“She’s a what?” Adam whispered in surprise.

“An Executor,” Jurot repeated.

“Like… she kills people?”

“Yes.”

“Oh…” Adam understood what he had been feeling previously. He had been prey for a predator. “So she’s not after me?”

“She is not.”

“You believe her?”

“It is best to believe her.”

“…” Adam wasn’t sure how much he should trust her words, but if his brother was going say so, what else could he do? “How strong is she?”

“Strong,” Jurot confirmed. “She is around the level of a Paragon and her magical equipment could surpass our own.”

“That strong…” Adam sipped his milk, trying to avoid looking in the woman’s direction. “Somehow she’s not here for me?”

“The Sansant family has many enemies,” Jurot said.

“An Executor does not mean they are here to kill,” Dunes said. “One may be sent to gain information. They may wish to torture you and leave once they are done.”

“That makes me feel so much better,” Adam replied dryly.

Dunes smiled innocently.

‘I guess I should go around with Jurot at my side…’ Adam glanced around, noting Kitool was missing. His eyes fell to Jaygak, who was talking with Marak in the corner, speaking of her families tales.

“Mind if I sit?” Vandal asked.

“No,” Jurot replied.

Vandal was about to sit when he paused. “May I sit?”

“Yes.”

Vandal sat beside them all, glancing across from the group. “It’s been a few years since we last met, but here you all are, Steel rank.”

“Yes,” Jurot said, sitting taller.

“How’d you all manage that?”

“What?” Adam asked, noting the gazes which fell across him. “Don’t look at me like that! It’s not like I…” Adam sighed, sitting awkwardly under their gazes. “Obviously it’s because we have kids now.”

“Kids?”

“I’ve got children now,” Adam said. “Six adorable children. I’ve got to work hard to make sure they can live good lives, don’t I?”

“Aye,” Vandal said, raising his mug of ale. “No kids, me.”

“No kids?”

“Not the kind of fun that I enjoy,” Vandal replied, glancing between them awkwardly.

“Ah,” Adam said. “Kids are fun. Smelly, but fun.”

Vandal stifled a burst of laughter. “Smelly, but fun? Haven’t heard children described like that before.”

Adam nodded. “They’ll bully you in whatever way they feel. Sometimes you’ll change their clothy and they’ll smirk at you again, before you need to change them again.”

Vandal nodded. “So you’ve all got children?”

“No,” Jurot replied. “Only Adam.”

“I’m doing my duty to give them all grandchildren and greatchildren,” Adam said, sitting up taller himself. “That’s why my kids are the favourite grandchildren and greatchildren.”

“They’re the only-,” Dunes began before noting Adam’s smirk, stopping himself short from falling into the trap.

“So because you’re the one whose got children you’ve all been adventuring?” Vandal asked.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“What else are they going to do?” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Well, it’s not just because I’ve got children. Some of my companions here are planning to marry and have their own children, and I’m sure they’ll want to work hard before they have children so they can spend time with them.”

“Ah,” Vandal said, sipping his ale.

“I’m an idiot so that’s why I still work while my kids are waiting for me at home…”

Vandal took in the sight of Adam, noting how he had his arms crossed, and was shaking slightly. His shaking grew for a moment, before it stopped.

“We-,” Adam began.

“Cringe,” Lucy whispered.

Adam fell silent while his companions stifled their laughter, the young half elf glancing all across his allies. “You guys are so mean to me.”

“If we’re not mean you might actually forget you’re an idiot,” Lucy said, sipping her ale.

“Are you starting a fight?”

“So what if I am?”

“You think just because you’ve been restrained all this time that I’ll just let you have a go at me?”

“Let’s take this outside,” Lucy said, itching for a fight. It had been too long since she had a proper fight, not just a slaughter. She hadn’t been able to use her new abilities against her companions yet.

“No,” Jurot said.

“No?” Adam asked.

“You should not fight while we are in Ever Green.”

“Why not?” Adam asked.

“We should not be so loud.”

“…” Adam exchanged a look with Lucy, who held the same level of unsettledness within her eyes. If an Iyrman was telling them not to fight, something was happening.

“I heard the gates were closed last year for the Iyrmen,” Vandal said, cutting through the awkwardness. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Jurot replied. “The Iyr is fine.”

