"Even though going from ancestor straight to mother does feel like skipping a few too many steps in between, congratulations anyway, Erza."
Mira applauded softly. Even though she and Erza had their little clashes from time to time, her blessing at this moment was completely sincere.
"Besides, Aunt Irene looks so young. Calling her Mom really does fit."
Levy wiped at her tears and immediately voiced her support for her good friend.
Cana, Ultear, Meredy, Juvia, and the other girls close to Erza soon added their own opinions one after another.
Without exception, everyone felt that no matter how they looked at it, Irene was perfectly suited to be Erza's mother.
Kabe: 'Of course she is! Because Irene actually is Erza's mother!!!'
Watching the two of them embracing in a scene of perfect mother-daughter affection, Kabe's mouth twitched. He had absolutely no idea what Irene was thinking, or why she felt the need to add this bizarre extra layer to something already so simple.
But at this point, the old geezer had already dragged everyone's train of thought completely off track, and Kabe could only grit his teeth and let events keep unfolding for the time being.
Because Erza had finally found family of her own, the guild's atmosphere only grew even more festive and lively.
Bit by bit, Kabe also forgot all the ridiculous complications and threw himself wholeheartedly back into the banquet.
And then, exactly as expected, once he drank too much and got completely carried away, he ended up being carried back home.
...
It was not until around noon the next day that Kabe finally staggered out of his room, rubbing his forehead and still looking dazed from the hangover.
Inside the clean and tidy living room, only Cana was there, curled up on the sofa and idly flipping through a magazine out of boredom.
"Morning, Cana."
With his head still aching faintly, Kabe greeted her while heading into the dining area to pour himself a cup of hot water.
After several gulps, he finally began to feel a little more human again.
Only then did he carry the cup over, sit down beside Cana, and ask,
"How come you're the only one here? Where did everyone else go?"
For someone who had come back, immediately gotten drunk, then passed out face-first without caring about anything else, Cana was not about to give him much warmth.
"Morning? It's practically afternoon already. Do you think everyone is as leisurely as you are?"
"What? But I remember you drank a lot yesterday too. You certainly didn't look like you were trying to stop me."
Thanks to Kabe's influence, the Cana of this world had never developed the truly destructive drinking habit she once might have.
That did not mean she disliked alcohol, though.
Even if it had taken a few more years, the current Cana had still gradually developed a taste for it and was now half a true liquor enthusiast.
Dressed in a thin blue dress, Cana leaned back proudly at his words, crossing her long pale legs, her bare toes tapping lightly up and down.
"But I didn't get drunk, did I? Unlike a certain someone who's always boasting about his drinking capacity.
And in the end, you still couldn't outdrink even a girl who only recently learned how to enjoy alcohol. That's pretty embarrassing."
"Hah... saying something that vicious, huh? If you don't stretch your legs over here right now, with how weak my self-control is, I'm going to lose my temper."
Kabe pretended to be offended, though the real motive behind his words was obviously just lust.
Cana looked at him with complete disdain.
"You really are a hopeless pervert."
Even as she said that, her body was far more honest. She shifted onto her side on the sofa and willingly placed her smooth white feet into Kabe's hands.
Only after letting him fool around with them for a while did Cana finally answer his earlier question, her cheeks faintly pink.
"Erza originally wanted Irene and the others to stay here with us.
But Aunt Irene refused. She only stayed for the night.
Then early this morning, Erza and Levy took Aunt Irene and the others out to look at houses.
As for Mira, Elfman drank a lot yesterday too, so she went to check on him because she was worried."
Kabe's hands kept moving as he nodded in approval.
"Yeah, they definitely shouldn't stay here. Otherwise it wouldn't be convenient whenever I want to do something intimate."
"Hey, how do you always manage to drag everything in that direction?!"