Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 149

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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 Unknown, Just Here for Some Healing – Episode 149

When a game developer launches an event in an online RPG, what do users pay the most attention to?
That’s right. The rewards.
Experience points.
Flashy cosmetics to customize your character!
Or currency that lets you exchange for prizes to buy items you need in daily life!
Korean RPG games especially had all these elements locked behind cash purchases, which made them easier and more convenient to obtain—so when events released such items, players went absolutely wild.
In the World was no exception, of course.
But not every event could shower players with generous rewards.
Part of it was inflation within the game itself…….

‘If the rewards are always the same, the dopamine rush doesn’t hit as hard.’

So while some events were stacked with generous payouts, others were designed to run leaner, with a softer touch.
But then.
Whenever the words “presented by Hotel Easter” appeared, that event’s rewards were always absolutely luscious!

‘And among those…….’

The Easter Egg Event, in particular, which kicked off around spring, was so wildly popular it captured the hearts of every type of player—those grinding combat, those focused on life skills, those who loved customization.
Back when the game was booming, there were guides circulating everywhere about the perfect efficiency strategies for enjoying the event.
Lion himself, when he was deep in the game, had scraped together Egg Coins like his life depended on it.

‘That’s actually why I started raising alt characters.’

That was precisely what the game company was counting on.
……Of course, now that he was here in reality, he wouldn’t be using something like Egg Coins.

‘Still, it would’ve been nice to have them.’

Even so, the memory brought a certain warmth with it.
Lion handed the letter back to Ricshel and gazed out the window.

“This place is completely different from Lungren Territory.”

Perhaps it was because Hotel Easter was here, but the area had none of that desolate, out-of-the-way feeling.
Wherever you went, there were buildings—homes, or employee quarters and restaurants where homes didn’t exist.

“It’s basically an entire village.”
“That’s right. It’s quite considerable in scale, actually.”

Makes sense—there had to be people who’d relocated here to take positions with Easter.
Surprisingly, Easter had more than enough jobs to support them all, and then some.
The work was grueling, but Ricshel had hinted that they put considerable effort into staff training and benefits.

“Hmm…….”

Still, for one hotel to bring this much prosperity would’ve been no small feat—it was genuinely impressive.

‘Like a resort town success story.’

But truthfully, Lion had seen far more of the opposite kind of place than somewhere special like Easter.

‘……It really is impressive.’

The situations where management cut permanent staff in the name of “austerity,” brought in contract workers, dumped the workload of two or three people onto one person, and watched service quality plummet…….
He’d seen too many of those before the Possession.
When that happened, customers who came expecting high-quality service naturally stopped coming.
In the end, there were many cases where businesses collapsed from trying to pinch a few coins, but Easter seemed different.

‘Then again, Grandfather would never allow such mismanagement.’

His grandfather appeared coldly rational, but in truth, he cared for the welfare of the territory’s people more than anyone else.
Had the hotel been mismanaged through incompetence, Grandfather would surely have intervened long ago, and it might have been renamed Hotel Asteri.

‘Maybe that’s actually what happened?’

Ricshel seemed to have read Lion’s thoughts, letting out a quiet chuckle and nodding in agreement.

“The head of House Asteri regards Hotel Easter quite favorably.”
“Is that so?”

Well, just the taxes collected from Easter alone were substantial.
Add to that the fact that it didn’t burden the territory’s people—it actually created jobs for them.
It was truly a jewel in the family’s crown.

“It’s a place where we can legally extract money from the pockets of the nobility.”
……

Ah, from that angle?

‘Indeed, from that perspective it’s definitely a profitable venture.’

Well, well……

“Then there’s no problem, is there?”
“No problem at all.”

Right. If we’re going to profit, we might as well be draining the wealthy.
As they continued their casual conversation, the carriage came to a halt before the grand gates of Hotel Easter.
Hotel staff who appeared to be guards verified something, then flanked the carriage on both sides and bowed deeply.
Presently, the ornate iron gates—which had been firmly shut—swung open smoothly on both sides.

“Shouldn’t we be getting out here?”
“For ordinary guests, yes.”

Meaning they were not ordinary guests.
After all, who would stop a carriage bearing the House Asteri seal?

‘Being born with a silver spoon really is the best.’

All the same, Ricshel could have simply enjoyed the privileges of his station instead of shouldering such responsibility.
‘Nothing but duty’ on his mind.

‘Truly too virtuous for his own good.’

The carriage rolled forward a little longer and came to rest before the hotel lobby.
The door opened, and as Lion and Ricshel stepped out, they found……

“It is truly an honor to receive the young masters of House Asteri. I am Willy, the manager of this hotel.”

The manager came forward and greeted them with formal courtesy, then began escorting them inside.
The hotel lobby was, quite literally, breathtaking in its splendor.
A carpet embroidered with golden thread lay beneath their feet, while overhead, an ornate chandelier crafted from crystal and jewels cast Magical Lighting that shimmered like the Milky Way on a moonless night.

‘The light is so soft, yet everything is so bright?’

Lion glanced around with fascination, and soon understood the reason.
Magical Lighting had been positioned along the edges of the walls to indirectly illuminate the interior with a soft, even glow!
It seemed they’d made a deliberate effort to spare the guests’ eyes from fatigue.

‘Not bad at all.’

And what of the facilities themselves!
An artificial waterfall flowed from one side of the interior, while sculptures by renowned artists were positioned throughout, delighting the eye.
There were plush sofas and tables crafted from marble.
Tea leaves and an elegant tea service were also arranged for guests to enjoy at any moment.
Even the visitors who had come here were unable to hide their amazement at such splendor, examining the space from every angle.
It was, quite literally, another world unto itself.

