Arthas April 15, 2024 No comments
Don't forget to rate and review the novel on Novelupdates
"Follow me for a moment."
With these words, the Emperor rose from his seat.
I glanced around the room lightly. Neither Isabel nor Luna were anywhere to be seen, and even Rudine had stepped away.
I passed by the Empress, who was sitting blankly staring at the dining table, and followed the Emperor without a word.
Tick! Tock!
An agonizingly long time passed, and we finally arrived at the reception room.
"Sit down."
The Emperor gestured and I bowed my head slightly and took a seat carefully.
The Emperor glanced at me and slowly broached the subject, "You said you can cure alopecia?"
It was a question I had anticipated. The Emperor at this time was haunted by an almost obsessive trauma regarding his own alopecia. That's why he had poured all kinds of resources into research on hair loss treatments, but of course, all those efforts had been in vain.
'He must be desperate.'
Overcoming alopecia was not simply a matter of treatment; strictly speaking, it is closer to the realm of miracles than treatment.
However, this world was a game world.
In this world where magic, alchemy, and divine power coexist, even hair loss, which had been classified as an incurable disease for centuries in modern society, could be overcome.
"Yes, it is possible," I replied.
"Truly? It could be improved?" the Emperor's eyes widened.
"Not merely an improvement, but a complete cure."
"Then provide me with that treatment immediately!"
"However, it will require the cooperation of the imperial family."
The Emperor's eyes widened at my resolute answer.
"... Elaborate."
"To cure alopecia, we must manufacture a special elixir. But the problem is..."
"The problem?"
I gave a light smile.
"The cost is astronomical."
Astronomical cost — literally, the price of producing even a single dose of the elixir would be staggeringly high.
This elixir, the so-called "Elixir", was the final boss of the pharmaceutical world. It could heal all ailments and even regenerate damaged cells. It was said that recently deceased bodies could even be brought back to life—the ultimate potion in the realm of elixirs.
The underlying principle was simple — the Black Mist consuming the continent. Without being imbued with divine power, mere contact causes cellular necrosis. However, if processed through a special method, its destructive properties can completely transform, healing everything it touches.
It might sound easy, but the reality was far from it. The required materials and manpower were outrageous. Not to mention the sheer cost, attempting this would be impossible without the imperial infrastructure spanning the entire empire.
Furthermore, even if they succeeded in manufacturing it after great hardship, the yield would be minuscule. Mass-producing the elixir was absolutely out of the question.
'I couldn't even attempt it in the previous playthrough.'
No matter how effective it is, what good does it do? Especially when I was playing the villain, and there was no need to save anyone, let alone maintain a good relationship with the imperial family.
But this playthrough, the Elixir was an absolute necessity. Not only for currying the Emperor's favor, but also as an insurance policy against the unforeseen, now that I've completely deviated from the main storyline.
"............."
"............."
The Emperor whispered something to the attendant standing beside him.
Moments later, the attendant returned to the reception room with careful steps, a flask of transparent liquid in his right hand.
"Drink this."
"What is this?"
"A truth serum. It's usually used to interrogate prisoners, but for today, you may take it. There's no better way to verify the truthfulness of your claims."
Without the slightest hesitation, I swallowed the elixir.
As the cold liquid slid down my throat, I could feel the changes within my body in real-time — a strange sensation, like a small thread crawling all over my body, a strangely refreshing and cool feeling.
It was a very familiar feeling — it was the movement of mana.
The Emperor's stern voice pierced forcefully into my mind. "Were all the words you spoke earlier the complete truth, without a single falsehood?"
A moment later, my lips moved involuntarily, "Yes, it was the complete truth, without any falsehoods."
Suddenly, a harsh, mirthless laugh erupted; it was the Emperor, sitting in his seat and staring at me with an indescribable look in his eyes.
"...I see now. The reason you showed me a blank check from the start was because you were aiming for this."
That's right.
The blank check would reveal the information of the recipient upon cashing it. By shifting the responsibility to the imperial family, I could at least avoid any external pressure being applied to me at the ducal residence using the blank check as a pretext.
