Chương 1284: [1200] - Y06.100 - Trouble in Our Hearts X

"You know…" Adam began, his eyes still closed as he tried to keep his heart calm.

"I remembered something the Primrose Sword said. She said, though our Order may be new, you should show us the appropriate respect. Jurot, too, asked me to show the proper respect. People keep asking me to show them respect, but…" Bael grinned wide, seeing the way the half elf grit his teeth in a distorted grin, the kind that was seconds away from causing a mess.

"I haven't seen any of you show me or mine the appropriate respect?"

'What is he talking about?' Sir Harold thought.

"They are still trying to establish their place in this land," Jurot said.

"Please be…" Adam turned to face Jurot, his eyes full of a glare, but as he blinked, the glare disappeared, since there was no way the half elf would glare at his brother. Adam inhaled deeply once more, feeling the stress rise in his chest, before letting it all out, the guilt in his heart from glaring at his brother in such a way. He clenched his fists against his biceps, his arms still crossed, his entire body still tense, though began to relax slightly.

He eyed up each of the figures around, noting all of his people were about, from Mork to Dunes to Taygak, and Commander Silversky kept his keen eye upon the half elf, but had yet to step forward since Adam was giving such an aura.

"Let me tell you the story about how Jonn and I met," Adam began, smiling politely, beaming towards them all, as though he hadn't been moments away from kicking off and laying a beat down that would go down in history.

"It was a few years ago, about… six or seven years ago now? Six? Six sounds about right. I met him, and let me tell you, he was utterly worthless as a person." Dunes had never heard Adam speak about anyone in such a way, the Aswadian looking to Kitool and Jurot for support. He was certain he knew what Adam meant, since he and Adam had also met shortly before the half elves met one another.

"We fought, and he thought, because I was a young kid at the time, and he was a fancy pants member of an Order, well, he wasn't a member of the Order at the time, but he thought he could have a go at me. I beat him so hard, day became night, you know what I mean?" Adam chuckled, noting just how displeased the figures around were.

"Anyway, we had made a bet, and he didn't want to keep his word to me, but he followed me around like a kicked puppy. We went on all sorts of wonderful adventures, but he was still a worthless person." Jonn turned slightly red, not of anger, but of shame, for though the half elf was speaking harshly, he was speaking the truth.

"Years passed, then, one day, he finally chose to swear himself to me, as he had promised years before. He promised to protect my children, for that was the one thing which was most important to me, my beautiful children, each worth more than this entire land. Last year, he… he failed his duties. My son, Jarot, named after the Mad Dog, was killed." Adam's eyes began to water, his throat shuddering.

"My boy, Larot, named after an ancestor close to Life's Rose, and who did not use an axe, he was killed too. Jonn, he failed, and more importantly, I failed." The half elf cleared his throat, his eyes darting between the figures all around, for the shame within his eyes was quickly replaced with anger.

"So he waited. He waited. Then, when it came time for me to die, he accompanied me, as well as many other brave souls, Manager Dunes included. They accompanied me to certain death, surrounded by all the Orders. There, we found those who committed the most heinous of sins." Adam grit his teeth, trying to find his voice as tears trickled down his cheeks. He had no shame shedding these tears, for there were those here who should be ashamed, and it was not he who had gone to die.

"Who kills children, those who have yet to turn even five?" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The words were spoken in a whisper, by a half elf whose tears fell freely, and yet, had those here heard anything more threatening in their lives?

"Those who committed such a sin once made their home here, in these very walls. Jonn fought his mentor, the very man who raised him, for the sake of keeping his Oaths, for the sake of my children. He who was abandoned by his Order, betrayed by his brothers and sisters, chose to fight alongside me to his certain death. Jonn is a Manager of the United Kindom.

That alone should tell you what he is to the business, but Manager Jonn, whose ears are shaped the same as mine, the handsome fellow that my children adore because he looks like their father, is like family to me." Adam pointed at the other half elf, his entire body growing stiff with anger, his finger, almost like a blade poised to kill, remained focused on Jonn, but it was not a blade poised to kill him.

"Manager Jonn is a man. He is someone who was given a chance to go from a worthless sack of shit, to a person worthy of the world, and he did it. He made something of himself, he is something great, he is someone great, worthy of respect, a true man of duty. He's not someone who picks a fight with someone with the wrong ears, skin, hair, horns, all while adorned in his full plate, wielding a blade that's probably magical, and yet worth more than a thousand of him."

Adam's glare fell upon Sir Finn, as though ready to kill him.

"Enough of this," Sir Harold whispered angrily.

"I will not have you disrespect us within our own home."

"You know!" Adam said, his finger ready to kill as he held it up, the half elf's grin turning stiff.

"I remember something from last year. Surrounded by all those Orders. I took my vengeance, justice one might call it, with my own two hands, and, of course, with the help of my family. From my brother here, who stood against your King. From Manager Jonn, who held off his mentor. From Uwajin's cousin, who I consider my own cousin, Timojin, who held you off, Sir. Honey. Suckle. Sword."

Adam's eyes accused the man, the veins within his eye bursting, causing his eye to twitch, the half elf constantly closing his eyes to deal with the annoyance.

"You are beside yourself, young man!"

"I came to you today with a chest full of silver and gold! I promised you a Greater Enhanced blade! This is how I am treated in return? You are-," Adam shouted, though he flexed, feeling the rage rising within him, his cheeks red hot, and though his entire body grew stiff, after clenching his fists and flexing, the half elf exhausted the frustrations through him.

Bael raised a brow towards the half elf, who was so obviously trying to regulate himself, the half dragon's eyes falling upon the Iyrman who was ready to step forward, and yet had stopped to allow his brother to compose himself.

"Manager Dunes, please pass me your blade." Dunes blinked, throwing a look to Jurot, who nodded. The Aswadian stepped forward, and he placed the sheathed blade onto Adam's open palm, the half elf slowly clasping his fingers around the sheath of the blade. The tingling sensation filled the pair, and soon, that sensation danced only upon the half elf's palm. Adam tutted quietly, and as he opened his eyes, the half elf seemed almost too relaxed.

He smiled warmly, tempered by an exhaustion, no doubt from keeping himself from causing a mess, and it was such trouble, for he was without a shadow of doubt, his daughter's father.

"Here," Adam almost whispered, his voice strained, "Sir Honeysuckle Sword. I would like you to hold this blade." Sir Harold reached over towards the hilt of the blade, slowly taking it from the half elf, feeling its great magic tingling through his gloved hand.

"As you can tell, it's a Greater Enhanced blade. It's name is Thunder's Triumph. It is one of the best weapons the Enchanter has made to date. It's a beautiful blade, isn't it? A blade like that? Fit for a dragon, one that accompanied us on our journey and protected us on the way back, one might say." Sir Harold wasn't sure what that specific statement meant, but as he held the blade, it was truly magnificent.

It was forged so beautifully, one might have thought it was forged through magic, but it was the tingling sensation which ran through his fingers which caused his heart to pulse with greed.

"There is something rather interesting about that sword," Adam said.

"Something which you would be interested in hearing."

"Do you think this will distract me from the matter at hand?" Adam smiled, wondering just how coy he should be.

"That depends, for that blade, earlier this year, beheaded a particular individual, and I wonder if you can guess."

"You have sung your tune long enough, young man!"

'How boring,' Adam thought, letting out a sigh as Sir Harold held the blade out towards the half elf.

"That sword took the head of the Grand Commander of High Garden, Sir James Greatwood."