Jaygak wasn’t sure what to think upon hearing what she had been told. She knew how strong her aunt was. Kaygak was one of the very few Gaks who had the potential to become a Master, and if she would push herself, she’d be able to reach close to Grandmaster when she retired. If she managed to live that long.

If anyone would have told her that Adam beat his aunt, she wouldn’t have been too surprised. Adam, whose abilities defied any sort of sense, and who had possessed such a powerful weapon, what with his ability to change Fate, it wasn’t something which was too ridiculous.

However. To think that Adam had defeated his aunt in a single blow? That was something which even shocked the Devilkin. ‘One blow? He could beat me in a blow, I have no doubt about that, but my aunt?’

It wasn’t the most ridiculous thing which had been stated.

Jurot, uncharacteristically, was also thinking. He had heard that his aunt had been beaten in a single blow, surprised him, but considering everything he knew about Adam, it wasn’t a total shock.

Adam was Adam.

However, what was more ridiculous was the fact that Adam, after defeating Kaygak in a single blow, took a break for two hours, only to beat his uncle, only taking slightly longer.

To take on two Iyrmen, each greater than an Expert, one who had the potential to become near a Grandmaster, and the other who would most likely retire before, and to beat them one after the other with, what amounted to a small nap, was utterly ridiculous.

Not only did he defeat Kaygak and Gorot back to back, he then went on to face his aunt, Mirot, the next day, and to defeat her in a single round too? Mirot? His aunt who was aiming to become a Grandmaster? His aunt who possessed the abilities of the Rot family? His aunt, who was so much more powerful than himself?

Yet, she fell before she could even try to resist?

Jurot had noted the lack of Phantom at Adam’s side. At first he had thought Adam had placed it away, but that didn’t seem to be the case. It was no doubt that Adam had great ability, but it was truly due to Phantom that he was able to beat a member of the Rot family.

‘If Adam truly faced grandfather, who would win?’ Jurot thought. At first he thought that, nine times out of ten, Adam would lose, even with Phantom in hand. But now, if Adam possessed Phantom, the match would be far more even than he expected. Jurot stopped thinking before his thoughts went towards marrying his brother.

Kitool, who hadn’t known Adam as long as Jurot, understood one thing clearly. When it came to Adam, it was best not to think too deeply about the matter.

Jaygak finished the rest of her fruit wine, before placing down her cup. Her lips twitched into a smile, and Kitool wondered what sort of trouble she was up to.

“I wonder how long it would take us to reach Gold Rank at the Adventurer’s Guild,” the Devilkin said, smirking at her friend.

Kitool sipped her own fruit wine. She understood her friend’s sentiment. When the pair had first met Adam, they had trusted in Jurot’s judgement. He had been older than them by a few months, and he had always done right by them. When Adam came to ask them to join him, they accepted, though they had their own goals at the time.

Jaygak had aimed for Steel Rank, which to the average person was an extremely high rank. Her aunt, Kaygak, had recently achieved the rank, and for someone like Jaygak, who had been born with a weak body, delaying her growth slightly, it was an admirable goal.

Kitool had aimed for Silver Rank, which would have put her firmly in the Master category, and just a little away from Grandmaster. It would have brought her family much honour. Her grandaunt, Shaool, has become one of the Iyr’s greatest, but that was something which had come through great fortune, and hadn’t affected the Ool family, which had yet to achieve much in the past few generations.

When the Adventurer’s Guild became a powerful force in the land, the Iyr had grown close to it. Their synergy was something that couldn’t be understated. A group of people who were willing to fight for glory, rewarded with plenty of coin to send back to their home, and to gain ranks as time passed? It was the perfect relationship.

Those who would become Bronze Rank would be around the level of an Expert. Silver Rank was those who were at least Master Rank, and those who achieved Mithril would be considered to be at least a Grandmaster.

To the average person, Bronze Rank was something which you could work your life towards, and once achieving Bronze Rank, one could hold a rank within the guard of either the nobles, the guard force of a town, or even in the military.

