The Shadows' Reaction to Cha Hae-In's Pregnancy

It started with a strange energy.

Jinwoo wasn't sure how to explain it, but as he sat beside Cha Hae-In, watching over her as she rested, he felt something… different. A new presence, faint yet undeniable, pulsed within her. It was small, delicate—yet unmistakably powerful. His senses, honed by countless battles, immediately picked up on it.

That was when the shadows started to react.

At first, it was Beru, who suddenly materialized from Jinwoo's shadow, his head tilted as he examined Hae-In. "My liege… there is something strange about the Queen," he said in his usual clicking voice.

The other shadows soon followed, sensing the same peculiar energy that Beru had detected. Tank sniffed the air, his massive bear-like body shifting uneasily. "It smells like our King… but different."

Bellion, the highest of the Marshals, studied the situation with narrowed eyes. "A presence within a presence… Is the Queen… duplicating?"

Jinwoo sighed, rubbing his temples. "No. She's pregnant."

The shadows went silent.

Then chaos erupted.

Beru clicked in excitement, his wings flaring. "The Queen is with child? A royal heir?!"

Tusk adjusted his glasses, looking stunned. "A descendant of the Shadow Monarch… This is a most momentous occasion!"

Bellion, though composed, looked deep in thought. "A child of both light and shadow… What sort of being will they become?"

Tank, still sniffing, gave his own conclusion. "Ah! So it is like how bears are! Cubs!"

Jinwoo sighed again. "Yes, something like that."

Kastiel, one of the newer shadows, frowned in confusion. "But how does this happen?"

The lesser shadows murmured among themselves, clearly just as lost.

Then, as if fate itself had chosen him, Igris stepped forward.

Igris' Lecture on Pregnancy

"The answer is simple," Igris said, crossing his arms as he addressed the gathering of shadows.

The others turned to him, expectant. Even Jinwoo looked at his loyal knight with curiosity.

Igris cleared his throat. "Pregnancy occurs when a male and female of the same species engage in a deeply intimate ritual. This ritual leads to the union of their essence, creating a new life within the female's body."

The lesser shadows gasped in shock.

Beru tilted his head. "A ritual? My liege performed a ritual?"

Jinwoo coughed into his hand, looking away. "You don't need to say it like that."

Bellion, always calm, nodded in understanding. "A sacred rite, then. This explains the Queen's condition."

Tank nodded enthusiastically. "Like bears!"

Igris ignored the interruptions and continued. "The new life grows within the female for months, drawing nourishment from her body. When the time comes, the offspring is born into the world, carrying traits of both parents."

Tusk pushed his glasses up, intrigued. "Fascinating… so the child will inherit our King's strength?"

"Undoubtedly," Igris confirmed. "And possibly the Queen's as well."

Kastiel, still frowning, hesitated before asking, "But… how did our King perform this ritual?"

Jinwoo almost choked on air. "That's not important!"

Igris, however, was unfazed. "The ritual requires deep physical and emotional connection. The male must ensure the female is comfortable, cared for, and… properly pleased."

The room went still.

Beru's eyes gleamed. "Properly pleased?"

Bellion turned to Jinwoo. "Did you follow the correct procedures, my liege?"

Jinwoo covered his face. "Igris, stop talking."

But Igris wasn't done. "There are various techniques to ensure success. Gentle caresses, whispered affections, strategic movements—"

"Igris!" Jinwoo snapped.

Even Beru looked slightly overwhelmed. "This is… quite informative…"

Tank, however, was nodding. "Yes, like bears!"

Jinwoo groaned. He had never expected to have a conversation about his private life with his army of undead soldiers.

The Shadows Learn About Igris' Past

Just as Jinwoo thought the conversation was over, Kastiel asked, "How do you know all this, Sir Igris?"

The shadows turned to Igris expectantly.

Jinwoo raised an eyebrow. "Yeah… how do you know all this?"

Igris hesitated for a moment before finally answering. "I was once a man before I became a shadow. In my past life, I had a family."

Silence.

Even Bellion, usually unshaken, looked slightly surprised.

Beru twitched. "Sir Igris had a family?"

Igris nodded solemnly. "I had children. Grandchildren, even."

The shadows erupted in shock.

Tusk clutched his staff. "Sir Igris was a grandfather?!"

Beru dramatically placed a claw over his chest. "I cannot believe it!"

Even Bellion looked like he was processing the information.

Jinwoo blinked. He had never expected this. "Wait. So you're saying you had… a normal life? Before all of this?"

Igris nodded. "Yes. I knew love. I knew the joys of fatherhood. And now, my liege, you too will experience it."

Jinwoo felt something shift in his chest. A mixture of respect and newfound understanding for his loyal knight.

The lesser shadows, still in awe, murmured among themselves.

Tank, of course, added one last comment.

"So… like bears?"

Jinwoo sighed. "Yes, Tank. Like bears."

The shadows left that day more knowledgeable than before, but also more bewildered by the complexity of human life.

And Jinwoo?

He was never going to let Igris lecture his army ever again.