The Dawn of Time (Bl) - English version

Tatsuya's point of view

A few weeks ago:

Wolfram burst into my study unannounced. "Duke, come quickly! Something is wrong with the young prince", his voice filled with urgency. "Ryota? What's happening with him?" I asked, my concern mounting, as I quickly got up from my desk and followed Wolfram. "He has fallen suddenly ill. The doctor is with him already", Wolfram replied. We hurried to Ryota's chambers. I swung the door open and found Ryota in his bed, surrounded by two maids and Dr. Weber. As they noticed me, they bowed respectfully. "What's wrong with him?" I inquired as I approached Ryota.

It was only then that I noticed the strange purple rash on his skin and his pained expression, struggling to breathe. "I've never seen anything like this before", Dr. Weber said with concern. Hours passed, and the doctor worked tirelessly to heal Ryota, but nothing seemed to be working. The uncertainty and helplessness nearly drove me to despair. "Wolfram, gather everyone!" I called out and headed to the conference room, where Sir Silberstein, Aspheart, Malvoren, and Wolfram were already waiting for me.

"What's going on, Your Highness?" Malvoren cautiously inquired. "What's going on?!" I exclaimed angrily. "How could something like this even happen!" I shouted in frustration, pounding my fists on the table. The others flinched. A heated discussion ensued, but in the end, we reached no solution. I assigned Sir Silberstein to investigate the matter and dispatched knights to the nearest towns to find a healer, no matter the cost.

Days passed and Ryota's condition continued to deteriorate. More and more knights returned with bad news. At the same time, more cases of illness began to appear, although their conditions were not as serious as Ryota's. Desperation and anger overwhelmed me. There had to be a way out of this. I stared at a map laid out before me on the table, examining the areas where no knights had been dispatched yet.

My gaze landed on a particular area: the territory of Duke Aurelius, the most powerful healer family in this world, or so they say. I had only met Duke Aurelius once in person—a rather arrogant person. Our families had never had a good relationship. I picked up writing materials and drafted a message, which I handed to Raven and sent him off. I had to seize every small chance.

Days passed. "What? Duke Aurelius agreed?!" I heard Wolfram exclaim in surprise from outside my study. I opened the door and saw Raven standing before Wolfram. "Did he really agree?" I asked in surprise. Raven nodded. "He agreed to all the conditions". Relief and skepticism mixed within me. It had been too easy, but I could contemplate the consequences later. "Prepare everything for their reception", I ordered.

More days passed until the news came that a carriage was approaching the estate. Finally, the moment had arrived. I gently stroked Ryota's head. "Hold on a little longer", I whispered to him before leaving his room and heading to the reception hall. Hours passed and Wolfram entered the reception hall alone. "Your Highness, knights from House Aurelius have arrived. They demand an immediate conclusion of the agreement... They also insist that you go out to meet them". The servants were shocked by this disrespectful demand. I had to swallow hard. These arrogant individuals wanted to issue orders to me within my own territory. I took a deep breath and unclenched my fist to control my anger. "Let's go and bring the mana stones", I ordered the servants.

As I viewed their arrogant faces, I had to restrain myself from striking them. "We greet Duke Drakonov. As agreed, we have come and brought a healer with holy blood", said one of the knights, handing me a scroll. "If you sign here and hand over the mana stones, we can depart immediately".

"You wish to leave already? Why the haste?" I inquired. In truth, it suited me just fine, as I didn't want them to stay any longer than necessary. However, something about the whole situation seemed suspicious.

"Forgive our haste, but if you have no further need of us, we'd like to depart as quickly as possible", replied the knight with a disdain that was hard to miss. It would have been satisfying to teach them a lesson, but I knew it would only lead to more trouble. "Fetch the mana stones", I ordered. The knights received the heavy mana stone chest. I signed the magical contract and a bright magical light sealed the deal.