16 – 16. Freebies
Princess Victoria Kallail of the Britannian Empire.
She was not only the eldest among the three princesses, each with a different mother.
Not only did she outrank in the hierarchy, but her maternal family also wielded considerable power in the military. Although her mother had passed away, both of her maternal uncles were still serving in the army. Precisely, both were division commanders.
In a country without a divisional organization, they were among the top officers commanding actual troops. They had played their part when the current emperor waged the succession war.
Even Princess Victoria herself held the rank of a commissioned officer.
For nobles to step into the military was a quite natural occurrence. Even Siena held the honorary title of the Commander of Honor Guard.
However, Victoria wasn’t just a name on the list; she was actively serving.
Being a noble, she enjoyed privileges, but she wasn’t merely working for show. She considered the support of the military as her most crucial asset and made efforts in various ways.
‘But I didn’t expect her to fall for this.’
If she had sent her subordinates on hospital rounds without being conscious of the nobility, that would have been a lie.
But, she had not anticipated that the first princess, who harbored resentment, and her faction would fall for it. She even brought shame to Siena. Maybe it was an apology for not being able to offer anything genuinely valuable, but…
It didn’t matter.
What mattered was that she became aware of Morphin’s existence.
And the fact that Morphin’s demand could exert a comprehensive influence on the military, where demand was inevitable.
I decided to open up the military supply route through the first princess.
Certainly, there would be risks involved. But if successful, it would be the most stable way to dispose of Morphin. The risk of misuse by someone other than a pain patient would also be low.
I headed straight to the Imperial Military Hospital.
“I’d like to meet the hospital director.”
“Well, this is quite sudden.”
“If the Director finds it difficult, anyone with responsibility will do. If it’s challenging to converse with a mere herbalist, I’ll request an audience under the qualification of a member of the Imperial Guard. I am Alan Maydoff, serving Her Highness, the 2nd Princess.”
It was a statement indicating the intention to meet with the Director by any means necessary.
Although I was treated somewhat disrespectfully, they were still a direct subordinate serving the Princess. It was not something they could easily refuse to meet.
Eventually, after much hesitation, the hospital personnel guided me to the Director.
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“It doesn’t seem like the Director has the authority to decide.”
Still, I could convey the message to the 1st Princess, who was our sponsor.
Believing in that, I diligently spoke about morphine. Comparing it to birch bark, op*ium, and belladonna roots in terms of efficacy.
And finally, I brought up the main point.
“I understand that I may not be satisfying, Director. How about this?”
“What…?”
“For patients complaining of severe pain, try using morphine instead of op*ium. I will supply it free of charge for three days.”
Free supply. That was the initial purpose of this proposal.
“Well, Alan Kyeong. How can we use unverified herbal medicine?”
“In the end, this morphine is also a medicine made from op*ium as a raw material.”
“….”
“Moreover, it’s not op*ium grown in ordinary farms; it’s a product cultivated in the Tems Palace garden under Princess Siena’s orders. Harvesting and primary refinement were done by skilled gardeners. There is no other op*ium produced on such a scale and systematically in the entire Empire.”
“I understand, but…”
“Even more, it’s free. Do you have a reason not to accept?”
“….”
They couldn’t bring themselves to refuse outright.
But he didn’t readily accept.
Even though he could prescribe some medicine at the discretion of the director, hesitating to do so… It must be that this gentleman doesn’t have the authority. It also implies that there is someone who needs to be consulted separately. I already knew who that person was.
“Take a moment to think, Alan Kyeong.”
He said this with an expression that begged me to leave, so I willingly complied.
And from the next day onwards, I started going to the hospital every day.
“I will provide the necessary amount for 4 days free of charge.”
“In addition, during that period, I will stay at the hospital and assist with medication guidance. Wouldn’t that help alleviate your concerns? Of course, that too is free of charge.”
“I am also humbly requesting, putting aside my pride. …I will come again tomorrow.”
As this continued to happen several times, the face of the hospital director gradually became worn out. It must be unpleasant for him to deal with me, but Sienna behind me would also be conscious of it. Unfortunately, I got involved in the conflict between the 1st Princess Victoria and the 2nd Princess Sienna.
So it went on for a few days.
Finally, instead of the director, there was a presence who welcomed me.
A woman, tall for her gender, dressed in a simple combat outfit rather than a flashy conquest attire. A beauty with blonde hair neatly tied. She was carrying baggage, and her posture was very natural.
“Your Highness?”
She was Victoria, the 1st Princess of the Empire and the biggest supporter of the Imperial Military Hospital.
