Green grasses and trees covering the ground, the eternal blue sky stretching out as far as the eyes can see, and hundreds of animals galloping on the ground as they travel from place to place. Such interesting sceneries took place during Grey and Yuna's flight towards the royal capital with the kids.

The hours went by in a flash and they have already passed a quarter of the way towards their destination. Since there was no traffic in the sky, the journey has been very smooth and comfortable. The only times they stopped was to perform inevitable biological processes.

The sun reached its zenith but with the coolness of the gentle wind as they gently caressed their skin kept them cool. Still, they needed to take a break as it was time for a very important event of the day, lunch!

Sirius and the other familiars gently flapped their magnificent wings as they slowly descended from the sky towards the ground like salmon returning to the home grounds. All animals and beasts sensing their presence quickly dissipated, clearing out the area for landing.

"Uuu... We aren't flying anymore..." ［Galvin］

"Don't pout too much, Galvin. We're only taking a lunch break. We'll resume our flight after we finish eating." ［Yuna］

"Really?! Ya～y!" ［Galvin］

Galvin felt a little crestfallen as they descended but after hearing Yuna's reassuring words, his mood was quickly lifted back up and happiness sprung from the bottom of his innocent little heart.

Meanwhile, Elnart didn't complain a little bit. He was just as ecstatic as Galvin when it came to soaring in the vast blue sky, but could control his expressions much better. He only gazed at the marvelous scenery as they flew, not saying a single word.

Without wasting any time, Grey laid down a picnic blanket on the verdant grasslands and soon after, the picnic basket followed. It contained a range of dishes, all of which, Grey and Yuna made by themselves.

"Waah～ Are we eating all of these?!" ［Galvin］

Galvin asked enthusiastically as he passionately gazed at the dishes displayed over the picnic blanket. The warm and appetizing aroma of the food has already aroused Galvin's appetite. It was only a matter of time until his heart was captured by Grey and Yuna's cooking.

"Yeah, we'll be eating all of these. Here are your plates. Just make sure that you only get what you can finish." ［Grey］

"Y-Yes!" ［Galvin］

"Hey, Galvin! That's bad manners!" ［Elnart］

Having a picnic for the first time, even after agreeing to Grey's words, Galvin still continued to fill his plate to the point it was about to form a mountain. Of course, his older brother tried to reprimand him.

Within the household, Galvin ate properly as he tried to practice his manners as one of noble descent. But with Grey and Yuna around, he didn't need to mind them and could just act like a child that he was.

"Now, now, Elnart, stop reprimanding your brother. Here, let me fill your plate." ［Yuna］

"A-Ah, thank you, Older Sister Yuna." ［Elnart］

"No problem. Just enjoy lunch and make sure you don't waste any food." ［Yuna］

As usual, Yuna, with her natural expertise in handling children, was able to handle Elnart really well and turn his attention away from Galvin. Following her lead, Grey also took care of Galvin's situation and returned some of the food from his plate.

Of course, it wasn't only food, cold and refreshing drinks were also served during their picnic lunch. It was one made from natural and fresh oranges Grey and Yuna had bought from the marketplace just yesterday.

"Yummy!" ［Galvin］

Galvin's remark was the first one to resound throughout the open plains as he took a bite of the cheesy omelette on his plate. After the first bite, his spoon sped up significantly as he wolfed down the food on his plate.

Elnart's hands also sped as he ate his meal, but he still minded his table manners when he did so. Grey and Yuna couldn't help but look at them warmly as they shared a hearty lunch with them.

After he finished his plate, Galvin got more food for himself and continued eating. Elnart also had another set, his face slightly red from embarrassment as she timidly asked for more. It was a good thing for growing boys to eat so plentifully.

As for the familiars, they were hunting in the nearby forests for monsters to eat. While Grey does give them food from time to time, it could barely satisfy them as they need to feed on corruption. They could only have their fill after eating a few monsters.

Even Polaris who was guarding Eliza periodically hunts monsters as Eliza trains. He only chooses to eat the strongest ones so that he could quickly get full and return to Eliza's side, reducing the risk of her being attacked while he was gone.

From a single glance, the four of them would look like a happy family having a picnic in the open. Now that he and Yuna were a couple, Grey couldn't help but feel that he was having a family picnic with his own family. It made him look forward to the future.

"Is something the matter, Grey?" ［Yuna］

"No, nothing. Just thinking of some stuff..." ［Grey］

While she did not fully understand what Grey was thinking, somehow, seeing the little gentle smile appear on his face, Yuna couldn't help but feel a warm feeling blooming inside her heart.

