Breeding Issues

by The Ruff Pusher

Momon the Dark Hero encounters Zesshi Zetsumei. mature content/smut

37. Chapter 37

This story uses the same setting as my other story "Momon, Big Black Changeling". Essentially, Ainz Ooal Gown is the same type of creature as in that story, although this and that story happen in different worlds.

---

Calca Bessares was once more deeply engrossed in another piece of divine literature. This time, it was not just a mere book detailing words that conveyed a story, as of a bard's tale put to writing.

This time, there were actual pictures involved! They were using some strange form of art that she had not seen before. It was rather… different compared to the paintings made by maestros in her time as the Holy Queen. There was a certain quality to them that made them feel a little quaint to her eyes, and yet she was still as captivated by all of it as staring into her own painted portrait.

And the pictures of people she would never meet and places she would never go to were not the only things drawn. There were also scenes of action, of the people in the book seemingly moving from one page to another, emulating some sort of movement. If she passed her eyes from page to page, it was as if their images "jumped" right in front of her eyes, like they were real.

There were still words on this book, but they were seemingly etched like those very same paintings on the pictures themselves. It was as if the words were part of the artwork itself, which was a puzzling decision by whoever wrote (or drew) this. She had asked Ainz-sama for help in reading it at first, and had learned about how "word bubbles" worked.

Ainz-sama had called it a "manga", a mysterious creation found in the archives allowed for all the Mother's use. She had picked it out for its odd placement wedged in-between other books. At first she had been put off by the art on the cover, but morbid curiosity made her flip open the cover. After reading a few pages, she had quickly found a seat at the Mother's Hall while her eyes devoured the book one page at a time.

The book's plot had been confusing to follow at first. It was only after stumbling through the first dozen or so pages that she realized that she had stumbled right into the middle of an ongoing story. After identifying the characters and their roles, she had then been able to sit back and allow the pages to transport her to a fantastical tale of a distant land.

The story had kept her nose glued to the page for so long that she did not notice Kelart arrive. It was only when she cleared her throat that Calca uttered a slight squeak, putting her book away quickly like she'd been caught doing something naughty. When she realized it was just Kelart, she breathed a sigh of relief and sagged in her chair.

Kelart looked bemused. She coughed. "Tea is ready, my lady."

"Oh yes. Thank you, Kelart. Please, do sit." She shifted in her chair, quietly marking her page on the book.

"I apologize for interrupting your leisure, my lady," Kelart said, as she smoothly started arranging the food on the plate and pouring out the hot tea onto the silverware. "Is the book really that good? Your face looked rather… intense. It was almost as if you were witnessing some great battle."

Calca cleared her throat. "There was… a battle of sorts." A battle of wits, nestled in a conquest of land, built over a struggle for the love of a maiden. If only real life were that exciting. She accepted the proffered cup with a murmured thanks. For the next few moments, the two women, master and subordinate, both expectant mothers, sipped from their tea in a companionable silence.

As she let the warm liquid soothe her insides, she put the cup away and sighed. "I thank you once more, Kelart, for going out of your way. Next time, I shall repay the favor."

"Oh, you don't need to do that, my lady," Kelart politely demurred. "It is an honor and a privilege to continue serving you, in spite of everything."

"Nonsense. In here, we are all equal." That was the supposition, anyway. Despite their status as mothers and lovers to the ruler of this place, they were still markedly outsiders, and that difference was becoming a lot more obvious as time passed. It was as if she was some sort of foreign princess marrying a king, when both their nations despised one another. Ah, but that is the manga speaking again.

She and Kelart and all the rest would always be outsiders to these people, no matter how much Ainz-sama commanded it. That was why she always had to be on guard, and why she'd thrown her lot in with the half-elf Zesshi Zetsumei. For being the "first" who had birthed the "Firstborn" triplets, she had garnered acclaim and respect throughout this Tomb. Still, she recognized as well that she would always be the outsider, and therefore resolved to unite with all other "outsiders", like Calca and Kelart. They silently formed a united faction that would work to shelter all other outsiders who would come after them—for there was no doubt that Ainz would be adding more.

Calca hoped that such efforts would not burden her growing child so. She was barely halfway into her pregnancy, with all the difficult parts still to come before her.

"So neither Ainz-sama nor Zesshi have returned?" Calca inquired of Kelart. The woman shook her head in a negative.

"And that Ueda has also yet to return. She was the last who was summoned away by Ainz-sama personally. Wherever she is, she is most assuredly still with Ainz-sama. And since Zesshi-sama has not come back to reclaim her triplets, then it stands to reason that she has also not been sent back yet."

"Mmm…" Calca stroked her cheek, in thought. "On the topic of the triplets, were you able to figure out where any of them are?"

Kelart grimaced. "Alas, I regret to say that I do not, my lady. Either they were reticent to say anything, or they truly did not know." "They" referred to Kelart's source of information, the beautiful homonculus maids who were such notorious gossip-mongers.

Calca couldn't help but let her disappointment and displeasure show on her face. It had been a while since she had been able to hold any of Zesshi Zetsumei's cute triplets, a wonderful experience unlike any other. Of late, the maids known as the Pleiades had seemed to be the ones holding onto the babies fiercely in Zesshi's absence. She wanted to accuse them of monopolizing their time and attention, but alas she was only an outsider and without Zesshi she had little power on her own.

She sighed in aggravation. Things would have been simpler if Ainz were also here, as she could just petition him directly. But he was also absent, so for the time being the triplets remained out of reach.

Kelart seemed to know her mind, as she nodded sagely and said, "I know how you feel, my Queen. The babies are so cute… as if they were gifts granted to us from on high. I wish our own babies will end up just the same."

She smiled at her. "Obviously we shall love our own children more. And I know they shall be just as cute and precious as the triplets." She did not really believe that Ainz-sama was a god, but perhaps an existence close to a god. Regardless of the truth, there was no denying the secret pleasure in her heart that a powerful man had chosen her as its mate, and that she was going to give birth to its offspring. It was some sort of instinctive feeling she could not quite explain.

Kelart shook her head. "If only Ainz-sama were here, we could…" Her face suddenly flushed, like she was about to say something embarrassing. "… We could seek comfort in his… presence."

Calca laughed softly, knowing what Kelart really meant. It had been "a while" since Ainz-sama had invited them into his arms, to receive of his love and his powerful manhood. To be taken by the man was as if their inner selves were being soothed, as if his mere presence was a salve that only he could provide.

Unfortunately, the healers had been very adamant that the two of them were reaching the more dangerous parts of their pregnancy, and that any sort of adventures of an amorous nature would have to remain strictly pure and cuddling; if only to protect their children. Having no experience with it, the both of them had acceded to the healers' expertise. This did, in turn, meant that Ainz-sama had sworn off of making love to them, only restricting himself to deep kisses and caresses instead.

That fact frustrated her; and she knew it frustrated Kelart as well. Her fellow from the Holy Kingdom had awakened to the pleasures of her female body just the same as her, and was therefore antsy for the sort of attention Ainz had usually given. Even knowing that they needed to do this to safeguard their childen did little to lessen their frustrations.

"It shall not be long now, though," Kelart said, with a strained smile. "Soon, Clementine and Lupusregina Beta shall be giving birth, and we shall have new babies to spoil."

"I'm looking forward to it," Calca said. She didn't really get along well with either of those mothers, but the focus on them might just tip the scales enough that they would have more time to spend with the triplets. Though Calca would not be opposed to handling these newborns herself, should she be allowed.

"I wonder if we should be doing something to congratulate them," Calca said. "In fact, I had a wonderful idea from that book I just read, and—"

There came a bustle from the entrance, and Neia Baraja waddled in, her petite form nearly dwarfed by the noticeable bulge of her belly. The woman had an intense expression on her face, which hadn't been soothed by the time she spent with Ainz. It made her look rather frightful, though Calca knew from personal experience that the girl was softer and sweeter than what her appearance would suggest.

Case in point, when the woman caught sight of her, she immediately walked towards them and bowed. "Greetings, my lady, my lady," the woman said in halting words.

"Good day, Neia," she replied gracefully. Since she was one of her countrymen, it was only fitting to invite her to their little outsider alliance, though Calca had long correctly guessed that the squire would not be helpful in any sort of intrigue. But Ainz-sama seemed to be rather fond of her, so her position, for the most part, seemed secure. "Are you feeling any better?"

