The upper VIP room of the party venue.
Camilla glanced down at the nobles dancing in the ballroom through the curtain’s gap.
Her black eyes were filled with disdain.
“Ah, you are here, Your Majesty.”
With a friendly yet frivolous voice, Prince George entered the VIP room accompanied by his guards.
Camilla greeted him warmly.
“George, I take it the negotiations are over?”
“How can a lady who was just a common lady before my father’s passing fulfill her role properly? That mining right belongs to Togin Palace.”
“Of course, you’re competent. There can’t be anyone else more suited as the next Emperor than you, George. I’m more and more convinced of that.”
“Well, thanks to the preparations you’ve made, it was easy to handle.”
George sat down and took a wine glass in hand.
“Your Majesty, your connections are remarkable. Because of that demon rampage incident near the mine, the count’s family came to me first. What did you do?”
“Hehe, can you understand my magic?”
“Haha, that would be overstepping. You’re undoubtedly the only practitioner of clone magic, right?”
Clone magic.
A spell that manifests a being identical to the magician.
If it’s just appearances, it could be recreated with illusion magic to dazzle the eyes.
Camilla’s clones are transcendental and unique in their ability to create perfect replicas.
The clones can also use the same magic as Camilla and gain knowledge and experience.
When they merge back together, they would be even more advanced.
“I’ve never seen you use it in the palace. Is it a difficult spell?”
“It is difficult. Now I have students, and I don’t need to use it.”
“Thanks to your students, Togin Palace has maintained its prestige. Aren’t court magicians rare?”
“They were rarer when I entered the palace. The Emperor actively employing magicians in the royal court was thanks to my counsel. How much faster has the Empire moved with the teleport gate?”
“It’s hard to believe that such a great sorceress is stuck in a simple place like the Moonlight Palace, Your Majesty.”
Camilla crinkled her nose slightly.
“Haha, don’t be angry. Unlike the Emperor, I have a very favorable view of magic. The more soldiers who can use magic, the better, right?”
George laughed heartily.
“When I become Emperor, I’ll cultivate a mage unit just as much as the knights, as you suggested, Your Majesty. I don’t understand why the Emperor is wary of magic.”
“Perhaps it looked like an unknown power to him. He thought of continuing his conquest even until he got Acella.”
That was the reason Camilla was pushed out of the palace. It was according to the Emperor’s policy to stop the wars and control magic.
“Did you say you want to spread magic widely?”
“That’s right. George, your policy aligns perfectly with my ideals.”
“Are you upset because Acella has grown into a defiant little brat?”
“Acella.”
Camilla’s eyebrows twitched.
Keeping her mouth shut, she took a deep breath, thinking about Acella, with cold rage simmering on her tongue.
“I told you, George. To create the magic needed for a mage army, we need the soul of a great witch.”
“Isn’t it easy to conquer Acella someday?”
“Time is running out. If Acella completely gains control over it, we may never get it back.”
“What will you do then?”
“There is a simple method.”
Understanding the hidden meaning in Camilla’s silence, George let out a hollow laugh.
Sorcerers indeed have an abnormal obsession with magic.
Still, it’d have to be a last resort. After all, isn’t it their own flesh and blood born from their own body?
Thinking that, George joked.
“Well, have you set up an assassination schedule or something?”
Camilla raised one corner of her mouth mischievously.
*
“AAAAAHHHH!!!”
“What happened?!”
“Prince Duke collapsed!”
The music-filled party venue instantly became chaotic.
The guards, who had maintained a state of alert until now, drew their swords and surrounded their lord for protection.
“Teacher!”
Tanya, who had been lurking like a shadow, immediately ran to me. Three guards of Acella followed her.
“Protect the princess first!”
“Yes!”
Acella looked visibly panicked. Her chest was rising and falling quickly, breath shallow.
As an attending physician, it was important to look after Acella.
But the Duke, who was currently writhing on the floor, was a merits holder for the empire and the first political ally Acella had recruited.
If he were to die, it would be a huge problem.
Overbreathing, muscle spasms. Symptoms identical to nerve agent poisoning.
Just as my diagnosis skill indicated.
In a word, it was akin to ingesting an entire pesticide.
It’s a poisonous drink made with black magic.
The probability of the [Deadly Poison Trap] bad ending had increased.
Acella had had the world fall apart after black magicians unleashed poison.
“Duke!”
The Duke’s guards rushed in, rattling their armor.
“Healer! Is there no healer?!”
“We’ve already called for one!”
They saw the Duke writhing on the floor, turning pale.
“Black magic! It’s definitely necrotic magic that takes life in under a minute! How long until the healer arrives?!”
“At least more than three minutes…!”
“This is bad!”
The knights were sweating bullets. Surrounding nobles gasped and covered their mouths in shock.
