Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 61

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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 Heir Apparent? I’d Rather Heal — Episode 61

‘Hmm.’

Ricshel pondered for a moment, glancing sideways at Freyana.
She was certainly a figure of note in the underworld, but she didn’t seem to possess the caliber of strength needed to pose a threat to his brother.
More than that… it didn’t seem like he’d want her to, either.
Then it was safe.
Ricshel nodded and voiced his opinion to Patrick.

“There’s certainly no one else who could teach Spirit Magic as well as that half-elf. It seems like a worthwhile proposal.”
“It does appear so. However—”

Patrick turned his gaze toward Lion.

“What do you think?”
“Well…”

Lion hesitated for a moment.
He’d never had much talent for teaching others.
Even when his first subordinate had arrived, hadn’t he struggled quite a bit at first?
True, eventually he’d gained enough experience to create manuals and train his juniors, but…

“Since you’ve mentioned staying here a while longer, would it be alright if we had a trial period until then?”
“An excellent idea. It will certainly be a good experience.”

Embrog agreed at once.
With talent in Spirit Magic that overwhelming, anyone would have no choice but to fall in love with spirits!

“Thank you. Since things have come to this point, I think it would be good for us to get to know one another better. If the opportunity presents itself, perhaps our guests might enjoy taking a tour of the village.”
“…Well then, let’s end this conversation here.”

Patrick rose slowly from his seat.
His manner suggested there was nothing left to adjust and therefore no need to remain, yet it also conveyed his willingness to defer to Lion’s wishes.
And so, the Elite Unit of elves and the Asteri Estate began an odd cohabitation that would last several days.

* * *

The ones most bewildered by the situation were none other than the elves selected for the Elite Unit.

‘What on earth is happening?’

One elf, marked by her long straight hair, wandered through the throngs of people.
She’d certainly set out in response to the Elder Elf’s orders to protect someone.
But somehow things had unfolded until here she was, settled in a human village and sightseeing of all things.

“Embrog, sir. Is this really right?”
“Heh heh… it is what the Elder Elf desires. And besides, the Asteri Estate is one of the more comfortable places for us to move about anyway, so there’s no harm in exchanging pleasantries while we’re here.”

One elf shook her head, unable to comprehend the human way of life.
For the elves, a human village was quite different from an elf village.
While the elves deliberately kept their distance out of respect for each individual’s life, humans were packed far too closely together.
And that wasn’t all.

“Come buy! Come see our deals!”
“End-of-day special! Don’t miss out or you’ll regret it!”
“Come have a look at our fresh oranges! Just picked today!”
“Fresh-baked bread just out of the oven! Even the nobility line up for this bread!”

To the keen-eared elves, the clamor of the Market was indistinguishable from pollution itself.
Their ears rang with the constant hawking and shouting that erupted from every direction.
And yet.
After a brief stretch of chaos…….
They adapted to their surroundings far better than expected!

“You know, this might not be so bad after all?”

The elf who had questioned Embrog directly on whether this was right had changed her mind in a single day.
Especially the long-haired elf among them…….

“Wow!”

She was genuinely delighted.
The vibrant energy of the place, the throng of people!
And they hadn’t rejected her despite being of a different race!

“Ah, are you the elf lady, a guest of our lord? Come here and have one of these before you go.”

They even showed kindness without expecting anything in return.

“For someone so young, you’re remarkably kind! Thank you so much!”
“Young……? How old are you, if I may ask?”
“Well, I stopped counting after four hundred years or so.”
“Do take care, ma’am!”

The elf enjoyed the Market while receiving the vendor’s polite bow.
And what captured their curiosity most of all was…….

Sizzle!

Flour-coated ingredients plunged into bubbling hot oil with repeated splashes, creating an irresistible sound.
A sizzle so mouthwatering that no race could help but stop in their tracks!
It came from the Fried Food vendor’s stall.
And what lay beyond?
Fresh fruit sliced and prepared just right to eat, some stands even turning them into fresh juice served on the spot.
That was far from all.
Flat bread baked on a hearth to order, a Meat Pie with sauce perfectly placed between the bread, even some mysterious spirits!

It was a staggering feast for the senses.
Of course, such foods weren’t unheard of back in the elven lands…….
But they certainly weren’t part of what the Elite Unit was given to eat.
There was a widespread belief that to strengthen one’s affinity with spirits, one had to maintain a diet as unprocessed as possible.
In truth, the odds that this was false were high, yet there was no real reason to break the habit, so they had to chew vegetables every time.
Elves who didn’t work with spirits faced little difference in their restrictions.
Elven Martial Arts relied on adding nimble spinning motions to strengthen their attacks, requiring light and toned bodies.
Thus, their diet consisted of vegetables supplemented by boiled chicken breast.
Of course, it wasn’t that elves didn’t eat meat.
Some elves had grown so fond of meat that they ate little else.
Just not anyone in this Elite Unit.

Gulp.

They had to endure.
It wasn’t as if they lacked mouths.
With their objectives so clear, they had merely restricted their diets—for anywhere from tens of years to over a century now.
Yet before their very eyes…….
This…….
A feast of flavor.
A visual assault of temptation!
if it unfolds……!

“Senior?”
“Absolutely not.”

The long-haired elf had barely opened her mouth when her senior cut her off short.

“But isn’t this also a form of exchange?”
“Hmm, well……”

She’d refused, yes, but even she was wavering.
She was wavering under an even stronger temptation, a deeper pull.

