Chapter 13

Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Welcome!”

Lion, who had arrived, choked back the urge to speak and pulled his hood down further over his face.

He had wandered all over the territory, yet he had never imagined a place like this could possibly exist.

No, it was completely fair that he hadn’t known about it, tucked away as it was in a shadowy back alley where nobody would ever think to look.

“It’s a spot only those in the know, know. Illegal goods…”

“Will not be found here. Perhaps.”

“…”

“Perhaps” shouldn’t really be an option, should it?

Lion turned Rikschel’s vague words over in his mind and slowly surveyed the interior of the shop.

A stray broom was sweeping dust off the floor completely on its own, while a massive feather hovered in midair, dusting off various artifacts.

A magical dustpan snapped up the debris and dumped it straight into a waste bin.

‘A robotic vacuum cleaner, basically…’

On shelves that floated effortlessly in the air, an assortment of magic-infused merchandise was on display.

『Ear Hoop Earrings』

* Amplifies your hearing by double.
* This is a single-use consumable.

『A Fountain Pen Used Three Times at Once』

* Perfect for churning out massive amounts of notes.
* The handwriting subtly shifts, making it impossible to trace!
* Ink sold separately.

There were gadgets of every description, but the items themselves…

They didn’t exactly look like things meant for adults, did they?

Noticing Lion’s curious gaze, Rikschel volunteered an explanation without being asked.

“I found out about this place back when I was still attending the academy.”

“Hmm.”

So this was where academy students slipped off to whenever they wanted to skirt the rules.

That explained why he had remained entirely clueless.

Usually, only the offspring of elite nobility went to the academy.

Naturally, someone like Rikschel hadn’t stayed long, merely showing his face from time to time just to build up his network.

Private tutoring proved far more efficient, and the brilliant Rikschel had quickly outgrown even that.

As for Lion, his ignorance of the place came down to his chronically frail physique.

He hadn’t even managed to properly get through his coming-of-age ceremony, so there was hardly anything else to be said on the matter.

“They might look a bit eccentric, but a lot of these actually pack a serious punch.”

At Rikschel’s confident assertion, the store clerk flashed a wide grin.

“Just let me know if you’re hunting for anything specific! We’ve got potions that clear out stubborn sinuses and magical tools that handle your hair-washing automatically. Well, except for any miracle cures that sprout hair on a bald scalp, of course.”

“I’m looking for disguise gear.”

“Disguise gear! You’ve definitely wandered into the right shop for that. Right this way, please!”

The concealment items appeared to be quite high-end, as the clerk guided them toward a private room tucked away in the corner.

『Skinny Bracelet』

* Impromptu party coming up? This is all you’ll ever need.
* Side effect: Triggers an intense craving for a midnight snack right at midnight.

『Height-Increasing Insoles』

* Slip these on whenever you need to tower over the crowd.
* They stretch out your ankles rather than your actual legs, so anyone with a sharp eye might catch on.

‘Judging by the grade, it’s as if a master artisan crafted them.’

They weren’t terrible, but they weren’t mind-blowing either.

“Everything from this shelf to that corner consists of disguise gear. The inexpensive items that gently tweak your facial features are over on this side, while the serious artifacts capable of altering your natural hair color are in the luxury section. Shifting your base hair color is notoriously tricky, especially…”

Chattering rapidly to drive up the sale, the clerk yanked on a cord dangling from the ceiling.

Instantly, a collection of far more lavish items—completely distinct from anything shown so far—lowered into view.

“The pieces up here boast incredible effectiveness… though, naturally, they sit on the pricier end of the scale.”

The merchandise before them excelled in both aesthetic polish and raw utility.

“I’ll take that set.”

Rikschel pointed a finger directly at a collection of hairpins.

—

『My Unrecognizable Child』

* Even your own parents won’t have a clue you’ve changed.
* Hair color, eye color, and even a stealthily etched tattoo. Alter your appearance as much as your heart desires.
* Automatically wears off ten hours after being put on.

“Please do drop by again sometime!”

