Blankon Announcement

508 Pregnancy, and the Companion.

“Mmm! This is delicious! It’s as good as Lucia’s cooking!”

“Oh, Grandfather! Of course it is!”

“…Father, has your palate dulled?”

While enjoying his granddaughter Asia’s cooking, the Emperor of Regulus, who was clearly doting on her, received a sharp remark from his daughter Lucia. As a mother and a cook, there were lines she couldn’t cross.

“Wow, it’s the holy sword Restia! Can I touch it, Grandfather?”

“Oh, go ahead. Be careful.”

“Next, me! Frey, let me hold it too!”

Frey, who was allowed to hold the holy sword by the former king of Restia, was watched enviously by the Magic King of Felzen. Why was the King of Felzen here? Because his wife, Elicia, is the second daughter of the Emperor of Regulus. In other words, Felzen’s king and Elicia are Asia’s uncle and aunt. They’re also my brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

But Frey gets along better with her sister Asia than with her uncle. Both of them are weapon enthusiasts… Wait, former king, why did you bring the holy sword? That’s Reinhardt-niisan’s, right?

Watching this scene with exasperation were the girl’s mother, Hilde, and the king’s wife, Elicia.

“Somehow… I’ve gotten used to it.”

“Me too.”

Was it about their hobbies or this kind of situation? Either way, this time, the Emperor of Regulus, the crown prince Lux-niisan, the second princess Elicia, her husband the King of Felzen, the former king and queen of Restia, the current knight king of Restia Reinhardt-niisan, the former king Galen-jiisan, and Frey and Asia’s relatives gathered at Brunhild (our place).

Actually, there’s one more person, Felicia, Elicia’s older sister, who married into a ducal family in Regulus. Since she’s married in a lower house, she doesn’t get involved in world conferences, so we didn’t invite her this time. I only met her once at the wedding. Meeting a big niece out of the blue would just cause panic. Asia herself hasn’t met her much in the future either.

“Hohoho. I never thought I’d meet my great-grandchild so soon. My lifespan has extended again.”

Galen-jiisan was taking pictures of Frey with his smartphone. Yeah, this guy is still lively in the future. He’s in a great mood, probably because he knows he’ll live for more than ten years. Is erotic power the secret to longevity?

While eating the food prepared by Touya and Asia in a buffet style, everyone was doting on the two little visitors from the future. I’m glad they were accepted so easily.

“Having a niece from the future come to visit… Somehow, I’ve lost all sense of what’s normal.”

“Well, um, sorry about that…”

I apologized to Reinhardt-niisan, who let out a big sigh. Not everyone could accept it so easily.

“Well, it’s a bit late now. More importantly, about that incident, it happened in Restia too. In a fishing village called Evra at the southern end.”

The incident Reinhardt-niisan was talking about was the half-fishmen we had encountered. If those were the work of the evil god’s apostles, then similar things might be happening elsewhere. After contacting the kings around the world, we found out that similar incidents had occurred in several places. It happened in Restia too.

“Evra is a small fishing village, but suddenly three half-fishmen appeared and attacked the villagers. There were no deaths at that point, but several people were ‘infected.’ They transformed into similar half-fishmen due to a curse and then returned to the sea with the others.”

Those bitten by the half-fishmen become half-fishmen themselves. It’s like something out of a zombie movie, but it’s a terrifying story. The villagers turned into monsters were taken to the sea.

What is the purpose of the apostles? The ‘Ark’ they stole from Chrome Ranches is a submarine. They might be using the sea as their base, but why turn people into half-fishmen?

The evil god feeds on negative human emotions. Fear and despair are among the most potent, and those turned into half-fishmen undoubtedly experienced that. Are they spreading curses worldwide to plunge people into fear and chaos, gathering more negative emotions?

Anyway, we need to warn fishing villages, ports, and coastal cities. Damn it, first the golden skeletons, now half-fishmen.

Fortunately, Brunhild doesn’t have a sea, but the dungeon island does. Well, it’s an island, so it’s surrounded by water. I’ve already ordered the summoned beasts like Kraken to be on guard, so that side should be fine.

As I was deep in thought, the laughter of the children reached my ears.

“Grandfather, this dish is also good for your health.”

“Oh, that’s great! Mmm, delicious…!”

“And then!? What did the ancestor do?”

“Hmm. The ancestor, carrying the holy sword Restia, approached the dragon’s nest…”

The Emperor of Regulus and the former king of Restia were completely doting on their grandchildren. It seems grandchildren really are adorable. …Come to think of it, I was also doted on by my grandpa.

Will I also dote on Asia and Frey’s grandchildren like this? It’s both exciting and scary…

“Well, I don’t plan to let them marry, so I don’t need to think about it.”

“Wow, you’re already a doting parent.”

Reinhardt-niisan next to me let out a slightly exasperated voice. Shut up. This is what happens when you have a daughter.

