Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 255
“Yes.”
Lion answered Licht’s sharp question lightly.
‘I don’t want to deceive a good person.’
But this was a situation where he had no choice but to say it happened because of the “potion.”
And Licht, right now, was clearly…
‘Speaking as though he knows something.’
The one consolation was that he didn’t seem to know every detail.
“Truly?”
“Truly.”
In that case, it was better to keep his words brief.
Don’t demand to know why he was asking, but don’t be too firm either.
Whatever he said, the interpretation of his answer would ultimately belong to Licht.
“…”
As expected, even after hearing the answer, Licht remained silent for a long while.
Lion didn’t deliberately disturb him. He sat beside the bed and patiently waited out that time.
“…I understand.”
“Was that answer sufficient?”
“Yes. It was.”
Licht smiled faintly and nodded.
He felt he had a rough sense of what Sir Lion wanted.
And what choice he himself ought to make had also become clear.
“Then I’m glad. I nearly sent word directly to the Temple, in case you didn’t wake today either.”
“Ha ha ha… It was my first time collapsing so suddenly as well. I’m sorry to have caused you worry.”
“Accidents always happen unexpectedly, after all.”
Just like me.
Lion shrugged lightly and rose from his seat.
Now that he was awake, he thought he should take his leave, and just as he did—
“Ah, would you wait just a moment?”
Licht sprang up from the bed and fetched an enormous bag that had been tossed to one side.
“It’s a gift. I meant to give it to you when we first met, but things turned out this way.”
—Holy Water, huh.
Before Lion could even ask about the gift, Tiamatrak glanced at the bag’s contents from the air and told him.
—But these days, can a priest just go around using Holy Water however he likes?
—I have a feeling it used to be, well, not permitted.
It was probably still the same even now.
“Is this something I’m allowed to accept?”
“Of course. Actually, I had originally planned to prepare less than this, but the Archbishop instructed me to give you more.”
“The Archbishop did?”
Then there was no problem accepting it.
‘Holy Water is always good to have.’
It was an item with high utility in many areas.
Especially at a time when rumors and traces of demons were surfacing here and there—all the more so.
‘Though, the Archbishop gave it personally.’
The gesture undoubtedly included some intent of “please take good care of Licht, whom I cherish like my youngest son,” but.
‘He seems quite curious after all.’
About whether I could use divine power.
Or perhaps about things like what kind of mechanism the power emanating from me ran on.
‘No matter how much he pays attention, he won’t find it.’
Truthfully, Lion himself only had a vague guess that it all came from purchasing the powers and talents of the characters he’d raised long ago.
And knowing it wouldn’t change anything.
Either way, right then Lion had absolutely no desire to use it to do something like being a Hero.
‘If anything, it only solidifies the thought that it’s just more brutal suffering.’
The end of the main character—the Hero—didn’t look very promising from what he’d seen.
He himself wasn’t the type to grind his body into dust for fame, either.
Lion absolutely! did not want to work.
Even learning about the main character now was merely to prevent the enormous snowball that would come rolling in later.
‘Anyway, I hope the Archbishop doesn’t get any strange misunderstandings.’
…or so he thought.
But Lion knew too that the misunderstanding the
Archbishop would soon arrive at was inevitable.
So all he could do was hope.
Please, at least don’t make it a huge misunderstanding!
Well, that was a matter for the future.
First.
“Thank you! I’ll put it to good use in my alchemy.”
When a gift comes in, you accept it.
Lion wrapped both arms around the bag and hugged it close.
It was quite heavy, probably because it was packed full of Holy Water inside the enormous bag.
“Well then, now that you’re awake, I’ll take my leave.”
Lion hoisted the huge bag and tottered out of the room.
Through the door that hadn’t fully closed yet, clamorous voices drifted in.
“Y-Young master. I’ll carry it!”
“Huh? No, it’s fine. My room is just a moment away.”
“E-Even so… wouldn’t climbing the stairs be difficult with your delicate arms and legs…?”
“…That’s not wrong.”
It was Varg, the one he’d managed to shake off a few days ago, now flustered and falling over himself.
The sound of them fussing and bickering continued a little longer, then gradually receded.
Varg had probably won.
“…Right.”
Licht slowly closed the door and murmured to himself.
He didn’t know whether hiding this was the right thing.
It felt like an injustice even toward the Archbishop, who was especially fond of him.
He felt a sense of guilt in his capacity as a priest as well.
He hadn’t yet fully recovered his dreams, but all the circumstances were insisting that the precognitive dreams were connected to Sir Lion.
However, from today onward,
Licht had resolved not to go digging around to confirm these precognitive dreams.
Because once the confirmation was done, he would certainly have to report it to everyone—contrary to Sir Lion’s own wishes.
* * *
The Archbishop received Licht’s report through the communication orb.
Truthfully, there was nothing you could call special intel.
The signs of turbulent times still needed further investigation, and the incident that had occurred at the Imperial Palace had been settled by the Temple handling it alone.
Furthermore…
—That is all. Report concluded.
“You have done well.”
Having heard the brief report, the Archbishop cut off his own thoughts.
In this situation, it was something there was no need to bring to mind.
“So. Have you been well?”
—Yes. You are also keeping in good health, aren’t you, Archbishop?
“Ho ho. Lately I’ve been so busy I barely have time to blink, but as you advised, I am also taking care of my health, so do not worry.”
At the voice that worried over him, the corners of the Archbishop’s lips curved into a soft arc.
His good-natured, kind impression grew even more pronounced.
‘I should exchange a little small talk.’
No matter how many things were going on around him, to the Archbishop, Licht was a particularly cherished son.
First of all, he was the youngest of the children he had personally taken in.
