♣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.”