulling me into a full-body hug. ¡°Your Highness...¡± ¡°...Be quiet.¡± My chest burned with warmth. Every time she exhaled, heat rose against my solar plexus. Before I could say anything else, she was asleep¡ªclinging to me like sticky rice. You¡¯ll catch a cold if you sleep without a blanket. I reached down and gently pulled the fallen blanket up to her shoulders. ...Which meant I was now under it too. Whatever. It was late. I closed my eyes, deciding to think about it tomorrow. *** The next morning, I woke to a peculiar sensation on my cheek and ear. Golden eyes glared down at me. Her mana was calmly circulating, pupils sharp and focused. For some reason, her hand was on my face. Poking at it. Playing with it. Smooth. Cold. ¡°Your High¡ª¡± ¡°Shh.¡± She squished my cheek for a while, then pinched my nose into a pig shape and giggled before finally pulling her hand away. ¡°Your professionalism¡¯s gone to hell. You didn¡¯t do your job last night and you let your liege wake up first?¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°What kind of punishment should I give you?¡± ¡°You already punished me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep properly. I spent the night in a cramped position. I¡¯ve got a kink in my neck. That¡¯s punishment enough, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Are you saying sleeping in my bed was a punishment?¡± She scowled at me, clearly furious. ¡°No, no. Your bed is very comfortable. I meant the posture, the situation...¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m the problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! Honestly, last night was partially your fault too.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± Asella looked utterly scandalized. But I wasn¡¯t done. ¡°I told you to let me know when you¡¯re in pain. You¡¯ve had episodes at night before and never said a word. If you¡¯d told me right away, maybe it wouldn¡¯t have gotten this bad.¡± She clammed up, struck right in the nerve. ¡°See? We¡¯re both to blame. Let¡¯s call it even.¡± ¡°But your faults don¡¯t end there.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... never mind.¡± She bit her lower lip, glowering at me. Then, sharply: ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m not telling you next time either.¡± ¡°What? You have to tell me. What if it¡¯s serious?!¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± This was bad. There was no guarantee she wouldn¡¯t suddenly blow out her circuits again. She was really, really stubborn. Extreme measures were necessary. I gave her a suggestion. ¡°Then from now on, I¡¯ll sleep with you every night.¡± ¡°W-what?!¡± Asella jolted upright, face burning. Chapter 68: Sleeping Together (2) "Young Master, wh-what do you mean, sleeping together?" Asella''s fluster was obvious the moment she heard my declaration. I understood how she felt. Sleeping alone is always more comfortable. If someone snores or grinds their teeth beside you, it¡¯s irritating. But right now, a strong prescription was necessary. If Asella kept pretending she wasn¡¯t in pain, then I had no choice but to push harder. ¡°If Her Highness won¡¯t talk to me about the abdominal attacks, then I¡¯m left with no alternative. As her physician, I must check on her personally every night.¡± ¡°Do you even hear yourself right now?¡± ¡°If something happens to Her Highness because I wasn¡¯t thorough, that would make even less sense.¡± ¡°No, I mean¡ª¡± Even I had to admit it was a flawless argument. The great Asella was left speechless, just opening and closing her mouth like a fish. Now then, who¡¯s the one getting punished? Honestly, even if I had to sleep in Asella¡¯s room every night, it wouldn¡¯t bother me one bit. Her room was as big as a training field¡ªplenty of space to stretch out and lie down. All I needed was to toss in a sleeping bag and call it a night. Thanks to my time with the Hero¡¯s Party, I was used to sleeping on stone floors. I¡¯m sensitive to movements, too¡ªif Asella so much as groaned, I¡¯d wake up instantly. ¡°Young Master... are you serious?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen me joke about my work?¡± At my answer, Asella puffed out her cheeks and grabbed a pillow¡ªthen started smacking my shoulder with it. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Hold on. I need a clear answer first. We haven¡¯t resolved anything¡ª¡± ¡°Out!¡± And just like that, I was forcibly kicked out of Asella¡¯s room. Seriously, she always does whatever she wants. As I smoothed out the wrinkles in my gown, crumpled from her shoving my face around all night, I noticed a surprising number of people standing out in the hallway. Bruno, who was on night duty, was there, along with Tanya, the head maid, and all of Asella¡¯s escort knights. Looked like they¡¯d all gathered, worried about Asella after what happened tonight. But why the hell were they all grinning like that? ¡°Welcome back, Young Master,¡± Tanya greeted me first. Young Master again. What the hell. *** The Celestial Imperial Palace. A massive crimson structure built in the very heart of the imperial grounds¡ªgrandest and most splendid of all. Only a chosen few nobles and foreign envoys were ever granted entry, and that only after waiting for months. Naturally, all for a single reason: To gain an audience with the Emperor¡ªthe supreme ruler of the Empire. ¡°Cough, cough... Hmmph!¡± As the Emperor¡¯s cough deepened, his three attending physicians moved swiftly. After examining the Emperor slouched on his throne, one of them held up a hand toward the noble currently in audience. ¡°That will be all for today.¡± ¡°B-but I¡ª¡± The allotted time hadn¡¯t even run out. He hadn¡¯t finished reporting matters concerning his territory. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. The noble was ushered out, and the Emperor rose to walk to his office. One of the court physicians continued casting healing spells nonstop, but the coughing didn¡¯t let up. ¡°Your Majesty, please rest for today.¡± ¡°There is much work yet to be done. Bring the documents.¡± At the Emperor¡¯s command, the chief secretary presented a stack of pending paperwork. Budget reports from the royal household, deployment requests from regional nobles, foreign affairs briefings... Thanks to the Emperor¡¯s conquests in his youth, the Empire had grown enormous. It was far beyond what any single person could manage. And yet, the Emperor refused to delegate the core affairs of state. Because in his eyes, the only ones truly worthy of trust were his own children. Entrust something important to others, and it always strays from your intent¡ªor worse, leads to betrayal. That¡¯s why even after the wars ended and the Empire expanded, the Emperor continued to handle crucial matters himself. Even now, in his old age. Though it¡¯s gotten a little better lately. He¡¯d begun to entrust regions to Gunther and Heike, who were of age. Georg, Lauga, and Asella were still young, still inexperienced. But soon enough, each of them would support one pillar of the Empire. Gradually, the Emperor¡¯s burden would lessen. Until the day came when all the other heirs fell away, and the burden fell on just one. As it had once fallen on him. The Emperor had never tasted failure. So he firmly believed the path he¡¯d taken was the right one¡ªand he was now repeating it for the next generation. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± ¡°Your Majesty...¡± His court physicians were deeply worried. The Emperor sensed clearly that he didn¡¯t have long left. Still... he wanted to at least witness the moment when his children pushed themselves to their limits and crossed swords in earnest. Who knew? Maybe this retreat from court would awaken something in Georg, letting him outshine Gunther or Heike as a ruler. If he died before seeing his children grow, he would leave behind the shameful legacy of an emperor who failed to choose his successor. The Emperor didn¡¯t want a single blemish on the life he¡¯d led. That¡¯s also why he¡¯d begun to regulate the use of war magic. Magic carried too many risks of unintended catastrophe. Especially Camilla. That witch had too much ambition. Maybe he should never have taken her in, no matter how tempting her powerful magic weaponry had been. ¡°Still... Asella is more promising than I thought.¡± At first, the Emperor had seen Asella merely as one of the royal family¡¯s weapons. But now, looking at the state of Moonlight Palace after Camilla¡¯s departure, his prejudice had begun to shift. Despite her youth, Asella showed uncommon brilliance and a keen sense of governance. He had assigned each heir a palace so that he could test their abilities in exactly this way. ¡°The knights she showcased at the dueling tournament were excellent. She has economic acumen, too. A talent for attracting capable people.¡± Flipping through the reports, the Emperor¡¯s gaze landed on one from Moonlight Palace. ¡°Gotberg.¡± An amusing young man. The report had been written by him. Flip. He turned the page to see recent details on volunteer work conducted at Moonlight Palace. The treatment statistics were neatly organized. Most notably, the effectiveness of the cough medicine Gotberg had created was immediately apparent. It claimed that over 90% of patients had shown improvement with no side effects, even among the elderly. ¡°Hmm...¡± The Emperor didn¡¯t remember every word of their conversation during the duel tribunal. But he was certain of one thing: Gotberg was a man who kept his promises and proved his claims. ¡°Ambrosia.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± He summoned his First Physician. ¡°I will try the medicine Gotberg brought.¡± ¡°The medicine... Understood.¡± Ambrosia was a little reluctant, but the Emperor¡¯s command took precedence. She immediately prepared the medicine. Given Gotberg¡¯s recent track record with the Imperial Clinic, she judged there was no intent to cause harm. The Emperor placed the jet-black pill in his mouth and swallowed it with water. ¡°Hmm.¡± A moment later¡ª For the first time in ages, his coughing stopped. His chest felt clear, and he could breathe freely. ¡°Ho...¡± The corners of the Emperor¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He turned to Ambrosia and said: ¡°Go to Gotberg and deliver my word.¡± *** ¡°So His Majesty would like additional medicine delivered?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. It seems he was quite pleased with your remedy.¡± Ambrosia, First Physician to the Emperor, had come herself to deliver the royal decree. When receiving such a decree, proper etiquette required one to act as if the Emperor were present. So I was currently kneeling in my office, out of nowhere. But it was hard to stay serious when the person in front of me looked like a girl Neria¡¯s age. Well, Ambrosia wasn¡¯t actually a child. The side effect of her exceptional healing ability had stunted her physical growth. She was apparently a distant relative of a former Saintess. Now that I think about it, we might even be distant cousins. Do all Saintesses have growth suppression as a side effect? ¡°I shall obey the imperial command.¡± I paid my respects and stood. ¡°Good! That¡¯s great news... Now for production...¡± ¡°If you need assistance, please let me know,¡± said Hugo. Chloe chimed in too, just as enthusiastic. ¡°Hm-hm, a fine opportunity. Expand your influence in the Imperial Clinic.¡± I wanted to grow my faction a little more. But with my office this cramped, it wouldn¡¯t be easy. I needed Ambrosia¡¯s help. Even a single comment from her to other factions would make negotiations far easier. Time to coax her a little. ¡°Thank you for the advice. It¡¯s just... the Imperial Clinic¡¯s internal factions are rather rigid at the moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware. With the 2nd Prince¡¯s faction in shambles, Bishop Alberich has been making a lot of noise.¡± ¡°Ha ha. But surely the one with the greatest influence in the Clinic is you, Sister Ambrosia.¡± ¡°Hmph. You do know how to tell up from down. Quite right.¡± Ambrosia stretched her tiny body proudly and puffed out her chest. ¡°Bishop Alberich seems to forget that Sir Falkenhayn is still watching over things. If I¡ªthe Emperor¡¯s personal physician¡ªso much as feel like it, no one can dare oppose me.¡± Being the Emperor¡¯s physician, she didn¡¯t need a faction. But if she wanted influence, she could claim it instantly. ¡°Of course. In both faith and sacred power, none surpass you in the Clinic, Sister.¡± ¡°Oh-ho. But I won¡¯t be granting any favors to the Third Princess¡¯s faction just because of sweet words.¡± Still, she didn¡¯t seem to dislike my flattery. ¡°It¡¯s not just words. To me, you appear as the greatest of giants, far beyond any physician.¡± ¡°...Well, the girl is of great spirit.¡± Ambrosia let out a pleased little chuckle. Yup, she liked that. Ten years from now, Neria would have the same complex about her short height thanks to her growth suppression. She loved being called big. ¡°Hm-hm. Physician Gotberg, is there anything you need in order to fulfill the royal command?¡± Got her. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Well, if I may... I¡¯d like to put extra care into preparing His Majesty¡¯s medicine. But given the current state of our facilities, I worry about the quality.¡± ¡°Hmm... you may have a point.¡± She glanced around my office, cluttered with equipment and documents, and nodded. ¡°Are there any spare offices on the first floor? Ideally something around 200 pyeong.¡± ¡°You need that much?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need space for a storeroom, a production room, a surgery room... several areas, really.¡± ¡°There is space. Georg¡¯s faction is practically defunct now. Speak with Sir Falkenhayn. If you come to an agreement, I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡± ¡°Ha ha, thank you. Your generosity knows no bounds.¡± ¡°My generosity... Hmm-hmm. Yes, I am rather generous, aren¡¯t I?¡± After hearing my praise, Ambrosia puffed out her chest again, visibly pleased. Once she left the office, Chloe muttered: ¡°She¡¯s not generous.¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Tanya, having overheard, gave a slightly disapproving shrug. ¡°So you are planning to relocate, Doctor.¡± ¡°Kuh-kuh. Did you think I¡¯d keep climbing four flights of stairs forever?¡± ¡°You should build more stamina.¡± ¡°I am working out. I just hate situations where I¡¯m forced to do something. You get what I mean, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Tanya shook her head, staring at me like I was pitiful. Harsh. I popped a candy into my mouth and went off to meet with Falkenhayn. ¡°The head of the Empire just took my medicine.¡± This might be my chance to spread modern medicine¡ªstill in its infancy¡ªacross the Empire in one big sweep. I should make full use of the opportunity. *** After a long day, I got ready for bed. I changed into sleepwear and laid out my blanket¡ªclick, the door opened without a knock. I thought it was Bruno again, but the person who stood there was unexpected. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Asella stood there in pink pajamas, looking thoroughly sulky. She was hugging a huge pillow to her chest. Half her face was hidden behind it, the bedside lamp casting flickering shadows over her in the dark. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking you that, Your Highness?¡± Asella chewed her lip for a long while. She fiddled with the doorknob like she didn¡¯t know what to do¡ªthen quietly closed the door behind her and ? N§àv§Ö¢ñight ? (Read more on our source) leaned her back against it. Then, in a barely audible voice, she whispered: ¡°...Didn¡¯t you say we¡¯d sleep together?¡± Chapter 69: Sleeping Together (3) ¡ªFwoosh. I heard the sound of Las blowing out the lamp beside Asella¡¯s ear. The last flickering light that had been casting a soft, large shadow vanished, and darkness settled in. Only the silhouette illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window gave a vague idea of where Las was. Rustle. Asella pulled the blanket up to her chest. With her vision gone, the other senses seemed to become more sensitive. Sounds were louder, and even the feel of fabric on her fingertips¡ªoddly... sharper. Was it always this soft? For some reason, she didn¡¯t want Las to hear the sound of her breathing, so she covered her mouth with the blanket. ¡°Then, Your Highness, sleep well.¡± That voice came, and she heard him rustling around on the floor. What is he doing? Asella, puzzled, lifted her head. ¡°Sir, why are you over there?¡± ¡°Pardon? I¡¯m getting ready to sleep.¡± ¡°Sleep... on the floor?¡± ¡°Yes. Ah, I have a sleeping bag.¡± Before she knew it, Asella frowned. This man was clearly making fun of her. When did he start planning this? From the moment he suddenly came in tonight for that emergency examination? Otherwise, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d be doing something so infuriating. ¡°Huuu....¡± Asella took a deep breath, holding back her anger. If she raised her voice now, she¡¯d only disgrace herself. ...No, wait. Why am I even angry? Because I thought we¡¯d be sharing the bed, and yet he just lay down on the floor like it was the most natural thing in the world? That alone wouldn¡¯t have made me this upset. Ah. Maybe it¡¯s because I imagined his calm, composed face saying, ¡°It¡¯s standard protocol,¡± as he looked at me like I was the strange one¡ªif I made an issue out of it. Or maybe... because I was the only one who assumed we¡¯d be sleeping in the same bed? Wait, really? Was I the only one who thought that? No way. We¡¯ve already shared a bed twice. I even let him be my substitute cuddle doll. Isn¡¯t it only natural to assume we¡¯d sleep together? He¡¯s the weird one, right? Asella started hurling questions at herself¡ªquestions that would never be answered. And the more she did, the more irritated she became. Eventually, worn out by her own thoughts, she slapped the blanket down with both hands¡ªwhap¡ªand closed her eyes. ¡®Let¡¯s just sleep.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t even hear his breathing¡ªwhether the man was alive or dead. She had noticed it before, but this man had an eerie ability to erase all presence when he slept. As if he didn¡¯t exist in this world. ¡®What¡¯s going on in his head right now?¡¯ Lately, what made Asella increasingly angry with Las... was simply the fact that she couldn¡¯t understand what he was thinking. Sometimes he acted like she was the center of his world¡ªthen the next moment, he¡¯d be busy with something else, barely sparing her a glance. When she first became slightly interested in him, she had never imagined it would come to this. She had thought that if he proved useful, she¡¯d wield him with her power, treat him like any other vassal beneath her feet. But now... it feels like our roles have reversed. He would¡¯ve been a wreck if not for me. How infuriating. Infuriating enough to make her want to scream. Asella closed her eyes, feeling a chill seep into her empty arms. *** ¡°The glorious Emperor of the Great Empire now reveals his majestic presence! Show your respect!¡± Asella flinched at the blinding light that filled her vision. But only for a moment¡ªher body began moving on its own, stepping forward. ¡ªOoooooh! ¡ªHis Majesty the Emperor! ¡ªA new age for the Empire! She had walked out onto a high platform connected to the Imperial Palace, overlooking the central plaza of the capital. Countless imperial citizens cheered at her arrival. Asella¡¯s name echoed in every direction. ¡®I... became Emperor?¡¯ The era name had changed. It was right after Asella¡¯s enthronement. A slow, creeping joy began to rise. ¡®No.¡¯ Asella almost let herself get swept away by the flood of satisfaction¡ªbut quickly came to her senses. Five magic circles floated in the sky above the capital. It was the magic of Heaven¡¯s Eye. A dream? Or an unconscious activation? Whichever it was¡ªthis wasn¡¯t real. Asella was not someone who found meaning in illusions. If it wasn¡¯t reality, it didn¡¯t matter. Her head cooled instantly. This was nothing more than a possibility. It was not a future that would inevitably come to pass. She understood that clearly, and instead of basking in dopamine, she began tracing clues. There might be useful material to bring back into the real world. Secrets of people. Their actions. Changes. Economics, public sentiment¡ªeverything was a clue. Even if it was only one possibility, if she could repeat the experience and assemble the data, she might be able to infer reality. That was the potential Asella saw in Heaven¡¯s Eye. ¡°Bring forth the traitors!¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She was now in the center of the plaza, where ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) executions were taking place. Only one executioner. Surrounded by a ring of knights. She was seated, as the previous emperor had done, presiding over the execution and projecting imperial authority to the people. ¡®Traitors, huh.¡¯ Asella found the keyword intriguing. A good opportunity to identify future enemies in advance. The traitors were dragged in, bound in ropes. When she saw their faces, her brows furrowed slightly in shock. They were all familiar. ¡®The Emperor¡¯s personal physicians...¡¯ Ambrosia among them, and two others. Even more behind them. ¡®Marquis Gotberg...?¡¯ Baldur Gotberg. That man¡ªLas¡¯s father. ¡®Why?¡¯ Asella couldn¡¯t grasp what was happening. Before she could even hear his charges in detail, the execution began. ¡®Wait. What treason did he commit?¡¯ She tried to stop the execution, but she had no control within Heaven¡¯s Eye. She could only watch and feel what her future self saw and experienced. At that moment, a disturbance broke out at the edge of the plaza. ¡°Stop! It¡¯s all a lie! The current Emperor framed them all!¡± A group of knights began forcing their way toward the center of the plaza. Leading them¡ªnone other than Tanya. ¡°Marquis Gotberg did not assassinate the previous Emperor! We have evidence! It¡¯s all false!!¡± The clash intensified. Imperial Knights swung their blades mercilessly at Tanya¡¯s group. Tanya resisted stubbornly, but overwhelmed by sheer numbers, she couldn¡¯t dodge a strike. A longsword pierced her left eye, sending a spray of red blood. The documents she had brought scattered through the air, only to be trampled and torn apart beneath armored boots. The chaos didn¡¯t spread¡ªbecame no signal fire. The crowd never even saw it happen. ¡ªSlice! And then, the Marquis Gotberg¡¯s head fell. The people of the Empire erupted into cheers. At last, the traitor who slew the former Emperor had been punished. The long-vacant throne had been filled. Emperor Asella ushered in a new era. ¡®Urgh.¡¯ Asella¡¯s heart trembled violently. If she could move, she would¡¯ve turned away from the horrific sight. But the future version of herself¡ªseemed determined to savor this scene for as long as possible. Her eyes and ears refused to leave the execution. She slowly turned her head. Her gaze landed on a full-length mirror set against the palace wall. Had she come of age? Asella saw her fully grown self. ¡®Why.¡¯ And the most horrifying scene of all wasn¡¯t the severed head or Tanya¡¯s collapsed body. It was inside that mirror. ¡®Why are you enjoying this?¡¯ The Emperor Asella in the mirror stifled a laugh, lips curled like a demon in a grotesque grin. ¡®What¡¯s so funny? You destroyed Las¡¯s family... trampled on Lady Tanya...¡¯ Even within the illusion of Heaven¡¯s Eye, Asella clenched her teeth so hard blood leaked from her gums. ¡®Am I going to become like this?¡¯ No. This isn¡¯t what¡¯s going to happen. This isn¡¯t even Heaven¡¯s Eye anymore. It¡¯s a nightmare. One of those sickening dreams that pop up now and then. ¡°No!!¡± Asella screamed. Her breath came in gasps. The blanket, once soft and comforting, was now soaked in sweat and clung to her skin unpleasantly. No, no... Muttering unconsciously, wandering in the dark¡ª A voice whispered in her ear. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Ugh, hngh, Las...¡± Without thinking, Asella grabbed a fistful of his robe. Las didn¡¯t resist¡ªhe moved in closer. Asella slowly wrapped her arms around him. Like hugging a beloved plushie. Like how she used to hold Max when her doll was missing. ¡°Haa, haa... hhh...