Chapter 34

Chapter 34
Chapter 34: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

It simply isn’t enough.

“It’s strange for someone who’s only 1st Circle.”

A 1st Circle wizard could never retain a substantial reservoir of magical energy. This is because the physical boundary itself remains too restricted, no matter how desperately one attempts to pack in high-purity mana.

That explains why everyone resorts to endless meditation, strict training, and morning spell-chanting in hopes of stretching their mana vessels toward the 2nd or 3rd Circle…….

“It’s a bit big.”

The volume of mana stashed inside this 1st Circle was wildly excessive.

I felt half-convinced while still trapped in the Labyrinth, but the reality feels even more surreal out in the open.

I cross-referenced the lore I remembered from playing In the World with the baseline common sense Lion currently possesses, calculating the expected magic density ratio, but the discrepancy was entirely too vast.

Ordinarily, a 1st Circle should be overflowing past the halfway mark.

Yet right now…… the amount is so sparse I can barely compute it.

“I should count my blessings.”

This implies I possess an exceptionally superior mana container.

Even so, if this anomaly were to leak out under the wrong circumstances, it could quickly spiral into a massive headache.

“I’m just glad it won’t be discovered.”

Besides, this is a genuine Hero’s Item, isn’t it?

Even if certain gear items are commonplace back in the real world, out here it functions as a legendary artifact that barely sees the light of day.

“What a proper Coming-of-Age Ceremony.”

I never anticipated walking away with such an extraordinary gift.

In any case, it feels like barely any time has elapsed, so I need to hurry up and slip out of this area.

With that thought, Lion strode directly toward where the magic circle should have been…….

“……Huh?”

Regrettably, departure wasn’t an option.

Lion made no effort to mask his astonishment as his gaze swept across the surroundings.

Is this genuinely the heart of the Labyrinth?

Furthermore, the interior looked far more chaotic than anticipated.

Whether the entire structure had undergone a violent tremor, every single book had been hurled from the shelves, leaving the formerly pristine library floor buried under a sea of loose pages.

『Access is not permitted without the current Library Master’s permission.』

『The current Library Master is Lion Asteri.』

“……?”

To make matters stranger, a completely different administrative notice greeted me compared to the one before I crossed the threshold.

“I became the master?”

Could it be because I was the sole person to conquer the Labyrinth?

‘Well, the original Asteri Family Head might have constructed it, but he never actually cleared it.’

Historical family records explicitly noted that no prior successor had ever broken through this trial, so I suppose I can accept the premise.

However…….

“Haa, this completely throws off my schedule.”

Lion reached up to scratch the back of his head.

I fully expected to emerge outside, but instead, I’m trapped right back inside a Labyrinth that would take years to properly organize.

『The Labyrinth entrance is damaged. Auto-repair in progress…….』

『Do you wish to move to the final location of the Labyrinth again?』

Luckily, the Labyrinth seemed sensitive to its master’s frustration and offered a relocation prompt.

‘It appears I can leave later, even if the timing is inconvenient right now.’

That came as a major relief, but…….

‘If I leave it in this state of disarray, it’s going to turn into a massive crisis.’

Imagine what happens when the passage eventually heals and Lion finally steps outside.

“But the Labyrinth was damaged.”

When I vocalize that reality.

What will everyone assume?

“You wrecked the Labyrinth, so you bear the full blame!”

Wouldn’t they accuse me of exactly that?

Patrick Asteri, in particular.

“You claimed you could handle whatever you wanted, but you’ve managed to cause a disaster this massive right out of the gate!”

Wouldn’t he chew me out with those exact words?

Lion desperately wanted to avoid enduring that kind of lecture.

He would rather fix the mess himself…….

‘Ah, wait a second.’

If I hold master clearance, does that mean I can handle the repairs directly?

『Do you wish to reset the Labyrinth? Currently bound items will also return to their original positions.』

“…….”

If it mentions currently bound items, it has to refer to this pendant and this bracelet.

Besides, if I initiate a full reset…….

Every single book brought into the facility after its initial construction would be wiped clean.

That strategy clearly won’t cut it.

“Are there alternative solutions?”

『Do you wish to arbitrarily adjust and restore the Labyrinth? Repair resources for the entrance will be dedicated, requiring time.』

Thankfully, another path existed.

An arbitrary adjustment sounds suspiciously like modifying an administrative save file.

