The party continued, aiming to finish at noon. Meat was brought to be fried over as the adults shared drinks, and the children ate their fruit and nuts.

“Hey, you,” Adam called, tugging on his sister’s cheek gently. “You didn’t even wish me a happy birthday.”

Lanarot babbled up at him before laughing wildly, clapping her hands together excitedly. Adam brought her up to his knee to feed her some fruit from his fingers, letting her make a mess all over them.

Adam looked out to the Rot family, noting all the unfamiliar faces. He wondered how big the Rot family was, and whether all the families held a similar number of members.

‘Probably not,’ Adam thought. ‘How are new families even made?’

“What are you thinking about this time?” Vonda asked, keeping away from the food and drink, not wanting to show off her burn marks.

“Stupid stuff,” Adam replied. “I was wondering how many people there were in the Rot family, and how new families are made.”

“You think about family a lot,” Vonda noted. “It’s important to you.”

“I suppose,” Adam replied, casting his Tricks trick to clean up his sister’s face. “Isn’t family important to you too?”

Vonda glanced down towards the table, falling into her thought. Her brows furrowed sadly for a moment, before she bowed her head. “Yes.”

An Iyrman brought out their musical instrument, before performing for the people. Lanarot’s head snapped towards the sound, before she clapped her hands and began to babble, trying to mimic the sounds.

“I might go and enchant later today,” Adam said. “I was really lucky in the morning so thought about enchanting the mace I gifted you.”

“Are you trying to take it back from me so soon?” Vonda joked.

Adam smiled in response. “It’s not good enough to gift to someone like you, Sir Vonda.”

Vonda pulled up her scarf in response, but Adam also felt his cheeks flush when he recalled their date during the nightval festival.

“I see Fred’s better,” Adam said, taking a sip of his peach wine. It seemed to be a favourite within the Iyr, since most of the wine he had drank was of the peach variety. He supposed that it could just be that the Rot family loved peach wine.

“He is doing much better,” Vonda confirmed. “He has been thinking deeply about your offer.”

“I do make great offers,” Adam said, nodding to himself. “Though, even now I’m thinking about all sorts.”

“All sorts?” Vonda asked.

“From guarding merchants, to a mercenary company, to an inn franchise, to an Order…” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Limitless possibilities, so I’m paralysed by choice.”

“So many ideas,” Vonda stated, looking up towards the sky. “Is there a rush to pick one?”

“No,” Adam supposed, before recalling the eldritch threat which had yet to come, if it even would. “Perhaps.”

“You have thought about so many different possibilities, but what about a school?” Vonda asked. “You are good with children and seem open to teaching. You could teach them how to read and write.”

“A school,” Adam whispered. “Teaching is a great responsibility.”

“You have already adopted a greater responsibility,” she said. “Multiple responsibilities.”

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“I suppose you’re right.” Adam smiled, brushing his sister’s hair, which caused her to look up at him, before she smiled up towards him. “A private tutor of sorts, or I could teach a large classroom for all the commoners.”

“The commoners do not have the time for school, usually,” Vonda said. “Perhaps when they are young, and if the schooling is cheap.”

“It’d have to be that way.” Adam narrowed his eyes. “Where I’m from, all children from the age of about four to sixteen learn in school.”

“All children?” Vonda asked, curious. Adam rarely spoke about where he was from, so she leaned in, intrigued.

“It’s mandated by law that all children are schooled. I was about three or four when I first went to school, and once I was out, I went to college, which is confusing because what I call college is what some people called high school, and then after that is university, which some people call college.” Adam smiled.

“You went to university?” Vonda asked, surprised. “Are you a Noble?”

“No,” Adam replied with a chuckle. “Pretty much anyone can go to university.”

Vonda raised her brows further in surprise. “Anyone?”

“Most do,” Adam said. “Even if you don’t need the degree, it’s always good to have one, just to show potential employers, and it’s good for moving to other countries.”

Vonda tilted her head. “Where are you from?” She hadn’t heard of a place where education could be accessed by all. She was a Noble, so she was going to be educated regardless of whether she joined the Order, but she had not heard of a land which had forced all their children to school, and then also allow anyone from any background to go to university.

“The Greylands,” Adam joked, smiling as he looked up at the sky. “Though, I hope that you’ll keep what I told you a secret.”

‘Is he from the Elvish Land?’ Vonda thought, staring at the Half Elf. She wasn’t sure how Elf society was structured, but it did make sense that all Elves would have educated all their own, and allow them to go to university. ‘What do you mean about a degree being good for moving to other countries?’

Adam’s eyes fell to Vonda, who had not replied. “Okay?”

“Okay?” Vonda replied, confused. “Oh, yes. I will keep it between you and I, Adam.”

“Where I’m from, most…” Adam paused. The casual statement had almost let slip that Adam was not from this world. He sighed. He could take a guess of how this land worked. The Nobles educated their children, and the commoners were kept poor and stupid. He supposed that not much has changed between his own world and this third world, though he was educated.

“How is it that all the children are able to go to school?” Vonda asked, trying to figure out more about Adam. “Is that not a costly endeavour?”

“It’s paid through taxes,” Adam replied. “Everyone pays for the education system, and all children go to school. School is free, though there are some schools which cost money. University used to be free too, though my generation didn’t get to partake.”

‘What?’ Vonda stared at the Half Elf. The more he spoke, the less she understood. It was a normal feeling when it came to Adam, but this time there was something else to it. It almost felt like he was talking about a distant past.

“Actually, what’s really funny is that university fees were introduced by the ruling government which usually made it easier for poor people to live. Then, once they were out of power, the next government increased the fees by a ridiculous amount. They opened up Pandora’s box and allowed the snakes to…” Adam brough up the rest of his peach wine before finishing the drink. “What am I doing? Politics on my birthday?”

“Your country sounds fascinating,” Vonda said. “It must be an amazing place.”

“Of course it is,” Adam said. “It’s my country.”

Vonda heard the sarcasm in his voice, but she could also see the sadness which had seeped into his eyes.

“What’s even more funny,” Adam said, thinking back to his first life, “is that, well, let me first explain how my country came to be. Where I come from, the Greylands as I call it, was a country made up of four separate countries in a voluntary union.” Adam rolled his eyes when he described it as a voluntary union. “It’s a country made up of four countries. The northern country had free university for all its citizens, and free university for the first degree for people from the nearby lands, except for the countries within the union.”

Vonda furrowed her brows. “Excuse me?”

“Right,” Adam said. “If I went to university in my own country, well another country which makes a part of my country, I would have to pay money. However, if I was born in one of the other nearby countries, that is to say, if I was a foreigner, I would be able to go to university for free.”

Vonda tilted her head, trying to understand what he was saying. “Why?”

Adam smiled, wondering what kind of joke he should make. “Probably because the bloody history between our countries, I’d assume. One of the oldest military alliances, actually the oldest military alliance, was between…”

Adam froze.

‘What the hell am I saying?’ he thought, feeling the light buzz which had already taken him. ‘Oh. No wonder I’m giving it a bit of this and that.’ Adam pushed the empty cup away. ‘I was meant to be enchanting too.’

“Have you said too much?” Vonda asked.

“Yeah,” Adam said, brushing his sister’s hair. “For now, anyway. One day, Vonda. One day.”

“One day, Adam,” Vonda said, bowing her head slowly. “One day.”

“I should have brought some tea with me,” Adam said. “I bought so much, it’ll go off if I don’t drink it.”

“Perhaps later tonight?”

“Perhaps.”