Chapter 93

Chapter 93
Chapter 93: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

…Naturally, not right now.

Lion felt quite exhausted.

Not even a full day had passed since he came back from Baidantis.

Besides, he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Rikschel.

‘I need to pass the news along to Mudu as well.’

I wonder what kind of expression Mudu will wear once he hears about his relatives.

Lion collapsed onto his bed and breathed out a heavy sigh.

‘It would be wonderful if things stayed peaceful like this from now on.’

His weary physique quickly drifted into deep slumber.

—

The following morning.

Freya eagerly tagged along behind Lion, heading toward Mimir Forest.

*Glance.*

‘I definitely sensed an incredible power yesterday.’

It was an organic force unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

A vast energy that defied normal comprehension.

Though she lacked the exact details behind the occurrence, she was certain it tied back to her Teacher.

Ordinarily, the vibrant Ancient Spirit remained asleep for various reasons.

If that was the case, it meant something genuinely significant had transpired yesterday.

‘Which means Teacher must be worn out too.’

Freya kept stealing looks at Lion before gathering her courage to speak in a gentle tone.

“Teacher. Are you sure you’re alright walking around already?”

“Hmm?”

“It hasn’t been all that long since you came back from your journey…”

Lion shook his head in response to Freya’s worried inquiry.

Naturally, his eyes had smarted and his head had throbbed the day before, causing him some distress, but after resting, he felt completely fine.

Perhaps it was because a vessel capable of sustaining a 2nd Circle had formed inside him.

You have become Spirit Arts Proficiency Apprentice Lv.6.

The boosted Spirit Affinity might have worked in tandem to chase away his fatigue.

Still.

‘I must never pull off anything reckless like that again.’

Witnessing Nature fast asleep had left him feeling uneasy.

Lion made up his mind to at least make thorough preparations next time around.

“…”

Meanwhile, Freya’s expression held a strange look of disbelief.

‘She’s lying.’

From Freya’s point of view, the whole thing sounded completely implausible.

How could anyone endure that magnitude of power and still remain unscathed!

Just look at him now.

Weren’t his eyes, usually so full of life, carrying traces of strain?

It was plainly a sign of exhaustion.

However, as his disciple, she couldn’t just blurt out, ‘Go back to bed!’ without a second thought.

Besides…

‘A brand new alchemy.’

She had no idea how he managed to polish his alchemy all the way out in the Baidantis Territory, but since her Teacher called it a novel technique, it was bound to open up an entirely new horizon for her.

“Ahem, even so, is there really any need to rush like this?”

Lion smiled inwardly at the slightly more subtle hint than before.

‘She’s starved for knowledge.’

At first, he had wondered how on earth he would manage teaching if he took on a disciple, but watching her strive to soak up everything step-by-step proved quite gratifying.

Was that all?

“Teacher! Please take a look at this potion!”

“Alright. Let’s see… Oh?”

She even brought the potions she brewed during her free time to be checked before heading out together!

Her self-directed study habits were absolute perfection.

“Not bad at all. I’d say this is worth 40 points!”

“Yay!”

Granted, there was still a long road ahead of her, but her scores were climbing steadily.

Now, 50 points—the halfway mark—was right around the corner!

With this pace of improvement, she seemed ready to take on new concepts to a certain degree.

Plus, having Freya lend a hand would certainly be convenient.

‘Ah, so this is why professors always recruit teaching assistants and slave… er, graduate students?’

Lion, arriving at a newfound realization, offered a slow reply to Freya’s question.

“You see…”

Lion had a specific reason for hurrying.

The primary motive, naturally, involved Rikschel.

Wouldn’t it just be pathetic if someone at that age already burned through half their stamina?

They were young with countless paths ahead and so many things they wanted to accomplish in the future!

And the secondary reason is…

‘The Flame Herb is wilting much faster than I anticipated.’

Even though only a short time had passed since he harvested it, the color of the Flame Herb inside the vial was turning into a pale grey, resembling a dying piece of charcoal.

