The City of a Thousand Creeted the group as the ships sailed towards the docks, the onfolk bustled like ants, each adorned with colours Adam could only dream of knowing. As the ship sailed to port ie afternoon, a ship with a light blue fg with the eagle of East Aldnd escorted them to the docks.

  A dockguard, adorned in lighter , wearing a club at his side, and a long blue cloak, skimmed through the ma, along with the notes from the various nobles. His eyes then darted to the heavily armoured knight to the side. ‘Is that Sir Wick?’

  “It is my honour to escort you,” the Captain on duty said. She was tanned, with dark hair and dark eyes, adorned ipte. She wore a longsword at her side, assuredly silvered. She smiled politely towards the Northerners who arrived, from the Princess, who was but a Lady withi Aldnd, and the daughter of the King’s Sword, and finally, Sir Wick.

  ‘These Southerners and their hospitality,’ Adda thought, filling with annoyance.

  “Appreciate the assist,” Adam said, reag out to shake Marshal Bck’s forearm. “Please thank the Duchess for her grace, and inform her that we will not fet all that she has done for us.”

  ‘I didn’t even do anything,’ the Marshal thought, having dotle to deal with the Marquise while they passed through her territory. “I’ll let her know.”

  ‘I guess I’ll o figure out some gifts for her.’ Adam could already feel the looks he would receive for w once he was at the business.

  “Adam,” Princess Adda called. “How long will you spend i Port?”

  “A few days at most.”

  Adda bowed her head. “That offer, with the dragons. Did you mean it?”

  “What did I say?”

  “…”

  “You should know by now that I don’t have the best memory,” Adam said, his eyes far too io slip away from his words.

  “You said you’d help me hunt a dragon.”

  “Ah, right. Yeah, sure. If you need help against a drago us know.”

  “I will keep it in mind.” Adda reached out a hand.

  Adam smiled, shaking the woman’s forearm. “You know, there are few nobles I get along with, but I’m gd that we get along, a little, at least.”

  “It was certainly iing,” Adda said, befreeting the rest of the Iyrmen. “I hope one day I’ll have the pleasure of meeting the Mad Dog.”

  “We may accept a visit,” Jurot replied.

  “Thank you for your assistance during the Twilight Month.”

  Kitool bowed her head.

  “Thank you too, and I hope to see the rise of the Gaks soon.”

  Jaygak shook the Lady’s forearm, a small smile across her lips. “You will see it.”

  Adda held Jaygak’s gaze for a long moment, before nodding her head.

  Fate’s Golden made their way through the docks with their carts, drawn by the magical steeds, parting the onfolk as they made their way to an inn. The wolves remained ying down within the carts, uheir masters’ stretched out legs.

  “I always thought the Iyrmen were a cheat code, but a Princess is pretty good too,” Adam joked. “I guess Sir Wick was the oo really push around his weight?”

  “It is Sir Wick,” Jurot stated simply. He didn’t even think about how Sir Wick had mao put the Marshal of the East in his pce. Though the Marshal of the East anded great respe the region, the entire try even, Sir Wick was still favoured by the Grand Duchess of the North.

  “Right.” Adam threw a look towards Jane, who wao empathise with Adam, but she had already felt the vast differeween herself and Adam, never mind herself and an Iyrman. “Let’s find a nicer inn, nothing too far, but we do have moo burn.”

  “Why would you burn money?” Jane asked.

  “You know, now that I think about it, that really doesn’t make sense in this nd. We’ve got silver to… spend? Silver to melt? Gold to toss?”

  The group made their way to an inn, a rge inn that was more like a noble’s estate, with rge manors which could house several parties within. The walls were roughly as tall as Adam, made of stone, while the buildings were made of wood, stylised simply, but with various engravings all along the trim, and the roofs.

  ‘I expected it to ore,’ Adam thought, though he had bee numb to spending so much gold. Kitool, Lucy, and Mara had slipped away to the Adventurer’s Guild to stable the magical steeds and the carts, while dealing with their iory, while Jurot slipped away to plete his Iyrmanly business.

  “How much spice did they use?” Jane asked, poking the food with her fork. “Meat should be red with blood, ne with…”

  “Nothing wrong with a little spice,” Jaygak said, bringing the e meat to her lips, chewing it slowly. “Needs more heat.”

  “Yeah, you would say that,” Adam joked, cutting into his potato, pausing a moment as the steam rose. He took a bite, feeling the salt against his tongue. ‘Acceptable. I should bring them here one day.’

  While Adam enjoyed his meal, his brother made his rounds, his own meal, paying in a particur manner, before slipping through into the underground world. After an hour, he returo find his brother sipping milk, stuffed full of meat, and freshly bathed.

  “Now that we’re not going to be annoyed on the way back, let’s grab some gifts,” Adam said, leaning ba his seat, stretg out his stomach full of food.

  “We already brought gifts from East Port, and North Amber,” Jaygak said.

  “Yeah, but, those were from st year.”

  “We ’t spend too much gold.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t be te this time,” Adam said.

  “…”

  “Don’t look at me that way, I mean it, really.”

  “…”

  “Not you too, Jurot.”

  “Why?”

  “It hurts when you do it.”

  “That is not what I meant.”

  Adam smiled slightly. “I’m not ging much. I just want to… you know, not be too embarrassing any more.”

  “I use a sword and shield. Jures. You are ge. we ge so easily?” Jaygak did her best not to crack a smile.

  “You’ll ge your mind once you learn what I want to buy.”

  “What do you want to buy?”

