Assassination (1)
Party leader's upper VIP room. Camilla von Württemberg peered down at the nobles dancing in the ballroom through a gap in the curtains. Her black eyes brimmed with utter contempt.
"Here you are, Your Majesty the Empress."
Calling out to her in a friendly yet frivolous tone, 2nd Prince Georg von Württemberg entered the VIP room with his escort knights. Camilla greeted him warmly.
"Georg, I take it the negotiations are concluded?"
"Do you really think a young lady who was just an ordinary noblewoman until Father's death last year can properly take over as family head? The mining rights of that count's house are now Earth Palace's."
"As expected, so capable. You're the only one worthy of being the next emperor, Georg. I'm becoming more and more convinced."
"Well, it was easy to wrap up thanks to all the groundwork you laid in advance, Your Majesty."
Georg sat down and picked up a wine glass. "You truly have wide connections, Your Majesty. The monster rampage near the mine had that count family clinging to my coattails first. How did you manage it?"
"Heh, do you think you could comprehend my magic?"
"Haha, that would be presumptuous. You're the sole user of the clone spell, aren't you, Your Majesty?"
Clone spell. A magic that manifests an entity completely identical to the caster. Appearance alone could be mimicked with illusion magic to deceive the eye. But Camilla's clone was transcendent and unique in creating a perfect duplicate. The clone could use the same magic as Camilla, acquire knowledge, and accumulate experience. When merged back, it returned that much more advanced.
"I've never seen you use it in the palace. Is it difficult magic?"
"Very. But now I have disciples, and no need for it."
"Thanks to your disciples, Earth Palace saved face. Court mages are rare, after all."
"They were even rarer when I entered the palace. It was at my urging that His Majesty actively employed mages in the imperial family. Thanks to teleport gates, how much faster have the empire's feet become?"
"To think such a brilliant grand mage would be relegated to a backwater like Moonlight Palace—His Majesty is too much."
Camilla wrinkled her nose bridge briefly. "Haha, don't be angry. Unlike His Majesty, I'm very favorable toward magic. The more usable soldiers, the better, right?"
Georg laughed heartily. "When I become emperor, I'll cultivate mage units as much as knight orders, just as you wish, Your Majesty. I can't understand why His Majesty distrusts magic."
"It must have seemed like an unknown power. Until he got Asella, he even planned to continue the conquest wars."
That was why Camilla had been pushed out of the imperial family. It was in line with the emperor's policy to halt wars and control magic.
"You said you wanted to spread magic widely, Your Majesty."
"Exactly. Georg, your policies align perfectly with my ideals."
"Must be frustrating that Asella grew up into such a disobedient tomboy."
"Asella."
Camilla's eyebrows twitched. She took a deep nasal breath with her mouth shut, thinking of Asella, then placed cold fury on her tongue. "I told you, Georg. To create magic for a mage army, we need a grand witch's soul."
"Can't you just subjugate Asella eventually?"
"Time is short. If she fully masters it, we can never take it back."
"Then what will you do?"
"There's a simple way."
Georg caught the implication in Camilla's silence and let out a hollow chuckle. As expected, mages' obsession with magic was abnormally strong. Still, it had to be a last resort. She was blood kin born from her own womb, after all.
Thinking that, Georg asked jokingly, "What, have you already scheduled an assassination?"
Camilla quirkily lifted only one corner of her mouth.
"Kyaaah—!!"
"What happened?!"
"His Grace the Grand Duke has collapsed!"
The party hall, where music had been playing, turned into pandemonium in an instant. Escort knights who had only maintained vigilance until now drew their swords and surrounded their respective lords for protection.
"Teacher!"
Tanya, who had been shadowing me a step away, rushed to my side immediately. Asella's three escort knights came with her.
"Protect Her Highness first!"
"Yes!"
Asella looked visibly flustered. Her chest heaved rapidly—her breathing was shallow and fast. As her personal physician, checking on Asella was important. But the Western Grand Duke writhing on the floor was a meritorious noble of the empire and the first political ally Asella had recruited. His death would be a major problem.
Hyperventilation, muscle spasms. Just like neurotoxin poisoning symptoms.
As my Diagnosis skill indicated. It was no different from swallowing a whole bottle of insecticide.
Poison liquor made with black magic.
Lethal Poison Trap
Asella had the black mages administer poison, leading to the world's destruction in that ending.
"Your Grace the Grand Duke!"
The duke's escort knights clattered over in haste. "Healer! Is there no healer?!"
"We've already called them!"
