XP: 16 000 -> 0

  Level Up!Level: 7 -> 8HP: 91 -> 104Gained: Feat/ASIstitution: 16 -> 18HP: 104 -> 112

  Adam was unsure if he would regret levelling up, but he took it as a sign that it was a good idea when they had mao arrive withi Port swiftly, and more importantly, safely.

  Unfortunately for him, he had no idea the storm that raged within the business.

  “Adam…” Lucy gred at him, as they settled themselves within the Guild, not notig that Mara was als at the half elf. “We should spend a few days i Port.”

  Adam slowly nodded, uanding that their journey had been rather rough. They travelled about fifty miles a day with their magical steeds, and even their wolves were beginning to feel the burden on their bodies, evehey had allowed Sky to stay within the carriage with Jaygak and Kitool.

  ‘My ass hurts so bad too,’ the half elf thought. ‘Only my wife-, no, I said I wouldn’t be ge, so I o get rid of any ge thoughts too.’

  “Jurot,” Adam said, before blinking. “Kitool, -,” Adam gowards the Iyrman, blinking again. ‘No. I should take Jurot with me, since I said I’d behave.’ “Jurot, would you mind ing with me to cause a mess?”

  “Okay.”

  ‘Didn’t you tell us that you weren’t going to do that?’ Lud Jaygak thought, though the pair held very different facial expressions about the matter.

  ‘Oh dear,’ Mother Priest thought, noting the appearance of the figure withihral pte armour, and the young man who wore the tattoos of those whht death upon the world.

  “I apologise for showing up unannounced, I thought about sending word, but I thought to surprise you,” Adam said, accepting the tea from the Priest. He smiled politely to the woman, who smiled politely iurn.

  “It is certainly a surprise to see you,” Mother Priest admitted.

  “I’ve e to inform you of a few matters, the first being of which, that my child was borhy,” Adam said.

  Mother Priest smiled. ‘What?’ “gratutions. I hope that your child only knows great health.”

  “Well, her mother is a Ray,” Adam said, chug lightly, though a hint of nervousness followed. “I was rather worried, since I’m a fool, but it seems she’s so healthy, and of course she’ll be happy, since her mother is so amazing.”

  “Of course,” the woman said, sippiea. “Do you wish for us to anoint your child?”

  “Ah, well, I didn’t bring her along.” Adam tio smile. “Speaking of adorable children, Elsie is doing well within the business. She’s gotten quite close with Cobra, a young woman from East Port, who she feels fortable around. I didn’t notice, because I was so busy w, and so stressed, but I’m gd that I have such dependable workers.”

  “If it is difficult…” Mother Priest he look Jurot gave her, and she sipped her tea.

  “I wao mention those two things first to have you put down yuard, I actually have two other reasons why I’ve e,” Adam said, holding up the shield he brought. He hadn’t brought his red shield, Strong Shield, but a shield of fairly basic design. “I’ve e to dohis shield, a aside some from the busio donate as part of the business’ religious tax, and I hope you will accept it for the business’ workers. I also added in a little more, partly to apologise, but also for your kind words, and your thoughts for w over Elsie.”

  Jurot pced a rge chest upoable, ohat could easily house a thousand s.

  ‘He brought a shield?’ Mother Priest smiled, a far menuine smile this time, first gng at the shield, then towards the chest, which was no doubt full of copper and silver. “Mother Soza praise you, Brother Adam. Your donation is far too kind.”

  “This is a donation from the United Kindom, Mother Priest. I hope you will accept, otherwise what am I meant to say to my wife?” Adam chuckled.

  “Certainly, we will accept the…” Mother Priest said, having reached up to brush along the shield, only to feel the light tingliion. ‘???’

  Adam tio smile towards the woman, the silence filling the room.

  “… Brother Adam?”

  “Yes?”

  “Is this the shield you wished to donate?”

  “Certainly.”

  “Is it… magical?”

  “Of course. We do deal with magical items, after all, and magical shields are a part of that.”

  “…”

  Adam tio smile ily. ‘Damn, it feels good to be rich.’

  Mother Priest remained silent for a long moment. ‘ I accept this?’

  Adam waved his hand, leaving after finishing his tea, letting out a relieved sigh. ‘Damn, it feels good to be rich.’

  Jurot he repeated thought upon his brother’s face. ‘He likes to spend money so freely?’ “Adam?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you a noble?”

  Adam stopped, turning his head slowly to catch his brother’s eyes. “Jurot. That’s too far.”

  “I am sorry,” Jurot said, noting how much of the wind he had stolen from his brother’s sails. “If you were royalty, Jirot would be a Princess.”

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  “Okay. Did you not wish for the Mother to open the chest?”

  “What am I, a noble?” Adam asked, even though he really did want to see it, but it did border e.

  “A whole chest of silver?” an acolyte said, beginning to take out the s, to pce them within stacks of ten, so they could write the donations down for their tax receipts, which would be returo them iure. “Who do?”

  “A busio the west. You remember that half elf who married Ray Vonda?”

  “In the purple armour?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Sister?”

  “Yes?”

  The acolyte he glint of s that weren’t copper. “The silver runs out a few s deep.”

  “Did they line up the top with silver, and the rest with copper? That’s pretty typical of…” The Sister leaned over the acolyte, cheg the . ‘What?’

  ‘What?’ the acolyte thought.

  ‘What?’ the Mother thought, upon hearing that most of the was gold. ‘What?’

  “What?” Adam asked, noting Jaygak’s look as he returned back to the inn. “It went fine.”

  Jaygak gowards Jurot, who nodded. “Well done.”

  “Thank you.” Adam frowned. “That feels weird. I’m not that much of an idiot, am I?”

  “You said you wouldn’t be ge,” Lucy said.

