[874] – Y03.174 – Ho III
“I don’t like it here.”
“Really? I thought you were having a ball of a ti,” Adam replied, chuckling lightly.
“The Iyrn… they’re scary.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’d think so, considering you got choked out when you appeared.”
She reached up to rub her neck gently, recalling the first ti she was in this world. “I want to leave.”
Adam let out a soft sigh. He glanced around in her cabin, before pouring in so water into a set of cups, cooling and flavouring the liquid with his Tricks, before placing a cup in front of her. He accepted his thoughts and let them flow out of his mind, like a river parting around a rock. He inhaled deeply before letting out a long sigh.
“I can’t?”
Adam shook his head. “No.”
“…”
“I understand why you don’t want to stay here.”
“You can’t.”
“Really?”
“This place is your ho, but it’s not mine.”
“Is this place my ho?”
“You’re not an Iyrman, but you’re an Iyrman’s brother.”
“You got that much right. I think this place is my ho. I think so. I don’t know, though. This place welcos , and I feel like it’s my ho, but I have my doubts.”
“I didn’t have much, and now I don’t even have my world. It’s gone. The food here tastes different. It’s not the sa. I lost everything.”
Adam slowly nodded his head as she spoke. “Of all the people in the world who understand, I’m the one who understands that.
“…”
“Difference is…” Adam thought for a long mont. ‘I probably shouldn’t tell her, but…’ “I died.”
“What?”
“That’s the difference between you and .”
“…”
Adam sipped his cup of water, which he had flavoured. “Do you know what this tastes like?”
“It tastes sweet.”
“It tastes like my childhood. I used to drink so much of this mango juice when I was a kid. They’d co in this blue carton, and they had a white lid you’d need to twist. I think at so point they changed it from sothing else, this little lid you forced down, but I rember later that they had this top you had to twist. They probably changed the recipe for it too, but I don’t rember it exactly.” Adam sipped the water slowly. “I can only drink it like this, but… I’m not sure if it’s exactly the taste within my mories. A facsimile, if I’m being fancy.”
The girl had no idea what the word ant, but she listened intently to Adam’s words.
“The Iyr is scary. It’s scarier to people who know too much. You and I? We know too much. I’m trapped here, like you. I know a lot about the Iyr, too much. I know a lot about other things which the Iyr are interested in, so things they’re interested in to keep out of this world. In all fairness, they should have killed a long ti ago.”
Kiara frowned. She glanced down towards the water which tasted so sweet. She gathered he was a noble from how delicious this drink was. If he had this even once a month, he was probably soone from a wealthy family. Except, the way he spoke was far too casual.
“It sucks, I know. However, the difference between you and I is that I have a family here, and you don’t.”
Kiara pulled back slightly from Adam, her eyes growing wide.
“Relax, you’re too young for ,” Adam replied, feeling his cheeks fill with redness. “It’s not ti for my marriage arc just yet.”
Kiara continued to stare at him suspiciously, wondering if she made a mistake for telling the Iyrn to leave.
“I’m going to give you so unsolicited advice. Stay here. Work for the business as an enchanter. You don’t have to work a lot, but do sothing so you don’t feel bored. Cultivate a few hobbies. Find a nice Iyr lad or lass, get married, and just live a great life in the Iyr. You’ll live a better life than millions of people even across Aldland, never mind the rest of the world. If the Iyr ever bothers you, you co to and I’ll deal with it.”
“You want to sell off to the Iyr?”
“I’m not selling you off, I’m just telling you the easiest life that you can live without worries. Anything beyond that, you’re probably going to end up dead, and probably too. No offence, but I don’t want to die for you. I’ve got way too many kids to watch over for to prioritise you over them. I made a promise, but I’ve made more promises to my kids.”
Kiara remained silent for a long while. Adam continued to sip his water, offering her so more water and flavouring it once more.
“I really can’t leave?”
“Not for now. Perhaps in the future that could change.”
“It’s scary here.”
“It’s scarier outside, so much scarier.”
