The lingering remnants of tension within the forest slowly faded as their footsteps led them further away from the scene of the incident. A gentle afternoon breeze swept through the branches, bringing a coolness that contrasted sharply with the violence that had just unfolded.
Throughout the journey back toward Argam City, a silence blanketed the three of them. However, it was not an awkward silence. Calian and Wolvin walked calmly side by side, while Elara stepped slightly ahead of them.
Beneath her stoic expression, the golden-haired woman's mind was working fervently. The incident with the former waiter, the condescending glares at the restaurant, and the whispers of the townsfolk on the streets, it was all undeniable proof of how rotten the Yornvast Empire's treatment of the beastfolk truly was.
Elara stole a glance at her son-in-law from the corner of her eye. Although Wolvin appeared calmer now thanks to Calian's protection, she knew the Night Wolf youth's spirit was being constantly tested. She did not want Wolvin, or her son, to live in eternal vigilance just because of the blind prejudices of men.
"Calian, Wolvin..." Elara called out suddenly, breaking the forest's quiet. Her pace slowed until she was walking level with them.
Both turned in unison. "Yes, Mother?"
Elara stared straight ahead at the path, which was beginning to be bathed in the golden light of the late afternoon sun. "After we finish our business at the city guild, the three of us are going somewhere." she said in a tone that brooked no argument, yet was steeped in tenderness. "There, no one will dare to discriminate against you as they do here, Wolvin."
Hearing that promise, Wolvin's black ears perked up slightly. His golden eyes instantly sparkled, radiating hope and pure happiness. He didn't care where they were going, as long as there were no more unpleasant gazes to endure.
However, Calian's reaction was somewhat different. The purple-haired youth's brow furrowed slightly. As someone accustomed to a life of isolation and calculated risks, his primary priority was his spouse's safety. Bringing Wolvin into a new human environment always carried the risk of the same rejection.
"Mother, are you truly certain Wolvin will be safe there?" Calian asked, his voice protective.
Elara turned, offering a reassuring smile she rarely showed to outsiders. "Of course I am certain!" she answered without a shred of doubt. "Because the place we are heading to is my homeland. There, the beastfolk are not slaves or second-class citizens. There are many beastfolk who live, mingle, and work there quite normally, just like any human."
Calian's stride nearly faltered. Wolvin was just as stunned.
"R-Really?" Wolvin chimed in, his enthusiasm suddenly skyrocketing. His black tail wagged gently, beyond his control. "I... I always thought you were from this Empire, Mother."
Elara's light laughter rang out melodiously, dispelling the last of the dark atmosphere around them. "Certainly not, Wolvin." Elara replied, continuing her graceful stride. "I am not a native of any territory within the Yornvast Empire. I met Maxwel while I was carrying out my duties accompanying the leader of my homeland as his personal bodyguard during a visit to this Empire's capital. It was from that chance encounter that we came to know each other."
Calian, her own flesh and blood, stared at his mother with unhidden shock. His jaw tightened slightly as he processed information that shattered what he had believed for over a decade.
"This is the first time I've learned such a significant fact about you, Mother..." Calian murmured, his voice low, caught between awe and a slight sense of disappointment at having been kept in the dark.
Sensing the turmoil in her son's heart, Elara stopped walking. She turned to face Calian, who was now nearly as tall as she was. Her gentle hand reached out, touching her son's hair with deep affection.
"Forgive me for never finding the right moment to tell you, sweetheart." Elara said, her voice soft and soothing. "Initially, I thought that information was no longer important, as I assumed we would live in that residence forever."
Elara took a deep breath, looking back and forth between Calian and Wolvin. "But in reality, fate had other plans. We have left that place and find ourselves here in this border city." Elara continued her setence. "Perhaps... now is the most appropriate time for me to tell you everything, so that Wolvin can live in peace and comfort with you."
Calian fell silent. His mother's logic was sound. In the past, surviving day-to-day in the West Pavilion was far more important than discussing family lineages or origins. He decided not to doubt her.
