Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 46

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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’s a Mystery, but I’ll Settle for Healing — Episode 46

“What does that have to do with intelligence right now?”

The documents brought by an executive of the Information Guild contained details about a peculiar rumor concerning the Magic Tower.
That some Potion Project the Tower had been pushing had collapsed.
The reason being that a fatal flaw had been discovered in the potion-crafting process.
Yet a recipe capable of rectifying it had surfaced remarkably quickly.
And to top it off, the eldest heir of the Asteri Family, who had kept himself hidden for a month, had made an appearance.
That was all there was to it.

‘Hmph. Those mages do love their little efforts.’

From the perspective of Freya Nya, an alchemist of the Dark Guild, the news was certainly amusing and gratifying, but it contained nothing that would actually benefit the Dark Guild.
Lyon Asteri’s assessment was the same.
She’d heard he was learning alchemy lately and making something of himself, but how much could a mere nobleman really accomplish?
Besides, that man supposedly had a body incapable of sensing Mana.
If that were true, this beverage would be the same.
Nothing but some worthless trifle, a defective foodstuff made to pass the time.
That much seemed certain…… but.

‘Hm?’

Something caught her eye.

‘……Should I take a closer look?’

Freya Nya, showing some magnanimity, examined the beverage more carefully.
The ornate light hanging from the ceiling cast brilliant rays that refracted strangely as they passed through the liquid.

“The color seems convincing enough.”

And then she uncorked the bottle and took a small sip.

“……!”

Freya Nya’s pupils dilated in an instant.

“This is a beverage?”
“That is what we understand it to be. However, its efficacy is said to be remarkable. They claim it improves work efficiency…….”

Bang!

Freya Nya set the beverage bottle down roughly on the table.
It made no sense.
This was…….

‘A Potion.’

And one of such exceptional quality that even her refined eye could not fully discern its nature.
Yet not a single standard alchemical formula had been employed.
Neither the refinement nor the extraction process.
It was entirely different. She could not read it.
This was undoubtedly the work of someone who had reached a Realm of Mastery beyond what Freya Nya herself had achieved.
If she could receive guidance from such a person, she might be able to break through the barrier that had sealed her progress.
Yet Lyon Asteri had made this?

‘Could it be……!’

Freya Nya snatched the report from the executive’s hands and read it again.
By a strange coincidence, the Potion Project had collapsed into nothing and then miraculously been restored—all around the same time Lyon Asteri brought this beverage to the Magic Tower.

“Ha.”

A dry laugh escaped Freya Nya’s lips.
It made no sense whatsoever.
There wasn’t even clear evidence to support it.
And the person in question wasn’t even Rickselle Asteri, the heir—it was Lyon Asteri, the eccentric everyone whispered about!
That kind of man…….
Practicing Alchemy at a higher level than me?

‘No, that’s not the issue.’

If Lyon Asteri had truly reached some elevated Realm of Mastery.

“This is just an ordinary beverage with no special properties.”
“Ah… I—I apologize. Everyone spoke so highly of its effects…….”
“Still, he seems to have a decent command of it. So it appears he really did study Alchemy after all.”

Freya Nya deliberately touched the bottle with an air of indifference.

“In any case, it seems the Asteri Family is indeed venturing into Alchemy. Going forward, I want all information about Lyon Asteri brought directly to me.”
“You mean……?”
“As long as you bring me proper intelligence, I won’t disappoint you with the payment.”
“……!”

The executive’s expression lit up in an instant.
That meant she’d buy up all the information about Lyon Asteri at a generous price!
He’d just landed something big!

‘But Lyon Asteri, of all people.’

Neither the Asteri Family nor the Magic Tower.
Information about an eccentric whose field isn’t even Potion Crafting proper.

‘……Ah, I see!’

The executive’s mind worked quickly and arrived at a conclusion.
Information about the Asteri Family and the Magic Tower was heavily guarded, so intelligence came in slowly.
But information about the eccentric Lyon Asteri was relatively lax in security!
Which meant he could trace it through the Dark Guild and gather intelligence independently.
Truly impressive…… So we should be able to extract their information in turn.
If we can’t get our hands on their core secrets anyway, we ought to at least benefit from the trickle-down.

* * *

“Huh, who’s gossiping about me?”

Lyon scratched his itching ear absently as he walked through the Village.
Fortunately, thanks to Elbia, everything at the Magic Tower had been resolved quietly, and the contracts had been well amended to mutual satisfaction.
Moreover, thorough medical examination had certified that Lyon was in perfect health, so all the urgent matters were as good as resolved.
Because of that, he now had the luxury of strolling leisurely through the Village, greeting people he hadn’t seen in some time.

“We really did worry about you.”
“Still, I’m so glad you went to the Villa to recover after your Coming of Age Ceremony.”
“I heard you studied hard there too.”
“But you could’ve sent a letter or two. We were so worried…….”

It was a peaceful day without a care in the world.
Rickselle had even provided an alibi for all this time, so there was no need for excuses.
And that wasn’t all.

“Right, you odd one! Your sister’s been grateful all this time—she placed a large order with the Asteri Family for equipment at a generous price!”
“Oh my, dear! That’s no way to speak to our young master!”

Starting with Mudu’s family……

“The Sword Martial Marquis himself came directly and entrusted us with a commission. And several other noble ladies even made reservations for garments!”

