Chapter 96

Chapter 96
Chapter 96: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“Rikschel!”

Lion halted his current task and stood up immediately.

“How have you been doing…….”

He intended to finish his sentence, but Rikschel’s physical state looked genuinely alarming.

*My body…….*

Lion’s expression hardened instantly as he carefully evaluated Rikschel’s condition.

To begin with, his grandfather was physically supporting him just so he could remain upright, as walking independently was clearly out of the question.

That was far from the extent of it.

The numerous lacerations covering his skin gave the distinct impression of having been caused by sharp blades.

*Wait, he actually traveled here in this condition?*

Lion felt a sudden twinge of doubt regarding a choice he had made just a few days prior.

If Rikschel was suffering from such severe injuries, shouldn’t he have been resting properly instead?

Naturally, he had total confidence in the therapeutic properties of the hot spring, yet wasn’t the dedicated medical ward of the Magic Tower a far more sensible environment for Rikschel?

That logical question arose unbidden in his mind.

*Perhaps I should send him right back?*

“I really missed you, brother.”

Just as those considerations crossed his mind, a deeply sincere voice reached him.

“I didn’t want you to see me looking like this…….”

Rikschel offered a sheepish smile, quickly diverting his eyes.

“Still, it has been quite a while since our last meeting, so I insisted on coming with the Family Head.”

“…….”

Lion remained entirely speechless, completely unprepared for such an answer.

“Haha.”

Rikschel couldn’t suppress a light, amused chuckle at his brother’s stunned reaction.

It felt precisely as though their normal dynamic had completely inverted.

He was usually the one fretting over his brother pushing himself too hard, whereas Lion typically brushed things off with a relaxed grin.

Now, he finally understood.

He could vividly perceive why his older brother had laughed so cheerfully back then.

“You really are something else…….”

Struck by a remarkably similar sentiment, Lion let out a reluctant, resigned chuckle.

Observing the two of them together, their striking similarities were unmistakable.

“However, if it ever feels like too much, you need to tell me right away, understand?”

“Yes, brother.”

Their grandfather, who had been holding Rikschel upright, gently shook his head while watching his two grandsons.

Whether looking at the eldest or the youngest, the old man simply couldn’t keep pace with their peculiar ways.

*Such troublesome brats.*

They wouldn’t even pause to consider how anxious their grandfather felt on their behalf.

*Actually, no. It is better if they don’t worry.*

They were currently in the absolute prime of their youth. He refused to let them become burdened by concerns over his age.

Besides, he was certainly not frail enough to hold back his two capable young grandsons.

“So, has the hot spring construction finished?”

“Indeed. I just finished inspecting it a moment ago, and I was actually waiting for the right moment to head over together. Let us go now.”

Lion smoothly stepped in to replace his grandfather, supporting Rikschel’s weight himself as they set off toward the hot spring.

“Ah! In that case, I shall head back to the main residence.”

“Alright. Thank you for your help.”

Freya departed swiftly for the manor once she saw them off.

Within the vast expanse of Mimir Forest, nothing else remained.

Aside from the three members of the Asteri family, the area was entirely empty.

Even though it was a spacious and densely packed forest, it carried the peaceful atmosphere of a completely secluded sanctuary.

“Let’s step inside. Are you able to undress by yourself?”

“……Pardon?”

Rikschel froze momentarily.

Naturally, he hadn’t completely missed hearing about the hot spring beforehand.

The Family Head had already provided an explanation during their journey here.

It was a special thermal spring brought into existence by his brother.

Naturally, he felt a strong desire to soak in its healing waters as well.

However…….

*I actually have to…… take off my clothes.*

An utterly unexpected hurdle had materialized.

The realization that he would have to strip completely naked out in the open.

To be fair, thanks to Lion’s persistent influence, Rikschel had long since shed much of his rigid noble upbringing, yet this still brought a distinct flush of embarrassment.

Even among close family members, stripping down entirely……

Would the Family Head even approve of such a sight? The instant that thought crossed his mind.

“Huh?”

Rikschel caught sight of Petrick already settled deep within the hot spring, completely at home.

“…….”

With the situation having progressed this far, backing out would only make things far more awkward.

*Right. The Family Head has plenty of past adventuring experience, after all.*

Perhaps he had gained a broader perspective through those trials.

If that was the case, he needed to summon his own courage as well.

Just as Rikschel steeled his resolve and gathered his nerve.

*As expected, he is at that awkward adolescent stage.*

Naturally, at that particular age, every little thing felt mortifyingly embarrassing.

