Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 195

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Successor? Never Heard of Her. Let Me Just Heal — Chapter 195

‘Well, I do have something useful for this.’

Lion retrieved the hot spring water.
This water had played no small part in Pus’s hatching.
So if he mixed it with the Beast Infant Formula Powder, it would make quite a nutritious meal.
The moment Lion finished thinking, he headed straight for the Alchemy cauldron.

‘I should boil it once, at least.’

Of course, since he’d collected it fresh from the spring, it was already very clean, but somehow it felt wrong to feed it as-is to something just born.
Wasn’t that a bit excessive, even for a newborn Magical Beast?

‘……Right!’

But since it was something he could do and not at all difficult, surely this much care was reasonable!
Lion poured the hot spring water into the Alchemy cauldron, heated it, completed the refinement, and decanted it into a Potion Bottle.

[Refined Mimur Forest Hot Spring Water]
-Its beneficial properties have been maximized through the hands of a skilled Alchemist.
-Rich in nutrients ideal for young Magical Beasts!
[Uses – Alchemy, Cooking, Beast Taming]

Because it had been refined, the temperature of the refined hot spring water in the Potion Bottle was just right.
Lion without hesitation poured the Beast Infant Formula Powder into the Potion Bottle and stirred it carefully with a thin Alchemy rod.
As the white powder settled into the clear liquid and began to mix, it took on the unmistakable appearance of milk formula.

“Sniff-sniff.”

Pus had by now crept to the edge of the bed and was sniffing at the milk formula.
And was about to jump down to the floor——

“Chirp!”

Nature blocked him, then chirped something with a stern expression.
Though Lion couldn’t make out the words, it was clear the spirit was warning him about the danger of jumping down carelessly.

“That’s right. You need to listen to your brother.”
“Chirp??”

At the word “brother,” Nature turned to look at Lion as if bewildered.
His expression asked: why would I be your brother?
Though, if he was being precise, Nature would be more of an uncle.

“Hah hah hah.”

Lion casually ignored that look, went back to the bed, lifted Pus with ease, and set him down carefully on the floor.
The moment Pus touched ground, he scrambled up on his hind legs and began furiously clawing at Lion’s trousers with his front paws.
He must have been quite hungry.

“Will a bottle be necessary?”

Normally, for a newborn, you’d use a syringe or bottle……

‘A dish would be better.’

Judging by the way he’d torn apart the pillow earlier, a dish seemed more suitable than a bottle.
Lion poured the infant formula from the Potion Bottle into a flat bowl and set it on the floor.

“Don’t eat so fast. You understand?”
“Squeak!”

Pus immediately dove into the bowl and began gobbling down the formula with eager slurps.
Watching the creature wolf down its meal with such hunger, Lion found himself—

“…Wait. You’ve finished already?”

He’d barely looked away, and the bowl was empty.
The dish was so spotless it needed no washing at all.

‘My, does it always eat that fast?’

At least the creature seemed satisfied with a single serving, smacking its lips contentedly before grooming itself.
And its belly had swollen noticeably round.

‘…Though I suppose the true form is enormous.’

To grow quickly, eating well was only natural.

“Come to think of it, its paws are remarkably large.”

For a body no bigger than a handful, the feet were surprisingly sturdy.
He couldn’t quite gauge how fast this creature would grow at that rate.
Perhaps he should ask Barg subtly about it later—

“Up we go.”

Lion lifted the groomed Pus and set it gently on the bed.
The creature, exhausted from play and feeding, yawned widely and burrowed straight into the blanket, falling asleep instantly.
Nature, tired from tending to Pus all day, nestled alongside the creature and buried its face in downy fur.
Watching that peaceful scene, Lion felt—

“…Think I’ll get some sleep too.”

The tension finally released, and drowsiness crept over him. Lion rested his head on a pillow with feathers spilling out halfway and drifted to sleep beside his two companions.
Turbulent though the day had been, it ended in peace.

* * *

“The brat from the Underworld is coming?”
“So it appears.”
“With the items Lion requested?”
“Yes. Word was sent through Freyanya.”
“Hmm.”

Patrick’s expression hardened.
Not on account of his grandson Lion, naturally.

‘As if the Second Imperial Prince weren’t enough—now the brat from the Underworld is sniffing around.’

The only consolation was that those two didn’t seem to be acting in concert.
If they were, they wouldn’t have sent an invitation in the first place—they’d have come directly instead.

‘In any case, this is hardly pleasant.’

Patrick’s mood soured. He drummed his fingers slowly against the armrest of his chair.

“Should we turn him away?”
“……Phew. That’ll do. Let Lion do as he wishes.”

Part of me wanted to blast the fool’s backside with a fireball, but I couldn’t bring myself to it.
Lion was prone to ridiculous antics, true enough, but the boy had a sharp mind.
And his way with people—his instinct for navigating such dealings—was quite refined.
Better to let him play it out as he saw fit.
Besides…….

‘Hmm.’

Much as I hated to admit it, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this meeting was inevitable.
My grandson, bearing the makings of a Hero, meeting the successor to a pickpocket who’d once run with us—even if I loathed acknowledging it—wasn’t mere chance.
Patrick would glean something from this that even he couldn’t anticipate.
So I’d have to step back gracefully, let an old man fade into the shadows.
Still, it grated—two souls of such opposed natures finally coming face to face.

