Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing

That night, deep in the Mimir Forest, an unfamiliar sound echoed through the air.

Ssss— sssk—

It resembled the sound of a beast’s claws scraping the ground to hide its prey or the grating noise of a sharp blade being dragged.

As the wind pushed aside the clouds covering the moon, a hunched figure was revealed in a secluded part of the forest.

The man was digging—relentlessly.

Amidst the damp, overturned soil, something about the length of a finger, tinged with a bluish hue, was unearthed.

It looked like a… finger.

[You have obtained *Finger Ginseng (★)!]

-A plant known to resemble a human finger, with effects similar to regular ginseng. Requires an extremely delicate harvesting method.]

-When properly brewed, it enhances vitality.

[Usage – Food, Potion]

[☞ Click to view the recipe.]

It was none other than Leon Asteria, digging up Finger Ginseng.

“Wow.”

Leon let out a short exclamation.

He had just tested the first plant he came across, but its effectiveness was incredible.

“So, it’s this different?”

The speed of harvesting was on a whole new level.

He no longer had to dig through thick soil with his hands, allowing for much more precise collection.

And that wasn’t all.

After storing the Finger Ginseng in his inventory, Leon looked around.

Now that he had crafted a hoe and a sickle and entered the forest, many things were glistening around him.

By using tools and unlocking his cooking talent, he was now able to collect food-related materials.

Even more surprising was that every gathered item had at least one star rating by default.

Once he got more accustomed to using the hoe, he’d probably be able to harvest 2-star items soon.

And if that happened…

‘A 3-star potion. Definitely possible.’

“Alright, let’s keep going until I get used to this.”

Just then, a familiar-looking plant caught his eye.

‘This is probably…’

Without hesitation, Leon used his sickle to clear the surrounding area.

Swish!

With a swift motion, he cut through the leaves and stems…

[Banana Sweet Potato Leaves (★)]

-Wild sweet potato leaves. A bit tough.

[Usage – Food]

[☞ Click here to view the recipe.]

[Banana Sweet Potato Stems (★★)]

-Wild sweet potato stems. Surprisingly tender.

[Usage – Food]

[☞ Click here to view the recipe.]

Just as expected, it was sweet potatoes.

And as he had hoped, the 2-star quality item appeared with no problem.

‘Then, inside here…’

Leon put the sickle aside and gently used his hoe to clear away the soil.

Sure enough, a plump sweet potato was revealed, and he pulled it out effortlessly!

[Banana Sweet Potato (★★)]

-The thick skin requires thorough cooking.

-Softer and sweeter than regular sweet potatoes.

[Usage – Food]

[☞ Click here to view the recipe.]

[Roasted Banana Sweet Potato (★★)]

-Perfectly roasted! Be careful not to burn yourself when peeling.

“…?”

One came out raw, while the other was roasted.

“Why is this one cooked?”

[You have obtained a perfectly roasted Banana Sweet Potato thanks to the blessing of a lesser spirit!]

“The Fire Spirit, huh.”

So far, the only spirits Leon had encountered were fire spirits. If so, maybe they had enchanted his tools while he was forging the hoe and melting metal.

Spirits tended to like people who could see them, and they often repaid kindness.

It was likely that edible items had a chance of being cooked upon collection.

‘This is great.’

Leon gazed at the warm sweet potato in his hands.

It had been roasted so perfectly that a fragrant, sweet aroma wafted from it.

And since it was already cooked, there was no dirt on it.

“…Might as well eat first.”

Since he had a hoe and sickle, gathering the necessary ingredients would be no trouble. Taking a short break for a snack wouldn’t hurt.

Leon sat on a nearby tree stump and carefully peeled the banana sweet potato.

Ssshh.

“Convenient.”

Its thick skin peeled away just like a banana’s, leaving none of the usual sticky residue on his hands.

And then…

Gulp.

His mouth watered instinctively.

The golden flesh inside glistened as if coated in honey, releasing an intense sweet aroma.

Without hesitation, Leon took a big bite.

“…!”

Hot!

But that only made it better.

Sweet potatoes were best eaten when they were hot enough to make you hesitate for a moment.

Hoo. Hoo.

Steam escaped as he chewed through the soft texture.

Rolling it around in his mouth, the heat mixed with the sweetness, creating an explosion of flavor.

‘This is delicious…!’

It melted on his tongue like sweet potato mousse.

Since it was incredibly juicy, it didn’t have the usual dryness, and the deep, nutty taste characteristic of root vegetables made it impossible to get tired of eating.

It was like eating sweet potatoes with milk.

‘I need to collect more of these.’

Leon quickly devoured the entire sweet potato, savoring the experience.

The sweet taste sharpened his senses, filling him with warmth and energy.

Looking around again, the forest, once filled with dark, intimidating plants, now seemed much more beautiful.

Birds chirped as the sun rose, small animals nibbled on wild berries, and—most importantly—there were delicious sweet potatoes!

“…I’ll gather potion ingredients first, then eat more later.”

