"I'm in trouble. Do you think you can help me…?"

Enrydral approaches me in private after a few days, and I am pleased to see him. It looks like the plan actually worked!

To poison the prince, I had to access the kitchen, which is Enrydral's domain.

Enrydral makes sure to prepare the meals of the Emperor and his children, while we guards do the rest—Laundry, Cleanup, and so on.

Tyrrion is the only one that doesn't contribute in any meaningful way.

Enrydral tells me he is researching some 'methods' though, so I guess that means he is being useful in his own way.

Back to topic…

"The prince has suddenly fallen ill, and it is highly suspected that this illness came from the food I prepared for him. The Emperor is furious, since it is his favorite child who has been affected. I fear he might want my head."

Enrydral tells me all of this with a worried expression.

I can tell he is frightened.

Ah… now I feel a little terrible.

'Sorry about this Enrydral. I had to poison the prince's food. It was the only way I could get access to him, so it's actually my fault you are in trouble…'

The truth is, it isn't only the store that I have access to with Tracing.

I can travel almost everywhere within this Sanctuary using my Fragmented Conception.

Why?

This is simply because I had access to all these places on the first day and I have made it a habit to return there at least once a day so I won't be locked out.

Yes, that includes the rooms of these dignified figures. I only appear inside them when I'm sure they are asleep or aren't inside at the moment.

I also cover my face and entire body so my identity is never compromised in case I happen to be mistaken and they somehow detect my presence.

But that has never happened.

Not only am I precise with my methods, but I only need to appear in the room and stay there for about a minute before vanishing.

Not enough time to be caught when I'm being careful.

'But it would have been too risky feeding the prince the Potion directly. That's why I resorted to food.'

Plus, by having Enrydral as the scapegoat, I would prevent a widespread investigation that could take attention to the store and my room—which still has residues of Trace Elements in it.

Most importantly, I would be the biggest suspect if Enrydral wasn't compromised.

After all, the Emperor just refused my suggestion which can breed resentment. I am also the one with the greatest physical ability among everyone present.

If there is anyone capable of something like this… it would be me.

'Sorry, man… I had to go about things like this.' I silently apologize to Enryndal. 'At least, with food, we can blame it on the preservation function or a mistake in its preparation.'

It doesn't have to be a premeditated action.

'The Imperial Family has meals prepared separately for each person, so it's also no surprise that only one got poisoned. There could, in fact, be many reasons why the prince has fallen ill. But with no expert to tell them, the Emperor can only point his finger at Enrydral… just as planned!'

Am I sinister?

Evil, perhaps? I don't think so.

My goal is still to protect Enrydral and Tyrrion, and although I am largely indifferent towards the latter, I hold deep respect and affection for Enrydral Lanternmaker.

I wouldn't harm him like this if it didn't serve a greater purpose.

He might not have agreed if I shared my plan with him, so this was the best way to ensure his cooperation.

I have no regrets.

"Is it possible to see the prince? I have some background in medical knowledge. I might be able to help him."

"Really?" For a moment, Enrydral's eyes light up. But then, it darkens almost as quickly.

"You aren't allowed to meet members of the Imperial Family. You know that already…"

"It's the only way." I sigh helplessly. "I can't treat someone I can't see, now can I?"

"True. Hmmm…"

I can see uncertainty dotting his brows, but he is clearly being convinced by my words. I just need to push a little more.

"Just consider me a physician of some kind. Aren't the Imperial Physicians allowed to treat his patients in person?"

"They are…"

"Besides, what other choice do we have? If it is to save the prince's life… is it not worth it?"

My false display of concern shocks even me.

It appears I have improved in my acting skills.

Not bad…

What also isn't bad is that I received the response I was looking forward to from my good friend, Enrydral.

"Alright. I will speak to the Emperor."

********

A day after, likely due to the worsening situation of the prince, the Emperor finally caved in to my request.

He has let me see his son.

