“You can’t change my mind.”

  “You can’t just adopt a child just on a whim!”

  “Quigo, how can you deprive an orphan to have the chance to have a family? I knew you were born from a bitch, but how could you?” the beautiful man answered in the betrayed voice he could muster.

  “WE BOTH KNOW YOU’RE DOING THIS OUT OF PETTINESS!!”

  “...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Ashten!”

  …

  “Don’t ignore me!”

  The skies were clear of any bck clouds. The wind put a breeze under the wings of a child’s kite. It was a pleasant day, but it was all soon ruined by the rumbling of thunder echoing incessantly accompanied by the neigh of a horse announcing its master’s presence.

  “Hiya!” The coachman’s commands went against the howls of the wind to reach the two beasts the carriage was attached to.

  The body of a horse that was as bck as coal, tails and manes of azure bze, together with the falcon’s eyes and beak. Told only in tales of old. Said to be a harbinger of camity and death. Capable of running through the skies untamed.

  Though there were no dark clouds in the skies, every step the Bck Bze Steeds took shook the skies as though a thunderstorm threatened from over the horizon. The reverberation felt stifling to all races of all kinds. How powerful, how oppressive they were these creatures said to trample upon the skies yet they were tamed, reduced to mere draft horses for another.

  Two magnificent creatures, oh so prideful in their blood pulled hauled on their back a carriage that is as bck as night. Inside rest the man they served without shame.

  A man entitled to rule the skies uncontested rested inside.

  Although he was approaching his te twenties, his face barely touched the 20s.

  His dark red hair suited his mix of mature and young face.

  Wrapped in noble regality befitting from title the king of the skies: this man was none other than Estoria Von Rolen Equs Ashten — President of the Vermillion Feather Merchant Guild.

  Together with this regal man was his Personal Aide, Quigo.

  His neatly tied hair betrayed the boiling emotions inside him.

  While the other was nonchant, Quigo was restless.

  “Have you really thought this through?”

  “Have I failed at something I put my mind into?” Ashten answered.

  “...Eia.”

  “Contestable, it is a process that is being done right now.”

  A sigh escaped Quigo.

  “Then no.”

  “That’s right.”

  Ashten has never lost a bet.

  “Don’t worry, I read through seven books about raising a child. Besides, Noel has a son and three daughters. He succeeded and he’s the poster child of retardation.”

  Another, much longer sigh escapes Quigo.

  “More importantly, when will we arrive?” Ashten asked, impatient and unamused by their long travel.

  “Please have patience. It’s not my idea to suddenly adopt a child st night, just let it be and wait… and while you’re waiting, why not think it through again? You really shouldn’t make this kind of decision on a whim. Think of the child.”

  Quigo snuck a concerned remark.

  “I find your ck of faith disturbing Quigo. As I have said, I will raise the chosen child perfectly.” cimed Ashten with clenched fist and fire burning in his eyes.

  If it was anyone else watching, they would interpret a tale of noble sacrifice and challenge. To choose a child and pull them out of a fate where they had no one to call a parent. To conduct oneself with steel resolve and have the right conviction etched in one’s heart to adopt a child.

  It was enough to bring tears down anyone’s eyes.

  But Quigo knows the truth.

  Ashten does not know the word sacrifice.

  Only challenge.

  And he was not one to back down from a challenge — even when the challenger never truly issued one.

  You are just petty, you bastard.

  ***

  [Two Weeks Ago]

  [Ash Fire Gathering]

  The Ash Fire Gathering is an annual event by the Vermillion Feather Merchant Guild to commemorate the end of the year and welcome the next. It also just so happened that the celebration for the success of Urbes Expedition was held the same day as the Gathering.

  While everyone was having a good time, Ashten noticed the man who should be in the spotlight.

  “Astoria did not attend?”

  “Attendance is not mandated, and after returning from the conflict Astoria’s son is sick, so he is tending to him.” answered Quigo who was beside Ashten.

  ” Useless, how can the General of the Expedition not come?”

  Hearing him caused the others to bear strained smiles on their faces.