“Oh my God, how could this happen on such a joyous day?”
“How did a black magician get into the palace?”
“We need to get out of here!”
The party venue spiraled into collective panic like a truck with its brakes cut.
I focused on the patient.
While it might be gas poisoning, these symptoms could be effectively treated.
I pulled out two syringes hidden inside my suit.
Antidote.
“Wait, what are you doing? Please step away from the Duke!”
As I crouched to approach the Duke, a guard panickedly tried to stop me.
Tanya immediately overwhelmed him with a fiery glare.
“This is Teacher Gothberg, the royal family’s attending physician. If you don’t want to lose your lord, move aside.”
“Y-You’re the attending physician. Please…”
The guard stepped back immediately.
I was already ready.
Emergency Treatment C activated…
My body reacted first, tearing the thigh of Duke’s dress pants.
First syringe. I removed the cap from the atropine and held it vertically.
Click, I pressed the button, and the needle protruded to inject atropine.
I continued until the liquid reduced to the marked gauge.
“What are you doing right now?”
“I’m not seeing any divine power…”
Nobles and knights were puzzled by my actions, but I ignored them.
Eat this.
“Huff, huff!”
The Duke’s breath began to return to normal gradually.
His stiffening muscles relaxed.
Atropine eased the reactions caused by the poisoning and bought some time for treatment.
I’ve prevented immediate death. The real antidote is this.
I pulled out the second syringe.
Oksim. Similarly, I pressed the button to inject it.
I waited as the antidote was injected,
And an alarm popped up in my status window.
Prescription C activated…
A message indicating that the effectiveness of my treatment had increased.
I confirmed that Oksim was decomposing the poison.
“Huff.”
Only then could I relax and wipe the sweat off my forehead.
“Huff, huff… Urgh, what the hell.”
The Duke barely managed to look at me and spoke.
“You… got through the worst of it. You were lucky.”
“Yes, that’s me. Now, get the Duke to a place where he can rest.”
“Ah, understood!”
His guards hastily lifted the Duke.
The summoned healers arrived and began casting spells on the Duke.
“Is the Duke okay?”
“The attending physician saved his life!”
There were no other casualties reported at the party.
“Attention everyone. Do not put your lips on any liquids in the party venue!”
Having completed the treatment, I stood up and warned everyone while moving back to Acella with Tanya.
“Princess, are you alright?”
“Uh, yes. Prince, you…?”
“The treatment was successful. The Duke will be fine. But you might have touched the poison on your skin, so let me disinfect it first.”
I grabbed Acella’s trembling arm.
She flinched as the alcohol touched her cold skin.
“This place is dangerous. You must leave, Your Highness.”
“…No.”
Acella bit her lip but showed strong resolve.
“This is a poisoning incident in the palace. If royalty runs away first, what kind of image will that create? I need to stay until the other nobles evacuate.”
“You don’t have to go that far…”
“Did you catch the attendant who poisoned me?”
Acella’s will was already firm.
This was an incident where both the Duke and the heir were nearly poisoned in front of all the nobles.
In order to maintain the royal family’s honor, we needed to uncover the truth and punish the culprits severely.
“I understand your feelings, but Your Highness, you must prioritize your safety right now.”
“Prince, stop talking back. Tanya, Slan, chase after the poisoned attendant.”
Tanya looked at me, knowing that if she left her post, my protection would also weaken.
However, with two of Acella’s guards remaining, it should be fine for now.
“Since we need to check on Neria too, just join up with Boris. Tanya, follow the princess’s orders.”
“Understood.”
As the knights left, I turned back to Acella.
“Princess, why are you being so stubborn?”
“Stubborn? There are so many eyes watching. What do you expect me to do?”
“The target of the assassination could either be the Duke or you. If you’re the target, you’re still exposed to danger.”
“The royal family can’t just stay safe behind a wall. Heike went out to the battlefield himself.”
“But that doesn’t mean you should lead the charge wielding a sword. Foolhardiness and bravery are different. You must protect your body.”
“Why do you keep treating me like a child?!”
“I’m worried because I’m your physician!”
I raised my voice without even noticing.
Acella pouted her lips slightly, looking startled.
I didn’t expect to come off that strong, and I felt like I was overreacting.
Oh no, did I make her angry?
“…The target probably isn’t me.”
Acella began to mutter, unsure of herself.
“If that were the case, there wouldn’t be a reason to aim for this spot. The Duke is now out of his territory and more accessible. It would have been an opportunity for another noble with intertwined interests to secretly bring in the black magician…”
At that moment, a message popped up in my status window.
[No. 086 Assassin of Shadows 37% → 75%]
“No, the target is the princess.”
“What?”
I grabbed her wrist firmly.
“Don’t worry. I know how to avoid this ending.”
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