I ended up a lot more talkative than usual while telling my story. The alcohol did its job on my brain and talkative Maki finally came out into the open. I could control myself if I strengthened my mental ability, but clearly I won’t. I’ll just let everything flow the way it wants to.

  Sers already knew a big part of the story, and apparently he didn’t mind hearing it again. The look on his face, like a kid listening to a fairy tale, gives him away. I feel like an old man right now. I’ve lived so much in so little time—it’s incredible. I’ve kissed death more times than I can count, and I consider myself lucky just to be alive.

  If even one thing hadn’t happened at the exact right moment, I wouldn’t be here right now. Everything happened this way because destiny wanted it to.

  “When I finally got out of that damn time island, I ended up being thrown into a small town on the border of the Juka Kingdom…” The story keeps going all the way to the present. I skip over the less important parts and finally put an end to a tale that lasted several hours.

  At some point, what started as a conversation between just brothers turned into the whole family gathering around us. Every single one of them listened closely to my story. The most surprised was Ritmo’s girlfriend—the newest member of the family kept letting out small gasps over and over again.

  “At some point in my life, I started to find governmental matters really interesting… but now I realize they don’t even come close to your life. You’re already as strong as a Ruby Rank without even being one. You might end up being the strongest person in this family’s entire history.” Ritmo scratches the back of his head, a little embarrassed after saying that.

  “This is the second time I hear it… and it’s still impressive. Ritmo is right. Being able to fight such a ridiculous number of Grade Four monsters is hard even for Ruby Ranks.” Sers adds while gently stroking his girlfriend’s hair.

  “I never fight all of them at once. That would be suicide even for me. I don’t even know if I could regenerate my whole body—and I don’t want to find out.” My defenses have improved enough for me to feel safe, but that doesn’t mean I can withstand multiple monsters attacking me at the same time. Some of the stronger ones could even ignore my defensive abilities completely.

  “Don’t belittle yourself, son. I could never do something like that. Most people end up specializing in just one thing—you’re one of those rare cases who’s good at everything.” My mother joins the conversation.

  “Yes, son… it hurts my pride as a man, but it makes me incredibly proud as a father. I don’t even know if I could defeat you right now. Maybe only your grandmother would have a chance.” My father speaks louder than usual, holding a beer in each hand. When he’s drunk, his voice always gets louder.

  We all look at my grandmother, waiting for her opinion. “That little monster is no longer in our league. I don’t even know if all of us together could beat him.” She flicks small balls of mana at my forehead, just like she used to years ago. It brings back good memories.

  I can’t really contradict them. They’re all very strong among the Ruby Ranks—well, they were. It’s been years since they trained seriously to improve. Their lives are focused entirely on our territory now. The same thing will probably happen to Sers and Ritmo too. It would have happened to me as well if I didn’t have the talent to live as a free soul.

  “Son, when are you planning to move up to the next rank? You must have already met the minimum requirements.” My mother asks a question that instantly stirs everyone’s emotions. One by one, they start asking related things.

  “I need to strengthen my core a bit more. I’ve already had two bad experiences during my previous ascensions—I don’t want to repeat that.” I let out a quiet sigh. “I also need to improve my latest pseudo Law, improve my Banner, and I’m trying to push at least one ability to the next rank… though I’m still unsure about the last requirement.”

  The feeling of not being able to use your mana or Imra is horrible. I never want to go through that again—especially not now, when my family could be attacked at any time.

  My latest pseudo Law only needs a small push to improve. I just haven’t done it yet because I need to strengthen my core first, and I’ll achieve that once my Banner reaches the next rank.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  My Banner is already close. After annihilating a massive number of Grade Four monsters and resisting the Jurisdiction of a Diamond Rank for several minutes, I felt a huge boost. I’m sure I can improve it very soon—I just need to go through a similar situation once again.

  “As greedy as ever when it comes to getting stronger. I like that way of thinking.” My grandmother laughs, raises her glass, and we all follow her lead. Right after that, everyone finishes their drink in one go.

  “Changing the subject a little… when are you two planning to get married? Both families have already given their approval.” Riku’s question almost kills me. She catches me so off guard that I nearly choke on my drink.

