Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 30

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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 Can Wait; I’ll Just Heal, Episode 30

“You’re curious about the clothing, then?”
“Ah—! I apologize. I was so absorbed with the garment that I forgot to offer my congratulations.”
“Not at all. I understand perfectly. When I first received this robe, I was quite overwhelmed myself. But… would you be alright?”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“I’ve heard that the seamstress who made this has incurred the displeasure of certain nobles.”
“Displeasure…?”

Lion stated it plainly, without circumlocution.

“Apparently, they resent her because she’s an illegitimate child of a noble house and tailors for commoners as well.”
“My goodness, are there really people who would reject a seamstress over such things these days?”

One noblewoman covered her face with a fan and feigned exaggerated shock, whereupon a nobleman beside her whispered in a low voice.

“Well, you see, the First Prince’s circle does place considerable stock in bloodline and status.”
“Hmm.”

Lion glanced toward where the princes stood.
Now that he thought of it, the Second Prince was also born of the Emperor’s illegitimate line.

‘Perhaps there was political tension between the princes behind Andreae’s downfall.’

But then again, it wasn’t Lion’s concern.
It was for these nobles to judge.

“So introducing her wouldn’t be difficult, but if you’re troubled by that aspect…”
“No!”
“Not at all. We have no interest in such unjust discrimination… hehe!”
“I’m a bit embarrassed to say it, but our circle is simply passionate about the clothes themselves.”

Whether all of that was true, Lion couldn’t be certain, but in any case, these were exactly the sort of people he hoped to cultivate.

“I see. The seamstress who crafted the garments for myself and my family is Andreae. Her atelier is located in the Southern Territory, and I’m confident you’ll achieve excellent results should you visit.”
“Ah!”
“So it really was her. I suspected as much.”
“They say her skill is nothing short of extraordinary. She vanished at some point, but it turns out she’s been under the Asteri Family’s patronage.”

The older nobles, those who remembered her, exchanged glances and nodded knowingly.
Those unfamiliar with her were mostly younger lord’s sons and daughters, and their eyes burned with curiosity.

“That woman is the seamstress who suffered unjustly in the nobles’ political games.”
“Yes. That was the climate at the time.”

He already knew from Andreae herself how grave the matter had been.
The noble house responsible had mobilized everyone in their network to persecute everything and everyone connected to Andreae.
After that, she naturally faded into obscurity.
Facing the nobles’ expressions of pity, Lion decided to drive his point home.

“The truth is, she’s been extraordinarily busy of late. Apparently, after I had my clothes tailored, word somehow spread, and she’s been flooded with requests. I suspect she’ll only be able to accept perhaps a handful more.”
“Really?”
“Have others already booked appointments with her?”
“If that’s the case, then the remaining slots are…”
“I couldn’t say for certain. But I heard just today that she expects only about three commissions left this year, and she seemed rather pleased about it. What will you do?”

An unspoken flash of tension crackled among the nobles.
They’d naturally assumed anyone could commission her whenever they pleased—but that wasn’t the case at all!

‘If it’s Andreae’s work, turning heads at the party would be nothing!’
‘That’s not clothing. It’s a masterpiece! I need to book her right now!’

The nobles around Lion had begun exchanging sidelong glances.
They were already considering whether they should leave the banquet hall and rush to Andreae’s atelier.
That was when it happened.

“Do you accept any garment?”

A clear, cold voice cut through the chatter.

“Huh… that person!”

The nobles who had been talking with Lion went deathly pale and retreated.
Through the space they left behind walked a small-framed woman who appeared to be around Lion’s age.

‘This person…’

She was certainly the one who had been in grandfather’s sight.
In other words, the new head of the Swordsmanship Family, wasn’t she?

‘I would have expected her to be with Ricksher. Why has she come here?’

Before Lion could even ponder the matter, the young marquess of the Swordsmanship Family, Clarentia Bydentis, spoke first.

“You’re Andreae, the seamstress. I asked whether you accept any garment.”
“If I may be so bold, might I inquire what sort of garment you desire, Marquess Bydentis?”

At those words, every eye in the room turned to focus on her.
No matter how fearsome her reputation, everyone was eager to hear what dress the beautiful young marquess would commission.

‘It’s bound to be a stunning dress!’
‘Or perhaps an elegant formal robe, like what the Asteri Family wears.’
‘She’s still young—perhaps she’ll request something bold and unconventional.’

But when Clarentia’s answer came, everyone had to compose themselves.

“Training robes for my practice. And comfortable everyday clothes as well.”
“…….”

Such an acclaimed designer, and she was being asked merely for training robes?
Not a beautiful dress or formal robe?

“As that is your order, Marquess, I shall see it’s conveyed directly. How many everyday garments do you require?”
“I intend to have them all custom-made. My old ones won’t be usable anymore.”
“Ahem, ahem! I’ve suddenly caught a chill!”
“Oh dear! Something urgent has come up… I really must take my leave.”

Aware of the succession dispute that had erupted within the Swordsmanship Family, the nobles pretended not to hear and each took another step back.
As a result, Lion found herself alone with Marquess Bydentis, though she didn’t particularly mind.
After all, she was still a customer, wasn’t she?