¡± Her breathing gradually calmed. The dream faded like an illusion from her mind. ¡°Las...¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I¡¯m right here.¡± Hearing his voice brought her relief. No matter where or how much it hurt, the royal physician who could heal her was right beside her. Asella realized something. The first time she went to his room, she¡¯d thought it was because the assassin had shaken her judgment. The second time she hugged him, she¡¯d blamed it on the haze of medicine. But now¡ªshe was certain. In fact, those were the correct decisions. Only when she hugged Las could she fall asleep without worry. Even if her reason rejected it, her instincts already knew. It had been instinct all along. ¡°Las.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you commit treason, you die.¡± ¡°Come on, that¡¯ll never happen.¡± ¡°I mean it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± Asella breathed in the scent of Las¡¯s skin and quietly drifted off again. *** Compared to before, it was easier to sleep with Asella. She didn¡¯t have the best sleeping habits. Tossed and turned a lot, breathed irregularly when alone. But I¡¯d discovered that if I held her, she became as quiet as a doll. A little bothersome, sure¡ªbut it worked. She settled down like she did when sleeping alone. She had a low body temperature, too. Hugging her was like clutching a high-end bamboo bolster. I¡¯d slept well. Felt great. Though I was a little startled when I woke up to find her staring right at me. Still... within tolerable limits. After sending Asella back to her room, I got ready, finished my morning rounds, and headed to the Imperial Clinic. First person I needed to see¡ªof course, Falkenhain. I stepped into the first floor office used by the Georg faction. For some reason, it was quiet. Few healers around. Maybe late shifts, or a group vacation? I went all the way to Falkenhain¡¯s office and knocked. ¡°Ah! Dr. Gotberg!¡± He greeted me with an exceptionally bright expression. Honestly, considering it was me and Asella who brought Georg down, I expected him to resent me. But surprisingly, no. ¡°Long time no see, Lord Falkenhain.¡± ¡°Indeed! Now, look at this!¡± Falkenhain excitedly yanked off the zucchetto he¡¯d been wearing. A few months ago, his scalp had been completely bare¡ªbut now, faint wisps were sprouting from the top of his head. ¡°My hair¡ªmy hair is coming back!!¡± Watching Falkenhain beam like a child, I had a strong feeling: This negotiation was going to go very well. Chapter 70: The Princess鈥檚 Meal (1) ¡°Come now, have a seat. I truly don¡¯t know how to express my thanks to you, Doctor Gotberg.¡± Falkenhayn greeted me warmly and offered a cup of tea. Hmm, lemon. I never really liked it before. But lately, I¡¯ve been eating so many sweets that my taste buds must be changing. And to think, I used to be something of a gourmet. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. The hair loss treatment was just fair payment for your help during the last hearing.¡± ¡°Haha, I never thought I could get something worth a fortune with a few words.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re pleased, but...¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Falkenhayn nodded with a kindly smile, as if he understood what I was implying. ¡°Not many healers showed up for work today. Forgive me, but may I ask how the faction situation stands?¡± Falkenhayn gave a bitter smile, then answered flatly. ¡°Just as you predicted. Ever since His Highness was exiled from the palace, many switched sides. The second prince¡¯s greatest strength was supplementary pay. But with no prince left to approve the budget, all that¡¯s left is base salary¡ªso the incentive¡¯s gone.¡± Well, one thing¡¯s for sure¡ªGeorg was good at gathering money. He even demonstrated considerable wealth during the duel trial. Judging by the number of nobles coming and going from Tojin Palace, he must¡¯ve always been setting up new ventures. ¡°And you, Sir Falkenhayn¡ªwasn¡¯t it an option for you to follow him?¡± ¡°An imperial exile is a strict affair. Only three guards may accompany the prince, and he may carry no more than ten gold coins.¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Three years without a personal physician, living like a vagabond. That¡¯s pretty brutal.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s Georg we¡¯re talking about. He won¡¯t drop dead somewhere. But with things as they are, I no longer have any duties.¡± Then, I noticed a single envelope partially hidden under a stack of documents on Falkenhayn¡¯s desk. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of retiring?¡± ¡°Haha. Truth be told, I passed retirement age long ago. But I got too used to playing king of the clinic, so I kept putting it off.¡± Falkenhayn looked around his office with a gentle sweep, as if recalling old memories. ¡°If I was ever going to get stabbed on the way out, I always figured it¡¯d be by Alberich.¡± ¡°My apologies. That wasn¡¯t my intention.¡± Falkenhayn blinked wide-eyed and waved his hand at my apology. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t blaming you. Seems there¡¯s been a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± ¡°The Second Prince¡¯s faction didn¡¯t fall because of you. Even without His Highness, I had assistants and disciples who would¡¯ve remained loyal for ? N§àv§Ö¢ñight ? (Read more on our source) at least three more years. It wasn¡¯t you who snatched away those key healers¡ªit was someone else.¡± So behind the scenes, my actions had already triggered countless unseen power struggles. Was there another cunning healer in the clinic I didn¡¯t know about? ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°Simon the Inquisitor¡ªpersonal physician to the First Prince and current Crown Prince, Gunther.¡± Simon. I remembered seeing him during the hearing. He had that ominous air, draped in a pitch-black hood, hardly healer-like. The title ¡°Inquisitor¡± was apparently earned back when he served as a famed heretic hunter before joining the clinic. ¡°You mean the First Prince¡¯s faction made a move against the Second¡¯s?¡± ¡°At least within the clinic, yes. He stole away most of my healers. Those who remained were caught up in strange incidents and became paralyzed with fear.¡± ¡°Hard to believe Crown Prince Gunther would stoop to such schemes within the clinic.¡± ¡°It seems Simon acted on his own. He was always frustrated by the First Prince¡¯s lukewarm attitude toward expanding their faction. I suppose he saw this as a golden opportunity to gain influence within the clinic.¡± Seriously¡ªdo these personal physicians ever bother healing patients? ¡°If this continues, he¡¯ll suck the marrow out of everything. Better to retire now with some dignity. Perhaps I should¡¯ve been spending time with my grandchildren all along.¡± Falkenhayn said bitterly. ¡°Are you truly satisfied with that, Sir Falkenhayn?¡± ¡°Life is a process of slowly settling into compromises.¡± He was already like an eagle with a broken beak. Still skilled and experienced¡ªbut without drive, just waiting to be pecked to death by younger birds. As his weary words hung in the air, silence briefly settled in the room. ¡ªThud. The silence shattered without warning as the office door swung open. From the hallway, a healer wearing a pitch-black hood stared at us with only his eyes. Step. Step. His high heels made a deep, heavy sound as he walked. Simon the Inquisitor stood before us. ¡°Have you prepared to follow your master into exile, Sir Falkenhayn?¡± At his voice¡ªlike an earthquake in a frozen cave¡ªFalkenhayn bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯ve given you ample time. If you want to retain any honor as the clinic¡¯s longest-serving physician, I suggest you remove yourself from that chair now.¡± ¡°Ugh, mm.¡± His wrinkled hand, holding the letter opener, trembled. ¡°This office will now be used by healers of Ilseong Palace, for the greater cause¡ªon behalf of Prince Gunther.¡± Excuse me? ¡°Now that,¡± I said, rising to my feet, ¡°I can¡¯t just let slide.¡± Simon¡¯s murky, lifeless eyes shifted to me. ¡°This office is being reassigned to Wolgwang Palace. I¡¯ve already received approval from Sister Ambrosia.¡± ¡°Gotberg. You¡¯d do well to learn where to involve yourself¡ªand where to stay out.¡± ¡°Appreciate the advice, but this happens to be exactly where I belong. I need this office, starting immediately.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± To avoid taking the stairs when I come to work tomorrow, obviously. ¡°To prepare medicine for His Majesty. You¡¯re not about to entertain disloyal thoughts that defy an imperial command, are you?¡± Step. Simon took one step forward, the scar on his eye casting a menacing shadow. ¡°There¡¯s been no imperial order to relocate the office, I presume.¡± Sharp bastard. No wonder he used to be an inquisitor¡ªhis rhetoric was sharp. ¡°Gotberg, this is between Ilseong and Tojin Palaces. You have no place here.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? I¡¯m not so convinced myself.¡± I immediately picked up a quill and scribbled a message on a nearby sheet. It requested a fair judgment regarding a dispute at the clinic. Then I tied it to the leg of the messenger pigeon in Falkenhayn¡¯s office, showing Simon the contents. ¡°Shall we ask directly?¡± That pigeon flies straight to the Emperor. Simon fell silent, watching my outrageous act. Even over something as petty as clinic faction drama, disturbing the Emperor would hurt everyone involved. Both Simon and I would probably be punished by our respective patrons. Yep¡ªthis is a power trip, but I¡¯m fine with blowing myself up to take you with me. ¡°...If Sir Falkenhayn accepts the offer, the matter is settled. Even if that pigeon flies, it¡¯ll have no effect.¡± Simon hit the nail on the head. Even if I blew this up, Gunther would just scold Simon, and the office would still be his. Still, the fact that he said it aloud meant he was nervous. I turned to Falkenhayn and said, ¡°Sir Falkenhayn, are you really planning to retire like this?¡± ¡°...Mmm.¡± His gaze fell on the resignation letter. ¡°What will you do about the hair loss medication without me?¡± ¡°That... I suppose I¡¯ll have to give it up.¡± ¡°Your retirement would be a great loss to the clinic. If a healer as skilled as you or Seongho leaves, countless patients will suffer longer from their illnesses.¡± Life returned to Falkenhayn¡¯s eyes at my words. ¡°The junior healers who could¡¯ve learned from you will lose that chance as well.¡± I offered him a metaphor. ¡°A field just beginning to sprout still needs water to grow, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Falkenhayn¡¯s lips tightened. He seemed to recall a long-lost sense of purpose. There must¡¯ve been a time when, as a young healer, he saved his first patient. And that memory surely held more meaning than any of these endless factional battles. What I¡¯d really just done was offer him a recruitment deal: to join Wolgwang Palace as a senior healer. Basically, a headhunting move for an executive-level position. If the Second Prince¡¯s faction was gone, it was better for me to absorb it. With someone of Falkenhayn¡¯s caliber training junior healers, the system would fall into place instantly. And yes, I was also referring to his hair. I used the hair loss meds as leverage. After some hesitation, Falkenhayn finally closed the folder over his resignation letter and declared to Simon: ¡°There will be no retirement.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t hand over a single resource of the Second Prince¡¯s faction in this clinic to the First. Get out, now!¡± Simon¡¯s face twisted into a demonic scowl¡ªbut only for a moment. Then, he returned to his usual blank expression and, without warning, let out a shout. ¡°Demons!!¡± ¡°Jesus Christ, that scared me.¡± Why the hell are you suddenly screaming? Startled, I dropped what I was holding. ¡ªFlap flap ...Oh no. The pigeon. I turned and saw the pigeon flying out the window, then looked back at Simon. ¡°Dude, that was your fault, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Wha¡ªno! Damn it!!¡± Simon scrambled to the window, but the messenger bird was already soaring toward the Celestial Palace. ¡°You demon! You really had it rigged to fly to His Majesty?! Are you insane?!¡± ¡°Who are you calling a demon? You¡¯re the one looking like Satan with your head all twisted.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forgive this! I¡¯ll purge the demon!!¡± Furious, Simon stomped off in rage. I turned back to Falkenhayn and extended a hand. ¡°I look forward to working with you, Sir Falkenhayn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving my office to that lunatic. I¡¯ll fight to the end, Doctor Gotberg.¡± We shook hands. And the next day. ¡°So, you¡¯re asking me to decide which of my two personal physicians is superior?¡± I was kneeling before the Emperor¡ªbeside Simon. Simon was muttering ¡°demon, demon¡± under his breath, his hostility clearly directed at me. ¡°It was merely a minor incident in the clinic, Your Majesty. There¡¯s no need to pay it any mind...¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple, is it not?¡± The Emperor cut Ambrosia off and issued a command to Simon and me. ¡°A personal physician safeguards their master¡¯s health. Each of you¡ªusing methods outside your specialty¡ªshall attempt to improve my current condition.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, when you say ¡®outside our specialty¡¯...?¡± Ambrosia asked. The Emperor smiled faintly and replied: ¡°Simon shall develop something beyond healing magic. Gotberg shall devise something outside medicine.¡± ¡°Something new...¡± Simon looked troubled. Well, that¡¯s natural. Healing spells are the most straightforward method of improving health. ¡°One more thing: whichever method proves superior¡ªI shall adopt it personally.¡± The Emperor spoke as if enjoying a performance. His unexpected declaration caused a stir among the retainers and physicians. He was quite impulsive, this Emperor. ¡®Sounds like fun.¡¯ This whole situation, though explosive, had just become a golden opportunity for me. ¡°I shall obey the Imperial Command.¡± ¡°I shall obey.¡± Simon and I replied in unison. Now, my task was clear: using something other than medicine¡ªno drugs, no prescriptions¡ªI had to improve Acela¡¯s health even more than before. And I already had the perfect idea. ¡°It¡¯s time to cook.¡± Chapter 71: The Princess鈥檚 Meal (2) The match with Simon was officially established. Right after the audience with the Emperor, I stood beside Simon in the Sun Palace¡¯s reception room, listening to Ambrosia explain. ¡°The time limit is one month. The girl shall act as judge. As this is under imperial decree, I guarantee a fair and just evaluation.¡± Ambrosia struck the floor with a relic, thump thump, as she declared this. ¡°Simon will use healing spells, and Gotberg will use medicine. Aside from routine checkups and emergency care, neither of the two personal physicians may administer any additional techniques to His Highness.¡± ¡°How will the prince¡¯s condition be assessed?¡± ¡°Good question. Prince Guenter, Princess Asella, if you would step forward.¡± Summoned under urgent imperial command, Guenter and Asella came to the front. ¡°To think my mealtime was stolen over some petty squabble between physicians¡ªhow insolent.¡± Asella, clueless as to why she¡¯d been summoned, puffed out her cheeks in protest. ¡°Please bear with it just a little. It¡¯s a chance to expand our faction.¡± The winner¡¯s faction would absorb Georg¡¯s, which was teetering on the brink of collapse. While most of his personnel had already defected to the First Prince¡¯s camp, the Second Prince¡¯s faction still held valuable assets¡ªparticularly artifacts and rare supplies. And more than anything: the office. A 200-pyeong office on the first floor¡ªthat alone was worth coveting. ¡°Master, your decision was the right one. Better we scrape up everything Georg left and bring it to Moonlight Palace than let someone else take it.¡± ¡°Then why are you angry?¡± ¡°Because today¡¯s snack was cheesecake!¡± Ah. Cheesecake. A legend in the royal kitchen. So that¡¯s what she¡¯s mad about. But if I remember correctly, didn¡¯t she have it with Tanya just yesterday? ¡°I told you to only eat cheesecake once a week.¡± ¡°Yesterday marked the end of the week. Today¡¯s a new one.¡± ¡°And you think that makes sense?¡± ¡°Why not? If I declare today a Sabbath in Moonlight Palace, then it is.¡± She was being absurd¡ªlike a child throwing a tantrum. Asella didn¡¯t digest dairy well, so ideally, she should avoid it. But communication with the royal kitchen was still lacking. ¡°Now, about the judging method.¡± Ambrosia opened the holy book and gave a grand swing of the relic in a wide arc. Standing on tiptoe, she swung it with all her might¡ªbut she was short, and it barely reached Guenter¡¯s chin. ¡°Oopsie. Pardon me.¡± It must have been too heavy¡ªshe nearly lost her balance and stumbled. Smack smack. Ambrosia clicked her tongue and smacked her lips. She had just demonstrated her dignity as the Emperor¡¯s top physician. ¡ªHwaaak! Her divine power bloomed cleanly, forming a glowing sphere that enveloped Guenter and Asella. Soon, in front of each of them, a holographic image of tree-branch-like veins appeared. ¡°Oho.¡± Simon let out a small breath of admiration. The skill she had just used was quite high-tier for a divine spell. ¡°As expected of Sister. You¡¯re able to use [Circuit Projection]. You must have tremendous divine power.¡± ¡°Ahem. The girl is somewhat mighty.¡± Puffing out her chest, Ambrosia beamed at my compliment. Healing spells generally refer to acts of restoring people using divine magic. They belong to the same family as other divine spells¡ªjust as fire magic falls under elemental spells. Even blessings, which grant beneficial buffs, are part of the divine branch. Ambrosia¡¯s current spell was from the utility line of divine spells. Since it¡¯s not combat-oriented, I¡¯d never studied it. It consumed considerable divine power, and I had no doubt she truly was the best in the inner palace. The spell even worked on Asella¡ªwhich meant Ambrosia¡¯s divine mastery surpassed Asella¡¯s current magical skill. That wouldn¡¯t last much longer, though. ¡°What you¡¯re seeing now are the mana circuits of Prince Guenter and Princess Asella.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Asella¡¯s mana circuits covered her body in an intricate, densely woven pattern. But there were several blockages and clots where mana didn¡¯t flow smoothly. ¡°I seem to have fewer...¡± Guenter¡¯s circuits were noticeably thinner and more fractured than Asella¡¯s. It was a sign of poor magical aptitude. ¡°I have just recorded the current state of mana flow in both Your Highnesses¡¯ circuits. One month from now, at this same time, whichever circuit shows a more improved mana flow will determine the winning physician.¡± ¡°I understand, Sister.¡± ¡°No objections here.¡± Simon agreed as well. ¡°Simon, Gotberg¡ªour deputy physicians here will verify the objectivity of all records. Trust us to ensure fairness.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. Your character and your position atop the inner palace make your judgment trustworthy.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hehe, excellent. Just out of curiosity¡ªwhat methods do you two plan to use?¡± ¡°Divine spells aren¡¯t limited to healing alone.¡± Simon stepped forward and confidently clenched his fist. ¡°I was recruited to the inner palace because I¡¯m a top-tier inquisitor proficient not only in healing but in all divine spells.¡± ¡°I remember. Alberich brought you in.¡± ¡°Demons, heretics¡ªwhen struck with sacred flame, they burn to death. The same goes for disease. Ailments that harm mankind are no different from devils.¡± ¡ªHwaaak! Simon ignited divine energy in his hand. ¡°And if illness is burned away, it will surely vanish! If we eradicate the devil tormenting His Highness, he¡¯ll gain newfound confidence!¡± ¡°Uh... huh?¡± Guenter flinched and shrank back at Simon¡¯s proclamation. It seemed Simon intended to give him a massage using anti-demon spells or something equally insane. ¡°Simon, is that really okay?¡± ¡°Just trust me, Your Highness.¡± ¡°...I guess?¡± Guenter tilted his head, clearly unsure but unwilling to object. He was a man with no backbone. ¡°Hm, an unexpected approach. I¡¯ll look forward to it. Gotberg?¡± ¡°As an apology for disturbing Princess Asella¡¯s snack time, I plan to prepare a formal dinner myself.¡± ¡°Oh-ho? A formal dinner?¡± Even Asella, who had been bored until now, raised her eyebrows with interest. ¡°If you¡¯re curious, Sister, would you care to join us? Please grace Moonlight Palace with your presence tomorrow evening.¡± ¡°Hmm. That would be right around shift change. If you¡¯re extending the invitation, I shall stop by.¡± Thump thump. Ambrosia struck the relic on the floor again. ¡°Then let¡¯s reconvene in one month. Prince Guenter, Princess Asella, I wish you good health.¡± With Ambrosia¡¯s formal declaration of the contest, the assembled participants began to disperse. As Asella turned toward Moonlight Palace, she glanced back at me. ¡°Master, you can cook?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± She tilted her head, then looked up at the sky, as if picturing something. ¡°It suits you.¡± ¡°What does?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to make something tasty, right?¡± ¡°Just wait and see.¡± Asella gave a casual nod of her chin and walked off gracefully. I turned to my faction members who had been waiting nearby and clapped once. ¡°You all heard, right? Let¡¯s get started immediately. Chloe, can you cook?¡± ¡°U-uh... d-does sprinkling salt on bread count?¡± ¡°If you can bake bread.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t...¡± ¡°You¡¯re on dishwashing and cleaning duty. I¡¯ll write down the ingredients¡ªgather them by noon tomorrow. Start with an order to the Schupre Company, then collect the rest with the knights.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± Chloe nodded so hard her bangs flopped like curtains. ¡°Hugo, what about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty good with baby food. I had to cook for Eri and feed her.¡± ¡°Perfect. You¡¯re my assistant. We¡¯ll practice together. Tanya.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You snack with Asella often, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Her Highness calls me at least once a week.¡± They¡¯re practically best friends now. ¡°Then you must know her palate well.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Tanya answered confidently. The Asella I knew ten years from now enjoyed cheese and wine above all else. But her tastes would be different now. Tanya¡¯s help was essential. ¡°You¡¯ll be in charge of taste-testing. Sample ingredients in real time and give us feedback.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. But I do have one question¡ªcan food really improve the Princess¡¯s mana flow?¡± It was a valid point from Tanya. In this world, knowledge of nutrients didn¡¯t exist. People only understood eating by instinct: food gives strength, hunger leads to death. ¡°That¡¯s why wheat and meat are the preferred ingredients.¡± The common folk ate wheat. The wealthy, especially royals, ¡ã? N ???? v ???? l i g h t ?¡ã ate meat. Even I was served steak, salt, and butter with nearly every meal. ¡°Mana circuits are like blood vessels. If nutrients are evenly distributed, they improve.¡± ¡°Nutrients! Like vitamins and minerals?¡± Chloe, already learning medicine from me, understood immediately. ¡°His Majesty, for example, has sky-high cholesterol. At his age, a meat-only diet is bound to cause issues.¡± I¡¯d long wanted to correct this, but royal meals were overseen by the imperial kitchen, delaying adjustments. Using this imperial decree as cover, I would finally establish a proper diet for Asella. ¡°What kind of meal do you plan to serve Her Highness?¡± ¡°Asella needs to eat more greens.¡± ¡°Greens... you mean vegetables?¡± Hugo tilted his head. It made sense. Common vegetables like carrots and onions were mostly used as animal feed and avoided by wealthy nobles. The reason was simple¡ªthey weren¡¯t tasty and didn¡¯t provide noticeable strength. Nobles preferred expensive ingredients for status, too. ¡°Will Her Highness even like them?