Even Andrea, whose fortune had suddenly turned around.
While Lyon was away, Rickselle had tended to things with meticulous care.
‘Come to think of it, what happened to the Sword Martial Marquis?’
He must have seen that incident, so surely he helped with the aftermath too……

‘Well, since the family hasn’t said much about it, it must be fine.’

He must have handled it himself.
If it bothers him later, he could always send a letter.
Either way, he owed the man a debt.

“Hmm, but I have the feeling I’m forgetting something.”

Lyon munched on street food while turning the thought over in his mind.
He’d handled all the pressing matters and met with everyone, but……
Oh. That’s right.
Rickselle!
Aside from that one time he saw him when he was holed up in his room, he hadn’t met him recently at all.
And they hadn’t eaten together as a family since the Coming of Age Ceremony.
Each had their reasons for being busy, but……
Usually, when family gets together for a meal, they deliberately adjust their schedules, don’t they?

‘I’ve even left work early for that reason when I was working at a company.’

Lyon stopped in his tracks, folded his arms, and deliberated.
Tomorrow, his grandfather was returning from a long business trip.
But then he said he’d be leaving again to maintain the Barrier protecting the Empire……so it would be quite a while before he returned again.
And besides, the Imperial Palace kept calling for him constantly.
That meant tomorrow was his only chance.

“Hmm…… if I prepare things quickly, I think it could work out?”

Lyon immediately changed direction.

* * *

“Pardon? You wish to cook……?”
“Yes.”

The first place Lyon went was none other than the kitchen of the Asteri Family Manor.
He’d visited once before when making cookies with Elbia, but the Head Chef had stepped away then, so this was nearly his first direct conversation with the man.
Perhaps for that reason, the Head Chef brushed his neatly trimmed hair back several times.

“If that’s what you wish, young master, I can certainly show you around…… but might I ask why?”
“I want to cook.”
“Ah~ I see…… I beg your pardon?”

The Head Chef asked again, as though he’d misheard.

“Have my meals not been satisfactory to your taste until now, young master?”
“That’s not it. The Asteri Family’s Head Chef has such a reputation for skill that word of it has already spread across the entire continent.”

Then that was a relief.
The Head Chef’s racing pulse began to settle.

“Actually, Grandfather is coming home tomorrow, isn’t he? I want to cook for him myself when he does.”
“Cook yourself, sir?”

The Head Chef started in surprise.
He knew well that Lyon cared deeply for his family.
The young master went out to play with his younger brother, and often conversed with the patriarch himself.
But still.

“Ah, young master. If I may assist, what do you say to preparing it together?”

The Head Chef offered an alternative, circling around the point.
And with good reason, too.

‘Both of them have such particular palates……’

Though their appetite had grown somewhat of late, perhaps as the worries and cares had lifted, both young master Rickselle and the patriarch were extraordinarily finicky eaters.
The moment the temperature of the meat deviated even a single degree, they would set down their fork and knife with uncanny precision.
If the vegetables were not evenly cooked, if the texture displeased them in any way, they would not touch that dish again.
And the portions were small to begin with.
Potions, cookies, and beverages they would perhaps consume in good spirits, but when it came to actual meals, surely that was another matter entirely.
No—based on all that had come before, it was a certainty.

‘If they are disappointed after he has gone to such effort……’

He thought it better to gently steer them in a different direction if he could.
But.

“No? I just need you to show me.”

Unfortunately, Lyon’s intention seemed not to have gotten through.
And why should it? Until now, the family had eaten whatever Lyon offered or handed them with good appetite.
And small portions?
The grandfather perhaps, but in Lyon’s view, Rickselle did not eat small portions at all.
Quite the opposite, in fact.

‘Doesn’t he eat three bananas or sweet potatoes in one sitting? That’s quite a lot, isn’t it?’

Perhaps because Rickselle was still at an age of growth, Lyon’s mental image of him was that he ate well and readily.

“……Very well.”

The Head Chef sighed quietly.

‘I suppose there’s no help for it.’

Let the first young master do as he pleased, and prepare a late supper for the two—or perhaps three—of them should they feel peckish afterward.

“Very well then. I shall show you tonight’s preparation.”
“Good. I’m counting on you.”

Lyon’s eyes brightened as he looked at the Head Chef.
Seeing is believing, and surely watching a chef of the Asteri Family’s caliber at work would open his eyes to the art of cooking.

“Hm.”

The Head Chef standing before the counter maintained his composure despite Lyon’s persistent gaze.

“First and foremost, safety is paramount in the kitchen. With sharp blades and open flame always nearby, a single moment of carelessness can lead to serious accidents.”

The Head Chef cinched his apron once more and began preparations for an early evening meal.
His first task was trimming the vegetables.

Tap-tap-tap.

With each stroke of the Head Chef’s blade, vegetables fell away in uniform, pristine sections.

‘Ah…’

Though he was merely trimming vegetables, the Head Chef’s mastery was unmistakably evident.
The movements appeared almost effortless.

‘But that’s what makes it remarkable.’

To an untrained eye, it would seem trivial — something anyone could do.
One might assume it was simply a matter of a sharp blade cutting cleanly.
But there was nothing superfluous in what he did.
Each movement economical, each cut textbook-perfect, the rhythm unwavering.
Those elements conspired to deceive the eye.
Had Lyon’s own culinary skill been even slightly lower, he might have been fooled entirely.
But he saw it.
He perceived it clearly.
That reaching this level of mastery required considerable time.
It was a domain of effort rather than mere talent.
That was what truly frightened him.

[You have pierced through Mastery Insight.]
[Cooking experience increases by fifteen percent.]

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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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