Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Successor Doesn’t Know, So Let’s Just Heal — Episode 104

There were clear limits to how much minced pork he could force into a natural casing, no matter how hard he tried.

……

Lion stared at the shriveled sausage, its filling woefully inadequate.
In truth, it was too shabby in form to even properly call a sausage.

‘It’s not even the size of a little finger.’

Lion gave up trying to force more filling in. The intestine kept slipping away, and at this rate he’d end up making grilled tripe instead.

A proper sausage, by definition, should offer that delightful sensation of biting through—the casing snapping satisfyingly between your teeth, releasing tender meat and savory juices that flood your mouth all at once.
The casing was essential.
That’s what a sausage meant to Lion.

If he’d had the time, he would have gone to a butcher or the village to acquire something suitable, but he didn’t have that luxury.

— One of the components included in the finest Alchemy set.
— Transfer contents to your desired location with virtually no loss. The bottom width adjusts to suit the size.

The problem was.

Lion glanced sidelong at the staff he’d been keeping carefully stored in the corner.

— Adjustable size

Even though it was worn, it wasn’t dirty, and if it bothered him at all, he could just wash it in the hot spring water once and let it dry……

No matter how few tools I had, not for Grandfather’s cherished possession.
Using a staff—practically a mage’s pride and soul—to shove minced meat into sausage casings felt fundamentally wrong.
No, it wasn’t just “felt wrong.”

“Come on, get a grip on yourself!”

Lion shook his head at himself and closed the bag.

“I’ll just make one instead.”

At least the most crucial piece was ready—the Alchemy Funnel.
All that remained was a stick to help push the ground meat in.
Lion gazed at the wood materials in his inventory.

[Labyrinth Wood Material (small)]

Scraps left over from the last expedition through the Labyrinth.
Good durability, water-resistant too.

“I’ll carve it.”

A stick-shaped piece would be simple enough to make.
Lion retrieved a chisel from his tool set and moved to a different spot.
He didn’t want wood shavings contaminating the food.

“It’s been a while, so I’m not sure how well it’ll turn out.”

As long as it was adequate, that was enough.
The base needed to be flat enough to press the meat easily against the funnel, and the grip needed only to be sturdy—that would suffice.
Lion began by smoothing the wood’s outer surface with the chisel.
Once he removed the rough bark, the wood beneath was smooth.

‘I’ll just trim away the knots carefully.’

Lion worked the knots away with precision, then used a saw to cleanly cut the flat section and attach it to the handle.

“Now for the flat part.”

Lion selected a slightly thicker piece of wood and used a carving knife and saw to shape it into a circle roughly the diameter of the funnel.
After sanding away the rough spots, it wasn’t a perfect circle, but it was more than adequate for pressing.

‘Now I need to join these two pieces.’

Fortunately, he had a good method in mind.
Lion carved a groove down the exact center of the flat section deep enough for the handle to fit through.
He could force them together without further attachment, but if the handle and flat section ever separated, it would be a nuisance.
So Lion decided to reinforce the joint with adhesive as well.
Specifically, the clay he’d made a few days ago.

[Asteri Luminous Stone Clay (★★)]

The description said it was good for filling gaps, but looking at how the hot spring stones and luminous stones had bonded together, he could see it had actually adhered quite firmly.
Not only that—it had hardened solid.
It wouldn’t lock different materials together quite as rigidly, but it should at least seal the gap well enough to align the handle and base perfectly.
Lion pinched off a tiny amount of the luminous clay, applied it to the groove, and pressed the handle firmly into place.
Leaving the tool standing upright to set, time passed.

[Labyrinth Wood Muddle]
-For something hastily assembled, it shows respectable durability.
-The adhesive used wasn’t designed for carpentry, but it held together nicely!

[Using unique materials, experience increased by thirty percent.]
[Carpentry proficiency has reached Apprentice Level 4.]

“Phew!”

Fortunately, it had worked out.

‘I was worried the skill level was too low.’

Good materials gathered together could solve things one way or another, it seemed.
Lion rinsed the Labyrinth Wood Muddle in hot spring water to shake off the remaining sawdust, dried it with a towel, and returned to the chopped meat.
He then fitted the intestine casing into the funnel, secured the end with thread, and pushed the minced pork inside.
Finally, he pressed the chopped pork down firmly with the muddle…….

“……!”

It worked!
The meat began sliding smoothly into the casing!
After watching it barely dribble in until now, seeing this felt like a weight had lifted from his chest.

“Good. Now I can do this properly.”

Lion smiled with satisfaction and continued his work.
What came after proceeded more easily than expected.
He smoothed out any air pockets or bumpy sections by hand, filled the casing appetizingly, then wound it to the desired length, shaping it into sausage links.
After filling roughly one length, he already had a respectable row of sausage-shaped links.
More than that—they were plump!
Just looking at the shape made him want to grill and eat them immediately, but the work wasn’t finished yet.

