Adam sipped some of the alcohol his Granduncle offered him.

“Yeah,” Adam agreed. “He really is a wood nerd.”

“That is just how he is, he and Laygak,” Sarot replied. “They were both taught how to work wood, and they can appreciate it greater than either of us.”

“What about you? What did you learn?”

“I learned pottery,” he said, simply.

“Did you have the option to do something else?”

“Pottery or masonry,” he said. “Pottery allowed me the freedom to go out and adventure. I remain in the Iyr, mostly, protecting its borders.”

“From what?”

Sarot smiled the smile which held many secrets, secrets he would not share with even his grandnephew.

“Fine then,” Adam grumbled. “Keep your secrets.”

Adam remained with the small group of Iyrmen, drinking in silence.

“Would you mind if I joined you?” Sir Vonda asked, having worked up the courage to approach the Iyrmen and the Half Elf.

The Iyrmen had quickly glanced across her, noting her attire, her weapons, and the symbol of her Goddess.

“We always welcome a Priest of Mahtu,” an Iyrman said.

“She’s not just any Priest of Mahtu,” Adam said. “She’s from the Order of White Rose.”

“Order of Life’s Rose,” Vonda corrected.

“That’s what I said,” Adam replied, chuckling.

She raised her brow at him.

Adam smiled.

“Order of Life’s Rose?” an Iyrman asked. “Then it is an honour to meet you.” Each Iyrman in the group shook her forearm, inviting her to drink and eat with them.

“Is the Order of Life’s Rose an important Order?” Adam asked.

“Important? In some sense,” Vonda replied. “The Order of Life’s Rose is an Order specialised in creating Priests who are able to fight, Priests who follow Mother Soza, so that there will be no unnecessary deaths.”

Adam nodded. “I noticed you were looking out for Fred.”

“He required a few words. I can still see in his eyes the question of life. I don’t believe it’s a question, but I can’t say that it is a truth for him as it is a truth for me.”

“Yeah. I appreciate that there are some people who aren’t always so eager to kill in the party.”

Sir Vonda raised her brow.

“I know, I know.” Adam chuckled. “I assure you, there are plenty of times when I have said not to kill anyone. I’m fairly certain I’ve killed no person yet, either, other than two Dragons.”

The ears of the Iyrmen twitched, and a few of them began to pay more attention to Adam.

“Are you boasting?” Sarot asked.

“We’ll see whose boasting when Jurot gets back,” Adam said, taking another sip of his drink. “You think I became Bronze Rank in a year, spending half of it in the Iyr, while boasting?”

The Iyrmen were giving looks to Sarot, teasing the old man.

“Don’t forget who flew into town alongside the previous King’s Sword,” Adam said. “Plus, the previous Knight of Death came over to personally speak with me.” Adam finished the rest of his drink. “Now that I think about it, I haven’t told Jurot the story of how I beat Otkan.”

“Adam, you must be careful with your boasts,” Sarot said. “Otkan is a sister to me.”

“If you think I’m lying, you should go ask her then.” He couldn’t help but smile. “Just you wait until Jurot comes back. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Lucy, though she didn’t know either and started a fight with me.”

“Perhaps you did deserve my brother’s beating,” Sarot said.

“I can’t believe my Granduncle is bullying me.” Adam frowned. “Do you see that, Sir Vonda? The old men are bullying me. I’m just a little boy.”

“You do deserve it,” she said.

“Eu tu, Sir Vonda?”

Omen: 1, 12

Adam looked out towards the village, noting all the Iyrmen at work, chopping down trees and building shacks for the villagers. They also went around using their skills in various tools to improve what the village already had, fixing up old homes and items which had fallen into disrepair.

Sarot had left Adam be, thinking him as too much trouble. Adam wondered if he should have bullied his Granduncle, but the old Iyrman needed to be forged through fire, just as the Iyrmen had been through Adam’s shenanigans.

‘I did say I would stop joking as much, but I can’t help it,’ Adam thought, sighing. ‘I’m just too comfortable around the Iyrmen.’

“Damn,” Adam said, rubbing his fuzzy cheeks and chin. “It’s growing thicker quicker than last time.” He decided against shaving here, not wanting to bring a sharp blade to his neck when he was in South Aldland, not far from the Massacre of Rock Hill.

“What are you thinking?” Sir Vonda asked, sitting down beside him, offering him some fresh bread.

