OPDPS 83

“I heard you treated someone from the outer castle last time.”

“Yes. It just happened that way…”

“You’ve been supplying medicine ever since too.”

“Yes. Someone I know kept asking, so I couldn’t really refuse…”

“Haa.”

The outer castle’s physician let out a sigh.

‘So that’s why he kept staring earlier. He must have been displeased that I treated people in the outer castle.’

Even though it was with the Grand Duke’s permission, the outer castle was originally under his jurisdiction. People don’t like their territory being encroached upon. And considering that Aeryl had healed the new mage whom he hadn’t been able to treat, his pride and reputation likely took a hit.

‘I shouldn’t have listened to Feyers. What does a mage even know!’

Aeryl braced himself, thinking the physician might lash out in anger. But then the man clenched his fist.

‘Wait, surely he won’t resort to violence?’

The physician had big fists too.

Should he hide behind Mason? He was still debating it when a thunderous boom rang out.

Bang!

“Ahhh!”

Startled by the sudden noise, Aeryl jumped—he’d been expecting a punch.

“Sir? Are you alright?”

Mason placed a concerned hand on Aeryl’s shoulder. The outer castle physician also looked at him with surprise.

‘Ah… I thought he was going to hit me.’

Snapping back to his senses, Aeryl realized the noise had come from the island. Part of the stone wall had collapsed, and the Grand Duke stood with his sword drawn.

‘So the Grand Duke destroyed the wall. That scared me.’

It seemed he had decided to resort to force.

So it was possible after all. Smashing a wall with a single sword—that’s what they called a swordmaster, and seeing it in person was awe-inspiring.

“Is that a garden inside? A forest? I’m not sure.”

“Right.”

Beyond the wall, trees grew thickly, and a house could be seen nestled within. The inventor had disappeared inside, no longer in sight. The knights who had been behind the Grand Duke now stepped forward to enter through the broken wall.

Then, all at once, the ground beneath their feet gave way.

‘A trap?’

There had been no visible sign of one!

Thankfully, the knights had moved cautiously and didn’t fall in. They stumbled but managed to cross the trap—only to be met by arrows flying from both sides.

“Whoa, a double trap.”

“Quite clever. Lure them in with a harmless trap, then hit with a fatal blow.”

“Is there any reason to go that far?”

Aeryl was puzzled. Judging by this, there were likely even more traps laid out. It was clear the inventor intended to let no one approach—as if viewing all outsiders as enemies.

“I don’t know. I only heard that he suddenly abandoned his estate and went into hiding ten years ago.”

At Mason’s answer, Aeryl glanced at the outer castle’s physician, but he didn’t seem to know anything either.

‘Could he be fearing for his life? No, if that were the case, he would’ve worn armor when he showed himself on the wall earlier.’

Though he had only seen it from afar, the inventor hadn’t seemed particularly alert or cautious. If he were hiding from danger, he’d have acted much more warily.

‘Maybe he’s hiding some kind of treasure?’

It was all a mystery.

“Oh, His Grace is returning.”

Just as Mason said, the Grand Duke was turning the boat around, retreating.

This mission was proving more difficult than expected.

As soon as he returned, the Grand Duke gathered the others.

“The traps are one thing, but the inventor’s reaction is not normal. He even said he’d rather die.”

To the Grand Duke, it sounded like bluster, but for someone to dare threaten death in front of the Grand Duke, he must have been truly cornered.

“If we provoke him carelessly, it could lead to something dangerous. We’ll reenter after nightfall. Until then, we’ll scout the area and analyze the traps.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

“Those who are injured, receive treatment and gather more intel on the inventor.”

“Yes!”

After giving his orders, the Grand Duke headed toward where the horses were tied. Several people followed after him, leaving behind the physicians, the guards, and the injured.

“Let’s begin treatment.”

Aeryl used healing magic and quickly treated the wounded.

Arrow wounds were nothing new—he had seen plenty during the Great Purge, so it wasn’t difficult.

‘The arrowheads weren’t poisoned or rusted either.’

Compared to what he had seen during the purge, this was simple.

Even a brief stint as an army doctor had significantly improved Aeryl’s skills.

After quickly treating those with arrow wounds, Aeryl turned to look at the outer castle’s physician. He was tending to a patient who had fallen into the water. He handled the treatment calmly, so Aeryl just watched quietly.

‘His method is different from mine.’

Aeryl had been taught to use healing magic first to stabilize the patient, and then apply medicine or other remedies.

