Konarot’s arms shot out as she was flown around the Iyr, following the road adjacent to their estate block, and only slightly above the ground floor, as Adam had promised. Flying through the air filled her tiny body with a light sensation, one she could no longer experience with her own strength. She cooed and purred as her father held her close, the wind rushing through them. He dropped down and picked up Kirot, his second eldest daughter, next.

The triplets enjoyed themselves, feeling at ease in the air. It was a natural feeling, the feeling which they had inherited from their mother, a Silver Dragon. Karot, the youngest of the triplets, cuddled up against his father’s neck as the Half Elf floated down. The boy’s tail swayed from side to side as he purred, his heart beating quickly from the excitement.

Adam glanced around at the children. “My spell is going to end but…”

Mana: 15 -> 12

Spell: Fly

Over the next few minutes, Adam flew each child around, before he finally let them go. The group made their way to the Rot family’s extended estate, where many of the other members of the Rot lived.

“Who is this handsome young man?” Adam asked, all the while Asoyah was eating a small piece of fruit.

“I am Asoyah,” the boy replied, staring up at the Half Elf.

“Are they treating you well?” Adam smiled, sitting beside him.

“Yes.”

“If they’re bullying you, you can tell me,” Adam assured the youngster. “I’ll be sure to tell Jurot if they’re bullying you, and he’ll sort them out.”

Asoyah let out a small sigh, half of it a gentle laugh. “Okay.”

Konarot and her siblings were accosted by the other children of the Rot family estate, though Adam kept his twins near him at all times. Well, he tried, but Jirot kept crawling away from him.

“How can you do this to me, Jirot?” Adam asked, lifting her up to kiss her cheek.

She giggled and squealed, throwing up her tiny green fists in defiance. Adam continued to kiss her cheek, before nuzzling into her leaf shaped ears, which twitched. Once she was set down, she looked back to her father, met the look in his eyes, before she cackled and crawled away again.

“I can’t believe the old geezer isn’t…” Adam cleared his throat. “I can’t believe their babo isn’t here to spoil them.” Adam looked down at his youngest son, Jarot, named after his greatfather. The boy sat next to Adam’s leg, his eyes scanning across the entire estate as he took in the sights.

As Jirot crawled away, a Devilkin teen lifted her up, causing her to squeal noisily in protest, before she noted the colour of the boy’s skin. Her eyes remained glued to Churot’s face, the boy blinking at the baby girl.

“Churot,” Adam called, patting the seat beside him. “Are you okay?”

“Okay,” the boy replied, sitting down beside Adam, Jirot sitting on his lap. The tiny girl remained staring at the boy, unable to take her eyes off him. Even Jarot was looking up at him, though Adam picked him up so the boy didn’t need to stare directly upwards. Asoyah also sat nearby.

“How come you’re in the extended family estate anyway?” Adam asked.

Asoyah blinked. Was he allowed to tell Adam about why?

“We will not deprive Asoyah of his rights to enjoy the extended estate,” Sonarot replied, answering nothing.

“Alright, well, fair,” Adam replied, understanding that it was probably some Iyrman business.

“Cousin Adam,” Turot called, holding a blanket in his arms. “It is your gift.”

Adam accepted the gift, feeling how thick it was. “A blanket?”

“It is for you and your children,” Turot said, showing Adam the markings which denoted their names. Adam’s was written in Aldish, but the triplets’ names were written in the Iyr’s markings.

“Thank you, little Turot.” Adam placed a hand on Turot’s head, rubbing it gently.

Sonarot raised her brows to Asoyah, who scampered off for a moment, before returning with four scales. At first, Adam had thought they were small Dragon scales, but they were smaller than he expected, and the colour was that of mud.

“Hydra scales,” Asoyah said. “My grandfather killed a hydra when he was young.”

“Your grandfather must be very strong.”

“Yes,” Asoyah replied, letting out a satisfied snort, smirking slightly.

“Konarot, come,” Adam called, nodding his head to Kirot and Karot. He handed them one of the scales, before letting them go off to play with the other Rot children once more. He watched them, smiling as they played. He brushed his fingers through the blanket, sighing quietly. He clutched the blanket tight with his hand, understanding this idyllic life would soon end.

