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079 The King's
Poisoning Incident
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Translator : PolterGlast
I found the Princess's
office and secretly slipped a paper about the King's poison between some
documents. Inside the office, there were four guards and two civil officials,
but no one noticed me. As expected of an Assassin Lv41! Perhaps the Knight
Commander might react a little, but he wasn't there, so no problem.
The Princess
diligently read through documents, signed them, and occasionally gave
instructions or confirmed things with the civil officials. Neither the guards
nor the civil officials had criminal records. The Princess seemed to be
surrounded by proper people.
The Princess picked up
my memo and her eyes widened. She didn't make a sound, but I could tell she was
greatly disturbed.
"Your Highness,
what is the matter?"
One of the civil
officials, concerned by the Princess's behavior, spoke up. The Princess
composed herself and straightened her posture.
"Summon Chief
Physician Dalenam immediately."
If I were the
Princess, I would suspect the physician treating the King first. The Princess
seemed to be the same as me in that regard. Next, my suspicions would fall on
the cook who prepared his meals, the maid or butler who served him, and then
the people who attended to his personal needs and their families.
Outside this office,
there was a room where many officials and people seeking an audience were
waiting, and six guards were stationed there. The civil official seemed
puzzled, but since it was the Princess's order, he commanded the person waiting
in the waiting room to summon the chief physician. This person seemed to be
stationed there for such messenger duties.
Furthermore, the
Princess wrote something, sealed it in an envelope, dripped wax on it, and
pressed her ring into the wax to seal it. I felt a nostalgic pang, remembering
seeing such a scene in an old drama or movie.
"Deliver this
letter to the Knight Commander and the Mage Corps Commander immediately!"
"Understood!"
The messenger ran off.
I had met the Knight Commander and Mage Corps Commander before, and both had no
criminal records and seemed highly loyal to the Princess.
"I am a little
tired. Could you prepare some tea?" the Princess requested.
"I will prepare
it immediately!" the civil official replied.
The civil official
opened a different door than the waiting room. There were two maids waiting
there, seemingly attending to the Princess's personal needs. The Princess moved
from her desk to the sofa and rubbed her temples. She seemed exhausted.
After her tea and
returning to her duties for a while, a slender, elderly man entered. This
person seemed to be Chief Physician Dalenam.
"Y-Your Highness.
I heard you summoned me urgently..." Chief Physician Dalenam was visibly
nervous, his voice raspy.
I used Detailed
Appraisal on Chief Physician Dalenam, and it was a hit. Detailed Appraisal, you
do excellent work! I learned the circumstances under which Chief Physician
Dalenam poisoned the King.
"Chief Physician
Dalenam. I wish to inquire about His Majesty the King's illness," the
Princess stated.
"Y-yes. His
Majesty the King is afflicted with Dargan's Disease," he replied.
"You previously
said there was no cure, did you not?" the Princess pressed.
"Yes. I did.
Unfortunately, Dargan's Disease is a rare illness, and a cure has not been
established," Chief Physician Dalenam explained, wiping sweat from his
brow as he answered.
"Then I ask you,
is there any poison that causes symptoms similar to Dargan's Disease?" the
Princess questioned.
"!" Chief
Physician Dalenam visibly flinched. He was clearly too agitated...
"Th-there is no
mention of such a poison... I have never heard of it," he stammered.
"I see. Then,
present your record card," the Princess demanded.
"Eh!?" Chief
Physician Dalenam gasped.
"Just a small
confirmation. Whether you genuinely intend to cure His Majesty's illness, or
not," the Princess clarified.
"T-That's...!"
The Princess's guards
grabbed Chief Physician Dalenam by both arms, immobilizing him as he let out a
pained cry.
"Doren. Confirm
it," the Princess ordered.
"Yes,"
Doren, a grim-faced civil official with reddish-brown hair, who appeared to be
around forty, stepped forward. Chief Physician Dalenam tried to back away, but
he couldn't, being held by both arms.
"Show forth his karma
into the light of day," Doren chanted.
A record card emerged.
I always found it a strange sight. Doren didn't check the record card's
contents but handed it directly to the Princess and took a position beside her.
"I see. So it was
you who... poisoned His Majesty, Father."
Chief Physician
Dalenam's face turned ashen, and he trembled uncontrollably at the Princess's
quiet yet clearly enraged voice. Doren and the others seemed to have vaguely
sensed something from the word "poison" in the Princess's question,
so their expressions hardened.
"Your Highness...
is that...?" Doren began, trying to confirm, when the Princess handed him
the record card.
