Chapter 170

Chapter 170
## Chapter 170: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Rikschel unleashed a flood of reprimands upon Lion.

It was a truly rare spectacle for Rikschel, ordinarily a man of few words, to rattle off such a lengthy speech.

To put it briefly…

“What on earth are you attempting to accomplish, Brother?”

Naturally, as anyone might have guessed, it was an immensely hazardous path to take.

Just what kind of individual the second prince happened to be, how treacherous his nature was, and the sheer scale of his ambitions.

Not to mention the obsessive, relentless drive with which he pursued his objectives.

Lion nodded continuously as he absorbed Rikschel’s words.

He had more than half expected how deep his younger sibling’s anxiety would run.

That was precisely why he had kept the whole matter under wraps.

The single saving grace was…

“Come on, let us have another bowl and talk things over.”

That Lion was enduring this lecture while happily eating the meal his brother had brought straight from the kitchen.

Had he genuinely been furious or upset, he would not have touched a single bite.

“…It is delicious.”

“Eat your fill.”

Even in the middle of all this, he offered a compliment on the cooking. He possessed a truly gentle soul.

“Did you prepare food for the second prince as well?”

“…I did.”

“Did he finish it all?”

“He ate heartily.”

“Sigh.”

He had not been filled in on every detail, but from what he had gathered so far, the second prince had been completely charmed by his older brother.

Indeed, after a brief exchange of words and a taste of his culinary talents, it was only natural that anyone would be drawn to him.

Rikschel chewed and swallowed the remaining food in his mouth, dabbed his mouth with a linen cloth, and let out a heavy sigh.

“Hoo, the fault lies entirely with me for letting my guard down, fully knowing my Brother’s disposition.”

“Pardon?”

Why on earth is the conversation suddenly taking that turn, my dear younger brother?

You did not do a single thing wrong, so why take the blame upon yourself?

“And just what is my disposition supposed to be?”

“Do you not invariably reach out to those in miserable circumstances, Brother?”

“Well, I suppose it is not entirely like that…”

Lion’s charitable acts stemmed from multiple reasons.

Naturally, the primary catalyst was tied directly to the protagonist, though that was certainly a factor as well.

Since he could hardly voice that truth aloud, his sentence trailed off into silence.

“It was bound to happen that you would lend a hand to the second prince.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You know very well.”

Rikschel answered, neatly placing a side dish atop his rice using his practiced, effortless chopstick technique.

“Because he is the most wretched soul residing within this entire hotel.”

“…”

“Every guest arrives here seeking joy and peace of mind. Naturally, one’s gaze is bound to be pulled toward someone sitting entirely by himself, looking utterly forlorn.”

Lion could not stop the corners of his lips from curving upward at those words.

“What is so amusing?”

“Because it is rather heartwarming.”

“What on earth is?”

“Well, if you look at it from that perspective, I suppose your efforts to make him emperor make the two of us quite alike.”

“That is not it at all. It is simply that his individual competence far surpasses that of the first prince…”

Rikschel’s explanation was cut short.

There was more than enough justification to back it up.

His personal cultivation prowess, the complete absence of any external faction supporting him, and the sharp insight required to gather capable allies.

And yet.

His older brother had posed an entirely different sort of question.

Could it truly be said that not a single shred of personal emotion played a part in your decision?

Was it genuinely just cold calculation of practical benefits without any true desire to assist him, despite offering such massive backing?

To be completely honest… yes. He could not claim that personal feelings were entirely absent, but!

“…I hardly think this is the moment to debate that!”

Rikschel managed to pull himself together and snapped back to reality.

He had nearly fallen right into his older brother’s conversational trap!

“Now that I reflect on it, my initial premise was flawed entirely. It is not Brother’s character that is the issue here.”

No matter how irritated he felt, how could he possibly utter such an inappropriate remark?

“I offer my apologies, Brother.”

“No, there is really no need for apologies…”

“This is entirely the fault of the second prince, who had the audacity to arrive at the hotel ahead of schedule despite my postponing our scheduled appointment.”

Rikschel muttered these words while pressing a balled fist against his lips.

“Then again, given his cunning, he may well have sought out Brother deliberately.”

