Chapter 187

Chapter 187
Chapter 187: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Why?”

The initial thought that struck her mind was simply a question.

The second Prince had transmitted news regarding Master’s injuries through a message written in his own hand.

Considering Master’s distinct temperament, the incident resulting in his harm must have occurred while he was safeguarding the second Prince.

If that proves true, does it not present an ideal scenario for his business associate, Jack?

“It demonstrates that Asteri holds an intense dedication toward elevating the second Prince to the throne.”

Even though human political machinations remain perpetually tangled, does that not form the absolute heart of the matter?

‘…Then, could this simply stem from spite?’

Freya furrowed her brow as she plunged into profound contemplation.

At first, she suspected that wretched Jack was merely acting petty, but upon reflection, that explanation no longer held up.

Do humans not frequently display outward expressions that starkly contrast with their inner thoughts?

Jack himself served as the very archetype of the mold Freya envisioned for humanity.

Therefore, could this instance… actually represent a gesture of favor?

As she mulled this over, the previously obstructed train of thought broke wide open, allowing her ideas to flow freely.

“Did he perhaps perceive Master’s true capability?”

That reason alone might explain why he seeks to lure him into the underworld and enlist his services.

Such a possibility certainly exists.

Master possesses such exceptional talent that someone might naturally covet this gift.

‘If so, how much does Jack actually know?’

She could assume he was aware of her practice of alchemy.

Furthermore, he would know that an individual arrived from the Elf Country…

‘Does he remain unaware of Spirit Arts?’

To what extent should she speak openly, and what details ought she to conceal?

Master thoroughly detests thrusting himself into the limelight!

“This simply will not do!”

She possessed no desire to disrupt Master’s peaceful routine, but since an official letter had already arrived, inquiring with Master directly would prove far more efficient.

Specifically, she needed to know how much information she should withhold!

Under normal circumstances, she would have surrendered all available data to anyone else, if only to secure an excuse to avoid further annoyance.

Although Jack possessed an unpleasant demeanor, he remained remarkably generous and devoted himself entirely to his people.

Freya herself had reaped substantial benefits from that trait.

Naturally, she had been driven twice as hard in return.

Yet on this occasion, Master himself had become the primary subject!

That completely alters the narrative.

Her delicate Master might fail to live out his natural span!

Moreover, his lifespan was already curtailed simply due to being human!

“I must go to Master. Let us move, Salamander!”

The moment Salamander leaped onto her shoulder, Freya quickened her pace and marched straight toward Master’s quarters.

—

While Freya stirred up a commotion since the early hours of the morning, Lion was engaged elsewhere…

“Oh, are you developing at this rate?”

I was currently inspecting the Mushberry sprouts thriving vigorously beside the Evening Primrose.

The Mushberries had expanded at a pace surpassing my initial expectations.

They had not yet grown tall enough to be immediately obvious, but anyone observing closely could easily notice that the stems had grown noticeably thicker.

This acceleration likely stemmed from the potent nutrients unique to the Labyrinth.

“The Evening Primrose continues to thrive as well, exactly as always.”

The Evening Primrose planted previously had already blossomed profusely, enhancing the surrounding scenery with added beauty.

“Ppippi.”

Nature, who had been nibbling on the Evening Primrose and sipping its nectar, chirped in clear contentment.

“Indeed. You appreciate it as well, do you not?”

Nature seemed to have developed a fondness for the Evening Primrose nectar over the past few days, treating it as a regular snack.

On occasion, Nature would pluck a couple of the beautifully opened blossoms and rest them gently atop the large egg.

Watching the massive egg decorated with petals like a whimsical hat was admittedly quite amusing, but since both Nature and the egg appeared satisfied, Lion managed to suppress his laughter.

“Yes. You ought to emerge shortly and relish the nectar alongside Nature.”

Until that moment arrived, I needed to ensure this vegetable patch and garden remained gorgeous so that the newcomer could experience it firsthand.

Lion watered the flora and Mushberries using a watering can before retreating into the wooden hut.

