Adam rubbed the oil against little Jarot’s face, the boy closing his eyes and scrunching his face as his father oiled him up. Adam then ran his fingers through the boy’s hair, and massaged the oil into little Jarot’s scalp.

“Does that feel good?”

“Yes,” the boy replied, his eyes opening to look into his father’s eyes with delight.

A small smile flashed across Adam’s lips. He leaned in to smell the scent of the oil within his son’s hair, before he planted a firm kiss atop his son’s head, rubbing his cheek atop his son’s head, feeling the thick strands of hair tickle across his cheek.

“My boy, oh my boy,” Adam whispered, embracing his son tighter within his arms. His entire body rushed with a gentle warmth, his heart throbbing wildly as the boy squirmed against him, giving in to his father’s affection.

“Oof,” Jirot said, dropping down beside Adam, holding up the teethleaf for her father and brother. “Keening your teeth now, okay?”

“Okay,” the pair replied before accepting the teethleaf from the girl, the pair chewing against the leaf. Their saliva activated the leaf, causing a foam which tickled their teeth and gums. After chewing the leaf for a minute, they spat it out into a cloth, which Adam placed to one side.

“Daddy, is time for weading.” Jirot narrowed her eyes slightly, tilting her head, waiting to be told she was the one to pick the story that day.

“You want daddy to read to you?”

“Yes.”

“What about nana?”

“No.” Jirot snorted quietly, raising her brows, daring her father to refuse.

“What about…”

“Daddy.” The girl crossed her arms, her brows raised again. She raised a finger towards her father to tell him off. “You are joking so much now! Eenuff, now. No moh!”

“I see,” Adam replied, reaching over to brush his daughter’s hair gently, tickling the tip of her ear with his thumb. “Which story should daddy read?”

“Is my turn to pick!” Jirot rushed off towards the other room, her twin following after her.

Konarot yawned, dropping down beside her father, before leaning up against him. She purred quietly as her father rubbed her head and brushed along the stubs which formed her horns, her tail swaying from side to side behind her. Kirot walked beside her father and placed her hand on his shoulder, leaning in to kiss her father's cheek, causing him to glance her way. She blinked before bowing her head slightly while her father kissed her nose and cheek. Karot waited for Lanarot, who quickly hopped her way to her brother.

"Papa!"

"Yes, Lanababy?" Adam asked, pulling his eldest son close before pulling his sister onto his lap.

"Papa is gone?"

"That's right.”

“Why?”

“He has so much work to do and…” Adam wondered how much he should tease his sister, especially while Sonarot was listening, the woman currently brushing her hair. “Papa is doing something really important.”

“Impohtan?”

“That’s right. He’s doing something amazing, and in the future… who knows, you’ll get to eat lots more bread?”

“Buhread?” Lanarot’s brows raised expectantly. “I can eat more buhread?”

“Yes.”

“Papa is working hard,” Lanarot replied, nodding her head understandingly.

“Let’s hope he returns quickly though.”

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

“Yes.”

Jirot charged back into the room, holding up a book. “Daddy! You must wead this book!”

“If you say so, then I must.” Adam picked up the book and eyed it up. He checked the front page, which was filled with those who were involved within the tales. ‘I guess I should have expected.’

GANGAK “FLAME BRAND”

Jirot climbed onto her father’s lap so she could also read the book. “Look, daddy, look. Gan. Gak. Is nano’s name.”

“That’s right,” Adam said, ruffling the girl’s hair. “How amazing you can recognise the word!”

“Nano is Gangak, I am Jiwoh.”

“That’s right.” Adam kissed her head once more before he began to read the tale to the children.

“Wed dwagon,” the girl said, pointing towards the words on the page. “Wed dwagon is fire, and nano is fire.”

Adam furrowed his brows. “Right…” Adam followed the girl’s hand as she trailed across the words.

“Hun. Dwed.”

“Jirot?”

Jirot looked up towards her father.

“What does this word say?” Adam asked.

“Suh. Las. Hed.”

“Okay, that was a bad word for me to pick. What does this word say?”

“Buh. Wuh. Ee. Nn. Guh. Bwing.”

Adam blinked. “What does this word say?”

“Fuh. Oo. Duh. Food.”

“Jirot!” Adam gasped, picking his daughter up above him. The girl stared down at her father questioningly. “You can read?”

