78. Funeral (2)
“This is truly wonderful news, that Lord Shaiskeil shall be with us for the ceremony.”
As Lucas’s funeral was underway, Kontred and Dreemalo were holding a quiet, private meeting in a separate chamber.
Kontred raised a well-brewed cup of tea to his lips, feigning indifference while carefully observing Dreemalo’s reactions.
“Can’t that beard of yours be tidied up a bit?”
Despite the unkempt beard that gave him a somewhat sly appearance, Dreemalo insisted it was a symbol of Aufstieg and refused to trim it.
“Lord Aufstieg, you shouldn’t say such things. Thinking of my deceased son…”
The sentence remained unfinished, yet the sorrow in his voice couldn’t be erased.
No matter how disappointing a son he was, a child is still a child – one carried by his mother for ten months before birth. Losing him like this couldn’t possibly leave his father without pain.
“….It was truly an unavoidable matter. Though I did warn him not to touch banned substances, yet…”
“Are you suspecting that aphrodisiac, Lord?”
At Dreemalo’s words, Kontred stayed silent.
It was exactly as Dreemalo said. While labeled simply as an aphrodisiac, obtaining such a substance wasn’t an easy feat for Lucas alone.
This Empire, verging on being called a military state, banned such drugs – and Lucas had attempted to harm Lord Cascata’s daughter with one.
Kontred, being Lucas’s father, understood this all too clearly. His son’s poor character and lack of ability indicated that someone must have incited him.
The one capable of handing prohibited drugs to the heir of the noble Shaiskeil family and whispering seductive words could only be…
‘…Lord Cascata.’
“…Ah, my Lord… While I’m not sure exactly what you’re considering, does this mean you’ve decided to join our cause?”
Kontred slowly swirled the tea in his cup. The liquid spun slowly, forming a vortex.
When he ceased swirling, the tea continued to rotate on its own.
“…Indeed. Cascata, Cascata…”
As he placed the cup down onto its saucer, the swirling tea created a faint noise.
Lucas,
Lucas von Scheiskel.
“A wretched child who met his end attempting foul deeds.”
Kontred looked at the cup with cold eyes. If he had ever had any hopes for his son, they were minimal now. The loss didn’t stir much emotion within him.
However, the matter of the family remained.
“Thus… We need to turn this matter into a victory for our family, don’t you think?”
“An excellent point.”
Dreemalo wore a cunning smile.
After the brief meeting, upon returning to the funeral hall, Dreemalo encountered the famed commoner.
Tall stature, robust build, and at first sight, a cold face.
However, Dreemalo quickly deduced otherwise. The frigid exterior was a mask, concealing a weaker nature underneath – undoubtedly.
‘This is the one. He seems unremarkable, but…’
Yet, it was this individual. Dreemalo was certain.
The one pursued by the Empire’s dogs – the vessel carrying the last power of the ancient Emperor, nearly awakened and half-consumed. The time was almost here. Truly, almost.
The era of this Empire, which treated magic merely as a tool for war, was coming to an end. It was the prelude to the rebirth of a nation truly governed by magic – existing as magic.
Dreemalo quickly surveyed Ivan’s surroundings. The foolish Cascata girl was glaring at him unhappily from Ivan’s side, but that was irrelevant. He also noted Shaiskeil’s retainers glaring at the Cascata girl just as unhappily.
‘Maybe a bit more testing would be beneficial.’
Having swiftly organized his thoughts, Dreemalo hastened his steps and approached Ivan.
Though Ivan’s expression showed surprise at his approach, that mattered little.
“Ivan, Ivan Kontadino – are you of the Kontadino family?”
Dreemalo firmly grasped Ivan’s hand and subtly channeled some mana into it.
An ordinary person wouldn’t notice such a subtle disturbance, but Ivan froze instantly.
‘So, he reacted.’
Dreemalo’s lips curved upward.
He had confirmed it. Ivan was no ordinary youth.
There was definitely something else within him.
Dreemalo internally judged it to be nearly perfect.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. Emil speaks highly of you. A celestial genius who descended into this world.”
“No, not that…”
Still showing modesty, it seemed Ivan still functioned as a human being…
“Aufstieg Sir, don’t overdo it or this young man will actually start believing he’s a genius.”
“Ah, you’re Karla, correct? Karla della Cascata, is it? This is remarkable – I’ve heard a lot about you but didn’t expect such beauty.”
Karla felt a strange sense of incongruity when observing how differently Dreemalo treated Ivan and herself.
Seeing herself now just a mere bystander and seemingly irrelevant caused her some discomfort.
“Speaking of which, Mr. Kontadino…”
“Please, call me Ivan…”
“Since it’s easier for you, I’ll call you Ivan. I’ve wanted to meet you.”
