Morning, I checked Acella’s condition.
“She still hasn’t woken up.”
“It seems like her immune system has kicked in. Her health status is fine. This might actually be a good thing.”
After recording the chart with Chloe, we headed to the Inner Palace. The whole team was already there.
“You all look well. Was it nice not having a boss around?”
“What are you talking about? It was tough without you, Teacher.”
“Well, at least you’re saying thank you.”
As I exchanged silly jokes with the doctors, Falkenhayn grabbed my arm.
“I’m glad you made it back safely, Teacher. Did you manage to get the materials needed for the surgery?”
“Yes. I’m planning to arrange it right away.”
“I was waiting to hear that. Everyone finished their training while they awaited your return.”
As expected, Falkenhayn demonstrated his experience well. He had managed the faction effectively while I was gone.
In the conference room, thirty doctors gathered. They would share opinions to respond to the upcoming surgery.
The doctors participating in the main surgery were Chloe as assistant, Haeju as well as Hugo, two anesthetists, two nurses, one radiologist, and two equipment managers.
Of course, I would be the lead surgeon.
I connected the test results and the radiology images to a projector-like artifact and displayed them on the wall. The patient’s interior appeared.
I pointed to the data with my指示棒 and opened the floor.
“As you can see, the affected area has expanded about 10% over the past three months. I believe the curse is growing from within. Hugo, Haeju, what do you think?”
“I suspect that the late Empress Camilla cast a curse explosion spell. The effects have been minor, which is why the progression has been slow like this.”
“It must have been an incomplete casting since it was her last gasp in a dead state. I decided not to dispel it.”
“Yes. We judged it excessively risky as the curse might leak out.”
“Teacher, one thing about those spells I need to report later.”
The radiologist raised his hand with a proposal.
“About the spell? Is it important?”
“It shouldn’t affect the surgery. However, while investigating in the manner described by Dorff the radiologist, I found something that concerns me.”
What Dorff and I had briefly worked on in the Marquisate was a paternity test.
I had been sending the data to the Inner Palace to proceed with the service.
“Alright, I’ll hear it later.”
We continued the meeting.
“In a way, the expansion could be good news. At least it hasn’t burst yet, right? The curse is sitting quietly inside the patient’s gallbladder.”
The only contaminated organ is the gallbladder. The curse is expected to be in a semi-solid state, compacted together. This leads to pain when trying to repair and touch the gallbladder ducts arbitrarily.
It hasn’t flowed into the liver or pancreas, which is a positive sign. If we just remove the gallbladder, it will be cleanly resolved.
“The gallbladder removal process is simple. We will ligate the arteries and gallbladder ducts before resecting. After that, we will dissect the gallbladder from the liver. All this shouldn’t take longer than 20 minutes. Then we’ll need 30 minutes for suturing and post-operative care. During the dissection, we’ll cut while supporting the surface with the heat of the blade.”
At this stage, I need to make an important choice.
“Equipment team, how’s the endoscope equipment?”
“The ordered equipment includes the insertion tube and remote-controlled scalpel necessary for laparoscopic surgery, as well as a device capable of lighting and transmitting image information. In addition, we need to inflate the patient’s abdomen with air to maintain the inflated state for surgical space.”
“Right. Is it feasible?”
The equipment team leader looked tense.
“We solved all other problems, but we failed to miniaturize the remote-vision equipment. Reception is possible but the transmission equipment can’t fit into a cable size.”
“Hmm.”
It was indeed an unreasonable demand. No matter how advanced the dwarven technology and mana stones are, it seems difficult to catch up to digital with analog.
Even if it’s an endoscope, it would be possible to create something with dwarven technology if the camera was missing.
Other equipment had been melted into molds and made with mithril alloy.
The cylinder for inserting cables and surgical instruments. The trigger operates the blade of the scalpel.
This step had already been completed three months ago. While I was away, it had been improved to be more refined.
The problem was visibility.
The camera couldn’t be made.
For safety, I wanted to perform Acella’s surgery without opening her belly.
Laparoscopic surgery results in less bleeding and faster recovery than open surgery.
Most importantly, in this special situation where there’s a risk of curse explosion, there’s a significant advantage: Acella’s organs would not be additionally exposed to the curse.
Back in the time of the Emperor, we had to resect cursed organs on-site.
“If we proceed with open surgery, from the moment we remove the gallbladder, it will take at least 10 minutes to close the abdomen again. If any variables arise in the meantime, it could take longer. The moment it’s dissected, the curse will start to go wild. Hugo, can you perfectly suppress it?”
Hugo pondered for a moment before answering honestly.
“I can’t guarantee that.”
After all, we are dealing with a top-level curse, so it’s only natural. It’s unknown territory even for Hugo.
It was time for me to make a decision.
‘Or how about this?’
I activated the MRI and looked at Chloe, who was standing next to me.
“Ugh.”
Feeling the pressure of my gaze, Chloe flinched slightly.
Her pounding heart appeared on my status window.
‘The screen is black and white, and the image’s frame rate and precision are lower. But if it’s this…’
I could see the inside in real-time.
‘If I use laparoscopic surgery skills together and output it immediately to the modification frame, it might be usable enough.’
Chloe would need a more refined sense, but having trained with me for a long time, her role would just be to hold the organs during the surgery.
With her level of experience, I judged it to be possible.
Was the laparoscopic plan still viable?
Should I open the belly?
After much contemplation, I reached a conclusion.