Still, a small prickle of annoyance remained in his heart.
"At the very least, please be open with me from now on, Mother." Calian lamented with a touch of irritation, though his eyes shone with deep care. "From this moment forward, you must tell me everything if you still hold secrets that deserve to be revealed. Am I not your son?"
Elara smiled, deeply moved. She stroked the side of her son's face with her thumb. "Yes, my son. I promise. But for now, our focus is to return to the city, collect the mission payment, and after that... we will go straight to my homeland using teleportation magic."
"Yes, Mother. Wherever it is, I will always follow you." Calian answered without hesitation. His irritation vanished, replaced by a sincere smile that revealed his neat teeth.
Seeing that genuine smile, a sight so rare on Calian's face during his years of exile, brought Elara an overwhelming sense of relief. Yet, at the same time, a dark guilt gnawed at her heart again. She felt deeply sinful for having stayed silent all those years, allowing her youngest son to suffer and live in loneliness since the age of five.
"Calian...?" Elara called again. This time, the firmness of a former royal guard vanished from her voice. Her tone trembled slightly, holding back surging emotions.
"Yes, Mother?" Calian looked at her inquisitively.
Elara swallowed hard, trying to push aside the remnants of her regret. "May I... when we arrive there, I want to pamper you? I want to make up for all my lost time and my helplessness in the past." she pleaded, her voice raspy.
Calian's heart warmed. He didn't need time to think.
"I would be more than happy to let you do that, Mother!" Calian answered firmly. A mischievous yet sweet idea crossed his mind. "Should I use my [Time Loop] to take the form of a five-year-old child again before you, so you can pamper me to your heart's content?"
Without answering her son's rhetorical question, Elara's defenses crumbled. The strong woman immediately pulled Calian into a very tight embrace. She buried her chin in her son's shoulder, gently stroking his purple hair as if she deeply missed the precious moments of raising Calian as a toddler.
Calian, held so tightly and with such warmth, immediately returned the embrace. His arms wrapped around Elara's back, giving a hug just as firm to convey the same longing.
"If we were in a private place right now, I would immediately change my form back into a little child just for you, Mother..." Calian whispered softly within his mother's arms.
Beside them, Wolvin stood frozen. His golden eyes didn't blink as he witnessed the emotional reunion between mother and son. His heart throbbed. On one hand, he was deeply moved to see his beloved husband finally receiving the affection he deserved.
However, deep within the recesses of his heart, a sliver of envy nipped at him. As a beastfolk who had spent most of his life on the run and in hiding, he desperately longed for the moment he might be held by a mother. He wanted to feel that warmth. He wanted to be in Calian's position.
But Wolvin quickly suppressed those feelings. Calian deserves this! he thought, forcing his lips into a sincere smile. My husband's happiness is my own happiness.
A moment later, Elara let out a long sigh and slowly released the hug. She wiped the slightly damp corners of her eyes, then looked at Calian's face before turning to Wolvin, who stood with an awkward smile.
Elara could read the radiance of longing in her son-in-law's golden eyes.
A playful yet affectionate smile formed on Elara's lips. "Let's get back to the city immediately!" she urged, her voice now far more cheerful and impatient. "I truly can't wait to get to my home. I'm going to pamper both of you as five-year-old boys to my heart's content!"
Wolvin's eyes widened. His wolf ears twitched in shock. "Both of us?" he squeaked in disbelief.
"Of course!" Elara laughed softly, stepping forward and stroking Wolvin's head with total tenderness, as if he were her own child. "Aren't you my son now, Wolvin?"
Hearing that blunt acknowledgement from his mother-in-law, the walls of Wolvin's emotional defenses shattered completely. A wave of extraordinary happiness crashed into his soul. In that very second, he felt like the luckiest beastfolk in the entire world for fate having brought him to Calian and Elara.
With great spirit, his golden eyes now truly tearing up with joy, Wolvin nodded vigorously, agreeing to his mother-in-law's invitation.
Because today, for the first time in his life, he had a complete family, and he could not wait to receive the warmth of a mother's love.