Chapter 171: The Awakened Emperor (1)
Ray handled the pill with caution, aware of its difficulty to create.
He dropped one of the pills into a cup of water.
Soon, the small amount of water turned black, matching the color of the pill.
The emperor could have chewed the pill, but at the moment, he was unable to move his jaw muscles.
Therefore, dissolving it in water was the only viable option.
He desperately hoped that the emperor could swallow it without leaving any residue.
Ray briefly explained as he offered the water.
This is a medicine, similar to the potions that mercenaries consume. You need to take this four times a day. Ill come by in the morning, at lunch, in the evening, and before bed, so please take it regularly.
The medicine, being made from natural substances, had fewer effects than synthetic ones, but it also had no side effects.
The emperor was somewhat perplexed as to why Ray didnt simply use divine power to heal him instantly.
Wouldnt that be quicker and more certain?
Why would The Saint, who isnt even a cook, ask him to drink such a thing? he wondered.
However, unable to express his thoughts, he silently followed Rays instructions.
Ray carefully poured the medicine into the emperors mouth.
It seemed difficult for him to swallow, but it was encouraging to see him make the effort.
Ray intended to administer the medicine consistently for a week.
Once the muscles relaxed and the tension eased, the emperors body would gradually start to move again.
That was when physical therapy would begin.
Like a toddler, he would have to learn to walk and run again, retraining to regain muscle flexibility and strength, and only then would he be able to return to his normal life.
What remained was the task of cleaning the emperors smelly body, now that all future tasks had been outlined.
Ray began to remove the emperors clothes.
The emperors eyes widened, but Ray ignored his reaction.
As the clothes were removed and the bare body exposed, the emperors dirty skin was the first thing that caught Rays attention.
The clothes, soaked in sweat, smelled foul, and the originally white undergarments had yellowed.
The maids would never have left the emperor in such a state.
Surely, someone was controlling their access.
Thinking this, the filthy state of the emperors body made sense.
However, Ray wasnt certain who would do such a thing or why.
Ray looked down at the emperor and thought,
The first prince has nothing to gain from this. Hes already at the forefront of the succession line, so if the emperor died, it would be a loss for him. But to say the perpetrator is this prince seems too risky for him to bear alone.
If the prince had induced the emperors internal bleeding and restricted the maids access, the backlash, if discovered, would be immense.
Apart from losing his place in the succession, he might face execution for attempting to assassinate the emperor, even as a royal.
The risk was too great compared to the minor benefit of aligning his succession rank with that of the first prince after the emperors death.
Ray shook his head to clear his thoughts and began cleaning the emperors body.
After all, his primary concern was treating the emperor.
It didnt matter to him whether the Lesian Empire was ruled by the first prince or the neighbors dog.
As he cleaned the emperors body, covered in filth, the white cloth quickly turned dirty.
The emperors eyes darted around in panic, but Ray, unbothered, continued his work.
If the emperor remained in this state, he could contract another illness.
Ray would have preferred to entrust the emperor to the maids, but until the perpetrator was caught, someone might control their access again. Therefore, he had to maintain the cleanliness of the emperor and the bedroom himself.
Fortunately, his seemingly useless divine power began to show its worth.
The air in the room purified, and even the foul smell vanished.
Impressed with the work of the divine, Ray murmured to himself while looking at the ceiling.
Im not a janitor, after all.
Starting the next day, Ray took exclusive care of the emperor.
He visited at least four times daily to administer medication and paid close attention to meals and the cleanliness of the room.
A week passed in this manner.
Now, the emperor could at least move his head a bit.
Though speaking normally was still a challenge, as his muscles began to relax, he was able to do things he hadnt imagined while bedridden.
This included slowly chewing food.
Previously, he had only been fed nutritional mush made from finely crushed grains, but now he could eat regular food, chewing it slowly but with assurance.
Ray thought as he watched.
Its time to gradually increase the dosage of the medicine.
He planned to slightly alter the daily dosage of the medicine the emperor was taking.
Of course, a simple increase in dosage wouldnt cure him.
Ray had spent the week meticulously monitoring the emperors condition and observing his progress.
The results were quite good. As expected, the rate of recovery was definitely improving.
With an increased dosage, the muscles relaxation speed would surely accelerate.
