Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing

“We should help too since it’s a good cause!”

“I may not be much help, but I wanted to contribute!”

“Oh my, who are these young masters?”

A considerable number of villagers, who were on friendly terms with Nicholas, had gathered.

The person dressed in fancy clothes mentioned they ran a clothing shop, while the middle-aged woman wearing a headscarf introduced herself as a farmer and the mother of seven children.

There were also ordinary farmers and people raising dairy cows, among others…

“Nicholas isn’t usually like this…”

“He said he was touched by the young masters’ kindness.”

“We’d like to help in whatever small way we can too.”

These were truly hardworking commoners, each dedicated to their roles.

Lastly…

“Yes! That’s right. My husband wanted to come as well, thinking of the children, but the forge was too busy, so I came in his place…”

It was Lea, the wife of the blacksmith, Mood.

She was here too.

As she spoke, Lea’s eyes met those of the two brothers.

More precisely, she glanced at Richel briefly before locking eyes with Leon.

‘…I didn’t expect to run into him here.’

Leon was caught off guard but responded with a subtle nod, keeping his composure. Lea, on the other hand, seemed to realize something and swiftly averted her gaze.

Fortunately, Lea was quite perceptive.

She likely assumed there was a reason for concealing their identities.

And given the past incident, she probably didn’t suspect Leon of anything strange.

That was a relief.

Richel didn’t want his identity exposed.

After all, if Asteri’s heir got involved, things could get complicated.

“Ahem… Anyway! Since it’s for a good cause, I’ve prepared some things.”

Lea began unpacking essential household items like kitchen tools and hoes forged in the blacksmith’s shop. Seeing this, the others also started unloading the items they had brought.

Clothes made from scrap fabric, blankets for warmth.

Several bottles of fresh milk, chunks of cheese and butter.

And then, a farmer, after much deliberation, stepped forward…

“I couldn’t bring much.”

He placed a well-dried chunk of ham on the table.

“Wow.”

“This is so precious!”

Salted ham was a rare delicacy, so everyone’s faces lit up with delight.

“To think they’d give away so much… This is great, brother.”

“Indeed. Our villagers are truly kind.”

Since Richel and Leon couldn’t contribute anything that might reveal their identities, they whispered to each other in satisfaction.

But that wasn’t all.

“Oh my, everyone brought such wonderful things… I don’t have much, but…”

Thud!

When the farmer dropped the load from their back, the entire kitchen trembled.

Five sacks of plump, hearty potatoes!

“Whoa, what is this?”

“Those forearm muscles are insane…!”

“That’s a blessing in itself.”

As a few people murmured in admiration, the farmer bashfully covered their face.

“It’s not much. I just happened to have a lot of potatoes… Haha. And I’m strong, so I’ll be of help.”

She chuckled shyly, mentioning that she once fought off a bear.

“…That’s truly reassuring.”

In a very physical sense.

Leon glanced around.

Far more people had gathered than he had expected.

At this rate, the children wouldn’t have to go hungry for quite some time.

Richel’s grand plan seemed to be working well.

Meanwhile, Richel stood there, slightly dazed.

He hadn’t expected or planned for any of this.

He had no prior connections with these people.

He had only intended to build rapport with Nicholas…

Yet, somehow, he had ended up creating this outcome with the help of those around him.

Richel turned to look at Leon, now covered in flour.

‘This is all because of my brother.’

Even the smallest actions, carried out sincerely and with effort, led to these results.

Suddenly, this situation reminded him of an old tale he had once heard about a hero.

‘That hero, too, was just an ordinary adventurer in the beginning.’

Of course, they hadn’t done anything as grand as that.

But small acts of kindness.

One by one, those who were touched by such kindness gathered, forming a party that eventually defeated the Demon King.

In the end, wasn’t it the same principle?

‘As expected…’

He is truly incredible.

Which is why!

‘I have to do whatever it takes to get my brother to meet the priest.’

As long as he regains his health, he will accomplish great things.

“Let’s go.”

Resolving himself once more, Richel headed toward the orphanage.

—

“No way……”

“It’s not much, but we brought a little.”

“There’s never enough food and clothing.”

The orphanage director’s shock was only natural.

“Everyone… sniff!”

It was the first time they had received such a large amount of aid from outsiders.

But that wasn’t the only reason they were moved.

The fact that so many villagers had helped carried multiple meanings.

It meant more supplies could come in the future, that the children wouldn’t have to go hungry, and that they could even prepare special meals for them.

More than that…

It meant there was now hope that the children from the “temple” orphanage wouldn’t be ostracized anymore.

Of course, that might not be the case, but as the orphanage director responsible for the children’s future, it had always been a major concern.

