Chapter 171

Chapter 171
Chapter 171: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

The eyes, half-concealed beneath lowered lids, cast a gentle radiance even through the surrounding gloom.

“Did my brother’s words upset you?”

‘Not in the least.’

Rikschel stared into the dark, empty expanse, gathering the thoughts rising within him.

It was a known fact that his brother occasionally acted in eccentric ways.

Up until now, he had brushed it aside with the mindset of “I must do whatever my brother wishes,” but reflecting on it now, certain occurrences seemed peculiar.

When exactly had this skepticism begun to take root?

Was it when he claimed to have helped finish the sanctuary?

Or was it when he suddenly decided to journey all the way to the Byrdentis Family for a seamstress and a blacksmith?

‘No.’

By that stage, he was already dismissing the doubt and accepting everything at face value.

Then, he had to search much further back in the past.

‘Hoo…’

Rikschel released a deep breath internally.

Truthfully, he didn’t need to guess; he was well aware.

It was the moment his brother began harboring secret worries.

Isn’t it self-evident?

It was when the library swallowed his brother whole.

Perhaps the reason he had tried so desperately to push it out of his mind until now was his reluctance to revisit the memories of that era.

His brother had escaped safely and even emerged as the master of the labyrinth.

If that was the case, then everything ought to be fine, correct? That was what he had assumed.

Indeed, had such an event never occurred, his perspective would have remained unchanged.

Only for the future…

‘…I vowed to protect my brother, and I had faith in him.’

Rikschel felt certain.

Objectively speaking, didn’t his own magical aptitude closely mirror that of the Family Head?

It was evident that it would continue to advance remarkably in the days ahead.

Furthermore, even if that were not the case, he possessed the privilege of being the ‘Asteri Family’s successor.’

Naturally, all of that proved insufficient at present.

Yet, looking ahead, wouldn’t he grow capable enough to shield his people?

I will transform into someone capable of resolving any difficulty.

Therefore, regardless of what my brother does, I can safeguard him completely… or so he had believed.

Yet now, looking back.

‘It was pure arrogance.’

It was a conceited and foolish notion.

That was precisely why his brother had been left with no choice but to keep everything from him.

Rikschel scoffed at his own hubris.

All his previous assumptions were flawed.

For Rikschel, who had navigated life through meticulous calculations, it was a moment bordering on shameful, but.

Upon this realization, a strange sense of liberation washed over him rather than humiliation.

Perhaps it was because a much clearer path had revealed itself.

Rikschel pushed his personal sentiments aside and returned to the core issue.

‘My brother’s troubles definitely originated from the labyrinth incident.’

Rikschel’s sharp intellect functioned rapidly.

He reexamined numerous deductions, condensed them, and ultimately reached a fresh hypothesis.

Indeed. The key to this entire situation surely resided somewhere.

It had to lie within the peculiar potion his brother brewed.

‘…I ought to investigate that first.’

How had his brother formulated that potion through alchemy?

What served as the foundation for it?

What components went into making the potion, and so on.

Perhaps the Family Head possessed some insight regarding its true nature.

However…

‘The fact that he didn’t inform me.’

Signified that the time was not yet right to share it.

Given his typical temperament, he would have waited until the Family Head instructed him otherwise.

Yet.

Rikschel lifted his eyelids, which had been cast downward, and stared fixedly ahead.

“There is no need to wait.”

With a quiet murmur, the corners of Rikschel’s mouth curled upward.

‘I have no alternative but to approach the truth firsthand.’

Rikschel’s eyes glowed softly once more.

To reiterate, this stemmed from no feeling of grievance.

If anything…

It would be far more accurate to say a dormant part of Rikschel had finally awakened…!

—

“Pii.”

Nature, who had been observing the mild bickering between her brothers, fluttered through the air and landed upon Lion’s hand.

“Do you think he is genuinely angry?”

“Pi.”

Nature glanced back toward the chamber Rikschel had entered.

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, her expression turned gloomy before reverting to normal.

Following that, she shook her head.

“Ppippi.”

“Indeed. As expected, he is very ppi… no, he is upset, correct?”

Lion misinterpreted Nature’s reply and stared at the closed door.

In truth, no ideal solution presented itself.

He could walk in right now and comfort his younger brother, but holding a proper conversation under the current circumstances seemed unlikely.

It would prove far better to resolve this matter swiftly and cleanly, without any unnecessary commotion, and subsequently return to explain the situation to his brother in greater depth.

Pat, pat.

Nature’s tiny wings tapped gently against Lion’s hand.

Then, as though urging him to trust her and proceed with his tasks, she soared powerfully into the open air.

“Right. I am counting on you.”

No other path remained open.

Regardless, the incident had already transpired.

Wouldn’t it be wiser to mend the situation promptly then!

Lion immediately concluded his preparations and departed from the room.

And Nature…

“Pii!”

Skillfully pushing open the closed door, she slipped quietly into Rikschel’s quarters.

—

The second prince surveyed the chamber.

‘It is tidy.’

He had just finished tidying the room prior to that person’s return.

He had gathered the daggers designated for emergencies alongside various types of hidden armaments, ensuring all other objects that might be mistaken for weapons were completely excluded.

He had followed the guidance provided by the Merchant Guild Leader.

And what remained was…

The second prince fidgeted with an object smaller than his palm tucked away inside his pocket.

“I shall bare my entire self. Ra…”

It proved no simple task.

Never in his life had he intentionally revealed his innermost self to another.

