Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 274

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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 Is Beyond Me—I’ll Just Heal 274

The moment the delivery set out.
Elvia was conducting some manner of experiment at the Asteri Family Estate’s “special villa.”

Crash—sizzle—

An expensive cylinder shattered mercilessly, and the liquid inside ate through the floor.

“Tsk.”

Elvia clicked her tongue and moved her fingers.
The liquid vanished from the villa entirely, and the punctured floor sealed itself in an instant.
Her manner was unusually irritable and rough—a far cry from her normal demeanor.
Elvia.
The witch who might live nearly a thousand years, or perhaps far longer, found her nerves standing on edge for the first time in an age.

“Another failure….”

The reason was, of course, her adorable puppy—the firstborn son of House Asteri. Lion.
More precisely, she was trying to heal the wounds he’d sustained when the puppy went to the Great Barrier.
Ordinarily.
When Lion got himself into trouble, she could dismiss it as the recklessness of youth—boys will be boys.
But this problem was grave in a way that transcended everything that had come before.

“Contamination.”

Elvia’s already frigid expression hardened further into something stone-like.
It was almost a wonder that he was alive at all.
She could say it with certainty.

‘That degree of contamination—even a saint couldn’t stop it.’

More precisely, if one were covered in that much contamination, a priest wouldn’t have time to do anything before madness took hold.
Grand Duke Dragnas stood as the prime example.
The fact that Lion’s contamination had not progressed further was close to divine fortune.
Or perhaps.

‘It may be the will of God.’

Something akin to the blessings bestowed upon a Hero.

“Hah.”

As her emotions flared, Elvia felt malice seeping from her fingertips. She clenched her fists and forced it back down.
Her eyes, which had gleamed crimson, swiftly regained their composure.
This was not the time to let herself be carried away by such trivial feelings.

…….

Though she ordinarily despised the very notion of calling it a blessing, Lion’s contamination had, in any case, not progressed.
Perhaps that being called a God could be useful after all, even if only once.
Of course, she had no intention of surrendering Lion for the sake of a single favor.
To prevent that.

“I must focus on this research.”

The “Contamination Removal Research” she had pursued in those days when she was called nothing but witch.
She’d abandoned it after entering into her contract with House Asteri, since it required not only forbidden magic but dark sorcery as well.

‘There was no need to lay a hand on it.’

But when the situation erupted, Patrick’s urgent contact came through, and she was granted permission to retrieve her belongings from her former residence.

“Fortunately, it was possible because it didn’t violate the contract.”

It had been deemed an act of saving her master, Lion Asteri, and thus was permitted.
As a result.
Based on research she’d conducted previously, she’d drawn the conclusion that partial contamination removal was possible.
In truth, this too had been inspired by the young master’s actions.

‘That egg.’

The method by which she’d saved the egg—the one that had been suffocating under an excess of holy energy.

‘Drawing only the contamination and transferring it to another object.’

Of course, holy power and demonic energy were opposite in nature, so she couldn’t simply replicate the method directly.
So Elvia mixed the research materials and created a new approach.
Which was, precisely.
Transferring the contamination to another person.
The subject was, naturally, Elvia herself.

‘How fortunate it was.’

Since her body had been nothing but a mass of contamination from birth, absorbing additional contamination wouldn’t…… cause any serious problem.

“You intend to absorb the contamination directly? That’s impossible, even for a witch. Above all, your…….”
“Then should I seize some random human and attempt the transfer? Conveniently, there’s a young priest at the estate—he’ll do nicely.”
“…….”
“Even if the master permits it, our young master will refuse. And more importantly, what I’m doing will be safest.”

……There was some commotion, but Patrick couldn’t help it either.
Thus, she now had the executor and the method in hand.
The last thing she needed was.

‘An object of the Demon Race.’

More specifically, a symbol directly used by a high-ranking demon.
A cursed artifact.
No matter how you looked at it, Elvia was only half-blood, so she needed such a powerful conduit to perform the ritual.

“I never dreamed at this age I’d be lamenting my circumstances…… tsk.”

The fate and pain of belonging nowhere seemed to have reached some accord with herself back in her hot-blooded youth.
Truly, life is not an easy thing.
In any case, when she requested that object, Patrick answered that ‘the timing and circumstances must be right’ and asked her to wait a while.
He also commanded her to research methods that could be safer for them both.
Elvia, unwilling to see the young master hurt, had agreed to do so readily enough.
And since then, she’d been focusing continuously on stabilization.

‘……It is not easy.’

She had to manage the energy surging abruptly from her own body, draw upon her knowledge as a witch, and control her mana with precision.
But if she could save the young master with merely this much suffering, she would do it gladly.

Whoosh.

Elvia roused the shadow and had it consume and dispose of every experimental tool, then replaced them with new ones.
And just as she was about to draw another X over the countless diary entries covering one wall,

Caw! Caw!
Caw.

The cry of crows echoed from far away.
The familiars had arrived.
Which meant, most likely, that our dear dog had recovered some of his strength.
Before beginning a new experiment, Elvia opened the window and let the crows inside.
The well-trained birds placed a letter and a basket on the desk, then flew back to perch on the windowsill.

“What has our dear dog sent this time, I wonder.”

He must have been quite flustered when she didn’t answer his summons.
And besides…….

‘I may have vented my frustrations a little,’ she admitted to herself.

