Chapter 245

Chapter 245
Chapter 245: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Just as Lion hovered on the brink of anxiety, Tiamatrak casually broke the silence.

-But human. No, Lion. Why go to such lengths?

“Huh?”

-I was wondering if masking my aura is truly necessary. After all, ordinary mortals won’t be able to tell the difference between this and a dragon’s presence anyway.

When phrased that way, the argument held merit.

In fact, letting this much power leak out might actually work to his advantage.

If anything, he would command far more respect than if he emitted no presence at all.

Before long, whispers of “He has finally grown into a worthy heir of the Asteri household” would inevitably begin to spread.

…Right. That was precisely the predicament.

“If that happens, I’ll end up swamped with work.”

He had already turned down an endless stream of recruitment offers from every direction.

Invitations had poured in not only from the Marquis of Byedantis and the Second Prince, but even from the distant Elf Realm.

Normally, he could shrug them off by letting his younger sibling and his grandfather handle the nuisance, but if a majestic aura like this were suddenly detected…

Lion shuddered visibly.

Ugh, spare me!

-…

Confronted by such an intense wave of refusal, the ancient dragon fell silent for a moment before giving a slow nod.

‘Fair enough. Idleness is the ultimate luxury.’

Besides, rather than forcing the youth into endless toil, letting that peculiar human do entirely as he pleased promised far more entertainment.

-Indeed. Mortals seem far too fond of exploiting talented individuals with grueling labor.

-Ah, that reminds me, didn’t your grandfather suffer through a mountain of mandatory work as well?

-Alongside rather eccentric circles of mortals, at that.

Tiamatrak muttered to himself, recalling how the human from bygone eras had possessed strange and formidable gifts yet spent all his time grinding away at mundane duties without a hint of fun.

Listening closely to the translation of these words, a realization dawned on Lion, prompting him to ask a follow-up question.

“Grandfather and Ramen… wait, are you talking about the Hero?”

-Oh? You knew?

Ordinarily, that knowledge should have been entirely foreign to him, yet there was no real reason to keep secrets from Tiamatrak.

He certainly couldn’t blurt such information out to just anyone, and besides, it was a truth he would inevitably uncover down the line.

“Well, I’ve caught bits and pieces here and there, so I have a rough idea. I’ve never heard the full tale, though.”

Hearing this, Tiamatrak’s eyes widened before curling into a mischievous, student-like grin.

-Would you like to take a brief intermission while I regale you with that tale?

“Shall we?”

The timing lined up perfectly with his own plans to pause for a moment.

‘Until I manage to craft a supplementary tool, pushing forward looks difficult.’

Since matters had turned out this way, taking a short break to listen to the story seemed like the wisest course of action.

It offered a glimpse of history through an entirely fresh lens.

“What kind of person was the Hero, really?”

-Just as the legends say. It seemed that particular role wasn’t especially enjoyable for him, though.

Tiamatrak began sharing a detailed critique of the Hero he had witnessed firsthand.

When surrounded by his companions, he was the very embodiment of the righteous champion mortals dreamed of.

Just, kind, courageous, and always the first to step into the fray to shield his allies.

-Yet, beneath the surface, he always seemed to be plotting something.

“Plotting?”

-Indeed. How should I put this… a sort of good-natured scheme? Because I never sensed any malicious intent behind it.

-Regardless, I found it quite amusing, so I paid far more attention to that side of him than his raw combat strength.

It appeared that those intricate maneuvers had truly captured the ancient dragon’s curiosity.

‘So my deductions were correct after all?’

A while back, while examining Jack’s memories of the past, Lion had formed several working theories.

One of them revolved precisely around those hidden schemes.

Plans orchestrated by the Hero—ones his grandfather and Jack remained oblivious to, though the Saintess understood them entirely.

‘I suppose he must have started laying the groundwork around that period.’

The timeline fit seamlessly as well.

Within the pages of ‘In the World,’ the atmosphere undergoes a distinct shift before and after the events of the Dragon’s Lair.

While the early chapters heavily emphasize the personal growth arc of a young adventurer striving to be recognized as a true champion, the second half pivots toward a grand-scale conflict where the Hero leads the united forces of the realm against the Demon Race to eradicate evil.

Although he had never devoured every single detail of the plot, the overarching trajectory was etched in his mind.

“Was that individual, by any chance, a wielder of Divine Power?”

-Oh? Spot on! What the blazes. You were already familiar with this history, weren’t you?

-Were you merely humoring me to give me an excuse to rest?

Mistaking Lion’s inquiries as a considerate gesture to ease his boredom, Tiamatrak let out a surprisingly jovial chuckle for a creature of his magnitude.

