Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 244
Freyania worried about Elvia and grew as rigid as a statue.
“Hoo.”
Priest Licht arrived at the front of the Asteri Mansion with only the barest luggage.
‘This is my first time coming directly to the mansion…’
He had never dreamed that the Archbishop, of all people, would send him here.
What was more, the mission he was tasked with was the sort even ordinary priests could easily handle.
Licht recalled his conversation with the Archbishop a few days before.
“Licht. I shall give you a new mission.”
“Yes, Archbishop.”
He had predicted that, now that the Sanctuary was reasonably stable, new assignments would start coming his way.
And, to be a little greedy, he had also wanted to take charge of some ‘certain matter’ of the Archbishop’s that even he didn’t know about.
However…
“Go to the Asteri Mansion.”
“The Asteri Mansion, you say…?”
Licht tensed for a moment.
Wasn’t that where his benefactor… no, where Lord Lion resided?
Could it be that he was being sent to recruit Lord Lion into the Temple?
The Temple would naturally prefer to send someone familiar over a stranger.
‘Of course, if Lord Lion were to come…’
For the Temple, it would be an ideal state of affairs.
It would mean that God’s Messenger and Benefactor had personally come to watch over them.
And for Licht, who personally held considerable goodwill toward Lion, it would be a welcome thing.
However…
‘Lord Lion likes being with his family…’
If, as he suspected, his real mission was to recruit Lord Lion, what was he supposed to do?
The worry came unbidden.
And… he didn’t want to do it either.
Sensing Licht’s inner conflict, the Archbishop smiled wordlessly.
“You seem worried.”
“I’m sorry. For the sake of the Temple, I should not be…”
“Haha. Licht.”
The Archbishop reached out and gently patted Licht’s shoulder.
“You are already thinking such thoughts, and I am truly proud of you. However, you need not be so burdened just yet.”
After all, hardship and difficulty were things you faced once you were fully grown.
Gazing at the conflicted Licht with warm eyes, the Archbishop continued.
“Of course, I cannot deny that you will have to take up such a task someday, but that day is not now.”
“But…”
“Haha. If that’s not it, then do you perhaps wish to bring young Lion here yourself?”
At that playful question, Licht’s face flushed crimson.
As a priest, it would be only right to think he should bring Lord Lion to the Temple.
…Honestly, though, he simply didn’t want to.
The Archbishop, who had been observing all of Licht’s poorly concealed reactions, stifled a wry smile and, in a level tone, got to the point.
“Regrettably, this time that is not your mission.”
His tone now was not the one he used as though speaking to his own child; it was the official voice of the Archbishop, carrying his full authority.
“Signs of chaotic times are appearing, and I have decided to cooperate with Marquis Asteri.”
“…! Chaotic times, you say.”
“Nothing has yet occurred, so worry not. Nevertheless, the situation requires swift and accurate communication. That is why I am sending you.”
“Then I am to serve as that channel of communication.”
As soon as the phrase “chaotic times” was spoken, Licht regained his composure.
Had he not been educated until the lesson was engraved in his very marrow, all while living as a priest, about how dangerous chaotic times were and what consequences they wrought?
The role of a priest was to protect the faithful.
And one more thing.
To erase the signs of chaotic times.
‘If it’s a matter of cooperating with Marquis Asteri…’
These signs of chaotic times were likely connected to the Great Barrier, or perhaps to the demons.
“Thus, you are to enter the Asteri Mansion itself, organize the Marquis’s information, and relay it to me.”
Having finished the main business, the Archbishop once again broke into a gentle, amiable smile and added,
“In your remaining free time, you may spend it with your friend.”
“A-Archbishop…!”
“Haha. After all, a report takes but a moment. Since I have been asleep until now, you have had no proper leisure. Take this chance to enjoy yourself to the fullest. And when you report, tell me those stories as well.”
Saying he was just as curious about those stories as he was about the information on the chaotic times, the Archbishop patted his shoulder a few more times and then was the first to depart.
“…He still regards me as a child.”
Finished with his reminiscence, Licht suppressed his face, which threatened to flush for no reason.
Though the Archbishop had spoken generously, his mission was, in the end, to organize and convey the information about the ‘chaotic times’ without contamination.
And…
Licht fixed his gaze on the majestic main gate of the Asteri Mansion.
From here onward was a place where the Temple’s power did not reach in the slightest.
‘It’s different from Lord Lion’s coming-of-age ceremony.’
Back then, at least other priests had been with him, but from now on, he would have to endure this place alone.
Though there was a warm person such as Lord Lion…
‘This is a place where one cannot simply hope for warmth.’
In fact, it was common knowledge that even children knew: mages and clergy were fundamentally incompatible.
“…”
In truth, that aspect… was fine.
If he was to be hated, then that was unavoidable.
He only hoped it would not interfere with his work, but that was not something he could control.
‘First, let’s enter.’
Having steeled his resolve, Licht slowly entered the mansion.
Perhaps because word had been passed on beforehand to the guards, no one stopped him.
Rather—
Clack.
They gave a perfectly synchronized salute, as if welcoming a guest.
“May His blessings be with you.”
Licht also gave them a blessing, fulfilling his duty as a priest.
“We have been waiting for you, Priest Licht.”
He flinched.
Licht was a little startled by the voice that came from behind him.
It wasn’t because the voice was unfamiliar.
‘…Someone was there?’
