OBS Chapter 198 : Sella
Chapter 198 : Sella
Chapter 198: Sella
The road out of the kingdom was smooth.
That was because a shortcut had been drawn on the map Aelin had made while staying in the kingdom.
“Her skills are impressive. When did she even make something like this.”
It took only thirty minutes to reach the surface.
It took far less time than when they had entered.
Even if it was the Dwarves’ domain, this was still unmistakably an Uncharted Area.
After walking for about an hour while dealing with Monsters that suddenly sprang out—
He arrived at the coordinates Taironi had given him.
“Is anyone there?”
Had he taken the wrong path?
In a place that was no different from a barren field, he checked the parchment once more.
“This should be the right place.”
He knocked on the ground for no reason and circled the area, digging around to see if there was anything suspicious.
“Don’t tell me I came all this way for nothing.”
When he leaned against a nearby rock to cool his head—
His backside suddenly sank downward.
As if he had been sitting on an iron bar and rotated 180 degrees.
When he came to his senses, the place he had just been standing in had vanished without a trace.
Instead, a yard filled with flowers and a single log cabin lay before his eyes.
“Magic? I don’t sense any Demonic Energy….”
Smoke billowed from the chimney as if someone was lighting the hearth.
“I have no idea what’s going on.”
He briefly gauged whether there were any Monsters nearby, but nothing caught his senses.
After staring blankly at the firewood smoke escaping through the chimney, he approached the log cabin.
Knock knock.
“Is anyone inside?”
There was no response.
When he knocked again, the door slowly opened on its own.
“I’m coming in.”
He stepped inside with his sword gripped tightly, prepared for any unforeseen situation.
The warm air added a cozy atmosphere to the interior.
Sunlight streaming in through the window settled gently into every corner of the room.
By the fireplace, a woman sat in a rocking chair with her eyes closed.
It was strange.
Even though he had never seen her before, she felt familiar, as if they had met.
Even though they had not exchanged a word, it felt as though she was warmly welcoming him.
Perhaps she was in her thirties.
Her face, illuminated by the firelight, was not flamboyant but graceful.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
She opened her eyes and greeted Robin as though she knew him.
“Taironi sent you, didn’t he? It’s nice to meet you.”
“Do you know me?”
“Of course I do. You were my son’s friend.”
Her son’s friend?
He had no idea who she was referring to.
“My name is Sella. I’m Jeremy’s mother.”
“Pardon…?”
“This is our first time meeting face to face, but I’ve been watching over you for a long time.”
It felt as though the back of his head had been struck hard; his mind rang.
A companion of the heroes of the past and the founder of the Memorial Halls spread across the Continent.
He had heard that name many times, but this was the first time he had heard she was Jeremy’s mother.
“Y-You’re Jeremy’s mother…?”
“You must be confused. Have a cup of tea.”
Sella brought over the kettle that had been boiling by the fireplace and poured him some tea.
The aroma of the steaming tea was fragrant.
Of course, Robin was in no state to leisurely savor it.
Uncharacteristically flustered, he found himself unable to speak.
“I’m glad Taironi is safe. You played a big role. I wanted to thank you.”
“N-No, it’s nothing….”
Pull yourself together.
Robin slapped both cheeks with a sharp smack.
“Oh my, why are you suddenly slapping your cheeks?”
“That you are the Sella. And that you are Jeremy’s mother… can you prove it?”
“Ah, I got ahead of myself out of joy at meeting you. Very well. Ask me anything.”
“Who were the companions you traveled with in the past?”
It had turned into the atmosphere of an interrogation, but Sella answered without minding.
“The devout Floren, the pillar Austin, the unyielding Gunrad of the Barbarian Tribe, the Elf archer Elicia, Spirit Mage Lexus, the master craftsman Taironi. And to you, more familiarly known as Proprietor Burt—the Mercenary King Harold.”
“How long did the battle against the Demon King last?”
“We fought fiercely for a month. When the end was finally in sight, there was a crisis, and Harold lost his left leg. All of us owe him our lives.”
It matched the story he had heard from Taironi.