  “I’m not. I’m just saying, I haven’t done anything that crazy.” Adam shrunk uhe looks. “I mean, you know, this year.”

  Even Kitool raised her brows at Adam.

  “I mean, not this… season.” Adam eyed up his panions as they shrugged vaguely. “A man ’t even say goodbye to his own children without being called ge? What is the world ing to?”

  “What about handing over such great items to children?” Lucy asked.

  “Oh, what, being generous is ge now? Oh, lock me up officer, I’m the Lord e then.”

  “You’re n,” Lucy said.

  “You know what!” Adam said, standing up.

  “What?” Mara asked, raising her brow.

  “I’m going to tell Jirot you’re bullying me.”

  “ge,” Jaygak said.

  “This is!” Adam huffed. “This is the st time I bring a term from-,”

  “Adam,” Jurot warned, his voice serious.

  “What?”

  Jurot switched to the Iyrman’s tohe walls have ears.”

  ‘Damn, I was almost ge on act.’ “Sorry.” Adam sat back down, realising he o be careful when he made his jokes. “I won’t tell Jirot you’re bullying me, because she’s too busy taking care of her mother.”

  Adam didn’t uand how very, very wrong he was.

  The day, Jurot and Jaygak went to deal with the situation for their travel northward, choosing the sea. They went to the docks, before the pair returned with good news.

  “Kitool, I have some business I o plete,” Jaygak said, causing even Jurot to gowards her.

  “Okay,” Kitool replied, allowing Jurot to take her p babysitting the troublesome trio.

  “Should we go make a meeting with Sir Landon?” Adam asked over lunch, sipping his warm milk.

  “Why?” Jurot asked.

  “To sponsor us for the tour.”

  “We should find a sponsor from the North.”

  “Oh? Is that how that works?”

  “It is best to find someone from the North. Iour, it is difficult when one is sponsored by an outside family, but in the North, it is more extreme.”

  “Oh yeah?” Adam sighed. “How are we going to do that?”

  “We should meet with the Grand Duchess.”

  “Is it so easy to meet with the Grand Duchess?”

  “No, but we have a token.”

  “We do?”

  “You received it from Lord Royce.”

  ‘What did I receive from Lord Royce?’

  While the troublemakers remained within the Guild, the st remaining troublemaker, under escort from Kitool, the most sensible of the entire group, caused a rger mess.

  “If the Duchess doesn’t wish to see us, then please return this pque to her,” Jaygak said, handing over the silver pque they had received from the Duchess previously. She smiled politely towards the servant, while Kitool remaione faced, her heart pig up wildly.

  ‘Jaygak.’ Kitool whispered deep within her heart. ‘Jaygak!’

  ‘She’s returning the pque?’ the servant thought, staring at it. ‘ they do that?’

  They didn’t have to wait long for the Duchess to make some time, ging almost nothing within her schedule to allow them to meet her swiftly. She had wao make them wait for two hours, but Jaygak’s warning caused her to meet them with haste.

  ‘No, no, it’s fine, you just take it. If the Iyr heard that I was waiting for asea, how much shame would I bring to my family? If my grandaunt heard, she would tell my niece, and she would never look at me the same again.’

  ‘Yrace, her smile was like that of poison,’ the servant had said, at his wit’s end.

  Kitool tio internally scream, her heart pounding within her chest. ‘Jaygak, how is this helping?’

  ‘Iyrmen are so troublesome,’ the Duchess thought, calling for them to approato the garden, which had transformed sihey had st entered.

  ‘What a maze,’ Jaygak thought, noting the entrances as within the garden, and ting the guards and servants.

  Kitool wasn’t too bothered about the exits or entrances, since she would find it easier to dart around the hedges. However, she did he guards and servants too, and sidered all the things she had been taught to sider, from the dire of the wind, to the way the shadows drooped, to the lines of sight which could hold potential hidden foes, but she could also use if it was required.

  “Executives, I heard you required a meeting urgently,” Duchess Dalia Eastsea said, waiting for the pair of women while already seated upon her rge marble throne, sitting a step above where the remaining chairs y. She wore a deep blue dress, with bits of armour spttered across her attire, ected by silver s. A sapphicule dagger rested at her side, settled within white leather.

  Jaygak smiled, crossing her hand over navel, ign the knights who gred at the young Iyrman. “We won’t keep you long, Duchess. You must be very busy, and reciate you making time for us. I’m here to discuss with you a matter that I’d like t to your attention.”

  “What matter is that?” The woman motioned hand for them to sit, and while Kitool reached for a chair, Jaygak remaianding, holding the woman’s eye line.

  Jaygak smiled, feeling Kitool’s hopeful gaze upon her. ‘How much trouble would Jirot like?’

  Jurot he return of the pair of Iyrmen, catg Kitool’s eyes. ‘What happeo make you look like that?’

  “What’s this?” Adam asked, reag for the letter, stamped with the Duchess’ seal.

  “Don’t open it,” Jaygak said, catg Adam before he could do anything stupid. “It’s a letter of introdu for the Bow from the Eastsea family.”

  ‘Bow?’

  “The Grand Duchess’ family,” Jurot expined.

  “Oh! Whoa! Jaygak, how did you mahat?”

  “I threatehe Duchess.

  “Of course you did,” Adam said, letting out a small sigh. “You would threaten the…” Adam caught Jaygak’s eyes. “When you say threaten, do you mean… threaten?”

  “What else does threaten mean?”

  Adam gowards Kitool, who, for once, let out a tired sigh. ‘What the hell? Jaygak! Please don’t! Not when I have no XP!’

  I really did roll no enters all the way to East Port.

  Everything is moving so quickly, meaning nothing will g.

  Right?