Lion, pausing for a second to assess the situation, opted to show some tactical consideration.

“Your current physical state is quite poor, so let’s get into the water without delay.”

He intentionally framed it with an air of brisk urgency.

As if any minor embarrassment was completely inconsequential!

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

Just as Lion had anticipated, Rikschel quickly stripped off his garments and stepped into the steaming water.

*My brother is worried about me, so it is best to get inside quickly and conceal myself.*

Though the underlying motivation differed slightly from what Lion had intended, the result was the same.

“……It is remarkably warm.”

Submerging himself in the pool, Rikschel let out a gasp of genuine astonishment.

He hadn’t harbored massive expectations, yet the water temperature was absolute perfection.

It immediately began to dull the sharp edges of his exhaustion.

He couldn’t be entirely certain if his physical injuries were actively healing yet, but merely escaping that freezing, punishing environment and sharing a quiet moment with his family brought an immense sense of comfort.

Even so.

“Huh?”

Rikschel’s eyes widened abruptly as a bizarre, tingling sensation rippled across his entire physique.

To his utter disbelief, his wounds were mending at a staggering pace.

*Due to the effect of the hot spring, ‘Rikschel Asteri’s’ body is rapidly recovering.*

*What a relief.*

Lion felt a wave of profound relief wash over him as the notification window materialized in his field of view.

He had harbored a lingering worry that the thermal properties might lack sufficient potency.

After all, this marked the absolute first time in his memory that his younger brother had sustained such severe damage.

“How on earth is this kind of effect even possible…….”

Rikschel muttered in sheer disbelief.

Not only was fresh skin rapidly knitting together over his gashes, but even his joints—which had been aching fiercely from maintaining rigid postures for hours—were smoothing out and regaining full flexibility.

It was a comprehensive medical treatment unlike anything he had ever encountered, surpassing even high-tier priestly healing spells or rare restorative potions!

It was an utterly miraculous feat.

“I honestly had no idea it possessed healing properties. I simply thought having a pool of warm water would be a nice luxury.”

Glossing over the miraculous regeneration aspect for a moment, Lion casually explained the origin of the hot spring he had stumbled upon within the Baidantis Territory.

“Whenever I stepped into heated water during the bitter cold, I always felt completely relaxed and pleasantly drowsy. That gave me the idea to establish one within our own domain for comfort. And then…….”

Lion flicked a droplet of water lightly through the air as he glanced toward Petrick and Rikschel.

“I naturally thought of my family while experiencing something wonderful. I wanted all of us to share in the comfort together.”

Rikschel’s eyes grew even wider at those sincere words.

*Sharing in the comfort together. To think he would say that…….*

It carried an immense emotional resonance, especially coming from his older brother.

Perhaps his brother genuinely desired to distribute good things to the people around him?

*If that is the case…….*

Rikschel drifted off into a deep train of thought.

Sharing beneficial things with everyone. Such a concept did not necessarily have to remain restricted solely to their immediate family.

For instance, what if he applied this to the ordinary residents of their territory?

Rikschel’s mind began spinning rapidly.

*If this resource were utilized for commercial ventures, wouldn’t the Asteri Territory experience unprecedented prosperity?*

New avenues of employment would naturally emerge, introducing an entirely novel experience utterly unknown throughout the rest of the Empire.

The sheer novelty of relaxing in therapeutic thermal waters.

If wealthy aristocrats and affluent merchants traveled far to visit the Asteri Territory and spent substantial sums of money, the daily lives of the local citizens would undoubtedly become vastly more comfortable.

It represented a magnificent business opportunity.

*My brother continues to teach me invaluable lessons without even trying.*

Naturally, he possessed zero intention of ever disclosing the hidden location of Mimir Forest itself.

He wanted this specific place to remain an exclusive, cherished secret known only to them.

After all, it was something his brother had created purely out of consideration for their family, not for the outside world.

*I should discuss the commercial potential with him at a later time.*

Of course, even if they couldn’t replicate a literal ‘miraculous fatigue-recovering spring’ elsewhere, a high-end spa utilizing heated water could easily be constructed with the backing of the Magic Tower.

Nevertheless, his brother remained the central figure behind all of these brilliant concepts.

Since it stood as his brother’s unique achievement, Rikschel held no desire whatsoever to usurp or claim credit for it.

Rikschel quietly finalized that firm resolution within his own mind.

“Indeed. This is undeniably a miraculous bathhouse.”

