"Larot became sick," Sonarot said, spooning mushy fruit into the boy's mouth.

  "Sick?"

  "A fever took him. Mao find the herbs required. Fakrot lost his eye during the leave."

  A sudden chill filled Adam. It was a chill which hurt his heart deeply. He knew, deep within his soul, he was to bme for what happened. He had so many questions to ask, though none were more important than what he should say.

  "I'm sorry, and thank you."

  "Do you o apologise?" Fakrot asked, sitting taller and prouder. "My eye was a small price to pay for my grandnephew's health."

  Adam dared to go his Aunt's eyes, before his eyes fell. "Yeah. Well..." Adam brushed along his daughter's face, rubbing Konarot's cheek gently. His eyes fell to Larot, who ate from his grandmother's spoon silently, ign his own father. 'Was it an Omen? I didn't use it much, but...'

  "Larot eats well," Sonarot said. "Almost as well as Gurot."

  "He should eat more so he bee a ky boy too," Adam said, cutting up a pieeat for his daughter, bringing it to her lips with his fingers. Konarot opened her mouth wide for the food, slowly chewing it, gently purring within her father’s p. Adam held the girl within his sight, his eyes following along the shape of her face, the scar beside her eye, her leaf shaped ears, her minute nose, her thin lips, her pointed , her pale skin, the strands of silver hair which fell against her neck. Adam had no doubt she wouldn't remember this moment, but for Adam, this was a moment he might never fet. He hoped he'd never fet.

  "Konarot."

  Konarot's expet eyes met her father's. Adam smiled, leaning down to nuzzle her nose, before rubbing his cheek against hers.

  "Did you say wele bamy?"

  Konarot shook her head.

  "You have to say wele bamy too. Go on. Vonda, Ray Vonda," Adam quickly corrected himself. "Konarot wants to say something."

  Konarot pouted up towards the woman, but as her father brushed her hand with his own, she squirmed. "Wele back..."

  "Thank you," Vonda replied, smilily towards the girl, but she allowed her daughter space.

  "Well done." Adam kissed his eldest daughter's forehead, befng to the others.

  "Wele back, mummy," Karot said, smiling shyly.

  "Thank you," Vonda replied, reag out to rub along his cheek tenderly, while Kirot g her sister, before slowly bowing her head and sheepishly mumbling a greeting too. Vonda reached out towards her silver hair, brushing it tenderly, rubbihumb along the girl's forehead.

  'I o figure out a way for Konarot to get along with Vonda...' Adam rubbed the side of his neck gently. He reached down to tickle Konarot's nose gently, the girl squirming slightly against her father, before smiling ily. “Konababy, who gave you permission to be so cute?” Adam pulled her to his chest and pnted a firm kiss atop her head once more.

  Bil remained silent, his eyes fixated curiously on the half elf who adored his children so much. He had never seen ae on their children as much as Adam doted on his own for the short while they had returned.

  As the evening tio pass, the children finishing their meals, and some yawning and groaning for sleep, the stranger who had arrived with his own children stood tall and strong. The fire giant stood opposite, swinging his bde lightly as he warmed himself up.

  “I shouldn’t have to expin to either of you that this is just to test Bil’s abilities, and it’s not to kill one another,” Adam said. “If the Prinds up dying, yoing to find yourself dead, and Prince Morkarai, if you kill Bil, I won’t let you go so easily.”

  “I kn-,”

  “Lord Morkarai,” Jurot corrected.

  “Yes?”

  “It is Lord Morkarai, not Prince Morkarai,” Jurot said, his eyes glued to Adam’s. “This nd is the nd of the Iyr.”

  “Ah, right, right, my bad,” Adam replied, clearing his throat. “Anyway, this is just to test how strong Bil is.”

  Bil and Morkarai tio prepare, finishing their warm ups, and as Adam readied himself to allow them to begin, his sleeve ulled.

  “Daddy. Toilet.”

  Adam gnced down towards his daughter, whose amber eyes stared up towards him expetly. “Okay.”

  Adam followed his twins to the nearby toilets, waiting for them nearby, before assisting them in ing up and washing their hands. “Make sure you get your nails too, like this, against your palms.”

  “I doing it, look daddy, I doing it,” Jirot said, rubbing her nails against her palms, before washing her hands within the sink, before climbing down to allow Jarot to wash his hands.

  As they returhe fight had just begun, with the blurry form of Bil shooting towards Morkarai, as the fire giant brought down his mighty bde. Bil’s body shifted slightly as he narrowly dodged the bde, his finger slipping against the giant’s neck, jabbing him hard, and the body of the Prince fell pletely still. Bil’s open palm struck the Prince against his helmet, against the side of his neck, and against the side of his koo. Morkarai remaiill as Bil tio rain down blows against him, and as the seds tio pass, the cacophony of strikes eg within the business.

  “Enough!” Adam called after his nerves filled his heart with a terrible chill. He reached into his cloak for his diamond, just in case Bil had gooo far. The Asulled back, waiting for Morkarai tain his strength, the fire giant finally coughing out as he dropped to a knee.

  “I will cede defeat,” Morkarai said, having not expected susught. He could feel the soreness of his skin, especially the skin which had peeled away thanks to the deathly aura Bil’s hands brought. As the seds passed, the siess in his gut also began to fade.

