Chapter 67: The Reward
I asked Grandfather to gather medicinal herbs said to be beneficial for liver health. Naturally, my goal was to create a cure for King Othfried’s liver cirrhosis.
Ingredients Used:
Fualt (300 grams)
Rolominius (200 grams)
Icranze (300 grams)
Output:
Kantama Liver Pills (30 tablets)
Mana Consumption:
3,000 points
The mana cost was surprisingly high. When I made stomach medicine for Grandfather’s gastric cancer, the consumption was only 1,000 points.
The likely reason for this is that the herbs I used this time weren’t particularly effective for liver ailments. Transforming them into a medicine capable of curing cirrhosis required a significant mana expenditure.
Kantama Liver Pills
Created by Toma, Apostle of Deusro.
Dosage: One pill, three times daily after meals.
Duration: Ten days.
Effect: Completely cures liver cirrhosis.
Given that the Lightstar trial was currently ongoing, it was the perfect opportunity to deliver the medicine.
The Trial Verdict
“Sentence: The Lightstar Marquisate is dissolved. The current head and his family are exiled to Rastark Island.”
The Lightstar family had committed countless crimes. Evidence kept surfacing one after another, much of it secretly gathered by Grandfather's underground network.
This trial might have been the culmination, but it was clear that even without it, their downfall was inevitable.
Their crimes included the theft of our brewery's yeast, multiple assassination attempts on me, and countless other transgressions.
Thirty minutes prior to this verdict, the former Marquis Lightstar made a desperate claim during court:
“I used the yeast from that slave’s household! If their yeast is poisonous, then their liquor must be poisonous too!”
When Lightstar’s son referred to my mother—formerly enslaved—as a "slave," I nearly lost control of my temper. Still, I managed to restrain myself.
“Our brewery has never distributed yeast beyond Ashud’s borders,” I stated firmly.
“That’s a lie! The yeast clearly came from your estate!”
“Years ago, there was a theft in our brewery, and the yeast was stolen. Are you referring to that incident?”
“I know nothing of that!”
“Other than that instance, our yeast has never left our estate.”
Grinding his teeth audibly, Lightstar glared at me.
“Moreover, our yeast is a divine gift from Deusro. It is specifically tailored for brewing within Ashud and is unsuitable for brewing outside of the region. Stealing such a divine gift is a blasphemous act. Even if this court spares you, Deusro will not. Divine punishment awaits you.”
At that moment, a dark aura swirled around Lightstar, and he collapsed back into his chair, clutching his chest.
“What… is happening? My body…”
“You’ve been struck by divine retribution. Check your status.”
“Wha…?”
Lightstar hesitated, then checked his status using his left hand. Moments later, his eyes widened in terror.
“What is this!?”
“You’ve reaped what you’ve sown.”
“Nonsense! This can’t be happening!”
Lightstar began thrashing, and the knights restrained him. When the judges checked his status, they confirmed his rank had dropped to F.
The court erupted in chaos. It was unheard of for a person’s rank to drop, let alone during a trial. Whispers of divine punishment spread rapidly, and everyone pointed to Lightstar’s blasphemy and assassination attempts against a god’s apostle as the cause.
For me, it was satisfying justice. Lightstar and his family were stripped of titles and exiled, and I didn’t have to lift a finger to exact revenge.
Meeting with the King
After the trial, I met with the King alongside Grandfather and Lord Dardale to discuss the promised medicine.
Despite undergoing treatment from the temple, the King’s condition had not improved. As expected, magic could not address an ailment like cirrhosis, given this world’s limited understanding of disease and the human body.
“I underwent healing magic, but my condition hasn’t improved. Do I still have this illness?”
“Regrettably, yes.”
“I see. But you can cure me, Toma, can’t you?”
Lord Dardale interjected sternly.
“Your Majesty, it is inappropriate to treat Toma as a convenient tool.”
“That was never my intention, Lord Dardale.”
“Then, Your Majesty, before asking for treatment, what reward will you bestow upon Toma for saving your life?”
Grandfather chimed in with a sly smile.
“Indeed, such an extraordinary service warrants an extraordinary reward.”
Cornered by the two, the King wiped sweat from his brow. I just wanted to live freely without obligations, but the two elders seemed intent on pushing for more.
“There was an estate recently confiscated, wasn’t there?”
“Indeed. Perhaps granting Toma the rank and land of that family would suffice.”
The two, usually at odds, were surprisingly united.
It didn’t take a genius to realize they were referring to the former Lightstar Marquisate.
“That’s… excessive. Even if Toma saves my life, I cannot elevate him to Marquis.”
“Your Majesty, Toma saved hundreds of thousands from the effects of Liquor King. Can such an achievement be ignored?”
“Ugh… Fine! Toma shall be made Marquis and given the Baldo territory. Is that satisfactory?”
Grandfather and Lord Dardale expressed their gratitude, and I followed with a simple, “Thank you.”
“However, as Toma is still a minor, Grand Duke Bayerline will oversee his responsibilities until he comes of age.”
“I humbly accept this responsibility.”
The matter settled, I handed the King the Kantama Liver Pills.
“Take one pill, three times a day after meals, for ten days. Do not miss a dose, or the cure may not work.”
“Understood.”
“During this time, abstain from alcohol. Even after recovery, limit yourself to one cup a day.”
“One cup? That’s…”
“If you value your life, I strongly advise it.”
The King reluctantly agreed. Grandfather ensured that any further treatments would come with additional rewards. The King sighed heavily, his love for alcohol visibly clashing with his desire to live.
I couldn’t help but think, Does alcohol really taste that good?