Chapter 285

Chapter 285
## Chapter 285: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Just as everyone anticipated, my younger brother and the Marquis of Byedantis instantly drew every pair of eyes in the room.

‘They really do suit each other.’

Ah, I am referring to the accessories, naturally. Haha.

I must not let my imagination run away with me!

Lion wore a contented smile and gracefully drifted away from the main hall toward a quiet alcove.

‘I suppose having family watch makes one feel a bit self-conscious.’

Completely unaware that I was already partway through my numerous cup of “anticipation,” Lion slipped stealthily out onto the balcony attached to the outer wall.

“Whew!”

As the ambient hum of conversation and the rhythmic cadence of the orchestra faded into the background, a heavy breath slipped out.

“That is no joke.”

It appears that attendees of all ages and backgrounds felt compelled to put on quite a show, leaving me thoroughly drained.

Still, the chilly breeze helps soothe the fatigue somewhat.

‘The rain has practically cleared up, too.’

The moon peeked out from behind fractured cloud cover, suggesting the evening might settle into a calmer mood.

However.

—The moon is crimson.

“Indeed it is.”

The lunar body, revealed once the dark banks parted, bore a striking, blood-red tint.

And as a general rule, a red moon signifies…….

‘Seldom anything favorable.’

A crimson moon has always carried the weight of an ill omen.

The moonlight, designed to gently guide the night, had shifted into a menacing scarlet glare.

frequently featured events where demonic entities grew significantly stronger under the light of a red moon.

Just to be thorough, Lion checked his surroundings before discreetly pulling back his sleeve.

“…….”

Fortunately, the corruption had neither spread further nor receded; it remained entirely unchanged.

‘I never cease to amaze myself.’

In the past, I paid zero attention to meteorological details.

If precipitation fell, an umbrella sufficed; if snow caused delays, I worried about transit.

‘Now I find myself monitoring lunar phases.’

……Naturally! Given my current circumstances, ignoring such details was out of the question.

Lion smoothed his sleeve back down, completely concealing the tainted skin.

“Bah. No sense in overthinking it. Today is meant strictly for positive developments.”

All eyes remained fixed on my younger brother, which incidentally netted Lion an incredible surplus of experience points.

Fortunately, Jack, operating under a merchant disguise, was nowhere in sight, and the second prince, lost in the sea of guests, kept his distance from Lion.

‘Evading the persistent gaze of the other nobles was an added perk, too.’

Ever since I arrived alongside Petrick, numerous lingering stares had followed my every move until my younger brother made his grand entrance.

‘Perhaps I was simply letting my emotions get the better of me.’

I likely got caught up in the atmosphere and melody of the celebration.

Regardless, there is no need to head back inside prior to the Emperor’s official address, so I will regain my composure shortly.

—Ahem! Surely you aren’t planning on heading right back in, are you?

“Pardon?”

—Nonsense, I heard earlier that the festivities are set to run right up until the final hunting trials begin.

Tiamatrak, silhouetted against the moonlight, perched casually on the stonework and chattered away.

To put it briefly.

“Are you hoping to observe more?”

—That is precisely it!

As a dragon, it seems opulent displays naturally capture her interest.

—Out of all of them, the pieces you crafted were by far the most breathtaking.

—Whatever inspired you to design such marvels?

—I only wish I could have witnessed those masterpieces being brought to life firsthand!

“We will have plenty of opportunities down the line. I intend to create items far more magnificent than these.”

—Is that true?

Realistically speaking, the odds of producing items inferior to the Arcanum Accessory Set were not particularly low.

After all, even as we conversed, my Blacksmithing experience points continued to climb steadily.

‘The numbers are still rising at an astonishing rate.’

Admittedly, the gains were smaller than the massive spike when my younger brother first arrived, but the totals remained staggering.

‘The overall ambiance of the banquet hall likely contributed its fair share.’

Nobles place immense value on outward appearance, so naturally, their gazes would gravitate toward such striking work.

‘A quiet sense of pride wells up inside me.’

Lion’s original objective was merely to provide his younger brother and the Marquis of Byedantis with a fitting gift.

‘At this trajectory, though…….’

In reality, Lion was reaping the lion’s share of the rewards!

Accumulating experience at this scale while already sitting at the skilled tier was exceptionally rare.

