“Then at least promise me that I’ll be able to see my family and say goodbye,” Adam asked, far too casually considering how close he felt to dying at the moment.

“Okay.”

Adam let out a sigh of relief. If he could at least see his family before he died, it was more than what the God of Chaos had offered before he was ripped apart from his second life and family. “Did they get my gifts?”

“Yes.”

“Oh? I didn’t expect you’d give them considering, you know...”

“You knew?”

“I recall last year that my own brother and best friends abandoned me to have fun in another world without me.” Adam turned his head away from the trio of Iyrmen who lay in their own basins.

“You must know what you must know,” the Chief stated, doing his best not to find reasons to kill the young man, no matter how much the young man wished for death.

“I really do appreciate that you let it slide for me.”

“Have you grown stronger?”

“Something like that…” Adam glanced aside, checking his statistics. “I can probably learn Fourth Gate spells soon, but that’s not really that important right now.”

‘Something more important than Fourth Gate spells?’ Iromin, who couldn’t cast any spells, knew the relevance of Fourth Gate spells, for there were many within the Iyr who could cast such great spells. Fourth Gate spells would put anyone on the map within the surrounding lands, thousands of miles in any direction from the Iyr. Adam knowing such spells would cause them so much trouble for certain, but there was something even more important, even more troublesome?

Jaygak remained silent, pretending as though she wasn’t listening to Adam’s words. Whenever she had asked him about his new ability, he had refused to answer, instead deflecting the conversation to how his children were now considered princes and princesses. It had felt good to remind him that it was only true while they remained in the other world, wiping that smug look off his face.

Jurot noted the look on Jaygak’s face, realising she was remember that from the other world. There were few people who could match the wicked tongue of Adam, Jaygak counted among them, considering how much trouble she used to cause. Of course, the trouble Jaygak caused was very different to the trouble Adam caused, with only Adam being considered for death.

‘You should remember he can still beat you,’ Kitool thought, hoping Jaygak wouldn’t take things too far. However, it was refreshing to see Adam put back into his place. He had grown too comfortable in the other world, the same world which was said to be extremely dangerous, and yet had been almost entirely trivial due to Adam’s peculiar magic.

“I have come to hear the tale from you,” Iromin said, leaving Adam’s ridiculous abilities for later. There was something about the way Adam was speaking that tickled the back of his head. He was certain the other world was dangerous even for the likes of Adam, but the young man had been too relaxed. ‘Is it because it was too stressful, or…’

“Man, do we have a tale for you!” Adam’s laughter echoed through the cave.

Something dark crept into the Chief’s heart. The world which the four had been sent to was considered extremely dangerous for the likes of Experts, those who gained a certain level of mastery with their abilities, being able to strike more swiftly, or being able to cast Third Gate spells. Even so, the four had returned, with relatively few wounds, and Adam was far too joyful. ‘Were they lucky enough not to come across a Night Lord?’

Iromin’s eyes caught Jurot’s eyes. The young Iyrman who was Adam’s brother, not by blood, but by rights of the Iyr, which were simple to Iyrmen but complex to outsiders. The eyes of the young Iyrmen stated that, that which entered the lexicon due to the appearance of this crazy young man.

“We killed a few barons, then we picked a baron to become a king. We…” Adam’s smile dropped. “We had to kill a lot of people, and well…” Adam tried to reach up to his amulet out of habit, but he still couldn’t move his arm through the water, and his amulet had been taken away by the Iyrmen. “Anyway, long story short, we killed a bunch of people, made some punk a king, and I became a duke.”

“…” Iromin blinked. “Such a tale is missing many details.”

“That’s just the outline, but it’s not like anything special happened.”

“We killed several Night Lords,” Jurot added.

“Oh, right. Yeah, we killed a Night Lord, a Night God?”

“A Night God?”

“The darkness thing.”

“The Encroaching Darkness?” Iromin asked.

“Yes.”

Iromin slowly nodded, keeping his face blank, something which he had learnt to do when he became one of the Great Elders of the Iyr.

“We killed the darkness, then another Night Lord, then we joined forces with another Night Lord and killed him, uh, her?” Adam looked to Jurot, trying to recall what the figure was exactly. “Them? Anyway, they ended up betraying us so we killed them too.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“You killed three Night Lords?” Iromin asked.

“We killed three and forced away a fourth and fifth when they joined forced to try and attack us,” Adam informed. “That was really hard, since one of them could cast Counterspell, so my Fireballs didn’t work. Luckily, he could only do it three times, so I could still cast about four more, and by that time we had made a bunch of knights into Experts and I had made them some magical weapons too. Oh, right, I mentored a kid into being a guardian, and that was pretty fun.”

Iromin realised there was an even more pressing question to ask, something he had missed due to how ridiculous the tale was. “You played kingmaker?”

Adam winced. “I only did it to become a duke and because I got a really nice reward once I finished it.”

“We met Crowseer,” Jurot added.

“Oh yeah, we met…” Adam fell silent upon seeing the Chief’s face. He had never seen the Chief more annoyed, and considering how much trouble just his very existence caused, that was saying something.

“You met Crowseer?” Iromin’s attention fell to Jurot, the young Iyrman staring back at the Chief. The shadows hid how sickly the four appeared, something the Iyr had taken into consideration when originally forming these pools for those who travelled between the realms. However, Jurot stared up at the Chief with a defiant look within his eyes.

“He requested us to bring the girl.”

“You know the rules, Jurot.”

“I do.”

“We must kill her.”

“Well, hold on now,” Adam interjected, catching the Chief’s eyes once more. “I said I’d take her in.”

