Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 159

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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 Is Beyond Me, So I’ll Just Heal — Episode 159

Lion lifted the glass without hesitation and took a sip.

“Mm……!”

The first thing he noticed was the berry’s characteristic sweetness.
Then came the citrus juice of lemon and lime, spreading across his palate and amplifying that sweetness, while the soft, nutty texture of coconut milk enveloped his tongue smoothly alongside the alcohol.

Gulp.

As he swallowed the cocktail, that distinctive warmth peculiar to drinking spirits bloomed in his throat.
He thought it was over, but…….

“……!”

Finally, the white spore-like particles in the Mushberry Liqueur burst delicately, releasing the aroma of orange and leaving his mouth refreshingly clean.

‘This…… is incredible?’

Lion felt nothing but admiration.
Smooth yet crisp, sweet yet refreshing—what a miraculous balance!
Flavors that seemed impossible to combine had woven together flawlessly.
The taste and sensation were so remarkable that the initial horror he’d felt upon seeing the Mushberry Liqueur had vanished entirely.
More than that.

[Luck permanently increased by 1.]

His fortune had genuinely improved.

‘This Mushberry…… I want it.’

With that thought, Lion drained the remaining cocktail in one gulp.

“Did it suit your palate?”
“It was the finest drink I’ve ever tasted.”

That wasn’t an exaggeration.
Before the possession, he’d favored soju primarily, though he wasn’t unfamiliar with cocktails.
Among all of them, the one he’d just finished was unquestionably first.

‘This is a taste I’ll remember for years to come.’

He even thought it would be worth making for Ricshel when he came of age.
The desire to craft it himself began to stir within him.
And yet…….

‘Hmm.’

Lion studied the Bartender quietly.
Despite such lavish praise, the Bartender’s expression hadn’t changed noticeably.

‘That’s strange.’

Certainly, there existed people who responded to compliments with composure, or who grew embarrassed only after a delay.
Or perhaps he’d heard such praise so often that he’d grown accustomed to it.
But…… the Bartender didn’t seem to fit into either category.
Lion felt an odd sense of déjà vu.
That Bartender…….

‘Like an old grandfather, that one.’

By that, he meant the bartender before drinking the Mental Fatigue Recovery Potion.
Lion gazed at the bartender for a moment, then smiled to himself.
He thought he might as well show off a little magic in exchange for such a delicious drink.

“Then shall I make it properly? Ah, the ice has melted anyway, so I might as well start fresh.”

Lion began making the cocktail again from the start without waiting for the bartender’s response.
The pre-made base had already lost its ice, and the flavor had turned murky.

‘Now I understand by tasting it.’

This cocktail must never taste bland.
If it did, the cream’s gentle, toasted richness would be diluted, and the mushberry liqueur’s intense texture would confound the palate.
Lion poured several liquids into the glass again and sealed it with the lid.
And then—he began shaking it, recalling the way the bartender had done it before.

“……!”

The bartender was startled watching the sight.

‘I never expected him to attempt making it in this situation.’

In truth, there was one trick hidden in the Mushberry Fizz.
It was that you’d first taste the incredibly delicious cocktail made by the bartender.
Delicious drinks have the effect of loosening a person’s tension, after all.
And so, most people would not attempt further challenges.

-As expected, liquor tastes best when a bartender makes it!

They might ask for another glass with those words.
The bartender would gladly make another for them.
It was his job, after all.

‘But not this time.’

Truth be told, the normal response upon seeing Mushberry Liqueur would have been to flee.
Yet this guest had tasted the cocktail and genuinely marveled at it, and still tried to make another cocktail.
……Why such passionate dedication?
The bartender couldn’t hold back and posed a question.

“Sir, if I may be so bold, might I ask you something?”

His demeanor was certainly different from when he’d received the earlier praise.

“By all means.”

Lion strained the ice as the bartender had done and shook the glass again.

“Well…….”

The bartender paused briefly at the sight of Lion.
The sensation of hearing the liquid’s gentle sloshing not at his own ear but from somewhere far away…….

‘It’s unfamiliar.’

Yet it didn’t feel like an unpleasant experience.
It had been decades since he’d worked as a bartender in this place.
Before opening this arcade, he’d worked elsewhere.
He had always simply made cocktails for patrons and quietly listened to their small worries.
But somehow, now…… it felt as though that role had shifted.
He knew he shouldn’t be distracted while working, but…….
Yet he found himself seized by a strange sense that he couldn’t afford to miss this crucial moment.

“Why are you making cocktails?”

The Bartender asked again, his composure unshaken.

“You’re wondering why I bother laboring over this when I could simply hand you a delicious cocktail without lifting a finger?”
“…… If I’ve been presumptuous, I apologize. But yes, that’s correct.”

Lion poured a measure of Mushberry Liqueur into the glass, answering with perfect ease.

“Simple. You looked like you were enjoying yourself.”
“Enjoying myself?”

In what way?
Was he referring to the act of blending liquids of various hues to craft an exquisite cocktail?
Or something else entirely…….

