Chapter 146

Chapter 146
## Chapter 146: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

The initial detection came from Barg, stationed in guard duty right beside Rikschel.

Sniff, sniff.

Barg lifted his head as the sugary aroma teased his olfactory senses, sniffing attentively to trace the source of the fragrance.

This definitely originated from the kitchen area.

‘Is the Young Master cooking again?’

First came the scent of bright, assorted fruits, and now a rich, familiar undertone drifted alongside it.

Could this be…….

‘The aroma of that potion?’

That fragrant tonic that rescued him during his berserk state from the eclipse symptoms.

In reality, his recollection of the time he was completely overridden by his instincts remained quite hazy.

Had the Knight Captain and Jake not filled in the details, he might never have retained the memory.

Yet, this honey fragrance remained the singular vivid impression.

Perhaps because of that sole memory, merely inhaling it caused the tension throughout his frame to vanish, strangely soothing his mind.

This reaction was likely amplified by his nature as a werewolf with heightened senses.

Glanc.

“…….”

Barg shifted his gaze toward the young master, who remained intensely concentrated on his duties without ever setting down his fountain pen.

His perfectly even brow was creased with a subtle frown, signaling some form of displeasure.

‘That is unquestionably his face when a report is a disaster.’

Although only a short time had passed since he became Rikschel’s personal guard, Barg had fortunately learned to interpret Rikschel’s expressions within mere days.

In truth, decoding them proved straightforward because the young master possessed a very limited range of facial expressions.

When annoyed or displeased like now, his brow furrowed; when frustrated, he would catch his breath briefly, close his eyes, and release a long exhale.

When genuine fury took over…….

His facial features seemed to freeze entirely, rendering his expression chillingly rigid.

The surging mana served as an intimidating bonus.

‘Terrifying…….’

One could easily argue that the demeanor mirrored Marquis Petrik’s precisely.

Regardless, he displayed only those few distinct expressions, enabling even the somewhat dense Barg to recognize them through careful observation.

Furthermore, he understood exactly what remedy was required.

The precise cure the young master needed right now was…….

‘Young Master Lion.’

Essentially, he functioned as a universal remedy for the young master.

Especially when paperwork piled up in this chaotic state!

Consequently, Barg cautiously observed Rikschel before parting his lips slightly.

“Ex-excuse me.”

“…….”

Naturally, no reply came.

The young master maintained a habit of remaining silent unless speech was strictly necessary.

Another individual might have felt offended, but Barg, having survived a berserk episode, took no offense at such behavior.

Instead, he felt rather indifferent to it, knowing fully that the silence did not stem from any personal dislike by Rikschel.

‘Would he rather…… appreciate it?’

Otherwise, he never would have bothered bringing him along to the temple.

Was it not simply that he struggled with expressing himself compared to Young Master Lion?

Thus, despite his timidity, Barg pressed forward with resolute determination.

“It appears Young Master Lion is preparing something.”

At those words, Rikschel, who had remained unresponsive until then, came to an abrupt halt.

“My older brother?”

Rikschel completely lowered his fountain pen and spun around.

“Yes…….”

“How could you tell?”

“A sweet aroma drifting from the kitchen…… specifically, a honey scent.”

“Honey scent?”

“Yes. It carried the exact fragrance from when you cured me.”

“…….”

Rikschel directed his gaze toward the window.

Though the kitchen housing his older brother remained out of sight, Barg’s description made him feel as though he could practically catch the scent himself.

‘At this hour, though…….’

Midnight had already passed, pushing toward the early hours of dawn.

While pleased to see his older brother pursuing his interests, witnessing such high activity late at night stirred a sense of unease.

To make matters worse, it involved evening primrose.

Rikschel had grown to despise the scent of evening primrose honey.

The reasoning was painfully obvious; he knew all too well how many grueling days his older brother had spent cultivating those evening primroses and brewing potions.

And that was not the end of it.

‘The mere thought of dropping from that immense height…….’

Recalling the incident brought back a wave of dizziness.

He felt an urge to argue against such reckless measures all over again, wondering if a safer approach existed.

Naturally, the final result had been positive.

His older brother promised never to resort to such dangerous methods again, and the effort even secured a dependable ally in the form of the werewolf.

Rikschel thought back to the day Barg had arrived to seek him out personally.

“…….”

That encounter occurred before Barg’s physical recovery was complete.

“What brings you to me?”

In response to Rikschel’s inquiry, Barg dropped instantly to his knees.

Even for Rikschel, witnessing a werewolf suddenly take a knee was startling.

The shock was even greater given the visitor’s injured state.

Yet, far more perplexing than the gesture itself was the declaration that followed.

“Please, I beg of you, let me serve as Young Master Rikschel’s guard!”

He had suddenly volunteered to become his personal protector!

For what possible reason?

Anyone could tell that Barg’s primary loyalty lay with his older brother.

If he intended to lay down his life, he would logically offer it to his older brother—which was indeed Barg’s true sentiment.

“Your reasoning?”

“I wish to repay the kindness shown by Young Master Lion. So I considered who the Young Master holds most dear…….”

Barg stammered, his voice trailing off into a whisper, yet he pushed forward to make his intentions clear.

In short, he desired to safeguard the person his older brother valued above all others.

Naturally, that conclusion led him to a rather blunt realization.

“Young Master Rikschel happens to be the weakest…….”

He unfortunately let that particular thought slip out loud.

The real dilemma was that Rikschel could not even dispute the claim.

Within this household, excluding his older brother, was he not indeed the weakest member?

