[1468] – Y06.368 – High Alchemist Adam III
“What interesting companions you have brought,” Shanaz said, sipping her tea, while the figures around returned back to their conversations. Tanagek and Chosen had gone to join the other merchants and their guards, since Tanagek was someone with such a famous ancestor, and Chosen was still the Bloodblade’s grandnephew.
“They are…” Kal Uli admitted as the woman spied the half elf who returned.
“Aila, I hope you enjoyed the entertainment,” Adam said, beaming brightly, as though he hadn’t just beaten someone senseless, although considering who his grandfather was, it may have been the reason.
“It was a wonderful fight,” the woman admitted. “I did not expect you to defeat the Roaming Steel Sword so easily, for he is not a simple figure.”
“Ah, well, you see, it just so happens that I’m not a simple figure?” Adam mused, chuckling lightly.
“I am surprised to have not heard of you,” the woman said, narrowing her eyes slightly.
“I think you may have, since I was the reason why the King of Floria is currently in trouble with the King of Aldland.”
“You are responsible for the Betrayal of the Hill?”
“If that’s when all the Orders met together and then someone caused trouble and killed a Vice Commander of the Thousand Hunts and his apprentice, then yes, that was myself, as well as my family,” Adam said, smiling politely.
“You are the Crazy Father?”
“That is what they call me,” the half elf confirmed.
“I have heard a great many rumours, I didn’t expect someone like you to be the Crazy Father, I expected…” Shanaz then considered the half elf’s words before returning back to her. “No, you are certainly the Crazy Father I have heard of.”
“Hahaha! You see, since my daughter was also harmed, I need to show off to her, that this father of hers, who failed to protect her and her brothers, isn’t quite so weak to allow something like that to happen again,” Adam said, smiling politely, but behind his smile, hidden within the shadow of his words, was an obvious threat.
“Since you must fight for your children’s hearts, you should not lose,” Shanaz said, pushing a tray of biscuits towards the half elf, who accepted politely. “Are you confident?”
“Even if the Fariq stepped forward, I cannot lose,” Adam replied.
“You cannot lose, but can you?”
“Aila, I have a question,” Adam began, bringing a biscuit up to his lips. “Compared to the deceased Fariq of the Thousand Hunts, how strong are you?”
“If I was ten years younger, I would have been able to clash with him,” the woman said, for she had grown too old, her physical body already beginning to betray her experience.
“Then the Fariq of this Order…”
“The Order of the Amber Sun?”
“How strong are they?”
“Kal Ekrin, the Descending Sun, she is not easy,” the woman admitted as the half elf bit into his biscuit, chewing it lightly. “She is soon to become a Paragon, but at her age, she still possesses great might and magic. With her magic, I would find some difficulty, but I may still be able to defeat her yet. It is too close to tell.”
Uli leaned in to whisper into the woman’s ear.
“Ah, Kal Idris? Right, of course, for…” The woman realised her mistake. “He is the same.”
“If the Fariq steps forward, I will defeat him, because I must,” Adam said, not speaking his true thoughts, though then again, a singular lucky strike, and he would find himself unable to return home.
“I will pray for you,” Shanaz said, hearing the heaviness within the half elf’s words.
“It is not so easy to defeat the likes of a Fariq,” the Bear of the Mountains said. “Even if you are able to speak highly of yourself, compared to brother Roaming Steel Sword, the Fariq is not someone who is comparable, he is, like the sun above us, greater. Even I would find it difficult to defeat him, strong, and handsome, as I am.”
“Ahm, are you a Rage Dancer?” Adam asked.
“I am!” The fellow flexed his muscles, which were thick, built by swinging such a heavy blade for decades, one might have thought he may be able to throw rocks with his massive hands, though he was still a few heads too small for such a feat.
“Are you a Grandmaster?”
“Does an Aldishman resort to trickery to defeat an Aswadian?”
Adam burst into laughter, already liking this strongly built fellow, who was certainly in his sixties or so, Adam gathered, for he looked as though he were fifty. “Ahm, allow me to buy you a drink or two one day, and I would love to hear your tales so I can regale them back to my children!”
The older Aswadian laughed wildly, turning towards the woman, who bowed her head, and he grinned wildly. “Since my handsome nephew has asked, I cannot refuse.”
“I will say this, ahm, that I would find you easier than the Fariq to face.”
“Huh?” the old man raised a brow, suddenly feeling the heat of anger rushing towards his cheeks.
“For the-,” Adam began, though he stopped, turning to the side. “Sorry, what did I say? Ahm, ahm, I would find… you harder, harder, to face, than the Fariq, for isn’t he an Oathsworn?”
“Yes,” the old man said, narrowing his eyes to the half elf.
