Chapter 44

Chapter 44
Chapter 44: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Lion had no desire to usurp Rikschel’s position.

Should it become known that he was now the true master of the labyrinth, major complications would ensue, and adding the task of fixing the Magic Tower’s potion dilemma on top of that?

‘Too troublesome.’

The situation was especially delicate because it could easily undermine Rikschel’s authority within the family.

‘Grandfather wouldn’t want this brought to light either.’

Besides all that…

‘The text explicitly labels it as a “Hero’s Potion”.’

This was an affair that might very well be tied directly to the legacy of a hero.

Still, could he genuinely pretend the problem did not exist?

‘I will simply need to devise a workable solution.’

One that would safeguard Lion’s quiet routine while simultaneously sparing the Magic Tower from releasing a flawed concoction to the public.

“Good heavens, a Hero’s Potion! Might I return to inspect it again in the near future?”

“Of course! And once it gains official approval, the immunity brew will be distributed to the Asteri Family first, so you are more than welcome to begin studying it now.”

“…My deepest thanks.”

Naturally, no such event would ever take place.

“There is no need for thanks. Ahem… If you happen to find yourself with free time, do drop by often. And should you ever grow curious about joining the Magic Tower, we could always arrange—”

“I must be going now.”

“Ha-ha! Suit yourself, then.”

He politely brushed aside the thinly veiled attempt to secure him an effortless position within the Magic Tower and departed.

Once outside, however, Lion’s expression turned quite dark.

Fortunately, though…

Another option remained available.

—

Upon returning to the estate, Lion locked himself inside his quarters for the entire day to read.

In the past, he had stayed in his room under the guise of resting, but everyone in the household could sense that the atmosphere this time was distinctly different.

“I am worried he might have fallen ill.”

“The Magic Tower representatives claimed his health was completely fine. Could something else have upset him?”

“And of all times for the Family Head to be away on business…”

The servants whispered anxiously among themselves.

“Brother. Are you refusing to step outside again today?”

“Yes. I prefer to keep to myself for today.”

“Even so, perhaps a brief walk in the fresh air…”

He even turned down Rikschel’s proposal, burying his focus entirely in the written word.

The sight bore such a striking resemblance to Lion’s past behavior that genuine concern spread throughout the mansion.

Even Elvia—who had deliberately kept her distance from Lion up until now—shared that uneasy feeling.

Slipping quietly out of the shadows, she observed the young master from a concealed vantage point.

‘Even with my own perception, I detect no magical anomalies whatsoever.’

Then why is he behaving this way?

Lion sat hunched near the terrace, surrounded by stacks of heavy volumes piled as tall as he was.

Without exception, every single one of those books dealt with…

‘They are all texts concerning potion-making.’

Did something troublesome occur at the Magic Tower?

Now that she thought about it, he had called for her immediately upon his return from there as well.

At the time, she had chosen to ignore it, assuming he merely wanted to discuss the contract, and now he had plunged into this brooding state.

For some inexplicable reason, a strange ache blossomed in her chest.

Why should it feel as though this were somehow her responsibility?

“…Sigh.”

On top of everything else, he was not even eating properly, doing nothing but pore over pages.

And what was the meaning of that heavy sigh?

“Sigh!”

Something was clearly amiss.

Yet he refused to share it with anyone!

Not even his younger brother!

‘This cannot continue.’

Making up her mind, Elvia quickly prepared some light refreshments from the kitchens and materialized before Lion once more.

“Young Master.”

“…”

“You will wear yourself down. I brought some food, so please eat while you read.”

“Sigh.”

Lion let out another sigh and gave a slow shake of his head.

“Might I ask what is troubling you to this degree?”

Glancing up at Elvia, Lion offered a quiet reply.

“It is nothing of real consequence. I am simply feeling rather discouraged.”

Then what part of that was supposed to make her feel at ease…?!

Swallowing her rising frustration, she waited quietly until Lion muttered under his breath.

“I cannot burden you simply to secure my own peace of mind.”

“Burden me?”

At last, the root of the issue clicked in Elvia’s mind.

He had assumed she was avoiding him because she found his presence ‘burdensome.’

In that case, the worry etched on his face must surely mean…

‘Was he not inquiring about the contract at all, but rather hoping to confide his troubles in me?’

And to think I merely stood by and watched without understanding!

Flustered in a way entirely uncharacteristic of her, Elvia quickly spoke up.

“Burdensome? That is entirely untrue… I, Elvia, was simply occupied with a few personal matters.”

While it was true she had been keeping her distance because of the contract, deception came easily to her.

After all, she was a witch.

And comforting children sometimes required a touch of falsehood.

“Please, speak to me.”

Taking the book from Lion’s hand, Elvia set a sandwich in its place instead.

“I am capable of listening to anything.”

Pretending to hesitate, Lion cast a sidelong glance at Elvia.

‘I feel a slight twinge of guilt toward Elvia, but the strategy is certainly working.’

This marked his very first hunger strike since arriving in this world, and its success seemed largely due to it being a novelty.

‘Ordinarily, I would have consulted Grandfather straight away, but…’

That path was not quite so simple this time.

For nearly a month, all of his grandfather’s duties had been put on hold because of him.

Perhaps that explained why he had been traveling so frequently ever since Lion’s health had begun to improve.

He had even instructed Lion to rely on Elvia should any emergencies arise.

And under the current circumstances, Lion decided Elvia was indeed the most fitting confidant.

“Well, you see.”

Lion began to share his dilemma.

As he recounted his observations at the Magic Tower without holding anything back, Elvia’s expression tightened visibly.

