TPITT - Chapter 90

By this I had learned for sure: Alben had no talent for comfort.

As always, it was Michael who was quick to notice my melancholy.

When Alben and Peony went to help distribute the food and they were alone, he spoke quietly so that only I could hear.

“Homunculus are not fools. Soon, there will be those who realize your true intentions.”

“It’s not something I do because I particularly want people to know about it.”

“I hope that the path my Princess takes will be filled with honor and praise.”

As always, Michael's words of recognition had a special meaning to me 

Even as my cheeks flushed slightly, Michael's low-pitched voice continued to ring in my ears.

"I hope that you will not devalue your own nobility by thinking that you are atoning instead of the imperial palace. Regardless of bloodline, what you are doing is courageous and wonderful enough. I did not tell you. The liberation of Homunculus is a treacherous thing to bear."

Unlike Alben, Michael had a talent for comfort.

I, who had listened to the end, felt a little sad and called him.

“Michael.”

"Yes."

“Do you want to be number one in the rankings just for today?”

“Temporary? That’s too much.”

Michael pretended to be upset. I smiled happily and confessed.

"I don't know everything, but I think Michael only needs to know."

“What glorious words.”

"I'm serious."

At this moment, for me, Michael is the King of the homunculus.

Actually, it didn't matter at all. I simply felt that his recognition was more valuable than the recognition of all the other Homunculus combined.

I looked back at the homunculus being fed again and said.

“From now on, we will continue to provide meals like this at least once a day.”

“Today was the first day, so there was a lot of trial and error for the bread makers. It will be more efficient once they get used to it.”

“Yeah. Then I’ll have beans and meat. I’m going to give them a recipe so they can make the bread that we put in.”

“Meat too?”

“I wonder if I could buy the meat with my own money and send it through Baroness Panelo.”

“If you spend money, there will be a flow of funds left over. It would be bad if it became known that you regularly rescue the homunculus in the mines.”

“It’s okay if I don’t let it be known. I have Alben, so it’s okay.

"Ah."

For a moment, Michael's eyes hardened slightly.

“The Princess seems to have great trust in Lord Redmon.”

“Yeah. Just like Michael.”

At those words, Michael's eyes naturally opened. But soon after, he felt his mood becoming strange.

The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt because he was placed on par with Alben.

'What is this bad feeling?'

He thought about it, but he couldn't come up with an answer.

At that time, an important thing that I had forgotten came to mind.

'Now that the organization is somewhat complete, I must help Michael awaken the power of the King.'

To hasten his awakening, Michael must interact with his kind in a way that will create a bond with them.

It sounded very abstract. However, I interpreted it intuitively and easily.

'I guess I just need to increase their intimacy.'

To do that, first, Michael had to create an opportunity to unite among his own people.

I said to Michael.

“Michael, let’s help distribute the food too.”

“Distribution?”

“Yeah. I’ll be here, arm in arm, supervising like a royal, so Michael, you go ahead and hand out the bread.”

"Since we are at it, it's good to have a friendly conversation or something."

“Because it’s friendly..."

It was a skeptical word for Michael. Since his days in the training school, he had seen many homunculus that made him uncomfortable.

"I get it."

Of course, once an order is given, it is the virtue of a knight to carry it out faithfully.

He moved the rye bread basket and made another distribution line.

However, there were few homunculuss coming to Michael to get bread.

'You still make me uncomfortable.'

It wasn't particularly surprising. From what Michael had seen, it was rare to find a homunculus that treated him as casually as Sylvestian.

'Now that I think about it, I wonder if this is also related to the King's power.'

At a glance, the length of the line was noticeably different from other places. Even so, they received bread on Michael's side.

Those who came to see him also clearly showed signs of watching his expression.

Any attempt at friendly conversation would have been counterproductive.

After a long time of Michael keeping his mouth shut and concentrating solely on the distribution, something unexpected happened.

“I, I..."

There was a Homunculus boy who spoke to Michael first. He was so young that his hair had not yet turned white.

The boy mustered up his courage and said.

“Hey, could you please distribute some bread and soup to the shelter too...?”

