Chapter 114

Chapter 114
## Chapter 114: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Is Elvia on vacation?”

“Yes. I sent her away.”

Lion stood before his grandfather and spoke briefly.

He explained that Elvia had departed for a hot spring retreat, requesting that she not be summoned for work, at least for today.

“I see.”

Petrick nodded and directed a steady gaze at Lion.

“Today, I am genuinely just going to stay inside the mansion.”

Anticipating that his grandfather’s look might mean ‘Are you planning to stir up trouble again?’ or ‘Where is Elvia?’, Lion offered a preemptive excuse.

Petrick smiled quietly to himself at the sight.

‘Elvia actually agreed to take time off.’

Her temperament had shifted significantly in a short span.

Petrick himself had never hesitated to suggest a break to Elvia.

In fact, he had urged her to rest whenever the opportunity arose.

Yet, her response was invariably a flat refusal.

She maintained that she felt entirely restless even when occupied, let alone what would happen if she stopped completely.

‘Indeed, back then…’

Elvia’s psychological exhaustion had built up to a severe degree.

Had she been a machine, it would have been a state where every drop of lubrication was gone, screeching with each movement.

What happens if such a machine is abruptly halted?

It simply seizes up and becomes permanently useless.

Understanding her own limits all too well, Elvia had continually turned down Petrick’s advice.

However, now that Lion had addressed the root affliction weighing on her mind, the situation was entirely different.

He had forged positive memories and curated enjoyable days so she would not feel empty.

Such experiences had catalyzed a profound transformation in Elvia’s disposition.

‘An admirable young man!’

Lion must have perceived Elvia’s true nature long before he even tracked down the contract.

That was precisely why he had gone to the trouble of retrieving the document from the labyrinth.

Even so, the grandson had not revealed the slightest hint of his insight.

“I believe Elvia deserves to be rewarded for all her years of dedication to the family.”

“Mmm.”

As expected, his grandson possessed deep understanding.

On the surface, he only engaged in eccentric antics, but perhaps Lion’s inner thoughts were far more profound and steadfast than his own.

“Very well. Elvia is your personal attendant in any case, is she not? I shall not call upon her, even if an urgent need arises.”

“Thank you.”

True to form, his grandfather had granted permission.

‘He seemed subtly concerned.’

It appeared he felt the exact same way I did.

Indeed. A vacation was long overdue.

He understood better than anyone how tirelessly Elvia had worked to look after both the mansion and himself.

That was why he had always longed to grant her some leisure time like this, but…

In truth, he suspected that if he were to simply announce, “You have free days starting today!” she would have adamantly refused.

After all, knowing how to relax is a skill that must be practiced.

Having served the Asteri Family for centuries without a single pause, Elvia had undoubtedly forgotten the art of resting.

‘That was why I mentioned the hot spring.’

…Though it came as a slight surprise that she decided to go accompanied by Freya.

“I-I’ll be right back! It sounds like it’s going to be so much fun!”

“So she says.”

Seeing the two of them wandering the halls with their bathing gear, he felt confident there was nothing to worry about.

Perhaps they got along much better than anyone realized?

“Ah, would you care for some sikhye?”

“It possesses quite a distinct flavor. The subtle spicy aftertaste was remarkably refreshing.”

If his grandfather, who typically evaluated sweet sikhye as merely acceptable, pronounced it quite good, it meant a lot.

Similarly, Rikschel, who had raised no objections to the novel beverage born from the banana sweet potato incident, polished off an entire bottle once again.

‘What a relief. I was concerned whether the rice grains would appeal to their palates.’

Since the entire household praised it, the venture was an absolute success.

“Then I shall deliver the remaining sikhye to the others.”

“Very well. You may be excused.”

Lion bowed respectfully and departed the chamber.

‘On another note…’

Petrick reflected on the question he had deliberately left unasked.

There were still three bottles remaining.

Even assuming two were distributed to Rikson and Barg, who was the final bottle intended for?

‘Has he formed connections with other people?’

Ultimately, it mattered little.

