Chapter 273

Chapter 273
## Chapter 273: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

The Alchemist’s Glass Chestnut Cookie (★★★)

* A sweet chestnut-infused pastry featuring a rich, delightful aroma and flavor!
* You utilized intricate ingredients with impressive skill! The shelf life appears remarkably extended, too!
* Who wouldn’t savor every bite of this delectable cookie?

Lion surveyed the beautifully finished Yulan from every angle with a sense of quiet contentment.

“Excellent. Let’s bake a few more batches.”

Didn’t I deliberately gather a plentiful harvest of chestnuts, after all?

Lion formed the smooth chestnut paste filling a mixing bowl into neat, individual spheres.

‘It genuinely brings back holiday memories.’

In various households, isn’t it customary to craft songpyeon or dumplings during festive seasons?

The process felt remarkably similar.

‘That reminds me…….’

The gift boxes that peers and juniors hauled back to the workplace following the holiday break, insisting they needed to clear out the excess treats, drifted into my thoughts.

‘They all possessed such charming designs.’

Perhaps because they served as traditional offerings, my parents always took great care to single out the largest and most aesthetically pleasing ones.

“Hmm. Could this be the exact emotion?”

Admittedly, Lion was preparing these to smooth things over with Elvia, whereas parents typically used the gesture to communicate how deeply they missed their cherished offspring.

“Let’s see here……”

Out of the collection of expertly shaped Yulan, Lion selected the most visually striking pieces and arranged them neatly inside a basin.

The cluster of round, chestnut-styled pastries looked quite adorable together.

Without delay, Lion fetched a pen and stationery, dashed off a concise apology note a few times over, and rose to his feet.

“There.”

This should suffice.

One shouldn’t miss the window for an apology by overcomplicating the effort.

Wearing a gentle smile, Lion stepped outside carrying both the surplus Yulan and the dedicated gift portion.

“Wait, Young Master! Why didn’t you summon me?”

“It isn’t heavy in the slightest.”

True to expectation, Lepios was waiting in the corridor.

“Ah, do try one of these. They taste quite pleasant.”

They possess no mystical enhancements, however.

Lion appended the final remark with a playful grin.

“You don’t mean…… you actually managed to cook with those chestnuts?”

Lepios missed the humor entirely.

“How… how did you accomplish this? Quite apart from anything else, chestnuts have historically refused to yield a stable dish!”

The intense excitement ringing in his voice belonged unquestionably to a dedicated researcher.

Before Lion could interject, Lepios pressed forward in a rapid, breathless stream of words.

“Even slicing apples previously required refined magic or specialized tools. I’ve never even experienced the true taste properly…!”

Granted, exploration into preserving flora as shelf-stable provisions had only recently commenced, but still!

Not a single soul had achieved success until now!

“How on earth……”

Lepios, who looked on the verge of pulling Lion straight back into the laboratory, abruptly checked himself.

‘Good heavens! What an unpardonable lapse in respect toward the Young Master!’

Besides, Young Master Lion is currently an invalid.

Even a glance at the Grand Master’s demeanor made it obvious he was far from fully recovered.

And yet here I am, badgering him like this!

“S-I sincerely apologize! That was entirely too forward of me, wasn’t it?”

“It is quite alright.”

Truthfully, seeing him spin into such a frenzy so abruptly caught me off guard, but well…

‘He is both a mage and a scholar.’

The reaction was entirely logical.

“Here. Take this one. It’s called a Yulan. Now then, I must be going.”

Dropping a Yulan into Lepios’s hand, Lion headed straight for the elevator.

Left behind in the basement, Lepios stood motionless with the chestnut pastry in his palm, staring blankly at the spot where Lion had vanished.

‘…Is he in a rush?’

Contrary to his earlier relaxed posture, he seemed pressed for time.

Lepios glanced from the departed elevator down to the Yulan pastry resting in his hand.

He then pinched off a tiny fragment from the tapered tip and placed it on his tongue.

The next instant.

“……!!”

Thud! It felt as though a lightning bolt had split his consciousness.

It tasted extraordinary!

So exceptionally good that every instinct urged him to devour the entire thing at once, scientific inquiry be damned.

“Lord Lion…!”

Lepios cried out belatedly toward the empty shaft where the elevator had already ascended.

“Please… grant me the recipe just once before you leave the hospital…!”

Whether I can replicate the exact technique is another question entirely.

It’s likely an impossible feat…!

