Crossroad. The Alchemy Workshop.
Bang!
I burst into the workshop, calling out urgently.
"Lilly!"
Lilly's room was near the entrance of the workshop, a consideration for her difficulty in walking.
As I rushed in, I shouted.
"I heard there's been trouble! What kind of... incident..."
My words trailed off.
Lilly was sitting demurely at her workshop desk, inspecting an artifact.
"...Your Highness?"
Lilly looked at me in shock, her voice filled with surprise.
"My goodness, you're back?"
"Yes, I am back... but."
I pointed at Lilly with a trembling hand.
"What... what's with that belly?"
Lilly, seated in her chair, had... incredibly, a hugely swollen belly.
I covered my mouth with my hand and approached her.
"Why... why is your belly so big?"
"Ah, that's because..."
"You can't overeat to this extent because of stress! How did you end up with such severe abdominal obesity?!"
"That's not belly fat, okay?!"
Lilly shouted, then sighed and placed her hands on her belly.
"I'm pregnant."
"What?"
My mouth fell open.
"Whose, whose child is it?!"
"...Who else could it be? Obviously, it's Godhand's."
Lilly gave me a look that seemed to question why I was even asking.
I was truly speechless.
Just then, Bodybag and Burnout came out from inside the workshop and greeted me. Lilly moved from the chair to the wheelchair with their assistance.
"It seems I got pregnant right before the Goblin Legion attacked... If I calculate the dates, it's been about 8 months now."
"8 months..."
So, she would be giving birth in about two months? Or does it differ for a half-elf?
As I looked bewildered at Lilly's swollen belly, she reprimanded me.
"Your Highness. I understand you're surprised, but aren't there certain words you're supposed to say first when a subordinate announces a pregnancy?"
"Ah! Yes, of course..."
I stopped hesitating and finally offered the greeting I should have given earlier.
"Congratulations...?!"
"Thank you, Your Highness. It feels like you're just saying it because I pointed it out."
Lilly gave a wry smile and asked Bodybag and Burnout to tidy up inside the workshop. The two elves complied quietly with her request.
As I pushed her wheelchair outside, Lilly bowed her head in thanks.
"I know what you're worried about, Your Highness. Everyone was concerned."
Once we reached the backyard of the workshop, Lilly opened up after a moment of silence in the fresh air.
"The baby has no father, and the mother can't use her legs, and on top of that, the child in my womb is a despised half-breed between a human and an elf."
"..."
"I know. It's going to be very hard."
What could I possibly add?
I just listened. Lilly continued.
"When I found out I was pregnant, I was in a lot of turmoil. Should I keep the baby? If I do, how will we live?"
The early autumn sunlight pierced through the foliage in the backyard, shining down on Lilly's face. She closed her eyes gently.
"I felt so helpless, I even thought about ending it all, just like that, with the baby."
"..."
"But I just couldn't... I didn't have the courage."
Lilly pressed her lips together firmly.
"I didn't have the courage to abort the baby. Or to die with it. So I just decided... to have the baby."
"..."
"To live."
To live.
To reach such a six-word conclusion, how many nights must she have spent in turmoil.
Regrettably, I was not by Lilly's side during her times of distress. She had to reach her conclusion and endure all by herself. Lilly was strong.
"No, you're incredibly brave, Lilly."
I said earnestly, nodding my head.
"I'll help you. With giving birth, with raising the child..."
"..."
"Crossroad might have a challenging work environment, but the welfare is good, right? Just trust the lord."
There's a saying that it takes a village to raise a child.
It means that many people's help is needed for a child to grow up safely.
I was willing to offer any help I could for Lilly and her child. And I believed others would feel the same.
"Didn't I promise you before? If you decide to take on a challenge, I will help."
Maybe, Lilly is facing a challenge bigger than any she has faced before.
More than ever, she would need a lot of help.
"I won't refuse, Your Highness."
Lilly placed her hand on her belly and smiled sheepishly.
"It seems I'm in no position to refuse."
...I thought that during my absence, only the children had grown up beyond recognition.
But it wasn't just the children.
Adults grow too.
Looking into Lilly's eyes, which seemed deeper than before, I felt a lump in my throat.
"Alright! That's enough about my personal matters. I'll report on how the artifacts and defensive installations have been devastated in your absence. Oh, did you see the giant skull hanging on the southern wall on your way here? It's really something..."
Lilly, true to her role in artifact management, began her report.
I listened attentively to her report, but my gaze remained fixed on her belly.
Crossroad is known as the city built over a graveyard.
But even here, people fall in love, have children, and... continue to live.
Even on a graveyard. Rising above death.
- "I decided to live."
I thought I would not soon forget those six words Lilly uttered.
All the more reason.
To protect the front lines here... to protect this world, so they can live on.
I clenched my fist tightly.
***
After visiting the alchemy workshop, I made rounds to other workshops, greeting the guild leaders for the first time in a while.
I exchanged greetings with other mercenaries and soldiers.
After finishing my round of survival notifications, I headed back to the mansion.
"..."
I stopped the carriage in front of the temple.
A large man in a helmet was sweeping the entrance of the temple. I got out of the carriage and approached him.
"Torkel."
He was the leader of the Leprosy Extermination Squad, Torkel.
Startled as I called his name and approached, Torkel looked at me.
"Your Highness...! You've returned?!"
"Ha ha. It was a long journey, but yes, I'm back."
