Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 121

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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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Successor? I Know Nothing About That—I Just Want to Heal. Chapter 121

Ricshel watched Lion’s eyes, which were still turning over something in his mind.

‘Would it be all right if I asked him a question now?’

An anxious thought flickered through him.
What on earth was he thinking about to wear such an expression?
Was he considering infiltrating the Temple?
Or perhaps he was planning to develop something like a “Holy Power Blocking Potion” to interfere with the Temple Ritual Ceremony…….

‘Or maybe…….’

He was uneasy because he couldn’t guess what was running through that mind.
More than anything, the real problem was that even if they did all that, it wouldn’t solve the fundamental issue.
Lion, reading the worry etched across Ricshel’s face, quickly softened his expression and offered reassurance.

“Ricshel, I’m not thinking anything strange.”
“My apologies. Since this reaction is new from you…… I’m having trouble settling my mind.”
“Truth is, it’s not that complicated. I was just thinking of asking you to do some simple background investigation…….”
“Ah.”

It was more ordinary than expected.
Ricshel looked bewildered for a moment, then exhaled a deep sigh of relief.

“And here I thought…… Whew. Understood. What sort of investigation would you like me to conduct?”
“Hmm? Oh, ah.”

It was Lion who found himself taken aback instead.

‘……It’s background investigation, so why is he relieved?’

What exactly did Ricshel usually do for work anyway?
He wanted to probe, but moving the conversation forward took priority.

“First, I need you to look into Peter’s adoptive parents.”
“That certainly makes sense.”

Ricshel nodded in agreement.
Peter trusted his adoptive parents, but that didn’t mean they had to trust them as well.
There were countless cases of people who adopted children only to sell them off to slave traders afterward.
Even if the Temple had carefully selected them, there was always the possibility of ‘what if.’
And if they discovered that he possessed Holy Power?
If they were wicked people, they might take payment for Peter and hand him over to the Temple themselves.
There was plenty of reason to suspect and investigate…… but.

‘What’s the plan after that?’

Whether the adoptive parents were good or bad, the next problem remained unchanged.
Unless they fundamentally addressed the Holy Power itself, Peter’s fate was sealed to become a Priest of the Temple.
For reasons unclear, the Temple required those who wielded Holy Power.
As he thought it through, certain questions naturally arose.

‘How odd.’

First of all: why now?
If the Temple had required Holy Power, they could have taken Peter anytime, not just now.
The place where Peter was living was an Orphanage managed by the Temple itself.
It was where the Temple’s reach extended first, and they’d even sent Licht, a candidate Archbishop.
Then the Temple must have already been aware that Peter possessed Holy Power.
So from the beginning—that is, before Peter was cast out, or even when he first arrived at this Orphanage—couldn’t the Temple have simply reached out and taken him?

‘But then why suddenly complicate the procedures and invoke a Ritual Ceremony?’
And in a situation where an adoptive candidate arranged by the Temple has appeared?
There had been no such thing before.
Temple-arranged adoptions were cumbersome, certainly, but they never conducted a Ritual Ceremony unless the subject’s Holy Power was exceptional.
And second.

‘The Priest distinctly said Peter had no Holy Power.’

A man of proper priestly rank would have sensed whether someone possessed Holy Power or not.
Yet he clearly reassured the adoptive parents, saying ‘Peter will be fine.’
Something stank about it.
A suspicious stench of making certain Peter became a Priest amid the confusion.
Lion nodded as though he’d read Licht’s thoughts.

“Doesn’t it seem odd?”
“Yes. It certainly does seem odd.”

The final strangeness was that this place lay within the Asteri Territory—a renowned magical house.
Peter’s Holy Power was not particularly exceptional.
No matter how much the Temple arranged the adoption directly, it was at a level where they couldn’t ignore the Territory’s concerns.
The Temple would not, unless mad, create this sort of commotion in Asteri Territory simply to secure one formally qualified Priest-ranked talent.

“Of course, I hope our suspicions prove unfounded…….”

A Ritual Ceremony conducted without clear cause, a Priest speaking obvious lies.
This alone was enough to warrant suspicion of the Temple.
Ricshel lifted his head and gazed toward where the Temple stood.

“There would be two reasons why the Temple would suddenly require human resources. Perhaps a competitive faction has emerged…….”

Or perhaps they had grown deficient in something that only human resources could provide.
Holy Power itself, that is.

‘I hope that isn’t the case.’

No matter the heir of a renowned magical house, a decrease in total Holy Power was not something to welcome.
Depletion of Holy Power meant Demonic Power was growing stronger.
And when it had been at its strongest—what happened then?

‘The Demons invaded.’

And war broke out.
That was only fifty years ago.
……Though still mere suspicion without physical evidence, he could now perceive that the Temple’s trajectory had shifted based on this single matter.
It had become not merely Peter’s personal concern, but an issue the household itself must watch carefully.

‘And if that suspicion holds true…….’

Ricshel’s expression grew cold and hard.

‘It contradicts the Covenant.’

The Temple and the magical house share one Covenant.
Should any issue arise concerning Holy Power itself, it must be reported immediately, and they must cooperate in its resolution.
It was a Covenant made between the Head of Household and the Saint during the war.
Yet the fact that there has been no word until now suggests the Temple may have broken that Covenant.
This was something they could formally protest.
If that comes to pass, Peter will naturally be removed from the Temple’s grasp as well.