And, surprisingly, he is also present in the room.

'Don't stare… It's rude.' I have to remind myself as I keep my gaze on the pale boy.

This is quite the surprise.

I had suspected the Emperor of being a Leviathan, but that isn't the case at all.

Neither he nor this son of his is a Leviathan.

But—

'What kind of physique is this?'

I feel disgusted just staring at the morbidly obese form of the Emperor. Even his son isn't much better.

They are both too fat!

There… I said it.

I'm sorry, but it's true.

'How have they not fallen ill all this time?' I can't help but ask myself in wonder.

All of a sudden, my own overweight status doesn't seem so bad. After all, not only have I lost tremendous weight already, but I am constantly training and transforming my fat into sturdy muscles.

I also train the remaining two Imperial Knights when I can, which helps to sharpen my mind.

'But what is with this dull atmosphere?' I frown deeply the moment I think about the Emperor.

He feels so lifeless.

So pathetic!

Is this truly the man that the entire Northern Empire bowed to?

How underwhelming…

'But this is perhaps a good thing.' I nod to myself, thinking of the positive side. 'He'll be easy to manipulate this way. I don't sense an ounce of intelligence from him.'

My only worry is Enrydral.

He is also present in the room, standing right next to the seated Emperor.

'He doesn't have deep medical knowledge, so I should be fine… right?' I close my eyes and vanish my unease very quickly.

I just have to make it seem believable.

After examining the unconscious first prince, just going through rudimentary checks and making a few other procedures I learned from the Royal Academy as well as my Mercenary days, I finally stop and stare at the impatient audience.

"So… how is he? How is my son?"

The Emperor appears truly concerned. Is it because this son in particular is his favorite? I can only wonder why that is the case.

It might have to do with their resemblance.

'Is the other prince like this? What of the princess?' I ask quietly before shaking my head and sighing.

Why am I so curious anyway?

This isn't my business.

"His situation is dangerous, but it isn't due to a poison or mistake with the dish." I make sure to extricate Enrydral at this point before proceeding. "His body is having an adverse reaction to the food. Normally, this should have progressed rather slowly, like a mild allergy. But since he took them in large amounts, the condition is rather pronounced in his body."

"B-but why was he the only one affected?" The Emperor asks with skepticism.

I can tell he is finding it difficult to trust me.

But why would I come unprepared?

I am no novice.

"Everyone's body is different and would react differently to different things. I suspect that the storage method of the food ingredients are somewhat incompatible with the prince since his body doesn't have the right properties to fully digest the food and eliminate remnant toxins."

"T-that… makes sense…"

'Hehe!' I chuckle internally. 'Of course it does. I made sure to use terminologies that make me seem smart, even though I'm lying through my teeth.'

I should continue like this.

"Although chances of this resurfacing are low, it is possible that more people could display these synptoms… especially if the foods are consumed in large quantities. Although the former Emperor's storage methods were pristine, our bodies might not be able to process the food to an optimal extent."

"S-so… more people can fall ill?"

"Yes, your Imperial Majesty." I deeply bow my head and smile inside.

"So what can we do to curb this? How do we cure my son?"

"It's less of a cure and more of a vaccine. In situations like these, prevention is better than cure. We need to ensure no one else gets affected by this… this… adverse reaction."

"You are right. So how do we go about it?"

"We will need to brew a Potion, at least Grade 3, to cure your son… since his condition has progressed to this point. As for the vaccination, Grade 2 Potions should do."

"I see…" The Emperor mumbles at this point, his expression crestfallen.

"No one present is an Alchemist. So how exactly are we going to brew a Potion like that?"

"Maybe we can check the store for Potions that can help?" Enrydral suggests.

"No…" The Emperor shakes his head, responding negatively before I even think of doing so. "None of those Potions are for curing things like this or purifying foods. We have also used the Restorative Potions that we could, and they won't work. Feeding my son more ineffective Potions will be futile."

