CH 3

Author’s Note:

Breaking/passing through 500 bookmarks!

Thank you very much. m(__)m

─？side─

When I came to the place where I take a break from time to time, someone’s already there.

A child was sleeping by the spring.

(Why is there a child in such a place?)

Moreover, naked.

I thought he was dead, but he just seemed to be sleeping.

I couldn’t find anything that looked like an injury. It might be more correct to say that he was left behind rather than abandoned.

(No tail, round ears with no fur… no scales or wings either. What race is this?)

I’ve never seen it before.

A child of an unknown race with black hair.

If he’s only a few years old, he should be in beast form.

It’s said that few people could take human form as a child.

We are born in our race’s beast form and only humanized for ease of movement.

Even the adults would become beasts if they lost their reason.

In other words, go back to their original form.

I’m what’s called a rare akinist.

Although it’s a race with the power called [Shadow King], our reproductive ability is extremely low. I’m said to be the last akinist.

Unless both parents are akinist, no pure akinist would be born.

There are currently no unmarried akinists, so no matter who I marry, no pure akinist would be born.

That’s not the only reason. There’s the norm of getting married as soon as you grow up, but I’m still not married even after becoming an adult.

(No one’s around…)

Around the child, there’s no one who seemed familiar with him.

On the contrary, I’m the only one around here.

There’s only me and the sleeping child.

I have to ask why he’s alone in such a place.

He turned over and went closer to the spring, so I decided to wake him up.

“It’s dangerous to sleep here!”

Even when I called out, he just frowned.

“Why are you here?”

I shook his body and called out, and he finally woke up.

Like his hair, his eyes were black.

But for some reason, he’s looking at his hand.

“What happened? Did you get hurt?”

The child, who looked somewhat stunned, stood up and looked around without answering me.

“…******?”

However, I have never heard the words that he muttered.

Even in other countries, we often use similar words.

…is he from a closed settlement?

However, I don’t know the race of this mysterious child.

(Where did this child come from? …but, if we can’t understand each other’s language, I can’t hear it.)

He might not be able to go home.

Won’t such a small child cry because of missing his parents?

I’m not married yet and I didn’t have the chance to interact with children.

Also, I can’t just leave him here…

Suddenly, I noticed the child looking at the spring.

He’s staring at me from there.

Is there something he wanted to say?

(Since he approached the spring, is he thirsty?)

The child’s body will not be able to drink the water from the spring.

“Are you thirsty? Isn’t this easier to drink?”

I presented a water bag, but he looked confused.

Since we don’t understand each other’s language, I can’t tell the other person about such a simple thing.

After demonstrating and presenting it again, he finally received it and drank from it.

Maybe he was really thirsty since he drank like crazy.

He drank for a while before letting go after being satisfied.

“Would you like to go with me? It’s dangerous to stay here.”

When I called out, he looked up with a wary face.

(Well, that’s right.)

He doesn’t know what I’m saying.

I took the water bag from his hand, put the lid on, and closed it.

How could I make him recognize me as a non-dangerous person?

“Let’s go. Can you walk?”

I pointed to the place where the Doniklon is──

“******?”

The child, who tried to stand up while saying something, froze while looking at his body, perhaps only now realizing that he’s naked.

“Use this.”

When I handed him a towel instead of some clothes, he didn’t receive it, so I just wrapped it around his body.

“This should be okay.”

I thought we could proceed with this, but the child didn’t seem to like it, so he unraveled it.

“I’ll buy you clothes later.”

Even when I said that, the child didn’t stop.

However, it seemed like he just wanted to make it look more like clothes.

He seemed to want me to tie the ends as he pulled it together, so I did.

When I tied it to his shoulders and hips, he smiled as if he was satisfied.

“It looks great.”

He doesn’t understand the language, but he seemed to have high intelligence.

Because no children would humanize, I don’t know how old this child is.

I unconsciously patted his head. Determining that carrying him was faster, I did.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

I told the child looking up from my arms, but he still didn’t seem to understand.

He also seemed to be wary.

…it can’t be helped.

My beloved horse is a Doniklon.

Its named Sig.

It’s a difficult creature to ride because it decided on its master itself.

If you want it to carry something other than its master, you’d need the Doniklon’s permission.

(Will this child be okay?)

But something surprising happened.

Because Sig licked the child’s cheek.

It had never approached anyone other than me.

On the contrary, the child seemed to be scared.

He’s clinging to me.

“Are you scared? Sig won’t attack, okay?”

The fact that Sig licked his cheek meant it wouldn’t attack.

When I stroked his head, the child pouted.

Did he think I’m making fun of him?

