‘Did I do too much?’ Adam thought, finally having cooled down from the fight. ‘Oh man…’

  Royhaled deeply, flexing his muscle. He andeered the mai and ihe group to sit with him, and as he poured them tea, he eyed each of them up.

  “When did you bee so powerful?”

  “I’m not that powerful,” Adam replied, smiling ily as he did, which proved the old man’s point further. “This axe is perhaps the greatest the Enter has ever made, and it allowed me to go toe to toe with you. Well, that and my armour, and so on.”

  “How many times do you think I have bothered Harry?” Royce asked.

  “Harry?”

  “That’s King Merryweather to you, boy.”

  “I don’t know?”

  “You don’t know who King Merryweather is?”

  Adam raised his brows, feeling the sense of disappoi rise within him. “I don’t know how many times you’ve faced the old man.”

  “Do you think I don’t know what a Fate smite feels like?” Royce’s eyes took Adam within his sights, and seemed to look through him.

  “Did I not hold baough?” Adam asked, reag up to scratch his , an awkward smile across his lips.

  “Had we fought another round, I’m uain who the victor would have been,” the man noted. “You are difficult to strike.”

  “My great armour is one of my greatest abilities, that’s for sure.”

  “The Enter made the on?”

  “Yes.”

  “Even without it, you are among some of the most powerful I’ve faced,” Royce admitted, sipping more of his tea. “Have you had any business with the North yet?”

  “Not yet. We’ve been busy for a while. We have been thinking about heading north for some ore from Jaghi, but…” Adam shrugged his shoulders.

  “The Knight of Death needs a on, one like this maul of mi’s greater than most mauls, not Legendary Enhanced, but it’s among the best of the Greater Enhanced ons. your Enter make something simir?”

  “I’m not sure. I’d have to Identify it first to expin it to the Enter, if that’s alright?”

  Royce allowed Adam to take it, letting him study it over the course of the hour, while versing with the others. “How have you been?”

  “Well,” Jurot replied.

  “I’m too tired to face you too, so rex those shoulders of yours.”

  “Hmm.” Jurot groaned quietly, letting out a long sigh, trying to calm himself.

  “Tell me about your stories,” Royce said, before listening ily to not only the childrens’ stories, but their family’s stories too.

  Deathly NightRequires AttuYou gain a +2 bonus to attad damage rolls made with this on.Deals 3D6 bludgeoning damage.Headsmasher. When you down a foe with this on, increase it’s damage to 4D6 for an hour. Downing an enemy when Headsmasher is active refreshes the timer.

  ‘Damn, it’s not that bad,’ Adam thought, staring down at the on. ‘3D6 is already greater than most great ons, but 4D6?’

  “They could create something around this level, though exactly this? I’m not sure.”

  “The with the Grand Duchess of the North.”

  “The Grand Duchess?”

  “She is the greatest noble across the ey of Aldnd.”

  “Isn’t there the King?”

  “Did I stutter, boy?” the old man almost snarled.

  “No, no,” Adam replied, raising his brows again in arm. ‘Maybe I should have downed you?’ “A on like this will cost quite a pretty penny, more than any other on we’ve made, I’m sure.”

  “You shouldn’t uimate the wealth of the North!” Royce almost growled. “The North is ri blood and gold!”

  The Iyrmen heir heads, while Lucy’s eyes sparkled, wanting to see how rich the North was, especially when it came to a particur type of resource.

  “Of course, sihe Northerners are the best of Aldnd.”

  Royce didn’t register the pliment, deep in thought. “When you meet with her, mention that I sent you. I’m sure she’ll be angry, and that she’ll test you somehow. Tell the Grand Duchess that this old fool is sorry. I know she won’t five me for dying in the South, where flowers will grow on my grave.” The old man then sighed. “You just take my maul to her.”

  Adam blinked. “Sounds like I’d be doing you a favour, Lord Marshal Royce.”

