The Unseen Edge

Narcissa's mother, Druella, is, in relation to Regulus, her aunt.

I saw him quite a few times at family gatherings when I was a child, but I see him less often now that I'm older, though we're still close relatives.

But at the funeral that day, he and Druella didn't even exchange a glance.

Firstly, the occasion was inappropriate, and secondly, he beat someone's daughter so badly.

He couldn't bring himself to say he felt even a little bit guilty about what happened with Bellatrix; it would be a lie.

Since we've already fought, we've fought; we're both in the right either way.

She struck first, she used Dark Arts first, she emitted the green light first, and then she lost, that's all.

Even Voldemort didn't argue with him, said a few other things, and then took the man away.

Even if Druella, as a mother, was unhappy, what could she say?

That being said, Druella is, after all, her aunt, and Cygnus, his uncle and Walburga's older brother, are all relatives. But then again, the two families don't get along very often to begin with, and Bellatrix's actions have likely added another thorn in their side.

Since we see each other infrequently anyway, if we don't see each other, we don't see each other.

On the day of the funeral, Arcturus III also arrived, but did not say a word to him from beginning to end.

Regulus felt it was a bit of a pity and planned to find an opportunity to sit down and have a chat with his grandfather.

It wasn't about family ties; he treated his grandfather and maternal grandfather the same—neither was particularly close, and they weren't even that familiar.

What he actually wanted to talk about was Arcturus I.

Orion's great-grandfather, one of the longest-lived members of the Black family, lived to be 137 years old. In his later years, he went mad, pushing his physical body to its limits, which in turn Soul Imprisonment within it.

His last words were. "The container is too sturdy; the things inside can't get out. I've trapped myself."

The notebook was sealed deep within the Forbidden Section. Orion only flipped through three pages before his head began to ache so badly he dared not look any further.

Regulus remembers this to this day.

A person who pushes their body to the extreme, yet imprisons their soul.

His later contemplation on the soul, and whether a living person could allow their soul to leave their body, began here.

It's a pity he died young, so I couldn't ask him in person.

But my grandfather Arcturus III, is still alive. This old man is the closest to the First Emperor and should know the most about that period of history. I really should find a chance to have a good chat with him.

Regulus pulled himself out of his reverie, stood up and walked around a bit, taking a quick bite, then sat down on a chair by the window, closed his eyes, and let his consciousness sink. In his Spiritual World, the six stars each found their place.

Betelgeuse was burning fiercely in the upper left, its dark red light pushing outwards in layers.

In the Bellatrix, a steady, warm, blue-white light guards that place.

The three Orion's Belt buckles are arranged in a line in the middle, maintaining the order of the entire system.

He watches the Star Orbit Meditation every day; he knows it by heart.

My consciousness swept to the bottom right corner, to the Saiph.

Usually, it's just a faint light, bright but barely noticeable, still with that "don't bother me if you can't handle me" attitude. But this time, it's a little different.

The darkness in that spot was deeper than usual. As soon as his consciousness sank into the vicinity, he sensed something was wrong. There was something in that area, heavy and weighty, with a substantial feel.

From the outside, it is still the most inconspicuous of the six stars, but the deeper you explore, the more you realize that it has changed.

All these changes are hidden inside; you can't see them on the surface at all. You can't even see the changes themselves.

Regulus stared at it for a while, and then he roughly understood where the change came from.

I did two things today, one of which was done quietly and without fanfare.

The three murderous intents stunned Greyback. Legilimency to search the empty house and planted an anchor point for the Hufflepuff. No one understood what he did from beginning to end, not even Lucius.

One was the final, Fiendfyre, which rose and then went out, causing all the Werewolf to tremble in fear, a sight Lucius witnessed clearly.

Since Saiph has reacted, it must be due to an invisible sharpness; what could possibly provoke it is not Fiendfyre.

Everyone saw that fire; it was so blatant that it was impossible to see anything at all.

The only things that can make it heavy are those unseen parts in front of it.

This wasn't the first time he'd exerted force outwards.

Earlier at school, during the competition for the Head of New Students, he taught Rosalie Selwyn to cast a complete Shield Charm in front of all the Slytherin, an influence that spread throughout Hogwarts.

Later, he beat Bellatrix at Christmas and burned down Lestrange Manor. It was quite a sensation; any wizard with any ability in the UK Wizarding World should have heard about it. When he did these things, he was aiming to light up Saiph, to exert influence and show his prowess. He wasn't going down the wrong path.

However, the light from Saiph was always faint; the direction was right, but the timing was always off.

It wasn't until after defeating Bellatrix and facing Voldemort that it showed signs of wavering for the first time, but it only held back its strength and never truly changed.

Today was the first real confrontation. He fought in front of everyone, letting his opponent truly experience his power, and the result was laid bare before everyone's eyes.

No one could tell what methods he used, let alone whether he was the one who made the move.

The results are visible, but the brilliance is invisible; this is what Rigel (Saiph) is all about.

He had already considered several ways to light up Saiph.

For the first time, I truly and proactively exert decisive influence on the outside world, see through what others cannot see, and use it to achieve my goals. I accept that sharpness can bring destruction, but I do not give up using it because of this.

These are things that should be done, and he has been doing them all along.

But simply doing these things isn't enough. Even if you do them, Saiph will loosen up and gather strength, but it just won't fully reveal itself.

