Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 135

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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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Forget about being an heir—I just want to heal. Episode 135

Ricshel said nothing, simply staring at Lion with unwavering eyes.
So he’s handled something, after all.
But the fact that he hasn’t told me suggests that surely…….

‘He’s probably thinking it’s nothing particularly remarkable.’

After several months of experience, this “modesty” seemed to be one of his habits.
Of course, Ricshel considered this very modesty to be one of Lion’s countless strengths.
The many attitudes and ways of thinking born from such humility became the true “dignity” of nobility itself.
But.
His thinking was rather different now.

‘Perhaps you might afford to boast a little more, brother.’

Brother ought to take more pride in his own achievements!
It was only because he thought them unremarkable himself, but each and every thing he’d accomplished over these past months was truly extraordinary.
Not only Ricshel, but the family head and Elvia as well—weren’t there many things that surprised them?

‘……Brother wouldn’t show it, of course.’

Ricshel respected and admired him for such restraint.
And yet.
Was there any harm in not actively suppressing the rumors?
So he let it be.
Even if not under his brother’s name, those who mattered all knew the true identity of the Messenger of God, didn’t they?
Then there was no loss in elevating that status.
No—in fact, this way the Temple would be more likely to offer personal assistance in the future.
And that was precisely what Ricshel was aiming for.
The Temple’s cooperation and support.
The old Ricshel would never have considered such a choice.
After all, he was the heir to House Asteri.
He had wealth, renown, and even martial skill.
He had more than enough confidence to carry on House Asteri well under the family head’s succession.
So what would possess him to entangle himself with some other faction?

‘……There was a time when I thought that way.’

But not anymore.
The family head once told him something.
That even he, a Grandmaster Mage, could not prepare for every contingency.
That if there appeared a person who could solve every problem, he would either be arrogant, or not human at all.
In the past, he hadn’t fully grasped those words.
Or rather, he hadn’t wanted to understand them.
It hurt too much.
It felt like hearing the failure stories of someone he respected—no, his grandfather—straight from his own mouth.
His mood twisted for no reason, and something churned inside him.
Especially.

‘When I heard about my parents from Grandfather’s lips.’

In the family head’s expression dwelt an emptiness that defied description.
A sensation of gazing into an unfathomable chasm.
Or perhaps—it struck him that his grandfather was still falling endlessly through the depths of that pit, unable to reach bottom.
Family.
The expression of one who had lost flesh-and-blood children…….

‘I hated it.’

He didn’t want to long for his mother. Not when he would become just like her.
A candle flame before the wind—flickering weakly, dancing without substance, on the verge of guttering out.
He couldn’t even remember her face, yet he ached for her still.
So the younger Ricshel—far younger than he was now—had fled from that feeling rather than bear it.
He kept his distance, turned deliberately away, drew an emotional line in the sand.
He’d decided that the emptiness and despair of loss outweighed the comfort and warmth of family bonds.
Fortunately, he’d had little chance to grow close to his brother, so he thought everything was proceeding according to plan.
But it wasn’t.

‘I was the fool all along.’

He had come to understand that the arrogant man the Head of House had spoken of was himself.
Hadn’t he been denying the simple truth—that no human could ever live alone?
Now he could see it clearly.
This was a sensation that could never be captured in words or intellect.
It was his brother who had awakened him to it.
He could thank his brother a thousand times over and it still wouldn’t be enough.
So he would do whatever it took to protect his brother’s happiness.
……In any case, it was better to have even one more possibility in reserve, just in case.
Now that he’d cultivated close ties with House Bydentis, it was time to turn his attention to the Temple.
As for that priest Licht—he’d come to think rather well of him on a personal level.
True, the man was still somewhat rough around the edges, but his talent for upending the Temple with honeyed words was impressive enough to overlook.

‘Thanks to him, I’ve managed to catch another rabbit.’

Not just the Temple’s support, but also my brother’s achievement.
My brother.
Lion Asteri’s achievement.
My brother wouldn’t be pleased about it, but this is one of the finest safeguards against future trouble.

‘I can’t predict when someone will underestimate my brother and cause problems again.’

So he would work behind the scenes to prevent that foolish creature from acting on whatever ridiculous notions he harbored and harming his brother.
With that in place, that absurd attack would never happen again.
Ricshel hadn’t forgotten that the First Imperial Prince and his faction had attacked his brother.
The First Prince’s stupid behavior was irritating enough, but far more repulsive were the sycophants hovering around him.

‘No doubt they’d been egging the dull First Prince on, goading him into making his move.’

Their thinking was transparent enough.
The nobles attached to the First Prince had one signature trait: they bullied anyone who seemed defenseless.
Even if he was the eldest of House Asteri, surely testing him once wouldn’t hurt?
He had no real strength anyway, and no achievements to speak of.
So let’s probe him through the First Prince!
Even if it fails, it won’t damage us, so what’s the risk?

‘That’s the pathetic sort of scheme they’d concoct.’

Ricshel made no effort to hide his contempt.
Of course, they’d taken a heavy blow this time and would lie low for a while.
But there was no downside to having established his brother’s achievement.
And besides……

‘Heh. I want to brag about it.’

