Oooooh!
Sen! Saeng! Nim! Sen! Saeng! Nim!
Goth! Berg!
As I climbed onto the stage following Acella, the healers cheered for me repeatedly.
I responded to their warm welcome, bowing my head like an actor.
“Welcome to all the doctors and healer friends who have come to the Inner Palace Night. Yeah, it doesn’t matter about the factions. You’ve all been blessed by the Saint, right? Let’s have a drink.”
The heat in the banquet hall intensified.
All the healers of the Inner Palace focused their attention on me and Acella.
Making a solemn speech isn’t very fun at such a gathering, but it’s an important message.
Should I convey it one last time?
“Alright, one announcement. From now on, faction politics in the Inner Palace will be abolished.”
The healers were taken aback by my bombshell statement.
“It’s too inefficient to stick with the attending physician, dividing into zones and sharing tasks. We’re busy enough as it is; when do we have time to worry about our superiors? We should go work with patients in areas we excel in and get paid accordingly. Right?”
“Well, that might be fine for us, but…”
“Isn’t that exactly what the superior should say…?”
The healers looked puzzled.
“From now on, you can move around freely without faction divisions. At least in the Moonlight Palace, it will be like that. With such a cute Saint here, why would you follow another attending physician? Are you out of your mind?”
The cries calling for Acella grew louder after my remarks.
Was she proud of the title Saint? She rose on her heels, stretching her little frame.
“From now on, all doctors and healers in the Inner Palace will serve patients under the Saint. The attending physician will do the same. Just like you. Got it?”
“Acella!”
“Lucia!”
“Saint!”
At least, this will be a way to ease the faction politics in the Inner Palace one last time.
With the Saint rising to the rank of attending physician, all authority will be given to her.
With so many royals in the Imperial Family, and correspondingly, so many attending physicians, the current distribution of top authority in the Inner Palace has been the fundamental issue.
You’ll have a tough time for a while, Acella. I patted her shoulder.
“Saint! Saint!”
“Inner Palace! Inner Palace!”
The new healers looking to live in the Inner Palace alongside the Saint were absolutely thrilled.
I snapped my fingers at the Moonlight Palace healers one last time.
“Moonlight Palace! Let’s remind the newcomers. What oath do we take before seeing patients?”
The senior healers rose from their seats with proud expressions.
Left hand over their hearts, right hand outstretched, they all chanted in unison.
—I testify to the gods of healing, Apollo and Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panakeia, that according to my abilities and judgment, I will carry out the following oaths and promises!
The sudden start of the joint oath surprised the healers. What a powerful sight.
—I will use dietary methods for patients according to my abilities and judgment, and I will not cause harm to patients nor commit injustice.
—I will not prescribe or even suggest dangerous medications, even if requested; I will keep my life and the practice of medicine pure and sacred.
—Whether during treatment or otherwise, I must not disclose what I learn about a patient’s life, and I hold it as a sacred secret.
The Hippocratic Oath. It contains the ethics that a physician must uphold before practicing medicine.
Since it was written in ancient times, it slightly conflicts with modern medicine, so I adjusted parts like mentioning using a knife. This much should be acceptable.
—I will enjoy respect and health as long as I uphold this oath. I pledge in honor as a free-willed person!
As their oath concluded, applause erupted.
The awe-struck healers widened their eyes in amazement.
“What a moving oath.”
“Is this the spirit a healer… a doctor should have? We still have a lot to learn.”
“For the patients…!”
They looked like passionate freshmen, which was heartwarming.
Well, there’ll be a mountain of knowledge to study in both medicine and healing, and they won’t get enough sleep while meeting awful patients, leading to all kinds of thoughts.
But those who seek fulfillment will find it.
Hang in there. It’ll be tough.
*
A while later, someone approached me in the calmed banquet hall.
“Ah, Gothberg. My dear friend.”
It was Prince George, the second prince.
“Your Highness. What brings you to such a remote place of the Imperial Household?”
“You seem to be in a difficult position.”
He flaunted his attire with elegantly flowing lace.
I wondered what business he had to seek me out.
“Why would I have difficulties? I was just enjoying a year-end party with the Inner Palace healers.”
“Haha, I may concede a point to Acella, but I always keep my ears open to what happens in the Imperial Palace. Aren’t you planning something fun with Heike?”
He flicked his bangs and wore a self-assured smile.
“Running a country is like doing business. If it’s about territory matters, you could have mentioned it to me first.”
“You knew about it.”
“I was feeling a bit left out since you didn’t tell me first. Aren’t we friends?”
It seems royals think the world revolves around them.
No matter how much I scrolled through history, I had never become close enough to consult George first. He must be distorting the memories to suit himself.
Well, Acella probably thinks she can make the sun revolve around her if she ordered it to.
Such people must be why the geocentric model became popular.
Or do they really believe that?
“I’ve been preparing cautiously since it’s a vital issue. Above all, it must remain confidential until the official announcement. Wouldn’t hundreds of nobility within the Empire rebel?”
It was quite bothersome that George learned about the independence of the former territory, but since he wasn’t taking an adversarial stance towards me, it isn’t a problem.
