“Wait a moment…” Adam’s eyes fell across all the children, sing across them all. “We’re missing at least two children, aren’t we?”

  “Which children?” Elder Lykan asked, having thought to step away before he heard Adam’s troublesome words.

  “Elder Lykan… where are Uwajin’s and Bavin’s younger siblings?”

  “They were not to be brought.”

  “That’s unfair.”

  “I have kept my word.”

  “You…” Adam felt Inakan’s breath tickle against his neck while her hands grabbed at his face, the girl giggling wildly.

  “Kaza Ada,” she said, before pulling herself closer towards his head, climbing almost on top of it as she stared down at his hair, grabbing a tuft of his hair within her grip.

  “Sinakan is threatening me, I’ll drop the matter.”

  Elder Lykan he way Adam’s eyes gowards Uwajin and Bavin. Uwajihe twins in each arm, blinking away her sleepiness, while Bavin remaianding off to the side, his arms crossed.

  ‘I wahem to have a good time too, but I guess I shouldn’t mess around too much.’ Adam winced every so often as Inakan pulled his hair, before he finally returned her back to her father.

  Shikan wao tell his daughter off, but the i smile on her face, the utter joy within her eyes of seeing her father again, caused his heart to shudder. “Adam, will you five her, since she is so cute?”

  “I don’t ive her, sinakan has done n,” Adam said, swiping his hair back. ‘I really should cut it.’

  “Is there anything else you require?” Elder Lykan asked.

  Adam motioned with his head to the side, following the Front Iyr Elder to one side. “I’m pnning on making something for Inakan.”

  “What is it?”

  “Gsses.”

  “The Iyr is currently sidering the matter.”

  “I’m not sidering it.”

  Lykan switched to the Iyr’s tongue. “Are you going to ent gsses for her?”

  “Yes,” Adam replied iongue.

  “When?”

  “Soon.”

  “Okay.”

  Lykan watched as Adam stepped away after the awkward silence. His eyes theo the little girl, Inakan, who he rarely saw. She certainly took after his cousin, who held the girl close, allowio hold onto his hair, her eyes glued to his hair, squinting to catch all the details she could.

  ‘Sihey’ve got their babo, it should be okay for me to slip away…’ Adam thought. “I’m just going to go do some work quickly.”

  Jirot’s head sowards her father, her eyes almost bnk as she gred towards him. “No!” She raised her fiowards him threateningly. “You ot.”

  “Just a little bit, my dear.” Adam reached over to ruffle her hair.

  “You must allow your father to work,” Jarot said, f a small smirk on his face. “e, your babo will py with you.”

  ‘Damn it.’

  Adam returo the group a short while ter, with the children all sitting and babbling away to the Iyrmen who had returned. Adam stopped, closing his eyes as he crossed his hands behind his back, causing a few to gnce his way.

  “You know…” Adam said, opening his eyes to see Konarht before him, staring up at him expetly. ‘I was going to be an idiot, but I ’t do it when yoing to stop me so obviously.’

  “It is time to eat, daddy,” Konarot said, reag up with a hand. Adam took it, allowing his daughter to lead him to one side so he could sit beside her.

  Adam’s eyes fell across the other children. He had yet to greet them all or spoil them. ‘I guess I’ll wait.’

  As the food assed, anroup soon approached. Adam barely reised two of the newers, but he khe st, who was a slightly heavier set Iyrman, carrying a rge boy within his arms.

  ‘Hold on,’ Adam thought. ‘That’s right!’

  “You have e?” Sonarot asked.

  “Yes,” Tonagek replied, though he gave nothing away. He pced his son down, who stood firmly beside his father, holding onto his trousers with a hand, sug on his thumb as he looked all around the strange pbsp;

  “Danagek,” Lanarot called, rushing up to the boy to hug him. She kissed his forehead and brushed his hair tenderly. “You are okay?”

  “Okay,” the boy replied, blinking up towards his cousin, hugging her back.

  “Good boy,” Lanarot said, taking his hand to lead him to her mother.

  “Baba,” Konarot called.

  “Konarot,” Tonagek replied, reag down to brush her hair. “Are you well?”

  “Yes,” the girl replied, before pointing to her father. “Daddy is back.”

  “You have returned,” Tonagek said, reag out to csp Adam’s forearm.

  “I have,” Adam replied, his eyes firmly staring into Tonagek’s eyes, bowing his head respectfully for the man who had found aurned with his triplets. “I see Danagek is growing well.”

  “Yes.”

  “…”

  “…”

  “Baba,” Konarot called. “y dragon chess?”

