Upon returning to the Inner Palace, I left the interns behind and sought the other attending physicians who had caused this situation.
“The one with the most power in the minor factions is.”
“The attending physician of Prince Gebard, Herf. He holds the authority over the Inner Palace’s personnel. He also handles the placement of new healers, of course.”
“Why is he in charge? What about Alberich?”
“It was decided by majority vote at the attending physicians’ meeting. The minor factions formed an alliance and gave him all the votes.”
“An alliance of minor factions, huh.”
I hadn’t thought of that.
“As you know, Alberich has been the most influential due to holding the largest faction, but ultimately all attending physicians have equal authority. Moreover, since Alberich was defeated by you, many regard him as a joke now…”
Falkenhayn explained the situation.
“So, you’re telling me that the incompetent interns were sent to the ER, and all specialists were pulled away to boost their performance report? From just the documents, it seems the minor factions have a better standing than our Moonlight Palace.”
While I stealthily observed things from a distance, they had openly made a mess of it. What a sinister lot.
“Where are they now?”
“It’s about time for afternoon clinic hours, so he must have gone to the palace where the prince is.”
Getting off work early, huh.
Just then, a communication sphere flew in.
I checked the contents and tucked the letter into my pocket before sending a reply.
“Where did it come from?”
“Oh, it’s nothing urgent. More than that, let’s go after that Herf.”
“Right now?!”
Falkenhayn’s eyes widened. It’s practically nighttime; it would have been more reasonable to handle it tomorrow.
“What if another emergency patient comes up at night? Let’s resolve this as soon as possible.”
“Um… understood.”
I then hopped onto a carriage headed toward the prince’s palace.
Prince Gebard, the emperor’s younger brother, lived in a modest building more suitable to be called a mansion than a palace.
As I stated my business and requested an audience, it turned out that the afternoon clinic was ongoing, so I was able to meet with the prince.
“You are the attending physician for Princess Acella. What brings you here?”
The prince, who looked like an ordinary middle-aged man despite being only a few years younger than the emperor, greeted me in the reception room.
Herf, the attending physician, was glancing at me with a slightly tense expression beside him.
“I am honored, Your Highness, for you to forgive my rudeness in interrupting your clinic hours.”
After bowing to him, I brought up my business.
“The thing is, I came to convey a message to the attending physician Herf who is there.”
“Herf? Is it about the Inner Palace?”
“That’s right. If you permit, I would like to have a private talk with him.”
“Speak here. I am curious as well.”
The prince, having somewhat grasped my reason for coming, did not allow him to leave.
Falkenhayn stepped forward.
“Your Highness, this is a matter concerning the Inner Palace. It’s a professional issue for the attending physicians, so there’s no need for you to worry…”
“If it’s regarding performance, I have entrusted it to Attending Physician Herf.”
The prince brought up the topic first. Sharp.
Even though he usually remained quiet and reserved, a royal is still a royal, the emperor’s brother at that.
“Was that the answer you wanted to hear, Gothberg?”
“I didn’t particularly want to hear it, but there is a small issue with the Inner Palace.”
“Isn’t resolving issues your job as attending physicians? Moreover, you are the brilliant newcomer who has brought innovation to the Inner Palace.”
The prince glanced at Herf.
“Herf.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“How long has it been since you took on the role of attending physician beside me?”
“Twenty-four years, Your Highness.”
“And how has your faction been during that time?”
“…It has been quiet.”
“Indeed, it has been quiet.”
The prince chuckled before looking back at me.
“Herf here is an ordinary man. Unlike you or Falkenhayn, he’s not a genius. Nonetheless, as the emperor’s brother, he is the most fitting attending physician for one who should not stand out.”
He gestured for a servant to bring him a cigarette, which was cut and lit.
Taking a deep puff and filling the room with smoke, he said,
“You may take the attention of the world for granted, but even ordinary people should be given a chance to shine, shouldn’t they?”
“Are you thinking of pushing the faction healers into the martial arts conference based on performance, Your Highness?”
At my remark, the prince pointed the burning cigarette at me, showing displeasure.
“To ‘push’ is a terrible way to put it. Such arrogance is reaching the heavens. I intend to present it to His Majesty in a favorable light based on solid grounds. Those qualified should naturally participate, shouldn’t they?”
“Wow, really.”
“Indeed.”
“I am deeply moved by Your Highness’s profound intentions.”
I bowed and then suddenly lifted my head.
“However, to ally with minor factions, all their interests should have aligned, shouldn’t they?”
“You need not know that much.”
“You wouldn’t really be hoping to give ordinary youngsters a chance for some memories, would you?”
“Oh, Attending Physician.”
The prince frowned at me.
It seemed he was trying to feign authority to intimidate me, but I was more irritated.
He had merely wrapped himself in flattering words; his actual intent was to elevate his own honor by sending his healers to the martial arts conference.
The minor factions too had their own interests in supporting this.
Thanks to people like him, I would end up facing hardships in the future.
