Chapter 60

Chapter 60
## Chapter 60: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Ahem.”

Embrogh cleared his throat.

Now the primary goal needed to be addressed.

“If you will allow it, I also wish to present a personal token of appreciation.”

“A personal gift?”

“Indeed. Just give me a moment.”

Embrogh motioned toward Endairon, who waited quietly a few paces behind him.

“Archmage, you are capable of perceiving spirits, correct? The Elder must have made the necessary arrangements ahead of time.”

“That is correct.”

Petrick briefly recalled the spirit magic the Elder Elf had placed upon him.

“Well, with that enchantment active, even non-elf races like yours can look upon spirits quite clearly.”

“My own magic already grants me ample perception of their forms.”

“Ahaha… I can see them just fine through beast taming myself, but the extra clarity is certainly welcome.”

“Honestly, Young Master, you always find something to grumble about.”

…Well, it was not the most fond memory to revisit.

“I can sense them well enough without any additional help.”

“My apologies if I overstepped.”

“Let us move past that. Now, what relation does that aquatic beast bear to this personal gift?”

Faced with Petrick’s direct inquiry, Rikschel, seated right beside him, instinctively shifted his gaze.

*This is bad.*

The message had definitely been delivered, but because the journey had been rushed, the nuances had never been properly explained.

Specifically, the rather alarming implication that *a young male elf is trying to make off with the Older Brother!*

*What exact message did I pass along to the Family Head?*

Perhaps only that the Older Brother appeared to possess a natural gift for spirit arts… and little else.

*Could this be where my calculation failed?*

I assumed the Family Head would grasp the entire situation from that single hint.

If he had understood, would he really have asked such a question?!

I considered interrupting the flow of the conversation right then and there, but—

As expected of an elf, Embrogh moved faster.

The arch-spirit master began to speak with the smooth, unbroken cadence of a rushing river.

“I am a high-level spirit master who mentors talented individuals in spirit arts within my homeland. This child here is Endairon, my lifelong partner whom I raised from a lesser spirit.”

“…”

Petrick leaned back against his chair, folding his arms across his chest.

His expression remained completely unreadable.

“As you are well aware, the sanctuaries of the elves lie quite far from the human empires.”

“That is true.”

“Consequently, by the time we reached this region, many of our intermediate and lower-tier spirits had unfortunately been left behind in the village. It could not be helped, given the emergency nature of our departure. And then…”

At this juncture, a direct demonstration would speak louder than words.

Embrogh released his hold on Endairon, whom he had kept tethered beside him.

And immediately—

*『The high-level Water Spirit Endairon develops a deep fondness for you!』*

Endairon lumbered straight toward Lion, who had been listening in silence until now…

*Thump.*

The massive creature rested its heavy head right upon Lion’s lap, looking up with big, soulful eyes.

It behaved precisely like an oversized hound begging for affection!

Its tail wagged softly behind it.

It even let out little bubbling droplets of water, sounding much like a whimpering puppy.

“…”

Lion slowly brought his hand up from beneath the table, gently scratching Endairon under the chin and stroking its head.

He had meant to maintain his composure… but the huge, formidable entity was unexpectedly adorable, and its unusual texture proved too fascinating to resist.

Naturally, every pair of eyes in the room snapped toward them.

Even the accompanying elves stared in utter disbelief.

“No way…”

“Lord Endairon?”

“How could someone so proud act like this?!”

In truth, Endairon, being a high-level water spirit, possessed a temperament far from gentle or dog-like.

He was as fierce as a wild wolf, proud, and untamed.

Above all, he usually showed total indifference to anyone weaker than himself, refusing to grant them a second glance.

Yet right now—

He was acting like an affectionate pet toward Lion Asteri?

“…”

Even Petrick Asteri looked genuinely startled.

Though he had received the reports, witnessing a high-level spirit behave in such a manner was entirely unprecedented.

Only Embrogh acted as though nothing unusual was happening, smoothly continuing his speech.

“When I later returned to gather those left-behind spirits, someone else was already tending to them… Yes. It was none other than Lion Asteri here.”

“I see.”

“Did you happen to know beforehand?”

“Know what?”

“Why, that your grandson possessed such extraordinary aptitude for spirit arts!”

By this point, Embrogh’s face was flushed with mounting excitement.

His speech grew faster and faster.

“I can state with absolute confidence that Lion Asteri holds the potential to become the greatest spirit master in history. This is a level of talent that even high elves cannot hope to rival…”

He pressed on relentlessly.

“In fact, the outcome would likely be identical regardless of which spirit you paired him with. Have you seen Freya’s Salamander? No, well, that fellow…”

More rapidly than any human, with the relentless enthusiasm typical of his kind—

“That is quite enough!”

A burst of magic power infused Petrick Asteri’s voice, cutting Embrogh’s praise of Lion abruptly short.

*I let him ramble on about my grandson for a while, but there is simply no end to it.*

Petrick was already well aware of the situation.

Reports had reached him that his beloved grandson, Lion, displayed a unique affinity for spirit arts.

He had merely played along to see just how far the elf would take his claims…

*Under normal circumstances, in a private setting, I would have humored him longer.*

Regrettably, this was far from a private gathering.

“Haha. I suppose I got a bit carried away.”

“…”

“Just a bit?”

“Ahem.”

*Slurp—*

Embrogh calmly took a sip of tea as if entirely unbothered, his composure instantly restored.

It was enough to make one wonder if the expression “shameless” had been coined for moments exactly like this.

“At any rate, my point was simply to convey that Lion Asteri’s gift is a once-in-a-century—no, a once-in-a-thousand-years talent.”

“…”

“Still, it is rather peculiar. Why did the Elder’s companion fail to inform us elves of your grandson’s remarkable gift?”