“Adam,” called a voice. It was a young woman who wore a shield on her back, and a magical mace at her side, one which had been gifted to her a year ago. A scarf covered the burn marks on her lower face. She sat down near Adam, bowing her head at him. “Happy birthday.”

“And a happy birthday to you, Sir Vonda,” Adam replied, flashing her a smile. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I am, and you?” she asked, lifting up her shield to reveal a thin, rectangular package which had been hidden by it.

“Always.” Adam raised his brows.

Vonda placed the package on the table, before sliding it towards the Half Elf. “It is my gift to you.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“I have to admit, I hadn’t prepared much this year.”

“Haven’t you given enough to me?” Vonda asked, raising her brows towards him. She could still feel how heavy the mace was, the weapon worth well over a thousand gold coins.

“Can I ever give enough to someone as dear as you, Sir Vonda?” Adam teased, before undoing the string along the package, pulling away the paper. As Adam had expected, it was a painting.

There were five figures sitting. In the middle was Konarot, flanked by the rest of the triplets. The twins sat in front slightly, as they were still quite small in comparison to the Half Dragons. Adam noted how the twins were looking elsewhere, mesmerised by a Devilkin no doubt, while his triplets were staring up towards Vonda as she painted. The soft whiteness of snow lay all around them. ‘When did you manage to paint this?’

Adam smiled. Without the ability to photograph something, this was the next best thing. “Thank you, Vonda.” Adam had finally decided to stop teasing her, dropping the formal title while they were together.

“They play well,” called a familiar voice, as an older Iyrman sat down near the Priest and the Half Elf. He was slightly leaner than Adam recalled. The Iyrman looked just like his elder siblings, though he had longer hair, and was now seemingly growing a beard.

“Of course they play well, they’re my adorable children,” Adam replied.

Tarot reached out with a finger towards Jirot, who noted the appearance of the appendage, before she grabbed it. Her tiny green hand gripped it firmly, and she tried to bring it to her mouth, but she could not move it. After a moment, she was once again mesmerised by Churot, the Devilkin.

Adam wasn’t sure how he felt about the older Iyrman playing so casually with his children, but he let the thoughts fall away. Even if it did take a while for Jirot and Jarot to be accepted into the family, they were still finally accepted, and the Iyrmen had apologised for acting like the Aldishmen.

“I’ve noticed that some of the Rot aren’t here,” Adam said, noting the lack of Cirot and Sirot, the pair of Iyrmen twins who had tried to trap him into marrying them. It was relaxing to have to not worry about them, but it was weird that he couldn’t see them.

“They were taken for the first training,” Tarot explained, saying no more about the topic. “Will you marry soon?”

“You couldn’t ease me into the conversation?” Adam asked. After seeing Tarot’s grin, Adam shook his head lightly. “Probably not.”

Tarot bowed his head, before reaching down to tickle baby Jarot’s cheek. “Brother will return soon, baby Jarot.”

“He will?”

“It is estimated that the war will end before the year’s end.”

“Really, that quick?” Adam asked. He had thought the old man would have been out for a couple of years at least.

“King Blackwater will not wish to fight a prolonged war against King Merry.”

“Why is that?”

“There is too much at stake.” Tarot rubbed baby Jarot’s head, causing the boy to look up at him shyly. “South Aldland will take time to conquer. The King will not risk moving his army towards the Elves, not after the great defeat he had faced a decade ago. South Aldland has enough resources to fight a prolonged conflict, but the King has other business to attend to.”

“I expected the King to lose after hearing about what happened to the Elves, so that doesn’t sound too surprising.”

“King Blackwater is far more apt than you realise,” Tarot said, his lips forming a wider smile. “You have only heard of his single failure against the Elves, but that was to be expected, for the Elves are almost as difficult as the Iyr to conquer.”

“Almost?” Adam smiled.

“Almost.” Tarot smirked wider. “Yet, do you know why Aswadasad broke in two?”

“You know, I completely forgot that Aswadasad was also having a civil war.” He cleared his throat. “I heard something about the King, uh, the Shen? The Shen, he let some… Pharoah?”

“Faro,” Vonda corrected, smiling.

“Order of Life’s Rose?” Adam asked.

Vonda bowed her head and smiled. It had taken more than a year for Adam to finally remember the name of her Order.