“By the way, Reinhardt-niisan, do you have any children yet?”

“Well, um… not yet.”

Reinhardt-niisan, the king of the Restia Knight Kingdom, had a fiancée. There was an agreement that they wouldn’t marry until he made a name for himself as a king, but before the evil god’s defeat, he slew a rampaging dragon in Restia, becoming a dragon slayer, and they finally married.

I only met his wife, Sophia, once at the wedding. She’s not here today. Apparently, she hasn’t been feeling well for the past few days. She’s a delicate person.

“Children are great. Especially daughters are cute.”

“Well, you don’t have any yet, do you, Duke?”

“That’s true. Seeing children makes me want to work harder.”

“Right! …Wait, huh? Wow, Crown Prince!? Were you here the whole time!?”

I was startled by the sudden voice and turned around. There stood the crown prince of Regulus, Lux-niisan, with his usual unremarkable face, looking troubled.

“I’ve been here from the beginning…”

Lux-niisan gave a wry smile. I didn’t notice at all… Reinhardt-niisan didn’t seem to notice either. This guy’s presence is way too faint. He’s more suited to being a spy or infiltrator than the next emperor.

Feeling awkward, I tried to cover it up by speaking to Lux-niisan.

“Ah, Crown Prince, you have a daughter, right?”

“Yes. She’s from a concubine. Thanks to the medicine you gave me, we finally had a child.”

Ah, that stamina potion I gave to the King of Belfast and Duke Ortlinde. The Emperor of Regulus also asked for it for his son.

But this is the third one, huh? That medicine really works… Maybe I should sell it…

“Seeing my daughter’s smile makes me feel happy. I have to work hard to protect that smile…”

“Ah, I get it. I feel the same way.”

“Tch, you two are so unfair.”

As I chatted with Lux-niisan, Reinhardt-niisan pouted. Oops, I went too far.

Suddenly, Reinhardt-niisan, who was pouting, took out his smartphone and opened the screen. A message?

“From my wife… …What!?”

His sudden exclamation drew everyone’s attention. What’s going on?

“What’s wrong, Reinhardt?”

“F-Father… Sophia is pregnant…”

“W-What!? Really!?”

“Oh my! Oh my, oh my, oh my!”

“Wow! Well done, Reinhardt!”

“Niisan, congratulations!”

The Restia group erupted in cheers. Sophia is pregnant? This is a cause for celebration. Now Reinhardt-niisan is also going to be a father.

The former king of Restia raised his champagne glass high.

“Hmm! Congratulations! My second grandchild!”

“No, Grandfather, it’s your first grandchild. Beatrice-neesan was born before me… Oh!? Oops…!?”

“““““Beatrice?”””””

Frey, realizing her mistake, covered her mouth in panic, but unfortunately, the Restia group didn’t miss it.

“Um, well… F-Father!”

Frey looked to me for help. Seriously… who did this careless girl take after?

“Since Grandma Tokie isn’t here, it’s okay to say it, right? So? Who’s Beatrice?”

“Reinhardt-ojisan and Sophia-obasan’s daughter… Beatrice-neesan. She’s my cousin.”

I see. To Frey, Reinhardt-nii-san’s child is her cousin. …Well, she spilled the beans about it being a daughter.

“Beatrice… Beatrice, huh… Yeah, not bad. My daughter! My daughter!”

Well, Reinhardt-niisan seems to like it, so it’s fine. Come to think of it, the name was given by the future Reinhardt-niisan. He couldn’t possibly dislike it.

“Duke! I’m sorry, but can I go back first!?”

“Ah, sure. Go ahead.”

“Thank you!”

Reinhardt-niisan dashed through the [Gate] connected to the Restia palace. Well, I can understand his feelings.

“That guy. He’s going to be a father, but he’s so restless.”

“Oh, you were the same when Reinhardt was born. Like father, like son.”

“W-Well…”

Everyone laughed at the exchange between the former king and queen of Restia, celebrating the new life that was about to be born.

---

“Hah!”

Gyah!?

With a flash of her crystal sword, Yakumo cut down a half-fishman with metallic blue scales. Without a moment’s pause, she slashed through a second half-fishman that lunged at her.

This was the port town of Zagant, located west of the Gardio Empire on the western continent. On the map, it was on the side of the collapsed Eisenburg.

This usually quiet port town was suddenly invaded by mysterious half-fishmen emerging from the sea, attacking the panicked townspeople.

The first half-fishman, which tried to attack a collapsed old man, was swiftly cut down by Yakumo, who happened to be nearby.

Yakumo was on her way to the central part of the Eisenburg by carriage. The Eisenburg region, as it was no longer a unified country, with each city-state standing independently.

Yakumo was heading to the land where the evil god had descended, hoping to find clues about the apostles of the evil god.

From the town in Eisenburg near the Raze Martial Kingdom where Yakumo had previously stayed, her destination was far, so she decided it would be faster to take a ship from the Gardio Empire side.