“We will proceed with the laparoscopic surgery. Equipment team, prepare.”
“Understood.”
“Be ready to switch to open surgery in case of an emergency. Now, let’s determine the surgical order. If you have any good ideas, don’t hesitate to share.”
We continued the meeting with the doctors.
“Now, regarding post-operative care…”
After a thorough discussion, all the details were decided.
“Great. Everything is set, so there’s no need to delay. The surgery will take place at 5 PM. Until then, all participants should rest without seeing any regular patients.”
The doctors fluttered their white gowns as they dispersed.
I decided to talk with Hugo separately. The key to this surgery would be me, but Hugo also needed to play a significant role.
“The curse control will start the moment we begin dissection, but it will consume fine time from when we remove the gallbladder until it’s completely out of the patient.”
“It takes roughly 3 seconds to catch it in the net and fully extract it.”
“3 seconds. If the curse explodes within that, it would be a real problem, right? With laparoscopy, it would explode inside her.”
Hugo’s concern was valid.
“That’s true. So I need to suppress it at all costs during those 3 seconds. Even if I miss it, I’ll have to catch it after we remove it. Well, we should reduce the probabilities regardless.”
I called Chloe.
“Go to Sister Ambrosia and ask her to lend you some holy cloth. Just cut about five handkerchief-sized pieces. We’ll use them to wrap the gallbladder.”
“M-Me? To the attending doctor? Ugh…”
Looking like she was about to cry, Chloe left, and the radiologist knocked, taking her place.
“Teacher, about what I mentioned earlier.”
“What did you say about the witch’s spell? Come over and tell me.”
“Well, it’s about the paternity test you developed with Dorff the radiologist.”
“The paternity test, huh?”
That was an unexpected topic.
“As you know, it was in a situation where the spell of the late Empress Camilla was affecting Princess Acella. The head nurse has been performing periodic blood tests.”
“Right.”
“In the blood drawn, both the mana of Princess Acella and the late Empress were detected. So, I applied it to the paternity test for data collection, but…”
I got angry at the radiologist’s explanation.
“What? What a reckless thing to do. You can’t just stick it in without consent, you fool. Dispose of that data immediately.”
“I-I’m sorry. I checked the instructions you sent later… B-but I thought you might need to see it.”
“Why?”
I examined the data the radiologist had pulled out.
Acella and Camilla.
The results of their mana gene comparison.
“Mismatch.”
“Yes, they are not parent and child.”
“What is this?”
It was completely unexpected information. Acella wasn’t Camilla’s daughter?
Could it be? With that demeanor, there’s no way Acella is not a child of the imperial family.
“Are you sure? Was there data contamination?”
“Yes, we verified it three times.”
“Hugo, does a soul undergoing a soul walk change its mana properties?”
Hugo shook his head.
“Mana is something one is born with. That shouldn’t happen.”
Then there’s only one conclusion.
“Camilla was a fake.”
A masquerading, altered black magician who infiltrated the imperial family at some point.
‘Did Acella believe that fake was her real mother all her life?’
I recall that in the future, that fake’s whims led Acella to strongly desire to become an emperor.
Perhaps out of needless guilt.
I remembered the story of the Emperor.
Initially kind, but at some point, she became filled with madness, that’s Camilla.
‘That was around the time she injected talent into Acella.’
And that talent was given alongside the curse I was trying to remove now.
A curse made from the soul of the great witch.
…Let me employ a bit of imagination here.
“Hugo, the more details we understand about the curse, the easier it will be to control it with an amulet.”
“That’s right. In this case, understanding the soul’s specifics would be even more helpful.”
“Even if it turned into a curse, that soul would still emit mana, right?”
“Yes. As long as it exists in some form, it can’t be without mana.”
“If later we fail to suppress it, let’s conduct a mana test right there.”
“Understood. But we need data to make a comparison.”
“If my prediction is correct, we’ll get the answer right away.”
I shared the scenario I envisioned with Hugo.
Hugo’s eyes widened more than I had ever seen, indicating his shock.
*
[No. 101 : Magic Explosion 71%]
The status window was indicating that Acella’s condition was deteriorating by the second.
The current time was 4:40 PM.
It was about time to head down to the first floor of the Inner Palace.
“Gothberg! Long time no see. I heard there’s an important surgery coming up.”
Alberich, who was attending to a patient, greeted me warmly.
“I’ll be cheering you on. After all, it’s you. I believe there will be good results.”
“Oh, are you scheming again and taking me for a ride?”
“Oh no, nothing like that. I just want to share my teacher’s surgery as academic material widely.”
Isn’t it funny how the guy who used to detest medicine has taken such a strong interest?
“Ah, there you are, Gothberg.”
A buzz from behind caught my attention. It was Ambrosia.
“It’s good to see you in the Inner Palace, Sister.”
“Well, a proper stroll is vital for health. I’ve brought the materials we spoke of. A rare item indeed. I trust you’ll use it well.”
“Of course.”
“The Emperor has also spoken.”
“The Emperor?”
Ambrosia proudly informed me.
“He asked for you to fix his daughter.”
I lightly smirked, putting my hand in my inner pocket.
Rustle, as I unwrapped the package.
I popped some candy into my mouth.
“Of course, who do you think I am?”
Not long after answering, the ambulance carriage arrived.
The doors opened, and knights carried the patient on a stretcher.
Doctors attached the IV and slowly pushed her toward the Moonlight Palace’s operating room.
Looking at Acella’s peacefully sleeping face, I opened my status window.
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