POV: Anna

As I walk through the hallway in this early morning, suddenly I hear a blood-curdling scream from Arin's room.

Running over I become witness to something unexpected. There was clearly Arin sitting in his bed, yet at the same time he... no, she wasn't.

Arin was looking at me with wide-open eyes that contained shock beyond reason, though I believe I know why. Looking at him there was definitely something wrong, no, something that has changed...

For once, Arin's hair was suddenly covering his back, reaching down to his rear while his chest showed strange swellings that definitely weren't there the last time I saw him. The latter is currently sitting on the bed, checking himself out with an unbelieving expression.

I, on the other hand, didn't know what I should do, because I could tell... this wasn't Arin anymore. Maybe Ariane would suit him better now?

Thinking something stupid I quickly notice that Arin was struggling with his clothing, trying to get rid of his shirt. Thanks to that I quickly snap out of my thoughts and go over to assist him, feeling slightly weird inside, because if what happened what I think it did... what am I going to do?

Feeling wary, I help the panicked Arin take off his shirt, only for the latter to draw back immediately the moment it was gone.

There was something definitely wrong, as Arin's normally rather frail chest suddenly had two peaks on them that weren't there before... Honestly, they are even bigger than mine, and I am older, unfair!

Falling into delusions, I notice late how Arin screams the moment he noticed it himself, causing him to draw back and hide among the covers. Feeling worried, I try to approach Arin and comfort him, yet the moment he looked at me closely, I noticed how much he truly changed.

His eyes became a lot softer, his nose and mouth also having changed ever so slightly. Though the changes were limited due to his age, there was definitely a cute feminine streak in there, causing me to back off in embarrassment. I really wanted to kiss him right there, what is wrong with me!?

Letting my head cool off by the side, I notice late how Arin's uncle and mom enter the room.

They, once they spotted Arin, began to talk among themselves.

“It came earlier than expected, this shouldn't be...”

“Ohh come on, now he looks even cuter...”

Both of their comments didn't display any type of shock in relation to this situation, causing me to be confused. Were they waiting for this, did they know that Arin would change like this?

Slightly lost, I turn towards the two, seeking an answer to this situation while Arin tried to get out of bed to try on some clothing, only for his... her body to be in full display…

“What a figure!” I couldn't help but comment, feeling myself become entranced.

Slightly dazed, I only returned to reality when Aaron, Arin's Uncle slapped my back, laughing wildly.

“This is great since you are Arin's sister, why don't you teach him how to live like a girl?”

Confused I look up to him, yet what I saw surprised me. For a moment I thought I saw Maria's head on him... what is happening?!?

Slightly confused, I dazedly go over to Arin who was still looking at himself in the mirror with a perplexed expression.

Yet, seeing as he still wasn't wearing anything on top, I thought it might be a good time as any for him to bathe. So grabbing a nearby towel, I throw it over him before grabbing him by the hand and pulling him away, through the hallway towards the bathroom. Surprisingly, his already rather adorable small hand seemed so much frailer this time around...

Once there, which felt like an instant, I immediately undressed the latter. Yet the moment I saw him, now her completely naked, I was taken aback. I knew that Arin already had a rather adorable appearance with plenty charm for someone his age, yet now seeing her there, covering herself with her tails, her charm practically shot through the roof. His new feminine features, pale skin and long hair all added into a mix that could only be called gorgeous.

I felt myself get lost, embarrassment rising to my head. Yet before I noticed, Arin's face was right in front of me.

“Anna... what is happening to me?!” There was a slight panic in his voice as he covered himself with his tails. Yet having him so close to me I didn't know what to do, a strong desire to pet and cuddle him growing within me.

What is wrong with me! What is this situation!

“UUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

I am called from my thoughts when suddenly a loud scream resounded nearby, causing my focus to return.

Turning towards the source, I am met with darkness, the whole world flipping over before I felt myself shoot up while breathing heavily.

...

I found myself in my bed within the elven palace. My breathing still heavy while sweat permeates my skin.

Was it all a dream? Like, what the hell?! Why did I dream of something like this? Has my own trauma gone this far that I escape to such unrealistic scenarios...?

Why the heck was I even dreaming of something like this?! Why was I dreaming of Arin as a girl, what the heck is wrong with me?!?

Feeling shame creep up to my face, I quickly try to vanquish it by telling myself that it was just a stupid dream, allowing me to regain some calm.

