“I’m sure I don’t have to say it, but I have acted like quite the fool this eime. Is it an act, or is it not an act? The truth is probably in the middle.” Adam fshed the cheekiest smile to the workers, certainly uively.

  “I have to admit that I’ve been waiting for this moment for an embarrassingly long time. I was the oo really push for the busio exist, partly because I would hold such a high position, I mean I am the one who smiths the ons, and I hold the position of High Alchemist, hehe title of Executive. I truly did create, or rather, push the creation of the business for mostly selfish reasons.”

  Adam motioned a hand for his sister, but she hid away. “You see? She thinks she ignore me now that she’s so big. She used to cry all day and night and now she won’t even step beside me!”

  Dunes began the chuckle, which spread through the listeners. Even the Iyrmen joined in the chug, with the old Jarot letting out a pyful grunt.

  “I am a father before I am a fool, though the wise amongst you might say I’m a fool because I’m a father. However, before I was a father, I was a brother. I spent quite a bit of time thinking about this business, and I wao look cool in front of my sister. Once I had children, I uood I needed something. It’s my goal as their father to pass on something to them, and to make sure they’re raised well. As aive of the business, I realise I do something for them.” His eyes the Rick’s, but they tinued along the porters and farmers, then towards the three sisters.

  “I am surrounded by people who have their own families. Obviously, as the children of the high ranking members of the business, almost all of whom are Iyrmen, they will live great lives. They will be enriched by the business, it’s part of the reason why the business was created.” Adam paused for a moment, not to punctuate his point, but he realised he was about to begin ranting.

  “However, I io make sure that your families are taken care of, that your children are raised well. Perhaps they’d be better raised in Red Oak, but how much would it cost you? How hard would you have to work to put one of your children through det education? How hard would you have to work to put multiple of your children through such? How likely will you die doing so? If you die, what will happen to your family? Within the business, you don’t have to worry about any of that. I would say I’ll show you how much trouble I’m willing to cause to make sure all your children are well taken care of, but you’ve all seen it already.”

  Another chuckle rippled through those around. Dunes and Korin exged a look, gently bowing their heads to one another. Another lh spread through the air, causing the others to gowards the Iyrman’s way.

  “Did you hear that, Larot?” Jarot asked, rubbing the boy’s head gently.

  ‘Of course I did,’ the boy thought, his face still, with the slightest hint of annoyance.

  “That is my grandson!”

  “Whose yrandson?” Adam replied.

  Jarot tio ugh, before his eyes fell to Marmak. “Do you hear that?”

  Marmak only smiled iurn, though he sent back the same energy towards Jarot, who was trying to show off to him.

  Adam cpped his hands together, trying to gather the attention baself. “So, once more, allow me to introduce to you the Young President!” He motioned a hand towards his sister, who looked up towards her mother.

  Sonarot picked the girl up onto her p, brushing her hair gently. “Greet them.”

  The girl gnced around, noting all the looked her way. She pulled bad hid her face against her mother’s bosom and her bread.

  “Young President,” a voice called, clearly through the air. Nobby remained sitting, slightly hunched over. “Hello, Young President.”

  The girl squirmed within her mother’s p and tio remain hiding.

  “Greetings to the Young President,” Dunes finally said, smiling.

  “Exactly, just like that! You should definitely greet our adorable little executives just like that!” Adam excimed. “Are you really going to embarrass me by not greeting them when I’ve worked this hard and started fights, I mean, got into trouble with all those nobles?”

  The others weren’t sure what to say.

  “Greetings to the Young President,” Fred called, flushing slightly.

  With Fred’s words, the greetings began to fill the air from the various members of the business.

  Adam could feel the tihin him, which rushed towards his cheeks as they turned red hot. ‘Yeah! Just like that!’

  Adam began to introduce each of the Young Directors to the workers too, starting with Gurot, who chewed against his sleeve, before his mother pulled it away from his mouth, reag down to feed him broken pieces of bread.

  “You have to be careful greeting Inakan, Director Shikan’s daughter, she’s such a cheeky girl. She’s a little hard of hearing, and she ’t see much, so don’t bother her muless she’s specifically paying attention to you. And…” Adam gowards Minakan, who sat on her sister’s p, her eyes shut though she wasn’t napping. “Even though Minakan isly the daughter of a Director, you still o call her a Young Director too!”

  ‘Isn’t this all fusing?’ Adam though. “No, hold on. The title of Young Director sounds too official. It’s all mostly for de and fun. You should call them Little Directors instead. Young Director will be when they grow up and decide to take the position iure. Yeah, right, you should all stay small and cute forever!”

  ‘He really is an idiot,’ Cobra thought, staring at the ridiculously monstrous figure known as Adam.

  “Then obviously we have Kavgak, who is Directak’s daughter, and Jaygak’s little sister. You should pay special attention to her, because if you think we’re strong, you should try to take her food from her.” Adam chuckled before stopping quickly. “Obviously no one should dare to take anything from my Kavgak, or her cousin, Tavgak, who is also a Little Director.”

  Adam was about to move on when a thought came to him. He gowards Raygak, and it was then everyone uood most of what Adam was saying had been thought up on the spot. Adam’s eyes then darted towards Turot and Asorot.

  ‘Wait…’

  Adam remained silent for a long while, broken by the whispers of the children, and Korin cheg on the meal.

  “Obviously the elder siblings of the children are also Little Directors!” Adam decred.

  “I’m not little,” Laygak managed within the instant Adam had finished, lunging for the joke the moment he had seen it.

  “You’re ly a Little Director, you’re a…” Adam furrowed his brows. “None of you have an official position in the business since you didn’t want it, but obviously the door’s open for any of you if you want it.”

  Laygak reached down to brush Taygak’s hair. “You save the position for Taygak.”

  “No,” Taygak replied. “Taygak adventure.”

  ‘I said the kids would each have the title of Little Director, but Taygak’s a little older…’ “Taygak holds the position of Little Director too, but you don’t have to join if you don’t want to.”

  “Taygak big,” the girl replied with a snort, crossing her arms.

  “Oh dear, oh dear, of course you’re right, Cousin Taygak. You’re sht as always.”

  “Not Cousin!” Taygak replied.

  “Not Cousin?”

  “Taygak cousin.”

  “…” Adam heard the slight differen the term. “Do you see how adorable our Little Director is?”

  “Taygak big.”

  “Please five me, Big Director.”

  Taygak crossed her arms and snorted once more.

  Another bout of ughter suddenly filled the air. “You should not bully my grandniece so.”

  “No bully, daddy,” Jirot said from her nano’s arms, pointing towards her father with an accusatory finger.

  “I’m sure you all uand the positions of the rest of the children as Little Directors, but now we have a special group of children.” Adam held out his hand.

  Konarot looked towards her grandmother, and ohe woman nodded, she charged towards her father. The workers eyed up the triplets who darted towards their father, who dropped to a knee, and embraced them all within their arms.

  “What’s this, where are my twins?”

  Jirot squirmed within her nano’s arms. Though the old woman allowed them to leave, Jirot remained within her arms.

  “Are you not going to e to daddy?”

  “No,” the girl replied, noting all the looks her way, before hiding herself within her nano’s arms.

  “Do you see? you tell whose kids they are from how adorable they are?” Adam allowed Konarot to her arms around his neck, feeling how cool the girl was, while lifting Kirot and Karot up in each arm.

  The silver tails swayed uhem. The workers who had only seen his children for the first time that day he tails and the tiny horns on the children’s heads, as well as the tiny scales on the back of their necks.

  …

  Half dragons?

  The ge tinues.