Crown Prince Sells Medicine

“How was it? Did the talks go as you expected?”

“Well, okay, I guess?”

Right after leaving the conference room, Raciel heard a voice. It was Demian, who was coming over and asking him. Raciel gave a slight smile.

“Thankfully, Ambassador Anbouaz really understood how sincere I was.”

“Your Majesty’s sincerity… you mean?”

“Yes.”

“What sort of sincerity did you display…?”

“I expressed my genuine desire for mutual respect and peace.”

“So, you weren’t actually aiming to take advantage and deceive?”

“Come on, what do you think of me?”

“The dishonest boss who still hasn’t paid the hazard pay you promised back in Cremo…”

“…What?”

Raciel stopped, looking at Demian with a flushed face.

“I haven’t paid it yet? I didn’t?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“You said you’d pay it as soon as we got back to Star Palace, but you haven’t brought it up since.”

“Um, well, sorry. I had a lot on my mind.”

That was true. Upon returning to Star Palace, he immediately had to oversee the Star Palace Clinic, and then the Emperor fell ill. He had been completely distracted managing the situation.

But it was also true that he had forgotten about the promised hazard pay. There wasn’t really a valid excuse.

‘I did notice he seemed a bit off today, and now I know why.’

Raciel glanced at Demian, who suddenly spoke up.

“It’s fine. No need to worry.”

Even though he said it was fine, his expression seemed to suggest otherwise. Was he bothered? Raciel offered a somewhat awkward smile.

“I apologize for that. Once we’re back at the palace, I’ll make sure your payment is arranged. And, well…”

“Is there something else you require, Your Highness?”

“Yes.”

Raciel nodded.

He had successfully convinced Ambassador Anbouaz, and he had also dispatched a letter along with the Deception Authorization Ticket to the King of Anbouaz. The matter of the Anbouaz princess was also on its way to being resolved. Things were falling into place as he had intended. There was no need to worry about that aspect for the time being.

So, what now?

‘I need to attend to the Emperor.’

It’s so busy, incredibly busy.

Suppressing a sigh, Raciel leaned closer to Demian and lowered his voice.

“Today, a highly important patient will be admitted to the palace.”

“…Yes?”

“Shh. Keep your voice down. Make sure no one overhears.”

“Who is this patient that requires such secrecy?”

“His Majesty the Emperor.”

“…”

“Therefore, head back to the palace first.”

“Should I ready the special guards for potential emergencies?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“I comprehend.”

Demian nodded, and Raciel whispered with a faint smile.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been dedicating yourself to training lately. I apologize for the disruption.”

“It’s alright. Protecting important individuals is my main responsibility, after all.”

A bitter smile crept onto the corner of Demian’s lips. Indeed, he had intensified his training recently. Aside from his escort duties, he practically resided within the palace training grounds.

The reasoning was straightforward.

He was confronting his own limitations.

‘Back in Cremo. I didn’t anticipate encountering such a wall.’

The night he was assaulted by that colossal Minotaur surfaced in his thoughts. Even now, when he lay down to sleep, the memories of that night remained vivid.

He couldn’t erase them.

His feeble self facing off against that towering Minotaur. The overwhelming wall and helplessness he experienced in that moment. It was his first taste of defeat and the initial encounter with such humiliation.

Hence.

Since returning to Star Palace, he had grasped his sword whenever the opportunity arose. He had toiled away in the training grounds, dedicated to rigorous practice. He had pushed himself to grow stronger.

‘However… I still can’t glimpse the journey’s end.’

Truthfully, it was a tad overwhelming. He couldn’t discern the path ahead, the steps he needed to take to ascend further. It was because he lacked the familiarity with structured swordsmanship.

‘But by now, trying to learn from someone else is likely futile. A knight who could instruct me? It would be wonderful if such an individual existed, but I haven’t come across anyone like that yet.’

So these days, he was sweating every day, feeling like he was hitting his head against a solid wall of iron. One day, he’d create his own swordsmanship and method of using mana. He diligently worked toward that goal on his own. Raciel also understood Demian’s sentiments quite well.

