Chương 1703: [1600] – Y07.100 – A Man X

A seed had been planted, had taken root swiftly, but such a plant grown from such a seed required culling, for within the hearts of one so young, one so sweet, one so innocent, such a plant could not bloom.

"You should oppress others in such a manner," Baztam said, placing a hand upon Jirot's head, the girl's shy smile returning up towards him, so full of joy and delight, as one might have expected from a girl whose affection reached the heavens. Though the old man playfully praised the girl, he did not know, for he was not the girl's father. Even the keen eyes of her mother did not fall upon her with such thought, but it was within the half elf's anxiety in which the thought dared to grow.

The girl waited for the old man to ruffle little Jarot's hair and the pair skittered away, cackling with delight. Karot blinked upwards towards the shadow of the old man.

"Your sisters take such good care of you," Baztam said, reaching down to ruffle the boy's hair.

"One day, they will also rely on you." Karot flushed, though Konarot and Kirot pouted, for as the eldest, they should watch over the younger sibling, and yet with the way Karot smiled, how could they deny their greatuncle's words? As the twins prepared for the night…

"You must sleep with me," Adam said, towering over the twins, his shadow swallowing them whole.

"Daddy, we must sleep with nano and babo," the girl retorted, standing tall and proud, her shadow swallowing her father whole.

"You must sleep with your daddy because he is sad." Jirot winced, taking a step away from her father, blinking rapidly towards the form of her father, her lips trembling a moment. She rushed up to her greatmother, the girl standing opposite her, her fists clenched on either side of her. The little girl swallowed. She turned to look towards her father once more.

"Nano! Babo! We must sleep with daddy today! Okay!"

"You must cuddle him well," Gangak replied, pinching the girl's cheek. Jirot remained full of tension, unable to even respond as one might have expected of her.

"If I must surrender you, I will," the old man replied, his eyes peering towards his grandson, who remained entirely focused upon the tiny girl. The tiny children followed their father to bed, their hearts trembling with anxiety, and though they climbed atop him, a chill remained. It did not remain long, however, for suddenly their father's arms wrapped around them, pulling them in close. The two buried their heads within his chest.

It was this chest which they had known their entire lives, from the first day of their lives, to the present day.

"Are you okay, daddy?"

"I am feeling much better now that you are within my arms," the half elf said, his eyes peeking up towards his triplets, who blinked at their father innocently. The half elf smiled warmly towards them. The triplets smiled in return.

"Do you know why I feel sad?"

"I know," the girl whispered, reaching up to hold onto his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"If you say you know, then you know," the half elf replied, planting a firm kiss on the girl's head, and another upon his son's head. As the three held one another, the half elf closed his eyes, feeling their weight against his lap.

"Jirot, Jarot."

"Daddy..."

"I am not like you, or your sisters, or even your brothers, for you all possess the wisdom of your mother. I am your father. I am Adam. I am the one they call the Crazy Father. I am the one who has troubled many nobles. I, who had dared to swing at great beings. It is I who you must call your father, and I know it's difficult to call me your father, especially when it is your mother who holds such grand titles, that of a Ray of Hope, and such great power, the kind not even this father of yours can defeat."

"It is not difficult at all, daddy!" Jirot grumbled, gripping his collar tightly in her chubby hand.

"Not difficult at all!" Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The half elf smiled, staring down at the faces of his twins, both so similar, yet so different.

"It seems I made a mistake with my words, for this father of yours, he is not as wise as you or your mother."

"You are strong, daddy! So handsome, so strong, and I know you are wise too, daddy!"

"Ah? I've been caught?" The half elf raised his brows in surprise, noting the twinkle within his daughter's eyes.

"I have caught you, daddy." Jirot's grip tightened on his collar, the girl's threat evident within her grip, the anxiety evident on the surface of her eyes.

"Even though I worry you so much... I want you to know. This father of yours, as you said, he is strong. This father of yours, even if he isn't as smart as your mother, he isn't as wise as your mother, he isn't as beautiful as your mother, this father of yours, he is still a little smart, a little wise, and a little handsome." Adam pulled the pair closer to his chest.

"I know that I worry you, I know that I worry your mother, I know I worry everyone, but you should know. You do not need to worry for me. This father of yours, did you know, even the Divine have come for his head?" Jirot blinked, staring up at her father.

