The territory of Aldurukh formed concentric rings on the map, like the annual rings of an oak tree.
The inner rings represented Caliban's ancient martial philosophy.
Ring within ring, interlocking rings forming an unbreakable defence.
Within the Order, there was an Inner Circle and an Outer Circle. The Inner Circle were senior knights, the Outer Circle were newly knighted, and beyond them were the squires.
The Calibanites followed the same theory when building their fortress defence systems.
The imposing fortress of Aldurukh lay at the center of the territory, closely guarded by five satellite towns arranged in a ring.
Hundreds of outermost villages were scattered like stars along the forest routes.
Ulch and Chisano villages lay on the outermost ring, with knights permanently stationed there.
The Order didn't just defend; they expanded during the lulls between beast-tides.
All the settlements within the territory had been established in the last few decades. Ulch village was founded only four years ago.
The Order carefully planned the location of each settlement, creating a mutually supporting network with existing villages.
Each new ring improved the defensive system, providing greater strategic depth for Aldurukh, while the land within the outer rings could be cleared for farming.
But expansion always came with blood and sacrifice. Newly founded villages often faced a beast counter-attack nine years later.
If a village survived the beast-tide, the Order could expand further outward, turning the old outer ring into an inner ring.
The people living here weren't farmers; they were sentinels. Many had failed the knight examinations.
They weren't responsible for production. Their only job was to improve the village's defences. The adult men would also don leather armour and fight alongside the knights in wartime.
Though not as powerful as knights, the militia could handle the smaller beasts.
Calibanites were trained in combat from childhood. It was the only guarantee of survival on a world infested with Great Beats.
All knights were exceptional warriors, one in a hundred. Every knight casualty was a heavy loss.
If a knight fell in battle, his squire would inherit his power armor and continue the fight.
But if a knight was critically wounded, he became a burden.
The Order never abandoned any brother, but if they couldn't get them back to Aldurukh for treatment in time, their wounds would indeed be fatal.
But splitting their forces to escort them back would further strain their already stretched defensive capabilities.
They couldn't ignore them. The question was: who should go?
Lion said, "Let Brother Luther go. Take some village carts and wagons for the wounded, and ten militiamen as an escort."
Lion's use of the word 'brother' startled the other three.
Knights of the Order all called each other 'brother'. Even young squires could call each other brother.
Though Lion was 'eight', the Order's young squires trained from childhood, so they were about his age.
Besides, Lion couldn't be judged by mortal age standards. His combat record surpassed all knights.
So Sarrientus didn't dare treat him lightly. He had always treated him as an adult.
Since he was willing to call Luther 'brother', it meant he had already accepted the Order in his heart!
Sarrientus was overjoyed. He gave Luther a look. "I agree."
Ramil nodded, "I agree too."
But Luther fell silent.
Why him?
He could list many reasons: he was closest, Lion didn't know the other knights, so his name came to mind.
But everyone knew the real reason was his pregnant wife.
Though the Watcher's intervention ensured his wife's safety, his heart was still not without牵挂.
Even while fighting Great Beats tooth and nail, he worried about his wife at home.
He wanted to go back and care for her. But he was a knight. His duty and beliefs didn't allow him to abandon his post.
Lion gave him a dignified way out.
Escorting the wounded wasn't desertion. It was a legitimate duty.
Someone had to do it. Why not him?
Luther's voice was low. "I'll return as soon as I've delivered the wounded to Aldurukh."
His gaze lowered, he looked at Lion with complex emotions. "Thank you, Brother Lion."
Lion didn't acknowledge the thanks. Instead, he looked somewhat puzzled at Sarrientus. "Are knights of the Order always this polite with each other?"
Sarrientus laughed in agreement. "Brother Lion, humility and gratitude are a knight's virtues."
"In that case, I accept. Brother Luther."
.....
The sound of hooves faded. Luther's figure finally disappeared into the forest.
Lion withdrew his gaze and looked up at his adoptive father. "Well?"
"Out of ten, I give you six. Asking me costs you one point."
Lion retorted defiantly, "Then it should be nine!"
"The other three are deducted in case you get too proud."
"Oh." The tension in Lion's jaw softened. So Caelan thought he had done well.
His adoptive father always said one thing but meant another.
"Shouldn't I have asked?"
Caelan looked at him steadily. "Why did you ask me?"
"You told me to do it."
"I just told you a story. You figured out the lesson yourself."
"Didn't you advise me?"
"I did. But the important thing is you were willing to listen to me go on."
"You once said I never listen."
"I said that wasn't you. And you yourself admitted it wasn't."
Lion's brow relaxed. He raised his chin slightly. "Is it really that hard to listen?"
Caelan nodded, "One of the hardest things in the world is getting someone to listen."
"For example, the brain sees a piece of rotting meat and knows it smells bad. But the nose doesn't listen; it has to go and sniff it."
"Knowing staying up late is bad for you, yet still not being able to control yourself."
"Even our own bodies fight with themselves, let alone listening to others."
"And my other brothers?"
"They listen, just like you."
"We're different!"
"Different how?"
"In every way!"
"Maybe they're better at flattery."
Lion turned his head away with a snort.
'Flattery' was exactly how he had described his other brothers. Caelan was teasing him.
Lion argued, "I am the First Primarch. That's the biggest difference between me and them."
"They won't accept that numbering game."
"That's fine. I'll prove that I'm the First Primarch!"
.....
Aenorod carefully examined the small, green-robed figure in the corner of the room, lowering his voice. "Fiona, when did... the Watcher... arrive?"