“Yes. The way you made cocktails and served them to your patrons——you looked quite pleased doing it. So I thought I’d give it a try myself.”

He looked pleased?

‘It’s true…….’

The Bartender nodded slowly to himself.
Of course, in all his years working here, he had never once felt burdened or exhausted.
Yet he couldn’t say he’d felt joy either…….

‘No, that’s not right.’

Long ago, he had felt joy.
And fulfillment in his work.
But as that situation continued, the emotions he’d once felt seemed to have diluted considerably.
Like liquor whose flavor had grown thin as ice melted into it.
Had he simply failed to notice it happening?

“How long have you been working here?”
“Well over thirty years.”
“It’s remarkable that you can find joy doing the same work for such a long span of time. Most would struggle with that.”

Lion carefully poured the cocktail into the glass.

……

His heart swelled within him, just as the drink did in the glass.
That sense of purpose he’d felt in his youth.
Days when he’d listened to patrons’ small troubles and grieved with them, celebrating their good news——all of it stirred once more to life.

If this patron hadn’t come…….
If he himself hadn’t sat down at the bar as a guest, perhaps that ice would have melted away entirely, leaving nothing but something colorless and thin.

Though not quite as fine as what you make.
Lion grinned and slid over a Mushberry Fizz, crowned with generous foam.
The difference is…….

[Lion’s Special Mushberry Fizz(★★)]
-I took the cocktail the Bartender taught me and added a new garnish for a twist.
-When you drink it, it brings back something you’d forgotten.

Instead of crispy meringue cookies, colorful leaves adorned the rim.
None other than Star Fern leaves.

‘It won’t quite match a Mental Fatigue Recovery Potion, but it should be potent enough.’

Even without consuming the leaves themselves, their aroma alone would provide some relief.
And beyond that…….

‘That particular scent seemed like it would pair quite well.’

To replace the bitter, bright notes that typically came from orange or lemon peel.
Fortunately, the Bartender asked no questions about the leaves and drank the fizz in one gulp.
Foam clung to his carefully groomed mustache, but he paid it no mind, emptying every last drop into his mouth.

‘A Bartender accepting a drink from a customer.’

That’s dereliction of duty on a respectable scale.
The Bartender wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, recalling his younger days, and set the glass down.
Then he fell silent for quite some time.
Perhaps he had much on his mind.

“……That was the finest drink I’ve ever had.”
“I’m glad.”
“Thank you, truly.”
“Think nothing of it—I was simply using you to enjoy myself as well.”
“Ha!”

Such consideration on top of it all.
The Bartender smiled and asked for a moment, then rummaged through his pocket as if searching for something.
It was a Stamp.

“This is the final Stamp from the Left Area. You have more than satisfied the conditions. Please, take it.”
“I see.”

Lion accepted the Stamp without a word.
The seals on the Invitation resonated together, glowing, and a new line of text appeared.

-We have left a special gift in your room. Please check it when you have time.

‘Interesting.’

A special gift—I wonder what it could be.

“And these are Egg Coins.”

The Bartender handed over three Egg Coins in addition.

‘Three more? I hadn’t expected that.’

That brought his total to thirteen Egg Coins now in Lion’s possession.

‘Quite impressive…….’

I might well be the guest with the most coins across both the Left and Right Areas right now.

“Are you planning to head to the Right Area now?”
“I feel like I’ve enjoyed everything this place has to offer.”
“In that case…….”

The bartender hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“I’d recommend not using the Egg Coin I just gave you.”

Lion understood what he meant and nodded.

‘He’s telling me not to spend recklessly and ruin everything I’ve accumulated so far.’

Besides, the other area likely had more people obsessed with competition and gambling, so it was also a warning to stay cautious. Lion had already anticipated it to some degree and made his own preparations, but hearing it from the staff here made him feel he should steel himself a bit more.
Of course, Lion had already been anticipating this to a certain extent.
So he’d made his own preparations, but with the staff member saying this, he felt he needed to fortify his resolve even further.

“Understood.”
“Then, please come back here whenever you’re thirsty.”

The bartender offered a respectful farewell, his voice carrying slightly more weight than before.
At the same moment.

[Alchemy Proficiency has reached Level 6.]

The level had gone up.

‘That’s unexpected.’

I’d thought that making cocktails shared certain commonalities with alchemy.
But then again, what I’d created wasn’t a potion, was it?
And if anything, it seemed closer to cooking.
Yet I’d leveled up.

‘So that bartender must have recovered really well, then?’

That seemed like a good thing either way.
Lion left the Left Area and headed toward the Right Area.
Stumbling slightly from the alcohol as he went.

* * *

And at roughly the same time.

“…….”

It seemed like considerable effort had gone into it as well, but it didn’t catch Kyle’s eye.
He turned his gaze slowly.
From the start, his objective was singular.
Or rather, there was only one person.

If that Lion Asteriga truly was no ordinary figure, then there was a high probability he was active in this place.

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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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