“The drying process should be complete by today, I imagine…”

He needed to check the Meju blocks that had been spread out across the rice straw.

When he touched the surface lightly with his hand, it felt thoroughly dehydrated with a pleasantly rough texture.

Simultaneously, a distinct aroma began to diffuse through the air—the characteristic scent of Meju, which could be described as either savory or mildly pungent.

‘I believe I despised this fragrance during my youth.’

In the past, he used to loathe the smell of Cheonggukjang drifting through neighborhood streets, dismissing it as unpleasant.

Yet when had that perception shifted?

Perhaps it began around the time he entered the workforce as a newcomer, enduring various hardships, when the mere scent of Cheonggukjang suddenly made his mouth water.

Consuming it alongside a steaming bowl of rice, complemented by grilled fish or fresh kimchi, constituted a veritable feast.

“Ah, the time has come to relocate these.”

Lion tied the Meju blocks crosswise using straw ropes he had prepared beforehand.

“They will not detach, will they?”

He lifted the bundle and gave it a gentle shake, but thankfully, neither the structure nor the knots showed any sign of loosening.

Lion carried the Meju outside and suspended it securely from the eaves of the hut.

The cozy wooden dwelling suddenly felt as though it had undergone a distinct cultural transformation simply by the addition of a single hanging block of Meju.

“Splendid.”

He felt the arrangement possessed a certain rustic charm.

He was even contemplating hanging dried persimmons come autumn.

“Phew. At any rate, today’s chores are finished, so I suppose I shall head outside and secure some breakfast.”

Lion stretched leisurely before stepping out of the Labyrinth.

“Oh, you gave me quite a start.”

Right at that moment, he bumped straight into someone.

It was Freya, standing there breathless while waiting for his arrival.

“Master! So you were here!”

“Were you searching for me?”

“Indeed!”

Granted, he had not checked on Freya’s progress with alchemy recently.

‘Ah, I became so completely engrossed in the Meju preparation that it slipped my mind.’

Naturally, Freya, who maintained an overwhelming passion for alchemy, would seek him out with such fierce determination.

“I have been somewhat neglectful regarding your alchemy studies lately…”

“That is not the issue!”

Freya glanced rapidly around her surroundings before thrusting a crumpled, slightly damp letter toward Lion.

“Please read this…!”

Even though she knew no other denizens of the underworld besides herself resided within the Asteri Family, Freya instinctively lowered her voice to a mere whisper.

“…….”

Naturally, Lion, who lacked any prior context, remained utterly perplexed by the sudden display.

Nevertheless, he figured the matter warranted attention given the sight of her sweating profusely, so he unfolded the letter and scanned it…

“Hmm.”

Viewed from Freya’s perspective, the situation certainly presented a rather awkward dilemma.

However.

‘Am I even permitted to let you look at this?’

Even though Freya currently resided within Asteri, her true allegiance lay with the underworld, did it not?

Furthermore, she held a position of considerable standing within that shadow society… or rather, she used to be a Half-Elf, if memory served.

‘When one considers it, does this not constitute a breach of classified information?’

At the same time, he felt genuinely grateful that she was bringing it to his attention.

“How ought I to proceed? I shall abide entirely by Master’s guidance.”

“…Hmm.”

Naturally, complications would arise if Freya disclosed every single detail.

For one, his capacity to wield Spirit Arts would be further exposed, and a vast quantity of information pertaining to alchemy might leak outward.

Yet at the same time.

‘Would that level of exposure truly cause harm?’

In truth, Freya possessed only limited information.

She remained ignorant of magic, as well as the specific events that transpired within the temple.

Naturally, keeping such details concealed as thoroughly as possible remained the optimal choice, but given the intelligence network of the underworld coupled with Jack’s resources, discovery was ultimately inevitable.

Consequently.

The specific insight regarding how Jack deduced the connection between the second Prince and himself—which Jack desperately wished to uncover—would remain unrevealed.

“Do you incur no risk by keeping this concealed?”

