Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 35

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Successor Candidate Has No Idea, But I’m Just Going to Heal — Episode 35

‘Since I’ve ended up alone anyway, I might as well take things easy.’

There was genuinely a lot to do within this Labyrinth.
In other words… beyond just leisurely fishing, there were solid ways to strengthen my foundation.
First, Mana Training.
The Mana within the Labyrinth was denser than in the Asterri Family’s dedicated training grounds.
Which likely meant this was the most Mana-saturated location in the entire empire.

‘Though it’s a bit risky to use as a standard training ground.’

There were two conditions for a proper Mana training ground.
First, abundant Mana.
Second, the Mana must be stable.
This place had Mana in abundance, yes — but it wasn’t stable.
You might say it was like a stormy sea.
An ordinary mage attempting to train here would likely struggle considerably.
One misstep, and they could be swept up by Mana running wild, suffering Internal Injuries.
But Lion was different.
As Master of the Labyrinth, the Mana remained docile for Lion alone, and even if powerful Mana surged unpredictably, his Mana Circle was so immense that the probability of sustaining injury was minimal.
So if he pushed himself here, he could accumulate a truly extraordinary amount of Mana to take with him.
But…

“There’s no need to strain myself.”

Lion decided to move at his own pace.
If he tried to grab everything good that came his way, he’d end up tearing through his reserves.
Besides, he could come and go from this Labyrinth as freely as if it were his own home from now on.
There was another reason too.
This body of mine.
Even if he didn’t feel it, the body had surely been through quite a shock.

‘After all, this fragile body even collapsed.’

It was this body that his family worried about most.

“Brother, you absolutely must not overexert yourself.”

‘I need to take care of my health first.’

For at least the next few days, his priority was to care for himself without strain, making sure nothing went wrong.
Lion pulled a thermos flask and cup enchanted with warming magic from his bag.

Glug-glug.

Steam rose gently from the tea, releasing a delicate aroma.

Ahhh.

The warm tea spread through his belly, and it felt wonderfully comforting.

“Right. Let’s take it easy. Take it nice and easy.”

Fortunately, fishing was something he’d done in his previous life as well.
At an indoor fishing facility during a company team-building event, no less!
He packed the bait dough firmly, threaded it carefully onto the hook without it falling apart, then cast the float lazily without putting much effort into it.
The bites weren’t coming easily.
But it wasn’t as though nothing was biting at all.

[Crucian Carp (★)]
[Medaka (★)]

Even the fishing rod, which had shown ninety percent durability wear, suffered no degradation whatsoever.

“Good. If things continue like this…”

At least he wouldn’t starve.
A bit more time passed like that…….

Twitch!

The line of the fishing rod set in the lake pulled with peculiar insistence.

“Hm.”

This one felt different.
Lion gripped the rod and waited.
Then, all at once, the line went taut!

Gulp.

Lion swallowed hard, began reeling in, and leaned his body slightly back.
This was nothing like the fish he’d caught before. The raw power of it—whatever this was, it had to be considerably larger.
After quite some time of struggle, a thick silhouette began rising from the depths below, breaking the surface of the lake and thrashing with a great spray of water.
And as he reeled harder……!

[You have caught a Labyrinth Carp (★★)!]
-A carp that can only be caught within the Labyrinth. Unlike ordinary carp, it has no fine bones and lacks the muddy aftertaste, making it excellent eating.
-No toxins, no parasites. The scales are quite soft too! It’s perfect for nourishing the body.
-This is quite a large specimen among carp!
[Uses – Cooking, Alchemy]
[☞Click to view recipes.]

Flop-flop.
A fish just under a meter long had been caught!
In this small lake!
Lion’s mouth fell open slightly at this unexpected haul.
Above all…….

‘The feel of it—the touch is incredible.’

The sensation itself was entirely different from when he caught the smaller fish.
So this is why people dream of going out to sea and landing big fish?
The charm of fishing, which he’d forgotten, came rushing back.

‘Truth is, it wasn’t exciting like this before.’

He hadn’t gone of his own volition, and at that time there had been a pressure, a need to catch fish.
Back then he’d been impatient about everything, always convinced he had to deliver results in every situation.
But that wasn’t the case now.
He simply cast the rod, sat in his chair, and caught what came his way—or didn’t.
And fishing with an empty mind brought him far greater joy.

[Having grasped the true essence of fishing, you awaken to a new talent!]
[New Talent Unlocked: Fishing]
[Fishing Proficiency has reached Novice Lv.1.]

Lion placed the still-thrashing Labyrinth Carp into a bucket of water.

“Tonight, we’re having this carp.”

The fish he’d caught was known to taste excellent and possessed nourishing properties.
It was perfect for his weakened frame.

‘I need to set up a proper cooking space first.’

Lion immediately retrieved various items from his inventory and assembled a makeshift kitchen.
Cups, utensils, a cutting board—even a small shelf and a blanket.

‘I’d prepared those in case Rikshel caught a cold.’

At least he’d have something to sleep under.

“Right, I should get the Alchemy Device out too.”

It was fortunate that he’d packed the inventory with so many essentials while traversing the Mimir Forest.
And then…

“The gift.”

Lion retrieved a complimentary item he’d received when purchasing merchandise from a shop.
It was none other than a flint stone.

