Omen: 1, 17

‘Damn, that’s such a good roll,’ Adam thought, trapped under his triplets as per usual. ‘I should smith…’

Konarot broke some bread of the fresh bread on offer, handing the pieces to Kirot and Karot. She dipped her bread into her soup, and looked out to her siblings, who were also dipping their bread into their own soups. Adam did the same, eating beside them.

His eldest daughter set the pace of the meal for her family, bringing some fruit once they were done with their bowls of soup, offering some to her father first. Adam smiled, taking a piece of fruit and offering it to her. The girl accepted the fruit before she brought a piece up to his lips, before Kirot and Karot also began to feed their father.

‘I suppose I should relax today too.’

Nirot eyed him up from the side, watching as he and his children fed one another fruit. There was something wrong about the scene to her. Adam, who was ridiculously strong, should be training to become more powerful, not relaxing within the estate, playing with his children.

Adam noted that the teens remained within the estate. Normally, at least one or two would have left to go work for the Iyr, but today they all remained within the estate. ‘I wonder what their schedules are like.’

“Adam,” Nirot eventually called, while his triplets napped on the floor nearby, his twins being taken care of by Sonarot. Since they were asleep, it meant Adam wasn’t busy.

“Nirot,” Adam replied.

“We wish to become stronger,” Nirot whispered, noting how the triplets’ ears were twitching.

“Yeah?” Adam nodded his head slowly. “Me too.”

“You are strong already.”

“Am I?” Adam raised his brow. “No. I’m not strong enough. To protect my little babbies, I need to become even stronger.”

“To protect the Iyr, we must become stronger too,” Nirot said.

Adam smiled at his Cousin’s patriotism. “Let’s take it one step at a time, Cousin.”

Nirot remained silent, wondering why Adam was being so meek. “We will petition for you, Adam. If you wish to become stronger, we will petition Elder Zijin.”

‘Petition?’ Adam thought, noting the looks on the nearby teens, each of whom were holding in their shock.

“What will you petition for?” Mirot asked, the other mothers kept an ear on the situation too.

“We cannot say, but we will petition for him,” Nirot replied to her mother, their gazes clashing.

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“If you want it, we will petition for you,” Naqokan said, adding her voice into the argument.

“In exchange, please help us grow stronger,” Nirot requested.

“Nirot?”

“Yes?”

“Am I your Cousin?”

“Yes.”

“Then why do you need to give me something for me to make you stronger?” Adam asked, though he had already promised to assist them, and he had already taken payment from them.

“You believe relationships are transactional.”

“Yes,” Adam agreed, nodding his head slowly. “So I’ll make you stronger so you can think I’m cool.” Adam winked, flashing a charming smile, one that was definitely from a Fae.

“We will petition for you,” Nirot said, standing up, and quickly leaving.

Mirot did not call out for her daughter, returning her attention back to Gurot, who was snoozing lightly, twitching in his slumber. Nirot had the right to do as she pleased, which included petitioning. ‘She is grown.’ She wondered when the girl would accept her tattoos.

“What does that mean?” Adam asked, raising his brows towards his Aunt.

Sonarot smiled.

The teens made their way together, but Naqokan split off, and the teens followed her. Uwajin was snoozing beside her baby brother. She sat up upon hearing the approaching teens, and blinked away her sleepiness.

“We are going to petition for Adam,” Naqokan said.

The Orcish Iyrman hopped onto her feet. “Okay.” She was not close enough to Adam to petition for him, but since it was Naqokan asking, she had no need to think about it.

“Yes?” Elder Zijin asked, noting the approaching teens, who held stern faces. ‘What has Adam done?’

“We have come to petition for Adam,” Uwajin said.

‘Petition for Adam?’ Zijin blinked, staring at his niece. It was one thing for Nirot and Naqokan, but another for his niece. His eyes fell to Naqokan for a moment, understanding how she had come to him to say something so ridiculous.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“You wish to give up your rights for Adam?” Zijin asked.

“Yes,” the group replied, simply.

“Your petition has been refused,” Zijin stated, writing on a small piece of paper.

“It is not right for you to refuse without giving proper thought to the request,” Nirot stated, crossing her arms. “You must think for a reasonable time before coming to a conclusion.”

“Did you think you were the first to petition for him?” Zijin remarked, a small smirk appearing on his lips. “I have thought long enough.”

Nirot’s lips formed a frown, and she thought about how to refute his words.

“I did not gain the position of Elder because I lacked wisdom,” Zijin said. “If there is no other business, then you may leave.”

The teens frowned, but they could do no more. If Elder Zijin said he had already thought about the matter, then that was that. They turned and left. They had expected the response, but that did not mean the matter had ended then.

Elder Zijin finished with his desk work quickly. He wrapped a scarf around his neck, before stepping out of his estate. He made his way towards the outer estates, until he found an old, one armed Iyrman, and his grandson.

“You have brought another book?” Jarot asked.

Elder Zijin handed Churot a book full of equations, those which were going to be used for the next year, as well as equations dealing with the general resources of the Iyr, though they were described as pieces of fruit, string, or coins, rather than what they actually were.

“Churot, go to your grandmother, she will assist you with your equations,” Jarot said, noting the look in Zijin’s eyes.

The young teen left, quickly making his way to his grandmother, ready and eager to write the answers to his new book.

“What has my grandson done this time?” Jarot joked.

“It is about your granddaughter,” Zijin said, sitting opposite the old Iyrman.

“Nirot?”