The woman had been feeling the side-effects of her pregnancy in the same way Calca and Kelart had, just a few weeks or so earlier. It was the sort of illness that brought about nausea and vomiting, and an all-around uneasy sensation during certain parts of the day.

"I'm managing," Neia said, smiling bitterly. Her eyes widened when Kelart offered her a cup of tea, which she accepted with hasty thanks.

"Come, sit your legs dear." Calca pointed to a chair.

"No thank you, my queen, I'd rather not," she said. "I had enough of it just lying in my room. I want to walk around, gather the strength in my legs." At Calca's inquiring look, she elaborated, "It's to train for the child. Err, children I mean."

Calca nodded. "There is merit in that. We have been advised the same thing by the healers."

"I figured just a spot of walking every now and then wouldn't be amiss," Neia continued, her expression lightening. "It's sort of like the exercises I needed to do as a squire. And as long as I don't push it, my baby won't be hurt."

"Do take care not to strain yourself," Kelart said politely.

"I won't. And it's not like I'm Clementine—"

"What exactly do you mean by that?" came a voice from behind. Neia squeaked as everyone's head turned to the entrance, where a very fat Clementine stood, staring glumly at them all. As Neia stammered out an apology, the other blonde waddled her way to one of her favorite cushions in the Hall, where she plopped herself with an unlady-like grunt.

Clementine's face looked twisted, as if she had bitten into something sour. Months spent interacting with this woman told Calca that something had really triggered Clementine's mood, as she was usually light-hearted in disposition, even when she wielded that acid tongue of hers without care.

Calca considered the woman for a few moments. The blonde was an outsider, like her, yet she had declined to be formally allied with Zesshi's group. Instead she preferred being an outsider even among the outsiders, repudiating both Nazarick and themselves in equal measure. It was a dangerous front to assume, in her opinion, though that was ultimately the other woman's decision.

"Clementine, dear," Calca said, clearing her throat. Even Neia had taken the offered seat, as if seeing the woman had completely broken her intent to walk around keep on standing as she had said. "How are you this day?"

Clementine gave her an ugly look. "And what business is it of the deposed Queen?"

Being used to her acerbic attitude, both out of bed or otherwise, Calca was hardly affected by her seeming hostility. While Kelart frowned and Neia cringed, Calca smiled and said in reply, "It is good manners to greet one's equals, especially a precious mother who is about to give birth to Ainz-sama's baby. We are… eager to be seeing them when they are born. Yours, in particular."

Clementine's expression softened just a bit, before she snorted. "I see what you're getting at. You're trying to butter me up so I'll let you carry around my baby, like Zesshi's." Then she grinned wide. "Not gonna happen. I'm going to be the one to raise them, and take care of them. No one else's gonna touch them but me! And that's a promise!"

She inclined her head. "Well, that is still your choice, ultimately, though it is rather a disappointment." She glanced at Kelart, exchanging an unspoken word, which the latter understood when she closed her eyes. "You still haven't really answered, Clementine. You're obviously in a bad mood, and you're making it obvious to anyone who's seeing you. Would you care to enlighten us? You know full well we are not equipped to spread gossip. Anything you say now shall remain between us."

Clementine sneered. "If you really must know, then you can just ask that little pipsqueak over there. She saw everything." She jerked her head towards Neia. The latter blinked rapidly, her face reddening before she sagged in her seat.

"I-I-I'm really sorry!" she wailed. "I didn't really mean to be eavesdropping! It was an honest mistake!"

"Honest or not, you saw. And considering her Highness is very curious, then you can be the one to tell her about it," Clementine said.

Neia looked from her to Calca, then back again. "Is it, is it really okay?"

Clementine huffed. "Why not? It's not like I can swear anyone to secrecy. I'm sure the news is gonna be spreading all over the Tomb before sunset. She didn't really intend the whole conversation to be secret, after all."

"She?" Calca said, looking between Clementine and Neia.

Neia lowered her voice to a whisper, as if she was being clandestine. "Albedo."

Calca leaned back, shooting the other women a sympathetic look. The so-called Overseer of the entire Tomb had never kept secret her hostility for the outsiders like her. Her ire was directed the most at Zesshi Zetsumei, who did an excellent job of holding the woman's attention. Despite that, a few of the woman's ill intent managed to leak through to them by association. It was rather like being treated with contempt by the family of one's husband—not that she knew what that was like exactly.

She could well imagine the conversation between Albedo and Clementine, which made the latter's foul behavior quite understandable. For all her poisonous attitude, the Overseer was only too glad to reciprocate, and without Ainz to hide behind she could only do the next best thing: hide behind her own growing child, whose safety had been guaranteed by Ainz's word.

"I… was only passing by," Neia said, scratching her arm idly. "I didn't really hear the entire conversation. But it had something to do with… that Ueda, from the Theocracy."

"Hmph!" Clementine crossed her arms, lay back further on the cushion, and turned to the side, away from them. She had closed herself off from the conversation entirely. Kelart sighed, shaking her head.

"Go on," Calca said, urging Neia. Hearing about Ueda had stoked her curiosity.

"I didn't hear everything," Neia said, bowing apologetically. "Only that Albedo wanted to know about Ueda, since they were 'comrades', and… and…" She glanced at Clementine, who wasn't moving. "And Clementine was refusing to say anything. And then they had a shouting match…"

"I see…" Kelart said.

"… That bitch," Clementine muttered.

For a long moment, there was a long, awkward silence. Apparently, that was all that Neia had to say about the encounter, and Clementine wasn't going to offer any more.

"Well," Calca said to conclude things. She didn't like to talk about Albedo as well. "That must certainly have been an experience, Neia. Let us move on to lighter topics, shall we?"

For a little while longer, they continued to converse in other subjects more light-hearted and urbane. Calca talked of her experiences in her old court, and of how she would be able to teach Neia, a self-professed bumpkin when it came to courtly manners, about all the intricacies of acting prim and proper.

Neia had insisted upon it from previous conversations, pointing out that she didn't want to be left behind and seen as a simple "provincial" among the outsiders. Clementine was Clementine, but all the rest had some knowledge of the "noble's walk". Even foul-tempered Keeno had the skill to match Calca in this, which had led the latter to think that the young-looking woman must have been trained as a lady at some point in her life. And naturally, Calca was forced to admit that Albedo and Shalltear Bloodfallen were seemingly born to be queens of their own right; and the Pleiades maids had their own graceful manners that implied a high amount of breeding.

After a while, Neia left, telling them she was going to go stretch her legs by walking around the halls. Since their teatime was technically over, Calca and Kelart decided to depart the Mother's Hall as well, leaving Clementine still fuming in the corner.

Kelart was feeling a little ill, so Calca allowed her friend to retire to her chambers before her. She decided to look in on the healers and get more of the "magic salve" that worked wonders with soothing belly cramps.

Along the way, she saw a gaggle of blonde maids walking in front of her. It made her stop; for it was an unusual sight. Outside of their personal areas, the maids generally worked by themselves or in pairs.

Calca was able to immediately see the reason for their appearance here. At their head was Cixous, one of the maids elevated to the status of a mother. And in her arms was one of the Firstborn: Suzuki. The plump, cute baby was basking in the attention of all the homonculi maids who were gathered around him, their sighs and cooing making him smile and laugh with shining eyes.

Calca clasped her fingers together, recalling how she had practically melted when she had held one of the Firstborn herself. She longed to pinch those lovable cheeks, and smother him with loving attention. She freely indulged in the motherly instincts that surged from within her, now fully awakened by her own pregnancy.

Before long, she came to a decision. She knew it was rather risky, but she would take that risk if it meant getting what she wanted.

She walked up to Cixous and the maids. They quickly saw her coming and stopped, their expressions cooling very noticeably into something placid yet polite. Though Kelart and others were able to use them as conduits for gossip within the Tomb, Calca never forgot that they still considered her and outsider.

They all curtsied as one, and asked, "How may we aid you, Calca-sama?"

She cleared her throat. "We've been looking all over for you," she began. "Lupusregina Beta and Narberal Gamma require your presence at once."

"They do?" Cixous said, with raised brow. The others started tittering. "Whatever for?"

"I don't know. Something to do with…" She cast her mind about, then found her lifeline in Suzuki's wide, beautiful eyes. "Zesshi's child."

