Adam was in no position to refuse as he handed his son away to the shamans. He wasn’t sure what this was all about, considering they hadn’t done this to the goblins when they had been born. ‘Ah, well, they did take the kids away after we brought them here…’

“He will be safe and unharmed,” Zijin assured, before leading him to a cabin to one side, and offered the young half elf some tea. “We wish to confirm his health and other matters. We must make sure he is able to grow well.”

“Right…” Adam thought there was more to it but was in no mood to joke about it. He thought back to how Jarot and Gangak had basically threatened the Elder. ‘Are they even allowed to do that?’

“We hope for Elder Story and Elder Peace to return soon,” Zijin said, noting Adam’s thoughts on his face.

“Yeah, me too,” Adam admitted. “I probably should head out to finish some business.”

Zijin nodded, sipping his tea. “We shall begin work on the fort soon after they return.”

“The fort...” Adam had almost forgotten about the matter. ‘Nice.’ “So, what’ll be the deal with the fort?”

“You will pay one hundred gold monthly for the land, and we will…” Elder Zijin paused, realising who else would be listening to the conversation. “Let us speak of it once the boy has been checked.”

“Sure…”

“Have you thought of a name for the little one?”

“No, I haven’t yet.” Adam sipped the tea, barely able to taste it. ‘They’ll also have the name Rot, right?’

“I heard Jirot bullied you yesterday.”

“She always bullies me, but that was much harder on my heart…”

“When children are upset, they do not mean their words,” Zijin assured. “Even my own daughter refused to acknowledge me when she was angry.”

“Even though it hurts, I forgive her, because she’s so cute,” Adam stated, making the face he always made when he thought of his children. “How can she say that, though? Is it because I haven’t given her enough gems? Magical weapons?”

Zijin sighed once more, unsure if he was able to stop Adam from speaking about something so stupid. He allowed Adam to rant and rave, though the young half elf found every way to gush over his children.

The shamans returned with the boy, who squinted at them annoyed, before they handed an envelope to the Elder, while two shamans stepped away.

“He will grow up well,” Lokat stated, before allowing Adam to pick up the boy.

“Yeah. Thank you, as always.” Adam bowed his head, before he carried his son away, following Elder Zijin.

‘Three envelopes?’ Elder Zijin thought. ‘If Elder Shaman and the Chief need to be informed…’

Adam followed the Elder back to his estate, taking a seat opposite him. He glanced down towards the baby, noting how sour his face was, though he was half asleep from what Adam could gather.

“We will rent the land to you for one hundred gold each month, while the enchanters may remain within the Front Iyr.”

“In the Front Iyr?”

“They will remain safe within the walls of the Iyr, so they may enchant in peace.”

“Speaking of enchanters…”

“The girl is safe.”

“Kiara,” Adam corrected.

“She is safe within the Iyr.”

“I’m sure she is, for now.”

“She must familiarise herself within the Iyr.”

“The poor girl must be scared. I dragged her through a pool and she was choked out almost immediately by the most terrifying people across this entire land.”

“Your compliment is noted, but there are some who are more terrifying than us, even across this land.”

“Like who?”

“Lord Stokmar.”

“Okay, fair, but if you can be talked about in the same breath as Lord Stokmar, then it still counts.”

Elder Zijin’s lips formed the most satisfied smile and he bowed his head. “It would be best for the enchanters to remain within the Front Iyr.”

“I’d like for them to stay in the fort so they can live among their families.”

“That would be difficult.”

‘Right, they probably won’t have shrines out in the fort.’ Adam frowned. “I would have liked to have spent time with my children. I guess I’ll find a shrine I can put into the fort, somehow.” ‘Jurot mentioned something about asking the Iyrmen to keep an eye out before. Wouldn’t they just hand it to the Iyr?’

“You may rent shrines from the Iyr.”

“Oh? I can do that?”

“Yes.”

“How much would that cost?”

“You will need to discuss the matter with Elder Gold.”

“Not Elder Forest?”

“You are a foreign business.”

