The kids had finished cultivating manna for the day and had just retired from the Elder’s rest.

Bromwyn arranged a picnic for the kids in an alcove near the cave entrance before rushing off, saying he had a bigger surprise waiting.

This sudden feast was surprising enough if Elrhain had to praise. Bromwyn claimed it was a belated celebration of Cati, him, and Agwyn’s initiation in manna. But Elrhain thought it was another thing the family prepared to cheer Agwyn up.

The girl loved feasts, after all.

Unlike last time’s gathering at the cloistered hall, however, this was a kiddy picnic. Small, with only a few food items that the munchkins really loved.

Like the pulp of Moondew fruit and that whole roasted honey snail Vesiphis mowed down.

Elrhain, too, took an enormous bite out of another of said snail despite Agwyn’s glare, then offered the remaining to her.

The girl snorted again but opened her mouth nonetheless.

Since today was the long-awaited day of reconciliation. She would let her ungrateful hubby worship her like a goddess. That’s the least he could do after the stunt he pulled.

Elrhain gladly complied as he answered her question. 「That night, you said how I always claimed I cared, but actually, I only acted like I cared. That I ignored details. 」

「Are you denying that? 」

「No, wait! Don’t bite my finger! Of course I am not denying! What you said is valid. In fact, all your points were absolutely legitimate. 」

Agwyn seemed to turn just a little happier, even though she glared. 「It's good that you know. 」

「Yes yes. But Annie, didn’t you tell me to trust you to make this relationship work? That we aren’t blindly jumping into it, and we will succeed even if we die? Yet look now, you suddenly started thinking about how to sacrifice your own happiness for mine. If you pamper me so much, I will become dependent on you.

That’s not love. That is extreme co-dependency. A toxic that kills a relationship faster than a French holiday. A poison that turns love into hate. 」

「…. And this… this vacation is the solution? 」 Agwyn said with an indignant expression. But Elrhain could, at last, reread her feelings like a book. The part about negatively affecting their companionship definitely rattled her spirits.

Anything that had the slightest chance of wrecking her hard-fought love was kryptonite to her. And she knew better than to avoid it. To her, the only choice was to investigate, dissect, and finally resolve the problem faster than Ysbail could bite back after Elrhain flicked her forehead. And this was something he could capitalize on.

「I see you have forgotten what we learnt in meditation classes.」 Elrhain tapped his head, then his left chest. 「Remember, mindfulness is the answer. We will constantly be distracted in our relationship. Greed, lust, seduction, silence, and temptations are sure to come-」

「Like Ysbail and Siani’s tails?」

「.... right. That. But the moment we notice those distractions that can lead us astray, like your mental breakdown-」

「Hey!」

「Yes, that’s what it was. You scared the shit out of me. We clearly needed a change of pace, and you needed it more than me. Notice the distraction, change your pace with a deep breath, and then bring the concentration back to what really matters. This little time off with our family is our deep breath. 」

「...」

「Annie, don’t say things like how you can sacrifice even your family for me ever again, okay? You can’t hide how much you love everyone; we can read most of each other’s thoughts! Pretending is meaningless. So… So, even if this time off isn’t a solution, it’s the start of one.

I know we aren’t perfect. And I am sorry for saying you aren’t trying your absolute hardest to make me comfortable in this unusual relationship.

I-I had no genuine experience dating. Okay, don’t pout. I know the thing with Shirvan and Naomi went south. But your relationships lasted years, whereas the longest I dated was barely 2 months!

What I mean is, I don’t know the ins and outs of a love life at all. And I will keep making mistakes. But just like deep breaths, as long as we notice both of our mistakes fast enough, we can be mindful of what is poison and what is honey. We can definitely make it work. I really do trust you. Alright?」

Agwyn didn’t answer. She stared at him like looking at a wonder. Like the focus of an asteroid mining laser, her gaze seemed to penetrate the immaterial and pierce straight into his soul for answers.

Just when Elrhain was about to snap his finger in front of her eyes to check if she was awake, Agwyn sighed, then asked.

「You say you don’t know the ins and outs of a love life. But then, how… does a staunch bachelor like you know so much about what’s good and bad in romantic relationships? Not to mention… how to fix those bad things. 」

Elrhain gaped, then averted his eyes with a fierce blush. He whispered a few words, but they were even quieter than the skitter of a caterpillar.

「What was that?」

「I said, I talked with Miramarja’s pre-marital counsellor!」

「Wait, why?」

「I couldn’t be at peace without confirming she absolutely knew what she was doing, or was just jumping the gun when Miramarja said she would marry that twerp!」

Agwyn narrowed her eyes, then tilted her head adorably. Finally, registering Elrhain’s shameful admission, she burst into an uncontrollable fit of snorts and giggles, plopping backwards onto the grass-covered ground.

「W-What’s so funny? In fact, aren’t you the irresponsible one for not profiling the twerp like you should as an ex-spy?」

「Aha hahaha! My, my heart. I can’t breathe, hahaha. P-Pre-marital counsellor! Profiling! You stalker!」

「Stop it!」

「Hahaha!」

Elrhain complained, and Agwyn laughed. But there was no mirth on Agwyn’s face, not even mock. What was there was something Elrhain couldn’t see because Agwyn was lying on her back, her face hidden behind her palms and cackles.

But Elrhain knew. All the silence, all the madness, and all her uneasiness had already vanished into the late morning wind with her childlike laughter.

****

The servants cleaned up the place after the small feast ended. Elrhain glanced at them, recognizing some familiar figures.