With their purchases made, Rikschel and Lion stepped back out onto the street.

“How did you find it?”

“Quite a fascinating place. I might just have to drop back in to browse around again sometime.”

As Lion casually tossed around the bag of freebies handed to him by the clerk, Rikschel breathed a visible sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank goodness. To be honest, I was feeling a tiny bit awkward.”

“Huh? Why’s that? Did you end up writing way too much with that fountain pen or something?”

“It’s not that…”

Rikschel cast a cautious glance around the alleyway before continuing.

“I just felt a bit self-conscious that I was the only one among us who actually went to the academy.”

“Ah.”

So Rikschel had been worried Lion might feel left out or uncomfortable.

‘Well… I didn’t feel that way even in my old memories, so it must have been fine, right?’

Besides, Lion wasn’t really built for the traditional academy environment anyway.

Communal living and crowded dorms.

‘Ah, he probably would have just withered away into dust even faster.’

That was the reality of teamwork and group harmony for someone cursed with a sickly body.

Of course, a bit of social conditioning is vital for dealing with people in general…

Since Lion happened to be a rather eccentric soul by nature, it was best to just brush past the thought.

“Shall we go ahead and apply our disguises, then?”

“Let’s.”

Rikschel and Lion each picked up one of the rather comical-looking hairpins.

“Looks like we only need to tweak our hair and eye colors for this.”

After all, their chosen cover story was that of kind-hearted, wealthy young masters out on a stroll.

That way, they could hand out assistance without drawing unwanted scrutiny.

“Right. What shade were you thinking?”

“Let’s just go with the most ordinary colors available.”

The most common baseline traits around these parts happened to be brown hair paired with blue eyes.

The moment both of them simultaneously slipped the hairpins into their locks, the ornaments dissolved like morning mist, seamlessly shifting their hair and eye pigmentation.

“The transformation took nicely. Now, let’s make our way to the second stop.”

Rather than an orphanage, the next destination on their itinerary was a local grain mill.

As they drew closer to the rustic mill situated right beside the riverbank, a rich, sweet, and comforting aroma drifted through the air.

“I heard this mill also grinds up grain to bake and sell its own bread.”

“Bread, too?”

That came as a bit of a surprise.

Usually, mills restricted themselves to crushing grain or pressing oil, didn’t they?

“Is that the main reason we’re heading here?”

The Asteri Territory was vast enough to house several different mills.

Yet Rikschel had stubbornly insisted on visiting this particular one on the absolute outskirts, leaving Lion puzzled until now.

Of course, Rikschel wasn’t making the trip purely for a loaf of bread.

His real target was the miller himself, Nicholas.

According to the intelligence gathered by their servant, unlike most dishonest millers who skimmed a portion of the grain off the top, this man played fair—and despite living a somewhat isolated life outside the main settlement, he maintained deep, genuine ties with the local folk.

‘And that’s not even the half of it.’

He possessed an unending well of compassion for the less fortunate and frequently pitched in with donations.

He truly believed that performing good deeds would inevitably draw down divine blessings and good fortune.

He stood out as one of the very few devoted believers in a territory where magic otherwise ruled supreme.

‘I can’t quite wrap my head around putting your faith in a deity over practical magic…’

Even so, given their current circumstances, the man was an absolute asset.

‘If I can manage to strike up a good rapport with him, getting an introduction to a priest might actually be within reach.’

And so, he had deliberately tacked on a heavy load of flour to his donation list, choosing to handle the errand in person.

“Smells incredible, doesn’t it?”

“It really does. Bread baked straight from freshly milled flour is supposed to have an entirely different depth of flavor.”

“Oh.”

Freshly milled flour…

‘That means whole wheat, right?’

While snow-white refined flour created by sifting away all the bran has its merits, whole wheat carries a distinct, rustic charm of its own.

It delivers a dense, chewy bite accompanied by a subtle tang that works wonders for stimulating the appetite right before a meal.

And did it stop there?