Left to his own devices, he’d spread word throughout the city about how magnificent his brother was.
But since that wasn’t what his brother wanted, he’d compromised by simply not suppressing the rumors.
Ricshel finished his thoughts and handed his brother a fresh handkerchief.

“Are you all right?”
“Cough, thank you.”

Lion barely managed to swallow the drink still lingering in his mouth, then quickly covered his lips with a handkerchief.
He was rather taken aback.

“But if rumors like that spread, doesn’t it make the Messenger of God seem too extraordinary?”
“That’s true. Apparently all sorts of details have been added to the story.”
“Like what?”
“They say that when the Saint walks down the road, new shoots grow in her path, blue butterflies fly in from nowhere and sprinkle holy water around her, wings sprout from her back, and a halo shines above her head.”
“Good heavens.”

So this is what they meant by details being added—that sort of thing.
There’s no refuting any of it; all he could do was marvel.
Human imagination truly is something remarkable.

“I don’t know how you managed to convince the Archbishop, but it seems Licht has done an excellent job handling the aftermath.”
“Indeed.”

In any case, it was resolved, and since it was all anonymous, he could just let it be.
There wasn’t much he could do about it anyway at this point.
But above all, there was one thing he wanted to know.

“So what happened to Peter?”

What he most wanted to hear about was Peter’s fate.
Though the Archbishop had assured him it would be resolved, Lion needed proper news to set his mind at ease.
Ricshel gazed at his brother and offered a faint smile.

“Yes. He was safely adopted.”

Ricshel first told his brother what he was most curious about, then gradually filled in the rest of the story.

“However, despite being at the level of a formal priest, it was also true that Peter possessed Holy Power, so he himself chose to walk the path of a priest.”
“So then…”
“The Temple decided to suggest an arrangement where Peter would go back and forth between his home and the Temple, taking into account that he is a child who should receive God’s love rather than transmit it.”
“Ah.”

He’d worried something else might have gone wrong, but this was actually quite a good resolution.

“And the Theological Academy headmaster promised to teach him personally through this connection.”
“I see.”

Lion felt one burden lift from his heart.
If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t need to worry further—but especially not with Ann in charge.
With a much lighter heart, Lion listened to the rest of the account.
Over these past months, they had explained the situation to the children who hadn’t been adopted, made clear that no one would be forced into the priesthood, and guaranteed that if any child had lost an adoption opportunity because of this affair, the Temple would take responsibility not only for food, shelter, and clothing but also ensure employment even after they came of age.

‘Not bad at all.’

This was far more thorough than he’d expected.
He’d thought they might simply brush it aside, but it was quite substantial.

“And apparently they also found who made that decision.”
“Ah.”
“It was someone I know, actually—the Senior Priest who blocked my path when I came to visit you.”
“What became of him?”
“He requested his own removal from office, saying he hadn’t realized his short-sighted decision would cause such far-reaching consequences.”

Moreover, he’d said that if the children wished it, he would kneel and beg their forgiveness, but if they preferred not to see him, he would live as though he were dead and never show his face again.

“At least some conscience remained.”

Lion assessed the Senior Priest coldly.
The priest had likely done his best for the Temple, of course.
But that didn’t justify sacrificing the few.
Not in the Temple, at least.
It was a betrayal of the people’s faith, pure and simple.

“And another thing…….”

Ferguson, Peter’s adoptive father, had apparently given a donation so generous that even nobility would be astonished, saying that regardless of the reasons, things had turned out well and that Peter’s blessing to them was cause enough for celebration.
Lion’s jaw had dropped when he heard the sum.

“He had that much money?”
“From what I gather, he runs one of the Empire’s largest Trading Companies. He even has connections to the hotel I’m planning to invest in.”

Lion nodded and stabbed a piece of Apple Pie with his fork, popping it into his mouth.
The tart apple flesh melded with cinnamon, bursting with sweet, rich flavor, while the crisp pastry crust added texture.
With his mind at ease, the food tasted even better.

‘Though it was excellent before, too.’

Since this was the restaurant that had captured Ricshel’s palate, the quality of each dish was remarkable.
Moreover, it operated primarily through private rooms, allowing easy conversation, so the atmosphere was quiet and refined.
Lion continued working through the Apple Pie as he asked.

“Is this investment the Hot Spring Business you mentioned before?”
“Yes, sir. Of course it won’t compare to your Hot Spring, but I thought it was a good idea. And…….”

Ricshel sipped his fragrant Black Tea, then spoke delicately.

“The project will be starting soon, and I was hoping you might take a look at it.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Since it began from your idea, I’d like your perspective on it as well.”

What additional perspective could there be?
A Hot Spring built into a hotel—a spa, basically. Wouldn’t the nobility naturally love that?

‘Ricshel’s not the type to let things slide, so he’s obviously already handled all the other amenities…….’

Meanwhile.
Seeing the troubled expression on Lion’s face, Ricshel’s features darkened slightly.

‘He’s hesitating after all.’

His older brother tended to avoid getting involved in the Family’s ventures.
It was likely a desire to solidify his position as the true Heir.

“Actually, I was hoping to spend a vacation with you. The hotel will cover all accommodations and amenities.”
“……I see.”

Lion understood the entire situation perfectly now.
He’d been mistaken about what was really going on!
So that’s what it was…….
Ricshel, you’re exhausted, aren’t you?

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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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