Kail was no exception. Neither position appealed to him in the slightest—being the Empress’s husband or the Empire’s top guardian. Both positions reeked of trouble and hassle.
However, he couldn’t resist Izuna’s threat to make him Emperor outright if he refused both options.
‘Why did I even agree to this…? It’s too late to choose someone else now.’
After a moment of thought, Kail realized it would be less troublesome to just accept Izuna’s request rather than deal with the headache of installing another person on the throne and then having that Emperor try to undermine him out of paranoia.
Izuna, who could see status windows, understood Kail’s thoughts and intentions better than he did himself, and thus knew that Kail had no ill intentions or designs on power.
This was an incredible ability when you consider how most rulers, fearing their generals might overshadow them, often resort to betrayal or suppression.
Izuna didn’t need to worry about Kail plotting to seize power, and Kail didn’t have to waste energy on power struggles with Izuna.
And so, Kail became the Commander of the Imperial Guard—a.k.a., effectively the second most powerful person in the Empire.
Not everyone was thrilled about this.
“I sent you to protect the Empire, and you go and dethrone the Empress…?”
“You never told me what to do.”
“Haha, ahaha—If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have left it to you…”
Karl Meyer, who had believed there was a way to protect both the Emperor and the Empire, let out a hollow laugh upon seeing Kail return after completely flipping the Empire upside down.
In the end, the Count had passed everything onto his son, failing to protect both the Emperor and the Empire. The Emperor had been dethroned, and the Empire’s name had changed.
Feeling a deep sense of emptiness, the Count secluded himself in his room for a while. Kail felt some concern over his father’s self-imposed isolation, but it didn’t last long.
Yuri went into labor.
“Ka, Kail… my stomach, my stomach…!”
“Just hold on! It’ll only take a moment!”
Gripped by labor pains, Yuri clung to Kail, crying out in agony. Seeing this, Kail dashed off like lightning and returned with a group of people in tow.
Decades-experienced midwives and a Virgin Saintess, prepared for any emergency—all was set for childbirth. But despite all his preparations, Kail was promptly kicked out of the delivery room, left hopping from one foot to the other.
Even Kail, capable of slaying gods, couldn’t withstand the mothers’ united front barring him from the women-only zone.
─Huuuuhhh-!
─Kyaaaaaah!
─Ggghhh-! Ughhh-! Uuuuuuhhh-!
‘…Yuri.’
The screams echoing from the room made Kail want to rush in and ease her pain, but he couldn’t—that was the problem.
With the Virgin Saintess present, he wasn’t worried about life-threatening complications, but the very fact that his wife was groaning in such torment was heart-wrenchingly painful.
After what felt like an eternity of jittery waiting, the door slowly opened.
─Waaaaaaaaah-!
“Husband, come in.”
Following the doctor’s guidance, Kail entered the delivery room to find Yuri drenched in sweat and a newborn cradled in the Virgin Saintess’s arms, receiving blessings.
Wrinkled skin, tiny fingers—was this really his child? Was this little creature truly human like him?
“…Ah.”
But at that moment, Kail felt an overwhelming surge of emotion. It was paternal love—the realization that this tiny being was his child.
It was the hormonal response unique to males who had sired offspring.
After watching his child for a moment, Kail hesitated as the Virgin Saintess handed him the baby with a smile.
“Hold him.”
“…Okay.”
Taking the fragile-looking infant carefully—very, very carefully—Kail accepted his child.
He could feel it instinctively: this tiny, delicate life could be extinguished with the slightest misstep, thanks to his Aura Master senses.
Perhaps the baby sensed his thoughts, because it began wailing even louder.
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
“Haha, ahaha—Yes, my son…”
“Hwaaaaaah-! Hweeeeh, Waaaaaaah!”
The little one cried as if utterly heartbroken, and hearing those cries made Kail’s own eyes well up with tears.
After fumbling around holding the baby for a while, Kail heard someone call his name and turned cautiously.
“…Kail.”
“Ah, Yuri. Are you okay?”
