Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 124
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 124
Lion looked slowly from Licht to Ann.
The two of them bickered constantly, yet they seemed quite close.
When it mattered most, they clicked perfectly.
They were like a real grandmother and grandchild.
Lion watched them with fond satisfaction, then slowly spoke.
“You two seem very close.”
“Hoho. Do we look that way?”
Ann’s face brightened at those words.
She looked genuinely pleased.
“…”
Licht didn’t seem to dislike it either.
No, if anything, it felt as though he was happy but didn’t quite know how to show it.
“Have you known each other a long time?”
“Have we known each other a long time, hmm…”
At that, Ann gazed at Licht with eyes full of affection. It was a gaze that held so much.
It was similar to how Elvia looked at me and Rickshel.
“…Yes. We have.”
Ann took hold of one of Licht’s hands, drew it toward her, and wrapped it in both of her own, stroking it warmly.
Even though she was the head of the seminary, given Licht’s status as an Archbishop Candidate, it should have been unthinkable. But Licht remained docile.
“I’ve known him since these hands were very, very small.”
Ann’s eyes grew distant with reminiscence, as if lost in the past.
…
Licht.
An insignificant child from an insignificant village.
After it became known that inside that tiny body resided holy power rivaling the Saintess who ended the war,
his life was upended entirely.
“I! I will take this child! I am his real uncle, I say!”
“No! I shall be this child’s grandmother! Have you no pity?”
“Come on, say Mama~ say it. Ma! Ma! Quickly! I am your real mother!”
“Smile like you did just now! Come on, quickly!”
People who had neglected the child without a shred of interest suddenly claimed to be his parents.
“How much would it cost to buy this child?”
“Come with me, let’s sell this child to the Temple. Surely, a child with the power of an Archbishop, the Temple won’t be able to dismiss him!”
Those who treated him not as a person, but as a commodity, grew in number.
It could only be called deplorable.
“…”
Amidst that mire of greed, the child inevitably suffered terrible wounds.
It was Ann who somehow managed to rescue that child.
“Mmmm… it’s alright. Child. It’s alright.”
Ann comforted the child in an impossibly awkward way as she headed for the Temple.
To be honest, she was worried.
Would this child really be able to adjust to the Temple?
Even after enduring such havoc and misery?
What if he thought the Temple would be the same?
Even she had been momentarily terrified by what she’d seen.
“…Up until then, I lacked insight, and I too believed the Temple was simply another place where people lived.”
Ann murmured self-deprecatingly.
Recalling the events in the village, it was only natural for such thoughts to arise.
It was the first true malice Ann had ever witnessed, so it couldn’t be helped.
But to her surprise.
“Is this little one that child?”
“Oh my. He’s so tiny!”
If there was malice, there was also goodwill—Ann realized this.
The high-ranking officials at the Temple, the child who had held the title of the youngest before this one arrived.
Even the young children who might have had to share the love that had been solely theirs until now…
All of them lavished affection upon the newcomer, Licht.
“Hello? Nice to meet you. So you’re the child who will be ‘Licht’?”
“Please take good care of me. I’m your big sister now.”
“I’m your big brother!”
“Hahaha. I finally have a little brother? Isn’t that the best?”
“Now, now. The baby might be startled, so let’s all stand a little further back.”
“Yes!”
“I don’t wanna!”
“Kids. Drag them out.”
“Waaaah!”
Ann realized.
That they could become a family even without blood ties.
That they could create a warm nest not with a single person’s love, but with everyone’s love.
Only then could Ann let go of Licht with a peaceful heart.
And Licht, too, must have felt reassured by that atmosphere…
“Well, from that day on, he drew all manner of maps on my robes…”
“H-Head of the Seminary!”
Licht, who had been wearing a generous expression, instantly turned red and cut her off!
“Hohoho! In any case, from that time on, Lord Licht has been growing up splendidly as the much-doted-upon youngest of the Temple.”
“Ahem! At any rate, we do share such a special bond.”
Licht swiftly concluded the conversation.
Lion had no intention of teasing him further, so he decided to get to the main point.
“Haha, then shall we move on to other matters? How did the investigation go?”
“Ah, yes. Fortunately, while you were drawing their attention, honored guest, we were able to complete the investigation thoroughly. We have also clearly identified the cause.”
“Oh.”
To have finished the investigation in that short time was truly fortunate.
Of course, identifying the cause and solving it are two different matters.
“So, what is the reason?”
“That is…”
Licht glanced at Ann.
“Hoho. How tactless of this old woman to have stayed put. I should be taking my leave now.”
Ann rose from her seat, patted her back lightly, and naturally vacated her place.
But as she did, she placed something on the table with a soft thud.
“Oh dear. It’s hard for me to even take care of my own body these days, you see.”
Mischievously, she nudged a key with her elbow right to the center of the table before walking away, which seemed to mean, “Use it if you wish.”
“…Really now.”
A small smile appeared on Licht’s face.