‘If I grill them like this, the inside won’t cook through properly…….’

Two methods branched off here.
One was to smoke them for a long time and infuse them with flavor; the other was to boil them and prepare them for immediate eating.
The former was easier to store and developed richer flavor, but took considerable time.
Boiling, on the other hand, needed only about thirty minutes.

‘I’ll boil them.’

So Lion decided to boil them this time.
Using the hot spring water, in fact.

‘The flavor soaked in nicely with those boiled eggs before.’

Then it should have a decent effect on the sausages too.
Lion filled an Alchemy pot with hot spring water and placed the sausages in first.
Since the water was already warm, heating it gradually at this temperature would keep the casing from bursting.
After all the care he’d put into making them, it would be a shame if they split open.

“And the heat…….”

It was better to keep it just below a boil.
If you suddenly brought it to a rolling boil, the meat inside would puff up rapidly while the casing stayed as it was, causing it to tear in most cases.

‘Blood sausage works the same way.’

Both followed similar principles.
Fortunately, this Alchemy pot was a tool that could regulate heat perfectly, making it easier.
Lion watched the sausages cooking appetizingly, then fetched a flat, level stone from nearby, stood it upright as a pillar, and rested the pot lid on top.

“Perfect for a stone plate.”

Grilling it on a grill or pan would work fine, but nothing looked quite as striking as a stone plate like this.
Lion lit a fire beneath it with the Magic Flint he’d received as a gift from the Labyrinth.

Whoosh!

Soon a gentle flame rose from beneath the stone plate.
Lion gazed idly at the fire, watching the stone heat through.
Once it had grown sufficiently hot.

Sizzle!

He coated the stone with a bit of pork fat he’d set aside.
This would prevent sticking while enriching the flavor with rendered lard.
Even from searing the fat alone, a rich, savory aroma pierced the air and set the appetite ablaze.
Once the coating was done, Lion returned to the pot.
By now the sausages should be perfectly cooked.

“Excellent.”

They glistened with that plump, springy texture that spoke of perfect doneness.
Lion fished them out with tongs and transferred them to a wide dish.
Oil seeped visibly from the pork casing—the meat inside was clearly brimming with juices.

Gulp.

Mouth-watering.
He’d have loved to sneak a bite before that wolf humanoid arrived, but…

‘No.’

Food always tasted better shared, and these homemade sausages were crafted specifically to lure the wolf humanoid in the first place.
Timing was everything.
And right on schedule.

[Your Familiar Spirit Nature’s presence grows strong.]

They’d arrived at precisely the right moment.
Lion cut the sausages at the seams, threaded several lengths onto skewers.
This time, unlike when he’d been careful with the casing, he scored deep cuts across the meat.

Crackle!

He placed them on the stone plate.
An intense sizzle erupted, and the fragrant aroma of seasoned pork billowed powerfully through Mimir Forest.

“Perfect. Perfect.”

The reason he’d chosen scored sausages for the first round was simple:

‘Nothing draws like a scent.’

This violently intense aroma was the irresistible bait.

* * *

His efforts bore fruit—Barg fell neatly into Lion’s carefully laid trap.

“You made it. Come, sit here.”
“I—thank you.”

Barg thought this situation was a dream and sat down obediently.
In fact, because it was a dream, much of his timidity and nervousness had melted away!

“Um…”

Just as Barg was about to speak, Nature, who had been guiding them up until now, flew over and dropped something onto Lion’s palm with a soft tap.

“Hm?”

Lion flipped the sausage skewers once with one hand, then examined what lay there.

[Small Orb of Lunar Essence]
-A sphere that humanoids related to the moon can create. Typically used to strengthen or heal one’s own body.
-This orb is rather small.
-However, it may prove quite effective against things related to the moon.
[Uses—Gathering, Alchemy]
[☞Click to view recipe.]

The sphere resembled a full moon, just as the description suggested.
The way light refracted at different angles made it seem sometimes like a waxing gibbous, sometimes a crescent, and even sometimes like a new moon with nothing at all—quite mystical to behold.

‘I never thought I’d actually see this with my own eyes.’

When raising a Druid and feeding special treats to a Spirit, he had used this Lunar Essence before.
Back then it had looked like nothing more than a glossy, round mochi, but seeing it now, it radiated something distinctly precious.
And besides.

‘Effective against things related to the moon?’

He had never seen such a description before.
He had always understood it was only for self-enhancement.

‘If that’s the case…’

Lion recalled something he had received from Ricshel before.
The Moonflower.
Perhaps this Lunar Essence could be used to make it bloom.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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