"Haha, haha..." The Emperor let out a few hollow laughs. I maintained a smile and waited for his response. He rubbed his dry face with both hands, then spoke with a look of elated excitement, "Tell me what you want."
"I will need the full support and protection of the imperial family. In addition, this information must not be leaked to anyone other than the two of us. Do you agree?"
"I agree."
Huh, he was being really cooperative.
I spat out my demands without hesitation.
"I will also need free access to and from the imperial palace. Please grant me a temporary identity as the imperial chief alchemist to utilize the research facilities."
"Very well, I shall grant you the identity of the chief imperial alchemist."
"The manufacturing process must remain confidential. Even if Your Majesty requests information, I cannot disclose it."
"As long as the results are assured, the details are unnecessary."
A near-manic elation flickered in the Emperor's eyes.
"The treatment using the elixir I produce can only be performed on one person."
"I don't care."
Of course you don't care.
After all, you only care about receiving the treatment for yourself.
The remaining elixir after curing the Emperor's alopecia will be mine alone.
"Finally, I will require appropriate compensation for my efforts."
"Name whatever you want. I will have you treated with the best possible treatment in the name of the Imperial family. I see you and Rudine seem to be quite close. If you wish, I can arrange a meeting anytime."
He must be really desperate.
Who would have thought the Emperor, famously doting on his daughter, would go so far as to bring up Rudine to curry favor?
This deal is a success then.
But finally...
"What's this?"
"Ah, this?"
I pulled out the highest grade of Geass that I had previously received from Merlin.
"It's a contract."
I'm just a naturally suspicious person, after all.
* * * * *
After finalizing the contract, I stepped out of the reception room.
It was just as I was passing through the hallway, heading down to the banquet hall to find Rudine—
"Kyle."
—In the dimly lit corridor, Luna stood in her impeccably arranged attire and called out to me. She was as breathtakingly beautiful as ever, prompting an involuntary sigh.
'When did she get here?'
I met Luna's gaze directed at me and quickly realized something. Her face, unlike usual, seemed quite troubled.
Ah, of course - Luna Winfred had also retained the memories from the previous playthrough. I wondered what nonsense she had come to spout this time. Reluctantly, I opened my mouth, "What are you standing there for?"
"Indeed." Luna's immediate reply came, her tone unnaturally dry and crumbly, unlike her usual self.
"If you have nothing to say, then move aside."
She lazily tilted her head, her disheveled raven locks swaying precariously. A glimpse of her eyes seemed to hold a pensive melancholy.
I inwardly swallowed a sigh, about to take my leave, when...
"The imperial palace."
Luna's hollow voice reached me.
"After leaving the duke’s mansion, is this all you've managed to find - the imperial palace?"
"What?"
"Enough with the wandering, come back home, to the Winfred."
Hearing those words, my lips parted involuntarily. My home? Such a thing did not exist in this world.
"My home?"
"Yes."
"And where might that be?"
"Where else, but the Winfred."
Her matter-of-fact response struck me like a bolt of ice and a realization suddenly dawned on me like a thunderclap.
Ah, as always, this was merely a sardonic play on words.
"The problematic servants have all been replaced, and even Ian Winfred will be away from the mansion for a while."
"................"
"Your name will be rightfully listed in all official events of the Winfred, not as a bastard but as the second son and a member of the Winfred."
"..............."
"If you want, I'll even arrange a new mansion right next to the duke’s residence."
My head throbbed as if my eardrums had been pierced.
"There is no one left in the Winfred who would dare threaten you."
The nonsensical drivel only served to heighten my stress.
I know full well that the best course of action was to remain silent, for I was not this Kyle Winfred they speak of.
However, despite my efforts, a chilling laugh escaped my lips.
"Haha."
I gazed down at Luna with an impassive expression.
"There is no one who would dare to threaten me? Really now."
".............."
"You see, the one right here is the threat."
I took one step, then another, approaching Luna.
"Luna Winfred."
Her shoulders twitched abruptly.
"Your very existence is a threat to me. Where exactly would I be going?"
My stomach churned, as if it had turned to mush and suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind.
— Ah, my dear brother.
— Wearing the guise of a human, you're truly no better than a beast.
