**Side: Meena**
I accompanied Yamato to the Laofen Labyrinth.
Fram and Mako were also present, ostensibly as chaperones. Yamato was so excited that he couldn’t be left to his own devices.
The sun had already set, but given the reason for our visit, our first stop had to be the Beast Carriage where my brother, the Grand Order’s Master, was staying.
“Isn’t that Yamato? What’s up?”
Dinner had already concluded in the multi-functional beast carriage where the Orders were temporarily housed, and several Orders were on guard duty.
One of them was a High Order, a male Dragonewt who had been dispatched to the First Squad during the Solemn march—someone we knew.
“I have something I need to tell Rex. Could you relay it for me?”
“Got it. Wait here a moment.”
He, High Order Judo, called out to a colleague before descending into the mirror space.
“It’s unusual for you to visit at this hour,” one of the guards commented.
“Right. Did something happen in the Gagun Great Forest?”
While we waited for my brother and the others, the members of Gracious Lynx, Wise Rainbow, Snow Blossom, and Sacred Bird, who were dispatched to the Laofen Labyrinth, also gathered.
They were aware that we, along with Holy Grave and Falcon’s, were investigating the Gagun Great Forest, and they knew that Catastrophe Species had headed towards it. Therefore, they were concerned that something unexpected had occurred.
In a sense, it wasn’t incorrect to say that something unexpected had happened.
“The Gagun Great Forest was indeed a problem, but for now, we can handle it. A different issue has arisen, so we came to report to Rex.”
“A different problem?”
“Outside the Gagun Great Forest? What happened?”
Mako tried to explain, but it was disjointed, and everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
“Yes. Once Rex and the others arrive, we’ll report to all of you. It’s good news, not bad.”
“We have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Well, if it were bad news, you wouldn’t have that look on your faces, would you?”
We weren’t sure what kind of expressions we had, but it wasn’t an emergency… or rather, in a way, it was.
Ah, my brother and the others are coming out now.
“Yamato, Mako, Fram, and Mina too. What brings you here at this hour?”
“I heard there was a report, but judging by your faces, it doesn’t seem to be an emergency.”
Sister-in-law Marie, sister-in-law Muse, and sister-in-law Saya were with them.
All three were Ancient Class. I thought it would be best to inform them, so it was fortunate they came.
“Rosemary, Muse, Saya. It’s good you came out.”
“Yes?”
“Are you talking about us?”
The sisters-in-law looked puzzled, which was understandable.
“I’ll explain the reason, along with the rest. Right, Yamato?”
“Why me?”
“Of course. This is something a husband should explain.”
“Understood. Well, you see, we just found out that Mana is pregnant.”
Prompted by Mako, Yamato finally spoke.
Lady Mana held the first-place succession right to the Celestial Emperor, but she was also the head of the Lapislazurite Celestial Noble House, necessitating an heir.
As the biological younger sister of Emperor Reinhardt, this matter needed to be disseminated throughout the entire Federation Heavenly Empire.
“W-What did you say!?”
“Lady Mana is pregnant!?”
“That’s wonderful news!”
“Congratulations, Yamato!”
Everyone offered words of congratulation to Yamato.
He looked embarrassed but also clearly happy.
“Thank you.”
“It is indeed joyous news. Have you informed His Majesty?”
“Butler will report to him tomorrow. We’re currently investigating the Gagun Great Forest.”
“Now that you mention it, Wing Crest was investigating the Gagun Great Forest. But if Lady Mana is pregnant, you’ll inevitably have to withdraw.”
“Our combat strength will decrease, but it can’t be helped.”
With Lady Mana’s pregnancy, engaging in combat was, naturally, strictly forbidden. It would be impossible to make her investigate the incredibly tense Gagun Great Forest.
“I’ll manage to cover the gap over there.”
When Yamato was first informed of Lady Mana’s pregnancy, he was extremely flustered. However, after being advised by Lady Mana, he had firmly shifted his mindset. It was a necessary shift, so it was understandable.