“Oh, don’t feel obligated to buy—just have a taste, go on.”

The kindly vendor pressed a thick, freshly baked meat pie into each elf’s hands.
The outside was crispy and golden-brown, and the thing had considerable heft to it.

“How many more chances will I get to see elves in this lifetime?”

With that, he waved a casual hand and turned to call out to the other passersby.

“Senior……?”
“…….”

This time, even the senior elf found herself at a loss for words.
There was a world of difference between merely looking at something and having it rest in your own hands.

“Just one bite! Just one!”
“That’s right, just one bite!”

The two elves split the pie in half.
From inside the tender pastry, a savory sauce poured out in a steaming rush.
The aroma—rich and sweet—made their mouths water.
And then.

Crunch, crunch, crunch—

“……!”
“……!!”

Both their eyes flew wide open.
When a person—elf or otherwise—experiences a shock profound enough to mark an inflection point in their life, words abandon them.
Having tasted that single bite and experienced an actual explosion of flavor for the first time, their reason simply shut down.
With all restraint dissolved, the two elves made their way straight back to the entrance of Food Alley and began systematically visiting every stall in order.
They didn’t regain their senses until they’d sampled every last dish the place had to offer.
Simple meals, vegetables, food without seasoning—
for elves who insisted on a Slow-Aging Diet, it was inevitable that their stomachs would suffer for it……

“Ugh! One more round, senior!”
“Let’s go!”

But one thing was certain: they looked happy.

“Oh my.”

Lion, busy purchasing materials for basic Alchemy lessons with Freyana, caught sight of their indulgent display and let out an awkward laugh.

‘I think my first Alchemy potion should probably be a digestive remedy.’

On top of that, he’d need to prepare some food that was good for hangovers.
Lion moved quickly through the streets.

* * *

But then.
Before Lion could do anything, the situation began to unfold.

[A Lower-Tier Fire Spirit is breathing flames from its mouth!]
[A Lower-Tier Water Spirit is spurting water!]
[A Lower-Tier Wind Spirit is spinning round and round!]

The Lower-Tier Spirits wandering around the village had begun showing signs of distress, one after another.

‘Could it be…?’

Lion hurried back to the Mansion, seeking out Freyana, who had yet to venture beyond the Asteri Estate.

“Hey.”
“Oh! You’re back already…? So soon?”

Freyana, sensing something odd in his manner, had greeted him warmly before her eyes widened in surprise.

“Has something happened?”

Lion explained what he’d witnessed without embellishment.
He’d judged that Freyana would be a safer and more reliable source of information than bringing it to Embrog. There was another reason too.
If the matter came to that professor’s attention….

‘Things would definitely spiral out of control.’

There was no point in scratching open wounds that were already healing.

“Do you know anything about this?”
“Hmm… It sounds like the Contractors—the elves—have been eating and indulging excessively, and now the Spirits are having problems too. I have an idea what it might be.”
“What?”
“Indigestion.”
“…Spirits get that too?”
“Oh, not the kind of digestive upset you’re thinking of!”

Freyana, believing she’d been helpful, suddenly perked up and retrieved a book roughly the size of a torso, then opened it.

The pages rustled softly.

Thick paper turned, and she flipped to about the middle section.

“Look here.”

-The stronger the Bond between a Contractor and their Spirit, the greater the tendency for that Spirit to resonate with the Contractor’s physical condition.

“But only the Lower-Tier Spirits showed symptoms?”
“Because they’re the weakest. The Mid-Tier Spirits should start showing reactions soon too, I imagine.”

The moment Freyana finished speaking, a commotion began erupting from beyond the door.

“My goodness, what kind of wind is this?”
“Ah, it’s cold!”

Freyana shrugged her shoulders.

“It’s just indigestion, so once your Mana recovers, the spirits will heal themselves naturally. Of course, since we’re in a city and not nature, it’ll take a bit longer…… Wait, does that mean I have to look at those smug elves’ faces for even longer?”

A new worry had dawned on her.
While Freyana fretted, Lion cracked open the door and surveyed what was happening outside.
And he witnessed it.

[Sylph releases wind uncontrollably!]
[Undine generates an endless stream of mist.]
[Salamander’s body temperature spikes sharply.]

The spirits’ abnormal manifestations.

“Ugh.”

Lion closed the door again.

‘This looks like something I need to handle.’

If he left things as they were, the Mansion would be devastated by every natural disaster imaginable.
Moreover, if an accident like this erupted on the very first day of the temporary exchange, what incentive would any elf have to participate actively in future meetings?
The Asteri Estate’s first impression was on the brink of becoming a complete disaster.

‘This is turning into a bigger problem than I anticipated.’

He’d simply planned to make a restorative broth or stew for the next day to help with the hangover and digestion, and use the occasion to teach Freyana how to whip up a digestive tonic or two.
Now that he’d entered the skilled stage of Alchemy, he could produce simple potions almost instantaneously with barely a thought.

“That’s why people who’ve spent their whole lives just managing things never work out. Right, Salamander?”

Salamander pressed snugly against Freyana’s shoulder and puffed out its chest with dignified pride.
For all their posturing, they both looked so small and insignificant.

“Speaking of which, you’re doing alright?”
“Me? Of course. I’d never lose my mind like that eating street food in the first place—I always come prepared.”

With that, Freyana pulled something from her bag.

“What’s that?”

It was a stone. Or at least, it looked that way.

“A Spirit Stone?”

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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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