"Zenmoshi-sama!" The others cried. "Oh, we must go now, go now!" She tried not to cringe at that. Last she heard, Shalltear Bloodfallen had an iron grip on Zenmoshi, and had flat out refused Calca the chance to hold her when she'd asked to take him.

"The milk! He shall need feeding!"

"Let's go!"

She was pleased to see them all accept her words at face value. Or perhaps she had chosen her bluff fortuitously? The blessed gods of fortune seemed to be with her this moment.

Only Cixous remained of her fellows, her brows furrowed in confusion. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, as Suzuki burbled happily, waving his chubby arms around. She didn't know what to do now. The homonculi maids had departed, but this left Cixous behind. Was she not going to do her duties? Or did the maid intend to hold onto Suzuki after all?

Then Cixous sighed. "Please excuse me, Calca-sama, but would you be able to take Master Suzuki for me?"

"I—" She paused, not quite believing her good fortune. "—Very well, as you say."

She reached out her arms and accepted the squirming baby. Cixous patted down the front of her apron and sighed. "Thank you, my lady," she said. She curtsied, then turned around and left after her fellows, though with a slower, waddling gait.

Cradling the cute child in her arms, Calca could not believe it. She'd managed to acquire one of the Firstborn again without too much fuss! She held the child out to face her, his expression puzzled as he looked at her. Then he giggled, causing her to giggle as well, and hug the child close to her breast with a squeal deep in her heart.

She went to the closest chair, and wondered if she had irrevocably stained her relations with the homonculi by tricking quite a number of them. Cixous would no doubt complain to Albedo or Shalltear or one of the Pleiades. And worst of all, they might take it up with Ainz-sama himself. She recalled the punishment that had fallen upon Lupusregina, and shuddered. She hoped that Zesshi would return, and stand up for her—since Suzuki was her child after all.

But one look down at Suzuki who was pawing at the front of her dress, spreading his drool all around made her forget about all that unpleasantness. It was such a joy to be in the presence of this wonderful child, to hold this miracle of nature tight in her arms. Truly, there was no greater feeling than that which she felt right at this moment, bouncing Suzuki on her knee and playing small games with him.

After a while, she thought of retreating to her chambers with Kelart. She could lighten up the latter's mood with spending a little while with one of the triplets, and she could also hide away from the attention she had no doubt drawn upon herself by sending the maids after the Pleiades. So thinking, she carried up Suzuki and started walking briskly towards her rooms.

Along the way though, Suzuki began to cry. For a while, her heart froze, as she thought she might have done something wrong with the way she was carrying him. Then she noticed the dampness on his clothes and smiled. This wasn't the first time she'd changed a baby—and she therefore whisked him away to the Mother's Hall. Thankfully, Clementine had disappeared somewhere, allowing her to quickly give the crying baby boy a change without anyone asking questions.

With his business done, Suzuki stopped crying and was back to his usual bubbly self. Calca soon forgot her prior business as she played around with the child on the table, tickling his belly and making funny faces that delighted him.

It was then that she heard the footsteps of someone come inside the Hall. Fearing that it might be one of the Pleiades, or gods forbid Albedo herself, she instantly stood and maneuvered her body in front of Suzuki.

Thankfully, it was none of the specters in her imagination, but Keeno. And what was more surprising was the fact that she bore another child in her arms—one Calca recognized to be another one of the triplets, Zenmoshi.

The very same Zenmoshi the maids had thought to be in the possession of the Pleiades.

"Ah, hello, Calca," Keeno said, bowing politely. She looked down and raised the baby's hand. "Say hello, Zenmoshi." The child burbled, oblivious, though his expression was joyful when she saw Calca's face.

"What are you doing—oh, what a coincidence." Calca raised Suzuki in her arms, facing him towards his brother. Keeno continued, "Look Zen, it's your brother." She queried Calca with a silent raise of her eyebrow. "It's surprising to see you here, huh?"

Calca smiled weakly, trying not to give away the guilt and fear she was feeling. "I'm more surprised at you, dear. I'd heard Zenmoshi had been with Shalltear. How did you manage to pry him from her grip?"

Keeno sighed as she sat down opposite Calca, who took the seat she had left. They positioned the children on their laps, lying against their bellies as a cushion and facing each other. After a moment of staring, they pointed at each other, their faces going through a gamut of emotions. Then they looked up at their respective caretakers and seemed to shrug. "It's a damn long story. And I feel like I don't have the energy for it."

"Well, we do have the time. And…" Calca lowered her voice to a whisper. "It is not as if either of us are going to be able to leave anytime soon." She looked down pointedly at Zenmoshi, whose expression had become sleepy.

"Ah, they really are triplets," Keeno whispered back. Calca looked and saw that Suzuki's eyes were also becoming droopy. She regretted not being able to play with him any longer, but at least she was able to hold him.

"Well, with both of them here, we're effectively trapped with each other's company, my dear," Calca said. "And that does leave us enough time, I think, for a long story. Or two."

Keeno's mouth twisted, before she shrugged, her expression lightening. "You're probably right. And it's not like it's anything bad. It was just… annoying." She sighed, adjusting Zenmoshi's position against her belly and began to speak.

---

The look in the eyes of the servant who was filling his cup was familiar. It took Ainz a moment to place the eerie feeling of familiarity it was giving him: it was the exact same look that the people of Nazarick would give him.

"Thank you," he said, smiling politely. The servant looked like he was about to faint.

"I—I live to serve, my lord God!" the woman squeaked. Judging by her looks, she didn't look all that bad, but definitely not better than his own Mothers. Not that he would discriminate based on looks. He dismissed the servant from his mind as his gaze returned to the people across the table.

Their eyes were also giving him that same fervent, wide-eyed, worshipful look. First there were the Cardinals who were sitting directly across from him. And then there were their bodyguards wearing different shining pieces of armor standing behind them.

He cleared his throat. Frankly, there really was no way for him to learn their intentions without a magic spell or two, but he wasn't about to let them know about that. These so-called Cardinals of the Slaine Theocracy were the purported leaders of this nation, and therefore as a general rule he should be taking more care in dealing with them. His experience as the public "leader" of the Sorcerous Kingdom told him this.

What didn't help was the fact that they treated him in their minds as their god reborn. It was a useful thing to earn their allegiance, netting him an entire Kingdom without needing to work much for it. But since it came from some sort of misunderstanding from their part, Ainz felt like he was constantly selling a half-finished pitch to oblivious sales representatives from a neighboring corporation. They nodded their heads and smiled as if in understanding, when in reality they knew nothing about his product. But there was always that one shark among them who would know, who would ask piercing questions, whose whole job was to sniff out bullshit.

Well now, and who should be the shark here? Ainz thought, watching the faces of the six Cardinals were all arranged around the table across from him. Ainz took a sip from the drink they had brought him. Any sort of poison or strange additive in it would be easily dissolved within the slime parts that had temporarily replaced his guts, so he had nothing to fear there.

He was in his third personal meeting with the Cardinals. After the last one, he now knew what they were actually expecting from him. They had just outright told him a full report on the population of "Godkin" in their nation—people like Zesshi who were descended from Players. Now, with the confirmation from Ueda, they outright requested him to repeat that act here and now, with the willing citizens of the Slaine Theocracy, in order to birth a new generation of powerful Godkin.

Ainz felt of two minds on this. On one hand, he was pleased to know that he could have a sizable "stable" of women to bed and possibly deflower, which spoke to his masculine pride. The conquest of all these women appealed to him, as was the prospect of spreading his seed over an entire nation.

Still, he felt confident in his experiences as a father that fathering children was a lot more complicated than one expected. And that unless he was mistaken, he was going to actively give up custody and care of his children to the Slaine Theocracy, an idea that he regarded with little favor. Call him sentimental, but he wanted to "own" his children, to look at them, to touch them, to acknowledge them as his own, to provide them with whatever they needed, and to watch them grow with pride in his heart. The feelings born within him when he had stared at Zesshi's triplets for the first time would never be forgotten.

It was thus that he had declined to say anything about the Cardinals' requests. He did not quite refuse them outright; but neither did he give them a definite assent, which would have definitely brought in a whole bunch of women marching for his door in that moment. He contented himself with Zesshi and Ueda, who were always ready for him behind closed doors. And all while he continued to think about the answer he was going to give these people.

