Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 29
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 29
Brother… seemed different somehow.
“I thank all of you who have visited, and the heirs who will lead this nation forward. Today, I…”
Lion spoke plainly, without a single distinctive feature.
His intonation and tone remained even.
In a way, it could almost be called boring.
However…
‘Why?’
Rickshel maintained his composure with effort and scrutinized Lion.
Something made him focus.
Not on his brother’s words, but on his brother himself!
The other nobles seemed to feel the same way.
“Young Lord Lion… doesn’t he draw your gaze somehow?”
“So it isn’t just me? How should I put it. The man himself is ordinary, but…”
The nobles who had no interest in power struggles in the first place murmured quietly among themselves.
Then, one young lady with a discerning eye exclaimed a little more loudly, as if she had realized something.
“Now that I look at it… that attire…!”
“Ah! Now I see it—the splendor within the simplicity. It doesn’t just clothe the man, it elevates him!”
“I see! As expected, the clothes worn by a true noble among nobles are in a different league.”
“…!”
Rickshel looked back at Lion as if he too had only just realized it.
Indeed, he could feel grace and dignity in his brother’s every movement.
The ceremonial robes that shimmered subtly under the glittering chandelier, and the neatly arranged accessories and jewels, seemed to further elevate his brother’s stature.
It was resplendent, yet it didn’t convey any sense of ostentation, which gave it even greater depth.
“Which designer’s work is it?”
“I’ve heard that none of the tailors I know of handled it…”
The murmuring grew louder.
What began as a topic only among a few young ladies now drew in young lords and noblewomen with a keen interest in fashion, who started to get curious.
Rickshel widened his eyes and observed the nobles who showed no particular reaction.
If someone didn’t show interest even on the surface, their intentions were likely calculated.
‘They’re probably people trying to establish ties with the family.’
After the thank-you speech, he would probably receive countless handshakes from the fashion-obsessed nobles.
It was a good thing, as it would keep those with impure intentions from approaching his brother.
“The boy’s used his head.”
Petrick, who had been quiet until now, murmured softly with satisfaction.
…No way!
“Could it be that you had calculated this far, brother?”
“I’m not certain, but isn’t he a fellow with sharp senses, taking after someone?”
“Ah!”
Rickshel marveled at Lion’s insight.
Even then, Lion’s speech continued.
“…After this, you will have free time until tomorrow, so I hope you will relax and enjoy yourselves. Let me once again thank you for coming from afar, and I will now take my leave. Thank you.”
Clap clap clap clap!
At the same time that applause echoed from all around,
the conductor of the orchestra swung their baton powerfully, signaling the official start of the party, perfectly timed with the end of Lion’s speech.
“Excuse me.”
The servants moved about the party hall with trays laden with alcohol and finger foods.
It was a given that an array of sumptuous treats had been laid out at every seat.
The banquet and drinks were befitting of the word ‘grand party’.
Watching this, Lion descended from the platform and returned to where his grandfather and Rickshel were.
“That was truly remarkable, brother! Did you practice by any chance?”
“Huh? No? I just kept it simple.”
The experience I’d gained from office life was shining through here.
Fortunately, I’d casually attended seminars and high-society parties before, so I wasn’t nervous.
In fact, I was more comfortable than back then.
After all, no one would be crazy enough to heckle the young master of the great House Asteri.
“To be so composed… it’s astonishing.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
It was only natural that the tension vanished without any pointless pressure.
That seemed to have come across as composure in Rickshel’s eyes.
Meanwhile, Petrick, though he pretended otherwise, was quite pleased with Lion’s public address.
That kind of composure wasn’t something just anyone could possess.
Especially if one lacked mana.
A mage’s mana wasn’t just for power; it helped maintain a lake-like equanimity.
Just like a knight’s aura.
Yet his grandson had fulfilled his duties with such confidence without any of that.
He couldn’t help but feel proud.
‘As expected. The bloodline of our family never fails.’
Now that the two Asteris had formed a bond of sympathy thanks to Lion’s performance, Lion scratched his head, feeling needlessly embarrassed.
Fortunately, that embarrassment didn’t last long.
Because the chefs of House Asteri began bringing in the food one by one and setting the table.
Petrick, who had just put the food in his mouth, nodded in satisfaction for the first time in a while.
“…The food tastes particularly good today.”
“Yes. The head chef seems to have put quite a lot of care into it.”
Lion scratched his cheek once and began quietly eating his food.
Just as his grandfather praised, the food today was quite delicious.
* * *
Having finished his satisfying meal,
Lion wiped his mouth with a napkin and suddenly recalled what Petrick had said before the speech.
“Grandfather, you said you had something to ask?”
When Lion asked, Petrick put down his fork for a moment and replied.
“Yes. I wanted to ask what you plan to take to the ritual.”
Ah, so that’s what you were curious about.
They said that in the Ritual of the Labyrinth, what you gain can vary depending on the item you take.
For instance, someone who takes a magic book gains new knowledge related to the book’s contents, while someone who takes a staff gains another attack spell.
Indeed, it made sense that Grandfather would be curious, since I was not a mage.
“I plan to take a potion I made myself.”
I had no magical talent anyway.
And as for taking something else… its grade was a bit lacking.
‘Even though my formal robes were 4-star, these were Andrie’s work with just a necktie added, so I didn’t know what it might give me.’
So, I decided on a potion.
“Alright. You don’t need to take anything grandiose. The Labyrinth will only give you the knowledge you need based on your skills, anyway.”
