“Six Blades and Eighteen Sheaths?” Adam asked, sipping on his tea, a fruit tea with no milk or sugar, which was what he usually preferred as a Brit.

“Some of our best warriors,” Dunes confirmed, sipping his own tea, which had been brewed within a pan with certain spices. “Each Blade is a Grandmaster, each Sheath is a Master.”

“I see,” Adam said, hearing about the great warriors across the lands. He wondered how he would stack up to them, especially about how he would stack up to them without a weapon like Wraith.

“Just like Aldland, our land has many orders, and many who can be considered Grandmasters and so on.”

“Yeah, I guess there is a reason why Aldland has been unable to take out Aswadasad,” Adam said, sipping more of his tea.

“You should be careful in Aswadasad too, Adam,” Dunes warned. “No, you should be more careful. There are many Dragons who make their home near civilization within Aswadasad, and they may not be so forgiving to your jokes.”

“I mean, I’ll have Jurot right beside me, so what will they try?”

“When you are beside Iyrmen? I’m sure they will not try much. They may not try much within the year. Within ten. Within a hundred. Dragons live long lives, and they may not even try to do anything while you live. Two hundred years? Three hundred years? Perhaps your descendants find themselves at the mercy of the Dragon when you are dead…”

“…” Adam remained silent for a long while. “I’m glad we’re friends, Dunes.”

Dunes smiled, raising his cup of tea, bowing his head, before sipping it. “Of course, Adam.”

Adam continued to enchant as the days passed, and finished enchanting the sword, which he named.

XP: 10 200

‘Damn, I still have so much XP even after everything?’ Adam thought, staring at the sword. ‘I guess it should be good enough for her?’

Adam continued to enjoy the days as they passed by, playing with his children in the snow, but also playing with the other children every so often. Inakan could only play for a short while in the snow each time, but was taken away often to keep her fairly warm, along with the Gaks, who enjoyed the warmth more. He continued to enchant every other day too, focused on enchanting an axe.

Adam let out a low sigh, watching as the vapour floated out of his mouth. ‘What should I get for the kids?’ His thoughts focused on his children. ‘No, not just magical stuff, but stuff like education. Vonda and Dunes, they said they’d join the business, so they can teach them a fair amount. Then there’s Amira too, Dunes’ woman, so I gotta make sure she’s well taken care of too. If she was trained by the order it should be okay too..” Adam sighed, rubbing his forehead. ‘Hold on, does she even want to join?’

“Dunes,” Adam called, approaching the Aswadian, who was currently sipping hot tea to warm himself up in the corner.

“Adam.”

“About, uh, Amira.” Adam sat beside the Aswadian, glancing around.

“Yes?”

“You, uh… you going to… you know?”

“I may,” Dunes replied, sipping his tea. “I do not know.”

“Well, I was wondering, if you were to, you know, would she also join the business?”

“You may have to ask,” Dunes said. “I will join, you can be certain of that, though you will need to speak with the Priest Commander.”

“Right, makes sense,” Adam said, slowly nodding his head. “Yeah. I’ll, uh, I’ll think about it.”

Amira approached the pair, carrying a clay pot. She placed the pot down onto the table, pouring herself some tea, but also pouring the others tea too. “Adam.”

“Amira.”

“How are you?”

“I have five healthy children and piles of gold in my bank,” Adam replied. “Great.” He winked.

“That is good.” She sipped her tea, glancing between the pair. “It is still a surprise to me that you have Goblin children.”

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“Why is it such a surprise?” Adam asked. “Also, sorry, I shouldn’t have been rude. How are you?”

“I am well,” Amira replied, flashing a smile. “It’s just because they are… Goblins.” She blinked, as though that explained everything.

“Would you say the same if they were Devilkin?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“They’re not exactly… people, like us.”

“Are they not?”

“No?”

“Humans. Elves. Giants. Devilkin. Orcs. Goblins. Iyrmen. They’re all the same to me.”

“We Devilkin have a proud culture spanning thousands of years,” Amira stated. “Goblins have been nothing more than…” Amira blinked. “I mean no offence, Adam. I am not speaking of your children, but of the history of Goblins.”

“I know, though it will still annoy me, but please, continue.”

“Goblins have been nothing more than pests throughout history…” Amira realised she should have worded it better, especially seeing the small smile on Adam’s face as he leaned back. “I do not mean I believe that, I mean that is how it is for the rest of the world…” She quickly sipped her tea.

Adam smirked a little wider. “You… don’t know their culture. You know nothing about Goblins, and nor do I, in all fairness. The question, really, is whether I care about their culture, or yours.”