“…Well, I shall likely have to endure Jack’s wrath, though I can manage that much.”

“Wrath?”

“Hmm… well, he will probably banish me to some remote outpost for a decade.”

Is enduring a decade of exile considered a minor consequence?

‘Perhaps such treatment is acceptable simply because I am a Half-Elf…’

From a human standpoint, however, the penalty was undeniably severe.

Moreover, even if Freya remained silent, he would undoubtedly dispatch a second or third operative to hound her.

‘Hmm. In that case, no alternative remains.’

He had attempted his utmost to avoid entanglement, yet since they persisted in probing into his affairs from every direction, action was required.

“In that case, how about this approach?”

“This method…?”

Lion extracted a portable fountain pen from his pocket, scrawled a brief note across the crumpled letter, and handed the parchment back.

“What is this…?”

“Do not open it. Simply deliver this directly to Jack should he continue to harass you. Understood?”

“…!”

Freya’s eyes widened in astonishment before her expression softened into one of deep reverence.

‘M-Master is going this far on my behalf…!’

She could not discern the exact contents, but the note surely contained something potent enough to halt Jack’s interference permanently.

If so, the message likely held value or information of immeasurable worth.

“However, will Master not face difficulties as a result…?”

“Hmm, things will likely turn out fine. I might even secure some advantage from the exchange.”

Lion muttered the words with a casual chuckle.

‘If the information is destined to leak regardless, capitalizing on it for personal profit proves far more sensible.’

Lion possessed minimal familiarity with the organization known as the underworld.

He had paid scant attention to its lore even while playing In the World.

Yet one crucial rule remained embedded in his memory: whenever transactions occurred within the underworld, a price must invariably be paid.

Even their supreme leader, Jack, could not bypass this fundamental regulation.

Recognizing that this strict protocol often proved inconvenient, they seemingly invoked it solely “for those already initiated into its secrets.”

However, once this specific policy was formally invoked, any subsequent transaction had to proceed strictly according to the established rules.

Naturally, it represented knowledge that individuals lacking proper affiliation with the underworld would never possess.

He had stumbled upon the rule while leveling up his secondary character, the Assassin.

‘I honestly imagined I would never make use of this.’

Since they had chosen to provoke him so openly, he had no choice left other than to keep feeding them manufactured confusion.

And… should they actually deliver the compensation he requested, the venture would certainly not result in a loss.

“Therefore, cast aside your worries and proceed with confidence. Understood?”

“Master…!”

The emotional impact washing over Freya exceeded all bounds of imagination.

Had there existed a lethal threshold for emotional intensity, she likely would have collapsed on the spot.

‘I was a absolute fool to have felt even a momentary spark of disappointment!’

To think he would go to such lengths for her sake!

She had wasted energy merely contemplating how to deflect Jack’s inquiries…

‘What a foolish person I was!’

She should have instead focused on figuring out how to persuade Jack while extracting information that could actually benefit Master, rather than scrambling to formulate excuses!

‘Come to think of it, I have contributed a considerable amount to the underworld as well.’

That reality meant she could consider any remaining debt fully settled.

Consequently, should Jack utter any further nonsense, she could simply resign her position and return permanently to Asteri!

In truth, the wisdom she had acquired directly from Master proved priceless beyond measure.

Therefore…!

“I understand completely. I shall ensure the message is delivered!”

“Very well. Ah, have you partaken of breakfast yet? If not, would you care to join me?”

“Negative! I have urgent business to attend to!”

She suddenly exhibited such fierce enthusiasm…

“I-is that so. Well then, I shall proceed to eat.”

Lion cast a brief glance at Freya before continuing on his way.

Meanwhile.

Freya whispered a solemn vow to herself within the empty corridor.

She would dedicate her unwavering loyalty to Master!

Elvia, who had observed the entire interaction from a distance, clenched her fist, stifled her rising laughter, and slowly melted back into the surrounding shadows.

‘The Half-Elf child appears capable of managing the situation independently.’

Stepping in personally seemed entirely unnecessary.