Chapter 53

Chapter 53
Chapter 53: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

The servant had tidied the space thoroughly, leaving the bedding pristine while various books were scattered about in haphazard piles.

Soft moonlight streamed through the wide-open window, accompanied by a gentle evening breeze.

To any casual observer, it would have seemed entirely ordinary, yet…

“Elvia. Did anyone enter my quarters?”

“No.”

Someone had clearly breached the room.

The attendants made it a strict point to tightly latch Lion’s window every single night.

After all, they wanted to ensure the delicate Young Master avoided catching a chill.

And yet, that very window stood completely open now.

It was as if someone had left a deliberate calling card.

‘It is hardly the work of a common thief.’

Had an intruder slipped in with malicious intent, Elvia would have swiftly relieved them of either their life or their hands.

Instead, Elvia had permitted the entry without interference.

That could only mean the visitor posed no threat.

“Was it an acquaintance?”

“No.”

If the intruder was unknown to him, what could have been their motive? As Lion furrowed his brow in confusion, Elvia offered further insight.

“They appeared to be delivering goods, so I chose not to disturb them.”

“A delivery?”

Elvia naturally gestured toward the nearby table.

Resting there as if left by a benefactor…

“These arrived?”

A collection of luxurious, top-tier potion vials was neatly arranged.

Slender yet remarkably sturdy, the bottles featured breathtakingly intricate craftsmanship inlaid along their surfaces.

Top-grade Potion Bottle (★★★)

-Where did such a master glassblower remain hidden? They must have been confined to a cellar and compelled to ply their trade. Truly astonishing mastery.

-Amplifies potion duration and efficacy by 15 percent.

-Resistant to shattering even upon being dropped from significant heights.

Without a doubt, it was a magnificent vessel both in aesthetic appeal and practical utility.

“Hmm.”

Yet, the sight of it brought a scowl to Lion’s face for a simple reason…

Every single vial was filled with brilliantly colored liquids.

Worse still, they were meticulously organized in a neat gradient ranging from warm hues to cool tones.

‘Whoever did this clearly lacks a stable disposition.’

Underworld Stamina Recovery Potion (★)

-A creation by an alchemist of considerable potential. Restores a negligible amount of stamina upon ingestion.

Underworld Mana Recovery Potion

-A creation by an alchemist who, despite immense promise, has hit a ceiling in their production methods. It merely assists with mana restoration.

-At this rate, they will never attain the standing of a master artisan.

-Even the foundational brewing formula is fundamentally flawed.

It was merely a rudimentary tonic.

For an item bearing a star rating, its effects were thoroughly underwhelming.

‘No, come to think of it…’

Lion cast his mind back to the apothecary he had visited during his trip to the settlement.

The potency of those drafts had fallen well short of his expectations.

In truth, the elixirs Lion himself produced possessed abnormally superior quality.

‘The Magic Tower was precisely the same.’

The formulas and side effects diverged drastically.

Weighing those factors, the anonymous alchemist’s proficiency was actually quite remarkable.

In fact, it likely represented the absolute peak attainable by a standard practitioner of the craft.

Moreover, potions were not the sole items delivered by this mysterious figure.

-Counterfeit Gold

-Counterfeit Copper

-Counterfeit Silver

Empire tender bearing subtle discrepancies, alongside an assortment of precious gems.

They were evidently products of transmutation.

Possessing the capability to craft not just draughts, but refined metallic counterfeits as well, proved that the sender operated at a genuinely proficient tier.

“Oh? Is this genuine?”

Noblewoman’s Lost Necklace

-A noble lady is frantically searching for this missing heirloom.

Lion set that specific piece of jewelry aside from the rest.

Regardless…

‘At least the gifts themselves are harmless.’

Considering their illicit source.

Lion glanced toward Elvia, who was suppressing a grin behind her hand, clearly amused by the situation.

She was thoroughly enjoying herself at the moment.

“Ahem. Did you enjoy the meal with your kin?”

“Are you feeling envious, Young Master?”

It was Elvia herself who had previously declined the invitation, insisting she needed to prioritize her duties.

“That is a complete misunderstanding. Besides, aren’t you deriving quite a bit of entertainment from all this?”

“…Well.”

