Rick awaited. Noted how Adam was thinking so deeply about the matter. ‘It is important…’

  ‘He wants to tell his wife about st year?’ Adam thought, thinking deeply. ‘He must have already told her about everything, but he’s asking for permission? What happe year that he o ask for permission about? I mean… we did the outbreak, right? No, was that the year before? We definitely went to the tour. We hunted a bunch before that. Then after the tour, we went to help out Amira. Is he talking about the Bck Rats? Or is he talking about…’

  Adam shut his eyes tight. He thought a deeper moment. ‘ht.’ “Why do you o tell her about that?”

  “My wife is in two thoughts about remaining.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I did not speak to her about all which the business entailed…” Rick sighed. “I did not tell her about your children.”

  “That’s the first thing you should have told her,” Adam replied, sitting upright. “It’s all I ever go on about, you should have told her how adorable they are.”

  Rick remained silent for a long moment. “Goblins have a differeation within the nd. Demons too.”

  Adam sat there awkwardly for a moment. “It’s not like they’ll…” ‘No, they’ll be spending some time at the fort. I ’t just stick them in the Iyr all the time, not when I’m not an Iyrman…’ “I see.”

  “She see reason. If I tell her about the meeting with Lady Uveil, her heart would not cloud her mind. I know it’s dangerous, and I do not wish to put her into trouble, but I wish for my children to live a better life than I, and I believe you are their best ce.”

  Adam paused for a long moment, simmering in Rick’s believe in him. ‘How I vince her without letting her know about that?’ “I’d like to think of it for some time, if you don’t mind. I’ll think of a way to vince her without the mention of you know what.”

  “Thank you, Executive.”

  Adam nodded, dismissing the fellow with his nod. Adam sighed, crossing his arms behind his back. He felt a siess course through him, but he pushed it away. ‘Rex. It’s not the first time. It won’t be the st. Ohey’re used to the children, they won’t hold those kinds of views. If Jirot causes them trouble, it’ll oe their prejudice, though.’

  The silence allowed Adam to wallow within his thoughts.

  ‘Should I just leave my children at the shared estate? I ’t do that. They o exposed to one another so they grow fortable…’ Adam ran a hand through his hair, tig the back of his neck gently.

  ‘Fuck.’ Adam tensed up and reached out for something, but he ched his fist, stopping himself from the outburst of frustration. ‘Damn it! Seriously? Why do I have to deal with this when I’m them so much? Damn it!’

  Adam stepped out of the building, feeling the cool wind against his hot face. He let out a breath, watg as the vapour trailed upwards, before his ears were tickled by the sounds of ughter in the distance. Adam made his way towards the group which had gathered together to eat, all the workers and the visitathered around the fire.

  He stopped, the cool wind against his face. Jirot and Jarot giggled and squealed beside Vonda, while Karot leaned in and smiled shyly sometimes. Konarot and Kirot chatted away between one another. Sonarot held Larot, while the boy held his bottle, drinking it with his eyes closed, the warmth of the milk coaxing him to sleep. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, his mind bnk for just a moment.

  ‘I should do that first.’ He opened his eyes a Jurot’s eyes, who had been tearing bits of ft bread for the girl. Adam motioned with his head, and Jurot excused himself.

  “Psst,” Fred whispered, holding out the dried apricots.

  Gee raised his brows, holding up his pte for the rain of dried fruit to fall upon his pte, before the pair picked them up one by oo eat. Gee chewed long and slow, tasting bursts of fvour across what little of his tongue remained.

  “Not quite like dried apricots from home, but they’re alright,” Fred whispered, a small, sad smile upon his fabsp;

  Gee, who had eaten such little dried fruit, did not care they were not like the dried fruit of Fred’s home. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, after all.

  “Gee,” Poppy called, carefully walking over towards the boy while holding a bowl of cut fruit. “Fruit.”

  Geowards the fruit, letting out a small shy smile. Poppy sat beside him and the pair began to eat together, though Poppy spent more time talking with the boy than she did eating.

