Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 210

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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, I Know Not—Healing is What I Seek 210

“Yaaawn.”

Urhil, a bear beast-human, lay on the prison floor gazing up at the ceiling, his mouth stretched wide in a languid yawn as he scratched his belly.
Had one ignored the setting, it would have looked no different from the idle lounging of any unemployed man.

‘Not so bad, really.’

The stone floor was rather hard, granted, but bearable enough in its own way.

‘Though I wouldn’t mind having something to cover myself with.’

And it was then, while staring dully at the ceiling as he had when first captured, that Urhil’s expression shifted—his lips pressed together in thought.
Despite the unconsciousness, the long sleep had left him hollow, his stomach crying out.

‘It’s a shame, really. I’d been eating so well before all this.’

In truth, his journey across the Empire had left him poorly fed.
It was nothing like those days in the Human-Beast Kingdom, when he could lie still and receive unlimited supplies of the finest fruits and honey.
Of course, this place has no shortage of food!
But there is nothing here worth eating.

‘I cannot fill my belly with such trash.’

Though his appearance belied it, Urhil was a gourmet of considerable refinement.
So much so that even the most discerning among his own kind—the bear beast-humans—would bow to his palate.
He would sooner starve than compromise and eat something that displeased him, even slightly.

‘The finest materials no doubt went straight to the nobility’s tables.’

Every region of the Empire told the same story.
And so he’d arrived at Asteri Territory in a state of hunger—famished for the first time in his life.
But what was this?
Here, even common folk could feast without limit on fruits of remarkable quality!
And that was not all.
There was honey too, and sweet potatoes!
So he’d abandoned all restraint and eaten his fill.

‘……Which is how I ended up locked in here, of course.’

Still, they don’t seem likely to execute him. So really, what’s there to worry about?

Roll.

Urhil flipped his body over, pressing himself flat against the floor.
The stone was quite cool, actually—not unpleasant at all.

“……Mmm. That last thing I ate was really something.”

Left alone with his thoughts, the honey-preserved nuts came back to him.
The texture was delightful, the flavor superb.
And the aroma—

‘A fragrance like nothing I’d ever encountered before.’

It had been sweet and tart at once, with nothing harsh or offensive—a caress to the senses.

‘That was no ordinary honey.’

He couldn’t say what flower had been used, but its fragrance carried far enough to reach him even from a distance.
And mixed in with it was something refreshingly cool…….
For Urhil, who prided himself on being a connoisseur, it was enchanting enough to make him lose his mind entirely.
So he ate it, knowing full well it was bait.

‘No regrets.’

In fact, he’d have gladly made the same mistake again just to eat more of that bait.

‘……Everything will work out somehow.’

Honestly, he had reason to believe it would.
If he’d been caught by nobility, he could walk right out of here with even more audacity.
After all, he was no ordinary beast-human.
He was a bear-human, to be precise, and his bloodline was far from common.
His standing in the Human-Beast Kingdom was considerable.
They wouldn’t risk offending him and creating an awkward situation with a foreign power.
The nobility especially would be far more careful in their dealings with him.

“Hmm…….”

Having finished his calculations in silence while appearing to lounge and scratch at his belly, Urhil decided there was no harm in being more relaxed.
Once he’d settled into that mindset, his eyes naturally drifted to the side.
More precisely, to the figure standing beyond the iron bars.

“So I’ve landed myself here. But what about you—why are you stuck here?”

Urhil rolled onto his back, laced his hands behind his head, and asked the question casually.
Barg, who had been watching him intently the whole time, responded with deliberate gravity.

“Please don’t speak to me casually.”
“What’s the harm in a little conversation? It won’t cause any trouble.”
“I am merely overseeing a criminal.”
“The Asteri Territory seemed quite prosperous, yet apparently its human resources are depleted if they’ve got to assign a child to guard duty.”
“I am a fully grown adult!”
……
“And I am strong. I can become even stronger.”

Urhil glanced at Barg and let out a soft chuckle.

“My apologies for the rudeness.”

Of course—anyone would bristle at being called a child, especially someone young.
And for those whose bodies had outgrown their years, the offense cut even deeper.
It varied by species, but among beast-humans, such disproportionate growth was fairly common.
Usually they eventually received proper care and instruction from guardians, and their mental development caught up to their bodies, achieving a natural balance.
But looking at Barg…….

‘No guardian seems to be around…… Ah.’

So that was it.
Urhil had grasped something.
It wasn’t that there was no guardian—it was that the guardian was of a different race.
Certainly, back in that forest…….
Yes, when he’d spotted those two hiding in the grass behind a tree before he’d taken the bait himself, there had been something that nagged at him.
The Red Wolf Humanoid was clearly the stronger of the two, yet that human—the one they said ruled this territory—was the one looking after him.

‘A Spirit Summoner, if I’m not mistaken.’

That’s odd, though. I was under the impression that the Asteri Territory was managed by a mage.

‘Well, it doesn’t really matter.’

In any case, the contracted spirit appeared to be of considerable rank.
But even as a guardian, it couldn’t directly aid the wolf humanoid’s growth.
There was a difference in species, after all.

‘Still, to have raised them to this level…….’

They must have put in considerable effort.
For a mere human—not even a swift elf—to have achieved this much, they must surely have possessed remarkable powers of observation and given sound advice.
But then…….

‘There would certainly be limits.’

Unless they possessed innate talent or an abundance of theoretical knowledge, this was as far as a human could go.

‘They must have given themselves quite the headache.’

But how fortunate! I’ve arrived just when I’m needed.
You might say the timing couldn’t be better.
Perhaps they’ll even forgive the transgression on my account.