“I can wead.” The girl smirked cheekily.

Adam glanced over towards Sonarot, who had caught the girl sometimes sounding out the words, though even she seemed surprised. Adam placed her down onto his lap, his heart pounding wildly as she picked up the book once more.

“Okay, how about you read this sentence to daddy?”

“Gan. Gak. Dee-id. Not. Uhnnduhurstand. Wuhai. Suhe. Huh-ad. To. Suh-tep. Bah-cuh.”

“Oh my gosh.” Adam wrapped his arms around his daughter, swaying from side to side gently. He showered the girl with kisses. “You’re a genius, my Jirot, a genius!”

“I am so smaht,” the girl said, allowing her father to continue to smother her in his affection.

“You’re too smart, my little troublemaker,” Adam said, blowing a raspberry into the girl’s neck, causing her to squeal and squirm. “Who gave you permission to be so smart?”

“Kekekeke!” Jirot replied.

Konarot pouted. “I am smaht too, daddy.”

“Right, you are so smart and cute too,” Adam pulled Konarot in for a hug and kissed her cheek. “You’re so good at dragon chess, even better than daddy.”

Konarot smiled slightly as her father showered all the children in affection.

Though the rain of duskval had dampened Adam’s mood, he could always find solace in his children, who shone so brightly.

‘Whose kids can be so amazing but mine?’ Adam thought, hugging all of his children, and his little sister.

Larot lay nearby, glaring at the ceiling, annoyed by their loudness. ‘They should have lain me beside Gurot.’

Omen: 8, 15

“Daddy!” Jirot pointed an accusatory finger towards her father. “You said you ah not wuhking today!”

“I’m not working, I just need to do some magic and then I’ll be done.”

The thunder rumbled and Jirot blinked. “I not saying it again.”

“I’m not working, I just need a little while to do something…” Adam lifted the girl up and blew raspberries into her neck. “Just because you can read, it doesn’t mean you can bully me.”

Jirot squealed and fled away to her grandmother, glancing back to see her father was raising his brows at her. She blew a raspberry towards her father and clutched at her grandmother’s trousers, the girl climbing up into her grandmother’s bosom to protect herself.

Sonarot pulled the girl closer, glad to see the dark cloud over Adam had begun to lighten. She kept an eye on Adam as he left, wondering what he was doing during his day off. He had also spent a little while away during his last day off before he returned to take his children to the shared family estate.

‘I can’t believe my own daughter is bullying me like this,’ Adam thought as he procured the silver ore he needed from the warehouse. ‘I’ll forgive you just this once since you’re so cute.’

Mana: 25 -> 1

Adam cast his spell several times over the course of the hour, using all the silver he had procured from the warehouse. ‘Alright, that should be enough for today.’

Konarot rushed towards her father as he stepped into the shared estate, before Adam hoisted her up, brushing his children’s hair.

“Are you all ready to go to see babo?”

“Yes!” Jirot declared darting up to her father with little Jarot rushing after her.

“You guys seem to love your babo more than your own father.”

“Yes!” Jirot declared, not realising what Adam meant.

Adam inhaled sharply. ‘Just this once!’

At the extended family estate, Jarot sat patiently, his body buzzing with expectation. Gangak poured the old Iyrman a cup of tea, while Otkan allowed Churot to show off the book Adam had gotten him for his birthday.

‘How can he keep them to himself for this long?’ Jarot fumed, yearning for his adorable greatchildren to come and bully him.

“Your excitement will destroy the table,” Gangak joked.

“Are you not here for the same reason?”

“I often spend my time in this estate, is there a special reason as to why I am here today?”

“Will you deny it?”

“How can I deny it when my Jigak will come and hold me so close.”

“You cannot call her Jigak while she adores me most!”

“It is why I can call her Jigak.”

“Jarot,” called a familiar voice from the entrance of the extended family estate. The Iyrman wore a blade at his side, and the tattoo on his forehead was almost identical to Otkan’s tattoo, save the colours were inverted.

Jarot narrowed his eyes towards the figure, before he sighed, rubbing his leg. He stood, narrowing his eyes towards the Iyrman. He couldn’t shirk the old man. ‘What trouble have you brought to me?’

Adam arrived at the estate, noting both Gangak and Otkan sitting there, while his children charged towards the older woman. ‘Where’s the old man?’