By Zephyria 
Mikael’s embrace was always more than warm; it was hot.
They were inside a carriage designed like a bed to ensure comfortable travel during their long honeymoon. Several layers of plush sheets had been added, and it was surrounded by dozens of spells, including temperature maintenance magic.
I clung tightly to Mikael, who was lounging comfortably, as if I would never let go again.
Since Spiritus was accompanying them, they could have shortened the travel time by opening portals at every destination as they had before, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to explore every corner of this vast Empire firsthand. Having found an excuse, I also wanted to leave the always-busy Imperial Palace and travel leisurely with Mika.
Against the bridge of my nose and my left cheek, the thumping sound of a heartbeat echoed. Half-drunk on a sense of tranquility that could never be recreated through dreams or fantasies, I enjoyed today’s glory.
The first portal was completed in 15 hours.
To say it happened in the blink of an eye would not be an exaggeration. All the Tower Lords of the five Magic Towers who received the portal magic formula had shaken their heads, claiming that the 10th Circle was a realm unreachable for current humanity. They explained that even if they could barely grasp the structure of the formula, there was no way to force and purify the massive amount of mana required to activate it, regardless of what existing magical materials were used.
But we had Mikael.
The Source of the Waterproof Forest, bloomed by Mikael’s mana, possessed absolute mana-forcing power. Not only did it absorb, release, and redefine nearby mana, but it also reached across space to pull mana from the Magic territory, stacking it in a refined form. An astonishingly brilliant mana filled the surroundings.
The two specially selected wizards also played their parts perfectly.
Mage Boulder and Marianne Philodendore had accompanied Mikael on his journey. Having intuitively witnessed 10th Circle magic both directly and indirectly, they showed off their brilliant intellect and intuition without being intimidated by the movement of vast amounts of mana.
In particular, because Mika was the first to be taught 10th Circle magic theory after her return, she was able to play a key role as a primary figure in the newly established Portal Theory.
However, today, more than anything and anyone, the greatest help was Spiritus.
The god of magic, who had used 10th Circle magic as naturally as breathing, actively corrected errors in the spell formulas. Not stopping there, he personally demonstrated how to break through limits—so that the two wizards could understand, and so that a higher realm could be implemented by human hands.
All of this was thanks to Spiritus choosing the two of us as the parents of an immature dragon.
“How did you know?”
Mikael, who had been quietly holding me, asked.
“I had forgotten for a moment, but you gave me a hint quite openly.”
If he hadn’t come at all, I wouldn’t have known. Spiritus had mentioned through my attendant that he would help with the portal installation work.
My bewilderment at the sight of him sitting there stubbornly, tilting his head and making it obvious he was sulking, had been brief.
Among the things I had forgotten during the ten days immediately following the wedding, only one thing concerned Spiritus.
The issue of a successor was important to me as well.
Spiritus looked quite displeased at the answer I had hurriedly thrown out as if begging, but he forgave me with a single sigh and participated in the portal work.
Yes, Mika and I had promised to adopt a dragon egg.
I remember how shocked I was the day Mikael first came to me, saying he had found a Dragon’s Lair.
A dragon. I wondered if this was another preparation process to achieve some great feat and leave me again; remembering that day, when I was so tense that my jaw trembled with a fear that preceded anger, I felt sorrowful and scared once more. Mika had kindly sworn that he would never leave me again, but…
While lost in these various thoughts for a moment, I lay facing Mika as he pulled a pillow over for me.
Mika, who had now completely become mine, did not push me away even when I pressed my chin firmly against his chest, or occasionally bit him or licked his neck. He simply tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear or gently rubbed the tail of my eyebrow with the tip of his thumb.
A gaze full of melted affection scanned my face. He chuckled and asked.
“‘Yong-yong’?”
“At the time, I was in such a rush… I couldn’t think of anything. Is it bad?”
“No, it’s cute. It’s very like Ruben.”
“…What?”
“Haha! So, where is Yong-yong?”