“In this case, speed appears to be everything.”

“……?”

Freya tilted her head in confusion at Lion’s cryptic response.

What could he possibly mean by that?

“You’ll see soon enough.”

Lion ventured deeper into Mimir Forest.

It felt like it had been a while since he last visited this spot.

‘If I break through around here…’

Recalling past memories, Lion pushed past the foliage without hesitation.

He also carved markers into various trees just in case any unpredictable situations arose.

Then…

“Oh!”

A pristine spring with trickling water came into view.

The surrounding area was enclosed by thick boulders, and the stones themselves were smooth and rounded rather than jagged, making them seem entirely safe.

Furthermore, the scale of it was ideal.

It was spacious enough for roughly five people to relax in comfortably.

‘Absolute perfection.’

Lion set his belongings down and scooped up some water into a potion vial.

Clear Water (★)

* Water completely free of any contamination.
* Maintains a cool temperature due to being saturated with Nature’s Energy.

“There’s a place like this hidden away in the forest…!”

Freya gazed around in amazement.

“Watch your step. Those rocks might be slippery.”

“What? Eek!”

*Thud!*

Oh dear.

After finally landing squarely on her backside, she gathered her composure.

“This location is just as well-preserved as the ones in the Elf village. How bizarre.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! I’m sure Nature would adore a spot like this as well, wouldn’t you agree?”

Lion cast a glance down at Nature, who was still snoozing soundly as if dead to the world, resting securely in his arms.

‘I certainly hope so.’

Even though she was snoring away peacefully, he remained concerned.

“Hold on a moment.”

Lion carefully set Nature down to the side, fashioning a makeshift nest for her using a handkerchief, and Freya sat right beside her.

The Salamander, which had been resting in Freya’s arms, wriggled out and hurried over to Nature’s side.

It carefully extended its little paws onto the handkerchief before bravely snuggling up next to Nature.

Whether it was trying to stand guard or simply looking to make a friend remained unclear, but since the little creature looked peaceful enough, Lion decided to leave them be.

‘Still, she really ought to have at least one spirit companion.’

If Nature had been awake, she would have undoubtedly given him a look that clearly communicated, ‘I don’t associate with run-of-the-mill Mid-Grade Spirits.’

“By the way, what kind of concoction are you brewing this time?”

“It’s not a potion.”

“Huh?”

If it’s not a potion, what on earth are you planning to do out here in the woods?

“What I’m about to make is a hot spring.”

“…What?!”

Freya blinked in shock, staring back and forth between the spring and her Teacher.

Then, as if a sudden realization hit her, she gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

‘N-no way, are you attempting to use Nature Transmutation?’

Nature Transmutation!

It was a technique known only through theoretical texts among alchemists.

A branch of alchemy capable of fundamentally altering a portion of the natural ecosystem!

This operated on a completely different plane compared to simply digging up earth and shifting stones around, which was mere ‘construction.’

Therefore… just as her Teacher had stated, transforming a location flowing with freezing water into one carrying warm currents meant executing Nature Transmutation.

‘Could even Teacher find this too difficult?’

It was by no means a simple undertaking.

It demanded not only a profound grasp of alchemy but also comprehensive insight into nature itself.

One needed to understand the flow of mana permeating all living things, precisely slip into the microscopic gaps, and subsequently assert arbitrary control to rearrange everything.

Even legendary alchemists, and the elite masters within the Magic Tower, couldn’t pull this off!

And he was about to perform it right here and now?!

“You’re going to help out, aren’t you?”

Lion inquired in a casual tone, as if asking for something entirely mundane.

“O-of course! Just give me your orders. I’ll make myself useful somehow!”

Merely being allowed to witness this moment felt like an incredible honor.

As Freya answered with a flushed, eager face…

“Then could you dig up some of the dirt near that spring?”

“Pardon?”

“The tools are right over there.”

Sure enough… a pickaxe and a shovel were lying nearby.

Still, digging the earth…

This was a first for her…

“Is it going to be too difficult?”