“You’re more composed than I expected. Are you alright?”
“Yes. Lady Mana’s pregnancy means Gaia’s premonition is not far off.”
That single statement brought expressions of understanding to everyone’s faces.
According to Gaia’s premonition, Yamato would be surrounded by a horde of demons and fall into dire straits. The timing seemed to be after Lady Mana’s childbirth, meaning perhaps within six months, or at most, within a year.
During our march, we had casually discussed Gaia’s premonition, so everyone was already aware of it.
“That’s hard to deny,” sister-in-law Marie said.
As she said, we could not deny it. Although we heard that the current situation would be navigated safely, we still needed to grow stronger, lest the premonition *not* come true in a negative way. Yamato had been advised by Lady Mana to pledge anew to become stronger for the sake of their unborn child.
“So, Yamato, are you aiming for level 100?”
“Yes. I believe that after surpassing level 100, I might evolve into a different class.”
This was something I had heard previously from Grand Priests Master Idea during the defense of Esperanza. Since the Age of Ancients, no one in Helios Orb had ever reached level 100. Currently, Yamato held the highest level, but before him, Shinichi’s level of 95 was the highest. Consequently, no one had considered the possibility of a class beyond Ancient Class. Although Idea hadn’t stated it definitively, Yamato and Mako said that based on her demeanor when they heard the story, there was certainly something beyond Ancient Class.
“An Ancient Class Divine Emperor, after using a Demon Crystal, obtained power that even multiple Ancient Classes combined couldn’t match.”
“Furthermore, if they can also generate Engraving Tools like Yamato and Mako, it’s more than just troublesome.”
About thirty years ago, Shinichi, Kazushi, and Elier had managed to inflict serious wounds and force a retreat, but they themselves had also suffered grave injuries. The three of them passed away due to those wounds. However, the Divine Emperor had managed to prolong his life by absorbing the Demon Crystal, so in retrospect, the Divine Emperor had the upper hand. Moreover, having become a demon, he was far stronger than when he confronted the three of them. As Shazara and Frau said, it was far beyond just “troublesome.”
“Fortunately, or perhaps, we still have more than half a year, and there are matters in the Gagun Great Forest and Krater Labyrinth, so I’ll do my best.”
“I share the same opinion. The Divine Emperor seems to be from our world, so we have a responsibility.”
“That may be so, but that doesn’t mean we can leave it all to you two.”
“It’s for the sake of the world we live in. If we do nothing, what was the point of evolving to Ancient Class?”
I agree with Plum and Sley. Regardless of the Divine Emperor’s true identity, it is said that if he is not defeated, Helios Orb will perish, making it a pressing issue for us. Furthermore, my co-wives and I evolved to Ancient Class because we wanted to support Yamato; his identity is irrelevant in that regard.
“Thank you.”
“Shouldn’t *we* be the ones thanking you?”
“Thanks to you, Yamato and the others, we were also able to evolve. That being said, isn’t there something else besides the report of H.R.H. Manalease’s pregnancy?”
Muse’s remark reminded me of the other reason for our visit.
“That’s right. It’s not confirmed yet, but Mako is saying that when High Class or Ancient Class individuals become pregnant, the discovery might be delayed.”
Everyone was surprised when Yamato spoke. Sisters-in-law Marie, Muse, and Saya, who would likely be pregnant soon, widened their eyes. I did too, so I understood their feelings.
“W-What do you mean?”
“I’ll explain. High Class and Ancient Class individuals are said to not get sick, right?”
“Yes. I’ve heard that although towns and villages were wiped out by plagues in the past, High Class individuals showed no signs of infection.”
