CHAPTER 19

Medical Fee Claim (1)

Vwoooong—!

A low growl rumbled from his heart.

A clear message echoed in his ears.

The circle began rotating in reverse.

The mana within the circle awakened.

Ten liters of air stored in the slot resonated with the mana. Resonated, and was released.

[The substance stored in the circle slot is being fired.]

It amplified and condensed.

Condensed, then contained within the circle.

It burst forth from the heart.

It raced through the bloodstream.

And finally—

Boom—!

A total of ten liters of condensed air exploded outward. Expanding instantly, it detonated. The impact struck the solar plexus of the Second Prince, Theodore, where the palm had been placed.

"…Guhp!"

It happened in an instant.

Theodore's eyes widened in shock. But it was already too late to react.

'…Ah.'

Is this what it feels like to be struck in the chest with a massive hammer? Strength drained from his limbs. His waist folded involuntarily. Even both feet left the ground.

'I must… counterattack…'

But it was impossible.

Beyond his blurring vision, he saw his sword slipping from his grasp. The training iron sword he always used was falling to the ground.

He wanted to pick it up.

But he couldn't.

'I…'

That was his last thought before the consciousness of the Second Prince, Theodore, faded away. His body, struck by the unexpected air bomb, flew backward five steps before tumbling to the ground.

Crash! Clang!

The fallen prince and the dropped iron sword—only their clattering filled the vast bridge. No other voices emerged. Everyone was swallowed by an overwhelming silence, each harboring their own shock.

Dozens, hundreds of nobles.

Thousands of citizens.

Even a single emperor.

No one could utter a word.

'What… is this…?'

Everyone had the same thought.

Something was wrong. It was the sickly Crown Prince who was supposed to fall, not the Second Prince. This situation was too surreal. No—perhaps, this was an intentional performance by the Second Prince.

Even such absurd thoughts crossed their minds.

'R-right. That must be it. The Second Prince is known to be diligent and considerate. Surely, he is just putting on a show to grant his brother the honor of a hard-fought loss. That must be the case, right?'

'Oh, that sounds plausible! So soon, he will rise as if nothing happened and subdue the Crown Prince, correct?'

'That must be it.'

'Of course! If he were to win too easily and one-sidedly, it would make the Crown Prince, his own brother, look pathetic. He must have considered that!'

'Yes! That makes perfect sense. Our Second Prince is truly…'

'A thoughtful and profound man.'

'He's different from us common folks.'

'Indeed! A learned individual.'

Most of them whispered among themselves, showcasing their own logic to explain this unbelievable situation.

This couldn't be real. There had to be a greater reason behind it. Otherwise, how could such a ridiculous situation be explained? They guessed, inferred, and convinced themselves in their own ways.

The only exception was the emperor himself, whose eyes were wide with shock.

'What was that… just now?'

Emperor Asterion's brow trembled.

He could not believe it. Not only had he witnessed it with his own eyes, but with his Asrahan breathing technique, he had also sensed the mana's resonance.

He had felt the burst of mana.

It had undoubtedly erupted from Rakiel. Yet, the force was entirely different from ordinary mana release.

'That was… unlike anything I've ever heard of. No, the closest comparison would be an explosion technique.'

An explosion technique.

It was an extremely powerful advanced skill of the Asrahan breathing technique. It involved colliding multiple circles to amplify mana explosively and then focusing it into a single point to fire. A technique of the highest order.

'Yes, it resembled an explosion technique. But Rakiel?'

The emperor's forehead wrinkled deeply.

It made no sense.

'To use an explosion technique, one must possess at least three circles. Two for the collision, and the third to protect the heart from the recoil. But Rakiel, a triple-circle wielder?'

Impossible.

The emperor shook his head.

The last known triple-circle wielder was an emperor from two generations ago. For Rakiel, who had suffered from illness for over twenty years, to possess such an extraordinary ability? That was inconceivable.

'Besides, if what Rakiel used just now were truly an explosion technique, Theodore wouldn't have been merely sent flying.'

He wouldn't have just been blown away—he would have been pierced through on the spot. His armor and everything else would have been penetrated, leaving a fist-sized hole in his torso. Therefore, what Rakiel had used was not an explosion technique.

'Then, what exactly did you do…?'

The emperor's gaze trembled slightly as he watched Rakiel.

Step. Step.

Dragging his weary body, Rakiel walked forward, one step at a time.

He approached the fallen Second Prince.

The eyes of the nobles and citizens sparkled as they watched. Their eyes gleamed with mistaken assumptions.

The Second Prince had merely pretended to fall to protect his brother's dignity. Now, the considerate Crown Prince was approaching his younger brother, who had gracefully let him win.

Would they witness a heartwarming, touching moment? The elder brother helping his younger sibling to his feet. The younger brother offering a warm smile, acknowledging their solemn yet grand duel.

Just as they all expected—

Slap!

Rakiel's palm smacked the cheek of the fallen Second Prince.

"Hey, idiot? Hey. Wake up, wake up."

Slap! Smack!

A second, a third slap echoed on the bridge.

The enormous suspension bridge and its surroundings were seized by an oppressive silence.

"Ah, I miscalculated my strength. Hey, hey! Snap out of it!"

Splat! Smack!

"…Gah!"

"There, good boy. Damn, this guy's weaker than he looks."

With a violent cough, the Second Prince cracked his eyes open.

Seeing this, Rakiel finally relaxed.

He had executed his move perfectly.

But the problem was, it had worked too well.

'I didn't expect him to pass out from just that.'

The explosive release of ten liters of compressed air.

It seemed insignificant, but when used at such close range, its power was overwhelming. Any stronger, and he might have shattered the prince's ribs.

Rakiel glanced around.

Then, he took off his coat. He rolled it up and placed it under Theodore's head like a pillow.

Meanwhile, the Second Prince, having finally calmed his coughing, slowly opened his eyes.

'I…'

His entire body felt hot.

His pulse thumped against his eardrums.

It felt eerily similar to the time in his childhood when he had mistakenly taken a sip of alcohol, thinking it was water. Like he was floating in the air.

"Haha… Hahaha…"

"You're laughing? Damn, you're really out of it. Just wait a sec."

Rakiel reached out.

He took off the prince's boots and pressed on a point on the top of his feet—the Taichong (LV3) acupoint.

'This is the perfect spot to cure a hangover.'

And so, he applied pressure, beginning the real treatment.