The sun passed had noon, its rays beginning to draw longer shadows. It was only a short while ago the nd was graced with noon, meaning it was that time.

  "Babo!" Jirot shouted, her finger pointing towards her greatfather, as though her finger was a bde. “Pick up!”

  “Okay,” the old Iyrman replied, pig up the tiny little Jirot. She was normally as light as a feather, but this time she was as light as a feather which had ate two, small, bowls of potatoes, and drunk two cups of milk. The expet gaze of her younger brother beamed towards the old man, who pulled the girl close and leaned back, allowing his greatson to climb onto his p, the boy clutg his greatfather’s robes tightly in his tiny hand.

  The pair wore a set of blue clothing, sleeveless, cut at the knees, and wore hats to protect them from the intense heat of the noonval sun. Tied to their hats, ribbons of identical blue, Jirot having pihat the ribbons they had inally received were too different. There had been a slight difference, a subtle difference, caught only by the kee of eyes, but the girl had demanded a different ribbon which arently the same colour as the one her brother had received.

  “Are you enjoying the festival?”

  “No,” the girl replied, cag before returning back to sug her thumb. She brushed her hair with her free hand, before pointing at her babo’s cheek, slowly drawing closer before she pressed against it. She smiled as she gently tickled his cheek.

  “You have eaten so much,” Jarot said, feeling their stomachs against him. ‘Of course they eat so well, they are my greatchildren.’

  “Mmm, tatos, babo, tatos,” Jirot said.

  “Yummy tatos,” little Jarot firmed.

  “Yes. You must eat well so you will grow well.”

  “I eated all the tatos,” the girl replied, smirking. “I love tatos.”

  “Do you love potatoes too, little Jarot?”

  “Yes.”

  “What of the pizza?”

  “I do not like,” Jirot said, shaking her head, and her little brother did the same.

  “Your father brought the pizza to the Iyr.”

  “Daddy?”

  “Yes.”

  “…” Jirot smirked slightly, before returning back to sug her thumb, cag to herself.

  “Babo…” the little boy called.

  “Yes, my Jarot?”

  “I like the pizza.”

  “I like, I like the pizza too,” Jirot said with desperation. “I like the pizza and I like tatos.”

  “I like pizza and tatos too,” little Jarot firmed.

  “I like to eat them too,” their babo added, bringing the pair closer to his chest, his half arm ing around the little boy, keeping them pio him. ‘My greatchildren…’ Jarot’s heart was filled with a great warmth, which kept away the chill of his old age.

  Jirot twitched slightly, trying to fight off the yawn, before she gasped. “Oh no.”

  “Have you left a gift for yreatfather?”

  Jirot smirked slightly, before she cackled.

  “Your nano said you were learning to use the toilet like your elder siblings.”

  “I know,” the girl said. “I know.”

  “How you know when you have left me a gift?”

  Jirot cackled in response, reag up to hold her greatfather’s nose, before smirking. “I catch you, babo, so you must me.”

  “You are too quick, my Jirot.” Jarot leaned in to blow a raspberry into her neck, causio soil herself further. ‘Even if you soil yourself, I will always love you.’

  Little Jarot cuddled up to his greatfather, feeling the old man's poundi against his cheek. He closed his eyes, the beati a melody which coaxed him to sleep. He let out a gentle hum of joy before his heavy eyelids fell, the boy's hands clutched tightly at his greatfather's robes, keeping them glued together.

  The older man carried the children away to them up. Even now, with the children stu, not allowing him his freedom, and minutes away from ing up the most terrible mess, the old man thought about the children's father. 'He will return soon, my greatchildren...' Jarot thought about the young man. 'He must be at the fort now.'

  Adam, indeed, was in the fort.

  ‘So…’ Adam remained silent, unsure of what he should do. All he knew was that he shouldn’t do much, especially sihe situation was seemingly resolving itself.

  “Do you io protect the Sorcerer too?” the Grand ander asked.

  “Yes,” the Ray replied, standing tall and proud.

  “…”

  ander Arthur raised his brows, ahe Grand ander brought up the topic of the Sorcerer too. It was ohing t up the demons, that made sense for the Grand ander of the Order of the Thousand Hunts, but bringing up the matter of the Sorcerer brought more trouble for no reason.

  ‘Gods damn you, brat.’

