Chapter 66

Chapter 66
Chapter 66: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Ugh! This feeling… Is that you, Tiali?”

“You’ve drifted off into your own thoughts again.”

“Th-that’s…”

I was on the verge of asking what he was up to, but Embrog spoke up first.

“Would you mind taking a look at my Endairon?”

“Endairon? Don’t you understand the spirits’ conditions much better than I do?”

“Even so, you have far more experience. Please check him over.”

Though perplexed by Embrog’s odd request, Tiali proceeded to inspect Endairon as asked.

“Come here. That’s right.”

Endairon obediently stepped in front of Tiali to display his current state.

His posture was stately. His frame was firm. Every claw and patch of fur remained completely undamaged and untouched.

In truth, he wasn’t just fine; he was in the absolute peak condition of his life.

“…”

As Tiali methodically checked every single detail, his facial expression slowly tightened.

It defied belief.

‘This is genuinely… bizarre.’

Isn’t this identical to the situation with all the other spirits?

It simply makes no sense.

They should naturally be feeling weak and exhausted.

After all, this is a region completely devoid of natural energy!

“Embrog, what on earth happened here?”

“Well… please try not to be too startled.”

Embrog proceeded to recount every single detail of the recent events.

The low-tier spirits had fallen into a wild, berserk frenzy due to an unfortunate accident.

A specialized potion formulated by Patrick Asteri, the grandson of Elder’s Companion, had successfully resolved the crisis.

“The truly astonishing part comes next!”

Not only that, but after consuming the concoction, both the spirits and the elves found themselves in vastly improved physical states!

“And you claim that individual possesses a high affinity for spirits?”

“That is correct.”

“Embrog.”

“Yes, Tiali.”

“Are you honestly expecting me to believe such a tale?”

“…I understand your skepticism.”

Tiali felt a flare of irritation.

Embrog had always been such a straightforward and dependable subordinate back under his direct command, yet now, with a single promotion, he was spinning wild falsehoods.

“Even if I were to grant you a hundred percent that every word you spoke is absolute fact, why on earth didn’t Elder’s Companion introduce Lion Asteri to us?”

“He claimed he had no idea.”

“No idea about what?”

“About Lion Asteri’s true potential.”

“This is driving me out of my mind.”

Tiali muttered a string of curses under his breath in the Elven tongue.

His fiery temperament, which had mellowed significantly following his official retirement, seemed to be bubbling back to the surface.

With so little going on lately, his self-discipline had slipped, and now he was being subjected to such absurd tall tales?

If any of this were actually true, shouldn’t Embrog be taking proactive steps instead of just talking?

He ought to march right over right now, whether by enticement or intimidation, to drag Lion Asteri straight to the Elf Country…

“I already attempted that, but I failed.”

“Pardon?”

“I tried every single tactic you are currently plotting in your head, and every single one failed. This all transpired just yesterday.”

“…”

“So I am heading off to see Lion in person right now… would you care to accompany me?”

“Hoo. Let’s do just that.”

If this outlandish story holds any water at all, then Lion Asteri is far from an ordinary person.

‘Could it be that the Elder…?’

As Tiali strode alongside Embrog to track down Lion, he mentally revisited his prior conversation with the Elder.

“If you happen to cross paths with someone extraordinary down there, hand them this.”

“But this item is…”

“There is no need for concern. If anything, that token will serve to bridge our connection with a truly noble individual.”

Tiali kept walking, the Elder’s mysterious gift tucked securely away in the deep recesses of his pocket.

—

Meanwhile.

Lion was fully occupied overseeing Freya’s ongoing education.

During Lion’s slumber, Freya appeared to have pushed herself to the limit trying to synthesize something resembling a concentrated spirit water solution.

The ultimate outcome…

A batch of six slimes abruptly materialized before instantly vanishing courtesy of the salamander, but regardless of that setback.

She had still managed to brew a digestive potion of significantly higher grade than her previous attempts.

“Wh-what score does this earn?”

Lion picked up the newly brewed digestive medicine and carefully inspected it.

“Thirty points.”

“Th-that high?!”

Freya snatched the vial back from Lion’s grip to check it herself.

Naturally, she had felt confident in her work, but she never in her wildest dreams expected such a lofty numerical score.

“Why the shock? You performed well.”

“No, but… Wait, really?”

