“Where has Zephal gone?!”
After being turned away at the gate time after time, Richard lost patience and forced his way into Jade Palace.
He marched all the way to Zephal’s chambers, found them empty, and vented his frustration by berating the Royal Guard.
On his previous visits, Raficel had come to confront him with knights at his back. Today, not even the personal attendant appeared. Jade Palace stood deserted.
“Please leave, Duke Forlvain.”
Raficel’s resolute attitude on that earlier occasion had made Richard hesitate.
Even brothers, fathers, and sons could not simply demand an audience with a member of the royal family.
But Richard knew that his own father had visited Elisabeth’s palace without warning and behaved exactly as he pleased. No one had reprimanded him.
Richard’s mistake was assuming that he would be permitted to do the same.
After searching the residence without permission and failing to find Zephal, he had been faced with Raficel’s condemnation.
“His Majesty would never tolerate such an outrage. Leave at once!”
The pressure exerted by the fifteen-year-old prince had sent a chill through Richard.
Before he realized what he was doing, his feet were carrying him toward the exit, and he fled into his carriage.
Richard had suffered a complete defeat at Raficel’s hands that day.
The emotional wound remained painfully fresh.
“You do not even know where your master has gone? Useless hounds!”
In his frustration, Richard seized a nearby knight by the collar.
The powerfully built man did not so much as sway.
“You will address him properly.”
“What?”
“He is *Lord* Zephal. Have you forgotten even the most fundamental courtesy?”
“Silence! Do not presume to instruct me!”
A vase displayed in the entrance hall shattered with a crash.
Richard’s furious roar echoed through Jade Palace in the absence of its master.
* * *
“That concludes the report from Jade Palace.”
“Thank you. It was even worse than I imagined.”
*Breaking into a royal residence and destroying property? Not to mention disrespect toward Zephal—but I suppose that part is hardly new.*
Soichiro had spent another peaceful day drinking tea at the safe house. That evening, Lude began delivering the latest reports.
There were updates from the royal palace, the knights stationed in the Holy District, and Leonard’s resistance activities.
“The priests in the Holy District have been remarkably quiet.”
“Yes. That is likely Lord Gilbert’s doing.”
“Hm?”
“Word has spread of the sentence in which offenders have their heads shaved.”
“……”
*I did not intend to hold their hair hostage. Still, I suppose it works.*
Soichiro’s pen moved across the page.
He took notes each day while listening to the reports, a habit carried over from his previous life.
“Leonard and his people have done well. No one has been injured or arrested.”
A knock interrupted them, and Gilbert entered.
“That little campaign has angered the nobles even more than we expected. The Adelberg Trading Company also arranges carriage-cleaning services, you see. We are making a considerable profit. Let us return some of it to Leonard’s people.”
*That is a rather blatant case of creating a problem and selling the solution.*
Soichiro smiled wryly but nodded.
“Reward them generously and encourage them to continue.”
“Your Highness truly understands how to employ both the carrot and the stick. By the way, have you finished receiving that report?”
Gilbert glanced at Lude and smiled meaningfully.
“Yes. Lude, would you wait outside?”
“At once. I will remain beyond the door. Call if you require anything.”
The obedient knight never displayed his dissatisfaction openly.
As he passed Gilbert, however, he directed an unmistakably threatening presence toward him before leaving in silence.
“Now then.”
Soichiro put down his pen.
“What is this secret you wished to discuss?”
“It concerns the medicine made from the Sacred Spirit Tree fruit. We discovered another use for it.”
“Oh? What sort?”
*I do not remember that from the source novel. Then again, by the time the medicine was made in the original timeline, there were far more patients. They probably had no opportunity to conduct experiments.*
Even now, the three sacred beasts never visited Soichiro without bringing a “gift” of fruit. Finding another purpose for the surplus would be genuinely helpful.
“When administered to a healthy person, it strengthens the body and causes it to grow.”
“Grow?”
“Specifically, it promotes muscular development.”
“Muscles?”
*Something like protein powder?*
Soichiro tilted his head. Gilbert smiled as he wheeled a cart forward.
“These cages hold a mouse that received the medicine and another that did not.”
One mouse was more than twice the size of the other and possessed a remarkably muscular physique.
“A single dose takes effect immediately and lasts for one week.”
“Does the animal shrink again afterward?”
“By about half. More surprisingly, a portion of each increase remains, so the effect gradually accumulates.”
As Gilbert explained, Soichiro’s thoughts wandered elsewhere.
*Raficel would desperately want this if he heard about it.*
“Your Highness? This could have terrifying consequences if used for military purposes.”
“Military purposes? We have no intention of fighting a war, so I see no need. Could we distribute it to older people instead?”
“Pardon?”
“It might help the elderly whose strength has declined, or people left physically impaired by injuries.”
“……”
*Why has he fallen silent?*
Gilbert began to tremble. Then he abruptly seized Soichiro’s hand between both of his own.
“Lord Zephal! What boundless mercy!”
“What?”
“Your noble spirit cleanses the heart! We will market it for precisely that purpose at once!”
Tears and mucus had reduced Gilbert’s face to a pitiful state.
Soichiro quietly took out a handkerchief and offered it to him.