  “It’s so cold. I don’t like the cold. Do you think Captain Snake likes the cold? I think he doesn’t. It’s too cold.”

  As the people ate their meals, warming themselves from nightval’s chill, the pair of Executives returned. Jurot held three cloth bundles, while Adam returned with one. Jurot stepped forward, towards the rge fire, until he was surrounded by all the people who remained within the fort, including those of the Iyrmen who provided additional support for the business. The young Iyrman anded respect, his mere presence sileng those around.

  “Nobby,” Jurot called.

  Nobby stood, feeling the gaze of his father, mother, and sister as he trekked up towards the Iyrman. The bearded young man would have been slightly taller than Jurot if he stood up straight, and he would have been wider, easily swallowing Jurot with his mass if he held such a posture, but everyone could see how Jurot’s presenihe young man. However, even now, Jurot wasn’t fident enough to faobby, whose natural talents surpassed even his own.

  “Good work,” Jurot said, holding up the axe shaped bundle.

  “Thank you, Executive,” Nobby replied, taking the cloth bundle. Upon Jurot’s nod, Nobby uned it, revealing the axe. It was well built, so perfe shape and form. The handle was smooth, made of Iyr oak, ed in hydra leather, the bde made of steel. The tingliion within the axe was greater than Nobby was used to.

  “It is a Greater on.” Jurot nodded.

  Aement filled the air as the words left Jurot’s lips.

  “Thank you, Executive,” Nobby replied once mng towards Adam, who slowly nodded his head, before his eyes fell to little Ahe girl’s mouth a tiny circle as she stared at the axe.

  ‘Greater?’ Ahought. ‘Greater!’

  A cp broke through the air. Adam tio cp. “Good work, Nobby.” Adam raised his brows to his children.

  Konarot began to cp too. “Good work, Nobby.”

  Jirot and the other children joined in, followed quickly by everyone else. “Good work, Nobby.”

  “Brittany,” Jurot called, causing the girl to almost jump up.

  “Yes?” She blinked, feeling the gazes of so many others upon her.

  “Good work,” Jurot said, holding out the pair of cloth bundles in each hand.

  “Uh, thank you, Executive?” Brittany replied, creeping through the snow, her steps near silent as she shuffled her way towards the Iyrman, reag out for a bundle of cloth. She furrowed her brows, waiting to see if Jurot would pull back the other cloth bundle, but when he didn’t, she gingerly accepted the sed cloth buoo.

  “Two Basic shortswords,” Jurot expined.

  Brittany raised her brows. ‘Two Basic ons? For me?’ “Th-thank you, Executive!” Her heart fluttered and her entire body tingled. ‘Two magical ons!’

  Adam led the g once more. “Good work, Brittany.”

  “Good work, Brittany,” came the chorus, partly drowned out by the g.

  Brittany flushed, quickly retreating away into the er, holding her ons to her check, afraid they would be taken from her. She tried to hide away from the attention of the world arouhough the shadows seemed to draw away from her.

  “Fred,” called a voice, the attention now drawn away from the young woman. Adam stood, tall and firm, holding out the bundle of cloth.

  Fred almost spit out the water he was sipping, quickly wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he stood, half standing.

  Adam held out the cloth bundle expetly, and as Fred approached, he thought about what to say to the young man. He had thought of so many jokes, some of them even half det.

  He could have apologised the o cold damage, especially in this weather.

  He could have spoken about how much he appreciated Fred’s work thus far.

  He could have mentiohat it was still being paid off by Fred’s hard work and it was only loao him.

  He could have mentiohis bde was on par with the Duchess’ order, si was a copy.

  He could have prete wasn’t on par with the Duchess’ order, while winking, just so the Duchess wouldn’t feel as stiffed if wot back to her.

  He could have shown off in front of his children.

  He could have said how much he appreciated the work and how the business rewarded those who did a good job.

