Chapter 170: The Princess's Apology, Unveiling The Imperial Court's Struggle
He had been busy since morning, gathering what he needed for drug preparation.
He planned to gather as much as possible, so he mostly cleared out the contents of his already large backpack, making it seem even larger.
Draped in a carefully kept robe, he was about to step outside when a quiet knock came from beyond the door.
Knock - Knock -
Who could be visiting at this hour?
He opened the door with a puzzled expression to find the princess he had seen in the lobby the day before.
She appeared a bit tense.
Upon seeing Ray, she began to speak.
Ah Greetings, Saint. I am Princess Selyia.
Ray took off his hood in response to her earnest greeting and returned it.
I am Saint Ray.
Selyia hesitated for a moment before she spoke again.
Ive come this early morning to apologize for yesterdays incident.
The incident in the lobby, you mean?
Yes. Actually, there has always been much dispute in our imperial family over who would take the Emperors seat.
It seemed that way. Greed was plastered all over their faces.
Ray nodded in agreement.
Then, a major incident occurred. Last year, the Fourth Prince died.
The prince died?
He was slightly taken aback.
It was common for people to die amidst power struggles, but it seemed unlikely that an assassination would occur or an accident be allowed to happen under the Emperors watch.
Noticing his subtlety, Selyia elaborated.
There was only suspicion, no evidence.
Then it certainly could have been an assassination. It is the perfect method of elimination if one can succeed without getting caught.
How could they prosecute without evidence?
She continued.
The Fifth Prince, who was particularly close to the Fourth, was shocked and now desires the Emperors seat, which he never cared for before.
So, the Fifth Prince, who was quiet, is now involved in the struggle for sovereignty?
Selyia nodded in response to Rays question.
Thats why the battle between two factions has turned into a three-way conflict.
But something still remained unclear to him.
He paused to think, then asked,
To avenge, wouldnt it be better to support another competing faction? Are there multiple suspects for the culprit?
At this, Selyia appeared slightly taken aback.
How did you know? Yes, there are two suspects.
The circumstances suggested that the suspects were the First and Second Princes.
From the Fifth Princes perspective, in the worst case, there would be two people to avenge, complicating the decision to support just one.
Thus, they began their struggle for the Emperors throne.
Selyias expression darkened as she spoke.
The incident in the lobby was merely the result of a power struggle between the three. Even the princesses got involved, as it seemed crucial who would bow to the Saint first. I couldnt make any rash decisions in such a situation.
Ray was at a loss for words.
What could make these people, not even the Emperor, so arrogant as to refuse to bow?
Huh So, I suffered because of their pointless dispute?
I am at a loss for words I will take responsibility and apologize for this, as well as my own mistake. On behalf of our imperial family, I offer any assistance you may need.
Princess Selyia bowed her head deeply.
As his blood pressure surged, it felt like his head might cause an earthquake at any moment, yet it subsided gradually.
One look was enough to see that she felt genuine remorse.
Ordinarily, the royal family would not bow their heads so easily, in order to maintain their dignity.
Even now, recalling the lobby incident made him scowl, but seeing her bowed head, his anger began to ebb.
How could he remain unforgiving when she had come to him personally to explain and apologize with such sincerity?
Ray exhaled a heavy sigh.
Huh Alright. I accept your apology.
Thank you. And although its shameless of me to request please continue to tend to His Majesty the Emperor. I earnestly implore you.
I was going to do that anyway. Dont worry about His Majestys issue. But have you been staying out of these fraternal disputes?
At his question, Selyia thought for a moment before answering.
Since I was young, Ive never liked fighting Having power would only be troublesome for me
A wry smile appeared on his face as he thought about it.
A princess truly devoid of worldly desires.
What is God doing? Why hasnt He chosen her as a holy woman already?
Selyia again bowed her head deeply and said,
Then, I have matters to attend to, so Ill take my leave. If you need anything from me, please dont hesitate to call. I promise to uphold what Ive pledged.
Sure.
With those words and a slight nod, she disappeared somewhere.
He had accepted the princesss apology, but he would surely call on her if needed.
Having her, a princess of the imperial family, would be a great help in moving more freely within the royal household.
Besides, Ray hadnt forgiven everyone.
He only accepted the apology from Selyia, who came to apologize in person.
He still harbored a small grudge against the rest.
He was a man who might forget a favor, but never a wrong done to him.
If he didnt pay back for the aggravation he suffered, it wouldnt sit right with him.
Its best to settle accounts clearly.
Left alone, Ray smirked mischievously.
Hehehe. Is that so? These bastards dare involve me in their petty fights? Ill make them pay.
