NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 49 - Ripples
Indigo smoke wafted gently inside the room.
In a luxurious room, two women sat facing each other, casually smoking their pipes.
One of them was an elderly, with the pipe between her lips, her mouth pursed slightly, and her cheeks sunken. She inhaled the smoke gracefully and exhaled slowly.
The other woman was plump and middle-aged. Her clothes were not extravagant, but the quality could be inferred from the fabric and the stitching. With practiced gestures, she tapped ash into the ashtray.
“It seems Charlotte’s eldest son has completed the Temple Visit and the [Rite of Manifestation]”, one of them said.
“Oh? He’s still alive? Surprisingly tenacious that one”, replied the other woman, maintaining a gentle expression while delivering a sharp comment.
“The Kilyam clan claims that he was sustained by “the great blessings of the spirits” during the Temple Visit. They also say that the child has a spirit mark.”
“Well, is that really true?”
“There’s no way to confirm the existence of the spirit mark beyond their claim. Even if it were a mere embellishment, outsiders can’t dispute it.”
The elderly woman responded sarcastically.
During the boy Temple Visit, they had tried to get involved. However, they were hindered by the enthusiastic priests of the Temple, and none of them could get close to the child.
And during the [Rite of manifestation], the child was surrounded by numerous of his relatives. Moreover, once they entered the main residence, it was full of Kilyam family members, making it difficult to intervene. Kilyam’s stronghold was not a place outsiders could easily infiltrate.
“That seems quite rather convenient. Do you think it’s a fake?”
“Either way, one can’t entirely dismiss it as a fake. That’s what makes it tricky. The Glass region, where they’ve been blessed by spirits for years, is experiencing an exceptional harvest. Regardless of the spirit mark, there must be a new covenant holder.”
“I always thought spirit covenants were mere superstitions. However, ever since the current Kilyam head began to reside in the capital and the Sateres fief, the lands near the capital have visibly flourished, and the harvests have improved.”
“Exactly. So, we have to acknowledge the existence of ‘Blessings of the Spirits’ when it comes to harvest at least.”
In the Glass region, which had benefited from the spirits’ blessings for many years, spirit covenants were believed in like a religion.
On the other hand, in most other regions of the continent, where “seers” were scarce, they were considered mere superstitions.
That was the reality.
“In that case, why not send covenant-holders to various regions of the kingdom to bring prosperity to the entire country?”
“It’s impossible. They have no reason to cooperate. Besides the human cost, distributing benefits to the common people would diminish their value.”
“Indeed. People won’t appreciate common blessings. If they can get them easily, they will start feeling entitled to them, rather than being grateful. And if they lose them, they’ll raise an outcry that they were unjustly taken away.”
They themselves depended on divine blessings to make a living, so they opposed cheapening these blessings.
“Kilyam’s sudden claim of the spirit mark is making the royal family very nervous. They fear it’ll increase independence and resist incorporation through marriage policies.”
“Could they possibly consider discarding the current head, Lord Eliott? It seems unthinkable, but these people are capable of anything.”
“For us, it’s a somewhat inconvenient situation. That eldest son has been part of the Kilyam branch since birth. And those people are defiant towards the royal family. They will likely influence the eldest son with their ideas.”
The Kingdom of Belfast was a federal state, known for the strong inclination of its nobles towards self-governance.
Among them, the Glass region’s tendency was particularly pronounced. Given geographical factors and their history of entering the kingdom, it would not be surprising if they eventually seceded. This had always been a cause for concern for the royal family.
“I thought the headship would eventually pass to the second son or later. He was raised in the capital, but it seems it all went to waste.”
“It’s just that things don’t always go well. Neither the second son nor the daughters have any prospect of becoming the next head. In other words, they are not a spirit covenant holders.”
“So, they were never in consideration from the start. Kilyam won’t recognize anyone other than covenant holders as heads.”