  Fred reached out to grab the cloth buhough he remaiill, feeling the bde firmly gripped within Adam’s hand. “…”

  Adam inhaled deeply, before he let go of the cloth bundle. “Good work, Fred.”

  “Thank you, Executive.”

  “It’s a Greater Enhanced sword.”

  “Thank…” ‘What?’

  Greater Enhanced.

  Gee’s eyes grew wide as he stared at the bundle of cloth. ‘Greater Enhanced? Greater Enhanced!’

  Fred remained silent, frozen from shock. He blinked, staring at Adam’s face. His heart began to pound heavily within his chest. ‘Greater Enhanced? Me?’

  Adam pced a hand on Fred’s shoulder. “Good work, Fred.” Adam smiled, bowing his head, before pulling babsp;

  All these gifts had been expehe Basic ons cost hundreds by themselves, a Greater Enhanced on was a thousand. They were worth so much more, however, for if Adam had sold them to the nobles, a Basic on could have been bought for over a thousand, and the Duchess had paid a whole six thousand for the exact on Adam had gifted to Fred.

  Five thousand gold in profit could have sustaihe entire business and all of its employees and the children for months. It would have been enough to start Larot’s hoard too.

  Adam cpped his hands, followed quickly by aic set of g from the rest of the group. Fred remained shock as he stared at Adam, unsure if he had heard it correctly. Adam raised his brows expetly towards the young Florian.

  “Th-thank you, Executive Adam!” Fred said, clutg the bundle of cloth within his hands firmly, bowing his head.

  Rick remained silent as he stared at Fred, who was still frozen for a few more moments, before he finally pulled back, sitting beside the mute boy and the girl with the widest of eyes, her teeth half cmped upon the fruit. His eyes the his wife’s, who furrowed her brows questioningly at Ribsp;

  ‘…’ Rick’s eyes theo Adam, who had been waiting to meet Rick’s gaze. The half elf winked, a strange smile crossing his lips.

  Adam let out a soft sigh. ‘I o upgrade them all, but I ’t do it too quickly, or they won’t appreciate it…’

  “Papa, good work,” Lanarot said, patting the half elf’s leg, holding up a small bun.

  Adam leaned in for the girl to feed her, the half elf pulling his sister closer to his chest, kissing her forehead. “Thank you, Little President.”

  “No, I am so big now!”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hmmm… I suppose if you say it’s true, it must be true?”

  “Yes!” Lanarot smiled wide, before she was distracted by the bread Adam brought to her lips.

  “Since you are our Little President, you o do something.”

  “Mmm?”

  Adam held out a gold . “I need you to give this to Nobby’s sister.”

  “Nobby kaka?”

  “That’s right, his little sister, Anne.” Adam held out the for the girl.

  Lanarot stared down at the for a moment. “Okay! I do it! Papa, I do it!” She grasped the with her hand, before she shuffled away.

  Adam leaned bad crossed his arms. ‘This is the life.’

  While Adam enjoyed his time within the fort, there was another causing a mess within the Iyr.

  It was the usual suspect, of course.

  “I am aoday, sihat brat of mine has taken my greatchildren away,” Jarot growled, feeling the cool wind against his old bohreatening to freeze him ihough the cold would not dare to.

  “…”

  Jarot’s eyes narrowed towards his oppo, who was so warm within his full pte, a shield at his side c the bde. “You should have refused.”

  “I have this responsibility as the Family Elder,” the Iyrman replied.

  Jarot’s lips formed a wild grin. “Do you believe you are yrandfather?”

  “I am not my grandfather,” the figure said, donning his shield.

  “Not even brother spoke to me so carefree.”

  The Iyrman paused. He reached for his sword, feeling the magigle through his fingers, before he began to uh it. “I am not my brother,” Dogek said.

  “No,” Jarot grinned, feeling the rage warm his bones. “He would not have made the mistake of refusing my greatchildren.” The old Iyrman drew his axe a forward.