Many councilmen couldn't believe their ears.
"A cure for the 'Black Death'? Is this true?"
The first to react were the Church leaders.
"What kind of madness are you spouting, Your Highness? Are you suggesting to this council that you, with no knowledge of medicine, have concocted a 'cure' for one of the deadliest plagues of our time?"
One of the Metropolitans blurted, his expression contorted with disbelief.
"And recently, you argued with 'great' conviction that the plague was imminent in front of the Patriarch. Now you claim you already have the 'cure'? If this isn't madness, then it is a lie,"
Another person rose from his seat.
This individual was one of the Archbishops who accompanied the Patriarch and had argued with John upon his return from the expedition, where he informed the Patriarchate of the 'impending' plague.
John's sudden and outrageous claim that he had found the 'cure' for the plague he himself 'suspected' made the Archbishop even more furious.
"I agree with the Metropolitan and the Archbishop,"
This time, one of the councilmen spoke, supporting the Church leaders and admonishing John for his statement.
"Your Highness, I respectfully advise you to refrain from making any unfounded claims, especially in front of the council. Bringing up the subject of the plague is, by itself, forbidden in this sacred court."
Anticipating the chaos, John maintained his composure as he carefully responded,
"Fellow gentlemen, I am not, under any circumstances, making false claims or offering apologies for my statement. In fact, I am determined to go all the way and clarify my case."
He then turned to the Metropolitan and the Archbishop who had earlier accused him of making outrageous claims.
"Your Holiness, I am telling the truth. Despite recent altercations with the Patriarch—no, the Church—I can confirm that the plague is indeed true, and it is also true that I have the cure."
He calmly reiterated,
"In fact, to demonstrate my trustworthiness, I will show the council members, especially the Church, that what I say is the truth."
"Demetrius!"
Upon hearing his name called, Demetrius nodded with understanding and immediately exited the court.
This action caused the court to erupt in total uproar.
However, the emperor, like John, remained eerily composed, choosing not to intervene in what John might do. In fact, he himself was curious to see the situation unfold.
The tense atmosphere persisted until Demetrius returned to the court, this time accompanied by others.
With him were a young olive-skinned man, a veiled young woman, and a disheveled elder draped in a white robe.
Demetrius returned to his post while the individuals he brought with him all stood alongside John in the center.
The Metropolitan, recognizing one of the individuals, widened his eyes.
"Father Andreas? What is the meaning of this?" The Metropolitan directed his question at the disheveled elder, Father Andreas.
"I'm sorry for the sudden appearance, Your Holiness, but please hear His Highness out first," Father Andreas apologetically replied to the Metropolitan, feeling guilty and unable to explain himself before John's own explanation.
"This—sigh... Alright, I will deal with you later. But first, let us hear Your Highness's explanation of what is going on,"
the Metropolitan relented.
Observing that the Metropolitan was willing to let John explain himself, those who had previously voiced their disapproval immediately fell silent.
John nodded.
"As I previously stated, I have successfully found the cure to remedy the accursed plague illness."
Pointing his palm towards the olive-skinned youth, he added,
"The person you see here is the one who developed it, an alchemist from Syria."
Murmurs spread through the council.
'What? That brat who still smells like milk? What is this insane co-emperor on about?'
'If that brat can concoct a cure for death, then I can concoct a cure for the dead itself.'
'Tcheh... a Saracen? I can confirm, this co-emperor of ours is mad.'
Many council members were in disbelief and unable to take John's words seriously. They even made fun of the boy and John.
Fatah felt pressure just from standing in the center, and now, John shifted the attention towards him, making it even more intense.
Taking a deep breath, Fatah spoke.
"Greetings, fellow councilmen, Your Majesty. My name is Fatah al-Aamin ibn Abu Dawud, His Highness's personal alchemist, and also the one who developed the cure for the Black Death."
Murmurs continued.
"Your Highness, if this is a joke, it has gone too far."
"Hah, this is a waste of time! An alchemist? This brat?"
Some council members, unable to take it any longer, began to protest.
"Please, lend him your ears first! I assure you that this is not a waste of anyone's time; in fact, I can promise you that this is a good thing in itself! Just please hold your horses and listen."
John tried to be diplomatic with the councilmen, anticipating this kind of reaction beforehand.
"I have heard enough already; we are not here to hear nonsense!"
"Aye, we are here to discuss important matters of the realm, not some useless fairytales."
"Although we acknowledge that you have contributed most to the city and the empire, especially after the war, this kind of topic is not to be discussed here. Plague? Pah! Are you trying to turn this empire upside down once more?"
The courtroom descended into more chaos as more council members shouted and barraged the co-emperor with demeaning remarks.
Nevertheless, John attempted to calm the members down, but to no avail. It seemed as though he had lost control of the council. Unable to hold out much longer, he sought the emperor for help.