“That puts the responsibility on Charlotte. Our original family was indirectly hinted by His Majesty to do something about it. She needs to infiltrate the Kilyam and “guide” them.”
“Responsibility, you say? I can’t deny that it’s troubling. That girl was quite well-behaved with Lord Eliott. However, things have taken a bad turn since then. I scolded her many times to settle in the territory, but she pays no heed. She even said she doesn’t want to go to such a remote place again.”
“The next head, the eldest son, will inevitably have to meet her. It’s no longer a situation where we can ignore him despite his frailty. I hope she can use the same techniques to win over the son as he did with the father.”
“Will Charlotte be up to the task? That girl is reckless, has no interest in parenting, and actually dislikes children. After all, she’s still a child herself.”
“I never had high expectations for Charlotte to begin with. Her disposition doesn’t make her useful at home. So I sent her outside as a pawn of the royal family, but now she might be the wrong choice.”
“She’s always had a strong desire for a glamorous life. I thought having children might make her more mature, but she’s the same even after giving birth to three child.”
“Her appearance is fine, but her character doesn’t up to par… What a shame.”
“Charlotte has a childish personality and striking beauty. Since childhood, she has been proud and looked down on her sisters. She believed she had divine favor and, after the [Rite of Manifestation], consoling her was quite challenging.”
“And she’s more ambitious than most.”
The two women’s gazes intersected.
Once they were sent out, the children became pawns to be used for their own gain, even if they were family. But what if the pawn moved on its own, deviating from the intentions of the player?
“Yes. Even with the eldest son, her interest waned simply because he’s a boy, and the Kilyam eagerly took him in. Even the second son, whom we kept, hasn’t received any attention. Only the youngest daughter seems to have her interest.”
“I’ve heard that. She regularly visits the main temple in the capital. Your mother has given birth to eight children, and yet only one has divine favor. But Charlotte seems to be trying to catch a big fish with her first daughter.”
“Moreover, shamefully, she doesn’t visit the temple herself. She orders her nannies to take her daughter for the Temple Visit.”
“Why doesn’t she take her daughter herself?”
“Probably because she’s busy with social parties and doesn’t get along with Amelia, who shuttles between the main temple and the branch temple.”
“What caused the discord between those two?”
“It’s a story from before Charlotte got married, but I think the reason was that she had intense jealousy of Amelia and thus maintained a harsh attitude towards her.”
“Oh, so that’s why you recommended Charlotte when the royal family made a request.”
“Yes, I thought that leaving her at home like that would have a negative impact on Amelia.”
“It might have been too late already. When ‘signs’ appeared in Amelia, we hurriedly had her undergo the [Rite of Revelation]. However, even though it became clear that she had a blessing, her abilities didn’t manifest at all. She’s still young, so we were watching her, but then ‘signs’ disappeared. I thought something was strange.”
The golden bee inlaid on the stem of the smoking pipes they both held.
It symbolized the most coveted and elusive thing they were trying to obtain.
The rare blessing that could even influence the fate of the country. The trump card that would guarantee the wealth and prosperity of their family had not been handed down through the generations yet.
In this situation, they couldn’t ignore the pressure from the royal family, even if it wasn’t something they were particularly interested in.
“I’m sorry. I never thought it would come to this. Amelia is just unilaterally scared of Charlotte, and she doesn’t seem to remember what happened between the two sisters. So, we don’t know what to do.”
“Since there were ‘signs,’ Amelia’s blessing shouldn’t be weak. We believe that time will resolve the issue, or if there is some trigger, she will eventually be able to use her abilities. More importantly, it’s Charlotte. Let’s order that girl to visit her eldest son without fail. She is a mother, after all. She needs to tame her son at least a little.”
“She’s a woman who only cares about herself, so I’m worried if she can win over that child. That’s what concerns me now.”
“She can’t act like a child forever. Her eldest son is currently under Kilyam’s branch. If he distances himself from the royal family and in the worst case, if he breaks away, our family might be affected too. Charlotte has to regain her own grace on her own.”