Baron's Funeral

Bishop Orion closed his eyes, his hands clasped over his chest. A low, mournful prayer flowed through the bedroom, offering a final sacred tribute to the lord:

"The morning sun rises, the darkness finally disperses... Old friend, may your soul find eternal rest in the radiance of Lathander."

Morse and Hilt could no longer hold it together.

They gritted their teeth hard, hot tears sliding silently down their scarred cheeks.

Men do not weep easily; they only do so when their hearts are truly broken. For them, with the passing of Baron Harandir, the pillar that had supported most of their lives had vanished.

"Harandir..."

"Father! Father!"

Selina threw herself against the bedside, sobbing until she nearly fainted—a complex emotion mixed with years of grievances, relief, and bewilderment.

Lucas knelt to the side, letting out a helpless wail like a young pup. Even as a wastrel, he was nothing more than a twelve-year-old child in the face of his father's death.

Ye Wei'an stood in the shadows of the room, watching the separation of life and death before him in long silence.

Finally, he lowered his eyelids, his fingers gently wiping a single tear from the corner of his eye.

The passing of this convenient father meant that the last thing in this place he could call a tether had effectively disappeared.

Seven days later, at dusk.

The sky was gloomy, and a fine, cold rain shrouded Firefall Valley.

The setting sun struggled to pierce through the rain clouds, painting Firefall Valley in a layer of dark gold.

Outside the temple stood dignitaries dressed in dark mourning clothes, the air filled with the scent of damp earth and incense.

There were many in attendance: the surviving knights of Xiaxing House stood as straight as a forest, while the local merchants and manor owners of Firefall Territory bowed their heads, holding their breath.

Most eye-catching, however, were the noble dignitaries who had traveled from afar.

At the family reception table, Lady Selina covered her face with a black veil, her expression unreadable; beside her, Lucas wore an ill-fitting heir's formal suit, appearing restless and uneasy. Ye Wei'an stood behind them with a calm expression, silently observing everyone.

The noble guests formed a line, holding pure white lilies as they took turns stepping forward to offer their tributes to the deceased.

Walking at the very front was Count Walfred Amarisk.

As the Warden of the East, he was the highest military commander of the Dragon Throne in the eastern part of the kingdom, and also Selina's own brother.

He had attended his brother-in-law's funeral in person not only to oversee the distribution of the estate but also to represent the royal family in ensuring the transition of power in the East.

After placing his flower, he did not look at his sister, but instead cast a cold, sidelong glance at Ye Wei'an before turning away with a huff.

Following closely behind was Baron Raymond Yelland.

The baron's territory was Galdin Valley, located south of Firefall Valley.

As a neighbor and rival of Baron Harandir for many years, his attendance was both a final farewell and an attempt to gauge the successor of Xiaxing House to see if there were any opportunities to strike.

Then came two young nobles from Suzar.

Even at a funeral, Oliphant Silverhunt wore adventure gear adorned with pockets, a compass hanging from his waist. This wild, rugged attire was completely out of place in the somber setting.

He hailed from the Silverhunt Family, a close relative of the imperial clan.

This family had long supervised farmland development and the clearing of Hurek Forest, holding significant power in major eastern hubs like Hurek Forest, Daidoke, and Thunderstone Town.

As a member of the younger generation, Oliphant was merely performing his neighborly duties as a formality; he seemed more interested in the architectural structure of the temple itself than the funeral.

Sezga Huntercrown, standing beside him, was of an entirely different breed.

The Huntercrown Family was the most well-connected clan in Cormyr and the most enthusiastic about spreading scandals. It was a prominent house as illustrious as the Silverhunts and the Amarisks, also holding territory in the eastern part of Cormyr.

Sezga wore exaggeratedly tailored mourning clothes and was idly grooming his nails.

His presence here, beyond fulfilling family social obligations, was largely to collect material—such as "The Inheritance Dispute Between a Fallen Bastard and a Dominant Stepmother," which would be enough to make him the focus of next week's salons in Suzar.

In addition, there were the Indis House, the Acantlet House...

The last to enter was Saville, an assistant herald from the College of Heraldry in the capital.

He had not come to offer a tribute.

Holding a roster, the herald stood like a stone statue, recording every step of the funeral.

According to the laws of the Purple Dragon Kingdom, the birth, death, and succession of noble titles all required the witness of a herald.

