Interstellar Age

Chapter 161 Forgiveness Part II

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"Oh Erich, I have failed you as a mother...."

This remark caused Erika to bring up the real reason for her visit to Alemannia. However, she had come expecting to fail in her endeavors. After all, Krista was a woman who was deeply entrenched in the propaganda which the Empire force fed its citizens every day. So, convincing her to accept her son's abnormal relationships was a losing battle. Yet it was one that Erika had to undertake. Thus, she sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts.

"Krista.... I must confess. I didn't come all this way just to check up on you. The real reason for my visit today is so that I can convince yo to accept your son for who he is. If I am right about this, and Erich is being groomed for leadership.

Then it is entirely unlikely that he will ever repent for his sins, like you wish, and will instead only further continue with his exagamous relationships. If you continue to stubbornly wait for him to change, then you may forever be estranged with your son. And that only hurts the both of you. 

But if that's still not enough to convince you to forgive your son, then perhaps I can sway your mind by speaking from his perspective. It took me a long time to realize this, and it was mostly through the help of Ayumi and her aunt. But we as mutants face horrific recrimination by our society.

To put this in perspective, your son was expected to remain chaste, due to the color of his hair and eyes. While all of his peers were given wives to love and start families with, he was left alone. In addition to this, he was expected to die for the Empire, which is a society that had never shown him any kindness. 

The first woman to ever express any interest in Erich as a man was an alien, and because of this, he has a fondness for alien women that the rest of us consider to be abnormal. Not only does he have a fondness of alien woman but also a distrust of Germanic women.

From what I know, your son has been in relationships with three alien women and two of his own kind. Both of those two relationships with Germanic women ended badly for him, while the three relationships he had with alien woman left him with nothing but fond memories. 

I am trying to undo the damage which I am responsible for, or at the very least, mend it. But there is one other woman I know Erich was with, who he harbors great resentment for. I don't know the exact details of what happened between them, but she apparently betrayed him in some way, and he now has a difficult time trusting Germanic women because of it. Needless to say, this betrayal has done nothing but put our marriage at a disadvantage, not that it started out well to begin with....

Krista, your son loves you and misses you dearly. And if you can't find it in your heart to forgive him for his transgressions, even after hearing this, then you are not the woman I thought you were. And I am afraid I will be cutting you out of my life as well..." 

The mature blonde beauty sat in silence for a long time. She was clearly reflecting on Erika's words and trying to find a way to forgive her son for what she thought to be an unforgiveable betrayal of his species. But there was just one thing that Erika had said, which did not sit well with the woman. And thus, she was quick to ask for clarification on this matter. 

"Earlier you said that mutants like us face horrific discrimination by our society... Are you perhaps suggesting that you yourself are a mutant, like my son? Why have I never heard of this before?"

Erika remained silent as she slowly nodded her head in confirmation. She looked down at her own feet in fear of how Krista might respond to this sudden revelation. Few people knew this secret of Erika's, and she wanted to keep it that way.

But for Erich's sake, she had gone out of her comfort zone and admitted this heinous truth to a woman who seemed to beholden to the Germanic propaganda machine. Perhaps the only reason Krista had ever accepted Erich as a mutant was because he was her firstborn son. 

However, Krista surprised Erika with the gentle expression she wore on her stunning face. The woman even grabbed hold of Erika's hand and spoke words of comfort to her. 

"Oh you poor thing, I had no idea. You must have endured a lot in life, haven't you? Perhaps you really are the best girl for my son. Even if the idiot doesn't realize it himself!"

Erika was astonished. Aside from her own parents, everyone who knew her secret treated her with utter contempt after learning it. But perhaps it was because Krista had also mothered a mutant that she could have sympathy for Erika's situation.

Erika did not know why, but she immediately broke out into tears after hearing Krista's kindness. Perhaps out of guilt for the way she had treated Erich in the past, but Erika confessed her sins to her mother-in-law. 

"I haven't! I was sheltered from the difficulties that others like me have faced. Erich has been through so much, and I only added to his mental anguish, because I was jealous that a mutant could openly be who they are, and still receive the admiration of the public.

Meanwhile, I was forced to hide my identity and pretend like I was the same as everyone else. I said such spiteful things, and caused such a rift between us, because I tried to be like everyone else! Like I was always told to do..."

Erika then wiped the tears from her eyes while Krista hugged her tightly. Before pleading with the woman to accept her son, despite his taboo relationships with alien women. 

"If I can just get you and Erich back together, maybe he will finally forgive me...." 

Krista held Erika in her arms for a long time and thought about everything that had happened between her and her son ever since he first stepped foot outside her door to start his life as a man. Erich had broken the biggest taboo of their society, and his relationship with Ayumi was now out in the open for everyone to mock. Something that had brought shame to his entire family. 

But after listening to everything Erika had to say, including the part about Erich's perspective on the matter, Krista could not help but feel that she was partially to blame for this whole ordeal. Despite every fiber of her being telling her not to accept her son back into her life until he renounced his sinful ways.

Krista could see that by refusing to speak with her son, she was causing harm not only to the man himself, but also to those around him. Thus, she sighed heavily before voicing her thoughts aloud. And in doing so, finally accepting her son for who he was. 

"I really am a terrible mother...."