Rex Crozzo, dressed in a neat black suit with a red shirt and dragon-themed accessories, said nothing as he strolled through the markets in Nagazora and looked around. Gently picking the required vegetables, the young man thought back to the reason why they were here in the first place. It has to do something about a... 

Well, it does not matter.

With practiced ease and deft fingers, the young man took some apples and handed the coin to the vendor before he filled his basket. This should have been enough. 

"Ah! Rex!" Hearing the familiar voice of his friend... a weird and rare occurrence for sure. The young man looked to the sight of his friend, Kiana Kaslana, accompanied by a young woman with... purple hair? 

"Kaslana," Rex greeted with a nod. 

"What are you doing here?" Kiana asked in English while Rex effortlessly switched to the language. 

"Grocery shopping," Rex replied as he showed her the things he bought. 

Crunch. 

"Kiana-Chan!" the girl Kiana was with, scolded the white-haired gal. 

"... Really?" Rex asked as he looked at the bite on his apple. 

"That was for ignoring my texts!" Kiana said with a smirk. 

"What texts?" Rex asked only to pull his phone out to check it. 

Oh...

Kiana the Number 1: 10 new messages. 

"See!" Kiana said with a pout. Seeing her act like this, the young man was reminded of a cat. "Oh, before that," Kiana smiled as she presented the girl she was with to him. Her purple hair danced with the wind. Even Rex who had become apathetic due to the horrors of Bitterblack Isle had to admit. She was beautiful. "This is my beloved Mei-Senpai!" Kiana said with a smug smile. 

For some reason, the Dragon slayer imagined a pair of cat ears and tail waving smugly. 

"Mine only," Kiana said with a smirk, causing the girl to turn red and for Rex. The Dragonslayer said nothing as he wordlessly bit into the apple, causing Kiana to blush at the indirect kiss. "You did that on purpose!" Kiana shouted and her eyes widened as she saw how his eyes subtly lit up a bit

Rex said nothing as he looked at the both of them. 

"Rex! I found it!" Ren said with a grin as he approached his distant relative. Seeing the sight of Kiana and Mei was too much for the poor guy as he remembered how he had to help captain Kevin and Mei sneak to their dates. 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Rex sat on the seat in the food court as he sat in front of Mei. The two were left alone as Ren had to check up on something while Kiana... the young lady wanted to buy something and asked (forced) her friend to speak with Mei. 

"So... Mei Raiden?" Rex asked, 

"Y-yes!" Mei said with a shy look on her face. While she trusted the man due to Kiana, she did not really know him. 

Rex, while a veteran adventurer was not great with interacting with other people. Sure, he can turn monsters to ribbons with a pair of daggers.

"So... Kenjutsu?" Rex asked in Japanese with hints of a Spanish accent.

Hearing this, Mei's eyes widened.

"I saw your arms, they may look thin but you move like a trained swordsman." Rex said as he stared at the black liquid of his coffee cup.

"Do you practice swordsmanship too?" Mei asked, slowly coming out of her shell.

"Hmm, I do. I prefer one-handed swords and maces with shields but I can use a warhammer and bow pretty well." Rex said as he lowered his cup. "Hmm... My brother, Reve is a better swordsman than I am while my future (hopefull) sister-in-law is way better with a bow."

"Oh, that is great. I do wonder how Western swordsmen fight and train."

"Well, it depends... Big sis Ely taught me a bit of fencing since my swordstyle was... well, less than desirable." Ren admitted. "I mainly use cutlasses and the standard bastard sword."

"I mainly use Katanas," Mei said with a smile. "Is that coffee?"

"Ah, this?" Rex looked at the contenys of his cup. It was a pure black coffee,  too strong for an average person. "Yeah, more powerful than normal. "

"That's not healthy."

"You two are getting chummy," Kiana said with a playful grin as she approached them.

"Why are you wearing cat ears?" Rex asked, staring at the fluffy white cat ears on top of her head.

"Meow~," Kiana said with a wink and grin to Mei, causing the girl to blush.

Neuron activation.

All evidence has been reviewed.

'She likes Mei, romantically,' Rex thought. 'And she does, too.'

"Here you go, Mei- Hey!" A blur ran past them, grabbing Mei's bag.

Rex moved. With practiced ease, the young man threw his spoon of the thief's head.

The metallic projectile hit the thief square on the head, knocking him out while Rex took an elegant sip of his cup of coffee.

"You're not going to take the bag?" Rex asked, taking the two out of their stupor and Kiana immediately ran towards the thief to take the bag.

_-_-_-_-_-_-

Rex sat in his apartment's chair as he wrote into a journal.

"I saw you react to Kiana earlier." Looking at his ancestor, the young man rose his brow.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Rex asked with a blank tone yet Ren knew that he was curious.

"Rex, you never showed emotion to anyone outside of the family. You were even apathetic to the old brat-hag'e attempts to make you feel better.

"What? Don't call auntie Teri that. Besides, I might not have showed it but I appreciated her efforts." Rex said.

"Yet you call her tryhard Magical girl in your journal." Ren teased, only to chuckle as a small fire ball hit his fafe.

"Shut it small-chested lover." Rex said in the same blank tone with a slight groan.

"Don't drag on my choices, brat!"

The buzz of a phone took their attention.

Kiana: You awake?

"Answer her!" Ren said as he looked at his descendant.

"Calm down." Rex said as he opened his phone and looked st Kiana's text.

Rex: What?

Seeing the reply, Ren facepalmed at his descendant's antics.

Kiana: nothing. just bored.

Rex: I see.

Ren just groanes in the background.

Kiana: Mei told me you practice swordplay.

Rex: I do.

Kiana: Wanna train with me tomorrow?

"What?" Rex asked as he felt the hands of his ancestor on his shoulders, tighten a bit.

"Go."

"I have to help,"

"Go train with her."

"... Why?"

"If you don't, I'll tell Elysia how you used to dislike her for approachijg Rein too much when you guys first met."

Ren froze. True, he used to dislikw Elysia because she flirted with his brother. After all, back then he did not know her well buy now.

Imagining the sad look that will aplear on Elysia's face if she find out. No! He can't let his big sis be sad! He still had to have her marry Rein to continue the bloodline!

Rex: Fine. Tomorrow. See you at the park.

Kiana: Yay! See you there.

Kiana: Also, you better bring food.

Kiana sent a photo.

A photo of Kiana with a grin as she did a selfie with a peace sign witht the same fluffy cat ears on top of her head while she was dressed in her casual clothes.

"What a willful cat."

Ren blinked and his eyes widened as he saw the soft and barely noticeable smile on Rex's face as he closed his phone and wrote on his journal.