LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 203
“Professor Hartmann, the banquet hall for the year-end party is ready. Shall we head out?”
“Of course. Assistants, follow me.”
It had been a few months since the so-called professor Hartmann took up the role as George’s new attending physician and launched a new faction of healers in Hwarang Palace.
Though he held the title of professor, he hadn’t really held a teaching position at the academy. It was a self-proclaimed title.
“Good day, Professor!”
“Oh my, good afternoon, Professor!”
As he walked through the corridor of the inner palace, the healers greeted him as if they were seeing a celebrity.
He walked confidently with a chart in one hand, his assistant healers trailing behind him like a legion.
His footsteps were assertive, and to make sure they made a loud thud, he wore sturdy heels.
“Look, Professor Hartmann is passing by.”
“Looks like he’s going for his rounds, impressive.”
The junior healers stepped aside and lowered their heads, whispering.
Hartmann deliberately made eye contact with them, flashing a sly smile.
“Wow, the attending physician even acknowledged us…”
“I heard Hwarang Palace treats its healers really well, and it seems to be true.”
Hartmann enjoyed the compliments directed at him and Hwarang Palace, taking his time to stroll around the inner palace.
In just a few months, Hwarang Palace’s faction had already established quite a presence in the inner palace.
It wasn’t difficult to gain influence in the inner palace. With George’s mountain of money, it was just a matter of spreading it around.
And that method was right up Hartmann’s alley.
“The reputation of our faction is quite good among the healers in the inner palace.”
Hartmann couldn’t help but brag upon hearing his assistant’s words.
“It’s the power of advertising.”
“Advertising, you say?”
“Do you know where I’m headed right now?”
“To the banquet hall, aren’t you?”
“I passed the exit ages ago. I’m deliberately making a round of the inner palace.”
Hartmann had all sorts of motives behind the image he was currently portraying.
Specifically, it was inspired by the Gothberg team from Moonlight Palace.
“All thanks to Prince George’s resources. Gothberg must have worked hard to establish that image, but for latecomers like us, it’s easy if you have capital.”
Of course, he had some skill as a healer, but he had managed to climb to a position beyond mere skill. Thanks to his relentless image management and marketing.
If anything, Hartmann was more suited to be a merchant.
“Newly graduated healers from the academy are usually starving. Just a 5% raise in salary would get them running over.”
“Very true.”
“The key is to pay more than whatever Moonlight Palace offers. At this point, there’s not a soul in the empire who doesn’t know Gothberg. Even if a puppy gets sick, it has to be treated with a medicine bag bearing their emblem.”
“Exactly.”
“More than the stacked Moonlight Palace, we’ll pay even more. That would surely establish the image that Hwarang Palace favors healers.”
“Indeed, a brilliant insight.”
“The absence of other attending physicians due to the martial arts conference was an opportunity. I informed the prince that I would send a proxy and focus on the inner palace.”
Thanks to that, most of the new recruits had been absorbed into Hwarang Palace, weakening the other factions.
Hartmann was pleased that his plans were unfolding smoothly. This would be the inner palace he’d spend decades in. He had properly threaded the first needle.
And he was certain he could deliver a decisive blow at this year-end party.
With funds borrowed from George, he was holding the year-end celebration in the empire’s most luxurious banquet hall, the second banquet venue. Expensive food, a band, and entertainment were all prepared. The quality would make any rookie’s head spin.
Although they had to scale back a bit due to the Emperor’s state funeral, that was actually a boon. Everyone would be looking for excuses to have fun in a solemn atmosphere.
With a week of advertising in the inner palace, there was no doubt it would be bustling with people.
The year-end party was considered an important event each year. It served as a sort of orientation where the factions would roughly be determined before the full deployment of the new healers.
Here, he would firmly establish his position and gradually wear down even the weak Alberich before eventually nibbling away at Moonlight Palace.
Becoming the leader of the top faction in the inner palace, surpassing Gothberg, was no longer just a dream. Hartmann was filled with ambition.
The protagonist always showed up late. After briefly returning to Hwarang Palace to wait, Hartmann finally arrived at the banquet hall as the sun was setting.
How many healers would call his name? He entered the banquet hall through the second-floor balcony, full of expectation, like a protagonist.
Bang!
With great flair, Hartmann burst open the door.
“…What?!”
And, in an instant, his anticipation crumbled.
He couldn’t hide his shock. The banquet hall, capable of accommodating several hundred, was sparsely populated, and those present seemed to have mistakenly wandered in.
“The food here is to die for.”
“I agree, Valen. When are you planning to head back to the forest? Didn’t we end up fighting against vampires and an undead army? I can’t help but think that wasn’t really our job…”
“Who knows? Let’s eat first and think about it later.”
Even the high-quality food prepared for the healers was vanishing in the blink of an eye into the bellies of those pesky intruders.
