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Chapter 8
No matter how much of a transcendent “invincible pass card” he was, Raiden, who officially held the position of Vice Commander of the Royal Knights, returned to his duties, and I carefully planned my next steps afterward.
Considering a typical pregnancy lasts ten months, the estimated due date was usually seven months away. At the earliest, five months from now, I’d be eight months pregnant and couldn’t hide my growing belly. Following Raiden’s advice, rather than worrying about the exact date, I decided to either take leave or resign before my belly got too big.
Still, I had to delay it as much as possible because of my brothers. I knew Raiden’s ability to hide me had its limits, and my brothers would help him with that. But if they discovered I was pregnant, I’d be dragged straight home. I had to find a new place to live in another city and move carefully without arousing suspicion. Considering these scenarios, I needed to remain at school for another two to three months. Even if I was greedy, four months would be the absolute limit.
Unfortunately, it coincided with the Chental Academic Conference, so many students and dragons would leave campus, classes were lighter than usual, and professors were actively competing for vacation days. Yet, I had to act in advance to find a new doctor and handle handovers.
“I… have something to discuss.”
Once a decision is made, you have to act immediately. I went boldly to the faculty office and opened the door. The medical headquarters was empty—understandable, as most people were in their own departments. Even Professor Black usually stayed in Building 1 or the main school building.
“I was just about to call you; good timing. Please, have a seat here.”
Unexpectedly, I received a warm welcome. Medical Director Professor Black smiled and gestured to the sofa. Most of the professors were present in the office, including a veterinarian. A few professors seemed to be from Chental. It made me a little uneasy.
“A royal decree has arrived.”
Professor Black carefully unfolded a letter stamped with the royal seal in gold ink. On the way here, I had seen a postal dragon carrying the royal flag, so it wasn’t a hallucination. Glancing around, some professors looked excited, while others seemed burdened and anxious. Clearing his throat, Professor Black, the most authoritative in the office, spoke.
“The King himself takes great interest in the grand prize for the martial arts category of this Chental International Academic Conference. Rumor has it that it’s the egg produced by the offspring of Belpeper Crown Prince’s dragon, Rotten Crombel, and Palenopsis, crossed with Kryptondia. As you know, a hybrid of Rotten Crombel and Kryptondia would be a tremendous asset to our kingdom’s security.”
Since the king sent a formal decree, the rumor was likely true. Rotten Crombel, at most twenty meters long, was a medium-sized dragon—highly aggressive and exceptionally intelligent in combat, practically born for war. Its fire was among the hottest of fire-element dragons. If it successfully bred with Kryptondia, a large dragon capable of melting lava, and passed on its strengths… well, Belpeper practically anticipated winning again.
“So, we will select the top students for this victory. The dragons accompanying them aren’t for Li or Delaf. What breed are they again?”
“Tess Nigella. A mountain-spitting breed.”
“Yes, that’s right. Tess Nigella is native to the Tess region and is among the strongest and smartest dragons in Amort. These two will accompany the team, and this will be their first journey, so they’re expected to be very stressed.”
It was a nerve-wracking start.
“But I heard you’re very good with dragons?”
The veterinarians and dragon caretakers present nodded in agreement.
“Of course, it might just be a few dragons’ fleeting whims, but it’s better than none at all. We want them at peak condition for the competition. Honestly, that’s just a side note. Mainly, since they’re mountain-handling dragons, we need a skilled doctor to manage them. Originally, Teacher Ren volunteered, but since the King insisted on absolute thoroughness, you’ll be going as well.”
It was kind of Professor Black to explain in detail, but it was extremely inconvenient for me. The trip to Chental was scheduled a week from now. With travel, preparation, the competition, rest, and return, it would take almost two months. By then, I’d be packing and heading to the countryside via portal or ship—far from ideal while pregnant. Long trips were simply not feasible.
“Ah, I’m truly grateful that you value my abilities.”
“Nonsense. I’ve always admired your skills. Now, I believe in you. But, I suppose you came here with something to say?”
In front of all these people, I couldn’t say I found the Chental trip inconvenient. Even a four-year-old would sense it. This was essentially a royal order—mentioning a long leave or resignation wasn’t an option.