It’s straightforward enough to grasp, which works in my favor.

“Let’s see, the last batch of new volumes was integrated into the Labyrinth precisely……”

A week ago.

“I’ll roll it back to a week ago, excluding the artifacts currently in my possession. How long will the process take?”

Even so, if we are only reverting by seven days, the cleanup should wrap up relatively fast.

At worst, maybe a single day?

『Approximately 672 hours will be required, and you cannot leave the Labyrinth during this interval.』

『How many hours did you say?』

“It will require 672 hours.”

Lion pressed his lips together into a thin line.

That duration evidently factored in the time needed to manually haul countless scattered volumes and bookshelves back to their exact original slots.

“Can I reside at the inner terminus of the Labyrinth throughout that duration?”

『The Library Master possesses clearance to relocate anywhere within the library grounds.』

“Is there any mechanism to dispatch a message outward while the restoration is underway?”

『An inactive book return slot remains available for utilization.』

“That’s a small mercy, at least.”

If I jot down a concise summary of the situation and send it through, the family’s panic should subside.

『Do you wish to initiate the restoration process?』

“Fine. Proceed with the restoration.”

『671 hours and 59 minutes remaining until Labyrinth restoration is complete.』

Lion watched as the books automatically glided back to their proper shelves and retreated to the innermost chamber of the Labyrinth.

*Fwoosh!*

Materializing instantly at the destination, he looked around.

The inner sanctum remained precisely as he had excavated it.

“In that case, my only task is to survive for a month.”

Lion decided to browse the Shilling Shop for any helpful survival commodities.

Before he could, something else caught his attention.

“A pond? No, should I classify this as a lake?”

In the distance, a body of water roughly the scale of an artificial reservoir stretched out before him.

—

“A month. A full month……”

Patrick Asteri slumped back into his office chair, exhaling a long, heavy sigh.

The realization that Lion was still alive brought a wave of relief so intense it made him want to offer thanks to deities he had ignored his entire life, yet the thought of the boy weathering a month completely isolated filled him with deep anxiety.

‘How can that frail physique possibly hold out?’

Even if he manages to survive the thirty days by sheer willpower, Lion’s physical condition upon his return will undoubtedly be devastating.

‘I wish I could take his place instead.’

Why must an innocent, delicate soul like Lion endure such brutal trials……!

While Patrick suffered in silence inside his study…….

Rikschel re-examined the slip of paper resting on the tabletop.

‘This is undeniably my older brother’s handwriting.’

Though hastily scribbled, the strokes didn’t look entirely devoid of physical strength.

Furthermore, the parchment lacked any alarming contamination, such as dark bloodstains.

If so, it stood to reason that no catastrophic emergency had occurred yet.

Besides…… based on everything I’ve witnessed so far, my older brother possesses far more grit than anyone gives him credit for.

‘He even hunted down Banana Sweet Potatoes deep inside Mimir Forest and roasted them on his own.’

Realistically, even an ordinary commoner wouldn’t think to forage for root vegetables in that dark, damp wilderness and cook them over an open flame.

Yet my older brother, raised in absolute luxury without ever facing a shortage, actually pulled it off…….

He carries a strange, unshakable aura that suggests he would find a way not to starve no matter where he was dropped.

Instead, the person causing him genuine worry at the moment was the Family Head—no, his grandfather.

Rikschel couldn’t shake the memory of the trembling hand he had witnessed earlier.

It marked the first time he had ever seen his grandfather appear so emotionally vulnerable.

Patrick Asteri had always projected absolute strength.

Stern, unyielding, and fiercely disciplined, he was viewed as an insurmountable mountain.

And in truth, he always had been.

Yet the man sitting before him now bore little resemblance to the formidable Family Head Patrick Asteri.

He looked merely like an anxious grandfather losing sleep over the safety of his grandson.

Rikschel paused for a brief moment before speaking in a careful tone.

“Grandfather. My older brother will be completely fine.”

He had never offered comfort or emotional solace to anyone in his life, making the words feel exceptionally awkward on his tongue.

“There are no bloodstains or signs of distress. While the note was clearly penned in a rush, the fact that he accurately estimated the time required suggests he has managed to secure a firm grasp on the Labyrinth’s mechanics. Therefore…….”

What is the proper way to wrap up a reassurance like this?

How would my older brother have navigated this conversation?