Those were the words Luna had spoken as she would toss the leftover scraps, mixed together, into my room, passing it off as a meal.
— Please... please, the room is so cold...
— At least give me a blanket to cover myself…!
One winter day, she confiscated all my clothes and bedding, claiming they needed laundering. Because of this, I struggled with the flu on the brink of death.
— With such a frail body, how could you be of any use?
— Here, the family knights have gathered for you.
— Dutifully undergo the training with gratitude.
Another time, the family knights she had summoned had beaten me mercilessly, despite my being famished and weak, all under the guise of training. It took me days to recover from the aches.
I had endured it all.
To raise the completion rate, and to return to the original world.
Ah yes, that gaze was the same back then. A conflicted look, as if experiencing a sense of guilt.
I glared at her fiercely.
"What? You want me to come back home?"
It was absurd. And repulsive.
"I'm sorry, but unless you drop dead somewhere, I have no intention of returning to the Winfred."
Her pupils shook violently.
I spat out harshly in a grim tone.
"Ha, bullshit."
Her face twisted as if she had forgotten how to use her facial muscles.
"I'd rather die than go back there."
The arms that had been crossed in front of her fell limply.
Her dangling hands trembled uncontrollably.
'Shit, why is everything so hazy...'
My head spun, and my stomach twisted as if melting.
Simultaneously, veins stood out on my brow.
Something was wrong.
That's when a realization struck me like a nail in the brain.
'Ah, the truth serum.'
The truth serum I had consumed at the Emperor's behest.
The truth serum had a particular property.
It forcefully awakened the user's mana, with a boosting effect.
So far, so good.
However, Kyle's body had never once wielded mana.
The side effects of the forced awakening of mana.
A mana surge.
And the consequences of that...
"...Urgh!"
Shit, this is blood, isn't it?
"...Damn it."
My vision was blurring.
Simultaneously, my barely standing body began to sway helplessly.
"Kyle!! Kyle!!"
Luna caught my collapsing shoulders, propping me up.
And moments later, a anguished scream, torn from her cracked voice, echoed in my ears.
"No—!!"
Arthas April 15, 2024 No comments
Don't forget to rate and review the novel on Novelupdates
"Follow me for a moment."
With these words, the Emperor rose from his seat.
I glanced around the room lightly. Neither Isabel nor Luna were anywhere to be seen, and even Rudine had stepped away.
I passed by the Empress, who was sitting blankly staring at the dining table, and followed the Emperor without a word.
Tick! Tock!
An agonizingly long time passed, and we finally arrived at the reception room.
"Sit down."
The Emperor gestured and I bowed my head slightly and took a seat carefully.
The Emperor glanced at me and slowly broached the subject, "You said you can cure alopecia?"
It was a question I had anticipated. The Emperor at this time was haunted by an almost obsessive trauma regarding his own alopecia. That's why he had poured all kinds of resources into research on hair loss treatments, but of course, all those efforts had been in vain.
'He must be desperate.'
Overcoming alopecia was not simply a matter of treatment; strictly speaking, it is closer to the realm of miracles than treatment.
However, this world was a game world.
In this world where magic, alchemy, and divine power coexist, even hair loss, which had been classified as an incurable disease for centuries in modern society, could be overcome.
"Yes, it is possible," I replied.
"Truly? It could be improved?" the Emperor's eyes widened.
"Not merely an improvement, but a complete cure."
"Then provide me with that treatment immediately!"
"However, it will require the cooperation of the imperial family."
The Emperor's eyes widened at my resolute answer.
"... Elaborate."
"To cure alopecia, we must manufacture a special elixir. But the problem is..."
"The problem?"
I gave a light smile.
"The cost is astronomical."
Astronomical cost — literally, the price of producing even a single dose of the elixir would be staggeringly high.
This elixir, the so-called "Elixir", was the final boss of the pharmaceutical world. It could heal all ailments and even regenerate damaged cells. It was said that recently deceased bodies could even be brought back to life—the ultimate potion in the realm of elixirs.
The underlying principle was simple — the Black Mist consuming the continent. Without being imbued with divine power, mere contact causes cellular necrosis. However, if processed through a special method, its destructive properties can completely transform, healing everything it touches.
