Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 50
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 50
Rickshel quietly followed behind Lion.
‘How nostalgic.’
Having spent a little over a month apart, even walking together felt somewhat awkward.
That was also why he had needlessly packed so many things.
In case something happened, he wanted to be helpful.
And what Rickshel had prepared wasn’t just the bag.
Squeeze.
Rickshel gave the gift inside his breast pocket a needless squeeze and let go.
‘The timing…’
Well, the gift could simply be given once they returned.
Anyway, the important thing now was to safely assist his brother.
Something could happen, after all!
But… it seemed it had been a needless worry.
“How much is this?”
“Oh my, you look like young masters of means. Here for a visit? This is about 30 coppers.”
“This is 30 coppers?”
“Yes. Prices are high these days…”
Rickshel stared quietly at Lion.
His brother was haggling with a merchant who did not recognize him.
The beautifully ripe red apple was so vivid and fragrant with sweet scent that anyone would want to bite into it on the spot.
‘…But 30 coppers for a single apple? Is the cost of living in our territory that high?’
In Rickshel’s knowledge, 30 coppers was the price of a whole chicken.
But an apple at that price?
Didn’t they usually cost about 3 coppers?
Just as he was thinking he would have to be briefed on the food expenses of the territory’s residents upon returning to the mansion…
Lion raised an apple high and shouted.
“I’ll buy 100 from a shop that sells cheaper than 30 coppers!”
“H-Here! 10 coppers!”
“You scoundrels! I can give them to you for 5 coppers!”
“Ahem, don’t believe these swindlers! The apple harvest has been good lately, so 5 coppers is still expensive! I’ll give them to you for 4 coppers!”
“…4 coppers?”
“4 coppers… Ah, forget it! 3 coppers!”
“Oh, 3 coppers. Let’s go.”
Lion returned the 30-copper apple to its owner and headed toward the merchant who called out the lowest price.
“Why did that merchant suggest such an outrageous price just now?”
“He thinks we’re rich, naive scholars who don’t know the ways of the world. He was trying to rip us off.”
Rickshel did not know exactly what “rip us off” meant, but it sounded like “fleece us.”
‘If it were me, I would have just bought it.’
In fact, to Rickshel, 3 coppers and 30 coppers were both the same small change.
But what would happen if more people acted like that?
The practice of cheating travelers with absurd prices like this would become rampant.
Then it was only natural that visitors would stop coming.
When footsteps in the market dwindled, the balance of supply and demand would naturally collapse and the quality of goods would decline.
“…!”
Could it be that his brother had deliberately come outside to teach him such a thing?
As expected of my brother!
‘I ought to inspect this later.’
Rickshel made the resolution to himself as he followed Lion.
Of course, that was not what Lion had actually intended.
‘Trying to fleece me, are they.’
He had simply wanted to buy something cheaper because the price was absurd.
Lion instructed that the purchased apples be delivered to an orphanage and additionally bought a few ingredients.
At the vegetable shop he purchased cabbage, green onions, and firm onions, and at the butcher’s across the way he bought chicken.
“Ch-Chicken really is 30 coppers. If you buy a whole one, the butchering is free.”
Perhaps having witnessed the earlier incident, the butcher volunteered the price of the chicken first.
This time it was a normal price.
“Alright. Butcher one for me.”
Once he had shown them how things worked, no problems arose elsewhere.
Was that all?
So great was Lion’s bargaining prowess that even Rickshel, who had started out warily eyeing his surroundings, became thoroughly absorbed in shopping.
No other incidents occurred until both of Lion’s hands were full of ingredients.
Only then did Rickshel finally relax.
Nothing really was going to happen.
Knowing it in his head was different from reality.
The tension that had gripped his whole body slowly drained away.
“See? Truly nothing’s happening, right?”
“…You’re right.”
“Anyway, we’ve bought everything now, so let’s head back. Grandfather was supposed to return from his trip today too, wasn’t he?”
“Ah, yes. The family head said he wrapped up his urgent business. According to the schedule, he should return before dinner… Could it be that you bought the provisions yourself for that reason?”
“Well, something like that. It’s been a while since we ate together.”
“A fine idea. Allow me to carry the bags.”
“Ah, then could you take just this one?”
Lion answered casually and hurried back toward the mansion.
“…”
Following behind him, Rickshel came to a halt.
If it was dinner and his brother was even going to cook himself, shouldn’t he have been heading to the kitchen like yesterday?
He had assumed his brother was rushing because time was tight to make it by the dinner hour.
But this was…
“Brother. Isn’t this the entrance to the Labyrinth?”
The place where Lion had stopped was none other than the entrance to the Labyrinth.
It had stayed quiet without incident, then one day abruptly swallowed his brother and spat him back out a month later.
Even though Lion had become the master of the Labyrinth, that was how Rickshel perceived it.
He had forced himself to stay composed, comforted Grandf… the family head, and continued on as heir, but to Rickshel, that Labyrinth was an extremely dangerous entity.
So much so that he wanted to close it down if possible.
Just as the wariness he had barely soothed began to creep up again.
“You were all already here.”
