The Doctor Cured the Villainess and Ran Away

39 – 39. Martial Arts Competition (5)

“Enemy mobile units are ambushing us from behind! Maintain formation!”

Under the command of the Moonlight Palace Commander, the knights moved swiftly.

After breaking through the Imperial Cousin’s Guard, they aimed for the next high ground.

It’s a great vantage point to survey the entire stadium.

“That knight from the northern region is quite tough.”

“He has been advancing the unit’s marching route via telepathy all along. Clearly, he has the skills to win in individual combat.”

“I heard he comes from Viscount Gotthberg. I thought they only trained healers, but they seem to have plenty of talented individuals.”

The Emperor watched Tanya as he conversed with his brothers.

“He seems fiercely loyal to the viscount. To harbor such knights means Gotthberg has some remarkable young men.”

“Wasn’t he the personal physician to the Third Princess?”

“If he can bestow blessings upon the entire knight order, then surely his skills are impressive.”

The intense battle continued with clouds of dust.

“My knights!!”

The Togin Palace Knights had long since annihilated Rauha’s forces.

Georg, frustrated and devastated by the mock battle results where he couldn’t even make a significant contribution, clenched his head in despair.

The Moonlight Palace Knights, who were advancing with great momentum, reached their limits in the later stages of the battle.

It was good that they managed to provoke the two enemy divisions into fighting first in the final tripartite battle.

However, the surviving last knights were still full of vigor.

“The 1st Princess’s, Heike’s Knights.”

Heike wasn’t in the spectator stands. She was personally leading her troops, riding on horseback in the arena.

She was just as ambitious as Georg, with a strong desire to succeed the next imperial throne.

“Victory is within reach! Charge!”

Asella, with her resemblance to Cella, fluttered her luscious blond hair as she gallantly roamed the battlefield, resembling a magnificent painting.

Our 1st Platoon may be royal knights, but they were still regular soldiers. Their skills were insufficient to stop Heike’s elite knights.

Although the Moonlight Palace Knights weren’t falling behind significantly, they were outnumbered.

Eventually, including Tanya, twenty Moonlight Palace Knights found themselves surrounded by Heike’s elite knights.

“Oh, esteemed knight from the North.”

Heike shouted towards Tanya with her sword pointed at her.

Her thunderous voice transmitted through the amplification magic, allowing everyone in the arena to hear it.

“By observing the situation, you must already know. The outcome is decided. Will you continue this meaningless resistance?”

It was a suggestion for surrender.

Asella, who understood its meaning, furrowed her brow.

“hahahaha, advising loyalty to the top knight of the enemy faction, how ruthless of you, Heike-nim.”

Georg explained the situation with a mocking tone towards Asella.

I also understood its meaning quite well.

No matter if it was a mock battle during the festival or that they were the lord’s brothers in reality, they were practically hostile factions within the palace.

By suggesting surrender first, they made the strategically correct choice of retreating seem like a treacherous and cowardly act.

Heike, as befitting a woman aiming for succession, was skilled in political maneuvers.

Now, the Moonlight Palace Knights only had the option to fight until the end, but if they did, they would certainly be defeated in a gruesome manner.

Asella would lose her chance at becoming the emperor’s successor.

With just a few words, Heike laid out an efficient trap.

“…Tch.”

Asella clicked her tongue.

I whispered softly to her.

“Your Highness, please wait a little longer.”

“Why.”

“Excessive stress suppresses digestion and causes sleep disorders.”

“…Phew, that was a hit. I knew Heike’s knights were strong.”

“You just need to establish justification.”

“Is there a way?”

I nodded.

“I have also taught Tanya how to deal with situations like this.”

Asella looked back at the arena.

Tanya lowered her sword and took a step forward, locking eyes with Heike.

From Noble mtl dot com

“Have you chosen to surrender?”

“The reason why our Moonlight Archer Knights cease the fight here.”

Tanya took off the gloves on her arms and looked around the audience.

There were small and large scars engraved on her from battles.

“We cannot disrespect the lord we serve any further.”

Tanya took out a red potion from her pocket and applied it to her wounds.

A faint light emitted as the healing effect took place.

“Hmm, what’s that?”

The emperor, who had been observing the scene, showed interest and leaned forward.

Tanya continued speaking.

“This is a remedy made with alchemy to heal wounds. It was made by my lord, Las Gotteberg.”

Her declaration stirred up the spectators.

“Alchemy, you say?”

“Isn’t that an artifact?”

“You mean there’s another way to heal wounds besides healing magic?”

“Is that what Lord Gotteberg says?”

After carefully placing the red potion back into her pocket, Tanya raised her clean arm to show it to the audience.

“Our teacher not only cares for the princess but also dedicates himself to the health of the Moonlight Archer Knights. If we continue the battle any further…”

Tanya glared at Heike.

“Princess, it would be taking away the hands and time of my lord, Gotteberg. And it would directly harm Princess Asella’s health. It is disrespectful.”

Hmm, she speaks well.

Our Marquis has exerted a lot of effort in this.

