Chương 1252: [1169] - Y06.069 - The Start of Noonval III

"Lead Rick, We want to thank you for your hard work thus far," Adam said, shaking the man's forearm.

"To show our gratitude, the business passes to you this silver token, crafted by yours truly." The silver token was wide and heavy, more a plaque. It was engraved with gentle lines, only a hair's width within, but each line accompanied another, emphasising the other, like a married couple. The lines formed a particular symbol, that of a rose, upon the surface.

"You might be thinking, can this be used to call in a small favour from the business? Yes, yes it can. You might be thinking, is this worth twenty silver with how much silver was used? Yes, yes it is." The half elf smiled, holding out the silver for the Lead.

"Thank you, Executive," Rick replied, accepting the silver from the half elf's hands. Though he already had so much silver and gold, to the point he had no idea how to spend it all, the Lead couldn't help but feel the tingling sensation of pride running through his body. He glanced aside towards the others who applauded him, catching his wife's eye for a moment, and he straightened up, a small smirk encroaching upon his lips.

"I want to also congratulate Cobra, Viper, and Python to their roles as Leads. Since most of the other management are heading out, and the rest are busy dealing with other matter due to the threat, I'll leave you with five Leads. That should be enough for you all to deal with whatever issues, and if you do have need of the other Managers, please send word through the Iyr. Don't be shy in annoying them, I'll take on the burden of repaying them." Adam's eyes darted around the businessfolk.

"I will repeat myself. Don't be shy in annoying them, I'll take on the burden of repaying them. I would rather you annoy them than risk any of you being harmed in some way. It's easy to prevent something than it is to fix something."

"Yes, Executive!" Cobra replied, causing the others to reply back in an awkward symphony.

"Since you have been promoted on such short notice, please accept this silver," Adam said, holding out the silver tokens to the trio of women.

"Oh, and, Rick, Remy, Jeremy, for your great work, we will be lending you one of the fire swords we typically auction off. Whilst the Reaver threat is under way, we will entrust you to fight if there is an emergency, and once the threat has passed, well, whose to say you won't be able to keep the weapons?" The half elf winked at the trio, handing out the swords to each of them.

As Rick accepted the blade from Adam's hand, he noted the half elf kept a tight grip upon it, the half elf's eyes looking through him, regretting the handing of the weapon.

"I should have made this a bigger deal," Adam whispered to Rick, reaching up to pat his shoulder.

"Rick… I am passing, I mean, we of the business, the United Kindom, are passing this blade onto you. This blade represents not just a reward, but a duty we entrust you with. This blade, it's a decent blade. Sure, it's not as grand as Vengeance, or Hope, or Phantom, but it's a blade many covet. If sold, one could earn one, two, three, maybe as much as five thousand gold. That is how much we of the United Kindom, from the Executives, to even little Enisa, who doesn't even know your name, believe in you."

Rick felt a chill run through his spine with how quickly Adam switched upon him, the Lead standing taller.

"Yes, Executive!" Adam held out the fire blade towards Remy, the man almost stumbling towards the half elf, mumbling words of gratitude. The man felt the clear glare of the half elf pierce through him like a blade. This Adam was so different than the other Adams he knew, the Adam which allowed his children to tease him until he was almost a sobbing mess. The Adam who no longer wore a mask, or perhaps, wore another mask, in order to complete something greater than himself.

"Thank you, Executive," Jeremy said, accepting the blade from the half elf. His eyes darted to meet with his cousin's, the pair suddenly feeling their arms burn, not from the magic of the blade, or the weight of its steel, but the expectations of duty that was suddenly sprung upon them. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Adam remained quiet for a long moment.

He had seemed a fool for so long, he worried the businessfolk would not take him so seriously. It was at times like this he almost regretted his behaviour. Almost. The half elf let out a long sigh.

"I… will pray for you all while I am gone. Although, maybe I should ask my wife to pray instead?" The half elf cut the tension in the air as easily as he had cut down the Grand Commander of High Garden. He smiled, winking at the group, though he held the stress upon his face as he pulled away. He noted the others around, nodding his head, as well as some familiar Iyrmen, though he made his way towards the brothers.

