We returned to the room without any problems; no one seemed to notice our absence. Apparently, whatever the adults are discussing is important enough to take this long.

  Luna is slowly falling asleep on a sofa, and Cris looks tired too, yawning frequently.

  “Cris, are you tired? Do you want to go rest?” As the host, it's my duty to try to keep their spirits up. If they’re tired, the best thing is to sleep and regain strength.

  “Yes, we’re really tired. The trip was mentally exhausting, and we haven’t slept well. Do you know where our rooms are?” Cris is quite drowsy, doing his best not to fall asleep on the couch beside his younger sister.

  “Yes, we can go right now.” Upon hearing my words, Cris lifts his sister in his arms like a princess, and we set off.

  My grandmother explained where the guest house is. Behind our home, they’ve built a rather large house for noble visitors. If she hadn’t told me, I never would’ve discovered it.

  Before leaving the house, I feel about four people walking several meters behind us. I ask Cris if we can stop for a moment. Lately, I’ve been activating my pseudo-domain skill instinctively—whenever I’m walking or in an unfamiliar place. A few seconds later, my parents, grandmother, and Baron Camux appear.

  “What are you doing here, Maki?” my father asks while they all look at me, waiting for a response.

  “Luna fell asleep in the room, and Cris is also very tired. I’m guiding them to the guest house.” After speaking, I shift a bit to the side to show Cris and Luna behind me. I don’t really need to move—after all, I’m still quite small, even though I’m already noticeably bigger than kids my age.

  The first to speak is my uncle. “I see. Our territories are quite close, but sleeping in the carriage mid-trip was the issue. I imagine they didn’t rest well with all the mixed feelings from their first long journey.” My uncle approaches Cris and takes Luna in his arms.

  “Jarrid, Celes, Aunt Rita—can you wait for me a few minutes? I’ll go with Maki to the guest house to drop off my children and come right back.”

  The three agreed instantly, and the Baron joined our short walk.

  “How was your time together? Was it fun?” Camux asked right as we crossed the door.

  “Yes, we talked a lot—it was a wonderful visit. I learned a lot of new things.” I’m the first to answer. Even though it was a general question, his gaze was directed at me at that moment, so I figured I should answer first.

  “Yes, Father. Maki is very fun and interesting—he doesn’t seem like an eight-year-old.” Cris’s answer caught me off guard.

  “I can tell. From his body, which looks more like an eleven-year-old’s—that must be thanks to your father’s genes. Your responses also seem carefully considered before speaking. You don’t want to make a wrong move in a conversation. That’s not normal for an eight-year-old.” He says it in a serious tone, though there’s a slight smile on his face, and those eyes keep watching me like a hawk, analyzing my reaction.

  “My parents raised me well—they say those things to me a lot. I guess I’m a bit more mature because I grew up alone, without other kids around.” I try to sound both like a child and a teenager at once. I don’t look at my uncle, just keep walking and leading the way.

  We finally arrive. The staff was already waiting for them. The three enter the house, while I sit outside in a chair.

  Are my responses really not like a child’s?

  It’s frustrating—I can’t just change my adult mind. I’m over twenty years old on the inside, plus being a noble makes me unconsciously give proper answers in context. This is complicated…

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  I grab a stone and start tossing it into the air, catching it before it falls. I’m doing it with my eyes closed, lost in thought about whether I should change how I speak or respond to adults. In the end, I decide—No! I’m not going to change.

  I open my eyes as I sense my uncle approaching. I keep playing with the stone as if I hadn’t noticed him. When he starts speaking, I stop and walk up to him.

  “They’re both asleep already. They’ll probably wake up very early. A twelve-hour rest will give them enough energy for tomorrow’s schedule.” He starts walking, and I follow behind.

  “Maki, you didn’t just inherit your father’s good physical genes—you also carry your mother’s traits deeply, especially in how you think. You remind me a lot of Celes when she was younger—always thinking before speaking and trying to act older than her age. Those were good times.” Camux looks up at the sky, reminiscing about his youth before taking on the responsibilities of a territory lord.

  “Is that so, Uncle? Seems I got the best from both.” I try to imagine my parents when they were younger, but it’s hard to picture. I get frustrated and decide to ask Grandma if she has any photos.

  “You certainly did, Maki.” He lets out a small chuckle, then his face turns serious as he looks at me. “Your parents told me about your low interest in joining tournaments for now. Why is that? From what they said, you’ve got a strong chance of winning, even at eight.”

  His question gets me thinking. I remember refusing to join any tournaments before my siblings left. I decide to take a leap of faith and trust the Baron, just like my parents do.

  “From what I’ve heard from my family, I don’t just have a chance—I’d win without question. That’s what my older siblings told me. The problem isn’t winning—it’s the attention that comes afterward. Everyone would be asking how an eight-year-old could become champion.”

  The Baron gives me a confused look and starts laughing softly. “You don’t sound arrogant, nor do you seem like you want to brag about your strength. Your words sound like a truth in your head—something inevitable. That kind of confidence is good, Maki.”

  He looks ahead again as he keeps speaking. “Let me think of a solution with your parents. The empire doesn’t have a clear record of your birth date. With your physique, maybe we could lie about your age.”

  “Uncle, thank you. I just don’t understand—why are you doing this?” I know he’s close with my father, but I don’t understand why I should join tournaments soon.

  “Everything has a deeper reason. You’ll understand soon. I can’t tell you—it has to come from your parents or grandmother. But you’re smart enough to figure it out yourself, Maki.” We stay silent for a while until we’re near my house.

  “Another reason I can share is this—I need to assess the potential and future of a possible candidate to be my son-in-law.” His words shut my brain down.

  I don’t know when I stopped walking, but I could still sense Camux thanks to my domain. I could feel the smile forming on his face as he kept walking.

  My mind is spinning. Son-in-law? Future son-in-law? I’m eight!

  How can I be thinking about marriage? This isn’t normal. My brain is spiraling, full of questions and future scenarios. Why am I imagining a wedding? Why am I picturing how my children might look?

  I activate my Cold Mind skill to try to calm the situation down. My ability does everything it can to lock up my thoughts and emotions behind five mental barriers.

  After a while, I regain control—though a bit late, because I can sense my parents and grandmother coming with the Baron toward me. I can feel them watching me while laughing.

  “Little boy, I never thought I’d see you like this. What happened?” Grandma starts the teasing.

  “Son, you’re eight years old—already thinking about marriage and leaving us? That’s way too soon.” I never expected my mother to join in on the teasing.

  “Camux, life made us friends—who knows if one day Maki makes us family.” My father keeps piling it on. They’re kicking me while I’m down.

  “I can see the appeal—Maki will be very handsome in the future, he’s mature… now he just needs to prove his strength to earn my approval. She’s my princess—I won’t let you marry her if you’re weak.” I can feel all their laughter falling on me while I stare at the ground, unsure how to respond. Their jokes keep raining down.

  After a few minutes, I give in, lift my gaze, and force a laugh at their teasing. This Cold Mind skill really saves me in tough spots. How did I freeze up over a wedding talk, but not when I faced a monster one grade above me?

  “Son, do you really want to get married already?” My mother, wiping fake tears, asks me.

  “I’m a young, innocent eight-year-old boy—I’ve never thought about marriage, Mom.” I roll my eyes and pop a cookie into my mouth.

  They all stare at me and then burst into laughter again—this time about my innocence and tiny size. The only good thing about this moment is seeing the joy in my parents and grandmother. I haven’t seen them laugh this much in a long time, and deep down, I’m happy knowing I’m the reason for their smiles.