As the te afternoon su against the nd, the guards blew the horns, and the carriage rolled into the open gates of the fort, veering off to the side. Out of the first carriage, the heavily armoured Iyrman stepped out, wearing a greatsword upon her back. The symbol of Baktu proudly dispyed upon her armour.

  ‘Damn, what is she doing here?’ Adam thought, staring at the Great Elder.

  ‘…’ Bil had spent a moment focused on the Great Elder, but his eyes were swiftly drawn away by a particur figure. The Iyrman was unarmoured, adorned in the Iyr’s furs, and he also wore a greatsword upon his back. At first, he thought it was just a ce, but when their eyes met, Bil uood it was no simple ce.

  Adam’s attention quickly fell upon the group of children, wearing the tunics of the Iyr, each standing proudly beside their mother or father. Each of the children gnced around the fort for a moment, but upon seeing the familiar faces, they smiled.

  “Papa!” Lanarot called, charging forward towards Jurot, who dropped to a ko embrace his sister. “You are back!”

  “I have returned,” Jurot assured, hugging her until she melted within his arms.

  Adam waited patiently, his entire body tense, until Jaygak and Kitool had also hugged their own siblings and cousins. ‘Hold on…’ Adam dropped to a knee and picked up the tiny girl, who smiled brightly towards the half elf.

  “Kaza!”

  “Inakan!” Adam embraced her tight, swaying from side to side. ‘Since a Kan hasn’t returned, I’m sure it’s okay if I hug them first!’ “Minakan, you too, where do you think yoing without hugging kaza?”

  Minakan gnced up towards Adam, blinking a few times, before turning to ignore him once more, her eyes glued to the fort. Unfortunately for her, Adam lifted her up to embrace her too.

  “Hmph!” growled out an Iyrman.

  “Babo!” Jirot squealed, before charging towards her greatfather, almost tag him as he quickly caught her, hoisting her up, before hoisting his greatson up too.

  “You had this old man sitting in a carriage for all this time in order to e visit you?” Jarot bleberries into their necks. “You should just stay with me!”

  “You should hand them to me and greet the rest of yreatchildren,” Gangak said, holding out her hands.

  “You should have remained so that I may dote on them more.”

  “I missed them too, my precious greatchildren.”

  “Are they yours?”

  “Are they not?”

  Jarot frowned, clig his teeth, surrendering his greatchildren to her, before he reached down to ruffle the silver hair of his eldest greatchildren. “I should have kept my you greatson at the least! Where is he?”

  “Good job on your mission,” Adam said, greeting the returned Silver Fate Squad.

  “It was little trouble,” Naqokan assured.

  “I’m sure it was since you’re all so sensible, except maybe Laygak,” Adam said.

  “Laygak was most sensible of all.”

  “How bad was it that Jaygak’s cousin is sidered the most sensible?”

  Laygak smiled. “My sensibility is like a rge oak.”

  “What does that mean?” Adam asked.

  “Large oaks are most sensible,” Jurot agreed.

  ‘Damn wood nerds.’

  Ohe children were greeted, like a carousel of joy, they were finally free to join the tral fire, which burned gently as the st of the food wafted through the air. The pair remained pletely fixated upon each other’s eyes. The strong and mighty Iyrman, opposite the strong and mighty Aswadian.

  “Do you uand?” Marmak asked.

  “I do.” Bil replied, feeling the intense pressure the Iyrman was giving off. ‘He has grown so much more powerful since we st met.’

  Marmak’s grin painted his lips. “I heard you had a hard time in Aswadasad.”

  “Not quite as difficult as you.”

  “Let us share a drink to the hard times we endured.”

  Bil nodded, uanding he wasn’t able to refuse, as the pair stepped away. His shoulder pulsed, the ache of their history filling his body. ‘I did not expect them to call the Butcher.’

  Elder Gold’s eyes fell to Marmak for a moment, before she approached the Prince. “We wele your return, Lord Morkarai.”