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know until we try. That¡¯s your job, Head Tester¡ªtaste it and decide.¡± I patted both Hugo and Tanya on the shoulder. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get moving. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± The next day. Thwack! A loud smack echoed across the imperial kitchen as someone slapped a table. Busy cooks turned in shock. In the corner¡ªat a countertop borrowed by Moonlight Palace¡ªTanya, looking more serious than when facing a dragon, raised her voice. ¡°Healer Hugo! Are you really planning to serve this dish to Her Highness? This salmon is so raw it could leap back upstream if you let it near a river!¡± ¡°Teacher, didn¡¯t you say ginseng or whatever was supposed to be a healthy food? I spat it out the moment I tasted it. Was that supposed to mean the ground gets healthier?¡± Las pursed his lips at Tanya¡¯s scathing remarks. ¡®Tch. It¡¯s not that bad...¡¯ Las had been trying to make nourishing medicinal food for Asella¡¯s health, but he¡¯d hit a wall. He had barely gathered the ingredients, and most medicinal recipes required fermentation or aging¡ªprocesses that took time. Without that, the food tasted awful. And Tanya, surprisingly, had an accurate palate. She did snack with Asella constantly. ¡®Tch. Guess I¡¯ve got no choice.¡¯ Las grimaced and activated a skill on the bitter, bland ginseng roast. ¡°Property Shift: MSG to maximum.¡± Chapter 72: The Princess鈥檚 Meal (3) The preparation of the nutritious full-course meal for Asella went more smoothly than expected. ¡°I told them to dig up whatever they could find, but I can¡¯t exactly expect ginseng to be growing on the imperial back mountain. If we got even half of what I asked for, I¡¯d call that a success.¡± ¡°Doctor, we found it!¡± ¡°They really did?¡± The capable knights of Moonlight Palace, once they heard it was for Asella, scoured the mountains through the night and brought back every single ingredient I requested. Not just ginseng, but also deodeok, bracken, wild sesame leaves¡ªan entire collection of mountain greens. ¡°Shoop, the Supre Merchant Guild¡¯s delivery just arrived. They even sent fresh salmon caught at dawn in the port city...¡± ¡°They had that too?¡± Supre practically monopolized the Empire¡¯s canal network, and their delivery capability was something else. Some high-end ingredients could only be sourced through the Imperial Kitchen. The exclusive royal transport ships supposedly used mana stones like motors to fly at ultra-high speeds. No exaggeration¡ªit was practically bullet delivery. The Empire¡¯s infrastructure was more advanced than I¡¯d thought. ¡°All that¡¯s left is to make it taste good.¡± Shortly after noon, I packed up the ingredients and headed for the Imperial Kitchen. Located near the Celestial Palace at the center of the imperial grounds, the kitchen was responsible for the meals of all royalty and high nobles. ¡°You¡¯d think it¡¯d be more convenient for each palace to cook their own meals.¡± ¡°Only the Imperial Kitchen is allowed to handle high-grade ingredients, and there are also security concerns.¡± Anything that entered a royal¡¯s mouth had to be free of poison or black magic. The chefs and head cooks were chosen through a selection process as rigorous as for court physicians¡ªtrue elites. ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t even be allowed inside. But starting today, I¡¯ve got imperial orders to lean on. I¡¯ve already arranged everything. I just have to go in and cook.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always so thorough.¡± Hugo nodded as he followed behind me. We arrived and went through a thorough security screening. And then, stepping inside, we entered absolute chaos. ¡°The chicken pen¡¯s open! Who the hell did it!¡± ¡°Get me the bannock, and butter¡ªnow!¡± ¡°We need three more dishes out! Five minutes tops!¡± The kitchen was a battlefield. About thirty cooks were scrambling to prepare meals for every palace. They could¡¯ve used an extra pair of hands¡ªliterally anyone¡¯s. ¡°You must be the royal physician!¡± One of the head chefs, eyes bloodshot, came over to me. The place was so loud he had to practically shout. ¡°I¡¯ve been informed! You¡¯ll be cooking the Moonlight Palace meals yourself from now on, right? I¡¯ve cleared you a station¡ªuse that one! But do not cross this line!¡± He pointed at a white boundary painted on the floor¡ªprobably a safety measure. Thud. The chefs dropped a large box at my feet. ¡°Here are the ingredients you ordered! We¡¯ll be checking the ones you brought in too!¡± The head chef and kitchen staff started inspecting the ingredients we¡¯d carried in. ¡°You¡¯re planning to cook with these? That¡¯s certainly... unique. Please make sure nothing gets mixed in.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ours look obviously homemade.¡± ¡°FIRE! Who the hell left an oiled pan on the stove?!¡± The head chef sprinted off. Tanya caught my eye and gave a little shrug. ¡°Ugh... this is filthy.¡± Chloe ran a finger across our assigned station and grimaced. A thick smear of grease came away on her hand. Sanitation wasn¡¯t really a concept in this world. Even the Imperial Kitchen prioritized making food for the royals fast and delicious, not safely. At least Hugo and Chloe, currently under training, had developed a decent understanding of hygiene and contamination. ¡°Let¡¯s start with cleaning.¡± Hugo busied his gloved hands. While they worked, I checked the ingredients and finalized the menu. Asella¡¯s recommended caloric intake is 2,000. She¡¯s currently too skewed toward fats, so I¡¯ll need to increase protein and include plenty of ingredients that purify the bloodstream for the first week. Tuna would¡¯ve been better for protein, but the Empire¡¯s sea was too far. I settled on salmon. If I wrap the salmon in sesame leaves, she¡¯ll eat it without resistance. The sesamin will help lower her cholesterol. Main dish: decided. Next, the staple. Asella liked dairy products but couldn¡¯t digest milk well. If I break down the lactose in advance and make a milk porridge, it¡¯ll go down easier. Better to train her palate with that than sweet things like cheesecake. Garlic could be soaked to reduce its pungency and mixed into other dishes, but I wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d eat herbs like naengi or deodeok. The saponin in deodeok is especially good for inflammation, though. If it tastes good, she¡¯ll eat it. I just had to cook well. And tea over coffee. Asella looked for coffee at every opportunity. I needed to find a tea she¡¯d grow attached to instead. Whether she genuinely liked the taste or just thought it made her look more adult, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do it like this.¡± I was a born-and-bred Korean. A single hunk of meat sitting alone on a plate didn¡¯t cut it. I preferred a meal where the side dishes threatened to collapse the table. Final count: twelve dishes. Small portions of each. Even starting now, it¡¯d be a tight squeeze. ¡°D-Doctor, I¡¯m ready.¡± Chloe hovered near me. I checked and found she¡¯d scrubbed the cooking station until it practically sparkled. ¡°Let¡¯s begin. Put your mask on.¡± I grabbed the kitchen knife with confidence. And within two hours, I was tasting bitter defeat at Tanya¡¯s hands. She was pickier than I¡¯d expected. No¡ªmy ginseng dish was just bad. ¡°This is just grass you pulled from the mountain, not cooking. If you applied first aid, I bet it¡¯d root itself and bloom again.¡± ¡°Geez, you don¡¯t have to say it like that.¡± ¡°If Her Highness were here, she¡¯d probably say exactly that.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t taste bad...¡± In my attempt to minimize carbs, I¡¯d barely used any sugars. That meant it lacked proper fermentation and aging. Even to my own tongue, it was missing depth. Well, no helping it now. I¡¯d spent five years living alone and who knows how many more as the cook for the hero¡¯s party. I had my pride. ¡°Property alteration.¡± Among the ingredients the knights dug up was sugar beet. Still undeveloped and unrefined, it was barely fit for livestock feed. ¡°Compress. Enhance.¡± Soft white crystals poured lovingly between my fingers. Magic powder. MSG¡ªcomplete. ¡°Monosodium glutamate. The ultimate flavor enhancer.¡± Lower in sodium than salt, safer for long-term health, and packed with umami. It couldn¡¯t match the nuanced taste of a master who aged and fermented their ingredients over years, but it could help a novice get halfway there. I dumped it generously into the sauces and broths. ¡°Time to adjust every flavor profile across the board.¡± The ingredients were unrefined and raw, far removed from the taste I knew. Using property alteration, I reduced bitterness and boosted aroma. After a long stretch of sweat and toil, I presented five completed dishes to Tanya. ¡°Try them.¡± Tanya¡¯s eyes scanned the plates. She took a spoonful of the cold naengi soup. ¡°Hrk!¡± It was like she¡¯d been struck by lightning. Her eyes flew open, face going stiff. *** ¡°The girl has never been to Moonlight Palace before. I¡¯m grateful for the invitation, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± Ambrosia entered the Moonlight Palace dining room, glanced around like she was analyzing the space, then sat in the chair a knight pulled out for her. She faced Asella across a long table. ¡°Moonlight Palace is neat. Feels quite modern.¡± ¡°You¡¯re perceptive.¡± As Ambrosia noted, Moonlight Palace had a more modern design compared to the rest of the Imperial Palace. ¡°Even just looking at Physician Gotberg¡¯s aggressive approach, I can guess where Your Highness is headed. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what he pulls off today.¡± ¡°Indeed. Watch closely.¡± Asella locked her gaze on Ambrosia, trying to read the meaning hidden beneath her formal words. The Emperor¡¯s personal physician for the past week. Apart from the chief secretary, no one spends more time with him. The Emperor¡¯s physicians, due to his age, were on near-constant standby and rarely worked in the Imperial Clinic. Asella wanted to extract information about the Emperor¡¯s condition from Ambrosia. The simplest way for me to become Empress is to be acknowledged as the rightful successor. Everyone in the palace knew Gunther was Prince in name only. It was a matter of who earned the Emperor¡¯s trust first¡ªwho became the real Crown Prince or Princess. This was her chance to gather intelligence on the Celestial Palace. ¡°How is His Majesty¡¯s condition? I hope he¡¯s sleeping well.¡± A light question, worded like a concerned daughter asking about her father. ¡°Mm. As ever, he commands the world with undiminished vigor.¡± Ambrosia had no choice but to answer like that. A personal physician couldn¡¯t reveal a royal¡¯s health status. Admitting the Emperor was weakening might be considered treason. In her tone, though¡ª There was a brief hesitation. She exaggerated her words. He must be worse off than before. Tap-tap. Asella drummed her fingers lightly on the table. ¡°You must be working hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty as his physician.¡± ¡°Someone in your position might be tempted to enjoy a little power. But I heard it¡¯s not you but the First Princess¡¯s and Second Prince¡¯s factions who dominate the clinic?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the time or reason to form factions. Ah, thank you.¡± The head maid brought out the pre-meal tea. Ambrosia took a small sip. Asella, by contrast, didn¡¯t glance at the cup or her cutlery. Her eyes were fixed solely on Ambrosia. ¡°And with things like that, haven¡¯t you received any... other offers?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, exactly?¡± ¡°Well. For example... requests for cooperation from other factions.¡± Asella wanted to probe one more thing besides the Emperor¡¯s condition. She remembered the vision shown by her clairvoyance in a dream. The night Las had held her tighter than ever before. ¡ªNo, Las doesn¡¯t matter. Why am I losing focus like this? Ambrosia had clearly been executed for treason. For assassinating the Emperor. Tanya said it was a false charge, but still... Given her personality, if she was in the situation, she likely just exploited it to her advantage. She wouldn¡¯t go so far as to fabricate everything from scratch. There¡¯s no smoke without fire. It was plausible that Ambrosia had indeed tried to kill the Emperor at the urging of some prince or princess. ¡°Other factions... Hmm. I have sworn loyalty only to His Majesty. No such rumors ever reached my ears.¡± Doesn¡¯t sound like a lie... Las¡¯s family head had also been executed on the same day. He wouldn¡¯t have been dragged to the execution grounds for nothing. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A marquess, implicated in regicide¡ªthe Gotberg house must have been wiped out. It¡¯s just one possibility... Still. If the future flowed anything like what she¡¯d seen through clairvoyance, Las would lose everything and become a stray dog. The one holding his leash was Asella. If Ambrosia really did join hands with the Gotberg Marquess in rebellion... Then what choice would she make? Would she cast them to the mob, as in her vision¡ªor shield them? I won¡¯t abandon Las. To protect her precious puppet, Asella wanted to uncover the truth. ¡°Well then, Dame Ambrosia¡ª¡± Grrrgle¡ª Just as she tried to continue, Asella¡¯s stomach let out a small growl. Ambrosia¡¯s lips curled into a grin. Asella turned her head away, flustered. Why is Las so late?! Not that she wouldn¡¯t have gotten mad if he barged in and interrupted¡ªbut still, it was his fault. That fleeting moment of internal blame¡ª Click. The dining room door opened. ¡°Eh.¡± Asella let out a dazed sound before she could stop herself. From the hallway came a savory smell unlike anything she¡¯d ever known. It struck her nose with immediate force. Reflexively, ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) she stuck her tongue out and licked her lips, just to make sure the drool pooling in her mouth didn¡¯t spill out. Chapter 73: The Princess鈥檚 Meal (4) The attendants entered with practiced steps, each holding a plate in one hand. One, two, ten... the dishes kept coming. The sheer number was astonishing. What on earth did he prepare? Even for a royal banquet, it was rare to have more than five or six dishes. But here, the scent of each dish was distinct and layered, teasing her nose with a m¨¦lange of unfamiliar aromas. Just as Asella¡¯s confusion deepened, the attendants surrounding her and Ambrosia moved in perfect unison, setting the dishes down like a choreographed military formation. By the time her anticipation reached its peak, the silver lids were lifted, and steam gently wafted upward. ¡°Huh?¡± But the moment she saw what was inside, her expression froze. There was no steak, no familiar fare¡ªjust a colorful array of vegetables, some of which looked better suited for livestock feed. The presentation was beautiful, she had to admit. The bite-sized portions, each arranged with careful artistry, resembled miniature paintings. The problem was that eighty percent of it was greenery. What the hell is this? The source of that rich, savory scent she''d been anticipating turned out to be a pale, semi-liquid sludge. Its gooey appearance reminded her of a dead slime¡ªutterly unappetizing. Her hunger vanished instantly. ¡°Head maid, it seems you¡¯ve brought the wrong dishes.¡± Asella immediately spoke with imperious sharpness. She could¡¯ve tolerated such a mistake in private, but Ambrosia¡ªher father¡¯s closest physician¡ªwas present. And sure enough, the woman looked visibly startled. This meal was far from what anyone would expect for a royal. Who knows what she''ll tell His Majesty. Asella extended her arm with poised control. ¡°We have a guest present. I will forgive this one mistake. Now remove these plates and bring me the proper meal.¡± The head maid bowed and ordered the attendants to retrieve the dishes. The servers covered the plates again and exited with disciplined grace. ¡°There appears to have been a mix-up.¡± ¡°Hmm, but the aroma was quite pleasant.¡± ¡°Pleasant or not, it was just a pile of weeds. That¡¯s hardly fitting for His Majesty¡¯s personal physician to put in her mouth.¡± Hopefully Ambrosia won¡¯t report this incident. Asella tapped her elbow lightly with her fingers, anxiety flickering beneath her composed expression. Soon after, the attendants returned carrying another set of plates. ¡°Ah, finally.¡± They placed them down just as neatly as before. Once again, the lids were lifted. And once again¡ª Asella frowned. The dishes were exactly the same. ¡°Head maid. Summon the physician.¡± The maid bowed and exited with quick backward steps. Moments later, he entered the dining hall with unshakable composure. ¡°You called for me, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Physician, what exactly is the meaning of this meal?¡± Las bowed smoothly and replied without hesitation. ¡°Of course. It is prepared with the utmost care, for the sake of Your Highness¡¯s health.¡± ¡°You intend to feed livestock scraps to the Third Princess of the Empire and His Majesty¡¯s personal physician?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I, Las Gotberg, swear upon my name and house that I have no intention of endangering your esteemed body.¡± His voice rang with confidence. And then, he smiled. ¡°Have I ever disappointed you even once?¡± Of course you have. Just thinking about it brings twenty examples to mind immediately. Asella bit back the retort. Criticizing him in front of Ambrosia would only undermine her own dignity. ¡°Perhaps I failed to explain adequately. Let¡¯s begin with this dish¡ªlactose-free milk porridge.¡± ¡°What is this? Slime?¡± ¡°The cheese Your Highness favors is made from milk. But your body struggles with lactose. So I¡¯ve processed the milk to be easily digestible¡ªthis is the result.¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°...And this is supposed to be like cheese?¡± Asella¡¯s instincts remained suspicious. Survival in the imperial court meant assuming deceit first. Even if Las had always, frustratingly, delivered on his promises. ¡°Please, trust me. Just try one bite.¡± ¡°Haa...¡± With a reluctant sigh, Asella picked up the spoon. She carefully scooped a bit off the top of the porridge. Steam curled upward, carrying with it that same rich, nutty aroma. Fine. One more time. I¡¯ll fall for it just once. If this turns out not to be cheese... Las, you¡¯re getting locked in the dungeon. She slowly raised the silver spoon to her lips. And then¡ª ¡°...Mmh.¡± A breathy hum escaped her lips before she could stop it, swallowed up with the first bite. It wasn¡¯t cheesecake. But it was delicious. Soft and velvety, it spread warmth through her body. The deep, rich flavor of milk saturated her palate and climbed to the very top of her head. ¡°Oh ho. What a mysterious taste. Soothing and gentle on the stomach.¡± Ambrosia was already moving onto her next spoonful with a pleased look. ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s not bad, I suppose.¡± Even Asella set aside her pride and continued eating the porridge. Cheesecake was bold and intense, but too rich in large amounts. This, though, felt like something she could keep eating forever. ¡°Now, please try the salmon-wrapped sesame leaves. Today¡¯s main dish.¡± ¡°There¡¯s salmon in this?¡± Asella rarely ate fish. But the soft salmon had been shaped and portioned into easy, bite-sized pieces. She pricked one with her fork, dabbed it in the dark sauce on the side, and brought it to her mouth. ¡°Mm.¡± As soon as she bit down, the sharp burst of sesame leaf aroma and the tender texture lit up her tastebuds. ¡°Lord Gotberg, what is this sauce?¡± Ambrosia lifted a piece of the black-glazed salmon and asked with curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s soy sauce, common in the Eastern lands, aged with grated radish. Normally it¡¯s much saltier, but since meats are typically served with generous sauce, I adjusted the salinity.¡± ¡°A sauce from the East, hm? The flavor is excellent. Is it also beneficial to health?¡± ¡°Our capital is inland, so we often lack salt. While excessive intake is harmful, small amounts help with osmotic balance and assist in waste removal through circulation.¡± ¡°And the vegetables? Why wrap them?¡± ¡°Those are sesame leaves. Rich in vitamins, good for illness prevention and skin health. They¡¯re more effective raw, so once Your Highness gets used to the flavor, I plan to serve them as seasoned greens.¡± ¡°Seasoned greens. You mean those raw vegetables tossed in sauce?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Asella¡¯s gaze shifted toward the rest of the vegetables. She had written them off as fodder a moment ago, but now she couldn¡¯t help but wonder: could these be good too? ¡°Your Highness, just one bite. Please.¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± She picked up a piece of seasoned deodeok, sniffed it, and hesitantly bit down. ¡°Mmh...¡± Her small mouth moved, cheeks puffed out slightly as she chewed. Her other hand rose to cover her lips. Her golden eyes slowly widened, lids lifting involuntarily. ¡°How is it?¡± Asella glanced at Las¡¯s smug face. She didn¡¯t ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) want to answer, but... She closed her eyes and answered curtly. ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Knew it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a flavor I¡¯ve never had before! There¡¯s real depth... What did you use?¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a family secret.¡± Las winked, placing a finger to his lips. Even if she guessed, extracting MSG from sugar beets was something only Las could do. ¡°Hmph, hmm.¡± Asella¡¯s hands began to move faster. Before she realized it, she was sampling all the vegetable dishes, poking around with her fork here and there. And then¡ªfrustration bubbled up. There¡¯s not enough. It wasn¡¯t a full portion¡ªjust tasting sizes. Not nearly satisfying. ¡°These may not all be to your taste, Your Highness¡ª¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Asella turned her head, startled, not realizing Las had moved beside her. A grain of rice clung to her lips. ¡°These are meals for your health. Please think of them as medicine. If you finish them all, dessert awaits.¡± He signaled to the head maid, who brought in another plate. Wait, is that coffee? Asella¡¯s eyes snapped to the cup on the tray. It looked like coffee... but the color was slightly different. And there were dark blobs settled at the bottom. ¡°Oolong bubble tea, with tapioca pearls,¡± Las said confidently. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love it.¡± *** ¡°Physician, I want bubble tea.¡± ¡°You had it yesterday. No.¡± During morning rounds, I denied her flatly, and Asella pouted her lips. Oolong tea was healthier than coffee, but it still contained caffeine. I couldn¡¯t give it to her too often. ¡°Then what are you making for dinner?¡± ¡°Ask the head maid. It¡¯s not my turn today.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Asella¡¯s jaw dropped. A week into her health-focused diet, her appetite had noticeably improved. Maybe that¡¯s why her forehead was looking especially radiant. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you cooking?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m your physician, not a chef? I fell behind on other duties while developing the new system.¡± ¡°What if it tastes bad? I don¡¯t want steak!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be based on menus I designed. I¡¯ve already made enough seasoning.¡± Though I¡¯d check in from time to time, the head maid would be in charge of kitchen operations moving forward. We still needed to use the Imperial Kitchen for premium ingredients, so it couldn¡¯t be avoided. The head chef there was already giving me the stink eye with all the extra traffic, but oh well. It was a win-win¡ªMoonlight Palace had a functioning system now. ¡°Your examination¡¯s done. Bloodwork shows marked improvement in circulation. How¡¯s your spellcasting lately?¡± ¡°Hmm... I do feel like mana flows a little more smoothly.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s keep this up. I¡¯ll see you at dinner.