Chapter 83
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Graveside Reunion
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Returning to Cascadia territory, I felt a peculiar sensation, as if I'd been wandering far from home for ages and was finally back.
In the short time since so many events had unfolded, the territory's people were all bustling about with busy lives.
Though it was a remote borderland and wouldn't develop on a grand scale, if the mines could be properly activated, it had potential to become a mining hub drawing in plenty of settlers.
Unlike in my previous life, the presence of mines in this one spurred commercial growth.
We returned to the family estate without a word, our first stop the cemetery not far from the mansion.
There were several gravestones, including some that shouldn't exist at this point in time.
A gravestone made far too hastily.
The gravestones of the previous Cascadia Count and his wife, and our youngest sibling, Arsha, stood there.
"......"
In truth, there were no bodies beneath those gravestones.
They held only relics the three had used in life.
Misha the head maid had left first to inspect the site's structure and other areas, while Luna strolled about with her hands behind her back, her eyes sweeping over the inscriptions on the stones.
"Remember? At first, you opposed making these gravestones so fiercely."
"Yeah. Even now, part of me wants to smash them to pieces."
I could understand Melissa's feelings.
That day, they'd found debris from the wrecked ship, but no bodies anywhere.
The search teams said recovering them was practically impossible, but Melissa back then wouldn't budge.
They weren't confirmed dead—why rush it?
She knew it deep down, too.
The chance any had survived and washed up somewhere was far too slim.
No, even one surviving was out of the question.
I'd argued it was time to accept it, while she kept insisting we didn't know and poured money into hiring more searchers. We'd fought plenty over it.
She knew better than I did that wasting money like that wasn't wise, but she seemed like she'd break without doing something, so I couldn't stop her.
"Truth be told, back then I thought the same. If we followed your stubbornness and news came they were alive, how great that'd be."
To my belated words, Melissa silently placed a single kraken core before the gravestones.
She should have been living the academy life by now.
But circumstances had thrust her into leading the family.
I could protect her fundamentally, but Father had wanted her to succeed him.
Situation had changed, but I intended to honor his will.
In fact, she'd put in tremendous effort from childhood to inherit the countship.
"All that's old history now. Time to let go."
She spoke calmly and sank to her knees before the stones.
"Mother, Father, and our little Arsha."
Her voice trembled ever so faintly.
Human memory is so shallow. Even after such painful farewells, days and weeks pass, and people forcibly bury the hurt to survive.
That's why you cry until tears run dry and can't anymore.
Or maybe the pain dulls your senses.
"I'm here. A bit late this time, huh?"
She gave a faint smile, murmuring like a complaint.
"Know what this is? A kraken core."
Melissa mumbled incoherently, as if unaware of her own words.
"That damn squid bastard... because of it, we parted like this. Sorry it took so long to hunt it down."
In truth, it was meaningless.
Catching the kraken wouldn't bring back our parents.
Of course, revenge held meaning in itself, but what did placing that wretched core here really achieve?
The dead don't speak.
It was just self-satisfaction in the end.
"Big Brother caught it. Who'd have thought he'd gotten so strong? Like he changed overnight. Must've trained hard. Give him some praise."
She even praised me—something her pride would normally prevent.
Melissa's voice shook faintly.
"Get mad at me for being late. Say something."
"......"
"You promised you'd come back. Promised me. Said you'd check my swordsmanship when you did."
Tears welled in her voice in an instant.
She hated coming to these graves. Every visit, she'd cry.
"Because of the kraken... because of that kraken... sob, if not for it..."
I approached silently, knelt beside her, and pulled her sobbing head to my chest.
Her sobs grew louder then.
"Are you at peace there?"
Come to think of it, it had been ages since I'd visited. I'd refused because "they might still be alive," and I had my own reasons.
Besides, for Melissa it had been just half a year, but for me, an incomprehensible span after endless time.
Memories intact, but the feeling utterly different.
Tears didn't come easily.
Was I more numb than I thought?
