Drizzle-!!
Thick raindrops poured upon the world.
Perhaps that was why the charred Royal Castle appeared even more sorrowful.
"Lord Louerg."
"You're here?"
"...As you had predicted, the Elmark Empire is preparing to withdraw."
"I see."
If Roer's had orchestrated these actions himself,
He would bear all the consequences of his deeds, and they would fall on the Ernes Empire. That meant the Elmark Empire would have a golden opportunity to incite the people of the Roverium Kingdom without any assistance from Prince Inas.
However, judging from their calm withdrawal, could it be that the Elmark Empire was behind Roer?
But there was one thing Ferzen couldn't understand.
The pretext the Elmark Empire used – acting as a savior driving out the evil Ernes Empire – was something that could be applied in any situation.
Why did they complicate matters so much?
Ferzen yearned to grab Roer's head, wrapped in a red cloth, and delve into his memories.
However, the cleanup operation was taking too long, and it was time to return.
"About the other task you assigned to me…"
"It seems there wasn't much success."
"I apologize."
"I didn't have high expectations for that order anyway."
During the burning of the royal castle, all valuable items in the warehouse were also destroyed.
So, to draw an analogy from Seo-jin's world, Ferzen was attempting to perform a random summon to call forth a creature from the third level of the netherworld to heal wounds and repair physical defects…
Given the complexity of the task, Ferzen couldn't blame the man for failing.
"And Lord Louerg… Prince Inas would like to see you."
"I can't spare time for that right now."
Inas Del Prussiam Roverium.
He must be shocked and confused by the current situation.
Of course, that applied to all the people in the Roverium Kingdom as well.
After all, no official statements had been made regarding the incident.
"Let's go. We've already spent too much time on this trivial cleanup."
As Ferzen had been holding the umbrella with his left hand for five minutes,
He naturally transferred it to his right hand before proceeding down the rain-soaked road.
His destination was where everyone held their breath in a somber atmosphere.
It was a hallway inside the base where Princess Elizabeth was undergoing surgery.
…He had been absent from that place because he had to manage the situation on behalf of the prince, who had no time to spare.
When Ferzen saw Prince Raymond praying and invoking God, he realized that Princess Elizabeth's surgery had become even more challenging than he had imagined.
Unlike in Seo-jin's world, this world was a place where beings called Gods truly existed.
The moment religion gained power, it became unstoppable.
Considering that a member of the Royal Family had taken the lead and claimed to be a servant of God…
Had Princess Elizabeth's condition already reached a point where human hands were helpless?
Rustle-!!
Ferzen silently took a seat and glanced at his watch.
Eight hours had passed since the surgery began.
In a little while, the gloomy sky would grow even darker.
Yet, during this time, the tightly closed door showed no sign of opening.
* * * * *
"How much time has passed?"
"It's been 18 hours, Master..."
The surgical attire they wore was already drenched in blood, having long lost its original color. On top of that, the pervasive smell of blood hung in the air, inducing dizziness.
Not only did the elderly surgeon in charge but also the young doctors assisting him looked haggard and drained, pushed to their limits.
In a way, these doctors had hardened themselves through trials akin to Aura Knights.
At that moment, the doctor who had been meticulously wiping his mentor's sweat glanced down at Princess Elizabeth lying on the operating table, his focus waning.
Even though he lacked the skill of his teacher, he could see that the only outcome of this surgery was failure.
'If only Master had decided to remove the uterus a bit earlier...'
Perhaps then, Princess Elizabeth could have been saved.
However, the young disciple harbored no blame toward his mentor.
Certainly, during an open abdominal surgery, it was possible to proceed without removing the uterus. It carried its risks, but how could one easily remove the womb of a princess?
He believed that, given the immense pressure his mentor was under, he had made the best judgment possible.
Wasn't there a saying that humans could make choices, but the outcomes were determined by fate?
Doctors, in essence, merely guided patients on how to return to the world from the brink of death. They were not meant to forcefully bring patients back into the world.
In that regard, one could argue that medicine was the greatest product created by humans.
However, as it was the creation of mortals, it could not defy the natural laws of life and death.
"Do you remember what I told all of you on the very first day you came to me?"
The disciples all responded to their teacher's question. He had momentarily halted his hand's movement and raised his head to address them.
"You asked us if we could give up what was making someone sick before curing them…"
"That's right. Not only that, even if a doctor knows that a patient is on the brink of death, we should still treat them until the very end."
A doctor who did not pursue every avenue to preserve a patient's life was, in essence, committing violence against the patient.
"And… always be grateful when you save a life. You've saved a life that could have been lost. If you ever have the illusion, even for a moment, that you are a god, that you have defeated death with your human hands, you should quit being a doctor..."
