Chapter 45

Chapter 45
Chapter 45: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

The revised contract terms were essentially boiled down to two key provisions.

* Witch Elvia is restricted from traveling beyond the immediate boundaries of the Asteri family domain, though this perimeter can be temporarily widened after conferring with Lion Asteri.
* If Lion Asteri falls into peril, all aforementioned restrictions become null and void, placing the absolute highest priority on preserving his life by any means necessary.

“The conditions have certainly gotten better, yet… they still leave you at a distinct disadvantage.”

“Not in the least. This is all I require.”

“Hmm.”

Lion gazed quietly at the parchment sheet.

Even so, isn’t this merely trading the absolute worst option for the second-worst?

The agreement remained glaringly unfair.

Lion paused in thought for a moment before lifting his fountain pen and appending an extra clause right beneath the written terms on the parchment.

* Should Lion Asteri perish or disappear, this contract is immediately dissolved.

“……”

Elvia wore a profoundly disgruntled expression, but Lion stood his ground without flinching.

“It would defy all logic for the arrangement to persist long after I have aged and passed away.”

Lion deliberately framed the situation around living out a natural human lifespan.

Taking accidental demises like mana backlash or dungeon disasters into account, Elvia surely would have rejected it otherwise.

“…Very well. I accept.”

Elvia let out a sigh, pricked her finger with her teeth, and let a drop of blood fall onto the parchment.

Thump- Thud-

As the witch’s crimson droplet landed with a dull thud against the paper, the magical seal inscribed across the surface flared with a deep red glow.

“I am required to provide blood as well, correct?”

“Young Master, that is unnecessary. This is my contract to bear.”

“……”

No, agreements ought to involve both participating parties!

Even so, Lion decided not to push the matter further.

At any rate, since Elvia agreed, the outcome was acceptable.

“Shall we be on our way now?”

“Negative.”

“…?”

“Young Master, please finish your meal first. You may travel after your fundamental requirements of nourishment, attire, and lodging have been fulfilled.”

For reasons known only to her, she seemed to be adopting an increasingly assertive demeanor.

Even so, Lion actually preferred this side of Elvia, as it felt much closer to her authentic personality.

Lion nodded in agreement and took another bite of the sandwich Elvia had prepared.

—

The morning following Elvia’s clandestine excursion to the Magic Tower.

Predictably, the Magic Tower was swirling in absolute chaos.

A red alert had been triggered over one of the tower’s most monumental endeavors—the recreation of the Hero’s Potion!

“Have you caught wind of the news? That particular potion…”

“Ah, word reached me. A critical flaw was discovered within it, was there not?”

“It would have resulted in an absolute catastrophe had they proceeded to commercialize it as planned.”

The sole saving grace was that Hoffman Asteri had uncovered the defect during his final inspection, prompting the total scrapping of the mass production schedule.

“Just how on earth did he manage to pinpoint the issue, though?”

“Unclear. Rumor has it there were shrieks echoing through the halls that very evening?”

“Some whisper that Rikschel Asteri provided him with a tip-off…”

“Hey, watch it! Ahem!”

Just as they were chattering amongst themselves in that fashion.

A fellow mage who had been eavesdropping on the exchange nudged one of them sharply.

“You seem engaged in a rather fascinating discussion.”

“Eek.”

Hoffman Asteri had materialized right beside them.

The mages instantly clammed up and bowed their heads in awkward silence.

“Cease the idle gossip and return to your respective duties.”

“Understood.”

“Furthermore, it would be wise to refrain from voicing any problematic speculations, whether within the confines of the Magic Tower or outside its walls.”

Given the circumstances, a severe reprimand would have been entirely justified, yet Hoffman surprisingly let them off with a relatively mild admonition.

‘Th-thank goodness…’

‘He must be in a surprisingly tolerable frame of mind.’

The mages offered another hurried bow and scrambled to clear the area.

At that precise moment.

“Also, reflect once more upon which member of the Asteri household possesses the supreme aptitude for alchemy.”

“…?”

Hoffman strode past the bewildered group of mages after dropping those words.

“What… what is one supposed to make of that?”

“Someone gifted in alchemy within the Asteri bloodline?”

“Lion has been dabbling in potion-making lately, hasn’t he? He even handed out those fatigue recovery draughts the other day.”

“Nah, absolutely not!”

Hoffman boarded the teleportation lift ascending to the uppermost level, glancing down at the mages as they resumed their animated chatter.

“…Good grief.”

Rikschel, that notion is utterly absurd!

Naturally, Rikschel was a prodigy among prodigies.

