“Did you know?” Jasmine asked, her voice low.

  “Did I know what?” Morkarai replied, sipping the grain wihe farmers had begun to cultivate.

  “His children were so… unique?”

  Morkarai smiled from behind the cup, finishing the grain wine. He leaned back, his eyes falling on the young woman for a moment, before he closed his eyes. He brushed along his beard. “When they were but babes, they would grab at my beard and tug.”

  “…”

  “I have gifted them many items as the years have passed,” Morkarai said, smirking to himself. “They prefer even my gifts to their own father’s.”

  Jasmine fell into thought, unsure of what she should take from his words. The Pried as though this was pletely normal, but she hadn’t ever heard of anyone who had raised goblins as their own children, especially those of Adam’s kin. ‘Not even the Iyr is so foolish as to raise goblins.’

  Meanwhile, Bil pleted a round of his breath training, exhausting out the stress within his body. “They will learn both Aldish and Aswadian?”

  “That’s what the current goal is. We’ve quite a few people from Aswadasad w for us, the Order members, and we’re probably going to expand our business into Aswadasad at some point. We’ll try and teach them Drakken too, but that might not e into py for a few years still since we’re still gathering our bearings.”

  “I would like for the children to learn magic, priestly magics of Life or War, but if they are more capable with wizardry, that is also acceptable,” Bil stated.

  “Oh? I thought you’d want them to learn more about Noor?”

  “They do not o be so strained,” Bil replied, hoping the children would find their home i Port if they did not find it here.

  “Alright.”

  “We will also require you to train those we ask you to,” Sonarot said, holding the warm cup of tea between both hands, her eyes glued to the figure in front of her, who reeked of death as much as any Iyrman.

  “I will do so.”

  “Alright, then how much should we pay you?” Adam asked.

  “I owe you a great debt.”

  “If your children are following the normal rules of our business, then we o pay you properly,” Adam said sternly. “We’re still figuring out proper pay, but right now it’s ten gold each month for the basic pay, but we’re paying Experts twenty gold, and we Executives are earning about thirty a month or so?”

  Bil noted how Adam was half fused as he tried to recall the numbers.

  “Are you willing to tell us more about your situation?” Adam asked.

  “It is best you do not know.”

  “Alright, well, will you tell me about these children?”

  “They are children of my panions, but they do not know of their own parents. They were raised by a… retive of mine whose health had begun to fail.”

  “You couldn’t help them?”

  “Even I ot stand against the sands of time.”

  “Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. Are any of the children yours?”

  Bil remained silent.

  “Do you not want to say?”

  “I do not.”

  “Alright, well… that’s a little awkward because Jurot already knows.”

  “I have a great ability to dis a parent and child,” Jurot said.

  “I hope that you will keep it a secret.”

  “I will inform the President and my brother, but I will not inform any other.”

  “Don’t tell me,” Adam said. “I won’t stop you from telling the President, but I don’t o know.”

  “Okay,” Jurot replied.

  “Alright, I’ll put you on the silver track of payment, but you’ll get ten gold a month, and I’ll put aside the rest of the as a fund for the children. Ohey are of age, they take part of their share and do whatever they want with it, and ohey leave the busihey have the rest of the share.”

  “You may give the children all the money.”

  Adam smiled. “Well, you see, I expect you to work…” ‘Hold on.’ “You said you were skilled in medie, so we should probably have you on call as a medic, along with my wife.” Adam sat a little taller upoioning his wife. “ you read and write?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know your numbers?”

  “Yes.”

  “What other skills do you possess?”

  “I am good at drawing.”

  “Medie and drawing? Are y to repce my wife?” Adam joked. ‘Wait. If he’s here, doesn’t that mean Vonda stay in the Iyr?’ “For now you assist Manager Dunes and Manager Vonda in their work, including teag the children. If there’s a fight that breaks out, I expect you to assist. No killing, obviously, but you’re strong enough that you hold back without much issue.”