Fiona shook her head. "When I woke up, he was already there."
Watchers never spoke to mortals, but they had helped Calibanites out of many predicaments.
Over the past millennia, there had been many beast-tides that nearly destroyed the Calibanites.
Whenever the knight orders were unable to resist, it was the Watchers who intervened to stop the monster invasions, allowing humanity to survive.
These weren't just rumours. They were recorded in the histories kept by the old knight orders.
The Calibanites believed the Watchers were the world's protectors. They wouldn't protect individuals. Only when the Calibanites were on the verge of extinction would the Watchers offer help.
Some guessed this meant their individual deaths didn't matter to the world, but the survival of the Calibanites was crucial to Caliban itself.
But that was just speculation. No one knew the real reason.
Even the rumour that the Order's rise was closely linked to the Watchers was also current on Caliban.
It was said that with the Watchers' secret help, the Order had survived the encirclement of the other orders, rising to become one of Caliban's most powerful knight orders in just a few decades.
With these rumours, Fiona wasn't afraid of the Watcher. Instead, she was very curious why he was here.
But the Watcher wouldn't speak, so she had to guess.
First, rule herself out. She had been unremarkable her whole life, nothing special.
The Watcher couldn't be here for her.
Aenorod was unlikely. Though he had been a senior knight of the Order, now he was just a retired old man.
Even less likely for Luther. Her husband wasn't even here.
Excluding these possibilities left only one.
"You're here for him?" Fiona murmured her confused thought, gently stroking her swollen belly.
She hadn't expected these mysterious Watchers to answer her question. But surprisingly, the shadow under the Watcher's hood seemed to nod slightly.
Then, the next moment, he slowly shook his head.
"I got half right?" Fiona murmured. But which half? What was she wrong about?
Fiona couldn't figure it out, but soon she realised.
Fiona asked, "It's her? My child is a girl?"
The Watcher nodded.
"Leona." Fiona murmured the name her husband had chosen for their daughter, a happy smile playing on her lips.
It seemed she was giving birth to quite a remarkable daughter!
Aenorod chuckled happily too. He was just a retired old man. He never imagined enjoying such fortune in his later years.
His adopted son becoming a knight already filled him with immense pride and comfort.
Now even his granddaughter had gained the Watcher's favour. Though he didn't understand what was so special about her, it could only be good!
Though he and Luther weren't blood-related, Luther was very filial.
Surely his granddaughter wouldn't disown him?
If his granddaughter became famous in the future, perhaps his name would be remembered too. What an honour!
Fiona reminded him softly, "Father, for Leona's safety, we mustn't spread this news."
"I know." Aenorod nodded seriously.
He did have an urge to boast to his old comrades. His adopted son becoming a knight was already a great honour. His granddaughter gaining the Watcher's favour was unprecedented.
But as a former knight, he understood the risks were not small.
The Order's knights might be happy for him, but what about those who were enemies of the Order?
If they learned the Watcher had visited, they might take desperate measures.
Besides, the Watchers had always been mysterious. They clearly wouldn't appreciate loose talk.
If his granddaughter suffered because of his loose tongue...
Fiona suddenly went pale. A sharp pain made her let out a stifled groan. "Father... I... I think I'm about to give birth."
"I'll fetch the midwife!" Aenorod rushed out the door, moving with an agility that belied his age.
But the Watcher was even faster. Before Fiona could even react, he was already beside her.
A strange force gently entered her body, like some invisible guidance, making her muscles relax after a brief tension.
Fiona immediately felt a light relief. Her child had slipped out silently.
She weakly reached out to gather the infant to her chest, but the tiny child was already wrapped firmly in swaddling by the Watcher.
"Tha..." Fiona's thanks were still stuck in her throat when the little green-robed figure vanished before her eyes.
Leaving Fiona staring blankly at the empty space, her mind a blank.
Her child... was gone?
The Watcher had stolen her child and run away?
Was this why he had been waiting here all along?
The shock made Fiona's vision go dark. She fainted.
...
"I told you to deliver the baby. Why did you bring the child to me?"
Caelan was so exasperated he laughed. He rarely felt this speechless. This was a first.
The little green-robed dwarf raised his arms high, proudly presenting the bundled infant. The baby girl slept peacefully with her eyes closed.
At Caelan's question, he tilted his head slightly, revealing a look in the shadow of his hood that resembled a college student's.
Caelan's voice held a hint of resignation. "Take the child back. Now."
Luther was probably almost home. If he arrived to find the child gone, the situation would be hard to handle.
If that caused trouble, wouldn't Caelan be the villain?
This time, the little green-robed dwarf finally understood. He cradled the baby girl and silently disappeared.
"This is high EQ."
Lion analysed with a serious air. "You only told him to deliver the baby. You didn't explicitly say what to do with the child."
"Bringing her to show you was the safest option. If you weren't happy, he could take her back, just like now."
"But if he had gone back empty-handed, he might have had to make a special trip just to bring the child. That would be doing more than necessary."
Caelan said, "What he did was doing more than necessary."
"You can't blame him, Father. You didn't give him clear orders."
Caelan shot Lion a sideways glare. "Are you lecturing me?"
"I'm just reminding you. If you have any requirements, make them clear. Don't make people guess. Then get upset when they guess wrong."
Caelan looked at Lion meaningfully. "Honestly, right now I do like your other brothers more."
The smile faded from Lion's face. Now he was unhappy.
"You prefer their flattery?"
"I prefer children with high EQ." Caelan smiled gently.
A smile doesn't disappear. It just transfers.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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