After that, my condition worsened noticeably.
My arms and legs trembled beyond my will, and the intervals between bouts of coughing up blood grew shorter and shorter.
There were also more and more moments when my mind went hazy.
The fact that the king was collapsing.
That alone sent the entire royal palace into an uproar.
"This is all because of Valcion!"
"We must launch a punitive expedition! Right now!!"
In the end, the decision was made.
The six great generals led the army and marched on Valcion.
The pretext was already more than sufficient.
And they returned.
With the ones identified as the source of the disaster.
With some of Valcion's nobles and even members of the royal family all put to death.
And yet...
"...Still... no?"
I murmured faintly.
The condition did not improve.
If anything, it was collapsing little by little, and with certainty.
Every night after that, the royal physicians gathered their heads together and brewed antidotes.
But despite all those efforts...
"...It has no effect."
That one line said everything.
Then, one night, the air in the royal palace grew suffocatingly heavy.
"...It is complete."
A strange voice cut through the bedroom.
When I turned my head, a man was kneeling before me.
He was a court physician from Nereia, one of the surrendered nations.
In his hands rested a small glass vial.
A dark liquid.
It was so murky that even light could barely pass through it.
"...So that is the antidote you made for this poison."
When I asked him, he bowed his head deeply.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
At my words, he answered in haste.
And hearing his reply, the retainers nearby shouted at me.
"Your Majesty! You must not!!"
"It was made by someone of unknown origin!!"
"It cannot be trusted!!"
The retainers all stepped forward at once, shouting about the medicine and about him.
"...That man is from Nereia!"
"He is one of the ones who surrendered in this war!"
"How can you possibly intend to drink medicine made by such a man?!"
Their voices grew harsher and harsher.
At that, I looked at them for a moment.
Fear.
Anger.
And impatience.
All emotions I could understand.
"...Medea."
Then I quietly called Medea.
At my words, Medea said nothing. She stepped forward and took the glass vial.
And for only the briefest instant, her eyes wavered ever so slightly.
"..."
Silence.
She looked at me.
With that one short glance, I understood everything.
"...You mean it is dangerous."
Medea did not answer.
But that was enough for me.
I turned my gaze back.
The kneeling physician.
Seeing his hands trembling, I spoke to him.
"...What were you thinking while making this medicine?"
At my question, he closed his mouth for a moment before answering.
"...I wanted to live.... And... I wished for Your Majesty to live as well."
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It was not a lie.
But everything in those words was not the whole truth either.
After confirming that, I let out a short laugh.
"...I see."
Then I reached out toward the vial.
"Give it here."
"Your Majesty!!"
The retainers shouted at once when they saw my action.
"No!!"
"It has not even been verified yet!!"
Despite their words, I had already taken the bottle into my hand.
The cold touch of glass.
And a faint, alien odor rising from it.
I looked at it for a moment.
"...Interesting."
A faint smile touched my lips.
"Of all people, I must be the one to trust what everyone else doubts."
Holding the vial, I shook it and examined it.
Then, without hesitation, I brought it to my mouth.
"Your Majesty!!!"
Someone screamed.
But it was already too late to stop me.
Gulp
The liquid slid down my throat.
Cold.
That was the first thought that came to me the moment I drank it.
And then, soon after, it began to burn hot.
"...Ha."
A short breath escaped me.
The sensation of something twisting inside my body spread through me from head to toe.
"Your Majesty!! Your condition...!!"
I raised a hand and stopped the retainers who were rushing toward me.
"...Quiet. Be quiet for a moment."
Then I slowly examined my own condition.
"...Ha. Hahahahahahaha!!"
"Y-Your Majesty?!"
"My king, what is the matter?!"
And after checking my state, I burst into the loudest laughter I had yet given before the retainers.
My sudden behavior left them flustered as they stared at me.
"...Yes. What is your name?"
But instead of the retainers, I looked at the Nereian man who had handed me the medicine and asked him.
"M-My name is Hipporia, Your Majesty."
"Good. Listen well to what I say."
"Yes."
"You have now succeeded in curing the poison that had spread through my body, a poison that no one else could touch. I shall not forget this kindness."
"Your Majesty..!!"
At my words, not only the retainers but also Hipporia, who was kneeling before me, looked at me with astonishment and disbelief.
"If any among you have complaints because of his origin, step forward now. This man, whom you look down on because he comes from a nation you despise, has cured me. From this moment on, anyone who discriminates against him merely because he is from another land or a defeated country shall be severely punished by my hand!!"
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