Chapter 260

Chapter 260
## Chapter 260: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

-So, is this downtime?

“Correct.”

Naturally, I wouldn’t be able to partake since I lack a physical form.

Lion put on an exaggerated display of needless anxiety, raising a single finger.

“An hour ought to be plenty to take everything in, right?”

-I’m off and running!

Tiamatrak, having finished making mental calculations, shot off like a loose bolt from a crossbow.

And precisely moments before the hour mark expired.

-I have returned!

*Sniffle… Sniffle…*

He sauntered back while dragging along a tiny phantom, believed to be the late Grand Duke’s young son of Dragnas, pinched in one of his claws.

The young heir of Dragnas was weeping continuously.

Clear droplets of tears pattered onto the floor with a soft *plink* before evaporating into nothingness.

At Lion’s silent gesture, Tiamatrak carefully set the boy down onto the stone flooring.

-… !

The moment he regained his freedom, the boy scrambled away from Tiamatrak and scurried behind Lion.

The hand clutching at the fabric of my trousers felt icy and weightless.

“Could you possibly be…”

-No way! I didn’t do anything to him this time!

-All I did was scare him a little bit earlier!

Tiamatrak, looking thoroughly aggrieved, demonstrated the threatening stance he had used previously.

With both arms held high and his jaw dropped wide open, it was honestly not very intimidating at all.

It certainly lacked the proper dignity expected of a dragon.

-Even so, he keeps right on weeping.

“Very well. Just wait here for a moment.”

After waving him off, Lion lowered himself into a crouch to match the eye level of the Grand Duke’s son.

*…He really is a spirit.*

Unlike Tiamatrak, whose physical projection was far too polished for an earthbound dragon, the child’s form unmistakably belonged to one who had perished.

It was hardly surprising, given that a gaping, fatal wound split across his chest, and his garments around it were soaked deep with dried blood.

The stark reality of his death left an inexplicable, bitter taste in my mouth.

“Are you truly the son of the Grand Duke of Dragnas?”

Lion inquired gently, and the young boy gave a solemn nod.

Though still sniffling and weeping softly, at the very least, communication was achievable.

“My name is Lion Asteri, grandson of Patrick Asteri. Do you happen to recall my grandfather?”

My grandfather and the Grand Duke must have crossed paths in the past.

The hero’s vanguard had accrued quite a debt here.

Moreover, it was likely grandfather who bridged the gap between the Grand Duke and the hero.

Otherwise, an upstart hero who began merely as an ordinary adventurer would have struggled to secure a direct audience with the Grand Duke.

*Nod, nod.*

Fortunately, the response was affirmative.

Hearing the name ‘Patrick’ seemed to put the boy somewhat at ease, and he attempted to speak.

The obstacle, however, was…

*Hmm… I cannot hear a sound.*

Unlike Tiamatrak’s telepathic resonance, which rang as clear as spoken words, the child’s voice remained entirely silent.

It was peculiar.

His crying, after all, had been loud enough.

-For your information, I cannot pick up his voice either!

-That is to be expected. In truth, it is miraculous enough that the child lingers here as a disembodied soul.

-Only an entity of my caliber could retain such presence.

I see.

*Well, nothing can be done about that.*

Fortunately, however, he was able to hear Lion’s voice without issue.

Lion paused in thought before fetching a sheet of paper and a writing utensil from the chamber.

『Yes. 『No. 『I do not know.

Placing the parchment bearing the three choices onto the floor, Lion posed his next question.

“You can hear my voice clearly, correct? Might I ask you a few inquiries?”

Recognizing the purpose of the written prompts, the Grand Duke’s son pointed a finger toward ‘Yes.’

“Are there any other presences similar to yours lingering around this place?”

This time, the finger drifted to ‘No.’

Several more simple questions followed.

Whether the emergence of fiends posed an active danger, or if the presence of a dragon’s soul frightened him.

