Baby Pharmacist Princess

When Gergys fell into the demon’s trap, he sacrificed himself to save everyone.

It was noble, but… honestly, a foolish move.

It would have been better for that one person to survive than for a hundred knights to be saved.

‘More importantly, Gergys was someone who absolutely should not have fallen.’

It didn’t take long to understand what it meant to have Idsys without Gergys.

On the battlefield, where there was no need to hide or suppress his true nature, surrounded by endless death and fighting, Idsys became consumed by madness.

Many knights and soldiers were sacrificed in pursuit of the demon that put Gergys in a coma.

Idsys became a cold and ruthless commander.

Eventually, he did catch and kill the demon, but the lives and resources wasted along the way were significant.

And what were the Holy Knights doing at that time?

‘The Holy Knights were busy fighting among themselves, and it wasn’t until that point that they finally united under the name of comrades.’

Everyone was exhausted beyond measure.

It was in the midst of this hell that Cherishe appeared.

Leading a battalion made up of pharmacists, doctors, and nurses.

The most amazing thing was that all of them had volunteered to come.

‘Cherishe looked like a goddess who had just descended from the heavens.’

As Sihat recalled those memories, his expression softened.

Whatever preparations she had been making alone in the palace, every member of the medical battalion was a professional.

Although there was an official name for Cherishe’s unit, the weary soldiers called it the “Medical Battalion,” and the name stuck.

Regardless, they were skilled enough to be deployed immediately, and everyone cheered.

Cherishe moved from battlefield to battlefield, saving lives, and since Sihat was often assigned to the front lines as the commander of the Holy Knights, they frequently met.

From one battle to the next.

After a few encounters, the Holy Knights decided to officially escort the Medical Battalion.

‘It’s true I fell for her back then, but I won’t let the same thing happen twice.’

You were devastated when the patients you saved died on the battlefield the next day.

Sihat had witnessed Cherishe many times, hiding away where no one could see, barely holding back her tears.

And just as many times… he had silently waited by her side until her crying stopped.

They loved each other fiercely, in the most tragic of ways.

Sihat remembered it clearly.

Even if it was a memory only he held, it didn’t matter.

“Someday, when everything is peaceful… I want to live in the countryside.”

“You’d leave the imperial palace?”

“Yes. I want to feed chickens and grow potatoes in a place where no one knows me.”

“That’s a new idea.”

“Just imagine it. In the morning, I’d walk through the chilly air to the chicken coop and collect the eggs. I might even grumble, ‘Why is it so cold today?’”

Sitting by the crackling fire.

Not knowing when another emergency might call her away, Cherishe spoke during one of their rare moments of peace.

“For breakfast, I’d make warm potato soup and eat it with just some simple bread. Maybe I’d even do some knitting…”

“Do you want a farmer’s life?”

“No… I just want peace. That’s all. Oh, and I’d like to grow a lot of yellow freesia in the garden.”

Their conversation was short.

The emergency alarm rang, and Sihat tightened the cloak around her shoulders.

“I’ll be back.”

“You must come back. Promise me.”

“Don’t worry, Shuya. Where would I go without you?”

That was just before Gergys miraculously regained consciousness.

It had probably been five years since Cherishe last saw her family.

Cherishe relied heavily on him, and Sihat relied on her in turn.

They could only endure because they had each other. They both knew that.

That’s why he had to return that day.

‘But… I never expected the third demon to appear.’

When Sihat encountered the third demon, he knew instantly.

He couldn’t let this one live. He had to destroy it, even if it cost him his life.

Was it a month?

Or perhaps even longer?

When he finally managed to cut off the third demon’s head and returned…

Cherishe had already disappeared without a trace.

And as if it had been waiting for Cherishe to vanish, the <…> occurred.

What they thought was hell before seemed almost laughable compared to the real hell that followed.

‘But now, that future will never happen.’

Just before time travel, he, the Emperor, and the Dragon Lord had deliberated for a long time.

How could they change the future in a way that would bring stability?

‘First, I returned to my eight-year-old self.’

To prevent Cherishe and Pabel from becoming childhood friends.

Cherishe’s departure had been largely due to Pabel’s schemes.

But now that they weren’t childhood friends, Cherishe would realize this world was real and stay to stop the <…>.

