Bishop Orion closed his eyes and folded his hands over his chest. His low, sorrowful prayer drifted through the bedroom, offering the lord one last sacred tribute:
"The dawn rises, and darkness fades at last... Old friend, may your soul find eternal rest in Lathander's radiance."
Morse and Hilt could no longer hold back.
They clenched their teeth as hot tears slid silently down their scarred cheeks.
Men didn't cry easily—unless their hearts were breaking. For them, Harandir's passing had taken away what they had devoted most of their lives to.
"Harandir..."
"Father! Father!"
Selina collapsed beside the bed, weeping until she nearly fainted. Her emotions were tangled: years of hurt, relief, and confusion all mixed together.
Lucas knelt nearby, wailing helplessly like a puppy. Even a spoiled brat like him was only a twelve-year-old boy in the face of his father's death.
Ye Wei'an stood in the shadows of the room, watching this parting between the living and the dead. He remained silent for a long time.
At last, he lowered his eyes and gently wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye.
His adoptive father's death meant that the last thing he could call an attachment in this place had vanished.
Seven days later, at dusk.
The sky was overcast, and a cold drizzle veiled Firefall Valley.
The setting sun struggled to break through the rain clouds, casting a dusky gold over Firefall Valley.
The area outside the temple was packed with dignitaries in dark mourning clothes. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and incense.
Quite a few people had come to the funeral. The surviving knights of Xiaxing House stood solemnly in rows, while local merchants and estate owners from Firefall Territory bowed their heads and held their breath.
Most striking of all were the prominent nobles who had traveled from elsewhere.
At the family's place of honor, Lady Selina's face was hidden behind a black veil. Beside her, Lucas wore an heir's formal attire that didn't fit him, looking ill at ease. Ye Wei'an stood behind them, his expression calm as he silently observed everyone.
The noble guests formed a line, each holding a pure white lily and taking turns to step forward and pay their respects to the deceased.
At the head of the line was Earl Walfred Amarisk.
As Warden of the Eastern Marches, he was the Dragon Throne's highest-ranking military commander in the kingdom's eastern territories, as well as Selina's elder brother.
He had attended his brother-in-law's funeral in person not only to oversee the division of the estate, but also to represent the royal family and ensure a smooth transfer of power in the Eastern Marches.
After laying down his flowers, he didn't look at his sister. Instead, he shot Ye Wei'an a cold sidelong glance before turning away in displeasure.
Next came Baron Raymond Yelland.
His lands lay in Galdin Valley, south of Firefall Valley.
A longtime neighbor and rival of Baron Harandir, he had come both to bid the baron farewell and to see what sort of successor Xiaxing House had—and whether there might be an opportunity to make a move.
After him came two young nobles from Suzar.
Even at a funeral, Oliphant Silverhunt wore a pocketed adventurer's outfit, a compass hanging from his waist. His wild attire seemed completely out of place amid the somber scene.
He belonged to Silverhunt Family, a close relative of the royal family.
His family had long overseen agricultural development and the clearing of Hurek Forest, and wielded considerable influence throughout Hurek Forest, Dedarok, Thunderstone Town, and several other major towns in the Eastern Marches.
As a member of the younger generation, Oliphant had come simply to fulfill the customary obligation between neighbors. He seemed more interested in the temple's architecture than in the funeral.
Beside him, Sezga Huntercrown was a different story altogether.
Huntercrown House was the most well-connected noble family in Cormyr, and the most eager to spread scandals. It was a great house, as prominent as Silverhunt Family and Amarisk, with lands in eastern Cormyr as well.
Sezga wore an extravagantly tailored mourning outfit and idly trimmed his nails.
He had come not only to fulfill his family's social obligations, but also to gather material on the spot. A story like "A Down-and-Out Bastard and His Powerful Stepmother Fight Over an Inheritance" would be enough to make him the talk of next week's Suzar salon.
There were also Indis House, Acantlet House...
The last to arrive was Saville, an assistant herald from the College of Heraldry in the royal capital.
He hadn't come to pay his respects.
Holding a register, the herald recorded every step of the funeral like a stone statue.
Under the laws of the Purple Dragon Kingdom, heralds had to witness the birth and death of nobles, as well as the inheritance of titles between nobles.