  “I apologise for returning so abruptly.”

  “It is our honour you have chosen to return.”

  “The honour is mio be hosted upon the Iyr’s nds once more.”

  Elder Gold smiled, bowing her head lightly, before her eyes fell to the fool of a half elf who was still causing so much trouble. “Executive Adam, let us speak.”

  ‘Uh oh,’ Adam thought, frowning slightly. He let Lanarot down, the girl whimpering quietly, pouting up at her brother. “Yeah?”

  Elder Gold led Adam through the business’ fort, the little girl oblivious to the frontatioween her brother and the Great Elder, while Adam was oblivious to the other frontation within the business. A pair of the Great Elder’s aides followed her as they made their way to the inner area, which was only meant for the Executives and Managers of the business, but Adam wasn’t in the business of getting himself killed.

  While the Great Elder whisked Adam away, there was another pair exging their own gres.

  “You must be Kitool’s grandaunt,” Vasera said, feeling the paiurn against her colr, while the pressure of the older woman weighed upon her shoulders.

  “I am,” Shaool replied, her eyes sternly glued to the half dragon merary.

  Vasera’s throat grew dry as moments passed. Her heart pounded wildly within her chest, and her hands grew cmmy. She slowly bowed her head. “You won’t o pay me any mind.”

  “I pray that is the case,” Shaool replied.

  “Baba,” Konarot called, patting the seat beside her.

  “Are you well?” Tonagek asked, sitting beside her, reag up to pet her head.

  “Yes,” the girl replied, while her siblings all greeted their baba too.

  In the inner se of the fort, the guard on the wall stepped away, allowing the aide to take their pce. Adam poured tea for the Great Elder, the remaining aide, and himself, dropping down opposite the Great Elder.

  “As always, a pleasure to see you, Elder Gold.”

  Elder Gold sipped her tea for a long moment, far too slowly for Adam’s liking. “It is good to see you have all returned safely.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Ray Vonda is safe within our nds now,” Elder Gold said, her eyes firmly fixed to Adam’s, which fshed with ay. “Baktu will not cim your child while she is upon our nd.”

  “I’m very grateful.”

  “You have returned after a great journey. Will you speak your tale to me?”

  “Sure…” Adam replied, irely certain what the Great Elder was doing here. He spoke of his tale, leaving out few details, though keeping it as brief as he could.

  Elder Gold didn’t seem to reauch of the surprises within their journey. “Yrandfather requested I speak with Lord Morkarai of his mistake.”

  Adam tensed up entirely, stopping his body from reag so predictably. “His mistake?”

  “Lord Morkarai almost led to the death of his greatchild. If I do not speak with him, the old fool has stated his iion to cause a mess.”

  ‘He might really be my grandfather,’ Adam thought, daring not to say the word aloud. “Well, of course, but he apologised, and nothing’s going to happen anyway.”

  Elder Gold noted how Adam’s entire body tensed up once more, even to the point of his hand gripping his cup harder. “Your child, and the child of your brother, shall be born safely within the Iyr.”

  “Sin Iyrman is saying it, it must be true,” Adam joked, reag up rub the side of his neck.

  “You adventured for some time. Are you able to Awaken Blood Mages with the ability to ent Basic ons?”

  “Ah, I think so. I do about…” ‘How much?’

  [11 for 11 000 XP.]

  “I do about eleven.’

  ‘Eleven?’ Elder Gold remained silent for a long moment. ‘Chief Iromin, how we leave him alive?’

  “Wait…” ‘Is that for Passive too?’

  [No.]

  ‘How much is it for the passive too?’

  [2 000 each.]

  “Actually, it’s only four. I mean… five? Sorry, yeah, five. You mean the ability to ent the items passively, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yeah, then it’s five.”

  ‘So it requires twice as much effort?’ Elder Gold thought. “Are you willing to iate?”

  “Sure?”

