Supreme Magus

Chapter 4135: New Normal (Part 2)

"For the love of-" Kamila hated how even cursing at the Guardian ended up praising him instead. "Grandma!"

"Is everything alright, child?" Salaark appeared in a red Supreme Magus dress, her eyes matching Leegaain’s. "I was getting ready for the party."

"You too?" Kamila lowered her head, hiding her face between her hands. "Okay, fine. I forgive you both. Just be honest with me and tell me how long this has been going on."

"Ever since you started snacking in the middle of your practice, child." Salaark replied. "It’s a really bad habit. Silverwing’s Hexagram is inert, but other spells would have blown in your face. You should be more careful."

"That means soon after I entered the third trimester almost a month ago!" Kamila whined. "Why didn’t you tell me anything?"

"It would have made you worry for nothing and maybe even brought you to stop practicing magic." Leegaain said, and Salaark nodded. "Now, you know it’s safe, and you’ve made a beautiful memory.

"After you lose the Dragon Scales and you’ll be depressed again, remind yourself of this moment. Ral has just demonstrated how much he loves and cares about you without any mystical bond, but through action."

"Indeed. Now you don’t need bloodline abilities or fancy words to know how much you mean to your children." Salaark said. "We planned to keep it a secret until you felt down and needed to cheer up, but Selia’s big mouth ruined the surprise."

The Guardian glared at the huntress, making her blood run cold.

"I’m sorry, but how was I supposed to know?" Selia swallowed hard.

"Congratulations, Sis Kami!" Aran went for a hug and broke the tension.

Soon, everyone but Leran rejoiced at the news and congratulated Kamila. The young boy was still Hushed and believed that someone else had failed to hold the Hexagram first, giving him a few minutes of rest.

"Oh, right." Selia dispelled the Hush after calling her son multiple times and receiving no answer. "What about Lith? Shouldn’t we tell him as well?"

"He’s in the middle of a serious conversation." Salaark heard the theories about the Black Throne by expanding her senses. "We’ll share the news with him once he’s done. Believe me, he’s going to need it."

***

Just as the Guardian had predicted, Lith left the meeting room with a sour mood.

’Mogar sure has a twisted sense of irony. If I reveal Jorl’s alleged betrayal, I can split the Upyr front in two, but at that point, Meln is likely to hide until he is done rebuilding his army and finding a more reliable second in command.

’It would be tantamount to helping him! If I don’t, Jorl might get rid of Meln for me, but only after becoming powerful enough to take his place as the leader of the Upyrs. I have no winning move. I can only pick a poison and hope it doesn’t kill me.’

The group was still discussing what the best way to deal with Meln and Jorl was when the sound of music and laughter reached their ears.

"Oh, gods!" Tista froze on the spot.

"Do you think what I think?" Lith asked.

"I do." Tista nodded. "It’s too soon for Ral to be born, and our mission in Mirana went south. The only reason our family can have to celebrate is that either Mom or Rena is pregnant again!"

"Why do you say it like that?" Solus asked. "Wouldn’t that be wonderful news?"

"Are you kidding me?" Tista replied. "They already pester and nag me for being childless at my age. Now they’ll never let me hear the end of it!"

’I was about to ask her how things are going with Bodya and how he has taken the news of Ajatar’s Dragonhood.’ Solus thought. ’After all, Tista could introduce Bodya to Fyrwal, and he becoming a Divine Beast would be a wonderful flip off to his bloodline.

’Oh, well. I guess that will have to wait.’

Luckily for Tista, her prediction was wrong.

"Thank the Gods!" She sighed in relief. "This is indeed wonderful news."

"Why? What did you expect?" Kamila asked in confusion.

"Nothing." Tista lied through her teeth. "Congratulations to you and our little one are in order, Kami. Many women say they have a mystical bond with their children, but in your case, it’s actually true."

"Kami is not the only one, dear." Elina grabbed her daughter’s arm before she could realize she had fallen into a trap. "I’m sure it would be the same for you. You are a Great Mage, and I’m sure you’d make a great mother as well."

"Mom, I-"

"How are things going with Bodya, Little Sis?" Rena took the other arm, locking Tista in a two-pronged hold from which there was no escape. "You guys have been dating for a long while now. Have you discussed the important things?

"Like, if he wants to become a Divine Beast before or after you have children?"

"Rena, please, I beg you-"

"Let’s ask him! Bodya, please come here" Elina’s voice was warm and full of joy, yet it froze Tista like a harsh winter.

***

"This is incredible." Lith mumbled once he and his wife moved to the privacy of their room.

"I know, right?" Kamila replied.

"I mean, I Awakened at birth, more or less, and that was supposed to be the top." Lith continued. "Yet Elysia Awakened in the womb, and now Raldarak is also practicing magic. Is it me, or are the kids trying to one-up each other?"

"Are you really making this a measurement contest?" Kamila was flabbergasted.

"Please, I’m not so egotistical that I’d put myself in competition with our children." Lith replied. "I was worrying about what the next one will do if they follow in the footsteps of their siblings."

"The next one?" Kamila’s eyes went wide.

"We’ve got hundreds of years left to live." Lith shrugged. "Do you want to stop at two?"

"I don’t know, but after two children back-to-back, this isn’t a funny topic for me." She plopped on the bed. "Especially with the ’twins fever’ in the air. I don’t want to be the next."

"Don’t worry. Judging from Mom’s subtle nudges, Tista is a much more likely candidate." Lith chuckled.

"That’s true. Poor Tista. She became Indech-red without the need to shapeshift." Kamila giggled. "Jokes aside, I’m sorry about what happened. I didn’t mean for Raldarak to start training so soon.

"I wanted our son to have the most normal childhood someone with our blood can have."

As if on cue, Shargein and Manohar the Second flashed before their window, flying in a tight formation. They were flying across the park with powerful flaps of their wings and Quylla’s twins clinging to their backs.

Orikan and Jirya propelled the Wyrmling and the baby boy forward with their energy wings, acting like small jetpacks and pushing them to a new speed record.

"Which isn’t much to start with." Lith couldn’t help but smile at the contrast between the worried screams of the parents and the happy giggling of the twins.

"That’s true." Kamila laughed her head off. "I can’t believe just three years ago I fainted at the idea an Emperor Beast could have a human family, and now this is normal to me."