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Asella tugged the hem of my coat. ¡°You¡¯re really not going to make bubble tea again?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll drink coffee.¡± ¡°Go ahead. You remember how badly it turned out when you snuck tapioca into your coffee last time.¡± She narrowed her eyes at my jab. Tapioca pearls and coffee were a terrible match. She¡¯d sabotaged herself. ¡°I¡¯ll pay the price.¡± ¡°One cup, ten thousand gold.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the worst.¡± She thumped my stomach and stood to start her day. Asella¡¯s health diet was a success. At this rate, I could start prepping to relocate my office. There were even rumors that the Emperor would adopt the winner¡¯s methods as standard. The Imperial Kitchen¡¯s overall culinary style might change because of this. As for Simon¡¯s exorcism massage? ...I wasn¡¯t particularly curious. Chapter 74: The Princess鈥檚 Meal (5) The Ilseong Palace, where the First Prince Gunther resided. It was such a plain building that you¡¯d never think it belonged in the imperial palace¡ªalmost as if it reflected Gunther¡¯s personality. ¡ªHyaaaaaaaah!! Lately, with screams echoing every evening, Ilseong Palace had gained the unfortunate reputation of being haunted. ¡°We have safely completed another demon subjugation today. The Goddess¡¯s blessing was with us.¡± As Simon closed the holy book and crossed himself, Gunther, ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? who was lying face down on the bed, reacted violently. ¡°Blessing my ass! My shoulders, my back¡ªthere¡¯s not a single spot that doesn¡¯t hurt!¡± ¡°All health comes at a price. Look, we expelled this much impure energy again today.¡± Simon boasted proudly, holding up a dark lump he had extracted¡ªsomething pulled from Gunther¡¯s very body. And in truth, Gunther couldn¡¯t complain much. His body did feel lighter after receiving Simon¡¯s exorcism massage. The only problem was that Simon¡¯s exorcism technique, tailored for demon subjugation, hurt like hell. Of course, a court physician obeys his lord¡¯s orders. But the timid Gunther was always wary of how others might perceive him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we cut back a little now? It feels like I¡¯m getting these too often...¡± ¡°What are you saying? The day set by His Majesty is almost upon us. To prove Your Highness¡¯s greatness over the Third Princess, we must continue the exorcism treatments.¡± At Simon¡¯s emphatic rebuttal, Gunther shut his mouth. He stood up and asked his secretary: ¡°What¡¯s going on with Moonlight Palace? Do you think I can win?¡± ¡°Well...¡± The secretary, who had been keeping tabs on Moonlight Palace, reported the situation to Gunther. Simon found the report suspicious. ¡°Harmonizing the mana circuits... with food? What kind of unheard-of method is that?¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s showing considerable results.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s effective, how much can it possibly¡ª¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡ªKuguguguung!! Just then, a tremendous rumble shook the windows and Simon¡¯s ears. Startled, he threw open the window¡ªand saw a colossal mountain of ice rising up from the magic training grounds. ¡°What in the world...?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Asella¡¯s magic! She¡¯s way stronger than before! Simon, how the hell are we supposed to beat that?!¡± Gunther stomped his feet in panic. Judging by the surge in her magic, Asella¡¯s mana circuit was clearly far more refined than before. Simon gritted his teeth and immediately turned to leave. ¡°Simon, where are you going?¡± Simon headed straight to the Imperial Clinic, determined to gather all available intel on Gotberg and Moonlight Palace. There¡¯s no way we can win like this. Nervously, Simon gnawed at his fingernails. I already failed to bring the Second Prince¡¯s faction to heel. Falkenhein won¡¯t even listen to a word I say. All of this... was Gunther¡¯s fault. Despite being Crown Prince, Gunther was clueless about imperial politics and had no real power base. As a result, Simon¡¯s own influence at the clinic had naturally diminished. He blamed Gunther for letting Gotberg take Falkenhein away from him. Worse still, Gunther¡¯s frail body couldn¡¯t withstand Simon¡¯s exorcisms for long and screamed like a woman during treatment. If only I were physician to Georg or Heike, I would¡¯ve produced far better results. Gotberg, that demonic bastard... Simon stared blankly at a vial filled with the black miasma he¡¯d extracted from Gunther. Then, as if struck by inspiration, he picked it up and began to chant. Shadow Walk. A stealth technique used to track heretics. Melting into the shadows, Simon slipped away silently¡ªundetected by any eye¡ªas he infiltrated the Imperial Kitchen. The faint scent of cooking oil from the extinguished stoves tickled his nose. He stepped into the pantry, quickly located his target, and pulled back his hood. ¡°Moonlight Palace Exclusive.¡± This must be it. Opening the box revealed high-quality meat, a bounty of vegetables¡ªingredients prepped for tomorrow. Simon uncorked the vial he¡¯d brought. This is the yin energy that Gunther harbored. If she eats food laced with this, the Third Princess¡¯s condition will surely worsen. If Gotberg¡¯s plan failed, then he could claim victory by default. Just as he began to tilt the vial, letting the thick, black liquid drip toward the ingredients¡ª ¡ªClack! ¡°Hmm?!¡± Simon froze as something seized his wrist. He turned to find a grinning face staring back at him. ¡°Brother, no matter how desperate you are, this is a bit much. You do realize this is high treason, right? Attempted assassination of a royal?¡± Las Gotberg popped a lollipop into his mouth, smiling wickedly. ¡°Gotberg... how?!¡± Simon¡¯s stealth was among the best on the continent. There was no reason anyone should¡¯ve known. He¡¯d acted completely alone¡ªno chance of leaked information. ¡°How¡¯d I know? Trade secret.¡± Las casually swiped open his status window as he spoke. Of course, to Simon, the gesture meant nothing. But Las stared at the changing numbers and thought to himself: With probability spikes like these, it was obvious Simon was up to something. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D No. 012: Collapse of the Empire ¨C 24% ¡ú 36% No. 062: Black Plague ¨C 23% ¡ú 62% No. 101: Mana Rampage ¨C 7% ¡ú 34% ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D The Black Plague ending is triggered when Asella releases a deadly epidemic across the continent. If someone injects miasma into the food, it¡¯d naturally lead to that. From bad ending flags alone, Las had deduced Simon¡¯s plan and reached the kitchen just in time. ¡°Gotberg... you damn demon!!¡± Simon sprang to his feet and began casting an exorcism spell. If I take this bastard down, I can still cover this up! A monstrous claw formed over Simon¡¯s left hand as he lunged to smash the spell directly into Las¡¯s face. ¡ªTHUD!! A heavy impact rang out as he was sent flying across the room. Simon¡¯s head plunged into the ingredient box, his body rolling over with a crash. ¡°Do Inquisitors always resort to such brute force?¡± Tanya asked as she extended her sword, having casually swatted Simon aside. ¡°That¡¯s about right.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll keep it in mind moving forward.¡± Tanya nudged Simon¡¯s limp body and confirmed he was unconscious. *** ¡°The Inquisitor Simon has been dismissed. Given his past service, we won¡¯t pursue execution, but he is sentenced to life imprisonment. Thus, the match naturally ends in Lord Gotberg¡¯s victory.¡± On the designated one-month deadline, Ambrosia delivered the Emperor¡¯s decision. ¡°Prince Gunther and Princess Asella¡¯s mana circuits have been fully analyzed. Even if Simon hadn¡¯t pulled that stunt, the victory still overwhelmingly belonged to Moonlight Palace.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sister.¡± ¡°Please continue taking care of the Imperial Clinic.¡± I bowed politely and returned to the clinic. Once past the front gate, turn right and there it is¡ªthe new nameplate. [Gotberg] Ah, that¡¯s more like it. ¡°Welcome, Lord Gotberg!¡± Falkenhein greeted me barefoot at the office entrance. ¡°As expected of you, sir. To make that lunatic Simon self-destruct! And Her Highness¡¯s condition remains stable¡ªwhat a relief.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard as well, Lord Falkenhein.¡± No doubt, the Second Prince¡¯s faction and the entire clinic had their eyes on Simon¡¯s fall. That I managed to claim him wholly for my side was thanks to Falkenhein¡¯s intervention. ¡°We¡¯ve also completed the move.¡± Chloe and Hugo reported. Now that our office was relocated to the first floor, the only one unhappy about it was Tanya. ¡°Well done, everyone. Let¡¯s get back to work with fresh energy.¡± ¡°Doctor, before that, we¡¯ll need some directions here.¡± As Hugo reported and opened the office door, an amusing sight met me. Inside the waiting room, more than a dozen healers stood up and greeted me in unison. ¡°Doctor Gotberg, it¡¯s an honor!¡± ¡°We¡¯d like to formally introduce ourselves!¡± Several familiar faces stood among them. I turned to Hugo, who explained: ¡°They¡¯re healers who applied to join our faction. Some were from the First Princess¡¯s group and used to volunteer with us, some from the Second Prince¡¯s side, and others simply interested in medicine.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I snapped my fingers. ¡°Lord Falkenhein, can I leave training to you?¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± Once the logistics were sorted, I headed to the inner room. I leaned back into a spacious chair and relaxed. *** ¡°Your Majesty, this is the medicinal cuisine personally prepared by Doctor Gotberg.¡± Ambrosia gestured to the array of dishes spread across the Emperor¡¯s table, continuing her explanation. The Emperor examined each dish slowly, sniffing at the aroma, and his lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°Asella is said to be quite fond of this food.¡± ¡°That is correct. In the month since changing her diet, her mana flow has improved by over twenty percent.¡± ¡°Fascinating.¡± ¡°There are also newly formulated tonics prepared especially for Your Majesty. What would you like to do?¡± The Emperor stroked his chin, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try them all.¡± *** It had now been ten months since my faction took root and grew inside the Imperial Clinic. The turning point had been the match with Simon, after which the Emperor began to seriously accept medicine. And when the head of the state shifts course, the current naturally follows. Thanks to that, the Moonlight Palace faction at the clinic now boasted thirty healers, and our operational scope kept expanding. With that expansion, my workload also ballooned¡ªand now, I had one thing I wanted to request of Asella. ¡°I¡¯d like to apply for an extended leave.¡± Asella glanced at the document I offered and made a sour face. ¡°Extended? How long?¡± ¡°A month or so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too long. Denied.¡± As expected, shot down immediately. The Princess had grown even sharper with age. And me? I was the eternal subordinate, so I bowed politely. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s been over a year since I came to the clinic. I believe this is a reasonable request.¡± ¡°No means no.¡± ¡°I told you from the beginning¡ªI have obligations to my family. And you said you understood.¡± ¡°...Still no.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just keep saying no without giving a reason.¡± ¡°I can. I¡¯m a princess.¡± ¡°Wow. Seriously.¡± ¡°Seriously what? Go on, say it.¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± There¡¯s no point arguing. I¡¯d just end up in a cell. I had to find a compromise. The reason for my leave wasn¡¯t anything special. My father and Neria had contacted me. The pharmaceutical factory was finally taking shape. Since it was still in the early stages, I needed to check on it in person. ¡°Where exactly are you going?¡± ¡°The Gotberg marquisate.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Asella fell silent in thought¡ªthen suddenly asked something strange. ¡°Are the yellow roses blooming?¡± ¡°Given the season, I doubt it. But we do cultivate golden roses year-round. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Asella toyed with the page of her magic tome for a moment¡ªthen slapped the book shut. ¡°If I¡¯m going with you, I¡¯ll approve it.¡± Yeah, I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t. If Asella¡¯s coming, it¡¯s not a vacation. It¡¯s work. So this is how junior employees must feel when their boss drags them on a weekend hike. ¡°Lucie, prepare the arrangements.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± My will had nothing to do with it anymore. The decision had already been made. Truly, being a royal court physician is the ultimate hardship post. Chapter 75: Thousand-Mile Eyes ¡ªFwaaaah! A flood of brilliant golden light filled the entire training ground. The magic circle drawn by Asella filled the sky and spun with violent force. Before anyone had noticed, gray clouds had gathered above¡ªand then shhhh!¡ªa blizzard began to pour down. Asella, having successfully completed the incantation, swung her staff to disperse the storm. ¡°Hoo...¡± It was a difficult spell, and it had consumed a great deal of mana. Asella wiped the sweat from her brow and caught her breath. ¡°Your Blizzard incantation is perfect now. I¡¯d say you¡¯ve reached the Fifth Circle with no issue.¡± Seymour chuckled, flicking his beard. ¡°Really? There wasn¡¯t anything lacking?¡± ¡°Mm. From here on, it¡¯s just repetition and practice. I¡¯ve nothing more to teach you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still a long way off, though.¡± Magic was the one field in which Asella showed humility. Seymour, her teacher, was a Sage¡ªsomeone who had reached the Seventh Circle, a historical figure who¡¯d carved his name into human history. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It might seem like just a single digit, but the difference between each magic tier was astronomical. To advance from the Fifth to the Sixth Circle required more than double the effort and experience it took to go from the First to the Fifth. And the same held true for the Sixth to the Seventh. There was no end to the path of magic. ¡°I mean it. There¡¯s truly nothing left for me to teach you.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Asella felt something off in Seymour¡¯s tone¡ªit wasn¡¯t like his usual self. ¡°Asella, your specialties¡ªspace-time and ice magic¡ªaren¡¯t mine. You know this already, but among high-ranking mages, unless you share blood, you can¡¯t properly teach the same elemental affinity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true... The structure of our innate mana circuits is different.¡± ¡°If I continue to instruct you beyond this point, it won¡¯t have the dramatic impact it once did. I stayed in the Imperial Palace all this time only because I owed a debt to the Emperor¡ªfrom the war, twenty years ago.¡± Seymour nodded as he spoke. ¡°I repaid that debt long ago, but I stuck around too long just because I found you interesting.¡± He added, chuckling again, that teaching spells to ¡°that Gotberg kid¡± had been fun too. ¡°Then... you''re leaving the Imperial Palace?¡± ¡°I must begin developing my own magic again. That is the purpose of a mage¡¯s life.¡± Asella fully understood his reasoning. ¡°Do you have one last question for me?¡± Asella bit her lip. There were mountains of things she¡¯d want to ask him in the future. But at her current level, she didn¡¯t even know what to ask yet. ¡°Please watch my magic one more time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± Asella steadied her breathing. She circulated mana through her circuits, focused it into her staff, and drew her formation. ¡°Clairvoyant Eye.¡± ¡ªFwaah! Asella¡¯s vision and senses shifted drastically. She¡¯d cast Clairvoyant Eye many times now. Whenever she had mana to spare, she practiced it constantly. She¡¯d gathered a fair number of clues about the imperial family over time. Most were useless in the current moment, so the accuracy rate had been low. Still, what pleased her most was that in every future she saw¡ªshe was always the Emperor. Let¡¯s see where I end up this time. Her vision shifted. The next moment, Asella was in an office. She recognized it¡ªit was the Heavenly Imperial Palace, the Emperor¡¯s office. She was receiving a report via crystal orb from a secretary. A projection streamed from the orb. An adventurer party? She saw a warrior woman swinging her sword at the front of the group. She was cloaked in a divine aura, and the weapon in her hand was unmistakably a holy sword. A Hero. Asella instantly discerned her identity. The Hero will appear soon. This was a huge discovery. Even in visions of the future, people who exist don¡¯t simply vanish. A Hero-level individual was bound to emerge in the world¡ªit was inevitable. If Asella could recruit her into Moonlight Palace¡¯s ranks first, it would be an immense advantage. The Hero was flanked by a warrior, a mage, a healer, and a saintess¡ªall battling demons together. A classic Hero¡¯s party. Hm? At the rear of the formation, a healer was casting spells while engaged in fierce combat with the demons. And Asella found the healer¡¯s face... familiar. Las? Las Gotberg was there. And the Saintess... was his younger sister, Neria Gotberg. Strangely enough, they didn¡¯t look all that different from now. In fact, they looked younger than they had at the social banquet. Why is Las there? Asella didn¡¯t have the answer. But since Neria had been chosen as the Saintess, it was clearly a future that did not follow directly from the present. ¡ªKuh! Las was struck by a demon and went rolling across the ground. Her heart sank¡ªbut only briefly. Watching him dart around the battlefield like a seasoned adventurer while casting healing spells calmed her. ¡ªUgh, damn it, this thing¡¯s slow as hell! Then, in frustration, he smacked his holy text. Seeing that ridiculous scene, Asella laughed inwardly. If I don¡¯t raise him right, he¡¯ll just suffer endlessly. A slow-burning sense of satisfaction welled up in her. ¡ªLas, over here! But the next scene irked her a bit. The Hero cut down the demons around Las with an elegant slash. ¡ªYou okay, Las? ¡ªThanks to you. You¡¯re always so dependable. The Hero helped Las up and gave him an encouraging smile. They slung their arms around each other like best friends, supporting one another. In that deadly, high-stakes battlefield, they called each other by name and trusted one another with their lives. They were comrades, yes¡ªbut still. The Hero¡¯s a woman. Asella¡¯s concentration wavered as her annoyance flared. Ugh. Her vision distorted. In the final moment, she saw herself scribbling something onto a sheet of paper while looking at the crystal orb. She instinctively knew it was important¡ªshe wanted to check what it was¡ªbut whoosh, her vision went dark. The scene changed. ¡°His Majesty has collapsed!¡± ¡°Where is the court physician?!¡± Still the Heavenly Imperial Palace. The red tones in the background told her it was during the current Emperor¡¯s reign. This is before I became Emperor. Is this when Father is assassinated? Asella estimated the vision to be several years in the future. Ambrosia stepped out of the Emperor¡¯s bedroom. ¡°He is critical. We need more top-tier healers.¡± A young court physician made a suggestion. ¡°What about the Marquis of Gotberg? Outside the clinic, he¡¯s the only healer who comes to mind.¡± ¡°He¡¯s also the father of a Saintess candidate.¡± The discussion began to shift toward summoning the Marquis of Gotberg. There happened to be a teleport gate at the Gotberg estate. In a crisis like this, the marquis could arrive in seconds. So Father dies here. Someone exploits his condition to carry out the assassination. That¡¯s why the Marquis of Gotberg gets implicated. Her viewpoint shifted toward one of the court physicians. The long-haired man who¡¯d first mentioned Gotberg. I don¡¯t recognize him. Was there ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) someone like that in the clinic? The fact that she was focusing on him now meant he was a singularity. Those executed for treason were the court physicians and the Marquis. But this man wasn¡¯t among them. There would definitely be a conspiracy during the Emperor¡¯s treatment. And if someone is pulling the strings, it¡¯s probably the man Asella was now watching. Wait. Las isn¡¯t here. This wasn¡¯t a direct future from the current timeline either. But if the same scenario played out in her present reality¡ª Then Las might be the one summoned instead of the marquis. And if that happened, he¡¯d be blamed for assassinating the Emperor. Hmm. Asella felt like she¡¯d just fastened a collar around Las¡¯s neck. There¡¯s no way Las would ever see this coming. If she didn¡¯t tell him this, he was as good as dead. Even if he survived, he¡¯d be branded a commoner and dragged to the frontlines of some battlefield. He really was the kind of man who¡¯d fall apart without her. His family would be destroyed, and he¡¯d be ruined. This was incredible information¡ªa massive bargaining chip. Maybe I can trade it for something good. Her irritation over the Hero¡¯s scene faded a little. Asella¡¯s vision whooshed! back to the present. ¡°A flawless casting. What did you see?¡± Seymour praised her use of Clairvoyant Eye. Asella smiled slightly. ¡°I found a lead.¡± ¡°Ho ho, watching you cast confirms I was right about you.¡± ¡°But Master...¡± Asella bit her lip. ¡°My Clairvoyant Eye isn¡¯t perfect. I can¡¯t choose the timeframe, and I can only see scenes from inside the imperial palace.¡± ¡°Improving your mastery is something only you can do. No one else can help you with that.¡± Seymour leaned down to meet her gaze. ¡°They say the visions change depending on where you cast it from. You might want to try using it outside the palace sometime.¡± ¡°Outside the palace...¡± Asella nodded at his final piece of advice. ¡°If we meet again, you¡¯ll surely have become a Great Mage. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± With that, Seymour handed her a small ornate box. ¡°Master, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Open it when you need magical aid. You¡¯ll have to use it with your betrothed.¡± That day¡¯s lesson ended, and Seymour vanished from the palace without a trace or regret. Outside the palace... In her newly arranged office, Asella flipped through reports. She picked up a file detailing another faction¡¯s movements. [First Princess Faction ¨C Barbarian Subjugation Campaign] ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m here to submit a request for extended leave.¡± Right then, Las appeared with his vacation request in hand¡ª And Asella immediately finalized her own outing plan. *** ¡°Welcome home, brother!¡± As I stepped out of the teleport gate, Neria greeted me with a beaming smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Las. I¡¯m glad to see you looking well.¡± After reporting my return to Father, I turned¡ªand of course, a VIP arrived alongside me. None other than Asella. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you again. Thank you for once again visiting our domain, Your Highness.¡± Father gave her a formal bow. I also had to greet her as a subject of Gotberg. ¡°I accept your welcome. I¡¯ll walk your lands for a while, Marquis Gotberg.¡± Unlike her first visit last year, Asella walked with confident, dignified steps. As she reached me, she turned her head slightly to glance at Neria. ¡°Still haven¡¯t grown much, have you?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Without answering Neria¡¯s puzzled look, Asella clicked forward down the path. ¡°Las, Her Highness is radiating even more presence than before.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Maybe she¡¯d gotten a little taller. She exuded far more confidence. Though I still felt a disconnect, she was becoming more and more like the Emperor Asella I once knew. ¡°You don¡¯t need a guide through the mansion, right?¡± ¡°Well... I wouldn¡¯t mind taking another look around.