Chapter 18

Chapter 18
Chapter 18: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

That morning.

Following his dialogue with the cleric, Rikschel wasted no time in marching straight to Lion’s quarters.

*Bang!*

“Older Brother!”

He flung the door open without even bothering to knock, completely carried away by his enthusiasm.

Consequently, the person who jumped wasn’t Lion, who had just rolled out of bed… no.

It was Lion, currently deep into brewing potions.

‘Hey, why are you suddenly kicking the door in like that?’

He was so startled he nearly dropped the delicate concoction he was monitoring.

Fortunately, he managed to snap the lid shut just in time, setting the freshly completed potion down before turning to address Rikschel.

“You’re already here?”

“Seriously, why are you awake at this ungodly hour?”

Rikschel scanned the disorganized space with a critical eye.

He was entirely certain Lion hadn’t closed his eyes for a single second since arriving at the estate, constantly bustling about.

“If I don’t even rest this frame of mine…”

“I can’t sleep. But what’s got you bursting in here like the world is ending first thing in the morning?”

Lion cut off the lecture he knew was coming.

Despite how he sometimes acted, Rikschel was fundamentally a chronic worrier when it came to his family.

Catching Lion running on zero sleep would invariably trigger a scolding about neglecting his frail health.

“Did that cleric happen to say something to you?”

“Ah, no. Quite the opposite, actually.”

Rikschel beamed, launching into a full report of everything that had transpired.

After Lion departed early, he had stayed behind to converse with the cleric on various matters… and somehow, the conversation had naturally veered toward his older brother.

“First, he checked my condition, and he mentioned he might be able to examine yours as well, provided it’s feasible.”

“My condition?”

“Yes.”

My condition…

Lion turned the thought over in his mind.

To be completely frank, his physical constitution was abysmal.

More accurately, he existed in a permanent state bordering on fragility.

Now that he possessed mana, the threat of mana backlash was gone, and he suffered from no specific chronic diseases, rendering his old “sickly” label a thing of the past.

Instead, having spent all three mana-shock episodes bedridden, he simply lacked basic endurance.

He tended to lose his breath after running even a short distance.

Still, his recent trips to Mimir Forest and his running around the village and orphanage had built up his stamina somewhat.

Realistically, Lion had never been in better physical shape in his entire life.

His mind was at peace, his body was at peace, and he could do as he pleased, so the improvement was only natural.

‘Still, it’s not a bad proposition.’

In fact, it was rather advantageous.

Getting his body fully restored would only make daily life more comfortable.

While the estate did employ a healing mage, restoration was inherently the domain of clerics.

Even in gaming logic, healing mages were categorized as damage-support hybrids, whereas clerics were dedicated pure supports.

However.

‘That cleric must have taken a serious liking to Rikschel.’

Clerical healing wasn’t something one could acquire easily.

It typically required a massive monetary contribution or verified deeds of genuine virtue according to temple dogma.

Furthermore, as far as Lion recalled, mages were rarely welcomed unless exceptional circumstances applied.

Mages generally faced widespread suspicion and dislike.

‘Rikschel doesn’t seem opposed to the idea either.’

As Lion remained silent for a prolonged moment, lost in calculations, Rikschel quickly grew anxious.

‘Could it be he hates the idea because it’s a cleric?’

Even if he lacked magical talent, his older brother remained a direct bloodline of the Asteri household, the very peak of magical legacy.

It made sense that he might feel hesitant about meeting a cleric, despite how well things had gone so far.

Even so, Rikschel was fully prepared to compel Lion to undergo treatment if necessary.

He was doing it for his older brother’s well-being.

‘If he turns it down…’

He was ready to resort to forceful measures, even if it meant straining their bond.

He recalled lessons from his successor training about times when one had to utilize any means available…

“Shall I accept?”

“Ah. Would you?”

The dozen or so perilous schemes Rikschel had just plotted vanished instantly at Lion’s agreement.

