“Nobby!” Adam called out, flashing a wide smile.

“Mister boss,” the young man replied, without even a hint of shock.

“How are you doing?”

“Good.”

“Not causing trouble are you?”

“No.”

“Good, good.”

The young man beside Nobby glanced between Adam and the Iyrman. He nodded his head slowly towards the Iyrman. He placed down the basket, and nodded towards Archie, before heading for the door.

“Wait,” Jurot said, standing up.

The teen stopped, turning back to face the Iyrman, who he expected to be Jurot, the grandson of the Mad Dog. Apparently the Mad Dog was some kind of legendary figure. If he wasn’t born in Red Oak, he would have thought it was nonsense, and if he hadn’t heard about Nobby’s win, he might not have stopped for the Iyrman.

“Another golden boy?” Adam joked.

“No,” Jurot replied, sizing the young man up, walking around him. “Acceptable.”

“Acceptable?”

“Better than most of the Aldish,” Jurot stated. “He may be average for an Iyrman.”

‘He’s a little handsome too,’ Adam thought, noting the messy hair on the teen’s head. ‘He’d clean up good.’

“Freddie’s my oldest,” Archie said. “He might not be as big or tough as Nobby, but he ain’t far off, and he’s the smartest of us all.”

“Well, I don’t mind throwing him a…” Adam paused. ‘Don’t sound like a prick.’ “I don’t mind testing him out to see how good he is. Do you work as a farmhand, Freddie?”

“Farmhand. Portin’. I do this and that.”

“How much do you make a month.”

“Fifty, sixty silver.”

“How much of that do you keep?”

“A few silvers for drinks,” the boy admitted. “Not much after the taxes and food stuffs. I’m lucky ta have even a handful of silver.”

“Handful of silver buys a lot of drinks.”

“Not when yer buyin’ Bert’s.”

Adam chuckled lightly. “Oh yeah?”

“Freddie’s got a good head on ‘im,” Archie said. “Does our taxes.”

“You ever skim some off the top after you pay your taxes?”

Freddie’s eyes, for an instant, stuttered to the side towards his father. “…”

“Not our Freddie,” Henry said, lying through his teeth. “It’s the boy’s coins anyhows.”

Adam chuckled again. “Ah, well, I’m not going to tell you how to spend your coin. Well, have you thought of becoming an adventurer or a knight or a hero?”

“Not a boy no more.”

“Don’t dream like that?”

“I’m lowborn. Ain’t no Red Scarf.”

“Tried to join the guard, but they said they wanted ‘im to know how to read an’ write already,” Archie said, letting out a soft sigh. He, and Freddie, knew what it meant.

“Reading and writing is good and all, but you know how to wield a blade?”

“No. Did some of the trainin’, but I was too young to join the army for the war.”

“That’s alright. Nobby didn’t know much about using weapons either, and in, what, two or three years or so he won the tournament?”

“I’m not Nobby.”

“No, but if my brother says you’re average for an Iyrman, it means you could probably place in your first tournament,” Adam said, handing Lanarot to Jurot since she was beginning to squirm in his arms.

“No!” Lanarot complained before instantly slumping within her brother’s arms, almost falling asleep.

‘Oh,’ Archie thought. ‘He meant he could put kids to sleep easy in that way.’

“Since Jurot’s interested in you, that means it’s your lucky day. I mean, if you want.”

“…”

“Since I came here to move your entire family, and that’s awkward, why don’t we do it like this? I’ll pay some coin for you to move into a place that’s a little bigger, and nicer, since I can’t move you all right now. While we train you, we won’t pay you, but we’ll send about fifty silver coins back to your family monthly. Then once basic training is done, probably by the end of the year, I’ll pay you…” Adam thought. “Sorry, one second, let me write this down.”

It was at times like this, Ted wished Annie had come with them.