I smiled awkwardly and observed Torkel's appearance.
"Have you been doing menial tasks at the temple ever since?"
"Yes, that's right."
Torkel scratched the back of his helmeted head and answered in his characteristic gruff voice.
"Still haven't found the answer..."
"..."
Because of the goblin horde that attacked the temple.
The Leprosy Extermination Squad, except for Torkel, had been wiped out.
Saintess Margarita, the head priestess, died here, taking an arrow meant for Torkel.
I don't know what meaning this temple held for him, but his reason for not leaving and choosing to loiter around doing menial tasks... seemed understandable.
Torkel calmly explained how the temple had been managed during my absence, and I listened quietly.
And he also had new information to share.
"Within a few weeks, a new High Priest will be assigned to this temple."
At Torkel's words, my eyes widened in surprise.
"A new High Priest? Is someone being dispatched from the central order?"
"Yes. Actually, we all thought no one would come, and that Damien would continue as the High Priest... But recently, we received a message from the central order. They'll be arriving soon."
It was truly unexpected news. Was there another foolish priest willing to come to this remote place?
"..."
Or, perhaps, it was as the order had always done: sending someone to monitor the situation here as a spy.
"Up until now, I could stay here because Damien, acting as the High Priest, generously allowed it... But with the arrival of the new High Priest, I'll probably be driven out."
Torkel slowly turned his body and looked around the temple.
"A leper, and the one responsible for the death of the previous High Priestess, Saintess Margarita, is right here."
"..."
"Ah, I've brought up a rather depressing topic... My apologies."
Torkel bowed to me respectfully.
"If you need me, please feel free to call on me. If you summon me, I am ready to go to the battlefield and die."
"..."
"Then... take care, Your Highness."
Torkel then resumed his combing.
His movements in cleaning around the temple were mechanical, yet skilled. After watching him for a moment, I boarded the carriage.
The survival report was more or less complete.
Now, it's time to prepare for the next stage.
***
That evening.
My heroes began to arrive at my mansion. We had decided to have dinner and chat.
The lord's mansion was lively for the first time in a while.
The servants, seemingly overjoyed at my return, brought out a plethora of dishes they hadn't even been ordered to make, smiling from ear to ear.
The meal was delicious, and the atmosphere was excellent. I felt relieved.
...If only it hadn't been for the flower garden interior of the mansion.
In my absence, the lord's mansion had once again transformed into a cutesy, bling-bling interior. There was only one person who would undertake such a change in taste.
I glared at the culprit, grinding my teeth.
"Evangeline...!"
"Fu-fu, fuuuuui~"
Evangeline, who had grown a bit over the last six months, still couldn't whistle properly and pretended not to hear.
Everyone burst into laughter. No, it's not funny! Why does my house always end up like this whenever I'm away!
Anyway, everything else was good except for the interior.
While eating, I briefly told them about what I had experienced.
Falling deep into the dungeon. Defeating two commanders of the Nightmare Legion.
The stories of the villagers and Mason from the bottom. And finally, redefining myself in the spirit realm...
I didn't tell them everything, but I shared what needed to be shared without omission.
Especially.
"So, I want to apologize."
This part had to be clear.
"I should apologize for disappearing for half a year, but more than that... I want to apologize for my attitude before I disappeared."
I had tried to become a monster.
Believing it was the way to protect more people.
To do so, I broke my own flag. But what I overlooked was this.
The flag was no longer just mine. It was a banner raised together by everyone on this front.
Forgetting that, I acted arrogantly.
My comrades rebelled against me. They did not follow my orders.
To protect me.
To protect our flag.
Thanks to them, I was able to realize something more important.
"Thanks to all of you, I was able to avoid crossing the line. Thanks to you, I was able to return."
My flag and I were protected by everyone here.
"Thank you. Everyone."
I bowed my head to everyone.
"...We should be the ones thanking you, Your Highness."
After a moment of silence, Lucas, sitting next to me, smiled broadly.
"For coming back."
He was probably thanking me for physically coming back.
But also for coming back as myself, the one who once again took up the old flag... that must be what Lucas meant. I responded with a slight smile.
After the meal, when tea and snacks were being passed around to everyone.
I brought up our future tasks.
"Let's get organized. There are three immediate challenges we need to address."
I clenched my fist and then extended only my index finger, shaking it.
"First, assessing the world's political situation."
Whether we like it or not, it's something we must do to survive. Politics.
"It's said that Fernandez won the throne battle in the Imperial Capital... soon, the repercussions will reach here."
Thinking of the influence Fernandez has extended to Crossroad.
It surely won't be a mild impact.
"Let's keep our ears wide open and prepare for the shockwave coming from the Imperial Capital."
Then, I extended two fingers, my index and middle finger.
"Second. Dungeon exploration."
Dungeon Offense.
Perhaps the most important task for clearing this game.
"The next time we explore a dungeon, we'll head to Zone 8's 'Mage Tower' to retrieve the Holy Grail."
Everyone was listening intently to my words. I nodded.
"It's larger and more threatening than any dungeon we've explored before. We must be fully prepared before setting out."
Lastly, I spread out three fingers - my index, middle, and ring finger.
"And finally, the most imminent major event. The next defense battle."
Tower Defense.
The essence of this damned game.
"A defense battle right after returning, really..."
I chuckled.
"What a thrill!"
Stage 20.
The next boss stage was just around the corner.