Within the confines of the Asteri Mansion, there did not exist a single soul capable of harming Lion.

Petrick set down his pen, finished the remainder of the sikhye in his own bottle, applied preservation magic to it, and placed it neatly beside the potion bottle Lion had originally given him.

It was an unusual habit, but one that had recently turned into Petrick’s quiet pastime.

—

While Lion roamed the corridors of the mansion distributing sikhye, Barg stirred.

“Ugh…”

Barg opened his eyes, greeted by an intense wave of muscle soreness.

The simple act of twitching a finger sent searing pain through his arms, shoulders, and chest.

‘Where am I?’

Gazing up at the ceiling, he felt a wave of relief that he was not outdoors.

Is this the afterlife?

Ah. That is right.

I am alive.

For a fleeting moment, memories of the immediate past rushed back in a blur.

Sinking into a berserk rage, confronting foes in the forest, mindlessly thrashing with his claws, a deafening crash, and then…

The Young Master descending from the skies…

“Eung?”

Oblivious to his own agony, Barg bolted straight up.

Naturally, he let out a sharp yelp of pain as his battered muscles protested violently.

‘Th-the Young Master fell from the sky?’

It appeared he had somehow been rescued, though significant gaps remained in his memory.

‘I, I must go… find him.’

Panic gripped his chest.

Wait, what exactly did I do? It was undoubtedly something catastrophic…

CRASH!

The moment Barg attempted to leap out of bed, he tumbled face-first onto the floor.

His body simply had not recovered sufficiently.

Under normal circumstances, his muscles would have been utterly shredded, and his overworked claws or teeth permanently damaged.

The only reason it had been reduced to mere muscle soreness was due to Lion’s potent medicine.

Yet, the still disoriented Barg remained unaware of this, trying to bolt upright only to trip and hit the ground.

“Wh-what on earth?”

Jake, who had been dozing while leaning against a chair near the bedside, jerked awake at the commotion and scrambled up.

“Huh? You’re awake… Hey! Are you alright?”

Jake hurried over and positioned himself in front of Barg.

“J, Jake… What happened to me…”

“What happened? You went completely berserk and wreaked havoc. I nearly had a heart attack when you showed up practically drenched in blood.”

Groaning under the strain, Jake hauled the fallen Barg back onto the mattress.

‘Good grief.’

He knew the fellow was a beastman, but experiencing it firsthand, he weighed considerably more than an ordinary person.

‘So that is where all that raw strength during sparring came from.’

In short, his entire frame was packed with dense, combat-honed muscle fiber.

“Calm yourself down. Let’s see here…”

Jake settled Barg back against the pillows and scratched his head.

The Captain had explicitly instructed him to report the moment Barg regained consciousness, but looking at the current state of affairs…

‘He’s going to bolt the second I turn my back!’

Jake rummaged frantically through the nearby drawers, recalling the contingency manual prepared specifically for this scenario.

“Ah, here it is. Step one…”

-When Barg wakes up, summon me immediately.

‘…Forgive me, Captain. I don’t think that’s going to happen.’

-Very well. That approach has likely failed. In that case, proceed to the secondary method.

-Upon waking, Barg will inevitably attempt to run wild; thus, pacify him and recount the entire sequence of events up to this point.

-If he subsequently insists on apologizing to the person he wronged, deter him by stating, “You intend to offer an apology with a body that has yet to heal…”

-Lastly, should he still prove stubborn, strike the back of his neck and render him unconscious.

“…”

Isn’t that an excessively brutal course of action for someone who just woke from a near-death state?

* Barg is a Beastman. Keep that fundamental fact in mind, Jake.

‘Hmm. Indeed.’

That concluding sentence made the Knight Captain’s tactical mindset crystal clear.

If he was not neutralized immediately, the entire plan would unravel.

Jake pictured Barg on the brink of his berserk transformation.

Against that kind of fury, Jake’s current strength and speed would result in him being flattened with a single blow.

Coupled with that boulder-like physical weight…

‘First, since he is conscious, I must relay the facts.’