Petrick, having finished his duties, was hurrying to this spot without even removing his outer coat.
“Family head?”
“You’re here. Grandfather.”
“…”
Rickshel could not grasp what was happening.
Of course they had planned to dine with the family head, but… wasn’t the location strange?
Yet the two of them were acting as if they already knew everything.
“What exactly is going on?”
With a stiff face, Rickshel demanded an explanation from both of them.
“Well, there’s actually something I didn’t tell you… That is our dinner venue tonight.”
“What?! That’s out of the question! It’s dangerous.”
“There’s no danger. I went and confirmed it again yesterday myself.”
“When on earth did you go back into the Labyrinth alone! Family head, did you know about this?”
“I permitted it.”
“How could you…”
He permitted it?
Rickshel could not understand.
No, his mind understood.
It would be safe.
He had come out unharmed after a month and had become its master.
Not only that, he had even brought out the Hero’s Treasure.
He had no wounds, and the examination showed he was healthier than before.
But… even so, wasn’t the Labyrinth far from a nice, comfortable place to eat a meal!
With an expression full of things to say, Rickshel looked back and forth between the two.
Right. Surely he should step in right now and put his foot down against it.
That would settle it. The moment he thought that—
“Little brother.”
Lion smiled playfully.
“Aren’t you curious to see what the end of the Labyrinth looks like?”
“…”
Rickshel could not readily answer.
To a mage, that was a considerably enticing temptation.
“Think about it. Would I take you and Grandfather somewhere dangerous?”
No, no. He must not be swayed.
“Still, I’m opposed t—”
“Ha ha ha. First just go and see. If you don’t like it, I’ll send you back.”
Lion cut off Rickshel’s words and threw open the Labyrinth door.
“Brother!”
A magic circle intertwined with intricate formulas appeared beneath the three family members’ feet.
And naturally…
[Inviting guests under the authority of the Library’s Master.]
[Guests: Petrick Asteri, Rickshel Asteri]
[The current Master of the Library is Lion Asteri.]
Together, the three were drawn into the Labyrinth.
* * *
Blink.
Rickshel lifted eyelids he had not even realized were closed.
‘What?’
Because inside the Labyrinth, which he had expected to be a library, a cool breeze was blowing.
“…!”
The scene spread before his eyes left Rickshel utterly speechless.
It was a landscape he could never have imagined from the library he had pictured and occasionally visited.
Beneath his feet the grass was soft, and around him, unknown flowers bloomed in profusion.
In the distance, a forest was visible, and turning to one side, a deep, tranquil lake created gentle ripples in the breeze.
The vermilion sun softly sinking, a humble little cabin.
And his brother, who had gone ahead and was building a fire with firewood.
“To think it was a place like this…”
Rickshel murmured without realizing it.
It was so peaceful that the tension he had felt seemed embarrassingly out of place.
Of course, if one had to live here for a month with nothing, it would have been quite a struggle…
‘It’s different from what I imagined.’
Only now did Rickshel admit his imagination had run wild.
This place, for some reason, was not hostile to his brother.
If anything… yes.
It strongly gave the feeling of a small private villa.
“You lived pretty well.”
And perhaps feeling the same, Petrick let out a hollow laugh and murmured.
“Indeed.”
The exchange between grandfather and grandson was brief,
but in that moment they surely felt the same emotion.
Still, the first thought that rose was: ‘Thank goodness Lion did not suffer greatly.’
Without waiting for one another, both moved their feet toward where Lion was.
The burning firewood, glowing in colors like the evening sunset, was warm.
“Quite nice, isn’t it?”
“You’ve made yourself a place.”
“Ha ha. Come this way.”
Lion led the two of them to the lakeside.
“Please sit here for a moment.”
Then he dragged over two rough wooden chairs and placed them before them.
“Where did the chairs come from?”
“I made them. I thought they would be useful if you ever came to visit.”
The two took their seats without complaint.
Of course, the chairs were uncomfortable and creaky beyond compare with the finest chairs used in the mansion.
Yet, thinking of Lion, who had made these alone while thinking of his family, they felt more comfortable than any other chair.
“Here, have some tea as well. I’ll prepare dinner.”
Lion poured tea into rough wooden cups and then quickly went inside the cabin.
“I’ll help…”
Rickshel rose from his seat, but at Petrick’s restraint, he awkwardly sat back down.
After that.
“…”
There was nothing to do.
He simply watched the sunset reflected and glittering on the lake’s surface, and after the sun had almost fully set, the moonlight and starlight—and the lamp left behind earlier, still shining—were all he watched.
Though he honestly did not want to admit it, it was quite…
restful.
There was nothing to worry about, and no need to carve out time for work.
And perhaps because his brother had made this place…
‘It’s like the Mimir Forest campground.’
For some reason, it even felt familiar.
“That lad. To think he’d been doing this for a month.”
Amidst that silence, Petrick murmured in a low voice.
Many thoughts also passed through Petrick’s mind.
Whenever his thoughts multiplied, it was usually tiring, but strangely the thoughts and memories that surfaced now were not tiring at all.
‘Right. It was like this when I traveled with Hero.’