Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 254

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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 Care About Being a Successor; I Just Want to Heal — Episode 254

Splash.

Lion submerged his ankles in the steaming hot spring water.

‘Must be because I’m small now.’

The temperature that had seemed perfectly right moments ago now felt slightly too hot.
Yet it wasn’t so scalding that he couldn’t bear it, so Lion waded boldly into the spring.

“Ahhhh, that’s the stuff.”
“I should’ve come here sooner.”

Ricshel bit back another laugh as he watched his tiny older brother sink deeper, letting out sounds that wouldn’t be out of place from a middle-aged man.
Licht, standing a hand’s breadth away observing the scene, felt his jaw drop slightly.

“…You created this spring yourself?”

Honestly, the scale was absurd.
A hot spring large enough to comfortably fit three people, crafted single-handedly!

‘And that’s not even…’

Didn’t he say it also possessed the ability to restore the human body?
Licht bent down and cupped some of the spring water in his hand.

‘It’s genuine.’

Slow as it was, his body unmistakably felt restored.
While no Holy Power was discernible, the effect was strikingly similar to blessed water.

‘How is this even possible?’

It was a situation his mind simply couldn’t reconcile.
Yet amid this confusion, one thing became clear.
First: the fact that he couldn’t remember his Premonition Dream aligned in some way with Lion being transformed into a child.
And second.
He absolutely had to keep Lion’s abilities secret.
The Temple was already keeping a close eye on things due to the Holy Sanctuary matter, but this was something else entirely.

‘If the Temple found out…’

They would certainly judge this a Fragment of Miracle.

‘I think so too.’

A Miracle.
While not directly linked to Holy Power, priests often used that term when all causality pointed toward the divine in their judgment.
This hot spring certainly qualified for such a classification.
No—even if this phenomenon truly resulted from Alchemy, the Temple would absolutely interpret it as a Miracle.
Because it served them to do so.

‘I must not tell them.’

Such silence would betray the path of the priesthood.
Yet this was a matter of trust.
That Lion had so readily shown him this place was proof of how much he trusted him.
To betray that trust would be wrong.
At least, that was what Licht thought.
Once he’d made that decision, Lion had already finished bathing and changed into fresh clothes.

“It seems the water was a bit too hot for you, brother.”

Ricshel fanned Lion’s cheeks—flushed crimson from the heat of the Hot Spring—with his hand, working diligently.

“It’s fine. That’s why I finished quickly.”

The truth was, it had been hot.
If his ability hadn’t been restricted, he would have asked Nature for a cool breeze…….

‘Can’t be helped.’

Still, washing in the Hot Spring gave him the feeling of playing in water, and his body and mind both felt lighter for it.

“Then I’m relieved, but…….”

Ricshel seemed far from finished worrying.
It was then that Licht whispered discreetly.

“……Would it be all right if I examined you once, just to be sure?”
“You would do that for me?”
“Yes. It’s not difficult for me.”

It was a good opportunity.

“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”

While Lion savored his drowsiness, Ricshel finished their conversation and lifted him lightly into his arms, heading back toward the Estate.

“Yawn.”

Lion, having missed the exchange between the two, let out a languid yawn and settled quite docilely into Ricshel’s embrace as they traveled. Had he been more alert, he might have felt some shock at how comfortable he was becoming with being carried, but unfortunately he’d played so much, eaten so much, and soaked in such pleasant warm water that he was far too drowsy to notice.

“I’m worried about you. Brother—just this once, would you allow me?”
“…….”

Truthfully, if his family saw him like this, they would be concerned.
And besides, these were the words of no one else but his younger brother, who had spent all day caring for him.
Tired as he was, he had no choice but to agree.
And…….

Not only that—it even adjusted to fit the wearer’s body perfectly.
Thanks to this, Lion felt no discomfort at all.

“Hah, hah, hah…….”

Licht forced a laugh.
Truth be told, some part of him had volunteered for this examination out of concern for Lion, but other motives existed alongside it.
The Premonition Dream.
Regardless, Licht bore an obligation to recall that dream.
So offering the pretext of examining his body for problems was no different from conducting a direct investigation.
At least, that’s how Licht felt, and guilt came with that feeling.

‘I’m not certain, but the timing of when I lost the dream’s memory overlaps with when Lion grew younger.’

Perhaps…….

‘I might find a clue.’

He would confirm it directly through Holy Power.
Surely he could grasp at least some thread of connection.

“I’ll need to hold your hand for the examination.”
“Of course.”

Without hesitation, Lion extended his hand and rested it lightly atop Licht’s palm.

“Beginning now.”

As he spoke, a soft green radiance spread from Licht’s body.
The energy flowed through Lion’s hand, swept across his entire frame, and then withdrew through the other hand.

“Nothing amiss, I take it?”

Naturally, there wasn’t.
I haven’t actually been injured—I’ve simply grown younger!
And besides, I’ve soaked in the Hot Spring; how could there be anything wrong?