Plagues were more terrifying than most monsters. Even before Sayuri established the Healer’s Guild, Kazushi and Shinichi had warned of their dangers. Therefore, while Amister, Torencia, and Valentia rarely experienced widespread outbreaks, Solemn and Retisencia had suffered from them several times. At those times, the affected towns and villages were completely sealed off, and even the healers of that era refused to treat them, making survival a matter of pure luck. It was said that a High Class individual happened to be there, and while those around them suffered from the illness, they themselves remained unaffected. Not only that, but they had also rushed to help with patient care and village guard duties. Later, the Healer’s Guild investigated and concluded that the magic power of High Class individuals was strong enough to repel disease-causing pathogens, making them less susceptible to illness, and Ancient Class individuals immune.
“When pregnant, aren’t there morning sickness symptoms?”
“Yes. I hear that’s quite difficult.”
“Morning sickness only occurs in early pregnancy, and it’s said to be a form of allergic reaction due to the mother’s body not yet being accustomed to the fetus.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s one theory, and it hasn’t been fully elucidated even on Earth. But allergic reactions are an overreaction to suppress foreign objects entering the body, so in a way, it can be considered an illness.”
I didn’t fully grasp Mako’s explanation, but it seemed to mean that even in early pregnancy when the fetus is recognized as a foreign object by the mother’s body, the signs are less likely to appear due to their immense magic power, and morning sickness occurs only when the fetus grows to a certain size.
“So, you’re saying that we too, will eventually become pregnant, and the discovery might be delayed?”
“Yes. So, I think it would be good to get checked at the Healer’s Guild about once a month, though not necessarily regularly.”
Sister-in-law Saya was a Hunter, but sisters-in-law Marie and Muse were Orders and assistants to the Grand Order’s Master. If they became pregnant, they would have to take leave. If they unknowingly overexerted themselves, it could have adverse effects on both the mother and the fetus. Therefore, a monthly check-up would be beneficial. We too have made arrangements with Mako and Lady Apricot for regular check-ups, so we won’t have to panic from a sudden discovery.
“A minor drawback of evolving to Ancient Class.”
“It’s not a problem for us, but for Mako and Saya, it’s a serious issue.”
Pregnancy is only possible until the age of 40, so Sley, Frau, Plum, and Shazara will not become pregnant. However, we of Wing Crest and my brother’s wives are in our teens and twenties, and are newlyweds, making this a truly pressing concern. We feel sorry for Lady Mana, but our sentiment is that it was fortunate we knew earlier.
“Considering what happened with H.R.H. Maruca, and since it’s still just a hypothesis, I think we’ll report this to the Grand Healer’s Master and investigate further.”
“There are many single High Class individuals as well, so it would indeed be good to investigate early.”
“I’ll do my best somehow. To do that, we’ll have to sort out the matters in the Gagun Great Forest.”
“We can only say ‘do your best’ regarding that.”
The members of Gracious Lynx, Wise Rainbow, Snow Blossom, and Sacred Bird cannot act until the Black Army, who entered the Laofen Labyrinth for its conquest, returns, as the fate of the Laofen Labyrinth is uncertain. Therefore, we of Wing Crest, Holy Grave, Falcon’s, and the dispatched Beastars must deal with the Gagun Great Forest. We are also concerned about the Gagun Labyrinth, but before we can conquer it, we must defeat the Catastrophe Species that have entered the Gagun Great Forest, and if necessary, even the Demise Species Hanuman. Honestly, we wish everyone here could cooperate, but the Laofen Labyrinth cannot be left unattended, so we have no choice but to handle it ourselves.
“Besides, Yamato is determined, and you’re planning to defeat Hanuman, aren’t you?”
“That’s if it’s possible. We won’t know if there’s truly something beyond Ancient Class until we try.”
We won’t know if there’s something beyond Ancient Class until we actually reach level 100 or evolve. Given the future circumstances, Yamato is earnestly aiming for level 100, and if possible, for further evolution. However, if evolution is truly possible, we have no intention of standing by idly. We will definitely evolve so we can fight alongside Yamato.
