Chapter 97

097.

Excluding the royal family, who is the richest in the empire?

Naturally, the first names that come to mind are the five great families of the empire or other high-ranking noble houses.

After all, they possess the enviable status and wealth that anyone would covet.

However, if one were to ask whether all commoners are poor, that question isn’t easily answered with a simple “yes.”

There are certainly commoners who surpass even the struggling, recently revived Dranunus family or the Hiart family, which has no relation to wealth or status.

Of course, these cases are exceedingly rare and not very realistic, but they do exist.

Rial Trading Company.

Starting as a commoner, the Rial Trading Company has become one of the two major trading companies of the empire.

Though its history isn’t particularly long…

The Rial Trading Company had the kind of wealth that could overlook such a lack of history.

Nowadays, anything essential for living in the empire — from sundries, raw materials, crops, to other trivial items — almost always passes through the hands of the Rial Trading Company.

Recently, their interests have expanded to information and theater troupes, earning them praise for surpassing the other great trading company, the Detr Trading Company.

And the 9th head of the Rial Trading Company, Flabber Rial, is renowned for his innate ability to sniff out money.

Whenever there’s an opportunity that seems profitable or large sums of money are in motion, Flabber Rial is almost always involved.

Not only did he successfully inherit and preserve the Rial Trading Company, but he led it to even greater heights.

It’s no surprise that the world considers Flabber Rial an extraordinary person just for that.

However, Flabber Rial wasn’t satisfied with merely that.

His obsession with “noble bloodlines” became evident ever since he became the head of the company.

While casually handling amounts of money that most people would never touch in their lifetime…

He always yearned for noble blood and prestigious lineage.

And so, starting with a minor baron family from a small countryside, Flabber Rial finally succeeded in marrying his daughter to the head of one of the four great families.

The meeting of one of the four great families and one of the two major trading companies was thus realized.

Now, the Detr Trading Company is no longer regarded as superior to the Rial Trading Company by any self-respecting connoisseur.

Within one of the luxurious study rooms of the Plache family, now elevated to the ranks of the five great families, stood an elderly man bedecked with ornaments, gazing out the window with his hands clasped behind his back.

“So, you’re saying they just went inside?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

There was a large desk in the room, and a familiar man could be seen kneeling before it, bowing his head.

The old man who had been gazing out the window, Flabber Rial, gently stroked his clean-shaven chin — a habit retained even after shaving off his scruffy beard upon becoming the head of the trading company.

“Was there a reason you didn’t follow them?”

“…The water spray obstructed my vision. I briefly followed them at the entrance, but I lost them due to the lack of visibility.”

“Hmm.”

The man sounded genuinely apologetic.

“I see. If it’s you, then I understand. I’ve heard about the Latia Waterfall, so I comprehend your situation.”

“…Thank you, head of the company.”

“Still… Did you find out why they went there?”

Flabber Rial’s gaze was still fixed on the window, but the man understood.

He knew his mood was far from pleasant.

After taking a moment to steady his breath, the man carefully responded.

“…Perhaps it was to lay to rest the mistress of the Plache family before the young lady.”

Flabber Rial remained silent.

Understanding this as a sign to continue, the man calmed his pounding heart and spoke.

“I overheard them say they were holding a funeral for the mother before she disappeared into the mist. They brought along the boy for that purpose, and it seems they plan to leave the family after finishing the task.”

Flabber Rial didn’t say much in response.

Pursuing the two individuals had been a significant risk for the man kneeling before him.

As the man thought back to that incident — when he had almost been caught while inadvertently tailing them…

The boy.

The boy was dangerous.

While the young lady of the Plache family was nothing special, the boy was different.

Even though he kept a far greater distance than usual when following someone, there were numerous occasions where he almost got exposed.

Due to that, he could only eavesdrop on the conversation they had just before entering the spray.

The man closed his eyes tightly, and finally, Flabber Rial turned around and spoke.

“Very well. Thank you for your efforts.”

How the man interpreted his response…

Flabber Rial gave a complicated nod and soon grabbed a piece of dried meat from a plate on the table, tossing it to the man.

“Here’s your reward.”

“Thank you.”

The man caught the dried meat with gratitude, and the scene seemed oddly familiar.

“Prepare the children.”

After watching the man finish eating, Flabber Rial spoke.

The man hesitated briefly, finishing the dried meat before nodding.

“…How many teams should we deploy?”

“Hmm. Hmm. All of them would be too much… It would be difficult, and your bold son-in-law would be troubled if he found out. Let’s go with five teams.”

