Chapter 171: Another pregnant woman
"I believe we can now carry out our tasks more efficiently and quickly," I added, slightly straightening up in my seat and folding my hands on the table. Some of the elite members exchanged glances and gave a slight nod, while others maintained serious and focused expressions. Everyone in the room was a symbol of power and knowledge, but the atmosphere of competition between us was also palpable.
"Limahlat. I have great respect for you. I would be pleased to have a match with you," said Jofmaon.
Limahlat showed a wild smile. "You must be a "big cat" It\'ll be fun to beat you up, but my only real rival is Ethan, little kitty."
The two wild characters, Limahlat and Jofmaon, bared their teeth at each other, grinning. This situation actually worked in my favor. After all, I needed someone like Limahlat to balance out Jofmaon. Although Ellera could handle this task, Limahlat\'s help would still be very beneficial. I needed to keep this group together no matter what and ensure they trusted me.
"Well then, let\'s start our first meeting after the tournament. First, does anyone have any questions or issues regarding my new, or rather, true, identity?" I asked.
Jofmaon stroked the long hairs on his beard. "I have no problem with it, boss. I just wish you had told us this earlier, but there\'s no issue otherwise. And I apologize to all my strong friends here for my disrespect before the tournament," he said.
Jofmaon was like that. Despite being temperamental and irritable, he deeply valued his friends.
"Yes, it would have been better if I had explained it earlier, but that\'s in the past now. Let\'s focus on what\'s ahead of us."
The elf woman Faeloria seemed like she wanted to add something, but then hesitated and stayed silent. A brief silence fell over the meeting room. Faeloria\'s hesitation caught my attention, but I didn\'t press the issue. I believed that such things would eventually come to light. Instead, I redirected the conversation.
"Great," I said, with a slight smile. "Now, let\'s discuss a few matters regarding our new arrangement. After the tournament, everyone will have a task, and these tasks will be critical to our progress. Our goals are big, so there\'s no room for weakness. Limahlat and Jofmaon, while testing each other, remember the importance of cooperation as well."
Limahlat grinned mockingly. "Don\'t worry, leader. I\'ll teach the little kitty a few lessons before I break his bones."
Jofmaon narrowed his eyes at Limahlat, but didn\'t say anything. Instead, he took a deep breath and leaned back calmly. The tension between them reminded me of how delicate the dynamics within our group were. However, Jofmaon\'s apology and Limahlat\'s relatively controlled behavior were promising.
"Ellera," I continued, turning toward her. "I\'d like to entrust you with part of our strategic planning after the tournament. With your wisdom and analytical skills, we can take things further."
Ellera lowered her head with a serious expression. "I\'ll do my best."
At that moment, Taktav tilted his head slightly and began speaking. "Leader, I would like to suggest that more resources be allocated to magic research after the tournament. Developments in theoretical magic could be critical for both our defense and offense."
This suggestion made me think. Taktav\'s skill in theoretical magic was unquestionable, but the balanced use of resources was just as important.
"You\'re right, Taktav," I said. "We\'ll reassess resource distribution. However, for now, our priority is to get to know each other better and see our true potential."
I was still uneasy about Faeloria\'s hesitation. I looked at her and asked softly, "Faeloria, you wanted to say something, didn\'t you? Now\'s a good time."
The elf woman hesitated, but eventually decided to speak. "It\'s just... Learning your true identity now may be confusing for some. It\'s not a trust issue, it\'s just something we\'ll have to get used to. But of course, my respect for your leadership hasn\'t changed."
Her gentle and diplomatic approach eased the tension in the room a little. I nodded in acknowledgment and said, "I understand your concerns, Faeloria. The trust of this group means everything to me. But I believe that, in time, we\'ll all get used to our new arrangement."
Just then, a noise came from behind the door, followed by the sound of the door opening. Kayle entered with a small child in his arms. His face was serious, and he quickly approached me. Behind him, one of our guards was present, wearing an apologetic expression. I motioned for him to step back. Also another woman was standing by the door, looking worried.
