I followed Seira and waited at the door, which slowly opened.
The Dragon Palace was much more beautiful on the inside than the outside. The gothic design and unusual lighting made of crystal created a brilliant cluster of light, like stained glass.
As we walked down the hallway, we encountered several Merfolk. Perhaps because the Dragon King was in poor health, their expressions were grim.
As we moved a bit further inside, Seira stopped and looked back.
– We are now at the deepest part of the palace, the royal chamber and the audience hall.
Soldiers stood guarding both sides of the door.
They led our group to the audience hall.
After a short wait, someone who appeared to be a servant of the Dragon King appeared.
The haggard-looking servant did not let all of us in, selecting only the necessary personnel.
– The Dragon King wishes to see you in person. Only those necessary for the treatment should follow.
The others decided to wait in the audience hall, and only I and Baek Seonwoo followed the servant into the royal chamber.
The royal chamber was quite different from the other places we had seen while walking in.
There was almost no decoration, and the air in the room was heavy.
In the center of the room lay the massive Dragon King, and the servant went to stand by the bedside.
– He fell asleep a short while ago. He spends more time asleep than awake, so please examine him quietly.
The Dragon King’s scales had lost their luster and looked crumbly, and his breath was rough and slow.
‘He’s not in good shape. Saying it’s serious isn’t even enough. Can this be fixed?’
Baek Seonwoo seemed to feel the same way, as her eyes were filled with worry.
She took a step forward and spoke.
“The condition is serious…”
Then, the servant blocked Baek Seonwoo’s path.
– You cannot approach the Dragon King any further.
Looking at the servant, I felt a sense of familiarity.
Looking closely, he resembled someone I knew.
Could it be Sailun?
He looked so haggard that it took me a while to recognize him as Sailun.
Seeing his emaciated appearance, it seemed he had been through a difficult time.
“You’re Sailun, right?”
– That is correct.
Despite this, Sailun did not lower his guard.
I thought I had a strong bond of trust with him.
I felt a bit hurt, but I understood since the Dragon King was in a critical state.
Of course, it was natural to be wary of strangers.
However, I had the Empathy Skill.
I would be able to sufficiently ease his suspicion.
“Sailun, this is the person I brought to cure the Dragon King’s illness. Please lower your guard a little. We can communicate with each other, can’t we?”
Whether he thought my words made sense or not, Sailun’s momentum eased slightly.
– …I will allow it for a moment.
“Thank you. Seonwoo, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Of course, there was no guarantee that Baek Seonwoo checking the symptoms would be helpful.
This was because she was an Alchemist, not a doctor.
However, she said she had done some brief preliminary research before coming to Chilcheon-ri for vacation.
Regarding the Fox Liver that was said to be able to cure the Dragon King’s illness.
“From what I’ve looked into, Fox Liver doesn’t have any specific efficacy. It’s not based on medical evidence, but is just a folk remedy.”
“I see…”
Then did the Merfolk get tricked by the Vampires?
They really are bad guys.
People you should never get involved with.
“But actually, things like Merfolk, Beastmen, and Elves are like fairy tale beings to us, right? So I thought about it. If we think of it as folklore… the Nine-tailed Fox comes to mind.”
“When it comes to representative fox-related folklore, the Nine-tailed Fox is the first thing that comes to mind. It’s famous.”
“Then, what are the characteristics of a Nine-tailed Fox?”
A question when I wasn’t prepared at all!
“Um… a master of transformation? Or… they live a long time?”
“Exactly, longevity. Then, wouldn’t treating him with Fox Liver mean he would live a long time?”
Baek Seonwoo smiled awkwardly.
It was because the reasoning was so crude that she felt embarrassed even saying it.
Even a doctor would be horrified to hear it.
But… there are still many things in the world that have not been revealed.
Other Races, other worlds, Vampires, and High-grade Curses…
So, it’s worth a try with the mindset of grasping at straws.
“That’s why I brought it.”
Baek Seonwoo opened the bag she was carefully carrying and took out something sealed in a transparent glass jar.
It was a freshly preserved Fox Liver.
“Since you said it’s a type of Curse, I also brought a Curse Purification Potion I was researching.”
It was an item she hadn’t mentioned when I asked what she had packed in her bag.
In addition to the Fox Liver and the Curse Purification Potion, she continued to take out Ingredients I had never seen before without stopping.
Was it a case of ‘I didn’t know what might be needed, so I prepared everything’?
“First of all, I brought all the Ingredients used in Alchemy. But even this won’t be enough.”
“Even with this many Ingredients?”
“Yes. The most important core Ingredient is missing.”
Then she held up the Fox Liver.
“This is a normal Fox Liver, not one from a Fox Beastman.”
“…Then doesn’t that mean it can’t be fixed?”
I thought she could fix it if she saw the symptoms directly.
That’s why I tried to come to the Dragon Palace in person, even if it was a push.
Not just because she was the only Alchemist I knew, but because I naturally thought she was great enough to do so.
In fact, she had created a Potion that no one else could make, and now she was developing it to a higher Grade.
“At the moment, yes. But I have a method in mind.”
Baek Seonwoo picked up the Curse Purification Potion.
“First, let’s try feeding him the Curse Purification Potion, which has no side effects. If we see a sign of symptoms easing here, it will be an easy path; if not… we’ll have to take the difficult path.”
“What can I do to help?”
Baek Seonwoo glanced at Sailun and then handed me the Curse Purification Potion.
“…Minho, please deliver this.”
