Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 66
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 66
“Urgh! That sensation… Lord Tialli?”
“Lost in your own world again, I see.”
“Th-that is…”
I was about to ask what on earth he had been doing, but Embrog cut in first.
“Would you take a look at Endairon?”
“Endairon? You’re better at assessing a spirit’s condition than I am, are you not?”
“Still, don’t years of experience count? Please, I would appreciate your evaluation.”
Puzzled by Embrog’s behavior, Tialli nevertheless examined Endairon as requested.
“Come here. That’s it.”
Endairon obediently stood before Tialli and presented its condition.
An imposing bearing. A well-knit frame. Claws and coat both perfectly sound with no damage whatsoever.
Not only was nothing wrong; it was practically in the best condition it had ever been.
“…”
And the more Tialli checked, the more their expression slowly hardened.
It should have been impossible.
‘This is… certainly strange.’
Weren’t they all under the same circumstances as the other spirits?
Unnatural.
Normally they should be drained or exhausted.
Because this is a place without nature’s energy!
“Embrog, how did this come about?”
“Well… prepare yourself.”
Embrog reported everything that had happened to Tialli.
How the lower spirits collectively suffered a breakdown of sorts.
How the potion created by the Elder’s old comrade’s grandson, Lion Asteri, had settled the whole affair.
“The astonishing part starts now!”
On top of that, after drinking that potion, the spirits—and even the elves—were all in dramatically improved condition!
“And you say he has high spirit affinity too?”
“That is correct.”
“Embrog.”
“Yes, Lord Tialli.”
“Are you telling me to believe this right now?”
“…I understand your reaction.”
Tialli was a little angry.
This fellow Embrog had been a straight-laced man who never told a lie while serving under them, yet now, just because he’d donned a title, he was spinning one falsehood after another.
“Even if I grant you every single word, why then did the Elder’s comrade not introduce Lion Asteri to us?”
“They say they didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know what?”
“Lion Asteri’s talent.”
“This is maddening.”
Tialli let out a string of curses in the exclusive language of the elf tribe.
It felt as though the temperament that had subsided after their official retirement was resurfacing.
Was the discipline really so slack these days just because nothing had happened, that they could tell such absurd lies?
If all of this were true, shouldn’t Embrog be acting differently?
He should be going to Lion Asteri at once—coaxing him, threatening him, whatever it took to bring him to the Elf Kingdom…
“I tried, and failed.”
“What?”
“I attempted everything you’re currently thinking, and failed. And only yesterday did all of this occur.”
“…”
“Which is why I’m on my way to see Young Lord Lion right now… Would you care to join me?”
“Haaah. Very well, let’s do that.”
If all of this turned out to be true, then Lion Asteri was… no ordinary individual.
‘Could it be that the Elder…’
As Tialli set out with Embrog to find Lion, they recalled a conversation with the Elder.
“If you happen to encounter someone special when you go, give them this before you return.”
“But this is…”
“It’s all right. Indeed, that gift will come to connect the noble one and ourselves.”
Tialli walked on, conscious of the Elder’s gift hidden deep inside a pocket.
* * *
At that very moment.
Lion was in the thick of instructing Freyania.
While Lion had gone to sleep, Freyania had apparently made an effort of her own to produce something akin to spirit water concentrate.
The result…
Was the birth of six slimes, which were then eliminated by Salamander, but anyway.
Still, she had produced a digestive enhancement potion with far greater completeness than before.
“H-how many points is this one?”
Lion picked up the digestive enhancement potion and gave it a quick inspection.
“Thirty points.”
“Th-that high!?”
Freyania took the potion back from Lion’s hand and examined it.
She had thought it was well-made, of course, but she never imagined she would receive such a high score.
“Why not? It’s your work well done.”
“No, I mean… Huh?”
Could it be that pulling weeds and everything else she’d learned had actually helped?
Was pure calculation not the true essence of alchemy?
She felt as if she’d grasped a hint of enlightenment, but…
Regrettably, a potion that only scored thirty points was still insufficient to spark true insight.
‘Still… it’s tremendous progress!’
She still had a long way to go, of course, but at last she’d escaped those miserable scores in the low teens!
‘And on top of that, Salamander’s condition is phenomenal.’
The previous night, Lion had given some spirit water to Freyania and Salamander as well.
Frankly, while she admired her master’s skill, she had been envious of the elves and spirits who had been given that potion.
‘I—I can do without, but I’d love for our Salamander to try it at least once…’
Of course, what she herself had been granted was not a freebie, but the direct transmission of the method to make it herself.
But she was helpless to do so right now, so she couldn’t help but be envious.
Honestly, if it had been according to her original nature, she might have snuck one of the elves’ share, but she had endured it, thinking it would be discourteous to her master.
Perhaps he had noticed that…
“Here.”
“This is…!”
“Payment for helping me gather the spirit stones.”
“M-master…!!”
Her master had readily and generously gifted her two bottles!
‘Truthfully, I wasn’t much help.’
Hadn’t she done little more than pick up a single lower spirit stone?
But still, she had wanted to try it.
She wanted to feel for herself just what kind of effect it had.
So she’d cast aside her embarrassment.
“Thank you!”
She and Salamander promptly downed them in a single, refreshing gulp.
The effect was… naturally, tremendous.
The very first thing they sensed was Salamander’s condition.
Though it was a creature that originally operated in the city and was largely unaffected by the natural environment, it seemed its stamina had been somewhat depleted.
At dawn today, when she had opened her eyes to a red glow…
Fwoosh!
