Chapter 8
"Did you really had to do that much?" The head elder asked the first elder while they were playing chess with the emperor. The first elder wasn't in the mood to talk about this, yet the head elder was still mentioning it only to annoy him.
"I didn't kill him. Be thankful for that." The first elder huffed and replied in anger. Even now he would get angry whenever he would think of the day when he saw the fifth imperial prince forcing himself on his granddaughter.
If he hadn't arrived when he did, then his granddaughter would have been soiled by Adrian. If Alicia wouldn't have stopped him that day, Adrian would have been long dead.
"The punishment for harming an imperial family member is execution for three generations." The head elder still continued to annoy him.
"And who is going to execute me? You? With what? Those wheels?" But the first elder wasn't behind either. He also struck the one nerve the head elder couldn't resist. His legs.
"What did you say?" The head elder spoke angrily in a loud voice. "I said what are you going to do, 'wheels'." The first elder wasn't the one to back down.
"Enough." And as always, the emperor was the one to diffuse both of them down. They were both like that ever since they were children and the emperor had to diffuse any feud between them.
"Have you heard of the new rumor in the slums?" The emperor asked after both the old men had settled down.
"Huh! As if I would believe that!" The first elder scoffed and exclaimed. "But what if it is?" The grand elder asked while making his next move. The first elder still scoffed but even he couldn't deny the overwhelming rumor which began a week ago.
Of a miracle healer who could even cure diseases that were impossible to do so with healing spells or great divinities. It was just a small rumor at first but then the entire slum was singing his songs right now. Calling him the miracle healer.
"Anyway, when is the trial?" The emperor asked after a few moments. The first elder stopped. Although he wanted to see the fifth prince punished, he knew he wasn't the one pushing this trial.
"They sure are making big and bold moves." The grand elder commented while he moved his knight and the game ended in his favor. The emperor and the first elder made a crunchy face at losing but said nothing else.
"Nevertheless, he assaulted a saint. They have a perfect reason." The emperor commented. The first elder still remained silent as he had mixed feelings regarding this matter.
"The trial is tomorrow. We will see who is involved and what they really want." The grand elder said while relaxing back in his seat.
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"Have you heard? The rumors about the fifth prince?" Two maids were gossiping amongst themselves while they were working. Since a week ago, there had been the most strangest rumor flying around in the slum. The fifth imperial prince was healing people. No matter the disease, there was nothing he couldn't do.
The people of the slums were calling him the miracle healer. The servants of the palace would have scoffed if their own families wouldn't have been living in the slums.
Alicia mon Grante, the sole heir of the Grante bloodline was walking down the hallway to the library. She didn't look like a girl who was assaulted two weeks ago and almost had her purity stripped. She was a headstrong girl.
She was on her way to the library when she heard the maids gossiping about the fifth imperial prince.
'That's the third time today.' She thought as she remembered how many days it had been since the fifth imperial prince was being hailed in the region of the slums.
How he was offering free treatment and how he had been successful in curing every one of their diseases. The rumors were to the point that even she couldn't help but consider, 'Is it true?'
The members of the imperial family were outright refusing to believe it. There was no chance that a spoiled weakling who was now also a ra.p*.st, was a healer who could care for anyone other than himself. They all thought that he was paying everyone in the slums to speak on his behalf. That he had purposefully created these rumors so he could avoid the oncoming trial.
Alicia however, thought differently. 'Maybe, what if he can also…' She thought as she continued to head to the library.
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"You again?" The old blacksmith arched his brow when he saw me for the third time today. For the past two weeks, he had been making many instruments for me. I gave him my brightest smile and said, "Your actions might end up saving a lot of lives today."
"And so I have heard many times before." He said before asking what I wanted. I gave him the blueprint of what I wanted to be made. A blood transfusion funnel.
Just an hour ago, a man came running to me saying that something was wrong with her wife. Apparently, she was in labor but there was something wrong in the process and she was losing blood. Upon checking, there was a problem with her cervix.
Nothing to worry about as long as you can prevent the blood loss. Of course, doing so would flood the womb organ which would drown the baby so you have to let the blood flow out while giving her new blood in the process.
It wasn't as much of an emergency as people made it to be so there was just enough time to make a transfusion funnel. And the old man didn't disappoint. In just two minutes, I had my funnel. I came out of the smithy and spread my arms. Rose picked me up and started running toward the slum and the hour-long journey was crossed in seven minutes. Just in time before the woman went critical.
[Aren't you ashamed?]