“With so many garments to prepare, it may take some time.”
“Understood. One more thing—will you need a deposit?”
“After the party concludes, I shall have one of your attendants collect it.”

Clarentia, satisfied with this straightforward exchange that touched on nothing superfluous, nodded and promptly returned to her seat.
It had been brief, but the encounter was striking.
And as a bonus….

“I’m afraid all the appointments are fully booked. Would anyone like to be added to the waitlist?”

Only then did the customers who had fled—or rather, the nobles—return and provide their names and houses.
After taking down a few more names for the waiting list, Lion was finally released from the party hall.

* * *

The eventful party had ended at last.
The crown jewel of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony that everyone had been anticipating—the Asteri Family’s crowning moment.
The Labyrinth Trial had begun.

“Let’s move.”
“Yes.”

Not everyone could witness this trial directly.
Only a select few, chosen on grounds of safety, were permitted to observe in person.
Either they possessed considerable strength, or their escorts did.

‘In other words, only those of high rank are allowed to watch.’

Those who had been admitted were the First Prince and Second Prince with their guards, Ricksher of direct Asteri lineage, and Patric, who oversaw the ceremony itself.
Lastly, there was Clarentia Bydentis, the young head of the Swordsmanship Family, who had left a commission with him not long ago.

“Once the ceremony concludes, feel free to leave first. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Mm, is that so? You won’t find it taxing?”
“Of course not. A matter of this scale presents no difficulty.”

Ricksher and Lion, of course, thought nothing of it.
It was a task of little consequence to them.

“Ha, truly befitting the eldest son of a house renowned for Magic. You show not a trace of anxiety.”

The First Prince attempted to strike up conversation upon observing this.

“What cause would my brother have for anxiety?”

Ricksher cut him off sharply.
His tone differed markedly from how he usually addressed Lion.
It was cold, and to be frank, rather discourteous.
Yet it bore such a striking resemblance to his grandfather’s manner of speech that others found it difficult to lodge complaint.

‘…Well, it should be fine, shouldn’t it?’

The First Prince’s reputation was already well-known—he was nobility-minded, given to luxury and excess—so it was hardly surprising that Ricksher would harbor distaste for him.

‘And his intentions were rather underhanded.’

To invoke ‘the eldest son of a house renowned for Magic’ in front of someone who wielded no Magic himself, no less.
And in his grandfather’s presence, at that.

‘Whether brazen or thoughtless, I cannot say.’

Had Ricksher not cut him off so tersely, Lion wasn’t certain what his grandfather—a man who prized honor—might have done to a prince.
Well done, Ricksher.
In any case, the First Prince’s words caught in his throat, and he made no further attempt at conversation.
Time passed, the ceremony commenced, and Lion naturally made his way toward the Labyrinth.
Even from outside the entrance, a musty, papery scent wafted through the air.

Lion pinched his nose with the back of his hand, his brow twitching.
The Asteri Family’s library.
No guards stood watch.
It was an invincible library that could never be breached.

“You know how to enter, don’t you?”
“I do.”

Lion had frequented this library since childhood.
It was nothing short of a sanctuary for him—a boy who had awakened no talent whatsoever.
It was also a refuge where he could escape the eyes of others.

“Right. You likely know this already, but I’ll explain once more. The Labyrinth of this library was created by Lloyd Asteri, the founding head of our house, as a fortified Dimensional Dungeon, and……”

Patric began to explain the rituals of the Labyrinth in greater detail.
Specifically, its origins and the procedures of the ceremony itself.
Setting aside the history of it all, the ceremony process was roughly as follows.

1. You shed blood or pour in Magical Power to open the library’s doors and enter.
2. There is no risk of losing your way. Simply follow the path before you until you reach an altar at its end.
3. Exchange the item you brought with the one resting on the altar, then depart.
4. Should you covet forbidden knowledge of higher rank and touch the books on the shelves, you will be sent back to the library’s entrance.

In any case, if you conduct the ceremony properly and return, your accumulated strength is revealed, and you become a true adult recognized by the Asteri Family.

‘Now that I think about it, I’m curious.’

It was about the treasure that Patric had placed here after the war with the demons ended.
A treasure whose identity he had refused to disclose even to Ricksher, calling it a family secret, said to rest at the Labyrinth’s end.

‘If a Swordsmanship Family calls something a treasure, it must hold considerable value in the game as well.’

He suspected it might be comparable to the items he’d had on his main character in his past life.
Though, it hardly mattered now.

“And should you attempt to clear the Labyrinth……”

Patric had begun laying out the precautions.
Clearing the Labyrinth.
In other words, a Dungeon Clear.
He explained that the library’s Labyrinth could only be freely entered and exited so long as it remained undamaged.
Should someone intentionally damage the library, the Labyrinth would transform into a dungeon, triggering permanent banishment and expulsion.
Consequently, not a single person had ever completed a Labyrinth Clear to this day.

“……That covers it. Any questions?”
“None, sir.”

For all the grandiose explanation, it boiled down to leaving something behind and taking something from the altar.
The fact that such a simple exchange could assess one’s capabilities was remarkable in itself.

‘I wonder what will appear for me.’

Since he’d brought a potion, would it be texts related to Alchemy?
Everyone who’d entered thus far had been a mage, so there was no way to know.

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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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