While moving north, I continued exchanging opinions with Hugo in the carriage.
“Have you gotten used to using the amulet?”
“Yes. I can handle it more skillfully than before.”
Hugo demonstrated his ability to manipulate a small advanced curse randomly generated by the amulet effortlessly.
The curse in the flask moved here and there at Hugo’s command and soon poof vanished along with Haeju.
Back during the emperor’s time, it was my first time handling such things in an emergency, so I wasn’t used to it. No one handles curses as well as Hugo.
“This is what the necessary artifact looks like.”
“It’s shaped perfectly to fit the amulet slot.”
“Storm Stone. If you combine this, you’ll be able to manipulate even the highest-level curses.”
“However, since the soul is involved, there might be variables due to its sentience.”
“Speaking of that soul, we only have hearsay about it being the Great Witch’s spirit, right?”
“That’s correct. It hasn’t been confirmed.”
“Do we need to know what kind of person the spirit is?”
“The more details you know about the curse, the easier it is to control.”
“Hmmm.”
If there was a way to identify it, the easiest would be fingerprints.
From a medical standpoint, there’s also dental records. People’s dental patterns are as unique as fingerprints and can be easily identified through medical history.
Well, there are no records in this world, so it’s useless to rely on that. The same goes for genetic testing. Not only is there no previous sample, but how would you even test the soul’s genetics?
We were able to move at a pretty fast pace and reached the Gothberg Marquisate in just ten days.
“Brother, welcome back!”
Ah, feels like I’m home.
With Neria flitting around and greeting me with a big smile, I couldn’t feel any more at ease.
“Haha, you’ve grown a lot, Neria.”
“Really? It’s been a while, and you start teasing me right away. You’re so cheeky, brother.”
Her cheeks puffed up adorably as she sulked, creating a bouncy atmosphere.
Hmmm, she really hasn’t grown.
I’m sure the growth-inhibiting debuff isn’t active.
However, her frame and face have matured a bit, which might have led me to that misconception.
“Lars, I heard the news. The emperor mentioned using medicine along with healing spells in the system. That’s impressive.”
“It’s nothing. The majesty is completely smitten with me.”
“Really? Hmm, I should brag about this to the other nobles.”
My father shrugged and got to the main point.
“We’ve prepared the troops. One team of healers specialized in blessing to assist the knights in battle; two squads of adventurers for scouting. Do you need any knights from here?”
“Yes, that’s enough. How’s the route?”
While the rock tribe was stuck in the empire’s northwest, clashing with Count Blücher’s territory, the Thunder Tribe mainly operated slightly north of the Gothberg Marquisate.
I had already asked my father to scout beyond the castle wall forest.
“I found a route to avoid the forest demons, but we can’t access the highlands above it right now. It’s a strong blizzard season.”
“A blizzard.”
Though the Thunder Tribe occasionally clashed with our knight order through the demon forest, it wasn’t often.
The long blizzard period effectively cuts off the terrain.
“When will it stop?”
“It’s the blizzard that only blows in winter. As the seasons are about to change, it’s estimated to stop in two days.”
“We’ll be stuck for a while. This is actually good. Our troops must be tired from traveling too, so we’ll let them rest.”
“Brother, would you like to check the factory in the meantime? It would be nice if you could share royal family stories too!”
“Sounds good. Let’s go together, Neria.”
Worrying impulsively won’t achieve the impossible. Since we’re resting anyway, we’ll take two days off to relax.
—
“It’s been a year since I was last here, and it’s already built up quite a bit.”
“Construction always takes the longest during the foundation phase. It will shoot up in no time now. The training for the pharmacists is also going smoothly.”
While watching the factory being built thud thud, Neria proudly straightened her back.
Just like Ambrosia, it seems short friends like to emphasize their chests in such postures.
“Indeed, at this rate, it will be able to supply medicinal herbs throughout the empire without a problem.”
There was a guest on site.
He was the Western Duke who had saved my life during a party and had invested heavily in our family.
“What a surprise to meet such a noble guest. It’s been a while, Duke.”
“Gothberg teacher! Lately, you’ve become the rising star of the royal family. I’ve been hearing about your achievements consistently.”
It seems the Duke often visits the Marquis family to check on the business and bond with my father.
“The emperor’s acknowledgment of medicine has made the Gothberg family quite famous as the emerging star among noble families for the next generation. Those who have tried aspirin and digestive aids can’t help but come back for more. We were lucky to form a connection first.”
“We are truly fortunate to meet Your Grace.”
The Duke, who had made an early investment in our family, would have enjoyed quite a bit of profit. The same goes for the Moonlight Palace.
Since we had set up the contract structure beforehand, once the profits stabilize, it’ll be entirely run by the family’s shares.
“Haha, it turned out well. Very well.”
The Duke’s face, contrary to his words, bore signs of worry, appearing a tad haggard.
“Do you have any worries?”
“Oh, it’s a personal matter. Ugh… It’s something that just won’t come to a conclusion.”
He sighed and suddenly seemed to recall something, asking me.
“Oh, since you are an expert in the physical body, may I ask you one thing?”
The Duke whispered to me.
“Is there a sure way to prove parent-child relationships?”
