Chapter 251

Chapter 251
Chapter 251: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Anyway… now that I’ve verified everything is in order, I’ll wrap things up as quickly as possible and head back.”

“Yes, Head of the Family. Please put your mind at ease.”

Rikschel, who had stepped closer to Lion’s side, answered with resolute firmness.

“Have a safe journey, Grandfather.”

Lion reached out and waved his hand instead of offering a bow.

It was a conditioned reflex forged from countless previous mishaps.

“……! I shall return without a moment’s delay!”

Grandfather seemingly interpreted the gesture quite differently.

From Petrick’s vantage point, his already fragile grandson appeared to be fluttering a tiny, sprout-like hand while holding back the sorrow of parting.

Click!

At any rate, Petrick vacated the quarters with unprecedented speed.

Then, as though he had instantly cast a teleportation spell, absolute silence descended upon the room.

“You could have just performed the task right here, though….”

“Perhaps you calculated that releasing your magic here might pose a danger to Older Brother?”

“Indeed, that is very likely the case.”

Only Lion remained aware that the restriction was merely another penalty.

‘Grandfather has certainly undergone quite a change.’

One might even say he’s grown significantly softer.

Regardless, it is a positive development.

Both for my own sake and for Rikschel’s.

“My apologies, but I am going to have to impose upon you for a moment.”

“Impose? Not at all. If there is anything you require, please let me know, Older Brother.”

“Hmm, in that case, could you inform me what Priest Rihit is currently occupying himself with?”

“Ah, I can answer that immediately.”

You can answer right away?

Did you manage to pinpoint Rihit’s whereabouts in the interim?

“Priest Rihit has not emerged from his chambers for several days.”

“He hasn’t left his room?”

Recalling what the man had done, Lion immediately pressed for clarification.

‘Could the potency of the apple pie truly be that immense?’

That hardly seemed plausible.

Even if someone were to sleep for an extended duration, a single day would normally be the absolute limit.

Especially for a clergyman like Rihit, the physical impact should naturally be far less significant.

At most, it ought to have been a brief nap.

Besides, hadn’t word already circulated that he had regained consciousness?

‘…Which implies he drifted right back off to sleep.’

A prophetic dream?

As Lion turned the thought over in his mind, Rikschel gave a slow nod.

“As I suspected, Older Brother, you arrived at the exact same conclusion as I did.”

“Huh?”

“Just as you anticipated, Priest Rihit appears to be undergoing a phenomenon similar to the Archbishop’s.”

A phenomenon mirroring the Archbishop’s.

In other words, descending into a profound slumber that persists for an extended period.

‘That reminds me….’

What exact nature of dream did the Archbishop experience?

Although our paths crossed within a dreamscape, I never discovered the contents of his vision.

And furthermore, surely…

‘He mentioned that whenever a priest encounters a prophetic dream, they are obligated to verify its root cause.’

Has the Archbishop ever actually undertaken such a endeavor?

I find that rather doubtful.

“Hmm….”

Lion dredged an aged memory up from the depths of his mind.

It dated back to when he was leveling up a secondary priest character in The World.

In truth, that particular clergyman had never been a character Lion held much affection for.

He had equipped the gear to a moderate degree, but soon grew weary and abandoned the playthrough entirely.

Nevertheless, a single detail remained lodged in his memory.

It happened to be the introductory storyline assigned to the priest class.

Even though Lion typically clicked through text at top speed, the overarching premise stuck with him.

To put it concisely,

It detailed the journey of an ordinary priest who experienced a protracted slumber and set out to directly confront the anxieties born from that vision.

Ultimately, validating such a dream held immense personal significance for the practitioner.

“Have you ever caught wind of the Archbishop embarking on journeys to ‘verify’ visions?”

“You are referring to prophetic dreams.”

Lowering his gaze, Rikschel rapidly collated and synthesized a vast web of information before offering his reply.

“While the recent turmoil at the Imperial Palace has been attributed to an era of chaos, if one factors in the exact timeframe during which the Archbishop was asleep…”

There is indeed a noticeable gap.

‘And what that individual is ultimately targeting…’

Asteri.

…No, a peculiar intuition whispered that he might be my elder brother.

However.

‘This is intelligence my older brother has no urgent need to possess at present.’

It would be far wiser to withhold it until he reverts to his original form, at the very least.

Reaching that internal verdict, Rikschel closed his mouth.

“Taking it into consideration?”

“I am uncertain.”

