Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 24

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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 Heir Knows Nothing, So I’m Just Going to Heal — Episode 24

As expected, Andrie began to grow increasingly excited.

“No, my goodness, what is this!”

He examined each of the newly arrived tools one by one, muttering to himself with an intensity that was almost eerie. Lion couldn’t understand a word of it—something about special scissors invented by some scholarly society, a sewing machine that produced beautiful stitching, technical specifications Lion simply didn’t follow.

“What should we do with the old equipment? They were dear to me, after all…….”
“Please, throw them all away! I would be most grateful!”

Ah, really?
They did say that true craftsmen never blame their tools.
But when a master reached that level, surely they’d accumulated an adequate set by then.
How much must he have longed for what he’d been missing?
Andrie placed a hand over his heart and exhaled deeply, as though decades of congestion had suddenly lifted.

“Truly! I am most grateful, Master Lion. I shall pour every ounce of my strength into creating a masterwork.”
“That’s all I ask.”

In truth, Lion wanted to tell him to take his time, to take it easy—but given the caliber of both the materials and the craftsman’s skill, he found himself hoping something truly exceptional would emerge.
And…….

‘I really do want to get my hands involved in making that Formal Attire, don’t I?’

Lion found himself speaking before he’d fully thought it through.

“Would you have time to teach me, when you can?”
“Pardon?”
“The Sewing Technique.”
“I, I should teach you?”
“Brother, you?”

Both Andrie and Liksher’s mouths fell open at once.

“Absolutely not! What if you pricked yourself on a needle? It’s dangerous.”
“W-well, I could teach you, but…… when someone first learns to sew, their fingers get pricked constantly, and the sewing machine is surprisingly prone to accidents. Master Lion.”

Of course they were objecting.

“Relax. I’m not asking you to show me anything difficult right away. I just thought it would be nice to try something simple.”
“May I ask your reason, sir?”
“I selected the fabric with you, and as we spoke, I came to understand your skill and passion indirectly. In doing so, I realized that clothing isn’t made just by anyone with decent taste. And it occurred to me—if I commission clothes without knowing anything of this Sewing Technique myself, I might go my entire life without truly appreciating the effort you pour into your work.”

The words flowed from him with effortless eloquence.
Liksher, having been caught out more than once before, had to shake his head several times to resist being swayed.
Though he failed, of course.

‘That’s, that’s not wrong at all.’

Wasn’t it true, in fact?
So this is where Brother’s discernment begins.
Already under the spell, Liksher believed he was thinking rationally about it—or so he told himself.

“Once you understand the technique and read the creator’s intent, won’t the wearer also come to know the proper way to regard such a garment?”
“W-yes, exactly!”

As for Andrie, he was already long since enchanted.
A thousand times over, it was the right thing to say!

“How could you think such a thing! Every stitch, every seam—there’s intention behind which technique we use, how we draft each pattern. Of course, you can wear it comfortably without understanding any of that, but having knowledge versus having none makes quite a difference…….”
“…….”

Andrie’s words showed no sign of stopping.
He was quite moved by the whole thing…….

“Ah, anyway, I’ll make sure to teach you everything!”
“Right. First, take Liksher’s measurements and show me the process. I’ll just watch.”
“Yes! Please, feel free to observe and experience it all!”

Andrie now displayed something like outright devotion.
Finding that uncomfortable, Lion sent him away using Liksher as an excuse.
The workers fixing the door had already picked up on it and made themselves scarce.

‘I don’t know where these people came from…….’

They had such sharp instincts that it made things convenient.
At any rate, a situation where no one was watching over him was a good opportunity.
Lion bypassed all the glittering new tools and went instead to where Andrie had stacked the pre-drafted patterns.

[Master Craftsman’s Worn Cotton Pants Pattern]
-The fabric quality is quite poor.
-Loose threads are sticking out.

‘No matter how many times I look at it, it’s remarkable. How he managed to make such clothing from fabric like this.’

Lion marveled once more at Andrie’s skill, then began fitting the neatly organized patterns together this way and that.

“So if I join them like this, it should work?”

Since it was pants-shaped, the structure wasn’t particularly difficult.

‘Should I try sewing it?’

Lion glanced over at the Sewing Machine.
Using it would certainly make joining the patterns quick…….
But he’d never actually used one before.

‘And somehow, it feels wrong to use something convenient before I’ve even properly learned the basics.’

Shouldn’t a person have fundamentals before deciding whether or not to use a tool?
In that case.

‘Hand sewing first, then.’

This place naturally had sewing tools available.
And they were new ones that Liksher had brought……but.
There happened to be something suitable.
Lion pulled thread and needle from his inventory.

[Repair Set]
-Repair loose name tags, insoles, anything at all!
-However, fallen grades cannot be repaired.
-Belongs to a master craftsman who came to understand the limits of his talent. All master-tier items can be repaired, but legendary-tier items cannot.

This very Repair Set that he’d received as a bonus from Liksher and the Magic Tool Shop.
When else would he use it if not now?

‘And isn’t it curious?’

Just how far the bounds of mending really extended.
This was supposed to be a craftsman’s tool, after all—and from the description, one made by a master of considerable skill, on the verge of greatness.
It was old enough that a misplaced prick would hurt like the devil, but then again, as long as I didn’t prick myself, it hardly mattered.
I had confidence in my own way.
Back when I lived in the Semi-basement, sewing wasn’t a choice—it was survival.
Shirt buttons, of course, but also socks with holes worn through them, and even torn underclothes when it came to it—I’d mended them all.

