Chapter 450

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Chapter 450: Pumpkin and Meat Sauce

The next morning, Jesse arrived at the gates of Royal City. He followed a caravan, carriages, and a crowd of people entering through the gates, and made his way to the old craftsman district.

As he neared his home, he felt his heart beating faster and started to feel a bit unsure of himself.

What should he say?

Even though he had been thinking about this moment while on the ship to Southshore, he still couldn’t figure out why.

Walking on the muddy streets, Jesse arrived in front of the familiar small building. He looked up at the window’s color on the top floor, glanced back at the distant palace spire to confirm he hadn’t mistaken his home, and then knocked on the door.

After a while, the door creaked open, and Jesse took a deep breath, saying, "I’m back."

Henny looked at the boy in front of her, first she was surprised, then tears suddenly poured out.

She coughed and cried uncontrollably, unable to stand up straight, just trembling while leaning on the door frame, Jesse hurried in and hugged her tightly.

"Mom… I’m sorry."

The thin Henny held onto Jesse tightly and refused to let go, crying without words. Slowly, Jesse couldn’t help but cry too. The mother and son hugged and cried like this until Henny cried herself out, sighed and said, "Why are you apologizing."

"I almost lost my life…"

"At first, Vickers and I heard that you… died at the Dark Portal, do you know what Vickers said?"

Jesse shook his head.

"He said, ‘This is my son.’"

Jesse nodded, "I also think he would say that."

Henny couldn’t help but laugh, wiped away a tear, and said, "I may not be a hero myself, but at least I can be a hero dad, that’s what that darn bastard said…"

Hearing this, Jesse also chuckled and said, "Let him bask in the glory."

"Exactly…" Henny said, still holding onto Jesse tightly. "You’re too skinny, almost skinnier than me."

"I took down a demon officer, must pay some price, mom…"

Henny whispered, "He invaded our territory, he should pay the price, why should you pay a price? Since you’re back home, I will make sure you get what you deserve…"

"By the way," she suddenly looked up and asked, "Are you going back?"

"Going back."

"I knew it."

"I haven’t bought a house in Stormwind yet, don’t worry, mom, I’ve already saved up half the money."

"Halfway there?! What kind of reward or compensation?"

"Shouldn’t we receive compensation? By the way, did Terenas II give you any money?"

"No, but the king gave your father a sword," Henny said. "Ever since that elf came here and told us that you were still alive… he has been going to the city wall every day with that sword. Before this, he wouldn’t even touch that thing once."

Jesse nodded, then said, "I really can’t stay here for too long. After all, I am officially considered dead now. The longer I stay here, the more trouble it will cause, even for you all. But I promise you, within a year, at most two years, I will buy you a house in Stormwind that is at least… mid-range or better, and it will be in a good location."

Henny hugged Jesse again and said, "I just hope you are happy in the south, my Jesse."

The mother spent the whole afternoon chatting with her son, from the difficulties on the battlefield to the soldiers, all the way to Stormwind, and the experiences along the journey.

It seems like the whole Lordaeron continent knows about the Greymane Wall incident, and everyone thinks that the Kingdom of Gilneas is definitely going to leave the Alliance this time.

But after the battle at Nethergarde, the relationship between the elves and humans seemed to have become closer. The rumors about the elves leaving the Alliance seemed to have quieted down.

Jesse didn’t know what kind of role he played in all of this.

In the afternoon, he went to the market with his mother to buy some meat, vegetables, and cheese. They came back and he helped her make pumpkin meat sauce soup, which was one of Jesse’s favorite dishes.

In the kitchen, while stirring the soup in the pot, she asked, "Jesse, what’s the relationship between Vereesa Windrunner and Lady Alleria from the expedition army?"

Jesse was surprised and asked, "How do you know about her?"

"I have been to Brill," Henny glanced back at her son who was peeling garlic and said, "I saw your… um, tombstone there."

"She is Alleria’s sister," Jesse said.

"How do you know those elves?" Henny turned around and asked.

"It’s just a coincidence," Jesse said, "I met them in Dalaran, there are many things… hard to explain for now."

"Is that elf good-looking?" Henny smiled and said, "The elf ambassador who came to tell us you were safe that day was very beautiful."

