Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 196

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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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I Don’t Know About Succession, But Let Me Have Some Peace – Episode 196

Patrick continued speaking despite Ricshel’s reaction.

“That’s right. Even the head of a family must not escape punishment. Perhaps I should cancel all my appointments right now and descend into the dungeon to repent for my mistakes…… Ahem, yes, I really must reflect on this.”

Of course—his second grandson’s reaction was simply too endearing and amusing.
It felt a bit like watching his younger self, the bumbling fool he’d once been.
If there was any problem at all, it was only that he’d been so absorbed in it that he couldn’t suppress his laughter.

“……Head of House.”
“Ahem.”

Unfortunately for Patrick, Ricshel was not fool enough to miss that.

“Since I’ve confirmed there’s no real problem, I shall take my leave.”
“Oh come now, shouldn’t you, as my successor, witness my punishment directly?”
“Furthermore, all reports until the Emperor’s birthday shall be submitted through someone else.”
“……What?”
“Goodbye.”

With a tone turned distinctly sullen, Ricshel gave his answer and spun around, leaving the patriarch’s study.

“Hah.”

Patrick let out a low sigh, apparently not having expected Ricshel to leave in such a manner.

‘I teased him too much.’

Still, the boy was clearly sharp enough to have understood his meaning correctly.
The message was: don’t be crushed by the weight of the words “head of house” and “responsibility,” but rather observe the process and outcome with your own eyes and judge for yourself.

‘I could have simply told him that directly.’

Patrick found himself turning over what he’d just done in his mind.
For a conversation between the head of House Asteri and his successor, it had been remarkably light—mere teasing and banter.
Yet between a typical grandfather and grandson, it would have been perfectly natural.
But was there no lesson in it?
No, that wasn’t true.
Hidden within that playful exchange, there had been genuine teaching and learning.

‘……It was the first time.’

Until now, he had never chosen this approach.
Bitter as it was to admit, they had never been in a position to do so.
The relationship between them had been more that of patriarch and heir than grandfather and youngest grandson.

‘If Lion hadn’t changed the atmosphere of the household……’

He probably still wouldn’t be able to.
And more than that……

‘Neither that boy nor I would have noticed.’

The anxiety that lay hidden in one corner of Ricshel’s heart.
Of course, the price of this was the loss of his time alone with his youngest grandson.
Even as Patrick felt this regret, he found himself thinking that he ought to loosen things up like this more often in the future.

“……We shall meet at the training grounds at dawn tomorrow, Grandfather.”

Ricshel stepped back in, dropped a single remark, and vanished like an arrow.

“Hmm…….”

Patrick let out a sound that was neither laughter nor sigh—something altogether strange.
He’d caught the faintest smile lingering on Ricshel’s face as it disappeared through the gap in the door.
Well, well.

‘That one and I both—we’ve taken after Lion far too much.’

Patrick chuckled softly to himself.
It lasted only a breath, but that smile was as though he’d spliced Ricshel’s and Lion’s expressions precisely in half.

* * *

Two days passed swiftly enough, and as planned, Lion’s guest arrived at the Asteri Family Estate.

“Good heavens…….”

A man dressed in garments of such extravagance they bordered on excess descended from the carriage, rotating his neck left and right in a stretch.

“What a splendid reception you’ve arranged.”

The master of the Underworld, wearing the guise of a merchant, swept his gaze across those who’d come to greet him and offered a disarming smile.
All of them were elite—knights and servants of the highest caliber.
And the one who led them forward was.

“My goodness, it’s been so long!”
“Surely not that long.”

Not Lion Asteri, but Ricshel.

‘I suspected as much.’

After all, the man doted on his elder brother without restraint.

‘This one has no faults.’

Jade. Formerly Jack. The merchant lord answered with an easygoing grin and deft tongue.

“Let me show you to the reception hall first.”

Either way, it mattered little.
Having extended a personal invitation, Jade had no intention of leaving before he’d obtained what he sought.
And for that, he’d taken certain liberties—laid down particular… provocations.

The household master had approved it, and his brother wished it done—so he would see it through. And yet something about this felt wrong.
It was as though Lion, white as jade and untouched as blank paper, would be stained black by this master of the Underworld.

‘…Of course, if it’s you, brother.’

I have no doubt you’d slip past it with your usual cunning.

‘So all I can do is apply pressure like this from the outside.’

A silent message: the House Asteri is watching you, and if anything happens to my brother, we will not forgive it.
Ricshel came to a halt before the parlor and turned to face Jade.

“One warning, at least.”
“Anything you say.”
“Remember always that this is the House Asteri, and conduct yourself accordingly.”

Jade merely watched him with an easy smile in response.

‘Has he grown a little since then?’

Ricshel Asteri’s presence had become somewhat sharper than it had been in Ester.
At this rate, it might actually be interesting to see him spar with Kyle.

‘Though Kyle would win, of course.’

To Jade’s eye, their raw abilities were nearly matched.
But a decisive gap existed between them.

‘He’s never faced real combat.’

Or perhaps the fault lay with House Asteri’s policy of keeping their talented heir out of the field entirely.

