“General! There is something on the side of the road!” A man in a silver set of armor urged his horse forward coming to a stop next to a formidable looking man.

“Hmm?” The general turned towards the man who had just spoke, Reerim; his gaze causing an almost imperceptible shiver throughout his Captain’s body.

Truly imposing. No matter how often I am with general Richards I just can’t seem to grow used to his aura.  Thinking this, Reerim couldn’t help briefly pondering over his formidable leader. Richards Lang was the general of the seven-hundred seventy-seventh division at the age of thirty and was reputed as the most powerful of the current generals within the army. As a paladin of the eighth stage reputed to be capable of destroying an army of a thousand singlehandedly, this reputation was well deserved. Out of the six great martial vocations, it was widely agreed upon that the holy knights, the paladins, were the strongest and most fearsome. Well…except for the assassin’s guild who kept to themselves and rarely made appearances. Perhaps no one but the assassins themselves could accurately judge their true strength.

“Captain Reerim.”

Realizing his thoughts had drifted off, Reerim was started out of his reverie. “Yes General?”

“What did you wish to bring to my attention?” The general’s golden eyes were firm and indifferent like a wolves’ staring at Reerim awaiting his reply.

“Ah! Yes, General, my apologies.” A bead of sweat slipped down under Reerim’s helmet as he once again felt that iron-like gaze. Truly too formidable. He pointed at a small lump on the side of the road. On the right of the road just to the side of the General was what looked to be a bundle of cloth. Usually, this would not have merited any attention from the Captain but what stood out about this particular bundle of cloth was that,

“It was moving General.”

No change was seen in the General’s expression, but those who knew him well would have guessed that his curiosity had been aroused. Though he was a powerful general and an eighth stage paladin possessing huge amounts of restraint and self-control over his emotions, he had a curious nature by heart and was thus led to walking his horse slowly toward the little bundle. However, even though he was curious he had already tensed slightly; preparing to act at any sign of danger. For in the past month the General and his division had traveled to the outer area belonging to the Fell race.

The Fell were fierce and dangerous creatures that constantly kept the Human race on high alert. Living in neighboring lands, conflicts often arose and raids such as the one General Richards had led were commonplace. The Fell were creatures of the Dark while Humanity were beings blessed by the light goddess. Stories told that once Humans and the Fell were of the same race but were split becoming two differing races, yet these old legends were unverified and unclear as to how this separation occurred so little faith was put in them.

Regardless of their origin, what was known for certain was that the Fell possessed many different clans which all held certain innate attributes and abilities. Some were incredibly strong or fast while some were capable of changing form becoming anything they wished granting it didn’t surpass or retract from their real overall mass.

This is what concerned General Richards the most and led to him being cautious regardless of how harmless this little bundle seemed to be.

Stopping by the bundle and looking down, the General felt one eyebrow subconsciously go up in surprise as his guard was all but dropped.

Two dark, limpid eyes stared back at him curious and unafraid as the General dismounted his coal-black horse and picked up the little cloth bundle holding it in his arms. Turning to look again at those deep emerald eyes, he scrutinized what he had recovered. A baby of likely no more than six months lay in his arms looking back at him making no sound. Covered in dirt and grime and quite thin, it looked rather pitiful but seemed completely calm.

I wonder just how many passed by this child as they rode? It looks as though it has been there for days at least thought General Richards, how had beasts not already consumed it? For certainly, while this was a road of some quality that the Division was following, it was far enough from any real settlements to make beast attacks a common concern for a typical merchant caravan; much more so for an abandoned child.

Looking down at the child he once more felt pity. Attempting to rub off some of the dirt from around its face, General Richards touched his thumb to his tongue using the subsequent moisture to rub around the child’s eyes.

At this the baby reacted, still making no sound but expressing its displeasure by firmly gripping General Richard’s thumb.

“Strong grip!” General Richards exclaimed in surprise. For such a thin, weak looking child the strength of its tiny fingers could only be called unexpected.

“General,” Captain Reerim called, “what have you discovered?” It must be understood that up to this moment, Richards had his back facing his troops.

Turning around, he gave Reerim and the front-most troops a look at what he had found to which many released sighs of mild surprise.

“What should we do with it General?” inquired Reerim.

Richards again looked into the child’s bright eyes and came to a decision, “Someone get me a sling for it.”

At this the nearby troops looked at each other at a bit of a loss. Where were they going to find a sling for a baby in a military division? At the same moment one of the soldiers removed a thick, long piece of soft leather from his saddle and proceeded to cut it into two strips with one much longer than the other. He then removed two buckles from his pack as well which were originally intended as extras should the ones on the saddle break and looped the leather through it fashioning a make shift sling. He then did the same to the shorter piece of leather looping it around the swing’s thickest part where the baby would lay forming a kind of fastener that would further secure the child. This process took no more than a few minutes after which he gave the sling to General Richards.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Seeing the questioning look in his General’s eyes upon giving the sling the soldier said, “I was once apprenticed to a cobbler.”