Seeing the duke writhing on the floor, they paled. "Black magic! It must be the necrosis curse that kills in one minute! How long until the healers arrive?!"
"At least three minutes...!"
"No way!"
The knights sweated profusely. Surrounding nobles covered their mouths in horror.
"My god, why on such a joyous occasion...!"
"How did a black mage infiltrate the imperial palace?"
"We need to evacuate now!"
The party hall plunged into collective panic like a truck with failed brakes. I focused on the patient. Not a gas poison, so this symptom could be effectively treated. Two syringes tucked inside my suit jacket. Antidotes.
"Hold on, what are you doing? Please step away from His Grace!"
As I crouched to approach the duke, an escort knight panicked and blocked me. Tanya immediately overwhelmed him with blazing eyes.
"This is Gotberg, personal physician to the imperial family. If you don't want to lose your lord, stand aside."
"The p-personal physician... Please, save him...!"
The knight backed off immediately. I was already prepared.
Emergency Treatment C
My body reacted first, tearing the duke's pants at the thigh. First syringe. Removed the atropine cap and plunged it vertically. Pop—pressed the button, needle sprang out, injecting atropine. Continued until the liquid reached the marked level.
"What are you doing right now?"
"No divine power visible..."
I ignored the nobles and knights eyeing my actions suspiciously. Work, damn it.
"...Hahk, hahk!"
The duke's breathing gradually normalized. His rigid muscles relaxed. Atropine alleviated the poisoning response, buying time for treatment.
Immediate death averted. The real antidote is this one.
Pulled out the second syringe. Pralidoxime. Pressed the button to inject similarly. Antidote administered—waited. A status window alert popped up.
Prescription C
A message that my treatment efficacy had increased. Confirmed pralidoxime breaking down the poison.
"Phew."
Only then could I relax and wipe the sweat from my forehead.
"Hahk, hahk... Ugh, what in the world."
The duke finally looked at me and spoke. "You've passed the crisis. You're lucky."
"3rd Princess Highness's... personal physician..."
"Yes, that's me. You there, take His Grace the Grand Duke somewhere he can lie down."
"Y-yes, sir!"
His escort knights hurriedly lifted him. Summoned healers arrived and began casting spells on the duke.
"Is the Grand Duke okay?"
"The personal physician saved his life!"
No other victims emerged from the party hall.
"Warning: Do not touch any liquids in the party hall!"
Finishing treatment, I stood and warned everyone present before returning to Asella with Tanya.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
"Y-yeah. Young master, you..."
"Treatment successful. The duke will be fine. You might have poison on your skin, so let's disinfect first."
I grabbed Asella's trembling arm. She flinched as the alcohol touched—cold, probably.
"It's dangerous here. Your Highness, please evacuate."
"...No."
Asella bit her lip, showing strong resolve. "Poisoning in the imperial palace. If imperial family flees first, what kind of picture does that paint? I have to stay until the other nobles evacuate."
"You don't have to go that far..."
"Did you catch the servant who served the poisoned liquor?"
Asella's will was already firm. An incident where the duke and heir nearly got poisoned, right before all the nobles. To prevent damage to imperial honor, we had to uncover the truth and punish the culprit harshly.
"I understand your feelings, but Your Highness, prioritize your safety now."
"Young master, enough nagging. Lady Tanya, Slann, chase the poisoned servant."
Tanya glanced at me. If she left now, my protection would be gone. But with two of Asella's knights remaining, it'd be okay for now.
"You need to watch Neria too, so link up with Boris. Tanya, follow Her Highness's orders."
"Understood."
The knights departed, and I turned to Asella. "Your Highness, why be so stubborn?"
"Stubborn? So many eyes watching. What should I do?"
"We don't even know if the target was the duke or Your Highness. If it's you, you're still exposed to the enemy."
"Imperial family can't just hide in safety forever. Heike goes to battlefields personally too."
"But she doesn't charge the front lines swinging a sword herself. Recklessness and bravery are different. You must protect your precious body."
"Why do you keep treating me like a child!"
"Because I'm your physician and I'm worried!"
I raised my voice without realizing. Asella, not expecting my intensity, pouted her pursed lips. I hadn't expected it either. Got a bit heated. Oh no, is she mad?
"...The target isn't me."
Asella mumbled uncertainly. "If it was, no reason to target this moment. The duke left his territory—perfect chance for external contact. Some noble with conflicting interests sneaked in a black mage..."
Then a message appeared in my status window.
No. 086 Shadow Assassin
37% → 75%
"No, the target is Your Highness."
"What?"
I grabbed her wrist. "It's okay. I know how to avoid this ending."