CHAPTER 5

 Sometimes Poison Is Medicine (2)

Horseshoe flower.

An ornamental plant with beautiful purple flowers. However, in reality, it is a poisonous plant with poisonous roots. Thanks to this, it has been used in the manufacture of many poisons.

In Athens, Greece, possession without permission is punishable by death. In Joseon, it was widely used as a medicine for death. Its toxicity has even been used quite a bit in modern times.

What are some examples?

"The 'Horseshoe Flower Murders' that occurred in Japan in 1986."

In any case, it could be said that the poisonousness of the horseshoe flower had been proven throughout the ages. Now, there's a reason why Lord Gardin casts a mad look.

"... Your Highness?"

"Huh."

"May I check on you to see if you have a fever?"

"I have a slight fever, but it's not severe."

"But Your Highness."

"Yes."

"Don't give up hope just yet."

"I didn't."

"Life is a beautiful thing, Your Highness."

"I know that."

"Life is precious."

"I know."

"So, Your Highness, please don't tell me again that you're going to eat such a vicious poisonous herb, yes?"

"I don't like it. I'm going to eat."

"Uhh

"... Uh-oh, sir, I'm surprised."

Rakiel frowned.

"Sir Gardin, am I so ugly?"

"No, Your Highness. Haona-"

"Huh?"

"I can't stand by and watch Your Highness give up everything and destroy itself. Because that's my duty and responsibility."

"I'm doing this to help you fulfill your duties and responsibilities."

"Sophistry, Your Highness. He couldn't hurt himself with a needle, and now he's about to commit suicide!"

"... Phew. It's not self-harm. It's not murder. It's a healing process."

"Your Highness."

"I'm going to weaken and control the toxins and use them as medicine."

"Yes?"

"Don't talk about it. Give me five minutes."

"... Your Highness."

"If you're late, you're going to hurt yourself."

"...!"

"One, two...."

"Uh-huh!"

Lord Gardin, who had been holding on, finally began to cry. Honestly, he couldn't understand. The crown prince he served had become strange.

To be precise, it's been really weird since I woke up last night from my sobriety. The tone of his speech changed. His eyes and impressions changed somehow.

'I used to be cranky... At least he didn't do crazy things... Hmmm.'

How did this happen? It's been said that when people die, their personality changes.

'But this is too much... It's terrible.'

All too suddenly, everything changed. Aren't you asking me to bring a bunch of needles in the middle of the night? Finally, the needle is lit up with a candle and inserted into the shoulder and forearm.

In particular, the highlight of the all....

'You poked him with a needle and looked like he felt something!'

Apart from.

Sure.

He's enjoying himself. Before I knew it, he had given himself over to the pleasures of pain. Just like that, he crossed the river of no return.

'Your Highness...!'

Lord Gardin swallowed his tears heartily.

I didn't expect my long illness to break people so much. I wasn't confident enough. I should have taken better care of the Crown Prince. I fell to my knees in uncontrollable weeping.

"Your Highness? Please, can you change your mind just once?"

"No, I don't want to change it. Go back."

"Your Highness."

"Whoa...."

Lord Gardin was really teary-eyed, and when he saw that, he sighed heavily. Apparently, he will not listen to you even if a knife is put to your throat.

Eventually, Rakiel unleashed some knowledge on Gardin.

"Lord Gardin."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Listen now. I'll tell you why I'm looking for the Horseshoe Flower."

"Yes?"

"As you know, the horseshoe flower has poisonous roots. In a foreign country, the root is classified into two types, and the one I want to eat is the root that extends from the root, that is, the rich man."

"Boo ... Now, do you mean?"

"Yes. Rich person. Another exotic herbal name called Latin is Aconiti Lateralis Radix Preparata. It's full of aconitin-based poisons. Its components excite and paralyze the brainstem and peripheral nerve endings. It gives the parasympathetic nervous system a runaway, and eventually the heart stops."

"...."

Gulp.

Gardin's throat trembled up and down.

Rakiel calmly continued.

"But I know how to neutralize and control the toxicity. Don't ask me how I know, because I don't want to reveal it."

"Toxic... Do you mean neutralizing?"

"Yes. In foreign parlance, this process is called legislation."

"Legislation ...."

"If you go through that process, you can use the rich man's poison as a medicine that suits you."

"Is that true?"

"I don't know. Am I going to lie?"

Rakiel chuckled.

Suddenly, I remembered the days when I was running an oriental medicine clinic in Korea. Even then, there were times when rich people were prescribed as medicines. Of course, the rich at that time had gone through the hands of a professional company.

"Luckily, I know the details of how to do it. It's not just one, it's many ways."

"...."

"That's why I'm asking you to bring it to me. Do you feel better now?"

"... Your Highness."

"Huh."

"To be honest, I don't agree with it at all."

"...."

"It's the first time I've heard of it. I don't know where it came from, or if it's a reliable fact. But...."

"But?"

"If you use it as a medicine, as Your Highness said... Are you sure that it will benefit Your Highness's health?"

"No matter what medication you use, you're never 100 percent sure. That's what medicine is all about. But at least I don't think it will hurt. I think that should have been the answer by now."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And the sir's answer?"

"... I will bring you the helmet flower as you commanded me."

Lord Gardin was determined.

