[1741] – Y07.241 – Training Our Hearts I

The young woman was quite lean, still, and her rough hands were almost as rough as her eyes. Her hair was cut short, only a finger digit thick. She was adorned in attire that had been gifted to her from the business, and as Adam spied her, he realised he wanted to redesign the clothes once more, partly to slip the Iyr more coin, and partly because he wished to take the suggestions from the warriors who had to wear the clothes. He considered, perhaps, clothing needed to be different depending on one’s role?

“Executive,” the woman said, dropping down beside him.

“Lead,” Adam replied, offering to pour her a cup of milk, which she accepted. “Are they not feeding you enough?”

“The Executive suggested that one should be lean if they are tasked with moving long distances,” Cobra replied.

“Oh?” Adam mused, recalling how sprinters and marathon runners were built differently. “I suppose that’s right.”

“I wished to ask you…” Cobra began, cautiously. She paused a long moment. “Next year, when you go face the Reavers…”

“Yes?”

“Should my sisters and I step out?” Cobra asked, her eyes holding his gaze, holding a clearness within her own.

“if you want to go, you can go. If you want to stay, you can stay. If you’re feeling a little restless these days, I can send you out to escort the others in taking the magical items to the nobles.”

Cobra considered his words for a long moment. “The Executive said we are too weak to deal with the Reavers, but we haven’t stepped out to fight, so even if we’re real Experts now…”

Adam followed Cobra’s eyes, which fell to the twins, who were speaking with the Aswadian children who had been adopted into the business, The twins, with their steel sabres at their sides, they were true Experts, as they would say. Cobra, Viper, Python, the trio came to him after living such a terribly harsh life to the point they reached almost the realm of an Expert. Although, as they had fought similar to Kitool, it was more like they were Adept, without the unique abilities of an Adept, still rather unfocused with their flesh and bone. The twins, however, who were roughly their age, perhaps a little older, were not just Experts, but Experts who wielded unique abilities, passed down from a legendary figure.

“I will be sure to request the Enchanter to forge you something, although, since you don’t really like to use weapons, it might be a little difficult, so the business will figure out something for you all.”

“We just appreciate the opportunity, Executive.”

“Even so, won’t you miss your younger siblings?”

“The others will remain behind to watch over them, and we’ll be able to come back with quite a story too.”

“I see…” Adam paused for a moment, considering her words, which seemed so Iyrmanly. “It’s going to be extremely dangerous.”

“Every day has dangers, Executive.”

“As long as you understand.” Adam considered what he should prepare for them. It was difficult for them to possess an item which increased their offensive capabilities, he couldn’t think of anything off the top of his head, but if it was defensive, some bracers might suit them? Perhaps a belt that increased their health too? It was always best to defeat an opponent swiftly, so perhaps he’d need to focus on increasing their damage somehow? ‘It’ll be difficult to protect everyone, but I’ll have to do my best. It’s not like we’ll be going alone, anyway, Jurot and Kitool, they’ll be able to take on the Reavers. Hopefully Nobby has grown more powerful too, or, at the very least, I’ll make sure his equipment is powerful too. I should have let him spar with a few warriors while we were out…’

As Adam thought about the attire, he considered how the armour of the business should look. He enjoyed the way it was designed at this time, typical plate with the United Kindom’s flag, and the Union Jack was quite a pretty thing, and, thankfully, in this world only had an association with the business. However, shouldn’t those who become Experts, or greater, each possess something to make them stand out? For those below Expert to aspire towards?

As Adam finally returned back to the complex with his family, he found Jurot finishing the wooden figurine, and he blew against it, revealing it to the half elf.

“Nice.” As Adam sat down beside him, he watched as little Damrot and Virot scampered up nearby, but he held out a hand. “Wait, wait, wait.”

Trick: Tricks

Adam cleaned away the dust, which disappeared into the wind, and allowed the children to approach, Damrot climbed up beside his father, and Virot climbed up on his other side, and somehow, it was Damrot who was between Adam and Jurot, not that he complained.

“Papo!” Virot called. “Papo, Virot played so well.”

“Yes,” Jurot confirmed, reaching down to brush her hair gently, as his other hand tickled his son’s ear.

“Papo! Papo! Virot is good at playing, and Virot will play with papo.”

“Okay,” Jurot said, picking the pair up.

“Jurot,” Adam called, “if I design a helmet to look like a dragon’s face, will a dragon take offence?”

“Some may.”

“Hmm…” Adam nodded, and with that returned to his wife, though not before kissing the pair of children, who kissed him in return.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?” Vonda called, holding Xarot within her bosom, the boy snoozing away.

“I was thinking, you know, the helmets of the business members, even if the armour looks the same, the helmets can be designed differently, maybe the gauntlets too, and that way they could look… you know?”

“Cool?” Vonda teased.

“Yeah,” Adam replied, flushing. “I was thinking a dragon for Yasha, but if a dragon takes offence, I was thinking, I don’t know, a hydra?”

“Elsie would not like that,” Vonda replied, causing her husband to inhale sharply, as though she had stabbed him with her words. “A wyvern, perhaps?”

“Ooh!” Adam replied, nodding his head. “Yeah, yeah, that would be good!”

Adam continued to think about how to design the various clothes, and the armour, even going so far as to doodle some within his book, though then went to gather some sheets of paper from the Iyr’s warehouses, and he thanked those fellows who had brought paper to the realm, using the stylus formed of gem. At the very least he could sketch something lightly.

“Daddy, you are drawing?” Karot asked.

“I’m drawing some designs for clothing for the business, and some for the armour and helmets of the warriors.”

Karot stared down at the designs.

“Would you like to draw with daddy?”

Karot nodded, smiling brightly, and he dropped down beside his father, tail swaying wildly behind him.

Adam’s heart throbbed lightly, a warmth spreading up from his chest, and he reached out, gently brushing his son’s silky hair tenderly. ‘I’m the luckiest dad in the whole world…’

PATREON FOR 30+ CHAPTERS!

The fashion arc begins?