‘Of course, the sewing space here is much wider than that was……’

I figured that if I just kept at it, something would work out.
And if not, I could always go back to the Mansion and practice more.
Lion threaded the needle with a light heart and brought it down to the worn pattern.
Then…….

“Huh?”

The needle’s appearance had changed. The thing that looked so corroded it might have rust on it—it looked different now.
The reddish rust had vanished, the dull needle point had sharpened to a keen tip, and the thin shaft gleamed with polish.

“……That’s quite something.”

So when you bring it into contact with something that can be mended, it finds its original form? Magic tools really are strange things.
I made a mental note to visit that Magic Tool Shop again someday.
Lion began sewing carefully, thinking these thoughts.
Of course, it wasn’t easy at first.
Sometimes I’d tie the thread too loosely and the starting knot would come undone; sometimes I’d space the stitches wrong and they’d be uneven.
But then.

“……This is actually kind of fun?”

I’d braced myself for the kind of tedium that fiddling with small things could bring—the annoyance, the irritation—but instead, my mind had settled into a calm focus.
The more I concentrated, the more even my stitches became, and my pace picked up naturally.
And then.

“……!”

What was this?
Something was beginning to appear.
Guidelines were forming on the parts I hadn’t sewn yet, like a roadmap laid out ahead of me.

‘Is this the work of the magic tool as well?’

Either way, it was perfect for a beginner’s practice.
I didn’t refuse the gift and stitched each seam with all the care I could muster.
And then…….

[Cotton Pants Pattern (Completion Rate: 80%)]
—The fabric quality is degraded, but it has not torn further.
—A little more finishing work and it should become a presentable completed garment.

A fairly respectable piece had come into being.
It looked like all that remained was a bit of finishing work and a flip of the seams, and I’d have a proper pair of pants.

‘This is easier than I thought……’

Just as I was thinking about trying one more, I sensed a presence.

“Hmm? Finished already?”
“Yes. I completed it a while ago.”

Liksher, who had already taken measurements and departed, was now watching from Lion’s side.

“You must have been waiting. Say something.”
“I couldn’t interrupt when you were so focused.”

Liksher, who had been skeptical about sewing moments before, had grown considerably more favorable toward it thanks to Lion’s persuasion and example.
And the tailor was…….
Examining the pants Lion had made, turning them this way and that in silence.

“You started here, I see. For someone doing this for the first time, the craftsmanship is…… hmm. Oh…….”

It seemed he’d meant to begin with light praise, but his expression grew progressively more serious until, at last, he let slip an oddly fervent exclamation.
And then, finally:

“Good heavens! Gracious me! I’d forgotten this was the very thing!”
“Huh?”
“How could I have overlooked such a fundamental point! A Sewing Machine is ultimately nothing but a tool for convenience!”
“I suppose that’s true enough……?”
“Ah! As it has always been, custom Formal Attire must be rooted in Hand Sewing! I nearly lost sight of it, caught up as I was in ready-made garments!”

He opened the sketchbook lying on the desk and began drawing something, seized by some fresh revelation.
Inspiration had erupted once more.

“…….”

Even Lion, who had been sewing with such enthusiasm just moments before, found himself unable to enter Andrie’s world.
Or rather, he had no desire to.

‘Well…… I’ve had my taste of it. I should come back another time.’

Lion glanced sidelong at Liksher and opened his mouth.

“……Should we head back, then?”
“Yes. We have dinner with the head of household this evening.”
“Ah, right! Can’t skip dinner. Got it!”

The two brothers left Andrie to his work without ceremony.

* * *

“Your Grace. The young masters have arrived.”
“Late, aren’t they.”

Patrick set down his Fountain Pen at word of the boys’ arrival and made his way toward the Dining Room. For someone remarking on their tardiness, he moved with remarkable haste—clearly, he had been looking forward to this evening.

The busiest among them was, of course, Patrick Asterel himself.
He remained at the Mansion only for the Coming of Age Ceremony; otherwise, he scarcely left the Imperial City.
Fifty years had passed since the war with the Demons ended.
Yet countless problems still festered.
Stray bands of Demons that appeared sporadically, their remnants and traces.
And new developments of various kinds.
All of it fell within Patrick’s purview to manage.
And that was merely the beginning.

Before he knew it, Patrick found himself adjusting relationships between the houses on behalf of an Emperor lacking in competence, and coordinating with the underworld and the temples besides.
He was essentially handling the Emperor’s duties as well, so even two bodies wouldn’t have been enough.
Sometimes he yearned to spend time with his grandsons—those treasures he couldn’t bear to be without—but one cannot chase two rabbits at once.
He believed all of this was a path to protect his family, and so he endured.
Indeed, thanks to Patrick’s efforts, nothing had happened for fifty years.
But.
Whether it was his age, or the way Lion’s actions had grown warmer of late, a desire to spend his remaining years in peace was slowly taking root.

‘How much longer do I have to live, anyway.’

Of course, an 8th Circle Mage’s life expectancy rivaled that of elves, a race renowned for their longevity.
Patrick might even outlive Lion or Liksher, but even an 8th Circle Archmage is helpless when sentiment wells up like this.

“Ah. Still, the work must be done.”

At least he wanted to see his daughter’s legacy—his grandsons—live peacefully, doing what they wished.
Doing only what brings them joy, without worrying about food or the kingdom.
Just in a flower garden. Happily.
Then he would have no regrets.
When Patrick arrived at the Dining Room, he beheld a table laden with splendid fare, and his grandsons seated across from each other.
Among them, his eldest, Lion, conversing with Liksher with the most at-ease expression on his face.

‘That child’s potential must be hidden.’

Patrick firmed his resolve and slowly took his seat.

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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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