Chief Iromin floated gracefully towards them, half expeg to protect Adam from getting himself killed. He took his pce beside the half elf while Elder Gold raised her finger, and made the same gesture once more, dismissing her aides.

  “I wish to uand how you are able to t how many enters you Awaken.”

  “Uuuh, it’s just an ability I have,” Adam said, looking to the Chief.

  “Just the reasoning behind the number,” Iromin said.

  Adam wasn’t sure if he had expi to any of the Great Elders. “So, I have these uh… beads? Let’s say I go out and fight, I gain some beads that only I uand and utilise. ly, because we all sort of gain these beads. Experience, right? The more dragons you kill, the more powerful you bee. I, uh, t how many beads I have, and I utilise them in ways that other people ’t.”

  “How many beads do you possess?”

  “Let’s say twenty six, almost twenty seven.”

  “How many beads does it take to Awaken an enter?”

  “Let’s say if I want to Awaken them with everything, no limits, but without the ability to ent passively, the first of a month is ohe sed of the month is two, thehird is four, so on and so on. If it’s one each month, just one bead. If you want specifitments, then it’s one bead per entment, and if you assive enting, another one, I think.”

  “You mentioo Elder Lykan you could bee a Master,” Iromin said.

  “Yeah?”

  “How many beads does it require?”

  “Twenty something, but if I wait, een.”

  “Why is it different?”

  “It’s a penalty from doing it too quickly.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Uh…” Adam thought about how dangerous this all was. “Well, you know how you have people who…” Adam gnced upwards. ‘How do I expin this?’ “So, you know how a, Elder Gold, you’re a Oathsworn, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright, so, from what I remember, you gain the ability to Lay on Hands, the healing magic, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s Level One. Now, Level Two, you gain the ability to smite your enemies, and the ability to cast spells, right?”

  “Yes?”

  “Then Level Three, you swear your Oaths, and you gain the specific abilities of the Oath that you swear, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Level Four, you gain some training, you get either stronger with your natural abilities, or training, right?”

  “Yes?” Elder Gold slowly began to nod her head.

  “Then Level Five is what we call an Expert, where you strike much more effectively, and I think Oathswain Sed Gate spells, right?”

  “Yes.” Elder Gold narrowed her eyes and tio nod.

  “So, I uand the world in that view. Levels. I also, whereas you don’t really know when yoing to slip between, you know, Lay on Hands, and then gaining spells, well, I know. Not only do I know, but I have the ability to-,”

  “You are able to gain such abilities as you please, but you are also not restraio oh,” Iromin said.

  “Exactly.”

  “Do the number of beads required for each Level increase as you increase in Level?” Iromin asked.

  “Yes.”

  ‘It is Warriors and Wanderers,’ Iromin thought. ‘The baby, Bell, is the system? Is it Ritetu who trols the system? No, it must go beyond even our Divine.’

  “It will require three beads to Awaken an enter to create Basid Greater ons passively?” Elder Gold asked, thinking about Adam’s words.

  “Yep. Though, getting three beads is hard work. That’s like…” Adam paused. “Well, I usually don’t gain all the beads for myself.”

  Iromin and Elder Gold’s eyes remained focused on the half elf, suddenly at attention.

  “I share it with everyone else. Jurot, Jaygak, Lucy, Mara, and anyone in my party, usually.”

  “Adam?” Iromin called.

  “Yeah?”

  “The beads that you have gaihrough your time sinet us. If you were uo trol when you could spend them, would you be greater than a Master?”

  “Yeah, I think so. I think I’d be…” Adam’s eyes fell to the side, revealing to the Great Elders a great deal. “I’d be not a Grandmaster. I’d be able to, if I riest, gain Sixth Gate spells. Although, I think I gain more beads than a typical person, so it’s not really a fair parison.”

  “Would Jurot also acquire such a Level?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  Iromin remained silent for a long while. While Adam had left, Zijin had e to inform him of a particur matter, but he had been in the middle of expining something to the Chief, which he uood after Adam revealed such forbidden knowledge.

  “Would the enters you Awaken also learn other entments with beads they gain themselves?” Elder Gold asked.

  ‘Bell?’

  [Yes.]

  “Yes.”