As usual, Ray rose early in the morning, administered medicine to the emperor, and was on his way back.
Opting for a change of scenery, he walked through the garden and sensed several unpleasant presences.
They were faint but tinged with a hint of murderous intent, leaving a bad taste.
Assassination? Who could be the target?
Since they were stationary, he couldnt determine their exact target.
Concerned they might be after the emperor, he expanded his perception but detected nothing near the emperors chamber.
Still, to be safe, he decided to stay close to the emperor.
Fortunately, the guest room and the emperors bedroom were not too far apart.
If necessary, he could intervene from inside the room.
How can the royal palace be infested with so many rats?
Speaking loudly, as if for all to hear, he noticed the presences react slightly.
It seemed they realized they were being referred to as rats.
There was a problem.
Ray laughed in disbelief.
He had suspected that a prince or princess might be trying to assassinate the emperor.
So, he sat on the terrace next to the bed, looking at the night sky with the lights off, but he soon felt that his suspicions were incorrect.
His expression, which had been one of incredulous laughter, turned icy.
Look at this, just as I thought.
A power struggle in the royal family? An attempt on the emperors life?
All wrong.
The targets of the rats he had seen during the day werent the emperor, but himself.
It seemed like someone had sent assassins to eliminate him, a thorn in their side.
Yes. Finally, they had gone too far.
Even if they begged forgiveness from God, it was unforgivable.
As he waited on the terrace, it didnt take long for several shadows to land.
All were clad in night attire.
Holding short swords in a reverse grip, they pointed them at Ray.
They seemed all too eager to fight.
Now, he couldnt even laugh.
Looking at them with cold eyes, he spoke.
Hey, Soyeong.
At Rays words, the figure of Soyeong emerged from the darkness.
She knelt on one knee.
Things were getting interesting.
Ray grinned, revealing his teeth.
Get rid of them all, except for one.
As soon as he finished speaking, Soyeongs sword moved without hesitation, tracing a path like a crescent moon, swiftly beheading the assassins, except for one.
Looking at his suddenly annihilated comrades, the remaining assassin was shaken.
Seeing the yellow dragon emblem embroidered on his chest, it seemed he was their leader.
Ray approached him.
Hold.
His immense mana bound the assassin.
Ray, having immobilized all movement except for the eyelids, leveled his gaze with the assassin.
If my question is true, blink once. If its false, blink twice.
The assassin blinked once cautiously.
He dared not defy the fierce aura emanating from the young man before him.
Ray asked, Were you sent by the royal family?
Constrained by mana, the assassin blinked once.
As Ray suspected, it seemed they were sent by the royal family.
He asked again, Blink once if the client is a prince, twice if its a princess.
Blink. Blink.
Twice.
It meant the princesss side had hired the assassin.
But which one?
The first princess? Unlikely, considering her alignment with the princes side.
Was it the second princess then?
However, she was not involved in any faction and had nothing to gain from the assassination of The Saint.
That left the third princess, a highly suspicious character.
Their every encounter, including the first greeting, had been unpleasant.
Moreover, her unfathomable malice was deeply unsettling.
Yet, mere suspicion wasnt enough to confirm her as the culprit.
Ray spoke in a threatening tone to the assassin.
Could it be the third princess?
The assassin hesitated to respond.
Assassins usually dont divulge their clients information. Dead or alive, their creed is their highest virtue.
As he hesitated, Ray, without any hesitation, recited an incantation.
Heat.
The assassins blood temperature began to rise slowly.
Immense pain accompanied it.
If the blood temperature rises, the blood vessels expand until they burst.
The vivid sensation of the blood vessels swelling and bursting without anesthesia is unbearable for a human.
The assassins neck and forehead showed prominent veins.
Unable to endure any longer, he blinked once.
The magic stopped simultaneously.
Cancel.
The perpetrator was almost confirmed.
Of course, Ray didnt fully trust the assassins words.
He planned to discreetly gather information to verify the suspicion.
If it turned out that the third princess had ordered his assassination, then he would wreak havoc on the empire.
Lets see how this goes, he thought.
He kept the assassin alive as evidence, ensuring he couldnt deny it later.
This is how its done, right? Fine. Lets all die together.
Ray grinned menacingly.
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