BXBX NOVEL Chapter 370 Picnic
"Green Jade Cliff…" Eli mumbled in a trance as her eyes darted to the vertical cliff wall.
As the morning sun shined upon the luscious flora around the cliff, the morning dew sparkled gently making an illusion that they were tiny sparkly jewels that decorated the awe-striking rock formation of the cliff.
"It\'s really beautiful!" Eli smiled as she looked so happy upon seeing such an amazing sight.
Leon thought that it was enough for the three of them to be hovering mid-air, and so he instructed the griffin to finally land on the foot of the cliff.
Upon landing, Leon carefully assisted Eli and led her to a tent that appeared as if it was just set up a little while ago.
The tent was not as big as the log cabin, but it was spacious enough for a family of three to sleep.
Beside the tent was also another shaded extension that had an outdoor set of table and chairs for three, not far from the area was a pile of firewood and even a grilling stand.
"Have you prepared all of this beforehand?" Eli looked at Leon in surprise.
"I had the Blades help me set up everything." Leon did not like taking credit for himself and honestly replied.
"Do you like it? You once said that camping in the woods was also a fun thing to do…" Leon asked rather nervously.
They had been living in a log cabin, so it might not be a little different from their usual habitat.
He had initially planned to bring her to the sea, but with the current situation of the Empire, he could not afford for Eli and Little Han to be exposed outside the borders of the capital.
So, he had the blades help him setup up the tent and the outdoor kitchen into something as different as possible from the ambiance of their log cabin.
Leon thought of everything, planning the route and the place they will be staying.
He is set to let Eli experience a total break from her busy work and unwind with the presence of nature.
The only thing that was bothering him was whether will Eli was genuinely satisfied with all of these.
Holding his breath to wait for Eli\'s answer, he did not notice that Eli had scooted beside him and planted a light fluttery kiss on his cheeks.
With a tone that was full of love and excitement, he heard her say, "I like it very much! I never thought that we would have time for this! This is our very first outing as a family!"
\'A family…\' Leon could feel his heart skip a beat upon hearing the word coming out of Eli\'s mouth.
Indeed, they were a family of three, regardless of their marital status, and even if Little Han was not yet recognized as an official member of the Imperial family, they were a family.
"Ehhhh Mommi! Me too… Me too," Little Han saw his mommy kiss his daddy, and so he pouted and demanded that Eli give him a kiss too.
"Of course, my baby!" Eli chuckled delightfully and kissed Little Han, who was giggling mischievously. Little Han also tilted his head and kissed the other side of his daddy\'s cheeks.
Far from the top side of the cliff, were several men who were wearing something that blended with the luscious greens around them. They could not help but squeal tearfully as they saw the family of three spend such a sweet moment.
"Wah… look! Our master is really smiling! I never thought that he could even smile and look so fatherly!"
"Look at how he gazes at Madame and the little master! He is so gentle!!!"
"Sigh… seeing this makes me want to get a wife too and have a cute baby!"
"Ahh! Me too!"
Down below, Leon took out a space pouch and gave it to Eli, "This is what I have packed for you. Little Han and my things are in my own space pouch. Before anything else, shall we eat first?"
"That sounds good!" Eli nodded, feeling giddy inside.
She was deeply moved by Leon\'s gestures and even the thought that Leon had packed everything that she might need along the way.
Looking at the contents of the space bag, Eli blushed in embarrassment, \'H-he even packed my underwear…\'
Just as she wondered how the mighty prince of the Empire would go his way to pack her garments, Leon had already taken her hand and let her sit on a picnic mat, which she didn\'t notice being laid out.
Leon let Little Han wander around the soft meadows and explore the nearby surrounding as he carefully took the picnic basket with several kinds of food inside.
"Let me help you…" Eli felt like she was so free at the moment. She felt guilty seeing Leon busying himself with the picnic setup that he prepared beforehand.
"It\'s alright, I intended for this entire trip to let you rest…" Leon smiled and did not allow Eli to move.
"..." Eli felt awkward, she had been doing so much ever since she gave birth, and having nothing in her hands right now makes her feel uneasy. "T-then, I\'ll look after Little Han, lest he drifted far away from our sight."
"Eli, don\'t worry about that, look!" Leon smiled and patted Eli\'s hand, then he gestured her to look in Little Han\'s direction.
To her surprise, Little Han was actually accompanied by Baobao, rolling happily in the meadows!
"T-this… I didn\'t even summon Baobao in here! How?!" Eli looked at Leon and then at the two cute figures, clearly baffled.
"Remember when you said that Baobao and Wisey were actually half familiars to Little Han because you entered into a contract with them while you were pregnant?
It turns out that Little Han\'s hand could really summon Baobao at will.
There was a time when I sent Baobao out to pick out some herbs, while I put Little Han in the plushie playground. Without even managing to turn around, our son suddenly made Baobao appear within the plushie playground!
And so I decided to teach him how to properly summon Baobao and when it is necessary to summon him. Don\'t worry, I strictly told him that he could only summon Baobao when both of us are busy or not around."
"But Little Han is just a year old, he was yet to awaken his aptitudes. How could he display his magical abilities?" Eli frowned in confusion.
No matter how talented they were, everyone would have their constitution awakened at the age of seven. "I never knew of anyone who did not awaken their abilities until they were seven."
Leon looked at the confused Eli and didn\'t answer. He didn\'t tell Eli the entire truth. Before they went back to the earthly realm to fetch Little Han, the guardians told him everything about Little Han\'s condition.
The guardians and Leon agreed that they will not let Eli know of this fact until Leon feels like she was ready to take in the news.
Right at this moment, when Eli had a lot to care about, he deemed that it wasn\'t the right time to know about the complications regarding Little Han\'s sealed powers.
The reason why he taught Little Han of summoner\'s magic was to let his body expel the accumulating power beyond what the guardians have initially sealed.
The guardians told him that as he grows, the mana around him will be extremely attracted to his body because of the power they have sealed within. And so, Leon has to make a way for Little Han to spend that mana, without causing Eli to suspect anything.
Deciding to protect both Little Han and Eli\'s well-being, Leon took a deep breath, meeting Eli\'s eyes to finally answered,
"Well, think about it, we are both of open paths, I could say, both of us are not normal. It would be quite expected for our son to have something that goes against the normal too."
Eli pondered Leon\'s word and was convinced.
Little Han\'s peculiarities have manifested as early as his infant stage, so it was correct to say that Leon and her could only see more of his gifts and talents as he grows.
"Alright, everything is ready." Leon finally clapped his hands and looked at the picnic mat he set up.
Pancakes, sunny-side-up eggs, bacon and ham, french toast, breaded chicken, fruit kebabs, sliced cheese, and several cold cuts. He obliged and took the guardian\'s gift from the modern world, the butane stove, to warm Little Han\'s milk and brew their coffee.
Finally, he took a jar of mixed berry vinaigrette and drizzled it into the fresh garden salad that was garnished with nuts and cheese.
Eli\'s eyes glowed in delight as the enticing aroma of the food teased her sense of smell. Suddenly she could feel her stomach grumbling, demanding for the breakfast to start.
Leon gave a satisfied smile and immediately called Baobao and Little Han, "Breakfast is ready!"