It felt strange to say this of himself, but Licht’s senses were quite acute.
In fact, there had even been times he trained with the Temple Knight Order thanks to that.
That he of all people had failed to notice… meant she had to be someone of considerable skill, did it not?
Maintaining his composure, Licht slowly turned around.
And the figure before him…
“…”
Was a far more ordinary maid than he had imagined.
No, outwardly she was far from ordinary.
Her jet-black hair and red eyes were so bewitching they seemed to draw the gaze regardless of gender, and her smiling lips looked endlessly kind.
But why was it?
Why… did he get the feeling he was missing something?
“I am Elvia, and I will assist with your guidance, Lord Licht.”
“…Ah. Well met. I am Priest Licht. I shall be in your care here at the Asteri Mansion from today onward.”
Belatedly, Licht offered his blessing.
“Yes. I have heard a great deal about you from Young Master Lion.”
“Lord Lion?”
“Serving him is also among my duties.”
“Ahh.”
Licht nodded.
So she must be Lord Lion’s personal maid.
As a maid who served the eldest son of House Asteri, she was undoubtedly a person of considerable skill.
Perhaps she had learned magic, or some other martial art.
Setting aside his suspicions, Licht smiled again.
“Is Lord Lion faring well?”
“Hmm.”
Elvia smiled a cryptic smile.
“He is the same as ever, in many senses. He is currently convalescing in the recovery room. I expect it will be about a week before you are able to meet him.”
“He truly is the same as ever.”
He felt as though he knew without being told the details.
Something akin to the Sanctuary must have certainly occurred.
He was worried, but since blessings never departed from Lord Lion’s side, he could not be in great danger.
“Indeed. Please, follow me this way.”
As Elvia guided Licht to the room farthest from the recovery room, she explained a few precautions to him.
1. If you happen to go out at night and hear any sound or see any object, ignore it.
2. Even if you sense a strange aura inside the mansion, it is best not to pay attention to it.
3. Even if you occasionally hear loud booms in the mansion, unless a servant instructs you otherwise, there is no need to evacuate. The guest room is the safest location.
They were the sort of instructions that might make anyone’s skin crawl with a sense of danger, but Licht simply nodded.
They were things that were entirely plausible in the Asteri Mansion, a renowned magical house.
…And probably, from the first warning to the last, they were all things caused by Lord Lion’s own actions.
‘The other servants must somehow smooth things over during the day.’
“You seem to have your hands full.”
“Our hands full, you say…”
After even helping him settle in, Elvia chuckled softly. ‘Heh heh.’
“On the contrary, that is what makes life worth living.”
It was a tone as though life in one’s twilight years had become worthwhile thanks to a grandchild’s antics.
“I have talked too long. Then, please rest well until the Family Head contacts you.”
With a final request to make sure he remembered the ‘precautions,’ Elvia left the room.
Now alone, Licht sat on the edge of the bed and went over the warnings again.
In truth, since he hadn’t come to extract information from the Asteri Mansion, there was nothing he particularly needed to worry about.
And this was the very ‘Asteri Mansion’ that had suffered no casualties even during the Labyrinth Incident.
So it seemed he especially need not trouble himself over the third warning.
And indeed, daily life at the Asteri Mansion flowed along uneventfully.
No sounds were heard, and no strange auras were felt.
Even walking around late at night was safe.
Rather, there were many places where the lights stayed on even at night, enough to lend a new charm.
And so, on precisely the third day—
BOOM!
An immense noise resounded, and exactly only a few minutes later—
BOOOOOM!!
—a still louder explosion rang out, one impossible to ignore.
At the same time,
“U-Um, Priest.”
A servant hurried in and called to Licht in a breathless voice.
“I apologize, but it seems you must evacuate.”
“…Pardon?”
* * *
Just as everyone had foreseen, the cause of this commotion was Lion.
To add a word in his defense, this commotion had been announced to a certain degree beforehand.
The reason for it was precisely…
-Hssss. This is harder than I thought.
…that from some day onward, Tiamatrak’s energy had not subsided in the slightest.
When he thought about it, it was strange.
Lion wore the Ability Blocking Pendant at all times, so how was her energy leaking out?
To attribute it simply to being a dragon’s energy seemed a little odd.
If that were the case, wouldn’t it have leaked out when he was under God’s Gaze as well?
From that day on, Lion began a number of experiments and soon arrived at a conclusion.
‘It’s because of Tiamatrak’s soul.’
Or, to be more precise, the Ability Blocking Accessory set did not reach as far as Tiamatrak’s soul.
In other words, it wasn’t a problem of circles, but a problem of the soul itself!
Upon realizing this fact, Tiamatrak and Lion began training from that moment on to reduce the presence of the soul.
“Let’s try one more time.”
-Nnnggh…
The first method was to change Tiamatrak’s form into something smaller.
To polymorph into a younger human form, or perhaps back into the days when she was a hatchling.
The problem was…
BOOM!
-Aack!
…that perhaps because she had been in human form for so very long, polymorph was far from easy.
Moreover, even though she was a soul, the repercussions manifested directly in reality, and so…
“Cough, cough.”
…it reached a point where, as now, a tremendous noise was accompanied by walls collapsing.
Of course, a chunk of Lion’s mana was drained as well.
Covered in dust, Lion crossed his arms and looked at Tiamatrak.
“This isn’t going to work.”
He needed a suitable tool to help her.