Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 217

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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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Successor or Not, I Just Want to Heal – Episode 217

“Huff, huff. Ow, my aching bones!”

Mudu reached Lion and bent forward, hands on his knees, gasping for breath while tapping his lower back repeatedly with his hammer.
Remarkable, really—he could take those blows and his spine stayed intact.

“Anyway, you came looking for me, so what brings you here this time… hm?”

Mudu furrowed his brow, studying the Marquess of House Bydentis intently.
Those sharp, capable features looked familiar—but from where?

“No, not from around here.”

Mudu scratched his head, then suddenly went rigid as something clicked into place.

“Wait, wait?”

It came to him all at once.
Not from looking at the woman herself—but at the blade she carried!
That’s the sacred sword of House Bydentis, isn’t it?
The very one forged to slay Demons and protect mankind!
There was no mistaking it, even without seeing the blade itself.

‘Then… who is this person?!’

Now he saw it clearly.
The young girl of House Bydentis who appeared on festival days.
The one who always hid shyly, clinging to either the Marquess’s arms or her mother’s hand—that very girl!

“Clarentia… of House Bydentis.”
“Goodness, Lion!”

The moment Mudu murmured it aloud, Clarentia’s hand flew to his mouth, silencing him and shaking him urgently.

“Please, watch your tongue! I’d like to see Lion around for a long while yet, if you don’t mind. Yes?”

Her own hands trembled with the shock.
She’d sensed he was no ordinary man, but a marquess of that famous swordsmanship house?

“It’s true.”

Clarentia herself merely offered a single, matter-of-fact confirmation.

“Ah, my apologies. But what brings a marquess from another territory to these parts?”
“Now that that’s settled, shall we step over there and finish this conversation?”

Lion gestured toward the back of the Blacksmith’s Workshop, grinning widely.

“I’ve got news that’ll startle you.”

Mudu couldn’t hide his bewilderment at that remark.
True, he’d lived in the Bydentis Territory before, but that didn’t mean he and the current Marquess were acquainted.
All he’d done was recognize the blade and glimpse her as a child—that was all.

‘If that eccentric says it’ll startle me, it probably will.’

What could it be?
Mudu headed toward the back of the Blacksmith’s Workshop, suspended between suspicion and anticipation.
And…….

“What, what the—!?”

The cry rang out so loud it echoed past the Blacksmith’s Workshop and into the nearby homes.

“Ow.”

Lion touched his tingling ear gently and looked at his hand.
It wasn’t bleeding, was it?

“You crazy bastard! Is that true?”
“It is.”
“Really, truly?”

Marquis Bydentis nodded lightly.

“I went along as a craftsman.”
“B-but why? Your brother I could understand, but your parents too……!”
“It wasn’t difficult for me, and it was a good opportunity to earn points with this fellow.”
“Ha ha. Marquis, if you put it that way, Mudu might get the wrong idea.”
“It’s the truth.”
…….

Lion started to reply but closed his mouth instead.
Mudu’s eyes were wide and glistening red, as if tears might spill any moment.

“Damn it, I should have gone to see them sooner……!”

Mudu scrubbed his face vigorously with both palms.
He didn’t want to let anyone see him cry, so Lion waited in silence, pretending not to notice.

“Anyway, they should arrive tomorrow, and it looks like we’ll need at least a day to prepare, so……”
“Right, I’d better pick up some meat before I head in tonight.”
“No.”
“Hm?”

Mudu was wiping his face with his apron when he looked up at the firm reply.

“Think about it, Mudu. When your family arrives, they’ll be spending most of their time at your home, won’t they?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Seeing your cute grandchildren and your wife?”
“That’s true.”
“But the thing they’ll want to see most is you.”

How well you’ve grown, that is.
Mudu nodded at Lion’s words, then suddenly stopped.
Wait—that means.

“They’ll surely visit your workshop too.”

Lion gazed wordlessly at Mudu’s work apron.
Even if Lea washed his underclothes eagerly every day,
considerate Mudu, not wanting to trouble her, had always left his apron at the workshop and commuted in and out in it.
Which meant something specific.
Mudu’s apron was in quite a state.
Well, it was something he could probably laugh off with a few slaps on the back.
But the problem was…… Mudu’s parents were dwarves.
Since Mudu was a dwarf, that much was natural.
But the real problem was that among dwarves, there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t a master craftsman.
Especially as he comes in his capacity as a craftsman.

‘I ought to put some care into this.’

It would likely be quite the burden.
For Mudu, it wasn’t unlike the day the captain-commander visited, was it?

“D-dammit! When’s he arriving?”
“Tomorrow.”
“He’ll probably stop by the Asteri Family Estate first, so you should have some free time come evening.”

Mudu’s flushed face drained to a sickly pallor.

“Damn. Damn! Well, thanks for the heads-up, anyway!”
“Ah. And one more thing.”

Mudu, about to dash off to prepare the Blacksmith’s Workshop, was stopped by the Marquis Bydentis’s voice.

“I’d like you to look this over with the House Bydentis craftsmen.”

The Marquis unsheathed the sword at his waist and handed it over.

“It works splendidly enough against Demons, but it’s grown dull for dealing with anything else.”

