" Ugh... "
" Please, Young Master, you have to stop! "
Ever since I accepted the fact that I had now become Draesil Archwood, I've been trying to get out of this bed. The body he left me had been in dire straits, and at this rate, I'd never get out of bed. I needed to use my head and think about the possible solutions I have available.
" Flora. "
" Y-Yes, Young Master? "
" Tell me, before I momentarily died, what was I doing? "
I paused. I needed to critically think about why one would experience cardiac arrest so suddenly. As I thought at my hardest capacity, I found myself feeling an invigorating boost in the synaptic firing in my brain. I had always been acutely aware of just how intelligent I was. However, here and now I feel...smarter.
" And who did I come into contact with last? "
Flora seemed confused. However, I knew if she truly was a devout servant, she could recount every bit of Draesil's moves and itinerary.
" Well...You had been brooding for quite some time after seeing your little sister, Princess Santa. "
Sister? More things to worry about. But that's good to know now, a sister could be trouble for me.
" You said it was a shame that she was working with humans so closely. After that, you ordered me to leave, but as I had been coming back to serve you tea, hoping to ease your foul mood, Advisor Duke came by to speak with you. "
" Who is this 'Advisor Duke'? "
" You've forgotten that, too? "
For a moment, Flora seemed to be severely disappointed. Some part of me was physically irritated watching her expression droop. Even though I personally didn't care. She quickly regained her composure and continued talking.
" Advisor Duke is one of the elves closest to the King's ear. He only takes direct orders from the Royal Family and gives you plenty of advice. When he came, he took the tea I prepared from me and said he'd serve it to you himself. "
You idiot.
The very same instant I heard what she did, I felt great agitation spring up from inside of me. My body was full of pain, and yet I raised my fist, shaking it with frustration as I closed my eyes shut.
" Oh...If I wasn't in pain right now— "
Just what is coming over me? I would never say something like that. Getting this upset over something that's already happened is not like me at all.
" W-What's wrong? "
" It's obvious what happened, Flora. He poisoned me. "
It's a conclusion I could've reached even without this boost in intelligence, I feel. But the question "why?" arises. What did I do to this man that would make him want to do this to me? Draesil was upset over his sister hanging out with a human and had been sulking. Then he ends up dying, and his father, the King, ignores it for a meeting with a human.
Even Flora expressed discontent with that fact.
" He did what?! How can you be so sure?! He would never do something like that to you! "
" You're right. He normally wouldn't. And in the eyes of everyone here, he wouldn't have anyway. "
" W-What do you mean? "
" It's a classic level of deception. He was going to frame someone for it. "
" Why would he do that? There's just n-no way! "
Her constant yelling and excitement were getting on my nerves. However, upon seeing her reaction, against my will, a smile came across the pale ghost of a face I called my own now. Why had I been feeling so invigorated as I thought about this? It's as if this development was exactly what I needed.
" You've always been a little sickly, Young Master! Maybe you just succumbed to it for a moment! "
" Don't be an idiot, Flora. That's exactly how he managed to poison me. He expected me to be weak and off my guard, especially with my recent mood over...Santa. "
Flora shut up quickly and lowered her head, her hands gripping at her servant garbs tightly, her fingers scrunching up her dress. I needed to figure out more about my physical condition. Even just a few more details could tell me what I'm working with. And...from the looks of things...
" Bring me a physician, a doctor, or whatever counts for medical expertise around here. Make sure it's on the quiet side. "
" Ugh...I still don't think Advisor Duke would do that to you...but...alright! "
Flora stood up and moved toward the door. However, I stopped her, gripping her hand tightly before she could get away. The pale green eyes I now owned looked up at her, peering through the gaps in these long bangs.
" If anyone else finds out what I've told you...You'll suffer. "
Again. That same darkness crept out of me and quickly retreated, my hand suddenly letting go of hers and dropping back down onto the bed. The pain was immense, but I felt like she needed to understand the severity of what had happened.
But why did I say something so harsh?
Something was changing within me...Or maybe it already had been changed. Either way, I'd have to figure out what's wrong with me and how to get past it.
After some time, Flora would reenter the room, and following behind her was an older man. He had a gray beard that came down to his chest, and his clothes were regal yet still held a humble air to them. From my estimation and looking at him compared to Flora, he was only a little taller than her, standing at nearly 172 centimeters. His ears were pointed, a clear sign he had been an elf, and he had soft, kind eyes.
" Doctor Marbel is here, Young Master! "
I can see that.
" I hear you've called for me, my Prince? "
" I need a thorough and detailed check of my condition. Leave nothing out. "
He seemed used to this request as he came over and quickly set down the medical toolkit he carried with him. He opened it and grabbed what could only be described as a magnifying glass. To me, coming from Earth, this was new. However, I did not question him outwardly, considering it could be different here on this planet.
" Oh my...This is...both troubling and good news. "
" Spit it out, what is it? "
" Well...you've always been sick...But the debilitating sickness within your arcane core is...gone. You're entirely cured of your ailments...There's not even a single fleck of the sickness I once saw within your core. "
" There's always a but. So again, spit it out. "
He stopped and looked at Flora. His expression seemed as though he wanted her to leave. Was it for confidentiality?