“…”

Lion’s features instantly settled into a pout.

“Younger sibling. Allow me to reiterate: I am not genuinely an infant.”

“I truly do not know, Older Brother.”

Only then did Lion experience a moment of realization.

Ah, logic holds zero sway over anyone when one is trapped in a shrunken vessel.

Indeed, he would likely hold the exact same perspective if the roles were reversed.

Regardless of how rationally Rikschel spoke, from Lion’s current vantage point, his reactions would merely register as endearing.

“Very well. Message received.”

Ultimately, Lion chose to drop the matter with good grace.

In truth, taking meaningful action in his current state was practically impossible.

More than anything else, the true sting of the penalty lay in the total suppression of his abilities and the stagnation of his growth.

There was simply no alternative.

“Once I return to normal, we shall revisit this discussion.”

“Thank you.”

“So, I am free to depart now, correct?”

With a disgruntled huff, Lion hopped down from the toddler-sized chair.

Rikschel flinched slightly at the motion, though in reality, a child’s physique possessed remarkable baseline agility.

It meant the feat was entirely manageable; maintaining proper equilibrium simply proved tricky due to the disproportionate weight of his head.

“Where do you intend to wander?”

“At the moment, anywhere outside is hazardous, so I wish to remain in the company of Nature and Pus.”

-That is correct. I was already feeble enough in my human guise, and shrinking further has rendered me utterly helpless!

-I nearly forfeited my life as well!

Tiamatrak, who had maintained silence throughout the prior exchange, instantly resumed chattering.

“I see. Understood.”

Along with those words, Lion’s physical form lifted seamlessly into the air.

Suddenly, his vantage point elevated… or rather, as his field of vision restored itself to its proper height, Lion pondered the physics of the situation for a fleeting second before the truth dawned on him.

Rikschel had scooped him up!

“Are you not occupied with other matters?”

Lion attempted a subtle, circuitous deflection to mask his reluctance.

“This is the most critical task at hand.”

“Carrying me about in this fashion is bound to breed misunderstandings.”

“Should a misunderstanding arise…”

“Ordinary mortals would hardly suspect I’ve regressed into an infant, would they?”

“Ah.”

Rikschel instantly grasped the core of his elder brother’s anxiety.

The nobility were well-acquainted with the Asteri household, a lineage renowned for mastery of the arcane.

While they commanded widespread admiration, an equal number of aristocratic factions eagerly sought any opportunity to discredit them.

Chief among these rivals was the ducal house of Lepicent, the family of the Empress.

If word reached their prying eyes and ears that he was parading about in such a state, bizarre rumors would inevitably take root.

“If that is the sole concern, you need not trouble yourself.”

Rikschel offered a gentle smile and carried Lion toward a polished looking-glass.

Mischievous eyes peered back, crowned by a shock of untamed, haphazardly tied hair.

The entire aesthetic projected…

“Anyone within these walls recognizes you exclusively as my older brother.”

“….”

“Furthermore, any observer is far more likely to direct their misinterpretations toward me, so I shall take care to ensure this wing of the estate remains entirely tight-lipped.”

…I follow your drift.

“Let us be on our way.”

“….Very well.”

In the end, Lion was forced to endure the absolute humiliation of being toted about the manor nestled within Rikschel’s arms.

‘Oh, cruel fate.’

It constituted a peerless punishment and penalty rolled into an entirely different sort of torment…!

—

Even amid the lingering ripples of commotion within the estate.

“Hoo….”

Rikschel, the priest, repeatedly exhaled quiet sighs from the sanctuary of his chamber.

“What on earth is transpiring…”

Burying his face in both palms, Rikschel wrestled with a bitter ache in his chest.

For reasons entirely opaque to him, he found himself profoundly unsettled.

After weathering a few more heavy sighs, he offered a silent prayer for forgiveness, as though seeking absolution.

“I experienced a dream quite clearly, yet every trace of it has slipped my mind.”

Such an occurrence amounted to a sacrilege against both the divine and the fundamental laws governing the priesthood.

‘This marks the inaugural instance of retaining zero memory of such an extended vision.’

Ever since the sanctuary reached completion, Rikschel’s prophetic dreams had escalated markedly in frequency.

Or, to be more precise, the duration of the visions had stretched significantly.

Previously, they manifested as fleeting, isolated tableaus; now, however, dreams resembling complete theatrical performances or concise fairy tales dominated his sleep.