“Right, yeah. I didn’t mean to imply I was an Iyrman business.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Elder Zijin nodded, before Adam excused himself, returning to the shared estate. The Elder opened the envelope, before his eyes scanned the document. He read it over and over again before he wrote something within the little black book, and burnt the letter. He tapped the table for a long while as the thought.

He stopped tapping.

“Call for the Rot Family Head and the Family Elder.”

“Daddy, look!” Jirot called as she charged her father. “Look!”

“What am I looking at?” Adam asked while Jirot held up her hands, smiling wide.

“Is mine, daddy, is mine.”

“That’s right, it is yours,” Adam replied, making his way to the old man. He glanced around, trying to find his triplets, who typically greeted him. “Jirot, where are your kakas and papa?”

Jirot pointed around the estate, spinning around several times to try and find her siblings, before she stared up at her father, her mouth agape. “Gone, daddy?”

“Oh, I see.” Adam walked over towards his aunt, Mirot. “Would you look after the baby while I go speak with Elder Gold, please?”

“Okay,” the woman replied simply, reaching up to take the child from him. She could feel the warmth of the child’s body against her, bringing his head to her chest, gently rocking him to sleep.

“Daddy! You are working?” Jirot asked, widening her stance, throwing out her fists beside her.

“I am just speaking about the fort, that’s all. I’m not working, I’m doing business.”

“Biss niss?” Jirot asked, narrowing her eyes. “No good, daddy, no good.”

“You’re absolutely right but it must be done.”

“No.”

“Jirot, come,” the older Jarot called, the girl darting towards him, allowing him to tickle her as he had her younger brother. “If it is the fort, it is okay.”

“Okay, babo?” Jirot asked, settling beside little Jarot.

“Yes.”

“Okay. Okay, daddy, okay.” Jirot waved her hand towards her father, little Jarot also doing the same, his thumb still within his mouth.

“Thank you…” Adam noticed the looks from the nearby Iyrmen and realised he was making that face. He quickly retreated, making his way to Elder Gold.

As he made his way, an Iyrman stepped up towards him. Her forehead was painted with a red tilted cross followed with yellow hollow ovals. She carried a spear on her back, and wore a steel rank adventurer’s tag on a chain around her neck. She wore dark grey clothing, and wore an Iyrman pattern against her collar which signified she worked with Elder Gold.

“I will escort you to Elder Gold,” the woman said.

“Sure,” Adam replied, eyeing up her tattoo. “Are you of the Var family?”

“Yes.”

“Ah.” Adam slowly nodded his head awkwardly.

“It was my uncle who assisted you previously.”

Adam continued to nod his head. “I owe Okvar quite a bit after his help.”

“There is no debt in such a matter to we Iyrmen.”

“In the same way the Iyr does something, so do I.” Adam recalled the last time he spoke with Okvar. Shama had managed to dispatch of Okvar and Rasam, another powerful figure within the Iyr, and then he went on to defeat Adam and his companions a short while later. The Iyrman had also been there when they had found the goblins. ‘Should I make him some spears as thanks?’

Elder Gold waited for him at the cabin, with snacks and tea prepared since they would need to discuss important business.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Elder Gold.”

“Is it?”

“I think so.”

Elder Gold motioned a hand for him to sit, before dismissing her aides, allowing them to speak in peace. “You have come to speak about your business?”

“Exactly.”

“Have you formed the plan of your business.”

“I think so.”

“Do you know of the costs associated with your business?”

“I’ve made a rough calculation,” Adam admitted, smiling awkwardly. “Since I can enchant so many weapons in one go, I was thinking about making a stash of them before slowly trickling them out while I awaken a few enchanters.”

“Who do you wish to awaken.”

“I’ll probably awaken Dunes, if he wants it, and… I don’t know. Someone else who has some magical ability. There’s also Jonn, whose sworn his oaths to me. If Dunes doesn’t accept, Jonn is probably going to have make a weapon monthly, along with Kiara.”

“You would ask a warrior like Jonn, with his great blade and magic, to remain here to enchant?”

“He’ll also assist with other matters, but yes.”

“What other matters?”

“He will assist in teaching my children.”

