Chapter 42: Chapter 41 Death and Rebirth
“`
At noon, under the bright sunshine, many people attended Old Ramon’s funeral.
Nasir had only a few blacksmith shops, and Old Ramon’s skill was acknowledged to be top-notch, surpassing even his younger and stronger son.
A few years ago, the once robust and dignified elder began to lose himself to age, fading away as if vanishing into thin air, and even Irene couldn’t heal “aging” itself.
The funeral took place in the Sun Church’s cathedral, and very few people in Nasir believed in the Sun Church, hence the Sun Cathedral wasn’t very large either.
Old Ramon lay peacefully in his coffin, his aged face showing the marks of time, silver hair like silken threads covering his pale head. Deep wrinkles were etched between his forehead and the corners of his eyes, making it seem like he was free of fatigue and worries, comfortably waiting for the gods to take away his soon-to-pass soul.
When it was time for everyone to say their final farewells to the man in the coffin, Irene, dressed in a black robe, serenely stepped forward.
The girl who had once been young was now the head of a secret clan, but Old Ramon died without ever knowing the secret behind the sudden rise of the Fischer family.
Irene looked down at the old man she knew so well, her eyes slightly red, as if she was whispering to herself or praying:
“Mr. Ramon, good afternoon. I hope you find eternal peace in the tranquil world. The great Lord of the Lost will protect your soul.”
Byrne and Margaret were also present, having become a couple well-known to all.
In a little over a year, many people in Nasir were impressed by Margaret’s boldness, assertiveness, and arrogance, but now her most noticeable feature was her protruding belly.
In fact, many in the Hoffman family behind Margaret disapproved of the marriage between the two, and even the support of her brother, Baron Hoffman, wasn’t enough.
Aside from the siblings, the other family members felt that Byrne, who was only a knight, wasn’t a good match for Margaret, not to mention that what so ever about the Fischer family, they were just upstarts from a small place after all.
In this day and age, the importance of bloodline, status, and matching social ranks was self-evident, and Byrne’s “upward behavior” made many scoff behind his back.
However, the headstrong Margaret had a simple and clear method of rebelling against her family – she got pregnant on her own.
When she brazenly revealed this, she directly caused her own mother to faint on the spot, and if Byrne hadn’t run fast, he nearly would have had his legs broken by his future father-in-law right there and then.
He really wanted to say he was forced by Margaret, but probably very few people would believe it.
Hugh, tall in stature, talked in turn with the people attending the funeral, his eyes reddened.
When he saw the members of the Fischer family, he forced out a sad smile with much effort.
“My father was very grateful to you all, truly. In his last moments, he was alert again and he appreciated all the help you’ve provided to the Ramon family over these past few years.”
Irene nodded and said, “These were all things we should do. You’ve worked hard, Hugh.”
“No, it’s nothing…”
Hugh had barely finished speaking when he suddenly couldn’t hold back and burst into tears, and the people around rushed to comfort him.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, Margaret screamed, her eyes closed, as she uncontrollably clutched Byrne’s shoulder tightly, the pain making Byrne clench his teeth as well.
“My belly, it hurts so much, my belly!”
Everyone was stunned for a moment before they all hurriedly became a bustle of confusion.
Quickly, Irene confirmed something through the power of healing runes: Margaret wasn’t suffering from a sudden illness, but was indeed going into labor!
She hurriedly said, “Sorry, we must leave now, really sorry!”
Of course, Hugh understood, and the Fischer family left the scene in a hurry, rushing to the only hospital in town.
It was earlier than expected; Margaret was supposed to give birth in half a month, but for some reason, it started earlier.
Irene went to help with the delivery, along with the doctors and nurses.
Continuous cries of agony echoed, and the servants and guards of the family all waited anxiously outside. Byrne paced frantically back and forth, taking deep breaths over and over, his mind a complete blank like never before.
“Calm down, Byrne.”
Chris, only six years old, suddenly reached out and grabbed Byrne, saying expressionlessly, “It’s not like you’re the one giving birth.”
