Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 216
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 216
If fabric dyed with that pigment changed color according to time and situation, it would be truly useful.
Especially…
‘It would be useful in combat.’
Due to its geographical nature, House Bydantis experienced frequent battles.
The massive mountain range encircling the territory acted as an excellent defensive barrier against outside invasions, yet it also threatened the territory’s inhabitants.
The reason was the demon beasts that inhabited the mountain range.
The demon beasts that lived in the mountain range were generally sensitive.
If they sensed even the slightest presence of a strong individual who could threaten them, they would not show themselves and would hide away tightly.
Because of this, the Bydantis Knight Order frequently had to lie in ambush for days, enduring the cold.
However.
‘If only we had that pigment.’
They would be able to blend into nature more perfectly.
Wouldn’t that also shorten the time it took to deal with the demon beasts?
‘Moreover, the number of demons is increasing.’
For the time being, only lower-class demons with weak strength and low intelligence had appeared, so it hadn’t yet become a major problem, but this was clearly a bad sign.
‘They say the Great Barrier is intact…’
Clearly, the Great Barrier created by Petrick Asteri and the Former Archbishop was still sound.
Of course, due to the passage of fifty years, there were some places where the seal’s power had loosened slightly, but that did not mean the demons could break through the barrier and cross over.
“But it’s strange. The number of demons is growing even though the barrier has no issues. I suppose additional investigation is needed.”
“I will have Bydantis take charge of that.”
“You’ve been lending your strength to Asteri since last time. Is it because you dislike things going awry like before?”
“…”
“Anyway, I express my gratitude for the cooperation.”
It was a short conversation.
Clearly, the first time she had helped Lion and House Asteri, it had been purely out of a calculation that the fellow would ‘turn a profit.’
Because that was profitable.
But, honestly speaking, right now…
‘I’m not purely calculating profit anymore.’
Hadn’t she said so before?
That Clarentia was filling what had been empty all this time.
If it caused no harm to the territory, she was prepared to follow her heart a little.
‘Besides, if it’s a matter of helping Lion Asteri…’
Up until now, generally, the gains had been immense compared to the losses.
She couldn’t grasp what exactly he was doing or planning to do, but the results were undeniably present.
‘He’s an unusual fellow.’
So honestly, she had wanted to try to keep him tied down in the Bydantis territory, but…
‘He refused, so… oh well.’
She had no choice but to maintain a connection like this.
In any case, Petrick Asteri also considered this an unusual situation and initiated an additional investigation.
This was why Petrick Asteri had been extremely busy lately, to the point where he didn’t have a moment to spare.
As a result, the Bydantis territory had become equally busy.
It was the snowy mountains of Bydantis that could observe the movements of demons most quickly.
In fact, that matter had also played a part in Clarentia coming all the way here under the pretext of ‘preparations for the Emperor’s Birthday.’
‘For the territory inhabitants to live comfortably, the knight order’s equipment also needs adjustment.’
House Bydantis was a family of swordsmanship.
Thus, an atmosphere of rejecting magic more than necessary had developed.
Back when Clarentia was still a young lady, she had also thought similarly—that with a strong body forged through self-discipline,
swordsmanship, and weapons and armor made by dwarves, there would be nothing to fear.
Even now, she still agreed with that statement to some extent, but…
‘We must advance.’
Magic is better, swordsmanship is better.
It doesn’t matter.
As long as it doesn’t harm tradition, we must accept it as much as possible and solidify our internal foundation so we aren’t consumed by it.
That was her apology on behalf of her older brother, who, seduced by the demons, had turned Bydantis into a sea of blood and made the lives of the territory inhabitants harsh.
That was Clarentia Bydantis’s current way of thinking.
She had no sense of injustice about apologizing for something she hadn’t committed.
‘Because that is the Marquis’s seat.’
It was a position that took upon itself the blood and sins of Bydantis.
It wasn’t very comfortable, but Clarentia could endure it.
Her strong body and hardened mind allowed her to endure.
Anyway, to achieve that…!
‘I have no choice but to import as many useful things as possible.’
Clarentia lightly clenched her small hand—too small to be called one that holds a sword—and burned with enthusiasm.
“…”
Lion glanced at her appearance, then looked back at the pigment.
‘Does she covet it that much?’
He didn’t know why, but she had been staring intently at this bottle of pigment for a while, burning with fighting spirit.
Even though it was still an unfinished product!
‘Well, I can understand that.’
Though it was still incomplete, once finished, wouldn’t it become a useful substance applicable in quite a number of places?
To put it simply, as Andre had mentioned, it could go into the garments of nobles who prefer to stand out.
“Then, I’ll take one bottle and research it for now.”
“If you would do that for me, I would be more than grateful! You may even take the whole batch, not just one bottle!”
“Hahaha. One bottle will suffice. I also have to stop by the smithy, you see.”
“The smithy, you say? In that case, I shall personally deliver the clothes you commissioned to the mansion! Along with the ones Marquis Bydantis wore!”
“Would you do that?”
Actually, he had wanted to take them himself if possible, but a customer happened to appear.
And a customer who had come ‘ready to buy’ at that, one he would regret letting slip away.
No matter how much Lion enjoyed the life of an unemployed shut-in at the mansion, he wasn’t the type to refuse a customer who came rolling in with a golden opportunity.
