ALL NOVEL Chapter 62
“Looks like the outcome is declared! I announce that Acella von Württemberg, the Third Royal Princess, has won the rightful trial by combat!”
Lau shouted so loud that the arena nearly shook.
In front of me, George was gasping for breath, clutching his heart, having just survived some near-fatal encounter.
“No way! I, the rightful owner of Togin Palace and the next Emperor…!”
“You’re wearing a thong, you know.”
“Shut up!”
George waved his arms at me. Having been disarmed and in his underwear with his face smeared with snot and dirt, he posed no real threat.
He was weakened by a poison that could leave him alive, and despite having been detoxified, he was still in a healthy state.
Acella stepped forward, stomped the ground, and held her chin up high.
“George, you haven’t forgotten, have you? Since you lost the duel, you’re banned from the Imperial Palace for three years.”
“Don’t make me laugh. Togin Palace is mine. I’m royalty! I’m the rightful successor! Who dares to chase me out?”
George pointed his finger at Acella, protesting strongly.
“Go ahead, try it. The trial was ultimately decided by the Supreme Judge’s judgment. What authority do you have to confine me as royalty?”
George was starting to throw a tantrum. With being expelled immediately coming into the picture, he must have felt desperate.
At that moment, a booming voice echoed.
“How disgraceful, George!”
It was none other than the Emperor, who stood up abruptly, radiating an overwhelming pressure like electrical currents.
His beard and hair had turned completely white, but his gaze was fierce enough to put a unit to heart failure.
It was the spirit of a war hero who brought glory to the Empire.
“Your, Your Majesty.”
“The process and outcome of the duel were witnessed by all members of the Imperial Family. Defeat is not shameful. The real shame is not knowing how to lose!”
The tension drained from George’s shoulders. He seemed to realize that he had no way to escape now.
“Your Majesty, please preserve your health.”
Heeding the attending physicians, the Emperor sat back down.
He rested his chin on his hand and looked at me.
Our eyes met, and unsure of what to say, I decided to wrap up whatever business I had with George.
“Well then, I will continue to receive the declaration of truth. Prince George, you know who hired the assassin to threaten the lives of Princess Acella and the Western Duke with black magic, right?”
“Ugh…! That, that’s…”
George looked utterly flustered.
If he spoke Camilla’s name, he would have nothing left to stand on.
If he was expelled, and Camilla was gone too, the treaty would become void, leaving Togin Palace abandoned and in shambles.
“Surely, you wouldn’t think of lying in a sacred trial by combat.”
“Of course not.”
Having heard that from the Emperor, he seemed to be weighing his options.
Finally, George slowly opened his mouth.
“…Let me just say beforehand that I wasn’t involved in this incident. I had no prior knowledge of any assassination plans. I bear no responsibility!”
“Whether or not you accept responsibility is one thing, but I’ll take that into account.”
“I heard the hire of the assassin was connected to Togin Palace. That’s as far as I know.”
George averted his eyes.
So that’s how it is.
“So, the baron slated for execution was framed?”
“Um, that’s one way to put it.”
“Well then, it appears the real culprit is hiding away in the shadows. Even you, the prince and owner of Togin Palace, couldn’t comprehend this.”
“That’s…”
“There are not many people at Togin Palace. Nobility staying here or…”
I subtly glanced sideways at the Emperor.
“Even royalty is here.”
The Emperor’s eyebrows twitched.
He understood. We had escalated the incident to a trial because we suspected Camilla of being the culprit.
This was the message I was sending.
I intended to wrap things up regarding the search for the real culprit to avoid indemnifying the Duke and asked the Emperor to control Camilla.
If George disappeared anyway, Camilla, isolated at Togin Palace, would be as good as imprisoned.
“You don’t even know whether the true target was the Duke or Princess, do you?”
“Uh, yes…”
“Enough already, George.”
Acella stepped forward, standing right in front of George.
“I’ve got the information I need, so you should just leave the Imperial Palace.”
George could only bow his head in defeat, unable to retort.
Acella turned to me, a smile creeping across her face.
“The truth has been revealed! I, the presenter Lau von Württemberg, declare the trial by combat concluded!”
Receiving light applause from the royals, Acella and I exited the arena.
Once we returned to the waiting room, someone was there to greet us.
“Acella, Gothberg.”
It was Heike, the First Royal Princess. Acella frowned upon seeing her.
“Just when I’m trying to enjoy my victory, I have an obstacle.”
“Hmm, you’re still sharp as ever. That’s good spirit. Gothberg, you performed admirably.”
“Thank you.”
I answered, skipping a formality just for Acella’s sake.
After all, I didn’t want to risk hearing another lecture like last time.
“What do you want? If you’re thinking of trying to poach one of my servants again, you’d better be ready for a duel.”
“What? That’s a good conversation. George’s expulsion is welcome news for me as well. As an ally of the Moonlight Palace, I plan to send you a congratulatory gift for your victory.”
Heike had chosen to strategize by poaching our small faction now that her biggest rival, George, had been weakened.
It was a tempting offer; I could gain many benefits from Heike.
“Can I get something too? I feel like I’ve contributed a fair bit today.”
“Of course, Gothberg.”
Heike readily agreed.
Seeing her stance, Acella wore a sly grin, as if she had a wicked thought brewing.