"One of the Major Divine came for your father's head, but Baktu did not allow him to take my head," Adam said, motioning towards the obsidian symbol on his chest.

"Only a few people know of this, and they have kept it a secret, but I am-,""Adam," Vonda called, for he had said too much within the estate of another, and this much could be considered boasting, but what he was about to say was too dangerous.

"Jirot, Jarot..." Adam swallowed lightly.

"This father of yours, he only pretends to be a fool. Do you know why?"

"Umm..." Jirot stared up towards her father's face, blinking up towards him, noting the sharpness of his jaw, noting the clarity within his eyes, this fool of a father, who no longer seemed to appear a fool.

"Daddy is strong," Jarot said.

"That's right. This father of yours, he is strong. He is strong, but not like those you know, not like your mother, not like your papos and kakos, not like your nanas or babas, or your nanos or babos. Your father, he's strong. Your father is scary."

"Scary?" Jirot, unable to help herself, side eyed her father, the incredulous look falling upon her father.

"I defeated the Fariq and Fariq Thanwi, yes?"

"Yes!"

"I defeated them one after another, so quickly, and if I had fought them at once, perhaps I could have defeated them both still."

"Yes! Daddy is the strongest!" Jirot declared, holding up both of her fists in triumph, and little Jarot smiled.

"Yes, daddy is strong, but daddy, he said he can't grow quickly, and yet, he's already this strong." Adam wondered how he managed to get onto this topic.

"No. What's important is that you know daddy is strong, and that daddy cannot grow too powerful at this time. Even then, your daddy, he's scary. Not to you, but even the Iyr, they think daddy is scary." Jirot side eyed her father once more.

"Do you think I am scary?"

"Daddy is not scary," the girl stated firmly. Adam smiled, pulling his daughter and son in close.

"That's right! This father of yours, he isn't scary in the slightest! Your daddy, even if he's scary to everyone else!"

"The Iyr is scared of you, daddy?"

"Yes."

"Really?" the girl asked, side eyeing her father once more, taking in his appearance once more with her amber eyes, her eyes then darting to the side, to her mother, who her father could never defeat.

"Why is the Iyr scary?"

"The Iyr is scary because it is so strong."

"In the same way, your father is scary because he is strong."

"Mm..." Jirot narrowed her eyes.

"The Iyr is stronger than daddy?"

"Yes," Adam replied.

"The Iyr, as a whole, is stronger than your father. Yet, your father, who is only twenty five, can defeat almost everyone up to those who are almost triple his age. Not only that, your father, is he a Warrior? Is he a Rage Dancer? Is he a Scribe Mage? Is he a Priest? Is he an Oathsworn?"

"Daddy is daddy." Adam's laughter filled the air, only stopping to plant firm kisses upon his children's cheeks.

"This father of yours, he is scary because he can do so many things. Just like the Iyr, daddy restrains himself. So even though I fought all three of them, did you know? Daddy held back." Jirot looked up towards her father, noting the twinkling within his eyes, and the girl's lips formed a wider smile. Little Jarot also stared up at his father, his eyes sparkling.

'So cool!'

"Sometimes, daddy is melancholic for this and that reason, but..." Adam sighed.

"Dear, if you are so smart, even if you are so wise, even if you are so pretty, even if you are your mother's daughter, and even if you bully me so deeply, you cannot grow up so quickly! Leave the politicking to your mummy and daddy! You have to cause trouble, but you have to do it like a little girl!"

"Daddy, I will trouble you as I please!"

"You! You punk!"

"Daddy! Did you know?" Jirot grabbed the half elf by his head, hugging it against her chest.

"I am your daughter! If I do not cause you trouble, how will they know?" Vonda was fairly her husband had wanted to take the conversation another way, but seeing the way the pair teased one another, she allowed them to cuddle so tenderly.

'Damn it!' the half elf thought as they made to sleep.

'Jirot! You are scarier than even me!'

"As long as you know, daddy," came a whisper. Adam's eyes fell down to her daughter, who stared at him through the dark, for even within the darkness, the girl could ready his face. The half elf smirked, and the girl smirked in return, the pair cuddling tighter. Thankfully, Jirot did not see the look upon the half elf's face as he stared at the ceiling. The half elf's eyes were resolute.

'How dare you make my daughter grow up so quickly, you bastards.' Thankfully, they would arrive there tomorrow.