Crown Prince Sells Medicine

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“Phoneix… sunfish?” Raciel murmured unknowingly. He couldn’t help but utter those words when he saw the Phantom Beast he had just summoned. It appeared strangely familiar yet intricate.

“Boop-boop!”

The creature immediately responded to his voice. It was about the size of his palm, round and flat like a spread-out seed pancake. However, it was no ordinary sunfish. It had fiery fins that resembled wings, fluttering and hovering as if they were flapping.

“…”

What did I just summon? Did I accurately draw what I intended? Doubt briefly clouded Raciel’s mind, but he soon shook his head.

‘I don’t know yet. Let’s find out.’

Could its uniqueness be in its vulnerability due to being a sunfish? What kind of role could it fulfill with that ability? He asked with a sense of nervousness.

“Hey, um…”

“Boop?”

“Do you happen to have a manual? Like a note with instructions?”

“Boop-boop?”

“You know, something that tells me how to take care of you?”

“Boop!”

The creature nodded and then appeared to be sick. It started retching.

“Boop… Boop… Booooo-“

With a forceful(?) heave, it coughed up a small note.

“…”

“Ah, gross,” Raciel muttered as he unfolded the note, feeling a tinge of sorrow.

[Poboki’s User Manual]

[Poboki is an adorable and delicate phoenix sunfish. Please care for it with love.]

[Poboki exhibits unwavering loyalty to its summoner. A Phantom Beast is a lifelong companion and an additional family member. Please never abandon it.]

[Poboki cannot utilize sunflower seeds for miniaturization/enlargement transformations, unlike other Phantom Beasts.]

[Enlarging Poboki is only possible under special conditions.]

<Poboki’s Skill List>

[Oh no, I’m dying ㅠㅠ (Lv. 1)]

[Revive! (Lv. 1)]

[Diary Writing (Lv. 1)]

[Poboki utilizes the <Oh no, I’m dying ㅠㅠ (Lv.1)> skill and the <Revive! (Lv. 1)> skill together to accumulate an enlargement stack. When the stack reaches 10 times, the enlargement is automatically activated.]

“…”

Did he make the right choice? Looking at the skill list, Raciel found the purpose of this creature, Poboki, even more perplexing. He started to worry.

No matter how he examined the skill list.

No matter how he read the other explanations.

Nowhere did it mention the ability to analyze herbal components or poisons.

‘Did I draw a useless creature?’

If that were the case, if he had summoned a worthless being, this draw would be ruined. Raciel nervously spoke up.

“Hey, um, Poboki?”

“Boop-poo!”

“You have these skills, right?”

“Boo!”

“‘Oh no, I’m dying,’ what does that mean?”

“Booppoo! Boopoo!”

“…Huh? You want me to bring you something to eat?”

“Boop!”

“So you’re saying you can eat anything without any preferences or pickiness?”

“Boopoopoo!”

“…”

Poboki nodded vigorously all over its body, seeming somewhat confident. It appeared to be showcasing its abilities now that it had been born (?).

‘It’s asking for something to eat.’

Raciel looked around the quiet and spacious bedroom in the middle of the night. There wasn’t anything readily available to eat.

‘Do I have to go to the kitchen to find something? That’s quite a hassle… Oh, I remember.’

Then something came to his mind. It was a few days ago, right? Perhaps due to constantly attending to patients and enduring a grueling schedule, he had an unusually sore throat. He had been coughing since morning, and it hurt whenever he swallowed.

‘I had some bellflower root brought in.’

When you have a cough, bellflower root is the best remedy. Among the medicinal herbs he had, there happened to be some bellflower root. He had it brought for making tea.

‘But I never actually drank it. I was too busy. Anyway, I put it somewhere around here… Ah, there it is.’

Raciel searched through his belongings and found the bellflower root tucked away in a drawer corner. He cut it into a suitable size and offered it to Poboki.

“Can you eat this?”

“Boop!”