“Understood.”

“Very good.”

Flabber Rial waved his hand.

With that gesture, the man silently left the room.

Click.

As the door closed, Flabber Rial leaned back in his plush chair.

“…To bury her mother, huh.”

He scratched his chin thoughtfully for a long time, then raised his glass, still containing a little liquor, and smiled faintly.

“Still clinging to your foolish dreams, I see.”

From the time he had worked hard to become the head of the trading company to now, having achieved everything…

There hadn’t been many moments of joy for Flabber Rial.

And one of them was when a prey he thought had given up everything decided to struggle again.

Flabber Rial recalled the reaction of the man who had barely dared to breathe in his presence.

His prey had brought something his master didn’t know about.

And they were attempting something he had forbidden.

The realization brought him great joy, and the head of the Rial Trading Company hadn’t chuckled this way in a long time.

*

Upstream of Latia Waterfall.

Shhhhh…

The distant sound of the waterfall could be faintly heard.

Thanks to that, the cool breeze blowing by felt even more refreshing.

It seemed like an ideal place for reminiscing.

There, a boy and a girl were seated quietly.

“Are we doing it here?”

“Yes.”

Kalen asked, and Laris, eyes closed, swayed gently with the wind.

It had been quite some time since they had climbed up the cliff.

Kalen had mostly recovered his strength by now, so fulfilling his promise was all that remained.

Laris, her eyes still closed, smiled happily as the breeze swept across her face.

Her small hand gripped a necklace.

“I should have done this alone if I’d realized it could be so simple.”

“Well, I don’t think it’s something you could have done alone.”

“Just a joke. That’s my way of saying thank you, Kalen.”

Without opening her eyes, Laris continued speaking.

“For believing in my mother’s false dream and indulging my stubbornness…”

Her voice was soft.

Compared to when she was seen in the banquet hall, she appeared more relaxed.

Laris slowly opened her eyes and looked at Kalen with gaze that seemed clearer, despite the ashen hue.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Kalen.”

There was a slight lingering sense of unease.

Kalen hadn’t risked his life for this, and there hadn’t been any danger as dangerous as when he had heard about Laris’ “long-time wish.”

The task was simply to climb the cliff and bury the necklace.

Nothing noteworthy happened, save for the inherent danger of the Latia Waterfall itself.

Kalen somehow felt he hadn’t done much and quietly nodded.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you reacted more?”

“I’m sorry.”

Kalen knew he was far from that kind of person.

So, he decided to bow a bit deeper, and seeing him do so, Laris smiled faintly.

Kalen couldn’t see it as he had bowed his head.

Laris indulged herself in some unknown joy before standing up and walking over to the small grave Kalen had dug.

An ideal spot where the scenery beyond the waterfall was well visible — the very edge of the cliff where the waterfall’s water fell.

This had been Laris’s request.

If the Latia Waterfall was her mother’s dream — a longing for an unattainable beauty — surely the place she’d want most was here.

Although Laris thought the waterfall wasn’t as beautiful as she imagined, if she had to pick the most beautiful place, this would be it—the edge of the cliff where the water spray and the river gleamed beautifully.

“What will become of me?”

But Laris could smile.

Not only had she fulfilled her “long-time wish” thanks to Kalen, but she had also finally escaped the clutches of that terrible person.

However, it was disconcerting.

Her stepmother’s family had tried to erase her mother, so if it came to light that she had held a funeral, she would not be safe.

Despite declaring she would leave the family, she was, in truth, just a young girl who had accomplished nothing on her own.

She had to leave her father and her home after bidding farewell to her mother and sister.

These thoughts plagued her, so Laris forced back the tears threatening to fall.

And so, she knelt down, placed the necklace inside the grave, and covered it.

She wiped the dirt from her hands, rested her arms on her bent knees, and lowered her face onto them.

How much time had passed?

Just as Laris was struggling to keep a bright smile while rising to look back at Kalen, it happened.

“…Kalen, would it be because I rely only on you-”

“Ris!!”

Click.

The grave faced over the Latia Waterfall’s edge.

In other words, Laris’s body was facing outward, meaning she couldn’t see what was behind her.

And when she turned, there stood someone, sobbing eerily.

Kalen launched himself toward her, and the only reality was them plummeting together into the abyss of the waterfall.

As Laris fell into the Latia Waterfall, clinging to Kalen, she could see…

BOOM!!

Kalen’s back burning severely, and the previously normal upper part of the cliff exploding right before her eyes.