Chapter 62

Chapter 62
Chapter 62: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing
Lion held a rock and carefully inspected it.

At first glance, it resembled a common pebble, but closer observation revealed faint, intricate carvings upon its surface.

『Mid-Grade Fire Spirit’s Spirit Stone』

-It is a substance that mid-grade fire spirits, salamanders, occasionally create while casting skills. The cause of its occurrence has not been identified.

-Humans cannot consume it.

-It is effective if given to a companion spirit when it is sick.

-However, it must be of the same element.

“Oh.”

So, it functions similarly to a self-generated emergency remedy created by the spirit itself.

As Lion stared at the spirit stone, Freya Anya jerked back in surprise and quickly concealed the item between her palms.

“Th-this is what my salamander has been producing ever since we formed our pact. Those creatures bounce back on their own! Besides, once we return to the Elf Country, spirit stones will be scattered everywhere in such abundance that you are bound to trip over them.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! Even now, the mid-grade spirits are causing quite a ruckus, which means they will soon start dropping to the ground! Instruct them to handle their own problems and consume the spirit stones! While spirit stones do not appear constantly enough for you to feed them unlimited quantities, they serve well to revive spirits whose stamina has severely dropped in an emergency.”

Hearing Freya Anya’s explanation prompted a new query in Lion’s mind.

“What happens if a spirit’s energy is completely depleted?”

“…They return to nature.”

“Does that mean they perish?”

“If expressed in human terms, yes, though strictly speaking, spirits lack the concept of mortality. Their constituent elements simply disperse and blend into the environment, eventually being reborn as spirits after a very long time.”

Watching her gently pat the salamander, it became clear that while that statement held true in theory, numerous spirit masters viewed the matter differently.

‘Even if that is not the case…’

Lion thought back to the moment he crafted the hoe.

The fire spirit had undeniably been suffering.

Once he resolved that issue, it responded with joy and gratitude.

Perhaps that was the reason it even bestowed a special enchantment upon the hoe.

This implied that, without a doubt, spirits possessed emotions.

They experienced pain as well.

‘It is not even their fault that they are hurting. How truly unfortunate.’

『Experience points for spirit arts talent increase by 30 percent.』

Abruptly, Lion swung the door open once more.

“Freya Anya.”

“Y-yes?”

“We must commence our initial alchemy lesson.”

“So abruptly…?”

Lion stepped out into the hallway without paying heed to Freya Anya’s reaction.

“The subject of the first lesson is.”

After all, he had already read the supplemental description.

That specific spirit stone.

『Uses – Food, Potions』

『☞ Click to view the recipe.』

It could be utilized far more effectively than simply ingesting it raw.

This applied doubly to their present circumstances.

“Gathering spirit stones.”

Without delay, Lion plunged straight into the midst of the troubled spirits!

“Ugh… Master!”

Unable to suppress her natural instincts, Freya Anya hurried after him into the dense fog.

“I cannot see a single thing ahead!”

“Since these appear to be the spirits belonging to our Elven guests, they should calm down shortly!”

“Those visitors did not look capable of managing spirits earlier whatsoever!”

Chaos reigned within the mist-filled corridor.

Even the household staff were panicking.

This turmoil arose because the heavy vapor generated by the water spirits obscured all visibility ahead.

If this condition persisted, every expensive painting and decoration hanging throughout the mansion would be ruined.

At the very least, someone needed to open a window…

“Allow me to pass.”

“Wh-who is that… Young Master?”

“Oh my goodness, I cannot see a thing like this! It is far too dangerous!”

Yet right at that moment, Lion Asteri plunged directly into the thick of it!

He was even crouched down, sweeping his hands across the floor as though searching for a lost item!

Should someone accidentally crush him beneath their heavy boots…

‘We are finished.’

Whether it was the Family Head himself, or the Young Master.

Or even Elvia, the maid who had begun consolidating actual authority within the household despite her brief tenure!

“Everyone, pull back toward the walls.”

“Y-yes! And open the windows!”