‘Whole wheat cookies would probably be fantastic, too…’

Visions of crisp, earthy cookies he had tasted in the past instantly danced through Lion’s mind.

‘They were delightfully crunchy and possessed this amazing, deep, nutty fragrance.’

Now that he possessed actual culinary talent, he felt a strong urge to try baking them himself if the opportunity arose.

Spotting freshly milled whole wheat flour in person would likely unlock brand-new recipes in his head, making it well worth observing the process while he was already here.

That way, he could whip up whatever caught his fancy later on without any trouble.

“…”

While Lion remained lost in his culinary musings, the two brothers finally arrived at the mill’s doorstep.

“Welcome in! We’ve been anticipating your arrival.”

Brushing stray dusting flour from his clothes, a remarkably broad-shouldered man emerged from the wooden cabin.

It was Nicholas, acting as both miller and baker.

“How did the batch turn out?”

“Splendidly, of course. It’s been quite a while since I’ve had the pleasure of processing grain of this high a grade. Not a single worm-eaten kernel in the bunch—truly top-tier stuff! Though… if you don’t mind my asking, why on earth do you need such a staggering quantity of flour?”

“I happened to cross paths with some starving children recently. I felt a sudden urge to make a substantial donation out of pure sympathy.”

“Ah, now that is a genuinely admirable decision. Have you settled on a specific place to send it yet?”

“I’m currently weighing my options between Leyla Orphanage and Medic Orphanage.”

“Hmm.”

Nicholas gave a slow, contemplative nod.

‘Not a bad choice, but…’

The two locations named by the young nobleman were already relatively well-funded and stably run operations.

They were facilities that managed to raise children without severe deprivation, occasionally even seeing some of their wards adopted into respectable noble households. Because of that reputation, they constantly enjoyed a healthy cycle of steady donations and public subsidies.

‘Well, naturally, young masters of their stature would only ever hear of those prominent places.’

Not that those orphanages were deserving of criticism, mind you.

After all, he firmly believed that any form of charity carried value.

Just as Nicholas was preparing to offer an approving smile and a nod, Rikschel—as though he could read the miller’s underlying thoughts—interjected with a pointed question.

“To be completely honest, I only mentioned those because I simply don’t know of any others. Do you happen to know of a place you might personally recommend?”

It was a prompt delivered with clear intent.

“…! Wait, could it be that you’re open to supporting the orphanage under the direct jurisdiction of the local temple?”

“The temple’s facility? I was under the impression their infrastructure was in better shape.”

“Ah, well, they used to be comfortably set up. But lately, perhaps due to a shift in political winds or dwindling favor, their regular subsidies have plummeted, leaving them in quite a tight spot.”

Nicholas let out a heavy sigh, noting that it had been ages since they last saw an outside donor walk through their doors.

“Compounding the issue is its isolated location, meaning most people simply forget it exists. Which is understandable. Since it technically falls under the temple’s purview, the ruling house of the Asteri Territory doesn’t extend direct aid.”

A soft, self-deprecating chuckle escaped Nicholas as he dropped a subtle hint.

“So, if you happen to have no objections, perhaps you might spare a thought for that place as well…”

“Roughly how many children are currently staying there?”

“Let’s see, not an overwhelming number. Around thirty souls, give or take.”

“I see.”

Nicholas nervously wiped his sweat-dampened palms down the front of his work clothes, his expression thick with anxious anticipation.

‘This young master…’

As a humble commoner and miller, he lacked the insight to know every high-ranking noble, but this boy clearly carried the air of someone from an immensely influential background.

‘Especially considering the sheer scale of his flour order.’

If things broke right, the temple orphanage’s desperate situation might finally see a miraculous turnaround.

“…”

Breaking the brief, tense silence that followed, it was Lion—not Rikschel—who spoke up.

“In that case, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we baked up some fresh bread on the spot so the kids can enjoy it right away?”

“…!”

For Nicholas, those words felt nothing short of a divine blessing.

—

**Follow-up Question:** Would you like me to adjust the pacing or tone of any specific section in this paraphrased chapter?