Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 253
Lion ignored the hiccups that kept bursting out at odds with the mood and explained everything that had happened.
“Ah. You mean because of your alchemy experiment?”
He couldn’t relay the exact truth, of course.
If he did, no matter how friendly Licht was, he’d undoubtedly haul him straight to the temple.
‘No, even before that, Grandfather would…’
He hadn’t even mentioned the story mode, and now a penalty on top of that?
Sigh. Anyway, it was out of the question.
“Yes. That is how it turned out. Ha, haha…”
“By my brother’s calculations, three more nights should see him restored to normal.”
“…That is a true relief. You have endured much hardship.”
But why had they hidden such a matter from him?
Licht didn’t voice the question he’d prepared.
No, it was more accurate to say he couldn’t.
‘I wouldn’t have, either.’
If he’d had no information about Lord Lion at all, he would certainly have brought him to the temple for close examination.
Actually, even now, taking him to the temple would be the proper course rather than overlooking it.
‘As a priest,’ that was so.
Yet Licht simply chose to pretend he knew nothing and move on.
‘If the Archbishop found out, she would never stay quiet…’
Even if the Archbishop did not, the other priests would not let Lord Lion be.
They’d been careful to keep it quiet, but a few senior priests had already started to gather fragments of information about the ‘God’s Messenger.’
At least those who’d been in that conference room had mostly pieced it together.
It was only because the Archbishop currently said nothing and House Asteri was doing its utmost to protect Lord Lion that they kept their mouths shut.
‘If he were brought into the temple…’
Well, it would likely create a considerable uproar.
‘That cannot happen.’
What mattered most was Lord Lion’s will.
It wasn’t a problem solved by locking someone up by force.
Although his discernment wasn’t as broad as the Archbishop’s, he could gauge at least that much.
While Licht was thinking this, Lion stroked Pooch and asked,
“But what business brought you to me?”
He’d come all this way looking for him, so he must have had something to discuss.
“…Ah, that is.”
Licht couldn’t answer right away and hemmed and hawed.
“…”
This was the first time Licht had been so hesitant to speak.
Normally, even when troubled, he didn’t seem to flounder like that.
“L-let us hide this!”
“…I beg your pardon?”
“Fortunately, I alone glimpsed your identity, Benefactor. So it can be sufficiently concealed.”
Back when his identity had been uncovered in the sanctuary, hadn’t Licht made up his mind right away?
‘Did the Archbishop put him up to something?’
That was probably the only reason someone as untainted-by-the-world as Licht would flounder.
Just as Lion’s eyes were beginning to narrow perceptibly,
“In truth… I came searching because I found Lord Rickshel suspicious.”
“My brother?”
At the unexpected answer, Lion set down Pooch and darted in front of Rickshel as if shielding him.
“Yes. But judging from the current situation, it seems I was mistaken.”
With an expression of deep remorse, Licht apologized toward the younger brother.
“I am sorry. The moment you arrived, Lord Rickshel, access restrictions were imposed, and I made a grave misjudgment.”
“…”
Looking at the priest apologizing to him, Rickshel laughed inwardly.
He was plainly still wary of him.
To be more precise, he suspected Rickshel wouldn’t properly serve his own brother.
‘Ridiculous.’
To them, he might be nothing but a symbolic piece, but to me, he was my one and only brother.
Frankly, it was unpleasant.
But it wasn’t purely a bad feeling.
“It’s all right.”
This made it a little clearer.
That priest was not someone who would harm his brother.
‘I wondered if he might change suddenly once the Archbishop woke, but no.’
And there was one more fact he could confirm.
‘Even he doesn’t seem to know what the Archbishop is plotting.’
That settled it.
What mattered now was that he showed no intention of touching his brother for the time being.
His thoughts concluded, Rickshel responded slowly to Licht’s apology.
“I think it entirely possible you would think so.”
At his mature, dignified response, Lion lifted his chin and his eyes sparkled.
‘He was misunderstood and still he can be this grown-up…!’
In any case, when it came to being dependable, no one could compare.
“However, that doesn’t seem to be the only reason.”
“…You’re right. You’re sharp.”
“I wish to hear the reason. For the time being, I am my brother’s guardian, so I need to hear the answer.”
That’s it. Well done.
‘Even if they use me as the reason, I have to know.’
When Lion nodded in agreement with Rickshel’s words, Licht finally spoke.
“In truth, it is because of a ‘dream.’”
“By dream, do you mean a prophetic dream?”
“Yes. That’s so.”
“Did it contain something about my brother being in danger?”
“That… I do not know.”
“What do you mean?”
Rickshel frowned slightly, as if it didn’t make sense.
“I cannot remember.”
“…Is that possible for a priest?”
Lion, who had been listening quietly, asked the question.
Unlike ordinary people, priests did not dream.
But the prophetic dreams they sometimes had were so vivid they remained forever in memory.
He forgot it?
If the temple knew of this, it was a transgression worthy of the Hall of Penance.
“That’s just it…”
Licht’s face reddened, as if deeply embarrassed by Lion’s point.
“So I sought to meet Lord Lion as one grasping at straws.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Since you are, after all, the person in this mansion most closely connected to ‘That Person.’”
