Gray's Blushing Face

I spent the whole day shopping yesterday, Riyao I feel like my bones are about to fall apart; even Healing Magic doesn't work.

It was pure mental torture. Just thinking about how he was treated like a human-shaped mobile hanging device yesterday still makes Riyao feel dizzy.

The group packed up everything they had bought and sent it back, then continued sightseeing.

Riyao was preoccupied with figuring out how to get rid of those unlucky bastards so he could enjoy some alone time with Mirajane.

However, these girls were as sensitive as startled hares. If Riyao's eyes wavered even slightly, or his steps slowed even a fraction of a second, Lucy and Lisanna would grab Mirajane from either side, keeping a close watch on him.

Lucy and her friends were determined to patronize the wealthy and wouldn't leave; all their extravagant shopping sprees were sponsored by Riyao.

With luxurious carriages to ride in, Riyao paying the bill at every shop, and top-quality pan-fried steak and grilled seafood in the capital every meal, only a fool would go back to Magnolia to guard the house at this time!

They'll cling to Riyao's coattails no matter how shameless they are.

Leaving is impossible!

The Riyao Travel Group left the capital and headed towards their next destination.

The carriage rumbled out of the tall city gate and headed south along the forest path.

Less than half an hour after they left, Princess Hisui came happily to find them, only to be disappointed.

"You bastard! You came all the way to the capital and didn't even come to see me, the princess!"

She stomped her foot in anger and kicked Arcadios's shin.

With a loud crash!

The little leather shoe slammed solidly into Arcadios's silver heavy armor, forged from fine steel.

Princess Hisui screamed in pain.

She was in so much pain that she spun around on one leg, clutching her ankle with both hands, gasping for breath with tears in her eyes.

Fireworks lit up Arcadios's mind:

Great, that blond, scheming bastard is gone!

Good riddance, and it was perfectly timed!

Little did Riyao and the others know that a princess was crying and making a scene, scolding them.

They are now going to visit their friends who have been separated from their families.

Since he couldn't shake off these third wheels, Riyao simply changed his travel strategy and decided to take the opportunity to see how miserable these guys were living after the guild disbanded and went into seclusion to train and live their own lives.

Their first destination was Gray, where they secluded themselves in a forest and built a small cabin.

The carriage stopped outside the woods, and the group walked through the lush bushes to a secluded stream.

Beside the stream stood a simple log cabin, its roof covered with thick hay, and surrounded by a wooden fence.

When Riyao and his friends arrived, they saw Gray staring at a child.

Lucy exclaimed in surprise, "Gray has a baby? It's only been a few months!"

Their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and they imagined hundreds of exciting scenarios.

Gray and the boy turned around abruptly.

"You idiot, this is my stinky old man's money!"

Gray roared at the top of his lungs, veins bulging on his forehead, his entire face turning bright red.

When Yin saw Riyao, she scurried over on her short legs and hugged Riyao's leg tightly.

"Hey Riyao Bro, is there any way to grow faster? It's disgusting to look at that brat Gray every day."

Yin looked up with her fair, chubby face, her two little hands tightly gripping Riyao's trouser leg, her childish voice carrying a hint of a seasoned rogue.

Riyao glanced down at the silver on his thigh.

He reached out and pinched Yin's chubby little round face; it felt so soft and bouncy.

"Why are you so small? That's not right. You should be the size of a normal adult after you hatch naturally."

After the battle at the Tartaros, Riyao used Life Magic to help Silver be reborn. Logically, after emerging from the cocoon of life, he should have been a mature man.

Upon hearing this, both Silver and Gray were stunned.

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

Little Silver slowly released his grip on Riyao's leg, turned around, and with heavy steps, walked towards Gray.

"You brat, I'll beat you to death today!"

Silver, carrying a small wooden slipper, waddled towards Gray with her short legs, howling loudly.

"How can you blame me? I saw you could talk inside, so I wanted to get you out as soon as possible."

Gray ran off like a madman. Even though Silver was his biological father, it was too embarrassing to be spanked by a little kid.

The little silvery creature was running wildly behind, its short legs waving its slippers as it ran, cursing under its breath. The scene was absolutely hilarious.

Riyao and Mirajane watched with great interest, Lucy and the others laughed so hard they couldn't stand up straight.

After the laughter and playful banter, Lucy and her friends, acting as if they were old friends, invaded Gray's cabin, looking here and there, but they didn't see Juvia and Ur.

The cabin was surprisingly clean and tidy, with a few freshly picked wildflowers still glistening with dew on the table—clearly the work of a girl.

"Where are Juvia and Ur? Where did they go?" Lucy asked curiously.

Gray shouted as he ran, "They went to town to buy food, they'll be back soon!"

Lucy glanced at the fine black tea and delicate pastries on the table and raised an eyebrow.

"You actually have money? I thought you were a penniless pauper like Natsu."

Gray, who was running ahead, twitched at the corner of his mouth when he heard this, and then shut up without saying a word.

"He doesn't have a damn amount of money; it's all my daughter-in-law's money. This brat has managed to hook up with a rich woman."

Yin chased after him, panting, and didn't forget to yell loudly in her childish voice, even pulling her son's underwear off.

Gray stumbled and nearly fell flat on his face.

"Bullshit, what I said was..."

Gray stammered and couldn't give a coherent answer.

His ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, and he stammered for a long time, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Levy keenly grasped the information, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Gray and Juvia officially dating?"

She clapped her two little hands together, and her big eyes instantly ignited with a fierce fire of gossip.

Everyone turned to look at Gray, who felt extremely uncomfortable under their gaze.

With a whoosh, Gray's gray shirt slipped off and fell to the ground, revealing his strong and muscular upper body.

That habit hasn't been corrected.

Gray's face flushed slightly, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

His eyes darted around, looking at the sky and then at the trees, his hands unconsciously rubbing against his trouser legs, his whole demeanor as awkward as a newlywed bride.

Silver came running over and plopped down on the wooden stake, nudging Gray's thigh with his little elbow.

"Oh, why are you embarrassed? If you had even a bit of my old-fashioned style, I'd be a grandpa by now."

Lucy, Levy, Lisanna, and Wendy all surrounded him, their eyes scanning Gray like searchlights.

Everyone looked at Yin, their eyes frantically urging him to continue.

Such shocking gossip is rarely heard of, so everyone held their breath, afraid of missing a single word.

Just as Yin was about to drop another bombshell, Riyao's ears twitched, and he turned to look behind him. A strange sound came from the forest.

A rustling sound came from the bushes in the distance, and several familiar figures were jogging through the woods carrying large and small bags of groceries.

Riyao took a closer look and raised his eyebrows.

"Huh? What are they doing here?"