Chapter 7: The Little Army

Roan passed the flask back to his little sister Rue as they watched the ‘little army’ train. A few months passed since there young charge had been taken to complete his trial into becoming the true heir to the Kan dukedom.

Roan sighed before taking the flask back from his sister.

“Well, this is the second generation. Let’s enjoy it while we can.”

Rue looked over at her brother before snatching the flask back.

“You’re saying that like you’re the one whose been teaching these brats all these years. I was the one to change Vasu’s diapers and teach him about the world.”

Snatching the flask back from his sister Roan couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, who paid for your schooling? Couldn’t have gotten such a job without me in the beginning.”

Rue rolled her eyes and the flask levitated itself to her hands.

“And who got you such a comfy ‘non exploring magical ruins or fighting monsters for a living job’ in the first place,” Rue said as the last droplets of the flask contents entered her mouth.

Roan just smiled and both parties went back to observing the kids.

It was the ‘little army’ of Aegis Kan. Young boys and girls that he had scouted personally. The force was around 150 currently but would need to grow to at least a thousand people for what Vasu had in mind for his son.

Rue was the one who broke the silence first.

“I don’t like it. I didn’t like it when we trained Vasu into being ready and I don’t like it even more so for Aegis. He doesn’t need, they don’t need to prove themselves like this.”

Roan sighed in truth he felt the same way as his sister. They were from Vasu’s father’s generation, and it was his father who added a second clause to the trials the heirs would undertake. Getting to Redcoomshi was safe compared to what Vasu needed to do to become heir and what Aegis would need to do as well.

“This is the last generation that will be trained underneath Iron Body Roan and the Grand Witch of the Golden Pastures.”

Roan looked at his sister making sure to fully convey his next words.

“I don’t like it either. It feels like I train these young men and women only for them to arrive at an early grave. It’s a foolhardy quest but Vasu lost minimum forces and came back just fine. He believes the orcs are gearing up for something within the next 100 years. Aegis must be ready and have an elite force able to follow his command.

Something new and young, let’s use this opportunity to guide the greatest generation of warriors the Empire will ever see. If our boarders were completely secure and we didn’t have to worry about Eradication, then I would more than argue for these children protection. But it is not so…

But it is not so…”

*

Alice huffed as she completed the final lap in her physical training. She didn’t understand why as a blacksmith she needed physical training like this when her main concern should be the forging of weapons. At least it was only running and lifting weights that was required of her and her brother and not combat training. The gods knew they were not built for fighting. Alice could barely stand the sight of blood and the last time Alex saw an open wound he passed out.

Chuckling at the thought Alice barely reacted in time as her brother came crashing into her.

“Oi, watch it mate.”

“Huff, Thanks, huff, for, huff, catching me.”

Her brother Alex was always last when it came to running. It wasn’t that he was slow or bad at running in general as Alice and the rest of Aegis’s army had come to learn. It was that her brother was just chunky. His love for food could not be stop no matter what distance Roan had him run so he always placed last, but when it came to lifting weights no one was stronger than Alex. She thought about the blueprint her young master had given them. He wanted them to build a monolith of some type and Alice and Alex had slowly begun the process.

Alice looked over to where their teachers were sitting passing a flask back and forth to one another before helping her brother to join the rest of the company in the mess hall.

…

“HEYYY!”

The twins just entered the mess hall only to receive a call almost immediately. It was from the few friends they had made so far in the little army. Everyone here were kids and orphans no older than 18 and no younger than 12. The age in which most of them would start their professions.

Alice and her brother were both 18 and looking to set out on their own after not being able to finish affording their apprentice fees. It was then that the Young Master found them in the capital and offered them an opportunity not only to train under the master blacksmiths under his father but to work for him personally and get paid well.

Arriving at the table their friends Kai, the one who yelled, and Aiden and Mel were waiting. The table was already stacked with an assortment of dishes rice, beans, breads, and plenty of meat. Alice could see her brothers eyes light up in excitement.

Kai studied her two friends. They were some of the oldest kids in the employ of the Young Master and gravitated towards one another because of it, but also because they were some of the only regular humans present. Both twins looked similar in appearance with Alex being the taller of the two. They were brownskin with brownish green hair showing their affinity to earth and nature. Alex stood around 184cm while Alice was around 175cm.

“Old Devil Roan really sweated you guys today huh?”

Mel spoke up looking at the sweat drenched Alex who gave out a grunt in response as his mouth was already full. Mel gave out a pleasant laugh her eyes never leaving Alex.

“At least you guys don’t have to do the obstacle courses or memorize battle formations. A little running never hurt nobody.”

This time Aiden spoke as he helped himself to another helping of food.

A loud belch erupted, and everyone turned to look at Alex who in turn stared back.

“Forgive my numbskull of a brother.”

Alex rolled his eyes at his sister and stuck out his tongue. He then took another drink before speaking.

