Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

That evening, under the cloak of midnight, strange sounds emerged from the deep interior of Mimir Forest.

*Swoosh* – *Swoosh*

It resembled a predator scraping the earth to conceal its quarry, or the sharp sweep of a drawn blade. As the drifting clouds unveiled the silver disk of the moon, a bent silhouette materialized amidst the timberland. The man was laboring with a shovel. Within the turned earth, revealing damp soil, a small, digit-sized sprout came into view.

It bore the likeness of a human finger…

『Finger Ginseng (★) has been acquired!』

* While its properties mirror common ginseng, it distinctly mimics the shape of a digit. Highly delicate harvesting techniques are required.
* When brewed and consumed, stamina is enhanced.
『Usage- Food, Potions』
『☞Click to view the recipe.』

…To be exact, it was Lion Asteri unearthing the finger ginseng.

“Well now,” Lion uttered in quiet amazement. He had merely tested his tools on the first flora he encountered, yet the yield was astonishing. “Is there really such a difference?”

Not to mention the efficiency of the gathering process. Because he was spared from tearing through dense soil barehanded, he could extract plants with far greater precision.

That was not the end of it. Lion stored the finger ginseng within his inventory and scanned his surroundings. Having forged a hoe and a sickle before entering the woods, he noticed numerous other points of light flickering across the terrain. Utilizing proper implements alongside his awakened cooking aptitude allowed him to harvest food-grade materials with ease. Furthermore, every gathered item possessed a minimum rating of one star. With continued practice using the hoe, higher-grade materials would soon follow.

Should that occur…
‘A three-star potion is entirely within reach.’
“Shall I continue until I am fully accustomed to this?”

A familiar-looking sprout caught his attention.
‘If I am not mistaken…’

Lion immediately cleared the surrounding brush using his sickle.

*Swish!*

As he cleanly severed the stems and foliage…

『Banana Sweet Potato Leaves (★)』

* Wild-grown sweet potato foliage. Somewhat fibrous.
『Usage- Food』
『☞Click to view the recipe.』

『Banana Sweet Potato Shoots (★★)』

* Wild sweet potato vines. Exceptionally tender.
『Usage- Food』
『☞Click to view the recipe.』

Just as he surmised, it was indeed a sweet potato variant. Moreover, exactly as he predicted, he successfully acquired a two-star gathering item.

‘Then, beneath this surface…’

Lion set his sickle aside and carefully loosened the surrounding dirt with his hoe. True to expectation, a tuber with a firm center appeared, and he promptly lifted it clear of the earth!

Following that…

『Banana Sweet Potato (★★)』

* The rind is thick; thorough cooking is recommended.
* Softer and sweeter than standard sweet potatoes.
『Usage- Food』
『☞Click to view the recipe.』

『Roasted Banana Sweet Potato (★★)』

* Expertly roasted! Exercise caution to avoid burns when peeling.

“…”

One emerged raw, while another appeared fully cooked.
“How did this become roasted?”

『You have obtained a Banana Sweet Potato perfectly roasted by the blessing of a low-grade spirit!』

“A fire spirit, of course.”

The sole elemental spirits Lion had encountered thus far were tied to flame. If that held true, they likely enchanted his tools either during their creation or amid the iron-smelting process. Spirits naturally favored those capable of perceiving them and often returned favors. Consequently, edible items had a statistical chance of emerging pre-cooked.

‘This is fantastic!’

Lion gazed at the warm tuber resting in his hand. It was roasted to perfection, emitting a rich, nutty fragrance. Furthermore, the roasting process had kept it entirely free of dirt.

“…Perhaps I should eat first?”

With a hoe and sickle in hand, gathering bracken would be a simple task afterward. Taking a brief respite seemed ideal. Lion settled onto a convenient tree stump and meticulously peeled the banana sweet potato.

*Scrape.*

“This is remarkably convenient.”

Because the rind peeled away much like a banana, the nuisance of sticky sap coating his fingers was eliminated. In addition…

*Gulp.*

His mouth watered instantly. The flesh beneath the skin glistened as though glazed in honey, radiating a deep sweetness. Without hesitation, Lion took a substantial bite.

“…!”

It was scalding! Yet that only added to the appeal. Is there truly any better way to enjoy a sweet potato than when it is piping hot?

*Huff. Huff.*

The tender flesh yielded smoothly, releasing a cloud of warm vapor. As he rolled the morsel across his tongue, the heat and sugar fused into a rich wave of flavor.

‘Incredible…!’

Upon contact with his palate, it melted away with the texture of a sweet potato mousse. Because an abundance of sugary nectar had been retained, it was far from dry, and the distinct, nutty undertone typical of root vegetables prevented it from becoming cloying. It felt akin to consuming a traditional sweet potato paired with rich milk.

‘I ought to harvest more of these.’

Savoring the moment, Lion dispatched the entire sweet potato in mere moments. The infusion of sugar cleared his mind and settled his hunger, leaving him thoroughly revitalized. With his spirits lifted, the previously gloomy forest now appeared strikingly picturesque—from the birds heralding the dawn to small creatures foraging for wild berries.

And, most importantly, an abundance of delicious sweet potatoes!

“…I will gather the potion components first, then return for more food.”

Patting his comfortably filled stomach, Lion concluded his brief trial and surveyed the area once more. His primary objective remained the components for the mental fatigue remedy.

“Ah, there they are.”