One of the Cardinals continued to talk while his mind was elsewhere, his ears only picking up the droning sound of his voice as it went through one hole towards the other. On one hand, putting his foot down and outright refusing the Slaine Theocracy would only make them suspicious of him and his claim of being their god, which was not an ideal outcome. Their rejection would lead to an unintended war, and while he knew he could triumph, he was not quite ready to commit to that direction just yet.

But if he accepted their ridiculous terms, then he would be expected to come back here after some time, to father some children on women with the understanding that any child conceived would not be his to raise. When he recalled the faces of his triplets, he felt sick at knowing that babies wearing their faces would grow up without knowing their father—truly knowing him. They would instead be looking at him like these Cardinals did, as of a god.

He needed to come to a decision quickly. The more he wasted time in this place, the more he was missing the ability to touch his triplets again.

Ainz put his cup down and then cleared his throat. He hadn't known the sound he made had been that loud until he realized that the person who had been speaking had fallen silent; and that they were all now staring at him with varying degrees of expectation and apprehension. In the silence, no one spoke, and nothing made a sound.

"I-is something the matter, Divine One?" one of them asked. Casting his mind back, he recalled his name was "Maximilian" or thereabouts. "Did you find offense or a flaw in something I said?" They looked like they were about to be ants about to be squashed by a gigantic hand.

"No, that is not what I meant. I…" Ainz tried to remember what the guy had actually been saying. He couldn't just say, "I'm sorry could you repeat what you said?" Though he thought very hard, he was drawing an honest blank.

He sighed, and instead went for plan B. He tapped his finger on the table, causing them all to focus on the source of the sound that had broken the silence.

"You mistake my meaning," Ainz said tentatively. "I already know what you wanted to ask. You don't need to go into so much detail. Tell me now, in plain words, what you want." There, that was direct enough, and allowed him to ask them to reiterate their point without giving away that he hadn't been paying attention at all.

The Cardinals looked at each other, as if they had expected his words from the start. They exchanged a few heated whispers. He didn't attempt to transform to eavesdrop, thinking it a waste of effort.

"Understood." It was Maximilian who stepped up again, clearing his throat mightily as if he was about to declare something grand and officious. "We understand well our Mighty Lord's desire. As such we shall endeavor to answer it. To make it plain, my lord, we would ask the reason why you seem so hesitant to bless our nation with the Divine Abundance—that is to say, in even more specific terms, we wish to know why you do not seem to approve our petition to have the women of the faithful receive the gift of your loins. To once more spearhead a new generation of Godkin that will surely lead the charge for a better tomorrow."

So it really was a repeat of what they had asked before. Ainz wanted to roll his eyes at their audacity—and their continued persistence. They had been inquiring about the "gift of his loins" for pretty much the majority of his stay here.

"You already know my thoughts." He couldn't recall how exactly he'd said it, lost as it was in the haze of Zesshi and Ueda double-teaming his cock back at the temple, but he did recall what he actually meant.

"Understood, my lord," Maximilian said. "You have made clear your reluctance to engage in such matters; for you do so reinforce the sanctity of the bond forged in marriage between a man and his woman. And while you also rejected the notion of a grand marriage ceremony—" It was a preposterous idea, to his mind, even if it did flatter his sensibilities. Having a grand marriage where he would wed a whole bunch of women was an overly extravagant thing, but he was thinking one step ahead and was already anticipating how hard it would be to transport them all to Nazarick and educate them on his secret ways.

Not to mention the "logistics" of managing so many Mothers in the Hall… The Hall would need to be expanded to meet the sheer number who would be joining. Not to mention having to devote the time to getting to know each of those women—so many faces and names he would have to recall.

"—These are all members of the faithful, my lord. They are pure of mind, heart and spirit, utterly devoted to the Teachings of the Six and the sacred charge laid down on our ancestors. In all ways, their souls are already yours, my lord, if you would but reach out your hand and claim them."

Ainz could only groan audibly, causing Maximilian to shrink back in horror, as if he'd transformed his face into something monstrous. He looked at them all with raised brows and saw their faces now looked similar to each other. Others like the sole woman looked like they were about to fall down to their knees in tears begging him.

He scratched his chin. He was tempted to call the meeting then and there, but he knew that would only be delaying his return to Nazarick even further. He wanted to decisively conclude his business here in the Theocracy so he could focus on other matters. He had to put his foot down regarding the decision on this very meeting.

He could either give them the absolute truth of his reasoning, a big lie, something in between the truth and a lie; or make an announcement that he would void all future meetings, postponing them until he returned to make his final decision.

Ainz discarded the last decision immediately, already knowing how that would look to these people. It would be like he was abandoning them completely, which might end up making them lose faith in him as their god. And while they wouldn't be any great loss, he wasn't the wasteful sort that would throw away a gift that had been freely given to him.

He could make up some sort of lie to excuse the delay of his decision, but that would mean making something up right on the spot. He hadn't prepared a suitable excuse that they would accept without any further pestering. He couldn't say anything related to his being their god, for if he said anything that ran counter to their beliefs they would definitely figure him out for a fraud.

As he thought more about it, he started to realize that this time maybe they would accept the truth behind his reluctance? Perhaps they would be able to see his point of view if he was honest about it. Not the entire truth, of course; but a little hint to inform them why he was so opposed to the idea.

"Listen to me," he began, his mind working overdrive to make sure he didn't let anything slip as he formulated his words. "I do not wish to be burdened by these matters yet. The situation involving the Re-Estize Kingdom is still in flux. My people, my new 'citizens' must be guided to ensure they can navigate the uncertainty. There is also the Elf Kingdom's collapse to consider, since you all know how even something that remote can affect the order of nations. I'm not sure to what extent my realm has in connection to the Elf Kingdom, but I still need to make sure nothing's gone wrong with your conquest of them."

He drew himself up, puffing out his chest as he stood up and towered over them. "As such, it is too early, I think, to be thinking of 'spreading my seed' in this nation."

"But, my lord, we can help with—"

"You need not 'do the deed' yet, my lord—"

"The Elf Kingdom is insignificant, I can assure you—"

A barrage of their words hit him, as each tried to give their reasoning in answer to his words. He held up his hand, silencing them once more.

"I was not finished," he said, making sure they would feel the weight of his glare. They all quailed further into their seats, which satisfied him.

"I do not think it is yet time, because of one particular reason. Let me illustrate my point by naming one person in particular: the one named Ueda, formerly Captain of one of your groups."

"What do you mean, lord?" they asked.

"First, let me bring attention to the fact that none of you were able to detect that I had replaced your Captain with a useful agent, while I brought Ueda home with me." He stared at them, daring them to contradict him. When they predictably had nothing to say to that, he continued.

"Second, had it not been for her current state, she would not have divulged that she was currently pregnant. I would have certainly preferred the secrecy, but I cannot blame her for her heightened emotions. That, for sure, is on me for bringing her here at all. But I had fully intended to keep her pregnancy a secret."

"You… You did, my lord?" They looked confused, looking at him as if he'd unloaded a difficult problem in front of their eyes.

"Surely you can see why I did it," he said. "And why I continue to desire it." He looked at each of them.

One of them, who was named Raymond, spoke. "You wanted to keep her safe. Keep your child—or children—safe."

He snapped his fingers. "Precisely. And while I do not doubt that you have your own measures to ensure that any women you offer will be similarly protected, can you honestly say that such measures are sufficient for that great a task? When I have already proven that even your very best was unable to stop me?" He paused. "Incidentally, that is why after this, I shall be bringing Ueda back with me."

They gasped, evidently surprised at what he had declared. "My lord, surely she would be—"

He raised a hand to silence them again. "I cannot—I will not gamble with the fate of my lovers, and that of my children as well. Know that this is my will."

There was a small period of silence, before they Berenice spoke, "My lord, your wisdom, once bared, is truly glorious to say. So does this mean… Ueda will be hidden in the same place where she was before she returned here?"

"That is right."

"But…" The other Cardinals started to speak to each other in hushed, but hurried whispers as he sat there waiting.

"My lord," said Maximilian, after they had finished. "We do not presume to intrude upon the revelation of divine wisdom, but is it not right and proper for Ueda, as a former citizen of the Slaine Theocracy, to spend her time here, and ultimately, to give birth here? Rest assured, we shall weave such protections around her that nothing short of a god itself may intrude. And her presence shall be kept secret, on pain of death. Nothing and no one shall know that she expects to birth a glorious child. You have our assurance."