I glanced up. Mika’s lips quickly softened into a sweet smile again.
Whenever I cherished a specific target, they inevitably got hurt, died, or disappeared.
Lucilla had cried and cried again after desperately trying to cherish something in secret, but I simply didn’t raise anything. On the rare occasions I had to give something a name, I named it as carelessly as possible and didn’t pay it any mind. The further they were from my sight, the longer they survived.
But that was fine. Before meeting Mikael, I had never desperately longed to give and receive affection.
But now, things must change. I should be careful about this in the future so that Mikael doesn’t find it suspicious. I wonder where I can learn a sincere way of naming.
As far as I knew, Mikael had never raised or cherished a specific pet. Was it different in some of his past lives? No matter how much I looked into his fresh, smiling face, it was something I couldn’t know.
Trying to organize my mind as it threatened to become complicated, I took out the silk pouch I had received from Spiritus.
Inside was an egg that looked like a very small pebble.
I had seen Mermaids and gods, so why would a dragon be a big deal? Yet, even after Spiritus personally certified it, I couldn’t believe this was a real dragon egg.
The oval shape with a gentle curvature was excessively small. At most, it was slightly larger than the length of a thumb joint.
So, how small would the baby coming out of this be? If it were a dragon or a Dragonian, it would probably take on a roughly human shape around five years after birth.
The more I thought about it, the more overwhelmed I felt.
“The more I look at it, the uglier it is.”
“…The baby will hear you.”
“I meant that makes it even cuter.”
Mikael stroked the surface of the egg with his thumb as if rubbing it.
I covered the egg with both hands to hide it. It was because a ridiculous thought surged up—what if Mikael grew attached to this egg and cherished this child more than me?
Unaware of how pathetic and pathological my thoughts were, Mika tenderly caressed the back of my hand.
…I forced back a sigh.
The reason I was jealous of even such trivial things was quite clear. The inner thoughts of the Ninth God, which had flowed from Richard’s mouth, were still clinging stickily to my mind, evoking unpleasant emotions.
Mikael remained human… but at the same time, he was a being equal to a god.
One could say that Mikael had fulfilled the dream of the Ninth God instead. Mika, who had already experienced thousands of lives, would be born in a human body, form a family again, and continue to live on this continent in another reincarnation. And I…
Is it normal to worry about what happens after life?
Mika is a very upright and steadfast person, so there is no way he would become like the Ninth God.
Mika was merciful enough to give overflowing love to anyone, as long as they were a human with even a tiny fragment of my soul attached to them. The family and friends who would compose his new life would make Mika rich.
That’s why, because of that, the thought of some damn bastard taking my place and acting smug with happiness made my eyes burn and resentment surge from within.
But… that doesn’t mean I want Mika to continue a lonely and difficult life…
I shifted my attention to the smooth surface of the tiny egg trapped between my hands.
“Still, it’s a relief. I heard mana must be infused for five years, but it almost got delayed by a year.”
“That amount of time is nothing…”
“The sooner a successor is decided, the better. Since this journey is a long one, it’ll be fine to omit the explanation regarding the conception process.”
“Conception process?”
“Yeah. I think it would be cleanest if I just claimed that I laid the egg myself. I can give it some appropriate mythical meaning… After all, it won’t be like a normal child. I’ll use that as an excuse, moderately.”
An existing god was already conversing and communicating with several humans and achieving great feats. Even humans who had never seen Spiritus personally would not be able to deny the existence of a god after seeing the portals opened with her help. Leaning on that myth, spreading a rumor that I had given birth to a child would be a piece of cake.
Above all, the cute lie Mika had told the previous Duke of Valentia was expected to prove this child’s legitimacy.
I also liked the fact that Mika and I would be tied together as a family capable of producing a successor.
Mikael still had a look full of doubt.
“Will it be very different?”
“Who knows… a child stronger than Sir Benjamin might be born.”
If the personality of the being born from this egg were violent or lacked humanity, then it would be better to make Lucilla’s child the successor.
