The Doctor Cured The Villainess And Ran Away-Chapter 13: Knight Commander (1)

“Compress, Enhance, Synthesize.”

Returning to the mansion, I started mass-producing rose candies.

Since they were for my own use, there was no such thing as making too many.

After repeating the process several times, the [Compress] skill leveled up from E to D.

“Now, I’m running low on candies. I should ask Sievers to order more.”

The taste was sweet yet pleasantly rich — something I could eat for a long time without getting sick of it.

“Five days left until the personal physician exam.”

The Gotberg knights and healers from the training institute were scheduled to head into the northern forest for a monster subjugation.

The northern region of the Marquisate was surrounded by a high wall.

The northern frontier of the Empire was untamed, a wild land where monsters roamed freely.

The Gotberg estate being located at the very front line was a statement of confidence in the territory’s security.

In fact, the wall had never once been breached in the 200 years since the Gotberg family founded it.

“There aren’t supposed to be any dangerous monsters in the forest, but still.”

I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.

With my current stats, even a low-tier monster could easily kill me.

―――――――――――

Strength: 6

Stamina: 6

Magic Power: 1

Mana: 14 (UP)

Divine Power: 22

Faith: 100

―――――――――――

“My mana increased from using spells.”

Practice makes perfect, after all.

But since I had no magical talent, the growth rate for Magic Power was abysmal.

“As for Divine Power, it’ll keep increasing, but I’m not planning to use it.”

Thanks to my bloodline, it could potentially reach 50, but after that, growth would slow to a crawl.

Even ten years later, it never went higher.

If you lack talent, both stats and skills would hit a cap sooner or later.

My current talents were Alchemy and Medicine.

“So, technically, my mana has no cap.”

Alchemy was a skill that relied on knowledge and was powered by mana.

But medicine?

I wasn’t sure how it worked in this world. Was it just the same medical knowledge I already had?

“With these stats, it’s not enough to keep up with the knights during the trial.”

I definitely needed to increase my strength and stamina a bit more.

If I could find someone to train me, it would be much more efficient.

“And there just so happens to be a suitable candidate in the family.”

I’d talk to that knight tomorrow.

“And I’ll also need a good healing performance to score high during the trial...”

Currently, the only tools at my disposal were the Rose Candies with their health restoration effect and the First Aid skill.

“That’s not enough.”

The candies were a sustained effect, meaning they didn’t provide immediate, dramatic results when consumed.

First Aid was the same. It prevented wounds from worsening but didn’t heal them on the spot.

In contrast, healing spells were less efficient but had an unmistakable visual effect, something the people in this world could clearly understand.

And that difference was crucial.

“I need a strong, impactful healing method. If only I had a medical skill that packed a punch... But there’s no guarantee I’ll level up in just five days.”

More importantly, I had no idea what kind of skill would even come next.

“Besides, even if I relied on healing spells, I wouldn’t beat the ace of the institute with these stats. And I don’t want to use those spells anyway.”

Which meant there was only one option.

“I’ll have to create a powerful, impactful potion.”

Using alchemy would be the quickest way.

“Now, where can I find suitable ingredients...?”

Since I was in the mansion, the available materials were limited.

I opened the window.

The rose garden in the backyard was almost bald now — thanks to me.

Well, I had a mountain of candies piled up, so it was worth it.

Rustle...

A soft breeze blew, and I heard the leaves brushing against one another.

The sound came from the willow trees planted near the annex.

“Willow trees?”

An idea popped into my head.

I grabbed a dagger and dashed outside.

I approached the nearest willow and gently peeled the bark away with the blade.

“This is it.”

Willow bark had pain-relieving properties.

Maybe they didn’t know about it in this world, but it had been used as a natural remedy for centuries.

“If I extract the beta-glucoside and apply compression and enhancement, I should be able to produce salicin.”

In other words, I could make a painkiller.

I brought the willow bark back to my room and immediately started the experiment.

I placed the bark in a pile and sprinkled mana evenly over it.

“Compress.”

The bark creaked and crunched, gradually reshaping into a pill form.

I checked the status window.

―――――――――――

Willow Bark Painkiller (Refined)

Effect: Slightly reduces pain for 5 minutes.

―――――――――――

Success.

Now, time to inscribe the spell formula.

According to what Asella taught me, the more vertices a shape had, the stronger the spell’s effect.

The shape had to be a perfect polygon. If the sides weren’t equal, it could cause a backfire.

Therefore, the best shape was a circle.

No vertices meant infinite potential — or so she said.

For now, I stuck to a simple square since I was still a beginner.

“Enhance.”

Light erupted as the magic circle began to spin slowly.

“...This is taking a while.”

Unlike the rose candy, the casting time for the painkiller was noticeably longer.

The mana moved along the edges of the spell circle as slowly as a worm crawling.

It was like a game with terrible load times. freēwēbnovel.com

“This is going to take forever.”

I guess the better the product, the more time it took.

My concentration started to waver, and the speed of the spell slowed down even more.

Ugh, this was such a pain.

After two hours of intense focus, the first casting was finally completed.

―――――――――――

Enhanced Willow Painkiller (Refined)

Effect: Significantly reduces pain for 5 minutes.

―――――――――――

“The wording has changed.”

Which meant the effect was stronger than before.

Without hesitation, I popped the pill into my mouth and swallowed it.

“Hm.”

I bit down on my finger.

“Oh.”

It felt just like that numbing sensation you get during local anesthesia at the dentist.

The nerves were slightly tingling, but the pain was almost completely gone.

“Nice. This should be impactful enough.”

Healing magic didn’t numb pain.

In fact, during the healing process, the body’s regeneration could intensify the pain to the point of causing shock.

