Chapter 29 The Magistrate Returns

“My good sir… The government is merciful. We have been providing you all with security and services throughout those whole years. But you must agree that this is not fair. We agreed for a certain amount of cattle and paid in advance. That feels wrong, doesn’t it? I’m at disadvantage here…” Even though the phrasing was not to the fun side, The Magistrate spoke those words with a slight smirk on his face.

“Unfortunately there’s nothing we can do about it, Magistrate, o sir. The bad season not only compromised the crops but also the animal’s sustain… It’s going to take a while before we are ready with the livestock…”

“And what about me…?”

“That’s why I ask you, o great sir. Could we make this a smaller deal? We give you what we have and return part of the money. Of course, you can keep some as tax for your troubles.”

The Magistrate was expecting that offer. But he pretended to consider, scratching the back of his head.

“You see… Lord emperor Eneris sent me here on a mission. And as a side mission, he told me also “pass through” the village of Couche and bring the agreed amount of meat to the castle. He let the carriages all ready this morning and all. What I’m trying to say is… I’m not the one responsible for the trades. If I said ‘yes’ and it turns out to be a bad trade, and if the emperor would not like my doings… Oh well, that would be very bad for me you see…”

The farmer couldn’t contest those words.

The Magistrate took opportunity of the moment of silence to put a bright smile on his face and express his offer instead:

“But hey! I know of emperor Eneris’ taste. He is a practical man. If he was to lose some meat here on the trade but to win something, he was already planning to deal with later… He wouldn’t mind at all! And I know exactly what is something he had been meaning to negotiate...”



Josiah had guessed it right. The men in the village had to give in, seeing that the offer would not affect the community’s well-being as a whole. Agreeing with kids taking part in the military service was really the best deal they could get. Plus, there was always the possibility they returned alive and stronger after the period of service.

Not very long after that, The magistrate and a pair of soldiers were on an empty field, near the orphanage, together with one of the caretakers and a bunch of people from the village. Not all kids were to be taken in, The Magistrate was taking only eight or nine to fill in the gaps of the upcoming recruit shortage.

“These kids sure do cry a lot, heh?” The magistrate commented.

“Come on, it’s for your own good. Remember when you first cried for taking a bath and then started liking it?” The caretaker tried to comfort them before handing them away.

“You don’t learn, do you, you milk nipping hoary sucker?” It was Josiah’s voice.

He approached slowly, carrying the blade already in his arms. He looked around for Lenny or some of the other children he knew, but none of them were to be taken at that time.

“Why don’t you go pick on someone your size? Oh, because you lose to children, that’s why.” Josiah continued.

“Oh, ho ho! Some youthful is acting confident today. Why don’t we show the kids how to draw a sword? Maybe they grow to like it. Get him.” Without ceremony, The Magistrate nodded at one of his men.

The guard didn’t hold back even against children. Not losing the serious face he had since the beginning, he came out swinging his human-made weapon at Josiah, trying to strike him down before he did anything.

‘Not even a warning? Not a bad strategy at all… But you executed it too slowly…’ Josiah turned his body around causing the stab to miss and struck his level 16 sword right to the man leg’s joints. Since the level was so high, he didn’t even need to use that much force. Even with the armored leggings, the man fell down, facing the dirt.

There was no time to rest. When the uncanny eight-year-boy looked away from his fallen victim, the other soldier was running fast toward him, his rapier being held in the air.

‘This one is a silent step as well. If I haven’t looked to him just in time I wouldn’t have heard the attack and gotten hit…’ Josiah clashed his sword at the man’s rapier and both withstood each other’s attacks, competing who had the most strength.

They both grinned their teeth one to the other.

Josiah then had the idea of sliding the weapon to the side, liberating the man’s attack, but striking first before he realized he had the chance to act. A maneuver Thomas taught him on his second year of sword training.

He slid the weapon, pivoted his body, and unleashed a hit right at the man’s chest.

The man let out a pain sound and his body was thrown back.

“Come on, don’t let me draw my other weapons,” Josiah said.

The man stepped back looking for an opening, as the one behind him tried to lift his body up.

The Magistrate clapped his hands once, in an annoying, loud sound.

“Bravo! As expected, you got a lot better since the last time I saw you fight. But you are not the only one who has gotten better. Cease the attack, you two. I am going to take on this boy.”

“No need.”

Josiah leaned his sword down.

“What? Are you chickening out? Or are you too cocky to even see what I have prepared for you? If I remember correctly you almost lost the other time, so you shouldn’t be acting that hot, you see…”

“I’m not here to fight. I’m here for a deal.”

“Deal…?”

“You leave these children be… And I join your army on their place.”

“What!?” One of the farmboys who was watching, who worked with Josiah, got taken by surprise.

“Josiah!” the orphanage caretaker exclaimed surprised.

Even The Magistrate took a moment to process those words.

“You want to join the army, kid?”

“That’s what you wanted, right? Weren’t you saying I am ‘the Josiah’ and that you wanted me in? You told me you’d come back to take me in.”

“Humm… You’d do this for all these children, then? Not gonna lie, I’m impressed. I’ll take your offer. But since I know you have the equipment, I’m going to let you prepare before coming. You can show up at the reserve outpost in the second day, before the sun rises. Here:” The Magistrate threw a small piece of paper to Josiah, who caught it in the air. It was folded.

“We will be going, then. I’ve done what I had to do here. Come on” He told to his men, even though they kept frowning to Josiah ever since the order to cease attacking.

Before leaving The Magistrate directed one last sentence to the boy:

“And you’d better actually come and not be lying to me, young boy. Otherwise, I’ll come back to take these little recruitlets here from this shelter, oh ho ho.”