Commander Bolton’s ex-wife was named Matilda, apparently. Once we left the inn, we split up into groups to ask around about her.
We had to leave the next morning, so it would be a race against time—or so we thought. Much to our surprise, we managed to find his family’s whereabouts almost right away. They were living in a house in Randolph City’s low-density residential area. As soon as we got the exact location from the pub patron we were talking to, we decided to head there.
The commander was fidgety the entire way there—no doubt he was nervous about seeing his family again.
“Quit actin’ like some kinda teenage boy!” Spinoza grumbled. “I’m curious, though, what are you gonna do if your wife an’ kid say they want you back?”
“Huh?!” Commander Bolton exclaimed, his voice unsteady.
“I said if, dumbass,” Spinoza responded with a grin. “You gonna quit your job as Commander of the Guard Corps and move to Randolph?”
He stayed silent for a moment before speaking. “It ain’t gonna happen to begin with.”
Rows of stone houses were lined up on either side of the road. Based on the style of the houses and the clothing of the people walking around, it appeared to be a middle-class neighborhood.
At least his family wasn’t living in poverty. When he realized that fact, a look of relief washed over the commander’s face.
“Their house should be at the end of this alley,” Fam said.
We walked down the dimly lit alley that ran between houses. After a while, we saw a street ahead. Just as we were about to make our way there, Commander Bolton stopped in his tracks.
His eyes went wide, and he let out a gasp. “That’s...”
He was staring at a figure standing in the road at the end of the alley—a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties. We could see her profile as she chatted with a young girl. They were both wearing clothing made of nice fabric.
“Matilda... Kina...”
The commander murmured his ex-wife’s name as if he were in some kind of trance.
That could’ve only meant one thing: those two must’ve been his wife and daughter.
“Kina, you’ve gotten so big...” he whispered.
Then, as if reflecting upon the passage of time, a bitter smile came to his face.
“Of course you have. It’s been over ten years. But boy, you sure do have that strong-willed look about you—just like your mother.”
As he said that, Commander Bolton stared at the two of them, his gaze full of affection. We were seeing something he would normally never show to anyone while working as Commander of the Guard Corps: his fatherly side.
“Go out there and see them, Commander!” Seira urged.
“...Right.”
With a determined nod, he headed toward the street at the end of the alley.
But just then, something happened.
“Ah! Dad! You’re late!”
As soon as he heard that, the commander froze.
His daughter, Kina, had called out toward a part of the road we couldn’t see from our position in the alley. She had a huge smile on her face and was waving her hand—but she wasn’t looking at Commander Bolton.
“Sorry about that!”
Suddenly, a man came trotting hurriedly out of the aforementioned blind spot. The tall, slender fellow wore glasses, and he had a gentle, intellectual air about him.
“Are you done with work already, dear?”
“It’s family dinner night, so I left early!”
Upon hearing the man with glasses say that, Matilda smiled happily.
“All right, shall we go?” she said.
Taking each other’s hands, the three of them began walking down the road, chatting away happily.
Commander Bolton stood there in the shadowy alley, watching the scene unfold.
“So your wife remarried, then...” Fam spoke in a hushed voice.
“Commander...” Seira stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.
“Oh... Huh. Well, uh, don’t let it get ya down, boss!” Spinoza said in an awkward attempt to cheer him up.
“You guys...” After a short period of silence, the commander turned to us. “Thanks.”
“Huh?”
“I’m glad you brought me here.”
“But...” Seira began.
“I was really worried, to tell the truth. A woman without a husband moved all the way out here, just her and her daughter—if they had been struggling to live this whole time, I don’t know what I woulda done. But it looks like I had nothing to worry about.” He gave a slight smile. “Look at that. You see their faces? They look happy as clams, no two ways about it. And I can tell that guy cares a lot about them both.”
“So you’re not gonna go see them before we leave?” I asked.
“It’s not my place to butt in. I’d just get in the way,” Commander Bolton said. “Now, starting tomorrow, I can start puttin’ my nose to the grindstone at work again—to protect the peace of this world so those three can keep living happy lives. That’s the one thing I can still do as a father.”
There were no traces of regret left on his face; he was in high spirits, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Even long after they had separated, he still wished for his family’s happiness.
The commander watched the family of three walk happily off into the distance. He stood there endlessly, staring at them all the way up until they finally disappeared from sight.