Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 52

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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 Knows Not, But I Shall Heal — Episode 52

Lion explained slowly to the two men, who stared at him in bewilderment.
For reasons he couldn’t quite fathom, he had gained Mana while living in this place, and had even succeeded in forming a Circle.

“So right now I have about as much Mana as a First Circle Master. I don’t think it’ll increase any further, though.”

The amount was so modest that he felt awkward boasting about it, so he’d kept putting off mentioning it — but the two men didn’t seem to mind at all.
If anything, they were delighted.

“My goodness. Truly, congratulations to you!”
“Hm.”

Patrick regarded Lion with a face full of mixed emotions.

“But at that time I couldn’t sense any Mana at all. How could you have…?”
“At that time, I was wearing the Hero’s Ornament, so it would have been natural that you didn’t notice. It’s true that I’ve obtained roughly a First Circle’s worth of Mana. If you’d like, I could even try casting a spell…”
“There’s no need to see it.”
“Never mind. Sit down.”

The moment Lion tried to stand, both men stopped him at once.
They worried that if he cast magic carelessly, something might go wrong.

‘So the Hero’s Ornament had that effect.’

Only then did Patrick understand the reason he hadn’t been able to sense Lion’s Mana.

“In any case, this is wonderful news, is it not, Family Head?”
“Indeed! A tremendous blessing.”

For a direct-line member of House Asteri to be incapable of casting magic was a grave problem.
Yet it was not a capital offense.
And yet Patrick had yearned so intensely for Lion’s Mana precisely because of the threat of Mana Shock.
But now there would be no more Mana Shock!
No matter how paltry the Mana was, to Patrick it was more precious and invaluable than his own magical power.

‘At last I can set my mind at ease.’

What relief. What blessed relief.
Just as he was drawing a quiet breath, settling his heart—

“Brother, then you’ll be learning magic from now on? If we studied together, it would be such a joy!”
“Well, about that… I’m sorry, but I don’t intend to study magic. It’s not something the Eldest Son of a mage-house should say, but… I’d like to focus more on Alchemy, which I’m already pursuing. And I do enjoy cooking from time to time.”

Lion attached a plausible reason to his refusal.
The truth was that all Three Basic Magics had already settled into his mind—

‘Could it be… that he’s doing this for my sake?’

The station of Eldest Son was, in truth, the closest to the heir from the very moment of birth.
Add to that the fact that he could sense Mana and had become master of the Labyrinth itself.
If this were ever discovered, some would surely think the next Family Head would be Lion, not Ricshel, and even if their bond was strong, factions would inevitably form.
If things escalated…

‘It would become like the Sword-Master House.’

Perhaps his brother had already foreseen even that.

‘And I, ignorant as a child, never even considered it…’

I thought that if you learned magic, your self-defense skills would improve and I’d have fewer worries.
Ricshel reflected on himself.

“Right, if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to. Even if something goes wrong, I’ll handle it on my end, so don’t worry.”
“Understood! I’ll help the Family Head remove whatever troubles you first, brother.”

Remove? What do you mean, remove?
What am I supposed to….
In the eyes of society, I was still practically an eccentric.
I’d hoped my image might shift after the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, but then I vanished for a month afterward.

‘Well, my image is probably unchanged either way.’

In any case, I was thinking I should at least thank him for his concern.

A soft rustling sound.

Ricshel pulled something from his pocket.

“I actually brought a gift for your Coming-of-Age Ceremony—humble though it may be. But it seems to have become a recovery gift instead.”

All day today.
No—he’d been carrying this gift since the day of my Coming-of-Age Ceremony and was finally handing it over.

“What is it?”
“It’s a seed from a newly discovered plant called Evening Primrose. It’s modest, but I thought you might enjoy it….”

Ricshel trailed off in a way unlike himself.
His expression showed worry—what if he doesn’t like the gift?

‘Evening Primrose seed?’

Meanwhile, Lion had to work hard not to gape.
He’d called it a humble gift, hadn’t he?
Evening Primrose!
This was a rather famous item within In the World.

[Evening Primrose Seed]
-Responds to and absorbs Mana as it grows. When growth is complete on the night of the full moon, it triggers a special effect.
-In seed form, it cannot be used for anything.

Even after playing In the World for over ten years, certain content remained etched in memory.
Evening Primrose was one of them.
Newbies starting the game would begin by cultivating Evening Primrose, accumulating wealth that way.
It was a fundamental component in crafting all manner of high-tier items.
And among those higher-tier products was….

‘The Elixir.’

The ultimate potion—one that could even resurrect the dead.

‘Technically a lower-tier version, but without this Evening Primrose, the attempt itself would be impossible.’

Ricshel probably hadn’t known that much, but for Lion, who harbored ambitions in Alchemy, it was practically a treasure of a gift.

“Thank you, Ricshel. That’s a truly wonderful gift.”
“Really? I’m so relieved! Next time I’ll bring you something even better.”

Something better than this?

‘A gift is meant to be received with gratitude, after all.’

Amid the warm and cordial atmosphere……
Patrick’s expression, watching it all, was distinctly sour.

“…….”

The truth was, he hadn’t prepared a gift.
Not that he hadn’t thought about it.
He simply couldn’t decide because he’d been so conflicted.
At first he’d considered giving the key to his villa, or perhaps some land, but neither felt quite right.
He’d even entertained the notion of handing over the whole of Mimir Forest, but it would change nothing from the present arrangement.
And giving his own possessions to a boy with no interest in magic seemed equally awkward.
They were all magic-related items, after all……

‘Wait.’

