Chapter : 87

Contrary to my concerns, Azella was more capable than I thought.

Amazingly, after Azella was put in charge of treating the wounded soldiers, the number of soldiers who fully recovered or whose conditions improved increased significantly.

The reaction from the apprentice physicians, who had briefly studied surgical procedures under Professor Vesalius and were serving in my army, was especially explosive.

“L-Lord! Who is that person? She completely saved a patient who was dying of high fever after treatment.”

“Your Excellency. We need more of the magician’s healing potion. Please provide support.”

“An elf knight on the verge of death suddenly shot up. We had half given up on him, thinking there was no hope…”

For those who had only learned rudimentary surgery through accelerated training, the help of Azella, who had specialized in herbology and healing, was truly astonishing.

To think that everyone who was sick would recover after drinking some suspicious but plausible-looking medicine she made from somewhere!

“So she is a magician after all? Huh. How strange.”

Hearing the news, I was curious.

By what means was that half-wit magician treating people? So I quickly made my way to the temporary infirmary where Azella was.

“The lord has arrived.”

The infirmary was not far. In fact, it was quite close, right next to the mansion I had been assigned. I spoke to the attendant who bowed his head before me.

“Yes, I’ve come to see Azella.”

“Pardon?”

“That magician. The one who is treating the wounded.”

Only then did the attendant hurriedly guide me inside the temporary infirmary. There, wrestling with a patient, was the magician, Azella.

“Hmph. How annoying. Just because he’s a knight, does he think he’s all that?”

Azella grumbled to herself, displeased about something. She didn’t even know I had arrived.

“Elves are so damn annoying…. Gak! Shit!”

“……”

“Y-Your Excellency. Why is Your Excellency here? No, wait. Your Excellency, the curse I just said was not directed at you.”

At my narrowed gaze, Azella seemed flustered. She started to ramble on and on.

Well, nothing good could come from an insult to a noble reaching someone else’s ears.

Especially while living as a captive.

“I came because I heard you were a great help in treating my soldiers…. You’re still the same.”

“Hic. I’m sorry.”

“I might not care, but if other nobles had heard, it would have been a big problem. So watch your mouth.”

I clicked my tongue and reprimanded her.

I was curious how on earth she had survived under the Emperor.

“I’ll be careful, Y-Your Excellency.”

Azella glanced at me and lowered her head deeply. But seeing her pouting lips, it didn’t seem like she was reflecting at all.

‘Good grief…. Here’s another friend like the goat beastman.’

A familiar taste, shall we say?

In many ways, she was a dear friend who reminded me of the goat beastman, Bishop Marco.

“That’s enough. Let me see the healing potion. People have been praising it so much.”

“Aha! You mean that!”

At that, Azella lifted her head with a smug expression. She was that confident.

In the era of [Pangea Universalise], it was difficult to find a proper doctor.

The same went for both surgery and internal medicine.

One could only find people worthy of being called doctors in the three northern lowland countries where the legacy of the ancient empire remained, and in Romulus, the capital of the Holy See.

“Now, the first thing to see is…. this. If you drink it, the fever goes down and it relieves pain. I’ve been giving it to many of the sick soldiers recently.”

“Hmm….”

I stroked my chin as I looked at the medicine Azella had brought with confidence.

A dark brown liquid.

It smelled particularly like some kind of tree bark, and when I tasted a little with my finger, an intensely bitter taste arose.

It was something I knew well.

“Is this concentrated willow extract?”

“Uh…?”

“But doesn’t this prevent blood from clotting? The antipyretic and analgesic effects are certain… and wouldn’t the side effect be severe stomach pain?”

“?!”

At that, Azella looked at me with very flustered eyes.

“H-how did you know?”

“Well, I learned it over someone’s shoulder.”

“Over someone’s shoulder…?”

Learned this over someone’s shoulder? At my words, Azella seemed quite shocked.

“Why? Is it important how I knew?”

“N-no, Your Excellency.”

“Then just answer my question.”

“Well…. That’s why I don’t give it to people with stab wounds. This is just a simple painkiller.”