Please!

……Regrettably, Lion remained entirely out of earshot of Lepios’s plea.

—

* Oh? Lion, back already?
* How could you abandon me like that? Do you have any concept of how excruciatingly bored I was?
* Spending every waking moment flat on your back… Oh?

Tiamatrak cut off mid-reproach and locked eyes with the pastry resting in Lion’s palm.

It bore the exact silhouette of a chestnut.

And indeed, it radiated the sweet, toasted fragrance characteristic of a chestnut confection.

‘…Hm?’

A quiet flutter of surprise rippled through Tiamatrak.

As an ethereal entity, existence imposed numerous restrictions while bound to this plane.

Inability to manipulate physical objects stood chief among them.

‘At least in Lion’s immediate vicinity, that barrier has lifted.’

Though the operational radius remained constrained, physical interaction had become possible.

The secondary restriction concerned sensory perception, particularly scent.

Naturally, as an ancient dragon, catching faint atmospheric traces or nuances remained feasible.

Like sensing a sweet undertone or a foul stench.

Yet currently…

‘The aroma is registering with absolute clarity?’

Granted, frequent exposure to spirit-related phenomena through Lion’s recent ordeals might have facilitated this.

Alternatively, reclaiming the scale fragments Tiamatrak had previously discarded could be the cause.

Even so, shouldn’t those sensory channels have opened prior to this moment?

‘Something distinct must have been infused into that confection.’

Instantly, Tiamatrak’s curiosity pivoted entirely toward the chestnut cookie.

* Hmph, cooking up little amuse-ments now, are we?
* You intend to hand that over to that wretched, bad-tempered witch as a peace offering, don’t you?

“Precisely. Elvia appeared genuinely distressed.”

Lion tenderly deposited the letter and the pastry onto the wicker tray brought by Elvia’s ravens.

It looked remarkably modest set against the scale of provisions Elvia typically dispatched…

‘It’s the sentiment that matters most.’

Ha ha… Lion offered a self-conscious smile before turning his attention to the birds.

Fortunately, perhaps due to the intervening hours, the previously exhausted ravens appeared to have recovered their magnificent, glossy plumage.

“Would you be so kind as to deliver this basket back to Elvia?”

The corvids scrutinized the container with ruby-bright eyes.

After inspecting every angle, one raven seized the handle in its beak and hopped past the window frame…

Swish!

The remaining three birds flanked it in a tight protective formation.

Though a sharp gale ruffled the feathers of the escorting flock, the payload remained perfectly steady without a single tremor.

“I’m leaving this in your care.”

Lion offered a parting wave, and the majestic flock soared gracefully into the distance.

* Playing the hero now. Convenient to forget how exhausted you looked earlier…

Tiamatrak muttered indifferently before refocusing on the chestnut treat.

‘Fascinating, I admit.’

Watching Lion orchestrate various schemes and eccentric projects had certainly kept the boredom at bay.

This instance, however, carried a different weight.

Should I describe it as a craving for direct experience?

‘Intercepting its form should prove manageable.’

Ingesting it, however, presented an entirely separate hurdle.

Of course, possessing Lion’s vessel directly would grant access to the taste…

‘Not under these circumstances.’

Even from Tiamatrak’s perspective, Lion’s physical state was precarious in the extreme.

Frankly, survival had seemed unlikely just a short while ago.

‘My very consciousness had been expelled from the physical shell.’

Severe corruption had overrun the system as well.

Standard progression dictated that the taint should have consumed the body entirely, resulting in fatality or full demonization.

‘The catalyst that halted the descent remains a mystery…’

Still, observing that stubborn resilience suggested he wasn’t a man easily dispatched, prompting the decision to retrieve his form first.

After all, if the contracted mortal perished, Tiamatrak would inevitably be dragged into the afterlife alongside him, wouldn’t he?

That detail remained a secret unknown to Lion Asteri.

‘What purpose would it serve to burden a mere youth with such knowledge?’

Even with full awareness, wouldn’t he simply be labeled a reckless gambler wagering his soul for transient amusement?

Such is the nature of entertainment.

Lost in these musings while fixing a steady gaze upon the pastry…

“Here.”

Lion casually extended a cookie forward.

Aside from the pristine specimens reserved for the witch, this ranked as the next most symmetrical piece.

“You seemed interested in partaking.”

* What possible logic dictates offering this to me? Consuming it is physically impossible.

