Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 43

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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 Doesn’t Matter, I’d Rather Just Heal — Episode 43

The Magic Tower seemed to be populated exclusively by high-ranking individuals, which is why the atmosphere was thick with discipline.

‘Still, Hoffmann must be quite a demanding superior.’

When Lion was younger and had refused treatment, crying and throwing a tantrum, even attempting to flee, Hoffmann had examined him without the slightest hesitation. His resolve had been absolute.
If he had been so unrelenting with a child, what must his subordinates endure?

‘Though I suppose I don’t need to worry about that anymore.’

“……From here onward, this is Hoffmann’s private chambers.”

As Lion followed the mage, an enormous private office came into view—one that appeared to consume half the entire floor.

‘It’s practically a high-end corporate office.’

The private chamber had a thick door, and the windows were made of an opaque material to prevent any view inside.
It made sense: if one held a position as the head mage of a major tower like Asteri, such accommodations were only fitting.
The secretary stationed before the private chambers, having heard news from the floor below, welcomed Lion with courteous grace.

Bang!

Before any formal announcement could be made, the thick door swung wide open.

“You’ve arrived.”

Hoffmann himself had come to greet him.

“Oh!”

While the mage beside him flinched in surprise, lowering his head, Lion offered a measured greeting.

“Yes. I hope you’ve been well?”
“Of course. And you?”

Lion offered only a brief summary of recent events, glossing over the details.

“This is the mage who showed me the way.”
“I’m Lepios, a new recruit here, Master Hoffmann!”
“I see. Lepios. Thank you for bringing Lion to me.”
“You’re too kind! I’m just glad I could be of service!”

Lepios bowed to Hoffmann, then sent a deeply grateful look toward Lion.

‘Master Hoffmann, they call him? He must be incredibly revered among the mages here.’

All Lion had done was offer him a quick nod, yet Lepios seemed genuinely grateful for it.
Did this place also have factions or something of that sort?
……He had no idea. Better not to dwell on it.

“Come inside. I need to examine your physical condition. Lepios, you may return and report.”
“Yes! And sir, I will never forget meeting you today. Please stay in good health!”

Lion offered Lepios an appropriate farewell and entered the chambers alongside Hoffmann.
The interior of the private office exceeded his expectations even further.
Beyond its luxurious appointments, the vast open floor was packed with countless pieces of medical equipment, leaving barely any free space.
It resembled a modern comprehensive health examination center.
Actually, this place seemed even better appointed than that.
Examining the devices in detail…….

[Magical Treatment Device (Grade Indeterminate)]
-An auxiliary apparatus designed to facilitate the precise casting of healing magic.
-A set comprising twenty pieces of magical equipment, including a comprehensive diagnostic scanner, body transparency scanner, vital signs monitor, reagent analyzer, and medical record extractor.
-Commissioned by: Hoffmann of Asteri

It appeared to be a bespoke commission.

‘Looking at the scale alone, it makes perfect sense that the grade can’t be measured.’

Lion himself had entered that treatment apparatus numerous times and undergone multiple examinations.
The moment he recalled those sessions, gooseflesh prickled across his skin in an involuntary reflex.

‘Hmm?’

Had he disliked it that much?
The trauma must have run deep.
Lion calmly brushed down his arms.

‘It’s all right. There’s no pain now—no reason to tense up.’

Mercifully, his body seemed to understand, and the reaction faded without lingering long.

“How’s the body treating you?”
“I’ve had no particular symptoms since then. I came by partly to get a checkup, but mostly because I wanted to see your face again.”
“Hmm, you mean me? Ha, ha…….”

Hoffmann’s expression softened in an instant.
So that tearful little thing had matured so suddenly!

“……All right. We can talk details later—let’s get the examination done first, shall we?”
“Yes.”

Lion climbed onto the examination platform without hesitation.

* * *

A short while later.
Once the examination was complete, Lion descended from the platform with ease.
Unlike before, he felt no pain whatsoever.
It was only natural—he’d developed a Mana Circle, and though it wasn’t visible, his body had grown stronger.

“The results will take about an hour. Rest a moment.”

Hoffmann sat working at his station, drawing data from the apparatus through some magical process.
Likely the calculation itself consumed that much time.

“Would it be all right if I looked around while we wait?”
“Of course. Just don’t break anything.”
“Ha, ha…….”

It sounded like something you’d say to a child, but Lion decided to take it in stride.
Hoffmann was the one who’d seen Lion’s most childish moments countless times, after all—he’d earned the right.

‘There are plenty of interesting things here anyway. Might as well look around.’

The broader one’s knowledge, the stronger the effect of the Professional’s Eye grows, and this was a good opportunity.
Lion began a slow circuit of the room.
Hoffmann’s chamber resembled a small laboratory.
There was a healing magic section where it had always been, and on the other side, documents were stacked as high as Mudou’s height.
And then there was another place…….

‘Hm?’

Opening the door revealed all manner of chemical apparatus arranged within.
On what appeared to be a display cabinet, quite a number of reagents were stacked in orderly fashion, and on each reagent……

[DO NOT TOUCH]
-Risk of injury. Exercise caution.
-Do not touch except for authorized personnel.

Such warnings were affixed.

“What are these things?”

Hoffmann lifted his oddly-shaped spectacles and turned to face him before answering.

“This is the section where we’re restoring discontinued potions. Come to think of it, you’ve taken an interest in potions, haven’t you? There should be details about the project on that table—you’re welcome to review them.”

Hoffmann added that it would be helpful to his studies, then put his spectacles back on and returned to his calculations.

‘……But it says do not touch?’