After the offerings, the nobles retreated beneath the temple's colonnade to chat.
Ye Wei'an also made his way to the other side of the columns.
His awkward status as a bastard set him apart from most of the nobles.
He had no intention of shamelessly ingratiating himself with them, so he leaned against a pillar and rested with his eyes closed.
Though he hadn't meant to, he still caught the nobles' conversation around him.
"Raymond, I know what you're thinking." Earl Walfred's voice came from beyond the pillar. "Don't think Harandir's death means you can claim those disputed pastures. I'll remind you that the Dragon Throne will keep its eyes on Firefall Valley, so don't start any 'border skirmishes' at a time like this. Understood?"
"Lord Walfred, you're overstepping." Baron Raymond Yelland snorted and turned his head away in defiance. "I'm only concerned about security in Firefall Territory. The new lord is a child who can barely keep his feet in the stirrups. If bandits threaten the trade route between Firefall Valley and Galdin Valley, I won't stand idly by."
"As long as you don't become one of those bandits, the trade route will be perfectly safe," Walfred shot back without hesitation.
Sure enough, Walfred's main reason for coming was to stand by his sister.
At the other end of the colonnade, Sezga Huntercrown was disgustedly dabbing the dampness from his mourning clothes with a silk handkerchief as he complained to Oliphant Silverhunt. "Even the Feast of the Saints in Suzar isn't this irritating. This wretched place is a wilderness of civilization. Even the rain reeks of horse manure. I thought I'd see a respectable funeral, but look at this."
He lifted his chin and gestured toward Ye Wei'an, a look of contempt for an inferior creature in his eyes.
"The worst part is how unforgivably rude these country nobles are. They actually let a bastard stand openly in the family's place of honor and accept condolences? In Suzar, people like that wouldn't even be allowed through the front gate. It's an insult to the nobility, a desecration of heraldic law..."
Sezga's voice wasn't loud, but Ye Wei'an heard every word.
Ye Wei'an abruptly opened his eyes and shot him a frigid look.
Sezga's pupils contracted.
For an instant, a streak of blue-white light seemed to flash across his vision.
It felt as if some terrifying creature had set its sights on him. His unfinished taunt caught in his throat, and he instinctively took half a step back, nearly bumping into a relief.
"Oh! He... he actually dared to glare at me?" Sezga recovered, his face coloring with embarrassment.
"A lowly bastard actually dares to..."
He was just about to pick a fight when Oliphant grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Stop, Sezga." Oliphant's tone was serious, his eyes fixed on Ye Wei'an's calm gaze. "If you don't want to disgrace Huntercrown House in front of everyone, shut up. Now."
"What do you mean? Oliphant, are you afraid of a country bastard?" Sezga stared at him in disbelief.
Oliphant ignored the provocation. Instead, he leaned close and explained in a voice only the two of them could hear. "You fool, all you ever do is gossip at salons. Haven't you noticed? In this cold, damp weather, he's completely dry. Look at the stone tiles under his feet—they're dry, too! That means the raindrops within three feet of him vanish before they even hit the ground. Do you know what that means?"
"What? Maybe he's wearing some expensive magical jewelry?" Sezga asked stupidly.
"I've seen people like that while exploring ruins on Thunder Peak. They're either powerful Wizards with long-established reputations or magical prodigies... Silver Mother above, either way, they're not people to mess with. He was already warning you."
Sezga drew a sharp breath. When he looked at Ye Wei'an again, the arrogance in his eyes had turned to awe.
"No wonder..." He suddenly slapped his thigh. "That explains it. It all makes sense."
"What makes sense?" Oliphant asked, puzzled.
"I was just saying earlier that old Harandir must've gone crazy to give this bastard twenty thousand gold coins. Now I see what's going on!"
Sezga suddenly understood. "There's something else this explains, too. I'd been wondering how Walfred, that old fox, could let it happen, given how stingy and protective he is. He usually values his lands and money more than his life, yet this time he didn't dare say a word..."
Thinking it over, Sezga chuckled again and mocked him under his breath. "Looks like even our esteemed Warden of the Eastern Marches knows how to treat people according to their status."
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