¡± I escorted her like a handmaid through the estate. At the entrance, Sivers bowed his head. He seemed genuinely happy to see me after so long¡ªbut he kept his emotions in check in front of the princess. The head maid relayed Sivers¡¯s report to Asella. ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve prepared your room in the main residence. Please rest there first.¡± It was probably the same room as last time. But Asella lifted her chin in disapproval. ¡°Why did you prepare a room?¡± ¡°Ah, because you¡¯ll need a place to stay during your time at the marquisate...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay in Las¡¯s room.¡± ...What? What the hell did she just say? Everyone had a different reaction to her bombshell. The head maid looked visibly flustered. Father¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. Sivers clasped his hands together and squirmed in giddy excitement. Neria covered her mouth with both hands and whispered, ¡°Brother... you¡¯re amazing...¡± I didn¡¯t know what that was supposed to mean. But one thing was certain¡ªthis vacation would be anything but relaxing. Chapter 76: Collateral of the Body (1) "It''s still a cramped little room, even now that I''m back." Asella complained the moment she stepped into my room. If she was going to grumble, she should¡¯ve just used the room that was provided. Why did she have to bother me like this? Her attendants and knight escort came pouring in after her, and I couldn¡¯t even take off my coat. Not being in my physician¡¯s gown was the last shred of pride I had left. Under the command of the head maid, my room was instantly refurnished to accommodate Asella¡¯s stay. They even set up a curtain between our areas. This is my room. After everyone else left, I finally voiced my complaint. ¡°Did you really have to stay here?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to sleep together anyway. It¡¯s more annoying to move back and forth every night. And it¡¯s not like we¡¯re next door like at Moonlight Palace.¡± ¡°You should endure that much, at least.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You don¡¯t have to come to my room in your pajamas every night anymore.¡± ¡°Oh, I was the one going? Of course, you''re right. Thank you for your consideration.¡± ¡°Feels nice to be appreciated, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Asella grinned at me like a mischievous imp. She looked so pleased already¡ªno need to provoke her. I smiled back like an idiot. ¡°Then let¡¯s go take a walk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on vacation. Can I catch up on some sleep first?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve stationed a nurse outside. If something happens, have her check you.¡± Since I was officially on leave, I¡¯d summoned Chloe for a house call. She¡¯d be handling Asella¡¯s checkups in the meantime. Hugo was still buried in the Imperial Clinic, neck-deep in curse research. Looked like he was about to publish a thesis. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I meant me. I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Your Highness. Maybe... practice magic?¡± Asella pressed her lips into a flat line, clearly displeased with my answer. ¡°I said I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°Then look around the mansion. You said you wanted to see it again.¡± ¡°Hah, really. You¡¯re supposed to show me around. It¡¯s a vassal¡¯s duty to entertain their lord.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only while on duty, though?¡± ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable.¡± Asella grumbled, but I wasn¡¯t backing down either. It was my first vacation in nearly a year and a half. I¡¯d barely made it back home. I was going to collapse on my bed and take a proper nap. And more importantly, this was the Gotberg estate. My home turf. I might even be stronger than Asella h¡ªwho knows. ¡°...Fine.¡± Eventually, Asella backed off. She must¡¯ve figured pushing any harder would be fruitless. If she made a wrong move and I never got another vacation, that¡¯d be a disaster in itself. Thank goodness she accepted it. She walked lightly over to my bed, sat at the edge, and patted the blanket. ¡°Come sleep. But only for one hour.¡± ¡°I was thinking six.¡± ¡°Ridiculous. That¡¯s not a nap. One and a half.¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°Two. That¡¯s final.¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Fine by me.¡± I¡¯d planned on two hours anyway. Anything more and I¡¯d wake up on my own. It was a flawless victory. I happily took off my coat and dove into bed in just my shirt and pants. Slipping under the blanket, I felt the cool, soft weight of the down comforter. This is it. As soon as I closed my eyes, I heard a faint rustle. Asella must¡¯ve repositioned herself near my shoulder. Peeking through barely opened eyes, I saw her cupping her mouth, stifling a laugh as she stared at me. Glad she found something amusing. ¡°Las, enjoy this while you can.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I replied without opening my eyes, and Asella whispered back. ¡°Someday, you¡¯ll be on your knees clutching the hem of my dress, begging me to help you just once.¡± As if she¡¯s the type to help if I did beg. She really had the personality of a monarch. She enjoyed standing above others and played the part well. A strength, if anything. ¡°...Why aren¡¯t you reacting?¡± It¡¯d be nice if she didn¡¯t randomly fondle my ear like this. *** Thanks to that rare midday nap, my fatigue had lifted. During lunch with Asella and Neria, my father finally brought up what he really wanted to say. He asked me to visit the construction site of the new pharmaceutical factory and offer my input. Even with my formulas, the factory wouldn¡¯t run smoothly without my expertise. This was the main reason for my vacation anyway, so I agreed without hesitation. And of course, Asella tagged along. ¡°Ohh, so this is what it looks like.¡± She made a casual comment upon arriving at the site. South-east of the Gotberg estate, a short carriage ride brought us to a riverside plot undergoing foundational work. Clean water is critical when making medicine. Choosing an upstream location had been wise. While Father and Neria circled the site with Asella, he leaned in and whispered to me. ¡°By the way, Las... have you and Her Highness already started... sharing a bed?¡± ¡°Yes. Due to a few overlapping circumstances.¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± Father rested his chin on his hand and whispered again. ¡°I won¡¯t oppose your decision, but if a child comes before she¡¯s of age, that¡¯ll be trouble. I had you at the exact same age, so I know firsthand.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a blessing, obviously, but Asella hasn¡¯t had her coming-of-age ceremony yet. Maybe slow down a bit. I¡¯m not quite ready to be called Grandpa.¡± ¡°Father, I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something. Can we continue discussing the site, please?¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± I had to cut him off. He was clearly under the wrong impression. ¡°We¡¯re also building a training facility for apothecaries right next to the plant.¡± He pointed toward a building going up to the south. Its layout resembled that of a healer academy. ¡°What about the current apothecary trainees?¡± ¡°They¡¯re being trained at the Healers¡¯ Academy, but progress is slow. Not enough instructors. They¡¯re still struggling to grasp the materials you sent.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll dispatch some healers from the Imperial Clinic. We¡¯ve nearly finished training ours¡ªshould be effective teachers.¡± ¡°Hmm. I looked over the materials too. Bit complicated, honestly. Might take two years before we¡¯ve got decent apothecaries.¡± ¡°The factory won¡¯t be complete before then anyway. This is a long-term legacy project. No need to rush. Now¡¯s the time to prepare thoroughly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Las. However...¡± He trailed off, scratching his chin. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Funding, brother.¡± Neria showed me the documents. ¡°If we¡¯re aiming for real profits in three years, we¡¯ll have to burn through coin until then. Construction, training, and later, trade guild contracts...¡± ¡°All this costs that much?¡± The scale of the project was bigger than I expected. Thinking back, the factory site had seemed rather large. I¡¯d imagined a tiny workshop with a few apothecaries mixing pills by hand. The factory was easily the size of a football field. ¡°Early dominance is key in business. If medicine becomes widespread, bigger capital will swoop in. We need to go big first.¡± Neria said confidently. She really did have a broader perspective than most. Maybe because she was once on track to become a saint who could embrace all of the Empire. ¡°But that also raises the risk. What if the medicine doesn¡¯t catch on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your medicine, brother. Everyone will love it!¡± Neria clenched her fists, her big eyes sparkling. It was nice to be trusted, but the weight of that trust was heavy. Well, I need the achievements anyway. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡¤ Good Ending ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö, ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö at 14% ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö at 0% ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} at 0% ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡¤ ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö at 0.1% ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D The probability of a good ending was slowly creeping upward. Meaning I¡¯d been steadily accumulating achievements. The bottom two still hadn¡¯t changed. Maybe those endings could only trigger if I chose a profession other than physician. For all intents and purposes, I had one good ending path. Achieve great things as a doctor. Erase the bad endings. Claim the reward. Spreading medicine to the public was part of that path. So getting my medicine accepted by the masses was inevitable. ...Still, I had no idea what that last one was. I gave Neria a light pat on the back and answered. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Heheh! I know you will, brother!¡± Her encouragement was energizing. ¡°Las, the money¡¯s a real issue, though.¡± ¡°For now? But didn¡¯t we get an investment from Moonlight Palace? We even signed a contract.¡± Asella held a stake equivalent to 2,000 gold coins in Gotberg Pharmaceuticals. It was calculated based on her share of the initial funding. Once profits came in, that percentage would go to Moonlight Palace. The contract would expire in five years unless renewed, and if I just returned the original investment, it¡¯d be void. ¡°Marquis, what¡¯s the problem then? You got a whole 2,000. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re already out of liquid gold.¡± Hearing the situation, Asella questioned him. Father replied awkwardly. ¡°Well, the estimated startup cost for the first three years is 20,000.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± We both stared at him, mouths agape. ¡°Are you building a 20-story hotel in the middle of the capital?¡± ¡°It just kind of ended up that way.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re completely broke?¡± ¡°Pretty much. We¡¯ve already poured in all surplus family funds.¡± ¡°We even took out an additional loan.¡± Neria added. ¡°A loan? From where?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Father scratched his head. ¡°Recently, Duke Schwarzschweik of the West dropped by. Said he owed you a great debt, Las, and lent us 10,000 gold¡ªno interest, no due date.¡± ¡°...What did you say?¡± That would be the western duke I¡¯d saved with an antidote. His duchy was strong enough to be virtually independent, only held in check by the imperial family. He probably dropped in to make nice, heard the story, and inserted himself. ¡°Father, no way that kind of money changed hands between houses with no strings attached.¡± ¡°Well, sure, but there¡¯s no harm in being friendly with a ducal house, is there?¡± ¡°Was expanding the project his idea, too?¡± ¡°Hmm... now that you mention it, yes. Actually, it was his daughter¡¯s suggestion.¡± ¡°Oh, for the love of¡ª¡± I rubbed my forehead on instinct. No wonder the scale felt off for a Gotberg initiative. Now I was certain. Just like how he got tricked into marrying me off to Asella thanks to Camilla, Father should never be allowed near politics or business. How the Gotberg territory had survived in the Empire this long was a mystery. Maybe because the North was so isolated and peaceful. Step one foot out, and the rest of the Empire was a wild savanna of schemes and betrayal. ¡°She¡¯s staying at our estate, actually. Why don¡¯t you go talk to her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s here? And you¡¯re just now telling me?¡± ¡°I am telling you, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to lose it.¡± This venture had to stay a Gotberg family business. If the ducal house joined without a proper contract, we might not even break even. The daughter¡¯s presence here was clearly to observe whether her investment would yield returns. There¡¯s no way this was pure goodwill. ¡°Father, are you absolutely sure the Duke said no interest, no deadline?¡± ¡°Positive. Oh, she did mention one condition.¡± And why are you bringing that up only now. ¡°What condition?¡± ¡°She asked to be introduced to you. Just for friendship, you know?¡± ¡°Las, this is...¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m the collateral.¡± Father! What kind of deal did you go and make?! I immediately returned to the manor to find the young lady. She was sipping tea in the East Wing courtyard, and the moment Asella and I arrived, she stood and greeted us politely. ¡°I thought you might be stopping by soon. An honor to meet you again, Your Highness.¡± Asella stepped forward, crossed her arms, and spoke with irritation. ¡°So the Duke¡¯s daughter had the imperial princess come to her instead of going out to greet her?¡± ¡°Oh dear, please forgive such a minor lapse in etiquette. I simply thought it would be impolite to impose on someone as exalted as Your Highness with the presence of a lowborn like myself.¡± When the young lady lifted her head, the deep neckline of her dress and the glittering jewelry became immediately noticeable. She had the figure to pull off that kind of outfit. Then she turned to me with a bright smile, skipped over, and took my arm. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to see you again, Doctor Gotberg. It¡¯s the first time since that palace banquet, isn¡¯t it? I really wanted to thank you for saving my father.¡± She gave me a sidelong glance, her eyes sparkling. ¡°My name¡¯s Freda. I¡¯ve heard so much about you from Lauga.¡± She caressed my arm and brushed her lips lightly. ¡°I¡¯d love to speak with you personally sometime... Are you free?¡± [No. 077 : Avatar of Jealousy 14% ¡ú 92%] When I turned to Asella, her eyes alone looked ready to incinerate both me and Freda where we stood. Chapter 77: Collateral of the Body (2) Even under the flawless sunlight, it felt like I was stumbling through storm clouds. Understandable, since Asella was shooting daggers at me from across the tea table. The person I was supposed to be talking to was the noble lady, Freda, but she hadn¡¯t sat across from me¡ªshe¡¯d dragged her chair right up next to mine. Too close, woman. Freda sniffled delicately and said, ¡°I still can¡¯t forget how you saved my father¡¯s life. He¡¯s such a wonderful man. I can¡¯t even imagine how I would¡¯ve gone on without him.¡± She¡¯d do just fine without the Duke. In the future, Freda inherited her father¡¯s title and ruled the West as Grand Duke. While the Duke had lost influence after Asella¡¯s coronation, Freda had gotten along well with Emperor Asella and rebuilt the duchy¡¯s power. I hadn¡¯t dealt with Freda directly in the previous timeline, so I didn¡¯t know her well. Only vaguely heard of her as ¡°the Mad Dog of the West.¡± ¡°I wanted to thank you right away, but both you and Her Highness had such major things going on that day. I had to leave the palace before we could meet. I¡¯m just so happy we finally did.¡± She smiled sweetly, like a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To me, it tasted like muddy water. [No. 077 : Avatar of Jealousy 92% ¡ú 94%] There it goes again. I glanced over¡ªher golden mana was flaring so hard, it looked ready to consume her entire sclera. The Avatar of Jealousy bad ending triggers if I betray Asella... or so I believe. Maybe she instinctively sensed that Freda was a powerhouse and felt threatened. It had been the same when Heike¡¯s faction offered to recruit me. I suppose it¡¯s understandable she thinks I might be tempted by the ducal house. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Moonlight Palace may be imperial property, but it had been run by Camilla until recently, so it lacked real substance. Only now, with power transferred to Asella, was it starting to gain momentum. Two thousand gold coins was a staggering sum¡ªsomething even a royal physician like me would have to work a lifetime to earn¡ªbut it was also the most Asella could offer. Meanwhile, the duchy casually tossed out ten thousand. No interest, no contract. And now, apparently, they were aiming for me directly. The ducal house clearly understood that my medicine and techniques were the core of this project. This could be bait to lure me away. Of course Asella might feel threatened. But does she really think I¡¯d betray her over money? I didn¡¯t know what was truly in her heart, but if that was it... ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) I¡¯d be a little disappointed. I¡¯ve shown her plenty of loyalty. Still, it¡¯s a shame to just turn down the ducal money outright. Neria had said it was important to build a strong foundation for the factory. She was right. Without funds, construction would grind to a halt. I decided to talk to Freda directly. ¡°Lady Freda, if you mean what happened at the palace banquet, your sentiment was more than enough. Please, don¡¯t let it weigh on you.¡± ¡°How could I wash my hands of it with just words? I¡¯m a woman of principle, you know?¡± ¡°I understand. I was honored to be able to help someone as admirable as the Duke. But the generosity your house has already shown is more than sufficient.¡± ¡°Oh dear, now that sounds a little cold. Are you drawing a line with me, Doctor?¡± Freda¡¯s eyes narrowed. Why? Because if I don¡¯t, Asella¡¯s going to kill me. Though that wasn¡¯t the only reason. Without a written contract, the ducal house could later use this initial investment to interfere in our family¡¯s business. That¡¯d be a persistent headache. I had two choices. One: draft a proper contract with them. Two: return the 10,000 gold and pretend none of it ever happened. The second option wasn¡¯t feasible right now, and it could damage relations with the duchy. Best avoided. So what I needed was documentation. I smiled lightly and said, ¡°Draw a line? Not at all. I just worry that your generous gift might end up being a burden.¡± ¡°Hehe, that much gold is just a proper donation. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an enormous sum. Just in case, why not write up a receipt or declaration of terms ahead of time?¡± Freda¡¯s expression cooled slightly. She wasn¡¯t stupid¡ªshe understood what I was really saying. A written document meant I intended to repay the ten thousand gold. And someone like Freda could easily read between the lines: it also meant don¡¯t meddle further in our business. ¡°Doctor, I know a way we wouldn¡¯t need such a silly piece of paper.¡± Then Freda offered a third option. She gently placed her hand over mine on the table. ¡°Hah, what are you¡ª¡± I didn¡¯t even need to turn around. Asella¡¯s fury was radiating so hot it could melt steel. Freda purred softly, ¡°If the ducal and marquis households were bound by blood, we wouldn¡¯t need documentation for little things like money or business, would we?¡± Clatter! Asella shoved back her chair and shot to her feet. Freda looked at her with open amusement, stifling giggles. [No. 077 : Avatar of Jealousy 94% ¡ú 98%] We were approaching the limit. I had to defuse this somehow. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know Lady Freda had a younger brother. But my sister Neria is still too young to be matched.¡± ¡°Really now, Doctor? You¡¯re still going to pretend not to know?¡± Freda leaned in under my gaze, looking up at me. Her deep neckline cast shadow over her cleavage, making it impossible to ignore. Of course, I understood what she really meant. She wanted to tie me to the ducal house through a political marriage, then claim my medical expertise as their own. Even knowing full well I was engaged to Asella, she had no hesitation about picking a fight with an imperial princess. Now I see why she was called the Mad Dog. ¡°Lady Freda, you¡¯d better think very carefully about what you say next.¡± Asella said in a low voice. Freda, who¡¯d been half-dismissive of her till now, answered provocatively. ¡°Why are you so worked up, Your Highness? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m hitting on someone who¡¯s taken. Everyone knows Doctor Gotberg and the Third Princess are only engaged for business reasons.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying, am I? Ask around. People even say Your Highness spread rumors that the Doctor was a scoundrel just to keep other girls away.¡± Freda Schwarzschweik, indeed. The woman destined to rule a duchy was just as fierce as Asella. Asella might have a higher formal rank, but in social terms, the two were effectively equals. And she didn¡¯t flinch at all before Asella¡ªshe acted exactly as she pleased. In the future, the two of them would even share drinks... but this first encounter was already a disaster. And I was the one getting crushed between these two titans. ¡°So you¡¯ve chosen war, Schwarzschweik.¡± ¡°If you keep getting mad like that, it¡¯ll ruin your skin. Men don¡¯t like that, you know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll never have the chance to see my flawless skin.¡± Mana swirled visibly in Asella¡¯s eyes. She¡¯d reached her limit. Looked like she was ready to cast a spell right then and there. Just as I stood to intervene¡ª ¡°Hh-hheh-choo!¡± Asella sneezed. She sniffled, her face turning red in embarrassment for showing weakness in front of an enemy. Guess the air¡¯s getting cold again. It was that season already¡ªespecially up north. I took off my coat and draped it over her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ve been out in the chill too long. You¡¯ll catch a cold. Let¡¯s head inside.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done with this temptress yet.¡± ¡°Your Highness, what about your physician¡¯s orders?¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± Asella glared daggers at Freda but grudgingly gave in. I rubbed her arm to help her warm up a bit, and she finally calmed down. For some reason, Freda also seemed to have lost her smugness. ¡°Hmph. The imperial princess must be so delicate she can¡¯t even handle this light chill. What¡¯ll you do if you always need your doctor around? Maybe try working out a bit?¡± Freda crossed her long, shapely legs the opposite way, flaunting them. Still provoking to the end. And it was me who¡¯d end up dealing with Asella¡¯s stress later. Though Freda herself lived in a much hotter region. But Asella didn¡¯t lash out as I expected. Instead, she let out a leisurely scoff. ¡°You think you can seduce the Doctor with just that?¡± ¡°That? Compared to Your Highness, I¡¯d say...¡± ¡°See you later. We¡¯ll find out who wins.¡± Asella lifted her chin and strode toward the terrace. I motioned to Freda to stop provoking her and followed after Asella. As we walked the corridor, Asella spoke. ¡°Doctor, do you think that plump girl is prettier than me?¡± Huh. Of all the things we could talk about right now, that was what she led with? So she really couldn¡¯t tolerate even a scratch to her pride in her looks. Sure, Freda was more feminine for now, but I knew well what Asella would become. ¡°Of course not, Your Highness. You hold a beauty unmatched under the heavens. None could ever compare.¡± ¡°Hmph. Of course.