Chapter 288

Chapter 288
Chapter 288: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Spirit King.

No, the entity currently more widely recognized under the designation Nature stood before the mirror and smoothed down her feathers.

Despite her usual packed schedule, today promised an even greater influx of responsibilities.

This was the designated day for her to assume the duty of keeping watch over her unpredictable and eccentric master.

“Kiying.”

Furthermore, word had reached her that their destination today was the most opulent among all the residences of mortal rulers.

Not only would there be crowds of people, but the venue would also feature endless provisions, sugary treats, and cumbersome attire!

……Naturally, none of it could rival the culinary creations of Lion.

Be that as it may, potential distractions and temptations lay ahead.

Particularly.

“Ppippi.”

Flora.

She understood that the locale abounded in novel botanical specimens that Lion held a deep obsession for.

Nature’s primary mandate was to chaperone Lion and issue warnings whenever he threatened to embark on erratic behavior.

Even though Nature, in her capacity as a Spirit King, felt considerable annoyance at receiving such an assignment from someone who wasn’t even her true master, she ultimately complied.

For what reason?

Because failing to take this precautionary measure meant sacrificing any oversight regarding what her eccentric master might attempt next!

Nature had not put out of her mind for a single second the day she was partitioned from her master…….

Flash!

Having completed her grooming, Nature flared her wings, her green-bean-like eyes sparkling with intent, and pivoted around.

She then hopped forward until she stood right in front of Pus.

“Kiying?”

Pus, who had been diligently tending to his fur with one hind leg hoisted in the air, paused in an awkward posture, then abruptly sprang to his feet and began to wag his tails.

It was evident he anticipated a play session with Nature.

“Ppi.”

Nature shook her head firmly and proceeded to brief Pus on the unfolding situation.

Though Pus remained relatively young, the underlying intellect of a malevolent entity was never to be underestimated.

And above all else.

“Kyang!”

Nature was far from the only one who retained the memory of the catastrophic events within the Great Barrier.

While malevolent forces possessed the reputation of being the most ferocious and untamable beasts, they adhered staunchly to a single instinct: once they selected a master, they remained by their side until death.

“Krueung, Kkeueung!”

For Pus, the occurrence in the Great Barrier had constituted an immense, lingering trauma.

While he stood at the ready awaiting directives, his master had collapsed into an unyielding coma.

The very hands that typically reeked of earth and botanical sap had turned pitch black!

To compound matters, the one who carried his master back was none other than the dragon soul, whom he ordinarily regarded as a primary rival and adversary.

The implications of such a turn of events were profound!

It signified that his master placed greater trust and reliance upon the dragon than upon Pus himself.

The mere recollection of that period brought moisture to his eyes……!

“Kiying, Kiying.”

Nature compelled Pus to lower his head before gently fanning an upward gust with her wings.

In essence, the directive was to capitalize on the current circumstances to deliver proper results.

Encouraged by Nature’s mature reassurance, his previously drooping tails resumed their rhythmic wagging.

“Kyang!”

Pus voiced a valiant cry!

Nods.

Securing Pus as her auxiliary force, Nature displayed an expression of quiet satisfaction, curved one side of her beak into a smile, and launched herself powerfully into the air.

Flap flap!

Her miniature wings beat continuously, carrying her upward until she made a precise landing upon the shoulder of Lion as he pushed through the entrance.

“Hmm? How did you figure out I was looking for you?”

You’re remarkably clever, aren’t you? Could it be due to an advancement in your Spirit Arts?

Completely oblivious to the background machinations, Lion offered a warm welcome to Nature, whose arrival had been timed to absolute perfection.

“Kiying. Kiying.”

“Yes, yes. It certainly feels rather stuffy indoors, doesn’t it? Such a closed-off atmosphere with zero breeze. But our destination is the outdoors today, so you needn’t worry.”

“Ppiyoo.”

As Nature absorbed Lion’s commentary, she offered a dismissive shake of her head.

As a spirit entity, she indeed found the indoor environments constructed by humans restrictive, though not entirely intolerable.

At moments like this, her master remained utterly unfathomable.

Was he deliberately feigning ignorance, or was his comprehension genuinely lacking?

“Haha. Regardless, it should prove entertaining. Furthermore, they are hosting a treasure hunt as a special program, so I intend to join in.”

For reasons known only to himself, Lion reached out and tousled Nature’s disgruntled-looking head feathers, styling them into a makeshift mohawk.

Naturally, Nature shook herself vigorously in disgust, restoring her plumage to its standard appearance in an instant.

