Free Web NovelChapter 53: Three Months?!
Maeve clicked her tongue as she stared at her reflection in the bowl of water. Only then did she finally admit that her face really had gotten rounder.
But no. No, no, no. That had to be some kind of illusion.
Ever since she got pregnant, she had barely been able to eat anything. Most meals ended with her throwing up, and for a while she had looked so thin that she was practically a skeleton covered in skin.
So how could she possibly return to her normal weight in just a few days?
[Pinky’s information to the rescue!]
[For your information, Host! Wild beast meat contains much more fat and nutrients than ordinary meat. That’s why it’s completely normal for your weight to return to normal so quickly!]
[This is also why the members of the Azuryn Tribe are never truly skinny, even though they usually only eat once a day.]q
Maeve gasped after hearing that explanation. "You should’ve told me that sooner!" she complained. Then she pointed at herself. "My body is much smaller than theirs! If I keep eating too much, I might not even be able to walk by next year!"
[Oh, Host.] Pinky sounded completely unconcerned.
[People in this world spend most of their time walking long distances and doing physical work. The chances of you becoming too plump are very small.]
[And besides, a little extra weight is perfectly fine. Pinky is sure your husbands will love your soft, squishy fat!]
Maeve clicked her tongue again.
As a rookie police officer, she had always taken care of her body because being fit made it easier to run, fight, and do her job. Maybe that was why the idea of becoming too plump made her uncomfortable.
Still, if gaining a little weight meant she was finally healthy again, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. At the very least, it was much better than looking like a walking skeleton.
"Maeve! Elder Vax is here to check on you!" Cerus shouted from outside the hut. Before Maeve could even respond, he had already pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Elder Vax immediately looked away from her. Maeve almost rolled her eyes and guessed that the old man was probably still embarrassed after declaring that she was less important than the baby she was carrying.
"Well, Elder Vax," Maeve said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "It looks like you’ve been doing quite well while we were away from the settlement. The warriors and the barrier Axan created seem to be doing an excellent job."
Elder Vax quietly gritted his teeth and clenched his fists because, whether he liked it or not, he had to face Maeve.
But honestly, weren’t there any other healers here? Why did she always have to deal with this man? He had openly shown his dislike for her before!
"We were fortunate, Goddess," Elder Vax said after a long pause. "No wild beasts attacked the settlement while you were away. But I don’t believe we can rely on such fortune again in the future."
"Fortunate?" Cerus repeated with a frown and he looked genuinely confused. "It wasn’t fortune at all. No wild beasts attacked because Axan and I hunted the ones living around the settlement."
He folded his arms across his chest. "We would never leave our people behind and depend on luck alone," he said firmly. "That would be stupid."
Most of the time, Cerus was the most childish among the three brothers. He loved joking around, causing trouble, and saying whatever came into his head, but moments like this reminded her that he was still one of the tribe’s leaders.
When the situation called for it, Cerus could be surprisingly reliable. And unlike most people, he never hesitated to say exactly what he was thinking.
"You are right, Leader," Elder Vax admitted, lowering his head slightly. "I apologize for being so... foolish these past few days."
"Yes, you really should stop being so grumpy, Elder Vax," Cerus said with a nod. "We’re about to welcome the newest member of our tribe. I don’t want my child growing up in a place where all the elders spend their time looking grumpy."
Elder Vax’s expression darkened. Maeve had a feeling that Cerus had somehow managed to insult and encourage the old man at the same time.
"Let me examine you again, Goddess," Elder Vax said.
After a brief pause, he finally swallowed his pride and focused on doing his duty as a healer.
Maeve simply nodded and lay back so he could check her stomach more easily. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
"Your baby’s heartbeat has definitely grown stronger," Elder Vax said as he placed both hands on her stomach.
Maeve glanced down and noticed that for some reason, she felt like her belly was already starting to round out a little.
Did that even make sense? Her pregnancy hadn’t even reached one month yet.
[Oh, Host. Did Pinky forget to tell you something important?] Pinky suddenly landed on her chest. The little mochi looked unusually excited.
[Since you’re carrying an Azuryn Tribe baby and have received Ikarus’s golden blood, you don’t have to experience pregnancy the same way humans do!]
[Women of the Azuryn Tribe only carry their babies for three months!] Pinky bounced happily. [And you’ll also have a heat period just like them!]
Maeve nearly choked on air. She would what? Three months? Only three months?! Well, she had to admit that sounded practical. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
Still, wasn’t that way too fast? She probably wouldn’t even have enough time to get used to being pregnant before the baby arrived!
But putting that aside for a moment, what did Pinky mean by having a heat period?!
[It means your body will be ready to mate with your mates again, and the pleasure is usually thrice as strong as normal.]
Alright. That sounded both exciting and terrifying at the same time.
[No need to be afraid, Host! It will be so go—]
[There’s no need to be nervous, Host! It will feel so go—]
Nope. Stop right there.
Maeve immediately cut Pinky off before the little creature could finish. Seriously, she was the one who would be going through the heat period, so why was this tiny mochi acting more excited than she was?
Fortunately, Elder Vax’s voice pulled Maeve out of her thoughts before they could wander any further.
"And the energy inside your body has also become much stronger," Elder Vax said. His hands moved to her wrist, feeling the pulse beating beneath her skin. "Perhaps it’s because of Leader Ikarus’s golden blood flowing through your heart, but you are now capable of using Aether Energy as well."
"But that also means..." Elder Vax continued slowly. "There is a chance that you may awaken a special talent of your own."
The moment those words left his mouth, both Maeve and Cerus stared at him.
"A special talent?" Maeve repeated.
Before Elder Vax could answer, Cerus spoke up first. "It’s like this," he explained. "Axan has the talent to create powerful shields. I can move faster than most people, and Ikarus has the talent to strengthen his body."
Ikarus and Cerus had talents like that?
To be honest, she had always assumed Ikarus was simply as strong as everyone else in the Azuryn Tribe. As for Cerus, she wasn’t sure she had ever seen him move at his full speed before. The only talent she knew for certain was Axan’s ability to create barriers.
"Then..." Maeve sat up a little. "There’s a chance I could have one too?"
A spark of excitement immediately appeared in her eyes.
After all, who wouldn’t be excited about the possibility of gaining a superpower?
She had been an ordinary human her entire life. Sure, she was physically fit, but she had never possessed any kind of special ability. Now Elder Vax was telling her that she might awaken one, how could she not be curious?
For a moment, Maeve’s mind began to race. Would she be able to control fire? Fly? Read minds? Maybe she could even become some kind of powerful mage.
But then her thoughts were immediately crushed when Pinky said,
[Doesn’t having a 100% fertility body count as a talent too, Host?]
’Well... yeah, but I want something else too!’ Maeve protested in her mind.
A body with perfect fertility might sound impressive to other people, but it certainly wasn’t the kind of special power she had been imagining.
Where were the cool abilities?
"We won’t know until you awaken the ability," Cerus replied. "But don’t think about it too much, Maeve. You’re already special on your own."
He said it with a bright smile, the kind of smile that made Maeve forget her worries for a moment.
Sometimes, Cerus had a strange ability to make complicated things seem simple. Maybe it was because he always spoke from the heart.
"But... I’m still hoping I have something cool," Maeve said softly. "Maybe something... that could make me as strong as your people."