In fact, he knew better than anyone about the crown prince's recent health condition. It was getting worse day by day. I didn't take any medication. It was a frustrating time these days.

If only I could.

If only it could.

I wanted to try everything like grasping at straws. Maybe that's why.

'Legislation. Definitely worth a try... I wonder if it's true.'

I wanted to give a little hope. I wanted to at least try.

"Instead, when the legislative process is over, I'll eat it before Your Highness and make sure it's safe."

Only then will the crown prince be allowed to take it. Determined, he left the bedroom with a sad look in his eyes. It was about ten minutes before he returned with an armful of horseshoe roots.

"Your Highness, I'm not sure how much you want, so I've brought it all for now."

"Well done. Now bring me two large basins, clear water to fill them, and a sack of salt."

"Is it a necessary item for legislation?"

"Of course."

"Please wait."

Preparations were well established. In the middle of the bedroom were two large basins filled with clear water.

That's when it started.

"Okay, so let's salt the water."

"How much do I need to loosen?"

"Wangchang."

"... What if it's a big deal?"

"It's pouring. Until I tell you to stop."

"I see, Your Highness."

Swooh

Poured a lot of salt in the sack.

Rakiel dipped his fingers into the water to check the salt content.

"Okay, so let's dip now. Everything."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Visit!

Lord Gardin moved faithfully, dipping the horseshoe root, the rich man, in salt water.

The work didn't end there. Rakiel summoned the palace's servants. I handed them a piece of paper.

"From now on you will have to scour the gardens of this palace."

"... Yes?"

The acolytes looked bewildered.

Scour the garden.

That big place?

For what?

He seemed to be saying.

It could have been.

Horses are gardens, and the gardens of the palace here are immense. In terms of the administrative district of South Korea, it is about the size of a single dong. Or the morning arboretum in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, where you've been with your girlfriend before? That's probably enough.

Maybe it's more than that. This was because it was also used as a hunting ground for the entertainment of the royal family.

Rakiel looked around at the servants.

"You all got a piece of paper, didn't you? There must be a picture on it. You can bring a plant that looks exactly like the picture."

He divided his servants into two groups. One group was sent to the west side of the garden. It was the embodiment of a magically arid zone.

"If you have a shrub that looks exactly like the picture, pull it whole out."

On the other hand, other groups were sent east. It was a forest connected to the foot of the mountain, where spring was maintained all year round by magic.

"You just need to bring the grass that looks like the picture."

He sent two groups of servants and did not forget to give them a slap in the face.

"It can take a few days. However, the first person in each group to bring what I want will be rewarded with a lump of gold in the name of the Crown Prince. So let's all work hard."

"...!"

The servants' eyes lit up.

It was thanks to such a bold investment (?).

The satisfactory result came in half a day.

That evening, Rakiel looked at the medicinal materials that the servants had brought.

"Ephedra, .... Foothead"

Ephedra is a bush tree that grows naturally in arid regions such as northern China and Inner Mongolia. Footweed is a grass that spreads its heart-shaped leaves in the shade of trees in the mountains.

'I didn't know they were really in the garden.'

Just in case.

It would be great if there were.

He had sent his servants as if he were scratching the lottery. However, this unexpected result was achieved.

'That's great. It's really good.'

Ephedra and footwort.

Both of them were herbal medicines that I had used quite a bit in Korea. It was also a wonderful medicine that was compatible with the rich.

That's when it started.

Rakiel became even more exasperated, pampering Lord Gardin.

"Hmm, the rich man is pickled in brine, isn't it?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"So what do we do now?"

"I don't know, Your Highness."

"I don't know. You just have to do what I tell you to do."

"What if?"

"Let's get the rich man out and hang him out by the window. In a sunny spot."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Chop chop!

Lord Gardin moved diligently, hanging the rich man. So what if half a day passes and evening comes?

"The rich man is well dried in the sun. And now?"

"Do you want me to do what Your Highness tells me to do?"

"Of course. Rich Dip."

"... Yes?"

"Soak it again. in brine. Plop."

Visit!

Lord Gardin put the dried rich man back in the salt water. And when the morning dawns.

"Lord Gardin, take the rich man out and hang him up."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Chop chop chop!

When night falls.

"Soak the rich."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Splash and Splash!

When morning comes.

"Hold it up."

"Yep!"

Chop chop!

When night comes again.

"Dip."

"Yes!"

Visit!

Rakiel's diligent gesture.

Lord Gardin's devotion.

The two of them spun around like wheels.

It's been five days since the rich man was soaked in salt water and dried repeatedly. Finally, I began to see a change.

'Good.'

Rakiel clenched his fists as he looked at the sun-dried rich man. Before I knew it, there were salt crystals all over the rich man's exterior. The rich man himself was much stronger than before.

I was finally convinced.

'That's it.'

Legislation has been completed.

So now?

"I can make it."

Eliminate the toxicity of the rich.

Draws out the medicinal properties of ephedra and seshin.

I started to prepare herbal medicines that would create an exquisite synergy.

Of course, Rakiel didn't know until this point.

He brews his own Demon Emperor Shrine Bath. What unexpected benefits this herbal medicine will reveal. And the fact that he would get the secret of the vision of the Magentano family that he never dreamed of.