“Why do you leave?”
“I’ve got work to do.”
“You can’t stay here and enchant?”
“I’m not publicly known as an enchanter. I’m Adam, a fool of a father, and soone who causes nobles all kinds of trouble, and a warrior with magic who can beat up quite a lot of powerful figures with enough luck. Unfortunately, I need to grow stronger. The Iyr is great and all, but I need to be stronger to deal with the threats I’ll need to face.”
“What kind of threats.”
“You don’t have to worry about them.”
“I’m not a child.”
“To , you are. Once you turn eighteen, we can have another conversation, but until then, I’m telling you to stay in the Iyr and keep a low profile. As much as I want to tell you more, there’s no need. If I tell you, you’ll be in greater danger, and that’s antithetical to my role as your protector.”
“Sotis they let sit and speak with the people, but I don’t want to go around to too many people.”
“We can house you in the extended family estate of the Rot family, there you’ll be alright.”
“Do you stay there?”
“No, but…” Adam rubbed his forehead. “Sure. I guess you can stay in the shared family estate.” ‘I can’t be too paranoid. She probably just wants to be around the people she’s familiar with. It must have been pretty scary.’
Kiara remained silent as she thought on Adam’s words.
“Do you feel annoyed?”
“No…”
“It’s okay if you feel annoyed. Just be thankful you’re dealing with and the Iyr, and not the stupid nobles of this land. Do you know how much they annoy ? You can’t even imagine.” Adam let out a sharp sigh. “Anyway, it’s okay if you resent a little. In a few years ti, I’ll be a lot less patronising, and maybe we can do sothing else for you. I’m still pretty weak, and I don’t have much influence, so I can’t do anything for you.”
“Okay…”
Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Did you make any friends while I’ve been gone?”
“No…”
“I’m sure we can get you so friends. Is there anything else you want to speak to about while we’re alone?”
“No.”
“Alright. Co on, let’s introduce you to everyone properly.” Adam stood, finishing the rest of his water, before cleaning the cups with his Tricks.
“Where are you going?” the aide asked, stopping Adam and Kiara.
“We’re going to the shared estate.”
An awkward silence fell through them. “You should et with the Elder first.”
“Sure.” Adam followed the aide towards the Elder’s central estate, where Churot sat, perusing through the books. “You cooking the books, Churot?”
“You do not cook books, cousin Adam.”
“That’s right.” Adam walked over to ruffle his hair. “They’re already getting you to work?”
“Only a little.”
“Elder Zijin, how did you manage to sneak Churot away? Was the old man distracted by my daughter bullying him?”
“Are there other ways to distract him?” the Elder joked, a small smile across his face. “Are you here to ask for the young lady to stay at the shared family estate?”
“How did you know?”
“I have been tasked with watching over you. If I did not know that much, they would no longer have such faith in .”
“Well… yeah, alright, fair. Is that okay?”
“You will need to ask Sonarot and the others. If they accept, I will not refuse their words.”
“Thanks.”
Konarot charged towards her father as he stepped through the entrance, the girl hugging his legs while Kirot and Karot followed after her.
“Did you miss ?” Adam brushed their hair.
“Yes.”
“It was only a few minutes.” Adam smiled, lifting up his daughter, allowing her to wrap herself around his torso before he lifted Kirot and Karot, waddling his way inside. “Aunt.”
“Adam.”
“Kiara was feeling a little lonely, and we thought it would be a good idea for her to stay here, in the shared estate.”
Sonarot glanced towards the young woman with silver hair and silver eyes. She knew Crowseer had sothing to do with her, and it was a surprise she was still alive. Having Kiara stay here around the children was a terrible idea.
“If she harms the children, we will kill her,” Sonarot said in their tongue.
“If she harms the children, I will kill her,” Adam replied in their tongue.
When you forget the side npcs. At least she's the only side npc we've forgotten.
Tariel and Filliam glare disapprovingly.
I'm not saying that Patreon has the first chapter of the next year, but whose to say?
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