Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 125

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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? I’d Rather Heal – Episode 125

At the moment Lion stepped into the Sanctuary — a place that not only mages but even his grandfather Patrick, the Grand Mage of House Asteri himself, could not easily enter.
Within the Asteri Estate…….

Whoooosh—!

A biting cold wind swept through.

“Ugh, why is it so cold all of a sudden?”
“Winter’s supposed to be over, isn’t it?”

The servants drew their collar closer against the inexplicable chill and began stoking the mansion’s fires.
There were people in the house to consider, of course, but what mattered more was…….

“The Young Master mustn’t return to a cold house. Absolutely not.”

They were preparing for the day the eldest Young Master returned — though no one could say when he’d left!
Though he did seem quite recovered, going on trips and all.
To the servants’ eyes, he remained fragile — a newborn fawn that might snap in two with the gentlest touch.
If the servants felt this way, what must the lord of the house and the second Young Master think?
A single sneeze, and…….
Ugh, they didn’t even want to imagine it!

“Bring more firewood at once!”
“The mana fuel is running low — replenish it immediately.”
“Yes, sir!”

The servants moved with practiced haste, every one of them.
And the eldest Young Master was such a kind, generous soul — he treated the servants wonderfully!
He had his peculiarities, of course, but none of that mattered anymore.

…….

And watching over it all.
No, the half-elf Freyanya swept her arms and muttered to herself.

“Do they genuinely not know, or are they pretending not to?”

Did these servants really not realize why such strange weather gripped only this mansion?
Freyanya continued rubbing away the gooseflesh creeping up her skin, then glanced sideways.
And there was…….
A beautiful lady’s maid going about her duties as if nothing were amiss.
Yes — beautiful to the point of raising one’s hackles to call her merely a maid…….
Elvia.
Known as the exclusive attendant of Lion Asteri.
A witch.
Even Freyanya, who had lived a long life by most reckonings, had only recently learned that witches as a race even existed.

‘A half-blood of Demons and humans, they say.’

She had no idea how mere spectral Demons and humans could have produced a child, nor did she wish to know — but one way or another, that maid Elvia was a witch.
Otherwise, there was no explaining how her memories had been forcibly extracted back then, laid bare so carelessly…….

‘Ugh, just thinking of it makes my stomach churn even now.’

In any case, it was not a conventional arrangement.
The manner of magic Elvia used was unmistakably of Demon origin.
And yet……her devotion to her master seemed entirely sincere?
Freyanya recalled the last time they’d bathed together.
Contrary to how she’d trembled then, the hot spring turned out to be perfectly ordinary.
In fact, hadn’t Elvia offered her quite a bit of advice for the occasion?
Things like how a long-lived race says goodbye to a shorter-lived one, or ways to forget quickly.
And methods for living fully in the present, and so on—it had turned into quite the unexpected sermon on life itself.

‘She’s like a grandmother…….’

A cranky grandmother with such a terrible personality that you’d expect her to knock you one if you dared talk back!

……Anyway! The hot spring drained you of energy the way it drained sweat from your pores, but it wasn’t a bad time overall.
It had been nice of her teacher to give her the sikhye and refresh it with Cooling Magic.
Moreover, every word seemed infused with care for her teacher, which made it feel rather worthwhile.
But.

“Even so, this is going too far!”

As Freyanya huffed indignantly through her nose, the Salamander perched on her shoulder mimicked its master and let out its own little “Huff!” along with a tiny burst of flame.

‘My teacher might step away sometimes. But that doesn’t mean she has to blast those icy winds everywhere like this!’

It’s cold. So cold!
Anyone with eyes could see that Elvia was the source of this chill!
Why wasn’t anyone else picking up on it?

“Honestly…….”

Freyanya heaved a deep sigh and moved forward with renewed purpose.

‘If she’s that worried, she should just ask her teacher’s brother directly.’

They lived together, yet she didn’t seem to do anything like that.
Or perhaps, having been born as a strong witch from the start, asking others for help had never been an option in her mind.

“There’s no helping it.”

A slight cough.

Freyanya pulled her hat low over her eyes and entered the room.
She hadn’t used this method since her teacher returned from Bydentis Territory, but there was no choice but to use it once more.
Freyanya drew out the Black Crystal Orb from deep within her bag, poured her mana into it, and spoke in a lowered voice.

“I’d like to know……no, I need to find out where Lion Asteri is.”

…….
The information network of the Underworld truly was formidable!
Before long, a letter containing Lion’s location flew in through the window!

—Lion Asteri is currently in the Temple within Asteri Territory, but his exact location cannot be determined.

“That witch!”

Freyanya crumpled the letter and clenched her fist tight.
Right. Being a witch, she couldn’t exactly walk into a temple herself.

‘Wouldn’t she just get purified if she did?’

One way or another, their matchup was bound to be unfavorable.
But then, what about her teacher?

‘It’s safe!’

Elvia’s worry wasn’t about her teacher’s well-being, was it?
If she learned that much, she’d be satisfied enough to withdraw the witch’s icy chill.
And besides—no matter how much of a witch she was, recklessly expending magical power like this couldn’t be good for her body, could it?

