Chapter 127

Chapter 127
Chapter 127: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

As the faint, flowing current vanished beneath a hungry wave of fire, Rikschel and the entire pool were instantly swallowed by a roaring expanse of flames.

Despite being a blazing inferno large enough to devour an ordinary cottage, there was no oppressive heat.

Instead, the warmth felt remarkably like a mother’s gentle embrace.

The fire continued to climb upward along Rikschel’s hand, tracing the intricate grooves of the delicate carving.

Eventually, the flames poured directly into the dark aperture where the spring water originated.

It looked entirely natural, unfolding as though it were the intended order of the cosmos.

“Awaken.”

Refusing to let his concentration slip, Rikschel fought to rouse the dormant sanctuary.

A drop of cold sweat slipped down his usually gentle cheek.

Thump.

As if answering the call of his divine energy, the entire sacred space gave a soft pulse.

It had accepted him.

The sanctuary had previously yielded only to the sacred power of the Archbishop and the Saintess.

Now, a brand-new divine energy had taken root.

“……”

A faint smile touched the corners of Rikschel’s lips.

Thankfully, the crucial first step had succeeded.

Now, the only task left was to spread his strength through his granted abilities so that the sanctuary could wake up completely.

“I have to do this. No, I will do this.”

Perhaps this marked his true beginning—not merely as an Archbishop Candidate, but simply as “Rikschel.”

“I was the only one who didn’t realize the Archbishop had fallen asleep.”

Rikschel’s gloved hands began to tremble.

He understood all too well the motives behind his older brother and sisters keeping the secret.

He knew how fiercely they had protected and cared for him as the youngest of the family.

“Our youngest shouldn’t have to worry about this.”

“We will build a wonderful world for you.”

“……”

He understood everything.

They had likely hidden the truth because they knew how deeply he cared for them.

They feared he would be hurt or overburdened.

They kept it concealed to avoid disrupting his path.

They simply wanted to spare him even the slightest bit of pain.

And yet…

“It’s infuriating.”

He wondered if a priest devoted to the divine was even allowed to experience such frustration.

Rikschel felt a strange awkwardness harboring these turbulent feelings.

Yet, anger simmered within him anyway.

He was angry simply because he had been left in the dark.

He felt pathetic for being the only one sheltered from the truth.

Worse still, he despised himself for turning that baseless shame into resentment toward them.

He felt like shrinking away and hiding in the nearest hole.

Because of that, his determination burned all the brighter.

Perhaps this wasn’t for the sake of the “next generation.” No, it definitely wasn’t for them.

He had wrapped his actions in noble justifications, but… yes.

Quite simply—

“I want to show them.”

He wanted to prove to his older brother, his older sisters, and even the sleeping Archbishop that he was more than just someone who needed constant protection.

So, as a quiet act of rebellion, he had chosen to complete the unfinished sanctuary on his own terms.

Rikschel bit his lower lip and offered a wry smile.

“……”

Lion, having caught a glimpse of his expression, quietly looked away and stepped back.

He didn’t know all the details, but judging by that look, Rikschel was clearly taking a massive leap forward.

“The first time is always the hardest. Hmm.”

It was a lot like taking the training wheels off a bicycle for the very first time.

You assume someone is steadying you from behind, only to suddenly realize you are balancing entirely on your own.

When you glance back and see no one there, a wave of panic hits you.

Even so, you cannot afford to stop pedaling.

Part of it is the sheer terror of falling if you halt…

Yet there is also an intoxicating sense of liberation once the hands holding you back and pacing your ride are gone.

You feel the coolness of the wind rushing past as you pick up speed, taking in the wide, open scenery as trees and landscapes blur by.

A bright blue sky, the breeze brushing against your cheeks.

It is terrifying and difficult to attempt, but deeply exhilarating and rewarding when you succeed.

It leaves you wanting to shout out to anyone nearby, “I did it!”

All of those emotions intertwine to forge a profound sense of achievement.

That rush is so addictive that you never want anyone to hold your bicycle steady ever again, no matter how many times you might fall afterward.

What happens if you get tired?

Well, you can simply dismount and rest for a little while.

“Well, given how intense everything looks right now, that kind of nostalgic chat is probably unnecessary.”

Lion shifted his gaze to the water, which had now spilled over the edges of the spring and was rushing through the aqueduct.

It was a magnificent sight.

“Wandering around to sightsee is completely out of the question now, isn’t it?”

“Pii.”

Nature, wearing an expression that seemed to say, “What a waste of a good opportunity to loot this place,” fluttered upward and landed squarely on top of Lion’s head.

The creature seemed to enjoy hot spring water, but this particular liquid clearly wasn’t to its liking.

That made sense, of course, since holy water and spirit water operated on entirely different principles.

Or perhaps it simply reminded the little being of Elvia.

The two forces shared a surprising number of traits.

“If that’s true, then maybe witches and spirits aren’t as incompatible as people think.”

Was it because Nature happened to be a Spirit King, rendering it immune to elemental restrictions?

“Who knows.”

Regardless, every time a stray droplet of spring water splashed onto a plant, the monochrome flora—previously stiff and lifeless as stone—suddenly began to show signs of vitality.

To Lion, it looked just like watching vibrant colors being brushed onto a black-and-white sketch.

“…Paint?”

At that exact second, a mental lightbulb flickered on above Lion’s head.

“Did you say it’s like paint?”

Lion sprang to his feet and swept his gaze across the interior of the sanctuary.

Now that he really thought about it, didn’t this entire chamber resemble a blank canvas?