And of course, no meal was truly complete without dessert. As soon as they finished their lunch, Grey brought out a few cups of pudding for everyone to enjoy. Pudding which was cooled down with Yuna's ice magic.

The kids were pretty intrigued by the strange dessert at first, seeing how wobbly it behaved and the little bounciness it had in store. But that curiosity soon turned into happiness as they delved in the deliciousness of pudding.

"Mmm! Ish vewy swheeth anf dewishoosh!" ［Galvin］

"Galvin, don't talk when your mouth is full. You might choke on it, you know? You don't want that now, do you?" ［Yuna］

"Mm! I'll be careful!" ［Galvin］

Just like before, it was Galvin who was the first to give his remark. Even when his mouth was overflowing with pudding, it didn't stop him from announcing his delight to the whole world. Luckily, Yuna was there to handle him.

"What's wrong, Elnart. Do you not like it?" ［Grey］

"A-Ah, no! It's not like that, Older Brother Grey! It's just... I also want Mother and Father to have a taste of this..." ［Elnart］

"Hmm... Then let's let them have some when we meet them at the capital. There's still plenty in store for everyone." ［Grey］

"T-Thank you, Older Brother Grey! I'll surely repay this debt in the future!" ［Elnart］

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"Hahaha, you silly kid. I don't need that kind of stuff. Just enjoy your dessert for now. It's best when it's cold, after all." ［Grey］

Heeding Grey's words, Elnart once again plunged his spoon into the sweet and wobbly thing called pudding. Like his brother, he ate the dessert with a very bright smile blooming on his face.

He was very mature for his age, but no matter what, a child is still a child. Grey just wanted him to enjoy the innocence of childhood. After all, you'll only be a kid once and thus, one needs to enjoy it to its fullest.

"Big Sis Yuna, I want another one!" ［Galvin］

"Oh, do you really like it that much?" ［Yuna］

"Yes! It's sweet like fruits, but much yummier!" ［Galvin］

"Fufu, then you can have one more." ［Yuna］

"Yaay～!" ［Galvin］

Galvin's smile bloomed even brighter as it extended from ear to ear. Meanwhile, Grey started to remember something after hearing Galvin's words. It was not very important but would surely make people around him happy.

'Fruits, huh...' ［Grey］

Grey thought to himself as he looked at the cup of pudding he was currently savoring. He had remembered a number of related recipes he used for fun back when he was still "Matteo". It was a little expensive back then but was totally worth it.

The only problem was that, if he were to proceed with what he had in mind, their trip to the royal capital would take longer than previously planned. It was something that he wanted to avoid at all costs.

'Ah! That would work!' ［Grey］

It was only after a couple minutes of thinking that an idea clicked inside his mind. It required a little sacrifice from his side, but it was something he could easily go without. It was less important than the children's happiness.

Grey quickly shared his idea to Yuna via telepathy, which the latter was a little shocked initially. She was a little worried about Grey, but after a few tries of convincing, she gave up and agreed to him.

It didn't take long for the children to finish their fill of desserts. After which, Grey quickly cleaned up the picnic area with the help of magic. Even the dirty plates were cleaned to the point it sparkled, free from any filth.

"Kids, do you want to go explore the forest with your Big Sis and Big Bro?" ［Yuna］

"The forest...?" ［Galvin］

"Un! Since we just finished eating, why don't we pick some fruits as we take a stroll inside the forest?" ［Yuna］

"Waah～ sounds fun! Let's go!" ［Galvin］

"I would also like to go, Older Sister Yuna." ［Elnart］

"Then let's just wait for Grey to finish, okay?" ［Yuna］

Enacting Grey's plan, Yuna skillfully convinced the children to take a stroll in the forest and gather some fruits along the way. It only took her a single try to convince the children. Even Galvin, who looked forward to flying once again, completely forgot about it.

Soon after Grey finished cleaning up, the four of them headed inside the forest as planned. Grey and Yuna had also notified the familiars beforehand and they quickly finished their hunt after having their fill.

As the green plains transitioned into the dense forest, more and more trees came into view and a plethora of plants started to fill up the scenery. From weeds barely noticeable to flowering plants garnering the attention of everything, there were more plants than anyone could have asked for.

"Ah! Oranges!" ［Galvin］

Galvin pointed enthusiastically as he spotted several oranges hanging down a large tree. From left to right, up and down, its branches were filled with ripe oranges only waiting to be picked.

