Aftereffects
In response to the emperor's question about what I desired, I bowed politely.
"It was merely my duty as a physician, Your Majesty. I am deeply humbled by your boundless benevolence."
I lifted my head and answered with a relaxed mind.
"There is one request that only Your Majesty can grant."
"Speak it. I shall grant anything."
"Please formally adopt medicine as an academic discipline within the Imperial Medical Office."
That was my request.
Excluding my faction, most healers in the Imperial Medical Office were still focused solely on healing spells. If medicine were adopted alongside healing spells as an equal treatment method, the overall quality of care would improve dramatically. Once the emperor officially recognized medicine, it would spread across the entire empire in no time.
The more physicians there were, the less work I'd have to do myself, freeing up my time. And when I eventually retired from the Imperial Medical Office to open a private hospital back home in my territory, I'd have a much larger pool of potential patients. It meant more money and easier accomplishments—nothing but upside for me.
"Adopt medicine as a formal academic discipline, you say."
It wasn't an easy request upon reflection. It would require overhauling the well-established Imperial Medical Office, which meant significant costs. More importantly, he knew full well that a single word or action from him could send shockwaves through the entire empire.
From the emperor's perspective, medicine was still relatively new to him, so he'd have to weigh unverified risks like side effects. But he brushed all that aside as trivial and made a crisp decision in an instant.
"Very well. Ambrosia, prepare the proclamation."
"As you command."
Ambrosia replied and glanced back at me with an amused expression that said, 'You really went and stirred up something big, huh?'
"I am deeply grateful."
After checking a bit more on the princess's condition, I left the room.
I headed up one floor to check on the next patient and heard a clatter as chairs were pushed back.
"G-Gotberg, Doctor."
Alberich rushed over, grabbed my hand, and bowed deeply. It seemed he'd been staying by his wife's side, nursing her all this time.
"Th-thank you. Thank you... I will repay this debt without fail. I'm sorry for everything up until now."
He kept bowing repeatedly, which was starting to feel a bit overwhelming.
"Let's check on the patient first."
Mrs. Alberich was sleeping peacefully. She had bilateral leg fractures, some organ rupture from the impact, and severe blood loss. It was due to the blood shortage, but in terms of surgical difficulty, it was easier than Princess Wanda's case.
"Good work, Chloe."
"Ugh... O-overtime is... something I'm used to..."
Chloe was in charge and had been checking the IV drip. She'd worked hard today too. As a token of appreciation, I patted her shoulder, and she let out a weird squeak like hnyaaak.
"You said it was a carriage accident in the mountains, right? The coachmen and the princes' personal physicians only had minor injuries. No fatalities is a relief."
"Y-yes. From what I heard, the princesses' coachman dozed off on a narrow back road. It was a busy shortcut to the bustling district. My wife was probably on her way to the market..."
Alberich clamped his mouth shut.
"Doctor Gotberg, I want to apologize."
"For what?"
"All this time, I've dismissed your medical skills and focused only on building power in the Imperial Medical Office. If it was a new technique beneficial to patients, I should have accepted it naturally. I've been blind until now."
Alberich dropped to his knees before me.
"I looked down on you because of your youth and forgot what truly matters. As your attending physician, I should never have doubted your abilities. I apologize for all my past rudeness...!"
He bowed so low his nose nearly touched the floor. I didn't harbor any real grudge against him, so I figured this was enough.
"Please stand, Bishop."
"...Mm."
He stood before me like a criminal.
"Everything else is fine, but refusing treatment is a bit much, don't you think?"
"...I was blind. It won't happen again."
According to Imperial Medical Office rules, injuries to imperial family members must be treated first by their assigned attending physician, and only upon their request can another healer take over. However, in emergencies like this, protocols could be bypassed. Strictly speaking, Alberich had no obligation to treat the princess.
Since it was my request and not the princess's attending physician's, his responsibility wasn't that heavy. Still, he'd face the emperor's scrutiny. Even if there were no major issues, he'd disrupted the surgery midway. If the emperor was in a foul mood, he might end up locked away for a few years.
But Alberich showed no sign of worrying about that. Standing before me was just an ordinary husband concerned for his wife, stripped of all ambition and politics.
"Then, Bishop."
I made him a proposal.
"From now on, if I request your help when I need it, will you cooperate unconditionally?"
"O-of course. Absolutely!"
