Episode 147
“Look at this! Look!”
Caroline, back in her lab, excitedly summoned Theodore and Julietta. The two professors, their faces haggard from lack of sleep, approached her, their hair disheveled.
“What is it, Professor…?”
“Look! I’m a genius!”
“What are you talking about…?”
They both stared at the large tank that occupied an entire wall of the lab.
It was filled with a clear liquid, similar to the potion of luck, but its aura was different. Julietta, her eyes widening, asked,
“Did you… succeed…?”
“Yes!”
“B-but how…? Is that even possible?”
“With the right ingredients, the right knowledge, and a genius mind, anything is possible!”
She might have sounded arrogant, but no one could deny her accomplishment.
It had only been ten hours since Elonia had given her the research materials and the chimera core.
Julietta and Theodore had been on the verge of giving up, their heads practically buried in their research, and Caroline had somehow managed to create the antidote!
“But isn’t that too reckless? We only have one chimera core…!”
Julietta couldn’t be completely happy.
They only had one chance, and Caroline had used it all in a single experiment.
What if she had failed? Caroline, frowning at their worried expressions, said,
“I didn’t use the chimera core. We might need more antidotes in the future. Do you think I’m that foolish?”
“Y-yes?”
“Tsk, tsk, you’re treating me like a senile old woman, just because I’m old.”
“N-no, Professor, that wasn’t our intention.”
Theodore quickly backpedaled. Julietta, examining the antidote, asked,
“Then how did you do it? If you didn’t use the core?”
“I analyzed it. And it’s surprisingly simple. It’s just a clump of unstable Holy Power.”
She had basically combined everything that could neutralize unstable Holy Power, using Elonia’s research data as a reference.
“We need a large quantity of this antidote, so I can’t use a rare ingredient like a chimera core.”
“That’s true…”
Julietta was impressed. They had been racking their brains, trying to figure out how to use the single chimera core efficiently, and the answer had been to not use it at all.
She sighed, her voice filled with relief and gratitude.
“This will finally put an end to that horrible potion.”
Julietta, who had inadvertently killed Natalie, was more concerned about this situation than anyone else.
Caroline, as if comforting her, patted her shoulder, and Theodore also looked relieved.
Caroline, her usual cheerful voice returning, said,
“Good work, everyone. You’ve all worked hard.”
“It feels like we’re excluding Gunnar.”
“He’s guarding the academy, not being excluded.”
Theodore, usually stingy with praise, acknowledged Gunnar’s contribution, perhaps to reassure Julietta, who was the youngest among the department heads.
Now all they had to do was report to the Imperial Palace.
Just as Caroline, her exhaustion forgotten, was about to celebrate their success, a messenger arrived from the palace.
“His Majesty has issued a confinement order for Her Highness!”
Elonia didn’t know how long she had been confined to her room. She hadn’t been allowed to see anyone.
She could hear voices.
“Please, let me see Her Highness! Please!”
It was Sarah’s voice, followed by the pleas of her other maids. But they were all denied.
‘So it happened.’
Lucius’s warning echoed in her mind. Don’t trust anyone, not even His Majesty or your godmother.
She hadn’t been completely trusting, but she hadn’t expected this to happen so suddenly.
‘We were so close to finding a solution…’
Elonia, clutching her dagger, sat huddled under her bed, her body trembling with anxiety.
Should she kill Artius, just like she had threatened to do? She had said it confidently, but she wasn’t sure if she could actually do it.
He was her family now. How could she kill him?
She had two choices.
Wait for Caroline to create the antidote.
Or escape and kill Artius.
Elonia, unable to choose, buried her face in her knees.
“What am I supposed to do…?”
Had she wished for too much? Tears welled up in her eyes.
“The box…”
The box on her nightstand rattled. It contained the rings, the rings where Philemon resided.
Could it be Mother?
She wanted to open it, but only an apostle could open the box. Just then,
A commotion outside her window made her look up. The window burst open, and a familiar voice called out to her, a hand reaching out.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Palace, the high-ranking nobles were gathered in the Grand Conference Hall.
They whispered amongst themselves, confused by the sudden summons.
“Why did His Majesty call us?”