“One never truly knows. A prize might surface that leaves your eyes wide open. Am I right, Pus?”

“Kiying!”

Lion delivered this remark with a significant tone before striding toward the garden with brisk footsteps.

He calculated that with both Nature and Pus at his disposal, tracking down the residual traces left behind by the Archbishop would be a straightforward endeavor.

Yet!

“……”

Upon stepping into the garden, Lion found himself instantly overwhelmed by confusion.

‘Is this… is this what constitutes a treasure hunt?’

He had originally envisioned a lighthearted pastime arranged for the Emperor’s birthday celebration.

Given the substantial value of the prizes advertised, however, he had naturally assumed every guest in attendance would participate.

“My goodness! What a remarkably unique puppy!”

“No, surely that’s a fox! Isn’t it?”

“It possesses multiple tails, which lends credence to the notion that you rescued a stray. How extraordinary……”

“Negative. Given that it’s a companion belonging to a Magic Family, wouldn’t it qualify as a magical beast?”

For starters, unlike the formal reception hall, the demographic populating this garden skewed noticeably younger.

The ages ranged from young children who could not have been older than ten up to youths who had recently completed their debutante balls.

Naturally, a contingent of adults was present as well.

Every single one of them clutched tightly in their arms…

“Arurung!”

“Kkeueung, Kkiyiing!”

……at least one pet animal.

The majority consisted of small canine breeds outfitted with meticulously brushed coats, though felines appeared on occasion.

‘Are people actually permitted to bring cats out in public?’

Before his reincarnation, he recalled that walking felines was generally discouraged—just as that thought crossed his mind.

Thump.

“Gasp.”

“Oh, good heavens!”

Following the grand entrance of a pet pig adorned with an exceptionally large pearl necklace, Lion abandoned any further attempt at rationalization.

He had completely overlooked a fundamental truth.

‘So long as one possesses sufficient wealth, any scenario becomes feasible.’

At any rate, this garden gathering functioned as an intimate social circle for those accompanying animal companions.

Because the grounds were situated within the Imperial Palace, disruptive or violent incidents were highly improbable.

‘This complicates matters.’

Lion offered an apologetic smile as he observed nearby attendees directing curious glances toward Pus.

His original design had been to uncover clues by casually feigning participation in the treasure hunt at a comfortable distance, maintaining a low profile, but an excessive amount of attention was now fixed squarely on him.

‘At the very least, it’s a relief that Nature remains invisible to ordinary mortals.’

Typically, Nature possessed the capability to render herself visible through her own volition, yet she had chosen to forgo that ability inside the Imperial Palace.

Perhaps she simply wished to avoid the annoyance of random individuals reaching out to pet her at their leisure.

“Is that small bird resting on your shoulder a pet as well? A baby chick?”

“Pardon me?”

Lion whipped his head around in a panic to check on Nature.

What had become of the proud Nature who consistently shunned human gazes and physical contact? At present, she was playing the part of an eager hatchling, actively basking in the attention and even displaying affectionate gestures.

‘Wh-what on earth is this creature playing at…?’

Following a brief interval of astonishment, Lion arrived at a sudden realization, requested polite clearance, and pressed onward toward the innermost sanctuary of the garden.

And.

“You caught wind of something through your grandfather, didn’t you?”

He bypassed pleasantries and went straight to the crux of the matter.

“Kiying?”

True to her master’s example, however, Nature brazenly swung her head from side to side in denial.

As if to convey the message: ‘I am entirely unaware of what you speak of?’

Stunned into silence, Lion flicked his gaze toward Pus, who deliberately rolled his eyes upward to display the whites in a show of complete indifference.

‘That settles it.’

Based on their coordinated reaction, his deduction was undoubtedly correct.

‘Now that I reflect upon it, the signs were there.’

Under normal circumstances, he would have been subjected to cautionary advice like, ‘Wouldn’t it be wiser to remain with our group?’ alongside continuous lecturing to ‘Please mind your manners.’

Not to mention a prolonged speech exceeding half an hour, punctuated by, ‘Inform someone immediately if anyone causes you trouble.’

“So that explains why they let me slip away with such ease.”

Today had followed the same pattern, though the warning session had been noticeably abbreviated.

He had previously chalked it up to their preoccupation with the Emperor’s birthday itinerary.

‘They must have anticipated my unpredictable tendencies……’

Given his historical track record, they had evidently dispatched an embedded watcher to keep tabs on him, fully expecting him to provoke some form of disaster.

