Konrad's Wedding 2

The feast continued long into the night, a symphony of flavors and aromas that tantalized the senses.

I was not good at small talk, so I blended into the crowd and observed everything from a corner.

Since I was just a small kid, nobody paid me any attention, which also meant I overheard many conversations.

"I must hand it to him; Leif surely made an impression on many people with such a feast."

"Hoh, that's for sure, but some of them won't be too happy about this. Many in the Guild eyed his business."

"Yeah, especially Rowan. He was trying pretty hard for Kari to marry one of his sons to get his hands on Leif's business..."

'Hmm, it seems Uncle's position isn't as strong as it seems...' I thought as I listened to some old men in expensive clothing talk nearby. However, I didn't pay much attention to it as it didn't concern me.

But, I perked my ears the next moment as I heard a few older women sitting close talking about me.

"Ahh! Konrad looked so handsome and grown up there at the altar. I wonder when we can expect children..."

"Haha! I'm sure it will be soon... but what about their oldest Rolf? Wasn't he supposed to be married already?"

"Well, you didn't hear it from me, but his parents apparently tried to get him to marry for a long time. But so far, he has refused every girl! He's only interested in his work... If things continue like this, I wonder what will happen to their family's future."

"Didn't they have a third son, though?"

"Oh, you're right, but it seems that instead of learning his father's craft, they shipped him somewhere to the city."

"It must mean he wasn't very talented... poor kid."

"It seems Konrad is the only responsible one. Such a shame he was secondborn..."

My eyes twitched as I heard that.

'What do you mean poor?' I'm very rich! Well, not right now, but I will be! Soon! Probably...

Not to mention my talent is something even Konrad gets jealous about...

I got up from my seat, not wanting to listen anymore to such stupid rumors. However, as I walked to get something to drink, the music suddenly stopped.

I looked around and could see the guests clearing the floor and making a big circle in the middle of the hall.

Ah, it seems it is time for the gifting ceremony to commence.

It is a tradition for the family and other guests to give something to the newlyweds to celebrate and commemorate their wedding. But what once started as a simple custom has turned over the ages into an intricate ritual.

Families and friends compete with each other to see who can give the most opulent and expensive gift. The gifts themselves become a symbol of wealth and status for the guests.

After all the gifts are collected, they are placed in the middle of the hall. The groom and bride then rate the gifts, and the person who is chosen as the winner with the most outstanding gift gets to sit at the place of honor right next to the couple, and a flower crown is placed upon his or her head.

To avoid any bias during the rating. The bride's father collects the gifts at the beginning of the feast. The names of those who gave them are only revealed after the rating is done.

And only then is it time for you to officially give the gift to the couple in the order of your rating.

'What a stupid tradition...'

Doesn't this just mean that the wealthiest person always wins?

Well, not really. Just because something is the most expensive doesn't always mean it is also the most useful. You also need to know the couple and what makes them the most happy.

Anyway, this doesn't concern me as I'm currently almost broke. The only thing I'm worried about is that I don't embarrass myself too much in front of all those people by being the person with the worst gift.

The inn's staff brought all the gifts to the hall and placed them inside the circle.

I watched Kari as she started looking them over one by one with a delighted expression.

Everyone in the crowd waited with baited breaths, and nervous expectations hung in the air. Well, except for Rolf, I guess, who just stood there with his indifferent expression.

It is acceptable to bring a single gift per family. As Rolf still lives with our parents, he can leave it to them to choose the gift.

'Lucky bastard...'

Ah, it seems they are done.

I saw Kari talking to her father. Shortly after that, Leif started to announce the results, as he was the one who collected the gifts.

'Whatever, let it be done already so I can return to eating...'

I was pretty stuffed, but I still hadn't tasted all the dishes. I was intent on doing just that, as it was rare to be able to attend such an extravagant feast.

So who is that lucky winner? Darian, huh?

...

..

.

Wait... what? ... ... I... won?

Is this some kind of joke?

I looked up, and all I could see was Kari's radiant smile, beseeching me to come over.

That pile of trash was all it took to win this damn thing.

Sure, I gave them a full bag of it, but still...

I reluctantly walked over while forcing a smile. Everyone around me smiled and clapped. But I could see some people with surprised expressions and who were not happy about the result.

'Hehe...' I smirked internally, wondering what would happen if I brought some of the good stuff.

Like some medicine made out of True herbs. I'm sure all those pompous-looking merchants in their expensive garments would lose their sh*t...

You see... Now that I'm thinking about it, I guess I went a little overboard with my gift.

Medicine can be expensive, after all. Compared to the price of herbs, elixirs, and herb mixtures can cost triple, sometimes even quadruple, that of the herbs themselves.

This is mainly due to herbalists being few and far between. And as most humans are greedy by nature, the majority of herbalists seek after the things that make them the most money.

That means working exclusively for Alchemists and Nobles. This means that the amount of medicine that gets to the common people is far less than the demand for it. Which results in such high prices that the majority of commoners can't afford them.

I thought hard about what kind of gift I should bring. I was even thinking of going to gather some herbs in the City's forest, but the herbs themselves would be useless on their own.

Then it hit me. Since Isadora doesn't yet have the reputation to work directly for Nobles the majority of her business still comes from commoners. And one of the most sought-after herb mixtures isn't even real medicine.

It's a simple painkiller that is highly popular among the rich women of the city, as it can alleviate some of the pain during childbirth and also during their menstruation.

I know the recipe for it by heart by now, as we need to make several batches of it every month due to the high demand.

And as Isadora mainly deals with the rich and powerful, she needs to maintain a high reputation. Meaning that every part of the herb that isn't flawless gets thrown away. This leads to a lot of trash, even though most of it is still perfectly usable, although slightly less effective.

That was why I asked Isadora if I could use this "trash" to train myself to make the herb mixture, and she agreed. But she warned me to properly clean the tools and discard everything afterward so that it wouldn't mix with real medicine.

That wasn't a problem for me, and I happily "discarded" it right inside my bag as I finally got my gift for Konrad and Kari.

This leads to now, where I stand here in this grand hall surrounded by all those fancy people. I force a smile as Kari places a flower crown upon my head and takes me to sit with them at the head of the table.

I guess Kari must have really liked it, as this amount of painkiller wasn't something Konrad or even Leif could easily afford.

Not to mention men usually look at it as a frivolous expense, as this medicine didn't actually "heal" anything except for the pain.

I found myself seated beside Konrad, our forced camaraderie tested under the gazes of our watchful family. I studied him discreetly, candlelight casting shadows across his face.

His eyes once filled with an impetuous fire, now held a softness I had never witnessed before. It seemed that he had forged a bond between himself and Kari, tempering his contentious spirit.

Leif, a jovial figure in his element, regaled the guests with tales of his craft and the trials he had overcome. His booming laughter resonated through the hall, drawing the attention of all. Kari sat beside her father, her admiration evident in her eyes as she hung on his every word.

As the night wore on, the revelry continued, the music erupted and the dancing began. Konrad, usually reticent, shed his reservations, joining the festivities with unexpected fervor. The distance between us faded, replaced by shared camaraderie, at least for this fleeting moment.

I watched my brother and his new bride twirl across the dance floor, and hope welled up within me. Maybe, just maybe, this union could bridge the gap that had divided us for so long.

In this unforgiving world, where each wrong step could lead to hardship and pain, the bonds of family were the strongest and most steadfast of all.