While wandering through the current Duke Ernhardt’s Territory to find Mika, Lucilla had become the protagonist of a scandal involving several knights. No matter which of them she was involved with, a gentle child would likely be born, so as long as they weren’t stupid, they would be useful.
If we’re going to talk about legitimacy, I hope the one born from this egg… Yong-yong is a child capable of normal thought.
Since I knew nothing about dragon ecology and genetics, I couldn’t imagine what kind of child would emerge.
He said it’s raised by feeding it Mika’s and my mana. Since it will likely consume more of Mika’s mana than mine, will a child who looks a lot like Mika be born?
That might be a bit cute.
…If I could raise a young Mika with my own hands…
I straightened my lips, which were trying to curl up strangely. Mika, who had been quietly looking at my face, let out a soft laugh. Then he tenderly suggested.
“Shall we begin now?”
“Now?”
“Yes. Starting with Ruben.”
“…It really is similar to a magical creature, right? I just have to infuse mana?”
“Yes. I noticed earlier that I can read the presence of the egg. I will help so that we can stop immediately if anything strange happens.”
It wasn’t something to put off for no reason. The sooner a task at hand was resolved, the better.
In Sierren, there was no specifically designated posture when infusing mana into a magical creature. However, since I didn’t know how much mana this egg would swallow, I naturally took the posture that allowed me to handle the largest amount of mana most efficiently, as far as I knew.
I sat in the Lotus Position and placed the egg upon my joined hands.
I took a deep breath in and exhaled shallowly. With my eyes closed, I contemplated the internal energy circulating through familiar acupoints. The internal energy flowing along the belt meridian of my body glowed even more blue as it received the energy of Mika sitting beside me.
I drew out the purest energy from deep within my Dantian and let it flow.
There was a deep blue dot in the concave space where my fingertips overlapped.
It was an even smaller dot inside the tiny egg. Even with my eyes closed, I could see it, pinpoint it, and feel it.
That small thing held a glimmer of light. It was quite fascinating to see that existence, smaller than a speck of dust, roll half a turn and shine like a twinkling star, then spread black like a blink, and shine blue again.
Blink, blink. Blink…
The irregularly blinking signal, as if trying to tell me something, piqued my interest.
It wasn’t my first time dealing with magical creatures. In the Empire, Ranunculus were used routinely.
Spirits were also not biologically very different from magical creatures. Since many Spirit Masters had free natures, they couldn’t be used extensively in the Imperial Palace, but I had learned all the development stages and various appearances of each spirit, not knowing when they might be needed.
But those were ‘magical creatures,’ and this…
This was ‘our child.’
I realized anew that my mana was blue.
The despair I had felt once when I thought I had lost Mika suddenly popped up.
Mana is a fragment of the soul. Then this child, who will share parts of both my and Mika’s mana…
Wouldn’t it be a being that ties the two of us together in a true sense?
‘…’
The blue light continued to blink. The breath swallowing my mana seemed disorderly but was regular. It felt as if I could hear a gulping sound.
‘…I’m your daddy.’
In an instant, the blue light suddenly swelled its body.
It shouldn’t be possible, it shouldn’t be able to read my mind… yet it showed a clear reaction.
A tail, like that of a tadpole, grew on the blue dot that had been the size of dust. The baby stretched its curled body straight and then curled it again.
In an instant, something surged up from within me to an unbelievable, incomprehensible degree.
I hoped this child would not go through all the trial and error I had experienced. I wanted them to have an unshakable status and become the greatest Emperor in the world.
Or even if not, at least, I hoped they would grow into a vibrant and intelligent child, receiving Mika’s endless love.
The faces of other Ernhardts raised by Mika flashed through my mind. Between them, I recalled the image of a young Lucilla running around with a wooden sword, whining for me to play with her.
Had I ever poured out my internal energy so fervently since I first learned Breathing and regulating energy?
The baby, without a moment’s rest, opened its mouth—though I didn’t know if I could call it a mouth, but regardless—and began to inhale my internal energy.