Would you dance with me my lord?

The northern part of Limne on the continent of Cruz was the Latrice rainforest. In that part of the country, there were large areas of water where rare organisms lived, thus promoting many researchers and adventurers to travel there. But as one entered the middle of the forest, it became extremely dangerous so that it was impossible to see the entirety of the forest. So, obviously, it was said that even now, they were unable to organize all the species that may have lived in that forest.

But no one contested that it wasn’t a wonderful place, and the royal medical school in Monterobis, Leiden, was interested in this particular rain forest. Ramon Leiden was especially interested in the plant species that could be used as medicinal herbs and was researching its properties. The most famous among them was the indira and insala. In a place where it rained to a point where the ground was never dry, many mutated varieties emerged from its soil. It was said that the white flowers indicative of indira were actually a mutated version of the insala.

But there was a specific difference between the two. Indira would only bloom in places that already harbored other life. After hundreds of years, it would grow deeper into those life forms. As wild specimens started to take root in the forest, the indira, to survive, started to become more poisonous.

The person who was the first to use this flower as a medicinal herb was Adleton. The reason a mere civilian was able to become known as the father of medicine was due to his presentation of a revolutionary medicine with phenomenal healing powers which used the indira. Right before this presentation, Adleton had proposed that this root was the same as the insala which had, in turn, gained him recognition. The medicine his students made with the insala also became famous. It became so well known that the palace of Khan proposed to fund their research. Adleton’s medicine was great at reducing pain and its effect was proven so his research was taught in great lengths at the medical schools. Even at Ramon Leiden, it was a large part of the medical program. The use of Adlan was created with the use of indira.

And now, the general doctor of Monterobis’s royal family let out a sigh.

Due to a message brought to him by a servant of an unknown entity, he became extremely worried and lost several nights of sleep. Even though he was tired, it was not a time for a relaxed rest.

“Why, of all things…”

He stared at the medicinal herbs on the center of his desk. At the edge of the desk were white flowers tossed about, glittering in the morning light. Indira. He narrowed his eyes.

No, it could be insala. Even those who studied at Ramon Leiden could only decipher the difference after closely examining its scent, its look, and its feel. And even then, they couldn’t be 100 percent sure. Plus, once the flower petals were used as an ingredient to make the medicine, it was impossible to tell the difference between adlan and aslan, even if you were a trained royal doctor.

And that’s probably why this person relayed this message to him.

The doctor could not hide his bitter smile.

He thought maybe he didn’t even need to deal with it. This place was not the main palace hospital and because of the atmosphere these days, there weren’t even a lot of people here. Who would come to check here anyways?

He breathed raspily as if he swallowed dust and got up. His heavy legs dragged on the floor as he walked to the desk in the corner of the left wall. There was a journal lying there. With lethargic movements, he lifted his pen. The pen ink was dried out but he didn’t pay it much attention.

Aslan. 1.

The doctor frowned with his wrinkled eyes. Swallowing his sigh, he drew two lines above the number.

Then again, he slowly lifted his hand and wrote something in large letters.

He sighed as he dropped his pen.

***

His hands were trembling.

Everywhere around him was dark. The only light he could depend on was the white moonlight coming through the window. But what was whiter than that was the powder that was trickling down onto the yellowed paper. There was not a sound, but his lips, hands, fingers, and the ends of his feet were trembling.

This was for Malino and Leah. The only thing left for me is death anyway. There is no reason to hesitate now.

But… still, he thought that he really had no luck. He had been sure his life was going to shine brightly.

In a land torn by war, the fate of the civilians was inevitable. On the other hand, he did experience good luck in certain situations. The main instance was his opportunity at an education. The war had lasted so long that there were not enough people. Even if you were not an aristocrat, the famous Dublin school accepted those who seemed to have potential. Even though there was the risk of them being unable to pay the fees, they accepted regular civilians as well.

Lynch Trua was one of those students. His household was not rich but wasn’t poor either. But when the war started, not only food but other commodities started becoming scarce so those, especially in the northern regions, were suffering badly. Dublin was no exception. The working class had to take the brunt of the hit.

Trua’s family was no different. He had to work day and night until he became ill, and eventually, his mother collapsed from overwork as well. The only ones left were his older brother and Lynch. There was no one left to make money. Dublin was famous for its medical prowess but because of the high cost for treatments, it was inadequate. The war required soldiers, mercenaries, and especially workers for small daily tasks. So when the older brother left for the north to work as a manual laborer, he wished his younger sibling to get better soon. However, two years later, the only thing Lynch heard from him was the news of his death.

And so Lynch thought that he was unlucky from the beginning. His parents were unable to stand any longer, and his only support, his older brother, had left. There weren’t many options left for him. The child couldn’t even leave Dublin. But he wandered the streets to find any work, however small it was: cleaning the streets, pulling weeds, newspaper delivery, trash boy at a restaurant, window washer, security guard, running errands, etc. There was not a single day he rested. But the child did not have the luxury to even think that he was tired. At that time, every civilian was in the same situation. The most important thing was that if he stopped working, then his parents could not get their medicine and may very way die.

