43 – Awakening
“A new medicine, you say?”
Alan Maydoff asked in a low voice, his expression firm.
Princess Victoria, the first princess, realized that she had spoken too hastily.
Upon closer inspection, Alan was not in a calm state to have a conversation.
He was wearing a mask that covered his mouth and nose, and there were even beads of sweat on his forehead. It meant that he had been toiling until just a while ago.
“He must have committed a taboo.”
Of course, she was the princess of the most powerful nation on the continent. And not just any princess, but a military princess.
However, she didn’t want to pressure Alan by flaunting her authority. After all, he was a significant figure who had already accomplished important tasks for the empire.
He had dedicated himself to the nation, even though his body had been broken, bringing peace to those former soldiers who, despite suffering, had to rely on op*ium and alcohol. He had also healed the empress, who had lived in misery for a long time—a true hero.
Just this alone warranted the numerous awards he received. It was only because Alan himself modestly declined further recognition that he wasn’t nominated as a candidate.
“Is this adding more tasks to someone who has already fulfilled their role?”
It was actually abnormal not to be surprised when the princess suddenly appeared and applied pressure while he was trying to catch his breath.
Still, he decided not to apologize.
Judging by Alan’s reaction, even an apology might be seen as pressure. It was best to casually address the matter and explain things. Living as the empire’s princess sometimes required being shameless.
“Sure. A new medicine.”
“Your Highness, I apologize for my presumptuousness, but could you please specify the details? And I would appreciate it if you could acknowledge that, although I have some knowledge, I don’t possess the talent to instantly create medicine with the desired effects.”
“I’ll tell you everything. Shall we move to another place?”
“It’s okay. Please go ahead.”
Although her expression didn’t seem too pleased, it was something she had brought upon herself, so she had to endure it.
Victoria quickly got to the point.
“One of the knights who guards me was a customer of the health tonic. He started taking it right after Lady Chandelier was arrested.”
“He didn’t take it for any ailment. Strangely, he took five spoons every day right before training. When asked why, he replied that it seemed to improve the efficiency of his training. According to the statements of other knights, his focus during training did indeed seem to improve. They also mentioned he became bolder on the training ground.”
Perhaps, just perhaps, there might be some positive effects in health tonics.
This was Victoria’s argument.
‘If I explained it like this to an ordinary pharmacist, they probably wouldn’t have understood.’
Not long ago, there was a demand for a new medicine while lamenting the functional benefits of a dru*g recently prohibited due to its notoriety. If anyone else had spoken such words, they might have received a response asking if they, too, desired to visit a monastery.
But Alan would likely understand.
Not baselessly speculating but rather due to the trust earned through past achievements.
Fortunately, Alan did not betray her expectations.
“Yes, Your Highness. I can roughly guess what effects you might have felt.”
“Is that so?”
“Perhaps increased vitality and confidence, and a somewhat reduced fatigue. There’s a possibility that the euphoria induced by op*ium and sugar might also be considered helpful in training, depending on the individual. Though in the long run, it’s a self-destructive act.”
Victoria sighed with relief, thinking that it wouldn’t end in empty promises.
At the same time, a new sense of anticipation began to fill her.
If these characteristics were well-utilized, it could be of tremendous help to the military, especially the forces stationed in some border regions.
Fatigue and anxiety had always been the military’s most persistent enemies. If that problem could be solved, suppressing the empire’s enemies would become much easier.
‘Of course, one must be cautious about abuse. Just like morphine.’
But what if it’s administered in the right amount?
Victoria was not the kind of person to selfishly ignore a clear solution to alleviate the hardships of frontline commanders for the benefit of the military. Even if it meant bearing some burden, she was willing to do it for the sake of the army.
“Sir Alan. I’ll be more specific with the request.”
“Your Highness, I’m listening.”
“First, listen and evaluate. From my speculation, a health syrup… specifically, certain ingredients seem to have highly beneficial effects for the military. It could help reduce fatigue, alleviate morale issues, and dispel fear of the enemy.”
“…”
“Minimize side effects and create a medicine that can take advantage of these benefits. A courage-inducing tonic, you could say. Can you do that?”
A courage-inducing tonic. It was the item Victoria demanded as she looked Alan straight in the eyes.
“I thought there would be sufficient compensation if you helped me.”
**
“After receiving specific requests, my mind was finally at ease.”
When the word “medicine” first came out of Victoria’s mouth, it felt like everything went dark. I wondered if she was also interested in dru*gs.
I know she’s not that kind of person, but you never know how things can turn out.
“If even she falls into corruption, the empire is doomed.”
If Victoria, along with my siblings, gets involved in this business?
There was a possibility that while Victoria and Sienna competed in selling dru*gs, the system, or rather the entire empire, could be corrupted. Unlike Anais, Victoria had a strong foundation, so the extent of the damage would be different.