Once the tributes concluded, the nobles retreated to the temple's colonnade to chat.

Ye Wei'an also moved to the other side of the pillars.

Due to his awkward status as a bastard, he was out of place with most of the nobles.

He naturally did not lower himself to join the socializing, instead leaning against a pillar to close his eyes and rest.

Though not intentional, the content of the nearby nobles' chatter reached his ears.

"Raymond, I know what you're thinking," Count Walfred's voice came from behind the pillar. "Don't think that just because Harandir is gone, you can annex those disputed pastures into your own territory. I must remind you that the Dragon Throne will be watching Firefall Valley, so don't start any 'border friction' at this critical juncture, understand?"

"Lord Walfred, you are overstepping your bounds," Baron Raymond Yelland snorted, turning his head away in defiance. "I am merely concerned about the security of Firefall Territory. The new lord is still a child who can't even keep his feet in the stirrups; if any bandits were to affect the trade routes between Firefall Valley and Galdin Valley, I would not sit idly by."

"As long as you aren't the one acting as that bandit, the trade routes will be quite safe," Walfred retorted without a hint of politeness.

As expected, Wafred's primary purpose for being here was to stand in support of his sister.

At the other end of the corridor, Sezga Huntercrown was using a silk handkerchief to disgustedly pat the moisture from his mourning clothes, complaining incessantly to Oliphant Silverhunt beside him: "The Saint's Day in Suzar wasn't even this annoying. This godforsaken place is a desert of civilization; even the rain carries a lingering stench of horse manure. I expected to see a decent funeral, but what do we get?"

He lifted his chin, gesturing toward Ye Wei'an not far away with the kind of look one reserves for a lower life form.

"The most absurd part is that these backwater nobles are hopelessly rude. They actually let a bastard stand openly in the family seating area to receive condolences? In Suzar, such a person wouldn't even have the qualifications to enter the front gate. This is an insult to the nobility, a desecration of the heraldic laws..."

Although Sezga's voice was not loud, it reached Ye Wei'an's ears perfectly.

Ye Wei'an suddenly opened his eyes, casting a cold, piercing gaze in their direction.

Sezga's pupils constricted.

In that instant, it felt as if a blue-white light had flashed across his field of vision.

The sensation was like being targeted by something terrifying, causing the mockery on his tongue to catch in his throat. He involuntarily took half a step back, nearly colliding with a relief sculpture.

"Oh! He... he actually dared to glare at me?" Sezga regained his composure, his face flushing with embarrassment.

"A mere bastard, daring to..."

He was about to pick a fight, but Oliphant grabbed his shoulder firmly.

"Stop it, Sezga." Oliphant's tone was grave, his eyes locked onto Ye Wei'an's calm gaze. "If you don't want to lose all face for the Huntercrown House in front of everyone, shut your mouth right now."

"What do you mean? Oliphant, are you afraid of a backwater bastard?" Sezga asked, looking incredulous.

Oliphant ignored his provocation, leaning close to his ear to explain in a voice only the two of them could hear: "You fool, who only knows how to gossip in salons, haven't you noticed? In this cold, damp weather, he is completely dry. Look at the stone tiles at his feet—they are dry as well! This means the raindrops within three feet of him vanish before they even hit the ground. Do you know what that implies?"

"What? Maybe he's wearing some expensive magical jewelry?" Sezga asked foolishly.

"I've seen people like this while exploring ruins at Thunder Peak—they are either long-renowned, powerful mages or magical prodigies... By the Silver Mother, either way, he is not someone to be trifled with. He was warning you just now."

Sezga drew a sharp breath, and when he looked at Ye Wei'an again, the arrogance in his eyes had turned to awe.

"No wonder..." Suddenly, he slapped his thigh. "That makes sense, it all makes sense now."

"What makes sense?" Oliphant asked, confused.

"I was saying earlier that the old man Harandir had gone mad, actually giving this bastard twenty thousand gold coins. So that's the trick!"

Sezga had a sudden realization. "And another thing is explained, too. I was wondering before, given that old fox Wafred's stingy and overprotective nature, how could he possibly let this happen? He usually values his territory and money more than his own life, yet this time he didn't even dare to let out a peep..."

Thinking of this, Sezga chuckled again, whispering mockingly: "It seems our Warden of the East knows how to pick his battles, too."