Chapter 167: The Lesian Empire (2)
Guided to my destination, I found myself in a luxurious private room within the imperial palace.
Count Ophil asked for understanding.
From here on, I cannot guide you. It is late at night, so the princes and princesses will come after daybreak.
Thank you.
Even though his role as a guide was finished, he remained standing by the door.
Perhaps he was concerned about what might happen to the Emperor.
Upon entering the private room, I was greeted by a pungent smell.
Could it be that the Emperor hadnt been bathed while he was in a coma?
My expression naturally soured.
This is too much, even for them.
It reminded me of the situation with Lady Aira.
I approached the Emperor, who was lying down, to examine his condition.
As I reached out to check the Emperors pulse, I hesitated for a moment.
His arm was exceedingly firm when I grasped it.
This wasnt the firmness of a healthy person.
It was due to muscle rigidity.
As I felt the arm more carefully, the muscles seemed stiff and clumped together.
Extended immobility had apparently caused rigidity in joints such as his knees, ankles, wrists, and elbows.
There seemed to be no part of his body that was relaxed.
Observing the Emperors condition, I fell into deep thought.
Hes too old for congenital myotonia. And considering he was fine until recently, its unlikely to be congenital.
Many conditions can cause muscle stiffness.
However, the problem was with the Emperors consciousness.
In acute conditions causing consciousness disorders, the progression usually follows the order of alert, drowsy, stupor, semicoma, and coma.
When recovering, it happens in reverse order, but it was unclear at what stage the Emperor was in his consciousness disorder.
Therefore, guessing the disease rashly was impossible.
Simple muscle tension or lumbosacral strain wouldnt be accompanied by a consciousness disorder.
It seemed more likely that the Emperor had developed a complication or lost consciousness for some other reason.
He looked down at the Emperor lying in bed, lost in thought.
Maybe its shock from internal bleeding. If theres rigidity, a muscle rupture could be possible.
Shock from bleeding is common.
One might think that the muscle rigidity caused a rupture, affecting a blood vessel and leading to internal bleeding.
Without radiographic imaging, diagnosing properly was impossible.
Fortunately, although the Emperor showed signs of muscle rigidity and a consciousness disorder, his life wasnt immediately in danger.
Ray shook his head and sighed.
Phew this wont be easy to treat.
True to his words, the treatment would not be straightforward.
Especially since the disease could not be precisely identified.
Ultimately, Ray had to leave without making any significant progress after assessing the Emperors condition.
As daylight broke, the first visitor was the prince.
Woken by an early morning knock, Ray greeted him.
Greetings, Saint. I am Luke, the prince of the Lesian Empire.
Luke greeted him with a slight nod, and Ray returned the gesture.
I am Ray, the Saint.
After they introduced themselves, Luke got straight to the point.
I heard you visited His Majesty last night. What more can we conceal? How is His Majesty now?
Nothing has been confirmed yet. It seems the treatment will take some time.
The Saint himself was speaking.
If he said the treatment would be lengthy, the empire had no other option but to wait.
Luke nodded, accepting this.
If you can treat him, thats all that matters to us. But surely His Majestys illness isnt a result of poisoning?
He spoke casually, yet his stern expression suggested the gravity of the matter.
Indeed, it was a grave concern.
Should it be revealed that the iron-blooded ruler of the Lesian Empire had almost been poisoned, the imperial atmosphere would turn tense immediately.
The prince before him must have been fretting over this very issue.
Ray shook his head.
Its definitely not poisoning.
Thats a relief then. I shall leave His Majestys condition entirely in your hands.
I appreciate your trust.
Then Ill take my leave now.
With those words, Luke hastily exited the annex.
Ray watched his retreating figure with a peculiar expression.
Something about his cold demeanor and the aura he gave off reminded Ray strongly of Zik.
Ray mulled over the Emperors condition while eating in the annex.
If we assume the consciousness disorder is due to long-term shock, and the rigidity is accompanied by muscle rupture something seems off?
A nagging feeling had been troubling him since evening, closely tied to the reason the Lesian Empire had summoned him.
Firstly, he retraced the events to the beginning.
The Lesian Empire had officially requested assistance from the Holy Kingdom, thus summoning him, a Saint.
For what purpose? To treat the Emperor.
If the Lesian Empire had invited a Saint, it implied they had exhausted all other options at least once or twice.
This would certainly encompass divine magic.