It wasn't just oranges, just a few meters up ahead, there was an apple tree just bearing fruits, just as plentiful as the orange tree, and a few more meters up ahead was another fruit tree.

With the presence of mana in Merusia, plants are much more resistant to harsh environments and could bear more fruit than their Earth counterparts. It was also the reason why fruits are very common in the market.

When Grey first arrived in Merusia, he was very surprised to see a cold-climate tree growing in a very tropical environment without any problems. It wasn't just that, there were even seasonal trees which bore fruit all year round. It made him think that mana was some sort of plant supervitamin.

"There, mangoes!" ［Galvin］

"Older Sister Yuna, Older Brother Grey, I found some strawberries here!" ［Elnart］

"Ah, Grey, I also spotted some fruits a few hundred meters up ahead." ［Yuna］

Everyone continued their fruit-picking bonanza as they continued their stroll inside the forest. And as Grey was the only one with a storage ability, he was the one which moved around the most as he approached them one by one to collect the fruits.

Luckily, harvesting the fruits was easy with the help of wind magic. Grey only needed to send mini wind blades to cut off the fruits and then use wind magic once again to bring it to him.

Of course, they didn't harvest everything they saw. They only harvested around 5% as they didn't want to deprive the forest animals of their food sources. Still, even when it was only 5%, it was an amount enough to rival a large shop's inventory.

Along the way, Yuna also foraged some herbs she saw and increased the amount of alchemy ingredients she had. Thankfully, Grey was there to stop her, otherwise, she would have hoarded everything she saw like how she did when she met Larren and Nonna while Grey was away.

"Puwhaa～ So good!" ［Galvin］

"Thank you, Older Sister Yuna." ［Elnart］

"You're welcome. Just tell me if you're thirsty, okay?" ［Yuna］

After gathering fruits for about an hour, everyone took a water break near a creek in the heart of the forest. They only wandered there by chance, but were glad to have found such a serene place.

It was so serene and peaceful that the only thing one could hear was the sound of water gently flowing down the creek and the silent rustling of the leaves as they danced in the refreshing wind.

Being surrounded by the trees and enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest, Grey and Yuna were reminded of their peaceful lives back when they were still in the forest. It has only been a few months since they left, yet it already felt like an eternity.

『Grey, forests are lovely, aren't they?』 ［Yuna］

『Yeah. It reminded me about our life in the Haltea Great Forest... I'm really glad that God sent me to live there.』 ［Grey］

『Hm? Why is that?』 ［Yuna］

『Well, there are plenty of reasons... but most of all, it was because of it that I met you. I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Yuna.』 ［Grey］

To Grey's sudden words, Yuna's world froze for a moment as her brain tried to process his words. When she did, her face immediately turned bright red and her heart started to race uncontrollably. It was another one of Grey's surprise attacks.

Seeing his girlfriend blush so adorably, Grey once again confirmed how lucky he was to be reincarnated in Merusia. He once again expressed his gratitude to God who made everything possible.

"Older Sister Yuna, are you alright? You look feverish..." ［Elnart］

"Big Sis Yuna, are you sick?!" ［Galvin］

"No, no, I'm fine. It must have been because of sunlight." ［Yuna］

Yuna quickly dismissed Elnart and Galvin's worries with a random excuse she just thought of. Meanwhile, Grey just continued to look at her warmly, clearly enjoying his girlfriend's cure reactions.

Of course, there was no way the children could understand what just happened. After all, Grey and Yuna were talking with each other via telepathy. It was a secret which only the two of them knew.

After that little moment between Grey and Yuna, everyone continued their fruit gathering and after a few hours, they managed to gather more than a couple dozen varieties of fruits. There were even some that Grey and Yuna had only seen for the first time.

As soon as they returned, Grey whipped out a kitchen table, kitchen tools, and even an oven from his "Inventory". Thankfully, the children were still not knowledgeable about the limits of storage rings so he was able to avoid suspicion.

"Yuna, this will probably take a while. Why don't you take the kids to play for the meantime." ［Grey］

"Un, sure. I'm looking forward to your cooking," ［Yuna］

"Yeah, please do." ［Grey］

From taking the children's curious eyes from Grey to having them tag along with her, Yuna skillfully handled them and in just a few short moments, they started to play tag with Yuna as "it". Of course, she toned down her speed to match the children.

Meanwhile, Grey took out the ingredients for the dessert he is about to make. First, there was milk, then sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, cornstarch, cream, salt, and of course, the fresh fruits they had just picked a while ago.

The first thing Grey made was strawberry pudding. First, he washed and cleaned the strawberries then created a puree with the use of the same magic blender he showed to Argas when he was still in Moterno.