“Come to mention it, didn’t they call this place an unfinished labyrinth?”

That meant its ultimate purpose wasn’t rigidly defined, leaving it open to free transformation.

And the catalyst for that transformation was this holy water, which essentially functioned as a concentrated source of life force.

He didn’t fully understand the mechanics, but within the boundaries of this sanctuary…

Perhaps. Just perhaps.

Maybe it could be sculpted into something even more complete using the holy water.

“If this unfinished sanctuary is the sketch, and that spring water is the paint…”

Lion shot a quick glance toward Rikschel before walking over to a nearby tree.

The tree was completely dry, withered, and incapable of emitting any natural energy.

“Pardon me, I’m just going to borrow a small piece.”

He reached into his tool pouch, pulled out a carving knife, and shaved off a sliver of bark.

Just as he expected, the bark was brittle and dry, feeling as though it might shatter into crumbs at the slightest careless touch.

“I’ll take it nice and slow.”

With extreme care, Lion began to shape the material with his knife.

First, he carved out a pair of wings, making sure to highlight the natural texture of the bark.

Next, drawing on his experience crafting building blocks for Peter, he fashioned a main body to hold the wings, cutting a precise slot to join them together.

Click.

Fortunately, the pieces fit snugly. Although delicate, it felt sturdy enough to withstand a gentle breeze.

“And finally…”

Lion picked up a thin twig from the layer of fallen leaves on the ground, twisting it into tiny sensory antennae and little landing legs.

『 Butterfly Model (Unfinished) 』

* A delicate butterfly model crafted from fragile natural materials.
* It preserves the unique texture of raw materials, giving it a distinctive tactile feel.

Considering the unpredictable medium, it had turned out to be a surprisingly decent model.

“I was worried it might register as something bizarre since it’s just made of tree bark…”

Miraculously, it qualified as a butterfly.

Not that it would have ruined anything if it turned out differently, but a butterfly was pleasing to look at.

Lion let out a relieved breath and pulled out a fine paintbrush.

With the model finished, it was time to run the actual experiment.

“Though calling it much of an experiment is a bit of a stretch.”

He filled a potion flask with some of the flowing spring water and dipped the tip of the brush inside.

Once the bristles were thoroughly saturated, he squeezed out the excess moisture against the rim of the flask to maintain precise control.

Too much water could easily dissolve the fragile creation.

And then—

“Phew.”

More delicately than when he had carved the wood, he began to sweep the brush across the miniature butterfly.

It felt as though he were applying watercolor paint and letting the material drink it in.

Then.

Ssssss-

The clear water vanished entirely into the wood.

“…Huh?”

And for a moment, nothing else happened.

“Ppippi.”

Nature gave its wings a light flap atop his head.

“Ah, you think it’s still missing something?”

“Pii.”

Now that he looked closer, the butterfly model did have a slight sheen to it, almost as if it had been given a coat of polish.

Lion dipped the brush into the water once more and layered on more moisture, mimicking the motion of a painter.

As he did, the glossy finish intensified, and suddenly, the frustrating tag of “unfinished” vanished from the item description!

After repeating the process a few more times, blending the liquid like layers on a canvas…

*Twitch*.

The model, which should have been completely inanimate, suddenly moved!

Its dull, monochrome body shifted to a vibrant blue, its delicate wings fluttered, and it launched itself into the air.

“……!”

Standing frozen with the paintbrush still clutched in his hand, Lion could only stare in utter astonishment.

He had only tried it on a whim, yet it had actually succeeded.

『 You have invented the Sanctuary Butterfly (★★)! 』

* A water-attributed butterfly that drinks from the sanctuary spring and distributes moisture to parched plant life.
* A unique environment combined with a touch of ingenuity. What more could a creator ask for?

『 You have invented a special object within a specialized domain! 』

『 You have gained massive bonus experience points across all related crafting talents! 』

『 Woodworking Proficiency has reached Apprentice Lv. 6! 』

『 Painting Proficiency has reached Apprentice Lv. 4! 』

And above all—

『 You have made a significant contribution toward completing the ‘Unfinished Sanctuary’! 』

『 Anyatras, the deity of eternal flame, takes notice of your meritorious deed. 』

『 Should you desire it, the path of a priest stands open to you at any time. 』

Even a god had taken notice.

“Umm…”

Fortunately, perhaps out of mercy for the current situation, the deity didn’t immediately force divine power upon him.

“While I appreciate the attention…”

…For the time being, I really don’t need any divine power!

Besides, he had no idea what kind of disaster might occur if someone tried to juggle both magic and divine energy at the same time.

Lion shook his head firmly.

“Pull yourself together.”

Naturally, what he had created was unique, but strictly speaking, it wasn’t an actual living organism.

Hadn’t the notification window classified it as an invention or a special object?

So, if Rikschel woke up later and started asking questions, he could easily play dumb or claim it was just a specialized watering tool…

“Right, first I need to check how much water this butterfly actually distributes.”

Performance testing came first.

He needed to figure out how large an area a single butterfly could sustain.

Lion turned around to track the path of the newly created creature.

And.

He noticed that a considerable stretch of the ground the butterfly had crossed had already turned a healthy, vibrant blue, looking as though it had been freshly painted.

“Hmm.”

In other words, the butterfly’s efficiency was remarkably… high!

Maybe a dozen of them would be more than enough to cover the entire sanctuary.

“I suppose I ended up making a ‘springfly’ instead of a traditional sprinkler.”

…Ah, whatever works.

Since things turned out this way, maybe he should craft a few more?