The boy panted for air as the heavy noonval sun beat upon his skin. He opened his mouth as the cup pressed against his lips, slurping the water down, some of it slipping down the corners of his mouth, down his chin, seeping against his clothing.

“Is noonval still too hot for you, my Karot?” Gangak asked, brushing the boy’s long hair silver, before flicking some water upon his head, wiping the boy’s face with more.

“Hot,” the boy agreed, panting again, though he gave in to his nano, who wiped his face with a damp cloth tenderly.

“Let us rest in the shade,” Gangak said, picking the boy up, not even looking back to see if his sisters were following, leading them out to the side, dropping down with Karot upon her lap, the boy leaning against her bosom as his sisters each nestled against her side, their tails curling up around their feet.

The four basked in the shade provided by the sturdy walls of the fort. The triplets relaxed against their nano, their tails gently swaying from side to side.

“This fort was made by the hands of Iyrmen,” Gangak said, brushing her hand through Kirot’s hair, rubbing her cheek. The girl pulled her head up, her innocent eyes staring into her greataunt’s eyes. Gangak leaned in to nuzzle against her nose, before she planted a kiss on her forehead. “It is not like the forts of the Aldish, which will fall away when the wind blows too strongly. Here, as within the Iyr, you will be safe.”

“Daddy?”

“Your father will be safe too, and so will your mother, within the walls of the Iyr. Even if the Great Elders… no matter who may threaten your father, we will continue to protect him.”

“Potec,” the girl confirmed, reaching up to clutch her nano’s collar, brushing it with a thumb.

“Your father is a Nephew of the Rot family. Even if the Great Elders wished to deal with your father, they must ask the permission of the Family Head and Family Elder, your nana and nano. If they wished to deal with you… they cannot.”

“Cannot?”

“Cannot,” Gangak assured, before reaching over to pull Konarot closer, embracing her tight, allowing the girl to wrap herself around her, like a piece of flat bread. Gangak held the back of the girl’s head, tickling the girl’s skull. “Even if he wishes to keep you to himself, you are my greatchildren too.”

“Nano?” Konarot asked.

“Yes?”

Konarot reached up to her horns with both hands. “Horns.”

Gangak reached up to her own horn, rubbing along it. “Yes?”

Konarot reached over to grab her greataunt’s horns. “Horns.”

“Yes.”

“You are red.”

“Yes.”

“I am not.”

“You are not.”

Konarot remained silent for a long while, holding the woman’s horns, though her eyes were glued to the woman’s tattoos. The scarlet x, the yellow tilted kites that emanated from them. The same tattoos that her grandaunts and granduncles wore, the same tattoo her aunt wore, the same aunt who reminded the girl of her own hornless sister.

“I like red,” Konarot said.

Gangak inhaled deeply, before leaning in to blow against the girl’s stomach, causing her to squeal aloud, the girl dropping down, allowing her greataunt to pull her in closer. “My dear greatchildren, I cannot love you more than I already do.”

She allowed the triplets to pin her down so they could nap atop her, the old woman letting out a gentle, satisfied sigh.

There was another who was already starved of their attention, though he was focused on something else.

Adam gasped for air, having held his breath when he stepped through the portal. His entire body shuddered, a splash of warm air striking him, and he glanced around towards the walls around him, which rose up and tilted inward, though the walls did not join together, allowing some of the sun light to beat down and spread the light throughout.

“I feel like I shouldn’t know about this place,” Adam said, his eyes falling onto the enchanting shrine, this one slightly different than the shrines he was used to. Across one wall lay a myriad of weapons, of all manner of designs, in front of another wall lay a mass of raw resources, in front of another a collection of various gems, each different type of gem cut in a particular way, though the same as its own kind, and finally, the last wall held a shut door.

“If we did not wish for you to know, you would not know,” Sonarot assured, reaching out to rub his arm gently. “The Iyr will leave any messages they have on the shrine, make sure you read them before you begin enchanting. Once you are done enchanting, ring the bell, wait a few moments, and then use the door to leave. Place the mirror back where it originally was.”