“…”

“She’s useful, she’s a Fate Enchanter.”

“That is reason enough to kill you, Adam, but she is not a Niece of the Iyr.”

“Crowseer asked me to watch over her, and that she’ll be useful for the business…” Adam scrambled to find reasons to protect the girl, especially considering she was still only twelve.

“She is a native to the other world?”

“As far as I am aware.”

“You should not have brought her here.”

“You can’t kill her, Chief.”

“We are within our rights to kill her.”

Adam swallowed, staring at the Chief, whose facial expression had calmed when he mentioned killing the girl. “Why?”

“…” Iromin gave him that sort of look, the look which meant Adam shouldn’t press further for the Iyr’s secrets.

“Give me a minute to think.” Adam inhaled deeply, trying to push away whatever exhaustion he could still feel. ‘I can’t let Kiara die, not when I brought her along.’

Jurot began to the tale of what happened in the other world to the Chief, allowing Adam to figure out a way to save the young woman’s life. If Jurot needed to, he would speak up on behalf of the girl, for he had his rights as an Iyrman.

While their father was thinking of a way to save a random girl, the five children, along with their young aunt and uncles, made their way to the extended family estate, led by their grandmother, Sonarot.

“Babo!” Jirot shouted before rushing up towards the old one armed, one legged Iyrman. Her twin brother also rushed up towards the old man, his face holding the widest grin.

Their babo let out a light chuckle before he allowed them to climb atop him and embrace him close. “Hoh! My Jirot, you are still so loud?”

“Yes,” the girl replied, flashing him a toothy smile, before hugging his neck.

Jarot lifted up his greatson who shared the same name as him and pulled him to his chest. “Little Jarot, you are still so quiet?” The little boy nodded his head before cuddling up to his greatfather’s chest.

“Look!” Jirot held up the gem she had been gifted earlier in the morning. It was a mixture of colours, from green, to red, to purple, to pink, and it shimmered under the dawnval sun. “Daddy give!”

“Oh? Your father gifted you the gem?” Jarot asked, reaching up to pet her head gently.

“Yes!”

Konarot hugged her greatmother, the Family Elder, tight, before revealing the gem her father had also gifted her. “Daddy give present,” the girl said as she revealed the ring.

“Your father adores you so much,” Mulrot said, smiling towards the little girl who had just turned two years old. “Let us pray he returns soon.”

Konarot looked back up towards the sky, wondering when her bird friend would come to speak with her. Mulrot brushed the girl’s hair, understanding the bird wouldn’t be coming any more if it had truly been at the lake.

“Adam brought the rings for the little ones from his recent adventure,” Sonarot informed before she sat down beside her mother.

Mulrot replied with a nod of her head, sending a young Iyrman of the Rot family to bring some tea and snacks for those of the main estate. Even if the five children were technically not Children of the Iyr, Sonarot and Jarot made no distinction between them, and so neither did the rest of the Rot family.

Mulrot remained quiet for a long while, but something bothered her about what her daughter had said. She turned, catching the woman’s eyes, before furrowing her brows. They spoke using their eyes and brows for a moment, before the shock settled within Mulrot.

“They have returned?”

“They have.”

“…” Mulrot remained frozen in shock. “How do you know?”

“Elder Zijin brought a pouch with their gifts.”

Mulrot wasn’t sure how Adam had managed to break the rules of the Iyr, but it was because of that, that which entered the lexicon due to the appearance of this boy who her daughter had vouched for, and had quickly become their grandson’s brother.

“Konarot, bring your babo to us,” Mulrot called, rubbing the girl’s cheek gently.

“Okay.” Konarot darted off to her babo to call for him.

The old man was currently nuzzling into his greatson’s leaf shaped ear, causing the boy to giggle and squeal. “Ah, little Kona, come here my greatdaughter!” He reached out with a hand to pull her in close. “Look at how much you have grown! How can you do this? You must stay small like Jirot and Jarot.”

“Nano,” the girl said, pointing back towards the older woman.

“Let me spoil you first!” Jarot leaned in to blow raspberries into the girl’s neck, before calling for Kirot and Karot to give them his affection too. “Oh how big you are becoming! When your father returns, he will not recognise you!”

“Daddy coming?” Konarot asked.

“Soon, soon, I am certain of it,” the old man replied. “Since it is your father, he will certainly return. It is the same as when I had faced against Seasword.”

“Dane?” Konarot asked, recalling the name.

“Have I already spoken of the tale?” Jarot asked.

“Yes,” Konarot replied, nodding her head, causing her silver hair to bounce.

“Did I tell you the tale of the manticores?”

“Yes.”

“Blood Hound?”

“Yes.”

“Flame Blade?”

“Yes.”

“The wyverns?”

“Yes.”

“The wraiths?”

“Yes.”

“Prince Raknar?

“Yes.”

“How many stories will you go through before you realised you have told them all?” Mulrot asked. “Come here quickly so we may tell you the news.”

“Do you see how your nano misses me?” Jarot asked.

“Yes.”

Jarot chuckled, causing Jirot to cackle too, before he carried the twins to their nano, shuffling with his wooden leg, before sitting opposite his wife and daughter. “What was so important that I could not dote on my greatchildren?”

“Your grandsons have returned.”

Jarot did not reply for some time. ‘They have returned?’ He looked between his wife and daughter, before his lips began to form the widest of smiles. “Of course they have!” He began to roar with laughter, since the rule could only be broken by that young punk.

His laughter caused the other children about to also laugh, from Adam’s children, to his sister, to even the nearby children of the extended family.

“He should be at least that wild as my grandson!”