Konarot rushed up towards the entrance of the shared estate, followed by her siblings, who bounced with joy with each step. She hugged the purple leg and pressed her cheek against the cool metal. Kirot and Karot also grabbed at the metallic figure, their rings pressed up against his puthral armour from their necklace.

“Papa! Is papa!” Lanarot squealed, hoisting herself up onto her feet with a grunt before she charged her brothers.

Adam bowed his head to Jurot, who stepped forward and lifted the girl up, hugging her tight. Meanwhile, Adam stared down at his children through his visor. He removed his helmet, his narrow eyes staring suspiciously at the triplets before him, while another pair of squeals filled the air, before their tiny green forms appeared behind their eldest siblings.

“Hmmm…” Adam narrowed his eyes further.

“Daddy,” Konarot called, blinking up at him expectantly.

“Who are these handsome young women and men?” Adam asked, his eyes still full of suspicion.

Konarot arched her back and narrowed her eyes towards her father, before she hugged his leg again. Her silver tail swayed from side to side, dragging across the floor.

“I recognise Jirot and Jarot, of course, since they’re so small and cute.” Adam tried to squat down to rub their heads, but his triplets kept him pinned, so he merely reached out with his hands so the pair could hold his hands with their tiny little green hands. “Who are these three handsome little, uh, big ones?”

“Papa!” Lanarot called as she was set down before she rushed up towards her brother.

“Lanababy, did you miss me?” Adam asked, reaching down a hand so she could hold it, but the girl bounced excitedly.

“I miss you so much!”

Adam glanced away, as though struck by a heavy blow, before he shimmied his way through his triplets to squat down. He hugged Lanarot first, kissing her face and neck all over. “I missed you too.”

“No, I missed you.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.” Adam chuckled before letting her free, the little girl taking a step back so she could see his face properly.

Lanarot smiled and giggled, clapping her hands excitedly, before she turned to find her mother. “Mama! Look! Is papa! Is papa!” She pointed at her brothers with a blade like thrust.

“Jirot, Jarot, come,” Adam called, embracing the tiny little goblins, who he hoisted up against his chest. “Come, you must take me to Konarot, Kirot, and Karot.”

“Kaka?” Jirot asked, before pointing down to her eldest sibling. “Konawoh.”

“What? Since when did you speak so well?” Adam asked, peppering her with kissed, before doing the same with his youngest son. “Didn’t I tell you to stay small and cute?”

“No!” Jirot cackled, clapping her hands excitedly.

“I should have expected as much from you, you little troublemaker.” Adam blew a raspberry into her neck, before he returned his attention to the triplets. “So these are your eldest siblings?”

“Kaka, papa,” Jirot confirmed.

“How can this be? Are you really my Konarot, Kirot, and Karot?” Adam asked. The triplets nodded once, their silver hair bouncing as they did. “Really?”

“Yes,” Konarot stated.

“Jurot, how can this be? These children, aren’t they too big to be my triplets? My triplets, they’re only a year old, aren’t they? These children, no matter how adorable they may be, aren’t they too big? They’re at least two years old, aren’t they?

‘Should I stop it now?’ Jurot asked, but considering how dour Adam was in the other world, he decided to let it go. “They have grown.”

“What? How can you do this to daddy? You grew up while I was gone? This betrayal will never be forgotten!” Adam squatted down once more, trying to pull all five of his children into a single hug. “I’ll forgive you just this once since you’re so cute, but you cannot do it again.”

“Daddy…” Konarot wrapped her arms around her father’s neck, pulling him in close.

Adam remained kneeling for some time as he embraced his children. A torrent of joy filled him, quickly washing away the darkness rooted within his heart from the other world. He could feel their warmth against his face, smell the ointments rubbed into their skin, and hear their soft breathing and mews of joy at being within their father’s arms.

Jurot brushed Lanarot’s hair, causing the girl to giggle before she hugged his leg once more. Jurot’s eyes fell to the other four children of the Rot family. One remained upon their back, too young to do much else, while another young boy stared up at him from beside his two elder brothers.

“I have returned.”

“Welcome back, cousin Jurot,” Turot said, sitting awkwardly at the table as he waited for their cousins to come to them.

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“Turot, how can you sit there like that?” Adam asked, huffing. He led his children to the table, before he held out his arms for one of the boys. “How can you leave me like this?”

Asorot stared up at Adam confused, but he embraced the half elf, the pair hugging one another.

“Have you been well, my Turot?” Adam asked.

Asorot blinked, before glancing towards his elder brother, the boy known as Turot. Turot blinked too, before tilting his head.

“Jurot, do you see how he’s ignoring me?”

“…” Jurot wasn’t sure what Adam was up to.

“If you bully me like this, I’ll tell your aunt,” Adam hoisted the boy up in his arms, before gently swaying with him as he hugged the young boy.

“Cousin Adam, I am not Turot.”

“Huh?” Adam pulled back slightly. “No, no, you must be Turot. Who but my Turot can be this well behaved.”

Turot huffed from his seat, looking towards Jurot for support. “I am Turot, cousin Adam.”

“You? Aren’t you Elder Peace?”

Turot blinked, before his lips formed a coy smile. “No. I am not Elder Peace.”

“Silly cousin Adam,” Katool called from her sister’s arms, hugging Kitool tight. Her tiny hair was cut into a bob once more, and she wore a ring against her neck, the same as the triplets. “You are joking too much.”

“That defiance can only be from my little Katool,” Adam retorted, before reaching up for the girl, who pulled away from him to hug her sister tighter.

“You see this? Katool has turned seven years old and has become this cheeky. This is what happens when you become big. That’s why I told you to stay small and cute too.”

“I am cute,” Katool replied, before looking up towards her sister expectantly.