Fortunately, Victoria wasn’t interested in the business.
But it was too early to feel relieved.
“You mentioned a medicine that gives courage?”
“The name doesn’t matter. As long as it can enhance combat efficiency.”
Even from my perspective, this was a perplexing request. I never expected military purposes when I saw the health syrup.
I didn’t think Victoria had such a wicked nature to come up with this idea.
“I should see it as her commitment to her identity as a soldier.”
Soldiers marching towards the enemy, forgetting fatigue and fear. Soldiers who act swiftly and don’t complain. There was no officer who wouldn’t find this appealing.
There were hardly any armies that didn’t rely on stimulants. op*ium, coca leaves, chocolate, and more. Painkillers and stimulants were the closest friends of the military.
“Alan, can you make it happen?”
Judging by Victoria’s expression, she seemed already convinced. She believed that I could produce the medicine with the desired effects.
Pretending not to know at this point would be futile. It’s better to give an honest answer.
“Yes, Your Highness. It is possible.”
“Is that true?”
“I can manufacture a medicine with effects better than health syrup. The process is more complex than morphine, but it is not impossible, just time-consuming. And… if it’s a small sample, I can show it to you within two days.”
“Ah…!”
Victoria’s expression began to noticeably brighten.
She probably didn’t realize that she had found a shortcut to strengthening her army. I could truly sense her sincerity towards the military.
In reality, there was nothing I couldn’t make if I wanted to.
Even in the current laboratory I possessed, I could extract ephedrine. It would require a lot of money and manpower, but I could charge a high price for it, just like I did for delivering one gram of morphine for a thousand dollars.
Ephedrine alone would enhance combat efficiency.
And if it was taken together with a large amount of caffeine, the expected effects would be even greater. Physical abilities would truly improve. If we gave doping to a skilled knight and deployed them in a mission, they would surely excel with excitement.
However, I couldn’t simply comply with Victoria’s request.
It wasn’t because I was worried about the military, but because I didn’t want to increase my workload unnecessarily.
Just cultivating silicine in addition to manufacturing morphine was enough to keep me busy. I delegated most of the miscellaneous work to the Bonneau brothers and other employees, but I had to handle the tasks that required security on my own.
Moreover, ephedrine was truly dangerous. Even without mixing it with other dru*gs.
Once you started long-term use, it was a matter of leaving your life to chance… In terms of the harm it caused to health, it was even worse than steroids.
Even elite athletes occasionally died when they used it under the supervision of a coordinator, let alone here.
The side effects to endure were significant when using ephedrine (or something stronger) to enhance combat efficiency.
“Your Highness. However, there is something you should know.”
“Tell me.”
I began honestly confessing the expected harm to Victoria.
It’s okay to take a moderate amount of medication for a short period, just like you said. However, if you want to achieve the desired effect in the military, the moderate amount is insufficient, and taking a large amount can lead to sudden death. There is also a high possibility of creating addicts.
“Is it that dangerous?”
“It’s a risky dru*g to distribute for the sake of obtaining awakening effects.”
Upon hearing this response, Victoria’s expression hardened, and she thought, “I see.”
Now that I’ve explained this much, will she give up on her own?
Although Victoria had experienced morphine, her concern for the military was genuine. She had even sacrificed herself for critically ill patients, so it was ironic.
She had no intention of giving dangerous dru*gs to those already exposed to risks.
Or so she thought.
“Allan, there is some truth in what you said. Even with morphine, there are individuals who cause problems due to dependency. However…”
…However?
“Allan is an excellent knight, but he is unaware of the reality on the front lines. …Lately, clashes have been increasing near the Great Forest. It’s because the elves’ offensive has intensified like never before. It is suspected that one of the clans has engaged in independent actions.”
“Is that why you came?”
“It became an important motive. …Of course, we must be cautious about the side effects. It’s not about administering the dru*g to all the troops. But there are undoubtedly soldiers who need a dru*g that can dispel fear and fatigue. War is a reality.”
“……”
From Noble mtl dot com
“I am different from Anais. I will proceed with caution, so I hope you will cooperate.”
It seemed that she felt a sense of responsibility due to the dire situation caused by the elves on the front lines, in addition to the damage occurring in the courtyard due to Anais’ incident. She must have been plagued by the obsession to contribute in some way, which led her to seek me out.
“It wasn’t a sudden request for medication, was it?”
Victoria looked at me with a frozen expression, as if waiting for an answer. However, I couldn’t readily respond.
There was a reason for not ignoring her, not just because I randomly sought medication.
The sudden installation of the hardline faction among the elves, the increased clashes near the Great Forest, and the deteriorating relationship between elves and humans.
It was the content of the original work that I had forgotten and lived without thinking about.