Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 285

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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? Who Cares — I Just Want to Heal | Episode 285

Ricshel and Clarentia had captured every eye in the room exactly as everyone predicted.
‘They really do make a perfect pair.’
Well, the accessories, that is. Ha.
There was no sense in jinxing things by staring.
Lion smiled contentedly and drifted naturally away from the Banquet Hall toward a quiet corner.
‘Family watching is probably awkward for them.’
Oblivious to the fact that he’d already knocked back several bowls of his own anticipation, Lion slipped toward the Balcony tucked against the far wall.
“Whew.”
As the crowd’s chatter and the orchestra’s rhythmic swell faded, a deep breath tumbled out of him unbidden.
“This isn’t a joke.”
Everyone wanted to show themselves off regardless of gender or age, and it seemed the fatigue had piled up considerably.
Still, the cold wind helped a little.
‘The rain’s finally let up too.’
The weather seemed to be clearing — the moon was visible now, threading between dark clouds.
But then.
-The moon’s red.
“Yeah.”
The moon revealed as the black clouds parted was a deep, unsettling crimson.
And a red moon typically meant——
‘Nothing good.’
A red moon was considered an ill omen.
The pure white moonlight that should illumine the night path had turned into this ominous red hue.
In the World, when the Red Moon rose, an event would trigger that strengthened the Demons.
Lion scanned the surroundings carefully, then quietly rolled up his sleeve.
“…….”
Fortunately, the Corruption hadn’t progressed further nor receded — it remained exactly as it was.
‘I really am something.’
Back then, he’d never given weather a second thought.
Rain came, he’d grab an umbrella; snow fell, he’d worry about traffic — that was all.
‘And now I’m watching the moon.’
……Of course, given his current circumstances, there was no way such things could escape his notice.
Lion adjusted his sleeve and covered the Corruption neatly once more.
“Never mind. Don’t overthink it. Today’s been nothing but good fortune anyway.”
All eyes had fixed on Ricshel, and as a bonus, Lion had accumulated tremendous experience points.
Fortunately, Jack remained hidden beneath his merchant’s disguise, and the Second Prince, swallowed up by the crowd, hadn’t approached Lion.
‘And I’ve avoided the other nobles’ attention too.’
Before Ricshel appeared, quite persistent stares had followed him — probably because he’d arrived with Patrick.
‘I was being overly sentimental.’
Perhaps he’d simply been swept up in the party’s melodies and rhythms.
Still, he didn’t need to return inside until the Emperor’s speech, so he’d calm down soon enough.
-Ahem! But……you’re not planning to skip going back in, right?
“Huh?”
-I mean, I overheard the party goes on until just before the final Hunt Tournament.
Tieramatrak sat perched on the railing with his back to the moon, rambling on.
To summarize.
“You want to watch more?”
-That’s exactly it!
Being a dragon, apparently it was easy to get dazzled by glittering things.
-Though I’ll say, the accessories you made were the most magnificent of all.
-Where exactly did you learn to make something like that?
-I should’ve watched that masterpiece being created!
“There’ll be more to watch going forward. I’ll be making things far more impressive than that.”
-Really?
Honestly, the odds of creating anything lesser than the Arcanum Accessory Set seemed pretty slim.
Experience Points were accumulating steadily even as they lounged here talking.
‘It’s still rising at an incredible pace.’
Though the numbers were lower than when Ricshel made his debut, they were still staggering.
‘The banquet hall probably had something to do with it as well.’
The nobility, who cared more about appearances than anyone else, had no choice but to be impressed.
‘Feels a bit satisfying, honestly.’
Lion had simply wanted to give a nice gift to his brother and Clarentia.
‘But at this rate…….’
Lion himself was gaining far greater benefits!
For Experience Points to accumulate this quickly at the Master Craftsman level was genuinely rare.
‘Especially with Alchemy.’
Now that he’d reached the upper tiers of the Master Craftsman level, his Alchemy rank barely budged.
‘Of course, Alchemy doesn’t use percentage-based Experience Points.’
Since it was an ability obtained through loot boxes, it grew not through Experience Points but through special conditions or the creation of particular items.
The requirements were so exacting that even when he’d completed the Cosmic Crystal used to craft the Arcanum Accessory Set, his level hadn’t risen.
So he’d been exploring new directions.
He’d even wondered if he should dabble in poisons or combat techniques instead.
“Then I’ll stay here while you go out and look around for a bit, yeah?”
-Really? Is that okay?
-I’ll just look around quietly and come back.
“Sure. Then just play for a moment and…….”
He was about to say ‘come back’ when——
Wait.
-Like I’d cause more trouble than you.
-Hm? Why the sudden attitude?
“…….”
Just now, nestled carelessly among countless notifications, he’d spotted something.
In a notification that glowed slightly brighter than the others……something astonishing was written!
[Your Alchemy rank has risen to Master Craftsman Lv.8.]
“Eight?”
-What? A fly? Is there a fly?
Tieramatrak waved both arms about, indignant at the very notion that a fly could exist in the Imperial Palace.
“……No.”
Lion covered his mouth with his hand.
The last time he’d checked, his Alchemy rank had been six.
Yet in one go, it had jumped two entire levels.
‘If I can raise it just one more level…….’
He’d reach Master level.
And if he became a Master…….
Gulp.
Lion swallowed hard.
‘Grand Master.’
A realm that only the top one percent could ever achieve.
A future he’d thought impossibly distant suddenly felt within reach.
And perhaps…….
‘It’ll happen soon.’
This wasn’t mere wishful thinking——there was sound logic behind it.
It all came down to the conditions for reaching Grand Master.
He had to reach Master level——which was practically at his fingertips.