**
When you think about it, it’s a situation where a mere knight is provoking all the way up to the 1st Princess.
As I feigned surprise and hesitated, Victoria spoke first. Still not releasing the baggage.
“Alan Kyeong. I’ve already heard about you.”
“How do you know my name.”
“One of my advisers, Viscount Valderin, has conveyed the information. It seems there is a distant relative of yours among Sienna’s soldiers. I’ve heard that you gave a small gift to that soldier, and Sienna caught wind of it and punished him.”
“……”
“I heard that you personally administered punishment. Is that true?”
Talking about the incident when the culprit was unexpectedly beaten on the first day of possession.
At that time, I did my best not to kill him, and indeed, I managed to spare him somehow. But I couldn’t complain about the injustice of hitting him. I could also understand why Victoria was staring at me with an unpleasant gaze.
“Such incidents were not once or twice. Facing punishment is not a comfortable feeling.”
“……”
“Do you understand why I am saying this?”
It seemed like he knew. If he had any decency, he would back off at this point. Looking at Victoria’s serious expression, it didn’t seem like words would be enough.
Nevertheless, since I had no intention of stepping back, I used some wit.
“This woman referred to me as an advisor to a powerless viscount. Moreover, the one who accompanied her as an aide was not a bodyguard but just one low-ranking officer. Probably a sub-lieutenant.”
I had a rough idea of what kind of person he was.
A person who respects subordinates, whether sincerely or not. Unlike Siena, who lives as she pleases, he seemed to care a lot about his reputation. Just the fact that someone of royal status personally visited the military hospital was enough to estimate.
Thanks to that, I could quickly come up with an estimate.
“Your Highness, I understand if you dislike me. I actually came because of that reason.”
“What?”
“Your Highness probably knows as well. Recently, there was an incident where you treated Empress Siena. I used my knowledge of medicine to assist in supplementing her condition.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Victoria’s expression remained unchanged. I glanced at her, took a short breath, and then lowered my gaze. And,
“To be honest, even if I tell you the truth, will you forgive me?”
“Of course.”
“…In fact, I thought that incident would significantly elevate the status of Sienna’s princess. To be more explicit, I expected the nobles to flock to the Tems Palace where Princess Sienna resides.”
“Futile expectations. Reputations don’t change overnight.”
“I’ve come to realize that now. Princess Sienna is still the subject of everyone’s attention. It’s mostly my fault for misjudging.”
Victoria interjected, “Why is that your responsibility…” but stopped short.
A fleeting expression of distress.
Perhaps she didn’t want to admonish the loyal subject who was busily trying to improve the lord’s reputation, even attempting to shoulder the lord’s mistakes. Even if that loyalty is offered to a scoundrel by a villain.
She decided not to miss the moment when Victoria wavered for a moment.
“I also want to supply medicine to the military hospital for that reason.”
“…”
“All the patients here are soldiers. Most are from relatively noble households, whether they are soldiers, non-commissioned officers, or even officers. Wouldn’t contributing to alleviating their suffering also be beneficial to Princess Sienna?”
“So you proposed free supply? I understand your sentiment, but that won’t be enough.”
“But I have to try. Please, if you could open a way for me…!”
With these words, she knelt on one knee and lowered her head.
It wasn’t a conventional greeting. She just wanted to express her earnestness.
In my view, Victoria was not someone who would ignore this sincerity.
‘At this point, it’s probably hard to refuse.’
How much time passed in the stillness?
“Alright, Alan Kye.”
“Your Highness…?”
“I’ll agree.”
Finally, you broke through.
“Do you really want to help?”
She tilted her head with a faintly softened expression in response to the question. It seemed as if she regarded my efforts, even kneeling down, as imaginary.
“Discuss the details with the hospital director. …I will mention it.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Victoria turned her gaze as if to say it wasn’t necessary to receive thanks. Then, after a short comment to the hospital director who was watching from the side, “You work so hard,” she just left. It was a scene that hinted at her influence.
I didn’t get up from my seat until she was far away. There was still a need to be humble.
…
“I apologize for burdening you all this time.”
After Princess 1 left, I provided detailed medication information to the military hospital and supplied only a small amount of morphine.
60 grams. Starting modestly was the best for me as well.
“As I mentioned before, the first time is free. It’s okay to initiate formal transactions only after the efficacy has been proven.”
I gave it for free because there was something in it for me.
I wasn’t resentful.
After all, from Eul’s perspective, this negotiation was the first and last.