Chapter 79: A Day Bathed in Clear Sunshine
It was a day with brilliantly clear sunshine. Yet, unlike the weather that seemed ready to burst into laughter at any moment, the faces of the people gathered in the square were shrouded in solemnity and grief.
In the center of the square stood rows of black coffins, utterly out of place under the bright sky. It was the day of the joint funeral.
A week had already passed since the Salvation Cult's sudden assault on Solemnute. All the victims' bodies had been recovered, and among them were people from every walk of life. Brothers, parents, children of someone here... and even the capital guards who had fought desperately to protect the citizens.
One person's life is ultimately connected to countless others in myriad ways, and those whose connections had been severed by this tragedy now stood here, each mourning in their own way.
At the center of the square stood Sione Solenute and the priests of the six gods. Ashytara, wearing the priestly robes that Ludenberg had said suited her well just yesterday, stood reverently beside Sione.
Unlike yesterday when she wore a somewhat mischievous smile, Sione now stood in the center with a grave and solemn expression, kneeling in prayer.
"...Thus, we honor the souls of these many victims. O six gods, guide their spirits to the place where you dwell."
Following her lead, priests from the other five denominations knelt and prayed together. Receiving their prayers, the vast crowd in the square knelt like waves rippling outward.
Ludenberg heard someone nearby stifling sobs. The weeping spread contagiously, but the priests did not stop it. These were people who rightfully deserved to grieve.
The priests simply carried out their roles in silence. They began to sing a song without lyrics—a requiem for the dead.
The songs of the six gods echoed through the square in their distinct tones, yet harmoniously blended. People sang the hymns of their own denominations.
After the songs ended, it was time to reflect on the lives of the departed. Sione recited each victim's name one by one, speaking of the lives they had led. Social status and occupation meant nothing there. Even the owner of a common street stall in Solemnute was honored by Sione as she spoke of their work and life, emphasizing the sanctity of existence.
The next step was cremation. In Solemnute, the dead were honored through cremation, as people believed Solem's flames—one of its divine powers—burned away impurities and guided souls to the gods' realm.
Sione nodded and stepped back, and Ashytara took her place. She glanced up at the sky once, then clasped her hands, bowing her head in prayer for the deceased.
The moment her brief prayer ended, flames erupted from Ashytara's body. Unlike the fierce blaze she had unleashed on the erosion beasts not long ago, these were gentle flames that wrapped around her once, tenderly caressing the cold, hardened corpses before gradually enveloping the coffins.
Whoosh.
With the small crackle of fire catching, the coffins began to burn one by one. The sacred flames of Solem produced smoke that rose into the sky—not acrid and stinging, but carrying a faint, ethereal fragrance as if commemorating the departed souls.
The coffins containing the bodies soon turned to ashes, and the priests collected them into ornate yet small urns. With the victims' remains enshrined in the Sun Tower, the joint funeral reached its final step.
Leading the way, Sione and the other priests began a long procession toward the Sun Tower, heads bowed, swallowing their sorrow, and wishing for the dead to find happiness in their next lives.
The Sun Tower gleamed as radiantly as ever, embracing the departed in its arms. There, under the sun's eternal blessing that never faded even at night, they would exist forevermore.
And so, the joint funeral came to an end.
Though the joint funeral had ended, Ludenberg couldn't pack up and leave for Lavante right away. Ashytara still had duties to attend to.
Members of the imperial family had to change into their purest ceremonial robes and engrave the names of those enshrined in the Sun Tower onto its walls.
"Alright, I'll be off then. Don't just up and leave for Lavante without me, okay?"
"As if. You're not staying at the Sun Tower anyway."
"Yeah."
As Ashytara headed to the Sun Tower, Ludenberg went to meet Professor Nah Tes as previously arranged.
"You're here. Here—this is the payment for the intel you helped excavate."
It was a hefty pouch of gold coins, large enough to pass for a backpack and heavy in his hands.
"This seems like quite a sum... Does that ruin really hold that much value?"
