Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 202

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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 being a Successor, but I’d like to focus on healing — Episode 202

The idea that the Second Imperial Prince would abandon Jack was nothing short of absurd.
Had Lion not witnessed how they cared for each other, each in their own way?

‘He didn’t show it, but the Second Imperial Prince…’

Jack was surely the only being in this world the prince could truly depend on.
He was the sole constant companion since the prince’s childhood.
And even at a glance, Jack must have clenched his teeth and protected the Second Imperial Prince fiercely.
Only now, having become a merchant lord, he was being overprotective?

‘That’s not a feeling suddenly conjured from nothing.’

In any case, they had survived by protecting each other to the utmost.
Had they not, one of them would have lost his life long ago.
And yet…

‘Jack is terribly anxious, isn’t he.’

Lion understood well the source of that anxiety.
It was the fear that the Second Imperial Prince — the center of Jack’s world — might vanish somewhere.

‘Jack wasn’t able to lift the Curse.’

Despite witnessing the Second Imperial Prince suffer because of that Curse for so many years, Jack had not been able to break it.

‘He must have tried, though.’

Freyanya was living proof of that.
Had he not provided extraordinary support for Alchemy?
Even for someone holding such a vital post in the Underworld’s financial operations, it wouldn’t have been an easy decision to funnel such enormous sums of money while tolerating Freyanya’s temperament — not without a genuine purpose.
If there had been no true aim behind it.
Looking back now, all of that seemed like traces of Jack’s desperate efforts to break the Second Imperial Prince’s Curse.
There were likely many other things Lion had never learned of.
And yet all of it had ultimately ended in failure.
Right up until the point when the Second Imperial Prince himself was forced to seize Lion in disguise.
No wonder Jack felt so hollow and furious with himself.
He must have believed that despite climbing all the way to the position of leader of the Underworld to protect this one person, he had ultimately failed to offer any real help.

“Well…”

He understood it.
Honestly, if Lion were in that situation, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t fall into the same despair and sorrow.
Reluctant as he was to admit it, Jack and he shared quite a few traits in common.
Specifically, with the version of himself from the past — not so very long ago.
That version of himself had been somewhat…

“…Ah. It’s all filtered through.”

Lion, who had buried those unwanted memories again, gazed at the soy sauce filtered clean of all impurities.
Its color differed slightly from the soy sauce commonly known.
It bore a faintly yellowish hue, as though sesame oil and soy sauce had been mixed half and half and then poured off from below.
When he sampled a small amount, he perceived a subtle sweetness intertwined with spice.

“Mm!”

The signs were quite promising.
Of course, there was still much work to be done ahead.
It’s not the soybean paste we’re familiar with yet.
First, I’ll need to filter the soybean paste free of impurities, simmer it until it boils, then age it again before it takes on the familiar color and aroma we know.

“Still, it’s nice being able to boil it all at once.”

Lion turned his head to look at the Alchemical Pot.
The Alchemical Pot displayed its grandeur as always…….

“……Has it gotten a bit worn?”

It felt somewhat different from the first time he’d seen it.
How should he put it?
It felt like it had been marked by handling.
Of course, it was an extraordinary alchemical tool without equal in the world, but it seemed the time for maintenance was approaching.
Well, it was only slightly worn—nothing actually broken—so there’d be no problem simmering the soybean paste.

“Just this last time.”

Lion poured the clear soybean paste liquid into the Alchemical Pot and began simmering it slowly.
If he let it boil over too strong a flame, the bottom would scorch or it would burn outright, leaving a bitter taste.
He didn’t want to lose the soybean paste to such a mistake after coming this far.

“Chirp.”

Nature, grown a bit worn from childcare duties, left Fus behind and fluttered over to perch on his shoulder.
It seemed she’d come this way both to escape and rest from watching him.

“Are you here to keep an eye on the fire?”
“Chirp!”

Nature finally chirped as if breaking free, hovering curiously around the pot.
No matter how much she liked Fus, sustaining that level of energy constantly would wear anyone down.
Of course, it was thanks to Nature that Lion could escape from childcare duties reasonably well.

‘Now that I think about it…….’

He’d thought about making toys for Fus, but he hadn’t set up a separate resting place for Nature.
Normally they could simply rest together in bed, but now that Fus was here, she’d need her own personal space.

‘I should build a new nest before making toys.’

With that thought, he returned to where the fermentation crocks were kept.
Nature had said she’d watch over the soybean paste, so what remained was the soybean paste itself.
Lion unhesitatingly began crushing the Soybean Paste Block he’d set aside earlier.
This soybean paste required far more care than the soybean paste that only needed filtering and boiling.
The portions that remained hard in their block shape had to be crushed as thoroughly as possible for a better texture when eaten later.
Lion pressed down with force, methodically breaking apart and grinding the Soybean Paste Block.

‘If it gets too dry, add a little soybean paste.’

It had been a good idea to hold some soybean paste aside just in case.
Whenever the soybean paste seemed too stiff, Lion added more soybean paste to maintain its moisture.
When it had become perfectly smooth without a trace of lumpiness, he firmly pressed it layer by layer into a crock that he’d carefully disinfected with fire beforehand.
Last, he scattered salt across the top of the soybean paste, tidied the area, covered it with cloth, and sealed the lid—and it was done.

“Phew!”

At last, the end was nearly in sight.
Lion straightened his back and grinned broadly.
He honestly hadn’t expected the work to grow this large, but making the fermented goods himself filled him with such satisfaction.

“Chirp-chirp!”
“Looks like you’re done too.”