-There remains no conceivable method for us to deduce what conclusions Lion has arrived at.

-On the other hand, the situation can be evaluated from an alternative angle.

-Chaos invariably follows wherever that particular Lion goes.

Curiously enough, this perspective aligned quite closely with the hypothesis Nature had entertained during her initial briefing.

“Hey now. Even so, isn’t this excessive behavior considering I am your master?”

“Kiying.”

Nature cast an expression of profound bafflement toward Lion, as though asking, ‘If the roles were reversed, would you remain idle?’

……Hmph!

Faced with that logic, he found himself entirely devoid of a counterargument.

Furthermore, upon retrospective analysis, Nature was far from the sole ‘safety mechanism’ his grandfather had put into place.

‘Right from the outset….’

It was entirely possible that the two of them had orchestrated this pet-exclusive gathering between themselves.

They had skillfully manipulated Marquis Lepicent’s stipulations to suit their ends.

Tiamatrak, monitoring the exchange from the sidelines, shook his head.

While Lion’s eccentric maneuvers provided a certain degree of amusement, executing them successfully under current conditions seemed fundamentally unachievable.

-Well, whatever grand scheme you’ve concocted, this particular approach is bound to fail.

-Given how things have turned out, you might as well converse with the attendees and simply kill time.

Besides, watching Lion Asteri grapple with such distress offered its own distinct form of entertainment.

-In the meantime, permit me to inspect the pearl collar adorning that swine’s neck.

“Hmm.”

From a pragmatic standpoint, that certainly represented the most sensible course of action.

There was little utility in stirring up unnecessary turbulence.

“Sigh. I suppose I have no alternative.”

Lion exhaled a heavy sigh and pulled his gloves tighter around his hands.

-If you truly possess no alternative, why does your facial expression suggest you’ve resolved to commit some form of mischief?

“Kiying?”

“Ppippi……”

The exact second Nature assumed a posture that seemed to say, ‘Could he possibly be planning…?’

“I am simply going to proceed according to my own inclinations. I am viewed as an eccentric regardless, so people will naturally understand. Correct?”

Lion announced this with a confident grin and wheeled around to re-enter the crowded zone where the majority of guests were congregated.

Though gazes steeped in curiosity immediately pivoted toward Lion…

“……!”

Those very same expressions rapidly transitioned into sheer bewilderment.

Lion had dropped unceremoniously onto the open ground and commenced digging into the earth!

“I wonder what might surface right here? Oh, my. This root appears remarkably fresh. It should prove exceptionally useful for analytical purposes, don’t you agree?”

He was actively conversing with empty space!

Initially, onlookers assumed he was interacting with a pet, but reality proved otherwise.

There was nothing whatsoever before him—merely vacant air…!

“Ahem, ahem.”

“Let us collectively pretend we observed nothing unusual.”

The perceptive nobles promptly averted their eyes and redirected their attention elsewhere.

Regardless of whether he held the official title of heir, Lion remained the primary scion of the Asteri household.

Even though his eccentric reputation was common knowledge, nobody present dared to voice criticism directly to his face.

Nor could anyone afford to acknowledge his actions even if they recognized them.

Marquis Petrik’s devotion to his grandson bordered on obsessive fanaticism.

‘If I miscalculate here, I might not even survive to gather my remains…!’

Moreover, the official successor to the Crown Prince had yet to be formally declared.

The Asteri clan was poised to accrue even greater political dominance through their backing of the incoming Emperor.

Rather than wasting energy questioning the bizarre antics of a blood relative hailing from such a powerhouse family, feigning complete blindness was vastly preferable!

Still… even granting all that, this level of spectacle within the confines of the Imperial Palace went beyond expectations…!

As the adult contingent withdrew their gaze, the younger faction followed suit.

A select few cast furtive glances at Lion’s ongoing endeavors, finding mild amusement in the spectacle, yet none dared approach.

‘Very well, that handles the immediate obstacle.’

As anticipated—or perhaps exceeding all projections—Lion had successfully diverted the collective focus of the assembly.

“Brother Lion?”

With the sole exception of a single individual… who had arrived somewhat tardily at the gathering.

‘That particular voice….’

Lion halted his excavation efforts and snapped his head toward the source of the sound.

There stood a youthful countenance he hadn’t laid eyes upon in a considerable duration!

Even though his physical appearance had matured noticeably.

There was no mistaking his identity.

The young boy who had once resided within the orphanage prior to being adopted by a respectable family.

It was Peter!