Mock Battle (1)
The emperor strode down the corridor of the Imperial Medical Office, surrounded by a heavy escort. His secretary, sticking close to his side, was deeply worried. The twin princesses' accident had already forced the postponement of the emperor's schedule for days. According to the latest report, the elder twin, Princess Geda, was suffering from aftereffects. If the emperor saw her in that state, he'd undoubtedly delay things again out of concern for them.
"Priest Libio."
"I greet Your Majesty."
Libio, who had been waiting for the emperor, bowed politely, but his expression was grave.
"I will see Geda."
The emperor entered the hospital room. For a brief moment, relief washed over him at the sight of the woman, who had looked on the verge of death, now sitting peacefully in bed. But then she reacted with startled surprise upon seeing him, souring his mood.
"Could you be... my brother?"
He had already heard about her symptoms. A side effect of the healing—she had lost some of her memories.
"Yes. It's me, Geda."
"Hehe, I recognized you because your face is just the same. What a strange thing."
Geda gave a wry smile.
"I remember yesterday so clearly. Wanda and I climbed the hill behind the palace, got lost, and then brother came to find us... I was so relieved."
"Geda."
The emperor swallowed the bitter taste rising in his throat and spoke to her.
"That was forty years ago."
After finishing his visit, the emperor stepped out and stood before Libio.
"Kunter's personal physician."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Is there no chance Geda will recover her memories?"
"...I regret to say, unfortunately not."
The emperor glared sharply.
"I heard the situation. You saved Geda's life when she was in a state where death wouldn't have been surprising."
"That is correct."
"Your merits will be commended. But there will be no rewards. Geda has lost her entire life. One could even say it's no better than death."
"Quite right, Your Majesty."
"Wanda is perfectly fine, though."
The emperor shook his head.
"The Gotbergs are different, indeed."
Libio's face hardened at the name. With his head bowed, the emperor didn't notice the sharp expression.
"Hm."
Returning home after work, Libio went down to the basement and flipped through his healing records. He reviewed past entries, then meticulously noted the process of treating the princess with his quill.
As he recalled the emperor's words from earlier, his hand stopped.
Crack!
The pen snapped under his unconscious grip.
He fetched a hammer and suddenly swung it at an egg in the room.
Bang!
From the crushed egg spilled the form of a chick on the verge of hatching. There was no satisfaction.
"Gotberg."
Libio muttered with an emotionless face.
His plan to catch the emperor's eye and become deputy chief physician had gone up in smoke. Following the previous incident where he lost his chance, this time he was completely out of favor.
"The empire's fools know no gratitude."
How dare they belittle his brilliant skills over something as trivial as memories? A healer's role ends once the patient is cured. Did they expect him to nursemaid a senile old woman too?
Of course, Geda's condition wasn't dementia. To restore her shattered skull, it was faster to neatly saw out the fragments beforehand so they wouldn't crumple. In that process, he'd also sliced and repaired part of her brain. Only he possessed the divine power to keep a patient breathing through such an operation.
Libio thought: If not me, no healer in the Imperial Medical Office could have saved that corpse-like old hag.
Except one.
Gotberg.
"Two defeats are not coincidence, but inevitability."
Libio acknowledged it. Gotberg had been outside his interest from the start—an inexperienced healer with negligible achievements. Killing him would bring no thrill. Satisfying his current rage with revenge would pale compared to the pleasure of killing the emperor, so Libio judged coldly.
"Even I, the top in the Holy Kingdom, rank below Gotberg in this empire."
As long as Gotberg existed, his chances to approach the emperor would dwindle over time.
"I must act faster."
The emperor sought to choose the best successor and complete his saga as a flawless success story. If he died first, plunging the empire into chaos, that saga would shatter at its most beautiful, unfinished.
That was Libio's obsession.
He opened the heavily locked bottom drawer and pulled out a vial. Inside the transparent glass bottle, something filled with pitch-black energy writhed unpleasantly.
Dark Priest's Curse
A high-grade curse, extremely dangerous if mishandled. Its effect is simple: the bearer suffers reverse damage from any healing spell. The curse continuously drains the host's life force, leading to inevitable death without remedy.
Originally, Libio planned to become the emperor's deputy chief and slip it into his food.
"The empire's inquisitors might know, but no one here understands curses."
Curses were taboo developed by black mages; few possessed true knowledge. They wouldn't uncover its grade, effect, or that he administered it.
"I still have means."
The next day, Libio acted immediately. Every morning, he provided purification and blessings to his charge, Kunter. Thanks to that, Kunter recently overflowed with such vitality he could barely contain it.
After the treatment, Libio said to Kunter,
"Splendid vigor, Your Highness. As expected of the crown prince destined to become the empire's next emperor."
"Eh? Well, yeah..."
To Kunter's usual lackluster response, Libio began slowly pouring in the poison.
"Is something troubling you?"
"Nah, not really."
