Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 38

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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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Heir or not, I’m just here to heal. Episode 38

Lion opened the Shilling Shop window with a satisfied smile.

[Will you sell this item?]
[Target Item: Labyrinth Wood Planter (★)]
[Offered Price: 800 Shillings (Commission separate)]

“Oh come on, not this again. Let me check one more time.”

This time, speaking playfully, he thrust the planter toward the empty air.

[While the planter is certainly beautiful, it is merely wooden and lacks significant value.]
[Its grade is the lowest rank: (★).]
[Reassessing…]
[Offered Price: 650 Shillings (Commission separate.)]

What? Now the price went down even further.

‘This thing’s got taste for haggling.’

Lion sighed and began to speak as though the shop didn’t understand anything.

“Look carefully now. This isn’t just any wood—it’s Labyrinth Wood, the kind that only grows in the Labyrinth. And the special thing about Labyrinth Wood is that it’s water-resistant! The durability is excellent too. Because it’s wooden, the planter has a beautiful shape, but the performance is flawless on top of that. I can’t possibly sell this for just that price.”

[…….]

Whether it was his eloquent tongue or not, the Shilling Shop fell silent for a moment, then activated again.

[Price adjustment in progress…….]
[Offered Price: 1,500 Shillings]
[‘Based on new information about the item, the price has been adjusted per conditions for commission reduction and price increase.’]

‘1,500? Nice.’

He could sell it for far more Shillings than expected.
Lion managed his expression carefully and nodded slowly.

“Well… yeah. That seems about right. I’ll sell it.”

[Item sold for 1,500 Shillings.]
[Item collected.]
[You have obtained 1,500 Shillings.]

Sold!
As he confirmed the Shillings filling his inventory, Lion posed a question.

“But can I keep selling the same item over and over?”

[It is possible.]
[However, if supply exceeds demand, the price will be adjusted downward.]

Right, I shouldn’t sell the same item repeatedly if I can help it.
Besides, there’d be more commission fees added on top of that.

‘So selling diverse items would be more profitable.’

Fortunately, he had plenty to sell.
Lion’s talents were boundless, after all.
Moreover, because he crafted items as needed and sold them, his experience would climb substantially.

‘If that happens, breaking through from Apprentice to Proficiency would be…….’

far more manageable.

* * *

Time drifted on, and three weeks had passed.
Lion slowly drew his Fishing Rod upward.

[Labyrinth Snow-White Trout (★★)]
-A trout that dwells only in the Labyrinth, bearing the color of freshly fallen snowflakes.
-Its eyes glimmer like moonstone. It may well be quite valuable…….

[Fishing Proficiency Apprentice Level 3 achieved.]
[The Fishing Rod’s durability has fallen below 95 percent. Repairs are required.]
[Caught 10 rare fish species 10/10]
[Achievement “The Fisher’s Path” unlocked]
[Acquired 3,000 Shillings.]

Several notifications flooded the screen at once.
Aside from the durability issue with the Fishing Rod, these were all welcome tidings.

“Excellent.”

With that, the preparations were complete.
Lion had achieved remarkable progress in recent weeks.

[Fishing — Apprentice Level 3]
[Gathering — Apprentice Level 7]
[Cooking — Apprentice Level 6]
[Sewing — Apprentice Level 4]
[Woodworking — Apprentice Level 3]

Blacksmithing had not been leveled due to a lack of equipment, but even this alone represented enormous strides forward.
Yet that was not all.
One talent had advanced so dramatically that the others paled in comparison…….
That was, precisely speaking.

[Alchemy — Apprentice Level 9]

A full level 9—the final stage of Apprenticeship!
In truth, Lion’s consistent Fishing practice these past weeks existed solely for this reason: his Alchemy Specialization talent.
To advance from Apprentice to Proficiency required specific conditions.
Namely, five or more talents other than the target talent had to exceed Apprentice Level 3.
And with Fishing just now rising to a new level, that condition had been unlocked.
But the plan went further still.

“Fish Essence.”

A recipe that would unlock at Proficiency Level 1—he had stockpiled Fish Essence in abundance, lest he fail even once.
Lion butchered the fish and hurled its organs into an Alchemy Jar.
And among the fish’s byproducts, there was one worth noting.

[Labyrinth Trout Fish Eye (★★)]
-Extracted from fish, yet treated as a gemstone.
-Its defining feature is high Mana conductivity despite being no Mana Stone.
[Uses — Alchemy]
[You must reach Proficiency Level 1 to view the recipe.]
—Selling Price: 10,000 Shillings

Ten thousand?
The price was far higher than he’d anticipated.
Was it because it was a gemstone?
The Labyrinth Trout Fish Eye he’d disassembled was certainly beautiful—he could sell it right now for that hefty sum of 10,000 Shillings—but…
Lion stared at the locked recipe and abandoned the thought of selling.
Right. If something had value, it meant he needed it just as much.
And wasn’t it curious?
Both the Fish Essence and the Labyrinth Trout Fish Eye required breaking through Proficiency Level 1 before their recipes would unlock.

“I won’t sell it.”

Since there was nothing he needed to buy urgently anymore, he decided to keep it in his inventory rather than trade it to the Shilling Shop.
And more importantly, there was something more pressing to attend to now.
Leveling up his Alchemy skill.

“Phew.”

Lion stepped up to his alchemy apparatus and took a deep breath.
Nine unspoiled Fish Essences lay gathered in his inventory.
And when the tenth one finished—the Labyrinth Trout Fish Essence currently bubbling away in the alchemical solution—would be complete…

“That makes ten.”

Brilliant light erupted!

A dazzling glow enveloped Lion!

