Chương 1003: [951] - Y04.051 - Elders Responsibilities I

Adam spent his mornings playing with the children, from his six adorable children, to his adorable cousins. The days he spent enchanting the weapons, which would pay the salaries of all the figures within the business. In the evenings he would continue spoiling the children, feeding Gurot from his hands, reading to Inakan, allowing her to show him all the pictures, and following Kavgak wherever she led him, usually just to one plant or the next, which Gimon had begun watering.

The businessfolk had become used to Adam's antics of being a fool of a father, especially with his youngest daughter, who loved to bully him.

"Smelly boy! I am feeding mummy!" Jirot stood tall and proud, clenching her fists to the side.

"Daddy wants to feed mummy too…" Jirot inhaled deeply and leaned back slightly, pumping out her chest. Her eyes dared her father to say more. Adam closed his eyes.

'How can I defeat you when you're this cute? It's impossible, impossible! Not even for a trillion XP!' While his daughter bullied him, Adam had no idea the complications he brought to the Iyr. Already, there was a small issue of the young cousins spending their time at the fort, for they could not spend too long.

However, it was technically considered an outing, so it wasn't that big of a deal, however, the request to take not just the Iyr's children, but also his own children out of the Iyr, brought greater complications. Technically, Adam did not need to ask for the Iyr's permission to take his children out of the Iyr. Technically, the children, in the eyes of the Iyr… Zijin stared down at the paper, unable to finish the thought.

He tapped his finger on the table, thinking back to the small pebble the little goblin girl had brought to him while her father was out.

'Elder Zijin, I give it to you, okay?' There was no doubt the half elf had no idea, since the girl had already forgotten it, he was certain of that much, but he had not. Indeed, for though the half elf adored his children, there were things about his children only the others knew.

'They are behaving as though the children are truly children of the Rot family.' Zijin smiled slightly. It wasn't that they were behaving in such a way, it was that in the eyes of the Rot family, Adam's children were no different than even Jurot's future child. At such a level, the Iyr's hands were tied, such was the freedom afforded to the Rot family, to all the families of the Iyr. Zijin thought of Gangak, and the other two families, the Ool and Kan family, who no doubt treated the children in such a manner too.

The Elder smiled wider, writing down the notes of consideration for such an outing. The Elder thought of all those who would be willing to leave with the children. It was a simple enough matter for the children of the Iyr. They would need two for each of the families, one for each of the children leaving. They would need to send eight Experts, plus a Master and a Grandmaster. However, there was also the consideration for the six other children, meaning another six Experts would need to be assigned.

Whereas the Iyr could tap into the entire pool of Iyrmen for the eight children, for six of the children, the pool was far smaller. It was easy to ask someone like Litol to assist in the outing for someone like Lanarot, since in the Iyr, it was completely irrelevant for one family who had nothing to do with another to assist in protecting a child of the Iyr, it was the Iyr's greatest law, the law which underpinned everything about the Iyr. If not for a child of the Iyr, what did an Iyrman have to fight for?

Yet, would Litol do the same for Jirot?

'If I asked, he would consider it,' Zijin thought, but he leaned back and thought of six names who would go.

'Jarot. Gangak. Otkan.' These three names came to him easily, but what of the the rest?

'Mulrot cannot, she is the Family Elder. Zirot? No, she has to stay too, since Tarot is still training. I could send Fakrot…' Zijin frowned.

'Since it is dangerous for those six in particular, I should consider those who are stronger.' As an Elder, Zijin had to consider all manner of politics within the Iyr, but not just the politics of the Iyr, but also the politics of the heart.

'I should not send those who the children are unfamiliar with. There is also the matter of appearance for the children.' Towards the end of the day, having thought of the matter deeply, as one would have expected from him since the matter dealt with the children of the Iyr, the Elder made his way towards a particular set of extended family estates. First he decided to speak with the estate which had shown promise for this particular matter.

The children all stared towards the Elder as he approached one of their eldest family members. The older Iyrman bowed his head lightly, and when Zijin returned a bow of his own head, the old Iyrman stood. He did not wear his armour, but his trusty blade, the same blade that was his name sake, red as blood, hung at his side. The pair stepped away to one side in order to speak privately.

"What is it that you require from this old man?" Shasen asked.

"There is an outing planned for a group of children," Zijin said.

"Your niece, Sonarot, wishes to take her grandchildren out to Red Oak." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Shasen narrowed his eyes slightly. He bowed his head slowly, allowing the Elder to continue.

"Would you be willing to sign yourself to go?"

"Which child will I escort?"

"One of the triplets."

"Okay," Shasen replied. Zijin raised his brows, having not expected the Iyrman to accept so quickly. He held out a slip for the Iyrman, who read the dates of the trip, and signed it, before handing the slip back to the Elder. Zijin stared at the slip for a moment, before turning to leave. Shasen escorted the Elder back, before Zijin stopped.

"Why did you accept?"

"Is there a reason for me to refuse?"

"You know why I ask."

"You know it is a stupid reason to ask."

"Is it?" Shasen frowned, feeling his heart sink upon the Elder's words.

"Do you wish for me to speak with Dogek?" Zijin smiled, continuing on his way.

"He is a Family Elder."

'Ah,' Shasen thought, exhaling in relief.