Adam accepted it, tearing a small chunk before popping it into his mouth. “Thanks.” Adam chewed slowly. “I’m just thinking about how much of an idiot I am.”

“Why are you thinking about that?” she asked.

“Oh, you know,” Adam replied. “It’s true, so why wouldn’t I think about it?”

Sir Vonda shook her head. “Are you always like this?”

Adam smiled. “Yes,” he said. “I’m really annoying, but that’s part of my charms.” Adam looked out to the village again. “Probably a defence mechanism.”

“Against what?”

“Everything.”

“Is there anything more specific?” Sir Vonda asked.

“I have many secrets, Sir Vonda. I can’t tell you everything about me, otherwise you’ll think I’m a mad man.”

“You already behave so queer.”

“That’s only half of it,” Adam said. “However queer you think I am, double it. Then double it again. That isn’t even half as queer as I actually am.”

“I find that hard to believe. No one is that queer.”

Adam smiled. “Have you met anyone like me?”

Sir Vonda stared at Adam for a long moment. “No,” she eventually admitted. “I don’t believe I have.”

Adam sighed. “Here we are, relaxing in a small village in Ever Green. I came out here to gain strength, and I’m just relaxing, drinking wine and eating bread, which is great and all, but it’s not what I was expecting to do.”

“There is the matter of the job which Sir Paul had assigned to you,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Adam said. “Though, that would be quite dangerous, considering it’s Nightval.”

She bowed her head. “So you do not wish to go?”

“I’m not sure,” Adam admitted. “I don’t think there’s a time limit to it, and I don’t believe anyone else knows about it, so it should be okay to leave it for a time.”

“You are a curious young man,” Sir Vonda said. “I admit that even I’m a little interested. You are so…”

“So what?”

“Queer?”

“Yeah.”

“I have so many questions for you,” she said, sitting up straighter beside him. “Would you be willing to answer a few?”

“You can go ahead and ask, but don’t expect me to answer every little thing about myself,” Adam replied. “It would be boring.”

“Who are you?”

“Adam. Son of Fate. Half Elf.”

“You use abilities which you should not be able to,” she said.

“Yeah.”

“How?”

“Fate,” Adam replied.

“Fate?”

“I have a secret connection with someone extremely powerful,” Adam said, pointing up towards the sky. “Perhaps even beyond the strength of the Gods.”

“Those are quite some words,” Sir Vonda said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at him. “Those who have spoken those words previously were known as Demons.”

Adam smiled. “I’m no Demon, Sir Vonda.”

“That axe of yours is quite powerful,” she said. “Where did you acquire it?”

“In the Iyr.”

“Was it a gift?”

“Yes,” Adam said. It wasn’t a lie, technically. “A gift from that old geezer Jurot calls his grandfather.”

“He gifted you a magical axe of great power?”

“Jurot has a magical axe too, doesn’t he? I suppose he accepts me as his grandson, and so he handed it to me. Though, I’m not sure whether I’m his grandson or his Grandson.”

She tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“One of those is capitalised,” Adam said. “Meaning there’s some distance between us still. The other means he views me as his grandson, the same as Jurot.”

“How long have you known Jurot?”

Adam smiled. “He met me for the first time at the beginning of the year.”

“The beginning of this year?”

“Yeah.”

“And you are already so close that you call him your brother?”

“Yeah.”

“And you have embedded yourself into his family so quickly?”

“Yeah.”

“How?”

“Lanarot,” Adam said. “Our little sister. Without her, we wouldn’t be bound together.”

“How did she bound you together?”

“She…” Adam looked towards the woman, unable to see half her expression as it was covered by a scarf. “A story for another time, Sir Vonda.”

She sighed, but bowed her head. “A Half Elf in the Iyr. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an Elf joining the Iyr.”

“My relationship with the Iyr is complicated. I’m considered a Nephew, so there’s some connection, but I’m still quite distant.” Adam tapped his forehead. “No tattoo, and I don’t plan on getting one.”

“Why not?”

“That sort of life doesn’t suit me,” Adam admitted. “That may change, but for now, I’m happy with the relationship I have with the Iyr.”

“Anyone would be lucky to be an Iyrman.”

“Yeah,” Adam said. “I just value the freedom, and…”

Sir Vonda waited for Adam, noting how he hadn’t dropped the subject yet.

“Honestly, Sir Vonda, I’m not sure I’m really worth the trouble.” Adam bit into the bread.