As well as whether he had maintained a close bond with the Grand Duke during his mortal days, among other things.

With each query answered, the boy’s tears gradually began to recede.

“You possess a remarkably sharp mind.”

At Lion’s words of praise, the child ceased his crying entirely and managed a faint, fleeting smile.

Perhaps the profound isolation of decades past had been eased, if only slightly.

From a distance, Tiamatrak chimed in, “I am quite familiar with that sensation~”

Capitalizing on the softened atmosphere, Lion ventured a more delicate question.

“Are you perhaps searching for the Grand Duke?”

The young heir hesitated briefly before selecting ‘Yes.’

“You mentioned there are no others like you here, so do you have any idea where he might be?”

This time, the response was ‘I do not know.’

He appeared to have plenty more he wished to communicate and opened his mouth, yet no sound crossed his lips.

Seeming to realize the futility, he let out a heavy, soundless sigh.

Judging from his expression, such a barrier must have been frustrating when he first passed away, but now he seemed resigned to it.

*Hmm…*

Aside from feeling sympathy for the boy’s plight, one crucial detail had surfaced.

The Grand Duke, who had driven everyone toward destruction as a fiend, likely existed somewhere in a spectral state.

Furthermore, that destination was bound to be a rather hazardous environment.

*It is doubtful he is in prime condition, either…*

With nothing more than the mere possibility of his existence, Lion’s current options were limited.

Then.

“Ah.”

The Grand Duke’s son tapped against ‘No’ and gave a nod.

It signified that he required no assistance.

Their eyes met once more.

As though granting permission to proceed with further inquiries.

Perhaps due to enduring decades as a solitary soul, the boy carried a surprising degree of composure.

*Now that I think about it…*

His father, the Grand Duke, had once possessed a deeply righteous core, so perhaps the trait was inherited.

*This is quite intriguing…*

I should casually bring this up with grandfather later.

*Wait, would Kyle perhaps be a better choice?*

Lion’s thoughts drifted back to the incident at the inn.

The Second Prince might prove far more knowledgeable regarding matters of the soul.

“My apologies. Would you mind if I asked one more thing?”

Having secured the boy’s consent, Lion continued.

“It was quite some time ago, but did the ‘Hero’ pass through this region after the Great Barrier was erected?”

In truth, it was unlikely to be a cherished memory for the Grand Duke’s son.

Chronologically, the boy would have perished at the hands of the Grand Duke early on, transforming into a spirit first.

This implied he might have witnessed the hero defeat his own father from beyond the veil of death.

*And this child holds great affection for his father.*

Not merely affection—he continued to seek out his father even in death.

Consequently, he was unlikely to harbor warm feelings toward the hero.

True to expectation, the young boy’s gaze wavered uncertainly.

Was anger flaring up once more?

At that exact instant, the child’s expression brightened remarkably.

Without hesitation, he pressed his finger directly onto ‘Yes’!

*…His mood lifted?*

Even for someone with a remarkably generous heart, could such a reaction truly occur?

*No, wait.*

A specific hypothesis suddenly crossed my mind.

Based on what Lion had witnessed within Story Mode, the hero had always possessed a benevolent disposition.

This suggested that as he forged ahead on his arduous path, he must have wrestled with severe inner turmoil.

For such a figure to draw close to the Great Barrier…

*It implies his purpose extended beyond merely dealing with the barrier.*

The available details remained far too sparse for certainty.

Yet one question could still be addressed.

“Do you happen to know where he went?”

The boy’s finger slid away from ‘Yes.’

And came to rest upon ‘I do not know.’

*Hmm.*

Perhaps the sanctuary where the Grand Duke resided and the destination visited by the hero shared the same coordinates.

“Thank you for your valuable time, young lord. It grows late; would you be willing to visit again tomorrow night?”

An immediate sweep of the castle with the boy acting as guide was tempting, but the conditions were far from ideal.