To be sure, he was the future emperor he himself had handpicked, but separate from that reality, the man’s shrewdness was staggering.

And since he undoubtedly possessed a sharp eye for talent, it was obvious he had come specifically to win over his older brother.

Rikschel’s expression chilled slightly.

‘Of course, it is an undeniable fact that Brother is magnificent and extraordinary.’

However, the real problem lay in his Brother’s fragile constitution.

He had certainly regained a fair amount of strength lately, but given his inherently delicate health, he ought not to overexert himself in the slightest.

Judging by the second prince’s temperament, he would stop at nothing to reach his older brother by any means necessary.

And should he ever discover Brother’s true identity…

‘He would latch onto him endlessly.’

That simply would not do. It would wreak havoc on his Brother’s emotional and psychological equilibrium.

Was not peace of mind synonymous with physical wellness?

Furthermore…

‘The Head of the Family would never approve of this either.’

His train of thought gradually shifted toward the pressing necessity of putting distance between his older brother and the second prince.

“Ahem. Brother.”

Rikschel cleared his throat softly and addressed Lion in the gentlest, most affectionate tone he could muster.

“…Yes?”

Lion responded a moment later, a sudden intuition telling him something was amiss.

‘Oh dear. This feels somewhat ominous…’

Lion’s internal emergency radar, which had remained dormant for quite some time, flared back to life.

You know how it goes.

People who wear a constant smile can be terrifying when they finally turn serious.

Yet the opposite is equally alarming.

When someone who usually maintains a rigid, formal tone suddenly shifts into a sweet and tender demeanor.

That, too, signals serious trouble.

“I would never presume to meddle in your affairs, Brother, but I wish to learn from your intentions… or rather, your boundless kindness. May I pose a single question?”

“Y-yes.”

“Why are you going out of your way to assist him?”

The moment had finally arrived.

Lion let out a subdued sigh.

An evasive reply like “my heart simply guided me” or “he looked so pitiful” would never suffice here.

Though he framed it as kindness, what Rikschel was really demanding was likely…

A rational, justifiable motive he could actually accept.

That was the crux of it.

Lion fell silent as he weighed his options.

The simplest route would be to reveal the unvarnished truth.

Namely, the existence of the second prince’s secondary affliction.

‘Judging by his reaction, Rikschel appears completely unaware of it.’

The curse plaguing the first prince had been touched upon during his earlier reprimand, but there had been zero mention of this innate curse.

It was not as though he had deliberately kept it hidden from him; rather, Rikschel genuinely seemed to know nothing about it.

‘Still, that fellow must have been driven to sheer desperation as well.’

To blurt out such a sensitive detail so abruptly…

…At any rate, if I explain that alchemy holds the key to curing the second prince’s innate curse, all of Rikschel’s doubts will instantly vanish.

‘The complication is that I cannot possibly explain the exact process.’

Specifically, the underlying reason why the second prince believes Lion is capable of breaking his curse.

That deduction stemmed entirely from Anyatras at the temple taking notice of him…

“Hmm.”

Lion pondered for a brief moment before parting his lips.

“The primary thing you must understand is that I only intend to assist the second prince on this single occasion. As you are well aware, I have zero desire to entangle myself in such political games.”

“Indeed. I am well aware.”

Rikschel nodded with utmost earnestness and hung on his every word.

“I ended up swindling the second prince.”

“Is that so? I understand completely…”

As Lion continued, Rikschel’s expression slowly hardened into stone.

“Forgive me, but I believe I misheard your words. Would you mind repeating that?”

“I said I scammed him.”

“The second prince.”

“Yes.”

“Brother.”

“Yes.”

“For what reason?”

“To serve my own interests. Though I am unable to disclose the exact nature of those interests to you.”

“…Interests.”

Rikschel remained entirely silent for a remarkably long stretch of time.

Yet one single fact had crystallized in his mind with absolute clarity.

It was simply this…

Brother was never going to confide the true nature of this benefit to him.

“I understand.”

“I appreciate your understanding…”

“Should Brother suffer any significant repercussions or disadvantages as a result of this, I will immediately cease all assistance toward the second prince.”

“Pardon?”