“What do you think we’re doing all this hard training for? Even at the smithy they’re working us twice as hard to produce quality weapons twice as fast. Would the Young Master really be taking us to a war?”

The table grew silent as everyone processed what Alex said. Although the young man didn’t speak much when he did, he tended to make an impact.

“Of course,” Kai was the first to speak up.

“You don’t recruit an army, clothe them, feed them, and educate them, then not use them. We all understood the risk when the Young Master asked us to join his army.”

“The thing I don’t understand is why us. We’re orphans who don’t come from a military background. I’m sure if the Young Master asked the 3/4th sons of various noble families would answer his call.”

“Aiden, actually everyone, you all are looking at this the wrong way. This is an opportunity for all of us.”

Everyone turned to Mel as she spoke, and the girl blushed a bit before continuing.

“Where would we be right now if the Young Master didn’t pick us up. Right now, we can get a higher social standing. Every kid has heard of the Kans and how great they treat their knights. Hell, look at the Slight Hands who’ve been here the longest. Look how powerful they are. Do you think we’d get this chance anywhere else in the Empire?”

The table grew silent once again as everyone fell into their thoughts.

“We’ve all pledged to serve. I did it because I don’t want to spend the rest of my life cleaning gutters or joining a gang. I want a family in the future and knowing my kids will never starve like I did.”

“Well said Aiden, I pledged because I grew up on stories of the Kans and their heroic tales. I want to be in the next story,” Kai said with determination.

“Well, me and Alex want to create the next legendary weaponry like Eternal’s Rest or Stormbringer.”

“There’s two ways to become a High Mage of the Empire. Either you’re a noble and can pay for school or get lucky and win a scholarship… Or you join the army and get trained as a battle mage. That and being included on one of the Kan’s adventures would shut my brother up.”

They all looked at Mel and smiled. Aegis Kan not only took themselves in but any siblings they had. Each would be receiving an education paid for by the Kans with no service required.

“Hey, we should form our own group.”

“That's not a bad idea Kai but what would we call ourselves and I’m the leader.”

Aiden smacked his chest in confidence.

Alice shook her head and rolled her eyes before returning her attention to her plate. Thoughts still drifting towards the monolith.

*

Using my buckler, I smacked the Red Claw centipede’s head to the left before delivering a strike that split its skull. The Red Claws were one of the main predators that resided within the first level of the Catacombs. Named after their iconic red mandibles. It had been several weeks since my descent into the Catacombs. Several weeks since I earned my first title and my first kill.

The Catacombs were in the simplest way to put it, endless, but teaming with life. In the letter my mother wrote to me she described what to expect on my journey and gave me a map and a book on the first level of the Catacombs. The map would take me to the next area level before I would have to figure my way further down by myself. Part of the reason why I was given a time limit of 5 years. The Catacombs extended underneath the entire dukedom and the dukedom was roughly 15/16 million square miles. If I was translating the units here correctly.

I understood the territory was huge, but I didn’t expect it to be bigger than the African continent back on Earth and this was just one of 4 duke territories. From my understanding we had one of the largest, however. It really put into perspective that I was on another world and the Nia continent wasn’t even fully mapped out yet.

I started to chop the centipede into smaller pieces. This one was just a youth having a length of about 2 meters and a width of around a 1.5ft. so far, I’ve managed to avoid the adults as the only one I observed was over 4 meters in length and 3ft in width. I’ve been using the creatures as fishing bait whenever I came across one of the underground rivers. The bag I received had much more than my original scan. Courteous of my mother who made sure to get me as much as possible to increase my chance of survival. I had a ‘Survival Guide for Dummies: Catacomb’s Edition’ placed in my bag by her, as well as tents and several items to provide detection for me while I slept.

So far, the journey was quite mundane, and I had come across little dangers besides the centipedes that seemed to occupy the first level or maybe I was just in their part of the Catacombs as the survival guide listed several creatures, I should be wary of. The Spidoth, the Gatorlings, Red Claws, and the Chimera Lizards all creatures that resided in the first level all creatures ranging in strength from tier 1 to tier 3. My chest began to heat up in excitement and I took another look at my status.

Overview

Name: Aegis Kan

Age: 7

Race: Magi Human

Racial Abilities: Minor Adaptation

Physical Cultivation: 1(3)

Magic Cultivation: 0(4)

Aspects: Starlit Harbinger

Titles: Resolved

Show me my titles.

Title: Resolved

By slaying a sentient being you have shown resolve that another may lack in your situation This has left an aura surrounding your body that can pressure weaker willed beings regardless of their strength.

I earned this title after I killed the hobgoblin in the coliseum and since I didn’t know how to feel about it, I left it as it was. What was important to me was how my aspect would affect my life and how I could properly utilize my perks.

Show me my aspect and perk abilities.