“Right…” ‘Bell?’ Adam glanced around trying to find the bell, only to find it right beside the door, exactly where it made logical sense, except he had somehow missed it the first time.

“The Iyr will keep track of the debts you owe upon using the gems, and they will be repaid once the weapon are sold, or through the business’ finances.”

“Right, sure.”

Sonarot smiled, bowing her head lightly. “Do you have any questions?”

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“Not really,” Adam said, staring at the raw materials and the ingots to one side. ‘These guys are really good at figuring out my abilities and how to use them best.’ “Do you have a moment?”

“Yes.”

“I just wanted to say…” Adam’s heart began to beat quicker. “Can anyone else hear us?”

“No.”

“I had no idea I’d live this long in this life. When I was originally reincarnated, or reborn, or transmigrated, whatever, I… I lasted about a year, I think. Less than a year? Now it’s been… almost five. I’ve done so much and so little. I still can’t progress too quickly, because of the… thing.” Adam raised his brows, and Sonarot bowed her head knowingly.

“This life, though… it’s been the best. It’s all thanks to you, and Jurot, and everyone else. My children… I mean, I have children. In my first life, I…” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Children? In that economy?” Adam’s laughter shook, not due to joy, but due to his nerves. “Truly, I’m filled with joy daily, and… I just wanted to say, thank you. For everything.”

Sonarot reached up to hold Adam’s cheek, rubbing it tenderly. “You are the brother of my son and daughter, and the father of my grandchildren. You do not need to thank me for taking the role I should.”

“Yeah, well… like you said, you’re the grandmother of my children, so I’ve got to treat you this well at least.” Adam wondered if he should increase the President’s pay, having yet to realise he technically wasn’t paying her.

Sonarot pulled the young man in for a tight hug, the young man taller than her, and yet, sometimes he was so much smaller. She rubbed the back of his head, brushing his hair tenderly.

Adam’s heart beat harder, feeling the warmth of his Aunt’s body against his, her hands, soft and rough, like his wife’s, against the back of his head.

“It fills me with joy, too,” the woman assured, whispering into Adam’s ear.

Adam slowly nodded his head, allowing her to withdraw, a warm smile across her lips, before she finally turned and left. She rang the bell, waited for a few seconds, before she opened the door into what seemed to be sheer blackness, and stepped into it, disappearing into the darkness.

Adam remained standing for a long moment, allowing the warmth of his Aunt’s love fill him first, before he resolved himself. ‘I need to work hard.’

It was evening when Adam appeared back in the fort, his triplets rushing up to him as he stepped through the inner gate, the half elf embracing each child, before allowing them to climb atop him as he carried them to the rest of the figures. The smell of the evening’s meal filled his nostrils, though it was Jirot’s complaints which filled his ears.

“Daddy!”

“Yes?” Adam replied, placing down his triplets.

“Mummy is not eating!”

“What’s wrong, mummy?” Adam asked, before his brows furrowed. ‘It’s kinda weird calling her mummy. I’m not sure if I like it… or if I don’t?’

Vonda smiled curiously towards her husband. “I have eaten so much already.”

“Ah, well, if mummy has eaten too much, then you need to make sure mummy is comfortable?”

“Comfable?”

“Yeah, she needs to be relaxed.”

“Mummy, you are relaxed?”

“I am.”

“Good,” Jirot said, reaching out to pat her mother’s thigh gently. “Mummy, if you are hungry, you must say, okay?”

“Okay.”

Jirot raised her brows towards her mother, as though threatening her to try and keep it to herself. “You undastand?”

“I understand.”

“Mummy, I tell you story,” little Jarot said, beaming up towards his mother. “Is daddy’s story. Daddy kill the dragon.”

“Let’s not tell mummy about killing, shall we?” Adam replied, filling with a sudden rush of awkwardness.

“No?” Jarot pouted. “I cannot tell mummy?”

‘This kid! He’s too cute!’ “How about…” Adam glanced away, unable to face his son when he was pouting so adorable. “Why don’t we make our own story? Let’s play Warriors and Wanderers!”

Jarot gasped, smiling wide. “I play!”

“I play too, daddy!” Jirot said.

“Daddy…” Konarot stared up at her father expectantly.

