Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 137

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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 Matter; I Just Want to Heal — Chapter 137

Elvia sensed something strange she couldn’t quite name.
An ordinary living creature could not withstand the Sacred Power of the Holy Sanctuary.
That was why animals didn’t survive in sanctuaries built by those temple priests, wasn’t it?
And yet…….
This egg endured.
Despite an excess of Sacred Power accumulating around it, the thing inside clung to life, persisting against all odds.
It possessed a vitality so fierce it bordered on the uncanny.
Elvia knew of only three living beings with such stubborn strength.
Dragons, the stuff of legend.
Divine Beasts or Demon Beasts—creatures that could wield Sacred Power from the moment of their birth.

‘It can’t be a dragon, and a Demon Beast is even less likely.’

Perhaps the Young Master was simply fascinated because he’d never seen such a large egg before, and that’s why he’d taken a special interest in it.
So for now, she would examine it with her own eyes and form her own judgment.

“Would it be all right if I took a closer look?”
“Of course. I was hoping you’d examine it.”

Elvia walked slowly into the room and carefully inspected the egg, nestled in soft blankets.
She ran her fingers over the smooth, white shell and gently tapped it here and there.
Yet from within, she felt no movement at all.
If anyone else had been watching, they might have thought the creature inside had died without ever breaking free—but…….

‘It’s in a deep sleep.’

No witch’s eyes could be deceived.
Elvia lifted the egg into the air using Levitation Magic.

“……!”

As she did, a part of the egg she hadn’t noticed before became visible.
She’d thought it was perfectly white, but now she could see that the section wrapped in blankets was mottled with a deep purple hue.

‘Or perhaps that’s its true color all along…….’

“From what I’ve heard, Divine Beast eggs are supposed to be pure white. This one, though—it’s mixed in color.”

Elvia didn’t answer Lion’s observation; she simply continued her examination of the egg.
Not that she hadn’t already reached her conclusion—she was hoping to be wrong.

‘This is a Demon Beast egg.’

She had no idea how the Young Master had obtained a Demon Beast egg from the temple itself, much less from within the Holy Sanctuary, but of that much she was certain.
Only a Demon Beast egg could survive exposure to such overwhelming Sacred Power.

‘This is going to be complicated.’

A Demon Beast egg. Nothing else.
If the Demon Beast inside were to awaken and grow…….
It would undoubtedly become a tremendous asset to House Asteri.
Because it was no mere animal, but a Demon Beast.
Its strength would be beyond imagination.
But great power always came with great risk.
One misstep, and it could spell disaster.

‘Can our puppy even handle this.’

Elvia gazed at Lion for a moment.
From his reaction, it seemed her puppy hadn’t yet grasped exactly what this egg was.
In that case, wouldn’t it be better to simply declare the egg already dead and incinerate it?
The probability of a Demon Beast hatching from it was slim in any case.
They became the world’s strongest creatures upon birth, but difficulty in breaking free from the egg was the defining trait of a Demon Beast, wasn’t it?

‘Of course, if I said as much, our puppy would be quite disappointed….’

Such a tenderhearted child.
He might well blame himself, thinking he’d failed to care for it properly and the egg had died.
The mere thought of him torturing himself over it squeezed her heart painfully, yet when she considered ‘safety,’ Elvia’s reasoning held merit.
Just as Elvia resolved to dispose of the egg—

“Your expression has darkened. Is something wrong with the egg?”

At the voice reaching her ear, Elvia drew her gaze from the egg and turned to face Lion.

“…An egg of this size would produce quite a formidable creature, I suspect.”

The words left her mouth, and Elvia felt a flutter of panic within.
She ought to have said it was dead—that would have made everything simpler—yet without thinking, she’d said something else entirely.

“Ah, true enough. Could it be dangerous?”
“Might I ask what your intentions would be if it proved dangerous?”

At Elvia’s question, Lion laughed awkwardly and scratched his cheek.

“I’m worried about that too, but since I’m the one who found it, I want to do my best. And…”

Lion, now standing beside Elvia, cradled the egg gently in both hands and set it back down upon the soft blanket.

“It was just sitting alone in the Holy Sanctuary, and it looked so terribly lonely.”

Lion briefly explained the moment he had discovered it.
It had been abandoned in the hollow of a withered tree, brittle as chalk, where not a trace of life could be felt—left there entirely alone.

“…….”

Elvia’s eyes fell downward.
Solitude was a sensation she knew well.
Though centuries had passed since that childhood—so many she could scarcely count—the memories and sorrow of those days remained just as vivid.
Because of that loneliness, that rage, that hatred, Elvia had lived as a terrible witch until she entered into contract with House Asteri.
She did not pity herself for the wrongs she had committed.
It was simply how things had been.

If the attempt failed even once, the awakened Demon Beast might bare its fangs in vengeance.
Of course, that was sophistry.
She knew it herself.
With only her strength and Patrick’s, she could erase a mere egg without leaving a trace.
And yet.
All at once, the thought occurred to her: a creature that would never see the light of the world—perhaps it deserved a chance.

