Karl let us sit down, then he lighted up the fireplace.
He walked to his bookcase. There are more bottles than books. Books which should have been placed there, in contrast, are left on the floor or bed messily.
He put a bottle and cups in front of us, started to pouring.
"Toast, Nedval. This is cider. It should be stuffed. Miss Shimaitage."
If Jamini's parents see this situation, a riot is inevitable. It's also similar for my family.
But both of us put on a look like we drink a lot, we raised the cups. I occasionally get some distiller's grains from the old brewery Métis to eat, but Jamini has almost never touched any alcohol. She is still pretending she is poised.
Karl filled his cup. And stopped for a short while to think of a topic.
"Well, ah, what about, cheers for this young couple's eternal love..."
"Karl!"
I sound miserably. Karl's eyes are wide, said:
"Huh? Don't you like it? Then... Cheers for the next generations of them who will be born with courage and beauty..."
Jamini started getting some systemic distortions. Her eyes are mixed with fierce reproach, as if saying: Why would ladies like her be pulled together with libertines like me?
I am dead aggrieved.
My mind suddenly flashed.
"Cheers for the Extinction of Amurtaat!"
Karl immediately closed his mouth, his face became very heavy. Jamini is feeling uncomfortable because of the rapid change of our atmosphere.
After a while, Karl sighed, and smiled again.
"Well, ah, I understand. I didn't know that you actually have this determination. When are you going to start? The Brave Warrior Nedval is actually going to destroy the notorious Amurtaat, in order to win the title of the Dragon Slayer..."
"What?"
"Huh? Aren't you? So... Miss Shimaitage is gonna do it?"
"Pooffff....Ha ha ha ha!"
Jamini is laughing crazily, I am also hollowing along. Karl smiles and the put the cup to his lips. If we continue to think of the lines to toast, we might not even be able to drink. So I will just drink.
All of a sudden, earlobe and neck are getting scalding, the breath are hot too. I blinked a few times. Karl looked at me with a smile, and then gently asked with an easy tone:
"I heard that the Dragon-Raja has came?"
"Yep, Karl. They came to kill Amurtaat."
Jamini finally stopped laughing, and she tried the wine naturally. No, it should be said that until the moments before the cup got to her mouth are very natural. Then her cheeks started bulging. Clearly she forcibly swallowed it.
"Hiss...Hiss...! Ugh. Ah, it's a nice wine, Karl."
"Thank you Miss Shimaitage."
I sneered, and asked Karl:
"Why didn't you come out and watch?"
"To cut firewood, I had no way to go. How was it? Very spectacular, right?"
"Ah. The Dragon-Raja is like only six or seven, and the dragon is a terribly huge White Dragon."
"Let me guess. The White Dragon you mentioned, is Cathselprime right?"
Jamini showed a surprised expression, but I am not surprised. I am even very pleased. Karl warmly smiled, relied on the back of his chair.
"And that child shouldn't have the surname Hustheil?"
He made a mistake. I looked at him doubtfully:
"Hustheil should be correct...?"
Karl's widely opened his eyes, and then closed for a while. Although his eyes are closed, he can still properly move the cup to his lips. After a gulp, Karl opened his eyes and smiled.
"When visited by young girls and boys, in order let them know that our previous years are not blank, the elders have to reel their own wisdom scrolls and show."
I am suddenly getting nervous.
"Are you going to tell some interesting stories?"
"...A successor of Hustheil, does it mean that their family is still continuing to inherit the Dragon-Raja lineage?" Karl is like talking to himself.
Then he laughed:
"Nonsense."
"You said this is nonsense?"
"Must be capturing children who have qualities of Dragon-Raja from somewhere, forcing them to inherit the Hustheil family, Nedval."
Karl spoke like this is his household stuff, insisted this is the fact with a confident attitude. Really odd.
"What makes you conclude the accusation?"
The way I speak, makes me feel like I am a sage who is in a discussion of continent affairs. Especially Jamini is now afraid butting in, she can only look at me with admired eyes. This really makes me feel so cool.