“Mm—more importantly, I want to hold him too.”
Seeing Yuri extending her arms, Kail gently handed the baby over. Yuri immediately placed the child on her ample bosom and began stroking it gently.
“Hwaaaaaaaah…?”
Recognizing the softness and familiar scent of her breasts, the baby paused its crying and slowly turned its head toward her chest.
Watching this, Yuri chuckled softly.
“The kid and his dad… both love breasts just the same.”
Aha ha—laughter erupted throughout the delivery room.
Shortly after, the doctor handed Kail a knife and asked him to cut the umbilical cord.
Shaking his head, Kail returned the knife.
“I can’t risk hurting him.”
There was something far superior to this knife, whose sterilization he couldn’t confirm. A technique so precise it could cut anything, targeting only what he wanted to cut.
Summoning his Aura Blade, Kail carefully severed the umbilical cord with nanoscopic precision, leaving not a single mark behind.
And so, Kail and Yuri’s child was fully born into the world.
“Caël. Your name is Caël.”
It was a boy.
***
“—Grandchild! My grandchild!”
Count Karl, who had been holed up in his room, burst out the moment he heard Yuri had given birth.
“Where’s my grandson!?”
Duke Walter of the North even teleported all the way to the Meyer territory.
The two men exchanged brief nods before heading straight to see their grandchild.
“Shh—He’s sleeping right now.”
“Hmm—Grandpa’s here…”
“Father-in-law, just seeing him should satisfy you. I haven’t even held him yet.”
“Are you comparing yourself to me? I came all the way from the North…”
“I saw your teleportation. According to Kail, it takes less than ten seconds from the North to here. What hardship?”
The Duke glared momentarily at the suddenly cocky Count. But soon, he noticed a change in the Count.
“…You’ve become a Master.”
“Yes, recently.”
“Ah, well then.”
If some lowly Expert had spoken to him so boldly, even if they were Kail’s father or his son-in-law, the Duke would’ve had something to say. But now that they were equals as Masters, he felt no difference in rank between them.
Straight talk was important, but objectively speaking, wasn’t the Count, who had raised Kail, of higher standing than the Duke, who had merely raised Yuri?
Parents’ shoulders always rise with their children’s success, after all.
“What’s the child’s name?”
“They said it’ll be Caël.”
“Not a fan. I know a famous naming service…”
“The kids decided on the name. Let it slide. They’re parents now—they need to learn to stand on their own.”
“…True.”
The Count belatedly realized why the Duke was so restless. While Kail and Yuri were new parents, this was also the first time they were becoming grandparents.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he’d see a grandchild at this age—it was truly a novel feeling.
“—Father. What’s up?”
As they smiled lightly, Yuri appeared, having finished feeding and putting the baby to sleep.
The Duke gazed at his daughter briefly before approaching her and pulling her into a tight embrace.
Caught off guard by the sudden display of affection, Yuri hesitantly wrapped her arms around her father’s waist.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“…No, Mother went through the same when she gave birth to me.”
“That’s right. Your mother suffered greatly giving birth to you in that cold North…”
“Where is Mother?”
“At home. I’ll bring her formally later. Today, I just dropped by alone.”
While the Duke and Yuri were catching up, Kail emerged behind her and greeted the Duke casually.
The Duke frowned slightly as he looked at Kail. He had offered him the throne, but Kail had stubbornly refused and passed it to someone else.
“You’ve… gone through a lot too, haven’t you?”
“No, honestly, Yuri did all the hard work.”
“That’s right. Treasure her. She took on great risks for your sake.”
“I’ll love her more than anyone.”
“Good mindset.”
Assured that his son-in-law was reliable, the Duke smiled contentedly and asked to see the baby’s face just once.
Unfortunately, the Duke had to leave without seeing the baby.
Count Karl, who had stayed home and gotten to hold the baby, later bragged about it via communication crystal.
***
“You’re pregnant.”
“…What? No way.”
Time passed.
About a month later.
Yuri was pregnant again.