Yet perfectly remembering what I dreamed about, I really want to bury myself in a hole to hide my shame.

While I was wailing in my bed, my cover long since lying on the ground, I suddenly remember the scream that initially woke me up.

Realizing that it must have been Arin I quickly get off my bed, put on my slippers and run out of the room down the hallway into Arin's room. The fact that it is still dark means that it is still night, yet thanks to the lights within this hall I don't have much trouble orienting myself.

Arriving inside, I am met with Arin lying in his bed, sweating as he seems to struggle against something in his dreams, sometimes whimpering while other times screaming and kicking. It's probably a nightmare. Yet before I could approach I spotted Lumi, Arin's mom as she laid down beside him, pulling him into a hug while whispering calming words, telling him that he was not alone while cushioning him with her tails.

Watching this I once more remember the dream I had, noticing just what a stupid thing it was. Neither Arin, Aaron or Lumi were realistic within said dream. Yet that makes me question myself. Am I truly that twisted that I imagine Arin like this?

Looking at the scene as Lumi mothers Arin in order to calm him down as well as the loving expression she wears, I just shake my head towards my own thoughts. It was just a dream.

Thinking like that I approach Arin before stroking his head a bit between his ears, hoping for him to calm down quickly again. Towards this action Arin actually seemed to lose some of his tension, as his breathing evened out again, his eyes less pressed like before with his muscles relaxing.

Feeling happy with the change, I was about to turn around only to see Lumi show me a lovely smile in thanks, which I return with a nod before leaving the room, closing the door softly behind me in order to prevent any further noise.

Turning around afterward, I then notice Sir Aaron, Saria, Sumi and Alice standing in front of me, all of which seem to be about to enter the room.

So in order to prevent them from creating any more noise, I tell them about how Arin probably had a nightmare and that Lumi was already there to calm him down. Alice quickly accepted this together with Saria, both releasing their held breaths before thanking me for some reason and returning to their own rooms. Sumi also left shortly after, showing a relieved smile before leaving. Her reaction to Arin being taken care off was… weird? I can’t put my finger on it, but she seemed relieved like everyone else, maybe even a bit more than us.

Sir Aaron, however, started to mumble for a moment before he then also thanked me and turned around to leave.

'Was I too forceful?' was what I heard him mumble to himself. So, maybe he is questioning his ways of parenting Arin? Honestly, I am not so sure what is going through Sir Aaron's head, especially so since I am just a human and not a dragon. Still, if he is speaking about the phoenix-essence he showed us yesterday, then I believe it was too forceful!

After all, just looking at that cursed bird's remains shot a cold shudder down my back. And I am sure that both Alice and Sumi didn't fare much better, not to speak about Arin who received the brunt of it.

With such thoughts I return to my room and lie down, feeling tired while also weirded out. I never really looked at Arin as more than a cute smaller brother who seems to cure depression just by being there... so why the heck did I dream of something like this?

Feeling conflicted I slowly lie down again, letting sleep take over once more, a dreamless darkness shrouding me until the sun rose once more.

POV: Aaron Geyser

After hearing about Arin's nightmare from Anna I started to think about my actions recently. It is probable that I pushed him a bit too hard, especially so since I didn't even let him truly calm down over the past week since the attack of the Phoenix.

Still, what's done is done, there is nothing that can be changed about it, so I will have to think more about my future actions.

Still, Arin luckily didn't remember much about the dream, yet he did wake up with tears in his eyes which caused the girls to fawn over him once more, trying to comfort him. I only hope that he doesn't become spoiled because of this. Well, currently it is still alright now that he is still a kid, but once the hormones kick in... don't know if I should expect a funny story or horrible drama.

Well, we'll see when the time comes. For now, there are more important things, like breakfast, which everyone seems to enjoy. It is simple with some dark-bread, eggs and small slabs of meat. All in all a small but tasty meal, together with some sweet fruits to the end.

Having finished eating we decided that today I would follow the kids as they are guided through the older Prince's farm as well as the younger Prince's laboratory in the afternoon.

So without further ado, our group of eight, meaning us minus Lumi who is resting, together with two guides begin our journey. They are servants I saw rather often recently, two young men who seem to be very excited about meeting us, especially so since in their words, dragons and foxes rarely visit these days, and many of the younger ones have never seen one in the first place.