In that eventuality, he had to draw a firm, unyielding boundary.

And Rikschel possessed the exact means to do so.

The most effective way to rein in his older brother was to exert pressure on the surrounding variables.

Fortunately, Rikschel held a powerful card he could readily play in this scenario.

That was to throw his full weight behind the second prince acting strictly as the ‘Heir of the Asteri Family’.

Yes. This maneuver was…

A calculated form of leverage.

‘Without a doubt, that benefit must exist.’

Brother practically never spoke falsely. Especially when it came to matters of this weight.

And if it happened to be something he could not even speak of with ease.

‘It must be a matter so vast I cannot even begin to fathom it.’

He deduced that it likely formed the bedrock for something that would ultimately yield a colossal advantage down the road.

Even so, that did not grant his older brother the license to walk blindly into hazardous situations.

That was precisely why he had forced himself to speak to his own brother in such a threatening tone.

While he would undoubtedly owe him a hundred apologies once this ordeal reached its conclusion, allowing him to remain tethered to the second prince was equally unacceptable.

And not merely on account of the overwhelming workload he had mentioned earlier.

Was not Brother a creature meant to soar completely unhindered like a bird in flight?

As he slowly became entangled in such affairs, rigid constraints would inevitably tighten around him.

The nobility. In particular, the central aristocratic factions aligned with the first prince. Their true weapon was never physical force.

It was their razor-sharp tongues and venomous scheming.

It would manifest as a form of relentless harassment and pressure that Brother might possess a vague awareness of, but had never personally had to confront head-on.

“I am not merely referring to this single isolated incident.”

The unpredictable future posed an even graver threat.

Let us assume he helps the second prince survive this particular ordeal and nothing more.

Even if he operates in disguise and Brother has taken every precaution.

The second prince, however…

Is simply not a man who accepts defeat easily.

He would exhaust every conceivable method to win him over and extract his sympathy.

Did he not pose those very questions during their meeting just moments ago?

Furthermore, once a single player begins stirring the stagnant waters, others will inevitably be drawn into the fray.

“Naturally, I intend to back Brother wholeheartedly and by every conceivable means from this day forward. That conviction will never waver.”

Completely independent of that fact, however.

“Nevertheless. I… I harbor a deep fear that I may ultimately prove unable to shield Brother from harm.”

Rikschel finished his declaration and let his gaze drop to the floor.

It could easily be misconstrued as a veiled threat masked by concern, implying that since he was lending his support, Brother had better exercise strict caution in his conduct.

“You certainly fret a great deal.”

Thump. Lion reached outward and gently ruffled Rikschel’s hair.

Rikschel stood as the rightful heir of the Asteri Family.

He had undoubtedly witnessed countless sordid, backalley dealings in his lifetime.

He recognized full well that this anxiety stemmed entirely from the desperate wish that such filth would never stain his older brother, coupled with the heavy burden of duty to protect his kin.

‘What on earth is to be done…’

Lion pondered quietly for a beat before slowly opening his mouth.

“The sole reason I cannot elaborate at this moment is that I am merely piecing together my own theories. I am by no means keeping secrets from you.”

“…I know that much.”

“Once I have a firm grasp of the situation, I will unquestionably require your assistance then. Therefore, might you grant me a little more time?”

These words carried absolute sincerity.

It likely would not be long before Lion closed in on the absolute truth of the matter.

Information regarding hidden quests, or perhaps rare items.

And was Lion not steadily piecing together clues concerning the hero through his ongoing conversations with the Archbishop, a master well-versed in both divine power and ancient seals?

“Very well… in that case, I shall take my leave and head to my quarters.”

Yet Rikschel’s inner turmoil clearly ran a different course.

The very person he trusted and relied upon above all others was keeping things from him.

At his tender age, the sting of betrayal weighed heavily.

“Indeed.”

As Lion granted permission, Rikschel dipped his head and walked toward the adjoining bedchamber.

With a soft click, the door clicked shut behind him.

Yet the atmosphere felt distinct from the simple disappointment Lion had anticipated.

‘There is undoubtedly something grand at play here.’

Rikschel remained standing in the darkened room, utterly lost in a deep swirl of contemplation.