‘Second, I’ll give Cherishe a familiar — the cat she raised in the other world.’

That way, she would have no reason to choose to return to her previous world.

‘Third, I’ll inform Emperor Raerhod about the battlegrounds in advance, so he can prepare for the upcoming war.’

Many places suffered significant losses because they hadn’t expected the battles to be so fierce. I remember those places well.

Sihat relayed all this to Raerhod, and the Emperor ordered the people of those lands to relocate.

The monster waves wouldn’t hit South Castalia, only the north.

With the reliable information he brought from the future and the Emperor’s power, preparation was much easier.

But then the question arose.

‘If I kill Pabel Igor Aximus, the demon who sparked the war, during my time travel, wouldn’t that stop the war?’

No, that was too simplistic a thought.

The Dragon Lord had seen hundreds of possible futures.

And in every one of them, the “Monster Wars” still occurred.

If Pabel died early, another demon would appear.

A more brutal and savage one.

It was a fate called “destiny,” a future that was predetermined, something the entire nation of Castalia had to endure.

That’s why the Dragon Lord warned him repeatedly.

“Don’t forget, Pope. You’re not going back in time for an uncertain change. You’re going back for a secure preparation.”

There was no need for vague hopes like “maybe if we kill Pabel, the war won’t happen.”

It was better to approach things conservatively, to use the information as carefully as possible to minimize the damage.

Blocking the inevitable, without knowing where the tide might flow, was a far greater risk.

From that perspective, it was best to keep Pabel alive until the first war, then kill him the moment it started.

Pabel was the weakest among the demons, after all.

Of course, they couldn’t let Pabel know they were aware of the future.

Otherwise, who knows how the future would unravel.

All their careful preparations for the Monster Wars could go to waste.

“……”

After a moment, Sihat sensed someone approaching and sat up in bed.

But he didn’t leave the comfort of his bed. The visitor wasn’t important enough for that.

‘Lastly, I’ll prepare my knights in advance.’

The presence he had sensed earlier finally reached the door.

Sihat watched as the door opened and sighed.

As expected.

“Hey there, Captain.”

“Couldn’t you button up your shirt before coming in?”

“Ah, you wouldn’t believe how many beautiful ladies I passed on my way here. It was hard to stay still.”

It was Hendrick Grazley.

Eighteen years old this year.

The eldest son of a noble family renowned for their expertise in architecture.

Ever since he learned that his younger sister was far more talented than him, he’s been playing the part of a scoundrel to convince his misogynistic father.

The problem was, it suited him a little too well, and now Hendrick had become the very thing he pretended to be.

“Give me your report.”

“Come on, Captain! I ran all the way here, my feet practically on fire, just to bring you this information!”

“Try running with real fire on your feet, and then we’ll talk.”

Sihat mumbled as he casually flicked his fingers, causing Hendrick to yelp and squirm.

“As expected, Captain, you’re the coldest! No mercy!”

…Maybe burning off his annoyingly long hair would be a good idea.

Divine power was based on light.

And light could start a fire.

Without further hesitation, Sihat activated his divine power, and Hendrick screamed in terror.

“The Pope’s overseas trip has been scheduled!”

“When?”

“A month from now.”

“And the return?”

“Three years, give or take.”

As expected.

Sihat clicked his tongue.

Half of the high-ranking clergy were on his side, but the other half still opposed him.

The ones who opposed him must have teamed up with the elder clergy to come up with this plan.

“They’re probably planning to take care of you the moment you return from your overseas trip, right?”

Hendrick made a throat-cutting gesture with his hand.

Sihat already knew that.

‘If things feel off, I can just slip into the Dragon’s marketplace.’

Of course, in the past, it was impossible to enter the Dragon’s world.

The only way a human could go to the Dragon’s marketplace was with an invitation from the Dragon Lord.

But now, with the Dragon Lord’s permission, Sihat could come and go as he pleased.

Cherishe, on the other hand, still had to pay with dragon currency whenever she visited, because her soul wasn’t originally from this world.

“So, what should we do?”

“Just keep an eye on things. This is still a time of peace, so the trip can go ahead.”

“Yes, sir. But what if the monsters appear earlier than expected?”