"Wh-what is
this!?" Doren's eyes widened, and he stared intently at the record card.
"I have received
information that this person poisoned the King," the Princess stated.
"What!?"
Doren exclaimed.
Doren and the others
were surprised even by the revelation of the informant. And they seemed curious
about the route by which the Princess received the information, which they
themselves didn't know. I'm right here!
"I believed you
were a loyal subject who had served the royal family for many years, so why did
you betray us!?" The Princess's harsh words pierced Chief Physician
Dalenam. Chief Physician Dalenam's legs seemed to give out, and he slumped,
supported by the guards.
The record card stated
that he poisoned the King, but it didn't give the reason why he tried to
assassinate the King. Record cards aren't that convenient.
However, thanks to
Chief Physician Dalenam, I learned about the person who tried to poison the
King. Chief Physician Dalenam was merely coerced into administering the poison,
with his family taken hostage. I didn't know if Chief Physician Dalenam would
confess that. But what would happen to his family who were taken hostage?
Thinking about it,
Chief Physician Dalenam might also be a victim. If he remained loyal to the
royal family, his family would be killed, and if he obeyed, he would be made
into a great villain who murdered the King. Regardless of the circumstances,
Chief Physician Dalenam administered the poison, so he would likely face the
death penalty. But I couldn't tolerate the one pulling the strings behind the
scenes living comfortably. I detest people like that.
A piece of paper
fluttered down in front of the Princess. At that sight, the guards immediately
reached for the hilts of their swords. Their reaction was good, but it wasn't
enough to expose my Stealth.
The Princess picked up
the paper, her eyes widened, she gritted her teeth, and crumpled the paper.
"Such a
thing..."
"Your
Highness...?" Doren asked.
"Chief Physician
Dalenam. There is someone who ordered you to assassinate the King, isn't
there?" the Princess asked.
"!? I-I
am..." Chief Physician Dalenam stammered.
"It seems your
family is being held hostage," the Princess continued.
"Wh-why do you
know that!?" Chief Physician Dalenam gasped.
Hearing those words,
the Princess closed her eyes. I didn't know what she was thinking, but she
seemed to be in considerable conflict.
"Confine Chief
Physician Dalenam. Do not allow anyone to meet with him. Ensure he is
constantly watched by multiple individuals. You must not let him die. I will
not accept any excuses about poison being put in his food," the Princess
ordered, opening her eyes and speaking with harsh words.
"All subsequent
appointments are canceled. Instruct those waiting to return to their posts
immediately," the Princess commanded.
Doren went to the
waiting room and conveyed the Princess's words. Some looked displeased, but
since the Princess was the regent, no one openly complained.
I decided to see what
she would do next, staying until the very end.
The Princess exited
through a different door than the waiting room, accompanied by her four guards
(including two maids who were waiting there) and two civil officials, and
headed somewhere else. The Princess walked briskly down the long corridor.
Despite walking briskly, her gait was elegant, which impressed me. The maids
were also excellent, making no sound as they walked. The guards were noisy in
their armor, but the civil officials also moved quite swiftly.
The Princess walked
towards the Knight Commander, the Mage Corps Commander, and dozens of knights
and Mages who were already waiting.
"I have gathered
only those I can trust," the Knight Commander stated, bowing. The Princess
then showed them the two memos I had written.
"We have
apprehended Chief Physician Dalenam. After checking his record card, he is
undoubtedly the perpetrator of the King's assassination attempt," the
Princess informed them.
"Then..."
the Mage Corps Commander murmured, struggling to find his voice.
"Yes, this
information from the informant is also likely correct," the Princess
affirmed.
The Knight Commander
and Mage Corps Commander exchanged glances. Their expressions were as if they
had eaten a bitter persimmon.
"I will now meet
with the Queen. There, I will speak about Chief Physician Dalenam. The Queen
will likely attempt to kill Chief Physician Dalenam's family and bury everything
in darkness. You must secure the scene," the Princess ordered.
"We will select
individuals skilled in covert operations and assign them to the mission,"
the Knight Commander replied, instructing his subordinates.
"Canum, I have
something I'd like you to do," the Princess whispered something into the
Mage Corps Commander Canum's ear, and Canum nodded in response.
"Barbados, you
will accompany me to the Queen's chambers," the Princess commanded.
"Understood!"
Barbados replied.
The Queen was the
mastermind this time. I didn't know her reasons, but it was undeniable that the
Queen had ordered Chief Physician Dalenam to administer the poison.
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