Weeks later in the Acessentia Sea, the ships docked into Port Silic and began unloading their cargo. Elizabeth shivered as she wrapped herself in a scarf. It was close to October now and the winterly winds were beginning to blow in from the north. Unknowingly, she almost spent two months in the Alzar Kingdom. Two months since the nightmare on New Havens. Two months since her family perished tragically. Wind whipped up her crimson hair as her gaze faced the sky, as if imagining New Havens was there, waiting for her return. How great would it be if she could return to those times? But fate was cruel. She let out a deep emotional breath, carrying her grief into the wind. Around her, people were moving in crowds, bustling through the docks, the streets, the houses, and the world beyond. People continued living. She was but one person in this vast and boundless world.
"Did I really make the right choice?" Elizabeth wondered.
"Tell me, you're not really a Grand Noble, are you?" Shirley teased from aside.
"I really am from the Hawken Household!" Benedict cried pitifully. "I already showed you my family's insignia. What else can I do to prove it?"
"Hmph! There's no way you can be one of those great knights! Tell me, what's your relationship with Elizabeth? Travelling all the way from Corasen to here, there has to be something, right?"
"There's nothing between us," he adamantly denied.
Elizabeth felt her mood lighten up hearing such bantering. During this time, Elizabeth introduced Shirley to Benedict, and they turned like so. Elizabeth was inwardly thankful for the two of them for being with her. It was like a small glimmer of light in her otherwise gloomy world. The three grabbed their few belongings and disembarked. Elizabeth practically leaped in joy noticing her stomach was happy now on solid ground. No more vomiting throughout the day and night!
Port Silic was a monster comparable to the provincial capitals. As one of the key port cities located in the Acessentia Sea, it was the center of commerce, much like Nightwin. The harbour was abuzz with hundreds of ships from dinky little fishing boats to monstrous warships, all trying to anchor. Elizabeth noticed that there was an abundance of military warships and soldiers were plentiful here. In fact, roughly one out of four people was a soldier. The ship that they took to get here was also a Quinvoren warship, which was why Shirley could get on. Otherwise, the cost of a trip between Corasen and Port Silic would have drained a person's pockets easily.
The streets were tight and with the dense crowds, it made the three bump shoulders into others often. Elizabeth was, of course, extremely uncomfortable. Having her personal space invaded so frequently made her skin crawl. They were on their way to the city's military headquarters where Shirley needed to register herself. Transferring between armies meant an entire change in personnel, which naturally meant that Shirley would be reassigned to a new squadron. According to what they heard, the army gathering in Port Silic led under General Illion Doro would be a massive one. Anyone could tell that a storm was beginning to brew in the north.
Meanwhile, Benedict was in an awkward position. Before he left Corasen, he had explained his arrival in Corasen with the help of Commander Christina. He was supposed to return to Fortress Fallinard and resume his duties, but through a series of poor decision-making, he ended up here. The patience in his family was already wearing thin and this might be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Needless to say, Benedict was beginning to regret his choices. He cursed his weak-mindedness. He walked, half-absorbed in his own thoughts, and crashed into someone, sending dozens of papers flying into the air.
"Watch where you're going! Do you have any idea what you've just done?" they yelled from the ground. "Apologize right now!"
The shouter was a youth, with short black hair and dark brown eyes that burned with fury. He was skinny and had a scholarly appearance. Against Benedict's tempered body, he fell easily. His clothes were simple, a plain white shirt and dark brown pants, covered with a thin black cloak. On the back was the symbol of the Zino Kingdom, a golden dragon. By the looks of it, Elizabeth figured they were a soldier, much like Shirley and Benedict.
"Hmph. You could say the same thing about yourself, no?" Shirley argued. "If you were paying attention as well, this wouldn't have happened."
"What did you say? Look at the result! He's unharmed while all my documents are scattered and I'm on the ground. Clearly, the fault goes to him," he growled.
"She didn't mean it," Elizabeth tried to placate by helping up the boy.
He dusted off the grime and mud from his uniform before turning his attention over to Benedict. "You there! You haven't said a single thing. Are you deaf?"
Benedict laughed hollowly before saying weakly, "Sorry about that. It was my fault."
"That's better." The boy's anger subsided slightly. "What's your name?"
"Sir Benedict Hawken…" he said slowly before seeing the boy's expression twist hideously.
"You're a Hawken?" the boy stammered while murmuring curses. Just his luck! To run into a Grand Lord here of all places! He hesitated over running or standing his ground, but the crowds nearby heard the commotion. When the name Hawken dropped, everyone created space as their own heated whisperings broke out.
"Did you hear that? It's a Hawken…"
"A Grand Lord? What is a Grand Lord doing in the streets? Is he intentionally making trouble?"
"Don't say that so loudly! You know what they say, Grand Lords are merciless!"
"That boy is probably done for. Insulting a Grand Noble is asking for a death wish," they sighed.
Everyone collectively had the opinion that he was dead. How many times have they witnessed the same scene unfold? Not all Grand Nobles were righteous. Some liked to openly flaunt their power and abuse others. Port Silic was a big place. Stories like this were common. As the commotion grew, more and more people gathered around to express their sympathy silently. However, not a single person was foolish enough to intervene. Right now, the boy was really scared speechless. Benedict was equally as speechless. He never had any ill intentions, but the situation developed to such an extent. This was one of the many reasons why he never liked telling anyone he was a Grand Noble…
"Great Knight here, let me through!" someone shouted, parting the dense crowd. A fully armored knight pierced his way into the commotion with a small squadron of High Knights behind. After hearing the Hawken name, he rushed here as soon as possible.
"Is that you, Lorenzo?" Benedict asked stunned before copying the boy's fearfulness.
"Huh?" the Great Knight replied. "Little brother? Why are you here?" Using the High Knights and his authority, he dispelled the crowds and scolded his brother, "You have a lot to explain…"