While the caravan settled into the service courtyard, Ye Wei'an had already entered the manor with Cain.
The interior of Firefall Fortress was typical of Cormyr's nobility:
The heavy, dark oak floors had been polished spotless. Expensive pieces of glowing stone were set into the brass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, casting a soft light that lent the entire manor a solemn air.
Farther ahead stretched a long corridor. Every few meters stood a carved stone bust, its pedestal inscribed with words praising Sharess, the goddess of nobility.
The walls were hung with enormous portraits, each depicting a member of the Xiaxing House. One walk down the corridor was enough to see the glorious history of the entire Summerstar Family.
Ye Wei'an suddenly recalled how, as a child, his predecessor had been taught the family history by his cheap father, learning to recognize each ancestor one by one.
The painting at the very front showed a mustachioed man dressed as an adventurer. His name was Glosgam Xiaxing, the founding lord of the Xiaxing House. Several centuries ago, he had been ennobled, making him the first member of the family to hold a noble title.
The second showed another ancestor following King Gheorgad into battle against an evil sorcerous lord.
The third was a portrait of a nobleman and his wife.
In the original's childhood memories, his cheap father would often ask him which figures he liked best.
Perhaps because he was so young, the original disliked those stiff, formal portraits, finding them dreadfully boring.
But he loved the narrative paintings, whether they showed a knight slaying a monster or a commander leading troops into battle.
Now it seemed the original's instincts had been right.
The ancestors whose paintings showed such scenes were almost all remembered in the history of the Purple Dragon Kingdom for their achievements.
If an ancestor had only a portrait hanging here, that proved that apart from his noble status, he had led an utterly unremarkable life.
"Every portrait reminds me that real knights and heroes once lived here." Ye Wei'an paused in front of the fourth-to-last painting in the corridor.
It depicted Lord Aslan Xiaxing battling an evil wizard.
According to the family history, his great-uncle Aslan had died alongside the wizard in battle. Firefall Fortress had been destroyed on the spot, and the nearby residents had suffered heavy casualties. It was also the beginning of the Summerstar Family's decline.
But it was precisely his sacrifice that had protected northeastern Cormyr from the evil wizard.
Aslan Xiaxing had been a true hero.
Ye Wei'an remembered his cheap father saying that his lifelong ambition was to become a hero who protected his homeland, just like his great-uncle Aslan.
Then, after his death, he would have a narrative painting hung in this corridor.
But throughout his life, he had possessed neither great personal strength nor outstanding leadership ability.
Now he was past fifty and gravely ill. It seemed that his ambition would never be fulfilled.
"But even a hero's descendants can turn out to be cowards." Ye Wei'an continued down the corridor, looking at the last few portraits. "If Ancestor Aslan saw his descendants dabbling in assassination and rent-seeking, I imagine he'd be so furious he'd climb right out of his grave."
At the end of the corridor, Ye Wei'an ran into a maid hurrying toward him.
She had moonlight-gray hair and delicate features.
She was taller than most women from Cormyr, and her fitted maid's uniform did little to conceal her striking curves.
She was Lina, the manor's head maid, four years older than Ye Wei'an.
Among the original's bleak memories, she was one of the few people who had ever shown him a little warmth.
"You're... Lina. You look livelier than you did four years ago, and even more beautiful." Ye Wei'an stopped and gave a slight nod, his voice unusually gentle.
When Lina recognized him, shock flashed across her face. "My goddess Selune... It's really you, Young Master Ye Wei'an? Welcome home."
Beside him, Ailian tugged at Ye Wei'an's sleeve, barely able to contain herself. "Young Master, I was thinking... I was thinking I'd like to talk to Sister Lina first. May I? Just for a little while!"
"Go ahead. Just don't neglect your duties." A rare warmth touched Ye Wei'an's smile.
Ailian cheered and trotted over to Lina like a little girl who hadn't yet grown up. She linked arms with her and immediately began asking how she'd been.
Once Ailian was settled, Ye Wei'an continued upstairs.
In the third-floor corridor, he met Lady Selina, who had been waiting for him for some time.
She had changed into a dignified dark-purple gown, and the pearl necklace at her throat gleamed.
Their eyes met, and for a moment the air seemed to thicken with hostility.
But just a second later, the tension vanished.
"Oh, Ye Wei'an, my dear child, you've finally come home." Lady Selina wore a flawless, kindly smile. "Sharess be praised. Seeing how well you've grown in Suzar, I know my prayers over these past four years haven't been in vain. Just look at that robe. You're already a spellcaster worthy of respect."
As she spoke, she stepped forward and reached out, as if to caress Ye Wei'an's cheek.
"I heard you ran into bandits on your way home. I prayed for you at the shrine for an entire night, terrified something might happen to you."
