ALL NOVEL Chapter 39
“From the rear, the enemy mobile unit is launching an ambush! Maintain formation!”
Under the command of the Commander of the Moonlight Palace, the knights move in perfect unison.
After breaking through the imperial prince’s knights, who are the emperor’s nephews, they aim to secure the next high ground.
It’s a good vantage point, allowing them to scout the battlefield.
“That knight from the north is quite tough.”
“He’s been scouting ahead of the unit’s advance all this time. He certainly has the skills to win in personal combat.”
“I heard he comes from the Gothberg Marquise. I thought it was only a place that trained healers, but it seems they have plenty of talent.”
The emperor watches Tanya while sharing his thoughts with his brothers, the princes.
“He appears to have a high level of loyalty to the Marquise; if he can produce such knights, Gothberg must breed quite the promising youth.”
“They say he’s the Royal Princess’s attending physician, right?”
“If he’s capable of blessing all the knights in the unit, his skills are indeed assured.”
A heated battle continues with swirling dust.
“My knights!!”
The Togin Palace knights have already fallen alongside Lau’s unit.
Georg, frustrated over his elimination in the mock battle without making an impact, tears at his hair in despair.
Though the Moonlight Palace knights advanced with momentum, they soon reached their limits as the battle entered its latter stages.
In the final three-way fight, it went well up to the point of provoking the enemy’s two units to fight each other first.
However, the remaining knights stood strong with significant spirit.
‘The First Royal Princess’s, Heike’s knights.’
Heike was not in the stands; instead, she was directly leading her unit in the arena on horseback.
Like Georg, she was a woman full of ambition, serious about inheriting the role of the next emperor.
“Victory is within reach! Advance!”
Resembling Acella yet robust and healthy, her long golden hair flowing as she sweeps across the battlefield was like a painting come to life.
Even though our first unit is the imperial knights, they are regular soldiers. We lack the skill to hold back Heike’s elite knights.
Although the Moonlight Palace knights aren’t significantly outnumbered, they do have fewer soldiers.
At last, the twenty Moonlight Palace knights, including Tanya, found themselves surrounded by Heike’s elite knights.
“Knight of the north.”
Heike shouted toward Tanya, pointing her sword’s tip at her.
Clang, clang! Her booming voice echoed thanks to amplification magic, allowing everyone in the arena to hear.
“You can tell from the situation that the outcome is already determined. Will you continue this pointless resistance?”
It was an invitation to surrender. Acella frowned, realizing the implication.
“Ha ha, to suggest that the top knight of the enemy faction betray their loyalty, Heike, you are quite ruthless,” Georg explained the situation, intending to mock Acella.
I understood exactly what he meant.
No matter how festive the mock battle might be or the fact that they were the brothers of her lord, they were effectively rival factions within the imperial family.
By suggesting surrender first, it made the strategically correct choice to withdraw look like a cowardly act of a betrayer.
Heike, aiming for succession, was adept at political maneuvering.
Now, the Moonlight Palace knights faced a choice of fighting until the end, but if they did, it would be certain to turn disgraceful.
Acella would lose the emperor’s trust because of that.
With one line, Heike had set a highly effective trap.
“…Tsk.”
Acella clicked her tongue.
I whispered softly to her.
“Your Majesty, please wait a moment.”
“Why?”
“Excessive stress can impair digestive function and lead to sleep disorders.”
“…Huh, I took a hit there. I knew Heike’s knights were strong, but…”
“Isn’t it just a matter of establishing a justification?”
“Do you have a method?”
I nodded.
“I’ve already had a way to cope with this prepared for Tanya.”
Acella looked back at the arena again.
Tanya lowered her sword and stepped forward, meeting Heike’s gaze.
“Have you chosen surrender?”
“Our Moonlight Palace knights will cease fighting here because…”
Tanya took off her gloves and glanced around the audience.
Countless scars marked her arms from the battle.
“…I cannot commit disrespect to my loyal lord any further.”
Tanya took a red potion from her pocket and applied it to her wound.
With a soft light, the healing effect took place.
“Hmm, what’s that?”
The emperor, observing the scene, leaned forward with interest.
Tanya continued speaking.
“This is a medicinal herb made using alchemy to heal wounds. It was crafted for me by my lord, Teacher Lars Gothberg.”
Her declaration caused a stir among the audience.
“Alchemy, you say?”
“So it’s not an artifact?”
“You can heal wounds in a way that isn’t a healing spell?”
“It’s the attending physician from Gothberg!”
After carefully placing the red potion in her pocket, Tanya showed her now clean arm to the audience.
“The Teacher always puts his utmost effort into the health of not only Her Royal Highness but also the knights of the Moonlight Palace. If we continue to fight…”
Tanya glared at Heike.
“Your Majesty, taking away my lord Teacher Gothberg’s hands and time equates to harming Her Highness Acella’s health as well; thus, it’s disgraceful.”
Well, she knows how to speak well.
It looks like she has garnered significant experience in our marquisate.
