Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 214
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 214
After Urhil and Varg’s late-night truth game was over,
a small change came to the Asteri mansion.
The knight order had acquired a new member.
“This is Urhil. He’s joined as a recruit.”
“…”
True, his speech, his build, and even his skill were hardly those of a new recruit, but he unfailingly addressed Varg as “senior” every time.
The problem was that he didn’t do that with anyone else.
Still, the knight order gave this peculiar hierarchy-breaking bear beastfolk a warm welcome.
“Huh, why isn’t there any pushback?”
Lion, who had been talking with Rickshel, asked it as a genuine question, and Rickshel shook his head as he answered.
“It’s because he’s strong.”
Rickshel then shared a bit of what the knight commander had written in the report, which read:
-A bear tears people apart.
-If he’s that strong he’ll help us improve our skills!
“…I see.”
In short, they were happy about gaining another strong sparring partner, regardless of age or rank.
Compared to other places, the Asteri Knight Order had a more free-spirited atmosphere, so that seemed to be why it had settled so well.
“And everyone was pleased that Varg now had a fellow beastfolk he can lean on. I’m told they were secretly worried about him.”
“That’s a relief.”
Urhil’s issue was resolved just like that.
Of course, the “condition” that had been discussed beforehand was also fulfilled by Lion.
Namely, making him sweet food.
“This is…”
“You’ve come to the Asteri mansion—you’ve got to try this first.”
It was hotteok.
With nuts and sweetness, it seemed like a perfect fit.
Compared to the bait gangjeong he’d tasted the first time, the texture was different too.
“…! Excellent. I’ll be in your care for a while.”
“Likewise.”
That was how Urhil properly settled down at House Asteri.
It wasn’t until a long time afterward that Urhil’s tribesman came looking for the fellow.
In other words… it was already long after Urhil had moved out of the shared quarters and even thoroughly built himself a private cabin.
“I never thought he’d stay this long.”
So thoroughly settled that, someday, Lion would end up remarking this.
* * *
And time flowed on, until the day when House Bydantis’s marquis arrived in the Asteri territory.
“The carriage has reached a nearby village, so she will arrive soon.”
“So about a day left.”
Then it was about time to get a few things ready.
The general preparations would all be handled by the family, but Lion had just happened to hear some good news.
‘Mudu’s parents are coming too.’
Thanks to the consideration of House Bydantis’s marquis, Mudu’s family was accompanying her as “technicians” of the house.
So Lion was planning to stop by the smithy to share that news with Mudu—and,
of course, that wasn’t the only thing Lion had prepared.
“Elvia, that ‘thing’—is it going according to plan?”
“Yes. I’m taking the utmost care with it.”
Elvia smiled as if thoroughly enjoying herself.
‘That’s a relief.’
Freyania’s return had taken longer than expected.
She might have been putting her personal affairs in order.
At any rate, one of Elvia’s enjoyments had vanished because of it, and Lion had been a little concerned, so seeing her so lively was a good thing.
‘Well, I enjoy it too.’
What was so enjoyable about it, you ask?
Obviously, it was for the sake of his little brother’s romantic enterprise… no, for a successful fostering of social ties.
‘Still, I’d better step in.’
Naturally, if they openly put that sort of vibe in the air, both of them would plainly feel burdened.
So the plan Lion had devised was nothing other than…
‘Making the everyday extra special!’
He called it a plan, but it wasn’t actually all that grandiose.
Rickshel had looks if it was looks; ability if it was ability. Wasn’t he a man with zero shortcomings!
Except.
‘One little thing.’
He had the flaw of possessing “just a little bit” less aesthetic sense.
Therefore, he didn’t actually dress himself up as much as one might think.
When something is lacking, subtracting is indeed more important than adding, but for an heir of a marquis household his attire was remarkably plain.
‘Being frugal is good, but…’
House Asteri could indulge in that much luxury without making even a scratch on its assets.
And besides…
‘It’s such a waste of a face.’
Not because he was his brother, but Rickshel objectively boasted quite the appearance.
“Every single feature makes its own bold statement, yet it’s all harmonious, you know?”
“When he got hurt on the face during training the other day, my own heart ached…!”
“They say the family head himself was a rather outstanding handsome man in his youth, so the blood really did carry on well, I think!”
“Above all, that aura…! Eeeek!”
That was only a short selection from countless exclamations, and it was still this much.
If he was already this much even without dressing up, what if he added a subtle touch of effort?
‘Frankly, wouldn’t that be no joke?’
At any rate, he’d thought about what might make such looks shine even brighter, and in the end there was only one answer.
Clothing.
If it were up to him, he would have wanted to make it himself, but…
‘If I did that, it felt like the story would leak in the wrong direction.’
The guy was so exceptionally devoted to family, after all.
So this time Lion decided to borrow Andrie’s help.
Thankfully, perhaps because of the rapport they’d built, Andrie had started work right away, and he’d heard the garment would likely be finished around today.
‘And he also seemed to be working on something else.’
Maybe because it wasn’t finished yet, Andrie hadn’t told him anything else about it.
He’d just worn a subtle expression and let out a meaningful “Heh-heh-heh…!” laugh.
…Well, Lion would drop by while he was on his way to see Mudu.
‘Truthfully, aside from that, there isn’t much else I can help with.’
If it were up to him, he wanted to give them a big shove forward, but neither of them was the sort to enjoy that.