"I care not," he said bluntly. "The decision has been made… long before I even came here—to the Elf Kingdom." He let silence fall, to let the full weight of his words sink in their thoughts. On this, he would most certainly not compromise.

He now noticed that the Cardinals were frowning, no longer looking at him with awe or fear. He wondered if the facade of him being "Sursyana" was straining. That wasn't good. He needed to keep up that illusion for as long as possible. He could see that they were objecting to what he had just said. He would have to give them something else to get them to relax. It was just like bargaining with the NPCs of Nazarick—only this time, he could not count on their innate loyalty to shore up any remaining doubts.

"Surely you can see," he said, "That such security measures are necessary. Nowhere in the world is safer than the place where I shall be taking Ueda. Where I shall also be taking those from the Theocracy… whom I have chosen to bless."

He let those particular words linger, and they had an effect on the Cardinals as he had expected. They started, shock warring with hope as they scrambled to ask him what he meant.

"My lord… does this mean…?"

"Whom have you chosen, my lord?"

"Understand this," he said, nodding. "I agree, in principle, with your proposal to seed the faithful of the Theocracy. But I shall not be doing so in so large numbers. I shall also be choosing them myself." He rubbed the side of his head, unsure if his words were sufficient. Then he continued, "I won't just be taking the women you propose and breeding them. I will take women and make them my lovers, who shall spend their time with me as I get to know them. They shall each be renowned for qualities that only I can see in them. And just like Ueda, I shall be taking them with me to my home, where they shall live from that point onward. And as for their children…" he shrugged. "Well, that's something for the future…" Obviously he would want to raise them himself. But if they decided to grow up where their mothers had, then he would not stop them. Then they would deal with the damned headache of "breeding" an entire nation.

The one named Yvon spoke. "My lord, we find your wisdom heartening and gladdening. It would be a great honor for these women to stand at your side. But please, allow us to know those whom you have chosen. We shall still need to see if they are loyal. You speak of security, my lord, and that is what we also seek. It would not do to have someone unworthy be chosen, someone who might spurn your blessed gift because of some defect in their characters." The others nodded with him.

A thought occurred to him: the image of another woman back in Nazarick. "Let me ask you this, would you object to Clementine being one of those I have chosen? Because if so, that has already been decided. She has long been one of mine, and is also carrying my child."

There were sharp intakes of breath all over. Nearly everyone in the room looked absolutely shocked.

"Clementine… is with you…?" came the voice of one of the guards who were present. It was a blond young man, whose name was something like "Quiz" or "Queso" or some other. "My lord, does it mean she has joined you as one of your lovers?"

"Yes. And I know from what she told that she remains something of a criminal in your eyes." He gestured with his hand. "I would have to request that you remove that label from her from now on. While it is unlikely that she will be returning here, you must agree that treating one of the women I had personally chosen as a criminal would be highly inappropriate. Am I wrong?"

"But how is that possible, my lord?" asked Raymond. The Cardinal glanced at the blond, who pursed his lips and backed away. "Our last reports tell us that Clementine was last seen in the city of E-Rantel, and that she had been purportedly slain by none other than Momon, the Dark Hero. How came you to meet her? Alive?"

Shit, that's right, I forgot! Ainz almost felt some panic come over him. For a full moment, he said nothing, then he covered his mouth with his palm, and then coughed. "The circumstances of our meeting are… exactly as you might expect."

They looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean, my lord?"

For a moment, he wondered if he should just come clean now and tell them that he was in fact Momon. Then he quickly discarded that idea. Even at this point, there was still merit to retaining his secrets. This particular secret, in particular, did not need to be revealed to the Theocracy.

So he shook his head. "Must I need to fill in the blanks for you? Yes, that warrior fought Clementine. No, she did not die. Yes, I picked her up and tended to her. From there, it is easy to glean the chain of events that would lead to her taking up her place at my side."

"Still, for it to be that Clementine, my lord…" Dominic said, frowning.

"Now, now, it is clear that Sursyana-sama has seen something inside that girl that our mortal eyes could not glimpse," Maximilian said.

Then the blond once more stepped forward, almost rudely, and bowed. "My lord, please forgive my unwelcome manners. But I must ask this question of you. Oh wise Cardinals, grant me this boon, despite my impropriety."

"Oh, very well," Raymond said. "But watch your words, Quaisse."

Quaisse, was it? Ainz looked at the blond who squared his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "Great Sursyana, please enlighten me: what did you see in Clementine? Why have you chosen her?"

"And I just said to watch your words!" Raymond exclaimed.

"Step back, Quaisse Hazel Quinta, or face censure!" Maximilian said. All the Cardinals were shouting, as if the blond had said something insulting.

He once more raised his hand. "It is fine. The question itself does not displease me." At that, they subsided. He fixed his gaze upon the blond's. "I can freely admit that the first thing that woman did when she awoke was to attack me."

There many gasps at that, not least from Quaisse. It wasn't even a complete lie. "I was amused at her antics, and allowed her to lash out at me, like a wayward child. She got tired of it quick, and then things went on from there. Her character intrigues me, Quaisse. I see through her soul, indeed as you say, and what I found there is very interesting. Will that answer suffice for you?"

The blond closed his eyes for a brief moment, then bowed deeply at the waist. "I thank you for your forbearance, my lord, and for graciously answering my unworthy remarks. I shall do penance for my impropriety at once."

"Mmm… Do as you wish." Everyone seemed to relax at his words, though he didn't know why exactly.

The Cardinal named Zinedine spoke next. He walked up and bowed. "My lord, we understand that Clementine has received the privilege of being chosen by you. And while we rejoice that even a wayward daughter of the Theocracy has been given the chance to serve you, it is rather difficult for us to mark her as forgiven.

"Before Clementine left her service in the Scriptures, she stole an important artifact from our collection: an item of great significance. You might be familiar with it yourself, my lord, for it is one of the few remaining objects that have endured the centuries from all the way when you last walked in this place: it is the Crown of Wisdom, a hallowed artifact that was in the care of the Mikos. We must appeal to them first if we are to rescind Clementine's criminal status."

"The Crown of Wisdom…" Ainz repeated, cocking his head. He vaguely remembered that during his visit to this place as Momon the Dark Hero—before meeting Zesshi—much talk had circulated about the loss of such a priceless artifact. He had found it slightly interesting, as it was the same object he had acquired during his first encounter with Clementine a long while back. When he had appraised it, he had not found anything truly remarkable about its qualities. Obviously, he had kept silent that he had actually acquired the object after defeating the cultists and Clementine. When he asked her about it later at one time, she could say nothing new about the object, save that it was some sort of priceless treasure and that she had only stolen it to enhance her prestige as an outlaw.

He shrugged to himself. He had wanted to hold on to the thing, but if returning it could smooth out their relationship, then it wasn't a high price to pay. The thing was useless to him, anyway, not even as a tool to enchant—because it was already considered enchanted.

Ainz drew the object from his inventory, then held it up for them to see. The golden chains tinkled like small bells as they moved through his fingers. "Behold, the Crown of Wisdom. I return it to you now, with my full blessings—and an exhortation to do better with protecting it. With this, I declare that Clementine's sins have been rightfully expunged."

"Let it be so…" Zinedine said, a little breathless, as the other Cardinals stared at the object in shock.

"It has been returned to us…"

"Surely, it can be nothing else than a sign…!"

He stroked his chin, as they all crowded around the object in their hands like children beholding something shiny for the first time.

The Cardinals handed the object over to Quaisse, who accepted it with trembling fingers. He turned away, towards a group of people in the back of the room. In the meantime, the Cardinals continued to whisper among themselves.

"Oh Great Wisdoms," Quaisse said, returning. "We have confirmed it ourselves. This is the genuine thing. It is indeed the Crown of Wisdom, returned to us after all this time."

"Praise be!"

The Cardinals all started bowing towards him, moving their hands in strange gestures that perplexed Ainz as to their meaning. He had absolutely no idea what they were doing. To him, it was as if they were getting ready to cast some sort of powerful spell, though his senses couldn't detect any spell being activated (he actually transformed just a bit to make sure).