“Don’t get angry. You’re a child, so I won’t laugh even if you’re scared!”

When I unconsciously laughed, he hit me on the shoulder with his fist.

However, that small hand turned red because he hit the place with armor.

I saw him blow on it, so I unconsciously rubbed some herbs.

He seemed to dislike the sting, but the stinging meant that the herbs are working.

After rubbing the herbs, he sniffed his hand.

I think he muttered something, but…

I rode Sig while holding him up and fixed his too small body to mine with another cloth.

This would stabilize him when I let go.

The child suddenly became quiet.

He had a somewhat dark face, but… what happened?

“What’s wrong? Don’t worry.”

Even when I called out, he didn’t look up.

On the contrary, he began to shed tears.

“What happened!? Does it hurt somewhere?”

Even when I hurriedly asked, the child was still sobbing.

I stroked his back but he didn’t seem comforted.

“It’s okay. I’ll be your guardian.”

I hugged him with the arm not holding the reins.

(What are the parents doing to leave such a small child alone?)

What’s more, they left him naked.

The child cried for a while. Maybe he became tired of crying that he slept.

(Really, why are you alone in such a place?)

Even if he’s left behind, it’s not necessary to leave him in a place where people rarely come.

With that in mind, I’m glad I stopped by for a break.

There’s a grass here that Sig likes, so I only come here once in a while.

Due to its habit, Doniklons are not in high demand.

It’s stronger and faster than other modes of transport, but only those it had recognized as its master can ride it, so no one likes it.

No one else would come here for purposes other than the grass.

────

──

I arrived at the town where my house is.

“Huh-? Captain (taicho)?”

As I led Sig to walk slowly, one of my subordinates approached.

Third Corps Vice Captain Renneiga Soekinuku.

He’s bigger than me, but he has a very friendly personality.

A shiiks beastman, a race with excellent fighting ability.

“…is that a child?”

He’s looking at the one in my arms.

“Aahh. That’s right.”

“…he’s already humanized! What is this guy?”

“Don’t make a loud voice! He’s sleeping.”

I scolded him for suddenly yelling.

He was tired of crying and fell asleep, so I want to make him sleep longer.

“Captain has a louder voice!”

(…that’s true, I also had a loud voice.)

But I can’t even care about that…

“More than that, I decided to take care of this child.”

“…isn’t he just a normal lost child…”

Renneiga seemed to think there’s a reason, but why did I only have the choice to take over?

While I was thinking, I heard a voice.

Looking down, the child was yawning.

“Did you get up?”

I stroked his head again, but the child just looked up at me without any dislike.

Did his vigilance diminish a little?

“Can’t you say hello? What kind of manners have you been taught?”

Why is anger coming up from Renneiga’s dumbfounded words?

“Are you listening?”

The child tried to pull out his hair from that lightly fisted hand.

“Let go! What are you doing to such a child!!”

I forced him to let go by bending his finger.

“It hurtssss!”

Renneiga’s pitiful screams echoed, by why am I so angry?

I shouldn’t have liked the child so much.

“What’s with that face!”

I looked down at the child at Renneiga’s words and he had a very distorted face.

He seemed uncomfortable, but he didn’t make that kind of face to me.

“This kid was in a rarely visited place. There’s no one around and there are no footprints around him. He can’t even speak our words.”

“Can’t speak our words? Where did this guy come from, Captain?”

“I’m saying I can’t ask, and he was sleeping there while naked.”

“Naked!? Then, is it not possible to find another parent than Captain?”

I roughly explained the situation where I found this child──

“Chap, tain? (cha cho)”

The child said something.

“Catain?? (taacho)”

After saying that, he tilted his head.

This is…

“Chapatain?? (chanyucho)”

(Did he want to say, Captain (taicho)?)

He can’t pronounce it at all.

“Ahahaha, this is good, this is good!”

“You don’t have to overdo it.”

Renneiga and I laughed as I stroked his head.

“***! **********.”

However, he got angry because he thought he was being ridiculed.

I was punched, but it doesn’t hurt at all.

I involuntarily laughed and was punched in the belly.

…it didn’t hurt at all either.

When Renneiga tried to stroke his head, he slapped his hand.

“You don’t have to call me Captain.”

“You’re going to be studying from now on.”

He seemed to be in a bad mood and stopped looking at me even when I called out.

(I shouldn’t have laughed.)

He did his best to listen to our talk.

It seemed like he misunderstood that “Captain” was my name.

As I walked Sig through the town, he was looking around.

I feel like he’s looking at the people rather than the town.

When he saw me before, he was somewhat frozen. I wonder if he’d never seen other races.

