OHNIR - Chapter 108
Chapter 108: Realization
At the same time, in Seaside Town.
Winter was nearly over, and the temperature was gradually warming. The restless waves of the sea churned, swallowing the cold air, while many of the town's trees slowly began to sprout new buds.
Outside the small cottage not far from the beach, numerous vines had already bloomed with tiny, star-like yellow flowers. They entwined themselves around the delicate fence, peeking out to bathe in the sea-scented breeze.
Beneath the gentle sunlight marking the transition from winter to spring, a slender, tall figure was walking unhurriedly in this direction.
Golden light fell upon her silver hair, which was coiled into a bun resembling a flower bud, casting a faint halo. She was dressed in a crisp, dashing, snow-white riding habit. Her tall boots crunched over the soft, fine sand as she approached the cottage. After a brief two-second hesitation, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.
After a moment, the faint sound of footsteps came from within, and the wooden door was opened a crack.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Maity,” Gloria offered a polite, faint smile to the haggard-looking middle-aged woman inside. “I apologize for the intrusion,” she said gently, “but may I come in and sit for a while?”
“...Of course, Lady Gloria.”
Kevit's mother paused, a weary, bitter smile touching her lips as she nodded slightly. The thick wooden door blocked the sunlight, casting Mrs. Maity completely in shadow. This made her verdant eyes, so much like Kevit's, seem much dimmer.
The woman, who appeared to be in a very poor state, stepped aside and extended a hand in a guiding gesture, kindly leading Gloria into her home.
For the past few days, aside from a few small-scale sneak attacks that had been successfully repelled, the fighting had been largely contained outside the town.
To protect the townspeople and provide a degree of defense, the Earth Mages Satrick had sent ahead constructed a temporary wall encircling the entire town. Thanks to Seaside Town's abundant magic, it was sturdier than anyone could have imagined. Before Gloria and her allies arrived, this wall had done an excellent job of repelling the first wave of forces gathered from the coastal towns, buying the reinforcements the maximum amount of time.
At the time, all the men of Seaside Town had joined the fight, defending the walls with bows, arrows, and other weapons. The women who remained at home were not to be outdone, taking on a series of crucial tasks such as crafting tools, providing food, and serving as substitutes when needed.
After several days, with not a single person shrinking from their duty, the townspeople had achieved remarkably significant combat effectiveness.
Afterward, once the coalition army arrived in Seaside Town, these brave warriors were personally integrated into various squads by Reginald to participate in the subsequent clashes against the Royal Knight Legion.
—And it was for this very reason that the news—that the leader of the enemy army attempting to invade their home was “Kevit, son of the Maity family”—spread like wildfire, becoming a shocking revelation known to all.
This was the reason Mrs. Maity looked as if she had aged a decade.
“Dear, have some tea.”
The lady of the house emerged from the kitchen and placed a cup before Gloria. “His Highness the Prince and His Grace the Duke have helped Seaside Town so much,” she said with affection. “My husband was among those defending the walls. He said that if you all hadn't arrived in time, we truly don't know how much longer we could have held on.”
As she finished, her voice was tinged with lingering fear.
“It was our duty, Madam,” Gloria said with a smile, taking a sip of tea. “As you know, Ruth is my fiancée—protecting her hometown is my undeniable responsibility.”
“Oh, yes... Ruth.” At the mention of Kelusta, Mrs. Maity blinked, and her tone lightened considerably. “To be honest, I still can't believe it. Our little Ruth is now a proper noble lady, through and through! It's truly astonishing!”
The silver-haired young woman watched the woman, whose face was filled with sincere delight, and remained silent for the moment.
“...I watched that child grow up. I even met Lady Ricana many times,” Mrs. Maity said, appearing quite cheerful, though her tone held a hint of fond exasperation. “Little Ruth never had a ladylike bone in her body. She played in the water, climbed trees—she missed nothing. A more perfect little rascal you couldn't find! Why, I still remember when she was five and smeared flower mud all over Kevit's face—”
The words died on her lips as if she'd been scalded by hot tongs. Mrs. Maity fell abruptly silent, the smile vanishing from her face without a trace.
She lowered her head, nervously wiping her fingers on her apron. “I'm so sorry, my lady...” she whispered. “I...”
“There's nothing to feel guilty about, Madam.”
Gloria set down her teacup and sighed softly. “Even Wend knows that Mr. Maity seizes every opportunity to apologize to the soldiers and townspeople. And Mrs. Sandy told me this morning, quite worried, that you have shut yourself in your home for five whole days. Is that correct?”
“...”
Mrs. Maity lowered her head, her short, silver-streaked hair obscuring her face. From Gloria's vantage point, all she could see were wet patches suddenly appearing on the brown apron.
