Chapter 19.2

“Of course not.”

“And… will you… betray the North… and me?”

Tears began welling up in Arina’s eyes as she asked her question.

“Swear it.”

“I swear.”

The plea of a pitiful young ruler.

I smiled and nodded.

“Good, good… That’s a relief.”

Only then did Arina’s tense expression completely soften.

Her gentle smile, finally unveiled, was so beautiful that it momentarily distracted me from preparing the remedy.

“Ah… I too… I too have something to reveal to you, Arad.”

“What is it?”

“The truth is… I am not Iria, the common knight of the High Tower. My real identity is… Arina Rune Renslet, Grand Duchess of the North.”

“I already knew.”

“Y-you did…?”

Was it the injury or the narcotic painkillers? Arina’s cognitive and memory functions seemed to be wavering.

Despite having a conversation earlier while knowing her status as the Grand Duchess, she was reacting as if it was new.

‘Sigh… In a way, it’s fortunate.’

If she fully recovers from her injuries, it means the embarrassing attempts at flirting earlier might completely fade from her memory.

While chatting with Arina, I placed the magic stones engraved with mana circuits into the furnace in the proper order.

Whoosh!

Flames roared to life, and drops of platinum-colored liquid began to form at the core.

I carefully collected the falling drops into a silver cup.

A cheat-level technique possible only with alchemy at its maximum level and the technology of a hundred years in the future.

Of course, the circumstances, materials, and equipment were less than ideal, resulting in a crude and unstable product—but it was the best I could do for now.

Sizzle!

Boom!

Meanwhile, the final showdown was reaching its peak elsewhere.

The power of the Sword Master, who had regained hope and fought with desperate resolve, was nothing short of astonishing.

“Sir Arad! Lord Balzac sent me ahead! He asked me to deliver this to you!”

At that moment, Knight Eote came running toward me, bags slung all over his body.

These bags were looted from the corpses of black mages and Sigma mages.

“Sir Arad! Is there anything more you need? Just say the word!”

By now, the honorific “Sir,” typically reserved for knights, had naturally been attached to my name.

—

I sorted through the potions gathered from the mages’ bags and the alchemical ingredients from the black mages’ belongings. Knight Eote, unable to suppress his curiosity, asked:

“But… can you really not only save Her Highness but also restore her mana core?”

Well, in his understanding, a remedy beyond a potion was unheard of—let alone one capable of restoring a shattered mana core.

“It should be possible. Though it may result in a rather primitive product.”

As I answered, I mixed the platinum-colored liquid with various potions and herbs.

“What exactly are you making?”

“It’s not a potion.”

“It certainly doesn’t look like a typical potion.”

“If it were just a potion, it could save her life but wouldn’t restore her mana core.”

“Then… could you tell me the name of what you’re creating?”

Eote asked cautiously.

After all, treating the ruler of the North was no small matter—it was only natural to be curious.

“It’s merely a crude imitation, but if I had to name it…”

Looking at the rainbow-colored liquid that had just been completed, I spoke.

“Elixir.”

A crude and unstable elixir, a hundred years ahead of its time, had made its premature debut in the world.

“Elixir…?”

Eote tilted his head, seemingly unfamiliar with the term.

“I’ve read about it in ancient texts.”

At that moment, Arina’s voice, weak from pain and medication, broke in.

Despite being half-conscious, she had been listening to my conversation with Eote.

“Elixir… said to have existed in the Golden Age… Uh…”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

She trailed off, her words fading.

“I’m so sleepy… so very sleepy…”

Finally, unable to resist, she began succumbing to sleep.

Having endured through sheer willpower, it seemed her limit had been reached.

“Rest well. You’ve done wonderfully so far.”

Now that she could safely sleep, I gently closed her eyes.

Then, with utmost care, I alternated pouring the rainbow-colored elixir into her mouth and directly into her mana core.

“Is it over, Sir Arad?”

Eote asked abruptly.

“Yes.”

Considering all the twists and turns, the treatment ended anticlimactically.

‘Arina is truly extraordinary.’

As I finished the treatment, I marveled inwardly.

‘Not even the slightest sign of mana overdrive!’

It was only a half-finished elixir, yet it showed 200% effectiveness on Arina’s body.

‘At this rate, she should recover without any major side effects.’

This phenomenon would be impossible without being born with mana’s blessing.

“Somehow… it feels anticlimactic.”

“From here on, it’s up to Her Highness.”

“Her Highness will manage, just as Lord Balzac, Carrot, did over there.”

Eote turned his gaze toward the ongoing battle.

I followed his gaze and looked back.

Flash!

“Die, traitor!”

“For the North!”

“Renslet! Rune Renslet!”

The brutal retribution, fueled by anger, had finally come to an end.