Poboki eagerly opened its mouth and chewed on the small piece of bellflower root.

“Boop! Boop! Booooup!”

It vigorously chewed on the bellflower root and eventually swallowed it with a gulp. Then, unexpectedly, it collapsed and appeared to be lifeless.

“…Boo..oo..pp!”

Ding dong!

[Poboki is activating the skill <Oh no, I’m dying ㅠㅠ (Lv. 1)>]

Flap…!

“… .”

With a single shriek, it clutched its chest and fell onto the table. The flames on its fins extinguished, giving the impression that it had truly perished. It remained motionless.

It was an awkward sight.

“Hey? Hey?”

No matter how much he poked it, there was no response. Its eyes turned white, and its tongue stuck out.

“… .”

Oh no.

Was this a selection failure?

Did he truly choose a defective creature?

Just as curses were about to escape his lips…

“…Boop?”

Poboki blinked its eyes wide open.

Ding dong!

[Poboki is activating the skill <Revive! (Lv. 1)>]

[1 stack of Poboki’s enlargement has been accumulated.]

With a powerful message, it promptly stood up. Then, it let out a deep sigh, as if lamenting its fate (?). It drooped its shoulders and plucked one of its fins. It even pulled out a small tooth.

Next, it lay down on the floor and spread the plucked fin like a notebook. It held the plucked tooth in its mouth like a pencil.

Ding dong!

[Poboki is activating the skill <Diary Writing (Lv. 1)>]

“… .”

Diary writing? What was this creature up to? Raciel observed its actions. Meanwhile, Poboki diligently wrote something on its fin notebook.

“Boobbobop! Boopoop! Boooop!”

What could be causing such dissatisfaction? It piqued Raciel’s curiosity. He sneaked a peek over its shoulder to read the contents of the diary.

The entry read…

[Today’s Diary]

[Met a new owner. I was happy. The new owner gave me bellflower root. I was happy. But the bellflower root tasted awful. The platycodigenin was too salty. The polygalacid acid was sour and bitter. Platycogenic acid A and saponin platycodin C42H68O17, along with inulin and phytosterols, tasted too bitter, it was unbearable. It was truly disgusting. It was so disgusting that the phoenix part of me died. And so the phoenix part… blah blah… and then… this and that… blah blah…]

“……”

Raciel was left speechless by the content of the diary.

‘Platycodigenin? Polygalacid acid? Those are components of bellflower root, aren’t they?’

His eyes raced through the diary, gradually widening in astonishment. He couldn’t help it.

‘Unbelievable. It’s listing all the components it just consumed. Not only that, it’s documenting every detail, including lethal dosages, using its innate ability?’

It was mind-boggling.

No, it was more than mind-boggling.

‘…Incredible.’

Finally, Raciel grasped the situation. He seemed to understand how this peculiar creature, a combination of a phoenix and a sunfish, fulfilled its role.

‘That’s it. This guy, whatever it eats, it dies. It simply dies. That’s the sunfish trait. Then, it resurrects due to the phoenix trait. And after that, it records the properties of the substance that caused its demise in its diary.’

In reality, sunfish are not fragile creatures that die easily. They are remarkably resilient beings. However, this creature appeared to possess the characteristics of the easily dying sunfish depicted in internet memes.

‘Anyway, this is insane. It’s incredible.’

His fist involuntarily clenched.

A creature capable of analyzing the components of anything it consumes. Guinea Pig, a creature specialized in experimentation. He had truly obtained it.

Which meant…

‘I could analyze the muscle paralysis poison confiscated from Kusman.’

It seemed impossible, but he desperately wished it could be done. And now, it had become a reality. Meanwhile, the creature continued writing in its diary.

“Booopooo! Bopo! Boooo!”

Was it still disgruntled by the bellflower root it had consumed earlier? It sighed deeply and shed more fins. Complaining incessantly, as if documenting the event, it tirelessly wrote in its extensive diary. It seemed to be composing a thesis on the components of bellflower root.