Gloria pressed her lips together, handed her own clean handkerchief to the woman, and subtly adjusted her tone to its most gentle.
“Nearly everyone has been telling Mr. Maity, ‘This isn't your fault,’ or ‘I believe in Kevit. He must have his reasons’...”
She asked gently, “But why, respected Madam, can the two of you still not forgive yourselves?”
The woman before her fell into a long silence.
Gloria did not press her, but she kept her gaze fixed on Mrs. Maity, as if tenaciously awaiting an answer.
The old-fashioned clock on the wall ticked away, the sound jarringly loud in the silent room. After countless ticks, Mrs. Maity finally raised her head. She looked deep into Gloria's eyes and said sorrowfully, “...Kevit is our child, my lady.”
“Whether the townspeople forgive him or not, whether he truly has his reasons—since Kevit has done this, he has wronged the entirety of Seaside Town.”
“As his parents, we must carry this guilt,” the woman said, her voice firm despite her sobs. “Because no matter what, he is our only son.”
Gloria pressed her lips together, her eyes widening slightly.
The snow-white handkerchief Gloria had given her was now twisted into deep creases, a stark contrast to her apron, which was stained with stubborn patches of dirt. Her fingers, though slender, were rough from years of tending to flowers and plants, covered in the calluses and scars of hard labor. They hardly looked like a woman's hands.
And yet, it was these hands that had planted countless trees and shrubs, that had cultivated so many stunning flowers. This mother had not only used her diligence and wisdom to give her family a good life, but she had even opened the very first window of trade for the entirety of Seaside Town.
She loved her son deeply, and just as deeply, she loved the land where she had spent most of her life.
Gloria watched her for a long moment, then suddenly rose to her feet. Under Mrs. Maity's astonished gaze, she bent into a deep, solemn bow—a gesture of respect for this mother.
“For the sake of the greater good, I cannot reveal too much... but I can promise you this, Madam—”
She smiled faintly and said in a soft voice, “Please believe me, the final outcome will be one that all of us will find fulfilling.”
A few days later, at the Nobili Royal Palace.
Smack—!
The young, beautiful queen slammed the battle report to the floor. Her icy gaze fixed on the knight kneeling silently before her. “Seaside Town is a mere, ordinary town,” she said, her voice frigid. “Even with reinforcements helping them put up a desperate resistance, it shouldn't have taken nearly ten days without a breakthrough... Speak! What exactly went wrong?”
“Your Majesty, the army formed from the soldiers of the noble houses possesses unexpected combat prowess... Duke Silentdis and his two children are no easy opponents. Combined with the enemy's strategy of prioritizing defense over offense, we are finding it very difficult to break through Seaside Town's first line of defense—”
The knight, travel-stained and with a fresh cut on his face, was clearly just back from the battlefield. He did his best to explain the situation logically.
He kept his head bowed low, failing to notice that at his mention of the “duke's daughter,” a thick, dark mist had gathered in the eyes of the young woman on the throne. It was a gloomy, cold look that made her pale violet irises seem all the more savage.
“...Excuses.”
Her scarlet robes swept across the steps below the throne, the velvet casting shadows in the light. Starangui slowly walked to a stop before the knight. She looked down at him, her gaze as indifferent as if she were observing an ant.
“The Royal Knight Legion may be small, but they are an elite force personally selected by generations of rulers. They count among their ranks many excellent mages skilled in combat. Compared to the motley army of the Silentdis family, the difference is like that between heaven and earth.”
The white fur trim of Starangui's royal robe brushed unintentionally against the knight's hands, which were pressed flat against the floor. It felt like a passing touch from the Grim Reaper's scythe. A shiver ran through the battle-hardened man, and he instinctively lowered his head even further, not daring to meet the gaze of the young queen who had just taken the throne.
“With such an absolute advantage, the strength of the Silentdis family should be of no concern.” Starangui stopped pacing. Her eyes, cold and vigilant as a serpent's, narrowed as she sneered, as if spotting a flaw in her prey.
“Ten days... Even if that town were made of solid iron, there should have been some progress—”
“...”
Out of loyalty to his commander, the knight—who had concealed certain facts—buried his head even deeper, not daring to breathe.
Amid the silence, the queen's lips curled into a sudden sneer.
“I will go to the west coast myself.”
The knight's face paled in horror, and the servants standing nearby grew flustered. But the blonde young woman seemed not to notice. She unhurriedly re-fastened the clasp of her robe, as if oblivious to the bombshell she had just dropped, and announced coolly:
“I will render a clear judgment and assessment of my loyal Knight Commander, Kevit Maity.”
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