  How can you say such a thing?

  When it comes to these talks, he’s the worst to come to.

  Heartless.

  These were the words they wanted to say.

  They ughed awkwardly trying to bury what they wanted to say.

  …but someone amidst them was different. Someone who did not fear Ashten in the slightest, they smirked and unnecessarily chimed.

  “Ashten, you shouldn't say something like that when you haven’t even raised a child.” Noel reprimanded, “I know you have no heart and you don’t see the value of parenting and it’s not a skill for everyone but—.”

  “Are you saying that I cannot even do such menial tasks?”

  Ashten cut him off in the middle of his sentence.

  Noel’s internal smirk grew rger.

  Everyone else’s anxiety increased.

  “What!? I would never….”

  Ashten raised an eyebrow, but nodded as if to say, “That’s right.” He was the great Ashten, the man regarded by many as the height of nobility and aristocracy.

  Raising a child?

  Such a thing would obviously be easy for him.

  That's what he wholeheartedly believed.

  After all, he was Ashten.

  He refused to admit otherwise.

  “IF I had a child, they wouldn’t even be sick. And if they did become sick, then, that means they need to toughen up. My child will be better than everyone else's here. My child will excel in every path they will take.”

  An even colder wind blew past them.

  Everyone present knew he meant what he said.

  Ashten has never gotten sick; never faltered at any task he set his eyes on; never failed to stand at the top.

  Of course, his child will also be outstanding.

  Seeing his “as a matter of fact” expression, everyone wanted to throw something in his direction but chose to swallow their grievances.

  He’s calmed down now.

  We’re safe.

  But they celebrated too early. Noel’s lips reflected the mischievousness that had been swirling in his murky mind, “Peh, bullshit, you don’t even have a lover, much less a child. On the off chance that you do, I think you’ll be a horrible Father.”

  “Huh?” Ashten raised an eyebrow.

  Everyone else’s expressions turned pale.

  Except for Noel.

  Witnessing the growing smirk on Noel’s face, they all knew that the inevitable was about to unfold.

  Good, the window is open.

  I can somersault over the stair and use the chandelier to swing out of this pce.

  I’ll run.

  While many prayed and others skirted away, many more secured their escape.

  “The fuck you mean "huh"!? You can’t raise a child expecting all that. You’ll suffocate the child, no. What if the child doesn’t inherit your talent? What then? You’ll probably scorn and hate them for ‘humiliating’ you, and then, you’ll hate them, then you’ll hate your possible wife for giving birth to such a child, then you’ll mistreat said child and wife, then the child and mother will escape your heavy hands. In the hinternds, some traitorous bastard or rival territory will find them, raise them to kill you — again, they hate you because of your arrogance — and then they will come to find you and shout at your gates shouting — “Bastard… I’ve returned to take… your... he”—oh there it is! Everyone! RUN! JAHAHAHAHA!”

  —Noel! I told you to stop messing with HIM!

  —That’s right! He’s insa—oh shit! He heard me! No! Boss, I didn’t mean tha—gryaaaaaaaaa!!

  —THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS EVERY GATHERING!

  —EVERYONE RUN! HIS GRACE HAS ANGERED PRESIDENT ASHTEN!

  While others panicked, Noel was ughing as he ran.

  "I’ll see you at the end of the Month Ashten! GAHAHAHAHAHA"

  The Phoenix’s cry arrived earlier this year and was accompanied by mischievous ughter and pangs of sorrow and despair.

  A week passed and Ashten decided to adopt a child.

  That brings this tale to the present.

  As begrudging as it was, Quigo completed the task with his usual finesse and the very next day, with barely an ounce of sleep, he was dragged out to help his boss adopt a child.

  Quigo released an even deeper sigh.

  ‘Only his body regresses, but is Sir Noel telling the truth about him becoming mentally younger as well?’

  Noel mostly utter lies so there was very little chance what he whispers about Ashten would be true. But Quigo was very close to believing this theory.