Anyway, when we arrived on a small floating island after crossing several bridges, I noticed how Arin was peering over the railings and looking at the main-island in the middle with a curious gaze.

“Weird... it's all gone...” Arin said, his eyes staring at the spot where the attack occurred. Though ravaged by the flames of the Phoenix, the moment the old tree regained control it immediately started to rejuvenate the destroyed area, causing trees and plants to regrow from the ashes. Of course, the busy elves also helped, mostly in cleaning up and remaking the road past the fields.

“You are correct. After all, thanks to the thickness of mana here and the great tree who is capable of speeding up the healing process by several times, damages even of this degree are often fixed in a matter of days.” I heard Saria explain, pointing at the places that had yet to be completely cleared, where the earth remained barren to some degree, ashes lying in the grass.

“Can I do something like that too? Repairing nature like that I mean?” Arin asked out of the blue, causing a surprised expression to jump onto the others and my face. The worst part, however, was that I couldn't deny it as he might as well be capable of doing it.

For that reason I just gave a vague answer, hoping that he wouldn't suddenly start growing trees on masse in the area. “I am not sure, you would need to learn how to do it first. After all, if you put in effort nothing is really impossible, especially if we are talking about magic.”

Towards my words, Arin nodded, seemingly deep in thought as he stared holes into the air. Feeling amused that after the depression this morning he was already up to weird ideas, I just tug on his shirt a bit before pulling him onto my shoulders.

After a short and surprised yelp by Arin that drew some laughter from everyone around, he made himself comfortable above my head, hiding himself using his tails while clinging to my horns.

Anyway, continuing on we approach the end of the great hole, once more stepping onto solid ground. From this point onward we then started to go through a long winding path until we arrive in front of a huge clearing, as in really huge.

Fields of wheat, vegetables, and salads were spanning in front of us, reaching kilometers before ending at the wall of trees in the distance. Is this really that Prince's farm? Isn't it a bit too large for that? And here I thought elves grow everything on trees. Apparently not. However, it would explain how the elves can remain independent on this island even with barely any real trade in crops and vegetables.

Anyway, while we are guided through a thin path that goes in between the fields, with a water-channel passing beside it, we quickly arrive at the only tree in the middle of all this. Installed within is a typical elven home of the same kind as the ones in the middle tree-zone, just with an abnormally large barn that's seemingly shaped from the roots of that very tree beside it.

Actually, there are quite some differences in lifestyle between the city-elves on the islands floating above the hole and the ones living in the forests of this island itself, beginning with the homes. Well, not like all elves are either gathered in the middle on the floating islands or at the coast with the harbor. In the forests in all the space between, there are countless cities and villages of elves living there, mostly living on raising animals and agriculture, while in trade with the center and the harbor.

It's actually only the central city floating above the hole that has that many xenophobic rules on this island, yet those have their reasons too, one of which is dead now. Still, most of the elven-island, even if it doesn't look the part is actually structured like most human countries with different regions and different rules depending on where you are. Well, the basic laws stay the same no matter where you are, but that should be obvious, right?

Anyway, I am called back from my thoughts when Arin suddenly speaks up.

“Uncle Black, Fertilis is over there!” Speaking the prince's name like it was nothing, Arin points towards the prince with his finger. Honestly, I start to worry about Arin should he ever enter some kingdom's high-society that is less lenient with its traditions.

Still, having spotted our target our group makes its way over to him, with the girls that hurried ahead arriving first. It's interesting though, seeing them hurry like that only to stay away about three meters and wait. Maybe because they don't know him enough yet? Well, I would certainly feel better not having to know him any better than I already do.

The prince himself, noticing us immediately stood up from his crouching position and showed us a smile, his obnoxiously loud voice ringing out as he greets us.

“Oh, hello there everyone. Glad to have you visit, how are you doing? Did you come to appreciate the work of my wife and me?” He was definitely boasting again, which rubbed my nerves the wrong way. Yet thanks to Arin's continues, even if not intended back-massage with his tails I am quickly able to calm down again. We came to relax and maybe talk him into taking the throne, nothing more, I am not letting myself be stressed again.

*Fuuuh

Taking a deep breath I then also approach, a false smile like I am used to giving recently automatically popping onto my face. “Hey there Prince Fertilis, we just came to visit, thought that maybe the kids are interested in seeing how Elves do their farming.”

