"You're telling me a man named Edwin Muirden has a miraculous cure and wants to see me? And he already knows about Morgana's condition?" King Uther sat on the throne, his face dark, gripping the armrest so tightly his veins stood out, upon hearing Arthur's report.
"Ha! What a coincidence!"
Just as Kay had predicted, the culprit had revealed himself!
Gaius frowned upon hearing the name Edwin Muirden. He felt he had heard it somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.
Arthur, meanwhile, was thrilled. He couldn't believe he had actually run into the bad guy! Of course, he was proud not just of that, but of his own acting skills.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I deliberately told him that we had Gaius in the palace and didn't need a shady quack like him to worry about things. He then assured me that I would definitely come looking for him! It has to be him! This Edwin Muirden, he is the culprit!"
Arthur was very pleased with himself. Both Kay and King Uther worried he was too young and would give the game away, but he had played hard to get and shown off in front of the culprit, who was probably feeling smug right now.
King Uther smiled when he heard Arthur's account.
"Well done, Arthur."
A king who lacked such cunning would truly be dreadful. So, Uther was very satisfied with how Arthur handled the situation.
After praising Arthur, King Uther looked around and noticed Kay was absent. He asked Sir Leon, his most trusted knight, "Where is Kay?"
"Sir Kay is in the Princess's chambers. He said he knows what's going on," Leon answered with a bow.
Hearing this, Uther felt even more satisfied. Though Kay's earlier calmness had initially unsettled him, his current actions showed that Kay wasn't indifferent to Morgana; he simply understood priorities. While he might have seemed cold-blooded then, now it looked like a sign of reliability. A fool who only panicked and screamed when faced with trouble certainly wouldn't be fit to be Morgana's husband.
"Very well, leave him be for now. Arthur, go summon this Edwin Muirden. I want to see him. I want to see how he plans to put on his little performance." King Uther was no longer in a hurry. After Arthur's clever ruse and Kay's cool confidence, he, the elder and King, certainly couldn't fall short of the two young men, could he? It's just acting—like it was something he couldn't do.
"Your Majesty, I am Edwin Muirden, Apothecary, and your humble servant." (This was an ancient form of self-deprecation used by commoners when addressing nobility, similar to how one might say "this lowly one" or "yours truly" in ancient ; it didn't mean Edwin was actually Uther's servant.)
The fair-haired young man with a severe burn scar on half his face knelt on one knee and respectfully presented a document sealed with red beeswax.
Sir Leon stepped forward, took the document, and handed it to King Uther on the throne. Uther opened the paper. It was a certificate of identity from another kingdom for Edwin Muirden, confirming he was an apothecary and detailing some of his accomplishments.
It was somewhat like an ID, but such things could be forged. It was just a document, easily copied—at most, one might carve a stamp out of a radish and be done with it. So, Uther didn't examine it closely.
"Welcome to Camelot." Uther quickly handed the document to the knight beside him and urgently asked, "Do you truly possess a miraculous cure?"
Edwin stood up gracefully and replied, "I know every remedy in the world, and I can treat all diseases, Your Majesty."
He was a poised young man. His grace and demeanor made it easy for one to overlook the hideous burn scar on his face. His tone, though humble, was filled with confidence. Even Uther had to admit he was an impressive young man.
"I have heard that Princess Morgana is unwell. I would be honored if you would permit me to treat her."
At this point, Gaius suddenly spoke up.
"You say you have a remedy for every illness. Is it the Panacea?" The Panacea (universal cure) was a legend among apothecaries—legends like this were common in every era, so it wasn't surprising.
"Yes, but it is not as simple as you think." He said this with an air of not wanting to converse with the ignorant.
King Uther, feeling a wicked sense of amusement, pointed at Gaius and said, "This is the Court Physician, Gaius."
He wanted to see how the culprit would handle Gaius's questions. Now that the man was here, Uther was in no rush.
"Oh! I've heard much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you." Edwin nodded slightly and acted as though he had long looked forward to this meeting.
Gaius felt the sense of familiarity with the young man grow stronger. "Have we met before?"
Edwin smiled faintly, slightly revealing the ugly scar on his face, and said with a wry smile, "If we had, you wouldn't forget me."
Edwin seemed unwilling to linger with Gaius and turned to King Uther, asking, "I am curious, what illness is the Princess suffering from?"
Gaius quickly answered before Uther could. "A brain infection."
"And what is your prescribed treatment?"
"Yarrow."
"Mm-hmm, yes, yes."
"And stimulating cerebral circulation with rosemary."
"Interesting." Edwin's tone carried a hint of teasing and a touch of mockery. The implication was clear to everyone.
Arthur couldn't hold back and challenged him, "What? Do you have a suggestion?"
"No! No! That's excellent, it should work." But Edwin immediately added, "If... the diagnosis is correct."
This statement clearly implied that Edwin did not agree with Gaius's diagnosis.
"Then what is your diagnosis?" King Uther asked, expressionless.
"Well... without having examined the patient... I cannot give the most accurate answer." Edwin then looked up at Uther and Arthur and stated his requirement: "I need my medical instruments."
Uther straightened up and said, "Of course. You shall have what you need." He then waved his hand, instructing soldiers to bring all of Edwin's belongings into the palace.
"I will begin my work immediately," Edwin said with a bow.
"Where is Kay?"
After Edwin arrived at the palace with his tools, he took a few boxes and headed toward Morgana's room. However, he forbade anyone from watching his treatment, claiming he needed total concentration. Even Gaius was not allowed to be present.
Though King Uther was anxious, he couldn't do anything until Morgana was better. As soon as they left the room, Uther immediately asked about Kay's status.
"Don't worry, Kay is in the servant's room adjoining Morgana's chamber. He will keep an eye on this guy at all times," Arthur whispered into Uther's ear.
Relieved that Kay was secretly guarding Morgana, Uther relaxed. With Kay inside, the chances of the man pulling any tricks would be significantly reduced. This would maximize Morgana's safety.
"Have the others stand ready. Once Morgana is safe, we will take that bastard..." Uther finished by making a throat-slitting gesture toward Arthur.
Arthur said nothing but nodded resolutely.
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