Just then, the head maid rushed in.
“Princess! His Majesty is requesting your presence immediately.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“That includes the attending physician as well…”
Me?
Acella exchanged puzzled glances with me.
“Let’s talk later, Heike.”
Imperial summons are important. We brushed Heike aside and moved immediately.
We climbed the stairs toward the Emperor’s viewing area in the arena.
Upon hearing our arrival from the head attendant while conversing with the princess, he turned his head.
Inviting us over with a hand gesture, I and Acella performed our greetings.
“Acella, you’ve gotten good at using magic.”
“Such kind words, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor smiled approvingly at Acella’s polite demeanor.
He shifted his gaze to me.
“Acella’s attending physician. Gothberg, right?”
“I’m humbled that you remember such a trivial name.”
“Acella’s betrothed, then.”
“Indeed.”
“The truth revealed through the trial by combat is absolute. It is only right that I accept it.”
The Emperor seemed to have grasped my intent about controlling Camilla.
I rather liked that idea.
“Was it you, Acella, who declared the truth?”
Acella hesitated for a moment before replying.
“It was Gothberg who declared it.”
The Emperor looked at me with a kindly smile.
“A most interesting young man has arrived.”
I bowed my head slightly and cautiously assessed the Emperor.
His smile brimmed with amusement, though there was an undertone that felt foreboding.
Now I understood where Acella got her eyes from.
“I used to be childhood friends with Charlotte.”
Charlotte, the name of the current Empress, the First Empress.
“I was expecting either Heike or George to take Gunter’s head first, but it seems there may be other outcomes.”
So, while he had appointed his first son as the heir out of respect for his first wife, he was nothing more than a puppet.
It meant that other children could naturally be primed to take the succession from him.
The succession war among his children was practically instigated by the Emperor himself.
His mindset was anything but sane.
Ah, so that’s why the Imperial Family has turned out this way.
“Cough, cough.”
Maintaining his seriousness didn’t last long, as the Emperor coughed deeply.
After being treated by the attending physicians, he continued.
“I have accepted the truth of this duel. Gothberg, what are your thoughts on it?”
Well, thank you very much.
But given that he specifically mentioned me, it felt like a test on how I would express my gratitude.
Acella seemed to sense that too, tensing up.
‘Should I give it a shot?’
I decided to assess him through diagnosis.
[Injury Status: Pneumonia]
[Injury Status: Hypertension]
[Injury Status: Osteoporosis]
…
A plethora of ailments primarily resulting from aging had arisen.
“Your Majesty, as a token of gratitude for watching the trial by combat, I wish to present you with a remedy.”
“Very well.”
I pulled out a package of medicine from my pocket.
“If you take this after meals in the morning and evening, it will help reduce your cough.”
It was a cough medicine made from compressed and enhanced cocoa. Despite being natural, it was as effective as narcotic cough medicines.
“Are you daring to present such an unverified item to His Majesty?”
The Emperor’s physician scolded me. I replied to him.
“The effects are excellent. It works just as well as aspirin.”
“Ah, while aspirin may have such effects, I have never seen this medicine before…”
As the Emperor raised his right hand, the physician fell silent and stepped back.
“Hmm.”
The Emperor accepted the cough medicine, inspected it, and then handed the package to his physician.
“Gothberg, how capable are you in the Inner Palace?”
In response to the Emperor’s question, I answered calmly.
“Indeed, I am overwhelmingly superior to any healer.”
The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly.
I added a word.
“Except for divine power. That requires training, but frankly, it’s tedious.”
“Haha!”
The Emperor erupted into laughter, then succumbed to a coughing fit again.
“For now, I will set it aside. If the effects are proven, I shall use it.”
It seemed our Emperor was more open-minded than expected.
This was indeed a good opportunity. Should the Emperor use my medicine, it would popularize medicine, and the pharmaceutical factory might gain a more stable market.
“I’ll make sure to prove its efficacy.”
“Ha-ha, I look forward to it.”
The Emperor turned his head back to Acella.
“Acella.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I will see you again.”
He split his lips in apparent satisfaction.
*
―――――――――――
· You have achieved the title of [Promising Newcomer]. The imperial family is curious about what you will show next.
―――――――――――
I dismissed the message that lit up in my status window, and Acella began to scold me.
“Why would you act like that without consulting me? If that medicine has side effects, it’ll be a disaster.”
“Come on, you don’t trust my skills?”
“That’s not it…”
On our way back to the Moonlight Palace, Acella continued to grumble.
“Anyway, you won. Prince, you managed to survive after all.”
“He was known as a fighter in the Marquisate.”
“Liar. That’s just a fighter’s arm.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
[No. 012: The Empire’s Collapse 38% → 24%]
Having achieved victory and earned high marks from the Emperor, Acella seemed to be in a good mood.
“The Prince is gaining experiences you’ll never have again thanks to me. Who else would have the Emperor standing at their feet?”
“I thought I was going to die.”
“If you were in the Marquisate, you’d probably have drunk yourself to death.”
“Come on, that’s a stretch.”
“Ha-ha, they say ignorance is courage, and that’s exactly how you are, Prince. I saw it all…”
Acella trailed off and stopped talking.
“Princess?”
“Never mind. I’ll tell you later.”
Acella looked at me, grinning like a villain scheming an evil plot.