“Naturally. It’s an opportunity and a connection you worked hard to secure, so of course I should meet him.”

“…! I’ll come escort you in three days, then!”

“Yes, yes.”

Lion offered a contented smile as he watched Rikschel bow and scurry out of the room.

—

Three days elapsed since the pact with Rikschel.

The pair finalized their preparations and made their way to the orphanage, arriving just as the children had all drifted off to sleep.

“I’ve been expecting you.”

The Director greeted them in a hushed whisper, guiding them toward the isolated chamber where Rikschel had previously stayed.

And inside…

“Ah, you’ve made it.”

It was Licht the cleric.

He possessed a gentle aura and a smile capable of melting away any lingering anxieties.

His attire was immaculate, complete with pristine white cotton gloves.

‘He’s young, exactly as Rikschel described.’

Securing an audience with this young cleric was notoriously difficult since he rarely left the temple grounds.

Which explained why he had opted for these secluded early morning hours.

At that exact moment.

A notification window materialized in Lion’s field of vision.

『 You cannot acquire the Advanced Holy Water yet. 』
『 You can acquire the Advanced Holy Water by fulfilling hidden conditions. 』

“…”

Advanced Holy Water.

As Lion remembered it, this served as a crucial catalyst for crafting Advanced Sacred Artifacts.

To think an item like that could be acquired through someone this young.

‘More importantly, you can apparently farm ingredients from people too.’

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Father.”

“May the divine grace be with you. The pleasure is entirely mine, righteous travelers.”

The Director observed the warm exchange before quietly slipping out, drawing the door shut behind him to ensure absolute privacy.

“Please, take a seat. The tea the Director brewed is still warm.”

As they sat, Priest Licht poured steaming water from a ceramic pot and served it with a pleasant smile.

“Your younger brother likely mentioned it, but allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Licht, a humble servant of the divine.”

“An honor. Please forgive me for keeping my name veiled today.”

“Think nothing of it. You traveled here out of genuine charity, which speaks for itself. And since I slipped away in secret as well, I’d say we’re even.”

As the casual banter continued, Lion broke in with a casual inquiry.

“If it isn’t an intrusion, might I ask what prompted you to venture out in such a covert manner?”

“…Older Brother.”

Licht looked momentarily startled by the abrupt question before offering a candid reply.

“I had a dream.”

“A dream… you mean while sleeping?”

Rikschel muttered, reacting as if hearing about it for the first time.

“Indeed. I omitted this detail during our last encounter, didn’t I? It happens to be the primary reason I came here under the radar. Are you familiar with the nature of clerical dreams?”

“This is news to me.”

Unlike Rikschel, whose expression remained clouded with confusion.

Lion possessed a fair working theory.

‘It functions essentially as a divine revelation.’

Clerics endowed with potent spiritual power typically do not dream at all.

They experience neither mundane, whimsical dreams nor ominous nightmares.

Through unwavering devotion, they develop a profound resistance to dreams, which clerical doctrine views as fleeting vanity.

Yet, even such individuals occasionally experience lucid, striking visions.

Those represent prophetic dreams.

Messages delivered directly from the divine.

And tradition dictated that clerics must investigate these revelations to verify their authenticity.

“Haha, prophetic visions aren’t always grand spectacles. Mine fell into that category.”

“If you don’t mind sharing, what kind of dream was it?”

“Certainly. In the vision, children were resting across an open field. The grass felt like a plush mattress, and the sunlight blanketed them like a warm quilt. And…”

Licht slowly turned his gaze toward the two brothers.

“I saw both of you. That compelled me to seek you out. Coincidentally, my travels brought me to the Asteri Territory anyway.”

Because verification was necessary.

‘What manner of individuals could possibly manifest in my visions?’

Licht concluded his thought, examining the pair closely.

‘I certainly didn’t take them for mages.’

Though magical concealment veiled their identities, the distinct resonance of mana radiated clearly from the one introduced as the younger brother.

A mage.