As she said that, Azella fumbled around and took something out from her side, thinking that I wouldn’t be able to guess this time.

“For those who are injured, I apply this. After the wound is sutured through surgery, I apply this directly to treat it.”

A greenish-brown ointment.

Mixed with a sticky oil, it seemed to be some kind of wound treatment.

I took it, sniffed it, and then casually spoke.

“Hmm, is this an ointment made from dried and ground thistle?”

“Uh-uh-uh…?”

“I guess I’m right. Thistle is very good for treating wounds and stopping bleeding.”

It was the most effective and widely used medicinal herb in [Pangea Universalise].

To think she would maximize its effect by making an ointment like this. My prejudice against Azella disappeared a little.

Of course, Azella.

“H-h-how did you know that?”

She seemed to be in tremendous shock.

In fact, this was a matter of pride for a magician who had awakened the mysteries of herbology and healing.

“W-w-wait a moment, Your Excellency!”

Azella hurriedly took out something incredibly precious that she cherished.

A potion contained in an expensive glass bottle. She was sure I would never be able to guess this one.

“This is a secret medicine that I specially prepared using holy water! Whether it’s consumption, high fever, or severe wounds, if you drink this, it all gets better.”

“Hmm…?”

Of course, contrary to Azella’s thoughts, I just stared at her with narrowed eyes upon hearing those words.

Because the content sounded too much like a snake oil pitch. It wasn’t some miraculous water from Muan, so to call it a panacea, it sounded like the work of a world-deceiving cult.

Then, as if she had noticed my thoughts.

“No! It’s true. It’s real! You can just ask the others.”

She hurriedly waved her hands as if to say it was unfair. Thanks to that, I was a little flustered. Was that thing really real?

And then.

“See? I was right, wasn’t I? Your Excellency.”

When I had someone ask around, it was true. In the first place, the reason the apprentice physicians were so impressed was because of that very potion.

Was this the mystery of magic?

Surprised, I asked the smug-looking Azella.

“How do you make it?”

“Uh, yes?”

“It’s very strange. Something special is special, but I’m also very curious about the ingredients. Can I take a look?”

Azella’s face fell in dismay.

She had never met a noble who pried so much like me.

Most nobles, when they saw something like this, would either covet the object or order more to be made; they weren’t curious about the method.

They just thought it was made with mysterious magic.

“Y-Your Excellency. This was made with the mystery of magic, so it is difficult to dare to show you….”

“Oh, really?”

At Azella’s words, I nodded and reached for my waist.

“Then there’s no helping it. It’s a real shame. Isn’t it?”

There was the new longsword I had acquired. Seeing it, Azella was startled and shouted.

“No! Your Excellency. Of course, I can show you. It’s not difficult anyway.”

‘You evil bastard.’

His words were gentle, but wasn’t this basically threatening her with a sword?

Azella could not understand at all how I was called a faithful Excellency by the people.

But the law is far, and the sword is near.

Azella hid her true feelings as best she could and guided me to her workshop.

“H-here it is, Your Excellency.”

The workshop was rather neat.

There, a loaf of wheat bread, split in half, was spread out on a table, and on top of it, a bluish, fluffy substance was thickly covered.

“?!”

Seeing it, I approached the table with a thought.

“Th-this is specially cultivated with the mysteries of herbology and healing! Your Excellency. Please do not misunderstand.”

Then, Azella, flustered, opened her mouth as if making an excuse.

But her words did not reach my ears. My attention was entirely on the thing on the bread.

This bluish, shaggy thing.

Wasn’t this the very blue mold that could make penicillin?

But could she extract penicillin from blue mold with magic??

“You… are more competent than I thought, no, you’re amazing?”

“Hic. I’m sorry, Your Excellency. But, i-it certainly looks like spoiled food with toxins, but it’s not. It’s not spoiled. Please, believe me…. Yes?”

“I said you’re amazing.”

“W-why are you suddenly like this, Your Excellency. You’re scaring me….”

“……”

* * *

“Baaaaa! Behold! This is the grace of the benevolent Lord! Baaa.”