She had seemed a bit scared earlier, and she kept glancing at Sailun as if she was still afraid.
Delivering it is easy.
“Sailun, this is a Curse Purification Potion. Would you like to give it to the Dragon King yourself?”
– A Potion… it probably won’t work. It’s such a High-grade Curse.
“I know it’s a High-grade Curse because I heard it from Seira, but still.”
Sailun looked at me once and took the Potion I handed him.
*Pop!*
When Sailun pulled the cap off the Potion, a sour smell stung my nose, unlike the cheerful sound.
Sailun grimaced, but brought the Potion straight to his own mouth and took a sip.
He was personally checking to see if there were any issues.
He’s here too, the royal food taster.
Though he isn’t a woman.
After confirming there was nothing wrong with his body, Sailun slowly poured the Potion into the Dragon King’s mouth.
However, the expected result did not happen.
“…It won’t be easy. The Curse is too powerful.”
Baek Seonwoo, who let out a small sigh, opened the glass jar and took out the Fox Liver.
“It has to be effective here. Otherwise… it means it’s a disease I can’t solve.”
Baek Seonwoo made an incision in the extracted liver and then put it into the container holding the Curse Purification Potion.
“I’m letting the liver absorb the Potion. So the components can merge. …Please tell him that.”
– I can understand as well.
Sailun replied while not taking his eyes off the glass jar.
“The liver plays an important role in our bodies.”
I had heard that before too.
That it acts as a storage room that breaks down toxins like alcohol and stores absorbed nutrients.
“That’s why people say the liver is rich in nutrients. In this place, it’s quite capable of being used as a medicinal Ingredient.”
It’s certainly unscientific… but for now, it’s the only hope.
Baek Seonwoo held up the glass jar and checked the change in color.
“The absorption is mostly finished. Are you going to try this as well?”
– Yes. Regardless of trust, this is my principle and duty.
I could feel a firm will in Sailun’s eyes.
“Alright. Take it.”
Sailun’s expression was not good.
It was probably because she made the medicine as if she were experimenting.
He seemed to try not to show it, though.
“There’s not much we can do in a situation like this. Whether it works or not, we have to try first.”
Normally, research isn’t conducted in such a haphazard way.
It must go through a process of accurate efficacy and component analysis, researching the reaction formulas between Ingredients, and finding the optimal ratio.
However, the Dragon King’s condition was critical and the situation was urgent.
Of course, it would be hard for Sailun too.
Since he had to nurse the Dragon King, whose illness hadn’t improved for 160 years.
I can’t dare to claim I understand Sailun’s feelings, but I think I know a little.
Because if someone precious to me, like Minjun or Kasia, were sick, I would be the same.
– …I understand.
Sailun also accepted it readily, knowing there was no other choice.
– Could you give me a knife?
“Ah, yes.”
He cut off a small piece of the edge of the liver, put it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
Sailun’s expression darkened even further.
‘Could there be side effects?’
Just as ominous thoughts were about to surface, Sailun spoke quietly.
– …It tastes terrible.
Ah, I misunderstood.
It was because it tasted bad.
Sailun slowly approached the Dragon King.
His emaciated face looked particularly pitiful.
Why did I suddenly remember Baek Seonwoo’s words that there would be no other way if it didn’t work this time?
Then, he cut the liver into pieces and put them into the Dragon King’s mouth one by one.
But even after waiting, there was no reaction…
*Whoosh—*
Sailun’s eyes grew as large as lanterns.
It was only for a moment, but a light flickered on the Dragon King’s scales before disappearing.
Hope was visible.
What if we could pull up the Force of the Potion a little more…?
– I-It’s working! Do you have any more liver?!
But unlike Sailun, Baek Seonwoo’s expression wasn’t that good.
“It will be a difficult path, but it’s just that a door we can take has opened slightly.”
She said the effect was nowhere near enough.
At the very least, his breathing should have stabilized.
– What should I do! Please, please help me!
Then what does the difficult path she speaks of mean?
“Because he has been eroded by the Curse for too long, his recovery power is very weak. Is there anything here in the Dragon Palace that could be called an Elixir?”
– …There is none. All the Elixirs that could be found have already been presented to the Dragon King.
At that, Baek Seonwoo lamented.
“Ah… those are exactly what’s needed now that the Curse has weakened.”
Should I go to Earth and look for one?
I have plenty of money, so I could get one if I had the time.
But unfortunately, there isn’t much time given.
Because while I’m looking for an Elixir on Earth, time here passes much faster.
That’s when a thought flashed through my mind.
‘Like in a martial arts novel, are there no spiritual creatures with an Inner Core here? Usually, those things create Elixirs on their own.’
It was a thought worth pinning hopes on.
In fact, aren’t there creatures here that look like they came out of a fairy tale, like turtles and clams the size of cars?
“Sailun, is there a spiritual creature that has lived here for a long time? I heard that such things sometimes collect energy to create an Inner Core.”
– I haven’t heard any news about spiritual creatures… Ah!
Sailun changed his words as if something had occurred to him.
– There is! It’s not a spiritual creature, but there is a Monster like that!
“…A Monster?”
Worry flashed by.
I wondered if a spiritual creature might collect good energy, while a Monster might collect evil energy.
– Yes! That fellow has outstanding recovery and regenerative powers!
Baek Seonwoo’s voice grew louder, as if she had found a small hope in Sailun’s words.
“Then that Monster’s essence might be of great help!”
Right, let’s get the essence first.
“Where is that Monster?”