"How many of those swords do you possess?" Brother Mork asked, raising a playful brow.

"You are handing them out as Iyrmen hand out death."

"We're a little more reserved than that," Adam joked, smirking slightly.

"That may be true." Mork chuckled in response, burying the fear within his heart.

"How is the plate mail treating you?"

"It is treating me well, Executive. I had not expected the armour so soon, and I'm grateful it was finished before we had to leave. Thank you for that."

"We had a lot of help from the Iyr, so it wasn't all our doing," Adam replied with a charming wink.

"It isn't rare to be treated so well by someone who needs the help of someone like me, but seeing as you already have yourself, Brother Dunes, and Ray Vonda, I am…" Mork glanced around, lowering his voice.

"I'm not suspicious, but… I start thinking of questions."

"Like what?"

"Why we are being treated so well when you are already so strong, so powerful, and already have so many other powerful figures around you."

"For one reason or another, you and your brother find yourself at the business, though you once had a temple to call your home. Do I have questions about why you, a Priest, have decided to leave a cushy place like that with your horc brother to retire in some random place in the South? Sure. Am I going to ask? Nah." Adam glanced down towards the Priest's holy symbol and the symbol of the United Kindom.

"Last year, when Starsword tried to kill me, you and your brother, you both drew your blades for me. When I went to fight the Orders, you wanted to come along. Either you both have a death wish, or you are proper Northerners, like those the Iyr often speak of. Full plate and a Basic Enhanced weapon are a cheap price to pay for good people like you." Mork slowly bowed his head. He hadn't spoken to Adam about wanting to come along during that time, but if he knew, that was fine by him.

"The answers were simpler than expected."

"They always are."

"I do not have the privilege of having a death wish, though." Mork kept the half elf's gaze for a long while, before bowing his head, and Adam returned the bow of his head.

"Why are you two talking about that sorta thing?" Tork grumbled, reaching out to shake the Executive's forearm.

"Executive, if my brother's troubling you, you just have ta tell me, and I'll beat him into proper properness."

"It's fine. I can beat him up well enough."

"Aye, but if you do it, I'll have ta help him." Adam grinned wide, shaking lightly as the laughter threatened to overwhelm him, the half elf patting Tork on the side.

"Damn it, Tork. I knew I liked you for a reason."

"Shame you aren't queer, though you have great taste in men." Tork grinned wildly, almost cackling with his laughter.

"Are you?"

"Not any more."

'You can stop being gay?' Adam thought.

"Actually, that was rather inappropriate of me to ask. Whatever you do with your business, I mean, that kind of business, I mean, you know, the…" Mork and Tork watched as the half elf inhaled deeply, falling deep into thought, which flashed upon his face, until he realised it was better to shut up.

"I'll leave you two to it," Adam said, his eyes focused upon another.

"I don't know if he's as dull as a shadow, or as bright as the sun, but he sure can kill a bastard, can't he?" Tork said, watching the half elf step away to another.

"Adam is Adam," Mork said, finding the wisdom in the words. His eyes remained glued to Adam, who held such worries for small things and big things, and held no worried about small things and big things at the same time.

"I shouldn't have quit drinking."

"I told you to drink with me in the evenings. S'no good giving up the drink like that. A man's bones grow right with alcohol."

"Only cherry wine, and only those from the fruits born high of mountain, and distilled in casks dwarven low."

"Can't understand a word they say, but damn, they make the best alcohol," Tork replied, letting out a low sigh as he thought of dwarven brandy.

"Aswadasad's got some dwarves, don't they?"

"Not many." Tork clicked his teeth.

"We should have stayed in the north."

"Return your sword and we can go back."

"Naw, naw, the blade's already comfortable my side." Tork cleared his throat, resting his forearm between his hilt and hip.

'Did he have to go speak with that crazy guy?' Mork thought, watching as Adam approached him.