Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 27

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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’ll Just Heal — Chapter 27

Fortunately, the bow tie was far simpler to work with.
All it took was layering two ribbons, pressing them into a butterfly shape, stitching the center to hold it firm, then attaching it along with a jewel.
The final step was crafting a choker fitted for the neck and fastening it to the proper length.

[Decent Bow Tie]
-Still rather plain.
-Nothing particularly flawed about it, though.

“Next comes the embroidery technique, but… the methods are so varied that I must ask—do you have a particular design in mind?”
“Hmm. Actually, I do have something in mind.”

Lion sketched a quick design in his notebook.
It was a branch adorned with leaves.

“Ah! A branch embroidered becomes truly magnificent! Might I ask—does it hold some meaning for you?”
“I was thinking about how to weave the family symbol into the necktie.”

Embroidery it might be called, but to Lion’s mind, this was something like a brand insignia.
The seal of the house itself.
Yggdrasil—the Tree of Knowledge.
Stitching the entire thing felt excessive, so he’d settled instead on this branch with its trailing leaves.

“In any case, since the leaves are bound to the branch, we wanted to capture the idea that we, as a family, remain eternally connected.”

……That was sincere enough, though if he was honest, it was also the design he could execute with the highest quality in his current state—so he’d chosen it for that reason too.

“My goodness, you’ve already thought through such meaning in so little time!”

Andrie gasped and covered her mouth with both hands before launching enthusiastically into instruction on how to embroider the branch and leaves.

“The most crucial element is texture. No matter how small the detail, without it the work looks crude.”
“I see.”

The key lay in preserving the natural, uneven roughness of the organic form while capturing the smooth, delicate texture unique to leaves themselves.
This would require nothing but practice.

“Give me three days. I’ll have everything finished by then.”

By that time, everything needed to be complete.
It was the day before the Coming-of-age Ceremony.
Yet Andrie harbored no doubt.
Her face held absolute faith in Lion.

“Understood.”

Lion, too, felt a strange premonition—a good one.
Perhaps it was that having a clear goal made the path visible before him.
Those three days.
Lion threw himself into stitching with singular intensity.
The patterns Andrie had provided long since exhausted, he began drawing the designs himself.

[Ordinary Necktie]
-Ordinary.
-The embroidery seems unremarkable as well.

Prick!
He pricked his finger quite a few times.
Lion had deliberately chosen not to use the Magic Repair Set.

‘There are guidelines built into it, after all.’

He sensed that relying too heavily on what his eyes could see would stunt his growth.
He’d decided not to touch it until he could produce at least one decent necktie on his own.
Call it stubbornness, if you liked.

[Somewhat Ordinary Necktie]
-I thought it might look decent, but it’s ordinary.
-There’s a hint of amateur blood on it.

“Sigh.”

Of course, Lion was human too—irritation wasn’t something he could simply avoid.
A subtle, nagging sting was always more exasperating than a dull blow.
Stubbing your toe on a corner always hurt worse than running into something head-on.
Honestly, by the time he’d pricked his finger a dozen times, he’d begun to wonder if he should just settle for something adequate.
Results didn’t come smoothly; the work demanded constant, meticulous attention, and his shoulders grew tight, his eyes weary.
But after refusing to give up and enduring a few more pricks…….

“Hm? This isn’t bad at all.”

His mood…… wasn’t poor at all?
The irritation had vanished as though he’d achieved some sudden insight.
In fact, he felt oddly delighted.

‘Am I…… in a dangerous state?’

[Fine Necktie]
-A necktie crafted by an amateur who is beginning to keep pace with the materials.
-The future looks promising.

But as soon as better results began to emerge, even that thought gradually faded.
Before long, Lion had reached a point where he could make a necktie without pricking his finger even once!
What used to leave him bleeding five or six times per necktie now happened only once or twice after making a few more.
Then, at some point, it stopped happening altogether.
By then, even without the Magic Repair Set, his stitches were coming out remarkably even.

[Through effort to find joy even in the agony of bloodshed, a new talent has blossomed!]
[New Talent: Seamstress]
[Seamstress Proficiency Apprentice Lv.1 has been achieved.]
…….
[Seamstress Proficiency Apprentice Lv.2 has been achieved.]
…….
[Achievement ‘Gaining Momentum’ has been accomplished!]
[You have acquired 3,000 Shillings.]
[Seamstress Proficiency Apprentice Lv.3 has been achieved.]

At last, the Seamstress talent had blossomed.
Which meant…….

Gulp.

Lion swallowed hard and pulled the Magic Repair Set from his inventory.
The needle was still dull and rust-spotted unless pressed against cloth—unchanged.
But now it seemed he could use it.
The pile of neckties stacked deep in the corner of the room was proof enough.
Lion immediately began crafting neckties with the Magic Repair Set.

Swish, swish.

The room filled with nothing but the sound of thread piercing fabric.
Consistent spacing. Consistent sound.
That alone told him Lion’s skill had grown considerably.
But that wasn’t all.
Before, he’d had to watch the guidelines carefully with each stitch, but now the needle moved smoothly without the slightest deviation, even without conscious thought.
The quality of the neckties could only skyrocket from here.

[Fine Necktie (★)]
-A necktie crafted by a tailor whose skill roughly matches the material.
-Durable, with embroidery of pleasing design.

At last, pieces bearing stars began to appear, and after making as many more as before…….

[Due to the Craftsman’s Touch, the necktie’s value increases!]

It finally happened.
The trait that raises product quality — the Craftsman’s Touch.

‘Now’s the moment!’