It was a fair question.

For ages, humans and elves had maintained a strict separation.

This stemmed chiefly from the isolated nature of elven culture.

It was not as though bad blood existed between their peoples.

Above all, Petrick held the esteemed title of “the Elder’s companion.”

Had they known his grandson possessed such rare talent, would the elves have withheld their assistance?

Even the Elder himself would have rushed to help with open arms.

“Were you truly unaware?”

Embrogh inquired in a soft, subdued tone.

“Unaware of Lion Asteri’s gifts?”

“…”

Petrick had no ready reply.

The truth was, he genuinely had not known.

To offer some context, Lion had only begun moving about freely after recovering from his prolonged bedridden state roughly three months ago.

In that brief span, Lion had already demonstrated exceptional competence across multiple fields.

Chief among them was alchemy.

The creation of the ‘Hero’s Potion’ stood as undeniable proof.

Yet he could hardly air such family matters in front of an alien elf.

As Petrick maintained his silence, Embrogh let out a soft, pitying sigh.

“Goodness me, you really had no idea?”

The archmage supreme.

Petrick Asteri.

The confidant of the Elder Elf.

And yet he had remained blind to a lump of pure gold sitting right under his nose.

*It does not seem to stem from a lack of care.*

Had he truly been indifferent, one might suspect Lion Asteri had suffered from neglect.

In that scenario, securing the boy would have been a remarkably simple task for the elves.

“…”

After a long pause, Petrick Asteri found himself entirely at a loss for words.

*This is my failing.*

Grandfathers were always the same in that regard.

Even when working hard for their descendants, if they discovered something missed, they tormented themselves over why they hadn’t noticed sooner.

They regretted not paying closer attention a little earlier.

This instance proved no exception.

“…Naturally, given the circumstances, it is somewhat understandable. Spirits are a rare sight within human territories. Ahem… However, an exceptional opportunity has now presented itself.”

“An opportunity?”

“What would you say to sending him abroad for his studies?”

“To the realm of the elves? My grandson?”

“Yes. Naturally, he would receive the highest honors and provisions without a single deficiency. That shall be my personal gift to him.”

Under normal conditions, Petrick would have dismissed the proposal instantly as pure nonsense.

Yet Embrogh’s earlier words continued to echo quietly in the back of his mind.

Was his own protectiveness inadvertently stunting Lion’s future?

Might spirit arts ultimately serve as a more reliable shield than alchemy for physical protection?

Such thoughts weighed on him.

Though the hesitation lasted only a moment, at least two individuals in the room caught the subtle shift in Petrick’s demeanor.

Embrogh and Rikschel.

*I cannot believe he is actually hesitating.*

Clearly, the elf’s silver tongue had managed to strike a chord with the Family Head.

The arguments presented were difficult to brush aside as mere falsehoods.

Even so, it was equally certain that the Family Head had never once neglected the Older Brother’s development.

Even in the wake of the severe mana backlash, the Family Head had never stinted on resources or backing for the Older Brother.

It was a foundation of unwavering trust and generous support.

He longed to step in and tell them that no one needed to feel any guilt here…

Unfortunately, voicing such reassurances now would only achieve the opposite effect.

At that exact juncture—

“Pardon me. Forgive the interruption.”

Lion raised the hand he had previously kept concealed beneath the tabletop.

His fingertips remained slightly wrinkled and damp from his contact with Endairon, though mercifully, no one drew attention to it.

“Ah, yes. Lion-kun. Do you have a question?”

“Regarding the prospect of studying abroad.”

“Yes.”

Petrick answered with a slight delay.

“Is such a decision not typically left to the individual concerned?”

“…Indeed, of course. Your own perspective matters most above all else. However, you are surely aware that the standard of education there far surpasses anything available here.”

“I do not doubt your word for a moment, Mr. Embrogh. Just as the Asteri household is renowned for arcane arts, the same principle holds true in your domains.”

“Precisely! You are a remarkably sharp young man!”

He was even brilliant!

If he had his way, Embrogh would have bundled the boy into a sack and carried him off on the spot.

“However.”

Lion offered a faint, troubled smile.

Even without words, that expression teemed with a clear message.

It was a rejection.

Embrogh’s smile slowly began to wane.

“Ah. Yes. I anticipated as much.”

In truth, he had prepared himself for this outcome from the beginning.

Ever since realizing the deep bond shared between Lion and the Asteri lineage, he had factored in the high probability of refusal.

Still—

Embrogh’s eyes flickered with a renewed spark.

“Then how about this alternative? I will drop the recommendation for study abroad. Instead, as an initial gesture of cultural exchange between humanity and the elves, let us arrange an exchange of skills: Lion-kun’s alchemy in return for Miss Freya’s mastery of spirit arts.”

“An exchange? What precisely do you mean by that?”

“Please do not misunderstand my intent. I merely suggest that they mutually instruct one another in their respective arts.”

“…Eh?”

Freya, who had been quietly listening from a distance, found her eyes widening in shock.

She had merely sat in silence, yet out of nowhere, an enormous windfall had dropped right into her lap!

Embrogh hastened to offer further clarification.

He explained that such an arrangement served as an ideal bridge for cultural cooperation while safeguarding against any leakage of Lion’s proprietary methods.

*‘And surely it will prove a valuable developmental experience for your descendants as well. There will be boundless opportunities for them to observe and learn from one another.’*

Rikschel suddenly heard the distant echo of the Elder Elf’s voice ringing in his mind from days past.

*Could he have intended to steer the negotiations down this exact path all along?*

Naturally, had circumstances required it, the elf would have attempted to spirit the Older Brother away entirely, but the Elder Elf had clearly anticipated this intermediate compromise.