Feeling rather awkward about standing there doing nothing while they continued to do their weird actions, Ainz decided to respond to their movements by making some gestures of his own. There was no intent to his actions, nor any attempt to make a deliberate point. He just moved his hands and wiggled his fingers like he was also doing some unknown ritual thing—and he didn't even know what it meant.

The Cardinals' eyebrows rose high as he was doing it. They had stopped their movements, meaning Ainz was the only one left doing it. Feeling self-conscious now, he concluded his improvised act by holding out his hand, palm outward, like he was leaning against an invisible wall.

Then he closed his eyes.

There came a loud gasping from the other side.

He opened his eyes, confused. The Cardinals were slack-jawed, staring alternately at him and at one in their midst: the female Cardinal Berenice. They looked from her to him, from him to her, back and forth and back again, looking like they could not believe their eyes.

And Berenice herself looked like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She wasn't actually looking at him; but at his palm—which he had coincidentally pointed towards her.

Ainz belatedly lowered his hand, wondering if he'd done something wrong. It was then that the woman made a screeching sound at the back of her throat, her face growing red like a tomato.

A loud exclamation followed, uttered by the other Cardinals.

"… Wait, does this mean…?"

"The lord has already chosen! You cannot dispute that…!"

"It was obvious in hindsight—we just didn't want to see...!"

"We dare not doubt the divine one again…!"

Ainz cleared his throat, forcing them all to look at him again. "Is there a problem?"

"N-no, nothing's the problem, my lord," they all said. As one, they pushed Berenice forward, around the edge of the room. The female Cardinal's eyes were staring up at him with wonder, her pace slow and halting as she seemingly tiptoed towards him.

He looked quizzically at the other Cardinals, who had continued to speak among themselves.

"Surely it is not considered a taboo? The Cardinals are sworn to all the Gods from the moment they are anointed..."

"The Scriptures, I can quote the Scriptures… Nothing states that it can happen—on the other hand, nothing really prohibits it…"

"Very unprecedented, especially considering…"

Before he knew it, the woman was directly in front of him. Her hands were now clasped before her. He could see her whole body trembling. There were tears falling from the corners of her eyes. Then, slowly, she knelt down, and bowed her head towards him.

"My lord, I am honored to have been chosen by you. Please allow me to be honest… in saying that never in all my years would I have expected to draw the eyes of the Gods themselves, and at my… age, I've never doubted it. But you… You are truly a wise and kind God, great Sursyana. I have no words that can describe what I'm feeling on this most blessed moment. Yes. This is my answer. I accept to be betrothed to you, oh wonderful God."

What the hell is this?

If his mind could scream, it could have blasted apart everyone in this room, surging out in a wave that would obliterate half this building in a wave of sound and cause it all to come crumbling down over their heads. People would have heard him from as far as the Baharuth Empire.

What the hell had he done? He hadn't intended to signal that way to the Cardinals, or this particular Cardinal, at all! Now he had one more complication to handle!

He couldn't just blame anyone about it. It was all on him for being so foolish, and so most of the rage and recrimination came back to himself. As he stared, bewildered, at the kneeling, blushing woman, only one thought coursed through his mind: that he might just have delayed his return home even further, when it was his one major goal!

It was too late to play it all off as some big misunderstanding, as the Cardinals had already pushed their comrade to him; and the lady was already in front of him, practically having offered herself completely in response to his foolishness. For all his claims that he didn't wish to choose anyone from the Theocracy at this time, he'd actually done just that.

Maybe he should just turn tail and wash his hands completely off the matter? He shook his head mentally, there was no chance of that. He wanted to get his hand on the World Item he knew lay within their vaults, and all without arousing suspicion that he wasn't who he claimed himself to be. And while he couldn't stand their obsequiousness when it came to worshiping him like the NPCs of Nazarick did, the potential of new subordinates who would do their best to protect Nazarick in the future could not be easily given up.

He felt his calm return as his panic had the time to cool off. Adding one more to his collection wasn't exactly his objection. It was the fact that if she were to be added, then naturally she would have to be brought to Nazarick, where she would then need to know the truth of the matter, like all those who came before. While he'd acquired Calca, a former ruler, she had already lost her links to her old life when she had been brought to him.

But this Berenice, putting aside her age, was a Cardinal of a nation he still wished to preserve in its current state. And this nation in particular saw him as their God, which naturally meant their leaders would be the ones who believed in this the most. He couldn't really predict how she'd react after seeing Nazarick. Would she be able to, somehow, deduce the truth?

There was another alternative to bringing her to Nazarick, and that was to agree with these people's proposal that she be housed here in the city. But he couldn't do that, not after he'd already voiced his disagreement. Taking a step back would involve a loss for him, but that would preserve his other secrets. And despite his doubts, he knew these people would take their task of defending her seriously.

Still, the issues he had objected to would become starker in this alternative. A determined attacker could use any number of ways to kidnap Berenice, especially once they knew what she was carrying. It would be very difficult to keep Berenice's future pregnancy secret. He didn't want people to know about his greater involvement with the Theocracy or its people, nor less acknowledge the fact that he was their god in public. That would paint a target on him, restricting his ability to act in the background.

Naturally, from there they would find out who the father was, and from there word would definitely spread about his ability to father children. Those who were his enemies in secret, like the one that had fought Pandora's Actor, would be able to make use of that information for their own nefarious ends. His children would end up being targets, something he would never tolerate, necessitating that Nazarick expend even more resources to watch over them. And lastly, many would wonder if he had any other children, which would paint a target over the children raised in Nazarick. Though quite a ways more secret and impregnable than the Theocracy, he knew someone with enough determination, knowledge, and sheer blind luck could manage it, and he did not want to gamble even with such a slim chance.

Neither alternative appealed much to him. But he had to decide something, now that the situation had escalated so.

"Ah. Very well then." Ainz cleared his throat, and held out his hand towards Berenice in welcome. The woman tilted her head upward in wonder, her cheeks flushed with red, taking his hand and rising to her feet. Still holding her hand, Ainz turned towards the other Cardinals.

"I must go now; I have dallied long enough. You know my terms; I leave it to you if you wish to accept it." He glanced at Berenice, then turned to leave the chamber, leading her away. To her credit, the woman held on firmly and didn't need Ainz to coddle her.

He supposed this was as good a chance as any to test some theories he'd had in his head. He recalled how difficult it had been to make Calca and Kelart conceive, and of how both Zesshi and Ueda had multiple children. All of them were natives of this world, and could be considered "high level" among the mortals here. His theory was that "native levels" mattered for more in increasing the chances of multiple children. This was slightly supported by that woman of Sebas', who was also expecting multiple; and who had been secretly trained by Sebas as part of Ainz's orders.

If children were tied to "gaining experience" in this world, then that would make for a fascinating data to remember. As such, Berenice absolutely needed to be taken back to Nazarick for when they attempted to conceive, as the area around the Tomb still contained those areas that granted boosts to experience gained. If Berenice's pregnancy ended up with two or more, then that would prove his theory right.

And if that was the case, then it would prove that his assertion to these Cardinals to take his Mothers with him to his secret place was better than leaving them here. If they really wanted him to move forward with this "seeding proposal" of theirs, then having the Mothers in Nazarick would help ensure that this proposal produced ample amount of fruit—so to speak.

Something indeed to look forward to. Well, there was that and the prospect of fucking someone new.

---

Zero struggled to suppress a yawn. She opened her eyes, having spent the last five minutes in a meditative trance.

Unfortunately, the sight that greeted her eyes was the same as it had been five minutes ago. The vapid interior of a clothing boutique, where a pair of giggling buffoons—Tuare and Edstrom—were busy leading around Sebas to browse the various clothes that were on display. And there was the harried-looking merchant's assistant following them, picking up after every piece of clothing they'd examined and discarded.

They were here to search for "mother's clothes", and it was exactly as foolish a venture as she had assumed when they had invited her. She was never one for wearing any garish flourishes to her clothes: always preferring functional wear that would not inhibit her abilities. That did not change even when she had become Sebas' woman, though she could admit that she had worn the dresses these idiot women had wanted her wear to on a lark; but she had remained as unamused by their antics as she was now.

The shop they were in was extravagant, as expected of one that was supposedly directly owned by a noble. But she noted that the prices that had been given by the attendant had been cheap—or at the very least, cheaper than what the items could have gotten when this was still the Re-Estize Kingdom. She should know: it was sometimes useful to keep track of the rise and fall of prices as an enforcer of the Eight Fingers, because one could easily make some money with one well-placed scheme.

