Chapter 22: Not My Father

After nearly three weeks of unwanted rest, the Scorchveil squad was summoned again.

The fortress' war hall hadn't changed — still dark, still choking with the scent of scorched oil and brimstone. The torches buzzed with warped mana, casting long shadows across the iron walls. Kaiden leaned against the back of the room, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

At the head of the hall stood the fortress's First Commander — all horn, scale, and fury. His voice came like gravel in a furnace, already grating as he spoke.

"We are going to test your squad with an important mission. Failure means death. Anything less than optimal will be remembered and punished."

Kaiden didn't blink. The commander had talked like this the last time, too — and to every demon under his command. Equal opportunity bastard. At least he was consistent.

"You will escort a scientist to the demon capital," the commander continued. "Why? Not your concern. But—"

His gaze dropped squarely on Kaiden.

"—if our lord sees how good you are at transport, maybe he'll toss you a reward. Something useful. Like an artificant. One that lets you use magic... a few times. Who knows."

Kaiden said nothing. The idea of using magic, even just once, stirred something bitter inside. Curiosity. And fear.

The commander motioned them forward, leading the squad through a narrow hallway of rusted metal and silence. The air grew colder as they descended. They stopped before a thick iron door. With a grunt, the commander shoved it open.

The room inside was small and dim — a converted storeroom, lit by a single red mana lamp hanging crooked from the ceiling. In the center sat a demon, slumped in a chair.

He was short, with grayish skin stretched thin across wiry limbs. A single horn jutted from his forehead like a rusted spike. His coat was torn and crusted with old blood. His hands trembled slightly, resting on his knees.

Kaiden squinted. Then stiffened.

There was something deeply, uncomfortably familiar about the man.

"Recognize him?" the commander asked, voice like coals cracking.

"You should. That's the one who built your body. The first thing you saw after you came out of that meat-heap you used to be."

The commander stepped forward and gave the demon two heavy, casual pats on the back — as if checking a carcass for life. The seated demon didn't react. Just looked up at Kaiden with slow, sunken eyes.

Kaiden's stomach turned. It wasn't exactly nostalgia. More like vertigo.

"Great," Kaiden muttered. "We're babysitting my engineer now."

A sharp sound cut through the room — a single snort, sharp and mocking.

Velra, the new mage, stepped closer behind Sylen and Kess, arms folded, amusement barely hidden.

"Touching," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "When we were born, we saw our mothers' faces. Some of us, our fathers. Real family."

She gestured loosely toward Kaiden without even looking at him.

"But this thing? First thing he ever saw was a blood-soaked gremlin with a wrench. Should we call that your daddy, Kaiden? Or maybe just Master?"

Kess looked away, jaw clenched. Sylen shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing. Rav raised a brow, more curious than offended.

The old engineer didn't react. Just kept smiling — a faint, almost serene curl of his lip.

"at least he didn't drop me on my head like someone" Kaiden snorted as

Kaiden stepped forward slowly, looking in the eye of the scientist.

"and you….Close that smile," he said, quiet but firm. "She wasn't complimenting me. She was making fun."

The smile faded.

Velra smirked wider.

"You sure? He looked so proud. Like a father watching his little half-metal abomination grow up."

Kaiden didn't respond. Not directly. His expression flattened, unreadable again. But his fingers twitched slightly at his side — mechanical joints creaking.

The commander groaned.

"Save it for the road. If I hear one toe on the scientist gets lost, I'll make sure yours comes off next."

He turned and walked away, leaving the squad in tense silence.

Kaiden looked around at his team — Sylen expressionless, Kess watching the door, Rav chewing the inside of his cheek, and Velra with that smug little spark in her eye. Then he looked back at the old engineer.

Something about the man still didn't sit right. Maybe it was the way he kept staring at him — not like a maker admiring his creation, but like a researcher waiting for an experiment to fail.

Kaiden hated that look more than Velra's words.

Babysitting him, huh? he thought. Let's hope the baby doesn't bite.