THE INFANT

ATAKINO TRAVELED IN PEACE UNTIL HE REACHED THE END OF THE FOREST. AS SOON AS HE CAME OUT OF IT, HE WAS GREETED BY A CAMP OF ORCS. AS SOON AS THE ORCS GAZED UPON HIM, THE CREATURES DRIVEN BY THE MADNESS OF HUNGER, RUSHED TOWARDS ATAKINO.

HE DREW OUT HIS SWORD FROM BENEATH HIS CAPE AND MARCHED TOWARDS THEM. THE SWORD STARTED AGAIN TO GLOW IN A BEAUTIFUL BLUE COLOR. THE SWORD COULD RIP ANYTHING OFF EVEN, WITH A SINGLE SLASH, NOT MAKING PHYSICAL CONTACT.

SO, BEFORE THE MANIFESTATIONS OF UGLINESS EVEN TOUCHED HIM, THEY WERE RIPPED APART INTO TWO PIECES EVERY TIME.

AFTER DEFEATING THE HOARD OF ORCS WHICH AMBUSHED ON HIM, HE LAUGHED FOR A BIT. IT HAPPENED SO BECAUSE HE THOUGHT OF IT AS FUNNY THAT THE GIFTS HE GOT FROM THE FAIRY, WERE OF NO USE.

BUT IN REALITY, THE OBJECTS WERE TRYING TO WARN HIM THROUGHOUT THE SCENE.

IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM TO COLLECT SOME FOOD AND SUPPLIES FROM THE CAMP.

HE COULD STORE THEM AND USE THEM IN TIMES OF NEED.

HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE RUINS OF THE CAMP,

BUT HE HEARD THE CRACKLING VOICE OF A BABY CRYING.

HE APPROACHED THE VOICE AND WENT INTO THE TENT. THE BABY SEEMED TO BE LYING ON THE FLOOR UNDER SOME PIECE OF LARGE CLOTH WHICH YOU MAY CALL A RAG.

WHEN ATAKINO RAISED THE RAG, HE SAW A BEAUTIFUL INFANT LYING ON THE GROUND, CRYING HIS TEARS OUT.

SOME MAY THINK HE WAS CRYING FOR FOOD, BUT ALL HE NEEDED WAS A WARM CLOSURE OF A PERSON, TO FEEL PROTECTED.

ATAKINO KIMOWASHI, IS A MAN OF GREAT PRIDE, DIGNITY, AND KINDNESS.

HOW COULD HE JUST ABANDON THE INNOCENT INFANT SO THAT IT COULD SUFFER HARDSHIPS OR THREATS FROM SUCH A YOUNG AGE?

HE PLACED HIS ARMS UNDER THE CHILD AND PICKED HIM UP FROM THE GROUND. HE SANG LULLABIES TO THE CHILD AND HELD HIM WITH WARMTH.

THE CHILD, IN AN INSTANT, CAME TO PEACE AND SUDDENLY SLEPT IN ATAKINOS ARMS.

AFTER SOME TIME, HE CAME TO NOTICE THAT THE GLOWING PENDANT HAD THE COLOR BLUE ON IT.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE SIGNALS THAT THE COLORS GIVE?

BLUE MEANT THAT THE SITUATION WAS GOING SMOOTHLY OR IN A WELL-DESTINED DIRECTION.

AND IT WAS HELD BY THE INNOCENT LITTLE HUMAN, WHICH SLEPT COMFORTABLY IN THE HAND OF THE WARRIOR.

ATAKINO DECIDED TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE RUINS OF THE CAMP.

EVEN THOUGH HE WAS WITH THE CHILD, HE KNEW THAT IT COULD BE DANGEROUS FOR HIM TO SLEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, OR THAT HE COULD BE RAIDED, AMBUSHED, OR ATTACKED.

SO HE TOOK OUT THE THIRD GIFT GIVEN BY THE FAIRY.

WHICH WAS THE BOOK. HE PUT IT UNDER THE MOONLIGHT AND, IN A JIFFY, MANY TYPES OF MAGICAL SPELLS WERE SHOWN WRITTEN ON IT.

HE BROWSED FOR THE SPELLS THAT INDICATED DEFENSIVE MANEUVER. NOT LONG AFTER IT, HE FOUND THE SPELL THAT COULD MAKE A SHIELD AROUND THEM THAT NO POWER COULD BREAK UNLESS THE CASTER OF THAT SPELL REVERSES THE SPELL.

AND HE SHOUTED IN HIS VERY DEEP AND STRANGELY SOOTHING VOICE "RIKI WO FURUU MONO, SONO RIKI WO MAMORU MONO DESU"

WHICH MEANT" THE ONE WHO WIELDS THE POWER

IS THE ONE WHO SHIELDS THAT POWER"

AND SUDDENLY AN ILLUMINATING SHIELD HID THEM IN THAT VERY TENT SO THEY COULD SPEND THE NIGHT CAREFREELY WITHOUT ANY DANGER.

AND SOON HE ALSO SLEPT WHILE HOLDING THE BABY.