Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 232
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 232
As Lion had expected, the person who called him was indeed Elvia.
‘But the atmosphere…’
It was a little different from usual.
And she’d come all the way deep into Mudu’s smithy—the smithy that had just held Lion and Sonkkeut—in person?
‘Why now?’
Of course, it wasn’t that Elvia never visited the village.
If anything, she went out more often than the other servants.
She would go to place orders for the items the mansion needed, and on top of that, she was the one who managed the family’s finances.
“What brings you all the way here?”
“I happened to spot you, Young Master, so I followed. But…”
Elvia looked at the accessory and smiled more deeply than usual, slowly clapping her hands.
“You’ve truly created an extraordinary piece.”
“Yeah…”
“You’re remarkable.”
“…”
Clap. Clap. Clap…
The sound of clapping echoed faintly through the smithy.
…Was that praise right now?
Everything about the situation made it sound like praise.
But how should I put it.
It was terribly awkward.
It was as if someone who had never once offered praise in her life was forcing it out.
“Are you being sincere?”
“I am sincere.”
‘Aha.’
Only then did Lion realise what Elvia’s unnatural behaviour was about.
Elvia was feeling sorry!
She was sorry about having reported to Grandfather that he’d got drunk and passed out while injured.
What was more, Lion’s expression had been bad as well, which wasn’t like him.
‘She fell for that act…!’
He didn’t know about Rickshel, but he hadn’t expected Elvia to be fooled.
Anyway, it looked as though she’d come forward to try to comfort a thoroughly dispirited Lion somehow, but…
“Elvia.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“It’s a fine sight to see you overcome the trials set before you as well.”
Lion went on saying again and again that he was fine, but Elvia merely answered, “You’re remarkable.”
‘Ssseup, if that’s how it is…’
Lion changed his thinking.
Instead of persuading Elvia, he decided it would be better just to go along with her.
‘Right. I’ll use this chance to let Elvia take a break too.’
Even if she’d taken a Mental Fatigue Recovery Potion, she needed to rest now and then.
Whether she was an archmage or a witch.
‘When I tag along on the next business trip, I’ll make Grandfather rest too.’
Anyone would collapse from overwork eventually, wouldn’t they?
Lion nodded to himself, then looked over at Sonkkeut.
Sonkkeut, who had apparently already sized up the situation, spoke awkwardly.
“Ohoho, it seems my role ends here. Young Master, I shall go and spend some father-son time with my son.”
With that, he slipped out of the smithy ahead of Lion and vanished, and soon an unexpected joint outing with Elvia began.
* * *
In truth, even though a joint outing had begun, it didn’t change Lion’s schedule.
Elvia simply followed behind Lion, and whenever their eyes met, she offered that characteristically dry, flat praise.
Most likely, she intended to wait until Lion had finished his work.
“Please leave the clean-up behind you to me.”
“Right. I’ll count on you.”
Thanks to that, Lion was able to handle everything he’d planned.
It took less time than he’d thought.
The sun was still high, and the days were long.
‘And all that’s left.’
Is Elvia.
Clearly some plan was in motion, but…
For now, Lion pretended not to notice and started walking home.
And, as he’d expected, Elvia spoke up.
“Walking like this brings back memories of His Grace, the family head.”
“Huh?”
Of course, the content was something he hadn’t expected in the slightest.
“Memories of Grandfather?”
“Yes. There was a time when I walked together with His Grace like this as well.”
“When was that?”
“Hmm…”
Elvia brought her finger to her chin, considered for a moment, then answered.
“I don’t remember his exact age, but I believe it was when His Grace was on the verge of becoming a 4th Circle Master. He would frequently have practice bouts with me, you see.”
With Elvia?
This is the first I’ve heard of it.
“His Grace was terribly thirsty for achievement at the time. It’s strange, isn’t it? Even that was an extraordinary achievement for an ordinary human, and yet he was so obsessed.”
“Right.”
Looking at it from that perspective, it was strange.
As everyone in the Empire knew, Grandfather’s talent was tremendous.
He had set foot in the distant realm beyond the human category of the 8th Circle—was there really any need for further explanation?
“Everyone considered him remarkable, but the former Family Head did not think so.”
“By the former Family Head, you mean.”
“The father of our current family head.”
Elvia’s voice as she told stories of Grandfather’s youth was tranquil.
Perhaps because of that, Lion found himself naturally drawn into the tale.
In contrast to that tranquil voice, the former Family Head—
that is, Petrick’s father—was a rather vicious man.
He was someone whose magical accomplishments were so lacking that he was suspected of being from a branch line among the Asteri.
Nevertheless, he had managed to rise to the position of family head, and he had lived his whole life alongside that insecurity.
Perhaps because of that, the former Family Head was extremely cruel to Grandfather in many ways, they said.
In word, and in deed.
The fortunate thing was that Grandfather wasn’t the sort of person to be disheartened or frightened by something like that.
“In contrast, Her Ladyship was an extraordinarily good person. Even after she came to know my true nature, she always treated me kindly. Thanks to that, I learned a great deal.”
Living in the mansion as a servant was akin to learning things one by one as she lived.
But the fact that she was able to live among people in the mansion at all owed much to the former Marchioness.
“One day…”
Elvia smiled and began the story she had most wanted to tell.