For example, if there were thirty spots for imperial healers at the martial arts conference, with someone like the prince having thirty representatives, actual competent healers would have no chance to even be considered for the hero’s party.
And that snowball effect would roll down to me, while the hero’s party barely received support or supplies, it was all a mess.
Acella was present, but still.
“Your Highness, thanks to you, the ER in the Inner Palace is not functioning normally.”
“That is your job, so you should resolve it.”
Oh, if only you weren’t royalty.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“Haha, I have plenty to say, but must I speak it all out loud? Ah, thank you for your time late into the night, Your Highness. If you don’t mind, please try this energy drink we make at our Moonlight Palace.”
“Hmm, is it something healthy for the body?”
“Oh, of course.”
It works great. You’ll be alert for eight hours.
The prince took the drink bottle I offered and, feeling invigorated, laughed heartily.
I pulled out my pocket watch to check the time.
Hmm, it’s about time.
As expected, not long after, the front door became noisy.
Someone rushed into the reception room.
“Your Majesty! It’s an honor to meet you!”
Ambrosia, with her short limbs, barely offered a greeting before recovering her disheveled appearance and hurriedly approaching me.
“Gothberg-sensei!”
“It’s been a while, sister.”
“What is the meaning of this! You say you cannot heed the emperor’s order?!”
Ambrosia’s face turned pale as she shoved a piece of paper into my chest.
It was the very document I had written and sent via the communication sphere earlier.
“Emperor’s order?”
At that serious word, even the prince’s eyes narrowed.
I tried to show a profoundly distressed expression and replied to Ambrosia.
“Sister, please convey to His Majesty that he should extend his grace.”
“What on earth are you talking about? Since you’ve returned, what is so difficult about requesting to check on the emperor’s health?!”
Ambrosia’s expression crumbled as she clutched my white coat with both hands.
The communication sphere I received earlier had come from Ambrosia.
The emperor wanted to know if I would go to the kingdom’s martial arts conference, and before that, he wished to be examined by me.
So it was an order to arrange my schedule to visit the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.
I knew it would come to this.
I replied to Ambrosia that I couldn’t go for a while and asked her to come to me to discuss the circumstances.
“Sister, currently, the ER in the Inner Palace is understaffed and cannot care for emergency patients, so I must take on emergency duty myself.”
“Understaffed in the ER? Why is there a shortage when the Inner Palace has increased the number of healers?”
“Even with increases, some still cannot attend.”
“But that’s absurd!”
“Haha, please don’t be too angry. The details will be explained by Attending Physician Herf over there. Ah, if His Majesty is curious as well…”
I slyly locked eyes with the prince.
“I could elaborate on why I should break the emperor’s order.”
Because of the prince’s orders, a servant is breaking the emperor’s commands.
Moreover, it seems that a physician favored by the emperor cannot come for an examination.
Surely the prince knew what kind of situation that would cause.
He stared at me in silence for a moment before quickly making a judgment.
“Herf.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I will rescind the order.”
“Yes.”
*
As I left the prince’s palace, I conversed with Ambrosia.
“So, you used the girl in a political fight? Do you want to be spanked for that, Teacher? Do you know how hard I had to run over here?”
“Oh, it’s not using her. I simply received help from your ocean-like benevolence.”
“Hmm, indeed, the girl has a big heart.”
Ambrosia walked, rolling up the drooping sleeves of her attire.
“The Inner Palace is still the Inner Palace. Every time there’s an issue, it’s an utter mess.”
“Well, that’s always been the case. You probably didn’t get to see it much since you work so closely with His Majesty.”
Falkenhayn stroked his beard, as if the matter wasn’t serious at all.
If political factions are the culture of the Inner Palace, then that’s the case.
“Hm.”
During the conversation, a question came to me.
“Is it really necessary to have factions?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Ambrosia replied with a question of her own.
“As you mentioned, wouldn’t it need some coordination?”
“Can we just get rid of them? They naturally arise as attending physicians take healers under the pretext of assistance.”
“Isn’t it because the only superiors the healers have are attending physicians? The offices are separated now too. Wouldn’t opening things up change the atmosphere?”
“Do you have a good idea?”
Well, to put it simply.
Even though the palace is divided into numerous palaces with each following a separate lord, they eventually all fall under the authority of the emperor, the supreme leader.
But in the Inner Palace, there isn’t that one leader, and all the attending physicians keep each other in check.
Even a university hospital has a head, after all.
“It’s vague, but wouldn’t it be enough to have a symbolic leader who could oversee the attending physicians?”
“Even if such a figure existed, the qualifications or authority would be issues.”
Ambrosia made a valid point.
“That’s true. For now, wouldn’t you, being His Majesty’s physician, be the one who fits that role best?”
“Haha, you say the girl should be a symbol of the Inner Palace?”
“Should I even have a statue erected?”
“Teacher, you’re always good at jokes. So is the girl’s father. It’s just in their blood.”
Just in their blood, huh.
Come to think of it, she and Neria share the same bloodline.
…Hmm.
It might not be a joke.
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