Inakan accepted the colourful ribbons passed to her, along with the tiny bits and bobs the older Iyrmen had crafted for her, from the tiny cup Taygak had fed, to the spoon Laygak had carved.

  “Blue wibbon, okay?” Jirot said, handing over the ribbon she and her brother had picked out. She then embraced the girl and kissed her cheeks, before allowing her brother to do the same. She looked towards her father, who smiled, the little girl quickly rushing up to him as she giggled.

  “You are so good, Jirot. What a lovely gift you both gave.” Adam ruffled their hair, while Konarot and the triplets handed over a piece of fabric their father had gifted to them, also embrag the girl. “All of you are so good! What lovely gifts you’ve all given!” ‘My kids are really the cutest!’

  The adults assisted their young children in giving away their gifts, some of them g as they could not tinue pying with their items, before they were distracted away.

  Shika out a long sigh. ‘Two years old…’ Now that the child was two, he worried less about the girl’s survival, and more about how to keep her from getting herself killed from exploration. Ohe gifts were passed, Shikan picked up his daughter, who smiled up towards him. Shikan stared down into her i eyes, the eyes which had yet to know how cruel the world was.

  The Iyrman carried his daughter to one side before he brushed the girl’s hair with a brush, fixing it before their visit to the extended family estate. He picked a ribbon and tied it within his daughter’s hair, and before the girl could reach it, he y a small scarf across her shoulders, distrag her with the knitted clothing.

  “Are you taking my Inakan away?” Adam asked, his heart already ag.

  “We must go visit the Kae.”

  “How you do this to me…” Adam held out his arms, raising his brows expetly. Shikan surreo the girl to him, allowing Adam to hold the girl close to his chest for a moment. “Inakan…” Adam rubbed his cheek against hers. “If anyone bullies you, make sure to tell me, okay?”

  “Kekekeke,” Inakan replied, giggling wildly before Adam showered her with his affe, doing his best not to ruin her hair, rubbing his cheek against her cheek and the top of her head.

  Adam handed Shikan the girl back, gng aside as he crossed his arms behind his back. “Don’t miss me too much, Inakan.”

  Lucy remained silent. Adam had worked too hard the past month for her to call him ge, and she wasn’t stupid enough to call him ge on Inakan’s birthday.

  “Will you work today?” Sonarot asked, already knowing the ao her question.

  “No, no…” Adam watched as the Kans prepared for the children to leave to the extended family estate. “Wait…”

  Once Adam had embraced the little Kan children, the Ka, heading to their estate with the birthday girl. Adam watched as they left, narrowing his eyes to refrain from tearing up. ‘How you grow up? Do you think I’ll five you because you’re so cute?’

  ‘ge,’ Mara thought.

  “Daddy,” Jirot called, pointing up towards the half elf. “You take me to babo.”

  “How do you ask nicely?”

  “Pwease.”

  “Okay.”

  Mirot also decided to go to the extended family estate, preparing both Gurot and Murot. Due to the number of children, Adam pulled along a rickshaw full of the little ones, while Mirot followed behind. Mirot knew better than to push the rickshaw herself, deg against giving Adam any reason to pin about not spoiling the children.

  The old one armed Jarot ughed upon seeing his family arrive. “I did not think you would e si was Inakan’s birthday.”

  “Jirot demanded, politely, that I bring her.”

  Jirot climbed down from the rickshaw with her brother before the pair rushed towards their greatfather, who swept the pair up into a tender embrace.

  “Babo!” the pair cried aloud.

  “How well behaved my greatchildren are!” He pnted firm kisses on their heads before pulling back to rex as the pair babbled away loudly towards him.

  Konarot led her younger sister and brother to their greatmother, who reached out to rub their heads tenderly.

  “Konarot, Kirot, Karot.” Mulrot smiled, the children slices of fruit she had cut.

  “Nano,” the triplets replied, embrag their greatmother.

  “Nana,” Gurot called, standing tall and proud, waiting for his hug.

  Mulrot picked the boy up, feeling how heavy he was, even pared to the triplets. She pulled him close to her chest, brushing his chubby cheek and his hair, before reag out a hand towards Murot, who tried to climb up. Konarot assisted him as the boy climbed up towards his grandmother and giggled pyfully, clutg at her shoulders as he tried to stand beside her.

  ‘This is really unfair,’ Adam thought. ‘How I live with myself knowing no one have as adorable children as I.’