-Hehehe. Regardless, that is the tale. And that map you’ve been following must have been one of the relics they left behind, am I right?

“Are there other artifacts left in existence?”

-Well… things like a shattered dagger or leftover preserved rations, I suppose. Honestly, I assumed that map was just another piece of junk.

If I had realized it possessed spatial-flight capabilities, I would have claimed it for my own hoard. What a waste!

“Hahaha…”

It seemed the map had gone unrecognized simply because it was tossed aside among heaps of discarded items.

Naturally, roaming around in a disembodied spirit form meant he couldn’t even dream of tidying up his surroundings.

‘…Even setting that aside, he doesn’t strike me as someone who enjoys cleaning.’

At any rate, now that Tiamatrak’s presence had been managed for the moment, the map needed to be inspected as thoroughly and quickly as possible.

To accomplish that…

‘Actually, there remains one foolproof method.’

Lion reached deep into his inventory and retrieved an item that had sat dormant for ages.

It was a bracelet designed as a matching set with his ability-nullification pendant.

‘I had saved it just in case of an unforeseen crisis…’

Come to think of it, the current predicament fit that exact definition.

The only hitch was that he now needed someone to render this item permanently transparent.

The most reliable option would be to ask his grandfather directly… however.

‘He is currently away from his post.’

That left a secondary option.

Someone as safe, dependable, and trustworthy as his grandfather.

Elvia.

‘I always feel a bit guilty leaning on her for every little thing…’

Yet this time, circumstances left him with no alternative.

Ahem. Lion cleared his throat needlessly before calling out.

“Elvia.”

And yet.

Elvia, shrouded in the darkness of the room…

…did not appear.

“Huh?”

Lion tilted his head in confusion.

“Elvia?”

Absolute silence answered him.

-Hmm, that peculiar witch likely won’t be able to show her face for a little while, you see.

Tiamatrak, who had been quietly observing Lion’s calls, scratched his cheek before offering an explanation.

“For what reason?”

-Well, because a mortal wielding divine power has entered the mansion, haven’t they? Ah, they might have wandered off a short distance by now… but they would surely notice her presence if she drew upon her power.

A mortal with divine power?

Lion blinked rapidly as the pieces began to click together.

Does that mean…

Someone arrived at the estate, and that visitor happens to be a priest?

-Did you truly remain unaware?

He had been entirely in the dark. Not a single clue.

-Oh dear. You certainly move slowly… Regardless, that witch will be rendered powerless to use her abilities for quite some time.

Being unable to use them wasn’t even the worst of it!

If things spiraled out of control, the situation could turn disastrous.

‘I really shouldn’t have handed the bracelet over to that fellow…’

Passing it directly to Elvia was clearly meant to be my destiny!

“Oh goodness, Elvia!”

Without wasting a second, Lion tossed the bracelet straight toward Tiamatrak and bolted out of the partially wrecked chamber.

-Oh? You are gifting this to me already? My thanks!

Seeming quite delighted with the trinket, Tiamatrak slipped it onto his wrist and drifted along in Lion’s wake.

Fortunately, the magical properties of the bracelet seemed to function effectively, dampening his overwhelming presence quite noticeably.

Floating effortlessly…

Since the transparency issue remained unresolved, the bracelet simply hovered in the air beside Lion as he moved.

—

Contrary to Lion’s frantic worries, Elvia was currently enjoying a remarkably serene afternoon.

In truth, she had navigated similar scenarios on a handful of occasions in the past.

For instance, back when the former Archbishop, alongside the Saintess, had paid a formal visit.

And on prior occasions when other high-ranking priests had stepped foot onto Asteri grounds.

Whenever those moments arrived, Elvia simply…

Slurp.

“Utterly peaceful.”

She completely locked away her innate supernatural essence, choosing to blend in and live just like any ordinary human.

While the process placed a minor strain on her physical vessel, it was a price worth paying. It was simply the optimal workaround she had discovered over the centuries.

‘At worst, it shaves a few years off my total lifespan.’

A minor trade-off compared to the monumental headaches of being exposed.

Having finished her leisurely tea time, Elvia smoothly stood up from her chair.

A rather loud explosion had rocked the estate just moments ago, meaning the servants would have naturally evacuated the young priest to safety.

That precaution had been enacted specifically to prevent any awkward encounters between the visitor and her beloved puppy.

Now that the commotion had settled down, she intended to escort the young priest right back to where he belonged, exactly as the servants had been instructed to do.

A simple excuse about a malfunctioning magical artifact would suffice to explain away the blast.

With those thoughts in mind, Elvia gracefully rose to her feet.

In any case, she had practically treated the past few days—or rather, months—as an extended vacation.