‘Especially regarding Alchemy.’

As I pushed further into the higher reaches of the skilled tier, my Alchemy progression had previously stalled without much noticeable movement.

‘Part of that is due to Alchemy lacking a standard percentage-based experience metric.’

Since the ability originated from loot boxes, advancement depended on fulfilling unique conditions or fabricating specific items rather than grinding conventional experience points.

The prerequisites were demanding enough that even upon completing the Cosmic Crystal required for the Arcanum Accessory Set, my tier level had remained static.

Consequently, I had been considering alternate paths.

I even weighed whether to experiment with toxic flora or martial applications.

“I intend to remain out here for a bit longer, so why don’t you wander around and take in the sights?”

—Really? You mean that?

—I promise to observe quietly.

“Very well. In the meantime, I shall busy myself and—”

Right as I was about to add “return shortly…”.

Wait.

—Surely I wouldn’t cause more trouble than you do?

—Hmm? What brings that up so abruptly?

“…….”

A moment ago, amidst the cascade of system notifications, one particular message caught my eye, tucked quietly away from the rest.

The alert, glowing with a distinctly brighter aura than the others, contained a staggering revelation!

『 Alchemy Proficiency Skilled Lv.8 has been attained.』

“Level 8?”

—What is it? A pest? Is there a pest about?

Tiamatrak fluttered her claws in disgust at the mere thought of an insect infesting the Imperial Palace.

“……Negative.”

Lion raised a hand to cover his parted lips.

When last checked, my Alchemy proficiency had firmly rested at level 6.

Yet now, it had surged two whole tiers forward in a single leap.

‘If I manage just one more promotion…….’

I will cross the threshold into Artisan status.

And once I reach the rank of Artisan…….

*Gulp*.

Lion swallowed hard.

‘Master.’

A legendary tier attained by a mere one percent of practitioners.

A future that once felt impossibly distant suddenly loomed directly before me.

And logically speaking…….

‘It is bound to happen soon.’

There was sound reasoning behind such confidence.

It all hinged on the stringent criteria demanded to achieve Master status.

First, reach the Artisan level.

Second, cement your place among the upper one percent.

……Though, upon reflection.

‘Haven’t I already secured a spot among the elite one percent?’

Hahaha.

“Tiamatrak, go amuse yourself to your heart’s content.”

—D-do you mean it…!?

“I shall step back inside once the Emperor’s address commences.”

—Splendid!

—No going back on your word, understood? Absolutely not!

Run along, little one. It is a celebration, after all!

Lion coolly waved Tiamatrak off and let out an invigorating chuckle.

“An ill omen, my rear end.”

Lion cast his gaze back toward the crimson moon.

The moonlight reflecting off his pupils gave him the wild appearance of a man driven by frenzy, but—

None of that matters!

An eccentric reputation suits me fine anyway!

“Let us tally up the gains, shall we?”

My Blacksmithing capabilities had surged dramatically, and Alchemy had vaulted forward by two entire levels.

It even succeeded in making those two handsome figures shine all the brighter!

‘Younger brother. My sincere thanks!’

I set out simply to help them look their best, never anticipating such abundant returns!

Lion tilted his head back, finishing the remaining alcohol in his goblet.

The crisp bite of carbonation against his tongue felt akin to a celebratory artillery volley.

“The moment this birthday banquet concludes, I shall return to my quarters and service the cauldron.”

With a milestone promotion within touching distance, my hands practically itched to begin.

In truth, I had missed the tactile rhythm of crafting for some time, but prior obligations kept me from fully diving back in!

“My, this gathering is thoroughly entertaining. I rather enjoy banquets.”

Lion basked in the profound rush of progression felt after a long hiatus, fueled by a mixture of dopamine and light spirits.

……Meanwhile.

Unbeknownst to Lion, those very same accessories were working wonders for Rikschel as well.

The sheer magnetism of the pieces drew collective gazes away, affording Petrick far greater operational freedom.

Naturally, watchful eyes still lingered on Petrick from time to time, but only for fleeting instances.

Thus.

The overarching plan continued to unfold seamlessly.

That said, a few minor side effects did arise.

“Where on earth did you manage to procure such ornaments?”

“Coming from such prominent households, did perhaps unearth ancient relics?”

