OPDSP 21

At any other time, Aeryl would have avoided him, or the Grand Duke would have ignored him, but this time was different. Aeryl raised his left arm and tapped his wristwatch with the index finger of his right hand.

‘Don’t overdo it and come back soon.’

Only the knights were going today, so Aeryl couldn’t go with them. He was worried and wanted him to return earlier than usual. The Grand Duke silently watched him for a moment, then turned his head.

‘Looks like he’s not going to listen.’

Thinking he hadn’t expected anything anyway, Aeryl started to turn away—when the Grand Duke’s pheromones came riding on the wind. Gentle enough to melt upon contact, yet undeniably filled with intent.

‘What’s that? Acting like he wouldn’t listen, and then…’

Maybe it was because he’d been ignored so often lately, but even just getting a response made him happy.

‘These days, he really listens to what I say… Could it be he finally acknowledges me as a physician?’

Heh heh heh.

Even being praised by his teacher hadn’t made him this happy. Was this the difference between teacher and patient? Whatever it was, it felt good.

Thanks to that, he felt energized. His body had been so exhausted he didn’t even feel motivated, but now he felt like he could do anything.

‘I mean, come on. I’m the guy acknowledged even by that Grand Duke Asirion. Ha!’

He might’ve been getting a little too excited, but that was fine. After all, he was about to face something that called for just that kind of energy. Aeryl straightened his clothes and stepped forward with vigor.

‘All right, let’s go. To the infirmary!’

By now, all the military doctors and medics would have gathered to pack their things. It was the perfect time and place to have a talk.

The infirmary was easy to find. A white flag flew above the tent, visible even from afar. As he drew closer, he saw a large tent used as the infirmary, and around it were tents for the military doctors’ quarters, medics’ quarters, and storage.

‘Looks like everyone’s busy here.’

Unlike Aeryl, who had only light luggage, the medics had a lot to pack—herbs, beds, and other equipment—and were bustling about. He spotted the two military doctors he’d seen at the dining area. While directing the medics, they also rolled up their sleeves and unloaded supplies when needed.

‘They say the people here have an especially strong sense of duty.’

According to Mason, all the military doctors were outstanding physicians who could use healing magic—some of the best in the Grand Duke’s domain. And the medics were all licensed doctors as well. They just hadn’t learned healing magic, but their skills were just as good.

Naturally, that made them highly sought after and well-paid. And yet these people had put their livelihoods on hold for a month to volunteer for the Great Purge.

‘Joining the Great Purge boosts your reputation and earns respect—but it’s dangerous too. You have to undergo military training.’

Their sense of duty and spirit of service was something to admire.

‘Though I really can’t relate.’

Aeryl’s impression of military doctors and medics was terrible. It was because people like Jenx and Fedel came to mind first.

Fedel was chatting cheerfully with another medic while carrying a large load. Aeryl confidently walked straight up to him.

“Oh?”

The medics who recognized him reacted immediately.

“Hello. Hello. Yes, it’s me. You’re right.”

Aeryl smiled brightly and greeted everyone who made eye contact, without stopping his stride. He arrived right in front of Fedel.

“Oh, Doctor. What brings you here?”

Fedel was visibly flustered.

“Why? Am I not supposed to be here?”

“No, it’s not that…”

After what happened yesterday, did he think Aeryl would be hiding in a corner somewhere, sulking? People tended to assume Aeryl was fragile just because of the way he looked.

What a stupid assumption. If he were that delicate, he couldn’t possibly be the emperor’s son.

“I’m not the kind to just take things lying down.”

“Sorry?”

“I know exactly what you’ve been saying behind my back.”

“What do you mean?”

Fedel feigned innocence, but Aeryl caught the brief flicker in his eyes. Just as he thought—this man was the source of it all.

“Shall we continue this conversation here, in front of everyone?”

At Aeryl’s words, Fedel looked around. Noticing the gathering stares, he led Aeryl to a corner.

“What exactly do you want to talk about?”

Fedel asked in a low voice,

“You really don’t know? Because I know everything.”

