♣The Day I Became a Foster Father

 

 

 

♣The Day I Became a Foster Father

 

MY name is Marcus. I’m a knight of De Marl, a country located on the northeast corner of the human continent. De Marl isn’t ruled over by a king or emperor. Sixteen senators handle legislation, three priests oversee the justice system, and four knight captains govern military affairs. It’s what’s called a democratic country.

De Marl was allied with the demi-human continent to protect their rights from an empire called Edesa Kura, which claims mankind is the superior species. Edesa Kura is an empire to the southwest that’s vassalized quite a few smaller countries.

They seek to unify the human continent and threaten to attack the western demi-human continent under the banner of human supremacy. They’re radicals, plain and simple.

My kingdom of De Marl is a land of peace and has allied with some of the demi-human tribes that are relatively friendly towards mankind. As such, we’ve been resisting Edesa Kura’s radical expansion alongside them.

We were far from the only country to do so. Edesa Kura did seek to “unify” the human continent. So, we resisted them by banding together and forming a united front with other countries. In so doing, we hoped to stop their ambitions.

Drawn by De Marl’s peaceful ideals, I became a knight of the kingdom. During my enrollment in the knight academy, I met a beautiful girl called Kelt in town. We went on to marry and have a child, while I graduated as the highest-ranking knight.

I became a successful knight, and advanced rapidly through the ranks…I sailed through life without a hitch in my twenties. But as I turned thirty, the fighting grew more intense, and I was sent on campaigns more often. When I came home, my wife and daughter would gaze at me with cold eyes, and we’d hardly talk.

I didn’t know how to converse with them anymore. I couldn’t talk to them about the bloodshed I’d seen, and the dirty jokes my unit’s knights told weren’t going to amuse them. And if I were to ask them about how things were going in town, none of it made much sense to me. What would I know about a town I was mostly absent from?

We started talking less and less often. My wife and daughter would just wordlessly put meals on the table and shut themselves off in their respective rooms. I wanted to find some kind of answer. To do something for them. But before I could figure out a solution, I was sent out on my next campaign.

And when I came back from that campaign, I was informed my achievements earned me a promotion to the rank of vice-captain! This will surely make my wife and daughter change their minds about me, I thought. I was a vice-captain, after all! A vice-captain! Four knight captains govern over the military affairs of De Marl, and I was now a direct subordinate to one of them! I was one of the highest-ranking people in this country! Saying that I moved up in the world would be an understatement!

You two get it, right?! I fought hard, risking life and limb, and now I’ve finally climbed up to this rank!

“Kelt! Nakona! I’m home! Listen, I’ve got something to tell you, I…”

But when I came back home, I found a dark residence with its lights out. On the table were two pieces of paper. One was a letter that curtly said, “I’m going back home to my family. Goodbye.” The other was a divorce form.

Aaah, Gods of De Marl… Where did I go wrong…?

♣♣♣

“VICE-CAPTAIN Marcus!”

The voice of Gildias, my subordinate, yanked me out of absentminded troubles. A sword swung down at me. This was a blow I normally would have dodged. But now, I didn’t even know what I was fighting for. For my country? No…I fought for the country where my wife and daughter were. But they had cast me aside and left me behind.

So what do I have left to fight for…?

And as I wavered, the enemy’s blade knocked my shield aside, and the second blow swung down at my sword arm…severing it below the elbow.

It’s all over…

My career as a knight ended at that moment. But for whatever reason…part of me felt relieved. No longer would I have to fight. I’d grown tired…so, so tired…

“Vice-captain!”

Gildias slew the opponent that maimed me. The other knights carried me off while I simply lingered, dazed from the pain of my lost arm and my relief at never having to fight again.

Charging forward was a mistake. And even as I was overcome with guilt for failing the captain, the battle ended in a narrow victory for us. I wasn’t there for the victory, of course. The captain entered the first-aid tent and told me two simple words.

“We won.”

I could only muster a simple reply.

“Right…” I said.

After that, Captain Dirbleu directed an expressionless gaze at me.

“Your family runs an inn at the foot of Mount Rofola, right? I’ll handle the paperwork. Go back home and spend the rest of your days in peace.”

His tone was detached. That was probably his idea of saying goodbye and repaying me for all my efforts so far. But there was a hint of bitterness in there, too… There were a lot of emotions behind that gesture.

“Thank you, Dir. I’m sorry it has to end this way…”

“Don’t worry about it, Marcus. But I’ll see to it you get medals and a prize. And retirement money, too. Once you’ve healed, come to De Marl. Rent a big carriage… Your retirement money should be more than enough for you and your family to live on for a good while without any trouble.”

“Heh. Half of it is gonna get wasted on my doctor’s fees, though…” I muttered bitterly,

“Don’t be stupid,” Dir chided me. “We’ll pay for that, too. When you find a doctor, tell him to claim the payment from De Marl. Even if the country won’t pay for it, I’ll do it out of my own pocket.”

