Chương 661: 624. West Fort VII

The group spent the next few days within West Fort, with Adam spending as much coin as he could before he began feeling guilty.

"He's just… buying stuff?" a young Aldishman asked while eating, his eyes glued to the Half Elf. He wore basic clothing, tan and cream, as most within West Fort did. At his side was a dagger, but many wore daggers at their side, so no one thought much of it.

"It seems like it…" his companion, another young Aldishman, wearing similar attire, replied.

"He's just buying stuff?" a young Aldishman asked while eating, his eyes glued to the Half Elf. He wore basic clothing, tan and cream, as most within West Fort did. At his side was a dagger, but many wore daggers at their side, so no one thought much of it.

"I can see that," his companion, another young Aldishman wearing similar attire, replied. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the other pair also keeping an eye on the Half Elf.

"Looks like the guards are keeping an eye on him too."

"Probably just want to keep an eye on him."

"Why's he so important anyway?"

"That's why we're here, isn't it?" Still, even he wondered what was so special about this Half Elf.

"What do you think?" Adam asked, holding up ribbons of a multitude of colours towards his brother.

"Should be good for our adorable little Cousins, don't you think?"

"Yes."

"I know you don't think, but I'm asking how good they are?" Adam stated, seriously, before his lips began to quiver.

"…" Jurot decided against playing into the joke.

"I'm just messing with you," Adam chuckled lightly.

"What else should we buy?"

"Weapons." Jurot replied.

"Jurot, you're a genius." Once the group was done with the smith, they headed back out to the guild, with a porter who assisted them with their donkey, which pulled the small cart along with it. The guards blinked at the smith's apprentice.

"He bought the weapons and armour for… children?"

"Babies," the smith replied affirmatively.

"I heard they hadn't turned one yet."

"…" The guard exchanged glances between one another.

'What?'

"Don't ask me," the smith's apprentice replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"You know how Iyrmen are."

"Thank you for the information," the guard said, placing down two silver coins onto the counter. The urchins blinked at the porter.

"He bought the weapons and armour for children?"

"Babies," the porter replied affirmatively.

"Not even one yet."

"Iyrmen babies?"

"That's what I gathered."

"Makes sense," the urchins replied, nodding towards one another.

"Thanks Nine Finger Tom."

"Ah course," Nine Finger Tom replied, adjusting his flat cap.

"I've also heard the previous Knight of the West is currently staying at West Peaks. My cousin's niece works as a server there, and she's sure of it."

"West Peaks, eh? Thanks."

"Ah course."

"Your wheel's a little loose, head to Marty's and he'll put it right as wood," the young urchin said, nodding at the porter before leaving him be.

"Thank yous." As the days passed in West Fort, the group prepared for their journey.

"So about a month?" Adam asked.

"When's the childrens' birthdays exactly?"

"We will make it on time," Jurot assured.

"Their birthdays begin at the end of the eighth month."

"Could we spend a couple of days in Red Oak?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm." Adam looked towards the rest of the group. Really, they could rush back to the Iyr since they didn't need to take the farmers and porters with them. He did want Nobby, though, since it would be the twins' first birthday and Nobby's job would be to protect them.

"Alright, let's head back soon. We'll rush back to Red Oak so they can return back to their families. It'll be almost half a year, so there might be issues if they remain any longer outside."

"Okay."

"You know…"

"Yes?"

"Considering the place is called West Fort, we had very little issues with the Awakened Wolves here." Adam thought back to how easy it was for them to find lodging for the wolves, and how they hadn't had any issues at the gate either. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Yes," Jurot replied.

"West Aldland has an affinity with wolves."

"Why's that?"

"The Horcs to the north used wolves to assist them in the fights against West Aldland, but they were adopted into West Aldland to do the same."

"Oh. Is that it?"

"Yes."

"Are they like a sacred animal or something?"

"No, but they are not distant from such a claim."

"Huh. You know, maybe West Aldland isn't too bad. I just expected there to be lions or something."

"There are."

"There are?"

"In the mountains."

"Mountain lions?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Adam slowly nodded his head.

"That makes sense."

"The ducal family also houses lions which were originally imported from Aswadasad."

"Oh? Do they keep the lions as pets?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

"The Duke's personal mount is a lion."

"It…" Adam tilted his head. He wasn't certain he had ever heard of a lion being a mount, but considering it was a magical world where pigs could probably fly, he supposed that it wasn't out of the realms of possibility.

"That's pretty cool."

"Yes."

"Does the Iyr have mounts?"

"It is not our speciality."

"Yeah, but…" Adam noted how Jurot hadn't replied firmly with a no.

'Should I ask?' Adam saw the look in Jurot's eyes, which asked him not to press any further, and so he decided to do what he did best.

"You think the children will enjoy riding the wolves?"

"Yes." Omen: 11, 13"He is leaving?" the older Aldishman asked. He wore simple, well made attire, as usual. His silver hair and green eyed betrayed his relations to the Marquis to all, especially with the strands of gold which still peeked through.