Nodding his head lightly he thanked the soldier then donned the sling and placed the child in it securing the baby firmly. Though not firmly enough to cause the child discomfort. All the while the emerald eyed child remained silent only curiously watching on.

“Let’s go home men! Move out!”

… … … … … … … … … …

-Radiant Light Hall: Military Headquarters of North Wind County-

“Mr. Lethlin please, we can’t keep doing this. It is far too expensive and as it is our spending for this month is already nearing red!” A thin man dressed in exquisite clothing exclaimed.

“Nonsense! Hasn’t Richards already completed the Imperial mission? How could we nearly be in the red?” A rather rotund man dressed in even richer finery than the thin man near him expressed his thoughts while accidently knocking over an empty wine bottle. Though to be fair this was no difficult feat as the desk from which the wine bottle had been knocked had nearly a dozen others similar to it adorning the red-brown wood.

“Richards isn’t back yet and we can’t very well accept the compensation for a mission complete if the one who concluded it, to perfection I might add, is not here now can we.” Admonished the thin man.

“William! I am the leading commander in charge of the Radiant Light Hall! I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job!” Mr. Lethlin pointed a finger at what he thought was the thin man William and yelled drunkenly.

“Sir.”

“What is it?”

“That is the armor rack.”

“Eh….it is?” Mr. Lethlin asked as he unsteadily stood facing the entirely opposite direction of William.

“Yes, it is.” Replied William with a faint smile on his face.

“Ah. Well of course it isn’t you William! You are far too skinny to have been an armor rack anyway HAHAHAHA!” The Commander laughed loudly as William’s earlier smile soured turning a bit rueful.

At that moment General Richards walked through the door.

“Still the same as ever I see.” Smiling lightly, he saluted the two in the room. “Commander Lethlin, I am reporting a mission complete in full.”

“Ah yes, very well no need to be so formal. You already sent the transmission crystal didn’t you? Nothing we don’t already know. NOW! More importantly, since you’re here we must collect the mission reward!” Mr. Lethlin hurriedly replied.

William looked part amused and three parts panicked as he suddenly addressed Richards, “Quickly tell Mr. Lethlin that he CANNOT have any more drink! This month alone, he has purchased thirty bottles of Apple Brandy, fifty bottles of fine red wine, thirty-eight bottles of Cheshire whiskey, seventy-three bottles of gin, and…well…suffice to say it’s been quite costly and I am at my wits end managing the finances here!”

Assuredly as the currently drunk Mr. Lethlin was the commanding officer at Radiant Light hall, William was the financial manager and advisor for the hall and he was quite good at his job. North Wind was a rather small county without much standing military force so the military expenses were always quickly dealt with leaving a surplus. Usually this kind of expenditure would be fine in a peaceful time. Except at this point William looked close to having a nervous breakdown though not without reason. Currently it was raiding season and the amount of standing military would increase for the next few months thus requiring more resources to support the troops.

“Haha. Alright Lethlin, who dumped you this time?” Richard said smiling.

“It was the grocer Martha!” Lethlin miserably wailed.

“But didn’t you already try her?” asked Richards.

Suddenly striking a valiant pose, Lethlin exclaimed, “Never give up with women! Ill wear one of em down by the end!”

Both Richards and William shook their heads slowly lightly shaking with laughter.

William sighed, “How can this be the commanding officer for our hall?” And yet, he knew the reason. In reality, Lethlin was a genius at administrative work and never slacked off so long as there was work to be done. He could have realistically gone to the Divine Capital and received a powerful government position but he was not interested in things like that. Instead, he liked the cozy lifestyle of the countryside away from the political struggles of the capital.

Suddenly, William noticed the leather strap across his chest and realized that something was hanging behind his back.

“What have you got there Richards?” Lethlin had similarly noticed the peculiarity of the leather strap and was curious as well.

“Ah. This…,” Richards hesitated a bit seeming uncertain as how to proceed. Then he shrugged. He was a straightforward man and simply swung the sling to his front where the young child of not even seven months visible to the two before him.

The two stared mouths agape at the little child before them. Then after a time, Lethlin slowly began to look grave as he faced Richards and shook his head as though with a great sense of foreboding.

“Richards I know that military work can get lonely. But…,” here he shook his head again, “what are you going to tell your wife?

-continued in Ch. 2: Child of Mine-