WIEDERGEBURT Act IV: Chapter 2

“I see. So you are planning to leave Nevaria.”

Empress Hilda Astralia looked like a less busty but more elegant version of her daughter as she sat at the table, sipping tea. Dressed in a loose flowing gown that had a slit running down one side, exposing her thigh, the woman presented an image of grace that few could match. Even the simple act of drinking from her teacup seemed like a move calculated to be as graceful as humanly possible.

Behind her was Valence, the stern-faced Primary Husband of Hilda and Kari’s blood-related father. He wasn’t wearing the golden armor of an Imperial Royal Guard General right now. However, the tunic he wore was obviously made from the most expensive material valis could buy, and the sword resting against his hip made it clear he was still acting as his wife’s bodyguard--not that it was needed since there were several people guarding the empress at all times.

Hilda was also stronger than her husband.

“That is correct,” I said. “I’m planning to head out with Kari, Fay, Lin, and Siv for the Northern Plains. It will probably be a few years before we come back.”

The sitting room we were in was posh and refined, but it wasn’t ostentatious. The decorations were muted but elegant. A few pieces of furniture were arrayed around the room, and there was a bookshelf resting against the wall to my right. This room was but one of many. The Imperial Royal Palace contained hundreds of rooms, which were used for a variety of purposes such as receiving guests.

“So I see.” Hilda narrowed her eyes. “I assume you are taking your son with you? Do you not think it might be too dangerous for a child to cross the Endless Desert?”

I knew what she was getting at, but I shook my head.

“I have ways around the sun and heat. Don’t forget that I’ve reached the Fourth State of Spiritualism with the water element.”

“And what do you think of this, Kari?” Hilda asked.

“I’m excited!” Kari admitted with a sparkling smile. “The idea of traveling somewhere new, exploring a place I haven’t seen in--haven’t been to before is a thrilling prospect. I can’t wait to see more of the world.”

“I should have realized that would be your response.”

Hilda wore a resigned smile when she realized how bad an idea turning to her daughter for help was. I suspected she was trying to use Kari to convince me to stay, but she’d forgotten all about her daughter’s wanderlust.

As a short silence pervaded the room, I lifted the teacup to my lips and took a sip. The earl grey tea contained a robust, citrusy, and slightly earthier flavor than normal earl grey. I wondered what kind of blend had made this since it was clearly different than what I was used to. A glance at Valence availed me nothing, but I was sure he’d made this blend, though it wasn’t as good as the other tea I’d had from him.

It must be in the testing phase.

“I suppose there is little I can do to stop you,” Hilda said at last. She seemed resigned. “Can I at least ask your reasons for leaving?”

Fay and Lin were not present at this meeting, but Siv was with us, a silent observer to the proceedings--well, mostly silent. The sound of her tail beating a gentle rhythm on the floor as she drank the tea a maid poured for her let me know she was still there. However, Siv rarely spoke now that she had mastered the human tongue. It was rare to even get two words from her.

“Of course.” I nodded, grabbed three lemon scones, placed one on my plate, and the other two on Kari’s and Siv’s plates respectively. “The first reason is actually because I’d like us to establish relations with the sects of the Northern Plains. Unlike Nevaria, the Northern Plains is controlled by sects instead of nobles, and they are not ruled over by a sovereign either. However, they are even more powerful than us. I believe establishing a friendly relationship with them will benefit Nevaria.”

“That is a good idea, but to get there, you must cross the Endless Desert, yes?” Hilda said. “It takes years to cross the Endless Desert, or so you have said. Would establishing a friendly relationship with them really benefit us?”

The Endless Desert was easily several thousand kilometers across. Even traveling by wagon, it would take over a year. This was not including the dangers that came from crossing it. There were numerous threats like Demon Beasts, bandits, petty nobles, and the lamia who often attacked human caravans.

“It will,” I assured her. “Once we establish an alliance with the sects of the Northern Plains, we can create a Warp Gate that can transport us from Nevaria to Midgard near instantly. With that, it won’t be hard to maintain relations.” I paused for a moment to take a bite out of my scone. I tasted a hint of lemon in the sweet frosting. “The Northern Plains is a big place. They have a lot of Demon Beasts and other resources that Nevaria doesn’t have and visa versa. If we establish trade with them, we can gain many benefits.”

While I munched on my scone, Siv and Kari were also eating, though Siv was getting some frosting on her face. Kari leaned over with a napkin and wiped the food off. Siv sent her a grateful smile as she continued eating.

