------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
Chapter 195: The Miracle Healer (9)
Upon hearing those words, Andre Bright slightly furrowed his brows.
‘He's overly confident.’
He could understand why the young genius was brimming with confidence.
Having achieved such great things at his age, he must have ridden a wave of nonstop success.
Chances were, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of failure.
‘But accidents always tend to happen when you’re being that careless.’
Normally, Andre would have been lenient about most mishaps.
Humans grow by making mistakes, after all.
However, today was different—no mistake, no matter how small, could be tolerated.
A single slip-up could directly affect His Majesty’s well-being.
Just as Andre was about to speak up sharply,
the Emperor opened his mouth a beat earlier.
“You seem confident.”
“If I sounded arrogant, I apologize.”
“No,”
Ludwig lightly shook his head.
“If that attitude stemmed from arrogance, I would have scolded you severely—and the surgery would’ve been off the table entirely. But since it comes from confidence, I find it reassuring as the patient.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
That’s how people are.
In the face of immense suffering, anyone would want to lean on even a sliver of certainty.
The Emperor, too, must have felt a great sense of relief from Oscar’s confident tone and demeanor.
‘Hmm.’
Andre couldn’t help but fall silent at the Emperor’s words.
Since His Majesty had spoken, a subject had no grounds to object.
The Emperor turned back to Oscar and continued.
“Now then, would you care to explain how this confident treatment of yours is going to proceed?”
“Before that, I’d like to ask one question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Your Majesty—have you had trouble sleeping deeply in recent years?”
“That’s correct.”
The Emperor nodded.
“Whenever I slept for a long time, it felt like the bug in my head became more active. The headaches were so severe, I couldn’t even handle state affairs. So for the past few years, I haven’t been able to sleep more than two hours at a time.”
“I thought as much.”
Oscar nodded.
He had asked after noticing how gaunt the Emperor had become, despite the best care and diet.
“But how is that relevant to the surgery?”
“I’m proposing we proceed with an awake surgery. Since the parasite in His Majesty’s brain becomes more active during sleep, there’s no reason to choose a method that increases the risk of failure.”
That statement prompted a reaction from Andre.
“Awake surgery—surely you’re not suggesting we operate while His Majesty is fully conscious?”
“That’s right. Statistically, it has a higher success rate.”
“But that’s…”
Andre cast a glance at the Emperor.
The parasite residing in the Emperor’s brain was hiding between the two hemispheres.
No matter how well anesthesia worked, the process of removing it would cause pain.
‘If His Majesty even flinches from the pain…’
Oscar’s magic might strike the wrong spot.
And when it came to the brain, even a small mistake could lead to irreversible consequences.
Andre shook his head in protest.
“Your Majesty, it’s far too dangerous.”
“I don’t understand your hesitation.”
The Emperor looked calmly at Andre.
“If there’s a way to increase the chances of success, why avoid it?”
“But Your Majesty…”
“Or are you implying that I might fail the surgery because I can’t handle a bit of pain?”
It was rare for the Emperor to refer to himself using “I” in the royal form.
Few people knew this, but he disliked flaunting authority and usually said “I” in a casual tone.
So if he was using that specific term now, it was a subtle warning—do not argue.
“…No, Your Majesty. I misspoke.”
Andre, well aware of the meaning behind those words, quickly bowed his head.
With the matter settled, the Emperor turned back and asked:
“Is there anything I should keep in mind during the surgery?”
“You may feel some pain. Please try to refrain from moving as much as possible, and if you can focus on something, that would help even more.”
“Focus… I see. That’s simple enough.”
The Emperor rose and sat in front of a luxurious table, then motioned to Andre.
“Play a game of chess with me during the surgery.”
“…Pardon? Chess, Your Majesty?”
“You used to be quite good at it, didn’t you? Though your win rate was higher than mine.”
“Well, yes, but…”
Playing chess during a surgery that could very well be fatal—
Instead of praying, he wanted to play chess?
Stunned by the boldness of the act, Andre nodded.
“Understood.”
Then, turning to Oscar, he silently mouthed the words:
—Please, take good care of him.
Having sent his earnest plea through magic, he took the chessboard and sat across from the Emperor.
“You’ll take the black pieces. I can’t stand anything dark anymore.”
“Ha ha, as you wish, Your Majesty. Let’s see how much your skills have improved.”
Trying to soothe the Emperor’s nerves, Andre took the black pieces.
The first move was a pawn.
Tap, tap.
The two quickly fell silent, focusing entirely on the board, each aiming to capture the other's pieces.
Oscar, hoping not to disrupt their concentration, quietly approached the Emperor’s back.
‘Scan.’
As Oscar used magic to examine the Emperor’s brain, the parasite instantly reacted.
Sensing the external mana, it began to stir.
Oscar nodded as he observed.
‘It’s behaving exactly as it did last time. Good—His Majesty is completely focused on the chessboard.’