“With that reason, to protect Princess Asella’s loyalty, our knight order will acknowledge our defeat and end the mock battle here.”

As Tanya finished speaking, applause erupted.

It was an encouraging cheer from the audience for the beautiful loser.

“The winner of the group mock battle has been decided!”

The announcer’s voice filled the coliseum as the knights gracefully exited the arena.

With a stern gaze, Heike glared at Tanya’s back and raised the corners of his mouth as he looked up at our spectator seats.

Although only half of Asella’s blood is mixed in, her smile still carries an eerie feeling, as expected of the royal family.

“Gongja, did you give Tanya the order?”

Amidst the noise in the coliseum, Asella asked me a question.

“Yes. When I heard that Princess Heike herself was participating, I prepared the red medicine just in case something like this would happen.”

“Hmm.”

“You didn’t like it, did you? Should I have prepared more thoroughly?”

“…No. Let’s talk about it later.”

Asella quickly turned her head, making sure not to show me her expression.

***

After the break, the magic competition will continue.

On the first day, they have gathered all the attractions of the mock battle.

They say it was scheduled with the emperor’s health in mind. On the second day, the palace orchestra and the kitchen will showcase their skills, truly a time for entertainment.

And on the third day, they will return in the morning, so I need to keep an eye on Asella the entire time. I don’t know if my concentration will hold up.

“Outside, the magicians from the Second Prince faction are competing. The response seems favorable.”

I peered through the window curtains of the waiting room and broadcasted the view of the arena.

“Originally, there weren’t any royal palace magicians affiliated, but now they have apparently provided their disciples.”

Asella commented with a hint of annoyance.

She was being attended to by maids who were fixing her clothes and adjusting her makeup.

She was in the process of changing into her magician attire for the competition.

The magic staff she held lightly in her hand had a fancy decoration on the head, making it look slightly heavier compared to her body.

As she ruffled her hair, which she had tied up high, she asked.

“Does it suit me?”

“More than any great wizard, you exude elegance and grace.”

“The trembling tongue has indeed sparked.”

Even though Asela muttered a curse, she quietly sat in front of the table, seemingly not disliking my praise, waiting for her turn.

It was my turn.

I pumped air into the cuff to measure Asela’s blood pressure.

…Maximum 105, minimum 50. As usual, slightly low blood pressure, but no problem.

I checked with the thermometer I made, 35.8 degrees.

I wrote down the numbers in my notebook.

“Why are you writing so much?”

“These are the numbers needed for the princess.”

“Confucius always carried that notebook with him.”

“Yes. Oh dear, it contains first-class confidential information, including the princess’s details. Please don’t let it be exposed.”

Asela glanced briefly at my notebook.

All the ingredients and manufacturing methods for the medicine are written in this notebook.

I should keep it safe, as I may need it to make a book in the future.

“Lastly, I will measure your heartbeat.”

As I tried to grab Asela’s wrist, she pulled her arm away.

“Do I always have to do that?”

“Yes. It’s part of the magic examination process. Don’t we need to make sure today, more than ever, that the princess’s magical circuit is functioning normally?”

“I checked it myself in the morning. My mana is circulating like the Necker River.”

“It’s been about ten hours since then.”

“…Really.”

Asela reluctantly extended her right arm to me.

Her wrist is so thin that even if I wrap it with my thumb and middle finger, there’s still a finger’s width of space.

Blood pressure and heart rate are not directly related, so they need to be checked separately. If they deviate from the average, it is evidence of abnormality.

Of course, it would be more convenient to use a stethoscope, but it seems like it would cause a commotion, as if the soul is being sucked out of the heart. So I’m doing it this way.

-Thump, thump.

Manually checking the heartbeat through the artery.

“It’s the same as usual. Every time I examine you, Princess, your heart beats faster than your low blood pressure. It may be your constitution, but I’m a little worried.”

“It’s noisy.”

“Please don’t disregard the medical advice of your attending physician. The patient must be aware for me to proceed with treatment… Ouch.”

Asella made a displeased expression and slapped my forearm lightly.

Clearly, she must have been the type to throw a fit about not wanting to go to the hospital ever since she was young.

Even if I lied and said I would buy her tonkatsu, she wouldn’t have been fooled because she was smart and mischievous.

Instead, she would have dunked me into a barrel of oil and turned me into tonkatsu.

“It would be good to check the breathing rate per minute.”

“Breathing rate?”

“Like this.”

I held my index and middle fingers horizontally and brought them close to Asella’s nose.

Asella kept her upper body still and only moved her face back, sticking her chin to her turtle shell like she was hiding in it.

“Just breathe normally like you always do. Breathing rate is an important measure of health… Princess, if you hold your breath, the test won’t work.”

“You!”

Asella slapped the back of my hand and stood up from her seat.

She held her cane and her golden pupils were dyed with anger.

Hmm, she looks stronger than usual.

Cheers could be heard from outside. It seems like the magic competition of the 2nd Prince’s faction has ended.

Next is Asella’s turn.

Only then did she lower her grudge against me and tidy up her cane.

“Please go.”

Asella didn’t respond to my send-off and walked steadily out of the waiting room.