Kian Goldmaul POV

  They return to sitting on the couch, waiting quietly.

  Noticing me staring at his insignia, probably thinking am wondering what it means, Thaddeus speaks up. “This is a military insignia. It shows the rank of a soldier. Even the Knights outside have insignia attached to their armor, but you probably didn’t notice because of their height and you being short. The one Ophira and I have shows the rank of a General, while the person who escorted us here, the one with the silver O insignia, is a Colonel.”

  I nod in understanding. The General rank is the same as in my previous life, at least in the insignia.

  As we continue waiting, I hear a knock. A second later, someone enters the room. He’s about as tall as Thaddeus, with no beard or mustache, and he’s probably bald, though it’s hard to tell since his military hat covers his head, leaving only two holes for his horns. He’s wearing the same uniform as Thaddeus and Ophira, also with a four-star insignia.

  “It’s been a while, Thaddeus. You came earlier than the others today,” he says. Then his gaze shifts to Nicolas and me. “These must be your children. They seem quite strong for their age.”

  “They are, Charis,” Thaddeus replies calmly. “Anyway, is there any new topic we’ll be discussing today, something different from previous years?”

  Charis shakes his head. “It’s the same as every year. Nothing serious. As for the children, they’ll be staying right outside the meeting room. I already prepared a waiting room for them yesterday. For their safety, they’ll be protected by multiple 1st-tier Knights. Not that anyone would actually try anything in a major military base. The Domains aren’t just for show.”

  Domains?

  They talk for a little while longer before Charis leaves the room.

  “Was that a Pillar?” I ask once he’s gone.

  “No,” Thaddeus replies. “He’s a Semi-Pillar. Close-combat Pillars are taller than him.”

  After another ten minutes pass, the Colonel who escorted us earlier knocks and enters the room again.

  “The other Generals have arrived and prepared themselves. You may now proceed to the meeting room. Please follow me.”

  Thaddeus nods as he stands up alongside Ophira. Nicolas and I follow closely behind them.

  We’re led into a much larger and wider room. The first thing I notice is the number of people present, aside from the Knights standing guard. Along the left wall, there are several couches, with children already seated on them, talking among themselves or looking around curiously.

  We sit down on one of the couches. As I look around, I notice other Generals entering the room, most of them accompanied by their children. Just like us, they send their kids to sit on the couches.

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  Surprisingly, all of them are well-behaved. No one is causing trouble or acting out.

  I take a closer look at the room itself, observing the details amid the noise of children talking.

  As expected, it’s plain. The walls are painted white, and there are only a few decorations: landscape paintings, military photographs, and portraits of Knights wearing armor different from the ones guarding the room.

  There are eight Knights in full-body armor stationed around the room, with two of them positioned near the couch area where the children are seated.

  “They’re loud,” Nicolas mutters beside me.

  Why is he acting like an adult when he’s a kid too? I think. Then again, he’s probably more used to quiet places.

  Now that I think about it, it might be because he’s been spending a lot of time around me since I was adopted two years ago. His personality has slowly started to resemble mine, making him more mature than most kids his age.

  I glance around at the other children and realize that they all seem older than me.

  I might actually be the youngest one here.

  The thought makes me let out a small, quiet chuckle.

  After around twenty minutes of doing nothing but staring at the walls and occasionally responding to other kids, the meeting finally ends. The adults begin leaving the meeting room.

  That was fast.

  I look up at the clock on the wall. Twenty-two minutes, to be exact. I thought a meeting of this scale would take at least an hour, if not more.

  Once all the adults leave the meeting room, they call for us. Nicolas and I walk over to Thaddeus and Ophira, who are among the last to exit.

  “Did you two get bored?” Thaddeus asks with a smile. “You both have the same face I used to make during academy classes, or during military training.”

  He chuckles lightly before continuing. “Anyway, we’ll be talking with the others for about an hour, then we’ll head back home.”

  As he finishes speaking, I look around and immediately notice two figures standing out among the crowd. Both of them are massive, easily taller than Helmut, surpassing three meters in height.

  The younger one has brown hair and a mustache. He has a child with him who looks to be around eleven or twelve years old.

  The older one has a small beard, and both his hair and beard are completely white. He looks to be around the same age as Helmut. Unlike the younger one, he didn’t bring any children with him.

  We approach the younger man first, and Thaddeus starts speaking. “Spiro,” he says with a smile. “Let me introduce you to my children. This is Nicolas, my oldest, and this is Kian, the youngest.”

  Spiro laughs warmly. “Good kids you have. They already seem stronger than my child was at their age. This is Panos. He’s eleven and will be starting the academy next season.” He places a hand on his son’s head, gently pushing him forward.

  Thaddeus then turns to us. “This is Spiro, a Pillar like me. More specifically, a Sword Grandmaster Pillar. Unlike me, he’s a pure swordsman. He was my senior during our academy days.”

  As they talk casually without touching on military matters, I notice the older man walking toward us.

  I glance at his shoulder and spot a griffin with a star above it. I recognize it immediately as the symbol of the royal family.

  So he’s the Regional King.

  “Thaddeus, Spiro,” he says, smiling. “You two brought your kids, huh? They seem promising, unlike my own. They’re talented, but they still haven’t caught up yet. At this rate, I might never retire.”

  Spiro smirks and replies, “How about you lower your standards a little?”

  The man shakes his head without hesitation. “No. Why would I give a downgrade to the region? I’d rather spend a few more decades in this position than let a Semi-Pillar take over. This region ranks first after the central region, and I intend to keep it that way even after I retire.”

  He then looks at us. “You two must be Thaddeus’s children, Nicolas and Kian. And you must be Spiro’s son, Panos. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ferran Grymon Thalde, the King of this region.”

  He pats our heads, then pinches my cheek lightly, clearly aware that I’m not actually Thaddeus’s biological son.

  After that, we stay for another fifty minutes or so, talking casually and catching up. Gradually, people begin leaving. In the end, only Thaddeus, Spiro, and two other Generals remain for a little longer before they also depart.

  Chapter End