  “Dragon chess?” Adam asked.

  Konarot took her pce opposite her baba, pg doieto the board. Tonagek pced his own after she was done. Jirot also sat down beside her sister, with little Jarot settling himself beside her, while Kirot and Karot sat on Adam’s p, pinning him down. Larot sat on his greatfather’s p, staring down at the board, his face still as ral as ever.

  Adam’s beaming pride engulfed the area as Konarot began to py with her baba. She moved her pieces slowly, often mirr the way Tonagek held a finger over his mouth in thought. Jurot stared at his brother, whose eyes were slightly narrowed, his lip trembling, the thoughts on his face so obvious.

  ‘How is this legal? Won’t she end up in jail? I o stop her from being so cute! No, surely they’ll all five her for being so cute.’

  “Knight,” Konarot said, moving her pie the other knight, losing her own the moment to a soldier, before she moved her priest, who was currently praying, a she gave up the ce to vert the figures ahead, iaking the soldier.

  Tonagek, who had never seen the girl make such a move, furrowed his brows. ‘When did she learn to give up the ce to vert the soldiers?’

  “Is she doing good?” Adam whispered.

  “My greatdaughter always does well,” Jarot whispered back. “She has moved the priest to the tre. It has opened up her fnk, but the tre is more important. It is rare to see the priest move to such a position and for the soldiers to be free.”

  “The knight,” Jirot said, pointing to her sister’s knight oher side.

  Kowards the knight, which had yet to be activated. Typically, the knight o remain by the king piece, just in case.

  Tonagek furrowed his brows. Jirot made mention of the knight, which caught his attention to the other side of the board, before realising the girl wanted her sister to activate the knight in order to shore up a weakness created by losing a knight and shifting the position of her priest by strengthening the tre.

  ‘…’

  Though Konarot had mao throw Tonagek off, she hadn’t ever been in such a position previously, and though she had mao cim the tre, her pieces were not able to defend her against Tonagek’s rush towards her weakened fnk.

  “You did well,” Tonagek said, shaking the girl’s haly, the proper etiquette for the end of the match.

  “Okay,” the girl replied, pouting slightly, her tail swaying behind her.

  ‘You punk! How you beat my greatdaughter like this?’

  ‘How you beat my daughter like this?’

  “Lucy! You must pay with me now!” Jirot said, pointing towards the woman.

  “You want to py dragon chess with me?”

  “No. It is Demon Load chess.”

  “Demon Lord chess?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, let’s py it.”

  Tonagek surrehe board to the young demon woman, while settling himself beside his sister. He felt the pierg gaze of the young half elf from nearby.

  “What is it?”

  “I want to spoil Daoo,” Adam replied.

  “…” Tonagek tio stare into Adam’s eyes, which were filled with annoyance. “Okay.”

  Adam’s lips shot up in delight before he settled himself beside Danagek. “Hello, my ky Danagek. How are you?”

  The boy looked to Adam, twitg as the near stranger appeared. He looked to his nana and began to pout, making to cry.

  “Lanababy, tell him I’m your brother.”

  “Danagek,” Lanarot called, reag out to brush his face. “Is my papa.”

  Daopped pouting as he stared at Adam suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes, uo see the tattoos against the half elf’s forehead.

  “I’m your Cousin, you know, your Cousin. You call me kaza Adam too, okay?”

  The boy looked to his father, pouting once more, making to cry, but his father’s hand stopped him by c his eyes, causing Dao freeze in p the darkness. His father’s face appeared once more, the boy hoisted up onto his father’s p.

  “He must be hungry if he is g so easily,” Toated simply.

  “Of course. How this Cousin of yours be so silly to not allow you to eat, my ky boy.” Adam leaned ba his chair, feeling his children’s tails rub against the side of his leg. He pulled them closer to his chest, peppering them with kisses. ‘Even though you’re stopping me from cuddling your aunts and uncles, I’ll five you.’

  ‘He’s still not calling for Kavgak?’ Jaygak thought. ‘How long will you st?’

  Morkarai watched the group from afar. ‘Should I go sit and speak with them?’ His eyes fell to Jirot, who was currently distracted by Lucy.

  “No! I am go first!”

  “I’m the Demon Lord,” Lucy replied. “You said the Demon Loes first.”

  Jirot blinked. She looked to the side towards her greatfather. How could she do this? The sheer audacity of Lucy to use her own logic against her. Jirot pouted and her face torted as she made to cry.

  Lucy suddenly straightened up, a cold chill running through her spihe guilt filling her. ‘Oh no!’

  She wao py chess, but she was actually pying checkers.