  “I uand.”

  “Then I’ll start you off at silver rank. I’ll expect you to assist with some teag now and again, and to plete a couple of hours of guarding per day, but you’ll be mostly free until you’re needed. If there’s an emergency, you’ll o assist, but it should be fine if you’re just around to help when you’re needed. You should speak with Manager Dunes because you also get one day off each week, but you bunch them how you like, uhere’s an emergency, and you get a whole month of paid holiday too, which you save to take the children out and about, and use that gold we pay you to make sure they have fun and to spoil them,” Adam rambled, though Bil trated on the half elf’s words.

  ‘This is a great deal…’

  “You also get two weeks, fourteen days, as paid sick leave, so if you feel si some way, feel free to take those days off too. Your housing and food are dealt with by the business, so you don’t o worry about rent or anything, including the taxes and tithes.”

  “It is a great offer,” Bil said, bowing his head lightly, surprised Adam had offered even more. “I will repay this debt.”

  “Debt? Outside of your starting pay, this is pretty much the same offer we’ve given to the others. Rid the others are being paid about the same amount too.” Adam’s face twitched. “It feels weird that we’re paying you the same as them when you’re s? I guess it is probationary pay, we’ll increase it ter.”

  “…”

  ‘We’re far enough away that whoever is chasing him probably won’t e after us, right?’

  Ohe matter was settled, Sonarot wrote up the tract. Adam double checked it, before allowing Bil to check it.

  “I should warn you, this nd is the Iyr’s nd. You should fet the on sense which you learnt in Aswadasad, because it works differently here. If you cause trouble, the Executives will deal with you if the Iyrmen do not.”

  “I uand.”

  “You should already knht? We’re strohan we seem?”

  “I uand,” Bil repeated.

  “Good. I’ll add a hundred gold as yning fee, si feels like I’m ripping you off, even if I am helping you and the children.”

  “Thank you.”

  Adam stepped out into the warm evening of the noonval air, night quickly darkening the sky. He let out a soft sigh, stretg out his body. ‘I need a bath.’

  “Are you finished with your business?” Morkarai asked, with Jirot and Jarot opposite him, pying with the s the Prince had shined for them.

  “I’m never finished with my business,” Adam said, pig Jarot up to kiss his cheek, before scooting beside his daughter, pulling his twins onto his p. He kept them trapped against him, but allowed them to tinue pying with their s.

  “You work too hard.”

  “Yeah, well, it is what it is.” Adam leaned back, letting out anh as the ache of exhaustion began to fill him. “Thanks for your help, for esc us on the way back, ai up.”

  Morkarai chuckled, sipping mrain wihis bottle from the vilge which had been gifted to the Prince. “I’m sure you could have returned safely, and gotteeoo.”

  Adam smirked wider. “Well, yeah. I’m gd you came with us. Do you o return home soon, or you stay a bit longer?”

  “I have sent word back that I will be indisposed for a short while longer,” Morkarai replied. “I have decided against inf them of my loss to a nameless stranger.”

  “His name is Bil, apparently, and I’m sure he’s not a nobody either.” Adam shrugged his shoulder, gng to the side of the young woman who was doing her best to ighe fool of a father and his children. ‘What are we going to do with her?’

  Jirot and Jarot tio py with the s, their eyes glued to all the shifting colours, before they yawned simultaneously.

  “It looks like my adorable childreired. Why don’t we go bathe and go to sleep?”

  “No sleep,” Jirot said, pointing up towards her father, blinking away her sleepiness.

  “Alright, then you stay here, I’ll go bathe with mummy and sleep with her.”

  “No! I am bathe and sleep with mummy!” Jirot warned, pointing her finger like a bde towards her father.

  “Ah, of course, of course,” Adam said, pig the children up. “Give back the s to Lord Morkarai, and say good night.”

  “You may keep the s, little ones,” Morkarai said.