Karla was utterly bewildered. Was it really appropriate for him to focus so much on Ivan, as if she didn’t matter whether present or absent?
“You’re said to be a talent who will change the Empire’s future. Observing you, your dignified bearing and considerable mana align well with that reputation!”
“Excuse me, Lord Aufstieg…”
“Karla.”
Karla flinched at the glance Dreemalo directed her way. It was uncertain whether it was disdain or irritation, but the frustration in his eyes surprised her.
“Karla, do you realize how renowned Ivan is within aristocratic circles?”
“Well, even though I’ve lived in noble circles and come from a Great Noble family, I’ve never heard such talk…”
Dreemalo’s expression shifted slightly.
“Regardless, Ivan is a special talent. To overlook this indicates a severe defect in your magical perception.”
“That might be true, but Ivan is a commoner. If you overpraise him like this, he might grow overly complacent, unversed in the ways of the world.”
Karla smiled and offered her restraining advice.
“I… Indeed, your praise is overwhelming, Lord.”
Ivan was awkwardly smiling. While the current situation wasn’t entirely unpleasant, he was aware that such attention often brought more harm than good.
Yet rejecting it outright was impossible. So, all he could do was to smile.
“So, I shouldn’t be doing this. Ivan, when you’re available, won’t you come and have a private talk with me sometime?”
“A conversation…you mean?”
“Exactly. I’ll be hosting a banquet at my residence soon, and it would be wonderful if you could attend.”
Dreemalo’s sudden suggestion startled Ivan. Despite his limited knowledge of aristocratic society, the banquet stirred a faint sense of unease about potential entanglements.
“…Miss Karla, might Lord Cascata’s daughter also join? I’m still unfamiliar with etiquette as a commoner.”
Dreemalo hesitated momentarily – not at Ivan being a commoner but at his mention of Karla accompanying them.
“…Yes, do come along. This is a good opportunity to show Miss Cascata our residence. Karla, is that alright with you?”
Karla’s face expressed notable discomfort. Ever since the start of this encounter, Dreemalo’s abrupt switch to informal speech and the suspicious nature of this event raised doubts. However, rejecting the invitation directly was tantamount to outright confrontation, so she quietly accepted.
As the funeral approached its closing, the final rites – the entombment – had begun. During this, there was a protocol where guests proceeded in rotation to console the bereaved family. Karla did not participate in this.
Her obligation was complete after offering incense to Lucas, and with that done, she had no reason to provoke further disputes.
Thus, Karla and Ivan stepped outside and sat on a bench.
“A simple banquet it might be, but it won’t be that straightforward, will it, Ivan?”
“I understand. I anticipated something more complex. That’s why I invited Karla to come along.”
“You knew?”
At Karla’s question, Ivan nodded.
“Well, I’m only knowledgeable about magic. Compared to you, who are impeccable in all aspects, having you by my side is incredibly reassuring.”
“That’s… true.”
In acknowledging this, what could Karla say?
She quietly crossed her arms and looked away.
“Alright, so what happens? If I agree to join, you’ll avoid any strange questions or actions, right? Leave the responses to me. Got it?”
“Yeah.”
“Finally, you understood.”
Just as Karla was speaking with pursed lips, from behind Ivan, a subdued voice called out.
“There you two were.”
“Emil. Did you complete your respects?”
“Yeah. But…”
Emil’s face was unusually somber.
It seemed something troubling had occurred. Sensing this, Karla watched patiently as Emil hesitated before finally speaking.
“Father… invited you to a banquet, right?”
“Uh-huh. How did you know?”
“It was Father’s intention all along.”
Emil’s hands trembled on his knees. After much deliberation, he took a deep breath and spoke.
“Karla, you know what kind of person Father is. He doesn’t invite people just for mealtime conversations.”
“…”
“He won’t do anything that’ll cost him. Something is bound to happen at this banquet.”
“So, you have some information?”
“That… I can’t divulge everything. But… but….”
Emil’s face darkened further as he spoke in low tones after much hesitation.
“Father doesn’t prepare banquets for simple gatherings. If you’re there – Karla, you too, and Ivan – it might be dangerous.”
“Is that so?”
Karla’s tone lacked the expected tension and anxiety.
At her unexpected composure, Emil’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“Then we must attend. Talking about scheming against Ivan… oh, that was harsh. Too strong of a word.”
“Ah, no, it’s fine.”
“Regardless, we need to see things firsthand. Besides, I’m from the Cascata family. Even if Aufstieg has some scheme, they can’t harm me directly.”
“…That’s true.”
“Anyway, it looks like we should attend. Thanks for the information, Emil.”
Karla crossed her arms, looking self-assured. Observing her, Emil’s expression grew even more complicated.