  “You will recover soon,” Bil said, bowing his head lightly.

  ‘What kind of monster is he?’ Adam thought. ‘I suppose he’s like Kitool, but his tradition is different? He’s one hell of a monster being able to beat Morkarai that easy, I’ll probably have a tough time against him too.’

  “You know…” Adam began. “I ’t really get a good sense of how tough you are if you don’t get hit.”

  Bil bowed his head.

  Lay on Hands: 35 -> 15

  “Thank you.” Morkarai felt the warmth of Adam’s magic fill him, though he was still heavily injured.

  “Manager Dunes, please tio heal the Pri-, the Lord,” Adam said, before eyeing up Bil, who had surprised him with his great strength. “How strong are you?”

  “I am more powerful than a Grandmaster,” Bil stated.

  “Are you a Paragon?”

  “No.”

  “How strong are you exactly?”

  Bil remained silent for a moment. He was unsure of how much to say to the half elf, but seeing how “I have mastered my body so that I will not seem to grow older, and I do not require sustenan the form of food or water.”

  “Ah!” Adam replied, slowly nodding his head, while Kitool raised her brows.

  ‘He is between a Master and Paragon,’ she thought, before she patted Adam’s arm, causing him to jolt. She motioned with her head elsewhere. “He uands all nguages. You must be careful when speaking in front of him.”

  “I said quite a bit in front of him already, I think…” Adam rubbed the side of his neck, w how much he had let slip. “It should be alright, I didn’t really say too much.”

  Kitool bowed her head. “I should have warned you previously. I assumed he was a Grandmaster, so he would have had su ability.”

  “It’s fine, I’m the one who should have been more careful.” Adam let out a soft sigh, rubbing the side of his neck harder. “It’s alright.”

  Jurot eyed Bil up suspiciously, still unsure of who he was. However, he had already sent word to the Iyr, and they must have known who he was by now.

  “I’m going to make a few attacks at you, and I want to see how well you feel after them. You attack back if you like, but I won’t kill you or anything like that.”

  “Very well,” Bil replied, readying himself.

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2

  Attack - Wizard’s Axe (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 14 (4)D20 + 10 = 23 (13)Hit!Wraith: 3 -> 2Mana: 25 -> 24Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 28 (2, 5)(1, 5)(1, 5)28 damage!

  Attack - Wizard’s Axe (Advantage)D20 + 10 = 12 (2)D20 + 10 = 28 (18)Hit!Wraith: 2 -> 1Mana: 24 -> 23Ability: Divine Smite2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 28 (2, 3)(2, 3)(4, 5)28 damage!

  Adam and Bil cshed together, with Bil wing slightly as the chill of Wraith and the radiant might of Adam’s abilities rocked through his body.

  “How do you feel?” Adam asked, as though he hadn’t just dealt enough damage to pletely knock out an Expert.

  “I am fine.”

  “How many more of those could you take before you were knocked unscious?”

  “I could take twice as many cshes before I fall.”

  ‘So about one fifty then?’ Adam thought, before nodding his head. “You’re pretty strong.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Alright, well, I’ll speak with the President to see if you join.” Adam then noted how everyone was looking their way, the curiosity in their eyes betraying their thoughts. “I hope you all ehe fight, but I think it’s time for the children to sleep.”

  Ohe businessfolk fled the se, Adam dropped down beside Vonda, letting out a sigh. He yawned, feeling the tiredness invade his body. ‘I really need a bath.’

  Bil could still feel it, the gazes of all the figures all around him, judging him. He had long heard of the Iyr while he worked in Aswadasad, and though he had e across a few, he had never had the ce to step onto the Iyr’s nds. ‘I see how they have sted this long…’

  “President, shall we discuss with Bil about the deal?” Adam asked.

  “Okay,” Sonarot replied, handing Larot to his mother, before she led Adam, Bil, and Jurot towards the building in the inner area of the fort. She began to make tea as the three men took their pce at the table. “Your name is Bil?”

  “It is what I go by.”

  “Okay,” Sonarot replied, p them each a cup of tea. “You have great strength.”

  “I trained in Aswadasad and was active for many years.”

  “Not uhe name of Bil?”

  “I believe you already know who I am,” Bil replied bluntly.

  “Why have you e?”

  “I require assistance,” Bil replied, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts. “I would like for the children to remain here. I believe this business will allow them to flourish. Treat the children well, allow them to learn what they , and I will lend you my strength. I will live for two decades, perhaps three decades more, and I do not o eat or drink, so as long as I am housed at the business, you will have one as strong as I assisting.”

  “We’ll give them basic education,” Adam assured. “If they want to learn more advanced education, they’ll have to sign a ten year tract with us. They’ll be able to leave ohey’re about, what, twenty six or so?”

  “You mentiohe education previously, but you did not go into detail.”

  “We’ll teach the children basic education, and if they are more capable, we’ll move them to advanced education. Basic education sists of numbers aers, physical training, the nguages of Aldish and Aswadian, and training with simple ons. Advanced education sists of more numbers aers, think more of a noble’s education, though perhaps not quite as prehensive as the topics they learn, since we foore practical skills. Martial ons, alchemy, smithing, priestly magics, potentially are magid potentially enting.”

  Bil bliaking a moment to pose himself. ‘What did he just say?’

  A fight? During my adorable child raising arc? Bil, do you want to die?