Adam sparred with Nobby in the mornings, though not quite as harshly as before. Their previous spar was more of a duel, in which Adam learned that there were others who possessed cheat abilities through sheer natural strength.

They sparred gently, and Adam had figured out the exact Defence Nobby had held. It was 18 without any gear at all, the same as when Adam wore plate mail.

‘Don’t worry, Nobby. I’ll raise you into a true monster.’

Omen: 2, 10

The morning of the last day of the year arrived. Adam awoke early in the morning and trained lightly. He ran ten laps around the courtyard, before completing fifty push ups and fifty squats, with Nobby following his lead. Once his warm up was complete, he lifted up one of the weights the Iyr had made, and he trained with the dambells, as they were called. He sparred with Nobby too, though it was a light spar.

“Alright, I’m done for the day,” Adam said, wiping the light sweat off his forehead. “Good work, Nobby.”

“Yes, mister boss.”

Adam led his children and sister away to the large building with the domed roof. He managed to wash them without much bother from the Iyrmen, who had finally begun to recognise him. The token Elder Zijin had handed to him also helped him bathe in peace.

He washed the triplets first, who shared a tub together, before assisting Lanarot, making sure she didn’t get any soap in her eyes. Konarot assisted her siblings. Once he was done washing up his children, he washed himself within his own tub, still wearing his shorts, all the while the children splashed in their tub.

Once they were clean, Adam dried them off with a towel, placing a clothy on each of them.

“No!” Lanarot said, making a face.

“No, Lanarot!” Adam gasped. “Not like this!”

Lanarot had passed whatever dice check she needed to make, as they had found a toilet she could use first, before he cleaned her up and placed a fresh clothy around her.

“I can’t believe you’ve done this,” Adam said.

Lanarot smiled with great satisfaction towards her older brother, making sure he knew his place.

Adam changed them all, putting them in their clothing, Sonarot making sure they all matched completely. “Who gave you permission to be so cute?”

“Papa!” Lanarot said, pointing at him, before babbling towards him with the most accusatory tone.

“What do you mean I gave you permission? I don’t remember this! You all need to be punished!” Adam embraced them tight, kissing their foreheads and cheeks.

Adam led them back to the shared estate, taking the basket and the contraption which held his twins, strapping it against himself, before he made his way back to that place.

That place was the place Jurot had taken him to see the Iyr while it was under snow, where Vonda and he had departed on their first date. He sat down, wearing his twins still so they didn’t crawl about.

He placed down the blanket and the baskets of food, Lanarot quickly snatching the bread first. She bit into it, tearing it apart so she could have bread on either hand to eat from, as though she were from the Va family, who dual wielded warhammers.

Konarot, Kirot, and Karot all sat down near their father. Adam handed them some sandwiches, before he placed down a platter of fruit in front of them.

Jirot cried, unable to reach for the fruit, before Adam offered her some warm mashed fruit, alternating between his twins with their different spoons. Jirot’s spoon was marked with a circle, and Jarot’s was marked with a diamond.

“You all need to eat well, just like Lanarot,” Adam said. “You have to be a little chubby at least, otherwise they’ll say I’m not feeding you right.”

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Konarot nibbled on her sandwich, the same as her siblings, but they listened intently their father’s words.

“The Iyr is your home, for now, but I won’t remain a useless guy for long,” Adam assured. “One day you’ll be able to speak, and when you’ll speak, you’ll speak proudly of your elder brother and father.”

Konarot purred quietly in affirmation towards her father, and her siblings did the same. Lanarot did the same, though her mouth was full of bread so her grunt was muffled.

“More importantly, I want you to live your lives doing good, but doing as you like. You don’t have to worry about your dreams. Whatever you want to do, your father will clear the path! Not even the Iyr will be able to… well, maybe the Iyr can stop me, and maybe that…” Adam paused, not wanting to mention that being which was a shadow on the horizon. “Don’t worry, daddy will definitely make you fat and rich!”

He stared down at the children. Lanarot was having fun eating her bread, though Adam also forced her to eat some of the soup. He continued to assist his children in eating, taking a bite of his own food every so often too.

“You all need to stay small, and cute, and chubby forever,” Adam said, rubbing their heads. “You aren’t allowed to grow up at all, okay?”

Jirot looked up at him from the contraption, and cackled up at him, before waving her hands around.

