Family Dispute

In any case, Rudeus and Sylphy finally made up.

Hilde could finally breathe a sigh of relief too.

Mm...

Putting it that way made Hilde sound like some kind of pimp, but seeing the two of them get along again meant she no longer had to worry about being harassed by Rudeus at night.

After that, Sylphy asked Rudeus for magical instruction even more earnestly, and her skill in magic kept improving.

In about half a year, she had already reached roughly intermediate level.

At this rate, she might become an advanced magician in another year or two. It was truly astonishing momentum.

Incidentally, Sylphy could use healing magic without incantations.

Hilde could do it too—or rather, only Rudeus couldn't.

He probably couldn't imagine how the magic flowing through the body filled in a wound. Rudeus always liked to overthink things. If you asked Hilde, as long as you emptied your mind and followed your instincts, there wouldn't be any problem at all, but Rudeus just couldn't do it.

Perhaps Sylphy's rapid progress also gave Rudeus a certain sense of urgency.

Recently, Rudeus had begun worrying about his own magical ability.

It had been almost a year since he learned saint-tier magic.

During that time, Sylphy's magical ability had kept improving.

At this rate, she might catch up to him someday.

Hilde had been constantly trying to incorporate magic into swordsmanship, and judging by the results so far, it was proving quite effective. Though according to Paul, it was somewhat neither fish nor fowl, it was still progress, at least.

By comparison, over the past year, aside from becoming more proficient in using magic, he had made no real progress.

It could practically be said that he was standing still.

This couldn't go on.

Rudeus couldn't help thinking about which direction he should take next.

However, before Rudeus could arrive at an answer, another matter exploded like a bomb in the Greyrat household.

Zenith was pregnant.

Having that news suddenly announced at the breakfast table left everyone somewhat caught off guard.

But thinking about it carefully, it wasn't exactly unexpected either.

After all, Paul and Zenith fought fiercely almost every night, losing all sense of heaven and earth. On top of that, this world didn't seem to have any convenient contraceptive measures available, so pregnancy was only natural... rather, the fact that it had taken five or six years for her to get pregnant meant the odds had actually been pretty low.

"Congratulations, Mother!"

Hilde and Rudeus offered their blessings together.

Zenith looked very happy to receive blessings from both children.

"Hilde, Rudy, the two of you will soon be an older sister and older brother."

"Actually, I was already an older brother."

Rudeus sounded a little helpless.

Probably because Hilde had never acted like a younger sister since she was small, Rudeus had never really felt like an older brother.

If he had to put it that way, Hilde was more like an older sister to him.

"I wonder if it'll be a little brother or a little sister?"

Rudeus couldn't help letting his imagination run.

Honestly, a little sister would be best. If it was a little brother...

Maybe the brothers wouldn't be able to get along.

Come to think of it, it was winter now.

Judging by the date, Zenith's child would probably be born around next summer.

Just as Hilde was silently calculating the due date, the sound of someone retching suddenly came from behind her.

Everyone looked toward the sound, only to see Lilia with an awful expression, her eyes evasive as she covered her mouth.

"Lilia?"

Hilde froze for a moment.

"...I'm sorry, everyone."

Lilia took a deep breath, then bowed deeply.

"I believe I'm pregnant."

"..."

After a brief silence.

Hilde abruptly turned to look at Rudeus.

"Why are you looking at me?"

Rudeus froze for a moment. "It wasn't me."

"No kidding! I mean there are only two men in our family. If it wasn't you, then it has to be..."

Hilde and Rudeus both turned to look at Paul at the same time.

And not just them. Zenith's gaze had, at some point, also fallen on Paul.

His face was ashen, and his smile looked worse than crying.

Then he slammed his head down onto the table.

"I'm sorry! That was probably... me!"

"..."

Zenith bit her lip hard, raised her hand high, and slapped Paul across the face.

Amid the sharp crack of the slap, Hilde looked out the window.

It was winter now. White snow blanketed the earth, and the wind struck the windows like knives, rattling them noisily.

With something like this happening so suddenly, no one was able to react.

Even Paul and Lilia probably had never imagined pregnancy might be possible.

That was simply how men and women were. Once lust rose up, there was no time to think about what came afterward. From the perspective of species propagation, this was indeed a good thing, but when primal urges mixed with social constraints, it created the complicated situation before them now.

The wavering candlelight flickered on and off, casting shifting light and shadow over the faces of the two women seated at opposite ends of the table.

Lilia, her head lowered, was impossible to read. The ironclad truth lay before them, leaving no room for argument or excuses.

Perhaps she had already made her decision and was merely waiting for Zenith to speak.

Zenith sat there without saying a word.

Her heart was in complete turmoil.

After an unknown length of time, she finally said in a low voice, "What do you plan to do?"

"It is winter now."

Zenith's voice was very calm. "If I leave now, there may be no one to help when Madam gives birth. So I was thinking... after I help Madam deliver the child, I will resign and leave this place."

"...And the child? By then, it should be your time too, shouldn't it?"

"I intend to give birth in Fittoa Territory, then take the child back to my hometown to raise."

"Your hometown is in the south, right?"

"Yes."

"Right after giving birth, will you be able to take a child on a long journey all by yourself?"

"...There is no other way."

After that exchange, the two sides fell silent once more.

The room was deathly still.

Paul sat in the next room, his brow furrowed. Perhaps he, too, was thinking about how to resolve the current situation, but... leaving aside whether he could think of a solution that satisfied everyone, if he were the one to handle things now, it might even have the opposite effect.

And after hearing Lilia's proposal, Zenith could not bring herself to be that heartless either.

Lilia had betrayed her.

But they had lived together for so long, and by now they were already as close as sisters.

Lilia was silent, yet resolved.

Zenith was conflicted and unable to decide.

Paul was guilty and at a loss.

The silence of those three made the air in the room seem frozen in place.

However, the good news was that aside from those three people locked in stalemate, there were still two beings in this house capable of making a sound.

"All right, Rudeus."

"It's time for us to do something."