"Yes, I want to become stronger." I pause for a moment to think about my next words. Although the Marquis tries to be close to me, we just met today and I'd feel reckless if I say something out of place. "I'm paving my path to achieve that. My family helps me through the process. I'll be someone very strong in the future." I clench my right fist tightly—my resolve grows stronger with each passing day and every training session.

"Maki." His voice sounds serious and his eyes overflow with intensity. "I could sense your talent the moment I met you. You are someone destined to become an unbreakable pillar if you manage to forge your path. Just remember, life isn't always as fair as we hope." He stops looking at me and turns his gaze toward the field before us.

"I've met people as talented as you who never reached Ruby rank for different reasons." His radiant smile dims a bit. "Some died because they took on challenges that were too hard, others didn't know how to choose their abilities, and some were simply unlucky in other ways." He looks back at me and says, "I hope you manage to achieve your goals. Someone with that much ambition and talent would be good to have near my niece." His smile tries to widen but stops halfway.

"Thanks to your Imra, I can feel your good intentions at all times. You're someone kindhearted, and I don't want to see you fall halfway through your journey. Be careful with your choices." My Imra? It's been compressed this whole time, I haven't let out a bit of it. He must've seen my confused expression, because he continues, "It's not that hard for me to read it. I have a skill that helps, and the power gap between us is quite large." He winks, and I'm left thinking.

"I can't promise anything right now, but I give you my word that I'll try not to fall halfway and not only meet my own expectations, but also those of everyone who expects something from me." I relax a bit in my seat—those words came straight from my heart. It's hard to promise I won't die; it's something that can happen at any moment from what I've been through. I'll try to give my best at all times to reach my dreams.

"That's quite reassuring." His usual smile returns to his face, and I give him a smile just as genuine. "So, do you understand the complicated situation you've gotten yourself into?" For the first time in this conversation, he lets out a joyful laugh, as if enjoying the situation.

I let out a long sigh to clear my head—things are really getting more complicated by the moment. "Yes, I've understood Sol and Arisa's feelings for a while now." I take a few seconds and continue, "What I don't understand is how Marga became so obsessed with me. We've only known each other for two days." It's quite fast to fall in love, though love sometimes arrives in an instant.

"Marga? She's a complicated girl with a complicated past. I don't have the right to say anything about her; you'll have to discover it little by little if you spend more time together." A complicated past? I'm not someone who likes to meddle in others' lives, but I'm a little curious about what a Marquis calls complicated.

"As for my feelings." I hesitate a bit, not sure if I want to expose something like that to someone I just met. But my instincts say: Trust, he's someone good. And as always, I'll follow them. "It's complicated. All three girls are physically attractive, I can't deny that." The Marquis nods at my words.

"With Sol, I've had a long friendship. She's someone very close to my family. We've always gotten along well, she's always understood me, and every moment with her is something to remember." Some memories float through my mind and a small smile escapes me. "I care a lot about Sol. I still need to discover if that affection is that of a friend or something more." These are my most honest words.

"With Arisa—your niece—it's a similar but also different case. Our friendship grew a lot in the short time we spent in the dungeon, and lately, we've had some good conversations. She's quite fun and always tries to help me." Arisa is more direct than Sol, though she's less understanding in some matters—both have their strengths.

"Something similar happens with both cases. I care a lot about Arisa. Both girls are very important to me, and I need to figure out my feelings." Both have won my affection entirely. I want to keep them close. They've both proven to be good friends and companions.

"As for Marga, I don't know her well. I've only gotten a glimpse of her personality in this short time. Now I'm a bit more curious about her past, but for the moment, I only see her as an important acquaintance." I'm being completely honest—Marga is also very beautiful like Arisa and Sol, but I haven't gotten to know her well enough to consider her a friend or something more.

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"You really are in a bit of a problem. All three have strong feelings for you. Their Imras are so easy to read when they're near you." He lets out a long laugh—he's really enjoying this whole situation. "As her uncle, I'd like you to end up with Arisa in the future, but I don't like meddling in matters of love. In the end, the decision is yours." At least he doesn't want to force me to marry his niece—that'd be a disaster.