'I strictly believe in gender equality. Now please give me my blood match.' I asked and surprisingly, I was a universal donor. Without proper machinery to test blood groups, I couldn't just go with any blood group.
Luckily, I was an O- so that problem was solved. I used the heal skill on the transfusion funnel and stuck one end in me while sticking the other end in the woman. My blood started flowing in her. Now all that was left was to let the baby come out naturally but since I was giving my blood, I couldn't do it.
"Does anyone know how to deliver a baby?" I asked but all the women in the room could only look at me. 'Great.' I thought as this was quite a problem. I was racking my brains for ideas when I heard a voice, "I do."
I turned to see a beautiful black haired girl with black eyes, draped in a white outfit. Her hair was flowing down to almost her calves. Her eyes were staring deep into mine. Her soft and clear milky color skin was clear of any blemish.
Even I was a little stunned for a second but there were other priorities. I couldn't just let her be in charge of delivery just because she said she could. It was a delicate procedure and she didn't look any older than me.
"Who are you?" I asked and she looked at me strangely as if I had asked something that didn't make sense. "And do you really know this procedure? I can't just let you be here. This could endanger both the mother and the child."
I continued without caring for her reply but with each sentence of mine, her expression turned even more complicated.
"I am Alicia. Alicia mon Grante." She replied and that was all I needed to jog my memory. The saint of light, Alicia mon Grante. A main character in the novel. I would have gone into depth about her, but I had no time. All I did know was that she would work.
"Very well then. Get to work." I said and she hurriedly came forward and knelt before the woman. Meanwhile, my HP kept going down as I kept losing blood. As soon as my HP was below ten, I used the heal skill multiple times until half of my total HP was restored.
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"You need to rest," Alicia told me while pushing me down on the ground gently. "I'm fine," I replied but even I knew I was lying. Even though I had the option of heal, the blood loss during the delivery had taken a massive toll on my body.
"Thanks though," I spoke while feeling a little woozy. I was feeling quite lightheaded right now. Still, I had to thank her. If not for her and the old man blacksmith, the woman and her baby both would have died today.
She again gave me that look. A look that was hiding a little pain behind and also a little bit of disbelief. I chose to ignore that though as I wasn't in the proper condition to do anything. I was too tired to do anything right now.
[Congratulations]
[Heal skill has leveled up]
[Heal LV: 4 (0\200)]
At least there was some good news. The cost of heal had come down with each level up. Now it took only seven MP to be used once. Although it still restored only twenty percent my total HP, I figured at higher levels, that would be resolved as well.
It had been two weeks since I came into this world. For two weeks, all I had been doing was curing and helping people in the slums. I didn't get any level up for that so my stats were still the same. Except for curing Rose's father, I had received no reward for helping anyone else.
I was okay with it though. I was going to kill many people in this world once I got involved more thoroughly in the matters of this world. Might as well save as many as I can while doing so. And seeing the smiles on their faces was rewarding enough for me.
[You are quite a decent person]
'I like to think of myself as one.' I replied because, for the first time, I didn't disagree with Allison. The number of lives I have taken in all my lives can never be compared to the number of lives I have saved. It was like comparing an ocean and a pond.
So, all I had to avoid wallowing in this guilt was to lie to myself.
[Your father used to say, 'A good deed is never unrewarded']
'I know. I'm his son.' I replied. My eyes felt heavy and soon I was fast asleep.
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I woke up not knowing after how long to some loud sounds surrounding me.
"My Lady, we must take him for the trial." A voice entered my ears which belonged to a man.
"I don't care. He is not in a condition to move." Another voice, which I recognized to be Alicia's, replied.
Soon the sound of bickering became clear which meant my head was now clear as well. I looked around to find myself in my room. I found Rose worriedly standing by me while Alicia was standing in front of a guard.
"What's going on?" I asked as I sat up. As soon as I asked, all the conversation in the room stopped. Everyone turned to look at me and Rose threw herself at me, "Your Highness! You're finally awake! I was so worried!"
She started sobbing while I was at a loss for what to do. I looked around and found my room to be filled with guards. With how my reputation was, I doubt they were here to guard me.
[Correct]
Allison proved my speculation to be true. 'Then what are they here for?' I asked to which she replied.
[To take you to the trail]
I was confused at that, so I asked, 'What trail?'
[The trial of se.x*a.lly assaulting the saint of light]
I looked at Alicia when I heard the reason, with my eyes as wide as saucers. Now I understood what that complicated look on her face was. She was in disbelief.