“You idiot, I can’t depend on you that much…”

“Truth be told, some part of me wants to tell you to stay in the army and move to clerical work…”

“Nah, that’s not gonna happen… It was my dominant hand.”

Dir pinched his brows bitterly. He really was sad to see me leave his command. Given his position, he had plenty of political opponents, and people like me who shared his ideals and aspirations were hard to come by. Losing an ally like me was a painful blow for him.

The war with Edesa Kura was nearing its conclusion, but it likely wouldn’t be long before De Marl locked blades with them again. De Marl’s internal affairs would surely turn stormy with the aftermath of the war… I truly, honestly felt bad for him.

“Forgive me, Dirbleu… But I want you to know that, even if I’m far away, I’ll always think of you as a friend. That much I can promise. If there’s anything I can do to help you, you can count on me.”

“…You idiot…! How can you say that when you just lost your arm..?!”

I could only pray this was the last person I’d ever have to lose… And with that prayer at heart, I left the battlefield behind me. Those like me, injured to the extent where they could never fight again, were put on a carriage and sent back to De Marl.

Farewell, Dirbleu. My one and only brother-in-arms. Fighting by your side was an irreplaceable experience for me. I hope you can tell that these are my true feelings…

“Vice-captain, does it hurt? Do you need some water, or…?”

“The painkiller’s working, I’m fine. But Gildias, I’m not your vice-captain anymore. Just go back to calling me Marcus.”

“No. You haven’t officially retired yet! And you’re the only one I acknowledge as my vice-captain!”

“Gildias…”

Having a young, talented knight speak to me like that didn’t feel too bad. I probably should have been grateful, but looking at that frank gaze of his pained me… I’m a man who drove his own wife and daughter away and lost a battle in a way that essentially betrayed an unrivaled comrade. I wasn’t worthy of being called a knight. Where did the loyalty I once made an oath to uphold disappear to?

I’m pathetic…

“Gildias, I live at a lakeside inn at the foot of Mount Rofola. That’s where I’m getting off. They did tell you that, yeah?”

“Yes, they said that’s where your family lives… Are you going to make a living there after you leave the brigade?”

“That’s the plan. My folks are too old to keep running the place. Gotta repay them for everything somehow… Well, with the way my arm is, the most I can manage is maybe plowing a field or fishing, though. And maybe I can handle cleaning, too…? I could probably hold a broom with my left hand…”

“Sounds like you won’t be short on work there, then. Why not come to De Marl and ask a specialist to make you a prosthetic arm?”

“A prosthetic… Yeah. I suppose I shouldn’t expect much, but it ought to be better than nothing.”

The thought of showing up at my parents’ place scared me. I wrote them letters regularly, but I couldn’t imagine the faces they’d make when they saw me. Mother might cry… If I still had my wife and daughter by my side, maybe taking over my parents’ business would be a fun experience. And with that impossible dream on my mind, I cast a wistful gaze out the carriage’s window.

The carriage was full of moans, and the scenery outside was somewhat obscured by the carriage ahead of us. My only consolation was the chirping birds.

My life passed by too quickly, didn’t it…?

“Whoa!”

“What?!”

Thud!

The carriage shook hard and the horses neighed in complaint. Gildias wordlessly hopped outside the carriage. I thought to reach for my sword but then jolted with a start.

Right… My right hand’s already…

“What happened?” I shouted to Gildias.

“There’s a beast! A huge one!”

“What? A monster?!” someone shouted.

“Gildias, gather the guards!” I barked orders. “Stop all the carriages and gather anyone who can move! If it’s a beast monster, there should be more than one!”

…But even without my hand, I can still do something!

Gildias gathered people who could fight and headed for the front carriage. If it really was a monster, this was trouble! Monsters were much more dangerous than normal animals. It was said that long ago, an evil dragon tainted humans and animals with its wicked mana, and their descendants are monsters.

There is no power in the world capable of reversing this affliction, and slaying those monsters scatters a miasma called Kathra into the air. Anyone who comes in contact with Kathra also becomes polluted and turns into a monster. Worse yet, monsters attack other living creatures on sight… The only way to repel them is to weaken them and force them to flee.

“…Is that it?!”

“I-It’s huge!”

A black animal stood in front of the front carriage. It was bigger than we’d imagined and had three tails. All three of them seemed to swerve and waver on their own as it gazed at us silently, its eyes narrowed.

This… This isn’t a monster…

“What do we, vice-captain?! Should we have our mages attack—”

“No, that’s not a monster… Though it’s not a normal animal, either. If it was a monster, it’d have attacked by now.”

“Th-Then you’re saying that’s a…?”

“I dunno. It’s the first time I’m seeing anything like it, too… Couldn’t be a Mythical Beast, could it…?”