Iyrmen each achieved at least Bronze Rank or the title of Expert, it was something which even the Iyrmen who were most unfortunate would achieve, even if it cost the Iyr too much, so Iyrmen held a certain level of respect from the lands around.

To achieve such a thing in a single year was almost unheard of, even to Iyrmen. It was something extremely rare, with only a handful of people chosen each year to receive such treatment, and yet Adam had done it so casually.

The pair remembered what the Half Elf had said all that time ago.

‘Jurot and I are aiming for Gold Rank, so you can just join us.’

‘Well, if you want to be Gold Rank, I’ll help. Anyway, since you’ll be joining us, why don’t I enchant your weapons?’

‘Can’t afford it? It’s free!’

He had said it so casually. They were certain that Adam had been crazy. Yet, within the year they had known him, they had seen him say, and do, crazier things. He had raised them to Experts, something which they would have spent at least five years to reach in a slow but stable manner. They had watched him kill a dragon, only for them all to slay another not long after.

His entire existence was crazy, and as some Iyrmen had figured out, terrifying.

Kitool and Jaygak shared a look, before they filled their cups with wine. They drank together, thinking about how likely it would be that the pair would manage to achieve Gold Rank if they continued to follow Adam.

Vonda and Dunes also shared a look between one another, and though Vonda’s face was partially covered by a scarf, Dunes could tell she was smiling. They shared a drink too, understanding what the Iyrmen had thought. Even Vonda, who had been someone who had almost achieved the rank of Expert by herself in the span of two years, through quite a gruelling effort, understood how crazy Adam was.

“I am glad you had fun while we were away,” Jurot said, pouring his brother and himself some wine.

“I couldn’t let you have all the fun without me,” Adam said, wondering why Jaygak wasn’t complaining. ‘They must have had way more fun then.’ “Did you slay anything nice?” Adam asked, trying to feel out if they’d answer the question.

Jurot’s lips formed a small smile, answering Adam’s question. His eyes then fell to his little sister, who was demolishing a buttered bun. “She has become so big.”

“Right?” Adam said, reaching down to pinch her cheek gently. “She’s so chubby now.”

Jurot hadn’t felt how heavy she had become, but that was partly because he his muscles were still acclimating to not tearing apart all manner of beasts. “She walks so firmly.”

Adam nodded his head. “Our sister is so cute and so strong.”

“Cutest In The Whole World,” Jurot stated.

Adam couldn’t help the grin from creeping across his face. “Damn straight.” Adam broke some of the crush and handed it to her. “Now that she knows how to walk, she’ll be trouble.”

“Yes,” Jurot agreed.

“Turot’s such a big boy now too,” Adam said, looking over to the young boy who was eating a slice of pizza, talking to Saygak. Upon hearing his name, he turned, and smiled at the pair.

“Turot, you have grown up well,” Jurot said.

Turot smiled wider. “Yes.”

Jurot nodded his head, and allowed the boy to go back to his conversation. “With your influence, they will become powerful.”

The other Iyrmen had noted what Jurot had said. It had been something which had remained mostly unsaid in front of Adam’s face, but Jurot was not quite so shy to speak with him.

“Yeah,” Adam replied, nodding his head. “Speaking of which, I’m helping Churot too. I’m teaching him to be a Scribe Mage.”

“A Scribe Mage in the Iyr?” Jurot asked. “That is new.” Jurot spoke so calmly. He knew too much about Adam to be surprised by something so small.

“Did you know he was so smart?” Adam asked, biting into another slice of pizza.

“Yes,” Jurot replied, simply. “Churot has always been intelligent.”

“He gets that from his mother’s side,” Jaygak said, smirking.

“His mother’s side?” Adam asked.

“Aunt Chayrot,” Jurot said.

“Ah!” Adam replied. “Which family was she from?”

Jaygak almost spat out the wine she was drinking. “What?”

“What?” Adam replied.

“You don’t know?” Jaygak asked.

“No?”

Jaygak continued to stare at Adam. The Iyrmen around weren’t sure what to think. Adam seemed to have such great intelligence and forethought, and other times he was a buffoon.

Jaygak laughed at the Half Elf.

“What?” Adam asked.

Jurot smiled.