"I asked if you wanted the position of betrothed to the successor."
Heike asked me this question with a deadpan expression.
Alberich, unable to follow how the conversation had turned, was choking in shock.
Well, let me consider it.
The Emperor's consort, a position called the Imperial Spouse.
My wife would be the highest-ranking Emperor in the Empire, so difficult to even see her face.
I'd be trapped in that suffocating palace until the day I die.
Every day I'd worry about assassination attempts and wouldn't be able to sleep properly.
I understand the similar position I'd be in.
A prisoner locked in jail.
Yes, I must decline.
"If I may be so bold, I believe such a position is not prepared for someone as lowly as myself."
"Hmm."
Heike slightly raised the corner of her mouth at my answer.
"You show no greed even at such an offer. Truly the best servant."
Isn't it the imperial family that's too greedy?
"Lighten up. It was a joke. Even I wouldn't take away a blood relative's betrothed."
"I didn't know Your Highness enjoyed jokes."
Seemingly displeased with my comment, Heike pulled at her lips.
"Even imperial family members make jokes. You're so rigid there's no room to get through to you."
I didn't intend to appear that way, but I put up too much of a wall.
If I send Heike away like this, we won't have any more entanglements.
I thought of a slightly better proposal.
"Depending on the conditions, I could consider selling penicillin to Mokhwi Palace."
"Is that true?"
Heike showed interest, unfolding her arms.
"What greater discourtesy would there be than to send Your Highness back empty-handed after coming all this way?"
"You're a well-mannered noble heir. What are your conditions?"
The imperial family is indeed thorough with profit calculations. Seeing how she immediately looks for costs and conditions, I can tell we share the same blood.
Make sure to get what's due.
With Heike, I'll take a business approach.
I presented my condition in a firm voice.
"An alliance between Mokhwi Palace and Wolgwang Palace."
"Hmm."
I need backing for my faction to grow quietly within the medical office.
Even if I persuade Falkenhain, as long as Asella remains hostile to Georg, there's a limit to how much he can support me.
If Alberich keeps interfering at every turn like this time, it will become increasingly difficult to operate in the medical office.
I didn't get Asella's permission for the alliance, but well, she'll understand when I explain.
If Heike allies with us, she'll also come into direct conflict with Georg.
In that process, if they exhaust their strength and mutually destroy each other, it's a good scenario for Wolgwang Palace.
Asella's chances of winning would increase, but...
The bad ending probability isn't changing right now anyway, so I'll think about that later.
"An alliance, is it."
What Heike wants is my medical technology.
If she accepts the proposal, she can trade with me for medicine, equipment, and more in the long term.
If she considers it an investment, I thought it would be quite a sweet offer.
After finishing her calculations, Heike answered.
"I'll consider it positively. I'll meet with Asella."
"I appreciate it."
I was already excited at the prospect of extracting plenty from her in the future.
***
"I'm glad you're safe."
I return to Wolgwang Palace with Tanya.
After such a major issue, I wanted to rest a bit, leaving the office to Chloe.
Chloe had been in a state of panic worrying about me, but she still managed the tasks I assigned her well.
Currently, I need to personally apply alchemy to the blue mold Chloe cultivated to make penicillin.
At this pace, I could soon entrust Chloe with mass-producing antibiotics.
I can look forward to medications created without alchemy.
However, upon arriving at Wolgwang Palace, there was an unexpected but welcome face.
"Brother!"
"Neria?"
Neria was there, running toward me barefoot and smiling brightly.
I couldn't help but smile with joy.
"Have you been well?"
"Of course. I've been doing well thanks to the ingredients you sent. How are you here?"
"Hehe, surprised you, didn't I?"
She had given me no hint of this in her letters—what a cute surprise she had prepared. It was a complete success.
I patted the top of her head, and she grinned, her gray hair swaying gently. It felt like I could finally breathe in this stifling palace life.
"Actually, I came because there's an important social party."
She must mean the upcoming Marquis celebration party.
"Did Father come too?"
"Father was busy, so I came instead. Neria is representing the Gotberg family."
"That's reliable. I'll leave the family's reputation to you."
"Haha, it's time for the Gotberg Marquisate's face to get younger!"
Hearing that boisterous voice, I turned to see Boris organizing the horses and carriage Neria had arrived in, along with his subordinate knights.
The injuries he had suffered from the goblin shaman had completely healed.
"Have you been well, Young Lord?"
"You look healthy, Boris."
"Thanks to you. It's been a while, Captain."
"Mm."
Tanya acknowledged Boris's greeting lightly.
"Boris and the knights escorted me to the Imperial Palace."
"You've had a long journey. It didn't take two weeks, did it?"
"Just the palace walls took a day, sir. My, the Imperial Palace has such complicated entry procedures. I don't know how many security checks we went through."
Boris grumbled before showing his teeth in a grin.
"More importantly, Young Lord, Captain, I've heard the news."
"What news?"
"We saw the footage of the Imperial Martial Arts Tournament. Captain Tanya's skills were amazing."
"You flatter me."
Tanya responded modestly to Neria's praise.
"Didn't the Captain keep mentioning you, Young Lord? The rumors spread everywhere. They say the eldest son of Gotberg became a physician and turned the tournament upside down."
