"Big bro, I’m already seven and we live on a farm." Aran shrugged. "Dad taught me already."

"You did?" Lith turned to Raaz in surprise.

"Son, a farmer who doesn’t know how to butcher his own animals is an embarrassment." He replied. "I didn’t teach you only because by the time I believed I could entrust you with a knife you had already learned everything you needed from Selia."

"I’ve learned from Mom." Leria said with pride. "I always help her prepare the chickens."

Much to Lith’s surprise, the children weren’t bothered by the blood. The only thing they did was to cover the head of the carcass with a cloth so as not to face its gaze. They even alternated using the knife and magic to make things faster and cleaner.

***

Once they returned to Jambel, the kids rushed to call their respective mothers to tell them how amazing their fathers and brothers/uncles were. The Baroness, instead rushed to her son to share the joy of finally having toddlers in their home with him.

"They are so cute and smart." Mirias sighed. "I can’t wait to meet my grandchildren."

"Mom, not you too! Dad already gave me the speech today." Kotu groaned.

"Don’t talk back to me like that, young man! Your sister at least has a fiancé. You are young, handsome, and the future ruler of Jambel. There’s a line around the block of girls wishing to date you. How can you still be single?"

"Mom, they want my money, not me!"

"Gods, this is Tista all over again." Aran rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Don’t roll your eyes at me, young man!" Elina was thousands of kilometers away but he straightened up anyway at her voice. "A mother doesn’t say those things for the fun of it. It’s because we worry."

"Yes, Mom. Sorry, Mom." Aran nodded like a frenzied parrot.

"Mom, will you tell me the same things you say to Aunt Tista when I grow up?" Leria swallowed hard, going for a softer approach on the matter.

"Of course I will, baby girl." Rena said with a warm and loving voice, yet it sounded like a threat to Leria.

"Dad?"

"Your mother and I are a team, sweetie." Senton replied, making her swallow harder.

"Grandpa, you are Mom’s Dad, correct?"

"Yes, Leria. Why?" Raaz asked in confusion.

"It means you are her boss. Like my dad tells me what to do, you can tell Mom what to do. Correct?"

"Yes, dear, and you can be certain that when that day comes, I’ll cheer on your mother."

***

Meanwhile, inside Solus’ room, the generational battle continued on another frontline.

"Well, Mom, what do you think of Lith?" Solus asked.

"The same as yesterday." Menadion shrugged. "In front of his family, he acts like a decent human being. Why? Do you want me to give him a medal for this?"

"Fine. I won’t argue. This time." Solus grunted. "Tomorrow I’m coming with you. I want to see if it’s him acting that badly or you being that stubborn."

***

Between the morning in the woods and the heat of summer, everyone had worked up quite an appetite. The game had been handed to the kitchens but wouldn’t be ready to be eaten until the next day.

Wild animals had hard muscle fibers that needed maturing and tenderizing. Luckily, the Baron had ordered plenty of food in advance. Enough to sate even Lith. To show his appreciation, Lith prepared ice cream for everyone and shared the recipe with the Baroness.

"Thank you so much." She said after storing the parchment inside her dimensional amulet. "My talent for magic isn’t much but it’s more than enough for something so simple. I’ll prepare it personally for our banquets. Can I share it with my daughter?"

"It’s yours, Mirias. You can do whatever you want with it ." Lith replied with a smile.

The Baroness was so excited that she almost fainted from happiness. She hugged Lith and kissed him on the cheek while standing on her tiptoes. Only after she calmed down a bit and realized how many rules of etiquette she had breached did the Baroness faint.

The long morning in the woods had tired everyone out so after lunch the Verhens decided to take a nap.

"Thank you, Aunt Kami." Aran said with a big smile on his small face.

"Thank you for what?" She asked in confusion. "I didn’t do anything."

"Every time we travel with you, we get to sleep on real beds inside a real home." He replied. "Otherwise big bro makes us sleep on beds made from magic inside a conjured cave."

"You are welcome, dear." Kamila’s hand caressed Aran but her eyes glared at Lith.

"I’m sorry, son." Raaz too stared at Lith, but for an entirely different reason. "Will you ever forgive your useless father?"

He believed that Lith’s stinginess was the result of his poor upbringing and felt responsible for the hardships his son put himself through because of it.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Dad." Lith couldn’t stand his parents blaming themselves for the bad habits he had picked up on Earth and cultivated on his own all along. "That’s all me. Look at Aran and Trion. They-"

"For the love of the gods don’t take me as a role model for handling money!" Trion replied. "Back when I first got in the army, I was so happy to finally have some money of my own and no family expenses that I splurged several wages on high-end clothes and restaurants.

"I even incurred debts and didn’t get into trouble only because my comrades noticed my terrible spending habits and taught me to be fiscally responsible."

"Gods, I’m so sorry, Trion." Raaz slumped on the nearest chair. "I never knew you had it so bad."

"Like Lith said, Dad, it’s not your fault." Trion patted Raaz’s shoulder. "I was already an adult back then and I made poor decisions. That’s on me, not you."

"What he said." Lith nodded. "By the way, how is Aran with money?"

"He never had any." Raaz shrugged. "Your mother and I buy him everything he needs and you spoil him rotten with toys he couldn’t buy even if he wanted."

"Thank you, big bro!" Aran yelled from inside the bedroom.

Lith peeked inside, watching his little brother tuck himself in bed with Onyx. She was in a hybrid form the size of a small girl but covered in a soft fur that kept them both warm.

"First, we must teach him the value of money before it’s too late." Lith said. "Something like giving Aran an allowance for doing the chores or getting good grades. No free money, he must understand the work behind every copper coin."

"Sounds like a good idea, son." Raaz nodded with a proud smile. "You are going to be a better father than your old man."

"We’ll see about that." Lith replied. "Second, how close to home are Mom’s worries?"

He pointed at the snuggling couple that was already fast asleep.

"Completely off mark, for the gods’ sake!" Raaz whispered in outrage. "Aran is just a seven years old boy. He only sees Onyx as his best friend and playmate."