  ‘He’s thinking of something useless again.’ Ashten shook his head very lightly and then crossed his arms, ‘I need to pick a good kid. Someone who is driven and decisive. A born leader. They may not have my blood, but if I can have them inherit five percent of greatness, then there is nothing that can stop them.’

  Ashten was assured of his victory.

  Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring! Tring!

  The bell signaling they were nearing their destination chimed.

  But it caused the two men to raise an eyebrow.

  There were just one too many bell rings.

  “Quigo, I allow the release up till the third, act on your own discretion, go and check the situation.” Ashten was quick to rey his orders.

  “Understood.”

  Shedding his impish attitude, Quigo obeyed without making any arguments.

  Quigo’s loose expression turned stiff as he brought out a feather from his coat’s inner pockets.

  The rough winds crashed on his body like never ending waves as the door smmed opened. He did not even wince in the face of the winds’ unrelenting assault.

  “Be careful.” reminded Ashten.

  “I will be heading out now.”

  Quigo jumped off the flying carriage, and turned into a blur, disappearing into the boundless sky leaving only blood-colored feathers scattering in the winds before dispersing to the world’s stream.

  A powerful and shark cry of a bird echoed in the distance and then disappeared with the wind as the door closed on Quigo’s exit.

  Ashten patiently waited in the carriage expecting for Quigo to take his time. But not to minutes ter, the bell rang again.

  TRING!

  The carriage nded and Quigo opened the door from the outside. His expression now is a little bit too difficult to understand.

  He expected there to be shouting or even the presence of hostile intent. But contrary to his expectations, it was oddly quiet.

  “What’s the situation? Did something happen to the Orphanage?”

  “Well...something is… wrong? But it’s a little hard to expin.”

  “Just say what’s the problem.”

  “No…I mean, please judge it with your eyes.”

  Exiting the carriage, Ashten was unsure what Quigon meant, but soon, he was enlightened.

  They nded just some distance from the Orphanage in the woods. And standing by the treeline, Ashten saw the workers of Orphanage beaten bck and blue gathered into a pile.

  Atop that pile was a young girl with bzing red hair throwing her hands in the skies and letting out a powerful victorious roar.

  “URAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” The girl roared.

  “URAAAAAA!”

  Surrounding her were a dozen or two children throwing their hands in the air in celebration with the girl with the red hair.

  They too were bruised, but they all had the same triumphant and beaming look on their faces.

  “WE HAVE WON!”

  “YEAH!”

  “Down with the Tyranny of the adults!!”

  ””””Down! Down! Down! ””””

  The orphanage’s caretakers mixed with bandits to form a mound and atop stood short and proud a little girl with thick and bouncy red hair announced their successful ‘coup’.

  Ashten witnessed this view and started cpping.

  “You have done a great job finding an excellent Orphanage, Quigo.”

  On the other end of Ashten’s praise was Quigo stood behind Ashten and smiled wryly and begrudgingly chose to just accept the mispced and possibly sarcastic compliment.

  “WE HAVE WO—”

  The girl with the red hair abruptly stopped.

  The red haired girl and Ashten locked eyes.

  “Noooooooobles~” she yelled.

  Their presence was a trigger and the girl disappeared where she stood.

  The bodies of the beaten adults flung awkwardly in the air.

  Ashten could not be bothered to care about them.

  ‘She made the preemptive move against me despite exchanging gnces?’

  His eyes locked at the cause of the whistling wind.

  The little girl with the red hair appeared right in front of him, her tiny hand balled into a fist. She aimed to defeat him with a single strike.

  “TAKE THIS!”

  “Good.”

  “Boss! That is a child!”

  Quigo yelled, but Ashten paid him no heed.

  A hand chop struck her head with enough force to cause the child to crash on the ground.

  Quigo was fussing over on the side, but Ashten just looked down on the girl.

  “Ruthless, decisive, outstanding physicality, and not to mention an untamed temper belonging to a wild beast.” Ashten picked up the rambunctious rebel leader by her tattered shirt. He smiled at her dazed expression before making a decision, “...I’ll take this one”

  OmniPlump