110. Assassination of the Emperor (3)
“What did you just say to His Majesty’s sacred body… Gotberg, are you in your right mind?!”
Ambrosia was so shocked that her tiny legs hopped up and down in agitation.
“Hear me out first. It’s a proven technique. We’ve already saved several patients this way.”
“Surely not Princess Wanda too?”
“Yes. We performed emergency surgery on her.”
Ambrosia’s mouth fell open, and she froze in place. She shook her head vigorously to clear her mind, then turned to Palkenhain.
“Have you all been researching black magic?”
“I swear on my life we have not, sister. If you learn the principles, I’m certain you’ll understand.”
“…If even you vouch for it so strongly, I suppose I can trust you to some extent.”
I pointed to the MRI images as I explained.
“The stomach is filled with both poison and a curse. At this stage, even gastric lavage won’t help. We have to remove it directly, relieve the organ strictures, and only then will a healing spell take effect.”
Hugo stepped forward.
“Our curse removal specialist will handle that reliably. Then you can follow up with your immense divine power and a healing spell.”
“No, even so… cutting open His Majesty’s body directly…”
Ambrosia shook her head, unable to finish her sentence, as if the mere thought horrified her.
At that moment, one of the emperor’s deputy physicians spoke up.
“We’ve heard consistently of Master Gotberg’s exploits. Sister, there are no other options right now since divine spells won’t work.”
“…You’re right about that.”
“Make your decision.”
Ambrosia stared gravely at the floor. Her cheeks puffed out with tension, looking soft and squishy. If you pulled on them, would they stretch like mochi?
“Can you perform the surgery right here? His Majesty’s critical condition must not leak outside.”
“For that, sterilization is essential. We’ve brought the other equipment, but…”
“If you need a clean environment, this girl will assist with a blessing. But above all…”
Ambrosia raised her hand and gripped my arm with her tiny one.
“Gotberg, do you truly have the confidence to save His Majesty?”
“Of course.”
My immediate reply steeled her resolve.
“I entrust it to you. Consider the empire’s fate in your hands.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Surgery team.”
The Moonlight Palace healers moved swiftly. I took off my gown.
“Walk.”
Ras had stepped out with Ambrosia, so Tanya dragged Libio away, binding his hands. She shoved his shoulder roughly, forcing him to walk ahead.
She planned to confine him in the Moonlight Palace basement.
“Sword Expert, Lady Tanya, was it?”
“No need to share my name with a villain.”
Tanya maintained her coercive demeanor. They’d already extracted what amounted to a confession. Attempted assassination of the emperor and harm to the crown prince—crimes of the gravest order. Libio was finished.
“I’ve heard much about you. You’ll soon ascend to Swordmaster.”
“Walk straight.”
Tanya prodded Libio’s back with her sword hilt. Undaunted, he turned to her and spoke.
“There’s one thing I must tell you.”
“Shut your mouth.”
“As a child, I lost a few teeth to my father. I could have healed them, but I didn’t.”
“What?”
Sensing something ominous, Tanya spun her sword in warning. But Libio was faster. He worked his tongue to pop out two teeth and spat them forcefully at her.
―BOOM!!
Tanya’s vision went pitch black in an instant. A thick explosion engulfed the Imperial Medical Office corridor, turning it into pandemonium.
“Hmph.”
Libio slipped through the chaos. Tanya’s sword whistled past his neck in the darkness, barely missing. Ignoring the severed locks of his long hair falling around him, he ran. His goal: his office.
I installed a teleport artifact in my office. I can escape.
Libio sensed victory. His objective was achieved. Now he just needed to hide and watch the empire crumble.
But as he savored that pleasurable future—
―CRUNCH!!
Something sharp pierced his leg, pinning it to the floor.
“Guh… arghhh…!”
His vestments stained red like ink on rice paper. Libio’s face twisted in agony.
Then, sharp click-clack footsteps approached confidently.
“Where do you think you’re going without permission?”
“Asella von Württemberg.”
Libio panicked at the unexpected foe. He hadn’t imagined the powerful mage would come for him personally. With the emperor dead, it was an opportunity for her. And wasn’t she Camilla’s daughter? Surely he could sway her to his side.
“It seems the information hasn’t reached you, Princess Asella. This lowly one…”
Libio couldn’t finish. An ice spear pierced his mouth horizontally, cold seeping in to paralyze him. Asella stood with arms crossed, two fingers tucked in—high-speed casting. Her eyes gleamed a saturated gold. Or perhaps rage-filled crimson.
