“Come home safely!” the children shouted towards Fakrot and the others. They had only remained at the fort that night, before leaving a short while after dawn.

Cirot and Sirot watched their father leave, remaining silent. They had wanted to go too, but they needed to stay here, just in case.

‘Where are they going?’ Adam thought, but he decided against asking. He assisted Dunes with his work, so the pair could finish their business early. He spent much of his time making the rounds, showing his face, before going to play with his children.

“Papa, even if you not have horns, I still love you,” Jirot said, holding Karot, the pair embracing one another. “You are not smelly boy.”

‘That’s not the way you’re meant to say that,’ Adam thought, but he wasn’t going the ruin the delicious dessert that was all for him. Each of the children remained in their groups, but he would often see them playing together, which warmed his heart.

‘If only I could get Konarot to accept Vonda…’

Lucy and Mara trained by themselves, not wanting to bother the businessfolk, though sometimes Rick and the porters would speak with them, much to their wives’ chagrin. However, they weren’t there when the pair of demons constantly assisted them through their journey.

Jasmine remained close with Morkarai, understanding, somewhat, why the Prince had asked her to remain within the business. The shock of Adam defeating Sir Magpie had washed over her. Though she was from further east, sometimes the Order made its way towards the east, and they were always considered great warriors. To think that a boy had managed to defeat even the weakest, that was surprising, but beyond that…

“The First Hope?”

“So it is said.”

Jasmine had also heard more of their tales. She had assumed Jaygak was one of the weakest, considering how she constantly mentioned it, but Jaygak was certainly among the strongest of the business. Even within her land, Jaygak was considered strong, definitely greater than a typical Expert. Her story was impressive, but the story of her companions?

Jurot and Kitool were alarmingly powerful for their age, even more so than Jaygak. Of course, considering Jurot’s ancestor, it made sense, but Kitool too? Jasmine dared not covet the woman, but she would have been a great bodyguard. ‘With her and Siten…’

Then there was him.

“No! Daddy no! How you can do this?” Jirot asked, throwing up her fist.

“What do you mean? I rolled the dice, the dice! It’s not my fault!”

“I do not like it!”

“Me neither! How dare you, mister dice, fail my daughter like this, you punk?”

“Fat!”

“Jirot!” Adam raised his brows, and the girl flushed, quickly retreating to her mother.

“I did not say!”

“Alright, fine, but I don’t want to hear it again, okay?”

“Okay.”

“What do you say?”

“Sorry…”

“Good girl. Now, come on, let’s make you a new character.”

“Okay! I am going to be Demon Load again!”

“Don’t you want to try something new?”

“I am Demon Load!”

“Of course, how silly of me.”

“Smelly boy.”

Adam raised his brows, and the girl pulled back.

“Sorry, daddy.”

“Okay.” Adam assisted her in making a new character, meanwhile the other children were assisted by their aunts, uncles, and their elders.

‘He beat the First Hope?’ Jasmine blinked.

Soon the duskval festival fell upon the Iyr, though Adam and his family remained within the business. He was glad the Iyrmen were around, for they were able to watch over the business while the workers got to work shorter hours.

Remy and Rick exchanged a look between one another, the pair wallowing in their thoughts. Their thoughts were nearly identical, though Remy glanced over towards Nobby, thinking about what the half elf had done for him and his cousin, and their nephew.

Rick wasn’t sure what to think. Though Adam had said they needed to work roughly six hours a day, the farmers ended up working longer hours. Adam had spoken to them about it, but they reassured it was fine, but since it was a festival, Adam put his foot down.

‘Just take two shifts, and rotate the shifts every day!’

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Except, they already worked less than they had to in Red Oak. He glanced down at the food. He glanced down at his drink, water, then the milk, and then the real drink, the grain wine from the nearby village. He gained a hundred silver a month, about a typical wage, and yet…

The food? Free.

The drinks? Free.

The clothes? Free.

Not only did he work fewer hours, he made more money. He glanced aside, to the rest of his family who had finally ended up joining. He glanced towards the Silver Fate Squad who had escorted them. Each of them were so much younger than himself, yet they were each so much stronger too. His eyes fell to one of them, the cousin of a pair of Executives.

Nirot. Just looking at her brought apprehension to Rick’s heart. She was also Mad Dog’s grandchild, and after what happened last year, Rick couldn’t deny it. He understood there were too many secrets he possessed, all of which he’d need to take to the grave. Rick and the others, they all understood, they were in too deep.

“Who gave you permission to be this cute?” Adam asked, kissing his children all over their faces. “It’s illegal, you know? I need to put you in jail!”

“Stop it, daddy!” Jirot said, holding up her hand. “Cinge!”

Adam’s eyes grew wide. “Who taught you that word?”

Jirot shook from her father’s expression, before she made to cry, only to be stopped by her grandaunt, who distracted her with a kiss on the nose, and a cheek pinch. Mirot, Nirot’s mother, calmed the girl down almost instantly.

Lucy cleared her throat. “This drink is so lovely, don’t you think, Mara?”

Mara, who wasn’t a fan of the grain wine, even when it was mixed with fruit, sipped it slowly. “Yes.”

‘Should I beat them up?’ Adam thought, before feeling the pressure from Mara. ‘I suppose I’ll forgive you.’ However, within his heart, he could feel the pain of being called cringe by his own children. ‘Damn.’