‘Why wouldn’t I understand?’

He regarded Demian with a peculiar gaze. The lead character from the he had read, “Devil Sword Emperor,” Demian Cayenne.

In reality, the guy wasn’t overly strong in the initial stages of the story. He was simply the champion of an illicit underground fighting ring. His level was far from dominant in the context of the entire world.

‘But a single turning point changed everything.’

The moment the guy recognized his true essence. The instant he grasped a method of utilizing mana tailored to that essence. From then on, everything shifted. He exhibited immense growth and emerged as the ultimate warrior.

‘Is it that time already?’

Perhaps it was. So, things felt a bit awkward. Raciel wished to delay or impede it as much as possible. That way, the guy would remain quietly by his side. Dealing with his training under that pretext seemed like a solid plan.

Raciel commented, masking his inner thoughts,

“Regardless, due to that, I need you to temporarily halt your special training and concentrate on your duties. I apologize.”

“It’s fine. Just ensure the emergency shift allowance is provided.”

“Absolutely.”

“Please don’t forget this time.”

“…Ah, I apologize.”

Is this what unintentionally becoming a evil boss feels like? Raciel chuckled wryly.

“Then I’ll return to the palace to prepare.”

Demian excused himself and departed. Raciel also embarked on his task of transferring the Emperor to the palace.

‘I can’t leave him in the palace like this. I’m uncertain which of the Emperor’s close associates might harbor malicious intentions.’

Additionally, the Emperor’s condition remained critical. An emergency could arise at any moment. He had to care for him until the cooldown of the Archbishop’s divine blessing was restored in a month.

What if he left the Emperor at the Imperial palace?

‘I’d have to be stationed at the Imperial palace constantly. I can’t manage that. It would raise suspicions.’

The Emperor had announced he was merely recovering from a cold. But if he were seen constantly entering and exiting the Emperor’s chambers, people would grow suspicious.

“Isn’t the Emperor’s condition worse than they’re saying?” they’d speculate. “That’s why the Crown Prince, who is skilled in healing, is constantly visiting the Emperor’s quarters, right?”

‘Best to avoid that situation.’

Thankfully, it was relatively easy to discreetly move the Emperor out of the palace. He utilized a hidden passage known solely to the Emperor and his closest aides. He also had a carriage ready at the exit of the passage. This enabled Raciel to admit the Emperor into the Star palace without alerting the palace’s eyes and ears.

“Now, I’ll tend to you here for a while, Your Majesty. As I previously explained, it seems beneficial for everyone if you recover here. Is that acceptable?”

“…”

Immediately after the admission, Raciel inquired of the Emperor, who lay in bed. The Emperor’s mobility remained limited. His speech was impaired as well. But through his gradually blinking eyes, he conveyed his understanding and trust.

Observing that expression, Raciel also nodded slowly. And he pondered to himself,

‘I’ve successfully brought the Emperor to the Star palace… Now I must start preparing for the next distinguished guest.’

The letter dispatched to the king of Anbouaz. The “Deception Authorization Ticket” concealed within that letter should soon begin to take effect. Raciel thought of the impending arrival of the Anbouaz princess.

♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

“Papa, no, Your Majesty. I fail to grasp the order you’ve given me.”

This is Ambuz, the capital of Anbouaz.

Within the castle there, Princess Adeline Boarne Anbouaz furrowed her brow. She dared to meet the gaze of her father, King Merovingian Balua Anbouaz.

Suddenly, beneath her lifted head, her well-defined trapezius muscles twitched. Her latissimus dorsi, honed for impact through countless training sessions, also contracted.

A discontented question escaped her lips.

“I truly cannot comprehend. You readily acquiesced to the demands of the Magentano Empire. I’m expected to remain in the Magentano capital for a full six months. Even though the Magentano Empire wields greater strength than ours, you’ve chosen to send me, a royal, so readily.”

Her questions flowed forth like rapid gunfire.