“……Not that I’m worried or anything.”

Ahem. She’s just a servant my teacher favors. I’m only doing my duty as a disciple.
The most pointless worry in the world is fretting over someone so far outside the norm.
In any case, Freyanya gripped the crumpled black letter firmly and made her way toward Elvia.
Yet unlike the confident stride with which she’d approached…….

“Um, um…… this thing.”
“Little one. When you speak, you must pronounce each word clearly.”

Not “that thing, this thing.”

“Sigh.”

Elvia took hold of the crumpled letter in Freyanya’s hand and unfolded it, her normally listless eyes widening slightly.

‘What was she up to, I wonder.’

She was doing something rather touching, wasn’t she?
This half-elf child must have thought I’d lost my precious puppy.

‘How she came to that conclusion is obvious enough.’

He’d gone out, but the signal cut off midway, and from that moment on, her mood had been unsettled.
Of course, unlike Freyanya’s worry, Elvia knew perfectly well what her precious puppy was doing at this very moment.
Only, since he’d entered the Sanctuary, she could barely sense his presence—which was deeply frustrating.
Judging from Patrick’s complete lack of response, he must surely be fine, but…….

‘It feels like the Labyrinth.’

Perhaps the nature differed, but the source was similar?
Even Sylvia couldn’t fully grasp that much.
In any case, her nerves had been on edge over the matter, and this little one had noticed and tried whatever she could to help.
She’d wondered if anyone besides House Asteri could make her feel this way—and now it turned out to be this half-elf child who’d latched onto her precious puppy.

“Truly, life is full of surprises.”

As Elvia laughed softly, the icy chill that had enveloped House Asteri vanished in an instant.
The sky was still clouded, and the weather wasn’t yet clear, but if the wind picked up just a little more, warm sunlight would surely break through.

“……!”

The moment the bone-deep chill disappeared, color returned to Freyanya’s face!
From her reaction, it seemed she’d got the details a bit wrong, but it appeared she’d satisfied her well enough regardless.
Though she hadn’t really done anything properly, she felt a warmth spread through her at that alone.
Was this what her teacher called a “sense of accomplishment”?

“Indeed. You’ve done a good deed, so I suppose I should give you a reward.”

Elvia chuckled and took the first step forward.
Yes. The Young Master wouldn’t wish for me to simply wait here.
He’s the kind who wants everyone to live their own lives.
So then…….

‘While the pup’s on his way, I ought to tie up all the tedious loose ends.’

For instance, ensuring the Temple stops pursuing information about the Young Master, and that they can’t easily approach him even if they learn his identity.

‘As for that so-called successor of his, how should I handle him?’

……First, I’ll bake some sweet cookies for the good little one, then think it through slowly.

* * *

Lion approached slowly toward the spring that barely managed to form a trickle.
The water was so faint that even a single footstep made the stream tremble, threatening to stop altogether.

“This is……?”
“Yes. This is the foundation of the Sanctuary that the Archbishop prepared…… or so it was.”

Licht, too, seemed at a loss for words, not having expected it to be this depleted.

“I’m not sure if I should even say this, but—did the Archbishop never come here?”
“That’s not quite it. The very existence of this space is proof that the Archbishop and the previous Archbishop’s power reached here.”

Licht added the explanation quickly.
On barren temple grounds, they had carved out a new space using Holy Power, creating an environment within it where plants could grow.
Of course, even if it was an environment where only living things that received Holy Power could survive, and even if the space itself grew unstable without continuous maintenance, it was still remarkable work.

“Hmm…….”
“There are many parts that are difficult to understand, but in any case, the Archbishop did do his best.”

Lion nodded appropriately and looked around.

‘So it’s basically a Labyrinth in a different form, then?’

Admittedly, it had more limitations compared to the Labyrinth in the House Asteri, but there wasn’t just one or two temples around.

“Of course, since this is Asteri Territory, the spring has dried up so much because development here has been pushed to a lower priority…… but.”
“Pardon? Why is that?”
“The common talk is that relations between the Temple and House Asteri aren’t good.”

But?

“……In truth, there’s a certain aspect of trust and delegation involved. Hah.”

Ah, so that’s the reason?

‘If I just solve this Sanctuary problem…….’

Then that guarantees work-life balance for not just Patrick, but Grandfather and my sister as well?
I’d already planned to fix it, but this was the moment motivation to do so surged even stronger.
Of course, before that.

“I see.”
“Indeed.”

A subtle tension settled between the two of them.
Given the nature of the matter, there was one problem that neither of them had explicitly mentioned until now, even coming this far.
But before they began in earnest, they had to bring it into the open regardless.
And that was.

“Licht.”
“……Yes. Please speak.”

Licht, too, accepted the question with quiet composure, as though he’d been expecting it all along.

“I’m referring to this Prophecy Dream and the insignia that allow me to be treated as a noble guest.”

Lion touched the Noble Guest Insignia pinned to his chest—once, twice—watching the Archbishop’s expression.

“What does it even mean, that you’re able to bring someone of unknown identity all the way to the Sanctuary?”

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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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