  Adam wao speak up, but after all the warnings he received, he inhaled deeply, letting out a soft sigh. ‘We’re almost home, o mess about now…’

  “Will you allow a Sorcerer to pass through your fort, ander?” Sir James Greatwood asked, his eyes firmly pced within the eyes of the ander.

  “I will not risk the lives of my soldiers for your ends, Grand ander.”

  “This is a matter of national security.”

  “While I have great respect for you as a Grand ander of the Order of the Thousand Hunts, I have eveer respect for the Hopes and Rays of the Order of Life’s Rose,” the aated. “If they have taken the responsibility for the demons and Sorcerer, I will not intrude.”

  “…”

  The seds tio pass, the nearby soldiers at the ready. Though the ander had stated they weren’t going to act, he could still order them otherwise. However, they weren’t sure if they wao fight, especially not when the Order of Life’s Rose inteo step forward, and not just a Hope, but a Ray? They couldn’t fight a Ray.

  “We wish to hand over the appropriate sum if the matter has cluded,” Ray Vonda said.

  “The matter is cluded,” the ander said, dismissing the Grand ander and the rest of their members. However, the order members remained, since Sir Greatwood was still trying to calcute the situation.

  It was rare two different orders had such issues, though it was more likely for the Order of Life’s Rose to be involved due to their rather uhs.

  ‘Demons.’ The Grand ander could have stepped back if it was the Sorcerer, but demons? He couldn’t do such a thing, not since he had sworn his oaths. However, drawing his bde against a Ray, it was going to set a terrible pret, one he wasn’t sure he could take responsibility for.

  ‘Why have you chosen to break pret first?’ Greatwood’s eyes remained focused on Ray Vonda’s. It was nht for her to step forward, not when there was the unspoken rule of Rays not drawing their ons during a fight, ihey were give resped certain privileges.

  “Hey, Jurot,” Adam whispered, hearing Jurot’s grunt, before tinuing. “What’s the big deal with the Manager fighting?”

  “Rays do not fight.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They do not fight,” Jurot said. “It is this way.”

  “…” Adam furrowed his brows.

  “Rays remain in the back, and they may support, but they are not to fight in a frontation. They may do so against the like of creatures as, but that is a st resort. Ray Vonda has made her iions known to step forward in this battle. It is now plicated.”

  “Politics?”

  “Yes.”

  ‘I don’t like it…’ Adam thought. ‘Still, what else we do? If the Grand ander won’t step back, we might have to fight. That’ll make things plicated. Even if the Order of Life’s Rose is the oaking the bme, they might still try to bme us for it…’

  Adam cleared his throat, causing Vonda’s head to snap towards him. “I’ll be polite.”

  “Adam…”

  “One moment. I realised the way I was going to word it would have implied something rude, so allow me a moment to gather myself.” Adam closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. “No one fault either party iuation here…” ‘I , but I won’t?’ Adam was gd he had grown up.

  “Young man, you should not speak up when it is not needed,” the Grand ander said. “We will resolve this matter between us, without the business’ interference.”

  “…” Adam smiled, smiling in that way that he did when he was close to bursting, his jaw and forehead pulsing. “Out of everyone here, I’m the one who interfere most. You’re speaking of two of our Managers, and then you’ve ihe Sorcerer, who is someohe business has adopted. If you didn’t wao interfere, you shouldn’t have involved me.”

  “Will the Order of Life’s Rose still step forward?” the Grand ander asked.

  “Yes,” Hope Willow replied. “Though they are members of the business, we have given our word to escort them safely to their business.”

  “Even without the Order of Life’s Rose, you’ve got little to no ce to take my friends from me, but when it es to our VIP, you’ve got less than little to no ce,” Adam said, standing taller.

  “Does the Iyr’s Lord of Death give you faith to speak such words?” Sir James Greatwood pressed his gaze and i onto the young man’s shoulders once more.

  “I do not he powers Lord Sozain blesses upoo have fidence against you, Grand ander,” Adam said, straightening up alongside the rest of his panions. “A greater being than you had tried to take Lucy from me, and it was only thanks to the graother Soza and her most faithful, that Lucy remains beside me. If you want to take Lucy from me, you should be at least half as strong as Lord Asa.”

  ‘Oh, Adam,’ Ray Vonda thought.

  The Grand ander reached for his bde.

  At least he tried. Kind of...