“It appears this egg is not a Divine Beast’s egg, as you suspected, Young Master.”
“I thought so.”
“Yes. In that case, our first priority should be neutralizing the accumulated Sacred Power. No creature benefits from being skewed toward a single attribute.”
“Neutralizing the Sacred Power, then…….”
“Heh. What are you troubled about? Isn’t someone with the easiest method right here?”

Elvia smiled warmly and stepped back from the egg.
Then she slowly gathered Mana into her hands.
Unlike ordinary Mana, a dark, ink-like substance coalesced and condensed.
It bubbled and roiled with an eerie, wailing sound, its viscous form appearing ominous and sinister to anyone watching, yet neither Elvia nor Lion seemed to mind.
As Elvia withdrew the Mana from her palm, several small stones resembling obsidian materialized in her hand.

“This is…….”

[Witch’s Obsidian Stone]
-An ominous obsidian stone created by a Demon child.
-If you stare at it too directly, you will be enchanted.
-Yet somehow, it feels as though it might grant any wish, does it not?
[Uses — Alchemy, Smithy]
[☞Click to view recipes.]

“They are concentrations of my own Mana. You might find it easier to think of them as similar to Mana Stones.”
“Thank you. But are you sure about giving these to me? What if I end up using them for something terrible?”
“Young Master. A truly wicked person would never ask such a question.”
“Ha. That’s fair enough.”
“And besides, even if they are made by a witch, how they are used depends entirely on the wielder’s desires. Their purpose changes accordingly.”
“I appreciate it.”

Lion accepted the obsidian stones.
Despite their ominous description, he felt nothing sinister from them at all.
Instead, he was simply grateful.

‘She knew it was a Demon Beast egg from the start.’

That was why she had shown him this method.
Elvia had simply chosen to trust him without asking a single question.

“So I just need to use this to make a potion, then?”
“Indeed. If you can dissolve my Mana into your Alchemy, you should be able to wash away all this Sacred Power entirely.”

So that was why she had given him the obsidian stones.
Certainly, if the Demon Beast egg took a direct hit from Elvia’s magic, it wouldn’t survive.
Even for a Demon Beast, it’s still just an egg.

“However……the Potion Bottles you currently possess may not be sufficient.”

As expected.
At Elvia’s playful smile, Lion nodded as if he’d already anticipated this.
Of course, all of Lion’s Potion Bottles were of the highest quality, but Elvia’s power was as formidable as Patrick’s.

‘The alchemical apparatus should probably hold……’

It was no coincidence that the Smithy was included among the recipes for using this obsidian stone.
If he crafted it well but the Potion Bottle couldn’t withstand the contents, that would be troublesome indeed.

“Personally, I would not recommend a transparent container.”
“Why is that?”
“You would be fine, Young Master, but whether others could resist that sweetness……is uncertain.”

Elvia deliberately trailed off, leaving her words unfinished.

“Thanks for the advice. I’ll try to find a bottle that’s as opaque and durable as possible.”

Lion chuckled softly and tucked the Witch’s Obsidian Stone into his bag.

‘Well, that worked out nicely.’

An idea had just occurred to him.

“I’ll step out for a bit, then.”

He had the materials; he had a capable ally. There was no reason to hesitate now.
Lion left the room at once.

Click.

The door shut behind him.

“Sigh.”

Elvia exhaled deeply—a very different sound from before.
She’d let the pup’s words sway her and ended up doing something rather reckless.

‘Should I tell Patrick about this?’

She was still torn on the matter.
If Patrick found out, there was no doubt the egg would be destroyed immediately. But something made her hesitate, and so she’d chosen the irrational path instead—actively helping to awaken a Demon Beast’s egg!
Of course, whether it would actually hatch remained to be seen.

It was a weak decision, but somehow, she found it more enjoyable than she’d expected.

Quite enjoyable, in fact.

‘Fine. If problems arise, I’ll deal with them then.’

One had to give a chance, after all.

“So if you want to live, it’s best you listen well to your master. The world outside is far more enjoyable than you might think.”

So when the chance came, she urged silently, grasp it with both hands.
Elvia stroked the egg slowly, whispering to it.

* * *

Lion made his way briskly to Mudu’s Smithy.
For an opaque vessel that could withstand Mana, iron was naturally the best choice.
Of course, the material Lion had in mind was far from ordinary iron.

‘Snowpeak Iron will do perfectly.’

Light, durable, and capable of containing even a Sword Master’s aura—Snowpeak Iron was exactly what he needed.
Hadn’t he obtained a generous supply from House Bydentis on his last journey?
That iron was perfect for an alchemical vessel this time around!

‘Though technically, what I’m imagining isn’t quite a bottle.’

In any case, they’re similar enough in appearance—let’s move past it.
And I needed to gather more supplies.

‘The Ceiling Shop.’

I thought it might be time to draw on some of the Achievements I’d been diligently accumulating.

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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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