The Ending (Part Two)

By the middle of September in the fifty-third year of the Empire, the harvest season had arrived. Amid the pervasive fragrance of wheat, the entire Empire was immersed in the joy of a bountiful harvest.

"Father!"

Reiner's five sons and two daughters had gathered in his bedchamber.

He wore an elegant set of formal clothes, while Farrant sat beside him.

"What is it?" Reiner's second son, Aylin, asked. He had been made a Count and commanded two thousand four hundred soldiers at a military camp outside the imperial capital.

The others also looked at Reiner inquisitively. Each of them had, to some extent, their own career.

Reiner's eldest son, Dathern, had already begun participating in government affairs as the Crown Prince. Quite a few matters of state had to pass through his hands. He himself held the title of Duke and possessed a sizable territory, along with an eight-hundred-man army in the imperial capital. These were the rights and power of the Crown Prince.

Apart from his second son, Aylin, Reiner's third son was also developing within the military. Both of them possessed considerable military talent.

His fourth son, Camber, had joined the church and become a respected District Bishop. A District Bishop who was only nineteen years old was virtually unheard of.

His fifth son, Panmax, was still receiving an education at court, while the lands under his title remained under the royal family's management.

Every one of Reiner's sons had a bright future. The same was true of his two daughters. His eldest daughter was seventeen and currently engaged to Duke Jorral's son. The two had known each other since childhood and had a strong foundation of affection.

His second daughter was thirteen and had no engagement yet. Reiner had prepared enormous wealth for them: tens of thousands