The duel with Simon has been established.
Right after meeting the Emperor, I was in the audience room of the Imperial Palace with Simon, listening to an explanation from Ambrosia.
“The deadline is one month. The judge will be the girl. As an imperial decree, I promise a just and fair judgment.”
Thud thud! Ambrosia declared as she tapped the ground with the holy relic.
“Simon will use healing spells, while Gothberg will use medicine. The two attending physicians are forbidden from using any additional skills except for regular healing and emergencies.”
“How will you verify the lord’s health?”
“That’s a good question. Prince Gunter, Princess Acella, please step forward.”
Gunter and Acella, urgently summoned under the imperial order, stepped forward.
“Taking away my daughter’s snack time for a trivial matter in the inner palace is outrageous!”
Acella, who had been called out without any understanding, puffed her cheeks in complaint.
“Just cooperate a little. This is an opportunity to expand our faction.”
The winning faction will absorb George’s nearly dismantled inner palace faction.
Most of the personnel have already shifted to the first prince’s faction, but the artifacts and other goods belonging to the second prince’s faction are still worth a lot.
Most importantly, the office.
The 200-pyeong office on the first floor is something I really want.
“Prince, you were right. It’s better to scrape the assets left by George and bring them to the Moonlight Palace than to lose them to someone else.”
“Then why are you angry?”
“Today’s snack was cheesecake!”
Ah, cheesecake. It’s a specialty of the royal kitchen.
So that’s what she was unhappy about.
But if I remember correctly, she ate it with Tanya yesterday as well.
“I told you to only eat cheesecake once a week.”
“Yesterday was the end of the week; today marks the start of a new week.”
“Do you think that makes sense?”
“Why not? If I declare today as the Moonlight Palace’s Sabbath, I can do that.”
Acella was acting like a child throwing a strange tantrum.
Since Acella doesn’t digest dairy well, it should be limited. But communication with the royal kitchen still isn’t going well.
“Then about the judging method?”
Ambrosia opened the holy book and spun the holy relic around grandly.
She reached her tiptoes and swung the relic with all her might, but being short, it barely reached Gunter’s chin.
“Oops, excuse me.”
It seemed heavy because she almost lost balance and nearly tumbled over.
Slurp slurp, Ambrosia licked her lips.
As the Emperor’s first attending physician, she displayed an imposing presence.
—Whoosh!
The pure sphere created by her divine power spread out, enveloping Gunter and Acella.
Soon, hologram-like forms of tree trunks appeared in front of the two.
“Ooh.”
Simon casually marveled. The skill she just used is quite advanced in the category of holy spells.
“Indeed, sister, you can use [Circuit Projection]. You are truly a great wielder of divine power.”
Ahem, Acella puffed out her chest with pride upon receiving my compliment.
When it comes to healing spells, it generally refers to healing acts performed using various healing spells.
Healing spells belong to the category of holy spells.
Just like how fire magic is classified under elemental magic.
Blessings that provide beneficial buffs are also a branch of holy spells.
The skill Ambrosia just used is a utility-type holy spell. Since it’s not a combat skill, I have never learned it.
It consumes a significant amount of divine power, and there’s no doubt that Ambrosia is the best in the inner palace.
Most importantly, it also worked on Acella. This means Ambrosia’s level of holy spells is higher than Acella’s current magic.
But soon that might change.
“What you see now are the magic circuits of Prince Gunter and Princess Acella.”
“Mmmm.”
Acella’s magic circuit was intricately decorated all over her body.
However, many blocks and clots hindering the flow of mana were noticeable.
“I seem to have a little less….”
Gunter’s magic circuit was definitely thinner and a bit split compared to Acella’s.
It signifies he is not talented in magic.
“The flow of mana in your magic circuits has just been noted by the girl. An attending physician who has a comparatively more active mana flow at this time in a month will be victorious.”
“I understand, sister.”
“I have no objections.”
Simon also agreed.
“Simon and Gothberg. The objectivity of the records will be verified by the deputy healers present. Leave the fairness to me.”
“Is there any doubt? As the one at the top of the inner palace, I trust and will follow your judgment, sister.”
“Hehe, good. By the way, what methods do you both plan to use on our lord?”
“Holy spells aren’t just healing spells.”
Stepping forward confidently, Simon showed a clenched fist.
“My scouting to the inner palace was because I am an Inquisition officer who can use every holy spell at a top level, including healing spells.”
“I remember. Alberich brought you here.”
“Demons and their followers will burn if holy flames are used. The same applies to diseases. The illness that harms humans is just as evil as demons.”
—Whoosh!
Simon displayed his divine power, igniting it in his hands.
“If we burn away the diseases, they will surely disappear! Exterminating the demons tormenting the prince will surely boost his confidence going forward!”
“Uhm, hmm?”
At Simon’s remarks, Gunter shrank back, hunching his shoulders.
It seems Simon is thinking of giving Gunter a major holy spell massage or something.
“Simon, is that right?”
“Your Majesty, just trust me.”
