“Finally,” Adam whispered, before finally standing. He groaned as he stretched out his body, taking a few laps around the enchanting shrine, while an Iyrman by the name of Kojin, from the extended Jin family, watched the young man. The Jin had been placed as Adam’s escort personally by the Elder, who knew Adam wouldn’t make a fuss around one of his.

‘If you act up, I’ll ask Rajin to speak with your grandfather about your marriage,’ Elder Zijin had warned.

‘Whose my grandfather?’ Adam had retorted back then, before the old man had returned from the war.

“Oh by the Gods,” Adam groaned, stretching out his arms, his legs, and his back, which made all manner of noises as he reached for his toes and then planked, curving his shoulders up and back, before finally standing once more.

The Half Elf made his way towards the Elder, who had prepared for him by brewing tea, as well as setting up an assortment of snacks. Adam smiled, taking his seat opposite the Iyrman Elder, before eyeing up the fruit, fresh and dried, as well as fried bread balls.

“What’s the special occasion?” Adam asked, popping a bread ball into his mouth. As he bit into it, he realised it was filled with melted cheese, smiling slightly as he ate the food slowly.

“I wanted to speak with you now that you are done with your enchanting,” Zijin said, sipping his warm milk.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“What plans do you have now that you are done enchanting?” Zijin asked.

“I’m not sure,” Adam admitted. He still had a couple of months of enchanting left, so he could enchant much more to sell off, but he also wanted to spend more time with his family. ‘Then there’s the little cutie pies who are still growing up…’

Elder Zijin allowed Adam to think about the children for a short while, before he cleared his throat. “Would you be willing to enchant items for the Iyr again? One hundred gold for each Basic weapon.”

“I assume you’re paying for the gems and such, so sure,” Adam replied. ‘Three days for each magical items, so I can make two hundred gold a week. One hundred gold if I want to spend more time with my family?’

“You wish to sell bespoke weapons to the Aldish,” Zijin said, thinking about what they had talked about. “Those which grow weaker as time passes?”

“Yeah,” Adam replied. “I might make more permanent items, but the goal is to switch over to the charges so they feel like they’re missing out on the magic. I think it’s a good idea to still supply some items with permanent magic, especially if they’re gifts.”

“Gifts?”

“I’ll probably get into a lot of trouble, so I should prepare for that, you know?” Adam smirked slightly, winking at the Elder.

“Have you thought about staying out of trouble?” Zijin asked, pouring Adam a drink.

“Trouble comes to find me,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders. “That is my life, Elder Zijin. I just need to adapt to it, and hopefully, things will work out alright in the end. Of course, I hope the Iyr will assist with that.”

“The Iyr always pays its debts.”

“Mm,” Adam confirmed, sipping the warm milk. “The auctions will bring in a little extra coin, since the weapons will go for a little more there. I’m thinking about creating a Greater Enhanced weapon every year to be auctioned, and a monthly Basic Enhanced weapon, or perhaps it should be seasonal? Basic weapons monthly.”

“I see,” Zijin said, slowly nodding his head. “The price of magical weapons may not fall for some time, so there will be much gold to earn.”

“Yeah, but the Iyr is making out like bandits,” Adam said. “One hundred gold for each Basic weapon?” Adam chuckled, and then noted the way Elder Zijin was looking at him. ‘What did I just say?’ “Oh. Wait. It’s just a phrase where I’m from. It doesn’t have any bad connotations. It just means you’ve got the best deal.”

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“I understand,” Zijin said, letting the matter go. Adam was often thoughtless with his words. “I see why you will need to create so many items to gift.”

Adam flushed slightly. “I am trying, Elder Zijin.”

“I know. I have heard you were quite restrained recently, and you have been much better behaved.”

“Yeah…” Adam squirmed awkwardly before the Elder’s gaze.

“Adam.”

“Yes?”

“I hear you will be creating weapons for the children.”

“Yeah?” Adam stared up at Zijin awkwardly, wondering why he would mention that.

Zijin remained silent for a long while. “If you come across trouble, you may come speak with me.”

“Yeah?” Adam replied, though the Elder didn’t continue. “Thanks.”

Zijin nodded. “Your children are growing well.”

“They are,” Adam replied, nodding his head. “Jirot is such a little bully, and Jarot is such a little sweetheart. Konarot keeps me in check, and Kirot and Karot just kind of follow along. They’re still gathering their bearings in the world.”

“I hear you are close with Gurot too.”