"Hey, little brother, I\'ve brought you your son!" Kayle said, handing the child in his arms to me.
After shaking off my initial shock, I looked at Kayle, questioning what he meant.
"Why are you looking at me like that, little brother? I\'m not the one who knocked up that girl and then forgot about her," Kayle said, pointing to the woman with purple hair behind him.
After examining the woman with purple hair, I finally began to understand what had happened. This servant woman was someone I had been with just once a few years ago. I think it was the day I met Evangeline. I sighed deeply and looked at the child in my arms. He had blue eyes and purple hair. It was possible he was my child, but I wasn\'t sure. Then again, now that I think about it, there was a way to confirm this through a paternity test in this world, so the chance of the purple-haired woman lying was low.
Still, it would be wise to have a priest check. Now that I thought about it, I hadn\'t performed the Water of Fate ceremony for either of my children... But how could I have known that my sperm could make even a barren woman pregnant? Anyway, I had fathered the child, so I had to take responsibility. When I looked at the other members in the room, everyone except Ellera seemed shocked. Enjoy new stories from mvl
"Ah... Sorry, but what\'s your name?" I asked the tense purple-haired woman.
"G-Ganea, your excellency!" she stuttered.
She had probably come to the academy as a guest, and guests couldn\'t stay at the academy forever. So, I had no choice but to send Ganea and the child I had just met to Isabella.
"... First, I\'ll need to be sure he\'s my son, and I\'ll have the best priest conduct the test. If he\'s not my son, you can tell me now, and I promise no one will do anything to you. In fact, I\'ll even pay you a good amount just for that day. So, this is your last chance. Is this baby my son?" I asked.
Ganea clenched her hand and, gathering all her courage, barely held back her tears. "Your excellency, I swear, no other man has touched me, and unless there\'s been a miracle, this child is definitely yours!" she said firmly.
"Well, little brother, looks like you\'re a father now. I hope you won\'t think of getting any other woman pregnant after this. Right?" Kayle asked, a somewhat eerie smile on his face.
"Well... Actually, I already have a daughter. When you meet her, you\'re going to love her. She\'s quite a sweet little creature," I said honestly.
But what I said seemed to upset Kayle, and as he walked toward me in anger, he suddenly grabbed me by the collar and pulled me toward him. It was obvious from his entire demeanor that he was angry, but he showed no signs of wanting to harm me.
"So, you\'ve already gotten another woman pregnant, huh?! Fuck...! I\'m warning you, brother, if you get another woman pregnant...! I will kill that woman!" Kayle said.
Although there was a hint of sadness in his last words, the words themselves were far from being sorrowful. Standing there, still in shock, all I could do was say, "Okay..." Sometimes, I forgot just how extraordinary Kayle\'s character was.
Kayle gently let go of me and stormed out of the room. After he left, a deep silence settled. The tense energy that filled the room felt as dense as the air itself. Limahlat, unable to hold back a smile, interjected sarcastically,
"Did you become a father, my leader? So it turns out your leadership isn\'t just about strategies, huh?"
I gave him a sharp look, but Limahlat\'s attitude didn\'t change in the slightest. Jofmaon, on the other hand, let out a light laugh, as if trying to turn the situation to his advantage.
"One should never underestimate the leader\'s special abilities," he said, then turned to Limahlat and added, "But be careful, maybe one day you\'ll receive a part of his legacy."
Ellera\'s voice brought the room back to seriousness. "I think this topic is distracting enough. If there are no objections, can we continue with the meeting?" she said, in a slightly cold but authoritative tone.
I nodded and returned to the table. To ease the worry on Ganea\'s face, I gently handed the child back to him. "Ganea, once the tests confirm he\' my son, I\'ll arrange a suitable place for you. For now, there should be a designated area where you can stay. I want you to know that you\'ll be safe."
Ganea bowed his head in thanks and stepped back. The little child slept peacefully in his arms. Before leaving the room, he looked at me one more time and gently bowed.