“Of course you should!” Amira snapped, her eyes going wide. “It’s a beautiful culture. We, who once ruled the lands, were enslaved, and then we rose up to defeat our oppressors.”

“You, who were once the oppressor, then the oppressed, and then an oppressor once more, especially of Goblins, think I care about that?” Adam asked, raising his brow. “I’m sure the Aswadians, the Devilkin, so on and so on, have a beautiful culture. I’m sure that culture was built on the blood and bones of many they believed not to be people. That’s how it is. Some people are not considered people, then they are, and sometime even if they are the same, they are viewed different, and so on and so on. The thing you, perhaps, have forgotten is that I care only about how adorable my children are.”

“Daddy!” Jirot called, rushing up to him angrily. She held up a block of wood, and she waved it in front of him. “Iz go gan doh!”

Adam grabbed his daughter, picking her up, his eyes going wide as he gasped at her. “Who is this? Is this my Jirot? My adorable little baby Jirot?”

Jirot, at first shocked by his sudden actions, smiled. She giggled lightly and pointed towards him. “Izi mo daddy!”

“That’s right! I am your daddy! Don’t you forget it, you punk!” Adam pulled her in close, kissing her cheek, before embracing her tight. “Look at you! Look at you! My darling little girl!”

Amira cleared her throat. “I didn’t mean anything by it, Adam.”

“Relax, you’re Dunes’ girl… friend.” Adam cleared his throat. “Though, you have to understand, even though I think your culture might be cool, it’s nothing compared to what I think of the Iyr, which is almost nothing compared to what I think of my babies.” Adam blew into the girl’s neck, causing her to giggle.

“Daddy! Daddy!” Jirot squirmed against her father.

“That’s right! Daddy is right here! Jarot, come here, I’ll kiss you too.” Adam hoisted his son up, who had been patiently waiting at the side, as though he were but Jirot’s shadow. Adam kissed his boy’s face all over. “Daddy is right here and he’s going to make sure you’re both happy and healthy.”

“Yes,” Jirot replied.

Amira stared at Adam as he kissed and held the babies, both of whom were apparently his children. She knew they did not share the same blood, but to see him with his children like this, how could she say they were not a family? “Half Dragon children too?”

“Goblins? Half Dragons? No. These little cutie pies, they’re my children, and there’s nothing else you need to quantify!” Adam hoisted them both up, allowing them to kiss his face too.

Amira turned towards Dunes, speaking in the Devilkin tongue. “How can he be like this? I heard he was meant to be strong.”

Dunes smiled. “He is. I’ve only known him to lose three times. Once to his grandfather…” Dunes paused, raising his brows as he gave Amira time to think about the old man, who was also a monster, and was similar to Adam in the way he was affectionate with the twins. “Second, it was to…” Dunes stated a title in the Aswadian tongue, revealing the existence of that figure.

Amira narrowed her eyes, unsure if that was certainly possible. She had heard it several times, but even now she didn’t believe it. How could she? That figure was technically part of the founding myth of the currently royal family, and yet… he was still alive?

“He could definitely defeat multiple Elders of the Iyr at once,” Dunes stated,still speaking in their tongue, thinking back to when they came across Shama. No, considering what they head learnt about Asa, the figure’s supposed father, then Shama was even stronger than his original estimates. “The third time he lost was to a combination of Jurot, Jaygak, and Kitool. If he didn’t surrender in the tournament, surely he would have placed first, against figures who would make us seem like children.”

Amira still wasn’t sure about Adam. It wasn’t that he was weak or evil, nothing of that sort, it was just that… she wasn’t sure about Adam. Undead, Dragons, flying castles, these were normal. Adam? Adam was not.

“Staying with him will ensure future success.”

“You trust him that much?” Amira asked, noticing how Dunes did his best not to look at the twins while Adam nuzzled them and played with them.

“Adam is queer, but I know his heart is true.” Dunes thought about how he was going to slit the twins’ throats mercifully when he had met them so long ago, silencing them before they could even giggle and call for their father. “He may forget things. He may take a while to assist his companions. He may start trouble with those he shouldn’t. But, in the end, he will always help.”

Jurot stepped forward while wearing Lanarot, the girl hugging his torso, while he wrapped an arm around her. Lanarot clutched at the back of his shirt, her eyes shut as she started to fall asleep.

“Who is this cutie?”

“Papa,” Lanarot replied, glancing towards her elder brother sleepily.

Adam rubbed the top of her head, smiling at her. “Ah!” Adam gasped, having remembered something for the tenth time that month. “I almost forgot again. Jurot, can you make a small wooden elk figure, please?”

“Okay,” Jurot replied.