Giving some false reply I just thought of on the spot, I receive a questioning gaze from the older Prince before he breaks up into a big smile. “But of course, hahaha. Please come along, I will give a tour. Afterward, we can then enjoy some freshly made berry-juice my wife prepared this morning, so come along.”

With a wave of his hand he turned around, his tall figure already walking towards the first field and the water-channel beside it. Lightly sighing to myself, I also follow, still somewhat curious about the farming methods of the elves.

Though as I walk after the girls that are already curiously listening to Fertilis' explanation, I suddenly feel Arin's tails ceasing to move, probably because he is thinking. Yet suddenly I feel a piercing gaze come down on me from above, so I lightly raise my head in order to look up without harming Arin with my horns.

What greets me is an inquisitive pair of emerald-green eyes that stare at me as if trying to deduce something.

“Is there something Arin?” I ask curiously, yet he doesn't answer.

It took a while, yet after some time he raises his eyes again and his soft voice echoes out above me.

“Fake Uncle Black doesn't feel right... it's uncomfortable...”

Fake? What does he mean...? Maybe... maybe my acting, does he mean that?! Arin's sudden declaration completely threw me off balance. This came out of nowhere, why would he say that?

I was confused and even stopped moving for a while, only to realize that we were falling behind with the group that was already walking ahead.

Slightly flustered I catch up again, yet stay far enough to not be involved in their direct conversation, or the girls currently test-tasting freshly picked raspberries.

So, waiting for them to finish I speak to Arin again who is still sitting on my shoulder.

“Arin, what do you mean by me being 'Fake'?” I asked slowly, trying to figure it out myself. Yet the answer didn't wait.

“Because... you were fake... The emotion you released and the feeling you gave off were like two complete opposites, making it feel uncomfortable... please don't do it again...” It wasn't a plead, but a request.

Was it that obvious though? I mean, I am thousands of years old and the art of deception is something I know very well, so was it that obvious to Arin or is he just that sensible to emotion? Though honestly, most of the things that happened until now point towards the latter.

Still, having been pointed out so by Arin I feel shame for some reason. Yet there was also something else.

In the world out there, there are many, no, practically everyone who wears some kind of mask in certain situations, how will Arin deal with those?

Thinking about it, I am once more made aware that I need to address some problems with Arin once we are back at the Dragon-Mountains. I will probably have to change some things in the way I am raising him, or at least teach him how to deal with such things.

After all, it would be weird if Arin suddenly points at some random depressed person and asks them if they aren't depressed even though they smile, or even tells them that they are fake...

Fuuuh, I have the feeling that this will become complicated again.

Laying those thoughts aside, I continue walking after the older Prince who is guiding us around the farm. Yet when we pass the star-berry field, an orange berry in a similar shape to a star, Arin suddenly mentions that he wants to try some.

So, though slightly reluctant, I call out to the elder Prince.

“Your Majesty Fertilis, Arin wishes to try some of the Star-Berries, is that okay?” I purposefully called him with his title in order to stay aware of his position and remind him of it as well.

The latter seemed annoyed at the title I gave him, yet he still approached shortly after. “Sure he can have some, yet they aren't completely ripe yet, so their typical sweetness isn't as prominent and they might even still be a bit sour.”

He said that with a smile, picking some of the bushes which he then held out to Arin who eagerly tried to grab them. Sadly, he was too high up to reach them, so I went to my knees until he was able to get a hold of them.

After that was done, he thanked Fertilis with a smile and began to bite into them. Though, unlike expected, his face didn't consort when eating them and instead he eagerly bit into it again.

“This tastes like sour-gummy-bears... I like it!” He said in a loud voice, causing both Fertilis and me to look at him with surprised expressions. The ones most shocked however were Alice and Anna, as both suddenly stared at the fruit in Arin's hand and started to demand some for themselves.

I on the other hand, once I had a taste of the sour berry, thought that it wasn't that great, so I questioned Arin who was joyfully eating above my head.

“Hey Arin, what are gummy-bears? You said those fruits taste like them.” I asked him, yet he just waved his hand once, causing the green core of the berry that was as hard as a rock to fly back into the field.

“It's... it was a popular kind of candy back on earth, I liked them a lot. Though not the same, those berries lack the gummy-part, they still have a similar type of taste...” He said while licking his fingers that still had juice on them. He then commenced to hold my horns again.