Alberich nodded vigorously. As Heike's attending physician and leader of the strongest faction—his skills top-tier, second only to Libio—he had plenty of uses.
"I'll trust you, Bishop."
"You can trust me. I swear it on the Goddess."
Alberich pulled out his rosary and gripped it tightly.
"...Mm, but healing spells might not be much help after all."
He scowled and glared resentfully at the rosary.
"Truth be told... since yesterday, my healing spells feel weaker. I have a hunch why."
"Your faith has weakened."
For a mage, it was like running low on mana and being unable to cast high-hierarchy spells. Alberich hung his head.
"It's shameful. But..."
He clenched his fist.
"Honestly, I feel a bit betrayed by the Goddess I've devoted my life to. Even if it's a trial, there's a limit—how could She make it so I couldn't heal my wife with healing spells?"
Alberich looked back and forth between his wife and me.
"Lord Palkenhain acknowledged it too. You primarily use medicine yet maintain deep faith."
"That's right."
"What's the secret?"
I shrugged.
"I don't deny healing spells. I just got a bit fed up with them. I use them when necessary."
"Fed up?"
"There's a story behind it. The biggest reason is probably a slight aversion since it's a technique used to suppress the spread of medicine."
"Healing spells blocked the spread of medicine? What do you mean?"
Alberich tilted his head.
"Researching and verifying folk remedies could have led to the development of medicine. But certain factions spread the notion that wounds must be treated solely with healing spells, preventing that."
"Who would do such a thing, and why?"
"It's a sensitive topic for you, Bishop. Is that alright?"
Alberich nodded.
"Your medicine saved my wife's life. I trust your words now."
If he said that much, I could share a little.
"It's the common knowledge that spread when the Papal State was founded. A religious nation benefits from high faith among the populace."
"The Papal State suppressed medicine?"
"Yes. It's been centuries since the idea that folk remedies are barbaric took hold across the continent. Thanks to that, the Papal State has held its position as a great power."
Currently, the empire held the dominant position thanks to the emperor's conquests.
"Even I, a bishop, am hearing this for the first time... But it makes sense."
"You might have learned it if you'd become a cardinal."
"Ah. No wonder the Papal State's upper echelons encouraged my exile to the empire. Was I sent to spread healing spells?"
Alberich looked shocked.
"How do you know all this?"
I'd dug deep into all sorts of info while looping to find strategies.
"My master told me."
"You have a master?"
"Yes. Someone who carried on and advanced the lineage of medicine. They've lived for centuries and witnessed history firsthand."
This cover story would lend credibility. Possessions were unbelievable, and it was absurd for a newly adult like me to have developed medicine. In reality, I had countless masters: Hippocrates, William Osler, Rudolf Virchow. Thanks to those great physicians, I exist today.
"Th-that's even more astonishing. With no fondness for the Goddess-worshipping Papal State, how do you maintain such strong faith?"
"Oh, that's simple. I don't believe the Goddess exists."
"Wh-what?! Is that sincere?!"
Alberich's jaw dropped.
I smirked.
"Didn't you ever find it odd while casting healing spells? They heal people but lack any humanity. It's like repairing dolls in a factory."
"W-well... the process is a bit rough. I thought it was the trial for the miracle the Goddess bestows..."
"If the Goddess truly watches over us, would She need to add extra pain? I believe whatever governs healing spells isn't the Goddess we imagine—something that doesn't understand humans. That's my faith."
Just my belief, I added. Alberich, who'd been force-fed a massive red pill, shook with shock. But having experienced it firsthand, he seemed to accept it.
"If that's true... it explains your high faith despite not believing in Her absence."
"Well, I'm too busy to chase useless truths. Whether healing spells or medicine, I just use what's appropriate to heal patients."
"Indeed. That's our duty as healers."
Alberich nodded in agreement.
A few days later, when I arrived at the Imperial Medical Office, Chloe brought good news.
"Ah, Doctor! Princess Wanda regained consciousness last night. Mrs. Alberich's recovery is going smoothly too."
"At this rate, discharge won't be far off. Let's do rounds."
"Th-the patient from First Star Palace... Princess Geda woke up similarly."
As twins, the two patients were recovering on similar timelines. Libio was in charge there, so I had no authority to check.
"Good to hear."
"Um, th-there's a rumor, though."
"A rumor?"
Chloe glanced around and whispered.
"Princess Geda... has serious aftereffects."
"Aftereffects? What kind?"
Chloe said cautiously.
"Amnesia."