"Silence!"
A booming voice echoed throughout the courtroom.
"It seems like no one here seems to notice my presence as if I am but a statue; just so all of you remember, I am the Autokrator and Imperator of this empire, and respect towards the sanctity of this court is my utmost duty to uphold."
Manuel II's chilling presence permeated the room, causing the council to immediately quiet down.
Despite his reduced authority, the emperor still maintained his vestige as the voice of the empire.
"Despot, continue."
He then gestured for John to proceed with what he was doing.
"My most gracious Autokrator."
"Not too long ago, before my return from Tarnovo, distressing news from abroad troubled me; the plague has swept the North and is now slowly encroaching on Lithuania."
"The lady you see here today is an acquaintance of mine who had contracted the disease."
Panic ensued.
"Did you say contracted? Why are you bringing her here then? Are you trying to infect all of us?"
This time, chaos erupted, but John managed to temporarily calm them all.
"Do not be alarmed; she has already recovered, thanks to the cure I just mentioned."
Murmurs echoed.
"What can you do to prove that? Like the Metropolitan and the Archbishop said, the plague is the deadliest of our time, which means there has been no cure or worse, no survivors recorded. As such, we find your claim impossible to believe."
"That is why I brought another person: Physician Andreas, the one who personally attended to the princess throughout her sickness and recovery."
This time, attention shifted toward Father Andreas, who stepped forward to offer his own explanation.
"All of this is true; I am the one who tended to the young maiden after she arrived from Moskva."
"Likewise, the things mentioned, such as the cure, are also valid. I bore witness in the name of the Lord, as I was also a witness to such a miracle."
Uproar.
"This—then, can we hear for ourselves the testimony from the person in question? It is still hard to believe."
Suggested one of the council members, and the others murmured in agreement.
It was then that the veiled young woman stepped forward, right next to Father Andreas.
"Greetings."
She started with a graceful etiquette.
"My name is Anna Vasilyevna, Princess of the Grand Principality of Moskva."
"Like what the co-emperor just said, I was the victim of the Black Death disease."
"Fortunately, by the grace of the Lord and His Highness, I was healed from my affliction."
Anna sincerely testified.
"... That proves nothing, milady. Show us verifiable proof that you were actually afflicted, and, remarkably, how you were able to recover from it."
Since she was veiled, none of the council members could ascertain anything. They were very skeptical of the whole thing.
She then turned her head towards John, as if asking for something, to which the co-emperor gave his reassuring nod in the end.
Then, slowly but surely, Anna unveiled herself, showing her face, which immediately captivated the whole court. Her radiant and pristine appearance lit up the gloom of the court that was felt not too long ago.
First, it was her silky blonde hair falling down like a waterfall, a pointed nose that seemed to be carved by a master craftsman, and peach-colored lips that bloomed amidst the autumn.
Mesmerizing.
Every councilman was dumbstruck; none were able to say anything other than their eyes glowing with yearning and lust. Men.
"Ehem."
The emperor broke the silence first, eventually awakening the councilmen from their dreamy stupor.
"So, Princess Anna, it is as I've heard from our despot; you are indeed a gift from heaven."
Praised the emperor. He was also mesmerized by her; but pity, his boy got her first. Likewise, he is also married to another beauty himself, which allows him to compose himself much easier than the rest of the men.
John, however, could not say anything after he was mentioned; instead, he awkwardly cleared his throat. Even he couldn't get used to this kind of revelation, although he had seen it before; in fact, he was proud himself.
"Thank you for the praise, Autokrator."
Anna blushingly accepted the praise.
"Anyhow, back to the topic."
Manuel II reminded the court before nodding towards John to continue.
"As her attending physician, I would like Father Andreas to personally examine her; and of course, the Metropolitan and Archbishop, you could also join in."
John essentially gave permission for the clergymen to examine Anna's condition.
"..."
Both of them looked at each other and opted not to.
"Alright then... Father Andreas, please..."
As John said that, Father Andreas proceeded to instruct Anna to reveal both her arms.
She then complied and removed the robe, showing a sleeveless cloth that she wore. Upon that, she revealed various dark spots that spooked the entire council.
"The 'Black Death' symptom!"
Many were familiar with the symptoms, as they had already witnessed it somewhat in their lifetime.
Father Andreas then proceeded to explain.
"As all of you can see here, these are the spots where the disease had previously spread."
"But you don't have to worry too much since these spots are non-infectious. Can you show me your neck next?"
As requested, Anna showed Father Andreas her neck area, which also revealed blackened skin underneath.
"This is also a symptom of the plague, but like on her arms, it is not infectious. To be honest, I found it fascinating that although the symptoms remained; it doesn't affect her health as much."