“Yes,” Kitool replied.

“Raygak, will you bully me too?” Adam asked, looking towards the boy, who was standing right beside Jaygak.

“You deserve it, cousin Adam,” he said, before quickly hiding behind his sister’s legs, peeking out from the side.

“Do you think Jaygak will protect you from me?” Adam warned.

“My sister is the strongest!” Raygak declared, pointing at Adam, as though to dare him to come.

“Asorot, will you bully me?” Adam asked, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“No.”

“I knew I could trust you.”

“Will you continue to tease them?” Sonarot asked, picking up Murot, who was squirming and grumbling for milk.

“I don’t have enough time to keep teasing them since I have so many more adorable cousins to bully,” Adam said, his eyes snapping towards Gurot. The boy had been drinking his bottle of milk peacefully, but as Adam’s eyes snapped towards him, he froze in place. The boy stared into Adam’s eyes before he finally smiled, going back to drinking from his bottle. “The only one whose allowed to grow bigger is my Gurot, but only because he’s such a chonky boy.”

“What of Kavgak?” Sonarot asked.

“Okay, Kavgak too,” Adam relented.

Once Adam was done with his stupidity, he doffed his armour, returning back to the courtyard. The four walls around him filled him with a greater sense of relief, the inner courtyard of the shared estate greater than any fort across all the lands. As he sat down, swarmed by his children, he lay back into his seat. He glanced around, towards his friends and family, and then to all the children around him. ‘At least Murot didn’t grow up too much while I was gone.’

“Back!” Taygak called out, noting the return of her four cousins. She hugged Jaygak first, before greeting the rest of them with a hug.

“Taygak, you have grown too much,” Adam said, hugging her tight.

“No,” the girl replied simply, returning back to her siblings, greeting them. She kissed Tavgak’s forehead, before she lifted up her cousin, Kavgak, bringing her to Adam. “Big girl.” She showed off her cousin to the half elf.

“That’s right, isn’t she so chonky?” Adam smiled, reaching up to rub Kavgak’s hair, while the girl shyly pulled her head back. “Have you all forgotten me? Gurot, have you forgotten me too?”

Gurot glanced towards Adam and smiled towards him. “Adda.” He started to laugh and squeal, his body shaking as he did.

“I’m only forgiving you all because you’re safe and healthy.” Adam’s eyes fell to Inakan, who squinted at her food, slowly bringing it up to her mouth. She chewed slowly, her eyes unfocused at the food before her. Thankfully, Damokan and Kalokan watched over the girl, making sure she was eating properly.

The triplets perked up from their meal, and the sounds of wood striking the floor began to grow louder. Adam sighed, wrapping his arms around his twins, pulling them to his chest.

“You have returned,” the old one armed, one legged Iyrman called, while the twins smiled towards their babo.

“You couldn’t even give me a day to play with my children in peace?” Adam grumbled.

“I missed my little twins too,” the horned woman behind the old man admitted, wearing a belt of gourds across her front.

Jirot and Jarot reached up for the red skinned horned woman eagerly, smiling and squealing for her. Adam surrendered his twins to the woman, unable to refuse her, since it was Gangak.

Old Jarot grunted as he dropped beside his grandsons, rubbing his knee, before eyeing the pair up, trying to spot any new scars. Since it was a tale to do with Jurot and Adam, he knew it would be good, though he would be unable to hear the tale until the children were put to bed.

“Daddy,” Konarot called.

“Yes?”

“Bird friend gone?”

“Your what friend?” Adam asked, furrowing his brows disapprovingly.

“Bird friend gone.”

“Bird friend?”

Konarot nodded, causing her father to let out a sigh of relief. He rubbed her head gently. “Perhaps your bird friend has gone back to their family?”

“Okay…” Konarot pouted.

Jarot shared a knowing look with Sonarot. ‘How dare they kill my greatdaughter’s bird friend.’ He reached up to brush the girl’s cheek tenderly, his thick, rough hands brushing against her smooth skin. The girl leaned up against her babo, her tail swaying gently.

Sonarot could see the look within the old man’s eyes, and she wondered if he really would cause a mess. She exchanged a look with Mirot, who motioned her head to Adam and Jurot, who would no doubt be able to stop the old man’s rampage if he decided to do something. The Rot family was now filled with two troublemakers, one by the name of Jarot, and the other by the name of Adam.

At the very least, Adam was afraid of the Iyr.

‘How can he steal her away from me like this?’ Adam thought.

Sonarot let out a sigh, realising Adam may still cause a mess if it was for his children. The role of a Family Head was truly burdensome with the likes of those two.

“Cringe,” Jurot said.

Adam bolted upright. “What?”

“Cringe.”

“I didn’t even say anything.”

“You were thinking it.”

“Asorot, do you see?”

Asorot smiled shyly. “Cringe.”

“…”

“Cousin Adam, look,” Katool called, pulling her hair behind her ears before she tilted her head upwards.

“Oh my, oh my, where did you get that tiara?”

“Sister gifted for my birthday,” Katool said, smiling wide. “I am too pretty.” She shook her head, causing her hair to bounce.

Adam chuckled. “It’s unfair if you’re that cute, Katool.”

“It is okay, cousin Adam, because I am cute.”

“When did your sister become so smart?” Adam whispered loudly.

“Katool has always been so smart,” Kitool replied firmly.

“Yes!” Katool flashed her wide grin, before hiding beside her sister, giggling.

“Gifts?” Taygak asked.

“We’ll give the gifts soon,” Adam assured the young Iyrman.

“Okay.”

Meanwhile, the Great Elders gathered together, though one of the seats remained empty. Even after a week, Iromin wasn’t sure how he was going to explain the matter to the rest of the Great Elders.

‘Elder Story, when will you return?’