Chapter 71 - 71

Gideon reached the barracks with ease and the handkerchief in his hand flapped happily as if it was congratulating him. A smile showed up on his face and he rubbed the soft cotton. He didn't know if Kaiden could hear him as well but he brought the handkerchief close to his mouth and whispered "Thank you". After that, he folded the cloth neatly before tucking it into his pocket and walking around.

There were several people sparring with each other while the others were practicing with their weapons. Gideon wondered why some still used swords, daggers, and bow and arrows. But he didn't think about it too much since he needs to look for his mom.

He saw this one guy in a cast, guiding some of the people in sword training. The Soldiers were trying to slice down what appears to be large stone dummies. Some were able to slice the dummies in half but the others fell backward from the vibrations of the sword.

"SWING HARDER! YOU BARELY NICKED THEIR NECKS WITH THAT STRENGTH! I THOUGHT YOU GUYS WERE DEMI-HUMANS!"

One of the soldiers, specifically this one male one, was crying already and the guy walked up to him.

"You... Hand over your weapon" He calmly put out his hand and waited for this soldier to hand his sword over.

The crying trainee hesitantly handed it over because everyone knew once you hand over your weapons, you're out of his team and you better find someone else to be your captain.

Upon receiving the weapon, he shifted his position a little bit and lightly swung his sword at the dummy. At first, it looked like it didn't even hit the dummy but he tapped it with the sword and it turned into tiny brittles.

The trainee whose sword was just taken from, suddenly got his sword tossed back to him.

"I expect that by tomorrow you'd be able to repeat what I just did," The man tells him and the trainee started to cry more and he even bowed his head.

"YES CAPTAIN LEV I WILL NOT FAIL YOU!" 

Everyone was surprised, he just got a second chance from the strict Captain Levi.

"Alright that's enough, everyone gets back to training-oh?"

Levi was in the middle of shouting his commands when he noticed Gideon who had been staring at him. He thought it was just any other trainee that had been staring at him but he didn't expect it was a random civilian. He approached the small person and upon walking closer he was surprised that he was smaller up close.

"Can I help you?" He asks the "kid".

"Do you happen to know where Theodora Baecker is?"

"Depends on who's asking" Levi narrowed his eyes as he tried to identify who this was and whether or not he was a threat.

"I'm Gideon Lemery, her adopted son.." Gideon answers honestly and the trainees who were eavesdropping suddenly stopped and looked at Gideon.

'Seriously?! This kid is Theodora's adopted son?' That's what they were all thinking.

"Really? but you don't share the same last name?" Levi sniffed Gideon and could smell alcohol and blood from the kid and backed up. 

'What on earth was this child doing drinking in broad daylight and even bringing a faint scent of blo- wait this blood smells familiar... Lord Damien?'

Levi was just utterly confused with the situation when Theodora came running into his view and hugging the lad in front of him.

"Giiddeeeooonnn! my baby~ I missed chuu" Theodora kissed Gideon on the cheek but after that immediately sniffed his neck and hands before frowning.

"When I heard from Lady Kassandra that she had to leave you alone there, I wanted to smack her but she's still my lady. Oh and Lev, Thanks for looking out for my son even it was just briefly"

Theodora held Gideon's hand as she pulled him away, intending to show off her prized possession to the rest of the Captains that they had appointed and to firmly declare: "IF YOU MESS WITH MY SON, I'LL BREAK YOUR NECKS"

"That's her son..." Lev was still recovering from the initial shock that he smelled Lord Damien's blood on this kid. And to even see that Theodora, the woman with an ice-cold personality, who kicks out her own men the moment they fail her practical test, could act like that. Did the pigs finally fly?

.

.

"How were you able to find this place without a guide?" Theodora brought Gideon to her area where she had been training new additions to her team since most of her team got promoted to Team Captains and Vice Captains.

Should Gideon mention the charmed Handkerchief in his pocket?

"Kaiden taught me the directions" Well, he did... just not in person. White lie #1.

"I knew that you were quite smart than what you let others perceive you as but weren't you in a bad relationship with the prince for some time now?"

"It was just a misunderstanding. We talked it out already" No. They did not in fact talk it out. Kaiden managed to avoid all of that by submitting into a one-sided oath to prove a point. White lie #2.

"I'm just concerned, Gideon. Even if I'm a subject of his highnesses, the prince may have some hidden agendas with you" 

"He would have already done so if he did. Don't worry about it too much mom" He did have a hidden agenda. The prince was into him and he even indirectly rejected Kaiden because he did not know how to react to the sudden oath and confession in one go. White lie #3.

'I am so sorry mom' Gideon guiltily thinks to himself as he thought about the lies he just said right now.

"Even if you say that, I'll continue to worry" Theodora sighed and looked at her trainees.

They all looked solemn and were pretending that the two of them did not exist. They were all "focused" on their training that Theodora placed the whistle that was around her neck to her mouth and blew. Gideon cringed a little bit to the loud sound of the whistle. Anyone would be alerted by that thing.

"Just how long are you going to delay your greetings?" The warm and full of worry Theodora was no longer seen in that brief moment when these words were spoken out.

The soldiers gulped and greeted their captain. Lady Theodora, the bloody thorned rose of Kassandra. Known for her cruel methods of getting the job done in the first 200 years of her service to Lady Kassandra. She only softened up after getting married to Stephen but her strict regime still remained and this was the reason why most of the current captains are worthy of their positions.

"Someone up there blessed us and allowed my son Gideon here to visit me while I train your incompetent asses. Seriously, do I have to repeat myself that you should immediately go back into your formation and greet your commanding officer?" Theodora glared at her trainees and Gideon tugged at her sleeves.

"yes, baby?" her gaze suddenly turned soft the moment she looked at Gideon.

"I think they're exhausted... and so are you. I already asked Lady Kassandra if you can come home with me and she said yes"

Theodora narrowed her eyes and Gideon just stared at her determinedly. She frowned a little bit before sighing in defeat.

"You hear that? My son was nice enough to grant you guys the mercy of taking a break. Don't get used to this because there are no breaks on the battlefield. Be sure to return here tomorrow at 9 am sharp"

Usually, Theodora demanded them to meet up at 3 am so this was really something when she allowed them to rest up till that late into the morning.

"THANK YOU LADY THEODORA AND THANK YOU YOUNG LORD GIDEON!" The soldiers immediately ran off in different directions to head to their resting areas.

"Y-Young lord?" Gideon was surprised by the sudden honorific he got from the soldiers.

"awww my baby is a young lord" Theodora patted Gideon's fluffy hair and he blushed.

"I'm not young..."

"My soldiers are still older than you and if you're going to compare yourself to me you are like a baby to me"

"Mom" Gideon frowned and Theodora laughed as she hugged Gideon while she took him to the Area where Alexander was stationed.

"Just let me have this~" Theodora mumbles to Gideon. She was really exhausted but she didn't want to show it to anyone except Gideon.

"Alright" Gideon softly replied.

When the two of them arrived, the soldiers there were surprised to see that the vicious Lady Theodora looked like a clingy child... And was clinging to a literal baby-faced man.

"Can I ask where Alexander Eicher is?" Gideon asks the nearest soldier and the person glanced at Theodora who opened her eyes a bit and glared at him. He felt goosebumps and said that he'll fetch him quickly before running away.

"Why did he run away?"

"Who knows?" Theodora laughs a little.

Alexander quickly arrived and saw the situation.. He helplessly offered to drive the two home and that concluded today's chaos.