And more than anything, he was a child so upright it almost caused him concern.
To put it positively, he was kind.
To put it negatively, he lacked flexibility.
It was exactly like…
‘The former Archbishop.’
For a moment, the Archbishop called up a dear face whose voice he could no longer quite remember, then recovered his composure.
It was fine to linger in sentiment for a while.
But actually, the reason he had wanted to hear the regular report today was all for this “small talk.”
The things Licht must not know, and need not know.
All the things that child had unconsciously figured out.
The Archbishop’s eyes slowly grew calm.
“If anything, it must not be easy for you, adjusting outside the Temple… Are you unwell or uncomfortable in any way?”
—…Everyone treats me kindly. I haven’t been ill anywhere in particular either.
“I see.”
There was a brief pause in the reply.
Licht was not skilled at lying.
It was something the Archbishop himself had raised him to be.
“Ha ha. I almost worry that once your mission is over, you will decide you like it there and decide to stay put.”
—H-How could I ever do such a thing? I have already resolved to dedicate myself to the Temple and to Him.
“But compared to the Temple, which offers little amusement, that place has no shortage of rather stimulating things, does it not. Perhaps a romantic interest, perhaps?”
—Th-There’s no way that could happen! Nor should it even be allowed to!
“And what could possibly not be allowed?”
The Archbishop rattled on playfully, pretending to be an old meddler.
“As long as you don’t get caught, it is fine.”
—…
“I am no different.”
Licht was a clever child.
He had surely caught on to part of what the Archbishop was planning.
Though he probably didn’t know exactly what it was.
And so, the Archbishop deliberately let that topic slip first.
—Th-That is different, isn’t it.
“Different, you say?”
—Isn’t it all… in order to prevent the turbulent times?
“Ha ha ha. Turbulent times. Indeed.”
The Archbishop gently stroked the communication orb with his fingertips.
“Oh dear, I would have liked to talk more if possible, but it seems an urgent matter has come up, so I must go.”
—…! Yes. Don’t worry about matters on this end.
“Very well. Thank you.”
With that, the Archbishop ended the connection.
“Hmm.”
Something had clearly happened at the Asteri mansion.
More precisely, to Lion Asteri.
To that child.
The reason for that conjecture was clear.
Licht had deliberately excluded any mention of Lion Asteri, and had implicitly let slip that this matter was different from his own plans.
“It is indeed different.”
To prevent the turbulent times.
The question itself was off the mark.
But grasping this much was sufficient for now.
For himself, and for Licht.
Because clearer evidence could be sought on his side.
‘So young Lion is more astute than I thought.’
Therefore, direct pressure had to be avoided as much as possible.
“In any case, the time is drawing near.”
In turbulent times, a hero is born.
If only that can come to pass…
“Hm, at this rate I truly will be late.”
No matter how much he was an abandoned piece, one could not keep someone of the First Prince’s stature waiting.
The Archbishop rose to his feet.
* * *
Several days had already passed since Lion had grown younger.
Once he became an adult again, Lion checked his body, and fortunately was able to confirm that all his abilities had returned to normal.
He could also freely visit Mimir Forest and the Labyrinth, which had been off-limits for a while.
And so, as usual, Lion passed his days leisurely: tending the banana sweet potato field in Mimir Forest, watering the moonflower garden in the Labyrinth.
Beyond that, he never missed going on walks with Nature or Pooch, or supervising Freyania’s alchemy.
In short, they were the peaceful everyday life that Lion had wished for.
A peaceful routine in which he woke late, as he had today, did whatever he wanted, and slept to his heart’s content…
Neigh!
Clatter.
Rattle!
Clunk! …was it?
A horse?
“Huh?”
At the unfamiliar clunking and noise, Lion’s closed eyes snapped open.
What was going on?
Before he could even grasp the situation.
“You’re awake.”
“…Grandfather?”
“The horse’s whinny woke you, I see. Hm. There’s still a bit of time left until we arrive, though.”
…Arrive where?
Lion got up hurriedly and looked around.
As expected, he was inside a carriage, and Petrick was seated in the front seat, reviewing documents.
Blink. Blink.
In the middle of sizing things up, Lion recalled something.
—I will have to bring you along on the next business trip.
“No—if we were going on a business trip together, you could have woken me in advance…”
“Is there any need for that? You can simply move the entire bed.”
“…”
He had no idea how, but his grandfather had somehow put the bed he always used into the carriage.
He must have modified it with magic somehow.
He fully understood the sentiment, but…
“Ha, ha ha… It was just too sudden.”
At those words.
Petrick set down his documents and silently fixed his gaze on Lion.
It was a look that said: Are you really in a position to say the word “sudden” to me?
‘…Well, he’s not wrong.’
Truthfully, from his grandfather’s perspective, hadn’t it been a constant chain of sudden events?
Even this time, he’d even gotten younger.
His grandfather’s heart must have dropped.
The fact that he hadn’t gotten scolded…
Lion briefly called up the memory of the second day.
To soothe his grandfather’s anxiety, he had truly… pulled out every bit of aegyo he had.
At least because it was his grandfather, the cringe was less.
“Ha ha ha. Impromptu trips are great! This is the first time it’s just the two of us, Grandfather, isn’t it?”
Lion smoothly changed the subject and laughed.
“Ho ho. I’m glad you’re in good spirits, young master. Here is your breakfast.”
“Yeah. Thank you, Elvia.”
…Elvia?
Lion looked at Elvia, who was handing him a sandwich with a smiling expression.
“You were so small for so long that you mustn’t have gotten enough nutrition. Please do eat a lot.”
“…”
Oh.
Lion sensed it by instinct.
This trip.
No, this business trip with his grandfather was not going to be an easy one.