“Right, so, the Faro, I mean, the Shen, he let the Faro’s son die, right? Then the Faro declared war. There’s claims of overreaching with his power and stuff?”

“The Shen’s authority had been waning for many years,” Tarot said. “Ever since King Blackwater could step onto the battlefield, Aldland and Aswadasad had fought no less than seven wars. He fought two while he was a Prince, and five as King. Though Aldland and Aswadasad have fought for millennia, their strength has remained quite similar. Yet, do you know how many wars Aswadasad have won in recent memory?”

“One?”

“None.”

“In all fairness, one and none are quite similar,” Adam said. “Only a difference of one.” Adam smiled at his joke.

“Yes?”

“Get it? It’s a difference of one, by letters and maths.” Adam smiled wide, doing his best not to laugh.

“Algebra,” Churot said, looking to his granduncle, who nodded his head slowly.

“Not quite, but that’s even funnier,” Adam said, patting Churot’s arm, chuckling lightly. “Anyway, you said Aswadasad has won none?”

“King Justinian Blackwater has made his name as a great tactician, and has brought much glory to his family, and his kingdom.”

“I did hear he won the previous war over the islands, but I guess I didn’t think much of it,” Adam admitted. “If he’s so good, then couldn’t he still face South Aldland? I feel like Aswadasad is probably harder to face than the south, even if his opponent is his previous King’s Sword.”

“King Merry is powerful, and he has Sir Royce, the Knight of Death, at his side.” Tarot was about to explain who the knight was, but remembered that Adam had almost had his skull caved in by the knight previously.

“King Merry was the one to teach King Blackwater strategy, but the young King is considered greater in that regard. King Merry, however, is fighting a defensive war, and he has quite the ally at his side.” Tarot smiled.

“I vaguely remember chatting to someone about that,” Adam said, furrowing his brows. “They didn’t say who.”

“King Blackwater would like for the war to end swiftly, since the passageway through the strait is required if the King wishes to send his navy to claim the islands,” Tarot continued, ignoring Adam’s obvious question.

“So you think they’ll both call for peace?” Adam asked.

“Yes.”

“Hmm…” Adam was curious about who Sir Merry, not King Merry, had at his side that even the Iyr would speak highly of them. “You say King Blackwater is a great tactician, but who is better? Him, or the previous Elder Wrath.”

Tarot thought for a moment. “Bovin would be better, but King Blackwater is not much worse.”

“Damn,” Adam whispered. “King Blackwater is that good?”

“Yes.”

Adam looked to Vonda, who was from East Aldland. “I didn’t know your King was that amazing.”

“Many will remember his name in the future,” Vonda said, nodding her head.

“Like King Solomon the Wise?”

Vonda frowned. “I am uncertain if he will be remembered in the same manner.”

“Why not? I’d love to be known as Adam the Wise.”

“He is known as King Solomon the Weak,” Vonda said. “He was once known as something else, but that became treasonous to say.”

“What was that?” Adam asked, but Vonda remained silent. “Right, I forgot that he was called something else in Aldland. I suppose I’d rather be well known in the Iyr than Aldland.”

“You always speak so poorly of us Aldishmen,” Vonda said, her voice calm.

“Not all of you,” Adam said. “I don’t speak poorly of Vice Master Paul.”

“He’s not an Aldishman.”

“He’s not?” Adam asked. “I thought he was from East Aldland.”

“He is from the Confederacy.”

“Oh…” Adam glanced around. “Well. I’m sure there’s a decent Aldishman that I know. Oh, Dunes. Dunes is a great…”

Vonda raised her brow.

Adam’s lips formed a coy smile. “Come on, Vonda. You know who my favourite Aldishman is.”

“Is it Nobby?” Vonda asked.

Adam winced, as though he had been punched in the fact. “How did you know I was going to say that?”

“You are more predictable than you realise, Adam.” Vonda’s eyes twinkled, hiding her smile behind her scarf.

“You know what? This year I’m going to surprise you all to show you I’m not predictable.”

“That would be predictable,” Tarot said.

Adam fell quiet. He lifted up his youngest, and pressed their cheeks together, the warmth filling the Half Elf’s cheek. “Jababy how could they bully me like this?”

The Goblin boy gurgled and cooed, before sucking against his thumb.