“That would indeed be a good thing,” Hilda admitted. “I can definitely see why you would want to establish relations with them, especially if we are able to acquire this ‘Warp Gate’ you spoke of. However…” Hilda narrowed her eyes at me. “I suspect that is not the only reason, is it?”

“You’re correct. It isn’t the only reason.”

A frown appeared on my face as I struggled to decide what I should tell Hilda. She was now my mother-in-law, and I trusted her to keep anything said here a secret… but she wasn’t one of my wives. There were some things I didn’t want her knowing. Some of the secrets I possessed were simply too personal.

“It’s the Sekbeist.” While I was wallowing in indecision, Kari spoke up for me. “While the Sekbeist in this region of the continent were defeated, that doesn’t mean they might not have strongholds in other areas. We’ve talked about it and decided that doing reconnaissance wouldn’t be a bad idea. The last thing we need is to be caught unaware when another army tries to invade us again.”

Valence’s expression didn’t change much, but his cheek twitched a little, no doubt recalling the sort of horrors we had faced during the invasion of Sekbeists and Demon Beasts. While we had managed to repel the invasion and even defeated their leader, many people had died. We had even lost Grimm Kriger, a man who had reached the Third State of Spiritualism.

“You do bring up an excellent point.” Hilda finally seemed resigned to letting us leave, not that she could have stopped us. Even she knew this meeting was just a formality. “It would be a good idea to send people to explore the rest of this world.” She focused on us. “How many people are you planning to take with you?”

“It will be just us,” I said immediately.

Hilda raised an eyebrow. “Just you six? You don’t need anymore people?”

“Everyone except Kari has reached the Fourth State of Spiritualism,” I said, which caused Kari to pout. “And Kari has reached the Third State of Spiritualism. Even in the Northern Plains, a person who has reached the Third State of Spiritualism is relatively rare. I doubt there is a person alive who can handle any one of us in a fight.”

“I keep forgetting that you five have surpassed me in strength,” Hilda said with a wry twist of her lips. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to become Emperor?”

“Not on your life,” I replied with complete certainty.

***

We didn’t remain with Hilda for much longer after informing her of our decision to leave Nevaria. After taking a carriage back to the Nevarian Braves headquarters, we met up with Fay and Lin at the front gate, who had just returned from their own tasks.

The front gate to the Nevarian Braves headquarters was large and imposing, composed entirely of an obsidian material, though it was actually made from the bones of a Demon Beast Fay had slain about one year ago. Metallica was a dragon-type Demon Beast with bones that were harder than steel. While some of the bones had gone into producing weapons, most of it had been used on this gate.

The gate was guarded by a pair of Spiritualists.

After climbing out of the carriage, Siv went straight to Fay’s side.

My Second Wife had a pack strapped to her body, though it was strapped to her chest instead of her back. That was because it was meant for carrying our son. Raul was nestled inside of the baby carrier. I actually kind of envied the little rug rat. He was currently resting on Fay’s boobs.

“You three are back.” Fay placed a hand on Siv’s head and ruffled her hair, which caused Siv to look pleased, a happy smile appearing like a blossoming flower on her face. “How did your meeting go? I’m guessing Empress Hilda has given us the okay?”

“Gaaa…”

Raul let out a strange sound and made a grab at Siv, who realized what the little guy wanted and shifted her wings. Happy baby noises came from Raul before he grabbed her wing and began playing with it. The smile on Siv’s face, like she was staring at her own child, made me want to kiss her right there in the street.

“Not that she could have stopped us from leaving if we wanted,” Kari said with a sigh, “but yes, she has accepted that we won’t be remaining in Nevaria for much longer.”

“What about you two?” I asked. “I assume you accomplished your tasks?”

“Hm hm hm.” Lin chuckled with her mouth closed as she placed her hands on her hips, thrust out her chest, and grinned like she had just beaten Kari at Hnefatafl. “This princess and Fay spoke with a wainwright. He has agreed to build a wagon for us designed to our specifications. He seemed very impressed with that blueprint you made, Darling.”

“Did he say how long it will take?” I asked.

“He said it will take ten days to build since he’s creating this wagon from scratch,” Fay said as the five of us--six if we included Raul--walked through the gates.

A stretch of land with a paved road was on the other side of the gate, leading up to the double doors of our guild. The lobby was located on the other side of the door. With our remodeling of the entire headquarters, the lobby had expanded, becoming about three times bigger than before.

