Chương 60

The King's bedroom was massive, but the air felt heavy and suffocating. It smelled strongly of old herbs and sickness. An old man with thin, gray hair lay in the center of a giant four-poster bed. His skin was a sickly shade of gray, and his breathing was shallow, echoing with a faint rattle. Princess Seraphina rushed to the bedside. She carefully took his frail hand.

"Father. I'm here." Rudra walked up behind her, holding the warm porcelain bowl. An older man wearing the blue robes of the Royal Chief Mage stepped forward. He looked at Rudra's dark leather mask, then down at the glowing soup.

"Princess," the Chief Mage said, his voice tense but respectful.

"Standard protocol dictates I cast a purification spell on any medicine given to His Majesty."

"There isn't time," Rudra said calmly.

"The main ingredient is Sun Root extract. It's highly volatile. If you cast foreign mana into it, or if it cools down, the medicinal heat will break apart." The Chief Mage frowned. He didn't yell for the guards. Instead, he hovered his hand an inch above the bowl, relying purely on his natural mana sensitivity. His eyes widened slightly as he felt the incredibly pure, potent energy radiating from the broth. He lowered his hand and stepped back, bowing to Seraphina.

"The energy is stable. Please, proceed." Rudra pulled up a wooden chair. He gently supported the King's neck and brought a wooden spoonful of the golden broth to his cracked lips. The King swallowed weakly. Rudra patiently fed him another spoonful. And another. With every bite, the suffocating tension in the room began to fade. The King's shallow breathing deepened into a steady, calm rhythm. He drank the entire bowl. A flurry of golden messages popped up in Rudra's vision.

[The unknown poison residing in the King's body has been successfully suppressed!] [The King of the Murray Kingdom's lifespan has been extended by 6 months.] [For performing a miraculous deed of saving a ruler, your Divine Power increases by 100.] [Quest 'The King's Final Hope' has been cleared!] [You have acquired the Title 'Benefactor of the Royal Family'.] [Affinity with all Murray Royal Family members has increased by 60.] [Benefactor of the Royal Family] [You saved the life of a Kingdom's ruler. Your presence demands absolute respect. - Dignity and Charisma stats increase by 100. - All merchants within the Murray Kingdom will offer a 30% discount. - Royal Guards will naturally act friendly toward you and will not attack unless provoked. - Allows free entry into high-security zones within the Kingdom.] This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Poison? Rudra thought, reading the first line again. He wasn't just sick.

Someone was actively trying to kill him. Suddenly, the King's chest heaved. He shot forward, coughing violently.

"Father!" Seraphina gasped in panic. Rudra reacted instantly. He quickly held the empty porcelain bowl right under the King's chin. The King let out a harsh hack and spat a mouthful of thick, foul-smelling black liquid into the bowl. As soon as the black sludge left his body, the King slumped back against the pillows. He slowly opened his eyes and took a deep, clear breath. The terrible gray color left his cheeks, replaced by a healthy flush.

"Seraphina?" the King muttered. His voice was raspy, but the terrible weakness was gone.

"The agonizing pain in my chest... it has vanished."

"Father," Seraphina cried softly, pressing her forehead against his hand in sheer relief. The Royal Chief Mage hurried over to Rudra. He gently took the porcelain bowl, his eyes fixed on the foul black sludge. He closed his eyes and hovered his hand over the liquid, casting a silent analysis spell. His expression instantly darkened.

"This is deeply troubling," the mage muttered.

"This black fluid is a highly concentrated, slow-acting toxin. His Majesty wasn't just suffering from a failing heart. He was being poisoned."

"Poisoned?" Seraphina asked, her head snapping up. Her expression turned fierce.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"It seems so," Rudra nodded.

"The system—I mean, the way his body reacted confirms it. The soup forced the poison out." The Chief Mage nodded slowly. He shifted his hand, casting his analysis spell on the few glowing drops of leftover soup sticking to the edges of the bowl. Suddenly, the old mage gasped. He took a step back.

"What is it?" Seraphina demanded.

"The medicine that purged this toxin," the mage said, his voice dropping into a serious whisper. He turned to look directly at Elysia.

"It required high-compression mana filtering to safely neutralize the poison. That is a highly classified alchemy technique used exclusively by the Saharan Empire's military." The four royal guards standing by the door shifted uncomfortably, their hands drifting toward their swords. Seraphina stood up quickly.

"Do not draw your weapons. They just saved the King." Elysia let out a quiet sigh. She reached up and pulled her dark hood back, revealing her bright red hair. She looked at the King and the Chief Mage with calm, steady eyes.

"The mage is correct," Elysia said.

"I am Elysia. Formerly the Second Knight of the Saharan Empire's Red Knights." The room went completely still.

"An Imperial Knight?" the mage gasped.

"Why are you here? To finish the assassination?"

"No," Elysia said, her voice turning bitter and cold.

"I am a ghost. The Empire betrayed us. They falsely framed our captain, Piaro, for treason. They slaughtered our comrades in the night. I was poisoned with an Imperial execution drug and left to die in a freezing forest." She looked over at Rudra.

"If Rudra hadn't found me, I would be dead. I have no loyalty left for the Saharan Empire. Only hatred." The King pushed himself up. He sat against his pillows, looking at Elysia with sharp, calculating eyes. His mind was still processing the fact that he had been poisoned, and now an Imperial Knight was standing in his bedroom.

"The Saharan Empire attempted to silence their greatest knights," the King said slowly, his voice gaining strength.

"And someone has been slipping poison into my meals. It seems the shadows are moving against us all." The King looked at his guards.

"Stand down." He turned back to Elysia.

"You and your companion gave me my life back. For now, you are honored guests of the Murray Kingdom. We will hold a formal council tomorrow to discuss these matters, but I promise you, no harm will come to you within these walls." Elysia's shoulders finally relaxed. She bowed her head deeply.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"And you," the King turned his gaze to Rudra.

"You have done my kingdom a debt I cannot easily repay. How may I address you?" Rudra smiled beneath his mask. He leaned on his staff, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.

"Just Rudra," he replied respectfully.

"And you don't need to worry about the debt right now, Your Majesty. Princess Seraphina already promised me two items from your vault for cooking the meal. But you just woke up. You should rest and catch up with your daughter. We can handle the rewards tomorrow when you're fully recovered." The King looked genuinely surprised by Rudra's composed and polite response. He smiled warmly and nodded.

"A wise and honorable man," the King murmured.

"Very well, Rudra. We will speak tomorrow."