Lion began embroidering the completed necktie.
The branches that had once looked awkward now took on a convincing shape, and the leaves boasted fine, vivid grain.
All the fruit of grueling practice and effort.

[Supreme Necktie (★★★)]
-A necktie that shines in any setting! Though the design might have been plain, the ornate embroidery elevates it into a work that catches the eye!
-Hard to believe an apprentice tailor made this! It would be no embarrassment to display anywhere.

……Done.
I did it!
Lion carefully lifted the freshly completed necktie and made his way to the mannequin holding his grandfather’s formal suit.
And as he gently fastened the necktie in place…….

Whoosh!

[Two complementary works evolve into a single set!]
[Through the synergy of the pieces, an additional (★) is granted!]

[Supreme Master Tailor’s Finest Formal Wear Set (★★★★)]
-A masterwork woven stitch by stitch by hand from the finest fabrics.
-A rare garment, one of only a handful in the empire.
-Should the wearer don it at a soiree, none would dare question the grace and authority they command.

[Upon wearing, the Set Effect activates.]
-Set Effect 1: Maintains the wearer’s body temperature despite external temperature fluctuations within a certain range.
-Set Effect 2: Grants immunity to physical and magical impact within a certain threshold.
-Set Effect 3: Constant application of the Asteri Family Aura.

“Huh.”

Lion stared at the formal suit with his mouth agape.
Impossible effects were attached to it.
Never mind the effects on the ‘Archmagus’s Blessing,’ but the very garment gained enhanced performance and even a cosmetic element like an ‘aura’!
What thrilled him most was that special options had been added to a work he’d had a hand in.
It suggested the possibility that ‘class-exclusive clothing’ he might create later could also receive special options.

‘And maybe this…….’

[Great Tailor Achievement — 1/3 Complete]

…Perhaps a decent achievement would come to pass after all.
Lion gazed at the Shillings sleeping in his inventory.
A total of eighty-four thousand Shillings.

‘Not a bad haul.’

At this rate, the Shilling Shop would be ready for a proper opening soon.

“Phew. All right. Stay calm.”

Rushing things only ensured their ruin.
With his mind settled, Lion threw himself into crafting Ricksher’s Bow Tie, and succeeded in creating a three-star piece in even less time than the Necktie had taken.
When he hung the garment on Ricksher’s personal mannequin, the Set Effect appeared at the same grade as Grandfather’s, just as before.

[Great Tailor Achievement — 2/3 Complete]

…

One step left.
Only his own remained.

Hmm.

What to do?
Lion still hadn’t settled on a design for the tie he would wear himself.
Or rather, he had no idea what would suit him.

‘Wouldn’t it be better to skip it altogether?’

But then again—as the protagonist of a Coming-of-age Ceremony, could he really be the only one without an accessory?

“Then let’s keep it as clean as possible.”

Lion rummaged through the pattern sketches Andrie had left behind.
Neckties, Bow Ties, Cravats—nothing but things that choked the throat.

“…Hmm, should I just cut one short?”

Eyeing a long Necktie, Lion murmured to himself.
He’d seen it before on award ceremony broadcasts and the like—Neckties cut short and neat for everyday use.
What was it called again? A Stuck Tie?

“If I modify this pattern cleverly enough, it should work.”

As if entranced, Lion cut the Necktie pattern straight across, then finished only the very end with a diagonal edge.
There wasn’t much to call a “pattern,” really.
It was simply a short cord around the neck, with a gem fixed at the center to hold it in place.

“So the real point of this tie would be the gem.”

Lion made for the jewelry box he’d used when crafting Ricksher’s Bow Tie.
There, he spotted a rather fine Brooch.

‘Did Grandfather use this?’

Unlike the other metalwork pieces, it bore a hint of age, yet it was a purple Brooch that suited the clean Stuck Tie perfectly.
Lion quickly cut the fabric, then fixed it at the center using the Brooch as a clasp.
This time he’d crafted it without much deliberation at all, yet the finished design promised to be remarkably refined.

‘Curious.’

Was it because her skill had improved? Or perhaps because she’d hit upon exactly the right design.
Then again, a wrong design might have yielded a poor grade and delayed the achievement considerably.
Yet somehow, she’d felt no hesitation—no second-guessing herself.

‘Ah, forget it.’

She was doing what she wanted anyway. Why overthink it?
Lion deliberately didn’t check the grade.
She feared she’d become obsessed with it if she looked.
Besides, she’d already discharged all her sense of responsibility through the garment she’d made for Andrie of the Asteri Family—so there was nothing to worry about.
And so, fastening the final piece onto the mannequin….

[Great Tailor Achievement Complete!]

“Huh?”

…It’s done?

[Great Tailor Achievement Unlocked!]
[You have obtained 15,000 Shillings!]

She’d achieved the milestone.
And 15,000 Shillings had flooded in.
It wasn’t quite enough to open a Shilling Shop—she’d been frustratingly short—but now her bottleneck had cleared in one stroke!
But then…!

[You have achieved an impossible Achievement—one beyond your current skill level!]
[As a bonus, you receive 10,000 Shillings!]

“What?”

Wait—if that’s the case…!
Lion opened her inventory.
And checked.
Total Shillings held: 109,000.
It worked.
She now met the condition to open a Shilling Shop!
Immediately, the world before her eyes brightened, and a window materialized with a chiming sound.

[Congratulations!]
[You now hold 100,000 Shillings or more. Your Shilling Shop officially opens!]
[You may now view all available items.]
[Do you wish to proceed?]

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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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