A shelter was a place where sick or injured homunculus stayed.

“I almost forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me.”

Michael went to me to ask my permission.

“I would like you to order that the Princess’ bread and soup be distributed to the patients at the shelter as well.”

“That’s right. There was a shelter.”

I got up from my seat. I had been planning to stop by the shelter and check on it sometime today.

'There's an incurable disease here that's slowly killing the homunculus. I have to find out what it is.'

According to Alben's report, most of the homunculus currently in the shelter are suffering from 'heat tree disease'.

The fever is the name given to the disease in Lapis Village, and its symptoms were suffered from a high fever, and the body becoming hard like a tree, leading to death.

It was an old disease that shared history with the mining of magic stones, but its exact cause and cure were still unknown.

'It's not really an incurable disease. It's just that the imperial family turned a blind eye to it because it only affects homunculus.'

To the imperial family, low-level homunculus were nothing more than expendable items. The royal family members were always killed in the mines.

I didn't really pay attention to the fever, thinking it was something that could happen.

For example, even I only learned of the existence of the fever disease after coming to Lapis Village.

It was truly lamentable to think that countless members of the royal family had been dispatched to the mines to perform public activities.

I wanted to see the patients with my own eyes, even if it meant feeling a heavy sense of responsibility.

“Tell Sir Belcram to bring the soup, and we’ll take the bread first.”

“Is the Princess planning to go to the shelter herself?”

"Yes."

“Reconsider that idea. That place is full of patients and the sick. It is absolutely unacceptable for the Princess to get sick.”

“It’s okay. Alben’s report said it was a non-contagious disease. And I confirmed it with my own eyes. I do that because I want to.”

“If that is what the Princess wants, then I understand.”

My appearance of walking all the way to the shelter herself would have been in conflict with the concept of a wicked Princess.

I came out of the barracks, wrapped in a robe.

Meanwhile, Michael delivered my order to Cadelin and loaded the rye bread onto the cart.

The shelter is not a single barn-like house, but rather a small group of houses.

It was a place that formed a district.

The two entered the house in the most remote location.

There were about fifteen homunculuss lying in a dark place where the light did not shine through well.

Their skinny and stiff body was covered in feverish flowers, and they were suffering from a high fever.

They couldn't even move properly because their muscles were so stiff.

'That's why it's called 'heat tree disease.'

They all looked so lifeless that they reminded me of old tree logs just before they caught fire.

Me and Michael's faces darkened when we saw this.

I was a little shocked. I had been familiar with the condition through Alben's report, but seeing it with my own eyes was different.

Only after a long time did I finally come to my senses and say a word.

“Bread... I don’t think I can eat it.”

“It looks like that.”

At that moment, Cadelin, who arrived late, dragging a pot of soup, discovered me and Michael. I approached them and spoke in a bitter tone.

“Why did you go into a house where only those closest to death are present?”

“I see.”

“The fever is a disease that mainly affects homunculus that has been in the mine for over 30 years. I guess it may be Galamut's reading of thoughts left in open-air horse mine... Ah, Your Highness the Princess.”

Cadelin stopped explaining and said, "I'm surprised."

This is because I silently approached the patient and felt the heat on his forehead.

“Don’t be alarmed. It’s not contagious, is it?”

“Ah, no, but how could Her Highness the Princess..."

While Cadelin was fidgeting, I continued to suffer from a fever.

I examined the cut. In addition to taking the temperature, I pressed all over the body with my fingertips.

Of course, I was not a doctor.

My palpation was limited to feeling the hardness and heat produced by the fever.

Instead, I was a sorcerer and golem alchemist.

An in-depth understanding of the core and circuitry was essential in creating Golem.

Therefore, I could be said to be quite an expert when it came to mana cores and mana circuits.

Just by pouring mana into it, you can quickly detect any abnormalities in the core and circuits.

I just started to put my major to use.

“Hmm..."

Michael and Cadelin, who were watching, each disciplined themselves not to have unnecessary expectations.

After a while, I took it from my finger.

I gathered the mana and said.

“Somehow, I feel like this is a disease I know.”

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