"Huff."
I watched the two of them while catching my breath.
My head was still spinning, but I needed to focus.
Asella stepped forward, confronting Camilla.
Golden mana rippled from her outstretched hand.
"Asella, what on earth are you thinking?"
Camilla asked, barely suppressing her anger.
Asella answered firmly with the attitude of the cruel villainess I knew her to be.
"Mother, all my servants are important assets for my future succession."
"That's not wrong. So? Is that your reason for daring to block my magic?"
"Did you think I would stand by and watch as you damage my assets and weaken my faction's governing power?"
"Ha, your faction?"
Camilla snorted.
"Your faction? Where in this Imperial Palace is your faction? Every knight and servant in this palace pledges loyalty to me, the Empress."
"That may have been true until now. But not anymore."
"You, what are you—!"
Asella ignored Camilla, whose veins were bulging, and casually commanded toward the door.
"Knights, enter."
Immediately, the door swung open with a bang, and Asella's guard knights rushed in.
The knights surrounded and protected Asella.
Camilla's order to leave and Asella's order to enter directly conflicted.
But the knights chose to follow Asella's command.
It was clear evidence that they recognized who the true master of this Wolgwang Palace was.
"You, Asella. When did you...!"
"Mother, it's time for you to choose. Will you side with me, Asella von Württemfelt, and the Third Princess faction, or will you continue to act against my will and retreat to the background?"
After hearing her threat, Camilla raised her head.
Dark, murky mana swirled in her eyes.
Asella, too, refused to back down even an inch, as if determined not to lose this time.
Between them, the flow of mana grew increasingly intense, like electricity sparking.
After a brief standoff, Camilla finally turned and left.
Her personal guard knights followed behind her.
'Royal mother-daughter conflicts are brutal.'
I was the only one who got hurt by being caught in the middle.
[No. 058: Magical Torture 14% → 0%]
[Deleted]
All because of this stupid bad ending.
Still, I managed to erase another one.
I'm somewhat satisfied.
"Cough, cough."
I covered my coughing with the back of my hand as I tried to catch my breath.
"Teacher, are you alright?"
Tanya helped me up. I waved my hand to indicate I was fine.
To think the Empress would use combat magic on her daughter that was practically torture—she's clearly not in her right mind.
The bad ending has been deleted. It means she won't bother Asella with magic anymore.
Thanks to that, the future where I would be tortured has also disappeared.
I decided to think positively that I got to experience it cheaply in advance.
"Young Lord."
As I was regaining my composure, Asella approached me.
"You called for me, Princess."
After calling me, she just glared without saying anything.
What is she dissatisfied with this time?
Perhaps I need to take responsibility since I interfered and caused her relationship with the Empress to sour.
"Did you have something to say?"
"...Why did you do that?"
Asella asked in a weak voice.
Even if she asks like that, I can't explain the ending list, so I decided to give the standard answer.
"I was simply fulfilling my duty as your physician. Preventing injury to the Princess's body is also within my responsibilities."
"Is that all?"
"That's all."
Asella sighed at my answer.
"Sighing is a clear symptom of stress. I recommend rest and sunlight exposure..."
"Shut up."
"Then I'll be quiet."
"...Didn't it hurt?"
To be honest, it hurt like hell.
...Hmm.
What's the intention behind this question?
Somehow, Asella seems to be watching my reaction.
If it were Max, I might understand, but why would she worry about me getting hurt?
Or could it be?
Is she actually worried about me?
Asella? About me?
No way.
I shook my head to clear away these useless thoughts.
"It was such weak power that it couldn't even scratch my robust physique."
"Pfft."
Did she just mock me?
Fine, my strength is poor.
"I believe it could have caused serious injury to the Princess. You should stop the Empress's special lessons from now on."
"That's... sigh."
"Isn't this palace yours as the heir apparent, not the Empress's?"
"Your words are correct. But still..."
Asella trailed off.
"She's still my mother..."
I heard her quiet mumbling clearly.
Since becoming her physician, I feel like I've discovered many unexpected aspects of Asella.
"Are you upset because of the argument with the Empress?"
"Young Lord, stop making unnecessary comments."
"Noted."
Asella turned away and crossed her arms, looking quite anxious.
The head maid whispered in my ear.
"Teacher, this is the first time the Princess has clashed with the Empress to this extent. She might be quite shocked."
"I was shocked too. Please comfort me."
"You should ask the Princess for that."
"That would get me a date with the guillotine."
The head maid shook her head and continued.
"Tomorrow, the Princess has a magic lesson. Wouldn't she be happier if you delivered the news?"
Why me specifically?
"Will the magic lesson be conducted with the court magician?"
"Yes."
