Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 295

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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? No thanks. Let me just heal. Episode 295

“There has to be a limit to incompetence…”
“I couldn’t agree more.”

After hearing everything about the First Imperial Prince from Kyle, Ricshel was genuinely amazed.
How could someone raised in the imperial household be so utterly hopeless?
And if the First Imperial Prince had become Emperor without incident, what would have become of this Empire’s future…

‘Terrifying thought.’

He suspected the Grand Duke must have known of this situation, yet somehow tolerated it—which made him wonder why.

‘He probably judged that easier to manage.’

An incompetent Emperor and a prince even more incompetent and witless.
The Lepicent Family would have been a thorn in his side, but with the central nobility assembled, he could sweep them all away in one stroke later. That’s what he would have thought.
Above all…

‘He may have already known of the Second Imperial Prince’s existence.’

It felt odd to say it himself, but Ricshel resembled the Grand Duke considerably.
Especially his inclination toward handling matters cleanly and efficiently.
A man like the Grand Duke—if anything, even more so—would never have entertained the thought of letting the First Imperial Prince ascend as Emperor.

“What are your intentions regarding the First Imperial Prince’s fate?”
“Exile, followed by natural death. Wouldn’t that be the cleanest way?”

The Second Imperial Prince answered as if the question were obvious.
Since Ricshel hadn’t meant to ask what his actual plan was but rather to confirm it, he simply nodded.

“That presentation would be the most elegant indeed. Moreover, having touched Curses, he cannot be forgiven. Wouldn’t you agree, Priest?”
“Yes. I concur.”

Licht, the priest who had stood silently in the background until now, nodded.
This was ordinarily the sort of matter the Archbishop himself should have brought forward, but he had come as the Archbishop’s proxy due to certain circumstances.
Ricshel knew what that matter was from having been told, but he kept it to himself.

‘That priest still has no idea.’

Of course—why would the Archbishop have laid bare such information?

“Curses cannot be justified under any circumstance. Should evidence of their use be discovered in the Lepicent Residence, the Temple’s Inquisitors will move.”
“Understood.”
“…That’s reassuring.”

The Second Imperial Prince answered the priest’s words, though a beat late.

‘Cannot be justified, he says.’

The Second Imperial Prince briefly recalled the voice of the person who had first laid a Curse upon his body, and closed his eyes, then opened them again.
In truth, he harbored no small desire to refute what the priest had said, but public and private matters must remain distinct.
The essential nature of this case could not be obscured.

‘Least of all for Lion Asteri’s sake.’

The path his savior must walk ahead would be thorned and treacherous.
There was no need to add jagged stones to such a path.
Kyle’s determination to erase the Lepicent Family entirely had reasons like these behind it as well.

“Then let’s go in.”
“Of course.”

The three of them crossed the threshold into an opulently appointed room beyond lavishly opened doors.
Passing through a resplendent garden that spoke to the Empress’s taste, they began searching the Marquis Lepicent’s chambers—and soon discovered the suspicious space the First Imperial Prince had reported, exactly as he’d described it.
And descending the staircase within it…….
They found it.
A place that reeked of such sinister power that even an ordinary person would have felt its wrongness.
An altar stained with dried blood, blades inscribed with curse marks, witchcraft tools—all laid bare.
The evidence of demon summoning and curse execution was unmistakably, undeniably preserved.

“Why wasn’t the place cleaned up?”
“He likely couldn’t manage it.”

An explanation followed: touching the altar without the aid of priests might invite calamity of unknown severity.
Even if he employed others to dispose of the evidence, the consequences would ultimately circle back to him.

“Demons are remarkably tenacious, you see. Even low-ranking ones.”

At least there was no sign that a high-ranking demon had been summoned.
If such a thing had occurred, the overwhelming demonic aura would have prevented them from even approaching the altar.

“And I doubt the First Imperial Prince anticipated such a swift betrayal.”

Ricshel nodded at the priest’s words and added his own observation.
Logically, if the curse were exposed, the First Imperial Prince would be a dead man walking as well—he’d likely calculated this as a sort of failsafe.
That even someone as calculating as the First Imperial Prince would go so far to preserve his own life was something even they hadn’t anticipated.
Ricshel’s reasoning hung in the silence that followed.

…….

It was sound logic.
By their own measure of intelligence.
Or rather, by the standard of an ordinary person—it was difficult to fully grasp.

“In any case, we’ve secured clear evidence. I’ll report this matter to the Archbishop.”

No matter how quiet the Archbishop had been kept by certain circumstances, a matter of this gravity demanded his intervention.

“Understood. I’ll report to the Grand Duke as well.”

Just as they were about to disperse after securing the evidence so cleanly, each heading to their respective reports——

“Excuse me, Ricshel.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“I heard that Lion has sustained injuries.”
“Yes. He was deeply shaken by this incident. But since there are already many wounded from this affair, the Grand Duke asked for discretion—we wouldn’t want more casualties reported.”
“I see. The Archbishop said the same.”

Licht studied his expression, then carefully asked the question that was troubling him.

“I ask this not as a priest of the Temple, but as one person to another…….”

Licht hesitated, and just as Ricshel’s impatience was about to prompt him to speak, he finally opened his mouth.