As was the case with most days, the lobby was currently filled to the brim with people, some coming in, some leaving, some sitting at tables and benches, and some waiting by the receptionist desk to have their quest filed or receive payment for a completed mission. At just a quick guesstimation, I already assumed there were around two of three hundred people present.

After the remodeling, we had changed the lobby into a place where people could take quests, buy alchemy pills, and grab a bite to eat. The kitchen was actually right next to the eastern side of the lobby, which seconded as a restaurant or cafeteria. Quite a few of our sect mates were sitting at the tables over there, eating and drinking as they bragged about their latest quest.

“Hey, it’s the Commander and his Sub-Commanders!”

“Hey, Commander!”

“How are you five doing?! Excuse me, you six, I mean!”

“Looking good, Commander!”

“You are an alpha among men!”

A lot of the Spiritualists greeted us when we walked in. Some just waved, but most had a comment or two. While there were many Spiritualists now working under me who I didn’t know, I did my best to greet each person.

“Commander Eryk!” another voice shouted out, one that I recognized immediately.

The person walking up to us was a young woman the same age as me (of course, I was saying that based on our respective appearance, since I still didn’t know how old I was), with blonde hair that bordered on silver and ice blue eyes. Her pale skin was complemented by white clothing. The revealing outfit looked like strips of leather held together by intricately designed golden bands studded with red gems. Even the V of her crotch was covered by just a strip of fabric.

While her torso and crotch were mostly bare, her legs were clad in golden boots and her arms in vambraces of the same color. Both of them had Runes etched into them. I recognized the array as an elemental enhancement array created by our resident Rune Master, Sterk.

“Sigrid,” I greeted in a polite but even voice. “Back from a quest?”

“I just got my pay a few moments ago,” Sigrid said with a grin.

Sigrid Drage had joined the Nevarian Braves about one month after my wedding with Kari, Fay, Lin, and Siv. I didn’t trust her. At the same time, I decided not to refuse her desire to join. There was an old saying I once read in a book: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I didn’t know if Sigrid and the Drage Family were my enemies yet. However, I also couldn’t bring myself to call them allies.

There was just something about the family that rubbed me the wrong way. They were so powerful, so strong, yet when the Demon Beasts invaded Nevaria in my previous life, I couldn’t recall ever seeing a member of their family present. Granted, I had been so panicked at the time and probably wouldn’t have noticed anyway, but Sigrid, Gudmund, and Gudbrand Drage had all reached the Third State of Spiritualism. I couldn’t see Nevaria falling so easily if they had fought in the battle back then.

I also just didn’t like Gubdrand Drage, the eldest son who had attempted to court Fay when she was already engaged to me.

“So.” Sigrid leaned in close as though she was about to share a secret, even going so far as to cup a hand to her mouth. “Is it true?”

“Is what true?” I asked.

“You know. Is it true that you guys are leaving Nevaria?”

I had no idea how Sigrid learned of this, especially since it wasn’t something I had openly spoken of with anyone except Hilda and Felman. Then again, it wasn’t like I had made it a secret either. Lin had been gathering provisions for our trip, while Fay had been traveling to the Alchemist Association for alchemy ingredients. They had also gone to a wainwright to request he build a custom wagon for our travels. Someone as intelligent as Sigrid would probably figure it out.

I also suspected the Drage Family was keeping an eye on me.

“It is true,” I said as the girls busied themselves with gushing over Raul. My son seemed to enjoy the attention his four moms were giving him. I couldn’t see him because he was blocked by my wives, but the happy noises he made, which I could hear over the noise in the lobby, gave him away.

I knew they were doing this so I could speak with Sigrid. None of us trusted her, and my wives didn’t like her because of her attitude. Whenever she appeared, they left me to deal with her.

“Hmm…” Sigrid leaned back, looking only slightly disappointed, though I didn’t know why. “I’m guessing you’re going to be gone for awhile, huh?”

“Probably a few years.” I eyed the woman with what I hoped was curiosity and not suspicion. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, if you’re leaving for a long time, then you’ll need someone to watch over the Nevarian Braves, right?” Sigrid said with a bright smile. “Have you thought of anyone?”

She was right, of course. Since we were traveling to the Northern Plains, the earliest we could expect to be back was two years, but that was only if we traveled straight through the Endless Desert without stopping, then came back immediately after. I suspected our journey would be at least three years if not longer.

“I’m planning to have Geirolf run the Nevarian Braves in my stead.”

Geirolf had grown a lot from the bratty child I first met after winning the Spiritualist Grand Tournament. He was much calmer now. Calmer, stronger, and an altogether better person than he used to be. While I think a lot of this was thanks to Kari and what happened when he was attacked by the Basilisk in Bucharest two years ago, I was also sure that Catalyna was another reason.

