Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 185

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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’s a Mystery, but I’ll Just Heal Up for Now — Episode 185

“H-how on earth did you obtain something so precious?”
“I received it as a gift after I became the Tower Master. I brought it from home where it was on display.”

Hoffman added to his explanation.
His implication was simple enough: he’d needed a magical tool only insofar as he wanted a toy to tinker with while stuck at home, bored out of his mind.

‘No, wait…….’

Well, he wasn’t entirely wrong.
After all, he’d only wanted to see if there might be something better available.
But…….

‘Flowing Tears isn’t toy-grade material.’

Even the items sold at magical shops didn’t come with ordinary toy prices.
But I’d made the request anyway, thinking that was just how wealthy people operated!
I never imagined the price would come back as something impossible to convert into currency.

“May I truly accept something so invaluable?”
“Haha.”

Hoffman laughed outright at Lion’s questioning.
He’d anticipated this reaction, and yet it warmed his heart considerably.
Not because Lion was showing deference, but because he was struck anew by how genuinely kind and pure-hearted the boy was.
Such an unselfish response—he hadn’t expected it.

‘No, that’s not it. No one in this world is truly without desire.’

It was simply that Lion had learned to value others above his own hunger.
In truth, Flowing Tears possessed an almost incalculable worth.

Publicly, it was known only because the Empire possessed merely three of them—treasures of extraordinary rarity. But internally,
that is, from the perspective of mages and researchers…….

‘It’s a priceless catalyst capable of preventing any collision of materials.’

To study Flowing Tears was likely the dream of many mages.
Yet despite this, no experiments with Flowing Tears had progressed further.
The reason was simple.
The remaining reserves were so limited that one couldn’t afford to handle them carelessly.
Should even one or two be lost through carelessness, there would be no way to obtain more!
The fact that Flowing Tears could serve as such a remarkable catalyst was itself only theoretically known.

‘So when I finally obtained Flowing Tears…….’

Even Hoffman himself had felt a strong urge to properly investigate its properties.
Unknown objects always brought with them a profound curiosity.
But.
A Tower Master’s life was not so simple.
The world needed magic in countless forms, and the work was proportional to that need.
So as time passed, Flowing Tears had gradually become merely decorative.
Even Hoffman had forgotten of its existence.
Yet recently, a thought had come to him unbidden.

‘That boy Lion would explore this material to its fullest.’

Even beyond that, he felt a powerful intuition that something truly magnificent could be crafted from it.

‘Of course, if I said that out loud……’

Lion would surely feel burdened by it, and I won’t speak it aloud.

“Even the most precious thing begins to feel like a mere pebble if you stare at it long enough.”

So Hoffman decided to rephrase his words.

“It’s no longer important to me, so feel free to accept it without worry.”

It might have sounded like he was simply passing along something useless, but when that object was the Flowing Tears, the meaning shifted entirely.
Lion, understanding the weight of those words, accepted the finely crafted glass bottle with reverence.

“I’m truly grateful.”
“No need for thanks.”

Hoffman began to continue the conversation, then closed his mouth.
He’d noticed Lion’s gaze drifting repeatedly toward the Flowing Tears.
It didn’t feel unpleasant.
Rather, it felt good—as though the object had found its rightful place.

‘I should step aside gracefully.’

Hoffman cleared his throat silently and rose from his seat.

“Then I’ll take my leave now. I’ll contact you again once I learn more about that mage’s circumstances.”
“Understood. Please take care on your way.”

Hoffman declined any further ceremony and left the room.
And Lion……

“……Wow.”

Immediately held the Flowing Tears in his hands and examined it from every angle.

[Flowing Tears]
-Tears shed by a mermaid, preserved in a bottle before they dried or diluted in the sea.
-Has a salty taste, but consumption is not recommended.
-Evaporates rapidly; handle with care.
[Uses— Alchemy, Dyeing, Fishing]
[☞Click to view recipes.]

The liquid within the bottle—like a single cup of ocean made from mother-of-pearl and pearl—swayed slowly.
Most people were so enchanted by this antique beauty that they used it as a decorative object rather than a catalyst.
But the true value of the Flowing Tears revealed itself in its crafting.
The most notable example was the “Scroll of Enchantment crafted from Flowing Tears.”

‘Its power is… considerable.’

A detailed explanation would be quite complex, but to put it simply—with this, one could even create an Elixir capable of reviving someone who had stepped into the River of Three Paths.

Because of this, in the distant past, mermaid kidnappings occurred frequently enough to be a problem.
As a result, mermaids are now extinct, and the recipes using Flowing Tears have been all but abandoned, leaving it fit only for decoration.

‘Though it commands a price worthy of its name, who would waste it as a consumable?’

Even if someone attempted to use it and failed, it wouldn’t help or hinder them—only an astronomical loss would remain.

‘Of course, I know better.’

In any case, to obtain an item of such quality so effortlessly was genuinely fortunate.
Lion smiled to himself and carefully stored the Flowing Tears in a corner of his inventory.

“Interesting—so this can be used for other purposes too.”

The color was certainly unusual enough that it could be made into dye, but fishing? What on earth would he catch with it?

‘Well, I’ll be using it for crafting anyway, so it doesn’t matter.’