More importantly, I owe him a favor from an earlier agreement.
“Wise judgment. If leaked beforehand, it could spur rebellious sentiment. Looking at the situation, it seems even the Moonlight Palace hasn’t gotten wind of this information.”
“Indeed.”
“Hahaha, should you not share secrets meant for your wife with your friends?”
George chuckled heartily.
“The reason I urgently sought you out is nothing less than to inform you that if you miss this timing, the independence of the former territory will become impossible.”
“Oh? And what reason do you have for that?”
“It’s simple.”
George proudly pointed at his chest with a thumb.
“I’m planning to mobilize the Knights and take control of the Imperial Palace.”
“Oh, I see.”
Considering he said that without hesitation, it was quite a crazy content.
George just announced he’s going to stage a coup.
“The state funeral period is coming to an end. Although Your Majesty has prepared to choose a successor based on your sound judgment, who knows how long this period will be?”
The emperor’s condition for succession was the subjugation of the Demon King’s army.
Indeed, even in the future, that would only be possible five years from now.
“The Empire needs a ruler. It must not remain vacant for even a moment. The nobility will never be persuaded by the weak justification of succession.”
“In other words, you’re considering to seize that position by force.”
“That’s precisely my thought. By then, the Imperial Family will have descended into chaos. In that situation, do you think the first royal princess will be around to place the seal?”
“That is a valid point. However…”
George’s words were rather sudden in my opinion.
“I am an aide to the third princess. Is it truly alright for you to spill such important information?”
“Don’t you recall our promise? You have the right to decide the date when I raise my army.”
“Hmmm, if I had acquired this information, I would have certainly attempted to use our agreement as leverage to stop Your Highness.”
Yet, to come to me first about a situation that didn’t necessarily need to be disclosed.
The guy has some sense of loyalty.
“Your Highness must also be fully aware that your judgment was reached after deep contemplation, so you can’t back down now.”
“Of course, Gothberg.”
The likelihood of George’s coup succeeding is nearly zero.
Politically and militarily, he would soon be subdued by Heike and Acella.
The only result would be elimination from the succession contest.
But then he would become the final piece I needed.
Taking advantage of the chaos George creates to distract Acella, I could escape the Imperial Family.
“How about five days from now?”
“On the 25th, then. I understand; I hope you’ll be ready by then.”
I shook hands with George.
“Are you leaving the Imperial Family? I’ll miss you.”
“Well… I’m not sure.”
“Haha, your honesty is your charm. Please send my regards to Doctor Faust.”
After parting with George, I called for a guard.
“Bruno.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s prepare. Gather those who will leave for the Marquisate.”
*
Even after the state funeral period ended, Acella’s duties weren’t over. In fact, the Moonlight Palace became busy taking over the emperor’s duties and creating a new system.
Now the successors had to merge and fully embody the role of the emperor. Just thinking about the structure of competing rivals cooperating gives her a headache.
There are countless matters to consider just within the Empire, and now the allied forces are involved, making the workload double.
Whenever Acella felt pressed for time, she recalled the conversation she recently had with Lars.
—Would you not come with me to the Marquis family?
She thought it was a ridiculous choice that wasn’t worth considering.
What value would remain for her, who gave up the path of the emperor?
Magic may still exist.
But unlike many sorcerers who faded away content with magic as their sole achievement in history, she was different.
What good is developing high-tier grand magic if you don’t utilize it?
‘If I become Lars’s wife… then I would be the marquis’s wife.’
Her obligations would be lessened compared to now.
However, she couldn’t bear the thought of her magic not shining, not impacting the common people, and not being recorded in history.
Would she live only to have her three-letter name written in the imperial family’s genealogy?
Acella despised the thought.
…But perhaps.
Had she said yes, would Lars have been happy?
The question posed to herself made her wonder.
Had she truly started to… genuinely like herself?
If that’s the case, how much?
She was curious.
‘Forget it. Don’t think about it now.’
After all, it was a scenario that wouldn’t happen.
Lars would have to assist as an attending physician for several more years until he becomes the emperor, and afterward, he would need to engage in politics from the position of the imperial edict.
Every step was an entirely meaningless assumption.
Lars must have felt strange after seeing a battlefield for the first time in his life, making casual remarks.
‘Above all, he refused to be a hero.’
Considering he wasn’t going to join the party, Lars clearly intended to stay in the Imperial Family.
The moment she returned to the Moonlight Palace, she would plan to confine him and isolate him if she sensed any suspicious behavior.
That day, the proposal he made seemed somehow like a proposal.
For now, Acella decided to wait and see.
She reassured herself that there was no need to worry for a while.
Today is even December 25th.
Acella’s birthday.
Lars showed up every year on her birthday with gifts.
Though the sense of his gifts was usually mediocre, there was still joy in the anticipation of what it would be this year.
“Your Royal Highness, urgent news!”
In the midst of it all, the head maid, who had been promoted to secretary, came with a serious expression.
Acella took the document she handed over.
After confirming the contents, her brow immediately furrowed.
“…The approval for the independence of the Gothberg Marquisate has been granted?”
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