Sigrid didn’t look displeased by my words, but the way her shoulders twitched let me know what she thought about my choice.

“Geirolf is definitely a great leader,” she admitted. “But, you know, he’s not really good at finances or budgeting. Are you sure he should be left in charge during your absence?”

“Felman can handle the finances,” I answered.

“That is true… but, hm, maybe he should have a sub-commander to help him out.” Sigrid smiled at me. “Like you. You do most of the work yourself, but I know Lin helps you manage the sect.”

“You do bring up a good point.” It was not me who spoke but Kari. I wasn’t sure when she had stopped gushing over Raul with the others, but now she was smiling at Sigrid like a viper locked onto her pray. “But I’m pretty sure Geirolf will ask his wife to help him out.”

“Catalyna?” Sigrid made a face. “She might be an amazing Spiritualist, but you know she’s no good at budgeting or finances. She might be even worse than Geirolf.”

“And who do you think should be helping Geirolf as the sub-commander? You?” asked Kari, her smile growing wider.

“Well, I don’t mean to brag, but on top of being a powerful Spiritualist, I have also studied economics.” Sigrid placed a hand on her chest, which she had puffed out with pride. “I daresay even the Eieran Family would have no qualms about hiring me.”

As the two women stared at each other, I almost felt like I could see something behind them. I imagined a raging dragon behind Kari, its wings spread, firing blowing from its mouth as it snarled at Sigrid. Meanwhile, a giant white tiger had appeared behind Sigrid. This creature released a ferocious roar that did not lose out to the dragon.

Of course, all this was just my imagination running wild.

At least, I think it was.

“Is that so? If you’re really that talented at keeping a budget, then I am sure my husband will consider you for the position,” Kari said in a diplomatic voice.

“That’s all I ask.” Sigrid smiled back at Kari before turning on her heel and sauntering away.

***

There was more to traveling than buying provisions like food, spices, and a wagon. We also needed clothes suitable for travel.

Of course, it was easy to shop for me and Fay. Our clothing was made by Helle, a woman who worked at a clothier owned by her parents. Kari also had a full set of clothes, all of which were designed for traveling through a desert--in other words, they were all made of light fabrics that wouldn’t be too hot but would also provide adequate protection from the sun.

The only two people who needed clothing was Lin and Siv.

There was only one person who we could count on to make their clothes.

“This princess is not going to be your dress up doll, you hear!”

“Yes, yes. I heard you. Now come here and try this on.”

“You aren’t listening to this princess at all!”

Emeralda hadn’t changed at all since I last saw her; she looked a few years older, had a few more wrinkles lining her eyes and mouth, but she was just as interested in using Lin as a test subject for new and exotic clothes as she always had been. Now she had two subjects. Apparently, Siv’s dragon wings, scales, and tail gave her the same appeal that Lin’s snake lower body did.

“I’ve actually invented a new type of underwear for you to wear,” Emeralda added.

Lin frowned and crossed her arms. “Why would this princess ever bother wearing underwear?”

“You don’t want anyone but your darling to see the goods, do you?”

“…”

Lin and Emeralda stared at each other for several long, silent seconds. The first to crack was, naturally, Lin.

“Show this princess your underwear.”

“Excellent!” As if she had been anticipating what happened, Emeralda produced a strange object that looked like a triangle made from a material that was flexible but sturdy. She showed this off to Lin. “Normal underwear is impossible for a lamia to wear for obvious reasons. This is made from the inner wall of an elastisk fruit. It has a natural adhesive that activates when you channel Spiritual Power through it, which is how it sticks to your crotch without falling off.”

Lin stared long and hard at the underwear in the woman’s hand before reluctantly grabbing it.

While Lin went into a changing room to try her new underwear on (the changing room she used was four times larger than the one used for normal people), Siv came out of an adjacent changing room in her new clothes.

“Oh! That outfit is so cute on you!” Emeralda gushed.

“I have to agree.” Kari crossed her arms and sighed. “You look awfully adorable, Siv.”

“I like it,” Fay added.

The single one-piece dress Siv wore now was very light, airy enough that it appeared almost translucent. It also didn’t use much fabric. Her back was completely exposed to make room for her wings, which jutted from her shoulder blades. The V-shaped cutout at her back ended just above her butt and exposed her sideboob, though there wasn’t much sideboob to expose since she was so tiny. It was a dark red that contrasted with her snow white skin.