The audience was baffled; although they needed to see it to believe it, skepticism remained, though not as much as before.
"You can come closer to see it yourself if you don't believe it; I can assure you that it is fine and will not in any way affect any of the councilmen and the clergymen."
John said it as he saw the uncertainties painted on these councilmen's faces.
Despite that, nobody came forth to see it up close, until...
"I will observe it up close."
Manuel II declared.
Murmur. Murmur. Murmur.
The court erupted in chaos.
"Autokrator, you— you don't have to..."
Many attempted to dissuade him, but to no avail.
"Well... it seems like you fellow councilmen were not going to look at it yourself, so I had to step forward,"
The emperor addressed those who dissuaded him before he looked towards John,
"After all, I believe in my son."
Smile.
He actually has faith in his own son since he has seen his confidence and attitude when dealing with the councilmen, which warmed John's heart.
The emperor rose from his seat and slowly walked towards Anna. As he slowly closed in, he finally saw Anna's face up close, which contrasted her affliction.
He somehow felt pity for her but reminded that she survived the ordeal that would have taken others straight to the reaper's scythe.
"So, this is my son's future bride. I will have to treat you better in the future."
The emperor jested, causing Anna to blush and John to choke.
"Fa— no, Autokrator, please refrain yourself from saying odd things."
John tried to reprimand Manuel II but got a brazen laugh instead.
"So then...."
Without delay, the emperor began to examine the arms and the neck. It was clearly the symptom of the plague, yet he could feel that it is not harmful.
"Mercy be to God! This is wonderful."
He exclaimed excitedly.
"Metropolitan, Archbishop, you can come and see... Don't worry, it is not harmful..."
The hesitant Metropolitan and Archbishop were jolted when they were called out by the emperor.
Sigh.
Since the emperor showed resolve to come forward, the two clergymen eventually came forth themselves.
They were the most familiar with the disease symptoms, and although what Father Andreas said about the symptoms being non-infectious, they remained skeptical since they had never seen or heard anyone survived nor recovered from the 'curse'.
When they finally arrived in front of the subject of their skepticism, they cautiously examined the symptoms the same way Father Andreas and Manuel II did.
"Despite the symptom being there, there was no foul odor that is unique to the disease. This..."
Their expressions were impressive, as if eyes popping out of one's head.
"This... how is this possible..."
From up close, the clergymen clearly saw some form of recovery despite the dark spots, the only confidence that they had after the observation was the slight smell, which was nonexistent.
"Pray tell..."
The Metropolitan asked John; he was clearly baffled because this is the first time they saw this incredible feat.
"For that, I will allow my alchemist to explain."
John responded before shifting the whole explanation to Fatah, who had stood awkwardly since his introduction.
At first, Fatah was clearly anxious, but John gave him a lift, which calmed the young alchemist.
Fatah then began to explain the whole story, beginning with how he met the people in the slums, but he didn't unnecessarily reveal how he procured the ingredients; instead, he masked it with something like 'inspiration.'
He then revealed the vial containing the cure, which he—no, John—dubbed as an 'antibiotic.' He showed it to all the council members and gave it to the clergymen to inspect.
The clergymen saw it as nothing special, but upon hearing that it was the cure, they asked a few questions to ascertain its efficacy and the procedures on how it was made.
Without revealing too much, Fatah instead explained it in a roundabout way, causing a headache for the clergymen before they essentially stopped asking any further.
Regarding the method to use the medicine, Fatah brought out a few more things: a syringe and a needle. He then demonstrated how to 'inject' the medicine into the body by puncturing himself with the empty syringe, which horrified the clergymen.
Father Andreas then interjected that the method is the only way to effectively administer the medicine and explained a couple of medical terms that the clergymen didn't understand since they were not versed in medical procedures.
"We... sigh... we get it..."
Despite being explained the whole thing, the two clergymen still did not understand anything, thus, they eventually gave up.
"So, Despot, what are you going to do with this cure? Are you going to mass-produce it and then sell it to the public?"
The Metropolitan finally asked for John's intention.
"Indeed, I am, Your Holiness."
"But I also understand that, to achieve this, I had to first request the Church's cooperation since selling medicine is, after all, under the Church's jurisdiction."
John admitted,
"I can assure you that it would not only benefit the empire but also the Church; all I need is endorsement from the Church, and we can essentially rightfully sell this medicine."
Capitalist John with his reasoning.
The Metropolitan and the Archbishop then whispered to each other before they came to a conclusion.
"If that is what you want, then we will discuss this with the Patriarch later... however, the condition for this is to sell it only within the empire. Further conditions will be determined later after the meeting with the Patriarch..."
The negotiation went well, and considering the terms, it doesn't seem like the Church imposed a harsh condition either, which relieved John.