While the youngest grandson was busy plotting grand economic ventures, Petrick remained entirely transfixed by the thermal pool itself.

He had never once soaked in a natural hot spring during his long life, nor had he ever stumbled upon the mythical restorative rivers said to be shaped by ancient fays.

No location he had ever visited possessed the capability to mend physical trauma with such terrifying efficiency.

Instead, soaking here felt precisely like immersing oneself in a giant, highly refined medicinal draft.

*Just how far do the boundaries of this young man’s capabilities actually stretch?*

Not only was he deeply impressed, but even as an accomplished Archmage, he had reached a point where he could no longer accurately comprehend the underlying principles at play.

Perhaps Lion possessed an intellect and innate talent far surpassing even his most generous estimations.

The Hero’s Potion, the Hero’s Spirit.

That had been his rationale for attributing it all to the inherent power of a Hero.

Yet this hot spring extended far beyond even those parameters.

“Haha, I am delighted to hear that you enjoy it. Please feel free to visit often whenever fatigue weighs you down. It is tucked deep within the forest, so no outsiders will ever stumble upon it.”

He also made sure to issue a brief warning against lingering in the water for excessive periods due to the high temperature.

*If you stay submerged for too long, severe dizziness is bound to set in.*

Weren’t there always reckless individuals who collapsed inside changing rooms after overstaying their welcome?

Furthermore, in extreme cases, victims required emergency medical intervention.

Of course, his grandfather was an Archmage and would likely remain unaffected, yet one always had to account for hypothetical risks.

“Ah, and you must remember to properly replenish your bodily fluids and nutritional intake afterwards……”

Mid-sentence, Lion inadvertently cast a direct glance toward Rikschel……

Only for a startling new reality to reveal itself now that his injuries had cleared away!

“Ri—Rikschel, you!”

“Yes, brother?”

“Look at you!”

Shocked, Lion reached out and gripped Rikschel tightly by both shoulders.

In the brief span of time they had been apart, this kid had withered down to skin and bones!

“Hold on, what in the world happened to your physique?”

He was practically reduced to a skeleton under that skin!

From Lion’s perspective, this condition was entirely unacceptable.

He was already naturally slender for his developmental stage, yet to shed this much mass?

Regardless of how intense his training regimens and academic studies had been!

“Don’t tell me you completely neglected your meals while stuck inside the training grounds?”

“Th—That is…….”

As Rikschel stammered in panic, attempting to fabricate a denial.

“He absolutely did!”

Petrick ruthlessly cut in from across the pool.

“Family Head?”

“Not only did he skip proper meals during his time in the private training facility, but his overall dietary habits have deteriorated into an absolute disaster ever since he left home.”

“Wh—What?! Grandfather, is that actually true?”

“As if that were the extent of it! He frequently starved himself for days and barely managed a few hours of sleep.”

“Wait, Family Head! Br—Brother? Please listen to me!”

Rikschel whipped his head back and forth between the two of them in sheer desperation.

*The Family Head was aware of all that detail……!*

While it was touching on one level, it posed a catastrophic problem.

With revelations like those pouring out, he couldn’t even begin to fathom how frantic his older brother would become.

“And that is not even the half of it. Normally……”

As Petrick gleefully continued exposing his lifestyle choices, Rikschel frantically began splashing water in all directions, trying to drown out the old man’s voice.

Unfortunately for him, his opponent happened to be Archmage Petrick.

The elderly grandfather casually employed a minor deflection shield to block the splashing water while meticulously detailing every single instance of his youngest grandson’s self-destructive habits.

“…….”

Rikschel, realizing every single defense had failed completely, stared blankly at Lion with a defeated expression.

“I suppose…….”

“Ahem.”

Witnessing the scene unfold before him, Lion slowly placed one hand firmly on his hip.

*This is completely unacceptable.*

To be frank, given Rikschel’s stubborn personality, he had harbored lingering suspicions that his brother wasn’t eating or sleeping properly, yet he never imagined the situation had escalated to this degree.

If he hadn’t been an awakened mage possessing high vitality, there was no telling when his body might have completely given out.

Fortunately, however.

There was a remedy close at hand.

“Rikschel.”

“Y—Yes, brother.”

“Get out of the water and come with me right now.”

With those definitive words, Lion exchanged a brief nod with his grandfather.

The look clearly communicated: *Leave everything to me!*

“Hmm.”

Looking thoroughly content, Petrick leaned his head back against the stone rim of the pool, resuming his leisurely soak.

He silently concluded that the household only ever functioned smoothly when Lion was actively taking charge.