Chương 59

The Royal Palace of the Murray Kingdom was huge, but Rudra didn't get much time to look around. The moment Princess Seraphina, Rudra, and Elysia walked through the main gates, the atmosphere was chaotic. Heavily armed guards were sprinting across the courtyard. Maids and servants stood in the hallways, crying into their aprons. Seraphina's face went pale. She grabbed the shoulder of a passing knight.

"What is going on? Why is the palace on lockdown?"

"Your Highness!" the knight gasped, bowing quickly.

"It is the King. He collapsed again a few minutes ago. The doctors say... they say he doesn't have much time left." Seraphina stumbled back. She bit her lip, looking completely devastated. Then, she looked at Rudra and Elysia.

"Follow me," she said, her voice shaking.

"Quickly." She led them past the grand halls and straight into the private, heavily guarded royal wing. They stepped into a quiet, dimly lit study connected to the King's bedroom. The heavy oak doors clicked shut behind them. Seraphina let out a long, exhausted breath. She took off her dented helmet and set it on the desk. Without her armor, she didn't look like a fierce Knight Captain. She just looked like a very scared daughter.

"I brought you here in secret because I have no one else to turn to," Seraphina said quietly, looking at Rudra.

"My father is dying. The royal doctors and high priests have all given up." Rudra blinked behind his leather mask. He stood leaning against his wooden staff, looking around the fancy room.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Rudra said gently.

"But why did you drag us in here? I'm just a guy you met in the snow. I hit things with a stick. I'm not a politician, and I'm definitely not a doctor." Seraphina shook her head.

"I have a very keen eye for character, Mr. Rudra. And I can sense your aura."

"My aura?"

"Your Divine Power," she explained.

"It is incredibly pure. It isn't tainted by the greed of the Rebecca Church, and it certainly isn't dark like the Yatan Church. You only earn power like that by doing genuine, selfless good deeds. I know you are someone I can trust with my family's greatest weakness." Rudra scratched the back of his neck. He felt a little awkward. I haven't been able to use this Divine Power since I am not a follower of any god or have any particular skill to utilize it, he thought.

So I didn't expect the NPCs could still sense it on me. He looked over at Elysia. She was standing quietly by the bookshelf, keeping her face hidden under her hood. She gave him a tiny nod.

"Look, your highness," Rudra sighed, stepping forward.

"I can't cure a magical illness or reverse old age. But I am a pretty good cook. And my companion here is excellent at alchemy." Stolen novel; please report. Seraphina looked confused.

"Cooking?"

"Yes," Rudra said.

"When someone is that sick, their body usually rejects harsh potions or strong healing magic. But if Elysia extracts the raw medicine, and I cook it into a high-tier meal, the King's body will absorb the healing energy naturally through the food. We can't cure him, but we can definitely improve his condition and buy you some time." Seraphina stared at him. She was grasping at straws, but the absolute confidence in Rudra's voice made her nod.

"I will give you anything you need," she said desperately. [Quest: The King's Final Hope] [Difficulty: S] [The King of the Murray Kingdom is dying from an unknown affliction. The royal doctors have failed. Use your unique culinary and alchemical skills to pull him back from the brink of death. Clear Conditions: Stabilize the King's health. Rewards: Two items from the Royal Vault, Title: Benefactor of the Royal Family, Affinity with the Murray Royal Family +60.] Ten minutes later, Rudra and Elysia were standing in the King's private kitchen. Seraphina had kicked all the royal chefs out and handed Rudra the vault's ingredient ledger. Rudra's eyes sparkled as he read the list.

"Oh, this is the good stuff," Rudra grinned, tossing his dark coat onto a chair. He rolled up his sleeves.

"Elysia, look at this. They have Hundred-Year Sun Roots. And Blue Drake bones!" Elysia walked over to the marble counter. She pulled out her portable alchemy tools.

"The Sun Root is highly volatile. If the King eats it raw, his heart will stop. I need to draw out the pure vital energy and remove the heat."

"Do it," Rudra said, grabbing a heavy iron pot.

"I'll boil the drake bone to make a thick, rich broth. It'll act as a buffer for the medicine." They went to work. It was a chaotic, fast-paced rhythm, but they moved together perfectly. Rudra chopped herbs at lightning speed, carefully managing the heat of the stove. Elysia stood next to him, her hands glowing with soft blue light as she crushed the Sun Roots and filtered the dangerous toxins out of the powder.

"Drop the extract in," Rudra ordered, stirring the bubbling golden broth. Elysia carefully poured a vial of glowing liquid into the pot. The broth hissed loudly, sending a wave of warm, sweet-smelling steam through the kitchen. Rudra immediately added a handful of ice-mint leaves to stabilize the reaction, stirring it in a perfect figure-eight motion. He didn't use any fancy skills. He just relied on the repetitive, endless grinding he had done for the last year.

After three hours of intense focus, Rudra finally turned off the stove. He ladled the thick, golden soup into a fancy porcelain bowl. It glowed with a soft, warm light. A flood of system messages suddenly blocked his vision. [You have successfully created a miraculous dish!] [An epic-rated dish was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +4 and reputation throughout the continent has risen by +80.] [The synergy between Cooking and Alchemy has created a new recipe!] [Intermediate Cooking (Lv. 8) has leveled up to Lv. 9!] [Beginner Alchemy (Lv. 8) has leveled up to Lv. 9!] [Beginner Medicine Making (Lv. 8) has leveled up to Lv. 9!] [Your understanding of ingredients has deepened. You are on the verge of reaching the Intermediate tier in Alchemy and Medicine.] Rudra wiped the sweat off his forehead and smiled. Getting three skills to level 9 at the exact same time felt incredibly satisfying.

"Perfect," Rudra said, admiring the glowing bowl of soup.

"Let's go feed the King."