'He is a Family Elder.' Zijin spent a moment waving at the children, and after spending a few minutes allowing them to chatter at him, the Elder excused himself. He made his way to another estate, one he was more intimately familiar with. He first stopped at a particular tree, reaching out to brush along its bark. When he was a boy, the tree was so much thinner, but after a generation, it had widened at least a fistful.

"It seems much bigger now," the Elder admitted.

"When I was a boy, I'm sure I thought it was bigger than it was."

"Yes," came the voice, a near whisper. He was tall and thin, and his goatee had grown longer, reaching down to his chest. He reached over to the tree, which he had grown alongside even when he was a boy. The old man waited, understanding the boy, the Elder, had come to speak with him.

"Sonarot wishes to take her grandchildren on an outing to Red Oak." After a moment of silence, the Elder sighed.

"I wish for you to escort little Jarot."

"Mad Dog will not appreciate you calling him little." Zijin chuckled lightly, shaking his head, his eyes glued to the tree. He felt the bark against his finger tips, including along one part of the bark he had chipped as a boy, something which had brought him into so much trouble as a child.

"Mad Dog will escort his greatdaughter, but I wish for you to escort his greatson, since they are always a pair."

"I am a Family Elder," Rajin replied. It was not so much as a refusal, but a reminder to the Elder that he could not.

"Bloodblade has accepted."

"Bloodblade is not a Family Elder."

"It has to be someone from the Jin family, and I could only think of you," Zijin said.

"It can only be you." Rajin remained silent for a long while.

"We, as Elders, have responsibilities to the Iyr, to our families."

"I am not asking as an Elder to a Family Elder, but as a nephew to his uncle." Rajin reached up to his beard out of shock from the sheer audacity of his nephew's words. They could only speak as Elders, an Elder of the Iyr and the Elder of the Jin family.

'Is this so important that you would break convention and ask me to step down from my position?' There were many reasons as to why Zijin wanted Rajin to go. Rajin was, as the Aldishman might call, a horc. It wouldn't look out of the ordinary if he was with the twins, and so there was a first layer of protection. This layer was needed, especially due to a particular noble's presence within Red Oak. Rajin, who held the title Bearded Dragon, was also extremely strong.

He had gained such great renown, he was considered Drakebane's rival, in not just strength, but also for the position which Drakebane held. Though he had stepped back from the position and what was expected of him, and though there was a joke that he had become the Family Elder for access to greater fruits for his wines, he hadn't shirked away his position from the Family Elder. No one could deny that he wasn't the best Jin for the role, the Jin family under the guidance of the best hand.

Zijin had to consider him too. Mad Dog. If Jarot became too rowdy, Rajin could certainly temper the old man, either causing him to stay with his words, or with his blade. These were the considerations the Elder had to make. However, there was one more reason, and it was perhaps the most important reason. Zijin hadn't expected the Sen family to take the matter so seriously, for Bloodblade to accept the matter so easily to escort one of the triplets.

It had been a simple matter for him to move for Lanarot's sake, since Sonarot was essentially Bloodblade's niece due to the fact she was born and raised in the Gek family, raised alongside the Sen family. However, for him to move for the triplets, it had sent a message to the Rot family, and to the rest of the Iyr.

'The Gak, Rot, Ool, and Kan families have officially accepted the children. Some from the Gek and Sen families have also accepted the children, though not quite as officially…' The Jin family was close to the Kan family, two families which were heavyweights in every era of the Iyr thus far. Zijin did not doubt that there was already a feeling of acceptance from the Jin family, especially since Adam had assisted them. Adam had brought back Timojin's sister's remains, and he also trained Uwajin.

However, if Rajin stepped up now, then Zijin wouldn't need to worry about the children when it came to their place in the Iyr.

"Have you spoken to them?" Rajn asked.

"No."

"It must have been a difficult decision."

"It had to be done." Rajin let out a long sigh, standing beside his nephew as the darkening sky basked them in its gentle light, the shadows growing longer. Rajin remained deathly silent, slowly ruminating on what his nephew was asking him, and why. He understood the difficult position Zijin was in, especially since he was given such great authority over matters concerning a particularly foolish half elf, who constantly stressed the Great Elders with his antics.

"You are working too hard."

"Are you saying that as the Family Elder, or my uncle?"

"I can only speak to you as the Family Elder." A sad smile formed on Zijin's face, and he gently bowed his head. The report made its way up to the Chief. It was expected for the Chief to share the report with the rest of the Great Elders, with Elder Gold and Elder Teacher both holding quite some influence when it came to outings. However, the Chief stared at the report.

'Elder Zijin…' The Chief read the report thoroughly, reading through Zijin's recommendations, and the reasons behind them. The report was several pages long, which was fairly typical, except there were two other pages upon the back the Chief read with a tentative heart.

'To think you would go this far.' Chief Iromin leaned back in his chair, reaching up to rub his eyes. He wasn't sure if he should share the entire report to the Great Elders, since Zijin had gone above and beyond his station. Of course, not reporting it wasn't an option, since that would only make things worse. Chief Iromin wasn't sure if he was glad Rajin had refused, or if he should have hoped that the Bearded Dragon should have accepted.

'Are you glad you are not in my position, Rajin?'