She was indeed the Sella he had only known through records.
“One more thing… please tell me about Jeremy….”
“If he had lived, he would have been an eighteen-year-old young man by now. He was my son, but far more clever than a child his age should have been. That tragedy happened because I failed as a mother. Before we parted, I entrusted him with a locket and a pocket watch….”
Everything Sella said matched exactly with the Jeremy Robin knew.
Robin pulled out the locket he always carried from his chest.
When Sella saw the locket containing a strand of blond hair, she gave a sorrowful smile.
“Yes. That is the locket.”
“…….”
“Why is that?”
Thud!
Robin dropped to his knees and pressed his head to the floor.
“I’m sorry. Jeremy died because of me.”
He could not bring himself to meet her eyes.
What could he possibly say to the mother of the friend who had died trying to save him?
He would willingly accept any anger directed at him.
“Stand up.”
“Are you forgiving me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive. Why would that be your fault?”
Sella gently stroked Robin’s head.
It was a touch filled with comfort and pity.
“Do you believe now who I am?”
“Yes. Jeremy’s mother……. May I call you Aunt…?”
“Call me Sella comfortably.”
He hesitated at her words telling him to call her by name.
If she was Jeremy’s mother, then she should have been around the same age as Robin’s own parents……
Noticing Robin’s gaze, Sella smiled faintly.
“Do I look young? I’ve been in a place where the flow of time is different, so this is what happened.”
“Are you referring to the Extreme Region?”
“That’s right. I’m older than I look. Didn’t Proprietor Burt look barely in his forties at most?”
Sella was right.
Come to think of it, the Human–Demon War had broken out far longer ago.
If that was true, it made him even more reluctant to call her by name, but Sella did not back down.
“Alright. Then… Sella, if someone who has never appeared until now has revealed herself, you must have a purpose. Why did you call me here?”
“You’re quick-witted. There must be many things you want to ask me. Don’t you want to hear them?”
“If it’s the truth the Emperor concealed, I already heard it from Taironi. Of course, I have many other questions… but is there something you wish to tell me?”
As if there was no need to rush, Sella took a sip of tea.
He had not intended to drink it, but as Sella took her time savoring the aroma, he brought it to his lips.
The green tea, carrying a hint of honey, went down smoothly.
“Harold. Or rather, Proprietor Burt told me. The promise Jeremy made. Do you still keep it in your heart?”
“Yes. The dream of becoming Adventurers together. To explore the Uncharted Area, find treasures, and live freely.”
“I see…….”
After finishing the remaining tea in her cup, Sella opened her mouth.
“Consider that dream as if it never existed.”
“Pardon……?”
“You said it was Jeremy’s last wish. That’s why you must have carried it like a heavy debt in your heart all this time. I wanted to tell you not to do that anymore.”
“It’s not only because of my promise with Jeremy. There are still things I haven’t achieved, and I also want to reach higher places.”
“This is not a request.”
Clack.
As Sella set down her teacup, the atmosphere changed.
The once cozy interior was instantly filled with pressure.
It felt like Killing Intent with the Bloodlust removed.
When Sella looked at him expressionlessly, Robin could not even twitch a finger.
“I don’t want anyone connected to that child to die anymore. That is my wish. And to see you, who were closest to him, willingly step into danger… I cannot bear it.”
“What do you mean…….”
Creak. Creeeak.
The dense pressure vanished as if being sucked out through the door.
A drop of cold sweat slid down from the tip of his chin as he inhaled sharply.
“Jeremy’s father. Do you know who my husband was?”
“Who was he?”
“Paleon Terrinos. The son of the current Emperor and the unfortunate Crown Prince who is now missing.”
Sella gently caressed the blond strand of hair inside the locket.
“Paleon was a kind man, but there was no way a common woman like me would have pleased the Emperor.”
“Then… does that mean Jeremy was the Emperor’s grandson……?”
“Our happy days were far too short. He returned to the Imperial Family for the sake of me and Jeremy… and that was the last I saw of him.”
At the successive shocking revelations, Robin became like a chick with honey in its mouth.