“He conducted a surprise tax audit on the Four Dukes earlier. Could it be our turn now…?”
“I hope he’s not planning to confiscate our records.”
They were anxious, when Count Myrtle casually remarked,
“I haven’t seen the princess lately.”
“Is that so?”
A noble, intrigued, asked for more details, and Count Myrtle, with a shrug, replied dismissively,
“It’s just a rumor. I don’t know the reason.”
“I see.”
Count Damian, who had been trying to pry information out of him, was slightly disappointed. But inwardly, he was overjoyed.
‘There’s no smoke without fire. His Majesty’s plan is working.’
The princess’s absence was a stroke of luck. They had initially considered targeting individual nobles with the potion of luck, but Artius had been too cautious.
But then they had heard that the princess was away.
And Artius’s guard had seemed to lower. Or rather, he had seemed distracted, almost out of his mind.
They had successfully slipped the potion into his food.
‘I might even get a reward.’
Count Damian looked around the room. All the nobles present were heads of their respective families, each with their own vassals.
He was slightly concerned that the Four Dukes weren’t present, but Marquis Archer, Marquis Bereta, and Marquis Fortrun were all there.
And Marquis Archer, Artius’s loyal follower, was also present, which meant Artius’s purpose was probably what he had anticipated. Just then,
“His Imperial Majesty!”
Artius entered the hall, and the nobles stood up and bowed.
He walked past them and sat down on his throne, surveying the room.
“You’re all here.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Some were displeased. They had been summoned without warning, their schedules disrupted, but the Emperor’s word was law.
There had to be a reason why he had summoned so many nobles, especially since it wasn’t a scheduled meeting.
They waited, their heads bowed.
But Artius’s words were surprisingly mundane.
“Sixteen years have passed since the war ended. The Empire’s peace is thanks to your efforts.”
“…?”
Suddenly? Some of the nobles exchanged puzzled glances. Had he summoned them just for this?
Aaron’s expression was particularly troubled.
‘He’s been acting strange since that day…’
He had tried to reason with Artius several times, both as a loyal subject and as a friend.
“Your Majesty, why did you confine the princess?! She deserves praise, not punishment!”
Artius, his voice cold and emotionless, had replied,
“It’s none of your concern.”
Aaron was one of the few nobles who knew about the potion of luck. Besides the Four Dukes, he was the only one on Artius’s side who knew.
A sense of unease washed over him.
Fortunately, Artius wasn’t done.
“I’ve decided to reward you for your service.”
A reward? They hadn’t done anything.
They wondered if he had lost his mind again, like he had after Philemon’s death.
But they weren’t going to refuse a reward. They bowed their heads and said,
“We’re honored by your generosity, Your Majesty.”
They wondered what he would give them.
Wealth? Or a special privilege even the Four Dukes didn’t have?
Artius smirked and signaled to the Head Servant. The doors opened, and dozens of trolleys entered the hall.
Four of the nobles, the vassals of the Four Dukes, flinched, their faces paling at the sight of the trolleys.
But the trolleys weren’t loaded with accounting records.
“I’m concerned about your health. So I’ve prepared a special tonic.”
The cloths covering the trolleys were removed, revealing rows of small ampoules. Aaron, his eyes widening in horror, cried out,
“Your Majesty!”
He recognized the ampoules.
Artius, ignoring him, or perhaps not even hearing him, continued,
The ampoules were placed before each noble.
“It’s a very effective tonic. I feel invigorated after drinking it. It will clear your minds and strengthen your bodies, so you can continue serving the Empire.”
“We’re grateful, Your Majesty.”
Most of the nobles, though slightly hesitant, bowed their heads. There was no harm in accepting a gift from the Emperor.
It was just a tonic, not a valuable object, and Artius had also consumed it, so there was nothing to worry about.
But Aaron was different.
“Your Majesty! How could you…!”
He couldn’t reveal the truth, so he simply looked at Artius with pleading eyes.
But Artius coldly dismissed his protest.
“Marquis Archer, don’t disobey my orders.”
“Your Majesty…! Your Majesty…!”
Aaron was forced back into his seat by the knights. Artius, satisfied, raised his ampoule and said,
“A toast.”
“To the glory of Ravanta.”
The nobles drank the potion.