‘The Seventh Hope!’ Cobra thought. ‘He beat the Seventh Hope?’

“What are you doing?” Adam asked.

“You are armed and armoured.”

“…” Adam narrowed his eyes through his visor, but he slowly reached up towards his helmet, pulling it off to reveal a polite smile. “Oh, of course, of course. How silly of me, I forgot I was in my armour. I was so used to being on the road, and admiring all the amazing Hopes and Rays all around me, I was stunned in awe.”

Robert’s eyes remained glued on the half elf, even ignoring the demons nearby.

“Of course, I hope you will keep your promise,” Adam said, not making a motion to move the rest of his armour yet.

“I would like to know what… demonic powers you have adopted.”

“Hah!” Adam let out a stilted laugh. “Perhaps it’s not my place to speak of this, but be very careful what you call the powers bestowed upon me by Lord Sozain.”

“Baktu.”

Adam narrowed his eyes, though his lips still formed a smile. “Hope Ro-,”

“Adam, just leave it,” Jaygak said. “You know how the Aldish are when they’re beaten.”

“I do, but-,”

“Don’t forget why we’re here.”

Adam ground his teeth together, almost cracking his teeth. He tongue scraped against the back of his teeth in annoyance, but he started to pull off his gloves and his gauntlets. “Of course, Executive Jaygak, you’re right.” ‘Damn priests and nobles, they’re all the same. They better not be aiming to keep these kids, who knows what they’ll do.’

“I believe it’s time you spoke the truth, Adam,” Hope Robert stated firmly, his voice clear and threatening.

“I always speak the truth, Bo-, Hope Robert,” Adam said, managing to pull his tongue back just in time.

“What of those pair you travel with?”

“My friends?”

“You are friends with de-,”

“Careful, Hope Robert,” Adam snapped, his eyes glaring at the Hope, while his lips formed a wider smile. “There are children about.”

“It is precisely because there are children that I speak to you about your company.”

“You should be rather reassured none of them are nobles, otherwise who knows what would have happened to these children,” Adam snapped, tossing his gauntlets onto the ground, pulling off the straps off his breastplate. “If you wish to speak, we can do so privately.”

Dunes tapped the cup onto the table lightly, his eyes meeting Hope Willow’s. “I hope you will be willing to keep your end of the bet.”

Willow’s eyes fell across the rest of the Hopes and Rays who had surrounded Adam. It was quite a threatening formation which they had taken, that of Life’s Rose most vicious. With this many Hopes and Rays, with the spells they could cast, the young man would have been wiped out by holy radiance before he could spell his name. With the other Hopes, it was awkward to step in, but she sighed, standing up. She wasn’t going to break her word, not when she swore upon Mother Soza, and was currently under her watchful eyes.

“What is the meaning of this?” called a voice.

Adam was halfway through stripping off his breastplate when he glanced to the side to see an older woman, who wore a set of robes which covered her from head to toe, save for her face. Her wrinkles flowed out from the centre of her face as though they were streams of wisdom. Her eyes were deep brown, and her lips were pure white, as though made from a pearl, though it swallowed all the light to return only white. Standing beside the priest was a familiar face, which wore a familiar kind of look.

‘I’m trying to make sure you don’t die and you’re out here trying to get yourself killed?’

Adam threw Vonda his brows, trying to explain with his eyes that he had no choice. The young priest reached up to cover her eyes, while rubbing her temples, certain she had gained wrinkles in that moment.

“The young man faced against our Seventh Hope and used some kind of wicked sorcery to defeat him.”

Adam let out a grunt of annoyance, looking towards Jurot as he continued to unstrap his breastplate.

“Do not take it personally, Adam,” Jurot said. “It is the way of the Aldish to blame wicked sorcery, even when we have defeated them for so many centuries.”

“I almost feel like an Iyrman,” Adam joked.

Mother Priest stared at the young half elf who was taking off his breastplate in such annoyance. She could vaguely feel the presence of the young priest beside her, the same young priest who had spent so much talking about the young half elf rather than the demons in her company.

“You fought our Seventh Hope and defeated him?” Mother Priest asked, her voice calm and clear.

Adam quickly stood at attention, his breastplate dangling across one shoulder. “Yes, Mother Priest. I learnt so much in the bout.”

“He defeated the Seventh Hope in one blow,” Jurot stated, his arms crossed.

‘Jurot, what the hell are you playing at?’ Adam dared not to look away from the Mother Priest.

Mother Priest stared into Adam’s eyes, who looked as though he had been caught pinching extra jam from the jars. “You defeated our Seventh Hope in one blow?”

“I was just lucky,” Adam replied, awkwardly, suddenly feeling all the gazes upon his skin.

