Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 33
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 33
Something was definitely spinning in a small but clear circle.
‘How fascinating.’
So this was the mana circle that only mages possessed.
Lion guided that power to flow toward his eyes as much as possible.
Of course, it wasn’t easy, but Lion kept concentrating.
It was the moment when the concentration he had unintentionally trained all this time finally shone.
After quite a long time passed.
Lion opened his eyes.
Flash!
His purple eyes glowed like jewels from the mana.
[The ‘Expert’s Eye’ skill will be temporarily strengthened.]
[Current sustain time: 10 minutes 30 seconds.]
“Good. It worked.”
As Lion expected, by using mana, he was now able to temporarily strengthen the Expert’s Eye skill.
And now that he had, he could see it.
The dense threads of mana that made up this place.
As expected, most of the spots where the three plants were planted were traps.
Either there were no threads at all, or cutting the wrong one would trigger an entirely new spell.
He couldn’t yet determine what that spell was…
But there seemed no need to check at that moment.
Lion moved swiftly.
If he traced the tangled threads in order…
[A precious ■■■…]
[Expert’s Eye skill strengthened! A hidden name appears!]
[Source of the Phantom Mana Thread]
With a crackling sound, not a flower, but the origin of the magic appeared.
Probably, if he had not learned potion crafting.
And if he had not gathered herbs like a madman every single day within House Asteri.
If he had not hammered, baked bread, and sewn, this was a result he could never have grasped in his lifetime.
“It’s underground.”
Lion took a hand hoe from his inventory and began digging vigorously around the colorful plants.
Thump, thump!
Unlike the soft grass, the soil was rough.
Occasionally, sharp grains bounced off the hoe blade and pricked his skin, but he paid no mind.
[1 minute remaining for Expert’s Eye skill strengthening.]
[Skill strengthening will end soon.]
Just as he was starting to feel anxious with little time left before the effect ended.
Click!
At the tip of the hoe, something of a different, metallic material caught.
“Hm?”
Lion widened the hole around it and pulled out the object.
It was a box.
A box with mana threads dangling from it like spiderwebs.
Judging by its shape, it looked exactly like the reward boxes from dungeons.
[10 seconds until strengthening ends]
[9]
[8]
…
Lion immediately slashed the air with his scissors.
Snip, the mana threads attached around the box were cut cleanly.
Fortunately, as expected, if he could see the mana, he could apparently cut all of it.
At the same time.
[Expert’s Eye skill strengthening has ended.]
Swoooosh!
A strange sound was heard, and the reward box flew up into the air.
[Would you like to receive your reward?]
“Yes.”
As Lion answered without hesitation, the box in the air opened on its own.
And then…
Flaaash!
A bright light shone and once again enveloped Lion’s body.
[Item is being re-bound.]
[Item has been stored in the inventory.]
[Currently unable to check items at this location.]
‘So I need to check the item after leaving? Is that it?’
That was actually fine.
He didn’t have the strength to check anything at the moment anyway.
He had used up all the mana in his mana circle and felt severely exhausted.
Still…
“This much should let me escape quickly.”
As Lion forced strength into his trembling legs and stood up, a magic circle identical to the one from before he was sucked into the labyrinth appeared before his eyes.
Complex formulas, as if drawn over the basic magic circle multiple times, so convoluted they were hard to recognize.
‘I’ll be able to get out.’
He’d just go out quickly and tell them he’d returned safely after exchanging.
Just as Lion was relaxing like that.
[Entering Story Mode.]
[This memory cannot be skipped.]
‘What?’
A voice hummed in his head, and Lion’s consciousness flew far away.
* * *
The main gate of House Asteri shut firmly with a creaking sound.
Between the ornate iron bars, a lock of such strength that even a sword infused with aura could not cut it was fastened.
Along with a sign that read “Temporary Gate Closure.”
It was a highly unusual decision, but not a single person questioned it.
Because it was Petrick’s command.
Thus, House Asteri unusually locked its gates and held a ‘family meeting.’
“…”
The atmosphere was extremely grim.
It was only natural, given that the ‘Library Labyrinth,’ the pride of House Asteri and perhaps the most robust and safe place in the world, had shaken.
‘…That was the official reason, but…’
Hoffman Asteri, a collateral relative of House Asteri and head of the First Magic Tower, glanced sideways at Petrick Asteri.
The Family Head’s expression was sharper than the northern wind.
“The reason I have called everyone here today…”
Everyone’s eyes in the room turned to one place.
“You all know what it is, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Family Head.”
The incident that occurred at the Asteri mansion,
more precisely, the event where Lion Asteri was sucked into the labyrinth.
“How has the aftermath been handled?”
“We covered it up as chaos caused by an earthquake. There have been no further repercussions.”
“The princes?”
“Both princes have agreed to cooperate. The head of the Bydantis Sword Mastery Family has also pledged to prevent false rumors from spreading.”
In fact, the head of the Sword Mastery Family had supported House Asteri without conditions.
Thanks to that, no additional injuries occurred; there were only a few people with minor injuries.
Moreover, as the head of the Sword Mastery Family stepped forward to testify to other nobles, no further gossip arose.