Byrne was momentarily stunned. Chris, the boy who rarely spoke, always managed to make people feel that he truly was an odd child whenever he did.
“`
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Byrne stood there, drenched in sweat, silently waiting for the arrival of the new member of the Fischer family.
The events of the day had given him a strangely wonderful and unusual feeling.
Death always comes hand in hand with new life.
Perhaps that was the true meaning of “legacy.”
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone, a calm gaze from the sky went unnoticed.
Carl’s consciousness, intangibly overlooking the Fischer family from above, saw the diligent Irene, the anxious Byrne, and the composed Chris.
He could feel a brand-new consciousness growing increasingly connected to his own.
It was a curious sensation, a life coming into existence out of nothing, entering a world not yet ready for its arrival—and he himself was utterly unprepared to embark on his own journey.
The blood-destiny passed down through generations of the Fischer family was one of predecessors passing and new generations being born.
Generation after generation would walk through history, marking the name Fischer in its annals, ultimately bringing about a true resurgence for themselves.
At last.
“Wah wah wah wah!”
A loud cry abruptly filled the hospital, and the people of the Fischer family burst into cheers!
Byrne’s face became incredibly excited, he murmured endless thanks to his wife and cousin, his smile glowing ever brighter.
The child born to Margaret was a boy, looking like a very fragile little creature with a red, complex mark on the back of his hand.
As had already been decided, the boy’s name would be Darren Fischer, meaning “one with the potential for great undertakings.”
The others thought the so-called great undertakings meant turning the Fischer family into a truly noble house.
Only Byrne, Irene, and Chris understood just how complicated and ambitious the “great undertakings” implied in that name were.
The new generation of the Fischer family had finally arrived, and everyone, from top to bottom, was immersed in joy. Byrne went to Lucius’s grave and spoke many calm words.
In just over a year, Byrne had successfully developed a new potion, specifically designed to restore people’s energy, with very low production costs and a broad sales market, perfectly winning the bet with Mr. Gold and subsequently expanding the pharmaceutical business.
Now, the Fischer family could count on a stable income of about seventeen Gold Coins each month, and after deducting various expenses, the family currently had a total of one hundred seventy-five Gold Coins in assets.
Unfortunately, neither Byrne nor Irene had yet managed to assimilate the current Magic Potion.
Moreover, ascending the first two ranks of the Power of Consecution was relatively easy, but starting with the 3rd Rank, one needed not just Extraordinary materials but also a “ritual,” making the climb much more difficult.
As for granting the Power of Consecution to Chris, they still felt he was too young; waiting until he was ten would be better for mastering Extraordinary power.
Several days later, on a quiet night, Irene and Byrne discussed a serious matter in the basement: whether or not to tell Margaret about the Fischer family’s secrets?
With a soft voice, Irene shook her head and said calmly,
“If it had been a few years ago, I would have agreed without hesitation to disclose everything, even thinking that drinking ‘blood’ was inconsequential. But with more experience, I wouldn’t agree so readily.”
“The Six Great True Gods Churches despise the heretical cults to an extreme. If she were to report us or accidentally leak the secret, every member of the Fischer family would be completely eradicated.”
She paused, then continued firmly and without sentiment,
“So, I still adhere to the principle we established from the start: consent from three core family members is needed to bring a new member into ‘Dawn,’ and all followers of the cult must partake of the blood of the Fischer family.”
Byrne was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but ask, “The consent of three core family members is needed, you mean we have to wait until Chris grows up?”
Irene nodded and continued calmly, “I believe that with Chris’s maturity, he will be able to participate in decision-making in a few more years.”
Byrne couldn’t deny that point, Chris was quiet and reliable, sensible, and even to some extent peculiarly so.
“Alright, we’ll wait a few more years on this matter, given its utmost importance. For now, we need to gauge her views on faith first.”
After their conversation, he quickly returned to his wife’s side. Unless absolutely necessary, Byrne hardly ever wanted to be far from Margaret and their child.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