Regaining their composure swiftly, the servants of the Asteri household stepped backward.

Squeak- Squeak-

Fearing they might accidentally tread upon the Young Master, they dragged their boots along the floor more cautiously than usual, though no one cast blame.

They finally reached the windows, but…

“Ou-outside the windows as well!”

The fog had already engulfed the mansion’s entire garden.

“St-still, we are better off opening the casements!”

“Indeed! Everyone, let us move!”

Meanwhile.

‘Hoo!’

Lion scanned his surroundings along the newly cleared mansion corridors.

Fortunately, his keen eyes remained sharp even under such conditions.

Locating objects also proved easier now that the servants had cleared a path.

Sparkle!

Within moments, he spotted luminous stones resting on the floorboards.

However…

‘Why is the quantity so small?’

He had anticipated finding a substantial number of spirit stones scattered about due to the spirits overtaxing their abilities, yet the yield fell short of his expectations.

As Lion scooped up the spirit stones as a temporary measure…

Purrrr.

A handful of spirits in relatively stable condition hovered closely around Lion.

“Hmm?”

Now that he observed them closer…

These were the exact same entities he had encountered in the village earlier.

The ones he had provided with water and shielded from the intense heat prior to meeting Embroog.

“Are you all alright?”

『The Gnome nods.』

『The Sylph flutters its wings vigorously.』

『The Low-Grade Water Spirit affirms.』

They appeared to be holding up well, likely due to the residual effects of their pre-charged stamina.

‘Hmm. In that case, will this approach work as well?’

Lion glanced around.

Freya Anya was down on her hands and knees in the hallway, groping blindly for spirit stones, while the servants had completely vacated the area.

Naturally, the Elves were nowhere in sight either.

This presented an ideal window to test a hypothesis.

“By any chance, can you manufacture spirit stones?”

The spirits tilted their heads or spun in circles, seemingly unfamiliar with the term spirit stones.

“Ah, I am referring to these.”

When Lion displayed the spirit stone currently resting in his palm, the spirits confirmed recognition through their respective gestures.

“In that case, would you be able to produce some without straining yourselves? It would greatly assist in healing your companions.”

The moment Lion finished speaking…

The Undine and Sylph twirled gracefully and dropped small items into Lion’s open hand.

They were genuine spirit stones.

『The Undine grants your request.』

『The Sylph listens to your plea.』

That was not the end of it.

The Gnome, an earth spirit, burrowed briefly into the floorboards and emerged holding a small pile of spirit stones within its tiny hands, placing them neatly before Lion.

These particular stones felt slightly damp, perhaps due to the moisture lingering in the local terrain.

As though the spirits were communicating among themselves…

They each dispersed briefly, and other spirits in slightly better physical condition returned one by one, each depositing a single spirit stone before vanishing.

Though they appeared somewhat fatigued, they showed no signs of overexertion.

『An uncontracted spirit has resonated with your noble heart!』

『Spirit Affinity Proficiency has reached Apprentice Lv.3.』

The massive influx of experience points and the subsequent level-up served as a pleasant bonus.

While that development was certainly welcome, this was not the moment to dwell on it.

“Thank you.”

Expressing his gratitude to the spirits, he walked back toward Freya Anya with his hands overflowing with spirit stones.

Fortunately, the Sylph conjured a gentle breeze that swept away the remaining haze, restoring Lion’s vision.

‘Spirits are remarkably kind at their core.’

He could now easily understand why spirit masters held such deep affection for them.

Meanwhile.

“Ugh, if visibility is zero, picking anything up is impossible!”

Freya Anya remained frantically occupied with searching for spirit stones just as Lion had instructed.

Because of the thick fog, her actual finds had been negligible.

“Freya Anya.”

“Eek! I was genuinely trying my best to locate them!”

Expecting a stern reprimand, Freya Anya immediately blurted out an excuse out of sheer panic.

“Ah, no…”

What on earth transpired while he was away to leave her this thoroughly disciplined?

Lion let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.

“It is nothing like that. You have already gathered enough, so you may cease searching.”