Herein lay the conundrum.
Pausing mid-bite of his bread, Ray sank into deep contemplation.
If divine power couldnt cure it, that suggests the Emperors condition isnt a typical injury or ailment Muscle tension or lumbar strain should be entirely curable with divine magic.
Surely divine power that can mend a damaged heart can also remedy muscle rigidity, correct?
To think otherwise would be illogical.
Yet, there are always exceptions.
Gluten-sensitive dermatitis in the Duchy was one such exception.
Leira, the Dukes daughter, was afflicted with gluten sensitivity, which divine power couldnt completely heal.
If the Emperors situation was akin to Leiras, that would explain why divine magic had failed, despite the Lesian Empires attempts.
Still, muscle tension, categorized as an injury or internal issue, should be easily treatable with divine power.
This indicated that neither muscle tension nor lumbosacral strain was the cause of the Emperors condition.
By eliminating possibilities one by one, he would eventually arrive at the answer.
Yet, the cause of the Emperors consciousness disorder and his increasing rigidity remained a mystery.
As Ray pondered these issues, a beautiful woman approached him.
Ho ho. Greetings, Saint. I am Luciella, the third princess.
Ray found himself receiving a sudden greeting, just as he had from the prince earlier.
It appeared that this abrupt manner of greeting was considered etiquette in this place.
Ray stood and offered a simple bow.
Ray.
Despite his succinct reply, Luciellas smile did not waver.
So young and handsome? He will make an entertaining toy.
With this thought, she chuckled and inquired.
Have you come to heal His Majestys illness?
To be precise, I was summoned by the empire.
This distinction was unexpectedly significant.
The direction of the call could be leveraged to secure a favorable position.
Having dealt with the political scheming in the Holy Kingdom, Ray was not intimidated by Luciella.
Her presence during his meal, attempting to be playful, was merely an annoyance.
He had already discerned Luciellas intentions.
Judging ones opponent was as common in modern discourse as it was here.
Sigh. Even here, theres an immature child.
His gaze towards her grew naturally indifferent.
Luciella, noticing this, slightly parted her lips.
So, hes not entirely oblivious?
She had tested whether he was aware of his place within the empire, and he had deftly seen through her ploy.
Despite his youthful look, he had evidently acquired a wealth of experience in noble dialogue.
When Ray set clear boundaries, she teasingly raised her dress slightly.
Ho ho ho. It was merely a jest; dont take it so seriously.
Its alright.
He distanced himself from her as he spoke.
If the temple is unpleasant, the monk departs. What more could he do?
His time was too valuable to waste on playing with a child.
He needed to improve the Emperors condition as quickly as possible and return to the Holy Kingdom.
He couldnt leave the Academy under his charge indefinitely, and it would be problematic if Zik and the sorcerer began to clash.
Luciella realized that Ray found her presence bothersome.
Once she came to this understanding, she felt astounded.
To be ignored by him, the third princess of the Lesian Empire and the principal aide to the first prince in line for the throne?
It was inconceivable. Even as a Saint, he shouldnt have the audacity to disregard an imperial princess.
She posed a straightforward question.
Am I bothering you?
Given the princess had pressed the issue, he could no longer dismiss her.
Yet, Ray seemed almost content with her acknowledgement.
Honestly, yes, you are bothering me.
This time, Luciella was the one taken aback.
Ray cut short her speechless astonishment.
Dont come to me unless its important. Im already occupied with treating His Majesty.
What did you say?
I must be going now.
With those words, he exited the dining room.
Would one avoid filth out of fear or revulsion?
Fleeing from a princess as if she were more repugnant than a pile of manure, Ray sighed once more.
He preferred spending his time in the Emperors chamber investigating the illness rather than wandering around courting trouble.
Had the Emperor witnessed this exchange, he might have expelled Luciella from the palace on the spot.
Indeed, the current Saint was unlike any other.
Gregory and Helena from the Lesian Empire had confirmed that Ray had subdued a dragon in the Holy Kingdom and presented its heart as proof.
That was why the Emperor had summoned the Saint before he became ill.
Ray made his way to the chamber where the Emperor was resting.
As he traversed the grand corridor, the entrance to the chamber came into view.
Upon opening the door, the same acrid scent from the previous night engulfed the room.
Visit freewe𝑏(n)ovel.𝘤ℴ𝑚 for the best novel reading experience