"Master."
"We've talked for too long. Now… abandon everything and leave."
"Master…!"
The elderly doctor lowered his head once more and resumed the surgery alone.
This action was undoubtedly driven by his desire to shield them from experiencing Table Death.
For a profession like medicine, which inevitably confronted numerous patient deaths throughout a career, such consideration might have seemed unnecessary.
However, because the patient they were currently treating belonged to the Imperial Family, it was undeniably crucial.
The old doctor knew that this experience would undoubtedly inflict profound trauma on them rather than serve as fertilizer for their growth.
The old man fell silent after uttering that single sentence.
Once surgery commenced in the operating room, the surgeon held absolute authority. Since he had ordered them to leave the room, they had no choice but to comply.
Each of the young disciples forced themselves to step away from the room, leaving behind their venerable teacher who was racing against the encroaching grasp of death.
* * * * *
Creak-!!
"!"
After a considerable amount of time, the door to the operating room finally swung open.
The ominous energy emanating from beyond the door, along with the pervasive scent of blood, seemed to offer the living a visceral understanding of death.
However, only five doctors emerged from the operating room. The surgeon responsible for Princess Elizabeth's critical surgery was conspicuously absent.
"Haha..."
Prince Raymond understood all too well what this meant.
His momentarily brightened face darkened once more, and he let out a bitter laugh.
The five young doctors, who had been closely observing Prince Raymond's changing countenance, lowered their heads as if they were criminals.
"Please, raise your heads…"
"We apologize…"
"You have nothing to apologize for…!"
Prince Raymond gazed at the ceiling below, struggling to mask the sorrow in his voice.
"Your teacher always said these words… He only saved lives that could be saved…"
"..."
"A human who has mastered the art of medicine is not a god. So, how can I blame you? If I castigate you here, who will practice medicine for us in the future?"
"..."
"Are you still bowing your heads and slumping your shoulders because you believe you didn't give your best?"
"T-that's not the case…!"
"If that's not the case, then raise your heads and square your shoulders…! You, who have overcome rigorous trials, are the most talented individuals in the entire Empire's medical field!"
"..."
"It means that you are the best preparation the Imperial Family has made for such situations..."
However, being the best doesn't always mean triumphing over the worst.
After all, in this case, the best represented the utmost that mere mortals could achieve.
How could the term "omnipotent" be a descriptor reserved solely for God?
As Ferzen observed Prince Raymond, he unwittingly clenched his fists.
He was the cause of the entire situation that had led to the Roverium Kingdom's conflict with the Elmark Empire.
In other words, Princess Elizabeth's tragic fate might have been averted if not for his involvement.
Yet, Prince Raymond didn't harbor any blame toward him.
Was it due to the favors the Imperial Family had received from Brutein over the years?
Or, conversely, was it because the Imperial Family was attuned to Brutein's sentiments?
'...'
Such a meaningless question.
How could he even entertain such a useless question?
…Princess Elizabeth had mentioned her happiness that the Imperial Family was finally able to repay some of their debt to Brutein.
However, what Brutein had given to the Imperial Family was not a favor; it was loyalty without expecting anything in return.
If the monarch who received that loyalty believed he had to repay it someday, he would undoubtedly tread carefully around his subjects. This was a distortion that needed correction.
…Come to think of it, he had momentarily forgotten that Brutein blood flowed through his veins.
Ferzen von Schweig Brutein had pursued benefits as both, a human and a villain, taking advantage of that fact.
Now was the time to repent for that disloyalty.
The blooming flower of evil no longer needed to feed on someone else's tragedy.
Step-!!
Ferzen took a step forward.
He began to advance gradually toward the closed door of the operating room.
"…We beg you!"
However, the five young doctors lowered their heads and blocked Ferzen's path.
"Please do not burden our teacher any further…"
"..."
Did they think he was trying to reprimand their teacher, who was left alone in the operating room?
Even Prince Raymond grabbed his arm.
"It's okay."
Since they had failed to prepare items of appropriate value, there would be nothing Ferzen, an Apollyon-class warlock, could do by stepping forward.
Prince Raymond thought Ferzen had stepped forward to grasp at any straws available and was genuinely trying to reprimand the doctor inside…
So, he was seriously contemplating raising his voice and getting angry.
However, Ferzen gently removed Prince Raymond's hand, briefly bowed to him, and placed his hands on the young councilors' shoulders.
"I am… not going to reprimand your master."
That's right, as long as the pillar still stood,
How could the building collapse first?
Ferzen simply couldn't allow that.
"...Even if the Imperial Family decides to bury Brutein."
There would never be a time when Brutein would bury the Imperial family.
If a doctor's medical skills couldn't defy the providence of life and death.
Then...