“…So what, what do you want me to do about it?”

Fedel’s tone turned sharp. That answer was basically an admission of guilt—did he not even realize it?

“I’m telling you to cut it out. You must’ve forgotten, but it was His Grace who appointed me.”

“Hah, what, you gonna go tattle to His Grace?”

“That’s right.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m going to tell His Grace that Mr. Fedel is harassing me.”

At Aeryl’s words, Fedel scoffed.

“You really don’t know His Grace, do you? All that would do is prove your own incompetence. You’d probably be the one kicked out.”

“I don’t care. Let him kick me out. But I’ll make sure at least your name stays firmly planted in His Grace’s mind. You want to become a military doctor, don’t you?”

Fedel’s face twisted. Aeryl had hit the mark. He’d taken a random guess about why Fedel kept bothering him, and it turned out to be exactly right.

“If His Grace remembers your name for something like this, it’ll be difficult to participate in future Great Purges.”

“So you’re planning to go down with me? You don’t even have proof!”

“I told you, I don’t care. I’m going back to my village once the Purge is over anyway.”

Aeryl shrugged, openly smug. Infuriating, wasn’t it? His provocation hit perfectly—Fedel’s face turned bright red.

“That’s why I’m telling you to knock it off. Let’s not make this more annoying than it needs to be for either of us.”

Aeryl dropped his smile and issued the warning seriously. Fedel glared at him and bit his lip. He probably wanted to strike back, but aside from a rough exhale, he didn’t do anything.

‘Guess that’s enough.’

It was a more pathetic reaction than expected. He’d basically admitted to spreading rumors and stirring up trouble.

If you’re going to lie, commit to it. Or if it’s come to this, at least try to crush my spirit. It was neither—just boring, really.

‘If you were going to be scared off by this much, why mess with me in the first place?’

He must’ve either been blinded by jealousy for a moment or severely underestimated Aeryl. Probably both. If he were really clever, he wouldn’t have tried such transparent backbiting in the first place.

‘I don’t even plan on tattling to the Grand Duke.’

He didn’t want to burden someone who was already sick. If the Grand Duke actually stepped in, the whole thing would just get messier and more annoying. People might resent Aeryl for “hiding behind” the Grand Duke too.

In any case, he’d issued the warning—Fedel would lay low from now on. Plus, some of the medics nearby had overheard Aeryl’s words.

They’d moved during the conversation, so all anyone heard was “I know what you’ve been saying about me,” but that alone was enough. Even if Fedel went back and started making excuses, the words had already taken root in their minds.

Later, if Fedel tried to badmouth Aeryl again, those medics would naturally remember what Aeryl said. “Is he really badmouthing Aeryl?” they’d think.

There’s a difference between accepting information as “Oh, okay,” and pausing to think, “Wait, really?” Especially when it came to baseless gossip like this.

If Aeryl really wanted to be strategic, he could expose the truth and completely ruin Fedel. Or he could gather proof and crush him outright. There were plenty of ways to go about it, but honestly—it was too much of a hassle.

‘Not worth the effort.’

Rumors about him looking down on soldiers would clear up if he just approached them himself and treated them sincerely. That kind of gossip couldn’t be proven anyway.

‘The real issue is clearing things up with the military doctors.’

Without hard evidence, that would be tricky. People always leaned toward those they were close to. If there was a disagreement between the unfamiliar Aeryl and the familiar Fedel, they’d naturally side with Fedel. Still, he couldn’t just leave the misunderstanding alone.

‘Let’s just think of it as explaining my side and leaving it at that.’

He didn’t expect to get along with the military doctors now. He just wanted to avoid further conflict. No point dragging things out—might as well settle it while he was here.

Aeryl headed straight to the infirmary tent. Inside was a middle-aged woman in military doctor attire. From her appearance, she matched the description Mason had given him.

“Hello, Ms. Kyla.”

“You’re… the new military doctor, aren’t you?”

Kyla’s face stiffened when she saw Aeryl. Her expression was clearly uncomfortable.