" Leave her be. She's fine to know what you're going to tell me. "
" If...you say so. Well, my Prince...Have you come into contact with anything of Demonic origin lately? "
"Demonic origin"? What could that possibly even be in reference to? All I know is Draesil drank something he definitely shouldn't have. Though thinking on it, if he had drunk poison, he'd most likely have died near instantly.
" I haven't met with anyone but a select few. "
" This is quite bizarre...From peering into your core...you've been exposed to a severe amount of Vitality. Vitality is energy that Demonic creatures host within their bodies. Whe-When an Elf encounters this energy so closely, they... "
He paused, and it annoyed me. A bit of irritation I usually wouldn't feel at someone choking up over their words came from inside me. Though, unlike before, I was able to hold it down.
" They experience rapid acceleration of their body's internal workings, and if they're too weak to withstand it...they can outright die. "
Well, there seems to be quite a paradox. Draesil was poisoned with Vitality...And somehow his disease was cured by it. However, he died from it. So the reason I'm feeling immense pain right now is—
" Even now, you should be experiencing severe agony due to your muscles undergoing sudden development. Not only that, your organs are operating at over three times their usual work rate. This is astounding even for a healthy Elf! By all accounts, my Prince, you should be dead... "
" And yet I'm not. "
This body should be dead. Easily. If my heart, lungs, even down to my liver, are moving at extreme speeds...why am I still alive? I'm in pain, but I'm still breathing; my heart hasn't given out.
" I'm not sure as to how you're still living and breathing...but you'll have to retrain your body to get used to the accelerated processes. Otherwise...You'll live with this pain for the rest of your life. "
So it's physical rehab, huh? On one hand, if I can harness these changes within me, I'll not only be smarter...I'll be even more durable than the average Elf. The realization that Draesil's misfortune was going to turn into my fortunate boon made me smile. Again, another uncharacteristic action for someone like me, a person ever bored with the world.
" How unpredictable...This is exciting...Now tell me, what can you do for me to help expedite this process? I can't even walk as I am now. "
The medical professional standing before me, still looking into my body with that magnifying glass, seemed to be thinking. He looked inside his kit before taking out a bottle. It was a glass bottle that had a few pills inside, around 20 or so. He shook it a bit and looked at me again.
" These are sedatives. The best I can do for you is have you take one every 12 hours. They are severely strong and usually would keep someone out for around that long. However, for you and your body's state, it will calm your body to a slightly enhanced state rather than severely so. That way, you'll be able to slowly train your new muscles to withstand the strain. "
So I'll be getting myself used to it, huh? Swiftly, I lifted my hands, trembling as I tried to grab the glass bottle from him. However, just coming into contact with the bottle heart. It felt as though the new sensation on my skin was pricking it with a thousand needles.
" Ah, I forgot...any new sensation you experience will hurt a bit. "
I mustn't have felt this because I've been so used to sitting in this bed.
" ...I see...Well...give me one of the sedatives, now. "
He gulped as he took one from the bottle and administered it to me. It went down harshly, my throat feeling as though it were being stabbed every step of the way down. Yet swiftly, I began to feel better. My body began to soften and mellow out. Everything still hurt, but rather than an agonizing grinding pain, it was a slow whine in my bones and muscles.
" I feel...better... "
Flora rushed to my side, looking at me as my expression softened. I could feel the tight muscles in my face that had been so wound up from grunting due to the pain relax, and my body settled.
" I'll leave this here and check on you...There's not much more I can do for you at this current moment. I'm sorry, my Prince. "
" It's fine. There's no helping it—a case like mine is beyond unheard of, I'm sure. "
Doctor Marbel nodded his head and slightly bowed to me before leaving the room. I could finally move around. And with no hesitation, I reached for the blanket, slowly pulling it back off myself. I exposed my legs to the air, feeling a bit frigid now that I had taken the covering off me. However, I could handle it.
" Young Master! Don't move so suddenly! "
" Shush, Flora. I need to do this. "
After hearing someone tried to end Draesil, and now I was stuck with the aftermath, I was feeling a little vindictive. I needed to move and get used to this body. Because I'll use it to crush that Advisor Duke. My feet finally came off the bed and touched the floor. The flooring pricked the soles of my feet, and yet I began to stand.
* FALL *
As if to mock me, my knees buckled and I fell, catching myself pathetically as I felt shock and pain run through my body. Despite being on a sedative, I was still feeling all kinds of pains.
" Young Master! "
A chuckle came from me, and quickly, Flora halted in her advance toward me.
" ...It's fine...Flora...I'm just getting started. "
I was excited. Something deep within me had finally been woken up. I felt a goal form in my heart—a longing I never knew was there growing. At first, it felt like a dark sensation. It felt like the desire to hurt someone. However, before too long, it became something warm and bright. At least to me.
" I'm going to overcome this body. He couldn't kill me before...And it won't get me now. "
For the first time in my life, I want to get stronger.
CHAPTER 31 END