[The Potion Crafting Specialization talent has transcended its limit!]
[Congratulations! Through dazzling talent and relentless effort, you have achieved tremendous growth in a remarkably short time!]
[The ‘Potion Crafting Specialization’ talent evolves into ‘Alchemy Specialization’.]
[Alchemy has reached Proficiency Level 1.]
[New recipes have been unlocked.]

As the sealed recipes unlocked, a flood of knowledge and information poured into his mind.
It was different from the previous level-ups.

“What is this…”

Until now, Lion’s mind had contained only potion-related recipes.
But now, that had changed.
For one thing, the incoming knowledge was vast.
And it floated through his consciousness as though he’d already known it all along.
The sensation was distinctly strange—his head felt slightly heavy with it.

[Phoenix Spirit Jade]
[Talisman Made from Flowing Tears]
[Elixir Made from World Tree Sap.]
[Curse Doll]
[Curse Reflection Doll]
……

Knowledge of things whose recipes he hadn’t yet fully grasped had also entered his mind.

“Ugh.”

A momentary headache flared, then subsided just as quickly.
There was no harm in knowing such grandiose recipes, even if he didn’t need to craft them right now.
Lion set aside the other knowledge and selected the recipe attached to the Fish Essence.

“Ah… so that’s why I was stuck.”

-The pill must be swallowed whole for consumption. The fishy smell is quite pronounced; those with sensitive stomachs may find it distressing.

‘So that was the hint.’

Lion understood then.
Up through Apprentice, knowledge confined itself to potions; from Proficiency onward, he would awaken to alchemy in its entirety.
And this Fish Essence—it wasn’t a potion at all, but a pill.

-Essential Materials: Rare Fish Essence x5, Labyrinth Trout Fish Eye x2

And just as he’d expected, the Fish Eyes he’d obtained moments ago were needed.
But…

“Five essences required at once?”

That was going to be a problem.
He had enough Fish Essence, but the Fish Eyes—he’d only just obtained that pair.
One chance. That was all he had.
With his Proficiency rank, he’d certainly be capable of crafting it, yet he couldn’t help the tension coiling through him.
But as time passed, that tension began to fade.
It wasn’t the Mana Circle that had steadied him, though.
This was something else entirely.

‘An adrenaline rush, maybe?’

It was a rather exhilarating sensation.
That’s when Lion realized he was smiling.
Thanks to his Alchemy Specialization, alchemy always seemed to be the most enjoyable.
After all, alchemy combined the finesse of fishing with the perseverance of graft, all crowned with extraordinary results.
For Lion, it was the perfect dopamine formula.
With steady progress besides, there was no room for boredom.

“Ha, ha, ha…”

Lion laughed to himself like an eccentric for the first time in a while.

‘What is there to fear?’

What if he failed?
What if he made a careless mistake?
None of that mattered.
He hadn’t even tried yet—why worry?
Failure was fine! Forget all that—as long as it was fun, that was enough!

“Let’s do this.”

Lion immediately dumped all five Fish Essences into the Alchemy Jar and stirred vigorously without heating.
The Fish Essences, gelatinous as royal jelly, collided and fractured as he mixed them together.
Their form—part bone dust, part sand.
Lion didn’t stop; he kept stirring.
Then…

Whoosh.

A wave of intense heat began to rise from within.
Yet the Alchemy Jar had never been heated at all!

Whoosh. Swish.

As the temperature rose, the essences melted back into liquid and slowly began to fuse together.
Five colors intermingled, yet they didn’t turn murky—instead, they kept a mottled, variegated appearance like partially mixed clay.

“At this stage…….”

He needed to knead the hot mass into a sphere with his hands.
It was the most difficult step, but it posed no challenge to Lion.
He had a formal outfit set, after all.
Lion plunged his hands into the jar without hesitation and began working the mixture into shape.
Palming it round and smooth, over and over.
And finally…….

‘Throw in the Fish Eye all at once and seal the lid!’

Lion tossed the Fish Eye in according to the recipe and immediately capped the jar.
And then…….

Bubble-bubble-bubble!
Boom! Clang! Clang!

“Whoa, this is intense.”

The jar trembled with such force it seemed the lid might come flying off any second.
Lion pressed both hands down on the jar’s lid.
If it opened now, even by accident, the batch was ruined.

Thud! Clunk!

After what felt like an eternity of wrestling with it, the jar suddenly fell silent, as if nothing had ever happened.
Sensing the completion instinctively, Lion opened the lid at once.
And there——

Whoosh!

A cloud of vapor rose in billowing plumes, and between them shimmered a delicate rainbow.

[Alchemist’s Fish Pill (★★)]
-A pill crafted by a skilled alchemist for the first time.
-Made from materials found nowhere else in the world, it possesses considerable value. Upon consumption, a fixed amount of Mana rises permanently.
-It carries a shrimp aroma, but biting into it releases a foul fishy stench—be sure to swallow it whole in one gulp.
-Selling Price: 15,000 Shillings
-Usage: Fishing
[☞Click to view the recipe.]

“Hmm…….”

The grade was lower than he’d hoped for, which stung a little.

‘I could’ve sworn my touch was there.’

The material grade had been a step down, to be fair. And the fact that this was Proficiency-tier rather than Apprentice-tier only made it worse.
The trait not activating probably played a part too.
Still, at least he hadn’t failed—that much was a relief…….

“The usage is Fishing?”

Lion checked the recipe again.
Because it was fishing, the detailed recipe didn’t appear, but…….

-It seems certain fish would prefer this.

“Don’t tell me it’s this.”

The moment when the Lake first activated came flooding back.

A fish of ‘Rare’ rank.

“It was bait?”

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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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