Should he describe it as encountering a kindred spirit who shared esoteric pastimes?

Alchemists were scarce to begin with, typically sequestered within the confines of a Magic Tower.

And for someone of that caliber to dispatch such offerings…

“Elvia.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Was there no correspondence left behind?”

“Ho ho. Right here.”

Elvia produced an opulent, obsidian-toned envelope.

“…”

Just as he had anticipated.

Lion let out a dry chuckle as he inspected the dark envelope sealed with crimson wax.

The parchment was charred black like ash, while the wax bore the vivid hue of fresh blood.

Without a doubt, it was a missive originating from the underbelly of society.

“Young Master, should you find this distressing, I, Elvia, can easily make it appear as though none of this ever occurred.”

It seemed her recent excursion infiltrating the Magic Tower had left her yearning for more excitement.

Lion deliberately disregarded her suggestion and broke the crimson seal.

First, he needed to peruse the message to decipher the sender’s underlying intentions.

And then…

“Hhm?”

Lion tilted his head in bewilderment.

-Congratulations on attaining adulthood, Lord Lion of the Asteri household. The enclosed trinkets serve as modest tokens of felicitation. Please do not reject them.

-P.S. You appear to possess a profound comprehension of alchemy. Would you be so kind as to appraise my latest creations?

-P.P.S. I shall return in two days to retrieve the empty vials. I implore you, please do this for me.

“…”

What could this possibly mean?

Lion had instinctively assumed that these underworld denizens were dispatching gifts laden with hidden malice or ulterior plots.

Could they genuinely be this transparently earnest?

‘Should one call this sheer innocence?’

When someone leans so far toward a single extreme, whether entirely virtuous or utterly wicked, does it not circle back to a form of purity?

In this instance, it was profoundly, undeniably absolute.

“Are they attempting to gauge my capabilities?”

“They are likely driven by genuine curiosity. When an artisan hits an impasse, seeking counsel even from a rival becomes second nature to those in such professions.”

“…”

Surely, true enlightenment is something an individual must discover through their own endeavors?

“How do you intend to proceed?”

Lion deliberated for a brief moment, jotted a short remark on a scrap of paper, secured it to the collection of potion vials and counterfeit currencies, and transferred the entire batch to the terrace table.

“There.”

He then slid the glass window shut with a sharp thud.

Not a single item remained upon Lion’s desk.

With the sole exception of the noblewoman’s necklace.

“Are you sending everything else back?”

“The sender will simply have to draw their own conclusions from that.”

Lion brushed his hands together and strode toward his bed.

He wore an expression of unusual resolve.

‘It appears I miscalculated.’

Elvia recognized her lapse in judgment the moment she observed Lion’s resolute bearing.

She had previously assumed him to be endlessly gentle and incapable of turning down requests from family or acquaintances, and had secretly hoped to teach him how to refuse this time around.

That assessment had been entirely mistaken.

‘Still, what do those numerical markings on the paper signify?’

Choosing not to pry further into matters that piqued her curiosity, Elvia slipped silently back into the shadows to ensure Lion’s slumber remained undisturbed.

—

“…Ha!”

Upon inspecting the wares delivered back to her, she was struck completely speechless.

The gifts she had dispatched to Lion Asteri had been rejected and returned.

No, not entirely returned, however.

Only the authentic items had been sent back!

‘Naturally, I included a few decoys to test his discernment.’

Even so, it took considerable audacity to meticulously separate and retain only the genuine articles.

‘Did he even bother to read my letter?’

There was no way for her to be certain.

Yet, the fact that the entire package, container and all, had found its way back to her could only signify a flat refusal, could it not?

Freya’s brows arched upward in a sharp, ascending slant.

“How dare… he spurn my request?”

Her subordinates hovered nearby, trembling with apprehension.

‘Damn it! Freya is furious!’

‘We certainly cannot handle this haphazardly!’

As they exchanged uneasy glances…

“What is this?”

Fortunately, before she could vent her mounting wrath upon those around her, a slip of parchment affixed to a potion vial caught her attention.

Freya snatched up the vial immediately and began inspecting the labels closely.

“A 10… This one is a 7, and this is an 8… Could it be?”

Pushing the bottle aside, she began rummaging frantically deeper into the packaging crate.