“You defeated our Seventh Hope in one blow due to luck?”

“Yes…” As the awkward silence filled the air. “I don’t mean that in a humbling or derogatory way, I mean it quite literally.”

Mother Priests eyes seemed to hold some understanding, the woman recalling what Vonda had told her. “How amazing. I have heard of your skills from Sister Vonda, who has informed me that you have such great abilities, and that your companions are also impressive, especially for your age.”

“Yes?” Adam replied. “Thank you?”

Mother Priest formed a smile on her face. “Isn’t our land so blessed to have such great warriors? I only pray that you use your abilities to preserve life. I have been informed that though you follow Lord Sozain, you loathe to kill, save for when the circumstances call for it.”

“Uh, I try…” Adam flushed red with more shame.

Mother Priest decided not to mention the exception to the rule. “I have heard that your companions had some trouble with the Marquise of the East? Lord Benjamin Gravesea?”

“That’s right…” Adam’s eyes remained glued to Mother Priest in hope.

“I hope we can address such matters once this situation is resolved.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“May I ask if the matter is resolved?”

“Well…” Adam wondered if he should mention it.

“Hope Thomas needs to apologise,” Jurot said. “It was the condition of the bout.”

“What does Hope Thomas need to apologise for?”

“He spoke ill of our elders.”

“He spoke ill of your elders?” Mother Priest asked, her eyes falling to Jurot, wondering how the Iyrman could say something so… ‘Iyrmen do not lie.’

“He spoke ill of the old man, uh, Jurot’s grandfather, as well as Jaygak’s grandaunt,” Adam began, narrowing his eyes slightly as they met Vonda’s, “and Naqokan’s grandmother too.”

“I am certain there is a misunderstanding that the Seventh Hope has spoken ill of the elders of the Iyrmen,” Hope Robert said.

“What did he say about the elders?”

“He called our elders a hindrance on the battlefield,” Jurot said. “My grandfather Jarot, lost his leg facing Lord Asa to allow the Aldishmen to run in peace.”

“My grandaunt, Gangak, also fought Lord Asa, alongside Vice Commander Kris Huntsmaster,” Jaygak said, her voice low, her arms crossed.

“My grandmother clashed with the Blood Knight,” Naqokan said.

“What right does the Seventh Hope speak ill of our elders when we have not mentioned one Hope or Ray during a tale of such grave death?” Kitool asked. “It was our elders who formed the rays of hope on that day filled with death and destruction.”

Adam hadn’t seen Kitool’s brows furrow so deeply before, the rage shimmering on the surface of her eyes.

The words were obviously meant to dig deep into the pride of their order. If the Iyrmen were speaking so brazenly to them, then it meant this was a serious matter.

“Did you say your grandfather’s name was Jarot?” Second Hope Ava called out, a beautiful woman with strawberry blonde hair cut short and green eyes.

“Yes,” Jurot replied.

“Is he related to Undying Jarot?”

“That is one of his epithets,” Jurot confirmed.

“Your grandfather is the Mad Dog?” Hope Robert asked.

“He is.”

“I had heard he was dead.”

“He still lives, even after clashing with Lord Asa.”

“…” Hope Robert remained silent, deep in thought. Along the journey, Jurot and Nirot had spoken their tale to the Rays, but they hadn’t mentioned their grandfather was the Mad Dog. No, many of their stories were ridiculous, but if their stories were even half true, it made sense since they were his grandchildren.

‘Who is Mad Dog?’ Thomas thought, part of the next generation.

“I have heard that your grandfather left death in his wake,” Hope Robert said.

“Yes,” Jurot replied, his lips almost forming a smile. “He killed many, but he spared many more.”

‘He still wishes for us to apologise?’ Father Robert asked.

“It seems our Seventh Hope has spoken brash words,” Mother Priest spoke up, seeing that Robert was trying to find a way to diffuse the situation. “I hope you will forgive him for his recklessness, he is still a young man.”

“We have not heard his apology,” Jurot stated.

“Then I will apologise in his stead,” Mother Priest said.

Adam’s eyes grew wide at her words.

“I apologise,” Thomas said quickly. “What you said was true, Iyrman. I spoke poorly of your elders, and I was wrong.”

Jurot let out a sigh. “Okay.”

“I accept,” Naqokan said.

“…”

Eyes fell onto Jaygak, who had her arms crossed.

“Jaygak…” Kitool called out.

“I’m thinking.”

“It is not time for jokes.”

“Jokes?” Jaygak replied. “Perhaps this is a joke to you all, but it is the Gak family which has taken the worst wound in this.”

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That moment you remember there's another troublemaker in the party...