“Of course, we can all play!” Adam embraced his children, peppering them with kisses. “Let’s wait until daddy finishes eating.”

“Daddy is pegnant?” Jirot asked.

“No?”

“Daddy, you do not eating, eating is for mummy.”

“Jirot, even your father needs to eat.”

Jirot blinked. “I can feed you?”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Jirot said, allowing her father to eat, assisting his father by telling him the names of the food, and getting distracted by him feeding her parts of his own meal. “I cannot, I cannot, so much.” Jirot said, turning her head as she shook her hand to refuse the food, before she opened her mouth for more food.

“Look at you! Such a character.” Adam planted a firm kiss on her cheek, before allowing her to retreat to her mother.

As Adam prepared for Warriors and Wanderers, he noted the looks he was getting from the other children. He spotted a particular child glancing their way, and Adam motioned a hand. The girl glanced around, and upon spotting the lack of others around her, she rushed up towards him, standing awkwardly before the half elf.

“Do you know who this is?” Adam asked.

“Is Anne!” Jirot said, pointing at the girl accusatory.

“That’s right. Whose kaka is she?”

“Mister Nobby is kaka.”

“Mister Nobby is her papa, that’s right,” Adam said, reaching over to brush his daughter’s hair. “How do you know?”

“I know, I know,” Jirot said, nodding her head.

“Who told you?”

“Um, I hear…” She looked around. “Is nano, nano tell me.”

“Nano told you?”

“Nano, and babo, and nana, and daddy, and mummy, and papo, and kako, and I tell it.”

“Right, right, of course. I want you to treat her nicely too, okay?”

“I always nice.”

“That’s right.”

“Mister Nobby is so strong, daddy, he first place,” the girl said, holding up a finger.

“Yeah, he is so strong, isn’t he?”

“Daddy, you are not strong, you are third place,” Jirot said, as though explaining a fact. “Papo is strong, papo is first place.”

Adam blinked. He glanced aside towards Vonda, who held her smile behind her hand, her mischievous eyes staring into Adam’s with a curiosity. “Well, you know, daddy is stronger than Nobby.”

“Daddy is strong?” Jirot asked, turning her head, her eyes incredulous.

“You! How can you look at daddy like that! Isn’t daddy so strong?” Adam lifted her head, causing the girl to squeal and giggle.

“My brother is strong…” Anne said, her voice low, the girl clutching at her dress, pouting.

“That’s right, Nobby is strong too. After all, papo Jurot taught him a lot, didn’t he?” Adam blew a raspberry against his daughter’s neck, the girl squealing and cackling, before Adam let her go, allowing her to retreat to her mother, climbing up her front. The girl moved roughly, but Vonda lifted her daughter up with one arm, shielding her stomach with the other. “Carefully, dear, carefully, you smelly girl.”

Adam let out a soft sigh, meeting Anne’s eyes for a moment. “Do you want to play Warriors and Wanderers too?”

Anne nodded her head, her long hair bouncing as she did.

Adam smiled, while the memories of her brother flashed in his mind. ‘Right, Nobby’s pretty scary too. He might not be an Iyrman, but he’s naturally stronger than even Jurot. How can a family have someone as monstrous as Nobby, but someone as adorable as Anne? I guess they’re both cute…’ Adam let out a near silent snort, doing his best not to laugh.

“Anne,” Adam called.

“Yes?”

“If anyone bullies you, make sure you tell me, okay?”

“Okay.”

“You’re Nobby’s sister, and that gives you special privileges in the business. Nobby was one of our first workers, and he works more for me than the business, so if you need anything, let me know. Right, weren’t you… I’ll ask after we play the game.”

“Okay?” Anne replied, unsure of what Adam was talking about, but that was pretty normal.

Adam reached into his pouch and slipped it into the girl’s hand, winking at her. “Whose gold coin is this?”

“Mine?”

“Can your parents take it?”

The girl shook her head. “It’s mine.”

“That’s right.” Adam chuckled lightly.

“Daddy! I want gold too!” Jirot called out, holding out her hand. “Give!”

“Give, what?”

“Gold!”

“What’s the magic word?”

“Fyahball!”