“If I had known you were the Mad Dog’s grandson, I would have insisted you didn’t pay for our bread,” Bam said, feeling his daughter step on his foot, gently pressing against it.

  “How are we going to feed ourselves if we give away our bread for free?” Pam asked, before noting the look on her father’s face. She gowards Jurot who tio stand with pride, while Adam seemed more annoyed.

  ‘That old man keeps pguing me, but maybe we use him to…’ Adam also noticed the look on Bam’s face. “Even if Jurot is the old man’s grandson, they’re quite different. Jurot here doesn’t go around fighting…” ‘No, that’s nht. I ’t really say that when he fought both the Grand ander and the Marshal of the East.’

  “Well, it’s not like he goes around killing no-,” Adam inhaled deeply, gng aside as images of Jurot cleaving nobles from the other world filled his mind. ‘Damn.’

  “Are you threatening us?” Pam asked, crossing her arms.

  “No,” the pair replied quickly.

  “You’re not a noble,” Adam added.

  Pam and Bam raised their brows in arm towards the half elf.

  “I mean, you know, I mean…” Adam looked to Jurot for support.

  “Adam does not enjoy killing, except for nobles who cause him trouble.”

  “I haven’t killed any noble of this nd.”

  “Have you killed nobles of other nds?”

  “I definitely have not killed nobles in this nd or the surrounding nds.”

  “Have you really killed nobles?” Pam asked, her entire body cold from the shock of Adam’s audacity. The only people who killed nobles were Iyrmen and the insane.

  Adam reached over to his amulet, brushing along it gently. “I have assisted in sending o Lord Sozain.”

  “…”

  “Anyway, I guarahing like that’s happening here.” Adam waved his hand to dismiss the thoughts. “My brother has a crush on you and I just wao help him in his romance, especially since his grandfather has been asking for mrandchildren. I’ve already given him six, but I ’t be the only one giving him children, you know?”

  “…”

  “All I’m asking is, if you don’t dislike him, why don’t you both… you know… just… go on a walk,” Adam said, feeling the awkwardness filling him.

  The bell rung behind them.

  “Must be a special day if there’s such a big crowd outside,” the newer said, a heavily armoured man with an amulet around his neck. He had dark hair and dark eyes, just like his panion.

  “The bread must be that good,” the woman replied, equally as heavily armoured and armed. Just like her panion, she carried a bde with the handle ed in red leather at her side. She gowards the Iyrman and the half elf, sizing them up with her curious eyes.

  An awkward silence filled the air.

  “What would you like?” Pam asked.

  “We’ll let the Iyrmen order first,” the man said, before noting the ck of a tattoo on Adam’s forehead. ‘Why’s he wearing a scarf?’

  “We have already ordered, and my brother is not an Iyrman,” Jurot replied.

  “How is it that a young man like you have e to wear the Iyr’s purple steel?”

  “Luck.”

  “Luck?” The man narrowed his eyes at Adam, w why he was being so coy.

  “Young man, did you fight iour st year?” the woman asked, her voice full of curiosity.

  “I did,” Adam replied. “My brother here mao pce first, and I pced third.”

  “First?” the man asked. “So are you Jurot the Savage?”

  “Yes,” Jurot replied, standing taller.

  “Then you must be Purple Adam.” The woman gathered, her eyes glued to Adam.

  “Yes?”

  “You’re the one who beat Sir Carter?” the man asked.

  Adam gowards Jurot, who nodded. “Apparently so.”

  “Why are you ag coy?” the man asked, narrowing his eyes towards Adam.

  “I’m not very good with names.”

  “He wielded the bde made of sunsteel,” Jurot said.

  “Oh! Sir Carter! Yes, I do remember him now. I remember thinking he was a good guy. I struggled against him a lot.”

  The man smiled. “Of course you did, he is one of reatest prodigies. If he hadn’t e across you, he would have pced iop.”

  “Yeah, you aren’t kidding,” Adam replied, vaguely recalling the warrior he fought iour. “Such a nice on too, I thought it was made by Lord-,”

  “Adam,” Jurot said, stopping the half elf from saying any more.

  “So are you both members of an order?” Adam asked.

  “Yes…” the man replied, w why he went back t to pick a fight with them again.

  “Order of… the One Hundred Bdes, right?”

  “Three Hundred Bdes,” the man replied, smiling as his face pulsed.

