226 Gifts Left Behind (2/2)
After all, they also knew that Roland and Kaka were friends.
And now that Kaka was dead, they were afraid that Roland would take out his anger on them.
Roland walked over to the terrified pair of guards and asked, ”Did someone help erect Kaka's tomb after he died?”
”Yes, sir.”
”Where is it?”
”The north corner of the city's western cemetery, it's the newest one with the large tombstone.”
Leaving the manor, Roland arrived in front of the gate of the city's west cemetery.
The environment here was very secluded. A huge grey stone wall enclosed the cemetery, and it was only accessible through a black iron gate.
The hunchbacked graveyard keeper sat in front of the iron gate, and when he heard the sound of footsteps, he didn't look up, only said in an indifferent tone, ”You have to pay to enter the cemetery, three copper coins per person.”
Roland didn't have any bronze coins, so he bent down and placed a silver coin in front of the graveyard keeper.
Seeing that it was actually a silver coin, the graveyard keeper looked up in surprise, and upon seeing Roland dressed in a magic robe, he gulped and immediately sat up straight, not daring to move. Only when Roland entered the cemetery and walked away did he reach out abruptly with his pale, gray, dark hand to quickly store the silver coin in his clothes.
Then he grinned slightly.
The cemetery was large, with mossy, grayish-black tombstones that had a harsh sheen.
A large tombstone at the north corner had the most glaring reflective luster.
Roland stood in front of this tombstone.
The top read ”The Tomb of Kaka Bard,” while the right side had his epitaph written on it.
”This was a young man who lived a very confusing life, unable to distinguish between friend and foe or good and bad. But he was still a good boy.”
At this epitaph… Roland frowned slightly.
It was noon. The direct sunlight hitting the earth was so hot that it made one feel as if they were in a fireplace, and the chirping of insects came from the surrounding trees.
The quiet cemetery seemed to be a small neighboring space separated from the rest of the world.
Roland was somewhat despondent. Just in the blink of an eye, a person who was alive and kicking in his memories was lying under a layer of mud. He had now truly realized what the saying ”affairs of the world are inconstant” meant.
There were footsteps behind him. Roland turned back and saw a fat man slowly walking toward him.
It was Kaka's second brother, Felwood.
”Isn't this epitaph interesting?” Felwood walked up to Roland, the two of them side by side. His voice was gentle, no longer arrogant and harsh like it had been some time ago. ”I wrote it up.”
”You wrote it?” Roland was surprised, then realized something. ”Did you erect this tomb?”
”Kaka can't be placed in the family cemetery because he has offended both the royal family and the Association of Mages. If he were placed in the family cemetery, it would put the Bards on the back foot—we're in a treacherous environment as it is.” Felwood's eyes, which seemed tiny because of his obesity, flashed with a trace of anger. ”But I can't let my little brother's corpse dry out in the wilderness, so I had to find a plot of land for him here in the cemetery. In order to differentiate him from the commoners, I built his tomb big.”
Roland didn't speak; he didn't know what to say.
Felwood stepped forward and gently touched the tombstone as if this would allow him to touch his brother. ”When I heard you were back, I figured you might be here, and sure enough… My brother said before he died that someone would avenge his death… is it you?”
Roland remained silent.
”It doesn't matter if it's you or not, the man is gone anyway.” Felwood's little green eyes looked very seriously at Roland. ”I don't know what you came back to the capital for, and I don't want to know, but there is a gift left for you in Kaka's manor that Kaka cried and begged me to tell you about the day before he was hanged. Take this key and go receive your gift.”
A bronze key was thrown into Roland's hand.
Felwood turned to leave.