And on the way, she encountered the half-fishmen’s attack in this port town.

“Hmm…?”

Yakumo noticed a deep blue, eerily glowing octahedron the size of a baseball that had fallen from the half-fishman’s body.

Instinctively, Yakumo felt that ‘it’ was ‘something bad.’

Once she felt that, her actions were swift. In the next moment, she shattered the octahedron with her beloved sword. There was no hesitation.

Yakumo was a demigod. She acted on the uncomfortable aura emitted by the evil god, and her actions were undoubtedly correct.

After cutting down two more half-fishmen, totaling four, the remaining half-fishmen hurriedly retreated to the sea. Yakumo didn’t pursue them, sheathing her sword.

Fortunately, thanks to Yakumo’s efforts, there were no ‘cursed’ infections.

“It seems something strange is happening again…”

Yakumo narrowed her eyes as she looked at the slain half-fishmen. Between the golden medicine and these half-fishmen, it was highly likely that the apostles of the evil god were at work. What could their goal be…? As Yakumo pondered, she remembered the collapsed old man and quickly reached out to help him.

“Are you okay…?”

“O-Oh. Thank you. You saved me.”

As Yakumo helped the old man up, a group of knights came clattering from the alley, holding swords.

Yakumo slightly lowered her stance, her hand on her sword hilt. But the old man next to her stopped her.

“Ah, no need to worry. These are my guards. I sent them out shopping, but I should have left one behind.”

The old man’s use of ‘one’ instead of ‘someone’ made Yakumo a bit curious, but she judged it wasn’t a problem and relaxed her guard.

The old man extended his hand for a handshake.

“I’m Roger Wilks. In the world, I’m known as ‘Professor.’”

“What!?”

Yakumo’s surprise was understandable. ‘Professor’ was one of the top golem engineers, one of the Five Great Masters.

Yakumo wasn’t well-versed in golem technology, but she had heard the name countless times from her sister Kuhn. If Kuhn were here, she would have been ecstatic.

“Then, these knights are…”

“Ah, they’re ‘Soldat’ military golems. Not human.”

No wonder they hadn’t said a word. Although, many golems can talk. Yakumo remembered the wolf and white golem at her family home.

“Why is one of the Five Great Masters in a place like this?”

“Oh, just out of curiosity. I heard the revived an enormous golem. I was interested. Even though it’s already destroyed, I thought I might see a part of it.”

The ancient golem Hecatoncheir, revived by the Eisenburg. Its main body was destroyed by Yakumo’s father, Touya, but its remains were left in the ruined city of Eisenburg.

However, Eisenburg was obliterated by the evil god’s attack. The parts should have been blown away.

“I see… What a waste. Such a pity.”

“But maybe Elka the engineer collected some notable parts.”

“Hmm? The ‘Restoration Queen’? Are you acquainted with her?”

“Well, sort of…”

Yakumo hadn’t met Elka in this timeline yet, but she knew the Elka from the future since birth.

Elka had even made a combat golem for the young Yakumo. Though, it was broken within three days.

“Hmm, that girl, keeping quiet… I’ll have to give her a piece of my mind next time I see her… Well, never mind. I wanted to see what happened to Eisenburg anyway.”

“Um, Eisenburg is dangerous now, right? The country is gone, and bandits have increased. It’s a bit risky for an old man to travel alone…”

Yakumo herself had been attacked multiple times. Of course, she had cut them all down, and the bandits were sent to the knights’ station via [Gate].

“Don’t worry, I have these guys with me. I’ll be fine.”

The professor patted the armor beside him, but Yakumo couldn’t shake her unease. After all, he had just been attacked by half-fishmen.

Not wanting to let someone her sister admired come to harm, Yakumo offered to escort him to Eisenburg. They were heading in the same direction anyway, and ‘being kind to the elderly’ was one of the Mochizuki family’s mottos.

“Is that so? That would be a great help. Let’s see…”

“Yakumo. Just… Yakumo.”

Yakumo was about to give her family name but stopped herself. The professor was one of the top five golem engineers in the world. Even if he didn’t have a smartphone, it wouldn’t be strange if he had some communication device. If she carelessly gave her name, her father might come to pick her up immediately.

Her father would be fine. He’d scold her for running around on her own, but it would probably just end with a lecture.

But her mother was different. Her mother wouldn’t scold her. She’d spank her without a word. That’s how it had been since she was a child. At this age, she really didn’t want that.

The reason Yakumo hadn’t returned to her family home in Brunhild was initially for sword training. But now, she felt she couldn’t return until she found at least one clue about the apostles of the evil god. She wanted to lessen her mother Yae’s wrath, even if just a little.

Professor took out a map from his pocket and unfolded it to check the route.

“If we’re heading to Eisenburg from here, there should still be ships at the next town.”

“Then let’s do that.”

And so, the strange journey of the girl, the old man, and five golems began.