“Sorry, ahm, I misspoke. I would find you harder than the Fariq, because, well, Rage Dancers, they’re too scary to fight,” Adam said, flushing lightly, hoping he hadn’t offended the old man.
“Is that so?” the old man replied, though he smiled. “Then, shall I bet on you?”
“If you bet on me, you will grow wealthy!” Adam said, laughing far too loudly for the setting, though then again, so had the older man. “I made tens of thousands of gold betting on myself when I fought in a tournament.”
“Did you win?”
“I took joint first, since the Princess was fighting in the tournament,” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders.
“Ah? The Princess?”
“It was the North Aldland tournament a few years ago,” the half elf said. “It’s been almost two years.”
“Ah! A tournament of North Aldland? You placed first?”
“Now that I think about it, I also bet on my brother, and my cousin here, both of them also placed first, for I fought in the magical section, and my brother fought in the martial section, while my cousin here, Kitool, she fought in the martial section of the age range above,” Adam informed, motioning towards Jurot and Kitool, the pair glancing his way.
“Noorhabi!” the old man exclaimed, though it had brought the attention of many towards the half elf who had revealed just how powerful they were.
“My brother here also won first place in another tournament, and Kitool placed second to him, but it was only because she decided to hold back,” Adam admitted, before explaining what he was saying to Jurot and Kitool in Aldish, returning his attention back to the old man.
“How amazing,” Shanaz said, raising her brows in surprise. “Since you had killed the Vice Commander of the Thousand Hunts, it is no surprise.”
“You say that, but the only reason I was able to do so was because my family assisted, and also, my brother here, Jurot, clashed with King Merryweather,” Adam informed, smiling proudly. “The King had to use a Fifth Gate spell to force him to another place, before my cousin, Kitool, stepped forward out of nowhere to force him back, but by the time the King banished my brother away, it was too late, and the likes of the Chief, Elder Peace, Butcher Marmak, Duteous Dogek, and many, many other Iyrmen, like my grandmother, the Rising Swallow, stepped forward to bring peace.”
The Faro threw a look to Jurot, who leaned in to whisper into Adam’s ear.
“I’m talking about what happened last year when we sought vengeance,” Adam said, smiling awkwardly towards his brother.
Jurot nodded, giving Adam permission to continue, since Aswadasad needed to hear the real tale, and what better than this place with those who dealt with rumours, knowledge, and those who dealt with blood and steel?
As Adam explained what happened the previous year, the servants brought more snacks and food, though only caught bits and pieces of the tale, while the figures around, the merchants and great warriors within their employ, listened intently.
It was an unbelievable tale, of course, and no doubt it had been dramatised in order for the half elf to exaggerate his own abilities, as well as the abilities of his companions.
Adam leaned in to whisper something into Jurot’s ear, the Iyrman considering his words, before leaning in to whisper something.
“You may, but imply the first death,” Jurot said.
“How should I say it?” Adam asked, as Jurot explained, before the half elf then spoke the tale.
“The Fariq came to duel you to the death?” the Silver Panther asked.
“Yes,” the half elf replied, smiling innocently. “Though it seems as though he has died, and I live, and the rest of his companions…”
Jurot leaned in.
“Wandering Spear, Hammer Hand, Wraith Blade, Shade Dagger, Wind of the Tempest, each found themselves at the edge of Iyrman steel, for they chose to betray their word, and the Iyr did not appreciate it,” the half elf said. “It was Shayfev, my grandmother’s cousin, who slew Wandering Spear. It was my granduncle, the Bearded Dragon Rajin, who slew Hammer Hand. It was my granduncle, Duteous Dogek, who is also Tanagek’s granduncle, who fell Wraith Blade. Keiwyj slew Shade Dagger, while Vibak slew the Wind of the Tempest. My granduncle, Bloodblade Shasen, also Chosen’s granduncle, slew… the sister of Dire Destiny. Then there was, also another guy, a Vice Commander, who was slain by my granduncle Shagek, who you may know as the Silver Sword of the Wastes.”
“You are related to the Silver Sword of the Wastes?” the Silver Panther asked, suddenly leaning in.
“He is granduncle’s cousin,” Adam replied. “I call him granduncle, and he calls me his grandnephew, and since he is a Gek, we’re related that way too. Jurot’s mother, and Tanagek’s father, are siblings.”
The warriors glanced between one another, and some of the merchants also understood, and those who were informed of who Shagek was, then began to understand.
“They really shouldn’t have killed my children,” Adam said, smiling awkwardly, in the way where it was not something to smile about, but he wished to keep the matter light.
PATREON LINK
Sometimes I forget how many monsters Adam is related to. I'm sure that won't come to play any time soon.