  Lud Mara, who had followed Adam silently, stared at him from behind.

  ‘ge.’

  Zirot sipped aloea, rexing within her chair. She gowards the demons, who were still training with her daily. They also assisted the Iyr with general bour, but when in the nd of the Iyrmen, it was not difficult to find those eager to assist with general bour.

  Adam sat down opposite Zirot. “How have you been grandaunt?”

  “Well,” Zirot replied, p Adam a cup of tea. “How have you been?”

  “How I be anything other than happy when my adorable children bully me so much?” Adam asked, raising his cup towards her before shifting the temperature of the tea so it wasn’t quite so hot. He sipped the tea, which held a subtle earthy taste, which he quickly ged to taste like strawberry milk. “Where’s granduncle? I don’t see him around.”

  “He is training to take the pce of randmaster,” Zirot said. “Rirot has fallen ill, so I may train to bee a Grandmaster too.”

  “Rirot?” Adam asked. He had barely met the other Rot family members, and vaguely recalled the name.

  “She is missing an eye.”

  “Ah,” Adam replied, slowly nodding his head. “She’s ill?”

  “She may pass soon.”

  “Oh…” Adam blinked, surprised Zirot eaking of her retive’s death so easily. “I hope not.”

  “Rirot has lived a great life.”

  “I should go see her to pay my respects.”

  “It would be nice.”

  “ I see her today?”

  “I will take you.”

  Adam followed the older Iyrman through the extended estates, each estate a superblock like the shared estate, except they only ever reached two stories tall if they had more than a siory. The extended estates were far rger, more expahough it was to be expected sihey were he outskirts of the Main Iyr.

  Rirot was found within one of the outer estates, a smaller estate which sisted of several s with a rge courtyard betweehe woman sat within a er, surrounded by her panions. She was thihan most Iyrmen, especially those of the Rot family. Her hair had grown thin, cut short retly. Her dark eye seemed distant, strained.

  ‘She really has lost a lot of weight.’

  Several other Iyrmen sat with her, one from the Rot family, though the others wore tattoos of other families Adam vaguely recalled. Each were wrinkled and white haired, and carried their family’s ons.

  “Hello,” Adam said, noting the way the Iyrmen were staring at him. They gnced across his ears quickly, and then his attire, before assuming who he was.

  “Adam,” Rirot called, reag out a hand to pat his head.

  Adam bowed his head awkwardly. “I wao meet you.”

  “What is it that you need?”

  “Nothing,” Adam said. “Just wao say hello and che you.”

  Rirot smiled. “Thank you. Have yht your children?”

  “They’re at the… they’re with their babo and nano.” Suddenly, an awkwardness filled Adam. ‘Is she really dying?’ Adam’s heart began to beat quicker, a small yer of sweat beginning to form across his forehead.

  “What is the matter?”

  “Just…” Adam flushed, his heart throbbing harder. “Could…” Adam’s throat tightened for a moment. “Could I bring my childreo hear your tales.”

  Rirot’s eye filled delight. “I will speak them.”

  The older Iyrmen eased up he boy, leaning back, one nodding approvingly towards the half elf.

  As Adam stepped back, he felt a sweat fill him. He swallowed once more, though found it difficult.

  “Okay?” Zirot asked, esc Adam back to retrieve his children.

  “Yeah…”

  Zirot reached up and rubbed his head. “You must not be brrandson. You are too well behaved.”

  Adam gowards her. “Well behaved? Me? How I be when I’m Jirot’s dad?”

  Zirot smiled. “Yes. It is so.”

  As Adam stepped bato the extended family estate, Konarot charged up towards him. He let out a soft sigh as he picked her up. “e on, we o go and see nano Rirot.”

  “Nano Reeroh?” Konarot asked.

  “Yes. She is the family’s Grandmaster. She’s very strong.”

  “Strong,” Konarot replied firmly. “Like daddy?”

  “Stronger,” Adam said, almost choking on his words.

  “I will e too,” the older Jarot said, allowing the twins to g to him tight as he held them with his arm and his forearm. He gowards Adam, whose mood had darkened, much worse than even when Jurot had left. ‘He is too soft hearted, but he is wise.’ Jarot wasn’t sure if Adam was doing this to ingratiate himself withi family, but it was a great move to make by the young half elf.

  How our Jibaby be so smart? She's definitely going to bully us to death!