  “You would be, and I will remember it.”

  “I’m not sure when we’d head to the North, but I’ll definitely do it.”

  “ you do it this year?”

  “We don’t have any pns to head north this year. My child is going to be born soon, and by that time, it’ll be pretty te.”

  “Your child?”

  “I mao get married i few years, well, specifically st year,” Adam expined.

  “gratutions.”

  “Thank you. I was thinking about inviting you to the wedding, but I wasn’t sure you’d like that.”

  “I was too busy anyhow,” the old man said, gng aside, letting out a quiet huff.

  “Would you like to e and visit? My children would love to meet you, Lord Royce, the previous Knight of Death, the man who is sidered the stro alongside King Merryweather!”

  “You have more children?”

  “Yeah. They’re still young, but they’re so smart. My daughter is a genius, so she causes me a lot of trouble. She gets her intelligence from her mother, aroublesomeness from me, and it’s pretty terrifying to see how much trouble I could cause if I was actually smart.” Adam sat up proudly upon speaking of his daughter.

  “How old are they?”

  “My triplets are three, my twins are two, about to turn three, and my son turned o the beginning of the year.”

  “Three? That age brings the most trouble.”

  “Right? Jirot’s so smart, but Konarot…” Adam thought about how the girl almost killed her mother. “All my children are so cute, what am I to do?”

  “My oldest should be… fifty now? No, almost fifty. My daughters are a little younger. I have great grandchildren who must be around your children’s age, though I haven’t seen them in so long, some at all, since I’ve been down south.”

  “ you head up to meet them?”

  “I’m just a traitor now,” Royce replied with a chuckle, seemingly ued by the title.

  Adam frowned slightly. ‘Ah, right…’ “If it makes you feel aer, I like you and King Merryweather more than most Aldishmen. I mean, I did marry an Aldishman, but still.”

  “Oh? Who is she?”

  “Ray Vonda of Life’s Rose,” Adam said. “She used to be a noble of Eastke, but she gave that up. Now she’s, I was going to say just a Ray, but she’s definitely greater than a Baron’s daughter in every way, not just her title.”

  “You married a Ray?” Royce asked.

  “Somehow, yeah.”

  Royce’s ughter filled the tent. “Those of Life’s Rose are det folk, for Southerners. It’s because they’re so close to the North.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Adam replied, holding up his cup before sipping it. “I’m lucky to have married a Ray. You ’t imagine, well, you probably imagine how many times she’s saved me from my stupid as.”

  “You met the perfect match to keep you out of trouble,” Royce said, now having to think twice about killing this boy in front of him. “Your on is too dangerous, so you should try not to wield it too often.”

  “It’s my brother’s on now, but we live in dangerous times, Lord Royce. Eveher day, a bunch of vermin tried to attack my children. I should have sughtered them, but what I do?” Adam stated, his face taut.

  “The world has split in two twice, so the nd must be more dangerous now,” the Lord Marshal stated, thinking about how the two greatest tries had somehow broken apart. “I recall a warning I received, you should be careful. The young dy of the Order of the Wings informed me that a Wizard has gue and has beeing all manner of beasties, chimeras.”

  “That sounds terrible,” Adam replied, w how difficult a chimera would be. ‘Didn’t I already fae? Am I fusing them with something else?’

  “They’re hard to track, but we think they weward, to Aswadasad. Hunting down the chimeras and the Wizard have beey difficult for the young dy and her panions.”

  “The young dy?”

  “Sir Robin,” Royce said, smirking slightly.

  ‘Sir Robin? The Paragon? Isn’t she like sixty?’ “You said they o recuperate? How bad is it?”

  “A few of their heirs have died, so they o take a step back to recuperate. Terrible news, sihey’re one of the only good orders around.”

  “I wonder if they’re in the business of buying magical ons?”