“Pardon? But I only possess this tiny bit…”

Lifting a minute fragment of a spirit stone to show him…

Her jaw dropped open in utter shock.

Lion’s hands were piled so high with spirit stones that they were actively spilling over the edges!

Naturally, Freya Anya had anticipated that the spirits might drop a few stones here and there.

At most, she figured there would be perhaps ten.

Yet right now, the quantity resting in Lion’s hands…

‘This surpasses the total amount my salamander has gathered throughout its entire existence!’

How could such a thing even occur?

There was no physical way that many had simply fallen onto the flooring.

Which meant the spirits had willingly brought them directly to him…

‘Has he already mastered the art of communicating fluently with spirits?’

That achievement alone defied belief.

To have acquired spirit stones through direct request, and moreover, to have persuaded the spirits to hand them over!

And for the spirits to have readily complied!

‘What sort of monstrous talent for spirit arts is this?’

Does this not transcend even the capabilities of a High Elf?

Had other Elves witnessed this scene, they undoubtedly would have launched into a furious lecture regarding ‘blasphemy,’ yet through Freya Anya’s eyes… the reality was staggering.

‘Is it… is it genuinely acceptable for me to teach this person?’

She, a mere mid-grade spirit master?

She doubted her own qualifications to instruct him at all.

His abilities in alchemy already felt unattainable, and now spirit arts as well…

‘Perhaps Mr. Embroog was correct after all.’

Lion Asteri’s true calling lay firmly within the realm of spirit arts.

Clutching her single spirit stone tightly, Freya Anya muttered under her breath.

‘Indeed. I must absorb as much knowledge as possible before he becomes entirely consumed by spirit arts.’

Consequently.

Meanwhile, Lion…

‘Why is she taking so long to wake?’

Had she tripped while trailing behind him and twisted her ankle?

Such thoughts were entirely absent from his mind.

In truth, Lion’s focus remained locked entirely on the potions he intended to brew utilizing these gathered spirit stones.

“Are you injured?”

“Ah, no. Not at all!”

Freya Anya sprang hurriedly to her feet.

“Could you hand over what you managed to collect as well? It will prove useful.”

Embarrassed by how meager her contribution was, Freya Anya placed her lone retrieved spirit stone onto the massive pile.

“Very well, let us proceed to craft them now.”

“Wh-shall we begin brewing immediately?”

“Hm?”

“D-do you not normally calculate the exact proportions of each ingredient and measure them precisely prior to commencing… or is that not how you operate?”

“Ah.”

Right.

Lion mentally recalled the dense alchemy texts that the previous occupant of his body had studied.

For anyone building a solid foundation from scratch, that standard procedure was indeed necessary.

However, given Lion’s current circumstances.

He simply possessed the direct recipe.

“It will be fine. We can simply experiment.”

“What?! How can you possibly do such a thing?! Alchemy is utterly ruined if even a single teaspoon is measured incorrectly… It is madness!”

“I can manage it.”

There was no time to waste debating such trivialities, and he had already proven his capabilities elsewhere.

Lion chose to lean fully into the persona of an alchemy prodigy.

“Very well, first we shall attempt to brew a Digestive Potion. Have you ever produced this before?”

“It is a fundamental recipe, so yes, I have… Ah! For this particular mixture, I suppose precise measurement is not…”

“Then I shall omit the explanation for this one.”

Glancing toward the exterior, Lion added,

“The spirits appear thoroughly distressed, so we ought to hurry.”

As Lion stepped inside the chamber, Freya Anya found herself plagued by a burning question.

If his goal was merely to brew digestive medicine, why on earth had he bothered gathering spirit stones?

‘Perhaps he intends to administer the digestive medicine to heal the Elves, while feeding the spirit stones to the spirits?’

In that case, collecting the spirit stones afterward and rapidly producing the medicine would make more sense.

Surely not.

He surely did not plan on feeding spirit stones to the Elves, did he?

—

What specific recipe or potion would you like Lion to tackle next in his alchemy lessons?