Lion shrugged and rose from his seat.
He’d already had his second checkup, and every remaining injury had healed completely.

“Grandfather said I could move about once I was fully recovered…….”

While he shouldn’t leave the Village in good conscience, the Kitchen at least should be fair game.
Lion grinned and yanked the door open, walking toward the Kitchen with spring in his step.
And there he found…….

“It has not yet been a week, Young Master. You must return to your room.”

None other than the Knight Captain standing guard……!

“What? I’m just thirsty.”
“The Restaurant is that way.”
“……Tch.”
“I’m afraid not.”

Lion only made it into the Kitchen after resting properly for the remaining two days.

* * *

And two days later, at dawn!

“Finally!”

Lion stepped into the Kitchen with an expression of profound emotion.
How long had it been since he’d set foot in here!

“I’ve missed this place so much!”

True, he’d frequented Ester’s Kitchen like clockwork before his convalescence, but this felt different.
The familiar utensils left in their usual spots. Kitchen tools that fit his hands like a second skin.
And above all else—the stove even more refined than Ester’s!

“This is it. This is what I needed!”

It was the feeling of having risen from a sickbed and reclaimed his ordinary life.
And most importantly…….
He could finally do it.

‘Soy Sauce.’

The Soy Sauce, Red Chili Paste, and Soybean Paste that Lion had been longing for all this time!
And above all—he could make the Meju that formed the foundation of it all!

Gulp.

The mere thought made his mouth water.
Already his mind was flooded with countless Korean dishes he could make with soy sauce.
Among them, the one he craved most was…….
Soybean Paste stew brimming with marbled beef……!
Crumbling tofu into the bubbling stew, mixing it with rice, then taking one generous bite……!
Just thinking about it was intoxicating.

“Phew, just a little longer.”

Lion headed toward the basin where premium beans were soaking, their surfaces gleaming.
In fact, he’d discreetly summoned Alex the night before and already completed the bean-soaking process in advance.

“Good. They’ve soaked well…….”

Lion checked the beans’ condition and transferred them from the basin into a pot.
The plump, round beans—as perfectly spherical as Nature—rolled into the pot with a soft tumble, and he poured water generously over them.
The key precaution here was not to fill the pot too much with water.
Since he’d be boiling the beans for a long time, one moment of carelessness and it would all spill over.
If that happened, the water level inside the pot would drop and the beans might scorch—a disaster he wanted to avoid.

“Hup.”

Lion set the large pot over the flame, covered it, and adjusted the heat.
Normally you’d simmer beans over low heat, but starting with high heat meant the outer skin would cook quickly, allowing the heat to penetrate thoroughly to the inside.

‘Of course, I could have asked Alex to do this much.’

Alex was a renowned cook throughout the Empire.
Though he might never have boiled beans in such quantity before, once he got the feel for it, he’d produce perfectly cooked beans in no time.
But.
With Meju, the personal touch matters, doesn’t it?
Since he was making it anyway, he wanted to do as much of the process with his own hands as possible.
And when would he ever get a chance like this again?
Lion chuckled to himself as he watched the beans boil.
After a little time, the water began to bubble gently, and a bit later, exactly as expected, foam started to rise dangerously toward the rim.

‘Now!’

Lion swiftly lifted the lid and adjusted the heat, quickly suppressing the foam.
The first boil was done; now he could let them simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.
That would take at least another two hours or so.
He could use Aging Acceleration to finish it quickly, but with his week of confinement just ending, even this felt like entertainment.

‘I really was bored, wasn’t I…….’

There was a time he would’ve thought he could roll around in bed for a month straight without complaint.
He felt how much he’d changed.
Lion dragged over a chair that Alex had brought at some point and sat in front of the flame.
As he occasionally stirred the beans, he lost himself in the quiet meditation of cooking.
The Kitchen was cool, warmed by the glow of the flame, and his mind settled into ease while time flowed by swiftly.
The nutty aroma of the beans added to it all.
And so, just past two hours had elapsed.

“Mm.”

The beans, once hard and glossy, had turned a soft, pleasant golden-brown and cooked just right.
Lion carefully took out one bean and pressed it gently between his fingers.
As expected, it crumbled softly without resistance.

“Peep.”

Nature, who had been sitting quietly until now, fluttered over and hovered around Lion’s hand.

‘Well, she’s a bird—of course she’d like this.’

Lion blew gently on a perfectly cooked bean to cool it, then set it down in front of Nature.

“Want to taste it for me?”

Nature pecked at the bean with her beak, testing its softness, then swallowed it whole in one gulp.

“Chirp!”

Apparently satisfied, she proceeded to peck up every last bean clinging to Lion’s hand.
If Nature responded this well, the beans were cooked just right.

“Good. Now for the next part…”

Lion strained the beans from the pot and spread them across a colander, letting the water drain away and the steam rise off.
The beans, which had been steaming moments before, had now cooled to a pleasantly warm temperature.
And then, as the main event was about to begin, Lion reached into his inventory and withdrew an item he’d spent the last week preparing.
It was none other than:

[Waterproof Cloth Wrapping]
-A cloth wrapping that handles both waterproofing and hygiene in one!

[Cooking Foot Covers]
-The age of cooking gloves is over! Now, foot covers are the way to go.

Equipment, specifically, for treading on meju.

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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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