Elvia curved the corners of her mouth upward.
Even so, she wouldn’t do something quite this reckless.
Stubborn thing.
Not knowing there was someone behind him, always worrying.
But it was time to let her anger cool now.
Before opening the basket, Elvia checked the letter first.

“My goodness. What has our dear dog written…….”

The letter was remarkably short.
And his handwriting was truly terrible.
Not a trace of eloquence—just this crude bluntness.
But Elvia understood.

“He really is just like him at times like these.”

A trait of House Asteri.
They were poor at conveying their true feelings to others.
Even Lion, who was distinctly gentler and warmer than the other members of House Asteri, suffered from it as well…….

To Elvia.
Sorry for worrying you.
I’ll be more careful next time.
……P.S. Send me chestnuts candies made the night way. They’re delicious.

“Hehehehe.”

He seemed to have a natural talent for being terrible at writing heartfelt letters.
But what did it matter?
As long as she could feel the sincerity, that was enough.
The sharp, irritable edge to her mood softened naturally.

“Well then, let’s see what our dear dog has made for us.”

Elvia opened the basket and couldn’t help but laugh again at the sight of adorably chestnut-shaped candies inside.
Among all the beautifully molded confections, just one chestnut had a face drawn on it.
An expression drawn in the shape of an apologetic cry.
Without hesitation, Elvia picked up that adorable candy and took a light bite.
With a soft crumbling texture, a sweet and nutty flavor spread across her tongue.
After chewing a few times, it melted down her throat.
And Elvia’s anger melted away just as easily.

“Truly…….”

Just as no parent can outdo their child, there is no grandmother who can outdo her grandchild.
What can be done about it?
A troublemaker of such enormous capacity has been born—Elvia must fashion a vessel even larger, so that he might rise again each time he falls.
Our little pup must grow strong, after all.

“Then I shall resume the experiment.”

Elvia settled back into her work with renewed composure, her focus crystallizing once more.

* * *

It had been quite some time since Elvia’s reply came—that the confections had been delicious.
Her anger had finally subsided.
But now came a letter explaining that the head of House Asteri had entrusted him with an important duty and could not visit.
When I asked my grandfather, who had come to see me during my illness……

“Such matters do arise.”

That was all he would say.

‘He must think I’ll cause another incident if he tells me more.’

Having already caused a monumental disaster, I didn’t dare press him further.
Still, it seemed things were proceeding well enough.
And as for Lion……!

“Discharge at last!”

He had received medical clearance to leave the hospital after his condition had improved considerably—the only exception being the lingering Contamination.

“Listen carefully, Lion. This is not a complete recovery.”
“Yes, yes, of course I know!”
“…….”

Hoffman exhaled deeply at the sight of Lion, practically bursting with excitement.
He was better than that trembling child from before—but now he’d become a different kind of problem.

‘The tantrums he throws…….’

The moment his body had begun to recover, he’d been pleading to go home for a few days of proper rest.
It amounted to rejecting the original plan—discharge the day before the Emperor’s birthday celebration.
Naturally, since his body hadn’t fully healed and no one knew when the Contamination might flare up, Hoffman had refused the request without hesitation.
But then.

“Very well. Let it be so.”
“B-but, Lord Asteri…….”

It was the head of House Asteri himself who had granted Lion’s wish—much to Hoffman’s surprise.
Hoffman couldn’t make sense of it.
How could the man who knew the danger better than anyone possibly agree to this?
So he’d asked the head privately, without Lion present……

“He will likely be unable to do anything this time.”
“Why are you so certain?”
“……Because Ricshel doesn’t know.”
“Ah, I see—because Ricshel doesn’t… eh??”

Hoffman went pale for an entirely different reason.
Ricshel Asteri.
That meticulous child adored his brother with an almost obsessive devotion.
He was willing to do anything if it concerned his brother, and he pathologically eliminated any potential danger.
At first, I thought it might be excessive.
I even wondered if he was deliberately avoiding establishing a proper line of succession.
But after Lion caused several major incidents, I understood.
It wasn’t overprotection—it was him doing his absolute best.
In any case.

‘He… he never told that child anything about this…?’

If Lion’s contamination were ever discovered, it would be a catastrophe.

“Without a factor of that magnitude, this disaster-in-the-making would only cause more trouble.”
“…You make a fair point, sir.”

Hoffman found himself convinced by those words alone.
And he approved Lion’s discharge.

“Let me be clear—if anything seems wrong, come straight back to the Magic Tower. Understood?”
“Yes, absolutely! Don’t worry! I’m truly grateful for everything!”

His determination to never return is perfectly transparent.
Hoffman watched Lion for a moment, then looked away.

“Then go carefully.”
“Yes, sir!”

Lion, wholly unaware of this exchange, grinned and gave a bright bow.
Then he headed straight for the Estate.

“Welcome home, Young Master.”
“It’s good to see everyone again.”

After all this time, to be home at last!
Lion was overcome with emotion. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed this place!
And there was quite a bit to do.
First, he needed to work on the alchemical cauldron…

“Welcome home, brother. Has Elvia been well?”

…What was that again?
One thing was certain.
Right now, the tasks didn’t matter.
Ricshel hadn’t come out to greet him—and his expression said he knew nothing.

‘This is… this is bad…!’

Lion’s hand instinctively went to the gloves wrapped around his fingers.
…At least the contamination is well hidden!

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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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