With that question, the whole situation clicked into place.
So, it seemed the Duchess had some affair issues in the past.
The Duke’s daughter, Lady Freda, is as fierce and eccentric as Acella.
“It is possible.”
“Oh, really?!”
I could compare their DNA samples just by drawing their blood, but honestly, that sounded tedious.
Moreover, I doubted whether people in this world would accept blood sampling as a method.
I don’t even have the skills to analyze someone thoroughly using just hair.
Most importantly, I needed to explain the principles clearly enough for the Duke to understand.
It’s still too early, way too early.
‘Unless it’s a gene that confirms blood relations.’
In this world, besides blood, fingerprints, and dental records, there is one more factor that can identify a person.
That is mana.
Every life form has mana circuits in their bodies like blood vessels, circulating mana through them, even if faintly.
Mana seeps out of the body little by little, like sweat.
The types and characteristics of manas differ for everyone, so by analyzing it, a person can be identified.
‘If I consider identifying through mana, it might work as a paternity test?’
Lately, I had been so focused on curses and surgeries.
I thought this might be an interesting topic to ponder for a moment.
“I have an idea. Is the Duchess and the Lady around here?”
“Oh, they are here.”
“I’ll collect mana samples from the three of you. From there, we can conduct our research.”
“W-well, it’s not as if it’s specifically my story… but if you’re willing to help, I wouldn’t refuse…”
The Duke scratched his head but didn’t seem averse.
This man is a significant businessman operating the duke territory and a commander moving large troops for the kingdom’s war yet is hopelessly stuck in family issues.
—
“Teacher, it’s done.”
After I explained the theory of genetic testing, Hugo returned with results in just a few hours.
“That was fast.”
“Dolf the magic appraiser happened to be researching mana testing, so I got help from him.”
“That boy is quite the character, Dolf.”
Dolf scratched his head, embarrassed.
He’s a doctor who usually organizes my filming data and manages equipment.
“So, what was the outcome?”
“They match. The Western Duke and the Lady are definitely parent and child.”
Hugo showed me a graph.
It had many jagged lines that compared the data. Like DNA, mana contained a significant amount of information that could identify the owner.
While there are no XY chromosomes to determine gender, still.
For instance, which of the four elemental attributes they belong to, and within those attributes, to what depths they have been gifted.
There’s even brightness level indicating light or dark potency, affinity to nature, sensitivity, transmutation potential, stability, etc.
Describing each element as a mana gene,
there should be no appearance of a mana gene from the child that the parents lack.
Much like genetics, it seems that new traits are created when both combine.
This also suggests that a child can emerge with unusually large mana reserves even from parents with low mana.
How fascinating.
“The Duke will be relieved. Write it up like a certification for me to sign and issue.”
As it is an official document from the Inner Palace, it should carry weight.
—
I stealthily delivered the document, and the Duke was overjoyed.
“Is that so? Freda is indeed my daughter! Who else’s child could that wild girl be? This is the burden I have to carry. Ugh, damn my wife. Makes my heart skip.”
Did his wife threaten with false accusations during their recent fight?
“Keep this up, and I’ll take our daughter and leave? Like, you don’t even know if she’s really your kid?” That sort of feeling.
Well, it was a rewarding break time.
Except.
—Esteemed Doctor Gothberg, I hear that you have discovered a method to discern parent-child relationships. If you could offer assistance, I would be sure to compensate you…
—…If you could let me know a convenient time, I would come to visit you immediately, and the compensation would…
The next day, communication spheres started arriving in droves.
It seemed the Duke had spread the word among the noble houses.
“Goodness gracious.”
“What should we do, Teacher?”
At Hugo’s question, I shoved the letters away.
“I guess I’ll start a paternity test service for the family later. That’s a task for the healers here to undertake.”
I climbed up to the northernmost castle wall and looked out at the mountains beyond the forest.
“The blizzard is starting to clear. Let’s prepare for the march.”
—
“…Ugh.”
Asmoan escaped from Acella as she opened her eyes.
There was sweat beading on her forehead, but the bed was nice and dry. Someone had been attending to her all night.
“Lars?”
In a dazed, medicated state, Acella called out the first name that came to her mind.
However, the person sitting next to her bed wasn’t Lars but the Head Maid.
“Your Highness, are you feeling better?”
“Lucy, what time is it? I’ll get up.”
“Before you rise, the attending physician requested that you hydrate and receive a diagnosis.”
“I see. Phew, got it.”
Acella sighed as she recalled the last conversation she had with Lars.
She’d gotten too angry with him.
She hadn’t listened to his words, and that’s where it had led her.
She needed to hear Lars’s thoughts.
Now that she was a bit calmer, she was willing to listen.
Click, the door opened, and the attending physician came in to examine her.
“Uh, your highness… e-excuse me…”
But it wasn’t Lars who entered, but Chloe.
Seeing her, Acella furrowed her brows.
“Where’s Lars?”
“Th-that is…”
“Where did Lars go?”
The Head Maid calmly responded to her questions.
“…What?”
Acella’s eyes trembled as she heard the story.
In disbelief, she quivered her lips and kicked off her blankets, standing up.
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