But today, that concern could finally be eased.

“Thank you so much. I don’t know how I can ever repay this kindness……”

The director was about to express gratitude to Nicholas when—

“This wasn’t my doing. It’s all thanks to these two young masters.”

“Ah.”

Only then did the orphanage director properly take notice of the two.

Judging by their fine clothing, they were clearly from noble families.

One of them seemed to be underage.

The other…

‘An adult?’

He looked older than the younger one, but it wasn’t certain.

“Young masters, how did you… Thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing. However,”

After the director expressed their gratitude, Richel spoke up.

He explained what led them to make this donation, how he learned about the orphanage from Nicholas, and more.

“I feel ashamed that I wasn’t even aware of a place that truly needed help.”

By adding a touch of humility, the orphanage director’s face lit up with joy.

“No, no. The fact that you not only decided to do good but also acted on it is truly remarkable. I bow my head in gratitude to you both.”

“There’s no need for thanks. We’re just glad we could help.”

“Shall we start unloading?”

Under the guidance of the farmer, who was also a mother of seven, the villagers swiftly got to work.

The cramped kitchen was now equipped with knives and graters for cutting meat. The storage area had new hoes and sickles, while food supplies were stocked up. A corner of the room was filled with fresh blankets and cloth.

And that wasn’t all.

“Now, how about some cleaning?”

The villagers’ generosity knew no bounds.

They dusted off surfaces, sorted dirty clothes, and organized the kitchenware.

“…There’s nothing left for me to ask of you. Haha.”

The orphanage director watched in a daze, smiling.

“Would you two young masters distribute the bread to the children?”

When the director glanced to the side, a group of children peeked out, hesitant about the strangers.

“Some of them might say rude things, but please don’t take offense.”

“Rude things?”

“Well, some are at that rebellious age… and they’re naturally curious. But it’s not out of ill intent, so please be understanding.”

The director reassured them, adding that he would step in if things became uncomfortable.

‘Well, that’s nothing.’

Leon had baked this bread for these children in the first place, so he had no complaints.

No matter how unfamiliar someone is, it’s hard to be mean to the person handing you food.

“Come on, Richel. Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Leon and Richel began distributing the bread.

Some children politely accepted it with smiles, while others quickly grabbed the bread and ran off as if escaping.

If anything, the latter group was the majority.

‘At this rate, it’ll be hard to make an impression on the priest.’

Richel was worried.

He hadn’t accounted for the children’s reactions.

No, if he were being honest, he had assumed that any offer of help would naturally be well received.

But that wasn’t the case.

‘I understand, but still.’

With time pressing, his anxiety grew.

“Richel, it’s okay.”

Leon lightly tapped Richel’s shoulder and smiled.

“It makes sense for them to react this way. From their perspective, they must be wondering why all these people are suddenly acting like this.”

“But……”

Richel understood it logically, but he couldn’t fully accept it emotionally.

‘That’s natural.’

After all, Richel was still a child too.

And he had never experienced a situation like this before.

So, he needed a better explanation.

“Hmm… Okay, let’s put it this way. To those kids, we’re like banana sweet potatoes.”

“…Banana sweet potatoes?”

Ah.

That finally seemed to make sense to Richel, and he let out a short exclamation.

Not long ago, Richel himself had been hesitant to eat banana sweet potatoes.

Not only that, but he had even used wind magic to get rid of them.

“Exactly. They just need time to adjust and accept us.”

At first, banana sweet potatoes just seemed like dirty roots covered in soil.

But once he actually tried them, he realized.

They were delicious.

They were fine.

‘And after eating them, my awkward relationship with my brother even improved.’

His brother had been waiting for him all this time.

For quite a long time, at that.

‘That’s another lesson learned.’

Being impatient and thinking logically alone wouldn’t make things progress faster.

If he just did his best at his own pace—like his brother—it would all work out.

‘Alright, Richel, calm down.’

He just had to wait until the kids realized how delicious the bread was.

“……”

Meanwhile, after settling Richel down, Leon observed the children.

There was no special trick.

He simply trusted in the power of good bread.

And just as he expected, a buzz of excitement erupted in the distance.

“It’s delicious!”

“It’s so soft… and nutty…”

Having tasted something good, the children started pulling over the older kids and leading them to Leon and Richel.

“Brother! Try this! It’s so good!”

“Um… Can I have another one?”

“Haha, of course! Just ask if you want more. We have plenty.”

“……Thank you.”

By the time most of the children had enjoyed the bread—

“There’s one piece left.”

“Yeah. Looks like someone didn’t take one.”

Just one portion of bread remained.

“Ah, I’ll set that aside. That child is a bit…”