Chương 1804: [1701] – Y07.201 – Darkness In Our Hearts I

"Yes, so much fun," Konarot confirmed, nodding her head, her black hair bouncing over the tiny nubs which formed her horns.

"I'm glad," Dunes said, reaching down to rub the top of her head, brushing her cheek gently.

"You look so cute, our dear Konarot. You look as though you are Ranya's elder sister."

"Ranya is my little cousin."

"Ah? Then will you watch over her well?"

"Yes." Konarot sat up taller, smiling innocently towards Dunes, whose heart throbbed, and he pinched the girl's nose gently, causing Konarot to smile even wider.

'If it's Konarot…' Dunes decided to ignore one of the children's accusatory glare, and as he glanced down at Kirot, who was currently filling up Karot's cup, he realised that the children were not only so well behaved because they were their parents' children, but also because they, too, within their hearts, were so good natured. It was then he recalled something that the half elf had said, and as he looked down at the three, he wasn't sure if he could believe in Adam.

'If they were born elsewhere, would they also not be this sweet and gentle?' Dunes thought, and as he looked around to the rest of the Iyrmen, his eyes fell to Lanarot, who complained, not for the first time, or the last time, that her brother beat up people far too quickly for it to be enjoyable.

'Perhaps he is right…'

"Of coas," the girl said, causing an echo after her words, "my brother is so strong, and so amazing, and it is still a good thing he beats them up, but maybe, just a little bit, brother can hold back so I can enjoy it? Brother is so young, he does not need to rush!"

'Is she funny because she's Adam's sister?' Dunes wondered, contemplating whether it was nature or nurture.

"Enisa, you can have it," little Jarot said, picking up the pepper, placing it on her plate. Enisa blinked, turning up towards little Jarot, and she smiled, causing the boy to smile shyly in response, and the girl grabbed the pepper excitedly, showing it off to everyone, before biting into it, her teeth crunching, and the girl made a face as though she had bit into a lemon. However, she continued to smile, drooling lightly.

"Good girl, Enisa," Jarot said, rubbing the girl's head gently.

"You eat so well!"

"Jarot, since you are so strong, you have to be careful when you pat or rub little children's heads, okay?" Adam called, pinching his son's cheek. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Okay, daddy…" Little Jarot flushed awkwardly, but as his father kissed his cheek, the boy returned back to his milk. As the meal continued, Adam stood, excusing himself in order to walk off the meal, but mostly because he wanted to think, and as the children remained behind him, and as Amalrot was deep within her mother's bosom, drinking her milk, he was able to walk away peacefully. As the half elf stepped into a shadow, his eyes darted up towards the wall. It was a stone wall of the Iyr. So tall. So firm.

So sturdy. As Adam held out his fist, he stared at it, clasping it tightly.

'How dare you,' Adam thought, recalling the face of the Grand Malawi. He did not need to recall his words, just his face, and that look within his eyes, eyes he wouldn't forget, no matter what.

'The next time we meet, we'll see if you can give that kind of look to my kids, you bastard!' The killing intent dissipated into the air.

'I'll need to train hard this year. Even if I don't gain a bunch of EXP I should still fight hard…' Yet as the thought filled the half elf's mind, another thought slipped through.

'How?' As purple turned to deep blue, almost black, the children all swarmed their father, while a pair of daughters swarmed their mother. As Adam remained under his children, each who trapped him underneath, he saw a green moon from the corner of his vision.

"Daddy, I cannot wait to hug my new papa or kaka like this…"

"…"

"…"

"Okay."

"Okay?" Jirot whispered, almost a threat.

"Okay." Yet, it was that evening, that night, in which an Iyrman walked through the Front Iyr, the same Front Iyr he had walked through a few times, but it hadn't looked like this. Yet, though this Front Iyr was new, and yet it was certainly the Iyr. He stopped, facing the wall. So tall. So firm. So sturdy. Jurot closed his eyes, letting the killing intent spill away into the air.

As he thought of his son, who he would meet soon, he wondered if perhaps his son would feel like he would when he would see his own father return. As Jurot's eyes returned to the wall. Tall. Firm. Sturdy.

'The gap between us has increased too much,' Jurot thought, staring at the hard wall.

"You are thinking so deeply," she accused, remaining within the shadows, and far enough away that Jurot hadn't felt threatened if he had felt her presence, but not so far away that he assumed she was an assassin, even within the Front Iyr. Jurot remained silent.

"You can feel it too?" she asked.

"Hmm…" Jurot replied, and with that, he returned back to the estate, in which Pam rolled over to stare at his form as he approached.

"What's wrong?" Pam asked, rubbing her eyes, awaiting for her husband to sink into the bed beside her.

"I am too weak." Pam blinked. She could barely make out her husband's form through the darkness, though as she wrapped herself around him, she thought back to what she had seen the entire year. She decided not to say anything. Kitool remained within the shadows, for the large back of Jurot remained seared within her mind. She, too, had felt it, from years ago.

When they were Experts, she didn't feel the gap between them was too large, however, this year, she wasn't sure if they, together, could deal with the half elf if something were to happen to his mind again, even through the great magics of the Iyr now implanted within his forehead. However, it wasn't just that… She, too, had younger sisters, didn't she?

'At this time, Kitool and Jurot are probably thinking about it too,' Jaygak thought, sitting against a wall, in her meditations.

'I need to consider what they'll need to do, and what they'll be allowed to do.'