And he had to be in the top one percent.
……But thinking about it.
‘Hasn’t he already entered the top one percent?’
Hahaha.
“Tieramatrak, go have a blast out there.”
-A, a blast?!——!
“Come back when the Emperor’s speech starts.”
-Yesss!
-Really really really?! For real?!
Yes, go on. Kid. I’m feeling generous!
Lion saw Tieramatrak off with cool indifference and laughed freely.
“An omen of ill? Nonsense.”
Lion gazed at the crimson moon hanging in the sky.
His pupils reflected the moonlight, and for a moment he looked like a madman seized by wild inspiration.
It doesn’t matter!
I’m already known as an eccentric anyway!
“Let’s see—how much did I gain?”
My Experience Points skyrocketed, and Alchemy jumped up two whole levels.
On top of that, I even made those two good-looking fellows shine even brighter!
‘Brother, I owe you one.’
I’d only suggested they look their best, yet the returns had been this generous.
Lion drained the glass in one satisfying gulp.
The crisp, tingling sensation of carbonation on his tongue felt like a firework.
“Once the birthday party’s over, I’ll head back and repair the cauldron first thing.”
With a level-up within reach, his fingers itched to work.
Truth be told, he’d been missing the feel of Alchemy for some time now, but one thing after another had kept him from fully immersing himself in it.
“I gotta say, parties are pretty fun. I think I like parties.”
Lion was soaked in the intense thrill of growth he’d felt in ages, dopamine coursing through him, and just a touch of alcohol warming his veins.
……And then.
Lion didn’t know it, but that accessory had done Ricshel an enormous favor as well.
Because the effect of drawing all eyes to them had actually freed Patrick’s movements considerably.
True, there were still glances in Patrick’s direction, but only for the briefest instant—which was all he needed.
And so.
The plan had been proceeding smoothly.
However, there was a minor side effect.
“Where on earth did you acquire such an ornament?”
“You must be from tremendous houses—perhaps you commissioned an ancient artifact?”
“I understand there’s a Dwarf settlement in Bydentis Territory. Might it be their handiwork?”
“How wonderful! So you’re sharing such a precious item between the two of you? How romantic……!”
“I do hope one day I’ll have the chance to place my own commission.”
The first side effect.
Nobility had begun hunting for the Master Craftsman who’d created the accessory—or rather, the artisan’s master.
Well, as long as Lion didn’t reveal the truth, it wasn’t much of a problem.
But.
The second side effect did reach Lion.
And that was…….
“Oh, n-no. In a place like this. I d-didn’t expect anyone to be here!”
“Hmm?”
Lion stopped laughing and turned his head.
The Balcony was a space people who’d been drained by the party often sought out, so he’d expected someone might come, but…….
‘What’s this?’
He’d never dreamed a figure of this magnitude would appear.
And judging by the way they’d approached, it was clear they’d come specifically for Lion.
“Aren’t you the First Imperial Prince, Your Highness?”
Lion set his glass on the railing and moved closer.
He’d been in such a good mood, swimming in dopamine, and it was a shame to see it dimmed.
A slight frown.
“Hmm…….”
But the First Prince’s state seemed far from good.
‘Has he come to torment me?’
Given the First Prince’s nature, Lion had assumed he’d be connected to the Second Prince Faction and come to intimidate the weakest link among them.
The First Prince had indeed ordered an assassination attempt on Lion before.
If not that, then he’d come seeking to curry favor with the Second Prince by any means.
But…….
‘Something’s terribly wrong with him.’
As Lion studied the First Prince intently.
‘The rumors say he’s easy prey, but it doesn’t seem to be quite that simple……!’
The second side effect.
The accessory had little effect on those who couldn’t focus their attention on the wearers in the first place.
First Imperial Prince Terus was currently in a state of extreme mental and physical exhaustion.
On one side, the Archbishop; on the other, a bastard.
And the Emperor, whom he’d trusted without reservation to protect him forever, had become a puppet of that bastard, while his birth mother was scheming to abandon him and live elsewhere.
So he’d considered leaning on the Second Prince, but that hadn’t worked either.
The world had quite simply collapsed on him, and he teetered on the edge of being crushed, so inevitably his anxiety had begun to gnaw at him.
Of all the damnable things, his formal attire made it impossible even to bite his nails.
But.
‘I can’t die like this, not yet…….’
Though he felt as pitiful as a mouse, Terus knew he had to survive if he wanted any chance at what came next—which was why he’d sought out Lion in Asteri.
Word had it the man possessed a gentle disposition and despised conflict.
More than that, somehow or other, he’d managed to secure a considerable position within the Second Prince Faction.
‘Which means the Archbishop too…….’
Must be targeting him.
‘That damnable Archbishop…….’
Terus worked his jaw, then forced his lips into an awkward smile.
‘He never imagined I’d approach Lion Asteri directly.’
Let a priest scheme from his comfortable position—could he ever hope to match someone trained in statecraft all his life?
Terus, feeling quite assured of himself, grasped Lion’s hand firmly.
“I, I have something urgent to tell you. A matter of great importance. Of course, you won’t trust me, but hear me out. It’s just that…….”
Terus cobbled together whatever useless or incomprehensible information he possessed and began to speak.
“I, I’m quite certain someone is targeting you at this Hunt Tournament.”
But do you know what they say?
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
“……Ah.”
And Lion, it seemed, was precisely the sort of person who could extract meaning even from a broken clock.
‘Is that why grandfather and my brother were so busy?’
And if family connections were at play, all the more reason for things to fall into place.

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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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