Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 42
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 42
“Ohh…”
Lion stood before the Magic Tower, taking in its majesty.
A titanic tower piercing the clouds, reminiscent of Babel.
The protective magic glowing softly on every brick displayed its dignity.
A place one could truly call the dream of all mages!
And inside…
Flap! Flap!
Paper folded into bird shapes flew off to find their recipients, while mages on every floor continued their busy work.
“Yes. I am Mage Shelt, from Magic Tower Administration.”
“Would it be possible to have that matter taken care of by today?”
“Ah, the mage in charge is currently away from their desk.”
“Oh, in that case, may I look into it and contact you again?”
“…”
The place of dreams?
That didn’t seem right.
Lion felt his head throb at the familiar sight.
Wasn’t it exactly like an ordinary day at the company he’d worked at before the possession?
‘Strictly speaking, a magic tower is basically a company for mages.’
But did it have to resemble it this closely?
A past he’d tried hard to forget came rushing back.
He remembered coming back drained from sales work, forced to cycle endlessly through calls and emails, his emotions worn to nothing.
‘Ugh, I never want to do that again.’
He’d never have to again, so he’d better see Hoffman quickly and get out.
Hardly anyone in this tower was going to care about Lion anyway.
At most, he’d be seen as the older brother of Rickshel, the next tower master, or as ‘that sickly kid who used to come often for check-ups.’
And indeed, no one around him paid him any mind.
Everyone was simply living their
own desperately busy present.
Anyway. He had two things to do here.
‘Impress on them that Rickshel remains the unquestioned heir of Asteri, and at the same time, show them that I’m no longer sick.’
He didn’t know about anything else, but he had to achieve those two before leaving.
Since he wasn’t going to visit the tower regularly in the future, it was best to get everything done while he was here.
And to do that…
Slide.
Lion looked at the many glass bottles inside his bag.
[Training Aid Beverage]
‘I made this for the occasion.’
If he showed up empty-handed with a “Please take good care of my brother!” would the office workers—no, the mages—even listen?
They’d just give a surface-level “Ah, yes~ of course,” and forget it.
But if he gave them consumables?
Office workers were simpler than you’d think.
Give them food and you were instantly a good person!
Well, they’d start by being suspicious of anyone giving away beef, but small items like this made people accept them with goodwill and no strings attached.
“Shall we begin?”
Lion clenched his fist and grabbed a passing mage.
“Excuse me…”
“Aaagh! I’m sorry. I swear I’ll submit the data by today, so just the method—”
A mage whose hair covered not just his eyes but the bridge of his nose shrieked, then stared at Lion with a dumbfounded expression.
‘Must be a new hire.’
Young, bewildered, and clearly burnt out by the company—there was no mistake.
But his expression was exactly…
‘A new office worker who hasn’t left work in days.’
…It was painful how the past suddenly resurfaced, but Lion endured it.
No, the more exhausted the other person looked, the better the opportunity.
Lion spoke in the kindest, most polite tone he could manage.
“Pardon me, but which floor is Sir Hoffman Asteri on?”
“Huh? Ah, Mage Hoffman is… normally on the top floor.”
“I see! Thank you. Ah, and please, take this.”
Not missing the timing, Lion took a beverage from his possession and handed it over.
“This is…”
“A drink I made. It’s good for fatigue recovery. Please try it when you have a moment.”
“Oh.”
At the words ‘fatigue recovery,’ the office worker’s—no, the mage’s—eyes gleamed.
…Just what did the Magic Tower make mages do?
Well, the bigger the corporation, the more voluntary overtime people put in, so it might be that kind of place.
“I’ll drink it gratefully. Well then…”
The new mage bowed to Lion and moved on.
No, he had tried to move on.
‘But how could he not know where Sir Hoffman was?’
If that question hadn’t occurred to him, that is.
Hoffman Asteri.
The man was one of the tower’s highest authorities.
In healing magic, he had no equal in the entire empire, and though from a branch line, he still belonged to House Asteri.
Wasn’t he even the personal physician to none other than Lion Asteri?
‘Ah! Could he be a new hire? At last, a mage who can take over the hand-off…’
Just as the hopeful thought formed.
“Huh?”
A piece of information the new hire had forgotten resurfaced.
What was the symbol of House Asteri?
Purple eyes.
And the young man who’d just passed by?
Purple eyes.
Sir Hoffman was Lion Asteri’s personal physician.
Then that man was…?
“Gwaaagh!”
The new hire spun around and dashed back.
“Excuse me! Could you be—!”
“Hm?”
Wondering why he’d come running back, Lion saw the new mage shout in an enormously loud voice.
“Aren’t you Sir Lion Asteri?!”
At a volume that seemed to shake the whole tower, every mage stopped moving in unison and looked down at the lower floor.
“He hasn’t visited in a while, has he?”
“I heard he was ill, but he seems to have some color in his face.”
It was perhaps inevitable that the tower, which had been filled with work sounds, began to hum with other conversations.
Some high-ranking mages even acted as if they might jump down at any moment.
If Lion hadn’t raised a hand to stop them, that is.