Draped in a robe, with his backpack slung over his shoulder, he left the imperial palace.
He did not bring any guards.
Having them would only bring trouble, never convenience.
Moreover, the Holy Knights needed a well-deserved rest.
They must be exhausted after being forced to march for nine days to the Empire.
Therefore, he didnt issue any orders or commands.
Walking along the road leading to the imperial capital, the bustling market gradually came into view.
Unlike the Holy Kingdom or other kingdoms, this place boasted numerous high-end general stores and magic artifact shops, some even selling weapons as a blacksmith shop would.
These likely included magic swords and armor.
The widespread access to magic, even among commoners, truly lived up to the Empires reputation.
Ray stepped into the heart of the market and surveyed his surroundings.
First blueberries, I guess.
Finding blueberries was a breeze.
He merely had to purchase them from a fruit vendor.
However, chamomile proved to be a challenge.
Flower shops repeatedly turned him away, shaking their heads.
He had no idea where to forage for the herb himself, and no one seemed to sell it.
Left with no other option, he aimlessly roamed the market.
After visiting countless flower shops over four hours, he finally secured some chamomile.
Now, all he had to do was dry the chamomile, grind it into powder, mix with water to the right consistency, and form it into pills.
In this form, the Emperor could easily ingest them.
He decided on a mix of 0.7 parts blueberries to 0.3 parts chamomile to total 1.
While these ingredients served as potent anti-inflammatories and could relieve muscle pain, concocting medicine without careful consideration of the components could cause additional issues.
From this point forward, he intended to administer these remedies to the Emperor regularly and then start physical therapy.
Ray wasnt certain if the Emperor had regained consciousness yet, but with the internal bleeding under control, the shock symptoms should have significantly subsided.
In other words, as soon as he awoke, they could almost immediately commence treatment.
Ray, having sourced the medicinal ingredients more easily than anticipated, wore a contented smile as he made his way back to the imperial palace.
The elderly man lying in the bed gradually opened his eyes.
For some reason, moving his eyelids was immensely difficult, let alone the rest of his body.
Moreover, he felt no sensation in his abdomen or elbows.
As such, rising was out of the question.
All he could do was lie still and blink.
As he lay there for so long, his entire body ached under the pressure.
But more than that, what tormented him were the unbelievable actions his son had taken.
He recalled the event from a few days earlier.
What on earth made you do such a thing, Luke
Two days earlier, the Second Prince Luke had visited his bedroom.
Unable to move, the Emperor could only greet him with his eyes.
Luke, with a heavy expression, walked up to him, knelt down suddenly, and began shedding tears.
Endlessly, he repeated Im sorry, Father, begging not to be forgiven.
What did he mean? He wanted to ask if something bad had happened, but being unable to do anything but lie in agony made him even more frustrated.
Meanwhile, Luke, with a tear-streaked face, raised his fist.
Then, infusing it with mana, he struck down at his own abdomen and elbow.
He thought he had died from the physical shock, but waking up was almost a miracle.
He couldnt understand why Luke would try to kill him.
If he coveted the Emperors throne, he wouldnt have cried tears of guilt.
Moreover, even if he had died, the First Prince Jared was most likely to become the Emperor, so there was no need for the Second Prince to act.
It was incomprehensible.
Then the door opened, and someone walked in.
Could it be Luke again?
The Emperor turned his eyes boldly to look at the visitor.
There stood a person he had never seen before.
White hair, blue eyes.
A mysteriously charming appearance, and seeing the bright expression on his face somehow comforted him, though he didnt know why.
Ray spoke.
Youre awake?
His tone suggested he knew this would happen.
As soon as Ray returned to the palace, he sorted the blueberries and chamomile.
He used Dry magic on one side to dehydrate them, and on the other, he squeezed out the juice and boiled it down to a concentrate.
Then, he ground the dried ingredients into a powder and used the concentrate to add moisture, shaping them into excellent pills.
This would further concentrate the antioxidants in the blueberries, rendering them akin to medication.
Though some minerals might have been lost in the boiling process, plenty of vitamin C would still remain to reduce the Emperors cortisol levels.
Ray bowed his head slightly to the Emperor and introduced himself.
I am Saint Ray, summoned from the Holy Kingdom to the Lesian Empire.
The Emperors eyes widened slightly at his words.
Could it be they had invited a saint to save him?
And not just any saint, but a male one?
The saint before him was precisely the person the Emperor most desired to have.
Having eliminated the Bone Dragon and protected the Holy Kingdom from necromancers, there likely was no one stronger on the continent.
With him, our Lesian Empire would be as if weve gained a thousand troops.
Even while bedridden, the Emperors mind was actively calculating the benefits for the empire.
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