Becoming the Eldest Son of a Commoner Family (2)
What legacy could one leave at the brink of death?
"Grandfather was a man of excellent medical skills, respected by many for his healing abilities. Yet, throughout his life, he lived under the watchful eye of the church. It wasn't exactly a smooth journey. Healing others might earn respect from some, but for others, it could be an irritating thorn in their side."
The younger siblings might not grasp the meaning of these words.
But Rockefeller was different.
Though merely 15 years of age, his mind bore the maturity and experience of a thirty-year-old adult.
'Of course. From the church's perspective, healing is all about money. If some untrained fellow appears, suddenly taking their place and earning money for treatments, they're bound to look at it unfavorably. I would feel the same.'
Hans continued speaking.
"Every weekend, he would visit the diocese for worship, greeting everyone without distinction, and he always donated more than anyone else. Even though he was respected by others, he himself never lived a comfortable life. It was like walking on thin ice, always wary of the church's gaze."
If his grandfather had lived without minding the church's opinion, what would have become of this family by now?
It probably wouldn't have been good.
"But then one day, Grandfather saw something. It was also the day of the weekend service when suddenly a magician appeared. A very fearsome magician, they said. The rumors about this magician were not good. But as soon as that magician showed up, those high and mighty priests started bowing their heads one after another."
Hearing this story, Rockefeller could somewhat guess the legacy his grandfather had left.
'I think I roughly understand what the family legacy is.'
Hans' story continued.
"Seeing that, Grandfather also realized a lot. He thought it better to become a figure feared by everyone like that cruel magician, rather than someone who is respected by others. That's the nature of power, after all. So, Grandfather really wished for me to become a magician. But what can't be done, can't be done. I never had the talent for it from the start..."
He organized the story and spoke about the last wishes left by his grandfather.
"Listen carefully to what I am about to say. This applies to you as well. There's no need to become someone who is respected by others."
The words that followed were meaningful in their own right.
After all, it was the family's legacy.
"Rather than being respected, become someone to be feared. You must become a person that everyone fears. Always……."
These were the last words left by Rockefeller's father, Hans Rothsmedici.
That evening.
He closed his eyes quietly, and his funeral was held the next day at a cemetery near the lord's castle.
"……."
It was a drizzly and miserable day.
Rockefeller's expression was not good at the funeral, barely held with the help of the lord.
'All this costs money too.'
This funeral was not aided by the lord's generosity.
The coffin used for the funeral, and the mourning clothes he and his siblings were wearing, were all paid for with money borrowed from the lord. It was a debt that would someday need to be repaid to the lord of this place.
"We can't just skip the funeral," thought Rockefeller, gazing somberly down at Hans' coffin as it was laid into the cold, hard ground.
He felt no particular sadness, as Hans was not his real father. His greater concern was how he would live from now on.
‘Already from a poor household, this is a real disaster. How am I supposed to survive now?’
The money he had borrowed from the lord for the funeral was a problem, but an even bigger issue was the immediate concern of how to make ends meet.
‘This is a real crisis.’
Just then, he heard someone speaking nearby.
"Your grandfather was a somewhat useful man, but not Hans, who is being buried here."
The voice had an authoritative tone.
As Rockefeller slowly turned his head, he saw a robust man, appearing to be in his thirties.
Chester de Montefeltro.
He was the new lord of the Montefeltro domain, which had been renamed after incorporating the territory of the dwarf kingdom known as the Azrak Goldmine into the empire, and the one who had assisted with this funeral.
"Learning nothing but writing at the academy, of all things."
His expression was as displeased as Rockefeller's.
He held no particular ill will towards the deceased Hans, but that didn't mean he harbored any fond feelings either.
Behaving like a true lord, he didn't bother to read Rockefeller's mood and simply spoke his mind.
"It would be another story if he had become a wizard. That would be a cause for celebration."
He gave a faint smile.
It was a slight towards the deceased.
"But that wasn't the case. He had no talent, and going to the academy doesn't make everyone a wizard, does it? That's just not how it works."
Still, Rockefeller felt it was not right to disparage the dead like this and felt a dislike towards such sentiments.
'Did he really need to go that far? Even for a lord, that's too harsh.'
But one couldn't afford to be disliked by the lord.
As Rockefeller naturally bowed his head, the lord did not stop talking.
"It was a pointless endeavor. People should know their place."
He was the lord, but perhaps it was because Rockefeller was too young?
"Peasants should behave like peasants. Commoners like commoners. Nobles, of course, like nobles."
The lord shifted his gaze to Rockefeller.
"Did you also learn to read and write from Hans?"
Surprisingly, the lord was illiterate.
Of course, being destined to be a lord, he had plenty of opportunities to learn to read and write, but he treated it as a joke and was not intelligent enough to learn.
Instead, what was more important to him than literacy was a strong physique to represent his family on the battlefields summoned by the emperor and the overwhelming military power to suppress others, and with such excuses, he kept postponing his studies and eventually became a person who couldn't read.
However, the people of the Rothsmedici family were different.
Influenced by their highly educated grandfather, Rockefeller's father was also intelligent and had learned various subjects at the academy, including reading and writing.
Therefore, except for the youngest sister, everyone had been taught by Hans and knew how to read and write.
"Yes, I learned from my father," Rockefeller replied.