…Right. House Asteri’s influence was this strong.
In fact, this mage not recognizing him had been the unusual situation.
“…”
Hm. This might actually be better.
Lion smiled brightly and hefted his bag.
“Have a drink, and good luck with your work!”
* * *
As Lion had expected, his special beverages were met with a very favorable reception.
People drawn by the name Lion Asteri sampled it one by one, their eyes lighting up, and spread the word.
“Hurry up and come get one!”
“If you come later, there might not be any left!”
“This stuff is more effective than coffee or black tea!”
It even seemed, as Lion had said, to noticeably boost work efficiency.
And above all…
‘The one who was always sick…’
‘Looks like the rumor that he’s gotten healthy is true.’
The mages who’d been at the tower a long time knew well how sickly Lion Asteri had been.
They’d never had a proper conversation with him, but seeing the child who used to faint all the time suddenly grown up and handing out drinks felt rather commendable.
‘Anyway, it’s a relief.’
People might have kept their distance out of pointless discomfort over his silver-spoon background, but wasn’t the atmosphere pleasantly congenial?
Only after Lion had gone around handing drinks to every single person did he finally move on.
However…
‘Why is he following me?’
The new mage who’d let out that huge scream earlier was drenched in a cold sweat and trailing after him.
“Is there something you wanted to say?”
And the moment Lion broached the subject.
“I’m truly sorry! So sorry! I’m not normally someone who makes such mistakes!”
The new mage bent fully ninety degrees at the waist, apologizing over and over.
Though Lion hadn’t intended it, it had turned out that way.
“It’s all right.”
It was going to be one or the other: everyone learning at once, or learning gradually.
The prestigious magic house of Asteri and the Magic Tower were inseparable… no, it was no exaggeration to say they were practically one body.
‘House Asteri’s talent academy.’
The Magic Tower.
Its formal name was ‘The First Magic Tower of the Asteri Marquisate.’
This went back to the deeds of the first Asteri.
The first head of Asteri built the tower and recruited talented individuals regardless of status, nationality, or race.
He then put the most skilled among them to work for House Asteri, while also ensuring the others could work at magical institutions so they wouldn’t go hungry.
The Tower of Opportunity.
That was the Magic Tower’s nickname.
Naturally, House Asteri came to occupy a position that garnered the praise of mages.
Hiding his identity in such a place while wearing these purple eyes would have been like playing peekaboo while blindfolded.
So there was no real reason to make a fuss about it.
In fact… hadn’t it worked out well?
‘A friendly image is always better.’
A friendly image was something silver-spoon types couldn’t buy no matter how hard they tried.
It had been a bit disconcerting, but in the end, this mage had basically done a huge part of the work.
…Not that he’d believe it if Lion said that.
Lion cleared his throat and spoke.
“If you truly feel that way, would you mind showing me around?”
“Huh, pardon?”
“My health has been poor for so long, there are many places in the tower I haven’t been able to visit.”
“Ah! Yes! Leave it to me!”
The nuance implied he was letting him off easily, so the mage patted his chest in relief and began the tour with the utmost effort.
Lion had been worried since he seemed like a new hire, but he actually knew the layout quite well.
“Let’s start this way!”
The tower’s interior was thoroughly equipped with various facilities.
It even resembled the headquarters of a global corporation.
First, the medical facilities.
Naturally, those needed no explanation, given that Lion himself used to come here for check-ups.
Second, the rest areas.
There was a space designed for picnics in sunny spots, and a swing installed on the magic tree that bore five-colored fruit to help clear the mind.
Was that all?
There was a place to look after mages’ companion familiars, and even a daycare for the children of tower mages!
‘Burnout aside…’
It certainly felt like a place mages would dream of.
Lion toured the tower, handing out drinks to those who hadn’t received one yet.
Just as the generous supply of beverages was about to run dry…
“Now only the top floor remains. That’s where Sir Hoffman is. I’m a little nervous, since I’ve only been up there a handful of times myself.”
The new mage, who’d become considerably more at ease, murmured with palpable tension.
They’d finally reached the penthouse level.
‘Makes sense, it’s probably treated like the chairman’s or boardroom.’
In that case, it was only natural for a new mage to feel nervous.
“Sh-shall we go?”
“Yes. Let’s.”
Lion stepped onto the transport device heading for the top floor.
Whoosh!
The device began its ascent at a considerable speed.
“Since the transport device has both levitation and acceleration magic… whew. It’s a bit scary looking down.”
“Oh.”
Unlike a modern elevator, the entire floor below was visible through the luxurious iron latticework, making it quite dizzying.
Maybe riding the very first elevators felt like this?
But…
Whoosh!
The elevator—no, the transport device climbed without end.
By now, the people below were reduced to dots.
It really was impossibly tall.
People with acrophobia probably couldn’t even come up.
The device climbed even higher for a long while before it finally stopped.
What greeted Lion next was an enormous panoramic window and clouds.
A wide-open sky stretched out, something one could truly call a sea of clouds.
“Th-this way.”
The mage was now whispering in a very small voice.