Karl let the candle illuminated his cup, and whispered:
"This is just a result of simple calculation. Hustheil Family was agreed in producing Dragon-Rajas for 300 years. It has been 15 years over the deadline, Nedval. Didn't you say the little boy was only 6 or 7? So if the kid has the lineage of Hustheil, he is unlikely a Dragon-Raja."
"300 years? What is that about?"
"Hey, Nedval, Mr. Nedval! If you have spare time to search for bird's nest, please read some books!"
Hence, the sage discussing continent affairs disappeared without a trace, leaving a lad who searches nest to play. Jamini laughed loudly, I blushed.
Karl continues with a warm smile:
"So you don't even know the history of your own country. 300 years, no, 315 years ago, was the founding era of our country wan't it? During the Glorious Seven Weeks battles, Dragon Lord promised Duke Hustheil, to allow lineage of Dragon-Raja be owned by their family. So they maintained friendship with dragons for 300 years. Every children of them were born with the qualities of Dragon-Raja."
I listened drowsily. Jamini got completely confused. Karl found two of his audience did not understand, so he can only to make it simpler.
"Ah... Miss Shimaitage, when was our Vyseus found?"
"Hmm, it's during the Glorious Seven Weeks, when the King repulsed Dragon Lord in the Dark Plain."
"Your education matches your temperament. Miss Shimaitage."
Jamini's expression was... I rather not to say. How could anyone not know this?
"Vyseus founder King Rhuterino, although he defeated Dragon Lord on the last day of the Glorious Seven Weeks, he was seriously injured, and he would never be able to take a sword. At that time Duke Hustheil rescued Dragon Lord. So Dragon Lord blessed the rescuer."
I am impatient and interrupted.
"The content of the blessing, is that within 300 years, their family would continue to get Dragon-Rajas?"
"Yes you are right, Nedval. But after our 4th King, King Yenee conquered the North, the Hustheil family began to serve his majesty. His majesty King Yenee not only didn't perish Hustheil who defied King Rhuterino, he was also satisfied to accept the master-slave relationship. Dragon-Rajas are very rare, aren't them? Extinction of a Dragon-Raja lineage is a great pity. In case there is no Dragon-Raja, it's extremely dangerous when a dragon gets mad."
Karl's profound knowledge caused Jamini to hear quietly, or simply stunned. So I asked a question.
"300 years have gone?"
"Yes. So things are getting interesting."
Jamini and I are suddenly tensed up, we leaned forward. Karl is also like participating in a secret major conference, his body is also leaning forward, he is whispering. However, the premise is, a chat between the candle maker's son,the daughter of forest guard, and an idler, can be called a major conference.
"The Hustheil family, compared to other founding hero families, they are just rebels, right? But only because of their Dragon-Raja lineage, they have been enjoying all the great wealth. If Hustheil no longer has Dragon-Rajas, what would happen?"
"Aha? So they are adopting children?"
"Right. And they must be forcibly adopting children with Dragon-Raja qualities from poor families, no, wait, let me amend my words. It should be more accurate to say they buy the children? Anyway, if it's not a poor family, no one will probably agree to give up their own child."
"Adoption with money?"
"Probably. Even Dragon Lord's agreement had expired, they still want to control Dragon-Rajas, rebuliding the Dragon-Raja lineage. It's like capturing fine horses for breeding"
Karl said with biting satire tone. Jamini drank again fearlessly, and said with an unhappy face:
"These people are really mean..."
"Yes, Miss Shimaitage. They have already enjoyed 300 years of power but they are still not satisfied, and they still want to extend it. So they take children away from poor parents, adopt them to their family. However, it might be a good thing for the children, even for those parents. We can put it in another view: Comparing to living in a poor family, isn't it better to be a step-son in Hustheil?"
I said unconsciously:
"There are lucky guys, everywhere."
Karl gazed at me.
"You envy? Nedval."
"Honestly, you know it's fake when I say No."
"Nedval, your age is not small, and you know how to observe and understand all sort of things around you. But for a 6, 7 years old kid, taken away from parents, calling strangers father and mother, that's very pathetic."
"Damn! I bet 5 years later, if you tell those guys to go back the huts they used to live in, they will rather get killed!"
My tone is getting intense.
Jamini is with a skeptical expression, and Karl is just calmly smiling.
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