“This is the key to the Sanctuary. It’s something only the Head of the Seminary can keep, and it seems she gave it to us out of consideration, since it relates to what we’ll discuss next.”
The implication was to use it if the need arose.
“She’s a good person.”
“…Yes. Truly.”
Licht murmured quietly as he took the key and put it away.
“Ah. The conversation was cut off. In any case, from what I’ve been able to ascertain…”
Lion’s eyes rounded as he listened to Licht’s explanation.
So, in short.
“Are you saying that the Archbishop fell asleep because of a prophetic dream?”
“That’s correct.”
“And for several months, at that?”
“Yes… It’s a fact I was unaware of as well.”
Licht let out a deep sigh.
“Since he is such an elusive, mysterious person…”
‘Well, he is the Archbishop, but is it okay to call him elusive and mysterious?’
In any case, it truly seemed he hadn’t known.
It was said that apart from Licht, only a few of the other Archbishop Candidates, those he called brother and sister, knew this story.
‘…But with this, the current situation does make sense.’
According to Licht’s explanation, it went like this.
There are roles that only the Archbishop can perform, and one of them involves the holy power that is being depleted right now.
That is, the task of efficiently filling the Holy Water through a ‘special method.’
Holy Water.
It’s easy to assume that Holy Water is usually used for purifying contaminated lands or cursed objects.
But in truth, even now, fifty years after the War Against the Demons, Holy Water is a precious commodity that’s difficult to obtain.
Since it truly is ‘water imbued with sacred power,’ beyond repelling evil, it has positive effects in any situation where water is needed.
It was literally a cure-all and a strategic resource!
The problem was, this Holy Water couldn’t be created without a considerable amount of ‘Divine Power’…
‘So the Archbishop must have been continuously overworked.’
Because in terms of efficiency, that would have been better.
However, after the Archbishop fell into slumber ‘several months ago,’ that work could no longer proceed smoothly.
The high-ranking officials who personally assisted him and the longest-serving Candidates took charge and handled the tasks as best they could, but little by little, the cracks were beginning to show.
What would be the result?
The ‘Divine Power’ of ordinary priests inevitably had to be squeezed out to produce Holy Water.
For instance, suppose the Archbishop alone could make five bottles of Holy Water at a time.
Then, one day, the Archbishop suddenly became unable to work.
What should be done?
Shouldn’t ten or twenty ordinary priests cling to the task to produce even a single bottle?
‘Because Holy Water has to keep being provided, regardless.’
It’s a necessity!
Then, apprentice priests had to fill the roles of the ordinary priests, and as those positions were filled…
The damage eventually reached even Peter.
“…I imagine I, too, would have been called up soon.”
Even though he was very young, Licht possessed a tremendous amount of holy power.
If the influence had reached Peter in the Asteri Territory, it would soon have been Licht’s turn, despite being the cherished youngest.
‘Though, given his character, he’d probably rush to help immediately.’
“Even if no summons came for me, I want to be of help. Just as I once received help from others.”
“Hmm…”
Lion folded his arms and looked at Licht.
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand.
Besides, wasn’t it said that he overflowed with so much holy power that he was the youngest Archbishop Candidate ever?
If it wasn’t dangerous work, wouldn’t it be fine to help?
‘First, let’s just ask.’
“Is there, by any chance, a way I could help?”
“There is… Hmm… Would it be alright if I explained on the way?”
“Understood.”
Lion walked along with him.
“My benefactor. Do you happen to know how Holy Water is made?”
“I know the basics.”
In <In the World>, there were two ways to produce Holy Water.
The first was the standard method, where a priest extracted it on the spot at the cost of their mental strength.
And the second was a method using the ‘Sanctuary.’
“As expected, you are well-informed. Yes. It was a method discovered during the war against the evil Demons. A blessed spring of divine power and a farm coexist there.”
In summary, an ‘Archbishop-level’ priest creates a sanctuary with divine power.
Then, tea is grown there, harvested, and brewed, giving rise to the additional concept of creating Holy Water ‘infused with holy power.’
It is said that while this isn’t the same as directly created Holy Water, it can be used for most tasks requiring Holy Water.
Licht exited the seminary and headed toward the heart of the Temple, the garden.
Following the path, they came upon a white door guarded by holy knights…
Shing!
“We greet the Archbishop Candidate!”
The moment they confirmed Licht’s face, the knights immediately sheathed their swords and stepped back.
Without hesitation, Licht boldly unlocked the door with the key.
Click.
With a soft sound, the faint barrier vanished, and soon a greenhouse made of a transparent membrane swung wide open as if welcoming them.
“Now, please, come inside, my benefactor.”
“Oh…”
Lion stepped inside and surveyed his surroundings.
It was a mysterious sight, unlike anything he had seen even in House Asteri.
It wasn’t opulent.
Rather, it could be called serene.
The interior felt like a vast orchard, and also like a botanical garden, but clearly, something was still unfinished—the leaves of the plants were withered.
“Welcome to the Sanctuary.”
And right at the center, from a spring that looked utterly sacred… clear water trickled out, very faintly.