At Nature’s call, I went to the pot, and the soy sauce had reduced to just the right consistency.
The color had deepened, and I could feel the flavor had concentrated beautifully.

“Not bad at all.”

As satisfaction sounded from Lion’s lips, Nature moved the soy sauce into an empty earthenware jar on its own.
Watching the transparent copper-hued liquid flow gracefully through the air was quite extraordinary.

‘It’s clear that as Spirit Summoning increases in proficiency, I can use my power more freely.’

Of course, before this I could handle the elements freely too, but back then there were so many restrictions that I’d occasionally have to draw on Lion’s Mana.
But now…….

‘I barely feel the drain.’

If anything, I’ve been working hard with wind and water to look after Fus, yet the Mana consumption is almost nonexistent.

‘Though it is strange…….’

Strangely, there was no external change whatsoever.
As far as Lion knew, Nature’s true form was supposed to be quite…….

“Chirp, chirp-chirp!”
“Hm? Oh. You’ve finished transferring it all?”
“Chirp-chirp!”

Lion watched the still-steaming soy sauce rising with heat.
Once the steam cooled completely, it would be time to seal the lid.

“Chirp-sigh……!”

Nature quietly wiped away the sweat trickling down its round face with a wing, thinking Lion wouldn’t notice.

“Now let’s try the aging process.”

Lion tidied the surrounding area, rolled up his sleeves, and stood before the Soybean Paste Block jar.
Then he placed his hand gently on top.
Now if I apply Maturation Acceleration properly, the paste will ripen very quickly and taste wonderful.
Soybean paste typically needs to age for at least three months…….

“Right. Staying here for about three or four more days should do it.”

It would take longer than expected to maintain Maturation Acceleration, but Lion remained calm.

‘I already told Ricshel to come in if anything comes up…….’

Well, it should be fine, shouldn’t it?
Lion is someone who’s already lived here for more than a month.
And thanks to having quietly brought things here bit by bit, this place has become quite comfortable to live in.
There’s everything you need, and enough to eat.

“Hahaha. Then let’s begin.”

And so Lion’s soybean paste aging challenge began.

* * *

While maturing the soybean paste, Lion used Maturation Acceleration without pause.
After spending hours stationed near the fermentation jar, he periodically opened the lid to sweep away mold from the paste’s surface and polished the jar itself until it gleamed, removing any impurities.
During this time, Nature stayed close to Lion seeking affection, as did the mischievous Fus, though both eventually wandered off to tumble through the flower beds and pass the hours contentedly on their own.
What did prove somewhat surprising, however, was this:

“Squeak!”

Whether resonating with Lion’s Mana as he used Maturation Acceleration, Mana itself began to flow from Fus’s body as well.
Of course, it was so faint and fleeting that even an ordinary mage wouldn’t have noticed it.

‘A Magical Beast truly is a Magical Beast.’

Not even a month old, and already attempting to manipulate Mana.
Without anyone having taught it, no less.
In any case, watching Fus display this nascent genius while crafting materials for toys consumed the hours far more quickly than expected.

“Well then.”

Lion swallowed hard and carefully lifted the lid.
And when he pulled back the cloth wrapping as well—

[Beyond-Memory Soybean Paste (★★★)]
-A soybean paste with a deeper, richer flavor than any store-bought variety from memory.
-To surpass even memory itself in taste! Absolutely sublime!
-A cooking ingredient of exceptional quality. When used, it elevates the caliber of any dish!
[Use: Cooking]
[☞Click here to view recipes.]

[By pushing the Maturation Acceleration technique to its absolute limit, it has been further enhanced!]
[Cooking Proficiency has advanced to Proficient Lv.3.]

“Success,” he murmured.

Lion contained the surge of emotion rising within him.
This alone brought genuine joy, but what truly made his heart swell was the prospect of the dish he would create with this soybean paste.

‘With this alone—’

Gulp.

Lion swallowed once more, then dug a large spoon deep into the paste.
With the soybean paste complete, he could now proceed to cooking.

“First, I’ll draw some water.”

Lion portioned the paste into smaller containers, then moved directly to the firewood flame.
What followed flowed as naturally as water.
He dissolved the paste into rice-rinsing water, and while it heated, he deftly chopped an assortment of vegetables and even mushrooms from the Labyrinth, tossing them in.
There was one point worth noting here.
Namely, thicker vegetables like Potatoes should go in first to cook through—though truthfully, if one was impatient, dumping everything in at once worked just fine.
After all, a soybean paste stew is only improved as the vegetables’ essence steeps into the broth.
While the Potatoes cooked, he seared thin-sliced beef brisket in a separate vessel.
One could brown it all together in the same pot, but doing so would release too much fat, risking the loss of the stew’s distinctive flavor.

Sizzle—

The thin beef slices cooked rapidly, crackling and releasing a savory, rich oil.
At the right moment, he lifted them out and added them to the stew, then used chopsticks to test whether the Potatoes were tender.
And then, from his inventory, he withdrew ‘it.’
That was none other than.

‘Tofu……!’

I’d prepared it alongside everything else while getting ready to make the Soybean Paste Block.
After all, what’s a proper soybean paste stew without Tofu?
It tasted wonderful dropped in piping hot, swimming in that rich, peppery broth, and it was equally perfect crumbled together with rice, the grains melding into each morsel.

“I made the rice this morning.”

Cooled just enough, the rice was the perfect complement to the steaming stew.
One last touch — a single red chili pepper, sliced thin and simmered until the flavors melded……!

Shine!

[Ultimate Beef Brisket Soybean Paste Stew (★★★★)]

It was complete.
The Ultimate Beef Brisket Soybean Paste Stew was complete.

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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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