“……”

Once it finished writing, he would have it analyze the poison. For now, Raciel reluctantly left the creature alone and went to sleep.

♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

Morning arrived, and as Raciel woke up, he found the creature sleeping beside him. The elder(?) creature, Kozumi, was also present.

“……Bopopo. Pooo.”

“Koooo…… kkoooo!”

“……”

Had they become friends, giving each other nicknames without him realizing it? It seemed so. Raciel chuckled briefly, but the moment passed quickly.

‘I have so much work to do.’

If he wanted to lead a healthy life from now on, he needed to revive the oriental medicine clinic. He had to treat more patients and accumulate bonus lifespan. To achieve that, he needed excellent nurses. And to acquire a nurse, he had to administer Botox injections to paralyze Anise’s tail!

‘……The process and outcome might seem bizarre, but that’s the reality. So, creature?’

“Booop?”

“Do you want to give it a try?”

“Boop?”

“It’s something delicious.”

“Booopooo? Boooo!”

At the mention of “something delicious,” Poboki’s eyes sparkled eagerly. A brief pang of guilt passed through Raciel’s conscience, but he put on a determined smile. He administered a drop of Kusman’s paralysis poison sample to Poboki.

As expected, Poboki died.

“……Booopoo Poooo!”

Fooled!

Poboki glared at Raciel with a betrayed expression while taking its last breath. Of course, it resurrected shortly afterward. It grumbled at Raciel numerous times, documenting its findings in a diary, or rather, a poison analysis report. Thanks to that, half a day later, Raciel received the analysis results.

‘It’s done. This is it.’

He carefully reviewed the diary written by Poboki. The paralytic poison created by Kusman. He now had detailed knowledge of almost all its characteristics and specifications.

‘I didn’t expect this, but it’s a milder version of Botox, specifically targeting its weakness. The toxin directly binds to neurons in the nervous system… blocking the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. Isn’t its mechanism of action almost identical to Botox?’

Fortunately (?), the toxin was much weaker than botulinum toxin.

‘It’s even weaker than the diluted type A toxin used in common cosmetic surgeries. Just right. Not too excessive.’

He could calculate the precise amount needed to paralyze a tail without causing side effects. In other words, he could determine the safe dosage with accuracy. There was no reason to hesitate any longer. Raciel decided it was time to call Anise for the procedure.

“Gardin?”

“Yes, I… Eh?”

“What’s the matter? Why are you so surprised?”

“Th-The Phantom Beast… again!”

Upon seeing Poboki, Gardin was taken aback. Raciel deliberately acted nonchalant, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. Or as if making a fuss about it was ridiculous.

“Oh, it showed up unexpectedly last night.”

“……”

“Don’t ask me why. I don’t know either. It seems Phantom Beasts have a tendency to gravitate toward me.”

“Uh, hehe.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Well, it’s just that… I remembered a certain nobleman from a history book.”

“A nobleman?”

“Yes, His Highness Lloyd Frontera…”

“Oh, the estate designer who lived during the late period when this empire was still a kingdom?”

“Yes, exactly. He was the nobleman who became the king’s right-hand man and achieved numerous accomplishments. I recall reading that he also had five Phantom Beasts under his care.”

“Really? He must have been an impressive individual.”

“He practically laid the foundation of the empire.”

“I see. But for now, it’s not so important to discuss historical tales, right?”

“Yes?”

“Call Anise.”

“Do you mean Miss Anise?”

“Yes. We’re starting the procedure.”

Of course, success was not guaranteed. Unexpected challenges might arise during the procedure. However, Raciel was fully prepared. It was time to take action.

For the recruitment of an S-tier nurse. For the prosperity of the Star Palace Clinic. And for the wealth and longevity of his royal life.

‘I control my own destiny.’

Thus, for the first time in continental history, a local anesthesia procedure based on Botox acupuncture began.

(To be Continued)

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