Had he chosen to cultivate an interest in alchemy and dedicate himself to its study, he might very well have cracked the problem.

However.

Achieving such a feat in so fleeting a window of time would have been impossible.

“If not for that child…”

The mere thought sent a shiver down his spine.

Hoffman instinctively clutched at his chest as he recalled the night of the incident.

That evening, he had returned to the Magic Tower to retrieve some documents he had absentmindedly left behind.

Curiously, however, a light was burning brightly inside the restricted zone reserved solely for authorized personnel.

It was a sanctuary that no living soul save himself possessed the clearance to enter freely.

‘Could it be… an intruder from a rival Magic Tower?’

Hoffman drew his staff and stepped cautiously into the chamber.

And there, the sight greeted him.

Someone was actively in the middle of swapping out the brewing vats and raw materials!

Crackle!

Before Hoffman could even utter a challenge, he unleashed an instantaneous bolt of electrical magic toward the trespasser.

Yet…!

The spell had zero perceptible impact on the intruder whatsoever.

Even though Hoffman was renowned primarily as a healing maestro, his offensive arcane capabilities were likewise ranked among the elite.

To be utterly incapable of inflicting even a scratch upon his adversary?

‘If that is the case, the invader’s mastery must rival or exceed that of Archmage Petrick Asteri.’

Gulp.

Hoffman swallowed hard against a sudden dryness in his throat.

He prepared himself to chant a pre-loaded incantation that would level the entire top floor of the Magic Tower if the intruder made any sudden, hostile moves.

However.

“It would be prudent of you not to attempt anything foolish.”

The interloper uttered only those words before resuming the material swap, paying Hoffman no more mind than a passing shadow.

And that wasn’t the extent of it.

Thump thump.

The intruder stepped closer and pressed a sheaf of documents directly into Hoffman’s hands.

“What is the meaning of this nonsense?”

“Examine them.”

“……”

It was then that Hoffman, finally snapping out of his bewildered daze, turned his gaze to the paperwork.

And the realization struck him like a physical blow.

The potions they had painstakingly formulated thus far contained a fatal structural flaw.

Accompanying it was a precise formula detailing the exact remedy!

“What in heavens is the meaning of this!”

Hoffman frantically scanned the recipe, completely erasing the intruder’s presence from his mind.

True enough, if synthesized along these lines, the immediate yield might fall slightly short of traditional medicine, but with continued refinement and research, it would blossom into a potion of boundless potential!

“How… how can such a thing be…”

Who on earth could have pulled this off?

And done so in absolute secrecy?

“I merely served as a courier. The rest rests in your hands.”

Elvia, the infiltrator who had breached Hoffman’s laboratory, delivered the retort nonchalantly and readied herself for departure.

Her disguise was flawless, and she had woven protective spells to ensure her vocal register remained completely ambiguous—neither distinctly male nor female.

This was, after all, precisely what her beloved master desired.

If she withdrew now, the whole episode would draw to a close.

However…

‘Hmm.’

Something continued to nag at the back of her mind.

Lion’s gentle nature had undeniably moved her.

Yet, there was no compensation attached.

Good deeds are customarily performed without expecting a reward in return.

Even so, Elvia wished to secure some tangible benefit for Lion.

Lion himself might remain entirely oblivious, but Elvia was not a creature driven by pure altruism.

What genuine benevolence could a witch possibly harbor?

She was acting strictly for the sake of the individual known as Lion.

As Elvia lingered for a moment, Hoffman blurted out a frantic inquiry.

“Just who are you! Among those privy to this project, not a single soul commands a subordinate with your caliber of magic. Could this be…”

Hoffman hesitated mid-sentence and lowered the tip of his staff.

“…Is this an edict issued by the Family Head?”

The deduction held a ring of plausible truth.

The only entity capable of deploying a mage of Elvia’s terrifying proficiency as a lackey would be the esteemed Asteri household itself.

“Shh.”

Elvia raised a single gloved finger to her lips.

Then, appearing to weigh her options for a brief second, she allowed a faint smile to touch her features.

“Should you attempt to pry any deeper, you will only invite bloodshed.”

“……”

Hoffman fell instantly silent before the quiet gravity of her tone.

She was indisputably an ally.

Of that much, he could be certain.

Otherwise, he would no longer possess the breath to speak.

The crushing weight of her aura… it was entirely inhuman.

“My master instructed me to handle this matter in absolute secrecy… but they neglected to forbid me from mentioning this much.”

The intruder muttered almost to herself before leaning in to whisper as though bestowing a precious boon.

“A medical check-up.”

“…A medical check-up?”

