Chương 1768: [1665] – Y07.165 – A Man of Steel V

It was early in the morning when Adam woke. It was only thanks to his wife he was able to feel the chill breeze of the morning air, and as the first rays of dawn threatened the land, he fell into meditation, the songs of steel accompanying him.

'I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me,' Adam thought, not for the first time, and not for the last time.

'It's going to become expensive if I continue…' It was his own folly that he expected he was able to keep his emotions in check. He had worked so hard to deal with containing himself, and yet, just a single glare from that man, who was no doubt a noble, had caused it to return to the surface. Then he took it out on the warriors, those who had to work to their position with blood, sweat, and death. Unforgivable.

Adam let out a long sigh and as he opened his eyes, he found the rays had began to illuminate the estate, and as he stood, he flexed his muscles, and then joined the others in their morning training. It was only when he was covered in a light sheen of sweat, his muscles aching, that he finally made his way to the baths, to find his wife and children had already begun.

'Did I end up working out for that long?' Adam thought, though he was quickly distracted by his children's bullying.

"Daddy, you think you are so tough?" Jirot accused.

"How can you leave your adorable children and your beautiful wife all alone?"

"You're right, of course."

"Of coas," she echoed.

"Of coas," they echoed. Adam held Jirot's gaze, the two staring into one another's eyes, unimpressed.

"Of course," Vonda echoed. The six children all turned towards her, cackling between one another, and she returned a radiant smile. Jirot read a tale to them that morning, as the scent of the food accompanied them, starting from the beginning so their father could understand what was going on, then once she finished, she accepted a spoonful of rice from the fool. Adam glanced from side to side, and then as he hid his son from the world, he offered a half spoonful of rice to his lips.

"Don't tell anyone I gave you this, okay?" Little Jarot flushed slightly, and slowly sucked the rice off the spoon, all the while his father hid him away from the world with a hug, planting firm kisses on the boy's head.

'My son is eating so well…' Adam thought, for he did not eat just one or two half spoons, but three. Adam rubbed along his son's back with the most tender hand, smiling proudly. He could almost feel the way the boy chewed lightly, his small head against his chest, the boy certainly able to feel his father's thundering heart.

'Aren't I so lucky to have someone as sweet as Jarot as my son? I'm the luckiest father alive!'

"Pappah!" exclaimed a young, but not little, girl.

"Amalbaby, what's wrong?"

"Ieh!" Amalrot accused, pointing a chubby finger towards her brother, eating a mango slice from the other, the girl glaring towards her eldest brother.

"What do you want?"

"No!"

"Oh no!"

"No!"

"Not like this, Amalrot!" Adam called, reaching out his hand, allowing the girl to take his finger, the girl squeezing it tightly, pulling it closer, but found her brother was so difficult to move.

"Have you forgotten? I am grandfather's grandson too!" Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

"Amal," Jurot called, holding another mango slice beside Adam's hand, the girl blinking at it, before letting go of her eldest brother's finger and reaching out for the mango, dual wielding mango slices, biting between each.

"Papo, you are a genius too?" Jirot whispered.

"I am my mother's son," Jurot replied. Jirot looked towards her father, a slow smile encroaching across her lips, mirroring her father's lips.

"Papo, you are so funny." Jurot's lips twitched slightly, reaching out a hand to ruffle the girl's hair gently, feeling the thickness between the cracks of his fingers.

"Lanababy, thank you for dealing with grandfather," Adam called, reaching over to wipe the girl's face.

"It is okay, brother. I must do what I must, for I am an Iyrman, and if grandfather is acting up, I must deal with him, for I must do that I must, I must do so." Lanarot sipped her milk, for must do what she must, and that was simply what must occur.

"Who told you that you must do this?"

"Last night, grandmother taught me this."

"Ah." The girl continued to sip her milk, as though she were an old man watching the sunset after decades of a fine life in which she may have made a few mistakes, but ultimately she would ascend to the next life with few regrets within her heart.