“What on earth happened here?” Hartmann asked his assistant, who quickly reported the situation.
“Uh… It seems another faction has set their year-end party at the same time, and they caught on to our movements.”
Crack, Hartmann gritted his teeth.
Without needing to look, it was obvious who it was.
“Gothberg?”
“Indeed.”
“There’s no way it should come to this! The newcomers shouldn’t have even met them, so how did they all flock over there?!”
Just then, a healer yelled from across the hall.
“Hey! They’re officially announcing the selection of the Saint at the Moonlight Palace party!”
“The Saint?! Is that for real?!”
“Didn’t you hear? Sister Ambrosia was chosen as the Saint at the martial arts conference!”
“Oh my god, so that’s what the fuss was about? If she’s the Saint, let’s go get baptized right away!”
Even the remaining healers rushed out of the banquet hall in a swarm.
Only the sad tune played by the band echoed in the empty space.
Hartmann looked down at the piles of food alone.
“Arrrgh!!”
Crash, crash! As he flipped over a plate, it shattered on the floor.
“What’s this old man doing, not realizing how precious food is?”
The elves swooped in and began packing the fallen food into bags.
*
“Sister! Sister!”
“Sister! Sister!”
“Ambrosiaaa!!”
The Moonlight Palace year-end party was heating up, all thanks to Sister Ambrosia’s declaration as the Saint.
The spotlight shone on Ambrosia on stage as healers in a standing audience structure cheered for her below.
It almost felt like an idol concert.
Well, when you think about it, the concept of a Saint in this world is quite similar to that of a unique idol.
The banquet hall was crowded to the point of lacking seating. Knights had to be mobilized to maintain safety.
“Cough, cough! Healers! Uphold your dignity! It’s during the emperor’s state funeral!”
“Blessing!”
“Baptism!”
“Well, it can’t be helped… now, little girl, can you use this spell as well!”
“Whoa!”
The healers’ eyes lit up in awe as they witnessed Ambrosia perform her high-level holy spell.
Having served the Emperor for so long, one would expect her to be a bit somber, but she quickly adapted to her new role.
Considering her skills, she was likely much more capable than Neria. It was easy to envision her excelling in the field later on.
“Are you not going to have a drink, Teacher?”
As I sat at the bar watching the spectacle, Hugo asked.
“Y-Yeah. Didn’t you wish to have one before?”
Chloe, already red-faced, was holding a whiskey bottle. It seemed she and Tanya had been having a drink together.
“Now that you’re here late, you wouldn’t want to drink your first glass as an adult with someone special?”
That was Tanya’s suggestion.
True, I hadn’t had a drink yet this life, but that was only because I had to see patients; there wasn’t really any special significance.
“I wonder when the emergency calls will start coming in. Is there anyone aside from me who can perform heart surgeries?”
“Shouldn’t you be the one going to the ER? Let’s leave that to the newbies.”
“Newbies, huh?”
Many talented individuals were coming into the inner palace.
I had also heard that the trainees at the marquisate training grounds had seen a recent increase in quality.
With the medical society actively operating throughout the empire and the popularization of medications, there was a healing boom.
Moonlight Palace would likely run fine without me now.
“Let’s hypothetically say I retire tomorrow. What will you all do?”
“Hieeek, w-why are you suddenly saying something so horrifying?”
It was indeed a bolt from the blue.
While Chloe was horrified, Hugo calmly stroked his chin.
“I see. Chloe should take over as the Saint’s attending physician.”
“Me?!”
“There’s no one else fit for the role.”
“Oh my god… the attending physician doesn’t just treat patients. How would I handle external activities with the Royal Princess?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right by your side to protect you.”
With Tanya’s reassuring words, Chloe slammed her head onto the table in disbelief.
It was clear that Tanya needed to stay within the imperial family for the sake of Lishe and Moonlight Palace.
If even the position of Swordmaster were taken by a former country, it would cause an international issue.
“And you? Hugo.”
“I’d like to go with the Teacher. I never had any great ambitions for the inner palace anyway.”
“What would happen to Eri, your girlfriend?”
“What if I just took her along?”
Hugo answered coolly.
It would be great if he came along. Having him take care of mentoring the newbies at the training grounds would be a big help.
“I also want to go with the Teacher.”
“Are you saying you would open your own clinic after leaving the inner palace? If that ever happens, I will support you.”
Having overheard our conversation, other doctors and nurses from different teams joined in.
It was not just a simple discussion, yet I couldn’t help but chuckle.
As we chatted, a burst of divine power suddenly erupted and exploded around me.
Ambrosia, in a drunken revelry, was showering blessings everywhere.
“Teacher! Gothberg Teacher! Come up here!”
It was the Saint’s heartfelt call. Surely, I couldn’t ignore that.
As I approached, Ambrosia tugged at me with her tiny hands, pulling me up onto the stage.