“Aaaah. Your Excellency!”

“Look after us.”

“Thank you, you benevolent and faithful performer of miracles!”

The goat beastman, Bishop Marco, and I went around Tulung City, offering comfort.

In one hand, I held the potion mixed with holy water I received from Azella, and in the other, an indulgence, healing and forgiving the sick, the poor, and the sinners.

“Baaahaha. Here, take it. This is the holy water consecrated by the holy Lord! Baaaa.”

“Ooh. Bishop. Is there any way to get more?”

“Baaaa! Insolent. How dare you ask with an empty mouth. Baaa. Show a solid sign of your sincerity. Baaaa!”

“Oh dear. I completely forgot. Here you go….”

“Baaahaha. Excellent.”

The potion Azella made was especially effective; to the already excellent antibiotic penicillin, the mystery of magic was added, making it a panacea-level medicine.

Everyone from ordinary citizens to the city’s influential figures was busy lining up.

Of course, thanks to this, Azella was stuck in her workshop, performing hard labor like a slave, but what did I care?

If I could work on the internal favorability of Tulung City through this, it was a good thing.

“Hmmm. I should be getting a reaction soon?”

I tilted my head.

The magistrate could no longer sit on his hands.

-Tiriring!

[You have successfully won over the citizens and influential figures of Tulung City with your endless good deeds. Tulung City will remember you for a long, long time.]

[Notification: Your favorability with Tulung City has reached its peak.]

[Notification: If the conditions are met, Tulung City will pledge its loyalty to you.]

Even the notification window was saying it.

The fervent love of Tulung City for me.

But there was still no reaction.

‘Am I being severely underestimated? Or is it because I’m wearing the mask of a faithful believer?’

Moreover, news was coming from the front.

News that with the information I gave, they had shattered the Emperor’s support and won a great victory in a decisive battle.

So, the Prince-elector of Bohemia was currently heading south to the Kingdom of Aragon under the pretext of subjugating the remaining forces.

‘I should be heading there soon myself, but this is getting quite annoying.’

To think that he was dragging his feet like this on something that could have been finished by just handing over the rights to me. My dissatisfaction with the magistrate began to slowly build.

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

“Ah, Magician Agpiel. It’s because of the magistrate.”

“Hahaha. Still no word?”

“No.”

“It seems that magistrate is mistaken. It’s about time you showed him some strength to bring him to his senses.”

“Hmm.”

At Magician Agpiel’s advice, I fell silent for a moment.

But if I directly raised an army and usurped him, the aftermath would be quite difficult to handle….

Then, a good idea suddenly occurred to me. I immediately called for the cat beastman, Captain Bastes.

“I greet Your Excellency. What brings you to call for me?”

“Do you happen to know about the high-crime areas of Tulung City? And the organizations that thrive there.”

At that, Captain Bastes wagged his tail and spoke as if it were interesting.

“Hehe. The area next to the commercial district is a representative high-crime area. The back-alley vagrants lead their own gangs and demand protection money, Your Excellency.”

“Hm? But why aren’t they subjugated?”

“Since the city is large, they need people to do the dirty work, don’t they? Especially….”

Glancing around, Captain Bastes whispered softly.

“The magistrate is backing them, so it’s difficult for anyone to easily call for their subjugation.”

“Oho? Is that so.”

At those words, I grinned.

It wasn’t intentional, but I had stumbled upon a very good target.

“Thank you.”

“Not at all, Your Excellency.”

I sent Captain Bastes away and immediately gave orders to Biden and Captain Konrad to lead some soldiers and wipe out the high-crime area.

The pretext was maintaining public order.

Thanks to this, a large force of over 1,000 soldiers ended up conducting military activities within the city. In fact, it was a very serious matter for a foreign army to violate a city’s sovereignty, but.

“Waaaaah! Your Excellency!”

“Ooh. As expected of Your Excellency. You are the only one who thinks of the citizens like this.”

The city’s residents, whose favorability towards me had already hit its peak, were not even thinking such thoughts.

Before I knew it, I had become one with the city.

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