¡± She seemed moderately satisfied with my answer. ¡°Freda has a good head for business. She¡¯s probably eyeing our pharmaceutical factory and wants in. I figured she might use the Duke¡¯s initial investment to start interfering, so I planned to pin it down with documents.¡± To that, Asella parted her lips in slight surprise. ¡°Wait¡ªyou didn¡¯t know what I meant?¡± ¡°I knew. I¡¯m just surprised you¡¯re even more of a fool than I thought.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Hmm... then how did you interpret Freda¡¯s proposal for a marriage alliance?¡± ¡°She said it was a business arrangement. That¡¯s what I assumed she meant.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even consider accepting?¡± ¡°I have Your Highness. Why would I?¡± I¡¯ve got enough trouble already¡ªwhy add more? Even if she offered a hundred thousand gold, I¡¯d still decline. ¡°Hmph. H-hmph.¡± Hearing that, Asella pressed her lips together like she was trying to hold back a smile. [No. 077 : Avatar of Jealousy 98% ¡ú 22%] Thankfully, the probability dropped a fair bit. Still not back to normal, but at least it didn¡¯t explode. Let¡¯s count it as a win. ¡°That girl is stubborn. She¡¯s going to be a pain. Honestly, I¡¯d like to hold her accountable for meddling in the early stages of our business.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s make her pay.¡± ¡°You have a plan?¡± ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Asella grinned devilishly and pulled out a notebook and quill from her sleeve. ¡°You carry a notebook?¡± ¡°Yup. Yours looked handy.¡± She began writing in it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Tattling to her dad.¡± ...Huh? ¡°You mean His Majesty? Over this?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Asella chuckled, clearly in a better mood now. ¡°To her dad.¡± Chapter 78: Collateral of the Body (3) "¡ªFreda! You¡¯re still at the Marquisate? What in the world is going on? Weren¡¯t you supposed to leave for the capital with the Second Princess? I heard you¡¯re causing trouble, using the gold coins I gave to the Marquis as leverage!" ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not like that...¡± Freda sat demurely in front of the crystal orb, now completely shriveled like a scolded child. Since this wasn¡¯t a high-end two-way communication but a recorded message, the fact that she cowered like that meant the Duke must be seriously strict. "¡ªThe Third Princess herself sent me a letter. I went through all the trouble of establishing friendly relations with Moonlight Palace, and now you¡¯re going to ruin everything over a measly ten thousand gold coins? Return home immediately!" Pop. The projection ended, and Freda pouted. Asella had sent a top-grade messenger falcon to the Duke with a report on what was happening at the Marquisate. Though she used refined wording, the message essentially boiled down to: "Your daughter is hitting on my fianc¨¦. Do you not have any sense of decorum?" Three days later, Asella received a reply filled with apologies, and Freda must have gotten a message too. I¡¯d been keeping watch on her ever since she ran out in the middle of breakfast. ¡°See? I told you I was right.¡± Asella declared triumphantly. ¡°So the young lady really did act on her own, without the Duke¡¯s knowledge. How did you know?¡± ¡°As the mistress of Moonlight Palace, I¡¯ve been in communication with the Duke. He¡¯s not the kind of man who would intentionally create a situation that puts you, his benefactor, in trouble.¡± So she¡¯d already finished politically profiling the Duke. As expected of Asella. ¡°Besides, the Duke is waiting on the delivery of medicine for his knights. The ten thousand gold coins were an advance. Making me unhappy would only devalue that advance¡ªhe has no reason to do so.¡± ¡°Wise as always.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Freda, thoroughly scolded by the Duke, trudged toward us like a defeated soldier. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize His Highness cherished his physician this much. I¡¯ve been insensitive. I apologize.¡± ¡°If you get it now, then go. We¡¯ve no further business.¡± ¡°How heartless. Poor doctor, though. You¡¯ve really gotten on Her Highness¡¯s bad side.¡± ¡°Are you saying I should feel bad for him? Ahaha.¡± Perhaps because she¡¯d already claimed victory, Asella radiated confidence. ¡°Foolishness and boldness often go hand in hand. Young lady, you will never lay eyes upon my ¡®scenery.¡¯¡± ¡°What the heck is that supposed to mean?¡± Freda grumbled, gave Asella a curt bow, and spun on her heel. Her attendant and bodyguard followed her. Honestly, I was just grateful she was leaving quietly from the Marquisate. In the end, this was a better outcome than drafting a contract¡ªso long as Freda was out of the way, I could freely use the ten thousand gold coins however I wanted. ¡°Young Lord, we¡¯ll still need another eight thousand.¡± ¡°According to the plan, yes. It¡¯ll be used gradually over three years, so there¡¯s no need to rush the funding.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare it. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Asella declared confidently. I had to admit¡ªit was reassuring. ¡°Oh, Lady Freda. Are you returning home now?¡± My father, passing by with Neria, spotted Freda and addressed her. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m heading back to the Ducal estate. I¡¯ve caused enough trouble.¡± ¡°Not at all. It was an honor to host someone of such refinement. ...Hm? Are those tears in your eyes? If you¡¯ll allow me, please use this.¡± Father offered her his handkerchief. Freda paused, then slowly accepted it. ¡°Thanks to your kindness, I leave with nothing but fond memories. Now that I think of it, the only reason I was able to stay here comfortably was because you looked after me so thoughtfully.¡± ¡°It was only proper hospitality for a guest of your standing.¡± ¡°You truly know how to make someone feel welcome. By the way, Marquess Gotberg¡ªif I may ask, I believe your wife passed away?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. She grew weak after giving birth to our son.¡± ¡°Oh, how very tragic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. It was long ago.¡± Freda stepped closer and lightly brushed his arm. Uh-oh. This vibe is definitely heading in the wrong direction. ¡°Young Lord, are you really going to just watch that?¡± ¡°No. Absolutely not.¡± If it got any worse, I was ready to step in and physically kick her out. I rolled up my sleeves. Freda looked up at my father with dewy eyes. ¡°It must be difficult managing everything alone. You¡¯ve got the vast Marquessate to oversee, a training center to run, and two children to raise.¡± ¡°I have many capable subordinates to assist me. And my son has grown into a fine young man who handles his duties well.¡± ¡°Still, don¡¯t you need a wife to manage the social scene? What do you say, Marquess?¡± Whisper. Her fingers traced across the back of his hand. A lunatic stepmother was about to spawn right before my eyes. I couldn¡¯t allow that. Just as I moved forward, Father responded. ¡°I appreciate your concern, but there¡¯s only one woman I hold in my heart. I have no intention of taking another wife.¡± His firm tone left no room for doubt. Perhaps realizing this wall would never break, Freda let go of his arm and took a step back. ¡°...I see. That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± ¡°To empathize with me so deeply¡ªyou¡¯re a truly compassionate lady.¡± Wait... Did Father not even realize Freda was trying to seduce him? She wasn¡¯t even in the running for ¡°woman¡± in his mind, so the thought hadn¡¯t crossed it. ¡°How can someone be that dense? Unbelievable.¡± ¡°Young Lord, are you really the one to talk?¡± ¡°What?¡± It was just a mutter, so I didn¡¯t get why Asella suddenly snapped at me. Freda sighed heavily through her nose and shook her head. Then her eyes stopped on something. Neria, standing slightly behind Father. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Oh my, Miss Neria.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a woman.¡± Neria immediately erected a mental barricade, having grasped Freda¡¯s intent. But Freda didn¡¯t give up. She smiled and leaned down to make eye contact with her. ¡°Is gender really an issue? The North is so conservative, isn¡¯t it? In the West, we...¡± ¡°Now, now, young lady. Allow me to escort you to the teleportation gate.¡± I finally stepped in to shut her up, then had Bruno immediately drive her party out of the mansion. As I watched the tail end of the procession, I sidled up to Father. ¡°You said there¡¯s only one woman you love, right? But Neria and I are half-siblings.¡± ¡°Hmm... I¡¯ll explain that later.¡± Father dodged the question and excused himself. *** A few more days passed as Neria and I reviewed and finalized the business proposal. To prevent problems, we set it up so Neria would hold final decision-making power for the business, and Father would serve only as an advisor. Neria was still young, but definitely more reliable than Father. She studied economics diligently and was learning the ropes by watching how Father worked. And if she ever couldn¡¯t decide on something, she¡¯d report to me immediately. Meanwhile, Asella enjoyed her break in her own way. It never felt like she was slacking. Messenger falcons arrived for her ten times a day, and ever since Freda left, she¡¯d been reading and practicing magic without skipping a beat. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she stopped bothering me. ¡°Young Lord, make me bubble tea.¡± ¡°Young Lord, it¡¯s cold by the window. I¡¯m sleeping on the inside.¡± ¡°Young Lord, I want to go for a walk. Come with me.¡± Seems she¡¯s a little too excited to be out of the Imperial Palace. Her energy was off the charts. Maybe I {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} made her diet too healthy. I was starting to regret it. ¡°But still, lying around like this during the day is such a luxury. I never dreamed of it back at the Palace. You wouldn¡¯t know¡ªyou¡¯re always lying down.¡± Max, lounging in the courtyard, let out a lazy bark in agreement. She never had time to play with Max at the Palace. I tore off some jerky and tossed it to him. His heavy body shot forward like a cheetah, catching it mid-air and chewing enthusiastically. As I scratched his snowy chin, I opened my status window. ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡ð Alchemy C ¡¤ Enhancement C ¨C Property Alteration B ¡¤ Compression C ¡¤ Synthesis C ¨C Extraction C ¡¤ (Unlearned) ¡ð Medicine C ¡¤ Diagnosis B ¨C Blood Test C ¨C X-ray C ¡¤ Prescription C ¡¤ First Aid C ¨C Surgery (Basic) C ¡¤ (Unlearned) ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D ¡®My EXP gain is slowing down.¡¯ Starting with alchemy. The property alteration I used to develop new medicine had reached B, but the rest were crawling along like worms. If I could advance further in alchemy, maybe I could even create a panacea. ¡®Though probably not before the ending.¡¯ I checked one new message. [New skill in Medicine is waiting to be unlocked.] [Skill name will be revealed soon.] In addition to [Prescription Issuance] from the prescription route, three more skills were preparing to unlock. I hoped for more detailed diagnostic or advanced surgical skills. Hugo had a hard time identifying Asella¡¯s curse, so I needed more leads. And during the curse removal surgery, I¡¯d need emergency procedures ready¡ªmore skills would definitely help. ¡®I could unlock them quickly if I got more surgery experience, but I rarely get the chance to operate.¡¯ Surgery was practically illegal in this world, so there were few opportunities. And I had to raise my surgery rank to access higher-tier skills in the same branch. I still volunteered regularly whenever I had time, but it was mostly prescription and first aid work. ¡®No need to rush.¡¯ Now that the Emperor was using my medicine, the spread of modern healthcare was just beginning. Better to prepare at a steady pace than screw it up by rushing. Just as I was about to get up from the warm sunlight, I heard a commotion in the distance. It was coming from the front gate of the Marquisate. A loud voice rang out, and I decided to investigate. ¡°Please, just open the gate once! Is it really that hard?!¡± ¡°This is the Marquis¡¯s residence. You can¡¯t come and go without an appointment or authorization.¡± The guards were arguing with a man. ¡°Doctor, shall I go see what¡¯s happening?¡± I nodded at Tanya¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Please step back. We can¡¯t have any more disturbances.¡± ¡°This is a matter of life and death! I heard the royal physician is here! Please!¡± Tanya soon returned and briefed me. ¡°A commoner from the Marquisate. He heard you were here and came in desperation. Says there¡¯s a critically ill patient.¡± ¡°A patient...¡± That word got me moving before I even thought. I strode straight to the front gate, past the iron fence, and faced the man. ¡°What about the patient?¡± ¡°Oh, Young Lord. Apologies for the commotion. This man just wouldn¡¯t listen...¡± I held out a hand to stop the guard and allowed the commoner to speak. Drenched in sweat¡ªhe must¡¯ve run nonstop to get here. ¡°Speak. What kind of patient?¡± ¡°G-Gotberg-sensei! P-please! My wife... she hasn¡¯t been able to give birth for over a day now!¡± The man dropped to his knees and pleaded with me. ¡°Please save my wife!!¡± A difficult labor. I popped a candy into my mouth and gave orders. ¡°You there. Prepare the carriage. Tanya, bring my house-call bag and gown. And call Chloe.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh, and pass a message to the nurse.¡± ¡°What should I tell her?¡± I emphasized clearly. ¡°Tell her to prepare for surgery.¡± Chapter 79: Cesarean Section (1) The departure preparations were completed in an instant. "Doctor, the carriage has arrived!" In less than ten minutes, Boris brought the carriage around, pulled by two lively stallions. As I slung on the coat Tanya had brought and was about to board, Chloe came staggering along, dragging a heavy box behind her¡ªour surgical kit. The knights, seeing her struggle, carried the box for her, and only then did she manage to catch her breath. "You should¡¯ve just asked them from the start." "Uuh, w-well, I¡¯d have to talk to the knights for that..." "Then talk to them." "It¡¯s not that easy..." Chloe hung her head low, and behind the curtain of her broom-like hair stood Asella, arms crossed. I leaned down to whisper to Chloe. "Why¡¯d you bring the princess?" "Uuh, b-because I¡¯m in charge of her right now. And since we¡¯re on an outside mission, I can¡¯t be separated from her..." "So you brought the princess here with you? You could¡¯ve just told her to wait back at the marquess''s estate." "It¡¯s... not that easy..." Chloe¡¯s shoulders sagged in defeat. Asella approached with sharp clicks of her heels. "I said I¡¯d come. Can¡¯t believe both the doctor and his nurse were planning to abandon their charge." "This is an emergency. Please try to understand." "I do understand. That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m coming. If I end up in an emergency while you¡¯re gone, aren¡¯t you responsible for me?" She wasn¡¯t wrong. By protocol, Chloe should have stayed behind. But considering what the commoner had said, there was a good chance we¡¯d need to perform an emergency procedure. And for that, I needed Chloe. "My apologies for not requesting your understanding in advance, Your Highness. Thank you for your grace." "Fine. But you better have something prepared to make it up to me." Make it up to her, huh. Still, with a few useful bargaining chips up my sleeve, it didn¡¯t feel quite as suffocating as before. She liked bubble tea, so maybe next time I¡¯d offer her tanghulu. Asella waved dismissively and climbed into a separate carriage with her chief maid and knight escort. I boarded the main carriage with Chloe, Tanya, and Bruno. The commoner man joined us as well. "D-doctor! I can¡¯t thank you enough. I¡¯ve got no education... Please forgive my rudeness!" The man bowed his head deeply, looking frantic and overwhelmed. "First, calm down and explain the situation. What¡¯s your name?" "Ah, yes! It¡¯s Pal. I¡¯m a farmer." "You said your wife¡¯s in critical condition. Is she in labor?" "Yes, sir. Even with the village women helping her, the child just won¡¯t come out... She¡¯s completely exhausted." "How long has it been since her first contraction?" "A full day and half a day more." "She¡¯s not in a healthy state. Chloe, prepare a fluid injection." "Yes!" Chloe, taking notes diligently at my side, answered promptly. "I¡¯ve heard so much about you, sir. There are rumors all over the marquessate that you''ve done amazing things as the Imperial Court Physician. When I heard you were staying at the estate, I knew I might be imposing, but I had to come." "As he says, the doctor before you is none other than the Imperial Court Physician." Thud. Tanya emphasized her words with a weighty step toward the man. "His hands treat the most precious body in the Empire. He was on a well-earned break, yet he''s giving you his time. Be grateful." "O-of course! I was stunned by how quickly you agreed to come. With my wife dying, I couldn¡¯t think straight..." I could understand the man¡¯s desperation. If it were Neria or my father injured before my eyes, I¡¯d lose my mind, too. "Don¡¯t scold him too harshly. A healer¡¯s duty is to never disregard any patient." "Truly?" "Yes. I might see you as just another patient, but for you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime emergency." "A once-in-a-lifetime... You''re right." Chloe nodded quietly. We arrived at our destination not long after. It was a wheat field east of the marquessate. We disembarked in front of a small hut and headed straight inside. "Oh my goodness!" "The young master has arrived!" The village women tending the patient gave respectful greetings upon seeing me. Tanya waved them away, and I immediately moved to examine the patient. "Diagnosis." ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Injury Status: Dystocia (Abnormal Fetal Position) Injury Status: Minor Hemorrhage (Vaginal Bleeding) Injury Status: Exhaustion Injury Status: Anemia Injury Status: Fracture (Left Pelvis) ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D Not good. The labor had dragged on far too long¡ªthe mother was nearly unconscious, not even aware we had entered. "Chloe." "Yes!" Chloe quickly inserted a needle into the mother¡¯s arm and connected a nutritional IV. It was a special solution I had prepared for emergencies. "So this is how commoners live..." Asella¡¯s voice. I turned to her briefly and asked, "Your Highness, the patient is in critical condition." "She certainly looks it." "I¡¯ll need to concentrate. Would you mind giving us some space?" She didn¡¯t seem pleased with my attempt to send her away and pouted. "I¡¯ll stay quiet and just watch." "Even just a comment or two can throw me off." "...I¡¯ll really be quiet." She spoke with such assurance I couldn¡¯t push further. Surely she wouldn¡¯t break her word after saying that much. Leaving her to wait, I resumed examining the patient. Her distended belly rose and fell weakly with shallow breaths. "Chloe, do you see? That¡¯s the fetus¡¯s arm." "It¡¯s not the head." "The position is twisted unnaturally. I can¡¯t determine the exact presentation, but she can¡¯t deliver like this." "What happens if we force the delivery?" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Depending on the position, the umbilical cord might wrap around the baby¡¯s neck and cause disabilities¡ªor worse, death. And that puts the mother at risk as well." "D-doctor, will my wife be okay?" The man¡¯s hands trembled as he looked at me. I stood and asked, "What¡¯s the cleanest room here?" "The cleanest? Uh... oh! The next room¡¯s best. We cleaned it out to make a nursery someday, so there¡¯s nothing in it." "Tanya, sterilize that room. Just basic disinfection¡ªwe¡¯re short on time." "Understood." Tanya took two knights and went into the adjacent room. I turned to the man. "We¡¯re about to proceed with a delivery aimed at saving both mother and child. Wait outside." "I¡¯ll trust you, Doctor. Please... I¡¯m begging you!" I patted him on the shoulder. The man and the women were sent to wait in the kitchen. I removed my coat. "Chloe, prepare for surgery. We¡¯re performing an emergency cesarean." "A cesarean... That¡¯s the one where you cut the mother¡¯s abdomen and extract the baby, then suture, right?" "You remember well. It¡¯s a major procedure. We wouldn¡¯t normally do this in such conditions, but we have no choice." "Should we begin with general anesthesia?" "First, shaving to prevent infection. I¡¯ll grab supplies from the carriage." I stepped outside briefly. In a rush, I checked the contents of my house-call bag: surgical scalpel, suction syringe, forceps, needle, absorbable sutures. I also verified my surgical skill in the system window. That¡¯s when Asella approached. "Hey, young master." "What did I say before?" "I know, but... can I just ask one thing?" "Later." My firm answer made her fall silent. She drooped her shoulders, looking strangely defeated. Geez. Now I can¡¯t stop thinking about it. "What is it?" "Eh? Oh... It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a little surprised." "Surprised by what?" "You said you¡¯re going to cut the mother¡¯s stomach open." "Yes." "But won¡¯t she die? She¡¯s already so weak¡ªcan you really save her?" "I have to." Despite my resolute answer, Asella still looked uneasy. "It¡¯s just... I didn¡¯t know you could wield a blade. What if something goes wrong and people spread rumors that you killed her?" "That¡¯s why I have to save her. Both the mother and the child." I held up the syringe with confidence. "It¡¯s nothing, really. Your Highness used to be scared of injections, but now you love them more than anyone, don¡¯t you?" "I do not! And I was never scared, okay? Who told you that?!" "Haha." Seeing her turn her head with arms crossed, refusing to look at the syringe, made me feel a little better. "Young master." "Yes?" "...I¡¯m rooting for you." ...Well, that¡¯s unexpected. Words you rarely hear from Asella. Thinking the world really is full of surprises, I put on my surgical mask. *** The room wasn¡¯t sterile enough to be ideal, but the basic disinfection was complete¡ªgood enough for surgery. The mother lay on the bed, an IV already in her arm. A powerful anesthetic flowed slowly through the drip. [Status: Under General Anesthesia (88%)] Maintaining over 80% ensures the patient won¡¯t regain consciousness mid-procedure. We¡¯d completed sterilization and administered antibiotics to prevent infection. I raised my hands, and Chloe slipped green surgical gloves onto them. "Surgery begins." [Activating Surgery C.] "Scalpel, size 10." Chloe handed me a blade fitted with the proper scalpel for large incisions. The artifact light mounted on my surgical magnifier illuminated the site. ¡ªSsshhk My hand moved with surgical precision, as if guided by magic. Three centimeters above the pubic ¡ã? N ???? v ???? l i g h t ?