A dense cluster of bracken. Back when he had attempted gathering them by hand, they had been tangled among stubborn weeds and proved too tough to harvest properly. But now…

*Swish!*

Lion first cleared the surrounding undergrowth with his sickle before harvesting the bracken with his hoe. The results were immediate.

『Red Sun Bracken (★★) has been acquired!』
『White Star Bracken (★★) has been acquired!』
『Blue Moon Bracken (★★) has been acquired!』

He managed to secure every single two-star bracken stalk without the slightest difficulty.

“I simply need to clear this entire patch.”

It was unlikely that a mere pair of two-star specimens would produce a three-star elixir. Fortunately, the bracken was classified under herbal ingredients, meaning it remained uncooked.

It was well past midday, under a blazing sun following another sleepless dawn, when Lion finally straightened his posture.

“Very well. I have collected plenty; time to head back.”

Wiping the beads of sweat from his brow, Lion looked upon the contents of his inventory with quiet satisfaction. A more than adequate supply of bracken rested within.

—

Meanwhile…

“Huuuuu…”

John, personal attendant to Lion, exhaled a heavy sigh. Three days had elapsed since the young master departed the estate following the patriarch’s mandate.

‘For what reason would he visit a smithy?’

To be frank, the decision defied all logic. Naturally, the head of the household would require elixirs from the young master, and he understood that Grannie Sylvia had already arranged the necessary laboratory equipment. Why, then, had Lion been spotted at a blacksmith’s forge rather than gathering in the wild?

“It appears the Young Master has yet to return.”

“Ah, Head Maid.”

John bowed deferentially at the voice echoing from behind him. Head Maid Sylvia was a figure of immense authority within the Asteri household. She had served the estate longer than any other retainer, managing domestic affairs with consummate wisdom. Furthermore, rumors persisted that even the formidable patriarch held Sylvia in high regard—a clear testament to the absolute trust placed in her by the family head.

“How many days has it been?”

“Three full days.”

“Heh heh…”

Sylvia offered a faint smile without offering further commentary. Beneath that exterior, however, her thoughts were considerably conflicted.

‘Our young master is hardly one to behave thus.’

Initially, she assumed he had simply used Petrick’s decree as a pretext to escape the stifling atmosphere of the manor and take a respite. Crafting a functional remedy for Petrick was already an extraordinary expectation; she had judged anything beyond that to be an impossibility. Possessing little knowledge of alchemy, she nonetheless understood that success demanded both rare ingredients and exceptional talent. Consequently, she figured he was merely wandering under a plausible excuse…

Yet reality proved otherwise.

“Is that greenhorn truly spending his time at a smithy when he ought to be studying?”

“I cannot say for certain. What could he possibly be manufacturing?”

“Word has it he is apprenticing under that ill-tempered Millionth Mudu, to the point of suffering nosebleeds.”

Such gossip had reached Sylvia’s ears while running errands outside the estate. He was not simply idling away his time.

‘I wonder what Petrick actually said to him.’

Regardless, the boy was diligently striving to brew a remedy for his own ailments. In truth, his dedication was commendable. Sylvia recalled the experimental draught she had observed in Petrick’s chambers days prior.

‘…Yet there is zero chance that concoction will affect my condition.’

Rather than bringing comfort, his perseverance stirred a sense of unease. It was needless suffering! Was he not a child she had watched grow from infancy? One who had brushed against death on multiple occasions? Having witnessed generations of the Asteri bloodline, Lion remained uniquely Sylvia’s troublesome charge. Even as his spirit seemed to wither away, his unexpected display of effort evoked a profound, unbidden sympathy—alongside a faint, almost absurd glimmer of expectation…

“No, Young Master!”

Just as Sylvia’s train of thought deepened, John abruptly rushed forward toward a figure approaching in the distance. It was Lion.

“Good heavens! What on earth happened to you?!”

“It is nothing.”

Sylvia stepped forward at a measured pace, a sudden wave of agitation washing over her. Lion’s appearance was thoroughly disheveled. Her gaze immediately locked onto his hands; both palms, which clutched the sickle and hoe, were covered in painful-looking blisters.

And that was not all. His tunic bore distinct bloodstains, accompanied by various burns scattered across his frame.

“Merciful heavens, look at this state!”

“It will heal once I apply some ointment. I told you I am fine. Ah, Grannie Sylvia.”

Sylvia stared at Lion as he flashed a bright, unconcerned smile. The expression mirrored his childhood so precisely that her chest tightened with an inexplicable wave of emotion. She could scarcely remember the last time she felt such sentiment.

“Young Master,” Sylvia murmured, her voice carrying a slight tremor. “You recall your grandfather’s words, do you not? Just exercise a little more patience.”

“…”

“I have already secured the ingredients, so the process will conclude shortly. It has not even been a full week, has it?”

“You managed to acquire the ingredients?”

Without a word, Lion displayed the tools resting in his grip.

“So I fabricated them myself. In any case, you should rest. John, I am entirely fine, so attend to your own duties.”

Leaving Sylvia and John standing in stunned silence, Lion strode swiftly toward his quarters. While John fluttered about anxiously regarding medical supplies, Sylvia remained frozen, watching the young master’s retreating form.

‘To think he could actually manufacture such items…’

It felt entirely surreal, yet Lion’s demeanor radiated absolute certainty.

—

And that very night.

Sylvia stood in her chamber, gazing down at a completed vial of elixir accompanied by a handwritten note.

Lion had succeeded.