“Gurot is my chonky boy,” Adam confirmed, smiling slightly. “He’s growing up to be such a big chubby boy. He eats so well, even when its from our hands. Lanarot likes to feed him too.”

“You spend time with Inakan?”

“Inakan…” Adam thought about what to say about the little one. “She’s so cute too. I hope she grows up well.” Adam’s tone was not quite as light as it was with Gurot.

Zijin slowly bowed his head. Inakan was perhaps the least healthy child to be born from all the shared family estates he watched over. Her parents tried to dote on her well, though they also had another child to watch over. It was their choice to have the second child, which they ultimately accepted. Zijin stared at Adam, who was no doubt a reason as to why the pair had decided to have a second child.

“Elder Zijin, I can spoil all the children too, can’t I?” Adam asked. “The Chief said I can spoil Gurot, but what about the others?”

“You may spoil them lightly.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Adam asked, frowning.

Zijin smiled. “We will pay you one hundred gold for each Basic weapon you create. If you wish to create weapons for yourself or your companions, you may do so too.”

Adam finished eating and returned back to the shared family estate, where he found Jirot was laying down and drinking from her bottle. She watched as her elder siblings went to embrace their father, before she got up and reached up with an arm to be picked up, drinking her milk still.

“Are you enjoying your milk?” Adam asked.

The girl smiled, before returning to her drinking, cuddling up against her father’s chest as she drunk her milk. Adam glanced to the side, where Little Jarot was sitting on Vonda’s lap, staring up at her scarf. He was drinking from his milk bottle too, but had almost finished. Vonda took the bottle from his mouth and placed it down, while he reached up to her bright scarf, and grabbed it.

Vonda looked down at him as the boy stared at the scarf and pulled it towards him, revealing her burn marks. He twitched slightly while staring at her pale skin, blinking rapidly for a moment, before he smiled, and then pulled down her scarf, holding it tight in hand as he stared at the bright yellow.

“Jarot, what are you doing?” Adam asked.

Jarot twitched and looked up to see that his father had returned. “Daddy.” Jarot smiled, Adam ruffling his hair.

“Are you bullying Sir Vonda?”

Jarot smiled innocently, before hiding himself beside Vonda. He started squealing and giggling. Vonda rubbed his head gently, before pulling her scarf up to cover her face. She noted the triplets had been staring up at her face.

“Jirot seems tired,” Adam said, brushing the girl’s hair. “Did she spend all day bullying everyone?”

“She caused quite the mess,” Vonda admitted. “She kept throwing things that would shatter, but her grandmother dealt with it.”

“She was acting up?” Adam frowned, looking down at his daughter, who was sleepily drinking from her bottle.

“Acting up?”

“I mean, was she causing havoc on purpose?”

“No, she is still a child, and she is trying to understand the world. She was allowed to play with a ball later and she did not shatter other cups.”

“That’s right. My good girl only is mean to me on purpose.” Adam brushed her hair gently, feeling how hot her face was. The girl stared up at him, awakening slightly from her sleepiness as she stared up at her father. Adam smiled, and couldn’t help but bring her up to kiss her forehead, before nuzzling her nose. “Make sure you drink all your milk, smelly girl.”

Jirot pulled away from the bottle and cackled at her father, before holding up the bottle to him.

“No more?”

“No!”

Adam sighed. “Okay.” He picked up the bottle and allowed the girl to grab onto his shield, standing on his thighs as she rested her head against his chest. She babbled quietly to herself and rubbed her face against his shirt.

“Adam, your children are so cute,” Vonda said, rubbing the boy’s nose gently. “You can’t keep them all to yourself.”

“I can! They’re my children!” Adam lifted Jirot up to kiss her face all over. The girl squirmed and giggled, staring down at her father with a smile only a child could have for their father. “Even if you bully me, I will spoil you so much!”

“I want to spoil them too,” Vonda said, brushing the boy’s hair gently, who continued to hide shyly from her.

“You can’t spoil them more than me, I’m their father,” Adam said. His triplets sat near him, and sometimes rubbed their heads against his legs, even hugging them slightly.

“I can try.”

Adam frowned. “You can try.” Adam glanced down to see his daughter staring up at him suspiciously, Jirot wondering how she should mess with her father.

‘A hundred gold for Basic weapons?’ Adam thought, pinching the girl’s cheeks. ‘No. Aren’t I the one making out like a bandit?’

Jirot smiled, letting him go, just this once.