OI! You will get juices all over them! “Hey, Arin, wash your hands first before you hold my horns again, otherwise they might become sticky!” I warned Arin.

The latter luckily noticed rather quickly and started by summoning a ball of water in front of him where he put his hands into, rubbing them to clean them.

Afterward, he even summoned some water to clean my horns with, which surprised me, though that got my hair wet as well. Well, thanks for the gesture, I guess...

In the end, after a short tasting-round, Anna, Sumi, and Alice also demanded some water to clean themselves off, which Arin happily provided. In the meantime, Fertilis was watching all that with a complicated gaze, his eyes scanning past the still unripe field of berries. Maybe he is thinking of doing something with them before they are completely ripe?

Anyway, leaving the Prince-farmer with his problems I look over to the girls who begin to play with the water Arin summoned, splashing each other with a laugh. Actually, in this heat today some cool water would be just right.

And as if on demand, Arin suddenly came up with the idea of dousing himself a little, allowing me no time to react.

*SPLASH!

Before I noticed I was doused as well, water dropping down from my clothes as pearls of water glistened in the sunlight.

I, I honestly don't know if...

“Arin...!” Yup, I was angry.

Feeling my voice charged with anger I call out to Arin, who seems to have suddenly realized that he doused no only himself but also me...

The latter suddenly shrunk down, his tails pulling themselves up while his ears fell flat. He tried to get off, yet since he was on my shoulders he was unable to leave.

“Arin, didn't I tell you to watch your situation and surroundings before you use magic?!” I called out to him, still angry at the fact that I was victim to this surprise-shower.

“I am sorry... I forgot about this...” Arin's voice was getting smaller as he apologized, hiding his face behind his tails like he always does when he is ashamed,

Releasing a sigh I realize that I can't stay angry at little Arin, causing me to add another sigh on top of the previous one.

“Fuh... fine, I forgive you. But please, even if you are motivated, consider your circumstances more before you take action, especially when it concerns magic.”

Speaking like that I try to soothe the little one, before continuing with our tour by Fertilis. However, I have to admit that what Arin did was potentially dangerous; I nearly dropped him from surprise. It's not like I didn't feel the magic-power, yet for Arin, it is hard to guess what type he uses. I thought he might use some water-balls to cool himself down with, not summon a whole pool of water to drop down on himself, and by extension, me.

I put Arin down from my shoulders back onto the ground before releasing some of my mana into my essence-clothing, causing all the water to evaporate in an instant.

Arin on the other hand still appeared apologetic with his tails sunk behind his back. I just encouraged him to continue going and learn from this, like always, before continuing the tour under the guidance of the eldest prince.

Arin slowly lost his apprehension again after some time, causing him to regain his vigor as he played with the girls. Especially Sumi who appeared to have taken a special interest into the small creatures one could find swimming within the water-channels beside the field.

"What are you looking at?" Arin asked as he approached, causing her point at some type of shrimp that was floating around in the water. It was a small type that is usually seen as helpful especially by fish-keepers since they often reproduce rapidly and can so serve as both food and cleaners of the reservoir. That’s at least what the fish-seller in the market told me after I found some remains of them lying with the fishes he sold. Yet why would they be in this field?

I asked Fertilis, yet he only returned an awkward smile while speaking about the truth of the subject. “Actually, this water-system is connected to several ponds in the area that contain sweet-water fish that belong to a fisher nearby. We are kinda in a symbiotic relationship, but it doesn't come without its fair share of problems.”

I was only taken aback a bit, as I never saw the prince make such a face, especially as he is more often than not either obnoxiously loud or just plain pushy... something I can't stand honestly.

Still, a symbiotic relationship... well, no good thinking about stuff I have no clue about. I may be old, but that doesn't mean I know everything, especially so since I am not very fond of… muddy waters...

Still, Arin and Sumi spent a surprising amount of time just staring at the fishes, apparently taken in by something. Turns out both of them were dropping small crumbs of their snacks into the water, watching as the small creatures took them and brought them deeper into a hideout in order to consume it.

Well, I would say it is boring, but I guess there are different opinions.

Anna and Alice, on the other hand, went with Saria, sitting in the grass beneath a small sky-cherry tree nearby. It appears though that the three of them are actually spiritedly talking with one another while looking over at us from time to time. Seeing them point at their hair and skin occasionally, I presume they are talking about girl-stuff...