Though she practically buried herself inside the oversized parcel, not a single subordinate dared utter a sound of amusement.

If anything, they were profoundly grateful that her entire focus had shifted away from them toward the elixirs.

“Should we… withdraw?”

“Do as you please.”

She was displaying uncharacteristic leniency!

‘W-We are saved!’

The attendants retreated stealthily, taking great care not to provoke Freya further.

“Found it!”

Emerging from the depths of the crate, she clutched a crudely scrawled note.

It was Lion’s written evaluation.

-Graded out of 100 points.

-This represents an honest appraisal.

“…”

Freya cast her gaze downward at the potion flasks scattered across the floor.

And right there…

Not a single one surpassed a rating of 10 points!

“U-Ugh!”

The paper within her grip crumpled into a tight sphere.

The assigned marks were utterly pathetic.

A rating within the single digits out of a possible 100?

It was utterly incomprehensible.

Was she not widely recognized as a prodigy within the underworld?

Nay, not merely in the criminal underbelly, but across the entirety of the empire, her skills commanded immense respect.

That was precisely why she was entrusted with managing the circulation of underground currency!

And yet, this was the verdict?

“The nerve! Ha! Hmph!”

As Freya bristled with uncontained fury, the attendants who had been lingering near the exit hurriedly vanished from the vicinity.

After stewing in her rage for a prolonged duration…

“Hooooo!”

Freya finally managed to reclaim her composure.

“Where exactly did I err? Are these not already of exceptional quality?”

Following the stages of denial and anger, a sense of reluctant compromise began to take root.

Should she simply disregard this setback and move on?

Was Lion Asteri looking down on her abilities and sending these marks purely out of mockery?

No matter how deeply she analyzed the matter, no other alchemist within the empire possessed the skill to rival her own.

Under those circumstances, would it not suffice to simply accept this standard?

“…”

By Lion Asteri’s elevated criteria, they might only merit a score of 7, but out in the wider world, they approached a flawless 100.

And that was not all.

They possessed such innovative qualities that ordinary people could not even distinguish them from the real thing.

Was that not already more than enough?

Could she not simply suppress this lingering frustration and carry on with her pursuits?

“…Damn it!”

If such a compromise were truly viable, she would never have bothered breaching the formidable security of the Asteri household via letter!

Had he not explicitly stated it was a sincere appraisal?

To him, the fruits of her utmost labor and dedication genuinely possessed no greater worth than that.

Freya raised both hands and delivered a sharp, resounding slap to her own cheeks.

The stinging warmth radiating across her face served to snap her completely back to reality.

“Let us try once more.”

Viewed from a positive perspective, she still had a 90-point margin of improvement left to conquer!

*Snap!*

At the flick of her fingers, a small reptile composed of living flame materialized beside Freya.

“Salamander! Ignite the cauldron!”

*Fwoosh!*

Prompted by her command, intense columns of fire erupted from the creature’s maw and spine, causing the alchemical concoction within the vessel to bubble and churn violently.

The corners of Freya’s lips curled upward into a fierce grin.

“Lion Asteri! I shall extract every drop of your expertise and cast you aside without an ounce of pity!”

—

Several weeks slipped by in much the same fashion.

Throughout that duration, Freya continuously brewed new batches of elixirs, dispatching them in secret to the Asteri estate only to have them rejected time and time again.

The corresponding evaluations remained…

-12 points.

-9 points.

-11 points.

They remained stubbornly entrenched in the low double digits.

Marginally improved compared to her initial attempts, yet still a dismal grade barely clearing 10 points.

“What on earth is the missing factor?”

She found herself utterly incapable of grasping the rationale behind it.

By her own benchmarks, she had clearly achieved profound breakthroughs and secured massive advancements in her craft.

And yet, the verdict remained locked in the lower tens.

Consequently, she took the drastic step of completely overhauling the underlying formulas governing her elixirs.

Though doing so dealt a severe blow to her pride and proved deeply humiliating!

She dissected Lion Asteri’s supplied brew down to its absolute limits, reinterpreted its structure, and integrated those insights into her own recipes.

As a direct consequence, the potency of the potion escalated exponentially.

And then…

-Minus 10 points.

P.S. Do not plagiarize.