It might sound easy, but the reality was far from it. The required materials and manpower were outrageous. Not to mention the sheer cost, attempting this would be impossible without the imperial infrastructure spanning the entire empire.
Furthermore, even if they succeeded in manufacturing it after great hardship, the yield would be minuscule. Mass-producing the elixir was absolutely out of the question.
'I couldn't even attempt it in the previous playthrough.'
No matter how effective it is, what good does it do? Especially when I was playing the villain, and there was no need to save anyone, let alone maintain a good relationship with the imperial family.
But this playthrough, the Elixir was an absolute necessity. Not only for currying the Emperor's favor, but also as an insurance policy against the unforeseen, now that I've completely deviated from the main storyline.
"............."
"............."
The Emperor whispered something to the attendant standing beside him.
Moments later, the attendant returned to the reception room with careful steps, a flask of transparent liquid in his right hand.
"Drink this."
"What is this?"
"A truth serum. It's usually used to interrogate prisoners, but for today, you may take it. There's no better way to verify the truthfulness of your claims."
Without the slightest hesitation, I swallowed the elixir.
As the cold liquid slid down my throat, I could feel the changes within my body in real-time — a strange sensation, like a small thread crawling all over my body, a strangely refreshing and cool feeling.
It was a very familiar feeling — it was the movement of mana.
The Emperor's stern voice pierced forcefully into my mind. "Were all the words you spoke earlier the complete truth, without a single falsehood?"
A moment later, my lips moved involuntarily, "Yes, it was the complete truth, without any falsehoods."
Suddenly, a harsh, mirthless laugh erupted; it was the Emperor, sitting in his seat and staring at me with an indescribable look in his eyes.
"...I see now. The reason you showed me a blank check from the start was because you were aiming for this."
That's right.
The blank check would reveal the information of the recipient upon cashing it. By shifting the responsibility to the imperial family, I could at least avoid any external pressure being applied to me at the ducal residence using the blank check as a pretext.
"Haha, haha..." The Emperor let out a few hollow laughs. I maintained a smile and waited for his response. He rubbed his dry face with both hands, then spoke with a look of elated excitement, "Tell me what you want."
"I will need the full support and protection of the imperial family. In addition, this information must not be leaked to anyone other than the two of us. Do you agree?"
"I agree."
Huh, he was being really cooperative.
I spat out my demands without hesitation.
"I will also need free access to and from the imperial palace. Please grant me a temporary identity as the imperial chief alchemist to utilize the research facilities."
"Very well, I shall grant you the identity of the chief imperial alchemist."
"The manufacturing process must remain confidential. Even if Your Majesty requests information, I cannot disclose it."
"As long as the results are assured, the details are unnecessary."
A near-manic elation flickered in the Emperor's eyes.
"The treatment using the elixir I produce can only be performed on one person."
"I don't care."
Of course you don't care.
After all, you only care about receiving the treatment for yourself.
The remaining elixir after curing the Emperor's alopecia will be mine alone.
"Finally, I will require appropriate compensation for my efforts."
"Name whatever you want. I will have you treated with the best possible treatment in the name of the Imperial family. I see you and Rudine seem to be quite close. If you wish, I can arrange a meeting anytime."
He must be really desperate.
Who would have thought the Emperor, famously doting on his daughter, would go so far as to bring up Rudine to curry favor?
This deal is a success then.
But finally...
"What's this?"
"Ah, this?"
I pulled out the highest grade of Geass that I had previously received from Merlin.
"It's a contract."
I'm just a naturally suspicious person, after all.
* * * * *
After finalizing the contract, I stepped out of the reception room.
It was just as I was passing through the hallway, heading down to the banquet hall to find Rudine—
"Kyle."
—In the dimly lit corridor, Luna stood in her impeccably arranged attire and called out to me. She was as breathtakingly beautiful as ever, prompting an involuntary sigh.
'When did she get here?'
I met Luna's gaze directed at me and quickly realized something. Her face, unlike usual, seemed quite troubled.
Ah, of course - Luna Winfred had also retained the memories from the previous playthrough. I wondered what nonsense she had come to spout this time. Reluctantly, I opened my mouth, "What are you standing there for?"