“How dare you utter my name with that filthy tongue? You won’t be needing it anymore.”
Asella’s guard knights severed Libio’s tendons in a flash. He collapsed limply.
Libio couldn’t hide his shock at her ruthless brutality. He felt no fear of death—only regret at missing the empire’s fall.
“Your life hangs on for a while longer.”
Asella seemed to pierce his thoughts, stomping his head with her heel as she declared it.
“His Majesty will survive, and the future you crave won’t come. My personal physician—you underestimated him, mongrel.”
“Urgh…!”
Her words carried a bone-chilling weight. Overwhelmed, Libio finally envisioned his worst fate. Gotberg saves the emperor, completing his perfect saga. Libio becomes mere dramatic seasoning in the empire’s history, executed without achievement.
“Ughhh…!”
For the first time in his life, Libio was consumed by despair.
“Incising the stomach. Curse remover.”
“Standing by.”
Ras issued calm orders, and Hugo placed the amulet in his palm, ready. Assisting Chloe secured the opened abdomen. The anesthesia team maintained circulation, the sterilization nurse checked hygiene. To preserve sterility, Ambrosia observed, casting blessings. Confirming everyone in position, Ras prepared the scalpel. Like organs organically fulfilling roles in the body, the surgery team moved as one.
“Incision.”
Empowered by his B-rank skill, Ras’s hand moved flawlessly. The horizontal line had less than 2mm error.
“It’s out.”
―Hiss!
Black vapor rose from the gap. Ras tried to extract the curse’s core directly but quickly deemed it impossible.
“It’s adhered to the stomach wall. Hugo.”
“Commencing curse removal.”
Hugo activated the amulet’s power. Mana flashed, contacting the curse directly.
“Advanced level. This’ll take time.”
“I’ll hold it here.”
Chloe’s forceps gripped the stomach firmly. Click-click—as Hugo pieced it like a puzzle, the curse’s momentum weakened like a closing valve.
“Control secured. Separating.”
A curse was mana solidified during spellcasting, tangled with victim souls or life force—complex structure.
“Separation complete.”
“Scraping it off.”
Ras calmly peeled the curse from the stomach lining. Resistance faded; he could finally grasp it by hand. The black sludge clinging to the inner wall felt disgustingly slimy. The nurse prepared a sealed box for the extracted curse.
Then—
―SKREEE!!
The curse in Ras’s hand thrashed wildly.
“I’ve got it.”
Hugo seized it instantly, but the curse flung debris from its body in frenzy. A tiny fragment dropped into the incision—like ink on rice paper, it began spreading, threatening to infect the whole body.
“Curse fragment in the liver. Contamination confirmed.”
An accident. The team tensed at Ras’s words, but no one showed it. Panic would disrupt the lead surgeon. The circulation specialist checked instruments immediately. Pressure dropping—emperor’s heartbeat slowing.
Ras judged in a second, extending his hand. The nurse passed a blade, understanding instantly.
“Three-centimeter radius. Emergency resection.”
The liver regenerates even if partially removed. He aimed to excise before further spread.
Not an ideal focus environment. Sudden additional surgery. Behind him, Hugo wrestled the rampaging curse barehanded.
“If curse removal fails, brute force it.”
Thud! Hugo punched the curse relentlessly.
―SKREEE!
The curse weakened. Hugo resumed removal in the gap.
Chaos roared behind, but Ras’s focus held. His hands were steady. No marking on the resection site, yet the blade’s angle was precise. Like tracing a melody, his scalpel drew elegant arcs. He excised the infected area before fragments spread further.
“Curse removal complete.”
Simultaneously, Hugo neutralized it fully, sealing remnants in the container.
“Suturing.”
He meticulously closed the bleeding liver. The stomach was irrigated and finished. Ras closed the abdomen, ending the surgery.
“Sister.”
Ambrosia took over, casting a healing spell on the emperor. Her vast divine power seeped in; sutures healed from the organs outward.
“Heartbeat normal.”
“Phew.”
Success. The team sighed in relief.
“Master Gotberg, did it work?”
“Yes. Keep the healing spell going. We’ll check for side effects.”
Seeing the emperor’s renewed vitality, Ambrosia stuck out her tongue in awe.
“Incredible. Nothing but miraculous explains it.”
Ras removed his mask, grinning at the amazed saintess.
“Not a miracle. Just human technique.”