“That appears to be the sum total of what I am permitted to offer. Farewell.”

Without concealing her amusement, Elvia dissolved seamlessly into the surrounding shadows and vanished.

In a single heartbeat, the high-security laboratory was left deserted, littered with discarded chemical solutions and scattered manuscripts detailing critical flaws, bathing the room in an atmosphere of utter disarray.

“Just who could have engineered such a masterpiece.”

The clues at his disposal were exceedingly sparse.

An unknown entity of immense power.

Alchemy.

And the parting phrase regarding a ‘medical check-up’ dropped by the infiltrator.

‘A medical check-up…?’

A physical health examination?

A single, distinct visage flashed across Hoffman’s consciousness.

A person sporting blonde hair tied neatly back, amethyst eyes, and skin as pale as driven snow.

‘Could it be. Lion Asteri?’

Lion.

Yes, it had to be Lion.

Suddenly, every fragmented clue fell neatly into place within Hoffman’s mind.

“Hah, hah. Lion.”

Lion had only been briefed on the Hero’s Potion initiative that very day.

Consequently, within that microscopic span of time, he had deduced these breakthrough results simply by casting a glance over the apparatus scattered through the lab.

“Another true prodigy has arisen within our walls…”

Hoffman ascended to the top tier and stood in contemplative silence for a long while before the open threshold of the teleportation array.

At the time, he could not fathom why Lion had chosen to operate in such absolute secrecy, but upon careful reflection, the motive became glaringly transparent.

Rikschel Asteri.

The boy had wished to avoid casting a covetous shadow over his rival’s standing as heir.

“…A remarkably admirable young man.”

Realizing the truth behind the act, even the fastidious Hoffman Asteri found himself harboring a strong impulse to subtly champion Lion’s brilliance.

He quietly resolved that the eldest grandson of Asteri deserved recognition, even if those accolades had to circulate through indirect channels.

Naturally, Lion—who was resting comfortably at home—remained blissfully unaware of these developments, yet whispers began to ripple quietly outward from the heart of the Magic Tower.

—

Meanwhile.

“This constitutes fresh intelligence originating straight from the Asteri Territory.”

The rumors wound their way through clandestine distribution channels deep into the heart of the Information Guild.

The Information Guild.

An underground syndicate that cataloged every occurrence transpiring across the length and breadth of the Empire, trading secrets for an appropriate price.

To state it plainly, their purview spanned from the sordid private affairs of common street thugs to the grand corruption of high-ranking nobility.

Within the Empire, information was currency, and currency was dominion.

An executive of such an influential Information Guild commanded a stature that ensured they were treated with deference virtually anywhere they roamed.

Even when rubbing shoulders with haughty aristocrats, not a soul dared to treat an Information Guild executive with casual disrespect.

With one singular exception.

The Guild executive reverently extended the dossier he had meticulously compiled toward a waiting figure.

The pages clutched in his trembling grasp were damp with nervous sweat and slightly crumpled at the edges.

“My sincere apologies. I ought to have worn gloves prior to handling this…”

“Silence.”

The executive snapped his mouth shut instantly, rolling his eyes nervously as he risked a fleeting glance at the person opposite him.

Gulp.

He swallowed hard against the tension knotting in his throat.

“……”

Throughout the prolonged hush, the only sound filling the chamber was the crisp rustle of turning parchment.

Utter quiet is paramount. Drawing unwanted attention to oneself is entirely unacceptable.

Recalling the strict admonitions of the Guild Master, the executive kept his head bowed as meekly as a cornered mouse.

There was a very specific reason why an executive belonging to such a prestigious intelligence network was sweating profusely and delivering briefs in person.

That reason sat directly before him…

‘A towering overlord of the criminal underworld.’

A shadowy figure privy to the true identity of the underworld’s supreme boss, serving as the right-hand operative who received commands straight from the source, coupled with the terrifying reputation of a mad alchemist capable of moving the underworld’s colossal capital on a whim.

Freya.

“Are these merely baseless rumors?”

Freya muttered flatly, her interest evaporating as she skimmed through the reports before tossing them carelessly onto the stone floor.

The Information Guild executive scurried forward to retrieve and straighten the fallen pages.

Even so, the reaction could not be classified as hostile.

Word had it that anyone who managed to displease Freya was routinely burned alive until not even ash remained.

“Indeed, initially I suspected the very same, however…”

Composing his wavering voice, the executive reached into his breast pocket, extracted a modest vial, and set it delicately upon the polished table surface.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“This represents a specialized beverage distributed personally by Lion Asteri during his recent excursion to the Magic Tower.”