"Hmm, is that so?"
This was welcome news to me as well. The widespread recognition of the Gotberg name would be advantageous for raising our achievements.
"Thanks to that, the Marquisate has been in a festive mood. I hear there's already a line of applicants for next year's training center admission."
"Father was delighted too. I have a letter for you that I'll give you later."
"Looking forward to it. Let's go inside and talk. Neria, I'll prepare some tea."
"Sounds good!"
Excited about being in the Imperial Palace, Neria looked around as she entered Wolgwang Palace.
"I need to switch shifts with Bruno, so I'll excuse myself for now."
Tanya disappeared, apparently having business elsewhere.
I took Neria to the reception room and asked a servant to bring refreshments.
"About the golden roses you sent, they're growing so fast that we can harvest them soon. It's getting warmer now, but they say we can use the highlands then. The streets of the Marquisate are..."
Neria rattled off all the stories she hadn't been able to tell in her letters.
Fearing she might run out of breath, I put a cookie in her mouth to slow her pace.
"The palace cookies are so sweet too!"
Neria happily enjoyed her snack, unaware of the crumbs on her cheeks.
After catching up on recent events, I decided to bring up a particular topic with Neria.
"Neria, have rumors about the medicine I made spread to the Marquisate too?"
"Yes. Ice...? I'm sorry, the name is difficult. They say it cures epidemics without using healing arts?"
"That's right. Currently only I can make it, but with proper education, other healers could make it too."
"Really?"
"Yes. The original ingredient is the willow bark you've been sending me."
"Ah... that's amazing."
There was a specific reason I brought up the medicine topic with Neria.
When I heard Heike's proposal—
Her offer to provide an environment for mass-producing and monopolizing medications was tempting enough to make my mouth water.
But then I thought, if it's such a good idea, why don't I just do it myself?
With Neria here, I decided to broach the subject.
"Neria, want to start a business together?"
"A business?"
"Yes. The Healer Training Center only collects tuition and donations, so it doesn't make much money. Our family isn't extremely wealthy even now, right? Running the territory always requires large sums of money."
"That's true. I want to grow up quickly and contribute to the family like you, brother. But what kind of business?"
I took out a medicine container from my chest.
It was a sample case organized by type.
"Aspirin, effective for colds and headaches. Penicillin, an antibiotic that prevents secondary infections. The red medicine is a topical antibiotic. Motion sickness pills, disinfectants too. I also plan to make digestive aids and burn treatments."
I explained the plan while writing an outline in my notebook for Neria to see.
"There are so many types."
"More advanced medications can only be made by me, but the ones I've shown you can be mass-produced if the technology, equipment, and materials are prepared."
I told Neria my main point.
"Let's build a pharmaceutical factory in the Marquisate."
"A medicine factory...!"
Her eyes widened with interest.
Neria is well-educated and intelligent, so she would have understood properly.
I have no intention of taking the front stage as the head of the Marquisate. It's difficult to balance being a doctor and running the territory.
The pharmaceutical business needs to be actively managed by Neria, who will eventually inherit Father's work.
"We could help so many sick people!"
Right now, only I can make these medicines so they're expensive, but factory production would lower costs.
The financial burden would be incomparably less than commoners having to individually seek out healers.
Neria is indeed smart.
"I heard there are candy factories in the Empire too."
"Hmm? Yes, there are."
"Could we make sweet medicine like that in large quantities?"
"Well, depending on how we do it?"
She seems to be imagining something like a chocolate factory.
Her thoughts quickly shifting in different directions shows she's still a child.
"But wouldn't building such a factory cost a tremendous amount of money?"
"It would. Starting with just our family's capital without investors would be too risky."
Starting at a cottage industry scale might work, but educating pharmaceutical staff and building the initial infrastructure would consume considerable time and money.
"We'll need to find investors. Since it will take several years anyway, let's start slowly."
"Yes, brother. I'll work hard!"
Neria clenched her fist with determination.
She probably wanted to look serious, but her puffed-up cheeks only made her look cuter.
It's reassuring that Neria will actively push this forward.
Ideally, it would be completed by the time I retire as a physician.
What a comfortable and prosperous life that would be.
"I'm counting on you. Let's start by convincing Father and making plans."
"Leave it to me! Father always lets me do what I want to do!"
Neria is so full of energy. I can't help wanting to stuff her puffy cheeks with more snacks.
"Want some candy?"
"Yes!"
I unwrapped a honey candy and handed it to her, which she immediately popped into her mouth.
Just as I was thinking things wouldn't be boring for a while, I heard a commotion.
The clanking sound of knights' footsteps. They were moving quickly.
The guard knights rushed into the reception room and took positions along the walls.
There was only one person who would enter through the path they created.
It was Asella.
"Ah, Princess!"
Neria immediately showed proper respect to Asella, but she ignored the greeting.
Asella looked down at me fiercely, chin raised and arms crossed.
"Young Lord."
"Yes."
Golden mana burned in her pupils.
What is she displeased about this time?
Asella asked me in a cold voice.
"What's this about you receiving a marriage proposal from Heike?"
How on earth did the story get distorted like that?