“I heard whispers of a Dwarf settlement within the Baidantis domain—could this be their handiwork?”

“Oh my goodness! Regardless, to share and wear matching pieces of such immense value? How utterly romantic…!”

“Should the opportunity ever present itself, I would gladly commission a piece.”

Side effect number one.

The local nobility had initiated a vigorous search for the Artisan behind the accessories—or rather, the Master.

Well, that presented little genuine risk so long as Lion maintained his anonymity.

However.

A second side effect soon made its way to Lion directly.

Namely…….

“Ah, my apologies. Over here. I-I hardly anticipated finding someone occupying this space!”

“Hmm?”

Mid-chuckle, Lion pivoted his head toward the voice.

The balcony frequently served as a refuge for guests seeking a temporary respite from the suffocating grandeur inside, so an interruption wasn’t entirely out of the question…….

‘Oh?’

Never in his wildest dreams did he expect a heavy hitter—though perhaps “heavy hitter” was a generous descriptor—to show up.

Furthermore, judging by the visitor’s hesitant posture, this individual had sought Lion out intentionally.

“If it isn’t His Highness, the First Prince?”

Lion set his wine glass down upon the balustrade and stepped forward.

Such a pity, too, considering how thoroughly he was enjoying the dopamine-induced euphoria.

*Fidgeting nervously*.

“Hmm……”

Yet, Prince Terus presented an exceptionally poor picture of health.

‘Did he come here looking for a confrontation?’

Given the First Prince’s established disposition, one naturally assumed ties to the Second Prince’s faction, arriving to intimidate the weakest link—myself.

In fact, the First Prince had previously orchestrated a targeted strike against Lion.

Alternatively, perhaps he sought to suck up to the Second Prince’s camp.

However…….

‘He appears genuinely wretched.’

As Lion scrutinized the First Prince closely.

‘They claim he is simple to handle, but reality proves somewhat more complex…!’

The second unexpected ripple.

The accessories held zero sway over individuals who lacked any prior interest in the two figures drawing the room’s attention.

Prince Terus currently found himself teetering on the absolute brink of physical and psychological collapse.

On one flank loomed the Archbishop; on the other stood the despised illegitimate sibling.

To make matters worse, the Emperor—whom Terus assumed would shield him indefinitely—had effectively become a puppet of that very same illegitimate child, while his own mother plotted to discard him.

He briefly contemplated courting the favor of the Second Prince, yet that avenue had proven equally fruitless.

Feeling as though the heavens had caved in and destruction awaited him any second, panic naturally consumed him.

Regrettably, the rigid confines of his ceremonial garments prevented him from resorting to nervous nail-biting.

Nevertheless.

‘I-I cannot afford to perish in a manner such as this…’

Though he felt reduced to the status of a cornered rodent, survival demanded a contingency plan, driving Terus by pure instinct straight toward Lion Asteri.

Word had it that Lion possessed a gentle temperament and actively avoided conflict.

Moreover, having successfully won over the Second Prince, Lion presumably commanded considerable influence within that faction.

‘Meaning that Archbishop as well…….’

Surely, that cleric has designs on this individual.

‘That wretched Archbishop…….’

Terus chewed fiercely on his lower lip before forcing an awkward, strained expression into place.

‘He certainly won’t anticipate me bypassing formalities to approach Lion Asteri directly.’

Even if a member of the clergy utilizes a privileged position to scheme, surely they cannot outmaneuver someone educated in statecraft since birth!

Relying on such reckless optimism, Terus reached out and firmly grasped Lion Asteri’s hand.

“I—I have a matter of grave importance to convey. A narrative of utmost critical weight. Naturally, you may find reason to doubt my words, but I implore you to listen. Therefore……”

Stitching together fragments of disjointed and paranoid intelligence, Terus launched into his plea.

“Th-this upcoming hunting trial, there are undoubtedly parties actively targeting your life.”

Yet, as the old adage goes—

Even a broken timepiece proves accurate twice daily.

“……Oh ho.”

And Lion happened to possess the unique knack for extracting valuable insights even from a broken clock.

‘Is this the underlying reason Grandfather and my younger brother have been operating with such urgency?’

Armed with the undeniable justification of familial loyalty, my resolve hardened further still.