Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 117 - A Missing Mother

It was a rainy day.

The war with Kaslavna had just ended, and though the empire somehow managed to emerge victorious against the much larger northern nation, the effects of the war had still been felt throughout the entirety of the country.

Of course, the changes hit the commoners the hardest. Unlike the nobility who had amassed fortunes to soften the economical blow that always followed war, the commoners had no such luxuries and it would take months, if not years for the country's economy to recuperate from the losses that it suffered.

While the Revelo duchy was by no means poor, it wasn't a particularly affluent territory either, nor did it earn many accolades during the war unlike the Castellia duchy which bordered the invading nation's territory. Thanks to that, relief and support from the capital came not in a steady stream, but in small bursts that were barely enough to keep the commoners afloat.

Of course, some of the nobles who governed fiefs attempted to use their own private resources in an effort to support their citizens, but such generosity was not widespread nor was it common. Instead, many commoners and the cities that they inhabited were simply left to fend for themselves.

Orinth was one such city. Once a bustling metropolis that owed its fame and fortune to its iron mines that were vital to the war effort. However, with the war over and peace treaties established, their most valuable import was grain. While there would always be a market for iron, its demand had fallen precipitously, and there would be little difference even if it hadn't. After all, Orinth's iron veins were now completely depleted.

Henri trudged through the unkempt streets tiredly. Just weeks ago, the streets of Orinth had been busy and bustling, but now the city was nothing more than a ghost town. Anyone with a modicum of funds had already moved out a month ago, including his own parents. Everything had happened so quickly, he'd barely had the time to process it.

When the war ended, Henri expected to greet his father at last, but all he received was a letter describing his father's courageous achievements and contribution to the country. Accompanying that letter was a bag of silver coins. It was a hefty sum for a commoner, but it couldn't replace the father he'd lost.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be able to replace the mother he'd soon lose either. Within a matter of weeks, Henri's mother had found a new man in another city, abandoning Henri with nothing more than a few silver coins. It was only thanks to those coins that he could continue eking out a miserable existence in this miserable city.

That day, Henri decided he had enough. Without ambition, pride, or even just a family, he could no longer retain his desire to live. He held a dagger in his hands as he made his way back home, a freshly sharpened and polished blade that he'd bought with the last few coins he owned.

Today's the day... Henri resolved. Today's the day that I finally free myself from this damn world.

Though destitute, Orinth had not yet become unpopulated. A few other individuals still wandered the streets along with Henri, and though they witnessed a child carrying a too-large dagger, they thought nothing of it outside of passing curiosity. After all, the people who'd been forced to stay in Orinth no longer cared about lives other than their own.

The door to Henri's home swung open silently as usual, its hinges barely even producing a creak. He bit his lip, the lack of sound reminding him of the peaceful past he once had. They'd bought this house a few years earlier back when his father still drew breath. Back when the city still flourished and promised a bright future.

But that hope had died along with his father, passing into the great beyond and never to return.

Closing the door behind himself, Henri stepped into the dark interior of the house and found his breath growing short as he made his way to the living room and raised the dagger to his chest. His gasps came ragged, and his hands trembled fiercely as he struggled to make the first real choice in his life.