"How are things coming along, Physician Franz?"
Ett kept her voice low as she stepped into his Physician's chamber. The elder Physician looked up only after the steady rhythm of mortar and pestle came to a gradual halt. He had been wholly engrossed in grinding a bundle of dried herbs into fine, ephemeral-colored paste, so absorbed in his work that he scarcely noticed her arrival.
The room itself carried the familiar scent of dried roots, crushed leaves, and distilled oils. Glass cylinders of varying sizes stood beside cooper alembics and polished brass interments whose purpose Ett could only vaguely guess.
Sheets of carefully organized notes lay scattered across Franz's worktable, each filled with neat handwriting and meticulous observations. Physician Franz set aside the mortar before arranging several vials in order and taking notes in his journal.
"It has yielded rather fascinating results, Your Grace," he replied, adjusting one of the cylinders before lifting a pale ivory tooth with a pair of delicate tongs. "Had someone told me months ago that the Thunder-Tooth possessed medical properties, I should have dismissed it as utter nonsense. Yet once refined and paired with the Han Herb…"
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "The compatibility is, strangely enough, extraordinary."
Ett folded her arms.
"Hm? So it doesn't work with other medicinal herbs?"
"Indeed, it does not."
Franz turned the journal toward her, exposing pages crowded with observations.
"I have tested it against nearly every herb commonly prescribed for wounds, fever, poisons, and internal ailments. There have been well over a hundred combinations by this point. Every mixture, save one, produced the opposite of the desired effect. Some became entirely inert, while others developed an alarming degree of vileness."
Ett leaned over the table as Physician Franz pointed to several columns of figures.
Among all recorded trials, only the Han Herb showed an exceptionally high positivity. The remaining herbs either failed outright or succeeded only at the cost of severe side effects, rendering them unsuitable for practical use."
"And the side effects of this combination?"
"None that I have been able to observe."
His answer came almost too quickly.
"I daresay that this is precisely what troubles me."
Ett frowned.
It was too perfect.
Back on Earth, medicines were rarely this straightforward. One ingredient alone seldom accomplishes everything. They were combined, refined, balanced, and tested repeatedly before they were considered safe. Yet this world seemed almost obsessed with finding a single compatible partner for every medical substance.
Was that how alchemy functioned here?
Or had no one ever considered broadening the formula?
Her fingers absentmindedly tapped against her sleeve.
Additional herbs could further stabilize the mixture. They might reduce production costs, improve availability, or even enhance effectiveness. Then again, perhaps every additional ingredient demanded further funding, additional testing, and months of labor. She was hardly a pharmacist, and whatever knowledge she possessed came from another world entirely.
No…
There was little point in dwelling on theories she lacked the expertise to prove.
Varim's sister remained the priority. Once her condition had been resolved, perhaps Franz could assemble a proper team of assistants dedicated solely to researching the medicine. If their findings continued to show promise, it could become a long-term undertaking for the Empire.
The thought alone carried enormous implications.
If successful, countless citizens could benefit.
And naturally…
There was no reason the Empire could not profit from its trade as well.
"I intend to continue the examinations," Franz said, breaking her train of thought. "Thus far, I have completed ten trials upon animals, followed by three separate human administrations. All have concluded successfully.:
He slid another bundle of documents across the table.
"The reports are before you, Your Grace. I shall not cease until I am entirely satisfied that no hidden complications remain."
Ett's expression softened, only for a split second.
Period is the limit.
"It's not that I doubt your work."
Franz quietly waited.
"You've accomplished more than enough considering the limitations of this era. I started thinking about…something else."
A look of quiet relief crossed the Physician's face.
"You honor me, Your Grace."
Though inwardly, he found himself puzzled.
The limitation of this era…?
He had no accurate notion of what those words truly meant. Though he could guess, it may be because this time lacks what they need.
The future generations could, but would that stop him from still doing his best? No.
Nevertheless, he had long since accepted that the Dowager occasionally spoke in peculiar ways beyond ordinary understanding. Unlike Akan, he possessed neither the shamelessness nor the curiosity to press further.
"Besides," Ett continued, returning the reports to the table, "the person who actually needs this medicine hasn't done anything worthy of receiving it yet."
Franz gave a restrained cough.
"If I may be so bold…should the treatment continue proving effective, it may also improve Your Grace's own condition."
Improve her condition?
Ett shook her head before he had even finished.
"I've never expected to be cured."
Seeing the concern that flickered across Physician Franz's face, she added more slowly.
"Don't mistake me for someone who has given up." She paused. "Women of the Adiand royal line simply…don't live very long."
That much, at least, was consistent with every historical record she had read.
The room fell into a brief silence.
The room fell into a brief silence.
Neither of them lingered on the subject.
Franz quietly returned his attention to the instruments before him, wisely steering the conversation elsewhere.
Among the Adiand royals, the men often lived remarkably long lives, provided they survived the endless struggles of succession. Women, however, were astonishingly rare. A daughter born into this royal bloodline was considered a blessing precious beyond measure.
As they are also the most loveliest, beautiful, and enchanting women you could ever set your sights on.
It is no secret that pure-blooded royal women bring empires to ruin. Having a child with a royal woman is deemed of great importance and is considered a favor that could bring prosperity to the Empire.
It was a sentiment she had never cared for, as it was a form of curse on her part.
She was loved overwhelmingly to the point of blindness and obsession. She was the power and greed that soaked the former emperor's ambition.
"Very well," Franz said at last. "We shall set that matter aside for now."
As the Royal Physician, and more importantly, as a physician, he had witnessed the young Dowager's childhood with his own eyes. He knew far more than most about the lonely years hidden behind the palace curtains.
If only she were granted a few more years…
Perhaps then she would discover that life held more than duty, bloodshed, and politics. That beyond the marble walls of the imperial palace stretched landscapes untouched by sorrow, roads leading to unfamiliar horizons, and seasons painted in colors richer than the endless shades of blue that seemed forever trapped within these halls.
The palace was a terribly lonely place.
Over the years, Franz had grown accustomed to its silence.
Yet even now…
It remained unbearably bleak.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"I wonder," he murmured to no one in particular, "when summer will finally find its way to this place."
Then, as all physicians eventually did, he buried himself once more in his work.