That pretty blondie who always sneaked him fresh leaf-berries, that gruff man with fangs who seemed to be his father’s close friend despite their status difference.

As if they noticed his gaze, the servants looked back and smiled. Their smiles deepened, seeing Agwyn rolling like a kitten beside where Elrhain sat.

The boy could only facepalm.

“Rhainy! Gwynnie!” Ysbail toddled her way near, holding Cati’s hand. Howell strode behind them with a hunting spear hung on his back.

The group had left them alone for a while at Elrhain’s behest, and none of them complained as they were keen enough to notice the marital undercurrents. But Agwyn’s current state let them know of the long-awaited peace.

“Me lords,” Howell said with a toothy smile. It was pretty terrifying with his jagged shark teeth. “Finally, my day has come, again! I talked to pa today. Said we can finally go fishin’, again!”

““Really?””

Elrhain exclaimed while Agwyn stood up in a hurry. Could this be the surprise the big guy had planned?

Howell nodded, “Yup. But can’t in our lakes or in Sister Saphur’s place. Says only Sagathan is safe; dunno why, though. Pa told the watch persons to take us to Onthoakt Haragol’s lil’ village.”

“Haragol?”

“Them scale folks’ place is one of the villages by the Sagathan shore. Also,” Howell scratched his chin, having the full attention of 9 glittering eyes, “Pa said you know’em, apparently.”

Elrhain did, in fact, know Haragol. Just not his name.

When the old man came walking up the mountain with a jolly smile on his face alongside Watch Captain Anouk, Agwyn excitedly jumped up.

“It’s the claw handed grandpa!”

***

Haragol was an Onthoakt house. One of the newest in fact, and was ennobled only a few cycles before the Siaglas Reanakty. Just like the Siaglas, they were in the faction that directly answered to the Earthloch main house.

“It is this old man’s pleasure to meet you again, little prince and princess. This Randuman Earthloch Haragol will… Is something the matter, young princess?” The old man with hands like a dragon and scales like one too spoke with a humble bow. But he noticed Agwyn scuttling around him like a fox kit, not minding his greetings, searching for whatever had captured her attention.

“Ey, where is she?” Agwyn asked.

“…. The princess means?”

“Don’t play dumb! Where is the cute little sister I saw last time?! You said you’ll let me let Ellie look after her!”

“Aye! My granddaughter.” Randuman realized. The older man laughed. “The princess actually remembers that.”

“Of course! T-That sister is so cute. Ysbail can’t even compare.”

“Hey!”

Randuman looked amused, seeing Ysbail trying to hug Agwyn with her tiny arms as if demanding an explanation. He patted his ruddy hide tunic and said, “Little Ruba is awaiting the princess in the lakeside of our new village. This Onthoakt is proud to at last host the two shining stars of Earthloch for today. As commanded by the chieftain, I will prove that the nobles under the main house are far better at hunting aquatic gheists than the likes of Reanakt Saphur!”

“Eh. Sister Saphur always praised ya though, old man Haragol. You don’t like her? Too bad…” Howell’s mood suddenly plummeted. He twiddled his fingers and muttered under his breath, “Sis’ll be sad if I tell her….”

“Please don’t! Haha, this old man jests. Of course, what we have is a friendly rivalry. Friendly!” Elrhain could swear he saw sweat streak down Randuman’s forehead as he tried to cheer Howell up and smirked.

This Reanakt Saphur was a noble who followed the snob, Elder Sonora. But her personality was a world’s apart. She was one of the nicest, purest, dumbest adults Elrhain had ever met. And Elrhain knew Cyra and Bromwyn!

A few days ago, he and Agwyn had visited her settlement. It was a quaint little place built on the banks of one of the smaller lakes in the Lochuir area. There, they had their first boat ride in this world.

Despite the cold war still ongoing back then, the two had certainly enjoyed it. The spectacle of cultivators grappling with aquatic gheists was unforgettable. So was the passion as many normal dhionne, servant families hauling and processing the freshwater catch hunted by the cultivators.

The face of a mermaid maiden, the Reanakt who could shapeshift, flashed past Elrhain’s mind. Indeed, she was the type to be devastated when anyone, even a servant, talked badly of her behind her back.

Weirdly though, Elrhain could imagine that bubbly maiden and this jolly old man having a friendly rivalry.

‘But another fishing village, huh….’ Elrhain scratched his chin. Usually, if the settlement had people catching fish, a particular creature would also make its home there. A creature of cuteness of such epic proportions that no girl under the age of ten cycles could possibly control themselves in their presence.

As such….

“Ah! Fish Gembins? I mean, do you have Fish G-Gremlins?” Agwyn, Ysbail, and even Cati, who was still trying to crack one of the roasted nuts from the feast, grabbed onto Randuman’s sleeve and stared up with their seven pitiful eyes.

“Why, we certainly do. I have heard that the princess is especially fond of that Ahnmigheist. Worry not, for even our Fish Gremlins are far more ferocious than any of their brethren found elsewhere.

In the bid to devour the fish filth we offer, they will fear no man or monster. They are far larger, wickeder, and potent at decimating gheists of the lakes for their internal black flesh than even the undergods!”

“…. Huh?”

“But shall we be on the move now, my little lord and lady? It will take less than a half-hour to reach my tiny abode.

I have already spoken with the chieftain and chieftainess regarding our plans for the day. If I remember correctly, today, it shall be young mistresses Cati and Ysbail and young masters Howell, Vesiphis, and Cadfael accompanying you, no?”

“HUH?”