Jesse gave her a side glance and said, "Not as beautiful as you."

"What you’re saying sounds really nice," Henny glanced at the oven, raised an eyebrow and said, "But, if I could go back twenty years to when I was a teenager, before you were born, who knows what might have happened…"

Jesse sighed and added the garlic into the boiling pot, saying, "Don’t make me feel even more guilty, Mom."

"I’m just kidding with you," Henny said.

Suddenly, the door banged open and Vickers walked in, saying, "I’m back, Henny. The smell in the house is amazing, pumpkin meat sauce soup? Are you trying to impress Jesse Seso?"

He looked inside and saw Jesse standing at the doorway.

"Ha!" Vickers laughed and said, "I knew it, I just knew it!"

He ran over and grabbed Jesse’s arm, giving it a firm squeeze, saying, "You don’t quite look like the hero I imagined, a bit slim, Jesse, but still strong."

"Look at the sword given to you by the old king," he quickly pulled out the long sword with a blue handle and a golden hilt from his waist, it was clearly engraved with a scepter and the symbol representing Lordaeron.

Jesse could see that this symbol was slightly different from the flag of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, it was the emblem of the Menethil royal family.

"Jesse, you’re really amazing," Vickers said, putting his hand on Jesse’s shoulder. "I don’t know how I raised you, I feel like I didn’t teach you much growing up. But you’ve grown into who you are now, truly impressive."

"Dad," Jesse said, "You taught me hunting, how to evade wild beasts… remember? I can remember so much all at once."

"But I never taught you how to battle demons," Vickers said.

Now, Henny brought the meat soup to the table, and then brought a plate of sliced bread, smiling as she said, "Let’s eat and chat, gentlemen!"

"Thank you, Henny."

Vickers sat down, poured the meat sauce soup onto Jesse’s plate, then onto Henny’s plate, and then he broke a piece of pumpkin meat to put on his bread.

"I missed you, Jesse. When I heard news of your accident from the south, at first, I couldn’t believe it was really you."

"I’m sorry, Dad," Jesse said, looking at his plate.

"Why bring up such unhappy things during dinner," Henny said sternly.

"I’m sorry, dear, I wasn’t criticizing Jesse." Vickers looked at Henny and then at Jesse, asking, "Do you think I was complaining about your decision, Jesse Seso? Do you think I believe you shouldn’t stand up and face those terrible demons, even risking… your own life?"

Henny bowed her head in silence, quietly eating the minced meat from the plate, as if she already knew what Vickers wanted to say.

"When I was young," Vickers dipped some bread in pumpkin soup and put it in his mouth, saying, "probably around your age, not much older, I used to go on missions from Durnholde to Hinterlands."

"Once we encountered a troll, of course, although Arathor defeated the troll, they never actually left the highlands and Hinterlands, they even sometimes came to Hillsbrad to cause trouble, I may have never mentioned this to you."

"I know," Jesse nodded.

"Well, as a mage now, you should know," Vickers continued, "back then I traveled with two companions, one in front riding a horse suddenly got shot through the head by an arrow, fell to the ground, screaming like a wild boar, that was my first encounter with a troll, when the horse fell, I didn’t even know what had happened."

"The other person shouted about the troll, told me to turn back, I panicked… I was scared, I made a decision. And then, I watched in horror as the troll laughed and cut off his head to show me, Jesse, but all I did was yell at the horse to run faster, I did nothing else."

"Over twenty years have passed, I’ve forgotten the name of the castle owner, I’ve forgotten what the orders were at the time, but I still regret, regret not rushing in to fight those two monsters."

"There are many things in this world worth risking your life to protect, if one day those cavalry in red cloaks, carrying raised fist banners, come here and try to harm Henny, even if it’s Stromgarde’s own Danath leading them, I would not hesitate to grab a sword and charge in for a deadly battle, to personally test this Trollbane, Jesse."

"This might not sound like something a father should say to his son, but I fully support the decision you made back then, as long as you understand what you are trying to protect, as long as you understand… I know you understand, I know you have always been this kind of child since you were young."

Vickers cleared his throat and lifted a piece of meat with his hand, tilting his head back to put it in his mouth.