But the outer castle physician began with medicine and used healing magic as a final touch.

There was a long-standing debate over whether healing magic should be used primarily or secondarily—it often came down to the condition of the patient.

‘It’s a complex issue, depending on the illness.’

By the time the treatment was done, the patient had regained consciousness.

He complained of a bloated feeling from drinking too much water but had no other serious issues.

It was clear the outer castle’s physician was highly skilled.

“You did great.”

Aeryl was the first to offer a kind word, now feeling more amicable after witnessing the physician’s abilities.

“You too, Doctor Aeryl. Oh, you’ve already treated all the injured? That was fast.”

“I just happened to deal with a lot of similar wounds before.”

“You were part of the Great Purge, right? I’m not so good with trauma patients, so I admire that. Really.”

The outer castle’s physician suddenly praised Aeryl.

“I just ended up catching the Grand Duke’s eye, is all. Haha.”

Aeryl gave a modest smile. At this rate, maybe we can become friends? Since their approaches to medicine differed, it seemed like discussing medical theories with him could be interesting.

“That’s even more impressive. His Grace has very high standards…”

The outer castle’s physician trailed off, then continued as if steeling himself.

“The truth is… I came on this mission to meet you, sir.”

“Pardon? Me…?”

Aeryl replied hesitantly, and once again the physician clenched his fist.

‘Whoa, what now? Aeryl tensed. Mason’s not even here this time!’

“Ever since you visited the outer castle, many things have happened. A lot of things…”

The physician’s eyes grew distant. Aeryl started to get nervous.

‘Why does he sound so ominous?’

“But now that I’ve finally gotten the chance to meet you, I’ve made up my mind.”

“Huh? Made up your mind about what…?”

Revenge, maybe?

The outer castle’s physician let out a huff through his nose, raising a fist in clear excitement. It looked massive—like a chunk of stone.

‘He’s gonna hit me!’

Just as Aeryl was bracing himself, the physician opened his fist, bowed slightly, and extended it for a handshake.

“Please teach me the recipe for your fatigue recovery tonic!”

Oh. So he wasn’t going to punch him.

Aeryl nearly made a fool of himself and let out a silent sigh of relief. Thanks to his training in the imperial palace, none of his fear showed on his face.

While Aeryl stood frozen in surprise, the outer castle physician cautiously continued.

“I must’ve startled you, springing this on you out of nowhere.”

“Yes, honestly… a bit.”

“I understand. Asking for a recipe like that… it’s unthinkable. But I’m not taking this lightly. I’ll compensate you—whether in money or whatever you ask.”

“Even if you say that…”

“I beg you! Just think of it as saving a life!”

“What? Isn’t that a bit much…?”

“I’m telling you, I’m about to die from the pressure everyone’s putting on me!”

The physician practically screamed.

‘What is he talking about now?’

He went on to explain everything that had happened. How Feyers had only given the recovery tonic to a handful of departments leaders, and as Aeryl’s tonic gained fame, more and more people started asking for it.

“I’m… famous?”

Aeryl rubbed his forehead, utterly baffled. What is happening?

“Some heard about it and got curious, others tried it and saw the results, and now it’s chaos.”

“But I’ve been making and sending out a decent amount every day, haven’t I?”

“Do you know how many people work in the outer castle? What if they’re working overtime without a single day off?”

“…It wasn’t nearly enough.”

Only then did Aeryl realize Feyers hadn’t exaggerated at all.

If he had stopped making the tonic entirely, people might’ve forgotten about it, thinking it was just some one-time thing. But Aeryl, moved by sympathy for Feyers and the others, had kept producing small amounts regularly. That meant some people got to try it while others didn’t—and that contrast only deepened everyone’s craving for it.

“People want the tonic. I tried to make it myself, of course. But what I made had only a mild effect, so it wasn’t much help.”

The physician murmured gloomily.

“Oh… you must’ve had a hard time.”

“‘Where’s the tonic,’ ‘Why isn’t it working,’ ‘Why can’t you make it,’—I hear that dozens of times a day. From everyone. I’m losing my mind!”

He confessed that he had never felt this incompetent in his entire life. Having been called a prodigy since childhood and walking a path of constant success, this was a crushing blow.

“So please—I’m begging you. Teach me the recipe!”

He bowed again. Aeryl stared down at the back of his head, completely overwhelmed.

‘How did things even end up like this…?’