Satisfied, Leon patted his stomach and resumed his work.

He needed ingredients for a mental fatigue recovery potion.

“Oh, there it is.”

A patch of ferns.

When he had collected them by hand, they were mixed with weeds and too tough to handle.

But now…

Swish!

He used the sickle to clear the weeds and then gently harvested the ferns with his hoe.

The results:

[Red Sun Fern (★★)]

[White Star Fern (★★)]

[Blue Moon Fern (★★)]

He collected multiple 2-star ferns with ease.

“If I harvest all the ferns here, that should be enough.”

Since a single 2-star ingredient wouldn’t guarantee a 3-star potion, he needed as much as possible.

Fortunately, ferns were categorized as medicinal herbs, so they hadn’t been roasted upon collection.

By the time the sun had fully risen, Leon finally stood up.

“Alright. That should be enough. Time to head back.”

Wiping sweat from his forehead, he checked his inventory.

A sufficient amount of ferns had been secured.

* * *

And at the Same Time.

“Huuuuu…”

Leon’s attendant, John, let out a deep, weary sigh.

It had been three days since Young Master Leon had left the mansion on an errand from the head of the family.

‘Why on earth did he go to a blacksmith?’

To be honest, John couldn’t make sense of it.

The only thing the head of the family would request from Leon was a potion. And he had heard that Lady Sylvia had already prepared all the necessary tools for potion-making.

So why had Leon been seen at a blacksmith instead of the forest?

“The young master hasn’t returned yet?”

“Oh, Lady Sylvia.”

At the voice behind him, John turned and bowed respectfully.

Sylvia was a highly influential figure in the Asteria household—another elder to be revered.

She had served in this mansion longer than anyone and handled the family’s affairs with unmatched wisdom.

More than that, even the cold and calculating head of the family was said to deeply respect her.

And what did that mean?

That even the head of the Asteria family completely trusted and relied on her.

“When did he leave?”

“It has been three days now.”

“Hmm…”

Sylvia didn’t say anything more, only smiling faintly.

Though, deep inside, her thoughts were quite complicated.

‘Our young master was never like this before.’

At first, she had assumed that he was simply using Patrick’s orders as an excuse to escape the suffocating mansion and take a break.

To be honest, even just creating a potion that worked for Patrick was impressive.

And beyond that, she had thought it would be impossible.

She wasn’t an expert in potions, but she knew that good ingredients and talent were essential.

So she had believed he was just wandering around with a convenient excuse…

But that wasn’t the case.

“That stuck-up noble is at the blacksmith?”

“No idea. Said he had to make something.”

“He’s been training under that ill-tempered old man and even got a nosebleed from it?”

She had overheard these conversations while out shopping for supplies.

He hadn’t just run away.

‘Not sure what exactly Patrick told him, but…’

One thing was clear—Leon was running around trying to make a potion for himself.

Honestly, it was quite admirable.

Sylvia recalled the potion she had seen in Patrick’s room a few days ago.

‘…Not that it would work on me.’

Rather than feeling relieved, she felt uneasy.

He was going through all this trouble for nothing!

She had watched over him since birth.

Including the times he had nearly died.

Despite witnessing several generations of the Asteria family, Leon was the one who tugged at her heart the most.

Even as he seemed to wither away mentally, he still put in effort. That made it even harder for her to ignore.

And, in a small, ridiculous way… she even felt a flicker of hope.

“Wait, Young Master!”

Just as Sylvia was lost in thought, John suddenly sprinted toward a figure approaching from a distance.

It was Leon.

“My goodness! What happened to you?!”

“It’s nothing.”

Sylvia slowly walked toward them, and without realizing it, she hesitated.

Because Leon’s appearance was shocking.

The first thing she noticed was his hands.

They were gripping a sickle and a hoe, but his palms were covered in blisters—some raw and painful-looking.

And that wasn’t all.

His shirt was stained with blood, and there were even burn marks in several places.

“Heavens, what happened to you?!”

“A little medicine will fix it. I’m fine. Oh, Sylvia, old lady.”

Leon grinned brightly at her.

That expression…

It looked exactly like when he was a child.

Sylvia’s heart clenched unexpectedly.

It had been so long since she had felt something like this.

“Young Master.”

Her voice trembled slightly as she called his name.

“You heard from Grandfather, right? Just wait a little longer.”

“……”

“I gathered all the ingredients. It won’t be long now. It hasn’t even been a week yet, right?”

“You… gathered the ingredients?”

Leon wordlessly held up the sickle and hoe in his hands.

“So I made these. Anyway, just rest. John, you too. I’m fine, so go take care of your own tasks.”

Leaving behind the stunned Sylvia and John, Leon walked straight into his room.

Even as John fussed about bringing medicine, Sylvia could only stand there, staring at his retreating figure.

‘Is he really capable of making that kind of potion…?’

It was hard to believe.

But the look on Leon’s face—it was the expression of someone absolutely certain.

* * *

And that night.

Sylvia sat in her room, staring at the potion resting beside a letter.

Leon had succeeded.