Gaius floated in a sea of warm liquid, his mind in a lovely daze. There was an incredibly comforting sensation wrapped around his left arm, which, when augmented with the fatigue he felt, made him feel like he could lie down forever.

An undercurrent of voices, however, was beginning to disrupt this feeling. At the same time, the feeling of being stared at by unseen eyeballs was beginning to disturb his psyche, and a moment later, the fluffiness that permeated his entire body receded.

The world of clouds vanished, and white light ended his eyes, as well as a small crowd of staring people. Each of them shared the same golden hair that Isabelle had, and his instincts informed him that they were probably her relatives. His right hand moved up to rub his eyes, and his vision cleared up enough for him to dimly note that the Lorenze home was now filled up with people.

Poking Isabelle’s cheek, Gaius woke her gently in front of her relatives. Like him, she looked around in confusion, but the confusion on her face soon gave way to a tinge of red as she took stock of her surroundings.

“Hi…uncles? Aunts?”

“I hope you enjoyed your sleep, Isabelle.” One of her uncles — Gaius remembered his name, which was Fran — chuckled. “Anyway, keep your volume down. Jusis is still asleep, the little fellow.”

His wife, Lili, squatted down to rub Jusis’ head. “He really likes you, Gaius.”

“I’m flattered,” Gaius replied. Fortunately, Isabelle hadn’t stood up either, or else he would really feel awkward.

“You sure chose a good husband, Isabelle.” Lili smiled. “So, what brings you to your family home?”

“We’re on a…” Isabelle’s voice trailed off, and Gaius got the hint.

“A honeymoon,” Gaius said. “A tour of the Five Lands, to see everything we can. Both of us want to experience as many things as possible together.”

“A straight face.” Lili bobbed her head. “Gaius, you don’t really hesitate when it comes to things like this, eh? You must have been the one to confess. How did it go? What kind of atmosphere did you create to woo our lovely Isabelle?”

Gaius felt an eyebrow twitch. Why did she also think about that? Was it some kind of familial instinct to ask about private details like this?

He glanced at Isabelle, who let out a helpless smile. After exchanging a few more glances — which certainly didn’t go unnoticed by anyone at all — Gaius opened his mouth experimentally, and Isabelle’s face reddened immediately.

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An abrupt premonition entered his mind at the sight. Gaius had the feeling that his cheeks could possibly in peril if he gave out too much details — such was the warning from his usually-dormant instincts — so he made do by saying, “It’s…something private, really. We did the usual stuff, talked about our future and played around with some sparklers.”

“Beauty in simplicity,” Lili murmured. “You truly understand my niece well.”

Gaius’ eyes turned to Isabelle’s grandmother — who was also his grandmother now, just that he really couldn’t adjust that quickly — and wondered if she had a hand in teaching Lili.

Isabelle flushed at those words, but from the looks of it, his cheeks would be safe after all. After making some excuses, Gaius woke up the sleeping Jusis gently, and then handed him over to Lili and Fran, who immediately planted two hearty kisses on the toddler’s cheek.

It was rather nice to see familial affection play out in front of him, but Gaius knew that it was rude to stare, so he chose to get up instead. Extending a hand to Isabelle, the two looked around at the other members of the family, who were scrutinising him very closely.

He had a feeling that they wanted him to make a speech or something, and that feeling only intensified as even Fran and Lili looked at him.

This stand-off of sorts lasted for a few seconds or so, before everyone else broke down in laughter. Gaius, who was as flummoxed as Isabelle, looked at the Lorenzes, a strange expression on his face.

“No,” said Isabelle’s grandmother. “There’s no need for you to make a speech or anything. Just promise to treat Isabelle well, okay?”

Gaius nodded. “Yes, of course.”

“Grandmother, stop teasing us!” Isabelle fumed, but the expression on her face told Gaius that she was more embarrassed than angry.

“Ah, Isa saw through me!” Rubbing Isabelle’s head, she patted the table they had been sitting on earlier. “Take a seat, the two of you. Dinner’s almost ready, and today’s dishes are particularly great. We busted out some of our rarer ingredients too!”

“Grandmother, you don’t have to—”

“Of course we have to, Isa! You’re my grand-daughter. And your husband’s here with us for the first time! If only Nakama was here…right, is she having fun in the North?”

“Yes,” Isabelle replied. “We’ll bring her over the next time we drop by the South.”

“And when will that be?”

“January or December,” Isabelle replied.

“Right when the Great Divide is about to fall?” Isabelle’s grandmother narrowed her eyes. “Are you intending to join the battle?”

Isabelle glanced at Gaius.

“My strength is enough to play a rather significant part in any battle,” Gaius replied. “I participated in the war between the East and the Lifespring as the Pint-sized Railgun; you might have heard of this nickname before.”

“Ah.” Fran nodded. “So that’s you? I thought it was just a coincidence, but…not bad. Impressive, even.”

“Fran,” said Isabelle’s grandmother, “explain.”

“There were reports about an individual who was capable of creating huge explosions, during the East’s war with the Lifespring. Apparently, that individual could draw tens of sigils within a short period, and then use them to empower projectiles fired.”

“I see.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I will not interfere. But make sure to place your life as the highest priority. Don’t leave Isabelle behind.”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Good. Now, let’s not talking about the depressing future. Serve the dishes!”