No matter how urgent the situation, Mudu, having received a sacred blade of House Bydentis, simply had to stop dead in his tracks.

Gulp.

Instinctively, his throat tightened.

“M-might I examine it now?”

When Clarentia nodded lightly, Mudu carefully drew the sacred blade from its sheath. He let out a low hum.

At first glance, one might have called it nothing more than a sword forged by any common blacksmith.
It was almost surprising that the edge hadn’t been damaged more.

“Never.”
“…….”

“That’s correct.”

“…….”

Mudu looked at the sacred blade once more. He’d thought it unremarkable at first, but now he understood—it had endured this long precisely because it was a sacred blade.

“But then…….”

Why had he brought it all the way here instead of commissioning the Dwarf Village in Bydentis Territory?
The Dwarf Village had quite a few master craftsmen.
Moreover, most of them were masters who crafted weapons.
Inspecting or repairing a blade was something they could do with their eyes closed.

‘……There must be a reason for this.’

Mudu opened his mouth to ask but closed it again.

“Tsk, understood. I’ll keep this safe and have the craftsmen repair it properly.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Right. You’re a marquis, but also a friend of that eccentric fellow, so I’ll give it extra careful attention.”

Mudu cradled the sword tenderly and hurried into the Blacksmith’s Workshop on his short legs.
A moment later, a loud bellow erupted, followed by sounds of hurried commotion as something was being cleared away.

‘A friend.’

The corner of Marquis Bydentis’s mouth rose faintly, then returned to its usual state.

“I suppose we should postpone viewing the interior of the Blacksmith’s Workshop for another time.”
“Haha. You’re quite right. Well, you’ve had a look around the village—shall I escort you back to the estate now?”
“No. The steward will be worried. I should head back. We can meet formally tomorrow.”
“Is that so?”

Ordinarily, once a guest had arrived, one should not send them away again, regardless of how early it was.
Rumors could spread that the guest had been driven off.
But Lion simply agreed.

‘Worry, he said.’

Anyone who had met the steward could tell he cherished Marquis Bydentis and devoted himself to the minutest details of his care.
But at that time, the Marquis had not noticed it.

‘How much you’ve grown.’

I find myself swelling with a strange sort of pride.
How should I put it—if a younger sister I haven’t seen in ages has grown like this, wouldn’t this be what it feels like?

“Then I shall see you tomorrow.”

As he offered a light bow to the Marquis, a gentle gust swept past, and the Marquis vanished in an instant.

“Mm, well, I’ve finished what I came for. Time to head back.”

I’ve acquired some fascinating pigment, so I plan to research it before tomorrow comes.
Oh, but first I should contact the Magic Tower.
I need to tell them that the Young Master purchased far more items than expected.

* * *

The First Magic Tower under Asteri Marquisate.
The technical mages who labored diligently today screamed.

-Y-you’re saying he ordered ALL of this?
-An order deluge since this morning?! At this rate, we won’t even get lunch before we have to work!
-What on earth is happening?

Even as people screamed under the weight of excessive work, those whispering through their familiar spirits had finally uncovered the root cause of it all.
The reason for the Spell Frenzy, that is!

-Well, I heard about it yesterday when I took a half-day to run errands…….

It was that the Marquis Bydentis had placed an enormous commission with Lion.

“But isn’t House Bydentis a renowned family of swordsmen?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why are they ordering magical tools on such a scale……? I thought they were deeply opposed to magic. The way I heard it, they’re struggling to maintain their territory through swordsmanship alone. Is that why?”
“Abillis.”

When the newcomer murmured in confusion, a mage who appeared to be a mentor called out to them briskly.

“Yes, understood. Lepios.”
“Don’t get distracted by pointless gossip. Focus on your work.”
“I’m sorry……!”

The newcomer’s lips sealed shut at once, returning to their calculations, and only then did Lepios resume working.

-Mage Lepios seems particularly enthusiastic today.
-Well, if we produce this much, what kind of incentive are we talking about?
-It would have an enormous impact on our career advancement!

The familiar spirits fluttered busily about, folded documents arranged in new formations, but Lepios never spared them a glance.

‘This commission comes from none other than Lion himself.’

No one else knew it, but Lepios privately believed he owed Lion an enormous debt of gratitude.
The reason was simple.
Years ago, when still a newcomer, he had chanced to meet Lion and ended up helping with a tour of the Magic Tower.
In truth, that was a time when he hadn’t yet adjusted to the Tower’s atmosphere, but through that opportunity, he met Master Hoffman, the Tower’s director.

‘My idol……!’

What’s more, the Master even remembered his name and has greeted him often ever since.
That was the turning point—he began to truly fit in here.
Everything he is now—the modest position he holds, his role as a mentor—he owes it all to that single day.
Of course, he’d also worked as hard as he could afterward, so as not to squander that stroke of fortune.
In any case.

‘Young Master. I have not forgotten your kindness……!’

So then—his utmost effort. More than that, even. He resolved to craft something exceptional.
This would later become one of the achievements of Lepios, who served as team lead of the Magic Tower’s Magical Tool Engineering Division.
Though Lion would never know a thing about it.

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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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