“I’m sure you’ll be the most difficult,” Adam said, rubbing her forehead, before kissing the top of her head.

Adam admired the sight of the Iyr beyond them, looking at all the buildings ahead of them, and the few Iyrmen who were moving around. ‘So much has changed in a year…’

“Konarot,” Adam called, rubbing her head. “Your nana will take good care of you when I leave.”

Konarot pouted up at her father.

“I know, I know, but daddy will have to leave soon. I’m not sure when, but daddy will have to go and work. Nana will take good care of you until I return. Until then, you’re the oldest of the children, so make sure you look after your four siblings, okay?”

Konarot stood and hugged her father’s neck from behind, resting her head against his shoulder. Adam reached up to brush her hair gently and smiled. “Alright, let’s get up and head back to the estate.”

Kirot and Karot also hugged him, though were careful due to the sleepy Goblins. Lanarot also climbed onto Adam’s lap to hug him, though Adam lifted her up and away, before he ruffled her hair.

The group returned to the shared family estate, where Adam’s companions were relaxing with the Iyrmen. However, other Iyrmen had also arrived, those from the main family estates, including Tarot and Zirot.

“You have finally returned,” Tarot said, seeing the sleepy Goblins against Adam’s chest.

Adam nodded, beginning to help his twins out of the contraption. “How are you?”

“I am well,” Tarot said, his eyes glued to the Goblins. “They are still sleeping often?”

“They do, but they crawl a lot too.”

“They are growing well.”

“Yeah,” Adam said, placing them down into their blankets, before placing them down to one side. The pair fell asleep almost instantly. It had been barely a few weeks since the Rot family had accepted his children and Adam wasn’t sure how to navigate their relationship.

“You found young Nobby in Red Oak?” Tarot asked.

“That’s right. I found out about him through his uncle, Remy, whose real name is Jeremy, but there’s his cousin, Jeremiah, who is known as Jeremy,” Adam explained. “His father was sick so he needed to make money.”

“You paid for his treatment and now he is a member of your group,” Tarot stated. “Will you continue to train him?”

“Jurot trains him, but I suppose I should be helping,” Adam said. “He’s almost an Expert.”

“He should become a Master.”

“He will become what he wishes,” Zirot rebuked her husband. “Leave him be.”

“He is learning our way. Once he becomes a Master, it would be difficult for most to face him. No, he should become a Grandmaster. If it is him, he could even surpass brother Jarot.”

Zirot wasn’t sure if she wanted to see another Jarot. “If he wishes to live an easier life as an Expert, he may.”

“What do you think, Nobby?” Adam asked. “Do you want to be a Grandmaster?”

“Yes,” the boy replied, meekly.

“Then I’ll make you into a Grandmaster,” Adam said.

Nobby remained silent for a moment. “I want to be a Paragon.”

Tarot raised his brow, looking towards the young man who was taller and wider than him. “Grandmaster is difficult enough.” He grinned wider. His body still ached from his training, and it would take him a few years to become a Master, never mind a Grandmaster.

“Okay,” Adam said. “Since you want to be a Paragon, I’ll make you into a Paragon.”

Tarot and Zirot both looked to Adam, shocked by the statement. The other Iyrmen, Adam’s Aunts and Uncles, had long become used to his words, and so were resistant to his audacity.

“Is it so easy?” Tarot asked.

“Jurot, Kitool, Jaygak, and I, we’re all aiming for Paragon, so what the use of stubbing Nobby before that?” Adam asked.

Tarot chuckled lightly, stifling it from becoming too loud. Zirot wasn’t sure how she should take that, but she noted the smile on Sonarot’s face.

“You’re going to need to be a Paragon if you want to be my number one enforcer,” Adam said, simply.

Nobby smiled, exchanging a knowing glance with Brittany.

‘What a crazy bastard,’ she thought.

When night fell across the Iyr, Adam put his children to bed. They each climbed up against him, taking their place atop him as they usually did. Adam smiled, brushing their hair gently.

‘What cute little children I have…’ He sighed. ‘Baktu, Lord Sozain, whatever you want me to call you. These kids of mine, don’t take them away from me, please.’ He wondered if he could provide them a decent life. He looked to Jurot, seeing him through the darkness with his Half Elvish eyes. He smiled, and closed his eyes.

Quest Complete: Arms to the Iyr

XP Gained: +3000

XP: 16 600 -> 19 600

‘Yo, what?’