Of course, a painkiller made from willow bark wouldn’t have had this level of effect before.

“Alchemy’s pretty useful.”

The enhanced skill had increased the efficacy beyond what was considered normal.

Just then, the system window popped up again.

―――――――――――

· Your skill rank has increased.

· Synthesis E → Synthesis D

· Property Transformation E has been unlocked.

―――――――――――

“A new skill on the alchemy tree.”

Now, this was it.

All that effort was paying off.

After reading the skill description for Property Transformation, a new idea popped into my head.

When you think of medicine, one particular type comes to mind instantly.

A kind of medicine that’s particularly familiar to men.

“If I don’t make that, it’ll feel like a missed opportunity.”

***

The Next Morning.

I got up before dawn, moving quickly to make use of the early hours.

The knight I was looking for was a creature of habit — he’d be up and training before anyone else.

‘Here it is. The knights’ barracks.’

I found my way to the barracks at the back of the mansion.

As expected of the marquisate’s private forces, the facilities were well-maintained and quite large.

The accommodations were decent, and the training grounds were equipped with the latest gear.

However, the number of soldiers wasn’t large.

The Gotberg territory primarily focused on producing healers, not knights.

Moreover, the Imperial family had strict laws preventing local lords from amassing large armies, fearing potential uprisings.

During monster outbreaks, the Gotberg family usually hired adventurers through guild collaborations.

‘It’s a miracle someone with that level of skill came from this place.’

As I approached the training grounds, a guard standing watch saluted me.

“Young Master? What brings you here so early?”

He looked less than thrilled to see me.

Considering my reputation as the ‘Gotberg brat,’ it was a reasonable reaction.

“I want to use the training ground. Open the door.”

“Training? Can’t you do that back at the mansion? It’s not time for the knights to be active yet.”

“This is my mansion too. Don’t worry. I won’t do anything ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) stupid.”

I tried to step forward, but the guard blocked my path with his arm.

“Oh, come on. Did you stay up all night drinking again? You know the Lord will hear about this.”

“I told you, I just woke up. Ah, almost forgot.”

I pulled out a lollipop from my pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into my mouth.

The sweetness flooded my taste buds.

“Damn it. You’re going to drive me crazy.”

“Well, you won’t go crazy if you just let me through. Move.”

“What the...”

“What’s going on here?”

A calm yet commanding voice interrupted our exchange.

‘There she is.’

A familiar face.

Much younger than the last time I saw her, of course.

Fiery red hair that seemed to burn in the early morning light.

Sharp eyes that contrasted with her otherwise serene expression.

A lithe, agile body.

A single drop of sweat fell from her cheek, indicating she’d been jogging.

“Good morning, Commander Tanya.”

“Young Master.”

Tanya, the Commander of the Gotberg Knights, nodded in acknowledgment of my greeting.

She was only twenty now, but she had already reached the level of a Sword Expert, a prodigy in the art of the sword.

In a few years, she’d be scouted by the Imperial Army, rise to the level of Sword Master, and carve out a meteoric career.

‘Seeing her with both eyes intact feels a bit strange.’

During the Gotberg family’s downfall, Tanya would be falsely accused and lose an eye in the process.

At the time, she was already part of the Imperial Knights, but she had still fought to protect our family, driven by her sense of justice.

In the future, she became a reclusive master who would eventually assist the Hero.

Since she was destined to rise in the world, it wouldn’t hurt to start getting close to her now.

“What brings you here, Young Master? The training grounds don’t open until nine.”

“You sweat more in the morning, don’t you? That’s why you’re out here running before dawn, right?”

“...That’s true, but...”

Tanya’s eyes narrowed, clearly suspicious.

“I haven’t been feeling well lately. Feels like I could drop dead any second. You know I’m participating in the monster subjugation trial in five days.”

“I heard. You’re taking the personal physician exam.”

“Right. So, could you train me a bit to prepare? Some basic combat skills would be good too.”

“Combat skills?”

Tanya’s face turned icy.

She was always serious about the sword.

Mentioning it lightly was a good way to provoke her.

But right now, I needed her help, even if it meant provoking her a little.

“Yes. Don’t worry, I won’t blame you if I get hurt.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is?”

Tanya’s voice grew colder.

“Young Master, your body isn’t even remotely ready for combat. Before you pick up a sword, you need to start with running.”

“Running? During the trial, if I turn my back on a monster and run, I’ll be as good as dead.”

“Then run. If you value your life.”

Running away in the middle of the trial?

That would be the fastest way to jump straight into hell.

Talking to her wouldn’t work. I had to offer something in return.

“Tanya, you know who I’m engaged to, right?”

“I do. But why are you bringing that up?”

Martial artists were always weak when it came to politics.

I had to walk her through it step by step.

“Imagine that I become Princess Asella’s personal physician and enter the Imperial Palace. That’s a very unique situation.”

“A unique situation?”

“If a noble of Count rank or higher gets a position in the palace, they’re allowed to bring personal bodyguards. Two, in fact.”

Tanya’s eyes widened slightly.

She was ambitious when it came to swordsmanship.

That’s why she accepted the offer from the Imperial Knights — to further her skills.

“And, of course, the most skilled knight in the Gotberg territory should be my bodyguard. What do you think?”

“...I have my duties as the Commander of the Gotberg Knights.”

“You should also get a taste of the bigger world, shouldn’t you? Who knows? Maybe the Princess herself will want to scout you. And if you spar with the masters in the Imperial Knights, you might even reach the level of Sword Master.”

I leaned in, whispering provocatively.

“That is... if you’re really confident in your swordsmanship.”

Tanya’s expression hardened.

After a long pause, she finally gave the order to the guard.

“Bring me a wooden sword.”