“Okay, let’s keep this simple. I’ll pay for you to move to a nicer place. I’ll pay fifty gold, so five hundred silver, upfront for Freddie’s absence. Freddie, we’ll train you for the rest of the year, and once your basic training is done, we’ll start you off at hundred silver each month too, and half of that will be sent to your family monthly, and half will be paid to you. Technically, it’s more than you’re making now, because the business will deal with your housing, food, clothing, equipment, and so on.”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“…”

“We do need some more guards. What do you think?”

Freddie looked to his father, who nodded. “You’ll pay my family five hundred silver?”

“Yes.”

“Now?”

“Sure.” Adam reached into his pocket and brought out a tiger eye. “The gem’s worth fifty gold, five hundred silver.”

“Let’s put it in the bank,” Ted said, almost feeling his heart leap out of his chest from Adam taking out about a half year’s worth of pay in one go.

Freddie blinked, unsure of what he just saw. “It’s worth fifty gold?”

“Yes,” Jurot said.

Freddie nodded, believing the Iyrman’s words at face value, since he was born in Red Oak.

“The five hundred silver should pay for a nicer place. If it’s not enough, and the fifty silver isn’t enough monthly, just leave a message at the Guild and let our people know, and I’ll have someone send more coin your way, it’s no issue,” Adam said.

“It’s no issue,” Archie said, already feeling awkward with how much money Adam was offering them.

“So, Freddie, you want to learn to fight?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of fighting?”

“Like Nobby.”

“Why?”

“He don’t need armour.”

“I will test you,” Jurot said. “You will learn our way if you are nimble and tough, but if you are not nimble, then you should learn with armour and weapons.”

“Armour’s expensive. Costs hundreds of gold just for chain.”

“Less than a hundred gold for chain, but yeah, pretty expensive for plate armour, but you don’t have to worry about that,” Adam said. “If you need armour, the business will get you some armour. Didn’t I say the business will pay for that sort of thing?” Adam pat the young man’s shoulder, feeling how thick it was. “Ho? You are pretty strong.” ‘Pretty and strong?’ Adam, for once, only thought the cringe.

Jurot was glad Adam was only thinking the cringe.

As the group prepared to leave, Henry called out to Adam, taking the half elf’s hands into his own. “Thank you so much.”

“For what?”

Henry chuckled, coughing lightly to the side. “When they said that Lord Musa has come to bless us, I wasn’t sure, but…” He nodded his head to the half elf.

Adam smiled. “Any time.”

Adam allowed Jurot to take Freddie to deal with the bank, while he led Ted away, only to realise he had no idea where it was, so allowed Ted to lead him.

The school was right beside one of the temples of Red Oak, made of heavy stone, with a number of marble statues, and of course, doors of red oak.

‘Seriously, I can’t even buy a scrap of it, but they get doors? It’s not even one of the main temples.’ Adam’s annoyance radiated into the world.

“How may I assist you?” a Sister asked, adorned in simple robes, wearing an amulet made of heavy metal, though the smile on her face was heavier.

“Hello there, Sister,” Adam said, smiling politely. “I’ve come to speak with…”

“Father Jacob,” Ted said, smiling awkwardly.

“In relation to what matter?”

“We paid for the education of a child, and I wanted to discuss it with the Father, should he be so free,” Adam said, reaching into his pocket, causing the young woman to tense up slightly, before she relaxed, accepting the obsidian from his fingers, bowing her head lightly before leading them further in.

Adam didn’t like Father Jacob. The Father was old, and adorned in fine vestments, but that was not what annoyed him. The cleanly cut hair and beard, white as snow, didn’t annoy him either. What annoyed him most was that thing. That thing upon his chest. The amulet of a particular Divine.

‘Damn.’ “Good morning, Father Jacob.”

“Good morning, Brother.”

“I’m Executive Adam, of the United Kindom, the business that works near the Iyr, we deal with enchanting and trading magical good, but I have come to discuss with you about a particular matter.”

“Which matter would that be?”

“I paid for the tuition of a young girl by the name of Anne, who studied here for about a year.”

