“Not at all, um, none.”

“Then that’s settled.”

Leah said.

“I need your cooperation. Since you’re a survivor of this experiment and a magic user, I think you can help save these children.”

Help save the children – she needs my help. Karai swallowed dryly with tension and excitement.

Helix explained from the side.

“Leah was extremely weak, and I took measures immediately when I found her, so her case is very different from these children. It would be better to reference your case.”

“You mean…”

“You’re saying you’ll raise these children to be mages?”

Leah nodded at Karai and the court physician’s questions.

“Since we’ve saved them, we need to keep them alive. Since they’ll be able to sense mana if they survive, it would be better if they could properly use magic.”

At her words, Karai’s eyes wavered.

Count Trow had never once explained what the purpose of the human experiments was. He was just obsessed with feeding the potion to more and more children to get even one more survivor.

Karai had suffered watching this.

Just what was all this for, why did the children have to die – his frustrated heart only stagnated and rotted without finding an outlet.

But here was Leah saying she would save the children who were fed the potion, save them and make them able to use magic.

“…My lady!”

Leah’s eyebrows shot up at the word spoken so gravely.

“Huh?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Karai hid the sincerity that was bursting from his mouth.

From his position, he had observed her, been captivated, felt respect, and being accepted by her felt like a miracle he’d dreamed of coming true – but Leah’s position was different. To her, he was just an enemy spy she accepted because she needed him.

‘She must still be wary of me.’

He couldn’t risk being thrown out by pushing too hard. Karai firmly suppressed his desire to cry out his loyalty and wag his tail.

Meanwhile, the court physician asked.

“I understand about him, but why did you call me when Helix is here? For mana-related conditions, Helix would be far better than me…”

Helix answered the court physician’s question.

“As Leah’s contractor, I focused on treating her and teaching her magic, and I seem to have become too accustomed to Leah’s blood vessels and mana. As you know, Leah is weak among the weak. These children now are as healthy as wild piglets.”

“Ah, aah.”

The court physician nodded.

“Indeed. My lady is truly, truly weak.”

“I’ve seen many people, but she was really beyond imagination.”

These people?

Leah was about to narrow her eyes into triangles but held back.

The court physician understood Helix’s words and said.

“Since healing isn’t your original profession Helix, if you’ve become accustomed to my lady’s weakness, it would be difficult to handle normal healthy bodies.”

“Exactly. That’s why I want to just support from behind and leave the lead to you.”

At Helix’s words, the court physician turned to look at Leah. She nodded.

“I think the same.”

“Are you serious, my lady?”

“Yes. You’re the court physician who kept me alive for twelve years with persistence and patience. Every time I took medicine, you recorded the symptoms, compared them, and made new prescriptions – how many notebooks did you fill?”

“You knew about that?”

“How could I not know?”

Leah smiled gently.

“With such a court physician, I think you won’t panic at unfamiliar symptoms like mana changes, and will respond persistently and thoroughly. That kind of effort will be needed to save this many children.”

“…”

“I think the court physician can do it, what do you think?”

“If you ask what I think…”

The court physician trembled and suddenly lifted his head.

“Please leave it to me! I’ll do my very best!”

Leah unconsciously flinched at his energy that seemed about to shoot steam from his nose. She knew the court physician was a magic fanatic, but he seemed even more fired up than when he was promised the highest medical position in the capital.

“Somehow you seem more enthusiastic than when trying to save me?”

“You misunderstand! I’m just moved!”

The four people shared opinions about how to treat the children.

Helix explained that the potion was processed Dragon’s mana, and Dragon’s mana was concentrated mana beyond what human bodies could handle. He turned to look at Karai.

“That’s probably why this one survived. There flows a trace of dragon blood in his blood…”

“D-dragon blood?”

“It seems he has a dragon among his distant ancestors.”

Dragon blood! In this situation where dragons were considered legendary creatures and the Oken Empire’s royal family claimed to be dragon descendants with sacred dragon blood! An ancestor who was a dragon!

Karai was shocked but no one else was surprised.

Leah and the court physician had been through too many recent events to care about Karai’s bloodline.

The court physician suggested.

“Then what if we dilute his blood and feed it to the children?”

“It’s an extreme method but… not impossible.”

Helix also pondered while rubbing between his brows.

“If Dragon’s mana is a million, normal people are one, Karai’s case seems to be about ten thousand.”

“If we adjust the dosage and feed it to them, we might be able to make the children adapt to Dragon’s mana.”

Leah thought to herself while listening to the conversation.

‘It’s like a vaccine?’

It seemed possible. She turned her head to Karai.

“Karai, could you share some of your blood for the children?”

Helix and the court physician chimed in.

“We’ll draw just small amounts so it won’t affect your health.”