Clearing his throat with a deliberate ahem, Jake prepared to launch into his explanation when—

Slam!

The door swung wide open.

It was not the Knight Commander, but…

“Gasp! Young, Young Master!”

It was the First Young Master, the very person who had healed Barg.

Jake’s jaw dropped before he quickly collected himself and bowed deeply.

“Shh. It is quite all right, so relax. I merely came to check on you in secret…”

…Or so he had intended to say.

Barg, who should have been resting quietly, was instead sprawled across the bed in an awkward heap.

As their eyes locked, Barg gasped, turning thoroughly flustered.

“Ah, Barg has awakened.”

“Yes.”

Only then did Lion fully grasp the situation.

So, Barg had just come to, and his memories had not yet fully reassembled.

Judging by the look of shock on the beastman’s face, he recognized him to some extent.

‘If that is the case.’

Lion nodded subtly toward Jake.

“I will keep watch over him, so go ahead and make your report.”

“Huh? But.”

It could potentially be hazardous.

Barg remained in an extremely volatile emotional state.

While inherently gentle and timid by nature, it had not been long since his destructive frenzy subsided.

Furthermore, he had regained consciousness ahead of schedule…

“Go on. I am perfectly fine.”

Faced with Lion’s soft yet unyielding tone, Jake abandoned his hesitation and offered a crisp bow.

Indeed. He was the benefactor who brought Barg back from the brink. He was unquestionably more than capable of handling the situation.

“Understood!”

Jake sprinted out of the door, pausing only for a brief second before turning back to offer an even deeper bow.

“…Thank you beyond words for saving my friend!”

It was a brief, rough, yet profoundly sincere declaration.

‘He has friends as well.’

The beastman was integrating into the Knight Order far better than he had initially assumed.

Lion smiled with quiet satisfaction and nodded, prompting Jake to hurry away.

Perhaps because he was unaccustomed to expressing genuine gratitude, the knight’s face was flushed a brilliant shade of beet red.

And thus, only Lion and Barg remained within the chamber.

Lion naturally claimed the chair Jake had vacated and turned his attention to Barg.

“He is a fine friend.”

Barg stared fixedly at the doorway through which Jake had departed.

His frantic, pounding pulse began to steady ever so slightly.

‘A friend…’

Naturally, Barg had always considered Jake a comrade.

Yet, he had never dared to imagine that the sentiment was reciprocated to such a degree.

He had firmly convinced himself that others looked down upon him with contempt…

“How are you feeling?”

“Ah.”

The steady, gentle cadence of Lion’s voice further quelled the turmoil in his chest.

It felt as though the nightmare had never occurred.

Though his aching muscles insisted it was real, the pain was no longer agonizing.

“I-I am well.”

“That is a falsehood. You appear to be in considerable pain?”

Lion set down the two bottles of sikhye he carried, at which point Nature fluttered upward and lightly pecked Barg’s thigh.

“Ugh!”

For a fraction of a second, a sharp spike of muscle pain shot straight up his nerves.

‘Ah, that hurts…!’

Barg looked down at Nature, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

Even a tiny spirit’s peck was enough to send agony through his frame.

“Ah, I suspect you are not quite well yet.”

Barg confessed defeat immediately.

“Indeed. It would be wisest for you to rest quietly for several more days without dwelling on anything else, would it not?”

“Yes…”

Since the injured party himself acknowledged his condition, there was little more to debate.

To be frank, it felt cowardly, but he was overwhelmingly grateful that they were treating him as though nothing shameful had transpired.

Both Jake, and the Young Master as well.

They surely must have witnessed his hideous, berserk state.

Slam!

Unlike before, the door was thrust open with immense force.

There stood the Knight Commander, who must have sprinted the entire way, drawing heavy, ragged breaths.

The Captain marched straight into the room with a terrifying expression etched across his face, and—

Whoosh!

He hauled him into a bone-crushing embrace.

“…Kuaaaak!”

—

What specific character or plot developments would you like to explore next in the Asteri household?