"Indeed." Luna's immediate reply came, her tone unnaturally dry and crumbly, unlike her usual self.
"If you have nothing to say, then move aside."
She lazily tilted her head, her disheveled raven locks swaying precariously. A glimpse of her eyes seemed to hold a pensive melancholy.
I inwardly swallowed a sigh, about to take my leave, when...
"The imperial palace."
Luna's hollow voice reached me.
"After leaving the duke’s mansion, is this all you've managed to find - the imperial palace?"
"What?"
"Enough with the wandering, come back home, to the Winfred."
Hearing those words, my lips parted involuntarily. My home? Such a thing did not exist in this world.
"My home?"
"Yes."
"And where might that be?"
"Where else, but the Winfred."
Her matter-of-fact response struck me like a bolt of ice and a realization suddenly dawned on me like a thunderclap.
Ah, as always, this was merely a sardonic play on words.
"The problematic servants have all been replaced, and even Ian Winfred will be away from the mansion for a while."
"................"
"Your name will be rightfully listed in all official events of the Winfred, not as a bastard but as the second son and a member of the Winfred."
"..............."
"If you want, I'll even arrange a new mansion right next to the duke’s residence."
My head throbbed as if my eardrums had been pierced.
"There is no one left in the Winfred who would dare threaten you."
The nonsensical drivel only served to heighten my stress.
I know full well that the best course of action was to remain silent, for I was not this Kyle Winfred they speak of.
However, despite my efforts, a chilling laugh escaped my lips.
"Haha."
I gazed down at Luna with an impassive expression.
"There is no one who would dare to threaten me? Really now."
".............."
"You see, the one right here is the threat."
I took one step, then another, approaching Luna.
"Luna Winfred."
Her shoulders twitched abruptly.
"Your very existence is a threat to me. Where exactly would I be going?"
My stomach churned, as if it had turned to mush and suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind.
— Ah, my dear brother.
— Wearing the guise of a human, you're truly no better than a beast.
Those were the words Luna had spoken as she would toss the leftover scraps, mixed together, into my room, passing it off as a meal.
— Please... please, the room is so cold...
— At least give me a blanket to cover myself…!
One winter day, she confiscated all my clothes and bedding, claiming they needed laundering. Because of this, I struggled with the flu on the brink of death.
— With such a frail body, how could you be of any use?
— Here, the family knights have gathered for you.
— Dutifully undergo the training with gratitude.
Another time, the family knights she had summoned had beaten me mercilessly, despite my being famished and weak, all under the guise of training. It took me days to recover from the aches.
I had endured it all.
To raise the completion rate, and to return to the original world.
Ah yes, that gaze was the same back then. A conflicted look, as if experiencing a sense of guilt.
I glared at her fiercely.
"What? You want me to come back home?"
It was absurd. And repulsive.
"I'm sorry, but unless you drop dead somewhere, I have no intention of returning to the Winfred."
Her pupils shook violently.
I spat out harshly in a grim tone.
"Ha, bullshit."
Her face twisted as if she had forgotten how to use her facial muscles.
"I'd rather die than go back there."
The arms that had been crossed in front of her fell limply.
Her dangling hands trembled uncontrollably.
'Shit, why is everything so hazy...'
My head spun, and my stomach twisted as if melting.
Simultaneously, veins stood out on my brow.
Something was wrong.
That's when a realization struck me like a nail in the brain.
'Ah, the truth serum.'
The truth serum I had consumed at the Emperor's behest.
The truth serum had a particular property.
It forcefully awakened the user's mana, with a boosting effect.
So far, so good.
However, Kyle's body had never once wielded mana.
The side effects of the forced awakening of mana.
A mana surge.
And the consequences of that...
"...Urgh!"
Shit, this is blood, isn't it?
"...Damn it."
My vision was blurring.
Simultaneously, my barely standing body began to sway helplessly.
"Kyle!! Kyle!!"
Luna caught my collapsing shoulders, propping me up.
And moments later, a anguished scream, torn from her cracked voice, echoed in my ears.
"No—!!"