  “They will work for the business for five years.”

  “They should work for the business for ten years, but they spend half the time w for the Iyr,” Adam replied.

  “How many ons will they be able to ent in a month?”

  ‘Bell?’

  [One Basic per week.]

  “They make one Basic on per week.”

  ‘One Basic per week…’

  “Although, while w here, I won’t be w them the eime. They’ll probably work about half the time, unless we really hem to work the eime. I want them to be able to take enough breaks to enjoy themselves.”

  “We Iyrmen enjoy our work.”

  “You should enjoy spending time with your family and kids too.”

  “We do.”

  “Yeah, then you should enjoy the time I’m giving you then. Why work for our business so hard, you should py when we give you time to py, you know? It’s not like we won’t push you to work hard when we , but you should work hard and py hard.”

  “They will work a season for you and a season for the Iyr, for a total of ten years, with every Twilight Month free?” Elder Gold asked.

  “Works for me.”

  ‘Twelve Basic ons a year for the business, twenty four for the Iyr,’ Elder Gold thought. ‘Is he giving us such a be on purpose?’ “If they are not to work for the business, they should tio work to help create ons for the Iyr.”

  “They should take some time off.”

  “They will take time off when the Iyr allows it.”

  Adam frowned. “When they work during the business, they should follow the business’ ws.”

  “If they work during the season for the business, and they are not required to work during the season for the Iyr, they will not o work.”

  “Then I want it written in the tract that in a four week period, they should at least get four days off, days.”

  “They may work for three of four weeks during the time in the business.”

  “Three of four weeks during both times, but if it’s an emergency, they choose to work more, but it’s an option given to them,” Adam said.

  Elder Gold was about to tinue when she realised what the versation was. She, Elder Gold, was fighting against Adam in order to treat the Iyrmen worse. She pulled back, furrowing her brows curiously at the half elf. She thought long and hard about Adam’s typical deal for the other workers, then to why Adam wao create such a business.

  “Do you have such little faith in us?” Elder Gold asked.

  “It’s not that, it’s just that w too hard will burn someo, even if it is food reason. Sometimes, your body needs a break, that’s true for w out, that’s true for w to make a person gold while they pay you coppers.”

  “Will you pay the Iyrmen for their work too?”

  “Yes?”

  “You are to pay them even though you will Awaken them?”

  “Yes?”

  “How much?”

  “Ten…” Adam paused. ‘Should I only pay them ten gold? Shouldn’t I pay them more? I mean, they will be making us a thousand gold each month, right? I ’t pay them just a pert, but then again, I am giving them the ability to ent, and I o make sure everyone else is taken care of.’ “Ten gold for each of the thirteen months, and I’m sure the Iyr will treat them fairly while they work for the Iyr.”

  “Will you train the enters to bee Experts?”

  “Train them?” Adam asked, blinking slightly. ‘Eh?’ “I suppose… it’s not like I ’t. It’s just that…” Adam reached up to his and thought deeply. ‘It’ll take quite a bit of time, but… if I train them into Experts, the Iyr probably won’t be so eager to kill me if I do something stupid.’ “I try?”

  “Would it be difficult?”

  “Quite difficult, unless it’s o a time. However, they’ll be taking so much time out of the Iyr that they won’t be enting much, and I’m sure the Iyr train them eveer than I . Not as quick, perhaps, but far more stable, far more… acceptable?”

  “I uand.”

  “I take them out now and again if you like, but whether they’ll gain some,” Adam smiled slightly, ”Experience… or not, is up to Fate, and, ces are, we might not be able to protect them since we’re not that strong.”

  “I uand.” Elder Gold bowed her head. “It is time I left.”

  “Are you leaving right now?”

  “Yes. I should return to the Iyr, swiftly.”

  “Would you wait a few minutes before you go?”

  “What do you require?”

  “Just a few minutes.”

  Uh oh. Adam, stop! You 't keep doing this!