Perhaps you are even more linked to That Person than the Archbishop.
Licht thought it to himself but didn’t bother to voice it.
“Umm… I see.”
Lion folded his short arms and sank into thought.
In truth, it was closer to him being in a tight spot.
‘Normally, that would be correct, but…’
Since he was under the gaze of Anyatras as well, he was indeed in the position closest to ‘God’ in the Archmage family.
But wasn’t the situation a bit different now?
[Due to the penalty, you cannot use any abilities.]
[Growth is restricted.]
Far from divine attention, he couldn’t even use the abilities he had.
‘No, is the penalty actually a good thing?’
What if, just by chance, Licht recovered the memory of his prophetic dream right next to him?
Wouldn’t even Licht, so well-disposed toward him, be furious?
‘Even though he turned a blind eye to this incident by chalking it up to alchemy…’
You can only fool yourself so many times.
“Though I’m not sure I’ll be of help in this state. If I were my usual self, I’d have found a way.”
“Ah, that’s all right. Recovering the dream is entirely my task.”
“Then perhaps the temple…”
Just as Lion was about to gently steer Licht,
“If it’s acceptable, would you allow me to stay by your side for a while?”
“…”
So this was how it turned out.
Realistically, it had been decided the moment Licht came looking for him.
“As long as you don’t trouble my brother, I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”
Surprisingly, it was Rickshel who voiced his consent first.
‘It is true that priest troubles my brother.’
Moreover, there was a high chance that priest might uncover whatever my brother is hiding.
But—
‘Children often get sick.’
And his brother fell sick even more often.
It seemed to bear no great connection to the past now, but such contingencies always existed.
‘Having someone with excellent holy power around would ease my worry a little.’
It would at least buy time until Lord Hoffman arrived from the Magic Tower.
‘For that…’
First, I have to persuade my brother.
The moment that thought formed,
“Shall we do that?”
Lion readily agreed.
“…”
Rickshel’s expression subtly stiffened.
It was what he’d intended, of course, but wasn’t he agreeing much too easily?
‘No, Rickshel. If it’s already happened, use him to your advantage.’
That was a lesson from his past heir lessons.
Set aside personal feelings. Make only the choice that benefits your brother.
And above all,
it would help with what needed to be done now.
“Thank you. Ah, speaking of which, I interrupted what you were doing when I arrived.”
“It’s all right. We were in a lull anyway.”
“What do you mean by what you were doing?”
“…”
At those words, Lion slid his gaze away.
“It’s nothing major. We were preparing my brother’s bath, but he refused.”
“No…”
Lion immediately launched into a litany of excuse.
The gist of his chattering explanations was this.
He had some pride at his age—how could he ask his younger brother to bathe him?
-Man, you sure talk a lot.
-What does it matter! Your body is a kid’s!
Quiet! This is important to me.
“Hoo… and we even prepared rubber duck toys that float on the water, but.”
“Dear me.”
Licht grasped the situation and immediately chimed in.
“It must be due to my inadequate preparation.”
Lion pouted.
You know what really got to him?
The fact that he actually found the floating duck toys intriguing!
‘Ah, but even so, absolutely not!’
Was a penalty the real penalty?
This was the real penalty.
“…”
Seeing Lion maintain a stony silence, Rickshel sighed lightly to himself.
As expected, that didn’t work.
In that case…
Nod.
Rickshel glanced at Licht and gave a signal.
It meant to agree unconditionally to whatever he said next.
“Brother. Then how about the hot spring in the Mimir Forest?”
“The hot spring?”
Licht, who had received the signal, asked quickly.
It was a little awkward, but passably natural.
“Ah, you must not know. The Mimir Forest has a hot spring that my brother personally created.”
“My word. You made it yourself?”
“Yes. Even when I was injured, I was cleanly healed after bathing there.”
“Ohh, how remarkable. I’m quite curious!”
As the two heaped praise upon the Mimir Forest for a while, the corner of Lion’s mouth twitched faintly.
‘Success?’
Just as that thought crossed both their minds,
“…I’m sorry to interrupt your lively chat.”
The atmosphere chilled.
“You two don’t actually believe I’ve become a real baby, do you?”
“…”
He wanted to say you had become a real baby, but he kept his mouth shut.
He’d learned something while secretly volunteering at an orphanage: even the smallest child would get properly angry if you crossed a certain line.
More than that?
They would seriously sulk.
“Hoo.”
Lion sighed and put his hands on his hips.
“Just this once. And you, Rickshel. This is the last time I let you off, too.”
Either way, he had to wash.
Moreover, Licht’s priest robes had gotten grimy enough from rolling around everywhere.
It wasn’t intentional, but since he’d ended up like that, it couldn’t be helped.
…It was absolutely not because the hot spring praise had put him in a good mood.
“I’ll keep it in mind, Brother. Shall we go, then?”
Rickshel barely suppressed a laugh and replied in a grave voice as he accompanied Lion toward the Mimir Forest.
‘…Still, a hot spring with healing properties.’
Licht followed behind them and tilted his head.
So it wasn’t just boasting…
‘Then, isn’t that water holy water?’