“So I decided to bring down the Imperial Family.”
“Are you saying you intend to start a rebellion?”
Sella gave a slight nod.
“I cannot tell you in detail, but in any case. I recently obtained a list of individuals the Imperial Family has been watching, and your name was on it.”
“M-Me?”
“You’ve made quite a name for yourself in Narvik. I heard you became a Gold-Ranked Adventurer in the shortest time.”
Why was the Imperial Family watching Robin?
Was it to keep a rising Adventurer in check?
Because of the previous accusation of being a Rebel?
Had they discovered that he wore a mask in the capital and fought a Knight Commander?
“The closer you get to the Demon Realm, the less the Imperial Family will leave you alone. Once you reach that point, you’ll learn what the truth really is.”
“I already heard the truth from Taironi.”
“It hasn’t been made public yet. You would do well to keep your mouth shut. And there is a world of difference between a Gold-Ranked Adventurer knowing it and an Adventurer who has returned alive from the Demon Realm knowing it.”
In the end, it was to silence them.
The Emperor feared that it would be revealed that it was not his army that had driven back the Demon King.
“If you think no Adventurer returns from the Demon Realm solely because of survival difficulty, you’re mistaken. The Emperor has deliberately eliminated those who questioned the history he wrote.”
“That’s even possible……?”
“Do not underestimate the Imperial Family that has ruled the Empire for hundreds of years.”
Robin barely restrained himself from tearing at his hair.
He was too confused.
It was because information that was difficult to accept had been thrust upon him all at once.
“Jeremy suffered greatly before he could even speak, so I told him many exaggerated stories. About finding an Artifact that could let him meet his father, about freedom and romance in the Uncharted Area. It was to give him hope. You don’t need to keep those words for him as well.”
“But…….”
“Abandon the goal of going to the Demon Realm. And the thought of hunting the Demon Tribe out of revenge. None of it will benefit you in the slightest.”
Sella poured tea into her empty cup and blew on it before drinking.
After pondering what to say, Robin finally managed to voice his thoughts.
“I’ve just heard something incredible.”
“I wanted to hide it from you as well if possible, but you don’t seem like the type to give up easily.”
Only the sound of tea being sipped broke the silence between them.
Robin fell into deep thought for a long time.
Sella waited calmly.
After prolonged contemplation, Robin opened his mouth.
“You said this wasn’t a request.”
“I hope you’re not too upset.”
“Even if you say that… it means you intend to bend my will, even by force, doesn’t it?”
Sella did not deny it.
She merely sipped her tea, but that was answer enough.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do that.”
“That is unfortunate.”
“What will you do now?”
“There are several methods, but the most moderate one would be to remove your name from the Adventurers’ Guild.”
“That’s too much. How about this. If I refrain from going to the Demon Realm and steadily build my strength… if I become so strong that no one would dare covet me… then would you reconsider?”
“No. No matter how strong an individual becomes, they cannot defeat a group.”
“Then let me join you. As a member of the group you lead.”
Sella was about to refuse without a moment’s hesitation.
Robin, having anticipated that, added—
“If my sword touches you even once, please consider it one more time.”
“My heart will not change.”
“Wouldn’t it be a heavy blow if I reported that I met the leader of The Hand of Liberation?”
Sella set down her teacup and erased her smile.
The air grew heavy, though not as before.
“You’re clever. Are you negotiating by taking advantage of the fact that I cannot kill you?”
“You don’t have to promise to grant my request. I simply want to show you.”
“Show me what?”
“I’ve grasped a sense of how to use my Domain.”
“Haah, you resemble Harold in that you don’t listen even when given advice.”
Sella rose from the rocking chair.
When she flung the door wide open and gestured with her head, Robin followed behind her.
“I’ll go easy on you, but stop if it seems you’ll get hurt.”
“I’ll go all out.”
Shing.
As the two swords were gripped in Robin’s hands, they emitted Red Fighting Spirit.
Recalling the Domain Taironi had displayed three days ago—
Robin swung his swords, imbued with his own stature.