If I'd gained power sooner, I wouldn't have let them go so pointlessly.
I knew such hypotheticals were meaningless, yet I resented it.
If I'd been pulled into the Dream Labyrinth a year earlier...
No doubt those three wouldn't have fallen to that cursed kraken.
"Sorry I'm so late. And my little sister, Melissa. She's proudly become the Border Count, succeeding Father. She drove out that wretched uncle Tibel and earned full royal recognition."
Like she spoke of me, I spoke of her.
"She's grown much stronger than before, more respectable. Don't worry. She's taken Father's place, so I'll protect her."
Each calm word made her sobs louder.
I held her tighter.
"Rest easy without a care."
That was all I could say.
And so Melissa and I kept vigil before the three gravestones, silent for a long while.
That day, we somewhat accepted their deaths.
Though we wouldn't abandon searches for the bodies.
Money was no object now.
"Hah!! Gods, it's so radiant......"
After calming somewhat and returning to the mansion, Melissa gawked at the immense wealth she'd never dreamed of touching, eyes wide, gasping like she might faint.
No wonder.
The money from selling Queen's Twilight—and what was to come—was truly staggering.
Even more so since it sold not to an individual but in bulk.
She'd seemed shocked hearing about it, but...
Seeing the actual hoard before her eyes choked her up.
"Hey, hey. Breathe."
"Cough. Ahem! R-right, me acting all weepy unlike myself..."
"Unlike yourself?"
"Your conscience must've died."
Our simultaneous replies made her hurl handfuls of gems at us.
"Leon's always like that, but you shouldn't be!!"
"Just stating facts."
I dodged her familiar barrage and sat; Luna took the seat beside me.
Melissa sighed.
"At least Queen's Twilight sold well—huge relief. Now we can focus on the mines."
She pulled out a map right away.
"While you were off to the Pascalia Empire, I scouted the mines. Couldn't send knights because of the Demon Realm, so I hired mercenaries."
They were already somewhat developed, tunnels dug deep.
But long abandoned, so safety checks were needed for whatever might have nested inside.
"Berus the artisan says no collapse risks..."
"Any problems?"
"Nah, minor thing. There's a hidden tunnel inside. Not crucial, so I sent mercenaries to scout. Monsters nesting could cause casualties in a flash."
Common enough. Monsters in abandoned mines.
Nothing odd.
"Anything else?"
"Nope. Your skeletons are surprisingly efficient. Work starts soon."
Mines had always symbolized wealth. Discover a vein in your territory, and riches follow overnight.
No issues, so it'd sort itself. After the kraken, I had zero motivation for anything.
"Just keep me posted. And Luna."
"Yes?"
"A promise is a promise. I'll get you that personal fridge. Merchant caravans visit regularly anyway."
"As expected of Count Cascadia—bestowing godlike grace. Leon, repent."
What a sly angel.
The first thing Luna Basil did upon receiving her snack fridge from Melissa was barge into my room.
She tied it with rope, dragged it in, plopped it down, then shoved a gemstone at my cheek.
"Fill it obediently, and no bloodshed."
"You confident you could cause bloodshed?"
She pouted at my question.
"Fine. Rock-paper-scissors. Win, and I'll fill it."
Playful mood struck; I held out my fist. She nodded.
Rock-paper-scissors.
Mine: rock.
Hers: scissors.
"I win?"
I'd fill it anyway, but she wasn't convinced.
Then she wrapped her index and middle fingers—scissors—around my fist.
Huh? What're you—
Crunch.
"Hey! What the—?!"
"My scissors can crush rock."
I misjudged.
Compared to Isis or Mielephon, Luna seemed tame.
But as her strength grew, the antics began.
"Fill it now!!"
She jammed the gem at my cheek again, demanding.
Thinking on it, she had childish sides. When requests weren't met, she'd throw everything she had at it.
Gems were her tool, probably.
Her firm likes/dislikes and stubborn innocence felt oddly familiar.
Were angels all like this?
"Sigh... Fine. Wait. I've got stuff ready anyway."