‘These nobles.’

A flash of disillusionment crossed Jade’s eyes, then vanished.
It was only natural that Kyle, who had fought with his life on the line, would emerge victorious.
And for someone to threaten him—someone whose skill surpassed even Kyle’s—
Ricshel was still merely a young hedgehog.

“Thank you for the counsel. Well then.”

Jade answered belatedly and opened the door to the parlor, stepping inside.
Fortunately, for all his obsession with his older brother, Ricshel had not followed him through the threshold.

“Hmm.”

Jade’s senses swept across the room instinctively.
No hidden blades or magical artifacts were visible, nor did any restraint Barriers seem to be in place.
Only the mundane magics for comfort and convenience dotted the space here and there.
Jade shrugged, settled himself into the plush sofa, and waited for Lion.
Befitting a great aristocratic house, the standard of hospitality was quite satisfying.
The tea was the sort that fetched steep prices even in the Underworld, and the biscuits were flawlessly presented.
Moreover, skilled knights kept watch beyond the parlor doors, evidently chosen with the guest’s safety in mind.
The same could be said of the window that let in a cool breeze.
Jade suspected this abundance of protection was Ricshel’s doing.
Both brothers seemed equally prone to overprotectiveness.
While he was thinking thus,

“Haha. My apologies for the wait.”

The door opened to the sound of an easy laugh.
Lion Asteri strode in, dressed in lighter clothes than usual, moving with unhurried confidence.

“Oh my, I’ve arrived rather early, haven’t I?”

Jade rose from his seat without revealing his true nature, greeting Lion with a smile.
In fact, he appeared almost overly cordial.

“…….”

Lion found himself momentarily taken aback by this unexpected reception.

‘Why is he acting like this?’

Before entering the reception room, he had encountered Ricshel by chance and learned of Jade’s condition.
According to Ricshel, poison seemed to be seeping up through his eyes.
Other witnesses corroborated this assessment.
The man showed no overt hostility, yet he was far from friendly either—a studied neutrality that everyone had remarked upon.
And his recent conduct had hardly been reassuring.
The proprietor of a magic goods shop had vanished without a trace, and Freyanya, who had been steadily honing her Alchemy skills, had been forcibly summoned away under the pretext of a routine report.

“In case you were wondering, I assure you I’m in perfect health—truly, there’s no need for concern.”
“I see.”

Lion wanted to ask why, then, but held his tongue.
There had to be a reason for this sudden shift in demeanor.
Lion turned the matter over in his mind, but……

‘I can’t find one.’

If anything, he’d merely touched upon a sensitive point again.
Something regarding the Rules of the Underworld.
Sensing that Lion’s guard remained unshaken, Jade laughed heartily.

“Please, there’s no need to remain so vigilant. This time, we won’t have any of that unpleasantness from before!”

People who spoke like that rarely escaped unpleasant outcomes.

“In fact, I’d like to apologize for what happened last time. I was rather presumptuous, wasn’t I? Ha ha.”

Jade then answered his own question, attributing the incident to a lapse in composure.

“I was convinced that you might exert a negative influence on the Second Imperial Prince!”
“A negative influence, you say.”
“Yes. I was mistaken, you see. I acted on an unfounded prejudice, assuming you were merely weak and soft. As an apology, I’ve decided to provide the item you requested without regard to the established ‘rules.'”

As Jade finished speaking, he snapped his fingers, and one of the Underworld’s operatives stepped forward from beyond the door, carefully setting down an enormous earthen jar beside Lion.
But the man’s face was familiar.

‘Isn’t that the coachman who drove us to Bydentis Territory?’

Ricshel had hand-selected him, so Lion had assumed some connection existed—but the man appeared to be far more integral to the operation than he’d thought.
The man who met Lion’s gaze offered a slight nod in greeting before withdrawing.

“Go ahead and take a look.”

[Hidden Pottery Master’s Earthen Jar (★★★)]
-The latest masterwork of a reclusive potter who has spent decades in seclusion, crafting earthenware in some remote corner of the world.
-He deeply wishes to meet the person who brought him this idea.
-Should one age fermented pastes in this vessel, the results would surely be extraordinary.

Lion nodded approvingly the moment he laid eyes on the jar.
He couldn’t fathom how they’d managed to fire it in mere weeks, but it was truly magnificent.

“I appreciate the gift, but… won’t you lose the chance to find out what you’re curious about?”

Jade would certainly wonder about it.
How Lion knew the connection between Kyle and him.
After all, Jade harbored an almost pathological obsession with Kyle’s every movement.

“Please, don’t hesitate. Accept it without worry.”
“…….”

It was Lion who felt uneasy, watching Jade concede so easily.
This wasn’t like him.
Though this was only their second meeting, Lion had gathered his own rough data through years of dealing with people.
Men like that rarely backed down so readily.

“May I ask your reason?”
“Ha ha. My reason? It’s quite simple, really! I’m simply buttering you up right now.”

Jade continued with that same smile, speaking lightly.

“The new Hero who will emerge after Kyle becomes Emperor.”

…… It wasn’t a light matter at all.

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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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