Three years passed. Dublin medical school soon announced that they would accept normal citizens who could not pay in full for the education. Lynch, hoping for the best, went into the school. He had cleaned so much that everyone at the school seemed to already know his face. And so, even when Lynch peered through the classroom windows, nobody paid him any attention.

“Are you interested in this, too?” An instructor who he had spoken with a couple of times, asked him.

Lynch answered, “Yes, I have read <> many times. That book was like a daily blessing to Lynch. He was introduced to the book as a way to find the medicinal herbs to cure his parents. However, the ones he needed were not easily attainable. The instructor’s eyes glistened.

“Do you know how to write?”

He had only learned to read by looking over the shoulders of others while he had been working. However, because he had read the Medical Records over a hundred times, he was able to learn it by heart. Lynch answered the instructor in this way and he, in turn, took him straight to the headmaster.

It was true that there was a shortage of people for the war. They wanted and needed skilled healers. Lynch was able to attend school after that day. It was the first time Lynch had met a headmaster or the owner of the school but he wasn’t that nervous. To be afraid of meeting a person was too trivial for someone who had already experienced the scariest things in the world. Plus, this was the first time he had gotten lucky after the war had started so there was no reason to be afraid.

The second bout of luck happened four years later. He graduated from Dublin Medical school and was working as a healer. As he was attending school, he cared for his parents and now, their health greatly improved. That was the third bout of luck. The fourth was the person he met at school, the beautiful Malino. Together with Malino, Lynch worked at the Dublin Medical Center. Their skills were so highly recognized that the name Trua soon became famous in Dublin.

The child grew over the years. His life was shining extravagantly.

Then something happened that made sure of it. “Would you like to work under the palace doctor?” The viscount asked while holding an official-looking piece of paper. There was no reason for Lynch to reject the offer. Malino was doing a good job so he did not have to worry about the child, his parents, or his home. He quickly packed his bags and headed to the capital.

However, the words he heard from the palace doctor were the following: “Trua. You have become the fifth prince’s main healer.”

He really was unlucky. It was as if fate had decided to take away all his happiness gained through luck by vowing to steal all of it back.

The abandoned prince, the prince who would never return from war. Lynch knew how this particular prince would have been treated. And even if he had not known, the fact that the palace doctor would assign an assistant to care for him made it obvious enough. How could a healer gain any recognition while treating him? But this had been the king’s decision. Lynch sighed heavily and left for the war. He believed that his life was practically over now.

Still, he thought about how he should start the letter to Malino, as he respectfully greeted the prince.

“Monvixo has blessed me with your presence.”

Even if he was to die right here, neither the war nor the palace would mourn this prince’s death. But from the beginning, he was no normal being. Lynch felt a strange intuition and so answered yes, yes, it is an honor, as he felt unsure of the situation. Lu Havre smiled at him.

But Lu Havre could tell that there was hesitation in his words.

The dragon was no longer in this world. Everyone already knew it but it was a truth they all incited. But he believed in his bloodline. In a land where a powerful deity resided, this one thing was enough to fix any problems.

The deity’s power was incredible. He was able to find out the reason that he had been chosen as the true Nante from the deity. As he observed the deity that day, he was able to gain a clue towards its purpose. The dragon was content with the power of the Han clan, and it had accepted it. Nante was like another sleeping dragon and the only thing that could wake it was a powerful force. He believed this force came from the Han blood that ran through his veins.

This position was one that his bloodline had made. However, he doubted that it had culminated for 300 years, just for him. But even as it thought it, they had either not been strong enough or not had an opportunity to be seated beside the king. A member of the Han clan? How dare they? This was an obvious progression of his country. Luck was following behind him.

Even Etude. The only person who could control Etude was the king, but even the king himself was not interested in which of his offspring would rise to be the true Nante. He wasn’t interested in his children to begin with. The only thing he was interested in was the sword, women, and riches. And the most important thing was that he was not the true Nante. If a force to be reckoned with did not appear as the generations pass, the dragon’s blood would fall until it became dormant. And at six years old, Lu Havre was able to command Etude to go his way.

<<“Do you accept that I am the true Nante?”>>

<<“Your wish is my command. Nante.”>>

<<“Karbala. I am only interested in your peers.”>>

<<“Yes. We will follow Nante.”>>

Up to now, his command was being perfectly upheld. It was a stroke of luck and a necessary result.

And even he — a civilian who came here because he was short on money and a healer — would be very useful. As always, he would only have to sharpen his sword, combine his powers, and wait for the perfect timing.

Lu Havre had no hesitation when it came to killing the enemy. Even after he put down his sword, he was able to relax casually. Everyday after the meeting was over, he would return to the barracks and read a book. After a cutthroat battle, he was able to put on a strange smile.