“Yeah?” Vandal replied, sipping his ale slowly. “I’m not stupid enough to ask more about it. I know in the war there were a few Iyrmen who helped out the Aldish. Any of them your family?”

“Our grandparents joined the fight,” Jurot said, before going on to explain the tale, as he had so much previously. Even though the Iyrman had spoken the tale so many times before, he did not shirk away from speaking of it again.

Kitool returned from informing the underground network, settling down beside Adam and the others. She threw Jurot a glance, who shook his head lightly. ‘The Executor is not here for Adam?’

“Your grandaunt seems quite capable,” Elyanor said, smiling politely down towards Jaygak.

“She is,” Jaygak replied. “It is my honour that she is one of my elders.”

“You must forgive me, for I am not so familiar with the Gak family.”

“Not many are,” Jaygak admitted. “Our family name burned brighter in the past, during the time of the Demonic Devastation.”

“I heard such a time was difficult for these lands.”

“It was, for them,” Jaygak replied, smirking slightly. “Though many great warriors fell, few were Iyrmen, and from those few Iyrmen, some were killed by treachery rather than demons. My ancestors were stabbed in the back by the duchal family.”

“How terrible,” Elyanor said, her smile fading slightly. “That is truly a shame.”

“The debt was paid,” Jaygak replied simply.

Elyanor bowed her head gently, her eyes taking in the sight of the young woman. She did not seem like the type to rise too far in life. “I hope the Gak family rises with you.”

“The Gak family will rise soon, though it will not be because of me,” Jaygak said. “My cousin Laygak is already quite capable, but it is our younger siblings who will raise the Gak family’s standing.”

“I hope your younger siblings will be able to do so.”

“Thank you,” Jaygak replied.

“It is a shame Gangak retired too soon,” Marak said. “I heard it was because of a promise.”

Jaygak’s smile faltered slightly. “Yes.”

“What was the promise?” Elyanor asked.

“Grandaunt assisted in slaying a Gryn,” Jaygak replied. “She returned soon after.”

“That was the promise?”

“Yes,” Jaygak stated. “The Aswadians grew wary of my grandaunt. Several orders came together to speak of what to do with my grandaunt, and upon meeting with her, they swore to assist her in slaying a Gryn immediately if she swore to return to Aldland and not return for many years. Even when my aunt was killed by Forgryn, she was unable to enter the land at the time, for the promise was still in effect.”

“Terrible news,” Marak said. “It is a shame such a promise was made.”

“Grandaunt did not regret the promise, even now,” Jaygak said, inhaling deeply as she filled with pride. “The debt of my cousin’s death was paid.”

“The death of your cousin?” Marak asked, certain she had said aunt.

“The debt was paid,” Jaygak replied simply, thinking back to the tale she had learnt when growing up. Some of the first tales the Gak children were taught were the oppression under the Gryn dragons as well as the liberation thanks to Jarot around two thousand years ago. However, in her generation, another tale had been added, that of Forgryn and the death of their cousin, that child which held the lineage of both Flame Brand and Mad Dog.

Marak noted the look of silent fury within her eyes dropped the topic, realising that this young woman, though perhaps not as powerful as her peers by her own words, was still an Iyrman.

Adam wondered just how much trouble he was going to get in whilst in Ever Green, but as the days passed, and souvenirs were bought, somehow he didn’t cause trouble, and trouble didn’t come to him.

‘Something’s wrong…’ Adam thought, not liking how obviously trouble seemed to avoid him that year. ‘Either I’m thinking too much about this, or something terrible is going to happen…’

“You are thinking too much, Adam,” Vonda said, sipping her warm milk.

“Think about it, Sir Vonda, when we were going around the market, we didn’t find anything strange.”

“That is normal.”

“Exactly,” Adam said, narrowing his eyes. “It was all so normal.”

“Do you wish for strangeness to occur?”

“It’s not that I wish for it, it’s that I won’t be able to sleep well unless something bad happens,” Adam said. “Otherwise it means something worse will happen.”

“You met an Executor.”

“Who wasn’t aiming for me.”

“Meeting an Executor is strange enough.”

“That’s fair, I guess…” Adam sighed.

“Adam,” Jurot called, causing Adam’s leaf shaped ears to perk up. Unfortunately for Adam, Jurot was just talking about something normal, like the meeting between the two kings, the pair having finished negotiations for peace.