“How about we start by drawing a tiny amount and trying it on the child in best condition?”

Karai’s face grew a bit pale.

It was unbelievable.

‘I can…’

Help these children.

He looked around anew.

Under the weak sunlight filtering through the roughly built shack walls, the faces of the lying children were pale white.

Just like his friends in that warehouse ten years ago.

‘To think I can really help these children.’

For this moment at least, the child crying and trembling locked in the warehouse that always remained somewhere in Karai’s heart grew faint.

“Gladly, I’ll gladly do it.”

***

Meanwhile in the capital of Peiren, a new rumor spread.

The rumor was that Prince Patrick had quietly departed north leading a monster subjugation force.

When the rumor was confirmed true, the capital’s people cheered for the prince.

“There’s no one like our Prince Patrick!”

“He’s the one who’ll develop Peiren when he becomes king. He’s brave and thinks of the people.”

Especially the fact that he went to fight quietly without seeking recognition touched people’s hearts.

The pro-empire nobles who were in a power struggle with the royal family found such public opinion ridiculous.

“What? True love for the people without seeking reward? How are such stories circulating when he just left – who spread these rumors?”

“Prince Patrick is really a fox, I tell you.”

Among such pro-empire nobles, Grand Duke Calosi, who was something of a leader, was particularly displeased.

He had four sons himself, so why wasn’t there one proper one like Prince Patrick?

“You insufficient fools. Are you going to let Prince Patrick take the throne like this?”

Grand Duke Calosi nagged his sons with displeasure.

“Someone do something to make an impression on the people!”

Meanwhile, Baron Durford, Grand Duke Calosi’s illegitimate son, was the only one free from the Grand Duke’s nagging.

However, the Baron was now preoccupied with other worries, buried in his bedroom at his mansion with the blanket pulled over him.

Peirlily staying at her recuperation place and not returning to the capital.

When he asked the maid he had planted in the Ducal Family about her news, curious, an unexpected reply came back.

That Peirlily had collapsed after eating cookies laced with poison.

Poison.

Baron Durford was so shocked.

He had stolen the medicine bottle Lord Trow was carrying and spread it on cookies. He’d thought it was something like a love potion when he used it, but it was poison.

Yan Trow was the eldest son of the Trow family. The Trow family was a fairly large and well-known house even among pro-empire nobles.

Who knew a noble young master from such a family would carry poison in his br*ast pocket.

Baron Durford gulped.

What had he done.

‘Then I used poison on Peirlily?’

His hands trembled violently.

He remembered the noble who spun like a top and crashed when punched by Ruyan.

‘If Ruyan Piert finds out, he’ll kill me!’

Of course, Ruyan would have tried to kill him even if the Baron had used an aphrodisiac on Leah.

Too shocked at realizing he’d caused a bigger accident than expected, Baron Durford couldn’t think that far.

‘What should I do?’

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the bedroom door of the Baron trembling in fear.

“W-who is it?”

“My lord. Lord Yan Trow has come to visit.”

Pop.

Baron Durford got up throwing off his blanket.

It was all that fellow’s fault.

If you hadn’t carried poison in your pocket, this wouldn’t have happened!

He stormed out of the room full of anger.

“Lord Trow!”

“Ah, Baron. It’s been a while.”

“Never mind how long it’s been, what are you going to do?”

“Pardon? About what?”

The Baron who was about to confront him stopped short.

Because you carried poison in your pocket, I stole it and caused an accident with it.

It wasn’t something he could say in his right mind.

“…P-Peirlily was poisoned! If Ruyan Piert finds out, he’ll try to kill me!”

Ah.

Lord Trow realized what the Baron was talking about.

Having fed Peirlily the potion he stole from him, now that he learned it was poison, he was fretting anxiously.

‘For causing such a major incident, at least he’s worried about the consequences.’

Inwardly mocking the Baron, Lord Trow tilted his head as if confused.

“What does Peirlily being poisoned have to do with you, Baron?”

“Th-that’s because of y… nothing!”

Seeing how words were spilling out that shouldn’t, he must be quite anxious.

‘This might be easier than expected? Just need to push a little to fulfill father’s wishes.’

Lord Trow hid his dark intentions and showed a friendly smile.

“I don’t know what you mean, but you seem troubled, Baron.”

“Y-yes, I am.”

“How can someone of royal blood be worrying alone like this. They say troubles shared are troubles halved. I might be able to help…”

Lord Trow who had been saying pleasing words drew out his speech.

Baron Durford unconsciously perked up his ears and focused.

“…I know some capable people who’ll do anything for money.”

Lord Trow continued in almost a whisper.

“Sometimes removing the cause is the quickest solution, isn’t it?”

The Baron repeated those words blankly.

“Remove the cause…?”