Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing - Chapter 75

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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 is a Mystery, So I’ll Just Heal | Chapter 75

Elvia grasped Lion’s meaning at once.

‘I know nothing of this. Handle it as you see fit.’

She would not kill them, but the young master had devised a clever scheme to ensure they could never pursue again.
He would transform them into bandits.

“Quite so. I wonder how delighted the count would be if ‘some adventurer’ happened to apprehend these bandits.”
“Indeed. I do hope they’ll be punished well, and that they’ll ‘repent of their crimes’ while they’re at it.”
“Of course. Though we ourselves had nothing to do with it.”

Count Lungen leaned toward House Asteri’s interests.
Which meant these men would become bandits whether anyone liked it or not.
And whatever power stood behind them would never dare reveal itself.
From the count’s perspective, he’d deepened his favor with House Asteri—he would be quite pleased indeed.

‘They dared target the young master. Death would be their due.’

Yet our master’s kindness meant even this much was a mercy.
Meanwhile.

‘If you knew he was Asteri and acted anyway, you must bear the consequences.’

As Lion had said before, he did not consider himself a good man.
He did try to live virtuously, certainly.
But he was not so foolish as to pity assassins who had aimed for his life and simply let them go.

‘It was me this time. But next—who will it be?’

It was possible, after all.
That the next target might not be him, but Ricshel.

“Since bandits might attack, it would be wise to depart somewhat earlier.”
“Yes. Let’s go.”

After breaking camp, the carriage set off at once.
One day passed. Then another.
Four days had elapsed in total—one full day after Lion entered the village in Lungen Territory.
And then.

“Good heavens……”
“Wh-what in the world is that?”

The villagers at the edge of Lungen Territory stood slack-jawed at the extraordinary sight.

“Shh. Don’t make eye contact.”
“Act like you didn’t see. Didn’t see a thing.”

Dozens of rough-looking men lay bundled in rope like dried fish, dumped unceremoniously in the village square.
Not one of them seemed to harbor any further resistance—all had the air of the utterly defeated.
Their faces were bruised as though thoroughly beaten, and their clothes looked like rags they’d simply grabbed off the ground.

“What on earth is this?”
“A-an attack?”
“Look at their faces—it hardly seems like one.”
“Lord, they’ve been beaten soundly.”
“Shouldn’t we call the guards?”

As the murmuring grew louder and more widespread,

“Fall back!”

soldiers dispatched by Count Lungen came flooding in.
And the officer leading them shouted in a somewhat stilted tone,

“My word! To capture bandits who were attacking the villagers and bring them in! Who on earth would do such a righteous deed! Was there no one to witness it?”

Of course there were no witnesses.
They had appeared suddenly in the town square out of nowhere.

“Commander, it seems the one who captured these bandits had no intention of seeking a reward!”
“Splendid! To exert such effort for the town’s safety! This nameless adventurer—no, this hero! When we find them, I shall inform the Count and ensure they receive great recognition. For now, take these villains away!”
“Yes, sir!”

Everything that followed unfolded exactly as Lion had anticipated.
Count Lungen, having received a covert letter from House Asteri in advance, had begun spreading rumors that some mysterious adventurer had raided a bandit hideout.

“There were really bandits here?”
“Well… there were, weren’t there?”
“But that many of them?”
“Good heavens. You’ve done something truly remarkable.”

Fortunately, the townsfolk’s attention had fixed not on the adventurer’s identity, but on the sheer number of bandits that had apparently been lurking about.

“Honestly, we came close to real trouble. Didn’t we?”

Lion, disguised with the Perfect Disguise Hairpin, spoke with casual ease.

“Indeed. Had we encountered them directly, I scarcely know what would have become of us…”

Andrie replied awkwardly, chuckling dryly.
Though he had not witnessed the marauders himself, Andrie possessed intuition enough.
He understood perfectly well that all of this was Lion’s doing.
But then again—
so what?
It was only natural that our Young Master Lion would have some greater purpose behind such an act.

“In any case, it’s no concern of ours.”

Andrie spoke with quiet finality, then gathered the luggage.
The problem was resolved for now; all that remained was to prepare for the Teleportation.
Elvia returned after completing the final procedures and asked,

“You understood all the precautions, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”

The precautions were straightforward enough.
Don’t move too much while using the Warp Gate.
Anything outside the magical circle doesn’t get transported, no matter what it is.
And if you’re unlucky, you might experience some Warp Sickness…
though that was hardly surprising.
Since he’d never used a gate before, it would feel unfamiliar, but really it amounted to the same as “don’t stick your hand out the window of a moving carriage.” Expensive though it was, a Warp Gate remained a remarkably stable means of travel.

Lion stepped into the Warp Gate.
A vast chamber stretched before him, its ceiling completely covered in intricate magical circles.
But that wasn’t all.
Mana Stones and devices supporting those circles glimmered in steady intervals, their connections forming circuits of light.

“Wow.”

Andrie stood transfixed, his eyes darting across the chamber in wonder.
Fair enough—this spectacle was worth the awe.