On each prior occasion, Rikschel had taken direct steps to validate those prophetic insights, a practice that enabled him to preempt various crises, both grand and minor.

Yet, this time was different.

Could it be attributed to his presence outside the temple grounds?

Or perhaps because this domain belonged to the arcane Asteri Family?

Upon jolting awake from his prolonged slumber, the entirety of the dream’s contents had simply evaporated into thin air.

Recognizing the anomaly as unprecedented, Rikschel’s first instinct had been to report the event directly to the Archbishop.

Yet, a sudden counter-thought had intervened.

‘What if this lapse is tied to my proximity to Lord Lion?’

Naturally, neither logic nor empirical proof supported the notion.

The entity designated as the messenger of the divine.

One dared not harbor ambitions of analyzing such a being.

While Academy Head Anne might possess the theoretical framework to decode such a phenomenon, Rikschel was currently bound by a vital commission within the Asteri household and lacked the luxury of pursuing academic avenues.

Moreover…

‘If I apprise Anne of this, the intelligence will inevitably reach the Archbishop’s ears as well.’

Should Rikschel’s working hypothesis hold true, the Archbishop would undoubtedly resort to any means necessary to haul Lord Lion back into the temple’s custody.

That represented an outcome that must be avoided at all costs where Lord Lion was concerned.

Besides.

‘The Archbishop must be overwhelmed with administrative duties at present.’

This peculiar amnesia regarding the prophetic dream was an obstacle he had to navigate entirely on his own terms.

To do otherwise would mean resigning himself to a prolonged state of festering unease.

‘That simply will not do.’

Was the vision not a direct revelation from the divine?

“….Very well. I shall resolve this independently.”

To accomplish that objective, his first necessary step involved visiting Lord Lion.

Had the young lord not drifted off to sleep while consuming apple pie on the previous occasion?

He couldn’t shake the suspicion that the incident might serve as a precursor to a prophetic vision of his own.

Furthermore, he fretted that Lion, burdened by his delicate frame, might have contracted a chill after bearing the weight of his visitor.

Speaking of which, the vicinity had grown remarkably quiet.

He had detected neither the concussive blasts that previously echoed through the halls nor the familiar cadence of Lord Lion’s voice.

‘Even if he were merely confined to his quarters…’

The current atmosphere deviated sharply from the norm.

“I truly must pay him a visit.”

Should the lord prove genuinely indisposed, perhaps his own modest reservoir of divine grace might offer some measure of relief.

In addition.

*Swish.*

Rikschel cast a sidelong glance toward his traveling pack.

“I am overdue in delivering this as well.”

The satchel remained brimming with sacred water harvested directly from the sanctuary grounds.

Strictly speaking, smuggling holy water out in such a manner violated protocol, yet Lord Lion possessed every qualification required to receive it.

‘I could hardly have achieved the feat unassisted.’

Completing the sanctuary, that is.

Consequently, many within the order chose to overlook his actions, even though the manner in which he gathered the sacred liquid remained glaringly obvious.

Even the Archbishop had remarked, ‘Will that quantity suffice?’ and thoughtfully provided an even larger receptacle.

“Circumstances prevented me from handing it over earlier, but this occasion presents the ideal opportunity.”

Shouldering the bag laden with sacred water, Rikschel stepped out of his quarters with light, unhurried strides.

Immediately afterward.

“Pardon the intrusion, but I must inquire as to your destination…”

He found his path blocked by a knight who had apparently been stationed outside his door for some time.

The red-haired warrior, betraying a hint of awkwardness, queried his intended route in a subdued tone.

Rikschel initially prepared to disclose his destination without suspicion, but…

He swiftly recognized the identity of the individual standing before him.

‘The very same knight who accompanied Lord Riksel on that prior occasion.’

He vividly recalled the man serving as Lord Riksel’s personal vanguard.

Why, then, was he detailed to watch over this specific corridor?

‘Is he exercising vigilance toward me?’

A clergyman moving freely within the estate of a renowned arcane lineage was bound to invite a degree of circumspection.

Even so, no formal restrictions had been imposed upon him prior to this moment.

That reality suggested a distinct shift in circumstances.

Coincidentally, this heightened security aligned precisely with the timeframe of his unaccountably blank prophetic dream.

Having swiftly assessed the tactical situation, Rikschel met the guard’s gaze with an easy smile.

“Would you be so kind as to guide me to Lord Riksel?”

His stated objective was an audience with Riksel, rather than Lion.