For one, mutual verbal communication with spirits remained out of reach.

Though utilizing Tiamatrak might bridge the gap…

*He still appears somewhat timid.*

Even if the spirit had lingered for decades, treating a child with undue harshness felt wrong.

Once morning broke, the plan was to construct makeshift ‘word cards.’

And above all…

*First, I must witness it with my own eyes.*

The Grand Duke’s son had existed as a phantom far longer than he had as a living boy.

Therefore, allowing the night to deepen before venturing out seemed the wiser course of action, he concluded.

“Peep.”

Nature let out a troubled little chirp.

“Hm? Nature, what is the…”

Before Lion could finish the sentence, a cold sweat broke out across his skin.

There was a crucial detail he had entirely overlooked.

Most children naturally gravitated toward animals.

A child isolated from the world for decades would naturally harbor an even greater fascination toward living creatures.

Although Nature served as a Spirit King, its physical manifestation closely resembled a bright yellow fledgling.

And… spirits and phantoms likely shared a very thin boundary.

Because the Grand Duke’s son, who had vanished moments prior, suddenly popped straight up from the floor and was staring fixedly at Nature.

“Peep, peep…”

Finding the boy’s intense gaze rather overwhelming, Nature twisted its head away to break eye contact.

It was likely not out of a dislike for the child, but rather a desire to assist its master in carrying out a smooth investigation.

*…Ah? Could that be the reason I am capable of seeing spirits in the first place?*

Strictly speaking, was it due to an inherent affinity in their nature?

If so, the pieces suddenly fell into place.

Furthermore… it seemed a situation that Nature might actually help resolve.

“Nature. I am quite alright.”

“Peep? Peep!”

Though momentarily bewildered by Lion’s declaration, Nature quickly caught on and gave a resolute nod.

Then, it reached out and gave the boy’s finger a gentle tap with its beak!

“Hey? Wait, I did not mean for you to peck him away…”

Startled by the abrupt gesture, the Grand Duke’s son instinctively drew his hand back.

Yet, unexpectedly.

*Giggle!*

Though no audible sound emerged, the boy’s form clearly radiated amusement.

-That is a vast improvement over weeping!

-The little sting must feel rather refreshing, too!

-After all, that fellow was unable to touch a single thing before.

Tiamatrak, who had been lingering at a distance, ambled over to murmur quietly in his ear.

“Indeed…”

Though I have never experienced existence as a phantom, I imagine the sensation would be welcome, Lion.

Enduring silence is one thing, but the boy had gone decades without a single conversation or physical interaction, had he not?

“Peep. Peep!”

After lingering in a brief game of tag with the boy, Nature fluttered over and gestured with its wings.

-He indicates that he wishes to scout the surroundings briefly?

-He lacks the capacity to wander into dangerous zones anyway.

True enough, the wanderings of the Grand Duke’s son appeared bound by specific spatial limitations.

And Nature… stood foremost as a Spirit King, intrinsically linked to my own mana reserves.

Besides, in an emergency, pulling the spirit back by force remained an option.

Granted, doing so demanded a tremendous expenditure of mana, making it a rare resort, yet with Tiamatrak’s amplified circle, the feat seemed entirely plausible.

*Not a bad arrangement.*

They would survey the outer perimeters while Lion focused his search indoors.

“Nature.”

“Peep.”

Spreading its wings wide to convey utter confidence, Nature struck a brave posture.

Lion offered a gentle stroke to the spirit’s head.

“Should anything seem hazardous, retreat immediately. Understood? And use whatever portion of my mana you require.”

Nature’s expression morphed into a strange, skeptical look.

“What? No, I worry for your safety. What if trouble arises while I am absent?”

“…Ppeui.”

Nature offered a reluctant, drawn-out reply long after Lion had fallen silent.

-He is asking if you struggle with placing yourself in the perspective of others?

Hmm…

That has admittedly never been my strongest trait.