¡ã bone, I made a 9.5 cm horizontal incision, adjusted to the patient¡¯s body. I tied off each vessel to prevent further bleeding with suction. The uterus emerged¡ªpulsing, alive, brimming with new life. The amniotic sac had already ruptured. I checked for signs of placental abruption. Cesarean sections come with many risks. ...So far, so good. I switched to a different scalpel and made the second incision. I moved with the utmost care, avoiding any contact with the fetus. Like peeling an apple¡¯s skin, the cut was clean and exact. The head came into view. As expected, the umbilical cord was tangled tightly. I supported the baby¡¯s head and carefully unwrapped the cord, lifting the child out little by little. The moment I cleared the obstruction in its mouth: ¨DWAAAH!! A newborn¡¯s first cry echoed¡ªits first breath of air, loud and clear. "Made us work for it, didn¡¯t you, little guy." Chapter 80: Cesarean Section (2) Asella waited nervously outside while Las performed the surgery. ¡°Your Highness, please have a seat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She ignored the chief maid¡¯s gentle prompting and remained stationed directly in front of the operating room. Why was she acting so out of character? To be standing here in a commoner¡¯s home, unable to maintain her usual dignity¡ªit was nothing like her normal self. Was it because she''d been away from the Imperial Palace too long? No. Asella knew better. It wasn¡¯t something that could be explained so simply. It¡¯s all because of Las. He was usually such a frivolous, unserious man. But the moment he stood before a patient, his entire demeanor changed¡ªhis eyes sharpened so much, he could¡¯ve been a different person. Come to think of it, Las had always been serious when working. Even when treating her, not once did he crack a joke like he usually did. Huh. Have I never actually seen Las at work before? Now that she thought about it, she¡¯d never directly seen him at the Imperial Clinic or during any of his volunteer work. ...Is that how he always acts outside? She felt as if she¡¯d just discovered a whole side of Las she hadn¡¯t known before. Recalling how firmly he had voiced his opinion¡ªeven to her¡ªmade her unconsciously shrink her shoulders. And yet, he had remained calm, polite, and composed. Surely he¡¯d calculated that wasting time on her irritation wasn¡¯t worth endangering the patient. Healing was that important to him. As a personal physician, as a healer, it was an admirable mindset. Others might see Las in a completely different light than she did. Once that thought occurred to her, the fact that he had left her standing alone in a shabby hut didn¡¯t seem offensive¡ªit felt... admirable. Maybe that was why she¡¯d unconsciously told him she was rooting for him. Did I just cheer someone on? That realization made her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She silently vowed to collect double in compensation for this later. ¡ªWaaah!! Suddenly, the cry of a newborn rang out from inside the room. Asella instinctively moved to enter, but Tanya blocked her path. ¡°Tanya.¡± ¡°Your Highness, you cannot go inside until the doctor finishes and comes out.¡± Asella stepped back. In truth, cesarean deliveries didn¡¯t take long to extract the baby. The incision-to-delivery time had to be under ten minutes. It was everything that followed that took much longer. Not knowing that, Asella grew increasingly anxious¡ªso much so that she almost bit her nails. Moments later, thud¡ªthe door burst open. But it wasn¡¯t Las. It was Chloe, shouting frantically. ¡°T-the mother¡¯s short on blood! We need someone to donate¡ªright now!¡± In this world, the concept of blood transfusion was practically unheard of. Mixing blood from others was ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) considered the domain of black magic rituals. The faces of the husband and women waiting in the kitchen went ghostly white. But Asella, who had undergone several blood tests by Las, understood exactly what that meant. She raised her voice, firm and regal. ¡°If you want the mother to live, you¡¯d best cooperate without hesitation. I will personally guarantee your safety.¡± She pulled out a seal from within her coat¡ªa symbol of the royal family. ¡°Th-that¡¯s...!¡± ¡°You¡¯re of the royal family! We didn¡¯t realize! These ignorant fools have behaved unforgivably!¡± The commoners dropped to their knees. Normally, Asella might have taken some satisfaction in such displays of hierarchy, but right now, Las¡¯s surgery weighed heavier on her mind. ¡°Nurse, use them.¡± ¡°U-uh... w-we need matching blood types first. I have to test them....¡± The husband stepped forward, raising his hand cautiously. ¡°Please use me first. If I can save my wife, I¡¯ll give anything.¡± Chloe pricked his finger and ran the test. She nodded. ¡°Type A! You''re a match. P-please come in! Oh, b-but, sanitize first!¡± The husband followed Chloe into the room. Thirty minutes later. Las finally emerged, wiping sweat from his brow. ¡°Your Highness?¡± He tilted his head¡ªhe hadn¡¯t expected to find Asella waiting right at the door. She gave him a once-over. ¡°You¡¯re covered in blood.¡± ¡°I just finished the surgery. You might want to step outside, or the sight might make you nauseous.¡± ¡°I want to see inside.¡± ¡°Ah... I wouldn¡¯t really recommend it...¡± Las gave an awkward smile, but when Asella glared at him, he quickly stepped aside. She entered the room. The strong stench of blood hit her immediately. The bed was soaked in red, medical waste sealed tightly in sacks. This was the battlefield Las had just fought through. Unlike a warzone, where only the dead remain, this one held only the living. ¡°Heh... this little rascal.¡± The husband was sitting beside another bed, cradling a small bundle in his arms. A bit of gauze clung to his forearm¡ªthe kind Las always applied after an injection. On the clean bed, the mother slept soundly, her belly no longer swollen. A faint aura of divine power lingered¡ªhealing magic had likely been used as well. Asella stepped closer and peered down at the baby in the bundle. ¡°O-oh, Your Highness...¡± The man quickly bowed his head in alarm. Asella, almost entranced, reached out with both hands toward the swaddled infant. The baby didn¡¯t look particularly charming. It screamed, it smelled, its face was all scrunched up¡ªit was kind of ugly. Yet its tiny hand, barely the length of two of Asella¡¯s fingers, flailed desperately, trying to grasp something. ¡°Stupid thing.¡± Asella¡¯s lips curved into a faint, involuntary smile. The surgery had been a success. After extracting the baby, I thoroughly emptied the uterus, performed four separate sutures to prevent complications, and closed the abdominal wall. There had been one critical issue¡ªexcessive bleeding. In eighty percent of maternal deaths during labor, the cause is hemorrhage. Fortunately, the husband had the same blood type and we could transfuse immediately. Once the surgical procedure was complete, Chloe and I finished up with healing magic. Nothing restores vitality faster than magic. Normally, recovery after a cesarean takes about a week, and full return to normal activities about a month. With healing magic assisting, two days would be enough. After warning the husband about post-op care, I stepped outside the hut. ¡°Phew...¡± Finally, some fresh air. I could breathe again. That was my first major surgery. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d be performing an open procedure.¡± Well, it was an experience I needed eventually. Better to get it over with. A whole list of notifications popped up in my status window. [New medical skills are available for unlock] [Unlockable skills: 3] Upon checking, I saw two new skills from the Diagnostic path and one from the Emergency Medicine path. ¡°Oh?¡± From the Diagnostic path: [CT Scan] and [MRI]. These would let me analyze a patient¡¯s internal structures even more precisely than X-rays. ¡°They¡¯ll definitely help with Hugo¡¯s research.¡± From Emergency Medicine: the next stage of the Surgery skill. ¡°A must-have.¡± [Surgery (Laparoscopic)] Laparoscopic surgery. As long as I had the equipment, I could perform procedures without opening the patient¡¯s abdomen¡ªjust a few small incisions. A revolutionary method that drastically reduces risk for the patient. I¡¯d definitely want to use it on Asella someday. Both options looked like they just needed more medical experience to unlock. ¡°And...¡± For some reason, one bad ending had been erased. [No. 021: The Sin of the Commoner ¨C 5% ¡ú 0%] [Deleted] It was an ending I had only ever seen increase in percentage before. Could it be that today¡¯s events gave Asella a little empathy toward commoners? ¡°Young master.¡± Speak of the devil¡ªAsella came up beside me. ¡°I apologize, Your Highness. You had to witness a rather unseemly display.¡± ¡°No, it was... fun.¡± Asella answered, her blonde hair softly stirring in the breeze. ¡°The commoners looked happy.¡± ¡°The mother and child are safe. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°Yeah. They looked really happy.¡± ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± ¡°Why would I be?¡± She shot me a sharp look, as if the question were absurd. ¡°I just... it was my first time seeing a newborn. It was surprising.¡± ¡°You looked the same when you were born, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Me? Absolutely not. I was born with regal dignity from the start.¡± ¡°Of course you were.¡± She giggled at my answer. ¡°Young master.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you like babies?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say I do. They¡¯re cute.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Whatever she was thinking, she chewed on it silently. Then she gazed up at the passing clouds for a moment before turning away. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. You were on vacation, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored Your Highness remembers.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to make you pay for stealing my time.¡± And with that, she and I climbed into the carriage heading back to the marquess¡¯s estate. The commoners tried multiple times to offer their crops in thanks, but I told them to keep it and just spread my name far and wide. Wouldn¡¯t feel great if they starved to death after I saved them, just because they gave away their winter stores. I¡¯m better with words now, anyway. ¡°Heave-ho.¡± Unlike earlier, Asella got into the same carriage as me on the way back. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ride the carriage you came in?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh.¡± Asella slid in beside me and replied, ¡°That one had a bad wheel or something. The ride was awful¡ªway too bumpy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell someone to have it repaired.¡± I glanced across from me and saw Tanya sitting with a sly grin on her face. She did this sometimes, and I still had no idea what went on in her head. With about five days left of vacation, Asella started pestering me early again, as usual. ¡°Young master, let¡¯s go for a walk.¡± ¡°You really like walks, don¡¯t you.¡± ¡°But it snowed today.¡± ¡°Snow, huh.¡± At the Demon King¡¯s Castle, the ground was always covered in the stuff. I almost told her she could build her own Moonlight Palace out of snow if she moved there. Still, since the capital didn¡¯t get much snow, maybe it looked more charming to her. I followed Asella out of the annex. ¡°Brr.¡± ¡°Well, it is snowing. Northern winters are really long.¡± Asella had bundled herself up like an arctic yeti, but still shivered visibly. ¡°Not a single rose in bloom.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be helped this time of year. If anything were blooming now, that¡¯d be a miracle.¡± We had arrived behind the annex, where the yellow rose garden lay. Well, right now it was more of a bare field than a garden. ¡°Why did you want to come here?¡± ¡°This is where we first met.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I wondered what I¡¯d see from here this time.¡± ¡°Do you see anything?¡± Asella gave me a devilish grin and pulled a wand from her cloak. That face... she¡¯s definitely up to something. ¡°Fufu. Even if you look, you won¡¯t know what it is, young master.¡± Not even giving me time to respond, she began drawing a magic circle. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 81: Cesarean Section (3) Asella¡¯s wand released golden mana in an odd, spiraling trajectory. The five magic circles she drew formed an intricate sculpture¡ªartwork woven through a rift in higher-dimensional space. Ah. Just as the casting seemed to proceed smoothly, the final circle shuddered and veered off course. Was it because she was slightly too excited in front of Las? Clairvoyance was a difficult spell to cast cleanly, even after repeated attempts. ¨DHuff! Her vision was sucked inward. And in the next moment¡ª ¨DWhoosh! The cold breath of winter vanished, replaced by scorching heat. A blazing inferno erupted before her eyes. The Gotberg estate was in flames. Ugh. A splitting headache struck Asella. Unlike before, the casting was ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) unstable. She felt like her consciousness might snap loose at any moment. It was like watching a reel of film¡ªshredded, stitched together, and run on fast-forward through a projector. Her mouth moved on its own, shouting words she hadn¡¯t meant to say: ¨D"My house! My home!" ¨D"Neria! Sivers! Is no one here?!" ¨D"I am the son of the Marquess Gotberg! You, over there! Put out this fire right now!" What...? Asella was confused. That voice wasn¡¯t hers. But it was a voice she knew well. Las. This is Las¡¯s perspective. Seymour¡¯s advice had been spot on. Clairvoyance cast outside the palace had given her a completely new kind of experience. This must be after the Gotbergs were purged for treason. But it was far from pleasant. Overwhelming despair pressed down on her like a crushing weight. These were undoubtedly the emotions Las had felt. He was screaming, hurling buckets of water at the blaze, doing whatever he could to save the collapsing estate. But the tiny splashes of water had as much effect as scattering ashes into the sea¡ªthey evaporated instantly. It was the moment the Gotberg family vanished from history. ¨DFwoosh! Her vision jumped again. Same location. The Gotberg estate. Or rather, where it once stood. Now it was nothing but a barren, scorched wasteland. ¨D"Excellent land! Stupid Empire fools, leaving a place like this behind!" ¨D"From this day forward, the Thunder Tribe claims this territory!" ¨D"Follow the chieftain! Obey him! Praise him!" The northern wall that the Gotbergs had long defended had fallen. Massive warriors covered in fur and wielding axes surged in like a tidal wave. Barbarians. Also called Bavarians, they roamed the wild, uncivilized territories even farther north than the Empire¡¯s own northern reaches. Their forces, riding high on momentum, stormed toward the Empire. The last Imperial citizens who remained in the North were mercilessly slaughtered. That was the final fate of what had once been the Marquessate of Gotberg. Watching in hiding, Las¡ªnow a noble without a home¡ªfled. His breath was ragged, a mixture of sorrow and isolation. Then he tripped and collapsed onto the frozen ground. His bloodied hands, covering his mouth, smeared red across his skin. He clenched his fists in frustration, but reality refused to change. Las¡¯s anguish pierced Asella¡¯s heart like a dagger. The grief of losing his family, the regret of wasted years, the hatred toward the world¡ªall of it washed over her in a flood. Amid that emotional vortex, Asella made a vow. This future must never come to pass. She wouldn¡¯t mind seeing Las cry and beg when things didn¡¯t go his way. She even wanted to watch him stumble once or twice for acting without her. But she didn¡¯t want him to fall so far that he could never recover. His Majesty will die soon due to illness. Even if he could be saved, someone would conspire to assassinate him. In that future, all court physicians and healers associated with him were accused of treason and executed. In the vision, Asella herself had ordered the executions as the newly crowned Empress. But even if not her, someone else would have. Las must never be involved in this. Otherwise, the North would collapse, and the barbarians would break through. I can¡¯t tell him. He wouldn¡¯t believe me, and if he acted rashly, it could ruin everything. This wasn¡¯t a matter of years down the line¡ªit could happen tomorrow. I have to stop it. That was the moment Asella resolved herself. ¨DHuff! Her vision shifted again. Huh? I¡¯m back. The Gotberg estate. Everything was peaceful. The sunlight was warm enough to sting her eyes. A soft breeze brushed across the blooming yellow rose garden, making a gentle rustling sound. In the middle of the rose garden¡ª A woman stood with her back to her, basking in the full bloom of spring. Her waist, wrapped in a plain dress, was slender. The wind swept through her long white hair, strands fluttering like silver silk. The sunlight made her hair shine so brightly it seemed almost metallic. Who is she...? Asella took a step toward the woman. Just as the woman began to turn her head toward her¡ª ¨DFwhoom! ¡°Ah.¡± Asella collapsed to the ground, struck by a powerful headache. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Las was already there, supporting her, an arm around her waist. Asella had dropped her wand and was breathing heavily. ¡°You overexerted yourself. That was a 5th-circle spell.¡± ¡°No... It usually works fine...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prescribe something for you.¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± Las knelt before her, visibly worried. Meeting his face at such close range, Asella reflexively held her breath. Las placed a hand on her cheek. His hand was bigger than expected¡ªlarge enough to cradle her face completely. ¡°You have a nosebleed.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tilt your head back.¡± Las gently wiped her nose with gauze. ¡°The higher the circle, the more strain on the mana circuits. Practice is good, but don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°...Okay.¡± Maybe it was because he was holding her face like that, but Asella felt like she had to obey. ¡°What kind of spell was it?¡± ¡°Hmm... A fun one.¡± ¡°Hah, didn¡¯t look like it. One flash, and down you went.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t realize how it looked.¡± ¡°If it was a firework spell, there are more efficient ones at lower circles.¡± ¡°Yeah. Tons of them.¡± Asella casually traced two fingers through the air and summoned a small flame. ¡°It¡¯s warm.¡± ¡°Efficient, right?¡± She giggled softly. The dried remnants of her nosebleed had begun to freeze, and she sniffled. She recalled the scenes she had just witnessed through Clairvoyance. ¡°Las, what was your mother like?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I have no memory of her.¡± ¡°Hm. I bet she had white hair like yours.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Could it be that Clairvoyance didn¡¯t just show the future¡ªbut the past as well? And it wasn¡¯t limited to her own perspective. That was something she hadn¡¯t known until now. Something she¡¯d never have realized if she¡¯d only practiced magic in the palace all her life. And she realized something else too. If Las were to vanish from her side, accused of treason, executed, left to despair¡ª ...I don¡¯t want that. This man, just a little longer... She wanted him to stay by her side. ¡°Las.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°From now on, do as I say.¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Haha, as you wish.¡± Las gave his usual foolish smile, unaware of how serious she was. If not for Clairvoyance, she would never have seen this coming. ...She wanted to see more futures. All of them, if possible. That thought lingered in Asella¡¯s heart. ¡°Shall we head back? It''s cold out.¡± ¡°So soon? No thanks. Let¡¯s walk a bit more.¡± ¡°You had a nosebleed. Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Hmm... then let¡¯s go into the woods at least.¡± She pointed to the willow grove on the estate. Las shrugged. ¡°Why not.¡± He stood and reached for her hand. Surprised by the sudden touch, Asella shot him a glare. ¡°Why are you holding my hand?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold. You were just casting fire¡ªyour hands are warm.¡± ¡°Am I a stove to you?¡± ¡°More like a heating pad.¡± Asella scowled, scooped up a handful of snow, and stuffed it down the back of Las¡¯s neck. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s already been a month. Take care, Las.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting, big brother!¡± Vacation¡ªbrief as it felt¡ªwas finally over, and I was sent off by my father and Neria. ¡°Master, please let us know when you return next time too! And bring back snacks from the capital!¡± Even Boris and the other knights and servants came out to see me off. ¡°It was nice to be back at the marquessate.¡± That was Bruno¡¯s comment. ¡°You two should take vacations more often.¡± ¡°I prefer overtime pay.¡± Bruno was dead serious. I personally preferred my current work-life balance, even if it meant less money. He was right, though¡ªit was a good break. Just knowing I had a home to return to was comforting. ¡°I¡¯ll protect the family no matter what.¡± ¡°A noble resolve, sir.¡± Tanya, walking beside me, chimed in at my mutter. She probably didn¡¯t know what I meant by it. It¡¯s about time I prepared for the family¡¯s downfall. Even if it wasn¡¯t tied to a bad ending, it was a crisis that had to be addressed. The Gotberg family is destroyed on charges of treason. My father is executed, the estate burns, and the marquessate is overtaken by barbarians. When the family falls, I lose my position as Court Physician and get exiled from the palace. I¡¯ve changed history enough that my father¡¯s involvement is less likely now. On the day the Emperor¡¯s condition turns critical, my father gets called in and, alongside Ambrosia, makes a mistake that results in the Emperor¡¯s death. Whether it was truly malpractice or not was impossible to prove at the time. Years later, when Asella ascended the throne, it was revealed as an assassination, and everyone involved was executed for treason. Even though I didn¡¯t live it directly, the memory was branded into my body. On execution day, I secretly hid in the capital square and watched it happen with my own eyes. It was a bitter memory. Tanya must¡¯ve believed in my father until the end. We still had a few years before the Emperor¡¯s condition worsened, but if the real culprit moved early, it might happen sooner. The Imperial Court would react swiftly once that happened, so I needed to be prepared. With that thought, I walked out to the main road, where Asella¡¯s retinue was already waiting. For some reason, I asked the princess in the carriage, ¡°Your Highness, the teleportation gate is right nearby. Did you really need the carriage?¡± ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± ¡°Tell me what?¡± She poked her head out of the window and smiled slyly. ¡°We¡¯re not going back to the palace.¡± The chief maid handed me a document. [First Princess¡¯s Barbarian Subjugation Campaign ¨C Deployment Order] ¡°Let¡¯s go fight some barbarians.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Asella was always abrupt like this. Barbarians, huh. [No. 032: Contaminated Barbarians ¨C 17%] [No. 035: Barbarian Invasion ¨C 8%] We had a lot to talk about. Without hesitation, I climbed into the carriage. ¡°This should be fun. Let¡¯s depart immediately.¡± ¡°Huh? I thought you¡¯d be scared.¡± Asella tilted her head in surprise at how readily I agreed. ¡°Did you expect me to panic? Next time, try a more dramatic entrance.¡± ¡°Oh, please.¡± She scoffed and turned to gaze out the window. With the knights¡¯ shout, the carriage began rolling west. Chapter 82: Altitude Sickness (1) The carriage jolted as it moved. The scenery passed by outside the window. I was sitting across from Asella. Beside her sat the head maid; beside me sat Tanya. Leaning back into the plush seat, I flipped through the document handed to me. ¡°The First Princess¡¯s faction often heads to the battlefield. Are you planning to join them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°The northwest, Count Bluher¡¯s territory. It¡¯s not far from here. Five days¡¯ travel, and we¡¯ll likely run into the First Princess¡¯s faction around the same time.¡± ¡°This is the first battle Moonlight Palace will participate in. Isn¡¯t it exciting?¡± ¡°Oh, absolutely.¡± I forced a smile. This had been Asella¡¯s reason for following all the way to the marquessate from the start. Since we were heading to the count¡¯s territory anyway, she used the nearest teleport gate and chose the marquessate as a staging point. The timing had lined up perfectly. If this had been the plan all along, couldn¡¯t she have told me beforehand? So I could at least mentally prepare? ¡°Count Bluher¡¯s territory has been slowly running out of supplies due to prolonged battles with barbarians. The request for imperial support came about a month and a half ago.¡± ¡°Heike began preparing for deployment the moment she received it. One week to prepare the army, and a month to march to the count¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°What about our troops? The Moonlight Palace knights and the 2nd Battalion¡¯s main force are still in the imperial capital.