The careful treatment of Empress Elizabeth was moving favorably.
It hadn’t been long but they had seen signs of improvement in the empress’ condition. Falma had been wary of any side effects like liver damage. Falma was monitoring diligently by taking test data since he couldn’t digitize a simple biochemical test. With the empress’ weak constitution, her usage of Divine Arts was affected, but no side-effects were seen. She was also progressing well as the blood in her phlegm had subsided. By the third month, the results of the tuberculosis in her body were almost non-existent.
This was because several court physicians, chamberlains, and the prince himself were infected, thus Falma made a schedule to start treating them. As for all of them, probably since they were nobles rather than commoners, no severe side effects were observed.
It reached the point where Falma had to add new records using this world’s language instead of Japanese, so his father could read it. Every night after dinner, his father would shut himself in his room and would stay up late to read the clinical records that Falma acquired. Each morning after, his father would ask many questions about many details that Falma started wondering what his father was doing at that place.
Falma was a busy 10 year old kid that was living his life to the fullest.
It was the lesson he learned from his previous life. This was to work at your best moderately while not stressing yourself out.
Falma’s presence and his knowledge of pharmacology gained him favor from the Empress and started to be accepted by the Royal Court. The court physicians lamented on the limits of their existing medical treatments as Falma, the up and coming Royal Court Apothecary, taught them how to make simple microscopes to observe and confront disease causing germs and pathogens. They eagerly wanted to learn the unknown knowledge they thought Falma was monopolizing for himself.
The Chief Court Physician, Claude, thought it was because of what he did that lead to this turn of events. It was because Claude bought the microscope Falma personally made for a huge sum of money. He then sent a personal letter, detailing Falma as the inventor, along with the real microscope to the medical university.
Falma was impressed or was rather amazed at this world’s great white tower.
A delegation from the vice president of Nova Root Medical University had rushed to the San Fleuve Imperial School of Pharmacology.
Claude had omitted in the report that Falma was only a 10-year old apprentice apothecary.
“It seems that everyone wanted master Falma’s medicine. It’s the special medicine for the Fatal White Disease, right?”
“I can only produce four medicines for the Fatal White Disease for now.”
Ellen realized that it was probably the God of Medicine that dwelled within Falma that made it possible to use that divine skill.
Ellen wanted to ask him to teach her, but it might not be possible to do so.
If there were lives to be saved by Falma’s divine skill, he had to continue on, as he was the only one who could do it. . . That’s what Ellen believed.
Then Falma said,
Launching a full scale research facility would mean it would be possible to synthesize organic compounds and support Falma.
“Isn’t it too valuable to spread the knowledge?”
“It is the wisdom of our ancestors.”
It should be wisdom that was to be gathered over the long history of mankind.
Ellen thought it wasn’t a coincidence that the Medicine God dwelled within this unselfish boy.
“It’s your win, your Highness. You’re really skillful, your Highness.”
“Yes, we’ll have another game again tomorrow, Falma. So, I will take my leave for today.”
In the same way with Louis, Falma became friends with the 14 year old Noah who was the empress’ page. His work included guiding and transporting the prince, he was also the prince’s playmate. Since the prince was always following Falma after his work as an apothecary, there was an increased opportunity for Noah to talk to him.
“His Highness had been saying that he was tired of me being his playmate, and you would enjoy a nice break too.”
I guess so, playing billiards was fun too!
Noah was a young noble from a famous marquis, serving the Empress since his childhood by the order of his father. He told me he was personally taking care the Empress and the prince. This boy maintained a behavior of full loyalty in the front of the Empress and although he was doing a very nice job at it, he was a potty mouth and stubborn when the Empress was not around.
“It comes with some territory, huh? I-I’m just the second son, it’s fine as long it has something to do with pharmacology.”
“Idiot! Is there a noble that isn’t interested in getting a territory!? It’s usually the second son who is more greedy than anybody else. I wonder why you aren’t interested at all?”
There was nothing really particular to pay him back.
Still Noah was insistently asking if Falma had anything he desired or if he had any goals in the future.
Noah stepped in closer to Falma as he was gesturing to keep quiet. Noah was behaving like a good boy.
“I want to open a pharmacy. For the commoners.”
Putting idiot every time he spoke seemed like Noah’s favorite phrase. Him having a sharp nasty tongue was probably a result of his life as a page to the Empress and the prince, which didn’t lead to a career or chance for advancement.
“Even so, Isn’t just a waste of time for you heal the commoners?”
“You’re such an idiot, commoners always get sick. Since they weren’t blessed by the divine power so their bodies are weak. It would be endless even if you were to use expensive medicine.”
“I will be making safe medicine with lower prices.”