“…….”

Consequently, despite a severely wounded pride, he found no grounds for refusal and granted permission.

Fortunately, that bond had remained strong to this day.

In fact, Barg’s combat capabilities had advanced exponentially ever since his eclipse symptoms were suppressed.

Within a short span, he had grown strong enough to spar evenly with Knight Captain Rikson, rendering further elaboration unnecessary.

‘Still, of all things, honey.’

He worried his older brother might be plunging into hazardous activities once again.

Had it been possible, he would have marched straight to the kitchen to investigate, but…….

He lacked any valid pretext to do so.

Showing up uninvited would appear far too childish.

“Um, Young Master. Are you perhaps hungry?”

At that precise moment, Barg offered a subtle hint.

……Hungry?

Not that he felt any genuine hunger.

“You skipped dinner, so I assumed you might be in need of a meal. If so, why not head to the kitchen to grab a bite…….”

“Actually, I am rather hungry.”

Rikschel, picking up on Barg’s underlying suggestion, immediately stood up.

Indeed. Seeking out food when hungry was entirely natural.

‘That way, I can run into my older brother naturally and check on him.’

Since the bulk of his urgent work was finished, an accidental meeting would provide a seamless opening to bring up the hotel topic.

Splendid.

Rikschel, his previously furrowed brow now completely smooth, stepped out of the room sporting the faintest of smiles.

‘Heh heh. He must be pleased.’

He felt a quiet sense of accomplishment for figuring out how to lift the young master’s spirits.

Barg’s tail wagged as he trailed closely behind Rikschel.

—

Unaware that Rikschel and Barg were currently marching straight toward his location lured by the aroma of candied fruit, Lion pressed on with his culinary task.

He simmered the fruit repeatedly within a syrup enriched with honey to elevate the flavor profile.

Transferring the fruit directly into a container alongside the syrup would yield the fruit confit he had tasted earlier, but Lion pursued a distinct objective!

Without letting the fruit lose its structural integrity, he extinguished the heat, transferred the sugar-preserved pieces onto a drying rack, and arranged them neatly.

The surfaces already gleamed with a glossy sheen imparted by the sweet syrup.

If they dried properly in this state, the final product promised to be exceptional.

Lifting the drying rack, Lion approached Nature.

Modern techniques offered alternatives like food dehydrators or low-temperature ovens, but Lion possessed a superior option.

“Nature. Could you use a warm breeze to dry these candied fruits?”

“Peep.”

Seeming to thoroughly enjoy the collaborative process of making the treats, Nature immediately fluttered its tiny wings and generated a gentle stream of warm air.

As a pleasant, dry breeze circulated, Lion skillfully applied accelerated maturation techniques.

As the moist flesh dried to a chewy consistency, Lion turned and rolled the pieces to ensure even and attractive drying.

Once the surfaces reached a state where no sticky residue transferred to his fingers…….

“Finished.”

『 Spirit Master’s Candied Apple (★★★) 』

-A candied apple crafted by a Spirit Master alongside their companion spirit.

-The mastery over the spirit’s innate power is truly remarkable!

-Boasts an exceptional chewy texture! A flavor profile bound to captivate both spirits and humans alike.

Beginning with the initial completed apple, all the remaining fruit pieces reached perfection as well.

The sliced apples presented a wonderful appearance, and the other varieties cut along the grain maintained neat, almond-like shapes.

‘Whew.’

Lion released a quiet sigh of relief internally.

Having never tasted candied fruit prior to this, he had harbored doubts about the outcome, but the visual result looked satisfactory at the very least.

Without Nature’s assistance, achieving such clean presentation would have proven far more difficult.

“Here, take a look.”

Smiling, Lion lifted a piece of candied apple to display it to Nature.

“You helped make this.”

At that, Nature ceased flapping its wings and landed gently upon Lion’s palm.

While Nature’s expression remained unchanged, those tiny eyes sparkled with an intensity brighter than usual today.

“Peep……!”

Ordinarily eager to consume food the moment preparation concluded, Nature instead gazed at the candied apple for an extended period without taking a bite!

『 Companion Spirit ‘Nature’ is deeply moved! 』

“Indeed. Feeling proud, are you?”

“Peep peep!”

Chuckling, Lion sliced the candied apple into bite-sized portions for Nature and extended them forward.

Only then did Nature lower its head, tap the creation with its beak, and draw a piece into its mouth…….

“…….”

Zero reaction followed.

‘Is it—is it unappealing?’

The exact second that thought crossed his mind!

Peck. Peck peck!

Nature’s pecking speed instantly accelerated.

Grabbing a slightly larger chunk with its claw while pulling with its beak, it devoured the treat industriously, even sweeping up crumbs with its tiny beak to ensure nothing went to waste.

“It certainly has an appetite…….”

This appeared to be the most enthusiastic consumption of any dish he had ever offered!

Filled with an unwarranted sense of pride, Lion sliced up the remaining portions and handed them over, watching quietly as Nature ate.

He finally understood the universal appeal of food broadcasts.

Experiencing the joy of feeding someone, combined with watching such dedicated eating, naturally stimulated his own appetite.

“I suppose I should sample one myself.”

Though he clearly recalled eating his fill at the night market, the candied fruit somehow managed to look irresistible.

Lion popped a piece of grapefruit candied fruit into his mouth.

“Hmm!”

A startled gasp escaped his lips the instant the flavor hit.

Even without prior experience with candied fruit, the verdict was clear.

The experiment was an absolute success!