"I've never forgotten your concern, Madam." Ye Wei'an caught her fingertips in his hand, his smile just as bright. "I've been thinking of Father and you day and night as well. I even caught a few impertinent bandits on the road. I was going to have them hanged on the spot, but then I remembered this was your territory, so I brought them back specially to ask you to 'deal with them' in person."
"Oh? How considerate of you." Lady Selina's eyelid twitched almost imperceptibly. "Seeing how sensible you've become, I'm sure the Baron will be moved to tears."
They smiled at each other, their gazes clashing fiercely. The air around them seemed ready to burn beneath their false warmth.
Cain, standing behind them, felt his scalp prickle.
He had seen countless battles in the Purple Dragon Order, but in this bloodless social contest, he felt like a raw recruit.
After taking his leave of the Baroness, Ye Wei'an continued on.
Just outside his father's room, an elderly man in a red-and-white robe, a symbol of the dawn hanging over his chest, was stepping out with his head bowed.
Ye Wei'an recognized him as Bishop Orion of the Lathander Church in Firefall Valley.
The bishop had served in Firefall Valley for many years and had a good relationship with the Xiaxing House. The original had known him since childhood.
"Lathander be praised. Welcome home, Young Master Ye Wei'an." Bishop Orion stopped, his voice heavy.
"Bishop." Ye Wei'an nodded slightly. "How is my father?"
The bishop shook his head regretfully. "Lathander's dawn must eventually set, Young Master Ye Wei'an. The Baron's life force is fading beyond recovery. I've done everything I can these past few days, but all I can do is ensure he feels no physical pain in his final moments. May the Lord of Dawn guide his soul."
With that, he sighed and left the corridor.
Ye Wei'an pushed open the door. A strong smell of herbs mixed with the stench of decay washed over him.
No one else was in the room. Heavy velvet curtains blocked out the sunlight, and Baron Harandir lay sunk into a velvet cushion, his face sallow. His once-broad shoulders now seemed hunched and frail.
The old Baron struggled to open his eyes. His cloudy gaze brightened slightly when he saw the luxurious wizard's robe shimmering with silver.
"Father." Ye Wei'an walked to the bedside and called softly.
"You're home..." The old Baron struggled to lift his eyelids, his cloudy gaze lingering on Ye Wei'an's wizard's robe for a long while.
"Was the journey home all right?"
"It went smoothly, Father." Ye Wei'an answered calmly, as if the bloody storm on the road had never happened.
"Good, good." The Baron coughed with difficulty twice, then asked, "And your studies in Suzar? Did you... get along well with your classmates?"
"I did well in my studies." Ye Wei'an sat beside him and calmly told him about his experiences at the Suzar Academy of Magic. He described the magnificent Wizard Tower, the mountains of books and scrolls in the library, and the many wondrous arcane rituals.
The old Baron listened intently. A long-missed smile appeared on his aged face, but then he suddenly began coughing violently.
"Are you all right? Would you like some water?"
Ye Wei'an reached out to support his back and snapped his fingers with his right hand.
The empty teacup on the table rose into the air and floated over to the Baron. Then water appeared inside it from nowhere. A moment later, wisps of steam rose from the cold water.
The old Baron watched, dazzled, and eagerly drank the cup of water that represented "magic."
"I heard you were ill, so I worked hard to study some healing spells at the academy," Ye Wei'an continued after he'd finished drinking. "If you're willing, I'd like to try one on you."
The old Baron stared at him in surprise, then gave a relieved smile. "Of course, my child. Sharess be praised. Let me see what you can do."
Ye Wei'an held out his hand, his fingertips twitching as he murmured an obscure incantation.
A pure, gentle green light flowed from his palm.
"Lesser Restoration!"
As the magic seeped into the old Baron's chest, his labored breathing grew steadier, and a sickly flush spread across his face.
"This feeling... It's incredible." The old Baron exhaled deeply, and his voice gained a little strength. "Sharess be praised. I knew those slanders were lies. They kept whispering that you were a worthless fool who couldn't even perform a parlor trick. They even wanted me to stop paying your tuition... It seems that sending you to Suzar to study magic, against everyone's objections, was the best decision I ever made. A descendant of the Summerstar Family... shouldn't be confined to this little patch of land."
The Baron gazed at Ye Wei'an and raised a trembling hand, as if he wanted to touch his cheek. His eyes filled with nostalgia.
"You've grown up, Ye Wei'an... You're more of a man than you were four years ago, and more handsome, too." As he said this, the Baron's voice softened.
For a moment, he seemed to see another person's shadow through Ye Wei'an's face. "Especially your eyes... They're so much like hers. Exactly like your mother's."
As he said this, the old man's eyes grew moist.
At that moment, he seemed simply lost in the lingering warmth of an old dream, murmuring to himself.
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