"Marquis Timal, could you at least give me some advice?" Someone with his noble standing, talent, and looks must've had dozens of suitors—or hundreds of women after him. In his youth, he must've gone through many similar situations.

"Advice?" He brings a hand to his chin and mouth as he thinks. "Separate your feelings properly. If it's just a fling, treat it as such. If it's someone for one night, give it your best. And if you're going to be with someone—or multiple people—for life, you have to be very careful and make things clear." I had forgotten for a moment that polygamy is normal in this world.

"Thank you, Marquis Timal." I take a moment to think about my feelings and possible future encounters. Based on his words, I can deduce something—I'll have more problems like this in the future.

"I know we've only just met today, but you can call me Uncle Julio." He leans back a bit more in his mana chair. "It's a way to be closer. You're a candidate to be part of my family in the future, and also someone who might change this era. It's better to have you as a friend." He ends with a wink.

We continue talking about all sorts of things—dungeons, stories from his youth, and a bit about my life. The whole time, he was open, hiding nothing in each tale, and laughter filled every moment. I felt like I was talking to an older brother or a real uncle.

"It's time to go back, Maki. We've been outside for too long." I glance at the clock and he's right—we've been away from the party for nearly an hour. They must've been asking about us for a while, but no one interrupted us due to his high noble status.

We stand up—I return my chair to its place, and his vanishes into the wind. It's interesting how both my grandmother and he can create these mana constructs so easily. It must be common for them, yet I still prefer the comfort of my stored cushion.

When we return to the main hall, everyone turns to look at us, mostly at the figure by my side. They all seem quite surprised, and some greet the Marquis respectfully, who smiles and raises his hand. According to him, our table will become quite lively when the other nobles come over to greet us—I'll sneak away when that happens.

At our table, Arisa is still talking with Marga, and Sol has joined them. Most people are seated, eating, and just listening to background music. We sit with them, and two plates are immediately brought to us.

"Uncle, where were you? You disappeared for like an hour." She stares at us both for a few seconds and opens her mouth as if she figured something out. "What did you say to Maki? Are you trying to make him stay away from me? I didn't know you loved your niece that much." Her face shows genuine worry, which makes us laugh a little.

"No, it's the opposite, little Arisa." He gives her a wink, and Arisa turns red like a tomato after hearing his words. Meanwhile, Sol and Marga look at the Marquis strangely without saying a word.

"He was just giving me some advice, and we talked about casual topics." I speak up to explain our absence, and none of the three show any sign of trusting my words. Julio's comments made them overthink the situation.

I try to change the subject by commenting on the food, which is delicious. I love the cuisine of this new world more and more each day. I only miss a few dishes from my previous world that I haven't been able to taste yet—maybe I should try cooking them soon…

Thanks to the help of the Marquis and Sol, who understood my intent, I managed to shift the topic without much difficulty. Soon, other topics came up, and the table returned to its usual state during a meal—light conversations with no real direction.

As the Marquis predicted, a few nobles began to approach our table to greet everyone. Some introduced their youngest children, while others just came to say hello. Most spoke about the territory and expressed gratitude for his great efforts. Ninety percent of them had something in common—almost all greeted me out of obligation. The difference in greetings was obvious, although I paid it no mind.

The party continued normally almost until the end—some shows in between, people dancing and having fun. Alcohol began to take effect on the guests, making the party livelier, and time flew by.

The Marquis said his goodbyes before taking me to a lake to make a few proposals. His words left me surprised—I'll consider them in the future when I visit Primaver City. I have plenty of time to think about it.

We ended up moving to a smaller hall where it was easier to talk to anyone. Some nobles joined our table—ones who'd never shown any interest in speaking with me. I could sense envy or indifference in their Imras, but I didn't pay them the slightest attention.

Almost at the end of the night, just when everything was going so well, a problem appeared. A young noble around 16 or 17 began hinting at wanting to fight me. "What kind of lies did you tell them to get them so close to you? You don't seem interesting at all, and you look weak."

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