Is this the power of a silver spoon?
In any case, since he’d been given permission, he could go in.
Rather than bother Hoffmann further, Lion stepped inside and picked up the documents to examine them.
But…….

[Hero’s Potion Restoration Plan]

“…….”

A hero’s potion?
Lion scratched his cheek as he examined the potion.

“And…… this is the Hero’s Potion?”

Lion furrowed his brow and studied the potion kept under rigorous security magic.

[Disease Treatment Potion]
[Sustained Recovery Potion]
[Immunity Potion]

Weren’t these just ordinary potions?

‘Things you’d unlock at an apprentice level at best?’

On top of that, they were potions he never even used during actual gameplay.

“Then what about those others?”

There were other potions as well, but those remained in reagent form, not yet completed.
To judge by appearances…….
They seemed to be the raw materials for [Mental Fatigue Recovery Potion].

“Hmm.”

This…….

‘Something’s off here.’

First, those three types in potion form.
They didn’t sit right with Lion at all.

“Surely they’re not releasing them like this?”

No, they wouldn’t be.
Ordinarily, medicines take a long time to reach the market even after development is complete.
The efficacy must be thoroughly verified, as must any potential side effects.

……

An uneasy feeling lingered all the same.
The Hero’s Potion was modest in scope, but he couldn’t very well pretend to know more than he did.
Officially, Lion had no connection to heroes.
And he wasn’t supposed to have one, either.
Leaving that ambiguity unresolved, Lion stepped back outside, where Hoffmann had apparently finished his work and was already on his feet.
And Hoffmann’s expression was……
rather complicated.

“The results are in.”
“They are.”
“And?”
“……Congratulations, Lion. Your body really is in perfect condition.”

The result, unsurprisingly, showed nothing amiss.

“Ha, just as expected, then?”
“Hm……”

His skepticism was plain enough, but Lion remained unmoved.
He really was fine.
No matter how much Lion insisted he was fine, others never quite believed him.
And no wonder—his complexion still looked decidedly unhealthy.
Whether his condition was good or poor, that pale face never changed, so the misunderstanding was understandable enough.

‘It’s just my natural skin tone.’

Hopeless.
Hoffmann continued muttering in disbelief until something occurred to him, and he looked up.

“Come to think of it, you haven’t eaten anything because of the examination.”

Lion nodded.
The standard procedure for a health checkup was to maintain a fasting state.
Hoffmann hadn’t instructed him, but Lion, drawing on memory, had been fasting since the evening before.

“Let’s have you eat first.”

Hoffmann pressed a button, and a secretary brought in a meal.

‘And getting a free meal on top of it all.’

Once upon a time, he couldn’t have imagined such a thing.
Not during his days in the company, and certainly not in the childhood he remembered.
Receiving such kindness while working at a company?
Then you’d have had to suspect something straight away; and young Lion, having collapsed through each examination he’d endured, had been half-carried off, making it impossible to eat here.
Recalling all that, this meal felt remarkably peaceful.
And it tasted good too.

“Delicious,” Lion said.
“The Magic Tower keeps its kitchens well. People work harder when they eat well.”
……

It was an unnerving thing to say, but true all the same.
You couldn’t cut corners on food. That was just sense.

“Those potions over there—is the commercialization preparation complete?”
“The Hero’s Potion, you mean?”

When Lion nodded, Hoffmann spoke with evident pride.

“We can say it’s nearly finished.”
……What?

Nearly finished?
Lion froze with his fork in hand. Hoffmann, mistaking his shock for positive excitement, launched into further explanation.

“Haha, you look amazed. Well, a potion born from my collaboration with the Magic Tower’s foremost alchemical authorities might strain credibility, I suppose. As you know, magic has lagged somewhat behind Divine Power in treating pathological conditions. But with this potion—”

For the next several minutes, Hoffmann expounded on the grandeur of the Hero’s Potion.
Unfortunately, none of it reached Lion’s ears.

‘That’s going to be commercialized?’

He recalled the potions he’d seen moments ago.

[Disease Treatment Potion (Counterfeit)]
-A potion created by imitating a specific potion through effort and material resources.
-Shows efficacy on the first use for disease treatment, but effectiveness decreases by 99% on the second use.
※This potion is a counterfeit. Caution advised.

[Sustained Recovery Potion (Counterfeit)]
-A potion created by imitating a specific potion through…….
-Physical recovery continues consistently for the first two uses, but effectiveness decreases by 99% from the third use onward…….
※This potion is…….

[Immunity Potion (Counterfeit)]
-A potion created by imitating…….
-Shows efficacy on the first use only, but effectiveness decreases by 99% thereafter.

This was the reality Lion had witnessed with his own eyes.
Whether because a non-hero had created them or because they were poorly developed imitations, the potions’ efficacy was dismal.
But if those were to be commercialized…….
The Magic Tower’s certified potion would become a swindle.

‘This is precarious.’

While listening to Hoffmann, Lion posed a question naturally enough.

“That’s truly remarkable. Has it been tested on humans as well?”
“It has. All showed excellent results.”

Yes. They would have seen results.
The trouble was that it stopped at a single use.

“Now only the commercialization phase remains. Hmm…… We’ll likely begin mass production in about a week.”

A week from now?

‘This is a real problem.’

Lion swallowed hard.
At this rate, the Magic Tower would become nothing more than a den of swindlers.
And what would become of Ricksher then?
He’d be the master of a fraudster’s tower.

‘This is serious……’

There was no clear way to stop it.
For one, he couldn’t smuggle materials out without being tied to the Magic Tower, and second, his own abilities had to remain hidden.
Though there were people after Lion’s power, the real reason was something else—it all came down to Ricksher.

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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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