‘As for me…’

Having already experienced the Labyrinth, Lion felt less struck by the sight, though it was impressive nonetheless.
Still, the promise of travel kindled something warm in his chest.
As Lion took his place at the gate’s center, an attendant activated it and spoke.

“Please close your eyes to brace for any disorientation from the transfer.”

Everyone, Lion included, shut their eyes as brilliant light pierced through their sealed lids.

“Have a pleasant journey.”

With those parting words, a weightless sensation seized Lion’s body before—

“Open your eyes now, if you please.”

Another attendant’s voice cut through the moment.

“Already? We’ve arrived already?”

Andrie’s eyes snapped open first, immediately surveying his surroundings.

“Goodness! My word! We arrived just like that—one blink and we’re here!”

Andrie launched into an effusive stream of praise, calling it inspired, truly revolutionary, sparing no superlative.
Hearing this, Lion opened his eyes slowly…

‘Ah.’

Certainly efficient in its design.

Hardly surprising—how many nobles used this gate for their travels?
More than a few traveled in disguise, surely.

Yet even these mages wore swords…
Without doubt, this was House Bydentis territory.

Compared to the Asteri Family Estate, the temperature here was noticeably lower.
Lion hadn’t felt it himself thanks to his clothes, but when he saw Andrie quickly pulling a thick coat from their luggage, it was clear the weather was genuinely cold.

“Come now, young master—put this on first, won’t you?”

Travel clothes would have sufficed, but wandering about like this was bound to attract unwanted stares.
Lion stepped out of the Warp Gate without protest to change into proper attire.
And then.

“……Ugh.”

He felt a wave of nausea unlike anything he’d experienced before.
The ceiling and floor tilted and swayed like ocean waves, and his stomach lurched violently.
Everything he’d eaten last night and this morning threatened to come back up.

“Retch.”

His stomach was in no good state. Decidedly not.

‘Surely not……’

Lion collapsed where he stood and clamped a hand over his mouth.
He couldn’t think of anything else—the nausea was too overwhelming.

“Oh my! Young master has fallen ill with Warp Sickness, hasn’t he?”

The Warp Gate operator dropped his brows with sympathy, his voice tinged with regret as he looked down at Lion with pity.
His bad premonition had been right.

“You won’t be able to move in this state, I’m afraid. There’s no cure for Warp Sickness, you see.”

Warp Sickness.
One person in millions contracted it—and Lion had been the unlucky winner.

“……How infuriating.”

Even Elvia looked troubled.
Which could only mean there truly was no remedy.

‘This…… cursed luck. Damn it.’

Why him, of all people?
And Lion possessed the Mana Distribution Technique, no less.
He’d never imagined he could suffer from Warp Sickness—not when he could handle Mana itself!

“There’s a nearby Inn where we could make a reservation……”
“If so, we should move there and let him rest……”

Thump.

As the operator and Elvia discussed something, Lion’s consciousness slipped away and he fell into an exhausted sleep.
It was worse than his worst hangover in living memory.

* * *

Lion opened his eyes only late that afternoon.

“Young master.”
“Hnn……”
“Are you back with us?”
“I feel like I might actually live after all…….”

After sleeping and waking, my body felt far better than I’d expected.
Though if you asked whether it was back to normal condition, well—that was another matter.

“Still, I’m relieved you’ve recovered so quickly.”

Apparently, some people suffer from Warp Sickness for a full day or more—sometimes even three or four days.

“Please try this, at least. It’s Snowmountain Honey Tea, a local specialty.”

Lion accepted the honey tea and drank it.
The hot, sweet liquid went down, but…… it didn’t seem to help much.

“……I’m going to make an anti-Warp Sickness remedy before I leave.”

As Lion murmured this with resolve, Nature—who’d been perched beside him the whole time—began pecking at his thigh insistently.

“The Spirit seems to have been quite worried. It hasn’t left your side for a moment since you fell ill.”
“You were worried about me?”

After handing back the barely-touched tea, Lion gave Nature a light tap. The bird let out a series of indignant chirps in response.
Judging by its behavior, it had been very worried indeed.
And…….

‘I think Nature’s the reason I recovered so fast from the Warp Sickness.’
Lion looked at the notification that had been visible since he woke.

[Your companion Spirit Nature’s effect continuously restores your status conditions.]

That must be why it stayed pressed against him the entire time he slept.
But wouldn’t that drain its strength considerably?
Looking closer…….

“Chirp.”

With a fluff of its short wings, it seemed to insist it wasn’t weakened by such a trifle.
And then…… flump.
Its legs gave way and it collapsed right there.
As expected.
Without the Spirit Master providing energy, how could Nature possibly recover its strength on its own?

“Elvia, could you hand me my bag?”
“Right here.”

Lion pulled out the Lion’s Special Spirit Water he’d brought just for situations like this.
He’d actually made quite a bit before the journey, but hadn’t given any to Nature until now.
He’d been worried that if its palate became too refined, it might start refusing regular Mana Stones.
But now…….

‘I can’t hold back now.’

The moment Nature saw Lion reach for the Spirit Water, it opened its beak wide and chirped eagerly.
With the bird urging him on so impatiently, Lion…….

Gulp.

drank it first.

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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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