[Magic Flint]
-Allows fire to catch more easily.
-Of little use in this modern age, but one never knows what might prove useful.

“Thanks to this, I can get a fire started.”

Lion stacked the dried firewood he’d kept in one corner of his inventory and kindled a fire.

Whoosh!

The flames caught quickly, mercifully.
As the sun dipped lower, it cast a rather convincing glow across the makeshift camp.

“With dried wood on hand, I needn’t worry about fire for a while…”

Still, what he had wouldn’t sustain him for a full month.
When dawn came, he’d need to cut wood and gather straw to stockpile more fuel.

“I’ll worry about that tomorrow.”

First, his stomach needed filling, so he’d start by preparing the fish. Lion retrieved the carp from its container and laid it on the wooden cutting board.
He’d decided on tonight’s menu the moment he caught it.

Simple skewered fish, grilled over open flame.
Somehow, the same meat tastes infinitely better when it’s threaded onto a stick.
There’s something almost ceremonial about peeling the flesh from the skewer with your teeth, or sliding the meat free to eat it whole.
Lion slit open the belly of the lifeless carp and carefully removed all its organs.

-Unsuitable for consumption, but excellent as alchemical material.
-The gallbladder in particular contains trace amounts of the Labyrinth’s Mana. Handle carefully to prevent spoilage.

[Usage — Alchemy]
[☞Click to view recipe.]

‘Let me put it in the vessel for now.’

Rather than discard the fish entrails, Lion transferred them to the alchemy vessel, and it began heating itself automatically.
Lion poured in the alchemical solution, then returned and threaded a long skewer through the cleaned fish.
But…….

“Hmm.”

Something felt off.
For one thing, it wouldn’t hold steady, and the thicker portions of flesh clearly wouldn’t cook through evenly.

“In that case…….”

Lion twisted the cleaned carp in a zigzag pattern as he threaded it onto the skewer.
This way, it was far more stable.

“Might as well add another one for good measure.”

Securing it the same way, the result looked quite presentable.
Lion promptly positioned the fish with its head pointing downward, planted the skewer near the fire pit, and sprinkled salt over it evenly.
This way, the fat would render out while the juices stayed locked inside, giving him crispy skin and tender flesh.
With food cooking gently over embers, he could tend to other matters and let the time pass at leisure.

“Right then.”

Lion rose and began preparing a place to rest.
Fortunately, a massive tree stood just nearby, giving him something to lean against.
He cleared away the stones embedded in the ground with a small spade, laid down one blanket and draped another over himself, and——

“Not bad at all.”

It was no luxury bed or warm room, yet it felt surprisingly romantic and pleasant.
Moreover, thanks to this extraordinary Formal Robe Set, he felt neither cold nor heat, nor even the dampness of the air—quite comfortable, in fact.

“Well, let me try lying down.”

Lion settled back comfortably.
Certainly, it was nothing like the plush, springy bed in a cozy room.
But for camping with nothing to start with, this felt like quite an achievement.

“No, keep your head. Focus.”

Safe or not, he wouldn’t be here for just a day or two—he’d be spending a considerable stretch of time.
One month.
Careful planning now would make the latter half all the easier.

“That’s right. When else will I get a chance like this?”

Seizing romance always required industriousness.
After Lion rose again and continued tidying his surroundings, some unhurried time passed before the savory aroma of grilled fish drifted out from beyond the camp.
It must be done by now.
Lion stepped outside and retrieved the fish skewered on the stick.

[Grilled Labyrinth Carp (★)]
-A carp grilled slowly over gentle flame, its flavor drawn out to the fullest. However, being cooked by primitive methods, its gastronomic satisfaction is somewhat limited.
-Upon consumption, you may obtain satiation and, at low probability, something special…….
[※Warning※ Cannot be taken outside the Labyrinth.]

“I haven’t seen a caution like that before.”

So the delicacy of the Labyrinth should only be savored within the Labyrinth itself.
I didn’t know what this “something special” might be, but it didn’t seem like anything bad.
The odds seemed low anyway.
In any case, the finished Grilled Labyrinth Carp looked remarkably appetizing.
The scales across its surface were crisp and golden-brown from the carp’s own rendered fat, frying them like tempura, and between the lightly split belly, the flesh gleamed with a tender, succulent sheen.
And more than anything……
That distinctive savory aroma of roasted fish—pure hunger distilled into scent.
When you’re not hungry, it’s the sort of smell that can be annoying; but when your stomach’s empty, you go half-mad for it.
I felt a sudden, powerful urge to heap a generous piece of that fish onto white rice, crown it with a vivid red kimchi, and devour it all at once.
Of course, I had neither rice nor kimchi here now, but skewered grilled fish had its own charm—it would do just fine.

“You said there aren’t many small bones. Let’s see if that’s true.”

Ordinary carp are poor candidates for simple grilling—they carry a muddy taste and are riddled with small bones—but this Labyrinth Carp seemed to have a different structure altogether.
Well, I’d find out soon enough.
Lion bit without hesitation into the enormous Grilled Labyrinth Carp.

Crunch!

The skin tore away with a crisp sound like fried chicken, and succulent, juice-laden flesh flooded into his mouth.

“……!”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————