Chapter 23: Concerning Children

Chapter 23: Concerning Children

Arthur’s whole being jolted at those words.

His gaze dropped down, but due to his position, he couldn’t see what he desired; all he saw was a ravine and two great mountains.

Noticing Arthur’s thoughts, Airael took his hand and placed it on her small belly, saying, “If we’re lucky and things go smoothly, this place will soon cradle a child belonging to both of us.”

Arthur didn’t respond.

He wasn’t fully back in reality yet.

However, his hand instinctively began to caress Airael’s belly.

It was as if their child was already there, and he was tenderly touching the fruit of their love.

Seeing Arthur lost in thought, Airael chose to remain silent.

She felt she had already said enough.

There was little more she could express.

How could she tell Arthur that she wasn’t human but an elf, and a queen at that, and that her reason for being with him was merely to have a child, an heir?

That was clearly something she could never reveal.

Fortunately, Arthur didn’t seem inclined to probe further; Airael’s earlier words were enough to occupy his thoughts for quite a while.

And sure enough, several minutes later, Arthur slowly began to awaken from his stupor.

While he understood the mechanics of how a child was conceived, he hadn’t given it much thought lately.

His focus had primarily been on his own pursuits and Ailia, who stood beside him.

The mere thought of potentially having a child left Arthur feeling somewhat flustered, but overall, he was quite happy.

He looked at Airael, his excitement evident as he asked, “Ailia, do you think it’s possible you’re already pregnant?”

“I don’t know! But I think the chances aren’t very high,” Airael replied, shaking her head.

Arthur felt a slight disappointment in his heart.

But upon contemplating, he managed to recover.

Though making a baby requires a union between a man and a woman, it isn’t an easy feat.

It surely takes time.

Unless one is exceedingly lucky.

Actually, it wasn’t just Arthur who felt this low; Airael shared in the sentiment after her reply.

The Elven Race’s abysmally low birth rate left her lacking confidence in her ability to quickly conceive.

But who could blame her? She was born an elf in this life!

With longevity comes a price, after all.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Airael’s sudden declaration had opened up a new world for Arthur.

What would their offspring, the child born of him and Ailia, be like?

Would it be a son or a daughter?

Would it take after him or resemble Ailia?

…

A multitude of questions spun around in Arthur’s mind, but he found himself reveling in it all.

In contrast, Ailia’s thoughts were much simpler.

She just wanted to have a child, regardless of gender or whose features it inherited.

Moreover, she believed that thanks to their excellent genes, their child would surely be outstanding.

As they pondered their respective thoughts, time flew by, and before they knew it, the next day had arrived.

The human camp was quite relaxed that day.

Since the new plans hadn’t been finalized, there was no plan to continue the siege.

With no siege to undertake, the soldiers were more than happy to stay back in the camp and rest.

Life in the military camp was monotonous, and given the heavy losses sustained from the siege, the atmosphere felt rather tense.

In an effort to lighten the mood, those lower-ranked soldiers often engaged in entertainment activities to pass the time.

They sang songs, danced, and held competitions; as long as it was harmless, the higher-ranking officers generally turned a blind eye.

Therefore, such scenes were no different in Arthur’s camp.

While patrolling the campsite with Airael, they came across many people gathered for various entertaining activities.

Some showcased their talents.

Talented soldiers sang or danced, attracting a crowd.

Even Arthur and Airael paused to watch for a while.

Those songs and dances with strong local flavor were indeed captivating.

Next came the contests.

There were many events, such as sprints, wrestling, and swordsmanship competitions.

However, certain activities were strictly forbidden in the military, at least within the camp.

One of them was gambling.

Though small bets might seem harmless, once someone gets swept up in it, there’s rarely a distinction between small and big stakes.

At that point, it’s not just a matter of harm to one’s body but also to one’s relationships.

In the human army, teamwork and coordination were taken very seriously.

Because many of their enemies were much stronger than any individual soldier, they had to rely on each other when facing danger.

Gambling could easily damage that fragile trust.

Arthur and Airael were also on the lookout for any signs of illegal gambling.

Even though it was explicitly prohibited in the camp, there would always be those who couldn’t resist the temptation.

After a thorough inspection, they found no violations.

“Looks like our soldiers are quite disciplined,” Airael remarked with a smile.

“Let’s hope so!” Arthur sighed.

Having lived a long time among the lower ranks, he was well aware of how slippery people could be.

Sometimes what you see isn’t necessarily the truth.

Especially since he didn’t have full control over this army.

After his musings, Arthur turned his gaze to Airael and said, “Ailia, if you…”

“What’s wrong?”

Noticing Arthur hesitating, Airael asked.

She looked at him and noticed his gaze fixed on her small belly.

In that瞬间, she understood everything.

She was at a loss for words and wasn’t sure whether what she had said yesterday was good or bad.

Arthur took a deep breath, finally mustering his courage to look Airael in the eye and said, “If you… feel unwell, please let me know right away.”

Feeling unwell?

What a way to choose his words!

Airael suppressed a laugh in her heart.

Though she held it back, a faint smile escaped, which Arthur immediately noticed.

Arthur knew he was being a bit embarrassing, yet he acted oblivious as if he were unaware of it all.

He hadn’t anticipated that by trying to be a bit more reserved, he would end up making things awkward instead.

“Arthur, thank you for your concern,” Airael replied ambiguously.

This left Arthur guessing whether Airael understood his deeper meaning.

The two fell into silence, their eyes wandering around.

Not far off, someone was watching them under the cover of a tent.

After a while, Airael finally broke the silence, saying, “Shall we head back?”

“Sure!” Arthur nodded.

Then, the two made their way back together.