[895] – Y03.195 – Days of Nightval VII

[895] – Y03.195 – Days of Nightval VII

“Babo!” shouted the tiny green girl, rushing up towards her greatfather.

The old Iyrman dropped to a knee, opening out his arm for the girl, while his greatson also rushed around to nestle his head into his greatfather’s chest. “My greatchildren, did you miss me?”

“No, I did not! I did not miss you, babo! Kekekeke!” Jirot squealed with delight as she embraced her greatfather.

“Hmmm.” The older Jarot brought the pair in closer towards his chest. He planted firm kisses on their heads, pulling them even closer as he felt their tiny hands clutching at his shirt.

“Baba,” the eldest sister called. “Dragon chess?”

“I have brought the pieces but I am no good,” Shikan admitted, ruffling the girl’s hair.

“No?” Konarot pouted.

“We can play one game later.”

“Uncle Shikan, uh, Director Shikan, what brings you around here?” Adam asked, shaking the Iyrman’s forearm.

“I have come to deal with the deliveries.”

“The...” Adam raised his brows. “You?”

“I cannot?”

“I didn’t mean that, I just mean...” Adam blinked. “I thought they’d send someone else.”

“I should go, since I am a Director.”

“Oh.” ‘I didn’t realise he’d be the one to go.’ “You don’t want to stay with Inakan now that she can see?”

“She will enjoy seeing my return.”

“Right. Exactly. You have to come back safely home.”

“I intend to do just that.”

“I didn’t expect that from an Iyrman’s lips.”

“There is a time to die and a time to live.”

Adam wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It wasn’t long before the children had to retire for the night, with Jirot almost tackling her father.

“Daddy!”

“Yes?”

“Ray Vonda will take you?”

“What?”

“Ray Vonda is taking you, daddy?” She pouted.

“What do you mean, Princess?” Adam flushed slightly, picking the girl up to place her within his lap.

“Babo say Ray Vonda will take you.”

“How can Ray Vonda take me? Do you think daddy is so weak?” ‘You old geezer, what did you say?’ Adam flushed red.

“No. Daddy is stuhrong!”

“That’s right! Daddy’s so strong, isn’t he?” He nuzzled against his daughter’s nose.

“Daddy, I am stuhrong too! Ray Vonda cannot take you!”

“You will become the Demon Lord, won’t you?”

“Yes!” The girl snorted, puffing up her shoulders and chest as she clenched her fists.

Little Jarot cuddled up beside his father. He nestled against his father’s affectionate hand, which brushed along his hair. “Daddy, is cold.”

“That’s right. It’s nightval now, so it’s cold.”

“Nightval?”

Konarot rushed over from her grandmother, who had been brushing her hair before bed, and she squatted down before she knelt beside her siblings, hugging them tight, kissing their foreheads, before her younger siblings did the same. They all embraced each other tenderly, before Lanarot sauntered over to embrace them too.

“You smelly little kahas, I always your kako too!” She huffed, embracing them all tight.

“Jurot, what do I do? They’re all so cute!”

Jurot glanced towards them, his eyes falling upon the children. “I am glad we are brothers, Adam.”

“Me too.” Adam smiled wide.

“I hope they will accept my children too.”

“Huh? Your children? Which children?”

Jurot stared down at the children. “It is frightening to care for someone like this.”

Adam noted how tense Jurot looked. “Are you okay?”

Jurot glanced down at his hand. “I wish to kill for them.”

‘Damn. How hardcore are you?’

“Is it the same for a grandparent and their grandchild?” Jurot asked.

“I would think so.”

Jurot remained silent for a long while, staring at his hand. The rough canvas which were his palms revealed the amount of blood he was trained to spill. “Adam?”

“Yes?”

“I will become a Paragon.”

“Yeah?” Adam smiled wide.

“If Jirot wishes to become a Demon Lord, I will protect her at that time.”

Adam flushed slightly, still smiling wide. “If she does anything bad, I’ll definitely stop her, but she might just want to become a Paragon and have her own little troublemaker squad.”

“Will you allow Jarot to learn our way?”

“Jarot?” Adam glanced over to his boy, who had heard his name. Adam wiggled his fingers at the boy. Jarot smiled wide, revealing a toothful smile, and he snickered quietly. “If he wants to learn the Rot family way, that’s up to him.”

“If my children wish to become like you, will you teach them.”

“If they want me to, and if you want me to, of course.”

“What of smithing, alchemy... and your greater ability?”

“Enchanting?” Adam whispered.

Jurot nodded.

“I’ll treat your children like they’re my own.” Adam’s eyes sparkled with mischief, before they relaxed. “I’ll defer to you, obviously, but I want to spoil them a lot.”

Jurot remained silent for a long moment, long enough for Adam to be stolen away by his children. ‘Can I raise my children well?’

As Adam cuddled his twins, his triplets stolen away by their grandmother, and Jurot taking Lanarot, he fell deep into thought. The darkness filled them within their room.

‘There’s so much to do.’ Adam stared down at the grey faces of his children, seeing their features faintly through the darkness. Their tiny bodies shifted as they slept, the pair holding hands.

‘Marriage...’ Adam thought of Vonda. He flushed slightly, wondering what that old man was doing. ‘I still need to find Freya. The north’s a long journey, though, and I’m not even sure it’s that safe. I’ll need to wait for Dark Harvest to find me first. I should figure out some cold resistance before then too. I’ve got Goodberry, thankfully, but everything else? I’ve got to take it carefully now that I’ve got kids...’

Adam glanced over towards Jurot, who lay under their sister. ‘Then there’s their dad. What am I meant to do about that?’

Adam reached up to rub his face. ‘I’m still pretty strong, though, but what about the XP penalty? I need to be careful, otherwise I’ll be summoning something terrifying into this world.’

As Adam let out another sigh, deep in thought, another was also deep in thought.

Jarot glanced over towards the little baby, his youngest greatson. The boy was still young, and moved at his own pace. He was no doubt something greater than just a newborn baby.

‘It does not matter who or what you are, my Larot. I will not allow anyone to harm you.’ Jarot closed his eyes, feeling how stiff his body had become. ‘It is too cold...’ He let out a soft sigh, his heart beginning to beat quicker as he thought of what could happen to his greatchildren if they were ever sent out into the world.

No one will ever hurt our adorable babies, not even the youngest who has inherited his father's cringe the most.