“……Whatever unfolds, he is Lion’s first invited guest. Treat him with the utmost courtesy.”
“The utmost courtesy, sir?”
“Yes. And station someone trustworthy nearby—there may be treachery afoot.”
“Understood. I shall extend every courtesy most generously.”

Ricshel nodded firmly, showing he grasped the old man’s true meaning.

“And there is one more matter—I must make a confession alongside my report.”

A confession?
Puzzlement flickered across Patrick’s eyes, then vanished.

“……Go on.”

Ricshel laid out the sequence of events with complete objectivity.
He had entered the training grounds without permission; there, the egg his brother treasured had hatched.
He had witnessed it drawing in vast quantities of Mana—a phenomenon that shouldn’t occur in ordinary eggs—yet had left it be.

‘Then surely…….’

Patrick fell silent for a moment, lost in thought, before responding in measured tones.

“Leave it as it is.”
“Very good, sir.”

Ricshel accepted the order without question.
After all, his brother was pleased with it, and the Spirit King had shown no hostility.
That was proof enough—the beast posed no threat to Lion.

‘A relief.’

Ricshel exhaled inwardly.
Where his brother was concerned, reason clouded over; he couldn’t trust his own judgment.
He’d spent the time before Patrick arrived wrestling with doubts—what if this choice proved dangerous?
He’d even taken to lingering outside Lion’s door moments before.

“Young Master Ricshel.”
“…….”
“It’s all right. Don’t worry yourself. Please, rest.”

Had Elvia not soothed him so kindly there at the threshold, he would have burst into his brother’s chamber out of sheer anxiety.

“Well done.”

Patrick noticed Ricshel’s distraction and spoke up abruptly.

“…….”

Ricshel’s eyes widened.
In part, he wasn’t accustomed to praise from the Head of Household.

‘But this isn’t something to be praised for.’

As heir, Ricshel’s conduct had hardly been exemplary.
No matter how comfortable the company, his emotions had shown plainly on his face, and he’d been rattled.
That wasn’t all.
Once the Head of Household chose a course, there could be no turning back.
Even if the choice proved somewhat wanting, it must not be reversed.
The family could only remain steadfast if the Head of Household was immovable.

“Why do you praise me, sir?”
“What is there you couldn’t do?”
“I failed to uphold my dignity as heir. Moreover, I took part in entering a place you forbade us to go.”
“And?”
“The latter was my decision, and you pardoned me for it, but the former ought to—I believe it deserves punishment.”
“Is that so.”

Patrick chuckled softly, regarding his youngest grandson.
Though Ricshel spoke from his own visible turmoil, his true guilt lay elsewhere.
It was the fear that his poor judgment had endangered Lion.
Even though the matter was resolved, he remained uneasy.
So he sought punishment from Patrick, hoping it might ease that anxiety—

“Ricshel.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What is the Head of Household meant to do?”
“Protect the family.”

Ricshel answered at once.
He’d heard this refrain so many times during his training as heir that it had been beaten into him.
That he must excel beyond others, that no rival house dare encroach.
There were many duties, but a higher principle encompassed them all.
That was to preserve House Asteri.

“Explain it more fully.”
“Because only when the family is strong can its members always have a place to rest, to lean on.”

The symbol of House Asteri was the World Tree.
Most knew it represented the endless pursuit of knowledge and wisdom that defined House mages.
But those born to the family understood its meaning differently.
Quite literally, a great tree.
All those born Asteri could shelter in the shade of its leaves, could rest their backs against its towering trunk.
Of course, they had to truly fulfill their role as Asteri—a harsh prerequisite—but broadly speaking, this was how it worked.
And the trunk of that World Tree was the Head of Household.
So the Head must stand ever dignified and elevated, unbroken by any storm or tempest, steadfast in that place—such was the burden he carried.

‘But I have failed to do that.’

So he deserved to be punished.
Yet why would the Head of Household—

“But what is the problem?”
“……I’m sorry, but I don’t follow.”
“That the Head of Household be immovable is merely one means to an end. The true purpose of the Head is to take responsibility for those in his care.”
“……”
“What do you make of that responsibility?”
“It’s safe.”
“Is safety alone what matters?”
“That is……”

Ricshel could not answer at once.

“Yes. You must be able to support them in doing what they wish to do as well.”

By that measure, you’ve done well enough.
Patrick gazed at his youngest grandson with obvious affection.
‘The boy takes after me entirely—clever, yet utterly inflexible. How amusing.’
Patrick Asteri was indeed a cold, ruthless man.
He had his convictions and the strength to enforce them, making his stubbornness almost legendary.
Yet the years he had lived granted him a certain flexibility, a cunning grace that emerged at unexpected moments.
This was one of those moments.
Needlessly perfect grandson in need of a little teasing.
Patrick suppressed his amusement and spoke with deliberate casualness.

“The greater sin is mine—neglecting the household while absorbed in external affairs.”
“You don’t mean……!”

It was only natural that Ricshel would be taken aback by such words from the Head of Household.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————