Chương 1788: [1685] – Y07.185 – A Family Burdened V

The light was no less brutal in Arisa than in Jabal Adh Dahab, yet the fluttering scarves provided shade. It was warmer for a particular half elf, who lay under his son and daughter, who groaned quietly, the girl turning her head.

"Daddy, why did you not remind me I promised never to eat food again?"

"It seems this father of yours has made a grave mistake, especially since he, too, ate far too much…"

"To think even a silver can be so poisonous." Adam stared at the scarves.

'Why is my daughter so funny?'

"Daddy…" Little Jarot cuddled up beside his father, but in a manner which betrayed his father and sister, for the boy had not ate too much, and thus was not suffering from a large stomach.

"Yes, my boy?"

"You are okay?"

"I'm fine. Just like eating too little is no good, eating too much is no good, but sometimes, a man must step onto the battlefield even when he understands he is to be defeated, especially upon a battlefield of dessert."

"Hmm hmm!" Jirot grunted affirmatively.

"Jarot. Cake is cake."

"Cake is cake?"

"Cake is cake." The words were wise, for they were wise independently of Jirot, and because she spoke them, she, too, was wise. A trio of shadows loomed over the trio.

"Mummy said you must stop with this bakwas and you must help put chonky kako to sleep," Konarot said, her voice full of affection, though her words were vicious.

"Et tu, Konarot?"

"Et tu, kaka?"

"I have shown too much mercy," Konarot said, for she was her sister's sister, and her father's daughter, her ruby eyes stared down towards her father.

"Dear, I need your assistance to stand."

"I am going to tell mummy." The girl half turned away, threatening to leave if her father did not behave.

"Okay, okay, one second." Adam grunted, though as he turned, he reached over and grabbed his daughter by her arm. He cackled.

"I have caught you now! Did you think I would not? You!" Konarot gasped, blinking, and then she was in the air, squealing, though as her father caught her, she noted the awkwardness on his face, for his stomach still plagued him.

"Uh oh, daddy. It is that bad?"

"It is never so bad I cannot play with you, my dear." Adam coughed into his shoulder, slowly placing his daughter down.

"You should not eat too much like this foolish father of yours."

"Kaka is too wise to eat too much like this foolish sister of hers," Jirot assured.

'Why is she so funny?' Adam thought, reaching down to pinch her nose a moment, but he swiftly waddled away from the girl, who did not chase him for she, too, understood his pain. It was only when the half elf appeared when the girl finally quietened down from her tears, suddenly sucking on her hand innocently, as though she hadn't just defeated her mother, sister, and even her uncle, who was still known throughout Aswadasad.

"…"

"…"

"Are they bullying you, my Amalrot?" Adam asked, much to a girl's offence, who held up a finger, but since her younger sister squealed with such delight and buried her head within her eldest brother's chest, she showed him mercy. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

'I have shown too much mercy,' the girl thought, glaring up towards her eldest brother, but as he waddled away with her younger sister, she followed after, hands clasped behind her back.

'I suppose I must forgive him this once, for I am so beneviolent.' Adam held onto the girl until she finally fell asleep, sucking her thumb. Beside her, Lanarot also held the girl's hand, although was now trapped by the vice grip of a girl who did not ever suffer from giving up what she grabbed. Adam remained under the girl until a shadow loomed over him.

'She'll wake up if I move.'

'You must go.' Adam sighed, slowly pulling away from the girl, but she stirred, and as she glanced aside to her eldest brother, and as he tried to pull away, the girl stared at him long and hard, her tired eyes keeping him within her sights, until the half elf finally pulled away. It was then her face made to contort, until within her eldest brother's arms, in which she almost instantly dropped against his chest, falling instantly asleep.

'I completely forgot about his insane ability…' Adam thought, walking away from his three siblings.

'A hundred thousand is a little much to be spending on that kind of thing. I'll have to hit Paragon before I grab it, I guess.' As Adam stepped out to find a small carriage awaiting him, he found the driver was a man who was adorned in scale over chain, a scimitar at their side, wrapped in blood, as though bathing in blood. It was, however, the figure awaiting towards the back of the carriage whom caught Adam's eyes.

They were a figure that were small, and wrapped head to toe in cream, only a single slit which revealed their eyes, their skin bronze, their eyes dark, holding a hawkish gaze, and they wore a pair of blades upon their back, like those one may find on Kal Fadi. Adam wasn't actually sure if they were male or female from their stature, though their attire suggested a woman, but they were certainly at least a Grandmaster considering the aura they exuded.

"Noor Illuminates," Adam said, causing the figure's eyes to narrow.

"Noor Illuminates," came the response of a softly gruff voice.

"You may enter the carriage."

"Alright," Adam replied, remaining entirely still.

"…"

"…"

"I am Kal Nadia."

"Shukhur, I am Mo Adam."

"…"

"…"

"I am a personal guard of Lady Al-Yasin."

"It is nice to meet you, Kal Nadia, personal guard of Lady Al-Yasin," Adam replied, stepping into the carriage now that basic manners were revealed to him, and the woman sat opposite him, the smell of incense permeating through the carriage as it rolled away, the awkwardness keeping them company.

It wasn't long before they arrived at a small estate, surrounded by roughly a dozen or so soldiers, another dozen soldiers within, those within carrying the temperament of Experts, while they surrounded a woman who was as dark as the night, her eyes more gold than amber, with wrinkles lightly caressing her face.

She, too, wore cream, with all manner of designs of red thread embroidered throughout, mostly of the sun, with light chain peeking through, while a small blade rested at her side, curved almost like the crescent moon. The small trees swayed, providing them shade from the searing sun, and the fountain nearby provided ample water, the sun's rays sparkling across the surface, scattering across the tiles which sparkled under the sun's rays. This was Arisa.

As Adam stepped out, he noted the way the warriors all glared towards him. He tensed up lightly, hoping they would draw their steel, though he was acutely away of the woman beside him, and yet he could not feel her terrible aura, and he noted the way their eyes were tilted upwards. He turned to find someone adorned all in black hopping off the top of the carriage, the scarf billowing slightly to reveal the lack of her innocent smile, as well as her lack of hair.

The Faro's eyes remained entirely focused upon the old bald woman.

'I should have expected they woul-,'"Grandaunt, what are you doing here?" a fool asked. Shaool reached over to brush Adam's hair with a finger, tucking it behind his leaf shaped ear.

"I could not allow them to take away my grandnephew without one to protect you."

"I wasn't going to cause… much trouble." Shaool tapped his nose, causing Adam to flush as though he was a boy, revealing whose father he was, and with that, the woman accompanied the half elf. Her eyes trailed to the side, towards the warrior beside her, who wielded a pair of blades.

'If you think you are able, you may take the first strike.'

'…' Adam settled opposite the Faro, who poured him tea. It was light, hot, perhaps too hot for most, and once he finished sipping his cup, he held his hand over it, and chanted the words, much to the guard's chagrin, and he poured in tea for the woman.

"You should not cast your magic so readily in front of the Faro," Shaool admonished.

"I know, but they should know I would dare to cast such magic for you, grandaunt," Adam replied, much to Shaool's surprise, for she paused a moment before sipping her tea.

"If it was Aldland, I would have probably already drawn my steel, because the guards would have drawn theirs, but this is Aswadasad, and in Aswadasad, I know how much they pay respect towards tea and kafa, so I felt comfortable casting my magic to clean the cup for my grandaunt." The Faro noted the look within the half elf's eyes as the two caught one another's gaze.

'It was definitely the Grand Malawi.'