Chapter 260

Chapter 260

“Is this something a person should do?”

One of the two healing mages in the Ministry of Magic scolded Akorella. The magical energy they felt from her fingertips was alarming.

Her heartbeat was irregular and unstable, faint as if it might stop at any moment, and above all, its warmth was cold. Her condition wasn’t much different from Beric, whose internal organs had all been turned inside out.

“It’s a side effect of the magic amplification potion...”

“You know it’s not just that.”

“You’re right. There’s no way there are side effects I don’t know about. It seems to be a complex reaction based on that, doesn’t it?”

The magic amplification potion had caused fissures in her body. Meanwhile, she had been researching and experimenting with Idgal, which absorbs magic, and even handled dragon scales, a sacred item. The healing mage grumbled as they lifted Akorella’s side.

“Ow, how embarrassing.”

“Stop bullshitting. Scales are growing on your skin.”

“Huh. Really?”

Scales growing along her waistline. Under the scales, her skin was torn and blood had congealed. Akorella felt around with her hand, touching them, then frowned quizzically.

“This is that. Dragon antigen-antibody hypersensitivity reaction.”

“...Just call it an infectious disease. Do the scales hurt?”

“No, not yet.”

“...You should take painkillers in advance.”

Rough and alien. Her immune system must have definitely weakened. She couldn’t even remember being carried by Hale, and now these physical reactions were occurring. It was the limit of limits.

She flopped down on her back as if everything was bothersome.

“It’ll probably hurt more in a bit, right?”

“What on earth have you been doing? During these days you’ve been sick.”

“I don’t know. You lose your sense of time when you’re in the basement.”

“...Your condition is like this, and you kept taking those weird drugs you made yourself, didn’t you?”

The mage pulled out a small medicine bottle from Akorella’s pocket. They had told her to stop eating weird things, but this mad scientist seemed to think government-approved medicines were just for show.

As the mages shot her fierce glares, Akorella put on her protective goggles to block their gaze.

“I felt like I’d die if I didn’t take that.”

“That’s why you’re dying now.”

“...But I’m the captain.”

“Captain or not, you’re nothing if you’re dead.”

At least she still had the energy to talk back. It must be thanks to Captain Hale continuously infusing her with magic while bringing her here.

She kept wiping her mouth with the towel on the desk. The bitter, fishy taste of blood just wouldn’t go away.

Knock knock.

“Lord Ian.”

“Akorella, how’s your condition?”

He looked tired, but that was all. He didn’t look like someone who had just hung twenty-one corpses in the square, allowed the crowd to stone them, and confirmed the heads of all the remaining bloodline descendants of the seven families.

At Ian’s question, Akorella rolled her eyes as if she was about to die.

“How’s the treatment going?”

“Well, this is a complete package deal.”

“This? Did you just call it ‘this’?”

“Since it’s based on the side effects of the magic amplification potion, we’ll treat it, but there are already many physical complications. It would be better to leave that part to a doctor.”

“I heard her memory keeps cutting out.”

“Her memory has completely disappeared from the middle of the trial. She seems fine now, but I don’t know what will happen if her condition worsens again.”

“Oh ho, now I get it. You knew I’d lose my memory, so you were talking shit?”

“Please, Captain.”

“Rest well and get treatment.”

Bang!

Akorella stretched out her hand and shouted for Ian to help her, but the door closed mercilessly.

Akorella’s hand stopped in mid-air. She chuckled and lay back down on the bed in a proper position. Then she frowned as if dizzy, and soon fumbled around for the bucket.

“Urp-“

Akorella vomited blood for quite a while. Tears reflexively formed in her eyes, but they weren’t visible due to the reflection of her protective goggles. The healing mage sighed at the sight and continued patting her back while infusing her with magic.

“How is Captain Akorella doing?”

Meanwhile, Ian ran into Jin in the corridor. The child looked very worried, with his hands tightly clasped. Ian knelt lightly to match his gaze.

“She didn’t look too good.”

Although she joked around as usual, her complexion, unstable breathing, and trembling voice were clearly noticeable. The bucket beside her was full of bloody water too. She had just barely passed a critical point.

“Is that so? Haah, what in the world is going on?”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. Isn’t Akorella strong? Rather than worrying, it would be better if you refrain from coming this way for a while.”

“Why?”

“It seems she doesn’t want to show you her sick appearance. And although you need direct contact with the scales, which are the infection vector, I’m still worried. They say it’s dangerous for children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.”

“Then Lord Ian should be careful too.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Soon, they’ll investigate for infections among the Magic Stone Management Division members who had close contact with the scales, as well as the Imperial Guards and related personnel.

Judging by Akorella’s condition alone, it seems the amplification potion acted as a kind of trigger for the outbreak. Other people probably won’t have any problems, but still, there’s always that “what if.”

Tak tak tak!

Jin, who had been walking ahead, spun around. He was worried about Akorella, but there was something else bothering him just as much. Ian nodded as if to say “go ahead and speak.”

“I heard it’s customary for me to personally write the invitation letters for foreign guests coming to the heir’s appointment ceremony.”

“Ah.”

Usually, the heir’s appointment ceremony is held after coming of age, so to give an example, around Mariv’s age.

By that time, one would have naturally built friendships with other countries’ heirs or high-ranking officials, hence sending handwritten invitations. It was more of a natural occurrence than a custom.

“By chance, Your Highness, do you maintain any separate friendships with foreign envoys?”

Jin was young, had been a cursed child until now, and just a few days ago, Arsen had been in power. Of course, he wouldn’t have any foreign connections. To this gently roundabout question, Jin shyly shook his head.

“No, I don’t.”

“Then there’s no need to send them personally. If you happen to form connections later, it would be good to write the invitations for your coronation ceremony yourself.”

The coronation ceremony, the day he ascends to the Emperor’s throne. By then, Jin will personally invite his guests.

The child’s pale eyes sparkled brightly. Since meeting the imperial citizens earlier in the day, he had come to truly cherish the Emperor’s position even more.

“Okay. I understand.”

“Still, they are Your Highness’s guests. Instead of handwritten letters, it would be sufficient to personally welcome them, so how about familiarizing yourself with them before they arrive?”

“Of course! Lord Ian, please tell me!”

Jin lightly hopped and grabbed Ian’s sleeve.

Unfortunately, however, Ian wasn’t well-versed in foreign affairs either. Although he had major and minor historical events in his head, he knew next to nothing about who the current influential figures were, or their tendencies and characteristics.

“I apologize. I don’t know much either, so... um. Shall we study together when Sir Romandro returns?”

“Romandro? That sounds good.”

To move the chess pieces, shouldn’t one at least know what the pieces on the board are? How they move, in what way they move, when they can move, and so on.

Ian gestured to Xiaoshi and instructed.

“Tell Sir Romandro to report with the relevant materials when he’s finished with his work. And we’ll start cleaning up the family matters and preparing for the appointment ceremony.”

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