"Not only futile, but harmful as well." I quickly chime in, sounding more and more like an expert. "Constant consumption of those Potions will cause the leftover impurities in them to gather inside the prince and strengthen the one already inside him. Not only will they not make his situation better, but—'

"They could make it worse?!"

"Indeed!" I nod, glad to see my plan working precisely as I had hoped it would.

Now that I have set up all the bad things, the moment to reap my reward has come.

It's time…

"I have some background in Alchemy." I reveal, my eyes flashing brilliantly. "As an Intermediate Alchemist, I can brew Potions up to Grade 3. If you trust me with this process, we can help your son."

"H-how?!"

The Emperor is stunned by this revelation.

Who wouldn't be?

Not only am I a skilled fighter, but I can also use Divination, and now I have medical knowledge.

This makes me a Knight, Diviner, and Physician.

Now that I have added Alchemy to the list, that gives me a fourth occupation. Who wouldn't find this shocking and difficult to believe?

Each of these occupations is difficult, requiring long periods of practice to even be of any relevance to the world.

Yet I have sufficient accomplishments in each.

It is absurd.

'But the Emperor still hasn't seen anything yet. Soon, he'll have to accept that I am also a Druid and a Shaman…'

But how can I make these people trust me?

Forget the Emperor, even Enrydral has begun looking at me with suspicion.

I understand.

I am indeed a suspicious person.

But I am also the only one who can help in this situation, and since the Emperor is desperate, he will at least hear me out.

"Physicians, Apothecaries, and Alchemists are closely related, so my accomplishments in all three fields shouldn't be too difficult to believe. While Apothecaries deal with regular herbs and materials, Alchemists brew Potions. A Physician's job is to analyze the maladies of the patient and recommend the appropriate solution to them."

The Emperor nods, though I can sense that he is still unconvinced.

In fact, he surely believes I am hiding something. But this doesn't come as a surprise to me.

In fact… It is a part of the plan.

After all—

'This is what I need to elevate my position in this place and usurp the Emperor as the most important man in this Sanctuary.'

"The truth is… I am actually part of a secret order established by the ancient Emperor after he established this Sanctuary."

"WHAT?!"

Both Enrydral and the Emperor exclaim at once, their disbelief palpable.

"We were an elite unit trained in multiple fields, and this mantle has been passed from generation to generation."

"...."

"This is why I have so many areas of expertise. It is also why I have so much information, including how to find this Sanctuary. You must have wondered how I knew to feed the Wyrm and how I knew to follow its path, which ultimately led us here."

"That's true…"

"It's because I know the hidden records. I can quote it right now if you wish."

Stunned, the Emperor nods his head.

And I repeat what I saw in my previous round.

The quote:

Lakes of darkness.

It stretches endlessly, the Wilderness.

To tame the dragon is to set it free.

Sacrifices in groups of three.

Then the path will appear.

Follow it to reach the Sanctuary at the end.

"I-it's true!" The Emperor gasps the moment I complete this quote.

I even proceed to explain the meaning of the words. Needless to say, once I finish, the Emperor and Enrydral have no choice but to accept my excuse.

They can't help but trust me now.

'With this, I have secured a vital position among the Emperor's inner circle. Even when his position improves, I won't be left behind…'

To tie loose ends, I make up excuses and explain how I am the only survivor of this secret order and that I will have to pass on the torch eventually… according to the will of the past Emperor.

This should also serve as protection for me.

Once I establish all of these things, I finally decide to address my central point.

"Your Imperial Majesty… to save your son and protect everyone else in this Sanctuary, you must allow me to leave this place!"

What now?

Hehe…

Although he has a complex expression on his face, I already know that my plan has succeeded.

The Emperor will concede.

[A/N: I made an error in the earlier chapters. The man's name is Enrydral.. not Enrydal or Enryndal. It might seem like a minor mistake, but it keeps bugging me. Sorry…]

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