She genuinely couldn’t fathom it.

She was a royal. Simultaneously, she was the sole daughter of the king. She stood as the heir to the throne. Soon, she would ascend to become the queen of Anbouaz. Yet, she never envisaged being held captive for six months within the Magentano Empire.

“It’s unjust. No, it’s unacceptable. Our Anbouaz is a sovereign nation, and the authority and legitimacy of our royal family is acknowledged by neighboring nations. Nonetheless, you display such an effortless surrender over minor tensions between our countries. This cannot be.”

Her words were sincere.

Even though the Magentano Empire might hold dominance on the continent, even though Anbouaz’s strength might not yet match theirs, there was no necessity to compromise pride and resort to demeaning diplomacy. Princess Adeline’s expression revealed a blend of annoyance and exasperation as she gazed at the king.

Only then did the king speak.

“Adeline, my only daughter.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Do you truly believe that I arrived at this decision solely due to yielding to Magentano’s pressure, without any rationale?”

“Well…”

“I suppose you do. No wonder comprehending my choice is difficult for you.”

“…”

Adeline fell silent.

Her attention shifted to the king’s hand. Within his grasp lay a letter – a personal letter from the crown prince of the Magentano Empire, Raciel Adria Magentano, addressed to the king.

‘What could be within that letter…’

What prompted the king to make such an perplexing decision? Did the crown prince of Magentano detect some vulnerability in the king? Or was there a form of threat that eluded her imagination? A threat that induced the steadfast king to acquiesce so effortlessly to the crown prince’s demand.

‘I’m curious.’

She couldn’t suppress her concerns.

If only she could catch a glimpse of the contents.

Yet whether the king was privy to his daughter’s thoughts or not, he neatly folded the letter and tucked it close to his chest. Then, he regarded his daughter with a significant look.

“I understand the difficulty in embracing this. I sense your frustration. I also recognize your lack of comprehension regarding your father’s decision, leading you to wish to protest. Nevertheless, I assure you, the day will come when you’ll fully comprehend and value the choice I’ve made.”

“What are you implying…”

“That question will be addressed in due time. I will not entertain your objections any longer.”

“But, Your Majesty, I…”

“Enough. That concludes it.”

The king’s decisive command was final.

He swallowed a pang of regret.

‘I’m sorry. Yet this is the path for you and the kingdom.’

Suddenly, the handwritten letter from the crown prince of Magentano resurfaced in his memory. The content was astonishingly straightforward.

[Dear Father-in-law, kindly give me your daughter!]

“…”

Normally, he would have dismissed such absurdity. It was preposterous; his ire would have surged. But circumstances had altered.

Ding dong!

[The Deception Authorization Ticket has been successfully employed.]

[Target: King Merovingian fully believes the letter’s content.]

At that precise moment, an alert chimed.

The king pronounced solemnly.

“In the name of the king, I hereby decree. My daughter and future heiress to the throne, Adeline Boarne Anbouaz, shall promptly journey to the Magentano Empire and remain there for six months.”

“Ah, Father?”

“Execute the directive.”

There was no space for dispute.

The royal guards encircling the princess secured her arms. Naturally, a princess well-versed in martial arts wasn’t about to let it happen without resistance.

Thud! Thwack!

Her fists and elbows struck with force. The royal guards faltered. However, it was too late. Prompted by the king’s signal, the court magician cast a potent binding spell on the princess.

“…Ugh! Ugh!”

The writhing princess was rapidly moved outdoors. She was escorted into a waiting carriage.

“Let’s depart.”

The king’s directive resounded. The carriage and attendants were set into motion. From within the carriage, the sounds of the princess’s desperate pleas echoed.

“Father! Father!”

Thump! Thud! Thump!

Her weighty blows reverberated, causing the carriage to tremble. Yet dismantling the triple-layer protection spell surrounding the carriage proved insurmountable.

And so, the princess of Anbouaz, Adeline, found herself being forcibly transported to the Magentano capital against her wishes.

(To be Continued)

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