"Value is whatever we decide it is. Pretty good, right? Though to you, it's probably just pocket change... But even pocket change can be spent wisely."
"Being from a wealthy house doesn't mean I carry that much around. This is a significant amount even for me."
"Anyway, that settles what I needed from you... Nadan said he has something to ask later. Heard the reward's substantial too, so it won't hurt to help."
"Understood for now. I'll decide when we get back to Solemnute Adem."
"Sure. I'm off then."
"Take care, Professor."
Left alone, Ludenberg stared at the heavy pouch in his hand.
What to do with this money.
A windfall had come from an unexpected source. And it was far more than Ludenberg had anticipated—more than what someone who unearthed a highly valuable holy relic might receive. It gave him a headache instead.
How much value did the Setra denomination place on that ruin?
He was the one who had slashed the already excessive monthly allowance from his family. He had no need for weapons, nor occasions to buy expensive items. Other noble heirs might buy holy relics to boost their divine power, but without any divine power, Ludenberg couldn't even do that. His personal funds, tucked away in the student vault at Solemnute Adem, only grew day by day.
And the amount Nah had just handed him exceeded all that accumulated savings.
To him, this sudden influx was nothing but a burdensome lump. He had nowhere to stash it immediately.
I'll be heading back to the family soon anyway. Might as well dump it somewhere in the imperial palace.
With that thought, Ludenberg headed straight for the imperial palace.
Returning to the imperial palace, Ludenberg tossed the gold pouch carelessly into his room and wandered around the Itara Palace grounds. With nothing pressing to do, and rigorous training risking slowed recovery after his recent overexertion, he strolled idly.
As he did, he noticed the maids of Itara Palace seeming a bit agitated. Curious, he eavesdropped on their conversation. It turned out Ashytara's birthday was just around the corner.
Right... Tara's birthday is coming up soon.
Only then did Ludenberg recall it, feeling ashamed that he had forgotten his one and only friend's birthday.
But a birthday... bad timing.
As Ludenberg thought, the timing for Ashytara's birthday couldn't have been worse. It came right after the Salvation Cult's attack and the resulting casualties.
Listening further, he understood why the maids were fussing over it. The imperial family had announced no birthday banquet could be held.
Ludenberg immediately understood the decision. Holding one would direct the citizens' anger toward the palace.
Considering Solemnute's state as he had seen it, it was entirely plausible. The people were barely suppressing their grief. If the palace celebrated the princess's birthday with a banquet amid that, their sorrow would turn to rage against the imperial family.
The maids, of course, were indignant that no celebration would honor the kind Ashytara, but there was nothing to be done about the circumstances.
"So what do we do?"
"We should at least celebrate quietly among ourselves."
"What about a gift? Jewelry would be perfect, right?"
"We should prepare whatever we can manage. If Her Highness finds out we overdid it, she'll scold us instead."
"Still, after all she's done for us, I want the gift to be something meaningful."
"Should we ask Marina?"
"That could work, but she's busy now too. Better if we handle it ourselves."
"Yeah..."
The maids' murmurs reached Ludenberg's ears in full. Realizing the situation, he began pondering a gift for Ashytara.
A gift... what would be good?
Ashytara had helped him tirelessly since Solemnute Adem. He felt nothing but gratitude toward her, and this seemed the perfect chance to express it. Especially now that he had a large sum at his disposal.
The only issue was not knowing her preferences. Five years had passed, turning her into a proper lady; the things she liked as a child might have changed with age. Picking rashly could lead to disaster.
But he could solve that simply enough.
"I'd like to hear more details on that."
"Lord Ludenberg?"
Ludenberg stepped out from eavesdropping and spoke to them. These were the people who had attended Ashytara all along—no need to complicate things. The maids surely knew what she liked and disliked.
They lacked funds for a gift, while he lacked knowledge of her tastes. Together, they might prepare something satisfactorily for Ashytara.
The maids seemed to catch on, their expressions brightening gradually.