“N-not at all! I’ll handle it!”

Freya’s hesitation vanished instantly at a single prompt from Lion.

She picked up a shovel that was nearly as tall as she was and stood ready to dig.

With as much care as possible!

She refused to disrupt her Teacher’s concentration!

*Dig!*

Fortunately, the soil proved loose and easy to break through.

It yielded so effortlessly that the effort of wielding the shovel felt almost wasted.

The earth carried a soft, crisp aroma while remaining pleasantly damp.

‘Could I plant Flame Herbs in a place like this…’

Though she lacked the specifics, Flame Herbs typically struggled to thrive in nutrient-rich soil due to their unique properties.

In fact, planting them in earth saturated with this sort of water energy would likely rot their roots and cause them to wither away.

‘No. Teacher must have a master plan.’

Wasn’t it the exact same case with the Spirit Water!

Freya put her absolute trust in her Teacher.

Meanwhile, Lion had fully arranged his alchemical apparatus and pulled out the vial holding the Flame Herbs.

Snow Mountain Flame Herb (★★)

* A blazing herb that blooms exclusively in snowy peaks, resembling an open flame.
* Exercise caution, as direct contact can genuinely cause burns.

Uses – Food, Potions

Click to view recipe.

Though its flames were gradually dimming, it still radiated intense heat.

“Good. The condition is still acceptable.”

Next up on his preparation list was a Fire Spirit Stone.

“Hm?”

Freya’s eyes widened in astonishment when she spotted Lion producing a Fire Spirit Stone.

‘A spirit stone just pops out of nowhere?’

Lion placed both hands on his hips and surveyed the surrounding terrain of the spring.

Sturdy rocks encircled the water source, backed by damp soil just beyond them.

Luckily, it looked like an environment where living flora could sustain themselves without issue.

‘Assuming they successfully adapt to the surroundings, that is.’

Living organisms, plants in particular, were far more sensitive to their habitat than most realized.

Even the slightest deviation from their native climate could cause them to wither rapidly.

Was that all?

If plants underwent abnormal adaptations to their environment, their inherent traits could shift entirely.

However, this particular Flame Herb differed from standard varieties; it boasted a remarkably high successful transplantation rate.

After all, these were specimens that managed to survive even on ‘snow-covered peaks.’

Through howling blizzards and deep snowdrifts that buried them completely, they tenaciously dug their roots down and sustained their own flames.

‘They’re tough little guys.’

Therefore, with just a tiny bit of assistance, they would undoubtedly fulfill their respective roles brilliantly.

That served as the precise reason he intended to stabilize these plants so they could acclimate successfully.

*Shred!*

Lion severed the roots of the Flame Herb without a moment’s hesitation.

As the vast majority of the lateral roots were trimmed away, leaving only the core intact, the Flame Herb’s fiery glow shrank considerably.

It began withering at a rapid pace.

Yet, this was the exact outcome Lion wanted.

Lion shoved all the trimmed roots into a pot and picked up his mortar.

And then.

*Grind!*

He pounded down with immense force!

The roots of the Flame Herb refused to break down easily.

They were surprisingly interwoven, granting them high resistance against physical impact.

‘Even better.’

Only roots possessing this level of toughness could possibly endure those freezing mountain peaks.

Lion continued pulverizing the roots.

No matter how resilient the Flame Herb might be, it couldn’t withstand being tormented in this fashion repeatedly.

Eventually, the root fragments vanished, blending together into a single cohesive mass.

Simultaneously, a cloudy sap oozed out from the mixture.

*Drip.*

The sticky sap clung to the mortar, stretching out like pulled sugar craftsmanship before finally snapping off.

‘This is it.’

Lion dropped the spirit stone straight into the sticky, pulpy pot.

Since heating wasn’t the goal here, the spirit stone and the root sap merely mixed together in a haphazard fashion.

It looked dangerously close to a failed alchemy attempt about to summon a slime!

Even so, Lion’s movements remained entirely steady and unhesitating.