Not only did Solus’ presence make the lessons much more enjoyable for the male fourth year students, but she also taught Void Magic from a different angle by using one-step exercises that emphasized a single aspect of an elemental pair of elements.
Her methods were just as valid as Lith’s but they offered an alternative approach to those who had been struggling to follow his teachings.
Time passed, Kamila entered the fourth month of pregnancy and Brinja gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Milla Distar, named in honor of her late grandmother Mirim. As the personal healer of both mother and daughter, Lith was summoned to deliver the baby.
Milla was born with a head full of brown hair with blue streaks all over, making Brinja cry with joy the moment Lith handed her the baby.
“She’s identical to my mother.” Brinja said amid tears. “Let’s hope that Milla has inherited Mom’s talent for magic as well.”
Lith couldn’t see any resemblance between the serene, youthful beauty of the late Mirim and the screaming, wrinkly goblin in Brinja’s arms. Yet he had long since learned to keep such thoughts to himself and that all newborns were just as beautiful as their parents claimed.
After giving the mother and daughter a full check-up and cleaning the room, the rest of the family and guests were allowed to enter. Headmaster Distar rushed to his wife’s side, checking them both with his best diagnostic spell before questioning Lith.
“Did you make sure to remove every piece of the placenta?”
“Yes.” Lith nodded.
“Did you remember to untangle the umbilical cord before the delivery? A prolonged lack of oxygen could impair the brain.”
“Yes.”
“Did you keep track of the blood loss? If Brinja doesn’t get life force now, in her weakened state even a small internal wound could go into sepsis and kill her.”
“Yes. I also already gave her a blood potion to stay on the safe side and rejuvenated her.” Lith was one of the only three rejuvenators in the entire Kingdom.
It was a matter of great prestige and one of the two reasons the Marquis hadn’t delivered his daughter himself. The second was that he was aware of Lith’s nature as Awakened and of his ability to heal wounds with a breath.
‘I can’t risk stuttering a magic word or fumbling a hand sign. Treating your own relative is already a healer’s taboo, but two at the same time is even worse.’ Ainz had never failed a spell, but the idea of losing his wife and child made even the unlikely seem probable.
“Thank the gods and thank you!” Headmaster Ainz held Lith in a bear hug before returning to his family.
“The man was so nervous that I almost had to knock him out a couple of times.” Marth said while entering the room along with Ryssa and Kamila.
“I can regenerate from almost any wound yet I seem to recall that you were no less worried for me.” Ryssa held his right arm and playfully squeezed his hand like during the delivery. “Vastor had to reassure you more often than me.”
“Well, yes, but Dhiral-” The Headmaster of the White Griffon blushed in embarrassment.
“Is a hybrid and heals almost as well.” She chuckled.
“Does it always take this long?” Kamila had waited with the others for hours in the antechambers instead of a few minutes like for Salaark.
With Elysia growing in her womb, the wait had scared her almost as much as Ainz.
“I don’t know how it works for humans.” Ryssa shrugged. “For me, it took a while, but maybe it was because it was my firstborn. Things might be easier for the second. What do you think, dear?”
“Another child already?” The redness flushed away from Marth’s cheeks, making him pale.
“Why not? The Kingdom is at peace now and Dhiral could use someone to play with. The lesser the age gap, the better they’ll get along.”
“I’m sorry, I need a drink.” The Headmaster of the White Griffon rushed to the refreshments stand, toasting to the new mother, father, and their child.
“Three drinks so early in the morning?” Kamila looked at Marth with worry. “Are things going so badly with Dhiral?”
“Not really.” The Dryad sighed deeply, letting her smile fade now that her husband couldn’t see her anymore. “I mean, he’s always a handful, and every time he manages to escape from the crib, we have a heart attack until we find him.
“That said, the Royal Court is getting used to my presence, especially after the King’s outburst during the last gala. Duke’s parents would still prefer for him a human woman, but they are now too afraid of him to speak up.”
“Why afraid?” Lith asked. “Is everything alright?”
“Not really.” Ryssa shrugged. “Duke has threatened his parents to cut them off our lives if they don’t behave but the real issue is his temper. Ever since he fused with the White Griffon, he is struggling with the aftereffects.”
“The only things that calm him down are Dhiral and your Void Magic lessons, Lith. They keep his mind busy. While you were in the Desert to heal, Duke became a nervous wreck until he managed to contact you and get your advice.
“No matter what he does, every lack of progress reminds Duke of the knowledge he has lost and it’s driving him insane.”
“That’s weird. Ainz doesn’t seem to have any problem.” Kamila said.
“He didn’t conjure the mana from the Black Griffon, he just activated the Royal Array.” The Dryad shook her head. “He has experienced but a fraction of what Duke went through. That’s why I’d like to have another baby.
“It would give a new focus to his mind and keep his body in the bedroom.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Kamila nodded. “It sure would work on Lith.”
“Hey!” He blushed, not liking the private details of his life to be shared.
After a while, mother and daughter fell asleep. The Marquis wanted to spend some time alone with them so he politely kicked his guests out.
“Do you think that Brinja will be alright ?” Kamila asked after crossing the Warp Gate to Lutia.
“It was a normal childbirth. Nothing went wrong. Why?”
“Because it’s Selia’s turn next and then…” Her gaze was meant to fall on her womb, but her breasts blocked her vision, no matter how much she pushed her stomach forward.
“It will be yours.” Lith’s gaze fell onto her breasts as well, staring at them with a mix of focus and awe that she recognized as his perverted face. “Is it me or are the twins still growing?”
“A little whereas there’s still no trace of a baby bump. Is it normal?” Kamila had asked that very same question to every woman in the family and received constant reassurances but she was worried nonetheless.
“Yes.” Lith rolled his eyes. “Good gods, Kami, you have three Guardians protecting you. Do you really think something can go wrong?”
“Yes.” She snarled, her teeth shapeshifting into fangs in annoyance. “Our baby is the first of her kind so there is nothing certain about this. Maybe what’s okay for others means there’s something wrong with me.”