That meant the parasite didn’t even realize it was being targeted—
likely because all of the Emperor’s attention was on the game.
Rustle, rustle.
The parasite, exposed to scanning magic, began to retreat deeper into the brain while releasing dark energy.
Its first instinct was to be cautious of any foreign power.
‘I’ll keep it like this for now.’
Oscar kept the scan magic very faint so as not to alarm the parasite.
If he poured in more mana, the creature might grow even more wary.
Though this tense standoff must have been painful, the Emperor didn’t even blink as he continued speaking.
‘Incredible focus.’
Well, managing this vast empire is something an ordinary person couldn’t even imagine.
Trained in every conceivable way since childhood, he might not be a master of sword or magic, but he certainly wasn’t lacking when it came to being called a superhuman.
‘I need to focus too.’
Oscar cleared all distractions from his mind.
His gaze was fixed solely on the bug crawling inside the skull in front of him.
‘It moves fast.’
As if preparing for a possible attack, the parasite darted rapidly between the two halves of the brain.
------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
In contrast, Oscar made no move, simply watching it silently.
‘This is like fishing.’
It was a contest of endurance—who would break first: him or the parasite.
Assuming, of course, that the Emperor’s mental fortitude would hold out until the end…
‘I’ll trust him.’
Oscar had faith in him.
The man he knew wouldn’t say, “I can’t do this, it hurts too much,” even if he were to die sitting down.
A long time passed.
The Emperor and Andre continued their exchanges.
They had skipped meals and were already on their thirteenth match.
And finally, after holding his breath and waiting all this time, the opportunity came.
‘…It’s slowing down.’
After hours of sustained scanning magic, the parasite, maddened by discomfort, finally seemed worn out.
Its movements were visibly sluggish now.
Still, Oscar didn’t act rashly.
‘Not yet.’
It could still be a feint. He wasn’t about to expose his claws without certainty.
Only when he was sure he could catch it would he strike.
And then, after more time passed and the parasite was completely exhausted—
“…Checkmate.”
Ludwig spoke in a voice heavy with fatigue.
It had already been 22 hours since the surgery began.
He hadn’t eaten, drunk, or even moved in that time—just kept moving the chess pieces.
The exhaustion he felt must have been immense.
‘If even the mentally tough Emperor is like this…’
Then the parasite, driven by magic, was likely no different.
Sure enough, the bug—now significantly slower—finally stopped moving.
Oscar’s eyes lit up at that moment.
‘Now.’
Six magical circuits flared brightly as mana surged all at once.
In an instant, he conjured blades of wind and swung them without hesitation.
‘Wind Cutter… and—’
Blink.
The blade cleaved through space itself and precisely severed the single parasite within the Emperor’s brain.
“Haa… haa…”
Oscar, who had been focused solely on this single moment for the past 22 hours, let out heavy breaths.
His entire body was soaked in sweat—so much so that a small puddle had formed on the floor.
“…Refreshing.”
The Emperor suddenly muttered.
He tapped his temple lightly with a finger and said:
“There was always a dull ache in there, like something inside was angry… but now, I don’t feel a thing.”
Ludwig rose from his seat, turned slowly, and asked:
“Was the surgery a success?”
Oscar, wearing an exhausted expression, forced a smile and replied:
“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
* * *
Back in his room, Oscar collapsed onto the bed right after showering.
When he opened his eyes, Fran was sitting beside him.
“Oh, you’re up?”
“…Can’t sleep forever.”
Stretching out, Oscar sat up and asked:
“How long has it been?”
“About 16 hours.”
“Slept like a rock.”
He instinctively checked his chest, but the protective charm Kiri had given him was gone.
All that remained was black ash coating his fingertips.
‘Looks like I’ll be saying goodbye to good sleep for a while again.’
Clicking his tongue in regret, Fran noticed and asked:
“What’s with the ash in your clothes? You quit drinking, and now you're smoking?”
“It’s not that. This is… Never mind.”
Explaining would just be a waste of breath.
Oscar asked about the Emperor first.
“His Majesty? Dunno. Haven’t heard anything specific, but no rumors have spread either.”
“…Is that so?”
The parasite crawling in the Emperor’s brain was probably the biggest reason for his dwindling support.
And yet, now that it’s been dealt with, not a word from him?
Oscar chuckled quietly, sensing what the Emperor was planning.
‘That man may not look it, but he really holds grudges.’
He was probably planning to use this chance to purge those aligned with the First Prince.
Nodding to himself, Oscar asked again:
“What about Chief Inspector Walker? He should’ve arrived days ago.”
“He contacted me about four days ago. But it seems His Majesty personally informed him of the surgery schedule. He said to reach out once things were settled—he’d be catching up on backlogged work in the meantime.”
Figures.
If he was informed about the surgery, then clearly Chief Walker enjoyed a great deal of favor from the Emperor.
Rising from bed, Oscar said:
“Call him. I’m up now, so let’s have a chat.”
------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