“Yes,” Father Jacob said, realising now that he did recognise Ted, who was not quite as thin as he remembered. “I do recall the young girl.”

“Well, I was playing Warriors and Wanderers with her, it’s a game with lots of maths, and reading, and so on and so on, and I noticed that, after about a year and a bit of studying, the girl… didn’t know how to do simple maths. She didn’t know her alphabet. She didn’t even know how to write her own name.” Adam smiled politely, that kind of polite that he had to use when he knew he couldn’t physically fight.

“It is a shame, but some children are unable to learn well, as is their place in life.”

Adam remained smiling politely, his lips twitching slightly. “Hmm. I see.”

“Is there something you wished to discuss particularly?”

Adam inhaled deeply. He continued to smile and slowly began to nod his head, which only grew more violently as moments passed.

“Executive Jurot said that we should get back to the inn soon, since your children will miss you,” Ted said, having now understood why Jurot had taken him aside for a moment before they had left.

Adam inhaled again, managing to catch himself. “I suppose you’re right. I should get back to my children, who are missing their father so much.” Adam stood, slapping his knees as he did, trying to get rid of the jitters which filled him. He started to hum to himself quietly.

Wisdom Save

D20 + 4 = 9 (5)

“You know,” Adam said, having already half turned. “Where I’m from, we find it rather pathetic to blame the student for a teacher’s inability to teach.”

“Do you come from a land of disorder?”

Adam smiled. “If only I was so lucky, Father.”

The Father smiled in return, the same polite smile Adam had shown him, watching as the petulant half elf left. He accepted the gold the half elf had donated, so there was no need to deal with him.

Adam remained silent as he stormed through the town at random. He led Ted through the town, the man unsure if he should say goodbye here, or if he should follow the half elf. Adam stopped.

“Ted?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want your daughter to be a Wizard or a Priest?”

Ted remained silent for a moment. “A Priest.”

“Yeah. A Priest. We’ll see who is better, some dog of Order, or a Ray of Life.”

Ted reached up to his head and ear, muttering a shocked prayer for the blasphemy of the half elf’s words. ‘By the Divine!’

‘I’ll show him! I’m going to make Anne the best damn Priest across the world! Just you wait, she’s going to learn Sixth Gate spells, and I’ll see who tries to kill her for it.’ Adam continued to fume with rage, though it quickly dissipated once he returned to the inn.

“Okay?” Jaygak asked.

“I’m fine.”

She threw a look to Jurot. ‘You really are the Mad Dog’s grandson if you let him go without you.’ Jaygak was glad that somehow Adam had made it out alive without causing any trouble. Or rather, much trouble.

Except, Jaygak had no idea that she was using the name of Mad Dog so lightly. She and Adam had taken Kavgak out, the girl having wanted to explore Red Oak, and with how demanding she was, and how much the pair couldn’t refuse her, they allowed her to lead them around. Jaygak wore her full plate armour, and though she was a little worried about them going out, since they were a pair of Gaks, which was already bad luck in Aldland, but even worse, they were beside him.

“Kavgak, look, yummy food,” Adam said, pointing towards the stall. “Should we-,”

“Adam! Jaygak!” shouted a voice from the rooftops. Faool panted lightly, wiping his brow of sweat.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked, suddenly standing taller.

“Westmoon!” Faool shouted, panting for air still, having rushed the entire way towards them.

Adam narrowed his eyes, his mind processing the information, but before he could put the pieces together, he watched as Jaygak’s form blurred beside him, the young woman darting through the town.

History Check (Intelligence)

D20 + 3 = 4 (1)

Adam did not recall Jaygak’s words she had spoken to him many weeks ago. Indeed, it had even caused her to forget she was in charge of watching over Kavgak, a mistake which would have led to a great punishment, if it wasn’t for the fact that Adam was a fool. Her mind was consumed by the words she had spoken.

‘The family is well known for slaying goblins.’