It was, without a doubt, a significant crisis.

“How do you intend to proceed, Young Master?”

Elvia prompted him calmly.

“If there is a viable way, I wish to stop it.”

“I am referring to what happens *after* you find a way, Young Master.”

“After finding a way?”

“I assumed someone of your intellect would already have a solution in mind. However, once the problem is resolved, you will inevitably become entangled in the fallout. I believe you need to decide how you wish to manage that consequence.”

Elvia held absolute faith in Lion Asteri.

She was certain he would be the first to step forward if an outside threat endangered the family.

That was simply the nature of the person Lion had proven himself to be.

“What if my goal is to remain as detached as possible from the resolution?”

“If that were truly your desire, Young Master, you would never have summoned me.”

“…”

Since her assessment was entirely accurate, he had no defense.

Lion exhaled a heavy sigh.

“Yes, you are right. I want this handled with the absolute minimum of attention.”

“If you achieve that, all the credit will naturally fall to others. You will have performed a magnificent service, yet no one will ever recognize your achievement.”

“That is of no consequence.”

In truth, that outcome was precisely what he preferred.

Was it not?

Lion was not chasing fame and glory; his ultimate pursuit was freedom.

Accompanied, of course, by enough wealth to live comfortably.

Within the framework of a novel, he would simply be a wealthy minor noble extra.

“The real obstacle, however, is finding a discreet method to settle the matter.”

From Lion’s perspective, no clean solution presented itself.

Should he step forward openly?

His identity as the wielder of a hero’s power would be exposed.

If he remained passive, countless people would suffer.

Involving his grandfather would be ideal, but his grandfather was currently away.

“…”

Watching Lion earnestly hope for a quiet resolution, Elvia let out a soft, amused chuckle.

How could such a genuinely kind child exist?

“In that case, I know of a single method. Would you care to hear it?”

“What is it?”

“We will commit a wrong in order to achieve what is right.”

“…”

Though he hardly considered his actions a noble deed, he was expected to do something wrong?

“Explain the details first.”

“I will infiltrate the Magic Tower and substitute the potions.”

“…Could you elaborate a bit further?”

Elvia proceeded to lay out an intricate plan.

She would breach the Magic Tower’s security barriers, subtly alter the flawed brews, and leave behind corrected formulas so the staff could replicate the adjustments independently.

While it would not match the potency of a true Hero’s Potion recipe, the modified draft would be completely free of side effects; and since Lion would not be the one publicly credited with its creation, his true identity would stay hidden.

“Oh…”

So, manufacture a prototype and make a quiet exit?

It was not a terrible proposal by any measure. If he structured the adjustments so that only Hoffman could decipher the underlying methodology…

‘That actually sounds feasible.’

Although Elvia’s strategy bordered on the eccentric, Lion found himself growing quite fond of it.

However…

“To pull that off, we will need to modify your contract. Are you comfortable with that?”

Elvia’s binding contract was strictly limited to the Asteri estate and its immediate surroundings.

That meant the village and the Mimir Forest boundaries.

Even though the Magic Tower fell under Asteri jurisdiction, it lay outside her permitted radius.

That restriction had likely been implemented as a precautionary measure.

Should a rogue witch ever seize control of the Magic Tower, the resulting catastrophe would be unimaginable.

“You never seemed particularly fond of discussing contracts.”

Elvia offered a quiet smile without answering immediately.

As it turned out, Lion’s earlier assumption had been correct.

Merely months ago, freedom was all Elvia had desired.

If she had managed to locate the physical contract back then, she would have fled without a second thought.

It had been many years since she last tasted true autonomy.

Though her bitterness toward humanity had faded, the memory of that freedom remained vivid.

Yet, things had changed because of Lion Asteri.

The young master had uncovered the contract himself.

He must have intended to grant her release.

‘Our young master is far too affectionate for someone born to the Asteri bloodline.’

That fundamental warmth had remained unchanged from his childhood days.

Which was undoubtedly why he had brewed the Mental Fatigue Recovery Potion specifically for her.

The complication was that she, Elvia, had grown thoroughly attached to her role as a maid serving her dear little master.

She genuinely enjoyed it.

It was an entirely novel form of happiness.

Watching a child mature, conquer his fears, and forge genuine bonds with his family.

Consequently, a new kind of dread had taken root within her.

The absolute freedom she had once craved above all else had transformed into a source of anxiety.

Anyone who had known ‘Silvia’ back in those old days would have laughed until their sides ached at the sight of her now, but her feelings were entirely sincere.

Silvia—or Elvia—did not wish to walk away from Lion’s side.

At the very least, not anytime soon.

“Young Master, do you intend to tear up that contract entirely?”

“If that is your desire, I will.”

“And what if I have no such desire?”

“In that case…”

Lion paused to reflect for a moment before answering candidly.

“Even so, the contract requires revision. The older clauses impose far too many unnecessary restrictions.”

“I see. But were those conditions not considered vital?”

“They are no longer necessary. You have no intention of harming our household, do you?”

“…”

“Did you perhaps harbor thoughts of betraying us?”

“No.”

Indeed, she did not.

At some point along the way, Elvia had grown deeply protective of the Asteri family.

“If possible, I wish to safeguard it.”

“See?”

Lion slid the parchment contract forward.

“However, I see no reason to alter an excessive number of terms. How does this approach strike you?”

Silvia traced her finger lightly across the surface of the document.

Instantly, the written characters shifted and reshaped themselves of their own accord, erasing old lines and weaving new agreements into the text.

While the alterations were not vast… changes had most certainly been made.