Conversing as their hearts led them, finding common points, and growing closer would be the best.
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that Rickshel and House Bydantis’s marquis shared similar interests.
‘Well… it’s about work, though.’
But simply the fact that conversation flowed well between the marquis of a renowned swordsmanship house and the heir of a renowned magic house was already a rather remarkable thing, he felt.
“You said Grandfather even gave Rickshel a specially short holiday?”
“Yes. When we reported the plan just as you suggested, young master, he willingly gave him the time off.”
“Rickshel thinks it’s because House Bydantis’s marquis is visiting and his other schedules got pushed back.”
“That’s correct.”
“Good.”
If they had given Rickshel a holiday for no reason, he would have clearly grown suspicious first.
The moment he felt it wasn’t justified, he’d obviously switch right back into work mode, so Grandfather had provided a suitable excuse.
“…”
While that was going on, Elvia was quietly gazing at Lion.
“What for?”
“Something has piqued my curiosity. May I ask you about it?”
When Lion nodded, Elvia asked, blunt and without hesitation.
“Are you planning to have the two of them wed?”
Unable to hold it in, Lion gave a big grin and waved his hands.
“Hey, now, that’s not something I can just will into happening… but.”
Lion lined up the two of them side by side in his head and murmured.
“Honestly, don’t they suit each other? Both are good people.”
“…”
“Capable, and with plenty of funds. And neither of them seems like she’d abandon her own responsibilities out of being hung up on love. And they’re close in age.”
“Hm, is that so.”
Watching the puppy muttering passionately to himself again, Elvia privately shook her head.
‘He really has no idea.’
The very idea itself of matching his one and only little brother with a decent woman was truly a commendable one, but Rickshel and House Bydantis’s marquis were…
As far as Elvia could foresee, they really didn’t hold even a sliver of affection for each other.
At most, they’d think of each other as business partners who could somewhat understand each other, and their respective positions were also perfectly clear.
Politically, too, a marriage between the head of a renowned magic house and the head of a renowned swordsmanship house was obviously something no one would welcome.
‘They would feel threatened.’
Already, many were envious of Petrick—still a marquis—being above the Emperor, and if the swordsmanship house were added to the mix, wouldn’t it mean there would be no one to stop them?
So, did that mean the puppy’s plan would be useless?
‘It’s possible.’
Though every assumption was wrong, the puppy’s imagination ran close to the answer.
The reason being…
‘Because both of them like our puppy more than they like each other.’
Which meant, for Lion’s sake, the two of them could enter into a contract marriage.
Without batting an eye, even.
‘If he found that out, he’d oppose it.’
Well, in any case, this visit would settle the relationship between the two clearly.
There was no way that sharp-eyed puppy wouldn’t pick up on that atmosphere.
Elvia simply needed to quietly enjoy herself, imagining the face the puppy would make then.
‘Before long, peaceful days will be passing by.’
Elvia kept to herself a certain fact she had heard passed on from Petrick, and simply brought over Lion’s outer garment.
“If you’re going to carry out your plan, you’d best start getting ready soon.”
“It’s already that time?”
Lion had been explaining, with dozens of appended reasons, “the reasons House Bydantis’s marquis and Rickshel suited each other,” and “at the very least, I wish they’d become friends.” He snapped back to himself and took hold of the outer garment.
Love or friendship. Whatever it was, if he was going to play the role of a matchmaker, he had to move diligently!
Before House Bydantis’s marquis arrived.
“I’ll be off, then.”
“Yes. Please take care. And be back soon.”
* * *
Around that time.
“…”
“That person… it’s her, right?”
“I, I think so…”
At the marketplace, which had regained its bustle, people whispered to one another upon seeing someone.
There, a person so slender that they looked almost frail at a glance stood motionless in the middle of the market.
“…”
An outlandish sight—someone wearing clothing a bit too thick by any measure for the Asteri territory, openly wearing a sword at their hip as if to show it off.
Over it all, she wore a hooded robe, which seemed to show an effort to hide her identity, but with the hood down, there was naturally no avoiding her face being exposed.
“It’s hot.”
This mysterious stranger.
No, Clarentia Bydantis, murmured to herself.
Once she had reached the Asteri territory, she decided that running in person was faster and more efficient than going by carriage.
She also wanted to see for herself how the people here lived.
‘Everyone is smiling.’
A liveliness rather different from her own Bydantis territory, which was called the Sword Mastery Family, layered the scene.
Clarentia judged that the reason came from “ease of living.”
‘The magic tools are…’
If she should call it a village befitting a prestigious magic family, the welfare here was striking enough to be astonishing.
The Bydantis territory did have some magic tools that could be called daily necessities, but.
‘I hadn’t expected it to this extent.’
She had visited once before during Lion Asteri’s coming-of-age ceremony, but back then she had not been whole enough to possess the presence of mind to truly observe this lifestyle.
‘No, if not for him.’
She might not have had such a thought even now.
She would have merely protected, merely maintained the status quo.
‘The end of that path…’
Would surely have been a slow decline.
So this time she had resolved herself firmly.
‘I will see it with my own two eyes.’
Clarentia’s strength was her swiftness of action.
And her weakness was also her swiftness of action.
Without even giving the head butler who had accompanied her a chance to stop her, she had jumped straight out of the carriage.
“Oh, for heaven’s saaaake!”
Ignoring the head butler’s customary scream, that is.