"Since we're in the capital now…" Adam began to whisper into his sister's ear, "should I spoil you today?" Lanarot side eyed her brother, smirking up towards him, and the half elf returned the side eye and smirk, and once the two had finished their breakfasts, they readied themselves, and as they did, another had to too.

"No," Adam called.

"What?" the old man replied.

"You cannot come."

"I am responsible for my granddaughter during this journey."

"I see, if you are responsible for Lanarot, then you may come, although Jirot and Jarot will be sad since I planned to let you spoil them all day today." The old Jarot blinked.

"Since you have planned for I to spoi-,""No, no, since grandfather is responsible for Lanarot, how can I allow you to spoil my sweet, adorable, sensible twins?"

"You have bullied me for so much during this trip, and though I am the Mad Dog, does a dog's heart not bleed when it is cut?"

"If you're going to be this poetic, this grandson of yours will apologise," Adam replied, clasping his palm over his fist, the old Jarot doing his best not to laugh at the gesture.

"Jirot, Jarot, you must let your greatfather spoil you today. If he does not, I will tell Konarot."

"Babo, did you hear?" Jirot called.

"I heard."

"You must spoil us today, and if you do not, I will tell kaka, and we will see…" Jirot held her greatfather's eyes.

"I am confident," the old Jarot replied, grinning wide like a beast, and he grabbed his greatdaughter, lifting her with a single hand by the scruff of her shalwar, doing the same for little Jarot, the two floating in the air within their loose clothes. The two looked up towards their greatfather, small smiles upon their lips.

"Brother, will you carry me like that?"

"Your clothes will rip."

"Brother! Their clothes are not tearing apart!"

"It will soon."

"It will no-," Lanarot retorted, only for the sounds of clothing tearing apart filling the air, but only Jirot's, for the girl had reached for her collar and had tried to tear it apart, though it was the older Jarot who did so, with the understanding that his greatdaughter's comedic instincts were unrivalled.

"It seems you must buy then new clothing," Adam teased, holding his grandfather's gaze with his own, the old man smirking.

"Grandmother, will you join us?"

"Will you spoil me today?" Mulrot asked.

"Of course!" Adam replied.

"Of coas!" the children echoed, and though Jirot had made to complain, she understood she had been outplayed. Mulrot's lips twitched slightly, and she followed her grandchildren out, though only after Lokat had checked on Lanarot's health, before doing the same for the rest of the children.

"You are eating so well, Amalrot," the Shaman said, picking her up within her arms to check her weight, the woman smiling, causing Amalrot to glance away shyly, before continuing to check on the other children's health. She had begun with Lanarot, then Amalrot, following by the triplets and twins.

"You are all so healthy!"

"It is because babo and nano are teaching us," Jirot said, half squatting, letting out a shout and punching before leaping in the sky so high she thought she was flying, even though she was but a half step off the ground. Jirot stared at the woman expectantly.

"You are so firm and sturdy, and so light and weightless," Lokat called.

"Do not worry, Shaman Lokat, for though I am strong, I will not strike you." Jirot's thumbs up eased the Shaman's heart. The rest of the children also began to show off to the woman, not quite understanding how much pain they were causing her, for little Jarot only showed off lightly, and then returned back to his greatfather, who was waiting for Jirot so he could spoil her too. Malfev half floated towards the children, who stopped leaping and punching and kicking, and he peeked down towards them all.

"You all bathed early in the morning after gentle exercise, so you should wait until the afternoon."

"Okay…" Konarot replied.

"You must rest well." Malfev brushed their cheeks gently, and with a gentle smile, the children also returned a gentle smile.

"Babo, I can leap further than you now," Jirot stated, smirking up towards her greatfather.

"Since you are more powerful, it makes sense," the old Jarot replied.

"Yes."

"Of course."

"Of coas."

"Of coas."