“If I were in pain, I would have said so.”
“……That is……”

Ricshel had much to say.
Even when injured or in trouble, his older brother preferred to hide it as much as possible.
But to see the priest so quiet—it did seem that there really was nothing wrong.

“Priest. How do you find him?”
“He’s fine, isn’t he?”

There was no answer.

“……Priest?”

Lion tilted his head slightly and quietly withdrew their joined hands.
Still……

“…….”

Licht remained motionless.
Not the slightest movement.
As if he were asleep.

“Hm…….”

Lion’s eyes, half-lidded before, widened in surprise as he looked back and forth—once at Licht, once at Ricshel, then again.
Only then did Ricshel notice something amiss and approached, tapping Licht lightly on the shoulder.
And then…….

Thud!

Licht’s body went limp and crumpled onto the carpet with a soft collapse!
Both of them startled for a moment, but soon understood.
This was…….

“He’s fallen asleep.”
“……So he has?”
“It’s uncommon, but I’ve heard there are times when people like him suddenly succumb to sleep this way. For now, it’s best we leave him be—touching him might wake him.”
“Like this?”

On the carpet floor, though? Hardly ideal.
After some consideration, Lion retrieved one of Pus’s favorite blankets and draped it over Licht’s body.
It was rather too small, admittedly, but it would serve well enough.
He also carefully placed one of the pillows beside Licht’s head.
Hopefully he wouldn’t thrash about and knock it away later…….

‘Forgive me, Priest.’

Under ordinary circumstances, he would have offered his own bedding, but there were limits to what a child’s body could manage.
He could have pushed a blanket into place with his feet, of course, but he risked waking Licht in the process.
And besides…….

A wide yawn escaped him.

The initial shock had scattered some of his drowsiness, but now exhaustion came flooding back with a vengeance.
It was barely past ten in the evening, yet sleep pulled at him with such force.

“Don’t worry, Lion. If the Priest wakes, I’ll attend to him myself.”
“Mm…….”

Yes. I’ll count on you…….
Lion never finished the thought before sleep claimed him entirely.
Ricshel watched them both—one asleep on the floor, the other sprawled across a bed far too large for a single occupant—and shook his head gently.

‘This is no simple matter.’

A Premonition Dream.
Perhaps, as the Priest had suggested, this phenomenon was somehow tied to Holy Power.

‘Yet from what I observed, I suspect he won’t report this as is.’

That much was clear enough from the way he conducted himself around Lion, from every gesture and word.

‘And Lion seems at ease with it too.’

Then perhaps all was as it should be.
And should complications arise, well…….

‘The Master is here.’

That eased his mind considerably.
Ricshel turned his gaze from the sleepers toward the window.
The Master must have arrived by now.
He ought to go greet him in person, but leaving these two unattended—no matter how soundly they slept—left him uneasy.
So Ricshel positioned himself nearby, content to watch his brother rest a while longer.
Ricshel had come to share something of Lion’s unhurried ease, though neither of them quite realized it.
Given how meticulous his nature was, a flexibility of this degree might well constitute genuine progress.

* * *

“Mm…….”

Sunlight streamed through the window, and Licht stirred slowly awake.
Though the room was still unfamiliar to him, he grew accustomed to it quickly enough and rose at once.

“Ah, you’re awake!”
“……Lion?”

At the familiar voice, Licht turned his head—and there stood Lion, returned to his original form.
And in that moment.

“Hgh…….”

A dull ache bloomed behind his eyes.
At the throbbing sensation, he squeezed them shut.

‘……This is.’

A memory surfaced in his mind.
Or rather, not a memory so much as a single utterance.

-If that is truly your wish, though it is a sight not granted to you, I shall show you the future on the condition that you forget.

An uncanny voice—neither age nor gender could be discerned from it.
The tone was austere, yet within it dwelt a trace of compassion and gentleness.
And if he were to infer from the exchange, the voice’s owner was…….

‘That one.’

His master, the god who wields eternal flame.
Anyatras.
He had met with them in a dream.
And he—he had dared to beseech them to show him something he ought never to see.
But why?
Unfortunately, that much eluded his memory.
One thing, however, was certain…….

“Father? Does your head pain you greatly?”
“……Ah, I’m quite all right. It seems to have come from sleeping too long, nothing more.”

Licht suppressed the frown threatening to crease his brow and asked calmly.

“When did you return to your original form, Lion?”
“Ah, it’s been exactly three days now. When I opened my eyes this morning, I was back as I am.”
“I see.”

Licht nodded and gazed out the window.
The sun had not yet reached its zenith.
It was still morning, then.
Which meant Lion’s time of return and Licht’s own time of waking differed little.

‘……How curious.’

The dream he could not recall, the fragment of memory he had recovered—
both were deeply entangled with Lion’s anomaly.
The thought from before sleep hardened now into certainty.
Or perhaps it develops beyond that into thought and imagination.

“If I may ask one thing?”
“Of course. I’ll answer whatever I can.”

Licht paused for a breath after Lion’s reply, then spoke slowly.

“Forgive me, but is it truly the Potion that caused your youth to return?”
……

It was a remarkably keen question—one that suggested he knew something more.

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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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