Furthermore, his speech patterns carried a refined elegance, and his voice betrayed youth.

In all likelihood, he belonged to the ruling Asteri Dukedom right here.

Licht had initially wondered why such a person would operate under a disguise, until he heard reports regarding a “ailing older brother.”

Whether they were biological brothers remained obscured by the disguise, but one truth stood out: the claim of “tending to the children with absolute sincerity” was entirely genuine.

Just like the dream foretold.

The Asteri-affiliated mage, standing beside the gentle invalid.

‘If their intentions regarding treatment are genuine… that would be a relief.’

Should these mages prove to be spies attempting to extract temple secrets, preemptive elimination would be mandatory.

Licht’s attention shifted fully to Lion.

Externally, the man looked every bit the invalid.

Ashen complexion and a fragile frame that seemed ready to collapse at the slightest breeze.

“Shall I proceed with the treatment?”

“That is what we hoped for. I will wait outside.”

Standard protocol dictated that a cleric’s healing ritual required zero onlookers during execution.

“I leave him in your capable hands, then.”

With Rikschel gone, Licht stepped closer to Lion and channeled his spiritual energy.

A verdant luminescence, blazing like a hearth fire, enveloped Lion’s form before vanishing inward.

“Hmm.”

Licht blinked in sudden bewilderment.

‘…The blessing definitely integrated, so why hasn’t his physical state shifted at all?’

Though he rarely boasted, Licht’s spiritual capacity ranked comfortably at the Senior Priest tier.

The restoration capabilities of a Senior Priest typically left feverish patients instantly revitalized, completely purging any active poisons or curses.

Yet…

Not the slightest trace of physical improvement appeared in this man.

His skin remained drained of color.

‘Did I bungle the spell?’

Licht tilted his head in confusion and invoked the blessing a second time.

This time, a much more intense radiance flared to life, sustaining itself for an extended duration.

Followed instantly by…

*Swish-*

The energy absorbed cleanly and completely into Lion’s system once again.

Yet that was the extent of it.

‘This is grave.’

Observing Lion’s unchanged condition instantly wiped away all of Licht’s prior suspicions.

A body impervious to the restorative blessing of a Senior Priest pointed to one of three specific realities.

When a mage of higher tier than the cleric rejects the magic.

When the subject’s baseline condition is already optimal, rendering blessings redundant.

Or…

‘When the individual harbors a fundamentally truncated lifespan from birth.’

Licht experienced a pang of internal guilt.

To harbor doubts against righteous individuals who had acted purely out of desperation…!

Yet despite the grim implications, the young man seated before him remained not merely composed, but entirely unfazed.

“Oh, I certainly feel much better.”

“…”

“I believe the blessing was more than sufficient, Father.”

To top it off, he offered a reassuring smile as if signaling, ‘That quite covers it.’

“…Should circumstances ever place you in dire need, please visit the temple and speak my name.”

Licht grasped Lion’s hand, his tone heavy with earnest sincerity.

“Pardon?”

“Should the agony ever grow so severe that sleep escapes you, I will aid you.”

“Ah… understood.”

Lion looked slightly perplexed by the unexpected offer.

‘Isn’t this guy unusually compassionate?’

Contrary to Licht’s worried assumptions, Lion was indeed experiencing the tangible effects of the rite.

『 Your current physical condition is operating at an unmatched peak! 』
『 Divine restorative magic has been nullified. 』

A single application would have sufficed, but a second dose smoothed away every minor ache in his shoulders, leaving him entirely relaxed.

The root of the issue was simply that this baseline state represented Lion’s absolute physical ceiling.

Lion Asteri wasn’t suffering from an active malady to begin with.

He was merely cursed with extreme physical frailty.

Besides, it was highly improbable that Patrick Asteri would have overlooked Lion’s physical condition while being fully aware of it.

“Thank you for your generous concern. I am certain we will cross paths again.”

“…”

As Lion offered a polite bow, Licht’s expression darkened with deeper sorrow.