Thus, the rumors were quelled instantly before they could even spread.
It was the power of House Asteri.
“What does the Emperor say?”
“He appears to have received a report from the First Prince, but you need not worry.”
“An incompetent one comes in handy at times like this.”
Such reckless talk about the Emperor would normally have caused a huge uproar, but since it was Petrick Asteri, everyone remained calm.
“It is said information has not spread to the Temple or the Criminal Underworld, either. At the very least, they will not know my brother’s whereabouts.”
“Well done.”
Putting aside other places, information could not be given to those two.
‘The Temple and the Criminal Underworld.’
The Archbishop, who went mad over anything related to the Hero, and the Criminal Underworld, which the Hero’s companions had built into a power base.
Those two were different.
They possessed information networks capable of reaching the essence of incidents.
Perhaps they might even notice that the child Lion possessed some kind of special power.
And in fact, the Hero and Lion were connected… somehow.
Already, two coincidences had occurred.
The Hero’s Potion.
And when Lion entered the labyrinth where the Hero’s relic was enshrined, a problem arose.
There was something that no one—not Petrick,
not anyone else, not even Lion himself—knew.
Until they could find that out, they absolutely had to hide the information.
Petrick, maintaining his composure, spoke.
“And?”
Besides, there were still matters to discuss.
Namely, the rescue operation for Lion.
“…”
A silence different from before filled the room.
“At present, the labyrinth is not allowing any entry. However, it is possible to send items in. We have been sending in pouches containing food and water, but they are ejected shortly after. Perhaps the rescue is…”
It was close to impossible.
Hoffman, who was reporting, shut his mouth.
There was no need to say the rest.
Because what was important was that Lion’s survival had not yet been confirmed.
“We will try sending in as many as possible. One of them should be able to be delivered.”
While Hoffman was adding that.
BANG!
The meeting room door burst open, and a mage rushed in shouting.
“A, a note popped out!”
“…!”
Everyone, including Petrick, sprang to their feet.
Good news had arrived!
* * *
Meanwhile, while that important meeting was in full swing.
Lion was…
‘Where…?’
If his last memory was correct, Lion had truly lost consciousness and then entered a place called ‘Story Mode.’
And this was probably inside someone’s memory.
‘Is it because of the reward?’
While Lion pondered, the black-and-white world slowly began to move.
‘Ah, I’m inside someone’s body.’
Perhaps because it wasn’t his own body, he couldn’t easily identify who the person before him was.
With a sense of suffocation as if noise had been overlaid, Lion was about to sigh inwardly when someone spoke to him.
“…is no longer needed… Petrick, you take charge…”
Petrick? So the owner of this body is Grandfather?
In that case, this scene was probably the ‘Hero’ entrusting treasure to his grandfather, Petrick.
“But the … isn’t over yet, why now of all times…”
Lion focused his mind as much as possible.
‘Damn. It’s just not coming through properly.’
Perhaps because it was inside Petrick’s memory, Grandfather’s words were a bit clearer, but not enough to obtain any useful information.
“Someday… needed…”
“Understood. I shall keep it.”
The young Petrick received the treasure box from the Hero, and the view blurred again.
He thought he briefly heard the Hero’s laughter at the end, but he couldn’t infer anything from it.
Thus, Lion was forcibly jolted awake as if pushed out of a dream.
“…”
Upon waking, he just felt uneasy.
It seemed they had shown him an important scene, but in the end, he gained almost no information.
“It’ll be needed someday, and the time he gave this to Grandfather…”
It seemed to be during the war with the demons that occurred in <In the World>.
“So it was a situation where this item was no longer needed? Though it’s an essential item.”
Lion mumbled as he fiddled with the familiar pendant and bracelet.
The Hero’s treasure enshrined in the labyrinth was exactly this ‘Ability Blocking Accessory Set.’
[Ability Blocking Accessory Set (Unmeasurable)]
- Hides the user’s information.
This set was originally sold in the ‘Cash Shop’ with the ‘Information Concealment’ function attached to items.
Still, it was so cheap, and later during events it was even given away for free, so people who didn’t want to show their stats often used it.
‘As far as I know, that wasn’t the only function.’
Information concealment was the initial item setting, and back when he was actively enjoying the game, it had a sweet function that granted extra combat experience points just by having it, so Lion remembered stashing one per character… but.
Now, that function seemed to be absent.
“So I can’t specify whose item it is.”
Anyway, one thing was certain: it was a situation where there was no longer a need to hide additional experience points or combat power.
Perhaps it was the latter half of the war with the demons.
“…Anyway, never mind.”
It was all in the past anyway, wasn’t it.
Besides, strictly speaking, the items were originally ones I had provided.
‘I don’t know why it’s showing me such a memory… but I’ll consider it a product warranty.’
The function was good, too.
‘There’s no harm in having it.’
Rather, it was fortunate.
“Since it can hide magic power.”
Lion closed his eyes and checked the mana circle surrounding his heart.
Definitely, a single circle containing magic power was spinning around his heart.
But—
[Current mana circle residual magic power is extremely insufficient.]