“For these reasons, to uphold loyalty to Her Highness Acella, our knights will acknowledge our defeat here and conclude the mock battle.”
As Tanya finished speaking, applause erupted.
It was a salute of encouragement from the audience to the beautiful loser.
“The winner of the group mock battle has been decided!”
The announcer’s guidance echoed throughout the Colosseum as the knights gracefully exited the arena.
Heike shot a cold glare at Tanya’s back before glancing up at our audience with a smirk.
Despite having only half of Acella’s blood, the imperial family’s smile is still somewhat chilling.
“Prince, did you have Tanya do that?”
Amid the uproar in the Colosseum, Acella asked me.
“Yes. Knowing Heike would participate directly, I thought this scenario might occur, so I prepared the red potion.”
“Hmm.”
“Did it not suit your taste? Should I have prepared more thoroughly?”
“…No. Talk about it later.”
Acella quickly turned her head away, hiding her expression.
*
After a break, a magic competition follows.
The first day is packed to the brim with the highlights of the mock martial arts tournament.
It’s supposedly a schedule arranged considering the emperor’s health. On the second day, the imperial palace orchestra and kitchen will showcase their talents; it will truly be a festival.
And the plan is to return on the third day, meaning I’ll need to keep an eye on Acella the entire time; I’m not sure if my focus will hold up.
“Outside, the mages of the Second Prince’s faction are competing. The reaction is good.”
I peeked through the curtains of the waiting room, relaying what I saw from the arena.
“They didn’t originally have any court mages, but it seems that the empress has provided her apprentices after all.”
Acella spat out tersely. The maids were arranging her attire and touching up her makeup.
She was in the process of changing into mage attire for the upcoming competition.
The staff she lightly held looked a bit heavy compared to her frame, adorned with extravagant decorations at the top.
As she playfully tossed her head, her hair swayed, and she asked,
“Does it suit me?”
“More noble than any great archmage.”
“You’ve taken to flattery.”
Acella threw out a cutting remark, but she seemed to somewhat appreciate my compliment as she obediently sat down at the table, waiting for her turn.
It was now my turn.
I inflated an air pump to check Acella’s blood pressure.
…High: 105, Low: 50. Still slightly low, but no problem.
Using the thermometer I made, it was 35.8 degrees.
I jotted the numbers down in my notepad.
“What are you writing so much for?”
“All the numbers are needed for Her Highness.”
“The Prince always carries that notepad around.”
“Yes. Oh my, it contains top-secret confidential information, including Her Highness’s data. Please don’t let it be exposed.”
Acella glanced at my notepad.
I keep all the ingredients and recipes for medications in this notepad. I should take good care of it as I may someday write a book.
“Lastly, I’ll measure your pulse.”
As I reached for Acella’s wrist, she subtly withdrew her arm.
“Do we always have to do that?”
“Yes. It’s part of the mana control inspection process. We need to ensure that Her Highness’s mana circuits are normal, especially today.”
“I checked it myself this morning. My mana flows like the Neka River; it’s all fine.”
“It’s been about ten hours since then.”
“…Really?”
Acella expressed her displeasure and extended her right arm.
Her wrist was slender enough that even my thumb and index finger together left a gap of one finger.
Blood pressure and heart rate aren’t inherently related, so they must be checked separately. Deviations from the average indicate a problem.
Of course, using a stethoscope would be more convenient, but I’d probably get scolded for talking about how it feels like the soul is getting sucked out from her heart, so I’m doing it this way.
Thump, thump.
I manually checked her pulse through her artery.
“It’s like usual. Each time we check, Her Highness has a low blood pressure yet a rapid heartbeat. It could be a trait, but I’m a little worried.”
“Shut up.”
“Please don’t dismiss the attending physician’s medical advice. The patient must be self-aware for me to provide treatment… Ouch.”
Acella made a displeased expression and slapped my arm.
She must have been the type to throw a tantrum about going to the hospital since she was little.
Smart and cunning, she probably wouldn’t have been deceived by any lies of dessert promise, “I’ll buy you a donkatsu.”
Instead, she would have turned the tables and dunked me in the oil, making a donkatsu out of me.
“Checking respiratory rate would also be good.”
“Respiratory rate?”
“Like this.”
I brought my index and middle fingers close to Acella’s nose.
Acella kept her upper body firm but pulled her face back, making her chin tuck in like a turtle hiding in its shell.
“Breathe normally. The respiratory rate is also an important health indicator… Your Highness, if you hold your breath, we can’t measure it.”
“You!”
Acella smacked the back of my hand and sprang up from her chair.
Holding her wand, her golden eyes filled with rage.
Hmm, she looks stronger than ever.
Cheers erupted outside. It seemed the magic competition of the Second Prince’s faction had concluded.
That meant it was Acella’s turn next.
Finally calming her hostility towards me, she organized her wand.
“Good luck.”
Acella didn’t reply to my farewell, walking out of the waiting room with determined steps.