Kian Goldmaul POV

  It has been a little over two years since I was adopted. I am currently eight years old.

  Right now, I’m in Thaddeus’s house, eating lunch with everyone at the table. The atmosphere is calm and familiar, something I’ve grown used to over the years.

  “By the way, Ophira, the yearly military regional meeting is going to happen in a week.” Thaddeus says casually as we eat.

  He continues a moment later, “Another thing was mentioned as well. This time, they said we’re allowed to bring our children with us to the meeting, unlike previous years. So I’m planning to bring Nicolas and Kian along with us.”

  Hearing that, I’m slightly surprised. A military regional meeting? I do remember Thaddeus and Ophira attending something like that during the past two years, but still, why would I need to go there this time?

  “Going to the military region?” I ask. “What are Nicolas and I going to do there?”

  “It’s just to show your faces,” Thaddeus replies. “Nothing serious. You can treat it like bringing children to work day. It’s also a good opportunity for you two to see what a military base looks like, and to show you how ‘cool’ the military is.” He chuckles lightly at the last part.

  I nod after hearing that, feeling a bit excited. I start wondering what the difference will be between the military of my past world and the one in this world.

  “Oh, right,” Thaddeus adds, looking at both me and Nicolas. “We won’t be teleporting or using portals to get there, since that’s not allowed. We’ll be taking the metro instead. The city’s name is Lanbourg; it’s the closest one to the military base. After we arrive, a military vehicle will pick us up.”

  “Why can’t we go through a portal?” I ask.

  “It’s for security reasons,” he explains. “Any city within a fifty-kilometer range of a large or major military base isn’t allowed to have portals, nor can people teleport directly into it. If someone tries, they’re viewed as a threat and would likely be arrested. That rule applies during both peace and wartime.”

  I nod, then think for a moment. “How would they even notice if someone teleported there?” I ask.

  “Every base has a radar detection system,” Thaddeus says after a brief pause. “At peacetime, it shows individuals as dots without revealing their identities, but that’s enough to track down anyone who breaks the rule.”

  At peacetime? Does that mean the radar can fully detect people in three dimensions and becomes more detailed during wartime?

  …

  …

  …

  A week passes after that lunch conversation.

  Today is the day the meeting is going to happen. There isn’t much to prepare.

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  I change into the clothes Ophira picked for me; they look like official children’s attire. Despite their formal appearance, they’re surprisingly comfortable.

  As we leave the house, Thaddeus and his wife hide their horns using invisibility magic, though they only conceal the horns themselves.

  We take a tram first, then get off near the entrance to the city’s metro station.

  We walk down the stairs and purchase our tickets before waiting for a short while until the train arrives. Once it does, we board and enter a private room inside the metro.

  After we’re inside, Thaddeus turns the sign outside the room to “Do Not Disturb” and then cancels the invisibility magic.

  As the metro starts moving, I ask a question that’s been on my mind. “How strong are the people who are going to this meeting?”

  “They’re all Semi-Pillars, along with two other Pillar-level individuals,” he answers. “All generals, aside from the Regional King, who will also be there. When we arrive, you’ll be able to tell them apart easily. They’re all close-combat specialists, and Pillars are taller than the rest.”

  I nod, then remember something important. “Will my father be there?”

  Thaddeus shakes his head immediately. “No, he won’t. Other than me and the Regional King, no one else there knows about him. Not even the other Pillars. They’ll all assume you’re my biological son, so make sure you don’t tell anyone, alright?”

  I nod in agreement.

  We remain mostly silent after that. Some show is playing on the private room’s television while Thaddeus plays around on his phone for about thirty minutes.

  When we’re roughly five minutes away from arriving, Thaddeus dials a number and informs the other party that we’re about to reach our destination.

  Once the train stops, Ophira and Thaddeus hide their horns again before we leave the room and exit the metro station.

  We immediately spot the vehicle waiting for us in the parking area. It looks like a mix between a glider and a car from my past life, capable of both floating and driving on the ground.

  After we get inside and the driver starts moving, Thaddeus and Ophira stop hiding their horns. The vehicle floats along the road path, yet it still takes over ten minutes just to leave the city.

  After that, we drive for what seems like another fifteen kilometers before reaching the military base’s entrance. We’re stopped there as Thaddeus hands his badge to the guard, who verifies it carefully.

  We continue driving, but this time on the ground. It seems flying is forbidden beyond the entrance.

  After another five kilometers, we reach a second gate and are stopped again. This time, we’re confronted by people wearing full-body armor. The armor resembles knight armor, but unlike typical designs, there are no openings at the elbows or eyes. It’s completely sealed.

  After Thaddeus’s badge is verified once more, we’re allowed to enter.

  The vehicle continues moving without being stopped again. As we pass through the base, I observe the buildings closely. They all look plain, with barely any windows, making it impossible to tell what’s inside. Without the signs, people could easily get lost here.

  Eventually, the vehicle stops in front of a three-story building. It’s just as plain as the others, but unlike them, it has no sign. Guards wearing the same armor as those at the second gate stand watch outside. They’re likely Knights.

  We enter the building and are greeted by a soldier wearing a silver O insignia. Since I don’t know the insignia system of this country, I can’t tell his rank.

  He leads us to a private room, then leaves once we’re inside.

  After we sit down, I ask a question that’s been bothering me since we were in the vehicle. “Are those people in full armor Knights? And does every military base have Knights?”

  “Yes,” Thaddeus replies. “They’re Knights, and every military base has them. Just not as many as this one, and especially not during days like today unless there’s something like a regional meeting.”

  As we wait in silence, the same soldier returns, this time carrying two bags. He places them on the table, salutes, and leaves.

  Thaddeus and Ophira each pick up a bag. “You two stay seated here,” Thaddeus says. “We’re going to change into our military uniforms. It’ll only take a minute. We’ll be right back.”

  They enter another room and return shortly after, now dressed in military clothing. The uniforms resemble suits tailored for the army. Aside from the insignia, they’re very plain.

  I look at their insignia and notice four stars on each. Likely the mark of a general.

  Does that mean every Semi-Pillar and Pillar is a general? I think to myself.

  Chapter End