#999 Maternity Rhapsody 8: Mendel’s Mystery

I’m Silver Wolf, the S-Class adventurer.

Whoops... Take two.

That was my old intro.

Now, I’m Silver Wolf, the Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild.

Old habits die hard, you know?

Last year, I finally retired from adventuring and fully took on the role of Guild Master.

Now I have more time and can handle my duties with ease, and even enjoy some leisure time.

A bit more free time, you know?

But...that’s not the main point here...

My wife is pregnant.

She’s the former S-Class adventurer, Black Cat.

“Way to go, meow!!!”

Black Cat herself is quite proud.

I was worried since I heard the early stages of pregnancy can be tough, but she’s been visiting everyone, proudly sharing the good news.

Everyone is celebrating, so we’ve been getting tons of congratulatory messages.

“Hmm... This is a big deal...!”

“It’s a happy occasion, so just enjoy it to the max, meow!!!”

Well, with the Guild Master’s top couple expecting, it’s no surprise everyone’s excited.

I’m still getting used to being the Guild Master, and now I’m going to be a parent, too. It’s overwhelming...!

No, I can’t be weak now.

I’ve treated thousands of adventurers like my own sons and daughters! One more won’t break me!

Anyway...

“Master! Congratulations on the pregnancy!”

Some people even came to congratulate me in person.

But it sounds like they think I’m the one who’s pregnant. Stop that.

“Way to go, Black Cat! Here’s a pig’s foot as a pregnancy gift.”

“And from me, some andesite for a safe delivery!”

The visitors were current S-Class adventurers.

Pink Tonton, Brown Kato, and the recently promoted S-Class adventurer Corey, who’s also the 2nd-generation Silver Wolf.

Since I just retired, I still feel like we’re colleagues, so it’s a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

“Corey, how’s the start of your S-Class adventurer journey?”

“Great! I’m giving it my all to live up to your expectations!!!”

After passing his farm test, Corey was officially promoted to S-Class, and I decided to pass on the name Silver Wolf to him.

It adds prestige, you know?

My real name isn’t Silver Wolf either, and S-Class adventurers often get nicknames. Passing mine to Corey shows my trust in him to everyone.

But for now, I’ll still be Silver Wolf, and Corey will just be Corey.

“Hey, Golden Bat’s here too!”

“Tch.”

He clicked his tongue loudly, even at a celebration.

That’s the ex-S-Class adventurer Golden Bat for you.

We didn’t know what to do when he self-exiled, but thanks to Lord Saint’s help, we got him back.

He’s still hiding his insecurities, but he’s doing S-Class quests, which is a huge relief.

If we lost him, the Adventurer’s Guild would have been in big trouble.

Two S-Class adventurers, me and Black Cat, retiring left a huge gap.

We need more than one newbie to fill it.

“We’ll need to keep building up our top adventurers. We can’t leave that gap for years or decades.”

“Don’t worry. Your kid will be a super-talented adventurer. They’ll fill the gap quickly!”

That’s not the point.

Even if our kid is born a genius, how many years will it take for them to become a full-fledged adventurer?

Decades, maybe?

I can’t leave a gap for that long, so, at some point, I’ll have to find new ways to strengthen our top-tier adventurers.

Well, what the kid decides to become is entirely up to them.

If this kid in Black Cat’s belly wants to become a scholar, I’ll support them with all my heart.

“But seriously...”

Golden Bat starts muttering.

What now?

If it’s another complaint about his treatment, save it for another day. Let’s just enjoy the celebration today.

“I know when to pick my battles... But there’s been something bugging me ever since I heard you two were expecting...”

Huh?

What’s up?

“Is your baby going to be a dog or a cat?”

...

What?!

Wh-Wh-Wh-What do you mean, dog or cat?

A baby born to human parents is obviously going to be human!

“But we’re therianthropes, right? You’re a dog therianthrope, and Black Cat is a cat therian.”

How rude! I’m a wolf therian, not a dog!!!

Come on, Golden Bat, you’re a bat therian, and Pink Tonton is a boar therian.

Only Kato here is purely human. And Corey is a wolf therian like me.

Therians are basically a subgroup of humans.

Unlike elves or dwarves, we don’t have a fixed community. It’s more like a hidden gene in human blood that sometimes pops up, giving the child beast-like traits.

Nowadays, almost all therian children are throwbacks to their ancestors, with a few exceptions like the satyrs.

We all have beast traits and abilities, making it natural for therians to be at the top of the adventurer ranks.

It’s not like we’re picking only therians, honest!

“According to records, it’s rare for therian parents to have therian children. Since our base is human, a child born from a human-therian couple is almost always human.”

“Huh, really?”

You sure did your research.

“But, if the therian gene is strong enough in the parents, that changes. If both parents have strong beast traits like us, there’s about a 10% chance the kid will inherit those traits.”

“That’s pretty significant!”

So, there’s a chance our child might be a therian too?!

...But it’s not a big deal.

There’s no more discrimination against therian, so even if our child is born one, they won’t have a hard life.

If anything, the wild power from our genes could even be an advantage.

But the issue is...

Both parents are therians.

“And not the same kind. What happens then?

A wolf father and a cat mother...

If the child inherits only one set of traits, that’s fine.

But what if they inherit both...?!

A cat head and a wolf body?

Or half wolf and half cat?!

Cat ears and eyes but a wolf muzzle?!

“Aaaaaaah! No way! That’s horrible, meowwwwwwwwwwwww!!!”

Black Cat screams, clearly imagining the same thing.

“A tragic combination! A cat’s body but a dog’s tongue? No more self-grooming! They’d have to bathe all the time, and they would smell awful, meow!!!”

Exactly! Cats’ tongues are rough like brushes, which keeps their fur sleek...

But that’s not the point!

Calm down. There’s no way something that bizarre would happen!!!

We might end up with a super therian with a dog’s sense of smell, a cat’s night vision, a dog’s bite strength, and a cat’s agility!

Wait a minute, did you just call me a dog?!

Is that what you really thought? For the record, I’m a wolf therianthrope!!

“Hey, bat freak, your silly question has thrown the couple into chaos. Are you trying to stir up trouble?”

“I was just genuinely curious and shared my research...”

“Typical. You bring trouble without even trying.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pink Tonton and Kato cornering Golden Bat.