“Really…?”
Gunter tilted his head.
Something seems off, but he has no objections.
He’s quite a passive man.
“Hmmm, it’s an unconventional idea. I’ll have some expectations. What about Gothberg?”
“To express my apology for disturbing Princess Acella’s snack time, I plan to prepare the dinner myself.”
“Oh? The dinner?”
My statement piqued Acella’s interest, who had been bored until now, raising her eyebrows.
“If you’re curious, sister, why not join us? Let’s have dinner together at the Moonlight Palace tomorrow evening.”
“Mmm. That would indeed be when I shift out. If you invite me, I’ll drop by.”
Thud thud, Ambrosia tapped the ground with the holy relic.
“Then I look forward to seeing you in a month. Prince Gunter, Princess Acella, I wish you well.”
At Ambrosia’s declaration to begin the duel, everyone gathered dispersed.
As Acella headed toward the Moonlight Palace, she asked me,
“Prince, can you cook too?”
“What do you think?”
Acella tilted her head and looked up at the sky.
It seemed she was imagining something.
“It suits you.”
“What does?”
“Will you make something delicious?”
“Expect it.”
Acella nodded lightly and gracefully shifted her steps.
I clapped my hands toward the members of my faction, who had been waiting behind me.
“Did everyone hear? Let’s get ready right away. Chloe, can you cook?”
“Mmm… Does toasting bread with salt count as cooking?”
“If you can bake bread.”
“I don’t know….”
“You’re assigned to clean, wash dishes, and do chores. I’ll provide the ingredients, so gather them by noon tomorrow. Order from the Supre guild first and then gather the rest with the knights.”
“Yes, yes!”
Chloe vigorously nodded as her bangs swayed.
“Hugo, what about you?”
“I can make baby food quite well because I had to feed Eri.”
“Okay. You’ll assist. Join me for practice. Tanya.”
“Yes.”
“You often snack with Acella, right?”
“Yes, the princess calls for me at least once a week.”
They must be quite the close friends.
“I assume you know Acella’s tastes well.”
“Of course.”
Tanya replied confidently.
I know that Acella ten years from now enjoys mainly cheese and wine.
Her tastes must differ now, so it’s accurate to rely on Tanya’s help.
“You will be in charge of tasting. For real-time flavor testing, advise us.”
“Leave it to me. But one thing I’m curious about, is it truly possible to improve the princess’s mana flow through cooking?”
Tanya’s question made sense.
There is no knowledge about nutrients in this world.
People have an instinctual concept of consuming food for energy and dying from hunger when starving.
“So people prefer grains and meat.”
The commoners eat grains, while the wealthy nobility predominantly consume meat.
In reality, I too often have steak, salt, and butter with all my meals.
“Magic circuits are like blood vessels. If nutrients are supplied evenly, it will improve.”
“Nutrients! Things like vitamins and minerals, right?”
Chloe, who is already learning about medicine from me, grasped it immediately.
“Even Your Majesty has excessive cholesterol. If the diet consists solely of meat at that age, it’s bound to cause strain on the body.”
This is something I’ve wanted to adjust for a while, but since the royal kitchen handles royal meals, it has been postponed.
This time, I definitely want to establish a proper diet for Acella using the imperial order as an excuse.
“So, what kind of food do you plan to serve the princess?”
“Acella needs to eat more greens.”
“Greens… like vegetables?”
Hugo tilted his head in confusion.
That’s understandable. Common vegetables like carrots or onions are mostly used as fodder and not common among the wealthy nobility.
The reason is simple. They don’t taste good and don’t provide energy.
Nobles need to eat expensive foods to maintain their prestige.
“Will the princess like that?”
“We’ll find out when we make it. So taste it first, Commander, and judge.”
I patted Hugo and Tanya on the shoulders.
“Now, let’s move. We don’t have much time.”
*
The next day.
Bang!
The sound of a hand slamming the royal kitchen table echoed.
The chefs, busily cooking, turned in surprise.
In the corner, at the cooking station rented by the Moonlight Palace, Tanya was raising her voice with a more serious expression than when facing the dragon.
“Hugo the healer! Are you seriously thinking of presenting this kind of food to the princess? This salmon is so undercooked it might swim upstream if thrown back into the river!”
“Teacher, didn’t you say something like ginseng is a health food? I couldn’t handle the bitter taste, so as soon as it hit my mouth, I spat it out. Does that mean the ground is becoming healthier?”
Lars pouted at Tanya’s tirade.
‘Oh, it’s not that bad.’
Though he was trying to make a health food for Acella, he hit a wall.
It was great that he managed to find ingredients, but most health foods require long cooking processes like fermentation or aging.
Since that step was skipped, the taste was awful.
Surprisingly, Tanya’s taste was more precise than expected.
Having enjoyed snacks with Acella, she was sophisticated in her palate.
Sigh, it can’t be helped.
Lars cast his skill at the bitter and bland ginseng roast.
“Property Change. Maximum MSG.”
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