“Does it suit your taste, sir?”
“The care shows everywhere. Absolutely impressive.”
“Thank you so much for approving of it.”

Willy released a quiet sigh of relief at Lion’s words.

‘I must do this right.’

According to information gleaned from reliable sources, the true power among the brothers standing before him was none other than Lion Asteri.
For reasons he couldn’t fathom, Ricshel Asteri, the designated heir, supposedly became putty in the hands of his eccentric eldest brother.
Honestly, he hadn’t believed it at first.
The other nobles who visited this hotel didn’t even treat the eldest son, who had failed to become heir, as a person worth acknowledging.
But then, how could Ricshel, who had even secured the position of heir to no ordinary family but House Asteri, lack for anything?
……That’s what he’d thought.
That had been the case right up until five minutes before going to greet these two.
But then.
Ricshel Asteri was attending to Lion Asteri with meticulous care!
Up to this point, it could be explained.
Perhaps the heir possessed an outstanding character as well.
But then!

“Thanks to you, I’ve gotten to see the whole hotel.”
“Not at all. The family head himself said he would rent out the entire hotel for as many days as suited your schedule.”
“Grandfather really does go that far…….”

Gulp.

Willy swallowed hard.
From that exchange, he could deduce something crucial.
The rumors about Lion Asteri—that he was an eccentric, half-abandoned by the family—were false!
Hadn’t he just heard it himself?

‘Calling Patrick Asteri, the Marquis, his gr-grandfather!’

And with such naturalness, too!
True, the title ‘grandfather’ was technically correct.
But who would dare address Patrick Asteri by such a casual term?
Willy found himself hastily brushing his hair back, determined not to let sweat bead on his exposed forehead.

‘I heard the rumors had died down recently, but…….’

Because he’d been occupied with hotel management, external information had reached him late, and the image of an eccentric still remained lodged in Willy’s mind.
Of course, the competent manager Willy immediately discarded that outdated information about Lion Asteri.
And made a decision.
He would certainly offer both guests his finest service, but…….
He would take special care to attend more closely to this man called Lion Asteri.
The foresight of a manager who had elevated Hotel Easter to its preeminent position!

“First, let me show you to your room.”

Willy, thankfully steady-handed, guided them down the corridor with impeccable composure.
He could have taken them directly to their suite, but word had it that Lion Asteri was evaluating the hotel by experiencing it as an ordinary guest would.
That being the case, proper procedure was the only choice.
And he would execute it with the finest service quality.

“Oh….”

The VIP Room.
Lion stepped inside and let out a soft exclamation of appreciation.
Whether before or after the Possession, he had never set foot in a place like this—it fascinated him far more than the hotel lobby had.
He settled onto a plush sofa.
The quality rivaled anything in the House Asteri.

‘Well, Ricshel came on business matters. Makes sense they’d put him in the VIP suite.’

Lion sipped the distinctively fragrant tea that arrived at once, surveying the interior with unhurried leisure.
Pure curiosity, that was all—

A flinch.

Willy’s cheek stiffened in an instant, tensing visibly.

‘That gaze…!’

It was unmistakably the look of someone assessing how meticulously the facilities were maintained.
Those strange violet eyes, feigning indifference, drifted slowly across the room, cataloging every detail with methodical precision.

‘No, no—there’s nothing here to fault!’

Willy steadied his nerves with deliberate effort.
The hotel was flawless.
Hadn’t he spent days cleaning more thoroughly than usual the moment word came that a direct member of House Asteri was arriving?
Every worn item had been replaced, hygiene maintained to the highest standard.
Don’t let the man’s face rattle you.
Besides, he still had his secret weapon.

“Now then, let me assist with your check-in. It’s a necessary procedure, and I beg your pardon for the formality.”
“Of course. Naturally.”

So the nobility complain about such things.
Lion, observing the evidently nervous manager, offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

“…….”

Though Willy’s eyes saw it rather differently.
Ricshel, who had been watching the two of them, decided not to correct the misunderstanding.
He found the manager’s deference to his brother rather satisfying.
And so, through this fortunate misreading, the manager earned mysterious bonus points.
Unfortunately for Willy, the pressure only mounted.

‘There’s no help for it. I’ll have to use that.’

As Willy explained the check-in procedures and facilities, he withdrew something from his pocket.

“What’s that?”

Lion recognized the object immediately, his eyes widening slightly.

“This is a special coin that we at House Asteri have prepared for an even more enjoyable hotel experience.”

Ah, of course!
Wasn’t I just thinking it was a shame we didn’t have something like this?

“The Egg Coin? Wasn’t that an event that disappeared after the war ended?”

Ricshel asked back, his tone betraying mild surprise.

“Yes. It was Easter II’s decision. But he instructed us to restart it alongside this new ‘venture’ as a form of publicity.”

So that was it. Willy’s trump card was none other than the Egg Coin.
The Egg Coin.
The slightly elongated oval coins so closely resembled eggs that they’d earned the name “Egg Coin.”
Surely it was the perfect item to captivate the direct line of House Asteri sitting before them!
It would help the business venture, and even more so, it would enhance the pleasure of enjoying the hotel!
The thrill of discovering something hidden away in some corner!

“As you enjoy the hotel going forward, there’s a chance you’ll come across one of these coins by fortunate happenstance. And if you collect many of them, House Easter will present you with a special gift upon checkout.”
“Oho…….”

Lion wet his lips with his tongue.
Just as Willy had anticipated, Lion was feeling considerable interest in those coins.

‘This hits all the dopamine buttons.’

The problem, though…….
Maybe he felt it a bit too intensely?

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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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