Patrick suddenly recalled a memory he’d long since buried.

“……Not bad at all.”

Murmuring to himself, Patrick reached into the pocket dimension within his jacket and withdrew something long, which he handed to Lion.
It was……

“……?”

An old wand?

“It’s the staff I used when I was young. Its durability is all but spent, and functionally, you shouldn’t expect much from it.”
“Indeed……”

Ricshel tilted his head slightly as he regarded the grandfather’s wand.

“It appears you might only manage three or four more uses before it becomes unusable, sir.”

The Mana Stone embedded in the wand had truly lost its luster, resembling nothing so much as a dull pebble, and the shaft itself was covered in fine cracks that looked ready to shatter at any moment.
To speak frankly, its market value had hit rock bottom.
Even a novice mage wouldn’t be caught using such a wand.
And yet.

“Isn’t it a keepsake, sir?”

That was true.
In terms of sentimental value, it was priceless.

[House Asteri ■■ Staff ■■?]
-Staff used by Archmage Patrick Asteri during his time traveling with the Hero.
-Size adjustable.
-High Mana conductivity and durability exceeding steel, with explosive firepower and excellent Mana control……but it is time to let go.
-※Warning※: The staff will be destroyed after 3 magical uses.
-Additional details unavailable—you are not the current owner of this staff.

“Memories. Yes, it is a keepsake indeed.”

A flicker of longing crossed Patrick’s eyes before vanishing.

“But it is no longer something I need.”

Having reached the Eighth Circle, Patrick could now weave magic freely with his bare hands, needing no wand or staff to aid him.
So it wasn’t something I needed, really.
But…….

‘Wouldn’t it be better to give it to Ricshel instead of me?’

After all, it wasn’t I who inherited grandfather’s magic — it was Ricshel.
And just moments ago, he’d said he wouldn’t learn magic at all.

“I’m not pressuring you to study magic. There’s a hidden function that might prove useful someday — that’s the only reason I’m giving it to you.”

A hidden function?

“Ah, perhaps…….”

Ricshel, who grasped it first, let out a low exclamation, and Patrick nodded in response.

“Brother. You should accept it.”
“What exactly is this hidden function, anyway?”

So it’s not just grandfather’s sentimental keepsake?
This sounds like quite a significant gift…….

“It’s a function you’ll need, brother.”

Ricshel nodded as if to tell him not to worry.

“Take it, and I’ll explain.”
“Please accept it, sir.”

Lion, overwhelmed by their insistence, took hold of the staff.
And then…….

A soft shimmer.

A faint light rippled across the staff.

[Item is being bound to you.]

……It was bound.
And with it, an explanation bloomed naturally in my mind.

-If the staff is destroyed, it makes the user ‘safe.’

It was a simple description, but.

‘Safe, you say?’

The explanation left me confused.

“It seems you’ve understood something.”

Patrick, reading Lion’s expression, began to offer further clarification.

“This staff has been passed down through House Asteri for generations. It has a remarkable effect of amplifying magic, and I carried it with me in my younger days. However, the war exhausted its purpose.”
“…….”

That was true.
This staff had only three uses of durability remaining.
After enduring three spells, it would shatter into fragments and vanish, just like that fishing rod.

“Only, there’s a legend that comes with it when the family passes the staff down. That’s precisely what you felt.”
“In a moment of crisis, it saves its master, they say.”
“Originally, I’d planned to pass it on when Ricshel became Family Head, but…….”

The old man and Ricshel locked eyes with each other.

A firm nod.

Then they exchanged glances and spoke with unmistakable resolve.

“I have no need for it.”
“But you do.”
“Why would I?”
“……I’m sorry to say so, but you are weak, brother.”
“That’s harsh.”
“…….”

There was nothing to say when a genius mage and the continent’s mightiest archmage spoke in such accord.

‘Well, if I farmed in the Shilling Shop…’

He wanted to protest inwardly, then simply gave up.
No use—being weak was just fact.
Lion stared at the staff.

‘So this is what they call a protective charm.’

In truth, he wondered when he’d ever use it in such peaceful times, yet it seemed harmless enough to keep one close.
Better to think of it as a talisman.
Besides, those two clearly wanted him to have it…….

“Thank you. I’ll keep it with me.”

The moment Lion expressed his gratitude, both their faces brightened at once.

Really now…….
They were acting as if they’d left a child at the water’s edge and finally got him back.
Though there was a lake here, Lion still wasn’t a child, was he.
He was an adult here, and had been one far longer before.

‘In any case, I’ve received quite the Coming-of-Age gift.’

An Evening Primrose Seed and the family staff…….

“I’ll make something delicious for you next time.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Though next time, perhaps we should reduce the portions a little.”
“Was it too much?”
“……It seems the Family Head wanted to taste other dishes as well.”
“Is that so?”

I thought I’d made too much.

“Shall we head back soon?”

If we stayed any longer, the others would start to worry.

“It was truly delicious.”
“We’ll make time to do this again.”

The three of them, warmed by the moment, stepped out of the Labyrinth and retreated to their respective rooms.
Lion did the same—

“…….”

But his room felt strangely quiet.

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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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