“Has Lion mentioned seeing or hearing anything unusual recently?”
“What?”
“Or—has he experienced anything that might be called a miracle?”

What is this supposed to mean?
A new religious movement?
It feels more like a cult, if anything.
Ricshel briefly wondered whether the priest Licht had simply gone mad after being cooped up in the estate all this time.
And his brother, of course…

‘He sees and hears things, certainly.’

There was the soul of a dragon called Tieramatrak, and the Spirit King existed as well.
Hadn’t his brother said he’d even seen spirits themselves at the Great Barrier?

‘Did he notice that?’

But a priest wouldn’t speak of seeing something else in such a manner.
He would speak of needing a ritual to banish the profane, or suggest a visit to the Holy Sanctuary in the near future.

‘Better to play ignorant.’

Licht is the Archbishop’s closest confidant.
It seemed the Grand Duke and his brother had the Archbishop under their thumb, but one could never be certain when he might lose his mind again.
Besides, Licht ultimately serves the Archbishop.
The odds were high he would side with him.

‘If we could bring him to our side, it would be reassuring.’

With the power of House Asteri and the Magic Tower, they would have more than enough to support and treat his brother, but excess was always better than lack.
At least, that’s what he believed when it came to his brother’s affairs. Of course, it was still premature to confide too much in a priest.
But.

“Miracles—they shouldn’t happen, should they?”

Ricshel decided not to cut off Licht’s question, affecting instead the air of someone who didn’t understand what was being said.
He’d caught on that Licht had deliberately brought up the word “miracle.”

“The Temple considers the first occurrence an auspicious omen without question. That is the first.”
“…”
“But the second, the third. The more miracles overlap, the clearer the future becomes, and the path narrows to one. And do you know what lies at the end of that path?”

Licht smiled bitterly.

“Inevitability. Ordained by the Divine.
“That displeases me. To speak thus of the firstborn of House Asteri, a house of magic…”
“So should such a thing come to pass, I beg you to seek me out. I can resolve it.”

For the first time, Ricshel found himself at a loss for words.
He’d thought the priest was merely engaging in verbal sparring, or trying to coax him into bringing his brother to meet him.

“Why would you do such a thing?”

Ricshel, though a mage, understood at least the common principles of faith.
For instance, that a priest acting against the will of the Divine would face divine punishment.

“I… apologize. I cannot claim full knowledge of the circumstances, but it seems certain that the Archbishop has committed some transgression.”

Licht had agonized endlessly before reaching this decision.
And even now, his hands trembled as it seemed he was committing a grave sin.
But.

“It seems to me he must have hindered Lion. I don’t know the full picture, but… I want to be of use. This won’t erase the Archbishop’s sins.”

Yet despite everything, the Archbishop was Licht’s family.
His father, his teacher, his benefactor.
And Lion was his friend.

‘I don’t know what he’d think of it.’

Regardless, that was how Licht saw it.
That was why he’d mustered this extraordinary courage—this resolve to seize the path God had laid before him.

“……so, what shall we do about it, brother?”
“Pardon?”

Licht snapped to attention and looked at the heir of House Asteri.
Now that he thought about it…….
Something was fastened to Ricshel’s ear.
No earring, nothing of the sort.

‘Oh.’

He’d simply assumed it was a curse-prevention artifact.
But it appeared to be a communications device instead.
And everything in this conversation…….

[Tell the priest I’m grateful for his concern.]

“Yes, I understand, brother.”
“I, um…….”
“He’s thanking you for your worry, sir.”
“I see…….”

……was being transmitted to Lion the whole time!

‘Wait. Was the part about being wounded also……’

All part of controlling this entire situation?

‘It’s written all over his face what he’s thinking.’

In ordinary circumstances, a priest as suspicious as this one wouldn’t have spilled his secrets so readily.
But he’d caught wind of the Archbishop’s predicament at the edges of his awareness, and in his focus on nurturing that small seed of conviction within himself, he’d missed the larger pattern.

‘Well, it helps brother either way.’

Ricshel thought he’d done rather well at uttering words he didn’t mean.
Though it was rare to see the burly priest’s face flush quite so crimson.

“That’ll be all, then.”

Ricshel offered a light bow and took his leave.
The transmission cut off at the same moment…….

“A miracle, he says.”

Lion, in the middle of extracting a superior model of the Invisible Product from a magical tool merchant, received the report and grasped a new truth.

-What? A diaper?
-Even so, isn’t that shape a bit much?
-You’ve inherited your family’s peculiar aesthetic sense after all, Lion…….
-Let’s go with shoes instead.

Tieramatrak, flaunting his draconic knowledge, had begun offering unsolicited advice on product design, having misunderstood Lion’s muttering and eagerly adding design suggestions of his own.

‘Hmm.’

Despite the bustle around him, Lion maintained his composure.
Under normal circumstances, he would have humored Tieramatrak’s remarks.
Miracles. Seen and heard.
The more miracles overlap, the more one enters into divine inevitability.
This connects to something, doesn’t it?
Namely, Story Mode.

‘This is getting complicated.’

Lion rolled his eyes, staring at the notification that he could walk the Priest’s Path whenever he wished.

‘I’m going to need to have a word with the Divine about this.’

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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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