Chapter 26: Last Farewell
Back at the ceremonial funeral, the time for the main family to gather arrived.
"Young Master, please be careful." Miranda exclaimed. Since she was not part of Leonard’s family, she could not accompany him.
Leonard gave her a small nod and headed toward the highest point of the mansion.
Past the doorways, he entered a vast chamber with an oppressive atmosphere.
No one acknowledged his arrival. Every person kept their gaze fixed forward on the coffin at the end of the room, as if he had not entered at all.
He was not surprised. He moved to an open space, folded his hands in front of him, and waited patiently for the others to arrive.
Fortunately, the wait was not long.
Over the course of his life, Gideon had fathered ten heirs in total, with Leonard as the youngest and the only illegitimate one.
Leonard’s lower status came down to a simple fact.
Gideon possessed a Divine Bloodline, meaning his children had a chance to inherit fragments of his abilities.
Because of this, he was encouraged to produce heirs with women from high-ranking bloodlines, usually from prestigious houses, all in order to increase the likelihood of powerful offspring.
The plan had largely succeeded. Every one of Leonard’s siblings possessed at least a Legendary Bloodline, while Leonard himself was the only one recorded as having a Common Bloodline.
Because no one knew that his mother had secretly possessed a Primordial Bloodline, she had been written off as nothing more than a commoner who had seduced their renowned hero only to bear Leonard, a bastard as a result.
And so Leonard’s status as an illegitimate was born.
Of course, Leonard saw things differently. To him, it seemed that Gideon had truly loved only his mother, while the rest of his children had been born merely because of political pressure.
Regardless, he kept those thoughts to himself.
He was the only one who stood alone. The rest of his siblings were accompanied by their mothers.
Suddenly, distant footsteps echoed beyond the doorways.
In an instant, everyone dropped to one knee, placing their right hand over their heart.
"We greet the Grandfather!" They spoke in unison.
A towering man with graying hair and an overwhelming presence walked past his descendants and came to a stop in front of the open coffin.
This was Owen, Leonard’s grandfather.
"Rise, my descendants. You may now pay your respect." Owen declared.
First to rise was Edgar, the eldest heir, who carried a Heavenly Bloodline.
Next was Beatrice, the second eldest, who wielded the almost never-seen Mythical Bloodline.
Third was Hugo. His Legendary Bloodline was impressive by most standards, yet it paled in comparison to his older siblings.
By order of their birth, each of them was given the chance to approach the coffin and see their father one last time.
Leonard, as the youngest, stepped forward last.
"Don’t tell me even the bastard will say a farewell?" Hugo murmured in disgust. "It was a grave mistake to allow him to participate in the first place."
Hugo’s mother placed a hand over his mouth, preventing him from causing an unnecessary scene.
Everybody had heard the provocation, but nobody stood up for Leonard. To them, he was not true family but a stain on their image that could only bring them shame.
With an upright posture, Leonard peeked inside the casket, witnessing the body of his beheaded father, his head resting silently to the side.
’Father, you weren’t like them, were you? There was a reason people loved you and called you a hero... Did you know the truth about my mother? That I would inherit her Primordial Bloodline? Did you distance yourself to shield me from their influence?’ He wondered.
Leonard had many questions, yet the one man who could answer them had already been executed without so much as a trial, taking with him the answers he sought.
He stood motionless for a few seconds, without uttering a single word.
Then slowly, he lifted his head, his gaze settling on the one person no one else dared to meet eye to eye.
"Why is my father dead? Grandfather, why did you allow the execution?"
Rather than speaking to the dead, he directed his words at Owen.
"..."
’The audacity!’ The heirs thought.
This was not the way to speak to the Grandfather, much less address him in such a casual manner!
A suffocating silence spread through the chamber.
Leonard did not budge, returning the gray stare Owen gave him.
"Because he was declared guilty of treason. Trading inside knowledge with the elven nations, large-scale corruption, human sacrifices, and more." Owen said in a heavy voice, his words final.
"I was once the king of this city, and I chose my son to succeed me. Despite all that Gideon achieved, he ultimately fell short in the end. It is only right that I atone by taking back the leadership until I choose the next worthy heir to inherit the role."
’Nonsense!’ Leonard barely suppressed an anger rising with him.
His father had a track record of challenging Grade 5 and Grade 6 dungeons alone, all to prevent dungeon breakouts from occurring and to save innocent lives! Under no circumstances could a person so selfless be the mastermind behind such crimes!
"Is that so..." Biting his lower lip so hard that it bled, Leonard glanced back at his motionless father.
Arguing or demanding proof of the accusations would not get him anywhere.
Even with the Primordial Bloodline flowing through his veins, he was still the weakest member of the household. Without the necessary power, all he might achieve is ending up executed the same way his father had been.
Owen noticed Leonard’s clenched fists and shifted his gaze toward the heirs.
"My descendants, as of this moment, the funeral has concluded. The body will be buried in a location known only to me to prevent its desecration. Enjoy the rest of the night, and take care not to end up as Gideon did."
"Yes, Grandfather!" They answered in unison.
Giving them a slight nod, Owen’s eyes fell upon Leonard.
"Follow me."
Refusing to comply wasn’t an option. Leonard and his grandfather were the first to leave the room.
"Finally, the bastard has gotten himself into hot water!" Hugo sneered with a smirk.
Outside the chamber, Leonard followed after his grandfather.
"Where are we going?" He asked.
Owen spared him a glance.
"You have awakened a Common Bloodline... Rightfully, there isn’t anyone who expects much from you."
The old man paused briefly.
"However, you are still my grandson... I am neither invested in your success nor rooting for your failure. Your siblings are sure to target you to reduce the pool of candidates competing for the leadership role, and being denied the advantages they received upon awakening would be unfair."
They stopped before a golden vault, which Owen promptly opened.
"Inside the treasury are stored weapons, armor, and accessories up to the Legendary rank. Since you have awakened, you have the right to take a single treasure to aid you on your journey."
Stepping aside, Owen allowed Leonard to enter.
"After that, you are on your own. I will not be intervening in the competition that is about to happen between you and your siblings."
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