  Though the sun was beginning to fall, the redness of evening bing the city, the market was still full of life. Stalls shouted out their wares, the city guards cirg around the perimeter, a few stepping through the roads, while the stallguards remai attention.

  “Who wants a silver?” Adam asked, before urs swarmed near him, standing at attention, many wearing wooden packs upon their back. “If you do good work, I’ll pay you more, and I’ll even feed you.”

  “Yes!” the urs replied, while Adam motioned a hand to the near dozen urs who had gathered around, accepting them all.

  “I should have expected as much,” Jaygak said, noting how mas on chess Adam had procured. “Are you going to buy some books too?”

  “Am I that predictable?” Adam chuckled, while the pair made their way through the market. The pair walked around unarmoured, though carried their ons at their side, Jaygak having repced her magical bde with the amberite bde. She had almost refused, but Adam had insisted. The bde, not quite as great as Great Moon, was still a fine on, even sidering that it held no magical properties.

  ‘How many books are you buying?’ Jahought, while Adam stacked almost half of the walkers’ packs with books.

  “Jaygak, what am I meant to get Virot?”

  “You… don’t know what to buy Virot?” Jaygak asked, preparing herself for the joke.

  “Well, you know, she’s really small and tiny, and cute, and I’m sure she misses me so much, and-,” Adam tinued for a little while longer, before finally catg himself. “What am I meant to get her?”

  ‘Is he still joking?’

  Adam found a particur stall selling cloth, and he eyed up all the colours. “No, I should get something yellow, don’t you think?”

  Jaygak smirked slightly, leading Adam away to find a particur stall, a, as they approached the se, the pair eyed up the devilkin who were manning the stall. ‘Hmm?’

  “Where’s Yellow Turban?” Adam asked.

  “Yellow Turban? Business.” The devilkin’s face was covered in wrinkles, only covered by a thick beard, which hid his lips. His eyes, suspicious, took in the sight of the half elf and the Iyrman. The guards nearby, each adorned in yellow, carrying scimitars at their side, remai attention to the pair.

  “Oh?” Adam’s eyes darted around, noting the guards, but they were to be expected. “Where’s Kalid?”

  “Kalid?” The old devilkin narrowed his eyes. “Business.”

  Adam let out a low sigh. “I ’t believe this. I didn’t get to meet Kalid st time, and now, this time…”

  “Do you want to buy any cloth?” Jaygak asked.

  “I won’t buy any Salifi gold unless it’s from Kalid,” Adam said. “Though, I suppose I buy some yellows, si’s my darling wife’s favourite?”

  “I o say it? Our yellow, best in all Aldnd.” The mert’s smile grew wide, revealing his white teeth, gilded with greed.

  “Who say otherwise?” Adam ughed.

  Jane gnced bace they were doh their business. “Who is Yellow Turban?”

  “He’s from the federacy, and he’s quite a…” Adam wasn’t sure how to describe him. “I like him, and his son is quite the character.”

  The devilkin watched as the trio left, followed by a tail of walkers. One of the guards reached up a finger and pced it upon his nose.

  “They know of us,” the mert replied ioill eyeing up the group as they left. ‘I should send someoo escort them.’ His eyes fell onto the Iyrman, then to her sword, and decided against it.

  The group spent only the evening i Port, much to Lucy’s annoyance, but she had long gotteo Adam’s drive.

  “Why is he in such a rush?” Jane whispered, as though Adam could hear her from a wagon away.

  “Adam came North for Jurot.”

  “Not to wiour?”

  “No,” Jaygak replied. “He wao remain at the busio celebrate his first anniversary with his wife.”

  “I ’t believe he’s really married to a Ray.”

  Jaygak chuckled. “Adam is Adam.”

  The group made their way through the various outposts and towns of tral Aldnd, paying the appropriate fees and taxes along their way. The wolves caused some issues, but Kitool was able to smooth things over with an additional sum of gold.

  As the group passed through the Deadwood, the forest, not the town, a otion caught their attention.

  “Gemtroll!” Jaygak excimed from the wagon ahead.

  Lucy’s head poked out from the wagon, gring back towards the wagon. “We’ll deal with it!”

  “Sure, sure,” Adam replied, stig out his hand from the wagon behind.

  “It’s attag a caravan!” Jaygak’s voice rung through the air.

  “Oh? I guess we should go save them then.”

  ‘I ’t get used to how casual you all are about this,’ Jahought. “What’s that?”

  “This?” Adam asked, holding up a pair of diamonds. “Diamonds.”

  “Why do you have diamonds?”

  “Just in case any of them are dead.”

  ‘What?’

  Jane hasn't spent enough time with Adam if she still be surprised.

  Also! I'm not saying this is the best time to subscribe to Patreon, but I'm definitely saying that. It's definitely a great time because I posted up my goals retly, which are as follows.

  20 Paid Patrons = 8 Weekly Chapters Total

  40 Paid Patrons = 9 Weekly Chapters Total

  60 Paid Patrons = 10 Weekly Chapters Total

  80 Paid Patrons = 11 Weekly Chapters Total

  100 Paid Patrons = 12 Weekly Chapters Total

  120 Paid Patrons = 13 Weekly Chapters Total

  140 Paid Patrons = 14 Weekly Chapters Total

  Also, for this entire month, November 2024, for eaew patron, of Silver her, I will post up an additional chapter. This also stacks with the Patreon goals which I've retly posted up. Obviously, if you 't afford to subscribe, don't. That's why my minimum tier is ￡5 a month, because I don't want someone who 't afford it to feel like they o subscribe.

  Thank you all for your support, and I hope you're excited for the chapter, because I am!