As always, her slightly clawed toes were bereft of footwear.

“Eryk?” She looked at me, blushed, and did a little twirl. I saw a slight flash of her white string panties. “Thoughts?”

“I like it a lot,” I said with honest admiration. “You look beautiful.”

“You just want to take it off her,” Kari teased.

Emeralda giggled while Fay blushed and palmed her face. Siv was also blushing, but she looked at me with expectation in her eyes. The look was intense, so much so that I was tempted to look away, though I knew that might cause her to cry. That was why I didn’t.

“I won’t deny some part of me wants her to wear it so I can take it off,” I confessed.

Siv’s cheeks turned an even more startling shade of scarlet. I just knew she would be wearing that dress some time soon during our nightly activities. That did make me wonder if we’d be able to have sex on this trip, or if we’d have to abstain because of Raul.

While she was blushing, a loud and annoyed shout echoed from beyond the changing room Lin had gone into.

“This does not feel comfortable at all! This underwear of yours feels like it is scraping off this princess’s scales off!”

“Oh, dear.” Emeralda cupped a hand to her cheek. “It seems the adhesive is chafing. I wonder if I should use a different material for its construction?”

While Lin complained and swore violently that she would never come to this store again, we ended up buying several outfits for her and Siv to use during our travels.

***

It was nighttime when I found myself sitting on the couch and reading through the journal left behind by Ask. I should have been asleep. Even now, my bed called out to me. All four of my wives were sleeping in it, and I really did wish to return to the warmth of their embrace, but I could not sleep.

So I read.

The war against the Sekbeists is going poorly. More lives are lost each day, while the Sekbeists seem to have an endless supply of soldiers. They keep throwing themselves at us as if they do not care about whether they live or die. Meanwhile, many of our men have a strong will to live and aversion to dying, which has made things difficult. It is hard to fight against an army that does not fear death.

Our people are losing morale, giving up hope, and even Óðinn seems to be at a loss. If the leader of the Guddomelig, the Great Overlord of the Ninth Plain, is unable to pave the way to victory, then what hope do I have of keeping my men from losing heart?

This journal left behind by the man who led the Sekbeist army against Nevaria mostly detailed the events of the war with the Sekbeists over one thousand years ago. I now knew that the war against the Sekbeist was, in fact, what many historians referred to as the Catastrophe. Just as I knew what the true purpose of the Warp Gates located in Miðgarðr were truly made for.

A plan has been made to seal away the Sekbeist Overlord. This idea was created by the Great Overlord of the Second Plain, who has realized that what is restricting our ability to form a proper defense against this invasion is the free travel between realms. It is hard to fight an enemy who can appear within any realm at will.

The plan calls for eight of the Nine Great Overlords to give up their lives and allow themselves to be used as locks that will seal away the Sekbeist Overlord. We will each take a part of him into ourselves and our bodies will be sealed away for all eternity.

Being the weakest of the nine, I will only have a hand sealed inside of me. I do not envy Óðinn, who will have the Sekbeist Overlord’s heart sealed inside of him, or Ljósálfar, who will have to be sealed away with his mind. Those two will have to deal with something far greater than I can possibly fathom. I’m already shaking at the thought of a single hand being sealed inside of me.

Of course, Gimlé will not have to be sealed away at all since his job is maintaining the seal between realms to restrict travel. Lucky bastard.

The passage describing what happened to the Sekbeist Overlord was what interested me the most. Thanks to the knowledge contained within these pages, I now had a working theory on what happened to Ask--the Great Overlord of the First Plain. He had sealed away the Sekbeist Overlord’s left hand inside of his body, and then he was in turn sealed away to prevent it from influencing him. I could not imagine what kind of fortitude it must have taken to willingly seal yourself away from the sake of others.

As I sat there and skimmed through the pages, which I must have read over a hundred times now, the door to my bedroom opened. I looked up as the sound of crying caught my attention. Fay greeted me with a smile as she walked in, carrying Raul in her arms.

“Sounds like he’s hungry,” I observed as Fay sat down beside me. She was dressed only in a loose-fitting nightgown that was open at the front. As she made herself comfortable, she shifted her clothing open to reveal one of her breasts. Her nipple, normally inverted, was currently sticking straight out as she brought Raul’s mouth to it.

The baby took after his old man, all right. He latched right onto that nipple and began sucking for all he was worth. I could even hear the slight noise of him guzzling down milk.

