"Its... um... been awhile since we've done this... right?" I say, laying out a light dish I prepared for these domestic disasters.

They start munching away silently. They look like they're about to say something, but...

It quickly becomes a scene of devouring instead. Still, its enough to bring a smile to my face. Feeding people you love is similar to protecting them.

Of course, with how insanely strong my dad and sister are, I had no way to know that. At the time I just clung on to it, because it was all I had.

"This is amazing! Kiku! Y-you... what even is this...?"

"Tarsis Roots." I grin.

They just stop.

"No way..." Kako looks shocked. "T-there's no way a ration food like..."

"Um... hehe... theres apparently a popular way to prepare a similar root vegetable on Ni... Elijah's world."

Dad and Kako look at each other and then...

Then, bizarrely, dad's face twitches, contorts, and out of no-where, he starts crying!

"Eh wot!? Wha- what's wrong, dad!?" I exclaim, and I dash over to him.

"You... you're too young to be married!"

...

...

"Eh?"

...

...

"Um... when did I get married? How did I miss such a crucial part of my life, Dad?" I say, deadpan.

I rub the scar on my forehead trying to comprehend what is happening.

"You've done... eh... things... with the etranger though." Kako blushes.

Oh my gods. Seriously? I used to look up to this big sister... but is she really such a blushing maiden?!

I snicker.

"And if I have?"

"I'll kill him!" Dad suddenly leaps up. Even if he's the strongest man in the kingdom he doesn't look very threatening right now...

"If you do, I'll never forgive you." I say, smiling sweetly.

Suddenly its like he never cried at all. Weird. I never thought he was such an actor. I blink.

"Fuu... Kiku... you grew up so much. Your eyes are like your mothers now." He sighs.

"You're certain that you're fine playing as one of six? The church of Sendervil won't wed you, you know."

I sigh. Why are we back to marriage again?

"The church of Sendervil didn't wed you and mother either, right?" I say.

"Of course not. I'm the realm guardian." He shakes his head. "I'm not allowed to swear myself to an individual."

"Actually, dad, you've never explained what that means. Are we spirits or something?" I query, thinking of Aeris-chan.

He looks under his eyes.

"Nope. You're just human, I'm afraid."

"And what about you, dad?" I press, noticing how he phrased it.

He snorts.

"Hanging around that Sage has made you too sharp, Kiku." He sighs. "Very well. Hah... I guess I should say something... you two are old enough. It's a stupid story, so I'll give you a condensed version."

"A long time ago, when I was a lad, I was obsessed with the sword. So I left on a journey to become even more powerful. Those days travelling were... unpleasant... in retrospect. Eventually, though, I found a cavern, deep in the mountains of Jeraldine. And in the depths of that dark cavern, was a man. He called himself Aurelius."

"The Sage of Light?!" Kako exclaims. "So those Elixirs you gave me and her majesty!"

He nods at my sister.

"Would you believe, girls, that at that point, I had been wandering the continent for over fourty years. I was an old man."

I think me and Kako can't understand this. Dad looks in his late thirties.

"The light sage was trying something in the darkness there, away from their tower. And a convienient mouse to test the experiment arrived." He gives a bitter smile.

"I stayed there for three years. And when I left, I looked like this. I have been artificially granted something similar to Sendervil's real blessing that your friend, the little princess has. This version has a cost, though. I am literally tied to this land, to Jeraldine. It sustains me. The sage realised this was too much, and aborted the experiments afterwards. As thanks, I received a case of more regular elixirs."

"Does that mean... you literally can't leave the country?" I ask.

"That's right. I can't even go on ship, or use a ley-gate. I can't even be on a higher floor of a building for very long." He laughs. "It's like a sickness that suddenly takes hold of me. After all, I would be nearly ninety years old at this point." He grins.

"In any case... after that, I decided to return to the capital. In barely two years, I was the guildmaster of the mercenary guild. They called me a genius, but I'm actually a sham who has sixty years of mindless swordfighting under my belt. I'm an old fart that just won't die. The church of Sendervil decided to call me the Realm Guardian."

"For some reason, that didn't dissuade the previous guildmasters foolish daughter, Kirin from falling for me, though. I guess you naturally like older men like her, Kiku." He snorts.

Me and Kako are both stunned to silence that our dad is actually old enough to be our great grandfather.

"Did he also buy those swords for you?" He suddenly asks me, motioning to the blades leant against the wall.

"Um... yes... and... it seems his spirit was made partly from one of my swords." I say, smiling.

Maybe I'm a bit delusional... but isn't Aeris like my and Elijah's child, thinking about it?

But as I do, dad clouts the top of my head.

"That's the path of madness. Stop that."

Uh... he's probably right.

"That's my girl." He changes to a head-pat instead.

"Keep your head, as I've always taught you. This will be just as trying for you as battle, this route you've chosen. But I'll allow it."

"Thanks, dad." I smile again.

Should I be checking back in...? But no... Kako got the day off and I wanted to as well... I've probably still got the rest of today to spend with my family before we begin, right? I wonder what we can do today?