This city had once been a simple addition to one of many castles spread throughout the larger Kingdom. Now, it was one of the biggest and most important cities of the newly created Malash Aristocratic Republic, mostly due to the sheer fact that they possessed no better cities with excellent locations. It was geographically situated along the old royal road that facilitated the trade going north into Argland and other states. Since the Kingdom's dissolution, the Republic had suddenly become a border state, with all its attendant benefits and risks. It could work to seize a stranglehold on trade and dominate future commerce in the region; but at the same time it needed to scramble to put up suitable defenses to protect its sudden vulnerability to encroachment.

The fact that this shop was being cheap about their prices said something about their economical circumstances, and that it was exactly as turbulent as expected. As its name suggested, this was a nation masquerading as a "republic", even if its so-called council of leaders were nobles who held on to their stations of power as if they had never even left the Re-Estize Kingdom. With all those feeble idiots heading up the government, and with everything else still in flux, there emerged such strange scenarios as this particular shop having prices that were cheaper than expected. And to top it all off, they still accepted the coin of the Re-Estize Kingdom as legal tender.

Zero sighed again. Not that she was very much interested in any of that. She didn't know why Sebas had agreed to take the women here in particular, but she guessed that there were secret motives behind the decision. After all, while he had made the promise, he could have taken them to the Baharuth Empire, or to E-Rantel. To take them here to a city in Malash meant that he had a mission here, a mission that he was conveniently excluding her from.

Instead, she had to endure what felt like hours watching over these girlish shenanigans, which forced her to meditate in short bursts just to stay sane. Oh, and that was not to mention having to endure being ogled by all the other people who were here—all of whom liked to stare at her enormous breasts without any sort of shame. Though in a way, she knew that their attention was also drawn to the expensive dress she had been forced to wear as an idiotic way to "blend in": something that hadn't been bought here but given her by Sebas. It was, in her opinion, needlessly garish and extravagant, but since it had been Sebas who had given it to her, she had been forced to accept it and wear it. She couldn't be ungrateful, after all.

The man in her mind, Sebas Tian, was doing his absolute best following along affably behind the women like it was no trouble for him at all. He was already carrying a sizable mound of clothes on his shoulders, and looking quite unperturbed by their number. A small part of her felt angry that he was spending time doing this useless crap instead of going out on missions with her. The time when she would be considered unfit for any more missions was fast approaching with these brats inside her belly growing fast. She subconsciously rubbed her belly, feeling the familiar giddiness of motherhood before she felt self-conscious and put her hand away.

Just before they had left on this ill-advised trip, she had been to the healers of Nazarick. She had then been told that her pregnancy had progressed enough for them to be able to have a feel for how many children she had inside her. They confirmed that she had three, which was not as much as Edstrom or that Ueda, but it was still considered rather plenty. If she was being honest, she knew from some unknown instinct that she was carrying either a big-ass kid or several, as her belly had felt really heavy. Her abdomen had completely smoothed out as her it had expanded to fit, turning from its normal chiseled form to the bulge that hung from her like a sack.

She'd been told that this would not be an easy period for one who was on her first pregnancy, and that she would have to stop assisting Sebas on missions sooner rather than later, to accommodate caring for his brats. She was of two minds at that: on one hand, she was annoyed that the one thing that brought her pleasure, that was watching Sebas work and training under him, would be curtailed for women shit like this. On the other hand, she felt a little pride at being able to bear a strong creature's child—or children in this case—and she welcomed the challenge of the multiple pregnancy as something to be overcome.

Still, the healers had given her some things to consider, aside from the number of babies in her belly. For perhaps the first time in her life, she was worried about people other than her. It was only fitting that it was these precious babies who were busy growing inside her own body. She felt very anxious about their welfare now, which contributed to the state of confusion on her mind. She wanted to remain as she was, a Zero who could be useful, and who could continue to yearn to become stronger. Yet now she was a mother, with all the attendant responsibilities.

She had a feeling that Sebas was aware of her inner turmoil, and in his usual Sebas fashion, he left it to her to talk to him about it. Well, she would, in her own time.

After this idiotic trip.

"Why don't you join them, Zero?" asked a voice beside her.

She grunted, restraining the easy urge within her to slam her fist in the woman's face. There sat Brain Unglaus beside her, "his" form having been shifted into a woman's, just like her. Unlike her, though, her body was decidedly more feminine, with the dress neatly accentuating the shapely curves of her body. Her hair was similarly dolled up, and she honestly looked the part of a noblewoman better than Zero. How such a man easily slipped into the role of a female bitch was a complete mystery to Zero.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Brain continued to say fearlessly. "There's no shame in it, you know." When she glared at her, the shameless woman chuckled. "By that I mean there's no shame in wanting to act like what you are. You're a woman now; a mother, even. No one's going to blink twice to see you out there with them, picking out clothes like any expecting noblewoman would."

"Can you be silent for once," Zero was forced to say with a growl. "I'm trying to meditate, and I do not appreciate being distracted."

"Oh, meditating. That's a good idea. But aren't you distracted by them?" She knew Brain was talking about all the silent glances that were being sent their way. Sebas and the others were drawing their own attention, but she knew that a pair of women in these fancy clothes were also prime targets. Her big ass breasts, and grudgingly, Brain's body, attracted a lot of eyes—and some of it were exactly as lustful as expected.

"True meditation takes care of it. Although…" She could also sense Sebas' eyes on her ever so often, checking up on the both of them briefly in his own hawk-like way.

But she could also sense a lot more lecherous gazes on her body, a lot different from mere curiosity from the other people inside this boutique.

"What the fuck?" she muttered, when she glanced out of the corner of her eye to see two such people approach them now. They were two foppish men, youths judging by their faces, with smiles of such ridiculous insincerity. She knew the sort; had even worked for plenty in her time, and had seen such types approaching women before.

She just had never expected, in all her life, to actually be the woman in this position now, the "prey" in their sights.

Brain had also seen their approach and had snorted. "I'm really surprised, Zero. Even with that 'fuck-off' aura you've been letting out, it still wasn't enough to stifle your beauty at all. I'm kind of jealous."

"Or more like they can't take a damn hint," she growled. The two men had now arrived, imposing themselves in front of them and neatly off her view of Sebas and the rest. They smelled strongly of some bad perfume that it made her want to cough.

"A good day to you, lovely ladies," one of them greeted. They both flashed their winning smiles, no doubt wanting to impress them with their handsomeness or something like that.

"Brycen Iken Sharas, at your service."

"And his doughty brother, Corlen Iken Sharas, at your service."

The two made the sort of courtly bow that all noblemen seemed to know, full of exaggerated flourishes of the arm.

"And by what names might we know you lovely creatures?" They cocked their heads, their arms opened invitingly.

Zero just stared back at them silently. It was Brain who spoke, and said, "Well now, young men, what are you doing in this sort of place? Accompanying your mother?"

"Yes, as it turns out, dear lady," one of them said, gesturing stylishly towards the side, where Zero could see an older woman looking at them. Judging from the expression on her face, she wasn't at all pleased that her boys had left her to go play hooky.

"You have such a lovely voice," the other told Brain. "And what of your companion? May we not hear your wonderful tones, my lady?"

"Once more, may we have the privilege of knowing your names?"

"On behalf of my silent friend here, let me just tell you you're wasting your time kids," Brain said, with a smirk. "I've seen chicken rustlers with better game than what you've got."

"'Game'? Oh, certainly, we would not object to playing a game," one of the men replied. "Shall it be a turn with a deck of cards? Or something a little more physical?"

Brain couldn't help but throw back his head and laugh. Zero couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"You have a lovely laugh, lady…?"

"Listen, kids," Brain said, after wiping off a tear from her eye. "For your safety, you lot should go. This woman here's going to be too much from you. And then there's me."

"Too much?" They cocked their heads. "I can assure you, we would be up to the challenge, my ladies. We are the true-born sons of our noble father, and we have the resources to match. Money is no object for us of House Sharas!"

"So come, join us for a spell! I promise that the two of you shall want for entertainment and diversion in our esteemed company."

"Hey, could you just back me up here?" Brain said, nudging her in the side. "Your silent treatment's obviously not working."

She clucked her tongue, and then fixed the two with her most powerful glare. That was enough to make the two men step back once, fear flashing in their expressions.