Elder Gold fell silent for a short while, before bowing her head gently. “You will create only Basic weapons?”

“For now.”

“The Chief had mentioned you had other ideas, something about the terrors of capitalism.”

“Planned obsolescence, subscriptions, yeah.” Adam slowly nodded his head. “Essentially, Basic Enhanced weapons with charges. Ten, twenty, fifty charges, and then, once those charges run out, they become just Basic weapons. Then there’s subscriptions, where someone will pay monthly for the weapon for the magic to be activated, and if they stop paying for it, they no longer have the magic, and there’s a little more than that, but that’s the gist of it.”

“You are able to do such a thing?”

“I’m not sure, but if I put my mind to it, I’m sure I’ll be able to.”

‘…’

“I had a few ideas about the marketing, what with nobles wanting to spend more money for the sake of spending more money, but I’ll need to figure out trade routes for various different materials, but that’ll come in the future.”

“When you awaken the enchanters, will they be able to create all your enchantments, including in the manner you do so, several at once, without active effort?”

“I can pick and choose that sort of thing separately, and each of those things takes a lot out of me. I’m happy to allow them to create Basic weapons passively, one at a time, if the Iyr prefers it.”

“We would prefer such.”

“Then that’ll be how it’ll be, whatever lets me sleep peacefully at night, without worrying about the Iyr wanting to kill me.” Adam flashed a knowing smiled towards the Great Elder, who no doubt wanted him dead. “I just want to be more useful to the Iyr, that’s all.”

Elder Gold chose to ignore his statement, placing the gem onto the table. “We have taken into consideration your achievements for the Iyr. You may own this gem for the business and use it how you see fit.”

‘Yeah, I would hope so,’ Adam thought, recalling what he had to sacrifice to keep Kiara alive. “Thank you, Elder Gold.”

“You may expend your magic within it and it will grow over time, granting you plentiful supply of material to create your weapons.”

“Not armour?”

“It would be difficult to form into armour, but it can be done,” Elder Gold admitted. “You will need some ability with jewellery.”

‘Should I ask Jaygak?’ Adam thought, taking the gem from the Great Elder. “I appreciate the advice.”

Elder Gold had calculated the number of magical weapons Adam could make within a single year. It was a feat which could match the likes of Prince Morkarai, who could create Basic weapons within a single day. Adam could do the same, though in a more awkward manner since he could enchant multiple at a time, but over the course of several days. With such an ability, the business would have funds until the rest of Adam’s days, even if they allowed him to live until a natural death.

“Though, I guess if I really wanted to make money, I should sell ammunition rather than weapons. Magical ammunition which will lose its potency once used. It’ll ensure infinite business, but I’ll see about that.” Adam flashed another innocent smile towards the Great Elder.

“Can you create magical weapons with charges which lose all their magic once their last charge is expended?”

“I think so?” ‘Bell?’

[Yes.]

“Yeah, I think I can.”

“Just my curiosity.”

“You know what they say about curiosity?” Adam joked.

“What do they say?”

Adam frowned. “Never mind, I don’t want to die.”

“What is it?”

“It’s dumb, even for me.”

“…”

“Anyway, I won’t really understand the gold cost of the business until it’s up and running. If you don’t want us making too much money, I’m sure you can speak with Aunt, since she’s the President.”

“We will speak with her when it is required.”

“Oh, and once the fort is formed, can the people farm around it?” Adam asked. “I don’t want them to starve to death.”

“They may do so as long as they do not exceed the small river.”

“Are the borders clearly defined?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. We shouldn’t have anything to worry about.” ‘I still need to figure out the price for other food stuffs, since I want them to be taken care of pretty well.’ “One more thing, will you also make a temple?”

“It is within the plans.”

“One big temple for all the major gods?” Adam asked.

“Yes.”

“Fair. I guess it would be awkward having too many temples.” Adam reached up for his amulet, rubbing it gently. ‘Don’t be too jealous, Baktu.’ “Oh, actually, can I ask for a small favour?”

“What is it?”

“I would like some really nice ore to make a really nice pair of weapons.” Adam smiled.