“He has a big appetite. I’d say he gets it from Lin, but…” Fay gave me an amused smile that I returned. However, the smile soon left as she leaned into me. “Could you not sleep?”

I shook my head. “I guess I’m having trouble staying calm.”

“Because we’re leaving Nevaria?”

“Because of what we’re leaving to go do.” I paused long enough to set the journal on the table, raise my arm, and wrap it around Fay, who rested her head on my shoulder as our son continued drinking milk. “The Great Overlord of the Seventh Plain defeated me in my last life. Even after attaining power no other human has, I was still unable to defeat him. I’m worried that will happen again.”

I tried so hard last time to kill the Great Overlord of the Seventh Plain, but no matter how hard I fought, how much power I used, it had not been enough. Even at the end, my final strike had not been able to hurt him. Now I was going to the Northern Plain with the purpose of killing the Great Overlord of the Seventh Plain. I was even bringing along Kari, Fay, Lin, Siv, and Raul.

“You might not have beaten him last time, but that was because you were alone and fought against more than just him,” Fay said as though admonishing me. “Do not forget about those elemental birds you told me about. This time, you also have us. I know you are worried for our safety, but we are strong.”

Fay had gained a lot of confidence in the past two years. When she and I first met, all she could do was feign confidence. Her inferiority complex had often led to her feeling helpless and envious of Kari, which had even led to her pushing her childhood friend away, but that had changed now that she’d reached the Fourth State of Spiritualism.

“I still need to make the Yin-Yang Spiritual Enhancement Pill for Kari, but we haven’t been able to find an S-rank Demon Beast with a light element.” I blew out a deep breath. “We also haven’t found one for Lin’s darkness element either, though I’m not as worried since she still has the earth element and her poison. We’ve searched most of the Demon Beast Mountain Range and didn’t find a single hint that one even exists.”

“I’m sure one exists somewhere,” Fay assured me. “Also, do not forget about our other abilities. We have a lot more up our sleeves than just our own element.”

“I haven’t forgotten, but being able to use my elements and visa versa won’t help us much,” I said. “The highest you girls can reach with lightning and water is the Second State of Spiritualism. While I have somehow managed to reach the Third State of Spiritualism, I seem incapable of attaining further mastery, which kind of sucks. If I could reach the Fourth State of Spiritualism for the wind element, at least, I would have a nearly unlimited supply of power.”

After Lin reached the Third State of Spiritualism during our training period in the Demon Beast Mountain Range, the girls and I had done a lot of experimenting and learned a few things.

The first thing we learned was that Kari, Fay, Siv, and Lin were capable of using both my elements and the elements of the other women connected to me through the symbols on their chests. However, there was a limit to which state they could reach. That meant while they could use fire, wind, lightning, water, earth, light, and darkness, they could not use the elements they did not have an affinity for with the same proficiency. At most, the power they wielded was the equivalent to someone who had reached the Second State of Spiritualism.

In a battle against someone like the Great Overlord of the Seventh Plain, the Second State of Spiritualism was all but useless.

“Even so, you need not worry,” Fay responded to my negativity with a loving smile. “In your previous battle, you fought against the Great Overlord and his seven elemental birds alone. This time Lin, Siv, and myself should be able to fight off at least one of those birds each. Kari will too once we find an S-rank Demon Beast with the light element. We can work on attaining that monster core and refining the Yin-Yang Spiritual Enhancement Pill before fighting against the Great Overlord of the Seventh Plain.”

“Yes, you are right.” The tension in my shoulder eased a little. “I still don’t think I can not worry about what’s coming, but I won’t let it control my actions either.”

“That’s the best I could ask for.”

Raul finished feeding, so Fay placed the little boy against her and gently patted his back until he released a surprisingly loud belch. I almost shook my head. That sounded like a Lin belch for sure. After being burped, Raul yawned as his eyes slowly shut. Like that, he fell asleep on his mother.

“We should probably head to bed as well,” I said with a smile.

Fay considered my suggestion, but then shook her head and leaned further against me, keeping me from moving.

“Why don’t we just stay here?” she suggestion. “We will not get many chances to be alone. I’d like to have you to myself for a little while.”

I considered her words and honestly didn’t see anything wrong with them. The six of us would be traveling together in a wagon for who knew how many years. There would be few places to stop and rest in the Endless Desert. Even with the benefit of a wagon, it took months of travel just to reach the nearest city.

All these thoughts passed through my head before I came to a decision.

“In that case, I suppose we can just sleep here.”

Leaning my head against Fay’s soft red hair, I closed my eyes and finally let sleep take me.