The real challenge lies in the core imagery of that star, in making one's actions inherently possess an unseen sharpness, much like Bellatrix.

It took nearly half a year for Bellatrix to go from being faintly lit to being fully illuminated, all thanks to truly grasping the core imagery of Protection.

This time, he stumbled upon the right spot by Saiph Werewolf.

But that's just a reaction.

Dozens of Werewolf and one Lucius are too light and small to be of any use; they're enough to illustrate the point, but not enough to provide any real illumination.

He was still far from truly illuminating the path, unsure of how far he was from it or what he needed to accomplish.

He finally got things sorted out.

The so-called unseen sharpness is neither hidden nor concealed; it strikes in front of everyone, letting the result fall squarely, letting everyone know its power. But no one can see where this power comes from or how it is unleashed.

With this matter settled, the path ahead becomes clear, and the Rowle family can now be put on the agenda.

Regulus opened his eyes. It was getting darker outside the window; most of the afternoon had passed.

The dinner was held in a small dining room, not as grand as the Malfoy family's ballroom, but still quite impressive.

The Silver Instruments on the long table gleamed, and several Magic candles hung in mid-air, their flames steady, not a single drop of wax falling.

One dish after another was served.

The suckling pig was roasted until glistening with oil, its skin so crispy that it cracked at the slightest touch of a fork. The foie gras was pan-fried until the edges were charred, sliced, and placed on top of figs, then drizzled with an amber-colored sauce. A whole salmon lay on a silver plate, baked to a golden brown, the flesh still translucent with pink. Creamy asparagus soup was served in a gold-rimmed porcelain bowl; as soon as the lid was lifted, steam carrying the aroma of truffles rose upwards.

There was also stewed lamb shank until tender, roasted quail wrapped in truffles, and a glossy cold jelly platter.

Narcissa was already seated, dressed in a light purple fitted long dress, which was both comfortable and dignified. Her hair was loosely tied up, with a few strands hanging down beside her ears.

Seeing Regulus enter, she looked up and smiled, "Regulus."

"Cousin."

Regulus sat down opposite her, his expression relaxed, a smile playing on his lips.

Lucius sat down, poured himself a drink, and also poured one for Narcissa.

Narcissa took the glass, her fingers lightly brushing against the back of his hand. They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with deep affection, almost painful to watch. Regulus picked up his sparkling water; the glass was icy cold, the rising bubbles bursting at the surface, flashing pale blue Light Point that flickered and then faded. Lucius raised his glass to Regulus, turning his head to look at Narcissa, his tone relaxed, with a hint of teasing. "Finally got her here. She's been talking about it for days."

"I'm nagging?" Narcissa glanced at him sideways, then turned to Regulus to complain.

"June is still several months away," she said, tilting her head toward Lucius with a smile. "The invitation design has been finalized three times, and someone keeps nitpicking the gold lettering."

"That's an invitation." Lucius put down his wine glass, his face serious, without a hint of joking.

"Who are these people coming to witness the ceremony? How many years will they be dealing with our family? If the handwriting is wrong, they'll pick it up and immediately think it's not solemn enough." He looked at Narcissa: "A wedding is a momentous occasion; what's wrong with being particular about it?"

Narcissa tilted her head towards Regulus, giving him a knowing look, her smile impossible to hide.

Regulus picked up his sparkling water, took a sip, and looked at the two of them.

Narcissa is very happy.

The conversation continued about the wedding, with Regulus listening from the sidelines, occasionally chiming in with a word or two, but mostly watching the two of them while sipping his sparkling water.

Narcissa mentioned flowers, wanting white roses mixed with lavender, but the lavender didn't bloom well in June and needed to be forced with Magic, which wouldn't look natural. Lucius suggested a different kind, but Narcissa said no, she had loved lavender since she was a child.

Lucius thought for a moment and seriously considered a solution: he could have the greenhouse cultivate a special batch, and they would start preparing it tomorrow.

Narcissa looked at him and smiled with satisfaction.

Regulus was a little distracted.

He had attended weddings, in Andromeda, but it was his cousin's wedding, and he was responsible for escorting the bride.

As for wedding preparations, invitations, flowers, and how well the lavender was blooming in June, he had never been married and couldn't offer any useful advice. So he nodded when Lucius mentioned the font for the invitations, when Narcissa mentioned lavender, and when Lucius said it was alright to be particular.

Narcissa suddenly turned her head, looked at him for a moment, and concluded, "You weren't listening at all."

Regulus shook his head, his tone sincere. "I listened to every single word."

Narcissa leaned closer, looking into his eyes. "Then tell me, what did you just say?"

Lucius raised an eyebrow and leaned back, holding his wine glass.

"Lavender," Regulus said, taking a sip of his sparkling water. "It didn't bloom well in June."

Narcissa stared at him a few more times, then turned to Lucius and said, "He's not listening at all."

Lucius raised his cup to Regulus, his expression relaxed, a slight smile playing on his lips, but one that was rather complex.

The tolerance that only a man about to get married would show towards a child who hasn't yet come to his senses.

You don't understand now, but you will in the future.

At the same time, there's a touch of schadenfreude, you'll understand in the future.

Regulus smiled, raised his glass, and the pale blue Light Point of the sparkling water danced on the rim.