As I was sighting to myself, I notice how Fertilis starts using some magic on one of the fields, a short chant leaving his mouth before a mellow green glow descends from his palm into the ground, causing some of the weak plants among the cornfield to regain some of their vitality.

“What kind of magic was that?” I asked, truly curious for once.

“Oh, this is a mix of water- and earth-magic, we call it vitality-magic. Isn't it amazing? It does something similar to the vitality-increasing spells of the light-attribute, just that it is limited to flora. It is the creation of my brother.” He spoke, pride practically oozing from his mouth as he spoke.

However, thinking about it, couldn't they...? “Couldn't you just cast that spell several times in order to allow for quicker plant-growth?”

“Heavens no!” Prince Fertilis exclaimed after hearing my question, immediately changing his voice to a more serious tone. “The last time we tried that the plants rotted after a short while because of the after-effects it has on the earth. That was over two years ago and that field is still barren. Apparently, it has something to do with the plants suddenly sucking more nutrients out of the ground. For this reason, this spell is only used to aid near harvestable fields in order to get a richer harvest.”

He immediately started rambling on and on, even following with facts about certain trees and plants I honestly had no interest in. But I guess it makes sense. Magic, even if powerful depending on the situation, it is not almighty and can have awful consequences and drawbacks, something that the old humanity didn't appear to realize until it was too late.

Yet while I continued to listen to the Prince's rambling, something about him being unable to convince other farmers to pick up his improved farming-system that improves both land and harvest, suddenly Arin chimed in out of nowhere.

I was kinda shocked that I didn't even notice him approaching, was I that lost in thought?!

I am quickly pulled back to reality, however, when Arin began to speak, his soft voice was just so innocent, yet I saw an opportunity in it...

“Hey Fertilis, if you want others to accept your ideas, can't a King make it a decree or something? You are a Prince, after all, I am sure the other farmers would listen if you had a decree.“ I didn't know if the boy was trying to con Fertilis into the position of King or if that was just an innocent idea, but I didn't care, I would hop onto any opportunity to end this soon.

“He's right, a King should be able to decree this... Also, isn't the world tree in contact with the ruler? I am sure that would also help in convincing whoever has doubts of an improved system... Hey Arin, the blessing of the world-tree, doesn't it subconsciously support plant-life and growth around the owner, I mean you have some type of blessing, even if it is more of a seal...?” I immediately begin to talk about the 'advantages' of the king-position in a second-hand manner, trying to make it look less obvious.

Yet as I ask Arin, the latter just looks at me with a weird expression, probably confused at my behavior. Yet after some time he just shrugs his shoulders and delivers an answer to my previous question. “I think so..? I mean, it's true that the room-plants within the palace grew exponentially lately, and flowers seem to bloom when I pass by a field, is that the effect of the seal within me?”

Arin also returned a question, looking down on himself, as if he was able to see the seal somewhere in his body.

Fertilis in the meantime was looking over the fields, a deeply thinking expression decorating his face.

Yet as I didn't want him to figure out too much, also since time was slowly running out, I told Prince Fertilis that we should slowly bring an end to this tour. The latter didn't mind, yet he invited us to have lunch with his wife and him before we return to the palace.

The girls who came close in the meantime agreed without hesitation before I could say something, so that was solved as well.

For this reason, all of us entered the huge tree-house of this farm, surprised at the size of the inside. It seems that a space-extending magic was cast on the inside of this building, allowing everyone to snugly fit inside.

Afterward, Prince Fertilis' wife brought several plates with food, placing them in front of us before leaving to bring some more.

Once everyone was seated, Fertilis blessed the food, something I didn't know elves did, at least not in the royal palace, before everyone dug in.

It was delicious, kinda simple but good. The kids also enjoyed it, if their bright smiles had anything to say about it. Even the guards sat with us, even when they felt a little awkward, trying their best to eat their food calmly, which was funny to watch.

With this, the morning came to an end. Yet with the day still going strong, we will visit the younger Prince Auxerunt this afternoon, which is something Arin and the girls appear to be especially excited about. The only answer I receive when I ask them why, however, is a short laugh and them keeping their mouths sealed while stupidly grinning.

Well, I guess that at least they have things they are looking forward too. Even the mood is a lot better compared to the one they always had in recent days, so I shan't complain.