Now that both parties have explained all they’ve had to explain, we didn’t have much to do apart from try to restart the conversation from zero, but it was mostly to no avail. Really, no one can be in the mood for a chat after hearing about all the atrocities the Carmenians did to the poor common folk. Even still, we did manage to finish the little road trip off with a good old game of Shiritori, the made up traveling game Issei taught me.

“Shiritori, was it?” Carl chuckled as we approached the island, “It’s a rather fun little game. Really makes the mood lighter. Oh, sorry for blurting out a swear word in front of the young one. I’m still a bit drunk.”

“No worries, it was my mistake for choosing a word that ended with sh.” I passed it off as a simple mistaken. “Heck, even I would have thought of the same word.”

“Shit, was it?” Nelly repeated, much to her mother’s chagrin.

“Nel! I told you not to say that word ever again!”

“Really, she’s gonna grow up into a real potty-mouth at this rate.” I grimaced at the mere thought, “We’re really not being good parents here.”

“Don’t worry dad, I don’t know every bad word out there.” Nelly piped up.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for example, you never did tell me what the B-word is, exactly.”

“What, bitch?” Carl’s drunk ass raised his head to answer.

“Goddammit, Carl!” Cecily whacked him on the back of the head, “God, you’re lucky we’re parting ways here, otherwise you’d be in for a world of pain!”

“Sorry to inform you, but…” He pointed to his bottle of ale, “I can’t sail all alone while under the influence. Anna offered for me to spend a couple of days here last time I came by to give them food, so I’m using the coupon, you see.”

“Lune, why are all your friends always so stupid and annoying?!” Cecily gnashed her teeth.

“Birds of a feather flock together.” Nelly recalled a random phrase she heard some time ago, “No offense, dad. I just thought it applied here.”

“Don’t worry, I completely agree.” I took a long look at Carl’s bottle, “Alcohol will make even the smartest of scholars an idiot, after all.”

“But not Uncle Meil, right?”

“Even with him, it’s surely only a matter of quantity.” I took the bottle and threw it overboard, “Remember Nelly, if you ever see him try to reach for a glass, kindly do as I did just now.”

“Hey! I was drinking that!” Carl shouted weakly, “Ah, my ale…”

“See what happens when you drink?” I warned her once again.

“He looks so pathetic…” Nelly commented on Carl’s behavior, “He can’t do a thing anymore.”

“What’s that?!” Carl propped himself up before jumping to the dock, “I’ll show you! I happened to be the best sailor in the world!”

With the rope in his hands, he used it as a lasso, swinging it high above his head, he tried reaching for the anchor in the hopes of showing off, only to accidentally lasso me instead, making me fall off the ship and straight into the water.

“Whoa, you alright Lune?” Cecily chuckled as she reached for my hand, “Come on, up you go! Heh, you’re soaking wet.”

“Pwah!” I barely swam out and onto the dock, “Ugh, I despise alcohol…”

“Carl, is everything all…right?” A girl with long jet black hair stood aghast as she saw who was on the dock with Carl, “Y-You guys are…!”

“Hey, bestie.” Cecily casually approached the now crying Anna before putting her hand out as if asking for a handshake, “Haven’t seen you in ages. How have you been?”

“How have I…?! Who cares about me right now!” Anna tossed Cecily’s arm to the side before giving her a proper hug, “You’re safe and sound! I was so worried ever since you left to go find Lune!”

“Speaking of Lune,” I waved with a friendly gesture, “Hey, Annie.”

“Y-You…” Anna looked me in the eyes for a moment, before driving a fist straight into my face, “You pig! You got everything a man could ask of a partner and you somehow screwed it up! Did you not think about how your actions would affect poor Cecily and Nelly?!”

“Ow ow ow! You’ve still got that tomboyish strength in you, I see!” I cried out, “Enough! I’m already tired as is from explaining everything to that drunkard Carl this whole time, so I’ll just give you the summary – We made up, and everything’s fine!”

“That’s such an obvious lie!” Anna refused to believe me, “Cecily, give it to me straight – how much did this cheating prick have to kneel and beg for you to forgive him?”

“Ah, heheh…” Cecily averted her gaze with a light blush, “About that – I was the one who had us make up. It actually took him a couple months after that day for him to even fully accept that I forgave him.”

“Ugh, can you blame me?” I scratched my head, “It was all so sudden, not to mention anyone would assume my actions would be irredeemable…”

Staring at the two of us bicker in the familiar cutesy way had Anna at a loss for words. She had known both of us separately, but this is definitely the first time she got to see us interacting at all. Well, might as well show off while I’m here, since I suddenly got the urge to tease Anna the moment I saw her. Can’t help it, it’s a reflex at this point!

“By the way, did I forget to mention?” I proudly patted Cecily on the head, “This girl here’s pregnant!”

“She’s what?!” Arthur popped up from behind the rocks and boulders, “L-Lune, isn’t this a bit too fast?! Even I only got my second child when I was thirty!”

“Grampa, what are you doing out here?” Anna scolded him, “Just go back to the tent, goddammit!”

“A-!” I muttered.