"Sorry boys," Brain said. In contrast to her, she was smiling with a serene expression on her face. "But I don't play with… children."

There was a long silence as the men looked at each other then back at them. The one who looked older cleared his throat. "Ah, I see… It seems these two ladies shall not be accepting our invitations, Corlen. Let's go."

"No."

All of them looked with surprise at the other man. His eyes blazed with anger as he clenched his fist. He raised a finger and pointed it at them. "How dare you bitches talk to us in this rude manner? We are of House Sharas, a noble lineage greater than you can ever claim! And you still think you're worth better than I? Know your place!"

"Corlen," said the other man. "Let it go. There are other fish."

"I care not for stinking fish!" the man named Corlen declared, shaking off his brother's hand from his shoulder. He thrust a finger right in her face. "You will show me the proper courtesy, or—"

"If you don't take that stupid hand from my face this instant, I will break it," Zero growled, finally breaking her silence.

"There we go! And this woman shares my sentiments," said Brain, with a laugh. She glared coldly at the men. "Off with you now."

"Come on, Corlen, let's go," said the brother, dragging Corlen back far enough to stop Zero from making good with his threat against the man's hand. But she was still very much tempted.

Despite his brother's attempts, the man named Corlen remained angered. He stomped forward, his face now twisted from sheer anger. "Both of you boors should learn your manners better! Who are your parents? I cannot believe they would be so negligent as to leave you alone. They should take you both in hand: to teach you that disrespecting a member of high nobility is a grave mistake!"

"Dear ladies," the other man said, still trying to push his brother away. "Please grant patience for my brother's steadfast nature. It is a trait of his that we all love. But that also means he can be very stubborn. So once again…" He turned and tried to literally drag his brother to the side. "Come on you lout, we've got to go."

Corlen brandished his clenched fist in her face. He looked like he was about to strike; something she relished to counter with a vicious backhand and a twist of the arm to break it completely. She was just waiting for the right moment.

Then a voice came, calm and collected. "Is there a problem here, gentlemen?"

Everyone saw it was Sebas Tian, who stood behind the siblings as if he had been standing there watching all along.

"Are you guys done?" Zero asked, sighing. "Because I want to be out of this shithole of a city already."

Sebas' eyes twinkled, as if he was amused by everything. "Almost."

Seeing an opportunity, Zero stood. Towering to her full height made the men see how massive she actually still was. She walked over to Sebas, who was still taller than her. "Dear, we should be heading home. It's not good for the babies." She leaned up, allowing Sebas to catch her mouth in a strong, firm series of kisses. "I'm sure you, as my husband, can manage it." She emphasized the words husband, showing off her ultimatum to the boys.

"Ah, there we go. A happy couple. Come Corlen, let us retreat now and save our dignities." This time, the brother was able to indeed extricate the younger man, who allowed himself to be dragged away, albeit half-heartedly.

In the next moment, Zero saw him smirk, reaching out with a hand he thought to be as fast as lightning. She could see him reach for her breasts, seeing in this an opportunity to cop a feel. She saw where exactly his hand was headed.

An instant later, the man coughed, doubling over as if a brisk wind had slammed hard into his abdomen. Then he gagged, and splattered the contents of his stomach all over the posh carpet.

"Oi, Corlen, what's wrong with you all of a sudden?" his brother asked, holding up his head.

Seething, with bile and saliva dribbling from the corners of his mouth, he glared at Zero and said, "Bastard! How… dare you… assault…" He vomited out another burst. "You… will rue… the day… you crossed… a scion… of…"

"Alright, that's enough, Corlen!" The older brother seized him by the lapels of his coat and turned him so they were face to face. "Don't embarrass me and mother any longer! You've already done more than enough just vomiting all over this place! Imagine the scandal this will have caused already!"

"Wh-what?" The man raised a finger, feebly, pointing it at Zero. "But… but… she attacked me…"

The man frowned, glanced at Zero, and shook his head. "She attacked your pride by rejecting us, my good man. But she didn't attack you. You just fell over and got sick all by yourself."

"What… what the hell are you talking about?" The man pushed his brother away, and turned to jab his finger in Zero's direction. "She did it! She dared to strike honored nobility! She…! Down on your knees, filth and beg forgiveness!"

"Corlen, please, you're making too much of a scene now," his brother said, glaring. "No one attacked you, I was right here."

"Impossible! I felt the hit! Right here in my gut! Why do you think I hurled my guts out just now?"

The older brother wrinkled his nose. "I do not know why, but you cannot fault it on the woman. Everyone, including me, clearly saw what happened. I just dragged you away, while I apologized, and then you fell over vomiting. Now come on, we need to take you to the owner to apologize."

"What is going on?" Corlen yelled. He looked around the boutique, where the other patrons were now staring at him like he was a bizarre curiosity on display. "I, a noble, have just been attacked by that bitch! Surely one of you saw?"

What greeted him was silence. Then, some voice said, "We saw nothing."

Corlen whirled, but he didn't find the owner. "That poor boy. I wonder if he is drunk," came another voice.

"I'm not drunk!" Corlen yelled.

"Corlen, everyone saw that you just fell on your own now for the love of the GODS," his brother said. "Shut your damned mouth and come to. Or shall I need to inform father about this?"

Corlen looked at him incredulously. He looked around, trying to find if there was anyone who could back him up. Then he shot a look of venom at Zero, who just stared back at him coldly.

"Corlen," came a voice from behind.

"Mother." The woman's face had turned a shade of purple. She gestured with her wrist, and his brother obeyed, wrapping his arms firmly around his shoulder to drag him aside. Zero and the rest just watched as they disappeared into the back of the boutique.

For the last time, the man glanced back over his shoulder. Zero held his eyes, then smirked. Whatever the man was about to say was lost in the closing of the door.

There was silence. Then the normal bustle of the boutique returned. Several servants came with buckets and rags to start washing out the filth on the bucket. By then, Zero was already turning away, flexing her fingers subconsciously.

It had been a very satisfying hit.

Brain was the one who broke the silence. "I almost didn't see the strike myself. The fact that they didn't see…" She smirked at her. "You've gotten a lot stronger, haven't you, Zero?"

It was sort of true that she could feel herself getting stronger after so many spars spent against Sebas. Though she could never quite land a hit on him yet, she could feel some sort of difference in the way her body moved. It was very noticeable when she did her training forms, punching and kicking at a shadow target by herself. The speed of her strikes had seemingly increased by some fraction. She couldn't really tell how much of an improvement she'd made when all she had as an opponent was Sebas, who remained so far above her.

Yet again another reason for her to feel conflicted about her impending motherhood. She was now being barred from such strenuous physical exertion. If she was stopped completely from even moving her body, she feared losing all the progress she had been making thus far.

Zero shrugged, having no obligation to answer the man. She turned to Sebas. "Are we about to leave?"

Sebas glanced at Tuare and Edstrom, who had seemingly ignored the ruckus and were already haggling with an attendant for payment. "Yes, we are just about done."

Zero grunted, and turned to the side. She could sense few eyes on them now. It seemed that prior excitement had exhausted the curiosity from the people surrounding them. They had become old news.

Brain continued to speak. "By the way, Zero, I noticed you called Sebas 'dear' and 'husband'. And here I thought you didn't go for those displays of affection." He whistled and jeered.

"And a kiss is, what, exactly?" she riposted with an impatient snarl.

---

It took a while for Mother and Brycen to make up the damages and the ruckus with the owner. The owner was a middling family of no renown, but he served Lord Rothergut, who was seated on the Council of Nobles. Proper restitution had to be made, or they would invite insult.

He endured his mother's endless diatribe, lecturing him about "impropriety" and all that. His mind was in another place entirely.

He felt his lust burn, his loins tingling with anticipation as he reviewed his encounter with that sexy heifer of a woman who had dared defy him. He didn't know how she'd managed it, but in the end, his anger had been superseded by his curiosity. What sort of woman was it who could strike like a warrior, and yet look as desirable as that?

He licked his lips. One way or another, she would be his. He promised himself that.

---

Chapter commissioned by UltraSpink of Da USA, thank you. A reminder that the story is commissioned.

If you'd like a story commissioned, feel free to contact me here, or on archiveofourown under "RHoldhous", or message me on discord under RHoldhous#6771 or jonholdhous under the new rules.

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