What kind of closed place was he in?

“We’ve arrived.”

When I removed the cloth that fixed him to my body, our eyes finally met.

He looked uneasy, but when I picked him up, I found that he’s relieved.

There are many people who rely on me, but young people have never tried to approach me.

Somehow, children are wary of me.

“Third Corps Captain!”

“Vice Captain is also here? Thank you for your hard work.”

“I’m taking a break ahead of time.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The people inside became aware of us and saluted, then tried to talk to us.

This is the Third Corps’ barracks.

In other words, my subordinates are here.

I, the Captain, and Renneiga, the Vice Captain, left this place and lived in our own homes.

I just stopped by to report my return and to report this child.

“Captain, who’s this?”

“Aahh. I protected him because he’s sleeping naked. He doesn’t understand our language and I don’t know his race since he didn’t have a tail, scales, or wings.”

“Then he should be an orphan. Shall I sent him to the orphanage?”

Usually, if one found an orphan, they’d be sent to the orphanage.

However──

“Didn’t I just say that this child can’t understand our language? I decided to take care of him. He’s my son from today.”

The child looked up at me and looked at the astonished faces around me.

“From now on, I’ll be with you. We’ll be together. …do you understand?”

I know he can’t speak the common language, but I can teach that too.

“…aptain? (itcho)”

He didn’t seem to understand what that means and he’s just saying the words the others said often.

I think it’s cute.

“Yes, we’ll be together.”

When I stroked his head, he tilted his head, but when I smiled, the child also smiled.

It seemed like his wariness towards me has diminished.

Then let’s have him call my name, not Captain.

“Rodokiaus Serafine.”

He made a strange face, but I repeated it while pointing at myself many times.

“Ryodo…su?”

Then he managed to say it, but it seemed to be too long.

He had a troubled face.

“Rodokiaus.”

“Ryodo, kis?”

The name alone seemed to be difficult.

“Rodo.”

If so, just use a nickname.

“Ryodo?”

“Rodo.”

“Ryodo.”

Is it because he’s too young?

“Ryodo, *****!”

He looked so proud that I decided not to ask for more.

Once he grew up, it’ll be okay somehow.

“****.”

This time, he pointed at himself and said something.

Is that his name?

“****?”

I tried to say it, but the child shook his head, implying that it’s different.

“****?”

I said it many times, but he didn’t nod.

“**.”

After a while, he said a short word.

He seemed to have also compromised.

“Koh?”

“**.”

“Kou.”

He nodded reluctantly.

It seemed that it’s different, but there’s no choice but to compromise with each other.

“Ren.”

Renneiga was also trying to teach him his name.

“Ryen.”

“You said it well!”

“*****.”

Kou, who was stroked by Rennaiga, raised his voice.

…why do I feel happy when I saw that he didn’t seem to like it?

Was it because Kou looked like he’s having fun?

“Ryen ****!”

He clung to my leg and said something to Renneiga.

He stuck his tongue out, so I think he’s complaining.

…why do I feel relieved?

“I’m going home.”

I picked him up again and left the barracks.

“Ryodo?”

“Go back home. (ie ni kaeru)”

I said it slowly and he tried to repeat the words.

“Gwo, home (ie, kaeryu)?

“That’s right.”

When I nodded, he smiled again.

“Gwo, home (ie, kaeryu).”

He didn’t know what it means, but he said it again.

While pulling on Sig’s reins, I headed to my house.

“Ryodo!”

He pointed at me and said my name again.

Then he pointed to Sig.

“Sig.”

“Chi~igu?”

“Sig.”

“Chig.”

As expected, he’s lisping.

His speech was as childlike as his body.

While teaching him various names like that, I bought some cloths since no one’s selling clothes that Kou could wear, then we went home.

We arrived at my house.

“We’ve arrived.”

“?”

He pointed to the house while tilting his head.

“Rodo, home (ie).”

“Ryodo, homie (iye)? …home (ie)? ***!”

He looked excited.

I don’t know what he said, but his eyes are shining.

“Go~ey, home! (ie, kaeri~yu)”

“Ahh, I’m back.”

He seemed to understand the meaning as he happily swung my arm around.

He didn’t seem to have a bad mind.

At this rate, it seemed like he could quickly learn the language.

─Rodokiaus side end─

Translator’s Notes:

I really had fun making the words more childish. I put the romanized version in parenthesis so that you can try making up your own version of the words.

This is a massive chapter, 13 pages long, but each line is so little. If I didn’t adjust the spacing, it might have been 20 to 30 pages long. Anyways, enjoy and stay safe.