“Ah, nothing else. I… wanted to request leave. Two months from now.”
“Is that so? You can go after returning from Chental and submitting your report. Very well, of course, it’s approved.”
Relief washed over me. If I mentioned I was pregnant, I could get out of royal orders, but at the same time, I’d be dragged to Gingerbell as an unwed mother.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
I was doomed.
That evening, a dinner gathering was arranged. All professors and doctors going to Chental gathered. Since the money came from the principal’s pocket, they went to a fancy restaurant they rarely visited. Teachers noticed my pale expression and offered me a soft drink instead of alcohol. Meanwhile, I piled my plate high with fried shrimp and ate.
Everyone seemed to think it would be impossible to get the dragon egg at the Chental conference. Understandable—our kingdom, without Raiden and Kryptondia, could be easily overtaken by the empire. Limiting the dragons brought from each school to two medium-sized dragons, the strongest we could take were the two Tess Nigella. Not that Tess Nigella was weak, but compared to Chamber Jewelry, brought by Belpeper Empire schools last time, they were relatively weaker.
“So, it’ll be Shore, right?”
“Yes. Lord Roche was keeping a close eye.”
“You mean that Lord Roche?”
“If nothing unusual happens, he might be specially recruited as a knight of Litten.”
“Shore Count must be relieved.”
Shore—did this mean Damien Shore, the serial prankster? I knew he was in Class A, but not that he was so skilled. Earlier today, he came again because sand had gotten into his eyes during the exam.
“Teacher Hale, are you feeling unwell?”
Ren, usually cold, asked because I looked really bad.
“Yes… I’ve been tired lately, not feeling well. I’m worried I might not manage this schedule.”
“And you’ve skipped lunch because of your lack of appetite, haven’t you?”
I flinched but tried not to show it. I reached for my drink without looking, and it slipped off my fingers onto my lap. Dark stains spread across my skirt, and the smell of alcohol lingered. Thankfully, I hadn’t drunk it.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, my mistake. My clothes got wet. I think I’ll go back first.”
Good—a reason to leave early. But how to do so without embarrassment was another matter. Ren took off his coat and draped it over me. I was short, he was taller than Raiden, and the long coat covered the wet areas well.
“Wear this. Better than catching a cold. Next week, you’ll be traveling far, and you can’t risk worsening your condition now.”
I was touched by his blunt kindness. A fleeting thought about him being the father of my child crossed my mind, but I shook my head. Ren had a wife. He wasn’t the type to cheat, and his wife’s reputation preceded her. My imagination ran wild due to the situation.
“I’ll accompany you to the carriage station.”
“No, you’ve already lent me your coat. I can manage the rest.”
Ren walked me to the store’s front door anyway. Shivering in the cool night air, I looked around. The city was well-lit, and people moved about freely. The school city, adjacent to the Heime Wailer First Dragon Garrison and Litten Wailer Headquarters, was safe. Still, seeing Raiden Lenscher in the streets was unlikely.
“Ieli.”
A familiar voice called me. Normally, Raiden would have walked a block further to avoid being seen. Startled, Ren instinctively stepped back to shield me. I handed him the coat to clear the misunderstanding.
“He’s the one who came to pick me up.”
I hesitated, then added “family.” Raiden kept his hood low to avoid recognition. Ren might have seen him once visiting Amort, and could recognize him from the knight uniform and boots partially visible under his cloak.
“Thank you for coming this far. I’ll take my leave. See you tomorrow.”
Raiden nodded to Ren and headed toward the carriage station.
“Ah, I thought I’d been spotted. How did you know to come here? We didn’t have time to contact each other today.”
“I was meeting Amort’s principal about Chental matters. Then I happened to hear about the dinner… Did you drink?”
“No! I just spilled it by accident.”
Raiden eyed me suspiciously. The wet skirt clung to my legs, and I brushed my arms against it.
“It’s so cold.”
As soon as I said that, Raiden quickly checked the sky, took off his cloak, and wrapped me tightly in it.
“Why… why are you doing this?”