“A Mythical Beast…? It can’t be…”

Mythical Beasts… To the west was the demi-human continent, where races like the beastmen, elves, dwarves, kobolds, and lizardmen lived. But opposite of it, to the far east, was the mythical continent. There lived races of mythical creatures like dragons, pegasi, and griffins. It was their natural habitat, and only the bravest or most reckless of adventurers would brave that land.

Edesa Kura apparently had plans to capture territory in the mythical continent, but how would they fight off dragons?

But anyway, this creature looked fundamentally different from a normal wolf. It was that much larger, and there was a glint of intelligence to its eyes as it gazed at us, as if it was trying to decipher our next move.

Judging by the fact it wasn’t running…implied it wanted something.

“You guys stay where you are! There might be more of them, so stay vigilant!” I ordered the men.

“What are you going to do, vice-captain?” Gildias asked me.

“If it’s a Mythical, it should be able to understand human speech,” I replied.

“That’s too dangerous!”

“Just let me do it…!” I insisted, a hint of desperate urgency in my voice. “Listen, supporting Dir is gonna fall to you guys now, so… Please!”

“Vice-captain…?” Gildias looked at me, confused.

I took a step closer. Then another. Moving cautiously, as if trying to discern how close it would let me approach, I sheathed my sword to show I had no desire to fight. A Mythical should understand. They’re said to be even more intelligent than humans.

“Aaaah, I’m, uhh, I’m called Marcus,” I tried calling out to it. “A former knight. See, lost my arm… A washed-up old man who can’t do his job anymore. Uh… Could you tell me your name? I figure you’re a Mythical.”

All right… Is it gonna answer?

The beast wordlessly nudged its jaw to the right, its gaze fixed on me.

I-It answered! It really is a Mythical! A real Mythical! I just met a living legend…!

“Ah?!”

It then jumped a few feet ahead, and upon landing, fixed its gaze on me again. It then nudged its head in the same direction again and then sat down on the spot…

Is it signaling for me to follow it? This is unbelievable!

“…Gildias, it’s telling me to follow it. Keep an eye on the carriages, will you?”

“I’ll come with you, vice-captain! I can’t let you go alone!”

“No, that’s a Mythical. No doubt about it… It understands what we’re saying. If we provoke it too much, it might attack.”

“Ugh…”

The mythical creatures were the apex species of this world. Dragons were the clearest example, but mythical creatures were all more powerful than even the monsters. Challenging something like that to a battle when 90% of the people here were injured was effectively suicide. We’d probably lose before we even knew it.

I approached the creature, which broke into a light sprint once I crossed a certain distance, pausing after a while to let me catch up.

It’s definitely leading me somewhere. What is it trying to get me to do…? Does it want to eat me? But no, I’ve never heard of Mythicals eating other species…

“Mm?”

The black animal stopped under a large tree. Sitting beneath it was a small, cream-colored oval box. The animal nudged toward it with its nose and then turned to look at me…before taking a few steps back.

Is there something in there…?

I gingerly approached the box, picked it up, and peered inside.

Wh-Wh-What?!

“A-A baby?!”

The animal howled in response.

“Ah!”

And with that howl, the animal disappeared into thin air. At that moment, I realized why they call these creatures mythical. The way they appear and disappear resembles the phantoms people whisper legends about. The only things left in the wake of its disappearance were the gentle breeze, the sound of fluttering wings, the baby sitting in the small box…

…And me, who’d lost my right arm and everything I held dear to me all at once.

For whatever reason, my knees buckled. Placing my hands on the box, I could see its contents clearly. A little baby—without a single strand of hair or any teeth—slept serenely inside it.

Did that Mythical lead me here so I’d take this baby? What was that beast… What is this baby?

“An abandoned baby…?”

I poked the baby’s cheeks gently out of curiosity. It was surprisingly soft, warm, and tender. I took the baby out of the box and held it in my arms, shivering. I touched the baby’s cheeks again. Then its fingers. It then gripped my finger tightly.

It gripped me…!

I was speechless. That was all the baby did, but what was it? This feeling? Something overflowed within me… Tears ran down my cheeks before I knew it. She wasn’t just warm… There was something strong about the baby. Teeming with life. It was like this little baby had everything I lost. Both its arms. A future. Potential…

But at the same time, it was just like me. We had one thing in common. Neither of us had a family. Of course, the fact a Mythical simply decided to save a human child was shocking by itself, but…

“Are you all alone…? That’s no good…”

Aaah, aaah, aaah…! Gods of De Marl! Did you send that beast as a messenger to me? Why would you leave this child with me? I can’t leave this helpless little life here to die, but I’ve never so much as held my own daughter before. I’m a terrible, good-for-nothing father…

Is this why you sent her to me? To someone like me…who has absolutely nothing to his name?! To me, when I was foolish enough to lose my family, my knight’s honor, even my own arm…!

You would grant me another chance…?

Would you be my family, you little angel?

Aah, Gods of De Marl, thank you…! Thank you for showing mercy on this pathetic man who had lost all hope… For bringing me this baby—teeming with life and hope…!