Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 120

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

Successor or not, all I want is healing — Episode 120

“If you’re alright with it, that’s a relief, but… if it gets too heavy, you have to tell me right away. Understood?”
“Yes, Brother.”

Lion watched Ricshel and shook his head inwardly. The boy was so kind-hearted that he’d never voice a complaint, and that was the problem.
It was obvious the bag would be heavy, so instead of heading to the Magic Tower first, Lion decided they’d stop at the Orphanage to set the luggage down, and only then go wherever they needed.
Lion quickened his pace.
Not forgetting to put on the Hairpin along the way.

“Oh? My goodness, Young Masters! It’s been so long!”

As they approached the Orphanage, the Orphanage Director, who had stepped outside with several children, spotted Lion and Ricshel first and came toward them with a bright smile.

“Goodness, carrying such a heavy bag…”
“Ah, I happened to make a beverage, so I brought some to share with the children.”
“Goodness…”

How could someone in poor health be so considerate!
The Orphanage Director’s expression grew deeply moved, and she extended her hands.

“Please, let me carry it for you. Come, give it to me.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I’ve carried it this far without trouble. Let’s go in. Besides, you mentioned having good news?”
“Ah, you mean about Peter? Let me explain once we’re inside.”

In this warm and pleasant atmosphere, Lion arrived inside the Orphanage.
He naturally set the luggage down on the floor and, opening the bag, began distributing the Sikhye among the children.

“Wow, glass bottles!”
“Really?”

The children, finding the glass bottles fascinating in themselves, gripped them tightly in both hands and examined them from every angle.

“But what’s inside?”
“What is it?”
“It’s a beverage made from rice. Sikhye, we call it — it’s sweet.”
“Ooh… a drink!”

The children whispered among themselves.
Their faces lit up with anticipation at the prospect of tasting something new.
Lion gazed at them with warm affection for a moment, then gave the children a word of caution.

“Be careful now — if you break it, the glass could cut your hands. Got it?”
“Yes!”

The children answered cheerfully and busily passed the bottles of Sikhye around to one another.
Some of them couldn’t wait and unscrewed the caps first, gulping down the sweet Sikhye eagerly.

“It’s sweet! Delicious!”
“Slurp! It’s a little spicy! But it’s so sweet, I love it!”

[Cooking Experience Points increased by 5 percent.]

Though somewhat unusual in taste, it seemed to suit them well for its sweetness.

“But where is Peter?”
“Ah, well, you see…”

The Orphanage Director, who had been sipping the Sikhye Lion had given her and expressing her amazement, suddenly came to attention at the mention of Peter’s name.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind about the adoption matter.”
“Why? Are the parents strange people?”
“Not at all. Rather, this time the problem is…… that they’re too wonderful.”

Too wonderful? What did that mean?
At Lion’s puzzled expression, the Orphanage Director smiled awkwardly and opened her mouth.

“If you have the time, wouldn’t it be better to meet them in person and hear the details?”
“You’re right. That would be best.”

It seemed better to hear it directly from Peter himself.
Lion headed straight for where Peter was.
That place was, of course…
The Orphanage Courtyard.
Peter always spent time there with his back against the wall whenever he needed a moment alone.
What was at least fortunate was…

Sip.

That he was drinking the Sikhye Lion had made without any hesitation.
But drinking Sikhye so solemnly like that…

‘It’s practically like brooding over soju in some back alley.’

In any case, he seemed to have a lot on his mind.
Lion chuckled softly, hid the box behind his back, and sat down naturally beside Peter.

“How does it taste?”
“…… You made this, didn’t you? It’s delicious.”

Peter looked at Lion, smiled, and shifted over one spot to make room.

“Sit here. You catch colds easily, so you should sit somewhere warm.”
“Ha, I’m not that frail, you know?”
“Hmph! Whenever your brother asks why you haven’t come, you always say you’re too sick to visit. What’s that about?”
……

Ah, so Ricshel took good care of the Orphanage while I was away.

‘That kid……’

He pretended otherwise, but he was sincere as anyone could be.
Lion laughed awkwardly at Peter’s words.

“Were you lonely that I couldn’t visit often?”
“No. You must have been really sick.”

Peter said it with absolute conviction.
Wait, why was he so completely certain about it?

“You’ve got the face of someone who was definitely sick.”
……

Lion started to make an excuse but closed his mouth instead.
It was frustrating somehow, but if he tried to explain, the story would get too long…
Fine. Let’s just say he was sick.

“Still, I heard all about you. You’ve got some good news, they say?”
……

Peter’s face broke into a slow smile at those words.
It was the kind of smile that seemed genuinely happy.

‘It looks like he’s actually pleased with his adoptive parents.’

It didn’t seem forced at all. If he’d truly been reluctant about the adoption, he couldn’t have smiled like that.

“What are they like?”
“…They’re kind, considerate. Good people. They even said I don’t have to call them Mom and Dad right away.”

Peter tried to speak about them as matter-of-factly as possible.

‘…Of course, he wouldn’t have told the other children here.’

Peter has a tender heart.
Out of concern for the other children at the orphanage, he probably couldn’t bring himself to speak freely about it.
He’d likely just said they were fine, nothing bad. That’s all he would have mentioned.

“Good people, then?”

But in front of Lion, he could speak more easily.