I decided to follow the head maid's advice since she was kind enough to offer it.
"Princess."
"You're still here?"
"You have a magic lesson tomorrow."
"Magic lesson... that's right."
At the mention of magic, Asella's cheeks plumped up.
Come to think of it, Asella really loves magic.
"Will you accompany me, Young Lord?"
"Yes, for the time being."
"Hmm... what magic should I show you."
Asella left with light steps, showing her first smile since returning to the Imperial Palace.
***
"Ugh, huff, huff."
Every time I climb to the royal physician's office on the fourth floor, I'm completely out of breath.
I wondered why it was assigned to the fourth floor, but apparently all the lower floors were already occupied by existing factions with no vacancies.
It's basically saying weak factions should be shoved into corners. It makes sense, but it's still irritating.
"If I build up my faction in the royal medical office, I could move to the first floor. I'll make that happen."
"Couldn't you just build up your strength, Teacher?"
Tanya scolded me as I was half-sprawled on the chair.
"Captain, carry me."
"My back is full."
Tanya had just climbed up carrying two large boxes on her back, big enough for a person to fit inside.
Yet she showed no signs of fatigue.
"Packages arrived from your home."
Thud. Tanya put down the boxes.
It had only been a week since I arrived at the Imperial Palace, but the first package had already arrived.
When I removed the invoice with the Spree Merchants' seal, the sender was listed as "Neria Gotberg."
Judging by the timing, she must have sent it almost immediately after I left—she's truly diligent.
One box contained various materials including carefully plucked rose petals, a large quantity of honey candies, and willow bark.
—Brother! The weather at the estate was wonderful today!
A handwritten letter with such an opening was also enclosed, which I read thoroughly before tucking it into my chest.
The other box was packed with local specialties like coffee beans and jerky.
The jerky, in particular, was prepared by Boris.
"Jerky is good."
Protein is important for the body.
My body might especially need it.
Comparing Tanya's sturdy biceps with my skinny ones makes me feel the necessity.
"A strength enhancement potion... steroids would be the most straightforward."
Though it's a hormone with severe side effects, there will likely be more occasions like the previous physician's test where physical strength is required.
I might need to prepare a potion for short-term strength enhancement for emergencies.
"At my current alchemy rank, it's still difficult to manipulate chemical structures as desired."
If I could surpass this level, I might be able to create various medicines.
Medicine is fundamentally chemistry, after all.
"First, today I'll observe Asella's magic lesson."
It was time to meet "Seymour," the court magician of the Empire who is called the "Sage."
***
"Hahaha, who do we have here? Asella! Meeting my little magic prodigy after so long makes my sagging bottom bounce with excitement!"
Sage Seymour was an old man who looked like a madman with his comically twisted mustache.
"It's been a while since I received your teachings, Master."
In contrast, Asella greeted Seymour with proper respect, which was truly a strange sight to me.
It was like watching a middle school girl learning capoeira from a park vagrant—a jarring image.
I observed their magic lesson along with the guard knights and servants.
"Ho ho, it's been so long I can't remember. Where did we leave off? Ah, drawing formations without formula conflicts in multiple planes. It's an essential skill for developing high-circle magic!"
Asella's expression during the lesson was quite serious.
Her golden eyes sparkled more brilliantly than ever.
Full of curiosity, she craved knowledge and practiced until her mana was depleted.
—Fzzzzz...
The strange diagrams and formulas Asella drew in the air.
It felt like a geometric version of a Möbius strip, constantly moving.
I couldn't understand what was being explained.
I didn't even know what I was looking at.
Halfway through, I gave up trying to understand altogether.
Asella occasionally glanced back at me.
As if checking whether I was properly performing my duties.
About two hours later, when it was time, I took out a candy and put it in my mouth.
Then Seymour walked toward me and thrust his face close to mine.
"Is that tasty?"
"It's a specialty from the Marquisate of Gotberg. Would you like one?"
"Give me one."
Fortunately, I had some original candies that Neria had sent, so I took one out and handed it to Seymour.
He put the candy in his mouth and crunch—he bit and swallowed it in one go.
His teeth are quite strong for his age.
"Did you enjoy it?"
"Hahaha, I wouldn't know."
"You wouldn't know?"
"I am a Sage. And you're Asella's new physician."
"I'm Lars Gotberg."
Seymour grinned and moved closer to me.
Unlike his vagrant appearance, he didn't smell bad.
He snickered and said to me.
"You have remarkable talent, young man."
He was an old man with good intuition—perhaps that's why he earned the title of Sage.
"Are you interested in spells?"
He asked me.
Hmm.
"Do you have a spell for making strength enhancement potions?"
Author Note:
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