Chương 1767: [1664] – Y07.164 – A Man of Steel IV

The sky blanketed the land in purple. As the half elf returned back to the estate, he found his children in the middle of reading, though Jirot had stopped, for her eldest siblings had turned to look away, and as they waited, found their father entering a moment later.

At first, Jirot was going to open her mouth, but seeing the way her father was looking at her, the way his eyes seemed to be holding that sadness which disarmed even her, she closed her book and rushed her way towards her father, followed quickly behind by the rest of her siblings.

"Daddy! You are back!" Jirot declared, grabbing her father by his leg, and she waited and waited, but instead she found a hand atop her head.

"This father of yours has claimed victory and has returned," Adam replied, but after a moment, he relented to his true heart and dropped to his knees, reaching out to hold all of his children within his arms, pulling them all close, the six exchanging kisses between one another.

"Good job, daddy, good job," Jirot assured, reaching up to rub his cheek.

"I shall tell you the tale myself." Jirot blinked. She hadn't realised it was that bad. Thankfully, the children were primed to listen to a tale, for it was evening, and Jirot had yet to finish the book, so the children eagerly listened to their father's tale instead, in which he spoke of what he had done.

"Do you know why I treated them that way?" Jirot was about to respond, when she noted her father's pointed look, and she quickly raised her hand, waiting for her father to pick her, though he was currently looking at her brother.

"Jirot, why-,""I know! I know, daddy!" Jirot half exclaimed.

"It is because you are nano's grandson!"

'I'm…' Adam closed his eyes, as humour assaulted his heart, and as tears slipped down his face, the half elf's lips forming a coy smile, with a pained breath he called for his daughter. Jirot climbed atop her father's lap, holding his daughter close, and he peppered her face with kisses.

"That's right! It's because this father of yours, isn't he nano's grandson?"

"Kekeke!" the children cackled, accepting their father's affection, each of them climbing onto his lap to embrace him, allowing him to shower them with kisses.

"This father of yours! He's going to work hard to grow stronger! Then I'm going to show everyone who this father of yours is!" Adam lifted each of his children, holding them two by three, and then, noting his wife's look, the half elf flushed.

"It's time to bathe!"

"Daddy! I want to finish the story!" Jirot complained.

"You can read it in the morning, when everyone is fresh, while the food is cooking so we can smell such delicious food, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Did you forget?" Adam called, holding his daughter's gaze with his eyes.

"I am babo's grandson too!" Jirot cackled in response, and though neither of them understood the joke, they understood it was funny, and soon the children were bathed and they were settled among their family, this time the triplets sleeping with their grandmother as Adam stole his twins away from their greatparents.

"Your father is bullying me too much," the old Jarot said, his entire body tense, ready to claim his greatchildren.

"Daddy is allowed to bully you, babo," Jirot replied, and upon seeing her father's gaze, the girl's eyes narrowed.

"It is all your fault, babo. You think I will no-," The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Adam quickly covered his daughter's mouth, not wanting the girl to slip up so soon after he had informed her not to speak such things about her greatfather.

"Dear, since your babo doesn't understand, should we not send…" Jirot seemed utterly bewildered, but Adam raised his brows.

"What? You think you are the only one? Everyone else is enduring, but you cannot? You are so weak? You think your name is a joke? Mad Dog? Mad Dog? You are a Bad Dog! Even Sunny is much better! You think I will not beat you? You think I am so merciful?" Jarot stared at the one who dared to speak such words to him, but what could he do, for though Jirot was her father's daughter's, she was also her aunt's niece.

"Clean your neck, you damn dog!" Lanarot exclaimed, holding up the side of her open hand, ready to chop his neck. Mulrot's jaw remained tense, and she caught Adam's gaze, the half elf also keeping his jaw tense, though it was difficult for him, for she was a Monk, and had learned to keep her emotions in check, but the tears slipped through Adam's eyes, and Jirot, too, held her hands over her open mouth, for she was still a girl, and so was more shocked by her aunt's words.

Little Jarot, on the other hand, stared out towards his greatmother, in utter bewilderment.

"Then you must sleep with me tonight!" Jarot almost exclaimed back, standing tall and firm, for he was the girl's grandfather, and the fire within her heart had been passed on through her dormant father from him.

"I have shown too much mercy," Lanarot stated, and then, even she, realised she required the assistance of another. She glared towards the Mad Dog. The Mad Dog remained silent. She closed her eyes and slowly returned to slumber, trapping the Mad Dog under her.

"Kako Amalrot is so strong," Jirot whispered, for when she appeared, not even her babo could speak. Adam wasn't going to inform the reason why Jarot had given up to Amalrot, who had been rudely awoken, and had almost cried if it wasn't for the piece of fruit he had slipped her, and upon seeing her grandfather, even the girl, who was still to turn two, understood whose fault it was.

'Why are the little girls so vicious?' Adam thought, holding his twins close to his chest, the two sucking their thumbs, but then a shadow loomed over them, and the twins both smiled, giggling and squealing as their mother crushed them against their father.

"Do you think you can keep my twins away from me?" Vonda half threatened, but, as always, it backfired, and since he started it, she poked the half elf's shoulder repeatedly. Vonda rolled aside, her twins within her arms, cackling towards their father, though he half rolled after them, sandwiching Jarot between them.

"I was thinking that all the girls are so vicious in our family…"

"It is because grandfather holds all the viciousness himself," Vonda joked in return.

"I don't know, I think Jirot is even more vicious, and so is Lanarot."

"Daddy, how you can say that? Babo and I are so different."

"You are?"

"Sometimes, I show mercy."

"Sometimes?" Adam mused.

"Sometimes," the girl confirmed, reaching out to hold her father's hand, so he was trapped to hug Jarot. Indeed, she was so merciful. Adam held her hand, so small, so chubby, and as he brushed the back of her hand with a thumb, the girl intertwined their fingers together, and she returned to sucking on her thumb, while hiding within her mother's bosom. Adam's eyes then trailed to his wife, who, though she could not see his eyes well within near darkness, could feel his gaze upon her.

The half elf smiled, and with that he leaned in, planting a firm kiss on Jarot's head, then his daughter's cheek, and finally upon his wife's lips. As the stars twinkled brightly in the sky, Sully stared towards them. He noted the twinkling, and he wondered which stay the half elf would claim during his adventures. His eyes fell to Gangak's star, that which they had decided belonged to her, that which burned brightly only for a few hours in the night before disappearing.

"What are you thinking about so deeply?" called a voice from the darkness.

"That girl's brother is strong," Sully replied.

"That girl? Isn't she your daughter?"

"If the Iyr has claimed her, I cannot call her my daughter any longer," Sully replied simply, closing his eyes.

'The fire in your heart, has it stirred once more?'

'The fire within my heart, it rages forever.'

'If you wish for it, I can allow it to rise even higher, you merely need to request it, and I shall grant you your wish.'

'I have lived my life, and though my heart aches that I was unable to rise alongside the half elf, I spent my time with that damn kitty, so do not tempt me any longer.'

'Are you certain? You merely need to speak the words and-,' Sully fell into his rage, and with that the voice fell quiet once more, and as his rage accompanied him to slumber, other eyes stared towards the sky. He panted. His body was hot red with rage. His sweat formed a pool beneath his feet. Even his wife remained awake, the dark ceiling ahead of her, the bed much colder, but as she replayed the sight within her mind again and again.

'He really is their grandson…'