“She has petitioned for Adam,” the Elder said.

“Oh?” Jarot furrowed his brows, but a small smile appeared on his lips. “She has wisdom beyond her years.”

“The others have also petitioned for Adam,” Zijin said. “They even brought my niece.”

“Uwajin?” Jarot asked. ‘It must have been Naqokan.’

“How much trouble will your family keep bringing to me?”

“It is your role, Elder Zijin,” Jarot said, his lips forming a wider smile. His laughter echoed through the estate, causing the children nearby to look his way, though they didn’t seem too surprised by his outburst. “You will not be able to ignore it now!”

“Do not be so quick to think so,” Zijin replied. “If it was another time, I would be unable to ignore it, but…”

Jarot groaned quietly. The Elder had a point. Normally, he would have been unable to refuse if so many people petitioned for Adam, but due to the changes within the Iyr, they could delay it for some time.

Zijin leaned back, inhaling deeply. “Have you thought about not causing trouble until the matter has ended?”

“I will think on it, Elder,” Jarot replied, though his sigh was more honest. If he continued to cause trouble during the next year, there was a chance Adam would be caught in the crossfire. “Is he working today?”

“No,” Zijin replied. “He is with his children.”

Jarot grumbled quietly.

Omen: 17, 17

“Where are my adorable greatchildren?” Jarot complained, having appeared at the shared family estate at breakfast. “How could you keep them to yourself?”

“They’re my kids,” Adam replied, simply, spooning more food for baby Jarot, who wore half the food around his mouth.

“Sophistry! You should let them stay with their babo!” Jarot sat down beside baby Jarot, ruffling his hair gently with his hand. “Look at how he smiles when he sees me? He must miss me! I will take him to the extended estate!”

“If they go with you then they’ll like you more!”

“Oh?” Jarot asked, smirking slightly. “Will they? What an unfortunate consequence.”

Adam narrowed his eyes.

“They should live with their cousins,” Jarot said. “The children will be excited to see them, and they must learn to know who these cute children are.” Jarot continued to brush the Goblins’ hair, all the while they smiled up at their greatfather, recognising his face.

‘So this is your revenge, you old geezer…’ “I refuse! How dare you steal my children away from me!”

“How can you say that after stealing my precious granddaughter from me?” Jarot huffed, leaning his head back as he glared down at Adam. “You should at least let me spoil my greatchildren!”

“That’s my job!”

The others stared at the pair who were fighting, all the while the Goblins were being fed by each of them, giggling between them.

‘How could I be related to such fools?’ Mirot thought.

‘Cringe,’ Nirot thought.

“Do you want to come with babo?” Jarot asked.

Adam held out his hands to the Goblins. “Come to dada.”

The Goblins looked up between their father and greatfather, before giggling and squealing wildly. They babbled and cooed, before Jirot grabbed Jarot’s finger, and baby Jarot reached for it too. The elder Iyrman smirked with satisfaction.

‘I can’t believe they’ve betrayed me like this.’ Adam slunk into his chair, before Lanarot tugged on his leg, calling for him. Adam lifted her up, hugging her tight. “I knew it! You wouldn’t betray me, would you Lanababy? Do you love baba or papa more?”

“Papa?” Lanarot yawned. “Papa. Seep.” She rested her head against his shoulder, before sucking on her thumb, ready for her nap. Adam placed a hand against her back, rubbing it gently. He smiled, thinking about the life he had.

‘This is truly the best life. A cute little sister. Five adorable children. A beautiful wife.’

Adam froze, feeling Lanarot’s body stirring slightly from her sleeping breaths. He stared up at the sky, a solitary tear running down his cheek.

‘How do I have five children but I’m a kissless virgin in this life?’

Wisdom Save

D20 + 3 = 9 (6)

‘Damn! Last year, wasn’t I in the same position? Didn’t I say I’d make preparations for the inns? Is Nobby even an Expert yet? What about Brittany? Damn it! The only thing I’ve done all year is mope around and-,’

A pretty face broke his thoughts. She smiled down at him, and since his face had brightened, she stepped aside, seating herself among the Iyrmen.

‘Damn! How can Mara be such a beauty?’ Adam thought. ‘Did Lucy tell her how cringe I was? Do I still have a…’ Adam’s thought broke. ‘Hold on, what did I do this year?’

He thought back to the year.

He had assisted in dealing with the Outbreaks, dealing with logistics and commanding a group of warriors in battle.

He helped his friends, his preparations helping in saving Lucy and reuniting her with her best friend.

He found that, as one might expect, random old men who travel alone were probably dangerous, but that there were also old monsters in this world who could completely put him down with a single flick of a finger.

He also managed to have five children, and somehow managed to gain some protection for them under the mightiest military force within thousands of miles.

He worked out how his enchanting worked, assisting the Iyr with making great enchantments together, and he assisted in helping the young Iyrmen, and the farmers who may soon be under his command.

‘Haven’t I already done it?’ Adam thought. He had one main plan for this year, which had been slightly derailed, but he had completed a large portion of it already.

He had already built it, a solid foundation to work from.

There was land promised to him in a year or so, one which he could turn into a fort, and he would be able to work from it.

Adam looked down to Lanarot’s sleeping form, wrapping a scarf around her, before carrying her to a corner to place her down. His eyes went from his sleeping sister to his sleeping children, all five of whom had managed to fall asleep within the past couple of minutes.

‘Hey, Bell?’

[Yes.]

‘Aren’t my kids the cutest?’

[…]