Arthur. I finally got to see you again, old friend! Goddammit, I thought I’d never get to see him again, but lo and behold, he’s right there! Standing in front of me, he’s really real! And wow, he’s really aged well over the years! I mean, a couple of wrinkles here and there, not to mention his hair has since properly turned white from loss of pigmentation, but apart from that, he’s definitely the same elegant old man that taught me everything I needed to know about economics and trades!

“Arthur!” I ran up to hug him, only for Anna to step in and stop me.

“No you don’t!” She stood with her arms firmly raised into a T, “Grampa may be your friend, but he doesn’t deserve even a single hug!”

Ehhh?! Just what is this upside down situation we’re in?! Anna is mad at her grandfather of all people?!

***

“So basically, Great Grandpa Arthur said some bad things to Uncle Ed, and Auntie Anna’s angry with him now?”

“Good job, Nelly! You’ve grown so big and smart since I last saw you!” Anna complimented Nelly as everyone was seated around the campfire.

“Seriously, just what have you been feeding this kid?” Doctor Harper was just as shocked, “This level of intelligence at such a young age… Put simply, it’s unprecedented.”

“Humu, but that is only to be expected!” Nelly proudly puffed out her chest, “For I am gonna be the world’s finest scholar in Meil’s University!”

“Meil?” Anna turned to Cecily and I, only to get even more confused by our reactions.

“It’s a long story…” Cecily said with a deadpan smile as I shook my head in denial, “In short, she found herself a boy she admires.”

“Ooh!” Anna’s eyes lit up at the prospect, “Love talk! Nelly, you’re sure mature for your age! Tell me, who is he? What’s that boy like? Where did you meet him?”

Immediately after being given the chance to, Nelly didn’t waste even a second in berating her Auntie with all the pent up topics all revolving around Meil. As if rehearsed, she began listing off all of his strongest points.

“Uncle Meil’s the best!” She yelled out, “He’s tanned, and su~per smart! Oh, his hair’s white like Great Grandpa’s is, but he’s the same age as dad! Can you believe it? He’s quite a bit shorter than dad too, but that just makes it easier for me to catch up to him in height sooner! He wants to attend University, so I’m trying my best every day to join him one day, and, and…!”

“Whoa, let’s calm down a sec here.” Anna glanced uncomfortably between Nelly and her parents, “This person is… The same age as Lune?”

“Don’t take her too seriously.” I elaborated, “I’m convinced every girl goes through a phase where she idolizes an older man at this point. Heck, even you once told me you wanted a cool prince to come by and swoop you off your feet.”

“Hey! Don’t just go blurting that out so suddenly!” Anna blushed, “B-Besides, I was just a kid back then! Of course I have Ed now, and I couldn’t be happier! See?”

Showing off the ring I presume Ed had given her, she felt pretty proud about it, at least until she saw our mixed reactions. I felt a tinge of melancholy as I looked down at mine and Marina’s wedding ring, and Cecily’s jealousy was all too apparent as she glared a hole through Anna’s head.

“Anna, it’s not nice to gloat to them.” Arthur chuckled, “Lune’s been through a lot already, so shouldn’t they rest a bit first?”

“I thought I told you to shut the hell up!” Anna shot back, “You’re the reason Ed and that goddamn demoness are in the middle of a war, so the least you could do is never speak with me again!”

“That ain’t nice, Annuhh…” Carl murmured in his drunken state, “Nnn… Good ale….”

“Right…” I chose to ignore that idiot’s pathetic behavior and instead turned to Arthur, “Is what Anna said just now really true? Did you tell Ed to go to Trivis Numerica?”

“Of course I didn’t.” He outright denied the accusations, “We did have a bit of an argument right before he left, but it was ultimately his choice to go there. Heh, he finally started acting like a man, don’t you agree?”

“What? Of course not, what are you saying?” I sat there, disappointed at what I was hearing from who I thought was a wise old man, “Arthur, war isn’t manly, and it never was. If I could, I’d end every war that will ever occur in the world before it even started, but that’s just not possible. Even still, I knew Ed wasn’t the type of guy to go there on his own accord, but to think you of all people were the one to sway him…”

“A-Ah.” Arthur deflated, “B-But Lune, what about leading an adventurous life?”

Hearing him say that in his frail voice brought to mind the annoying guffaws and cackles of the Fighting God. “Adventurous life, huh? What’s so adventurous about killing another, let alone letting other’s kill the people you hold dear? Adventure and war couldn’t be any further apart from each other, so don’t you dare mix them up.”

I’m not sure what he was expecting me to say, but it seems I hit him in a soft spot, as Arthur soon felt too awkward to even stay with us anymore, opting instead to go to bed early in the tent. I do feel bad for taking Anna’s side on this, but it’s not like she’s wrong in saying what she said. Ed may have done a horrible thing to me, but I seriously don’t want to lose him, no matter how ironic that may seem. Ed’s always been the safer one between us, always choosing to take things slow instead of rushing in head first, so seeing Anna’s ring really made me realize how serious he was getting about her. They probably just had their happily ever after, and Arthur forcibly separated them like this. I just can’t accept it.

“Hey, Lune.” Anna stared at the bonfire, “Thanks for taking my side. Really, I don’t want to be mad at him, but the moment I see his face, I just can’t help but recall Ed… I just, I miss him…”

“Yeah-!” I tried to get another word in, but ultimately gave up and chose to just sit there in silence, “Yeah…”