"Perhaps because of the Third Princess of Moonlight Palace declaring her entry into the succession war?"
"...Tch."
Kunter's face twisted. Libio had already thoroughly grasped the crown prince's psyche. Despite his title, he lagged behind his siblings in ability. Approaching thirty, he had neither Heike's achievements, Georg's wealth, nor Asella's special talents. Inferiority complex filled him.
"Naturally, Your Highness alone is the wise ruler fit to inherit and govern the empire, yet the other claimants are overstepping wildly."
"That's exactly it!"
Kunter, pride stung, vented his anger.
"I was set as crown prince from the start. Heike and Georg forgot that and act out, and now Asella ignores me too? Those bastards."
Kunter grumbled alone. Libio cast another blessing, easing him somewhat.
"At least you recognize me, Libio."
"I am but a mere healer. The one who must see Your Highness's true worth is elsewhere."
"Who?"
"Of course, His Majesty the Emperor."
Kunter agreed with Libio's words. Lately, he'd even begun suspecting: Maybe Father has no intention of passing the throne to me.
"Father's just so busy..."
"In such times, visiting more often to bolster his energy would surely please him."
"I wouldn't even know how."
Libio, as if struck by sudden inspiration, ordered a servant to fetch something from his waiting room. The servant brought a bottle of liquor.
"Liquor brewed by the fairies of the Interworld."
"Huh? For real? This is super rare. I heard money can't even buy it."
"If this gives Your Highness a chance for heartfelt talk with His Majesty, I would be overjoyed."
Kunter took the bottle, a smile creeping onto his lips.
"Thanks, Libio. I like you."
"Loyalty to my lord is a chief physician's duty. I'm honored, Your Highness."
Libio spoke mechanically, devoid of emotion, but Kunter, unable to discern it, was simply delighted.
However, Kunter never got a private audience with the emperor.
"I partake only in food and water rigorously verified. Enjoy that unknown liquor alone, Kunter."
Rushing to Heavenly Palace with the bottle, Kunter received only the emperor's cold rebuff. By then, he was offended too.
"Verification? It's a premium gift from your own son and crown prince. You don't trust me?"
"Those are separate issues, Kunter. Especially liquor—Gotberg warned against it."
At that name, Kunter flushed red.
"Gotberg is Asella's physician, isn't he? You trust even her now, but not me?"
The emperor sighed.
"Kunter, lower your voice. You haven't improved with age. That insignia on your chest no longer suits you."
The garnet brooch pinned like a medal on Kunter's chest—a gift from the emperor upon naming him crown prince. Containing refined phoenix feathers in a gem, it was a legendary artifact infusing immense vitality. Given Kunter's lifelong frailty, it was a royal treasure specially bestowed.
"If you say it that way, I'll prove it. No matter how Moonlight Palace has grown, Asella isn't my equal!"
Resentment toward the emperor boiled over in Kunter. From childhood, burdened with crown prince duties, he'd tried hard. But without results, the emperor never acknowledged him, leading Kunter to lose interest in state affairs and slack off.
He held no particular grudge against Asella. He just needed an outlet for his anger at the emperor.
"You named me crown prince, Father! I'm the one fit for next emperor!"
Kunter slammed the bottle down and stormed off, fuming. The emperor watched him go, sadly shaking his head.
"Crown Prince Kunter has requested a strategic mock battle with Princess Asella."
Tanya, who had come on afternoon guard duty and relieved Bruno, relayed the information to me.
"Kunter? Did he come to Moonlight Palace?"
"Yes. Likely to check the princess who entered the succession war."
"That's the only way it looks."
Strategic mock battle. A war game. Two commanders compete with limited forces of about a hundred, following rules. Like chess with real knights—far more thrilling than chess, though.
"Kunter, of all people."
He wasn't the type to enjoy fights or be belligerent. In the original history, he was quietly dethroned as crown prince, pushed aside by other claimants.
The trigger for that passive Kunter to take such bold action...
Libio had clearly stirred him, scraping at his insecurities to spur him into motion.
Judging he can't shine more in the Medical Office, he's shifted to using Kunter to approach the emperor.
I'd respond thoroughly to this. Libio's moves were escalating. Monitoring him could secure proof he's the assassin and oust him.
"Where's the princess? It's afternoon clinic time."
"Still at the training grounds."
"Magic practice at this hour? Let's go fetch her."
I headed out with Tanya to find Asella. Spotting her, she had her eyes closed, focused on magic. Five magic circles hovered above her head, rotating steadily and stably for casting. Mastering 5th Hierarchy at her age—Asella indeed.
"Hm?"
Then a message appeared in my status window.
Medicine has ranked up to B-rank.
Due to Talent Rank increase, Debuff [Stamina Continuous Decrease C] has ranked up to [Stamina Continuous Decrease and Anemia B].
"Ugh, nice to see you, but not really."
My head spun suddenly.
Ras!!
I heard Asella's urgent cry as I blacked out.