  My reaction is nervous. I thought everyone else would react the same way, but no—everyone looks happy, smiling from ear to ear. Brendu, in particular, looks overjoyed. I can practically see her imagining herself walking down the aisle.

  “I don’t know… we’re still pretty young, and we don’t want to rush things. A wedding won’t change how we feel anyway, and… well, there are still three big unknowns in the middle. First, we all need to come to an agreement. Maybe in a few years.”

  If I think about it, in this world you’re considered an adult much earlier than eighteen, and in my old world some people got married around twenty. It wouldn’t be strange to marry young—but I still won’t do it anytime soon.

  Everyone seems to understand my point right away. Even Riku herself looks like she gets it. It wouldn’t surprise me if Ritmo already told her about Sol, Arisa, and Marga. If not, she’ll find out tonight or tomorrow.

  “Yes, we’re still quite young, and there’s a lot to talk about. Speaking of weddings, I’ve already marked the day on my calendar—I won’t miss it for anything.” Before everyone joins the conversation again, I notice Brendu talking with Riku, Ivad, and my grandmother. She must have already invited them to her wedding.

  The gathering continues for several more hours. The food is as good as always. My mother takes the alcohol away from us for a while—our bodies’ resistance and recovery are incredibly strong, so we’re all sober again in no time. This kind of ability would be highly desired in any world. It’s time to start the second round of drinks.

  My father sends an invitation to Patt and his whole family, the Owl group, and a special guest he invited a couple of hours ago. They all arrive at the same time.

  I’m especially surprised to see one person—Ridon Moko. I had completely forgotten about him and his family. His father is a Ruby Rank, and at a single glance I can tell—this man is strong. Stronger than my parents and Patt, probably on the same level as Joaki.

  The leader of the Owls had an extraordinary foundation even before ranking up. When he became a Ruby Rank, he almost reached the top of that category.

  Ridon’s father couldn’t be present during yesterday’s stampede because he was on an expedition. He’s been exploring the unclaimed forest for weeks, scouting the land, looking for a good place not too far away to build a new city.

  Choosing the perfect place isn’t easy—there are many factors to consider. It will probably take a few more weeks to find the right spot.

  Reuniting with all of them is truly exciting. I’m really happy they could join the gathering. They’re all an important part of our territory. This moment feels like an informal introduction of the future Baron Vichag—this is the first time many of them are meeting Ritmo.

  I’ve already finished greeting everyone. It feels like I haven’t seen them in years, even though for most of them it’s only been months. Well… for my body, it really has been years.

  The members of the Owl group ask me about my drastic change in just a few weeks. Even in a world full of magic, it’s not normal for someone to grow this much and have their features change so radically.

  Most of the new guests look a bit uncomfortable at first. The alcohol helps them loosen up, and soon everyone is talking freely.

  I spend a lot of time talking with Matt and Ridon. They keep teasing me nonstop—they both know the three girls, and now they’ve met Brendu too. Their jokes make me laugh more than I expected.

  Now I finally get the chance to talk with Ridon’s father. His name is Cokue Moko. His slightly fragile appearance is the complete opposite of his Imra—I can tell he’s savage when it comes to fighting. His polite and helpful personality, on the other hand, matches his looks. The same bowl-cut hairstyle as his son and a height of 166 cm.

  At some point, we talk about fighting monsters. He’s heard about my achievements. When he learns about my battle with Areci, he deeply regrets not being able to witness it—he’s a true fan of good fights. Now we’re planning to spar in the coming days. Training with strong people will help improve my Banner, so I have no reason to refuse.

  Everything stops when someone comes running through the door. The poor guy freezes the moment he feels everyone’s gaze on him. I feel bad for him—he’s an Emerald Rank, and the pressure from several Ruby Ranks isn’t easy to endure.

  I walk over, place a hand on his shoulder, and offer him a glass of water. He drinks it in one go.

  “What happened? Why are you so agitated?” He works in the house—his parents have served our family for many years.

  “Thank you, young master. Two carriages from the Solar family just arrived. The Baron and his wife are in one, and in the other are Lady Sol, Lady Arisa, and Lady Magna.” His words leave me speechless. Everyone at the gathering is now staring at my back.

  I turn around and smile at them. “I’ll go welcome them.” It’s better to face things head-on.