Furthermore, he had never committed the foolish act of exposing his vulnerability to someone whose very identity remained unknown to him.

The fate awaiting him should he open his heart was far too predictable.

Consequently, the second prince had perpetually lacked the desire to open up and forge a deep bond with anyone.

Such connections were better left nonexistent.

…so he had thought.

In reality, that conviction had not wavered even now.

However, an exception had emerged.

That man.

He felt an urge to curry favor with the man whose identity and true purpose remained shrouded in mystery.

Was it because he possessed the power to lift the curse?

That factor held true as well.

Nevertheless…

The second prince resolved to focus on a more fundamental and direct catalyst.

Put differently, to express it in a more childish manner.

‘It was delicious.’

The evening meal that individual had prepared.

A repast featuring a composition unlike anything he had ever witnessed, a broth so warm it felt piping hot yet possessed an exquisite, delicate flavor.

Alongside actions such as placing seasoned meat atop the rice…

To speak plainly.

“…”

Formulating the words proved difficult whenever he attempted to voice them.

Regardless, the development leaned toward the positive rather than the negative.

…At any rate, this time, he truly intended to articulate solely his genuine sentiments following careful reflection.

Because he desired to win favor somehow.

‘Ah, there is one additional matter.’

It was a characteristic he had discerned through their conversations.

The man stood resolutely firm against the strong while remaining gentle toward the weak.

He maintained an infinitely stern and sharp demeanor toward those who acted aggressively against him, yet immediately backed down whenever they displayed vulnerability.

Thus, perhaps he might be persuaded if he genuinely revealed his weak side.

‘To achieve that…’

He would have to take this out as well.

Swish.

The second prince extracted the item he had been turning over in his pocket.

It was a small dagger, compact enough to rest comfortably within his palm.

The sheath was entirely absent, having been carried loose in his pocket, and the blade was far blunter than any toy sword.

It was far too plain and unremarkable to serve any decorative purpose.

It remained the sole possession the second prince—who remained indifferent toward human relationships as well as material goods—had kept continuously since his childhood days.

Had he been asked whether it stemmed from a longing for the mother who bore him and cast the curse, he would have answered affirmatively in the past.

Yet, as the agony of the curse persisted and he endured sensations akin to plunging into a bottomless abyss countless times, that emotion had long since faded.

He had often felt tempted to hurl it straight into a blazing bonfire, but.

“It will certainly prove useful to you if you carry it.”

Someone who had rescued and sponsored him from amidst a pile of rotting corpses during his youth had once told him so.

Even when he had ignored those words, secretly discarded it, and buried it deep in the earth, this very dagger unfailingly returned to his pocket by morning.

During his childhood, he suspected it to be a cursed blade, though perhaps the underworld leader had simply retrieved and returned it to him.

‘He is hardly an emotional individual.’

He had investigated it out of curiosity once, but it proved to be nothing more than an ordinary, plain dagger.

Simply an ugly and crude artifact.

A modest blade that couldn’t even command a decent price if sold.

He would never comprehend why the leader of the underworld—whose age, real name, gender, and appearance remained entirely unknown—had instructed him to retain it.

However, since matters had reached this juncture, he judged there was no harm in following that advice, choosing simply to keep it while treating it as a deactivated artifact.

…Perhaps he had simply grown attached to it over time, though who could say.

None could know for certain.

“You have arrived.”

The second prince casually tossed the dagger resting in his hand onto the table and rose to his feet.

He had become so absorbed in his reflections that he failed to notice the approach of another.

Had an intruder been an assassin, he might have met his end at that very moment without a weapon at hand, but.

“What were you pondering over?”

Fortunately, the visitor was not someone intending to end his existence, but rather the one capable of helping him sustain it.

Lion glanced down at the dagger briefly before casually setting the meal down beside it.

“I was not pondering anything in particular….”

The second prince began his reply as usual, hesitated for a fraction of a second, and then spoke anew.

“I merely recalled an event from the past.”

“I see.”

Lion displayed no particular reaction.

He could discern the truth the moment he stepped inside.

The second prince’s demeanor had grown markedly softer and more approachable than before.

True to his word, the room had been tidied; not a single hidden weapon remained in sight.

He appeared to have disarmed himself entirely, donning casual garments rather than his standard attire for going out.

Neither did he seem to conceal any blades within the soles of his boots or the folds of his garments.

“It is invariably best to dine in comfort.”

Lion placed the meal down as usual without further elaboration.

“…The portion is somewhat smaller today.”

“Indeed. I miscalculated the quantity.”

In reality, he had surrendered all the side dishes to his younger brother, though that detail could not be shared.

“It should not prove insufficient, however. Please partake.”

Lion feigned ignorance and began dining alongside the second prince.

The mealtime progressed no differently from previous occasions.

They ate in silence, and whenever inquiries regarding the ingredients arose, he provided straightforward answers.

That was the extent of it.

Nonetheless, the second prince’s imposing aura had softened considerably relative to their initial encounters.

It remained true that one could hardly harbor harshness toward the individual providing sustenance.

However…

Glances.

Lion’s gaze lingered upon the small decorative dagger casually resting at one edge of the table.

『 Decorative Dagger 』

-It has never been utilized.

‘I hardly anticipated that item being left out in the open.’

He had intended to conclude his tasks rapidly today and return to comfort his brother, but…

He certainly had not expected a vital clue toward lifting the curse to be left exposed so carelessly.

Having finished the meal and cleared the table, Lion slowly parted his lips.

“Did that dagger stir any memories from your past?”