"The guards have confirmed it," the lightly armoured Commander replied. He wore a breastplate, though his blade rested against the side of the table, as to not offend the older Aldishman. His cloak was pinned by a large coin, stamped with the symbol of a lion within a mountain, betraying the name of his squad.

"I am only reminded of my good fortunes that I had the wisdom to raise a bunch of loyal cubs," the older Aldishman joked, though his voice was as direly serious as always.

"Surrounded by Iyrmen, one he claims to be his brother."

"An adventurer asked, and it was confirmed by the female Iyrman to his side."

"The same young woman who placed second?"

"That's right."

"The Iyr's relation with the truth is well known," the older Aldishman stated.

"Though they speak the truth, they are not ones to speak the whole truth."

"It appears his children have been adopted into the Iyr."

"His children?"

"He has five children. A set of triplets and a set of twins. They are a year and a half and almost a year old respectively. The triplets are well behaved, and one of the twins is often mean though she is still young."

"How did you find this out?"

"The guards…"

"Yes?"

"Asked."

"Excuse me?"

"They asked the Half Elf, Adam, about his children."

"And he just… spoke of them?" the older Aldishman asked, staring at the Commander with a suspicious look.

"He didn't just speak about them, he gushed about them," the Commander replied.

"He spoke of them for nigh on an hour, and not just his children, but his sister too, the same sister he has with his brother. She is the Iyrman's sister by blood, but it appears the Half Elf is also considered her brother."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Jurot, the Iyrman brother of the Half Elf, stated that she may be taught by Adam if she so wishes it."

"Interesting…"

"It appears his children are also extremely intelligent, even though they are so young."

"Is it due to their Fae ancestry?"

"It may be the case, though he mentioned that his triplets had horns. He avoided the topic about them, but we realised that he was quite close to the Devilkin Iyrman too."

"Could they be married?"

"They fight like it, but it does not seem to be the case."

"Why is that?"

"Sir Vonda confirmed that Adam was unmarried, though he had five children."

"Bastards?"

"Apparently, though we are uncertain if they are his by blood, since their definition of family is not by blood."

"Did she give up any more information?"

"She said it was best not to pry too deeply about the children."

"Why?"

"She said…" the Commander paused.

"I pray to Mother Soza, so I would like for you to live long lives." The older Aldishman remained silent. The young woman was a member of one of the greatest orders in all the land, and so she could dare to threaten them like this. However, considering who she was, it didn't appear to be a threat.

'What is to be done with them?' Meanwhile, Adam and the others made their way southward, following along the main road back to Eagle Wing, so they could head south from there to Dead Wood, though they could have veered westward to the middle village.

"So, whose the Knight of the West?" Adam asked, once they were a safe distance away from West Fort.

"The current Knight of the West is Sir Johnson, the son of a merchant. He was trained by the previous Knight of the West. Sir Johnson became the Knight of the West in the past few years, after his mentor retired from the position."

"Oh yeah? How strong was the previous Knight of the West."

"Some say he is only slightly weaker than King's Sword," Jurot stated.

"Is he?"

"The previous Knight of the West, Sir Edward, was the only of the Five Knights of Aldland to keep his ego in check when they fought on the battlefield. King Merryweather had once stated that of all the Generals he had worked with, Sir Edward was the one he looked forward to working alongside most, after the King."

"After the King, or did he just say that because he didn't want to offend the King?"

"The latter." Adam chuckled lightly.

"Right."

"In Aldland, the King is closest with those of North Aldland, but recently he has become closer with those of West Aldland. The Grand Duchess of the North, due to her relation to the previous Queen, managed to place northerners into the King's court, and the current King's Sword is also a northerner.

However, the Knight of the West, the uncle of the current Marquis, managed to form closer relations between the Lionhearts and the King, and also shuffled westerners into the army, and the current Grand Minister, is a westerner."

"Whoa…"

"The Knight of the West had a part to play in the frigid relationship between King Merryweather and the King. The pair have retired, but the Knight of the West had been more active in the King's life, beyond just teaching him. If King Merryweather had assisted during his retirement, they would not have come to blows this way." Adam slowly nodded his head. He wasn't sure he'd ever betray Jurot, but perhaps time would have created distance between them, and if something happened…

"So Sir Edward is a pretty scary guy?"

"Yes."

"I should avoid him then."

"It is too late for that."

"It is?"

"The Marquis' family owns the mines, which Sir Edward assists in managing. Your offer must be known to him, and he has already looked into you."

"Oh yeah?" Adam replied, frowning slightly.

"That doesn't sound good."

"It is fine."

"It is?"

"He knows that we know that he is looking into you."

"Jurot, why are you bullying me by reminding me about how scary you all are?" Umbra glanced between the Iyrmen. She had heard about the Iyr's fervour, so it was a surprise that the Iyr had lasted so long. Though, it appeared to be the case that the surrounding lands had also managed to survive for a while, compared to the other kingdoms and empires within this world, all with mortals who barely reached a hundred years of age under perfect conditions.

'Hmm.'