Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing

Even after sending Sylvia away, Leon wandered around the garden for a while.

To execute his planned task, he first had to clear the “Three-Star” achievement.

Fortunately, thanks to the reputation of his magical lineage, herbs were abundant, and with his expert eye, he easily obtained the remaining two.

[You have acquired White Star Fern (★)!]

[You have acquired Blue Moon Fern (★)!]

[Achievement unlocked: “Three-Star”!]

[You have received 20,000 shillings!]

[Congratulations! Your Gathering Proficiency has reached Apprentice Lv.5!]

“Ahh, this is the good stuff!”

Leon let out a cry of delight upon seeing the message.

A whopping 20,000 shillings.

That was equivalent to 100% of all the wealth he had painstakingly accumulated through minor grinding. Getting it all at once felt surreal.

But that wasn’t the only reward.

[Potion Crafting Talent Activated.]

You realize that you can combine three herbs to create a special potion.

A recipe for a potion automatically entered Leon’s mind.

This was thanks to his “Potion Crafting Specialization.”

‘The only downside is that the shilling shop isn’t open yet.’

As he had initially expected, it seemed like he needed at least 100,000 shillings to unlock it.

In any case, preparations were complete.

As requested, the room was stocked with a basic alchemy equipment set provided by Sylvia.

“Alright then…”

Time to get to work.

Just in case, he shut the windows, drew the curtains, and examined the neatly arranged potion bottles in the dark room.

The tools, sourced from a prestigious magical family, looked exceptionally high-quality.

Standing in the dark like this was certainly eerie, but appearances weren’t important right now.

“First, I should start with a basic potion.”

His first step in securing a place within the Asteri family.

This was all part of his “favorability grind” with his grandfather.

Since he had likely already made a bad impression, one or two good deeds wouldn’t be enough to fix it. But if he showed up empty-handed at this point, his favorability would plunge straight into the abyss.

To avoid making things worse, he needed proof that he hadn’t just been idling for the past month.

And as luck would have it, he had just obtained some excellent items and potion recipes.

Before using the star-marked herbs…

Swoosh.

Leon took out some regular low-grade herbs.

Since this was his first time making a potion, he needed to practice before attempting the real deal.

‘Like the [Beginner Herb Gatherer] achievement, gathering required repetitive grinding.’

If potion crafting was similar, there should be an equivalent achievement for that as well.

Grinding achievements would naturally boost his level to at least Apprentice 4.

Unlike in the game, now that this was reality, proficiency levels had a tangible impact.

‘Even gathering felt different, despite being such a low-level skill.’

And gathering was just one of the many stages in life skills.

The hierarchy started with Apprentice, then Skilled, Artisan, and finally, the Grandmaster tier, achieved by only the top 1%.

Yet even at the Apprentice level, he could feel the difference in his touch and how much the herbs were damaged.

That meant leveling up took priority.

‘If my prediction is correct…’

When he gathered 100 times, he unlocked the Beginner Herb Gatherer achievement.

Then what about potion crafting?

“Make a hundred potions and drink a hundred potions.”

Fortunately, he had enough herbs and a talent for potion crafting.

Plus, he had unexpectedly acquired a top-tier alchemy set.

For a beginner’s potion grind, these were luxurious tools.

But hey, what’s the point of being born into wealth if you don’t splurge?

‘Not like I’ll get to keep this money anyway.’

Leon gathered his stockpiled herbs into a giant pot.

‘Sylvia really delivered.’

At just the mention of an alchemy set, she had provided everything from basic glassware and flasks to magically enhanced tools.

There was even a pot that heated without fire, a mortar that ground herbs automatically, and a distiller that prevented burning!

Judging by the ancient inscriptions on the equipment, she had likely pulled special artifacts from the family’s vault.

‘Gold-spoon privilege at its finest.’

Getting all these extravagant items with just a word—what a life.

Leon grinned as he stirred the herbs in the pot like roasting tea leaves, letting them dry thoroughly.

Once the fresh, rich aroma filled the air, he ground the dried herbs and mixed them with an extract before pouring the mixture into the distiller.

Then, he reached out and commanded:

“Extract.”

Flash!

A faint glow appeared as a translucent liquid trickled out, filling the bottle.

And then…

[You have successfully crafted a Low-Grade Health Potion.]

Success!

[Asteri Low-Grade Health Potion]

-Though the process was simple enough to be considered mere “processing,” the combination of the user’s promising talent and high-quality materials has barely elevated it into the realm of “alchemy.”

-Slightly increases the drinker’s stamina.

“As expected, equipment matters.”

Good tools and talent had produced a decent result.

Gulp!

Leon downed the freshly made potion in one go.

[You have recovered some stamina. Current stamina: 80%]

[Achievement progress: Beginner Alchemist (1) – 1/100]

Just as expected, the achievement was progressing well.

“Haha! Just wait, Grandpa!”

Leon cackled maniacally and spent the entire night crafting and consuming potions.

As the sun began to rise, and he finally reached 100 potions…

[Achievement unlocked: Beginner Alchemist (1)!]

[You have received 1,000 shillings!]

[Congratulations! Your Alchemy Proficiency has reached Apprentice Lv.4!]

As predicted.