‘Besides, if it’s Marquis Bydantis…’
Wasn’t she a pretty neat person herself? Friendly, too.
That’s why she was just right for Rickshel.
Lion quickly suppressed the thought that had popped into his head, put the bottle of pigment into his bag, and left ‘Boutique Andre.’
“Have you cooled down a bit?”
“Much better.”
He didn’t really know why a Sword Master had been sweating so much, but Marquis Bydantis was a person with many circumstances.
To the point where he could simply accept whatever change of heart she went through.
“Then next is…”
“The pigment.”
“Huh?”
“Sell it to me when you complete it. I will pay a good price.”
“…”
Lion was at a loss for words.
For one, Marquis Bydantis was convinced.
Convinced that he would complete the pigment.
‘And before she leaves, at that…’
Of course, it wasn’t that he couldn’t do it.
‘Didn’t she lack this level of faith in me before?’
If he had to pinpoint it, he felt she used to rate his inner qualities more generously than his outward ones.
Even so.
‘She must have heard about me.’
No matter how much it was surrounded by mountains and how much the family had once stumbled, Bydantis was still a Marquis’s house and lived up to its name as the Sword Mastery Family.
“Excuse me, Marquis. This might be presumptuous of me, but.”
“Speak.”
“How much do you know about me?”
“Hmm.”
Marquis Bydantis, unable to answer Lion’s question, stared into the distance.
“What is that place over there?”
“It’s an ordinary shop. Please don’t dodge the question.”
“…”
It appeared the Marquis had no intention of answering this question.
“Then, how much do ordinary nobles know about me?”
“They don’t know. Even if they did, their information network would be worse than the Archbishop or the Second Prince.”
“…”
This meant that rumors had not yet spread among the ordinary nobles, and that the two people Marquis Bydantis mentioned knew to some extent.
‘Considering the extent of what the Second Prince knows…’
Hmm, he knows most things, except for the most crucial ones.
And Marquis Bydantis also knew that they were gathering information about me.
That was something I had expected to some extent, but.
An unexpected figure had surfaced.
The Archbishop, of all people.
‘You really can’t judge a person by their appearance.’
He looked so merciful and kind, yet here he was digging for information just as much as the Second Prince.
“If you were this competent, I really should have paid a fortune to make you stay in the Bydantis territory back then.”
The Marquis sighed pointedly and shook her head.
…Judging by the fact that she could now make such expressions, he thought she had become a lot better, but seeing that look in her eyes, her desire to take him away even now seemed unchanged.
“How fortunate I am to be in my family’s embrace. Haha. Ha… Now, now, let’s be off.”
“What is the next destination?”
“The smithy. I have a friend whose hometown is Bydantis.”
“So it’s the one who made the dagger for you.”
“That’s right.”
Fortunately, thanks to Marquis Bydantis’s somewhat unkind consideration and Lion’s desperate evasiveness, the conversation quickly came to an end.
“What is that magic tool?”
“It’s a device that automatically creates a canopy when it rains.”
“Can it be used in the snow too?”
“I heard it was sturdily built to withstand loads. If you need it, I will contact the Magic Tower.”
The rest of the walk was filled with these kinds of trivial conversations.
The Marquis asked about things she thought would be good to apply to the Bydantis territory as originally planned, and Lion steadily answered, racking up achievements that weren’t exactly achievements.
After walking around the village once and going a little further, the destination naturally came into view in the distance.
Along with hazy smoke, the sound of hammering on iron—Clang! Claaang!—rang out.
Even just getting close, there was intense heat!
“Oh? Isn’t that the young master!”
At that moment, a worker sorting finished farming tools spotted Lion and came running at full speed.
“Oh, and the person next to you is…”
He glanced warily at Marquis Bydantis standing next to him.
She radiated an elegance that clearly did not belong to a commoner.
An unreadable expressionless face and an upright posture.
And the sword at her waist was clearly a magnificent masterwork, judging just from the scabbard and handle.
Moreover…
‘If it’s someone the young master is accompanying…’
From his past experiences, the young master never brought an ordinary person along.
Hadn’t he been accompanied by a Bear Beastfolk just a few days ago?
And that one was incredibly strong, too.
‘Better play it safe.’
The worker quickly finished his judgment and bowed deeply.
“By the way, where is Mudu?”
“Ah, the boss seems to be coming in a little late today.”
“Did something happen?”
“No, well… the two little rascals stole his hammer so their dad wouldn’t go to work.”
“What? Hahaha.”
As they grew older, Golden Branch and Jade Leaf were becoming more and more bold in their actions.
It was only natural for young kids to grow up as troublemakers like that, but…
Since he had good news to deliver today, he supposed he would have to interrupt their cozy family time a bit.
“I apologize, but could you call him for me now? There is something important to discuss.”
“Yes! I will go and bring him!”
“Then, I will look around a bit in the meantime. This person here is quite knowledgeable about swords.”
“Yes!”
Just as the worker was about to run out at Lion’s request.
“Huff, huff! There’s no need for that!”
From far away, Mudu was running over on his short legs, panting heavily.
Fortunately, it seemed he had gotten his hammer back from Golden Branch and Jade Leaf, as he was holding it firmly in one hand.
…Judging by his appearance covered in dust everywhere, though, it looked like he had paid the price for a short but intense playtime.