“In any case, it’s worth trying, isn’t it?”
“…….”

Could it be that Lion had arrived at this conclusion simply through his conversation with Peter?

‘He must have.’

His ability to perceive the grand design from the smallest of details was truly remarkable.
If so, then it falls to me to bring that design to completion.
Ricshel felt a surge of admiration for him, and asked with solemn determination.

“……How long did you say until the ritual ceremony?”
“A week from now. So bring me whatever information you can find before then.”
“Understood.”
“I’m counting on you.”

The moment Lion finished speaking, Ricshel turned and made his way swiftly back to the mansion.
Lion, meanwhile…….

“Sigh.”

He exhaled heavily.
He’d have preferred just a simple congratulation, but somehow things had spiraled into something far larger.
Lion’s mouth felt bitter.
The boy had already had a difficult enough life, and now he’d stumbled into this strange vortex.

‘From a larger perspective, walking the path of a priest might actually be better than being adopted…….’

In truth, an ordained priest received treatment equal to that of a nobleman, never wanted for food, and could use Holy Power to help others.
But it was not the path Peter wished to walk.
Moreover, since Holy Power, once awakened, does not fade, Peter could still take up the priesthood as an adult after building happy memories with his family.

‘So for now, I need to keep him away from the Temple, one way or another.’

But how could he manage that?
Lion was lost in thought about how to rescue Peter from this whirlpool, when——

“Lion.”
“Hmm?”

Ricshel, whom he’d thought had already left, had returned and called out to him again.

“There was something I forgot to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“…….”

Ricshel hesitated before speaking.
Truth be told, it wasn’t that he’d forgotten—it was information he’d chosen not to share.
It concerned Licht.
The candidate for Archbishop.

“Do you remember that priest who healed you before?”
“Ah, him? Yes, I do.”
“Well, actually, he…….”
“Actually?”

Ricshel made a low sound of hesitation.

Ricshel thought for a moment longer before answering.

“He’s a candidate for Archbishop.”
“Hmm?”

This was news to Lion.

‘Wait, if that’s the case….’

A puzzle piece clicked into place in Lion’s mind.
Licht, a candidate for Archbishop.
And among the children selected through the Temple’s ritual ceremony, there were notably a “Saint” and the “current Archbishop candidate.”
And this time’s ceremony was to be overseen by that Archbishop candidate, as he’d mentioned.
If this went well….

‘I might be able to get some help.’

Lion broke into a bright smile at the welcome news.
And at that expression, Licht felt a chill of apprehension run through him.
Whenever he smiled like that, his brother was about to do something reckless.

“Ricshel.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I think I should pay the Temple a visit.”
“…What?!”

* * *

“That priest? As it happens, we received word that he’s coming today.”

When Lion asked about the priest, the Orphanage Director immediately shared everything she knew in detail.
Though not constantly, he visited the Temple whenever he had time to check on the children, and he even looked after those who were injured.

“Since he himself came from the Orphanage, he has a great deal of affection for it, or so he’s said.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Perhaps that’s why he feels so familiar. Ha ha.”
“Then I could see him before I leave today?”
“Of course! He’s asked about your welfare from time to time, so I’m sure he’ll be quite delighted!”

Lion nodded along as he assembled the Orphanage’s shape with Peter using Blocks.

“Have you met him too?”
“Yeah. But he usually only came by when I was asleep, so I don’t know much about him. Yawn.”

As dusk fell and Peter had played enthusiastically with the Blocks all day, he was beginning to grow drowsy.
He had wandered all over the place during the day, after all.

“We should start tidying up soon and get some rest. And I need to see the priest and head back.”
“Okay! Today was really fun. I’m going to play with these Blocks forever!”
“If they break, I’ll fix them for free, so don’t worry and play with them as much as you like.”

At the playful remark, Peter laughed bashfully while putting the Blocks away.

“Next time, I’ll invite you to my house.”
“…Okay. Please do invite me.”

Lion acknowledged Peter’s words, then rose and headed toward that familiar solitary room.
The Orphanage Director, who had set out warm water before Lion as she had before, suddenly seemed to remember something and let out a brief exclamation of realization.

“Oh, that reminds me—that letter also contained such a story.”
“What is it?”
“He said he saw your brother in a dream. He wanted me to tell you how much he wished to meet him again. The words were the same as always, but that day they felt so earnest, so sincere… I can’t believe I forgot to mention it until now.”

The Orphanage Director smiled as she said how fortunate his arrival was, then quietly closed the door behind her.
In the sudden silence of the room, Lion sank into thought.

‘He wanted to see Ricshel?’

The Priest’s dreams were Prophetic Dreams, or so he’d said before.

‘That’s… quite a coincidence.’

Ricshel had mentioned he’d finish his business quickly and head to the Temple, so perhaps he could hear the full story then.
Lion sipped his warm tea as he waited for Licht.
And just as before, the door opened softly…

“It’s been a long time.”

A calm, gentle voice greeted him.

“Ah, it’s you. My brother’s busy today.”

Lion turned from the window to face Licht.
But then…

…

Something seemed off about Licht’s expression.
As if something vital had drained away.

“Licht?”

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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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