Could it be that all the lessons she absorbed while performing grueling chores like weeding had actually proven useful?

Was the core truth of alchemy something simpler than rote calculation?

She felt as though she were on the verge of grasping a vital thread of enlightenment, but…

Sadly, a potion scoring a mere thirty points wasn’t quite enough to trigger a breakthrough.

‘Still… this represents massive progress!’

Naturally, she still had a long road ahead of her, but at least she had finally escaped the humiliating territory of the low tens!

‘On top of that, the salamander looks incredible.’

The previous evening, Lion had generously provided spirit water to both Freya and the salamander.

To be frank, Freya deeply admired her instructor’s supreme craftsmanship while secretly envying the elves and spirits who had partaken in the liquid.

‘I don’t necessarily need to drink it myself, but I truly wish my salamander could at least sample some…’

Of course, she had been taught to earn her own way through diligence rather than expect handouts.

Since she lacked the means to acquire any right now, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

Had she acted in accordance with her usual reckless nature, she might have attempted to pilfer some for the elves, but she held herself back out of deep respect for her teacher.

Perhaps picking up on her unspoken longing…

“Here.”

“This…!”

“Consider this compensation for assisting me in gathering those spirit stones.”

“T-Teacher…!!”

Her teacher had graciously handed her two full bottles!

‘In truth, I hardly contributed anything of value.’

At best, she had managed to locate a single low-tier spirit stone.

Even so, she desperately wanted to consume it.

She longed to experience its miraculous properties firsthand.

And so, casting aside her pride.

“Thank you endlessly!”

Without hesitation, she downed the contents eagerly alongside her salamander.

The resulting effect… proved overwhelmingly potent, exactly as anticipated.

The immediate change was visible in the salamander’s vitality.

Since the creature was originally accustomed to urban environments, it hadn’t suffered severely from the desolate natural surroundings, yet its internal energy had clearly flagged.

Then came this very morning. Awaking to a brilliant crimson radiance…

*Fwoosh!*

A vibrant kaleidoscope of thermal haze danced vividly across its brilliantly gleaming scales!

Furthermore, the creature exuded an aura of supreme satisfaction, striking a proud, puffed-chest pose on all fours atop a high shelving unit!

‘Truly… I have never witnessed anything remotely like this.’

It was a staggering transformation.

While Freya was lost in these nostalgic reflections.

“By the way.”

“Yes, Teacher. I am listening!”

“That necklace you handed me when we first met, do you recall it?”

“The necklace?”

Freya tilted her head in confusion…

“Ah!”

As a sudden realization struck her, she lightly slapped her open palm with a fist.

“You ended up swiping that item, didn’t you?”

“I acquired it through a perfectly fair transaction!”

” From whom?”

“Hmm… I suppose it boils down to one of two possibilities. Either my own family secretly liquidated it, or the household servants pocketed it to pad their own pockets.”

“…”

“Compared to the actual market value of the piece, it was an absolute steal.”

That meant it hadn’t been a fair transaction after all, had it?

“Does the item’s presence bother you?”

Lion offered a slow nod.

He hadn’t stolen the thing himself, but returning it felt awkward, so a considerable amount of time had simply slipped by.

He had attempted to trace its origins, but since the incident hadn’t occurred anywhere near the Asteri Territory, he turned up zero clues.

And consequently…

“Should I make the effort to track down the rightful owner and return it?”

“Negative.”

“Pardon? And why is that?”

Freya inquired with a start.

Given her teacher’s upright disposition, she fully expected him to demand the immediate return of the jewelry.

Had he issued such an order, she would have obeyed without a second thought.

She had no desire to fall out of his good graces over a trivial trinket!

Her relationship with him had already gotten off to a rocky start!

“We can’t know what kind of complicated history might be tied to it.”

“…”

Is that truly how he sees it?

In reality, the history behind it was rather mundane…

Freya shook her head inwardly, calling to mind a few run-of-the-mill underworld tales regarding fenced goods.

She decided there was no need to burden her youthful and innocent instructor with those grim details.

‘I’ll simply have my subordinates quietly investigate its true provenance later.’

Although Lion hadn’t asked her to do anything, Freya privately resolved the matter in her own mind while clutching her freshly brewed digestive potion.