  “So close,” Adam whispered. “I’m really bad with names.” Adam could see the way they gred at him. “You should ask Ray Vonda how bad I am with names. I kept calling her order the Order of White Rose.”

  “…” The pair of order members gnced between one another.

  “You must be terrible with names if you do not recall even the name of Life’s Rose.”

  Adam let out a sigh, gng towards Jurot. “I’ve been improving though, don’t you agree?”

  “I am uain.”

  “Anyway, uh, we’ve ordered, so you go ahead and order,” Adam said, stepping aside.

  The order members gnced between the pair and then the bakers, noting the looks on their faces. “Is everything okay?”

  The bell rung and another heavily armoured figure stepped in, who also wore heavy armour, and wore an amulet across her neck. However, whereas the amulet the other two wore were both wholly silver, hers was silver with a red bde in the tre.

  “What is taking you so long?” the woman asked, her grey hair cut short, her eyes dark and curious. She he pair who had half stepped aside. She narrowed her eyes towards the Iyrman.

  “Good evening, Viander,” Jurot said.

  “Good evening, Iyrman,” the woman said, her eyes still narrowed slightly. “Your tattoos are familiar.”

  “I am Jurot, of the Rot family.”

  ‘The Rot family?’ “Are you reted to the ohey called the Mad Dog?”

  ‘How famous is his grandfather?’ Pam thought.

  “He is my grandfather.”

  “There seems to be an issue,” the woman said.

  “What kind of issue?” the Viander asked.

  “The bakers seem perturbed by their presence.”

  “Hey now,” Adam said, his voice light. “Is going out with my brother that bad? He’s such a handsome fellow!”

  The Viander gred at Adam. “Are y to force yourself upon the-,”

  “Hey,” Adam said, his eyes darkening. “The st time someone accused me of that, they ended up getting scolded by the Vice Master.”

  “The Vice Master?”

  “Vice Master Paul, of the Adventurer’s Guild.”

  “Do you believe the Guild’s authority will save you from us?”

  “What I’m saying is…” Adam paused. “Wait, hold on. I realised how that sounded. What I mean is, we ended up saving a group, and they accused us of doing something bad. It ended up with my name being cleared thanks to the Guild and their spell which forced out the truth. All I was asking was that the young baker sider going out with my brother since he has a crush on her.”

  “You, a heavily armoured Steel Rank adventurer were merely asking that the young baker go out with the grandson of Mad Dog?” the woman asked, her eyes still gring at the young half elf.

  “…” Adam flushed red. “Okay, I realise how that looks. Uh, I’m sorry. I fot that I was wearing my heavy armour and that I was carrying an axe. I didn’t mean to threaten you or anything.”

  “My brother speaks the truth,” Jurot said. “We did not io threaten anyone.”

  “Even if you don’t intend it, it does not mean you did not.”

  “I am an Iyrman, most are threatened by my presence.”

  “You should take extra care in the way you behave because of it.”

  “I ot stop their feelings,” Jurot replied simply.

  The bell rung once more as another heavily armoured figure stepped ihe Viander gnced babsp;

  “Marshal.”

  “Viander,” the Marshal replied, before he gowards Adam and Jurot. “I heard there was a misuanding.”

  Adam exhaled, reag up to rub his forehead. “Yeah, of course there is. I’m here.”

  “You know one another?” the Viander asked.

  “I am esc Adam to keep him out of trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble does he bring for you to escort him like this?”

  “His words often bring him to trouble.”

  “I have noticed.”

  The Marshal merely bowed his head. “I believe it is time that you leave, Executive Adam.”

  Adam rubbed his forehead. “I’m sain, Pam. I didn’t mean to appear threatening or anything.”

  “I don’t think you were threatenihe young woman replied.

  “I hope you’ll sider my words. My brother, Jurot, he really does like you.”

  “You’ve said, but he hasn’t.”

  Adam raised his brows towards his brother.

  “…” Jurot could feel the gazes upon him, the three order members and the Marshal. “My brother speaks the truth.”

  “What truth is that?” Pam asked.

  “…”

  Adam whispered iongue. “You fight the Grand ander, but you ’t say you like her?”

  Jurot’s ears turned red hot. He inhaled deeply and spoke up in the Aldish tongue. “I uand why you are so afraid of Ray Vonda.”

  It seems Jurot does know how to fight with his words.