"Father, is your illness acting up again? Hurry and summon Physician Ayad!"
Seeing this, Tinasha rushed to her father's throne in just a few steps and looked at him worriedly before ordering the people nearby.
"What kind of girl charges about so recklessly? It's an old ailment. I'm used to it."
A trace of gentleness flashed through Keske XIII's eyes. He had told Tinasha many times to mind the occasion—sometimes she was supposed to call him Imperial Father—but she never listened. No matter when it was, she called him Father. Even among royalty, she was rather unusual.
The emperor's health was naturally of utmost importance. Before long, a white-haired old man was brought into the hall. He pressed both hands against Keske XIII's abdomen and used healing magic on him. Soon, the pain was suppressed, and his complexion returned to normal.
"Physician Ayad, can Father's illness truly not be cured? If he has to endure this pain every day..."
Tinasha's face was filled with heartache. That was her father. Watching him suffer under the torment of illness every day—how could anyone bear it?
"Your Highness, even the finest healers in the Holy Empire would tell you that this illness cannot be eradicated. The human body is a wondrous thing. All I can do is try my best to ease His Majesty's suffering."
Old Ayad did not call himself the finest healer, but he was close enough. Otherwise, how could he have become the emperor's personal physician? Naturally, there was a touch of arrogance in his tone.
"Didn't you say the same thing when it came to Mayuna? Ruben, didn't you cure Mayuna? Could you take a look at my father?"
Though Tinasha had meant no malice, the old Ayad's face reddened. Of course he knew that the Magic God had been saved. Following Tinasha's gaze, he saw Ruben as well. He simply could not believe that such a young boy could be a healer who surpassed him.
"...I can."
Ruben did not blindly agree to Tinasha's request. Instead, he first glanced at Mayuna, and only answered after receiving confirmation from her eyes.
After getting permission, Ruben walked forward and forcefully pressed on the painful spot on Keske XIII's abdomen. Caught off guard, the emperor's face turned several shades greener. He nearly cried out.
"You little brat, what are you doing? I worked so hard to suppress His Majesty's pain!"
Old Ayad was horrified. He hurriedly shoved Ruben aside and used magic to numb the emperor's pain again. At the same time, he wondered whether this brat had a death wish. How dared he casually hurt the emperor?
"From an initial examination, it might be appendicitis. To confirm it, it would be best to do a blood test."
Countless experiences in Ruben's mind told him what illness the emperor had. It was an extremely common condition, but he did not rashly make a definite diagnosis. Instead, he planned to ask Dragon to help conduct a blood test.
"Ap-pen-di-ci-tis? Is there a way to cure it completely?"
Tinasha repeated the unfamiliar term Ruben had uttered, puzzled. Since Ruben knew what it was, there was a good chance he could cure it.
"Yes. Just cut it out."
"C-cut it out?"
A chill rose from the soles of Tinasha's feet. With an unnatural expression on her face, she stammered out the question.
"Cut open the stomach here with one slash, then remove the inflamed part. It's just like chopping vegetables."
Ruben gestured at his abdomen. Whether it was Tinasha or the nobles watching below, all of them felt their hearts leap into their throats. Quite a few were utterly shocked. This fearless boy actually wanted to cut open the emperor's stomach. How was that any different from murder? And he had said it so openly.
"What utter nonsense! Are you a spy sent by an enemy nation? Do you know how complicated the human body is? You think you can just cut wherever you please?"
Hearing Ruben say that, Old Ayad naturally cast aside all concern for decorum and pointed at his nose as he berated him. Such a treatment method was completely unacceptable.
"Then I can't cure him. I was just talking nonsense."
Ruben nodded and prepared to leave. He did not care much about such matters. He would soon be leaving the imperial capital anyway. As far as he was concerned, it did not matter what happened to the emperor. He was not going to die, after all.
"You! Are you deceiving His Majesty, or do you take all these nobles in the hall for fools? Your Majesty, I suggest locking this fraud in prison."
Old Ayad's pointing finger trembled. In an instant, he had placed Ruben in the position of enemy to every noble present. The nobles also felt that Ruben was being unreasonable. If he could not cure him, he should have just said so. Why say such things to deceive them?
"You can try. There is no prison in this world that I cannot tear down."
The Magic God girl's calm voice reached everyone's ears, completely cooling the anger they had felt at being toyed with.
"Everyone, please calm down. Let us treat it as a small joke."
Keske XIII came to his senses and eased the atmosphere in the hall without pursuing Ruben's words further. Mayuna had already spoken—what else could he do? Old Ayad, who had lost face after being rebuked by the Magic God girl, followed the emperor's lead and stood beside him with a gloomy expression.
"Your Majesty, I arrived late."
Just as the emperor was considering how to start a new topic, another person entered the hall. He wore a golden mage robe, with a gemstone on each shoulder fastening the corners of his cloak. A red cape draped down his back from his shoulders, emblazoned with a fierce-looking lion. His shoulder-length golden hair slightly covered the top of the cape.
This handsome man radiated golden brilliance like a human-shaped sun. Ruben was the only unfamiliar person he saw in the hall, so he could not help looking at him a few more times. When he noticed Ruben observing him as well, he gave him a sunny smile.
"Ryan, I have been waiting for you for a long time. It is good that you are back. We can talk in private later."
Keske XIII was delighted to see his beloved general return, but he did not immediately reminisce with him. Instead, he returned his attention to announcing Mayuna's return.
"Curious about his identity?"
Out of politeness, Mayuna did not pull Ruben away. Instead, she stayed to listen to the nobles' meaningless chatter. After placing a soundproof barrier around them, she openly whispered to him.
"Yes. Those eyes were not natural, were they?"
Ruben still remembered the eyes he had just seen. They did not seem human at all, but rather a pair of golden slit pupils filled with a wild aura.
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P.S. Ruben: Taste my proletarian scalpel!
P.S. Extra chapter (6/7).
P.S. Thanks to Silent Stranger, Global Cold Weather, Can'er, a708020, Sunbathing at Night, Alex Mercer, and inGRaitei for their 500 and 100 rewards.
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