The soldiers showed him respect outwardly because he was a prince but everyone knew that their actions were a facade. Still, Lynch could not understand it. In war, the prince looked the most relaxed. To be more exact, he seemed to be the only one relaxed. Although there were no major battles, each day was filled with blood soaking the ground and devastating deaths.

Two years had passed since Lynch started to care for the prince. That autumn, the Monterobis soldiers won the battle of Selengo and their morale was high. Lynch realized that his life, although shining brightly as before, was again on its way to becoming great. And he finally began to realize why they looked down upon the prince.

“I’m sure I told you to take care of the captives.”

Silence.

“Do you think that this war is a joke?”

Silence.

“Interrogate these men.”

“…I will do as you command. Your Highness.”

The general lowered his head. The three soldiers who had been guarding the captives were distracted by their fun that they fell short on their duties. The captives, in turn, stole the guards’ swords and were causing a ruckus. The person who happened to witness this had been the prince, and the person to kill them immediately had also been him. The soldiers had been trained rigorously but with the prolonged war, they were growing tired of it. Also, the war seemed to be coming to an end, so it was understandable that they were in an upbeat mood. Although understandable, it was not forgivable. The general had nothing to say. The only thing he could do was to punish the three guards severely.

Lynch left the barracks to see what the ruckus was about. And the chaos that ensued for no apparent reason ended with the prince slicing the head off the captive and Lynch seeing it in front of his own eyes. Even drenched in blood, his expression never changed once. Due to the nature of his job, he saw a lot of deaths, and because of the war, it was more so. However, it was the first time witnessing a murder. He couldn’t help but tremble from the ends of his feet. He couldn’t even utter a scream. The prince looked back at the chaotic scene. He was sure his eyes met with his red ones. Lynch was unable to look away.

And that night, in the barracks, the prince called the healer.

“Your Highness. Have you called for me?”

“Trua,” Lu Havre said calmly.

“I am a true Nante.”

With that, Lynch was able to rid himself of all suspicions.

How was the son of the Han clan was sitting confidently at war named as a prince? Why he did not have a proper guard and yet look so relaxed? Why he was called the murderer of war?

He was a person who had nothing to fear. Monvixo had given the name and Etude was its guardian. Nante was the was war’s strongest adversary. There was no need for any other words.

Lynch bowed. He had done it practically subconsciously.

“I will gladly lay down my life for the path in which Nante walks. Please accept my offering.”

Then, he decided to follow him. The prince accepted him.

Another two years passed.

“Lynch.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The king visited the battlefield from time to time. Then one day, he started getting ill. The king was taken to the palace right away, and Lu Havre, hearing about it, followed him. His barracks were quickly taken care of and right before he left, he called the medic.

“If I am to call upon you later, it will be to congratulate you on your work. Just keep that in mind.”

Lynch bowed graciously. It seemed that this would be the end of their relationship with each other.

The thing that Lu Havre did once he arrived at the palace was this:

“Karbala.”

“Yes. Did you call me?”

“How is the state of the king?”

He had risen up to a status near the king and so he knew the gist of the situation. But that was not enough. He needed to know what medicine the king was using, and what symptoms his illness was causing. Other than the palace doctor, there was one person who was the most knowledgeable of the situation. It was General Etude.

And so, Lu Havre was able to appease his curiosity. The illness the king was suffering from was not well known so the palace doctor and even Karbala had to search through various records for the answer. They were unable to identify the disease but figured out what medicine would work based on evidence from those with similar symptoms. The king had a high fever that caused him to pass out on a few occasions. If he took the wrong type of medicine he would get rashes and boils and so the palace doctors wracked their brains about the proper medicine to give him.

Lu Havre asked, “What is that?”

“They are the seven basic medicinal herbs: arika, insala, indira, mona, marakasi, celem, giriam. Depending on the medicine, the amounts will differ and one or two ingredients will change.”

Lu Havre thought that luck was on his side.

However, this, too, was necessary. He felt a bubbling of laughter rising up in him which had not happened in a long time. But in front of Karbala, he hid his sneer. He, too, looked up any records he could find about it from the moment he arrived here. This was the conclusion he made from it.

The king’s illness was sexually transmitted. There was no other cause for the illness. So any excuse was useless. There was no one in Monterobis who had slept with more women than the king. The king even brought women into the palace bedroom. The women were not always of noble blood and once he had become king, it had continued on like this. Was he like this as a prince also? Even during the war, he would put up a curtain and bring in mercenaries. They couldn’t be sure whether it was the culmination of his actions or if it was a specific woman from the war, but this was an obvious result of having slept with so many women.

“I see. Karbala. Please continue to inform me of the king’s state. Also, make sure to relay anything that the king says.”

“Yes. I will abide by Nante’s wishes.”