It was an ordinary day back then as well, when she had cleanly beaten Petrick, who had challenged her to a spar, and was bringing the ragged little brat back home.
“Sister. When will I become as strong as you?”
But perhaps because of that day, Petrick’s voice was noticeably dispirited.
Elvia noticed the change, but she didn’t quite know how to offer comfort.
She had never been taught, nor had she ever heard of it.
So she simply explained the facts.
“Even now, your skill is more than exceptional.”
“With just this, it’s not enough.”
Little Petrick was under pressure.
He wouldn’t be acknowledged like this.
Only by getting stronger and striving even harder would he barely meet the standard.
Then, would that mean he was unworthy as a member of House Asteri?
Well, it seemed he’d even been thinking along those lines.
“Grandfather really went through a lot.”
“Yes. His hardship was not trifling. Not until the Marchioness found out, that is.”
One day.
House Asteri was turned upside down.
By the Marchioness, who was renowned for her benevolence.
“She took the young family head with her and simply left home.”
The Marchioness had fled, taking their only child with her!
It was an incident that threw not only the mansion but the entire Empire into upheaval.
As a matter of course, the Marquis ordered Elvia to bring the two back, and Elvia arrived at their hiding place at once.
And there, she was able to see it.
In a quiet, empty villa, the Marchioness had lit a campfire out of magic books, and she was holding weeping little Petrick tightly, stroking his hair.
“It’s all right, my child. You have done so very well until now. So if it becomes too hard, you must tell your mother. Do you understand?”
And then she even mercilessly tore up the remaining magic books and burned them as kindling.
“Was it an enjoyable story?”
“Wow…”
Lion was impressed by Elvia’s story.
The former Family Head turned out to be a worse figure than he’d thought, but the Marchioness—
in other words, his great-grandmother—had been a person of truly tremendous character.
As he was thinking that, something touched the top of his head.
A clumsy touch stroked his hair a few times, then fell away.
The touch was so awkward that every strand of his hair was standing in the opposite direction.
“It is awkward.”
“It really is.”
Elvia’s expression didn’t change at all even at Lion’s agreeing tone.
But the emotion behind it was more or less conveyed.
“At any rate, I cannot follow her example, but I wished to offer you comfort and praise, Young Master. And… I imagine the others feel the same way.”
Elvia withdrew her hand.
“So, Young Master, instead of holding it all inside alone, why not share some of it with the two of them.”
This was probably about the matter that Lion was still hiding because he lacked certainty.
Lion didn’t answer straight away.
He had never imagined that Elvia, of all people, would say something like this.
‘How should I put this.’
It felt as though someone who had spent her whole life maintaining boundaries had gathered the courage to step one pace closer.
The boundary of family, that is.
It was a distinctly strange feeling.
“It must not be an easy matter to speak of. At least, I can understand that.”
Because I am a witch by nature, and someone who has spent her whole life pretending to be human.
“Ah, and also.”
Elvia smoothly took an old box out of her apron pocket.
“I offer this by way of atonement for having informed His Grace.”
“…This is?”
A brush.
[Witch’s Brush (for Children)]
- A brush that one Witch cherished for a long time.
- It can materialize anything, so long as it is not a living creature. Provided you have mana, that is!
- Of course, it can also be used simply to draw pictures!
- It is now modified as ‘for children’. Many functions are restricted.
- At present, it cannot manifest anything larger than the palm of a hand.
“It is a magical tool I made as a pastime. Heh heh. Seeing as you seem to have developed a taste for drawing, Young Master.”
She made a tool of this calibre as a pastime?
Truly, a witch’s power was immense.
“Thanks.”
Lion accepted the gift without refusal and put it away.
‘I’ll try it out once I’m back from the Imperial Palace.’
He very much wanted to use it right then and there, but it seemed better to take his time and examine every little detail of the brush in comfort.
‘Materialization… that was only possible in the Sanctuary before.’
Seeing something he’d assembled and made himself take on colour and soar up was truly fantastic.
Anyway, he would have to examine it properly later.
“Now let’s head back.”
“Yes. I shall escort you.”
* * *
Time passed, and the day that the Emperor… no, the Second Prince had invited them arrived.
“You’ve packed everything, haven’t you?”
“The preparations must go off without a hitch.”
The servants of each family loaded the carriages with utterly serious expressions, checking again and again as they readied everything.
To the servants, it was a moment of the greatest importance.
‘We absolutely cannot give them any grounds to find fault.’
‘I heard those Imperial lot are incredibly prickly…!’
Rumours about the Imperial Court were rampant even among the servants.
They heard that they acted magnanimously outwardly but the moment they found a single flaw, they gleefully tore into you, or something like that.
In any case, only after a few more rounds of checking did the servants quickly step back from the carriages and line up in formation.
“Then please travel safely.”
Clap!
The servants bowed their heads toward the carriages in salute.
And at that moment, the carriage wheels began to turn.
Lion lowered the carriage window and waved his hand.
“Hahaha. Well, I’ll be off, then.”
The destination was
the Imperial Palace.
The weather was clear. And probably, there would be no incidents arising from this visit.
Because the Second Prince would be watching with his eyes ablaze.
‘…Well, maybe I’ll at least get to see his face?’