  Jirot smirked, tightening her fists around the s, causing little Jarot to do the same, the pair clutg the s to their chest.

  “What do you say to Lord Morkarai for his gifts?”

  “No!”

  “Jirot.” Adam raised his brows.

  The girl preteo pout, before she cackled.

  “Jarot, you are so sensible, what do you say?”

  “Thank you,” Jarot said meekly.

  “Thank you!” Jirot excimed, before yawning, blinking away her sleepiness again.

  “Do you see how well behaved my children are?” Adam fawned, kissing his children’s cheeks before pulling them away, taking them to bathe. “Konababy, e, you too Kibaby and Kababy. It’s time to bathe and to sleep.”

  Konarot jumped up onto her feet, having already been half asleep, but she stumbled to her father, grabbing his leg to brace herself as she tried to fight off the sleepiness. Her siblings also followed after her as the group made their way to the baths, with Kng back towards Vonda, whht up the rear. ‘…’

  Morkarai watched as the family left, leaving behind Larot, who had already fallen asleep beside Fakrot. “You should inform the Iyr of your identity.”

  “…” Jasmine gowards the giant, who tio sip away at his grain wine.

  “They already know, but it is best to speak with them openly, so they will treat you well. They have no maations so far east, or perhaps, you are not useful for their py in the federacy.”

  Jasmihought on Morkarai’s words, the Prince who had been born in Shakador, and was sidered one of the best warriors across the ey of the federacy, a he paid so much resped attention to the Iyr and the fool of a father. Even now, she wasirely certain what she should think about the half elf.

  The baths were warm that evening, while Adam used his magic to cool the water iher basin which held the triplets.

  “How’s Elsie?” Adam asked.

  “She is well. She is more fortable with the children of East Port. The sounds of their speech are familiar, and it must remind her of home. “

  “Yeah…” Adam rubbed his daughter’s face. “Now that I’m home, you bully me.”

  “No?” Jirot replied, before cag.

  “Jarot, will you bully me?”

  Jarot shook his head, before closing his eyes as his father washed his face.

  “Jirot is definitely my daughter since she causes so much trouble, and Jarot is definitely your son with how well behaved he is,” Adam joked, chug lightly.

  Vonda reached over to rub the back of Jarot’s ears to them. “Our children are all so well behaved.”

  “Ah, yes, what am I saying?” Adam replied, before both he and Vonda looked down to Jirot, whose i amber eyes were focused oer in front of her, which shimmered with the waves as the light from above fell upon it.

  “Daddy,” Konarot called, pouting slightly.

  “Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you all,” Adam said, reag over to rub Konarot’s face, before washing his triplets too.

  The pair worked the lotions into their children’s skin, Adam assisting the triplets, before they finally ged their children. Adam carried his triplets, while Sonarot assisted in carrying the twins, having waited for them so she could assist with them brushing their teeth since Jirot liked to challenge her during such a time.

  “Aunt,” Adam began, speaking to his Aunt to one side. “During our travels, Vonda…”

  “I know,” Sonarot said, reag up to brush Adam’s hair gently. “We have divihe child will be born safe ahy.”

  Adam blinked. ‘Why didn’t I do that?’ “Well… as long as nothing ges, right?”

  Sonarot smiled. “Yes. Vonda is here now. She is safe.”

  “Yeah…”

  Jirot and Jarot were already snoozing beside their mother, while the triplets awaited their father’s return, quickly trapping them under him, with the younger brother and sister each g an arm, while Konarot pinned her father’s torso under her.

  ‘You’ve grown,’ Adam thought, feeling his daughter’s weight against his chest and stomach. The soft sn of his family all around him coaxed him to slumber.

  Konarot’s breath gently tickled against his neck.

  ‘Yeah,’ Adam thought, filled with a sense of great relief.

  How adorable. Thankfully nothing goes terribly wrong in this arc...

  :)