“……Don’t worry yourself, Grandfather.”

Yes. He surely would have phrased it just like that.

“…….”

Patrick lifted his gaze to look directly at Rikschel.

‘I’ve made a terrible mistake.’

While consumed by panic over Lion, I completely neglected to look after the younger grandson standing right before me.

Yet this young boy is stepping up with remarkable maturity, offering comfort instead.

Insisting that he trusts his older brother and urging me not to fret.

“Yes. You’re entirely right.”

When did they grow up so fast? My grandsons.

They barely stood past my waist just a few short days ago.

“……Yes. I will put my trust in him.”

“Understood, Family Head.”

“…….”

Is he refusing to call me Grandfather again?

A faint ripple of disappointment touched Patrick’s chest.

—

“Hmm.”

Lion slowly paced along the shoreline of the expansive body of water.

‘Nothing threatening in sight, and the surface remains remarkably calm.’

Faint ripples occasionally broke the water, hinting at active aquatic life beneath.

『Numerous living organisms inhabit this lake ecosystem.』

Ah, so it officially counts as a lake.

“Elaborate with specific details.”

『The population consists predominantly of radially symmetrical aquatic creatures and various decapods.』

“……Can you translate that into plain language?”

『Plentiful edible fish and crustaceans reside here. If you engage in fishing activities, you can hook specimens ranging from ‘Common’ and ‘Advanced’ classifications all the way up to ‘Rare’ grades.』

Hmm, so we’re talking about a tiered system ranging from one star to three stars?

“Exactly how many Rare-grade fish are present in this lake?”

『Only a single specimen exists.』

『Lake fishing privileges are officially unlocked under the authority of the Library Master.』

“Even granting that fishing is technically possible……”

Don’t I currently lack a fishing rod?

“……Wait, no.”

Actually, I do. A workaround exists.

Lion immediately summoned the Shilling Shop interface.

『Welcome, Valued Customer.』

『Would you like to browse the available inventory?』

“Display the catalog for fishing rods. And include bait options as well.”

『Searching inventory for fishing rods and associated bait items.』

『Standard Fishing Rod』

-400,000 Shillings (Management Recommended!)

-Automatically secures bait and substantially increases catch success rates.

-Includes all standard accessory options.

The very first item to populate the display was the Standard Fishing Rod.

‘Right as expected. I knew better than to pin my hopes on that.’

There was obviously a good reason why this particular piece of gear failed to appear when I previously filtered for items under 105,000 Shillings.

However……!

『Worn-out Fishing Rod』

-40,000 Shillings

-Features a shabby appearance, and it wouldn’t shock anyone if it snapped in half instantly.

-Bait sold separately, float sold separately, fishing line sold separately.

-Current structural durability has deteriorated past 90%. Immediate repairs recommended.

『Beginner Fishing Tool Set』

-10,000 Shillings

-A fundamental fishing bundle curated for absolute novices.

-Fishing rod sold separately. Still, you won’t find a better deal than this?

-Includes a complimentary gift!

“…….”

Alternative paths clearly existed.

The dilapidated Worn-out Fishing Rod I had just inspected, an accessory kit with infuriatingly vague promotional text, and…….

『Bait Dough』

-1,000 Shillings

-Compounded from potatoes, ground barley, and related ingredients. Dispersal range is poor, but binding adhesion is decent.

-99 charges remaining.

A functional variety of bait that could get the job done.

Lion pinned a disproportionate amount of hope onto this humble bait.

If it actually lures in fish, that’s a massive bonus, but.

If it proves entirely useless for catching game, I can always just eat the bait itself to stay alive!

It served as a genuinely foolproof backup plan.

Lion made a firm executive decision and parted with a substantial sum of funds.

『Would you like to finalize this purchase?』

『Proceed with buying the entire selection.』

『Transaction complete!』

『The items ‘Worn-out Fishing Rod’ and 2 associated goods are now permanently bound to your profile.』

『You have expended 51,000 Shillings.』

『Your remaining balance is 48,100 Shillings.』

Lion systematically laid out the newly acquired gear from the Shilling Shop and began assembling the components.

Naturally, the very first step he took was…….

Setting up the portable folding chair and the rod right along the lake’s edge.

To his pleasant surprise, the Beginner Fishing Tool Set actually included a chair!

Perhaps this impulse purchase wasn’t such a terrible financial mistake after all.