He had reached Apprentice Lv.4.

‘That means…’

Leon turned his gaze to the star-marked herbs.

He could finally use them.

On top of that, reaching level 4 had unlocked a new recipe.

Mental Fatigue Recovery Potion

“Yes, this is what I was waiting for.”

Leon had been pondering while collecting herbs.

What kind of gift would please an old man?

A mana potion? His grandfather had an abundance of mana.

A health potion? With professional healers always on standby, that seemed unnecessary.

But a potion that restored mental fatigue?

His grandfather was constantly buried in work.

Even if his mental resilience was extraordinary and he used mana to maximize his physical condition, mental fatigue was unavoidable—like any overworked office worker.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

Leon plucked the shimmering, multicolored herb leaves.

This recipe was unlike anything before.

He first added the standard green leaves, then carefully layered in the red and blue herbs, stirring them gently in the pot.

A much richer, fresher scent filled the room—so strong it even cleared his congestion and eased his throbbing headache from all the potion crafting.

And then…

Something felt different.

It was the same sensation as when he harvested the star-marked herbs.

A gut feeling told him this would be a success.

When the roots, crushed and heated in the pot, began secreting a transparent gel…

Bubble, bubble!

To his surprise, the potion inside the pot began to glow.

It was like looking at a peaceful, starry sky reflected in a quiet stream.

‘So this is why it’s called a Mental Fatigue Recovery Potion?’

A feeling that made him smile for no reason, as old fond memories resurfaced one after another.

‘In the game, it was just treated as a junk potion. But now that it’s real, it feels completely different.’

Leon scooped up some liquid from the jar and poured it into the distiller.

And then…

“Extract.”

As he always did, Leon murmured softly.

Flash!

The room lit up in an instant, as if struck by lightning!

Instead of flowing straight into the potion bottle, the liquid from the distiller defied gravity and floated in midair.

It split into countless tiny droplets, filling the entire room like a cloud.

The droplets sparkled like starlight against the night sky, reflecting the light.

It felt just like that summer night long ago—sitting in a countryside gazebo, feeling the cool evening breeze, staring up at the sky.

The chirping of crickets, the soft rustle of wind brushing against the grass…

A strange sense of nostalgia filled his heart, calming him.

‘If it’s like this even without drinking it…’

This potion might turn out even better than he expected.

The floating droplets slowly gathered together again, forming a single sip-sized mass of liquid that finally flowed into the potion bottle.

A deep blue liquid, like a clear sky, filled the transparent bottle.

[Successfully created Mental Fatigue Recovery Potion (★★)!]

-Relieves mental fatigue by bringing back memories of happy times in the past.

-Has no effect on those without happy memories.

“Two-star quality?”

This was a potion that shouldn’t have been possible to make at the apprentice level.

It seemed that his potion-making specialization trait had activated.

‘Still, for something like this to appear at around proficiency level 8…’

This would be the perfect gift for his grandfather.

[Congratulations! Your Alchemy Proficiency has reached Apprentice Lv.5!]

As expected, his level barrier had broken.

At the same time, several new recipes flooded into his mind.

‘No, there’s more.’

If his prediction was correct…

Ding!

[You have created a potion that exceeds your current level of skill.]

[Achievement unlocked: ‘Potion Maniac’!]

[Received 25,000 shillings.]

[Permanent +1 Mana increase.]

[A Mana Circle may now form.]

[Talent ‘Mana Control’ has been activated.]

[You can regulate mana more precisely than others.]

Leon had been expecting this.

In In the World, high-level life skills required mana consumption.

It was a game setting—only those with special abilities could create or gather things beyond ordinary means.

That’s why achieving difficult feats like this could grant mana.

‘Not a huge amount, but still…’

The fact that he had obtained it at all was what mattered.

For Leon Asteri, this was a major breakthrough.

A body that had never possessed mana before—now, at last, it could accept it.

Moreover, the ‘Mana Control’ talent, which he had purchased earlier but remained locked, was now activated!

“Heh… Hahaha!”

Leon burst into laughter, dopamine flooding his brain.

And money!

He had made money too!

A total of 66,000 shillings!

His total wealth had tripled overnight.

At this rate, he’d soon reach 100,000 shillings.

Once that happened, the shillings Shop would unlock, and he could finally engage in pseudo-pay-to-win transactions!

‘But what will they sell?’

It probably wouldn’t be the same items sold in In the World…

Ding!

[Your assets have exceeded 50,000 shillings. shillings Shop preview is now available.]

[Would you like to check?]

“Of course.”

Leon quickly calmed himself and looked toward the air.

[Opening preview.]

[Currently, only item categories can be viewed.]

[Item descriptions are obscured.]

He slowly browsed through the categories.

There were sections for ‘Living,’ ‘Food,’ and ‘Dignity Maintenance,’ while the remaining slots were locked.

[Coming Soon]

Would they unlock when the shop officially opened?

“Well, let’s start with ‘Living’ then.”

Leon selected the ‘Living’ category.

[Sharp Scissors]

■■ ten thousand shillings

[Basic Fishing Rod]

■■ ten thousand shillings (MD Recommended!)

[Worn-out Key]

■■■ ten thousand shillings

“……”