‘It doesn’t matter if I’m wrong.’

I’ll simply contact the homeland and arrange compensation. Either way, I’ll need to wait until this Lion Asteri fellow arrives.

Fortunately, the wait wasn’t long.

“Yes, Young Master.”
“Thank you for your efforts. You may go now.”
“Sir? But…….”

The wolf had already marked him as someone dangerous.
Urhil rose and shrugged his shoulders.

“……Understood.”

For a red wolf humanoid to behave this way, they’d been trained quite thoroughly.
Or perhaps an enormous debt of gratitude had been extended.
Thus the two stood facing each other across nothing but a thin iron grate.

“Urhil.”
“I regret that I had to be brought here unconscious. That child…….”
“It was merely a youngster’s mistake. No harm done.”
“So you knew.”

“Even if we’re different species, we’re both beast-humans.”

Urhil added an explanation, noting that he could see things humans couldn’t.

“You seem to have received quite an education.”
“Well… borrowing human terms, I myself belong to the Nobility.”

Urhil smiled as the conversation unfolded exactly as he’d anticipated.
He’d been caught off guard in the forest, caught up in events beyond his control, but he was confident that wouldn’t happen again now.
He understood what the other wanted.

“So what do I owe you as compensation?”
“Will you be able to move?”
“A single knockout won’t slow me down much.”

True, the back of his head still throbbed faintly, but he decided not to mention it.

‘So even young, he’s a Red Wolf Humanoid…….’

Strength was his greatest asset.
In fact, being strong enough to knock out a bear beast-human—notorious for their durability—spoke volumes.
If they brought him back to the homeland, he’d likely receive a respectable position.
Of course, the other side would refuse.

“Good then. Let’s go.”
“……You’re letting me out?”

Lion didn’t answer, instead using a key to unlock the cell door and open it.

‘Ha…… what are you counting on, exactly.’

Though of course he had no intention of causing trouble.
Urhil crouched low and squeezed through the low iron bars.
But where was he taking him?
Just as he was about to ask—

“By the way, can you speak formally?”
“It’s not a problem, but why would formal speech be necessary to educate that wolf humanoid?”
“……Hmm? Ah, I see.”

Lion, who’d been momentarily confused, suddenly broke into a grin at those words, realizing something.
So that’s why he’d seemed so brazenly confident—he’d gotten the wrong idea entirely.

‘Though not completely off the mark.’

He’d understand soon enough through direct experience.

“Just follow me for now.”
“…….”

Urhil raised one eyebrow at Lion’s subtle reaction but obediently followed behind him.

* * *

And the place they arrived at with Lion was…….

Buzz.

An Apiary swarming with homeless bees.
The interior of the Apiary was quite desolate.
The beekeepers were sighing heavily as they relocated the scattered swarms to new hives.
The apiary had become such a disaster that their faces were gaunt and drawn.
Lion gathered these workers together and lined them up before Urhil.

“Well then. My apologies.”
“……?”

Urhil was at a loss for words.
This was quite different from what he’d anticipated.
He’d expected Lion to either demand compensation for the incident with that wolf humanoid or ask for money—but an apology?
An actual apology?
He’d never done such a thing, not even back home in the Human-Beast Kingdom.
As Urhil hesitated…….

Thump.

“Come on.”

Lion knew what he was thinking and urged him forward with uncanny prescience.
He even gave Urhil’s back a series of firm pats to hurry him along!

“……!”

Given Urhil’s massive frame, he ordinarily wouldn’t have budged an inch.

“……I shall apologize.”

Urhil had decided to accept Lion’s help.
It was neither in the formal register nor a particularly graceful apology, but the beekeepers—apparently having been briefed beforehand—simply sighed deeply and shook their heads in acceptance.

“Ah, no matter at all. We should call it a natural disaster…… though we did lose some reservations from the nobility once word spread that this was the apiary attacked by a bear.”
“Well, that’s fortunate at least.”
“Yes. And since Young Master has personally captured the culprit and promises to help us restore the place, we’re inclined to let the matter rest here.”
“Haha. Don’t worry yourselves. I’m certain this will be a great help.”

While Urhil continued to bow, the conversation between the two proceeded swiftly.
And before he quite knew how it had happened, Urhil found himself…….

“……?”

……standing there with an insect net in each hand, catching truant bees.

‘What in the—what is this?’

Urhil was reeling from the sheer absurdity of it all.
This was a first for him.
He’d raided hives for honey before, but actually collecting bees to build new hives? This was something else entirely.

“Now, you must be very careful not to injure the bees.”
“Ah, yes. I understand.”

It was a scenario he’d never imagined.
Part of him wanted to lodge a formal protest.
He would have asked Lion to demand something else instead.
But he couldn’t do that.
The reason being…….

Whoosh! Whish!

“Got one!”

Lion was busy catching bees right alongside him in the Asteri Territory!

[Gathering proficiency has reached Proficient Lv.2.]

‘Wait, this counts as Gathering too?’

Of course, Lion was delighted to discover a new source of leveling experience.
The honeybees even gathered on their own, perhaps thanks to Spirit Summoning.
The experience came pouring in, and he was grateful for it—but he hadn’t forgotten his duties.

“Come now, your hands are slowing down. Move faster. You have to earn your keep.”

He was prodding Urhil along.

“……Yes. Understood.”

After that, there was considerable work to be done.
Once they’d finished helping at the Apiary, they went to the Fruit Orchard to clear fallen trees and useless debris, then spread fertilizer across the grounds.

“My, but you work so well?”

One of the damaged-area residents murmured as they passed.

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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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