Before she even realized it, Lion had accumulated subordinates who operated much like underground syndicate kingpins.

Right at that moment.

A sharp knock echoed at the door.

“Pardon?”

“Young Master. Lord Embrog has arrived to see you.”

“Show him inside.”

The servant offered a polite bow, withdrew, and promptly returned escorting Embrog.

However…

‘Hmm?’

Lion’s gaze immediately locked onto an unfamiliar face standing beside him.

‘I have certainly never laid eyes on that particular elf before.’

Before he had a chance to press for an introduction.

“Gasp, that person is…!”

Freya reacted with an audible gasp of recognition.

“He serves as the Elder Elf’s most trusted confidant. He is also my direct mentor, Embrog.”

“Ah.”

So this newcomer was the mentor of his own mentor.

Presumably, he had appeared out of nowhere simply to deliver additional compensation and drop off extra manpower.

Or perhaps there was an ulterior motive at play.

Regardless, it shouldn’t have any direct bearing on Lion himself.

“It is an absolute honor to make your acquaintance. I go by the name Tiali.”

“You must have endured a lengthy journey. I am Lion Asteri. However… if this visit pertains to matters of compensation, you ought to direct your inquiries to my younger sibling or my grandfather instead of coming straight to me.”

“Indeed. Still, I judged it imperative to speak with you directly first.”

“And what led to that conclusion?”

“I needed to verify the facts with my own eyes. To determine whether these reports are grounded in reality or mere fiction.”

“Th-that is terribly disrespectful! Even if you happen to be Tiali, how dare you doubt Teacher’s exceptional abilities!”

Freya blurted out in a sudden surge of fierce loyalty.

After all, the concept of a spirit master coupled with an actual curative potion for spirits carried monumental significance.

No one had ever successfully crafted a medicine capable of healing spirits before.

‘Ah, so that’s what this is about.’

Lion finally pieced together the full narrative based on Tiali’s direct confrontation.

So the man had traveled all this distance simply because the official reports sounded too preposterous to believe.

He was here to verify whether Embrog and Lion were conspiring to fabricate false documents.

‘Frankly, that’s a very sensible precaution.’

As a personal protector to an Elder Elf, it was his duty to confirm the validity of such extraordinary claims, but…

‘Good grief, more and more influential figures keep showing up out of nowhere.’

Lion had already considered Embrog to be quite a heavyweight.

Still, he firmly held onto the hope that this whole spectacle would finally convince everyone to drop the idea of sending him away on his studies.

‘Hmm.’

Even the usually apathetic Lion felt a slight shift…

“Might I examine Endairon’s physical state first?”

“Pardon? Endairon, you say?”

“Indeed. His condition should have undergone a dramatic recovery.”

He really ought to maintain a degree of caution here…

“Oh, Endairon. Your condition has truly blossomed.”

Yet…

Lion reached out and casually began roughing up Endairon’s fur.

That wasn’t the end of it.

He playfully yanked on the beast’s cheeks and vigorously massaged its thick neck.

To everyone’s utter astonishment, however.

『Endairon is thoroughly enjoying the affection!』

『Endairon deeply appreciates your touch!』

『Your Spirit Communication talent experience has increased by 25 percent.』

The massive wolf promptly rolled over onto its back, happily soaking up every bit of Lion’s attention.

The potion was entirely responsible for this docile shift.

And that single reality proved one definitive conclusion.

Everything reported thus far was absolute truth.

‘Spirits simply do not fabricate falsehoods.’

The proof was delivered not through empty debate, but through a single undeniable display.

Naturally, a small part of it was just personal indulgence.

…The creature is undeniably adorable, isn’t it? How could anyone possibly resist?

“…”

Amidst the watchful gazes of everyone present, Lion thoroughly indulged his whim before casually rising to his feet.

“Clearly, the potion’s restorative properties have proven exceptionally effective.”

“They certainly have. I shudder to think what catastrophe might have unfolded had you not intervened, Lion.”

Embrog offered a deep, respectful bow in full accordance with Elven custom.

“I failed to express my gratitude properly last night due to the sheer chaos of the situation, but I cannot thank you enough. I shall never forget this profound kindness.”

“Please don’t dwell on it too heavily.”

“With that said…”

Picking up where Embrog left off, Tiali stepped forward.

“We wish to formally negotiate the import of that specific potion.”