“I wouldn’t be so certain. Your senses registered the aroma, didn’t they? You were sniffing the air quite intently.”

-…

Was the evidence truly that blatant?

It was a humbling moment for the dignity of a dragon.

Moreover, a more pressing question remained.

* Is actual ingestion feasible?

“It stands to reason you might manage a modest portion.”

No guarantees on a full meal, mind you…

‘Though the probability seems high.’

Didn’t the item description explicitly state as much?

That anyone could partake and thoroughly enjoy it.

Consequently, Tiamatrak should qualify under those terms.

Above all, for that precise rationale…

‘Selecting spirit stones as a base ingredient served a deliberate purpose.’

If spiritual arts and the soul share a fundamental link, wouldn’t provisions simmered with spirit stones yield a tangible effect?

“Merely test it. If the attempt fails, no harm done.”

* Tch, experiencing dashed expectations after allowing oneself a shred of hope is a bitter pill.

With a disgruntled huff, Tiamatrak gingerly accepted the chestnut cookie from Lion’s palm.

The bouquet mirrored an authentic autumn harvest—savory forest chestnuts simmered generously in simple syrup before receiving a dusting of warm cinnamon.

……Which translated to an exceptionally promising profile.

‘Come to think of it, mortal cuisine held unmatched supremacy in ancient times.’

Flashbacks surfaced of banquets enjoyed during eras spent masquerading in human guise.

-……Shall I venture a bite?

Breaking character entirely, Tiamatrak parted his jaws with a flutter of genuine anticipation and slowly masticated the confection.

At first… naturally, the palate registered zero feedback.

Only the dense, crumbly texture of the pastry made its presence known.

A wave of disappointment whispered that simply regaining tactile feedback was a victory in itself, when—

-……!

A delicate wave of sweetness bloomed.

Followed swiftly by a robust, earthy richness coating the tongue, accompanied by the sharp, tickling warmth of cinnamon.

Admittedly faint… though anyone with a dulled palate might dismiss it as flavorless.

* Remarkable…

To Tiamatrak, the sensation carried the force of an overwhelming revelation.

An involuntary, wry chuckle escaped his throat.

To think the capacity for taste could return beyond the threshold of death.

* That temperamental witch is bound to appreciate this.

“Indeed? Was the experience satisfactory from your end as well?”

Satisfactory fell short of the mark.

Didn’t the inner monologue literally revolve around experiencing sensations post-mortem?

An affirmative reply sat right on the tip of the tongue.

“Regardless, your assistance was invaluable.”

Lion spoke first, cutting off the train of thought.

“Truthfully, the situation caught you off guard as well, didn’t it? Yet you kept a level head throughout. You proved to be an immense pillar of support.”

* Hmph, it merely fulfilled the terms of the accord.

“The process of regaining consciousness gave me considerable time for reflection.”

Settling onto the edge of the mattress while tossing fragments of Yulan to Pus and Nature, Lion muttered the words as if addressing the empty air.

“Hoffman’s words played a part in that realization, too. Expressing gratitude feels necessary.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Lion offered an embarrassed chuckle.

“At any rate, thank you for standing by me through all of that…”

Tap.

Tiamatrak reached out, gently cupping Lion’s head, and ruffled his hair.

Despite looking like a child, the entity’s stature remained imposing enough to swallow the entire crown in one hand.

* Refrain from overthinking such trivialities and simply pursue whatever catches your fancy.
* Outcomes prove far more entertaining that way.

“…….”

Right… that passes for comfort in your lexicon, correct? Much appreciated.

Yet why does the gesture leave such a peculiar sting?

“Arf!”

Fortunately, Pus—perceiving the master’s deflating mood—clamped its jaws firmly around Tiamatrak’s forearm while chewing a mouthful of pastry, bringing an abrupt halt to the exchange.

* Gaaah! You noxious beast! Foreseeing this exact brand of chaos required no precognition!

“Ha ha ha……”

Choosing willful blindness, Lion pivoted his gaze toward the window.

The flock of ravens had long since vanished beyond the horizon.

With any luck, Elvia had safely intercepted the apology Yulan.

‘Surely… she won’t dispatch a retaliatory curse?’

Apprehension lingered given that her temper had run hotter than usual.

Naturally.

“……Oh my.”

My precious puppy is displaying the most endearing behavior.

Elvia, whose devotion to Lion bordered on the obsessive, would never commit such a cruelty.