After which, he whisked cornstarch and milk together in a small bowl, heating it in a pan on medium heat along with the puree, sugar, and a tiny bit of salt. It was only when the mixture was heated that he added the beaten eggs into the mix, whisking it gently until it came to a simmer.

He then stopped heating and added vanilla extract for an aromatic scent. Finally letting the mixture chill with the use of ice magic. He regulated magic just so that it would have the same effect as if it had been left in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

All that's left was the presentation. Grey quickly beat the cream until it had a thick consistency and placed it on top of the pudding along with some chopped strawberries, arranging them in a pattern he often saw in cafes.

Of course, he chilled it once again with magic. After all, it would just be plain strange for only the pudding to be cold, yet the cream and strawberries were still lukewarm. For him, it was something which could destroy the whole experience.

After making the strawberry pudding, Grey proceeded with the other fruits. It took him about an hour to finish since their procedures varied a little, but after all the effort he did, he made a total of seven varieties.

There was strawberry, mango, orange, kiwi, blueberry, grapes, and lychee flavored puddings. Other than the strange white lychee pudding, when they were lined up with one another, they looked like a rainbow.

It was also about dusk when Grey had finished so he also took the chance and cooked dinner for them. Meanwhile, Yuna also finished playing with the children and decided to set up camp for the night.

"Everyone, dinner's ready～!" ［Grey］

As soon as Grey's words came ringing inside their ears, everyone quickly came towards the kitchen table and took their seats, obviously excited to have a taste of yet another amazing meal.

"""Thank you for the meal!"""

Their voices in unison, everyone happily partook in dinner with happy expressions about their faces. Even when they had eaten quite a lot for lunch, with the amount of playing they did, it was only natural that they got hungry.

When it was time for the main dish, the dessert, everyone's faces became filled with anticipation. Even Yuna, who has been with Grey for almost 3 years, was excited as it was also her first time having a taste of a fruit pudding.

"Mmm～ It's so sweet! And I can taste the mango!" ［Galvin］

"Older Brother Grey really is an amazing cook!" ［Elnart］

"As expected of my boyfriend! You really are the best, Grey!" ［Yuna］

Praises came from all directions as the three had a taste of the fruit pudding Grey had just made, though one of them was very much said in a strange way. It was Yuna who praised him as her "boyfriend".

While Yuna was sincere with her words, he wanted to get back at Grey for his surprise attack just a few hours ago. She also wanted to see him flustered, but...

"Eh? Older Brother Grey is Older Sister Yuna's boyfriend...?" ［Elnart］

"Waah～ Are Big Sis Yuna and Big Bro Grey gong to get married?!" ［Galvin］

... her plan backfired as she did it in front of the children. The only thing she did was to make herself turn beet red from the words she said herself.

With their hands steadily feeding themselves fruit pudding, Galvin and Elnart asked Yuna questions about their relationship with one another to fulfill their curiosity. It was something she brought upon herself.

After their rather lively dinner, the kids shortly fell asleep from exhaustion and were brought inside the tents by Grey and Yuna. Only that, the tents have been moved inside Grey's "Sanctuary" the moment they fell asleep.

"Are you sure about this? We could switch from time to time if you want." ［Yuna］

"No, you need to be there with the kids. Just sleep tightly and don't worry about me, alright?" ［Grey］

".... Un...." ［Yuna］

Reluctance in her heart, Yuna followed Grey's wish and headed back to the tent to sleep together with the children. As for Grey, he stayed outside of the "Sanctuary" to enact his plan.

Both Grey and Yuna wanted the children to meet their mother as soon as possible, Grey decided to fly during nighttime and cover the distance they missed because of their fruit collection activity. It was worth it for him to lose time for sleep if he could make the children happy.

Since "Sanctuary" would open up no matter where the place was, Grey only needed to travel by himself and upon arrival, he could open up "Sanctuary" once again and everyone else would arrive along with him.

"I'll be in your care, Sirius." ［Grey］

"I'm happy to be of service, Master." ［Sirius］

Hopping on Sirius' back, now in her true form. Grey soared through the night sky like an owl who hunted in the night. Now that there were no children with him, he could finally let loose and fly freely.

"Sirius, no need to hold back. Fly as fast as you can." ［Grey］

"Understood, Master!" ［Sirius］

The clouds parted ways as two figures soared wildly as if they ruled the night sky. They slowly vanished into the horizon as the cold nightly breeze gently caressed their skin with the moon and stars watching over them.

CHAPTER 70 END