Wasn’t that a multicolored heat-haze of flame dancing over its incredibly glossy scales!
And what’s more, it seemed to be in such a good mood that it had climbed onto a high shelf, puffed out its chest proudly, and stood firmly on all four legs!
‘Honestly… I’d never seen it look like that before.’
In any case, it was that tremendous.
Just as Freyania was about to drift into reminiscence.
“By the way.”
“Yes, Master. Please speak!”
“You know that necklace you first gave me.”
“Necklace?”
Freyania tilted her head for a moment, then…
“Ah!”
She smacked a fist into her palm as if something had just occurred to her.
“It’s stolen, isn’t it?”
“It was purchased for a fair price!”
“From whom?”
“Hmm… Probably one of two things, right? Either the family sold it in secret, or a servant snuck it away to earn some pocket money.”
“…”
“Because it was a bargain compared to the necklace’s value.”
So it wasn’t exactly a fair price after all, was it?
“Are you concerned about it?”
Lion nodded.
I wasn’t the one who stole it, and returning it was awkward, so I’d ended up holding onto it for a long time.
I did try to find the owner in my own way, but there were no clues to follow—it didn’t seem to be an incident originating near Asteri Territory.
And…
“Shall I return it to its owner?”
“No.”
“Huh? Why not?”
Freyania asked back, clearly surprised.
Given her master’s character, she’d been certain he’d tell her to return the necklace at once.
If he did, she had fully intended to do so.
She had no desire to get on his bad side over a mere necklace.
Hadn’t she already rubbed him the wrong way from the very start!
“You never know what circumstances are behind it.”
“…”
Was that so?
The truth was, as far as circumstances go…
Freyania recalled a few of the common tales of those who came to the criminal underworld to sell goods, and shook her head.
There was no need to tell her still young and innocent master these things.
‘I should have my subordinates look into its origin later.’
Although Lion hadn’t asked it of her, Freyania resolved to herself, clutching the digestive enhancement potion she’d made tightly in her hand.
Before he knew it, Lion was already employing the criminal underworld’s major power like his own hands and feet.
At that moment.
Knock knock.
“Hm?”
“Young Master. Lord Embrog is here.”
“Show him in.”
The attendant bowed deeply, went out, and returned with Embrog.
However…
‘Hm?’
A new face entered Lion’s view.
‘I’ve never seen that elf before.’
Before he could even ask who it was.
“H-huh, that is…!”
The first to react was Freyania.
“A close aide to the Elder Elf. And the teacher of Embrog here.”
“Ah-ha.”
So basically, the professor of the professor.
They’d probably set out as additional personnel carrying the reward, and that was why they’d suddenly shown up now.
Or maybe there was more to it.
In any case, it wasn’t likely to have anything to do with Lion himself.
“Pleased to meet you. I am called Tialli.”
“Thank you for coming such a long way. I am Lion Asteri. Though… if it’s about compensation, you should be seeing my younger brother or my grandfather. But you’ve come to me.”
“Yes. I judged that I should see you first of all.”
“Why is that?”
“I wished to confirm it. Whether this whole matter is truly real or not.”
“Th-that’s an insult! Lord Tialli or not, you dare doubt my master’s skill!”
Freyania steeled herself and cried out.
Indeed, to spirit users and spirits, that potion called spirit water was something that tremendous.
After all, until now, no potion that could restore spirits had ever existed.
‘I see, so that’s how it is.’
It was only at Tialli’s blunt question that Lion understood the full picture.
Meaning, they had heard all the reports and found it impossible to believe, and had come all this way.
To check whether Embrog might have colluded with someone and falsified the reports.
‘A sound choice.’
If they were the Elder Elf’s personal guard, they’d have to judge the truth for themselves.
Cross-verification was essential in such matters… though.
‘More and more major figures keep popping up, don’t they?’
I’d considered Embrog alone to be quite a big deal.
Still, I’d believed without a doubt that the whole business of studying abroad had been quietly dropped because of this incident.
‘Hm.’
Even an insensitive guy like Lion had to realize by now…
“First, may I have a look at Endairon’s condition?”
“Hm? Endairon, you mean?”
“Yes. I suspect it must be much improved.”
Clearly I should be wary…
“Oh, Endairon! Your condition has gotten so much better.”
But I wasn’t.
Lion reached out and vigorously ruffled Endairon’s head.
And that wasn’t all.
He also gave its cheeks a good-natured squish and stretched them, then scratched thoroughly around its neck.
Yet what was astonishing was…
[Endairon finds this very cool and refreshing!]
[Endairon approves of your touch!]
[Spirit Communion talent experience increases by 25%.]
…that the giant wolf had flopped over on its back and begun enjoying Lion’s touch.
It was all because of that potion.
And that meant something else as well.
That everything reported up to now was true.
‘Because spirits do not lie.’
He’d shown them not with a war of words, but with a simple action.
Of course, it also served a bit of self-indulgence.
…He’s cute, isn’t he? How could anyone resist?
“…”
And so, under everyone’s watchful gaze, Lion satisfied his self-indulgence to the fullest before rising to his feet.
“It certainly seems the potion’s effects were excellent.”
“Indeed they were. I don’t even want to imagine what might have happened without you, Young Lord Lion.”
Embrog bowed with elven courtesy.
“I was too overwhelmed to say it properly last night, but truly, thank you. I will not forget your kindness.”
“Please, don’t mention it.”
“And with regard to that…”
As Embrog started the lead-in, Tialli continued the sentence.
“We would like to formally import that potion.”