“Yeah? And, um…”

That’s why the carefully composed tone in his voice gradually became more animated. His expression too began to shift into that bright-eyed look unique to children.
He really did like them.
And in fact, the adoptive parents Peter described turned out to be quite affectionate people.
They were patient and put Peter’s heart first in everything.
They’d even prepared all the tedious adoption paperwork and documents without hesitation.

‘Peter must have been through quite a lot.’

The very fact that a child remembered all those documents meant he’d been under tremendous stress throughout the adoption process.
In any case, there had been no problems with the adoption procedures.
If anything had gone wrong, the Orphanage Director would have found a way to resolve it.

‘So why is he troubled?’

Lion listened to Peter in silence, and after a long moment, Peter let out a sigh. “Huh.”

“So when I get adopted, I think things might actually work out this time. And honestly, I even thought if something goes wrong, I can always come back. But…”
“But?”
“…The Temple.”

Peter picked up the glass bottle with the remaining sikhye and took a long swig.

Ahh.

‘…The sikhye hasn’t fermented, has it?’

After a worldly sigh slipped from the boy’s mouth—the kind normally hard to hear from children—Peter leaned back on the sugar and let out the rest of his story.
To sum it up roughly.

“So basically, if I happen to have Holy Power, I have to become a priest?”
“Yeah. That’s what they said.”
“…”

Lion’s expression became subtle.

‘Is this really right?’

Regardless of whether Peter possessed Holy Power or not, was it actually appropriate for the Temple to just sweep the child away like that?

‘The Magic Tower Orphanage doesn’t do things that way.’

There were occasionally children who showed magical talent, or who later walked the path of a mage after suffering a delayed Mana shock.
But did they separate those children from their parents or adoptive parents and take them away?
Never.

‘We simply offer support.’

It ended with arranging enrollment in a magical academy or gifting them magical texts.
It made no sense to take them away entirely like the Temple did and force them down the path of a priest.
At least, that was Lion’s view on it.

“What do you think about the Temple?”
“W-well, of course, the fact that they’ve fed and sheltered me until now is thanks to the Temple’s support. I’m alive because of that. So I’m grateful to the Goddess. If no one had wanted to adopt me, maybe I would’ve considered it. But…!”

Peter clenched his small fists and voiced his thoughts.

“I don’t want to be separated from them. Actually, I’d rather live at their house right now!”

Lion chuckled at Peter’s words.
That’s all that mattered.
No matter what others thought, that was Peter’s genuine feeling.
In that case….
Lion had a suitable way forward.

“It’s fine. Holy Power doesn’t manifest that easily. It’s never happened before, has it?”
“Y-you’re right about that!”

Peter suddenly wondered if he’d gotten ahead of himself, and his face flushed.

“Nothing will come of it. There’s a reason why priests are rarer than mages, after all.”
“Is that so…?”
“And even if something does happen, would they really separate you forever? You’d probably just commute like you do to an academy. Right?”
“…Yeah. That makes sense.”

Peter nodded. Now that he thought about it, Lion had spoken of the priesthood as if it were no big deal.
The strange anxiety that had been gnawing at his chest began to settle.
It really did seem like nothing to worry about.
Commuting was fine anyway.

“Besides, want to see this?”

Ta-da!

Lion made a sound effect with his mouth as he pulled out a gift box he’d hidden behind his back.

“What is this?”

Peter’s eyes widened as he examined the sturdy packaging he’d never seen before.

“Open it. Just lift the groove here and it comes right off.”

As they opened the box together….

“…!”

Colorful building blocks that could interlock with one another were arranged prettily by color!

“W-wow……!”
“I made it for you since you’re getting adopted.”

Lion even showed him a sheet of paper with instructions drawn on it.

“It was my favorite toy when I was little. I hope you like it.”
“Of c-course! This is the first toy I’ve ever gotten!”
……

Lion smiled widely at those words.

“You can use it outside, but dust tends to get on it, so try it in your room for now. I need to go check on my brother for a bit, so play with it while I’m gone. Understood?”
“Yes! Thanks, brother!”

Peter carefully closed the packaging again, then clutched the box to his chest and dashed toward his room.
His worries had vanished and he’d received a gift—his mood seemed genuinely bright.
Lion watched Peter disappear into his room with a satisfied look, then his expression gradually hardened.

‘Now I know what kind of gift to give.’

As Lion brushed off his clothes and stood, Ricshel, who had been at a distance, slowly approached.

“Sir.”
“Did you confirm it?”
“That’s the thing……”

Ricshel lowered his head slightly and shook it in response to Lion’s question.

“I sense Holy Power.”
“You’ve felt it all along, haven’t you?”
“Yes. It’s not overwhelmingly strong, but if the power properly awakens, he could become a full-fledged priest.”

As a 5-Circle Mage, Ricshel could identify people who possessed Holy Power.
It was a heterogeneous force incompatible with Mana.

“……If things continue as they are, the boy called Peter will surely be forcibly affiliated with the Temple.”
“Brother.”

Lion gazed at Peter’s room for a moment, then turned to look at Ricshel.
His expression was so serious that Ricshel instinctively understood.

‘He has a way!’

Clearly he possessed a rational solution.
Ricshel answered eagerly, filled with hope.

“Yes, sir!”
“Are you willing to do something wrong for the sake of doing something right?”
“Pardon?”

Ricshel looked into Lion’s eyes once more.
Eyes he had thought calm were……
glowing faintly, burning with resolve.

‘……Sir?’

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