  “They couldn’t afford it. They pass down their items from geion to geion. They receive gifts from nobles or wealthy merts, and payments from vilges now and again, but it’s far too little. There are Orders which remain held up in their walls near vilges and towns that are treated better then the Order of the Wings, who work harder than maybe every Order bined. Save Life’s Rose, perhaps.”

  “Perhaps,” Adam replied, keeping his eyes glued to the old man. ‘That really sucks for them.’

  “The Order of the Wings is too small. Too insignifit. Even if most of them are quite strong, I hear everyo little Maggie is a Grandmaster at least, but no one important would bother to look at them if their leaders weren’t Paragons.”

  “Damn…” Adam frowned. He had met a couple of them during his journey, and though tone of them had an apprentice who was rather rude, they were det folk. “What do you think of them?”

  “An Order that actually does what it says it does? A ral force who does their job even if no one appreciates it? Aye! They may not be Northerners, but I’ll respect them as much as anyone be respected, even little Maggie. I have to do that much since I’m sitting in a fy little castle now, keeping my arse warm beside the dle fire, with maids bringing new flowers every m, not even giving the flowers proper respect to allow them to wither first.”

  “Sounds like you’re enjoying your new life down here.”

  “It’s too damn hot!” Lord Royce growled.

  Adam chuckled and finished his tea. “Well, it seems like someone should start supp the Order of the Wings properly if no one else is going to.” ‘We could ent them some ons and have them advertise. The Order of the Wings is maybe the most well respected Order, even if no os their money where their mouth is. Plus, they’re det enough folk.’

  “ you afford it?” Royce asked.

  “Well, maybe it won’t be too much, but it should be at least something if no one else is going to step up. I’m sure it’s cheap for a nation to support them, especially when they do so much, but I guess sihey’re willing to work for free, the nations aren’t going to throw them even a copper?”

  “They get their coppers, but they need silvers to live. Damn shame. oing about wasting gold, but the ht and good Order?” Royce shook his head.

  “Yeah,” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Ah, right. Lord Royce, you’ve faced me, so I’d like your opinion. Do you think I could beat the Bloody Knight? Azazael, was it?”

  “I haven’t fought him properly yet, but… I’d bet on him.”

  “Even if I had Phantom?”

  “He’s… strange,” Lord Royce stated, uain even he could defeat such a fellow.

  “Alright…” ‘Damn, seriously?’

  Night fell upon the camp, and Royce, who had interrupted Adam’s ability to rest, decided against killing him. It would have been difficult, sidering the Iyrmen beside him, but upon listening to the boy’s words, he was either an idiot, enius posing as an idiot to lower his guard, or perhaps a bit of both.

  ‘Since he’s promised to do me the favour, and the Iyrman promised to assist, it should be fine.’

  Mana: 11 -> 8Spell: Sending

  “Greetings, Sir Magpie. This is Adam. Half elf. We met a few years ago in front of the Iyr. Are you busy?”

  ‘Greetings, Adam. I vaguely recall you. I am always busy, my Oath is eternal.’

  Mana: 8 -> 5Spell: Sending

  “Great news. I wish you great fortuh your Oath. Are you too busy to accept magical ons and ?”

  ‘Do you wish to doo our cause? We meet soon to discuss. We are i Aldnd at the moment.’

  Mana: 5 -> 2Spell: Sending

  “Correct. Currently out. We shall return to Iyr by nightval. Please e around then. All the best, Adam.”

  ‘reciate your kind words. We shall busy ourselves until nightval. Many blessings upon you and yours.’

  Adam smiled slightly, hearing the woman’s voice fill his mind. ‘As long as you don’t try to kill my kids, I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of, Wings.’

  Before Adam slept, he pleted a shorter rest in order tain some Health and Mana, but, somehow, nothing happened during the night.

  Perhaps his fortunes had turned?

  ‘Also, Bell, you don’t o show me the die rolls for the damage any more, it is getting to be a bit much.’

  [Okay.]

  ‘Thank you.’

  Politics? In my fatherhood simutor?