‘I’m glad he is a fool,’ Rick thought, relief filling his soul. If Adam hadn’t been a fool, then he might have been one of the most dangerous existences in the world. He didn’t know much, even the heights of the most terrifying creatures, but he knew that much.

“The fruit’s nice,” George’s words stated through the gem.

“Yeah,” Fred agreed, eating the fruit the business had procured. “It’s pretty good.”

“Better than the fruit at home.”

Fred wondered for a moment. ‘Are these the fruit of home now?’ He nestled his arm against his weapon, a blade which was not just any old blade, but a Greater Enhanced blade. He didn’t know that it was much worse than even the blade a particular little devilkin baby had been gifted recently, but that didn’t matter to him. Even Greater weapons were only for the likes of Masters, so him receiving a weapon that was Greater Enhanced?

“You can drink…” Vonda said, encouraging her husband.

“This is the limit that I won’t break. I don’t really care about drinking anyway, so you don’t have to worry.” Adam held her hand with his own, feeling her gloves against his bare skin.

The music. The food. The drinks. The atmosphere within the business brought a calm end to the rainy season.

The Mad Dog’s laughter also brought the end, even if there were many who would have preferred it if he had remained within the Iyr.

“How can you do this to me?” Jarot asked, embracing his great children. “They should remain within the Iyr!”

“Hmph! Their little sibling is almost here! Why don’t you just stay here?”

Mad Dog growled, but he didn’t reply, instead embracing his greatchildren, from the triplets, to the twins, even Larot, he smothered them with all of his affection.

‘Why does he look… different?’ Adam thought.

There was something off about the Mad Dog. Not quite off, but, certainly, something was different. He looked almost sharper, his eyes holding a hunger they hadn’t previously, and his steps were more confident. He even tossed little Jarot up and caught him, bringing the boy to his chest.

‘Old geezer… just you wait.’

The rain welcomed nightval to the world. Finally, they were done with farming, now enjoying the fruits of their labour, while preparing for dawnval, oblivious to Countess Red Oak’s worries.

Adam checked the storage for all their food, calculating how much food they needed with the extra mouths they needed to food, though they certainly had more than enough. ‘We can also get some from the village anyway.’

One evening, Adam played with his children, one by one. He lifted little Jirot up above him and she clapped.

“I am flying! I am flying, daddy!” She squealed excitedly.

“That’s right.”

“I am going to learn magic, daddy!”

“You are, I’m sure.”

“I going to fly all the places.”

“Will you enchant too, my dear?” Adam asked.

“Yes. I learning enchant and I going to fly.”

“Yeah.” Adam pulled her close to his chest, brushing her long hair. “Should daddy cut your hair?”

“No. I want it like kaka.”

“Yeah?”

“Daddy, I can have silver hair?”

“Maybe one day, but I like your hair like this, dark and curly,” Adam said, brushing through her thick hair.

“Okay…” Jirot smiled and hid her shy face into her father’s chest. “I like your hair too, daddy.”

“…” Adam kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”

“Papa,” Lanarot called, yawning. “Reading a story?”

“I can read a story, sure.”

As the first days of nightval passed, it happened. Jurot had been discussing with Kitool and Jaygak a set of matters relating to the business when Bilal dropped down nearby.

Jurot’s body almost blurred, charging in while his mother and others within the business assisted Pam. Adam, who had been flying around with the children, dropped down, letting Lanarot out of his arms, before she noted everyone gathered around.

“Kaka?” Lanarot called.

“Come on, Lanababy,” Adam said, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He realised how awkward it was for him to be here, while his brother and his wife were currently in the middle of something. He lifted the girl up and patted Jurot on the back, a small smile on his lips. “It’s at this time you should hold her hand.”

“Okay,” Jurot said, taking his place beside his wife, holding out his hand for her. He wasn’t sure what to do, his heart thundering in his chest, his throat dry.

As Adam stepped away, a small commotion took his attention. He glanced to the side, the world around him blurring, and his focused fell to his wife, who was blocked off by others beginning to tend to her.

‘Eh?’ Adam thought.

Adam barely recalled what happened during the time, before he came back to reality. There they were. A little boy. A little girl. The pair were so tiny.

“Look,” Jirot said, pointing to the girl within her mother’s arms. “Is my kaka!”

“Yes,” Vonda said, glancing down at the bundle of yellow, and the girl within. “Virot…”

“Virot?” Jirot asked.

“Do you like her name?”

“I love it, mummy! I love it! So ‘dorable!” The girl giggled and squealed, clapping her hands excitedly.

Konarot stared at the little girl. She could see how tiny she was. Her eyes then fell to her sister’s leaf shaped ears, the same leaf shaped ears they all possessed. She looked up towards her father, then the woman, and then to her youngest sister. She could smell the scent of her father on the girl, but also the scent of that woman.

Adam remained almost frozen, his eyes glued to the little. This was the first time he knew that he was there during the child’s birth. Knowing it was his child. The others had come to him as surprises, but Virot? She wasn’t a surprise. No, she was a surprise. It was a surprise that she was so healthy.

‘What do I do?’ Adam thought. ‘I should kill a dragon. No, I should beat up a dragon. Yeah, I should beat up a dragon and gift it to my daughter.’