Chapter 10
“Ib, this can save you.”
He looked at her with a gaze she had never seen before—one filled with desperate sincerity. Ib accepted the box he held out.
“What is this…?”
The box was light. What could possibly be inside it that he claimed could save her?
“Call for the imperial physician, Kaniel Riedeban.”
Valerian suddenly requested Xavier’s assistance.
Xavier, who had been watching them with a puzzled expression, spoke.
“You can’t just demand the imperial physician out of nowhere.”
“This can save Ib.”
Xavier looked at Ib, silently giving her the choice. Ib opened the box with a hesitant expression.
Inside lay a strange medicinal root resembling ginseng. Yet its color was unusual—green.
‘Isn’t this poisonous?’
Ib studied the herb with a wary gaze. Xavier followed her eyes and immediately widened his own.
“This is…!”
It was the first time she had seen him so shaken, so Ib stared at him in confusion.
“Cabila—the legendary elixir of immortality.”
Valerian answered. Xavier let out a strained sigh and collapsed into a seat, pressing a hand to his forehead.
“I never thought I’d live to see this herb… and in such a manner.”
News of the Cabila’s discovery soon reached the imperial medical department, and Kaniel rushed into the reception hall.
The chief authority of the medical department, he gazed at the Cabila with tear-filled eyes of reverence.
“To think I would witness this in my lifetime…!”
Everyone kept repeating the same words. The unusual commotion—doctors gathering in the reception hall—made Ib feel a deep sense of foreboding.
“Then we should present this to His Majesty the Emperor…!”
Someone in the room spoke up. The Emperor, currently suffering from illness, had entrusted state affairs to his crown prince, Xavier.
Naturally, if such a rare herb existed, it would be proper to offer it to the Emperor—the sun of the empire.
As soon as the idea was voiced, Valerian’s eyes gleamed with a faint, feverish intensity. Xavier suppressed a sigh.
“It is true that the Emperor’s condition is grave… and in times of urgency, action must be taken.”
“But, Your Highness—!”
Kaniel, fully aware of the fraudulent diagnosis, tried to protest. However, Xavier’s silent glare made him fall quiet.
Xavier himself felt conflicted. The person who had long wished for the Emperor’s recovery was none other than his son.
‘If it weren’t for the young lady’s words, we would never have found this herb.’
Steeling himself, he nodded.
“Explain the method of administration to the young lady.”
Ib, still confused about how events had unfolded, jumped to her feet.
“W-wait… Valerian!”
“Is something wrong, Ib? Are you in pain?”
Valerian’s expression hardened.
Had her condition worsened while he was away? He had spent sleepless nights worrying about her.
And in that state, he had succeeded in obtaining the Cabila—the legendary medicinal herb.
“I—I’m fine. I really am fine, Lian.”
Ib felt immense pressure at the idea of consuming such a precious herb. After all, she wasn’t truly sick.
Valerian misinterpreted her words as a sign of denial—proof that she was not fine at all.
The image of Ib, preparing herself to die alone, burned in his mind, tightening his chest with anxiety.
In the end, unable to suppress his desperation, he placed the herb into her mouth. The Cabila’s effects did not require any special method of ingestion.
Ib struggled at first, but as the herb’s familiar, cool, minty flavor spread across her tongue, she instinctively chewed.
‘M-mint chocolate…?’
She had never heard of immortality herbs tasting like mint chocolate.
Swallowing the Cabila with a mixture of confusion and disbelief, she wiped her mouth.
“Ib, how do you feel?”
“I’m not sure…”
She tilted her head, then suddenly felt a strange wave of lightness.
“Hmm? I feel… lighter all of a sudden.”
The effects of the herb had taken hold far faster than expected. Normally, medicines did not act immediately.
Her body, already healthy, now felt as light as a feather.
“But is it normal for the effects to appear this quickly…?”
She spoke hesitantly. Being the center of so much attention—especially from the physicians—made her feel awkward.
“Consuming a legendary elixir said to cure all illnesses naturally produces immediate results,” Kaniel replied, eyes brimming with tears.
He clearly wished to say more, but Xavier’s warning glance restrained him.
Ib marveled at the changes within her body.
‘My body feels lighter… and I have this strange, overwhelming confidence that I can do anything.’
She had never felt such a sensation before. Could it really be the herb?
‘But my mind is so clear…’
Valerian, realizing her condition had improved, smiled in relief.
“Ib, I’m so glad.”
“Y-yeah. Thank you… Lian.”
She answered with an uneasy smile. Truly, this was a bewildering situation.
Later
“Ib Estella, what on earth happened to you!”
Upon returning home, her father was shocked by her appearance.
Ib sighed, assuming he had already heard the news from the imperial palace.
“That’s how things turned out.”
“No—I am asking what this tremendous surge of mana within you is!”
Though not gifted in magic, the count could sense mana. The moment Ib arrived, he felt an overwhelming presence so strong that it was difficult to even keep his eyes open.
“…Pardon?”
Ib stopped in the hallway, startled by his words.
“I-I did eat something in the imperial palace… Could it be related to that?”
She explained everything that had happened.
The count’s expression shifted—paling, then flushing—his emotions difficult to read.
“This might not be a bad thing for us.”
Ib sensed the strange glint in his eyes and said firmly:
“Don’t even think about rebellion. I have no intention of doing anything like that.”
“Hmm…”
He looked disappointed, which only deepened Ib’s exasperation.
‘It was just a strange herb that tasted like mint chocolate…’
Who could have known it was a potion that amplified mana?
For ordinary people with little innate magic, it functioned merely as a medicinal herb.
But for her—someone born with abundant mana—it was far more than an immortality plant.
“Ugh, now I have to think of another excuse to escape.”
That was what mattered most. If things remained as they were, she could not break off the engagement.
She needed another plan.
Only two months remained until Yui Yuri’s arrival.
By then, she had to successfully break off the engagement and flee.
Later
Under the clear afternoon sky, in the prayer hall of the great temple, High Priest Ariel wandered with worry.
She had heard troubling news—Ib Estella, the youngest daughter of her close friend, had been given a death sentence.
How heartbreaking it was.
Valerian must have been devastated by the news and disappeared in grief.
‘May the gods guide Valerian so that he may return with a settled heart.’
Deep in prayer, Ariel reflected. Then she received new information that filled her with joy.
“Valerian has returned?”
“Yes. He had gone to find the immortal herb for Lady Ib Estella.”
The messenger struggled to hold back tears, clearly moved by the tragic yet loving story.
Ariel’s heart swelled.
‘What pure devotion…’
Surely the gods would bless such love. With a radiant expression, she spoke.
“When Valerian arrives, send for him. I have important news.”
“Yes, High Priestess.”
The messenger bowed and departed.
High Priest Ariel remained, filled with an unusual sense of anticipation.
‘A revelation has been given.’
The high priests had gathered the previous night for their monthly prayers to the divine.
During that sacred time, a revelation had descended.
A voice declared that a divine representative would descend to save and protect their world.
A hundred years ago, the saint had vanished after a tragic incident, and since then, no new saint had appeared.
The power of the temple had gradually waned—until now, a revelation had arrived like a beacon of hope.
‘The gods have not abandoned us!’
The high priests had rejoiced.
Soon, they would await the saint’s arrival. This time, perhaps the chosen saint—possessing the power of the sun—would be pleased to see a holy knight.
A satisfied smile appeared on Ariel’s face.