Even though Falma had the skills and knowledge about pharmacology, it turned out he was still ignorant to the ways of this world, so Noah just scoffed at him. Falma was pretending to be thinking really hard and then responded.
With Falma’s substance creation ability, he wouldn’t have to worry about things such as the price of raw materials, but there was a limit on creating complex compounds. Therefore he was considering developing medicines using medicinal plants and natural remedies.
“It would be seaside.”
“That’s good! I have certainly heard it now!”
There was a notice beforehand that stated for them to be fully dressed. Falma, along with his father, went towards the palace using a splendid carriage that the Empress had sent. This time Falma didn’t forget and brought his wand. It was something like a get well party, at least that was what Falma’s father told him.
Numerous nobles of the empire and courtiers sat around the hall.
The courtiers and the lords stood up while a solemn anthem played. The Empress, who was wearing a long crimson robe, entered the hall followed by her entourage.
The Empress of San Fleuve Empire, Elizabeth II.
Wow. . . so beautiful. . .!
Receiving the imperial crown, she sat on the throne with the Emperor’s Wand and glanced over the courtiers. She wasn’t the patient obediently followed Falma’s words, but regained the presence of a sovereign ruler. She was overflowing with dignity as the Empress. Rosy cheeks and eyes with lustrous silver hair. She was showing off a radiant beauty.
She greeted all her vassals informing them that she had recovered, and the nobles stated their congratulations.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Only after his father was called, had Falma noticed that the ceremony for the conferral of honors had begun.
“Thou, for working vigorously towards my medical treatment, as a reward, I entrust upon thee to govern the territory of Marseille. In particular, it will be used to grow and harvest the medicinal plants for the young nobleman.”
In reality, even though it was under his father’s name, it was good to say that the fief was given specifically to Falma. Of course Falma was watching his father’s delight like it was his own.
Huh?
The courtiers became noisy and was making a stir. Not only was the father had been given a fief, it seemed that the son had a reward too, and so, the look of envy suddenly directed to him. Though, no one who disagreed with his achievements.
“Thy conspicuous service was remarkable, thou have shown me outstanding knowledge and magnificent medical skills. It was precisely thanks to thee that I still have my life now.”
“I have permitted for thou to be promoted from apprentice to Royal Court Apothecary. In addition, I will permit thou to specifically open a pharmacy in the imperial capital.”
Falma became frozen now. He thought that the end of the apprenticeship was decided by his father and Ellen but…
“Why art thou surprised? The permission for thy graduation came from thy teacher.”
I told him to keep this between us! But… I should be thankful.
It was a reward the Falma had hoped for, nothing more and nothing less.
If Noah didn’t leaked it to the Empress, he thought he wouldn’t have been granted it.
Besides,
Falma intuitively came to a conclusion. This probably wasn’t a coincidence that this occurred after he had been casually answering Noah’s question saying that he was okay with a seaside territory.
The Empress held out the Emperor’s Wand towards Falma, who was surprised.
Falma’s head seems like it was about to burst from thinking too much. It’s probably because he was too confused that he did a salute like in some historical play.
Like with his father, Falma grasp the tip of the Emperor’s Wand. That was the ceremonial grant.
The Emperor’s Wand seems also to have a function as a divine power meter.
“Hmm?”
The Emperor’s Wand was shining for only a second, so Falma was convinced that it wasn’t seen clearly. Even after the party for conferral of honors, the Empress called Falma nearby but she was acting normal like nothing happened. He did not know if the Empress read the atmosphere, or if she just overlooked it, or if she hadn’t seen anything.
Bruno, who only drank water, was drinking a high class wine today which was very rare, and ate with relish, the cuisine prepared for the Royal Court. It looked like a huge burden was relieved from him.
“Dear father, your last job seem to have finally come to an end.”
“It looks great on you.”
Falma wondered if it was ok for his father, who was his mentor, to permit him to be a true apothecary. That’s what he thought, but such concerns were unfounded.
Now that Falma was a full fledged apothecary, his father was looking forward to it. His father picked up a new glass of wine and said.
“Cheers.”
“To Her Majesty.”
With the Empress’ recovery, the political situation in San Fleuve would stabilize.
“Who is it? A high class sealed letter…”
Thou who had a huge amount of divine power, someone unparalleled since the dawn of history. Once thou have come of age and mastered thy Divine Arts, it will be good if thou were to apply for a duel and seek to divest me of the throne. It will not be a fair fight if thou are not yet an adult.
Empress of San Fleuve Empire, Elizabeth II
It was maybe because her health had completely recovered, the muscle-brained Empress felt motivated.
This is true, but I have to apologize.
That was the gist of his reply, Falma indirectly responded to her by writing a letter with the highest degree of honorific language.