¡± Asella lifted her chin with smug confidence instead of answering. ¡°You sent them ahead before coming on vacation.¡± ¡°Yup. Since we¡¯re in an alliance, Heike will welcome us joining the subjugation.¡± It was a strategy to steal away the external military accomplishments Heike and Georg always monopolized. As expected of Asella. To think she¡¯d secretly crafted such a sly plan. I turned to the next page of the document. ¡°Is the barbarian faction the Thunder Tribe?¡± ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any such report. So there are factions among the barbarians. Young Master, do you know them well?¡± ¡°To some extent. Simply put, those wielding stone weapons belong to the Rock Tribe, while those with iron weapons are Thunder Tribe.¡± ¡°Then they must be the Rock Tribe.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I scrolled through the ending list in my status window. [No. 032: Corrupted Barbarians 17%] [No. 035: Barbarian Invasion 8%] ... There were a few bad endings related to the barbarians. They were a massive force dwelling in untamed wild lands¡ªone that couldn¡¯t be ignored considering upcoming events. Most importantly, the [Corrupted Barbarians] ending. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Until the advance mage unit opened a teleport gate into demon territory, the hero¡¯s party had been defending the empire from invading demons. The demons had used all manner of tricks to attack the empire, and one of those was infecting the barbarians with demonic energy to turn them into subordinates. ¡®But the invading barbarians were randomized every time.¡¯ The barbarians were composed of several tribes. The Rock Tribe we were now heading to subjugate had low intelligence but immense physical strength. If they /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ fell under the Demon King''s command, they¡¯d be extremely difficult to stop. On the other hand, the Thunder Tribe¡ªperhaps thanks to the tribe chief¡¯s mental fortitude¡ªcouldn¡¯t be fully dominated. They were a tribe capable of conversation and negotiation, so there was room for compromise. The [Corrupted Barbarians] ending occurred if the Rock Tribe won an internal tribal war and became overwhelmingly dominant. The [Barbarian Invasion] ending occurred if the empire lost to either side¡ªresulting in its destruction. ¡®If possible, weakening the Rock Tribe would be beneficial to me.¡¯ And we just happened to be on our way to subjugate the Rock Tribe now. If luck was on my side, I might be able to erase the tricky [Corrupted Barbarians] ending. I asked Tanya, ¡°Captain, have you ever fought barbarians before?¡± ¡°Yes. I occasionally encountered small units while subjugating monsters in the northern forests.¡± ¡°Did you win?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Tanya answered Asella confidently. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing quite a few rumors lately about your swordsmanship, Sir Tanya.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡± If even Asella had heard, then Tanya¡¯s skills must have already stood out within the knights. ¡°Weren¡¯t you offered a post in the 2nd Regiment?¡± ¡°Ah, you knew about that.¡± The 2nd Regiment of the Imperial Knights had recently come under Moonlight Palace¡¯s command alongside the military camp previously aligned with Georg¡¯s faction. Tanya had been using the training facility there lately. She¡¯d been showing her face there since before the dueling tournament and was now apparently close enough to spar directly with the 2nd Regiment¡¯s commander. ¡°Actually, I was recently offered the position of battalion commander, thanks to my experience leading the marquessate¡¯s knight order.¡± ¡°With your skills, you could aim not just for battalion commander but regimental commander too. So? Tempted to take it?¡± Even though I asked lightly, Tanya answered with seriousness. ¡°My duty is to serve as your guard knight, teacher. While I¡¯m currently under Moonlight Palace, I haven¡¯t officially resigned from the Gotberg Knights. For now, I will focus on my current mission.¡± Tanya wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d remain a guard knight forever. It was still a distant future, but when the Demon King¡¯s army appeared and war broke out, she would become a swordmaster and perform brilliantly. I was counting on her to erase several bad endings. Tanya becoming stronger was something I sincerely hoped for. ¡°I do feel safer with you guarding me, Captain, but if that hinders your growth, isn¡¯t that putting the cart before the horse? I¡¯ll hire two more knights to rotate shifts in four teams, and you can spend the remaining time working in the 2nd Battalion.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Tanya looked hesitant at my suggestion. ¡°You want to improve your swordsmanship, right?¡± ¡°I do. But it¡¯s also true that there are limits within the battalion.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yes. A strong swordsman can¡¯t reach their peak without real combat.¡± ¡°Then this is perfect.¡± Asella nodded and spoke. ¡°This will be a chance for Sir Tanya to gain real battle experience. There¡¯s no shortage of barbarians¡ªsubjugate as many as you want.¡± ¡°Thank you for the consideration.¡± There was a spark of determination in Tanya¡¯s eyes. We continued our dull journey. After about three days, we ran out of things to talk about, and everyone fell mostly silent. But I didn¡¯t want to waste time. ¡®The northwest is a high-altitude region. Steep mountains, higher latitude than the marquessate, so it¡¯s much colder.¡¯ Because we had to detour around the mountain range, we were heading south. There was an area that felt strangely warm. As I looked out the window, I noticed the landscape and said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop the carriage for a moment.¡± After getting off, I checked the densely packed trees. ¡®Coca trees.¡¯ Chewing the leaves and analyzing the components, I was sure¡ªthey weren¡¯t identical but definitely of the same lineage. Leaves you could extract narcotics from. Cultivating them was illegal in Korea. They were even once used in cola drinks. ¡°Young Master, was it that urgent?¡± Ignoring Asella, I returned with Tanya carrying as many leaves as we could gather. ¡°What is all this?¡± ¡°Ingredients for making medicine. They¡¯ll be necessary in high-altitude terrain.¡± Asella grumbled while reading her book, the carriage now overflowing with leaves. By the time I¡¯d gotten used to the motion sickness of the carriage, thud¡ªI felt a weight on my shoulder. ¡°Mmm...¡± Asella, worn out from the long trip, had dozed off, her head resting on my shoulder. Thanks to that, I had to stop preparing my medicine. When I unconsciously sniffed the crown of her head, a soft cherry blossom scent wafted up. I¡¯d only barely washed myself with stream water yesterday¡ªhow was she so clean? And the stream had been ice-cold. I almost went into cardiac arrest. I get that she¡¯s royalty and needs to maintain dignity, but couldn¡¯t she spare me a bit? The head maid had clearly busted her back somehow to conjure hot water, a tub, and even bubbles in this extreme environment. ¡®So annoying.¡¯ Feeling a little spiteful, I rubbed my head against Asella¡¯s hair. Maybe this way, I¡¯d smell like perfume too. Mm. I did feel a bit cleaner. ¡°...¡± Across from me, Tanya was staring at us again with that lewd smile. I couldn¡¯t even be bothered to ask what she meant, so I just closed my eyes and leaned on Asella too. I found out later that Asella could use bath magic. A wave of her hand, and she was instantly fresh and dry. If she had such a practical spell, couldn¡¯t she cast it on others too? It didn¡¯t even look hard. This expedition was full of minor annoyances. Exactly five days later, we entered Count Bluher¡¯s territory. Though not as critical as the marquessate, the count¡¯s territory was still important for defending the border. Its mountainous terrain made enemy invasions difficult, so it had a lower priority. Because of that, its population was smaller than typical counties, and small villages were scattered sparsely across the mountains. ¡°Your Highness, do you have a headache?¡± I asked Asella. ¡°I¡¯m fine. My hands and feet aren¡¯t as cold now either.¡± ¡°I believe it¡¯s thanks to the new medicine the teacher made. Truly, your preparations are remarkable.¡± Tanya added. I had prepared medicine for altitude sickness and frostbite ointment, and distributed them to everyone. Fortunately, they seemed to be effective. Bundled up tightly, we crunched through light snowfall and entered the southern stronghold. ¡°Welcome! We¡¯ve been waiting for your arrival, Your Highness the Third Princess.¡± The captain of the 1st Battalion, under Heike¡¯s faction, opened the heavy iron gate to greet us. ¡°And Heike?¡± ¡°She¡¯s waiting for you, as expected. I¡¯ll guide you.¡± Without rest, we ascended to the top of the tower with Asella and Tanya. When the door opened with a knock, several gazes turned toward us. Among them was Heike. She was standing over a large table with a map spread across it¡ªlikely in the middle of a strategy meeting with her knights. ¡°Asella, you¡¯re right on time.¡± ¡°You look well, Heike.¡± They exchanged light greetings. Then Heike turned to me with a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Gotberg.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯ve been well, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Heike asked Asella, ¡°What of the 2nd Battalion¡¯s main force?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll arrive in two days.¡± ¡°Hmm. Then we must finish our deployment here in the meantime. Perfect timing. Come, assess the situation.¡± We gathered around the map. The surrounding mountain terrain, allied bases, and enemy barbarians were all marked. ¡°Our forces are superior. The already assembled 1st Regiment numbers 1,200, and with the 400 from your 2nd Regiment and the palace knights, we total 1,700. The barbarians are estimated at around 1,000.¡± ¡°Considering individual combat power as well, we should be able to crush them easily.¡± ¡°There is a concern,¡± said the 1st Regiment¡¯s commander. ¡°What is it?¡± He answered Asella. ¡°Our 1st Regiment knights aren¡¯t familiar with this terrain.¡± ¡°This terrain meaning?¡± ¡°High-altitude mountains¡ªand the cold.¡± Heike spoke next. ¡°The barbarians seem unaffected, being used to it. But not the imperial knights. Many have fainted complaining of strange headaches, and others have been injured from the cold.¡± ¡°Our healers have already consumed a significant amount of holy power. To be this weakened before even beginning the real battle...¡± Worry clouded Heike and the commander¡¯s faces. I stepped forward. ¡°The headaches are symptoms of altitude sickness. The cold injuries are frostbite.¡± Wearing heavy armor in this environment without proper adaptation¡ªit was enough to make even healthy people fall ill. Heike turned to me and asked, ¡°Gotberg, do you know how to resolve it?¡± Of course I did. What Heike wanted was already in my pocket. ¡°Of course.¡± Heike¡¯s face brightened. Chapter 83: Altitude Sickness (2) ¡°Gotberg, are you saying there¡¯s a way to resolve frostbite and altitude sickness?¡± ¡°There is. I¡¯ve already developed the medication.¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± At my answer, the 1st Regiment Commander brightened. Heike also showed interest and asked me directly. ¡°Do you perhaps have enough for the entire 1st Regiment to take it?¡± ¡°Wait, Heike.¡± Asella lightly stepped in front of Heike. ¡°Of course, Moonlight Palace came to assist in subjugating the barbarians as an ally. But the agreement only covered military aid, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°If you want to borrow even my personal physician, you¡¯ll need to pay an appropriate price.¡± At Asella¡¯s bold attitude, Heike nodded. ¡°What matters now is defeating the enemy in front of us. Asella, what do you want?¡± ¡°I, too, want to wipe out the barbarians. They¡¯re unruly bastards who trample imperial land as they please if left unchecked.¡± Click, clack. Asella made a leisurely circuit around the war room, her footsteps echoing calmly. ¡°But Heike, I have no interest in losing precious knights because of unnecessary clashes in opinion with you during the operation.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Clack. Asella came to a stop, tilted her chin, and declared firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll take full command of this operation. If you accept that condition, I¡¯ll treat your knights.¡± ¡°Your Highness, that¡¯s unacceptable.¡± The 1st Regiment Commander immediately objected. ¡°Our 1st Regiment has participated in numerous expeditions under the First Princess¡¯s command. I¡¯ve heard this is Moonlight Palace¡¯s first time participating in a real battle.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Well...¡± When Asella stared him down forcefully, the 1st Regiment Commander shut his mouth. It was an outrageous demand. To be honest, it was almost like saying, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to use it properly, I¡¯ll just take it.¡± If Asella took overall command and the subjugation succeeded, all the credit for military merit would go to Moonlight Palace. That was Asella¡¯s aim¡ªbut with that also came immense responsibility. ¡°Asella, this battlefield is irregular in terrain and heavily favors the enemy. Can you give the proper orders?¡± Asella calmly looked down at the map. ¡°Will you brief me on the situation?¡± Heike pointed to the map with her staff. ¡°Right. The count¡¯s domain has double fortifications built along the mountain range, with scattered civilian villages.¡± ¡°We¡¯re currently at the southern fortress, which lies at the center of the final line.¡± ¡°Correct. Between the northern fortress farthest up and our southern fortress, there used to be the central fortress where Count Bl¨¹cher resided.¡± ¡°Used to be?¡± Heike relayed the grim news with a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s been taken. ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) Looks like it was breached before our reinforcements arrived.¡± ¡°Then what happened to Count Bl¨¹cher and the civilians?¡± ¡°Fortunately, he managed to send out several messenger birds under the barbarians¡¯ noses. Reports say the survivors, including the count and villagers from the surrounding area, are hiding in the underground storage of the central fortress. Discovery is only a matter of time.¡± Thanks to her extensive combat command experience, Heike summarized the essentials quickly. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Luckily, there¡¯s a deep cliff between the central fortress and our southern one. They can¡¯t cross it easily. If they want to move south into the Empire, they¡¯ll need to go through the western or eastern fortress.¡± ¡°We need to block both entry points, weaken the enemy¡¯s strength, then recapture the central fortress.¡± Even with a short briefing, Asella accurately assessed the situation. She pointed at the map. ¡°Capture the eastern and western fortresses, then destroy all the bridges connecting them to the outer defense line. That way we only need to deal with the remaining forces holed up in the central fortress. If we force them into close-quarters combat, our superior skills and equipment will overwhelm them.¡± ¡°And how do we capture both side fortresses?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten, Heike?¡± Asella¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°I¡¯m a fifth-tier ice-type mage. And there¡¯s plenty of snow here.¡± ¡°You intend to join the battle yourself.¡± Heike stroked her chin, then turned to me. ¡°Gotberg, can you prepare enough medication? We¡¯re looking at around two hundred injured.¡± ¡°Two hundred doses, understood.¡± And I¡¯d need to prepare enough for the injured we¡¯ll have on our side¡ªprobably around four hundred. Once Moonlight Palace¡¯s main force arrives, my healers will come with them. If I alter the composition formula and leave mass production to them... ¡°How long is the operation expected to take?¡± ¡°One day.¡± ¡°Then I can produce a day¡¯s worth in half a day. For frostbite, we¡¯ll use warming techniques and salves. For knights suffering altitude sickness, I¡¯ll prescribe diuretics. Milder cases can be treated with just aspirin.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± After hearing my answer, Heike began weighing the decision. Forcing weakened knights to fight in unfamiliar terrain would only increase casualties. Judging by the fact that the Rock Tribe still existed in the future I came from, Heike probably didn¡¯t score a great victory in the original version of this battle. Heike is smart. She likely foresaw that outcome too. But if she accepts my treatment, the odds of victory rise significantly. In exchange, she¡¯ll have to hand over all credit for this campaign to Asella. Victory or responsibility¡ªwhich weighs heavier? Heike¡¯s deliberation didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Gotberg, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± I immediately penned a letter and sent it to the main force by messenger bird. The message instructed them to secure materials in bulk on the way up and begin preparation for compounding. ¡°So, Her Highness the Third Princess will take command.¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± The 1st Regiment Commander and the commander of the Mokhui Palace Knights looked slightly doubtful. It was understandable. A young girl like Asella, with no actual battlefield experience, suddenly claiming full command¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t hesitate? But in my eyes, she was more than reliable. The Asella I knew was someone who managed military operations with flawless precision. Well, right now she was probably still making judgments based solely on theory, so there might be errors. That¡¯s where I¡¯d have to step in and correct things. ¡°Heike, I¡¯d like to start drafting the strategy immediately.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s hear your proposal.¡± Having handed over full authority, Heike readily passed the staff to Asella. ¡°Mokhui Palace takes the eastern fortress, Moonlight Palace takes the western. We divide enemy forces and push forward. If we strike before reinforcements arrive...¡± The strategy Asella laid out was textbook. Flawless. Both the 1st Regiment Commander and the Mokhui Palace Knight Commander began nodding as they listened, slowly drawn in by Asella¡¯s logic. ¡°Indeed, a brilliant plan.¡± Even Heike gave her recognition. Still, I thought it could use a little reinforcement. ¡°Gotberg, you have a different opinion?¡± Maybe she read it from my face¡ªHeike turned to ask. ¡°May I respectfully offer a suggestion?¡± ¡°Say it. Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Asella, perhaps slightly offended in pride, grumbled as she passed me the staff. I took the deployment Asella had split evenly and shifted it, concentrating the forces to the right flank. ¡°What if we leave the already divided 1st and 2nd Regiments as they are, instead of mixing them?¡± ¡°Our cohesion will improve. But it¡¯ll delay the capture of the western fortress, which could give the enemy time to bring reinforcements.¡± ¡°We only need one corridor to reach the center.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I emphasized my point. ¡°We use the east as bait, and push the rescue force in through the west. It¡¯s a more efficient strategy.¡± The idea of using themselves as bait made the 1st Regiment Commander visibly uncomfortable. But Asella seemed intrigued. A slight smile touched her lips. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°The 1st Regiment enters the eastern fortress first and draws all enemy forces. Once they¡¯re concentrated there, the 2nd Regiment seizes the opportunity to take the western fortress. After that, we proceed with Your Highness¡¯s original plan.¡± ¡°The enemy isn¡¯t that stupid. You think they¡¯d leave all the other fortresses just to defend one and go stampeding off?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it. They are that stupid.¡± Everyone showed puzzled expressions at my claim. ¡°The barbarian tribes are divided. The ones we¡¯re up against¡ªthe Rock Tribe¡ªare particularly low in intelligence. They have no capacity to perceive the battlefield as a whole.¡± ¡°The Rock Tribe? This is the first I¡¯ve heard of tribes.¡± Even Heike, who¡¯d faced the barbarians a few times, tilted her head in confusion. ¡°The northern barbarians consist of four major tribes. If their chief were from the Thunder Tribe, that might be different. But the Rock Tribe behaves more like monsters, acting purely on instinct.¡± I shared my knowledge, earned from firsthand experience. ¡°Of course, Her Highness Asella¡¯s strategy is a masterpiece. But it¡¯s based on the premise that the enemy is a conventional army capable of making tactical decisions. Right now, we can take full advantage as if we were facing monsters.¡± ¡°Then why are they currently stationed evenly across all fortresses? If they¡¯re so unintelligent, why adopt such a formation?¡± To Asella¡¯s valid question, I gave a logical answer. ¡°They simply looted each fortress, got full bellies, and are now sleeping in place.¡± ¡°I see. Certainly, I haven¡¯t observed any sign of organized formations among them.¡± Heike accepted my reasoning. The other knights nodded as well. ¡°Then, Gotberg, you¡¯re suggesting that while the 1st Regiment draws their attention, the 2nd Regiment rescues the hostages from the central fortress?¡± ¡°Exactly. Then we cut off all the bridges and isolate the enemy, wiping them out in one sweep.¡± ¡°That would certainly reduce casualties compared to a full-frontal assault.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sound plan. Imperial knights are better suited to stronghold defense battles anyway.¡± Heike and the 1st Regiment Commander both seemed convinced by the rationale. ¡°Asella, what do you think?¡± Asella glanced sideways at me, then raised her chin and answered Heike. ¡°It¡¯s an excellent suggestion. We¡¯ll go with it.¡± ¡°I am deeply honored.¡± She might have thought I was trying to interfere. To avoid that impression, I bowed to her as respectfully as I could. ¡°Gotberg, you¡¯re quite adept at tactics too. Do you have actual battle experience?¡± ¡°To some extent.¡± ¡°I thought you only studied healing. The more I learn, the more fascinating you become.¡± Heike grinned and patted me on the shoulder. Harder than I expected¡ªmy body jolted forward. ¡°Then let¡¯s proceed with the unit assignments based on this plan. First, the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, Heike.¡± Asella interrupted Heike mid-sentence. ¡°What is it, Asella?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one thing we need to be clear about before the operation begins. Consider this a warning.¡± Asella spoke clearly and firmly, pointing her thumb at me. ¡°Don¡¯t lay a hand on him. I won¡¯t overlook it a second time.¡± *** Two days later, our main force arrived. The Moonlight Palace knights, one battalion of the 2nd Regiment (four hundred troops), and the healers from my faction. ¡°Have you been well, sir? Here are the ingredients you requested.¡± Hugo arrived carrying massive bundles in both arms. Not a trace of altitude sickness¡ªhe really was naturally robust. ¡°What about Eri?¡± ¡°I left her with the young lady from the bakery in the fountain square. She¡¯s a kind person who looks after Eri from time to time.¡± ¡°Gasp. D-Don¡¯t tell me, is that a lo¡ª Argh!¡± Chloe started saying something unnecessary, so I pinched her thigh. ¡°Based on the ratio of those showing symptoms, we¡¯ll need to make about five hundred doses of diuretics and frostbite salves. You know we¡¯re short on time, right? Get to work immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± All my healers responded energetically. We had twelve healers participating in this expedition. They were all dressed in white coats, just like mine¡ªfinally starting to look like real doctors. ¡°All right, Moonlight Palace healers, let¡¯s move.¡± Sucking on a piece of candy, I took the lead. A squad of white-coated healers followed in my wake.