  Elder Gold he pause and then the vi from Adam’s words. She threw a look to Iromin, with a thought to how far Iromin was willing to let her go.

  Iromin was busy thinking about how many reasons Adam had giveo keep him alive, and also to kill him. However, as the ultimate authority over the half elf, he was still firmly against killing the young man. It wasn’t because of the awakening Mad Dog, who would surely kick up a fuss, to put it lightly, but because, as far as Iromin uood, Adam was always ear with him, and over thought his retionship so much it was b paranoia.

  “I’ll Awaken enters soon if you like, but it will stop me from being able to pluck that many ons,” Adam informed. “I get too sick if I do both.”

  “I uand,” Elder Gold replied. “It will be best for you to pluck as many ons as you , for now.”

  “Elder Gold, I already said yes, but…”

  “Yes?”

  “I also o ent some ons for the business, not quite for money, but we have some obligations we o sort out.”

  Elder Gold nodded.

  “Also, Elder Gold…”

  “I know,” she replied.

  “You know?”

  “You wish for me to speak with your daughter.”

  ‘Holy,’ Adam thought. “If it would not displease you.”

  Elder Gold narrowed her eyes at the way Adam spoke so formally to her. “You should also rest and spend time with your family. Your you daughter will wish to hear your stories.”

  “You are so wise, Elder Gold,” Adam joked, but he bowed his head towards her. “Thank you.”

  The pair tio iron out the details of Adam’s requests, before allowing him to leave. As Adam returned back to the shared estate, he paused. He took a moment to gather himself.

  Konarot, Kirot, and Karot each walked up to the archway as their father stepped into the shared estate. Adam stared down at them, reag down to hold out his hands, allowing Kirot and Karot to take them, before he allowed Konarot to lead him forward.

  “What is the matter?” Vonda asked.

  Adam dropped down beside her, shaking his head lightly. His eyes theo Lanarot, who sat beside her mother, who spoke a tale while knitting. “Bad news.” ‘I should have spent more time with Sky. He was mine first, and all I ever did was bully him.’

  Lanarot stared up at her brother, pouting after hearing the news. “Sky is gone?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Why?”

  “Baktu has taken him.”

  Lanarot looked to Jurot, before looking back to Adam. “Baktu already has puppy. Sky is my puppy.”

  “I know.” Adam reached out to embrace the girl. He felt her begin to shake, before he prepared himself for the scream, the girl wailing into the darkening sky. Adam kissed her cheek, before passing the girl to Jurot, who silehe screaming with ease, the girl half snoozing upon his chest a moment ter.

  However, another child began to cry.

  “Karot, what’s wrong?” Adam lifted his son up.

  “No dying, daddy!” the boy cried, sobbing and shaking.

  “No, no, daddy’s not going to die,” Adam said, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “Babo will not let me die, right?”

  “Huu!” The boy clutched his father’s shirt, hiding his head into his father’s chest.

  Adam tio hold his son, brushing his hair tenderly. He tio kiss his son’s cheek, swaying side to side. ‘Damn. How my sohis cute? You don’t have to worry at all, there’s no way I’m going to die. I’m going to behave from now on, I promise.’

  Ohe childreaken away to prepare them for bed, Adam revealed the o Jurot and the others.

  “Reavers?” Jurot replied, his voice betraying his excitement.

  “Yeah, apparently.”

  “It is said they e from the stars to test their mettle,” Jurot said, like a boy speaking a fantastical tale. “They e to fight and sughter, and they grab people and take them to their home, nds unknown.”

  “They sound like bad news.”

  “Yes,” Jurot agreed, slowly nodding his head.

  Dunes sat awkwardly between them both, vaguely recalling learning about the Reavers, but he hadn’t paid much attention to threats of a bygone era.

  “Chief Iromin says they probably have a hundred Paragons,” Adam said. “He’s not certain, but he wants to prepare for the worst.”

  “We Iyrmen alrepare for the worst.”

  “Hey, where’s Kitool anyhow?” Adam asked. “She left before I did, and she’s still not back?”

  “She may be required elsewhere,” Jurot replied simply.

  ‘Reavers…’ Duhought. ‘I should send word back to the Order.’

  Expining how the remote works to yrandparents, except they actually mao uand.