He was right. There was no way the Labyrinth would give Grandfather basic magic-use knowledge just because he participated in the ritual with a basic magic book.
‘Still, it’s better to take a good one if I’m going, right?’
The highest-grade potion Lion had ever made was the Mental Fatigue Recovery Potion he gave Petrick and Sylvia, but since he lacked the ingredients, he decided to take the best ones he had among the numerous potions in his inventory.
Petrick, who had nodded as if satisfied with Lion’s answer, opened his mouth again.
“And there’s one more thing I need to ask.”
Unlike the previous question, his expression was serious.
“Are you interested in politics or the position of heir?”
“Excuse me? No?”
Lion answered immediately with an utterly appalled expression.
Because the very thought of it was horrifying!
“I ask once more. Are you certain?”
“Absolutely not. That will never happen.”
Wasn’t ‘politics’ just a headache-inducing, unpleasant word?
As for the position of heir, our darling younger brother, Rickshel, was doing just fine. Why would I?
Meanwhile,
Petrick, who had been pondering Lion’s answer in silence, turned his head and threw a question to Rickshel.
“Will you be able to treat your brother as you would yourself?”
“I can swear it on the honor of the family and my mana.”
Rickshel answered immediately as well.
He was confident he could prevent anyone, no matter who they were, from getting close to his older brother.
Wasn’t that why he had undergone such grueling training up until now?
To protect his family, his household.
With his own coming-of-age ceremony only a few years away, he was already dedicating himself even more fervently to his studies.
Perhaps to the point where he might reach the realm of the 5th Circle soon.
Petrick chuckled at the gazes filled with such different convictions.
Because the issue he had only considered a remote, very remote possibility had been resolved so simply.
Honestly, he wanted to stand up and boast to everyone right then and there.
‘This is how tightly knit our family is!’ ‘While you bastards keep racking your brains over succession, we’ve solved it with a family bond that is second to none!’
Especially to those two princes he could see far away there.
On the opposite side of the same second floor, the two brothers placed in the best seats remained without exchanging a single word.
The relaxed one was the first prince… but seeing him glance furtively at the second prince right before his eyes, he didn’t seem entirely at ease.
‘And…’
Petrick’s gaze shifted slightly toward the second prince.
His face was pale and his expression seemed somewhat melancholic.
It was pitiful enough that he could barely empty his plate, but a faint killing intent could be felt in his eyes, hidden behind his bangs.
‘It seems the First Prince hasn’t noticed it.’
Anyway, it wasn’t the time for the imperial bastards to be paying attention to us.
Swish.
Petrick turned his head to another table.
At the seat where the members of the Sword Mastery Family should have been sitting, the family head sat alone.
A young woman like a coldly tempered, icy blade.
He had heard that after the previous family head passed away, the granddaughter inherited the position.
It was obvious what had happened in a family that had died without naming an heir, especially one that used swords.
Most people didn’t know, but he had heard it was brutal enough to nearly wipe out the family line.
Fortunately, just before he had to step in himself, the killings of kin under the pretext of a succession rite had ended.
‘Thanks to the quietest young lady.’
And that wasn’t all.
The new family head had borne all that bloodshed and raised the family back up.
Perhaps because of that, even though she was beautiful, not a single noble approached her.
Even she herself didn’t seem to care much.
In any case, she was still too busy with internal family matters to reach out to us.
As for the priests… they abhor such luxurious places, so I don’t need to worry about them right now.
His calculations completed, Petrick replied without missing a beat.
“Good. Then, Lion, you shall live as a direct descendant of Asteri, doing whatever you wish from now on.”
“Haha, what will you do if I cause trouble?”
Petrick chuckled.
Even if you cause trouble, would it be as bad as theirs?
“Go ahead, if you want.”
“…”
Lion was speechless at Petrick’s confident answer.
“You can cause trouble as you please. However…”
“However…?”
“Don’t get hurt. If you get hurt, I won’t let it go.”
What kind of ‘if you die, I’ll kill you’ tone was that?
I hadn’t even planned on causing trouble, but hearing him say that made me want to live even more peacefully.
Just when the meal and dessert courses were winding down…
“The annoying ones are coming.”
“I see.”
The nobles who had finished their meal were cautiously sidling up this way.
“I’ll be over there.”
“Okay.”
“I will handle it quickly and come to escort you, brother.”
Well, they’re still guests, is it okay to use the word ‘handle’?
Soon, the figures of his grandfather and younger brother were completely obscured by the crowd.
‘They work hard.’
Lion decided to go to a moderately secluded corner, take a glass of wine, and spend some time.
Since there had been so much talk about his attire during the speech, he figured that if he waited, a person or two who were curious might come by.
However.
“Excuse me, Lord Lion? Hello. I am from the Viscounty of Delphine…”
“Lord Lion! I’ve wanted to talk to you since earlier, and now I finally have the chance. Could we perhaps speak for a moment?”
“…Huh?”
Contrary to Lion’s expectations, numerous nobles approached him the moment he slipped away.
Without exception, they were all busy asking questions about his formal attire, their eyes sparkling.
‘…So this is what a 4-star effect is like?’
What Lion hadn’t realized was that the level of the formal attire set far transcended the aesthetic sense of ordinary nobles.
So what of the nobles who took a keen interest in fashion?
“Could you perhaps tell us the designer?”
“Please, just a hint…!”
They were going crazy for it.