“Hmm. How shall I spend the remainder of the day?”

Since the priest would likely be lingering around the estate for a while, baking a batch of her ‘special apple pie’ known for inducing a wonderfully deep slumber, followed by a long, cozy nap, sounded like a splendid plan.

‘It does nag at me slightly that I won’t be able to keep a direct eye on the puppy during this window…’

A soft chuckle escaped Elvia’s lips at the thought.

Since when did a wandering witch care about playing guardian to mortals? It seemed she had grown far too accustomed to domestic life over the past twenty years.

“Constantly hovering and shielding them isn’t a healthy habit anyway.”

Giving her head a light shake, Elvia scooped up a wicker basket brimming with vibrant red apples from her desk and stepped out of her quarters, heading down the corridor toward the kitchen.

Moving entirely on two legs rather than through her usual spectral shifting made the distance feel remarkably vast…

“Hmm?”

Mid-walk, Elvia pulled out the portable communication crystal she always kept on hand during her expeditions.

It happened to be one of the rare devices wired directly to Petrick.

“What is it, Family Head?”

-…My apologies.

“To what are you referring? If this concerns my ‘vacation,’ you needn’t fret over it.”

* My grandson sprinted off before I even had the chance to reach you.

“…”

Instantly grasping the subtext of that message, Elvia offered a quiet, gentle smile.

Naturally, she hadn’t managed to inform the household head that she was taking time off specifically for this reason, meaning her puppy must have attempted to summon her at least once.

True to form, however, she had been entirely unreachable.

‘By that point, I imagine our resident chatterbox of a dragon had already filled him in.’

He likely informed the boy that a priest had arrived, forcing the witch into hiding.

After all, the talkative entity undoubtedly wanted to rack up favorable impressions with the young master.

And the inevitable outcome of that meddling was…

“Understood, Family Head. Check the details upon your return.”

Without letting the conversation drag on, Elvia terminated the connection and slid the crystal back into her pocket.

Almost simultaneously—

“Elviaaaaa!!”

“…”

The desperate, echoing call of her puppy reached her ears as he frantically searched every corner of the estate.

Though her original blueprint had gone awry, the corners of Elvia’s mouth refused to dip downward.

Instead, they curved upward into an amused grin.

It was only natural to feel a warm sense of satisfaction when a grandson worked this hard to shield her from exposure.

‘So the priest actually serves a practical purpose after all.’

Realizing that one truly never stops learning new lessons regardless of age, Elvia resumed her unhurried stroll toward the kitchen, her initial destination.

Since events had unfolded this way, she decided she would simply carve out some extra-special downtime with her puppy once her vacation concluded.

Convinced that her revised strategy was entirely flawless, Elvia continued walking toward the kitchen with an even lighter, more cheerful step.

Until she suddenly froze in her tracks.

“Lady Elvia. Are you quite well? Where has Lord Lion gone?”

An entirely unexpected figure stepped into her path.

It was none other than Priest Rihit.

“I was under the impression you had been safely evacuated.”

“Ah, yes. I was guided away initially.”

Yet, he explained, a nagging sense of worry had compelled him to double back.

“However… Lady Elvia, did you fail to evacuate?”

Rihit inquired, his gaze dropping to the basket of bright red apples resting in her arms.

Their luster and rich color far surpassed any ordinary fruit, marking them clearly as items of uncommon origin.

Furthermore, such a tranquil, unhurried demeanor hardly matched someone who had just weathered a violent magical explosion moments prior.

Besides, wasn’t she supposed to be Lord Lion’s personal maid?

Why was she wandering about alone in this wing of the mansion?

“Hmm.”

“And Lord Lion appears to be frantically searching everywhere for you…”

A smile bloomed across Elvia’s face as if drawn by an invisible force.

‘This young priest possesses remarkably sharp instincts.’

He must have subconsciously picked up the faint ripples of a witch’s concealed aura.

Now, how ought she to spin this explanation…

While she deliberated over her response—

“There you are!”

Lion burst into the hallway, gasping heavily for breath as he threw open his mouth.

“We were supposed to bake apple pie together, but I’m running late. Right?”

“…Indeed we were.”

“Hahaha. Glad to see I missed nothing. Hand those over. I’ll carry—huh?”

Pausing naturally as he reached out to relieve Elvia of the apple basket, Lion cast a sidelong glance at Rihit as though only just noticing his presence, feigning absolute astonishment.

“My goodness, if it isn’t Priest Rihit?”

“…”

Watching his remarkably smooth performance, Elvia narrowed her eyes before letting out a soft chuckle.

My dear puppy…

Always finding the most entertaining ways to stir up chaos.