Supreme Magus

Chapter 4232: Seed of Chaos (Part 1)

"Nothing you should worry about." Kamila rushed to say. "Training is for grown-ups. You only have to play and have fun. Okay?"

"Day." Elysia sighed.

"What about his eyes?" Sylpha asked as she cooed at Raldarak after taking him into her arms. "Is their color a manifestation of his human side’s potential as well?"

"Honestly, I have no clue." Lith said, handing Elysia to Meron. "I never got anything like that, and neither does Elysia."

"Mama?" Raldarak asked as he grabbed the Queen’s finger.

"No, little one. I’m not your mom. I wish I were, though." She sniffled. "Please, Magus Verhen, let us know if you ever discover the meaning of Ral’s eyes."

"I will." Lith took Raldarak and let Milea hold him.

’Look at that old hag.’ The Empress inwardly sneered. ’Getting all mushy as if she has never held a baby in her life.’

"Mama?" Raldarak looked at her with his big eyes, extending his arms to be embraced.

’I want one! I want one like this, right now!’ Milea thought, since her answer was lost amid her desperate sobs.

"If you don’t mind, Empress, it’s King Meron’s turn." Kamila had to pry Raldarak from Milea’s fingers as if she were kidnapping her own son.

’Good gods, I guess that Ripha was right. If things keep up like this, Ral is going to grow up to be a heartbreaker.’ She thought, handing the baby boy over to the King.

"Is everything alright?" Raldarak’s smile melted Meron’s heart and aroused many happy memories with his own children, but his warm smile was nothing when compared to the Empress’ reaction.

"I apologize for my unbecoming behavior." Milea blew her nose in a handkerchief, trying to calm down. "I don’t know what’s gotten into me."

"Don’t worry, Mother." Kelia took Raldarak last. "Ral is a very cute baby, and when he calls a woman ’mom’, he pulls at the strings of her heart like a maestro. In my case, he makes me wish I had siblings."

"Can we turn around now, Father?" All that chatter had made the honor guards grow curious and even more impatient to meet the new member of the family.

"One moment." Leegaain gently but firmly pushed the rulers of Garlen out of the room and blocked the entrance. "Kids, you have our permission to turn around. I’ll stand guard until you are done."

The honor guards immediately moved to the crib and took turns holding the babies. The Divine Beasts laughed, crooned, and cried as if they were the real parents of the children and had finally been reunited with them.

"Did you miss me, Ely? Because I missed you a lot." A Dragon said, holding the baby girl’s scaled hand with his own.

"Nah!" She giggled, sharing his joy, but having no recollection of who he was.

"You’re so mean!" The Dragon laughed. "Did you take that side of you from your beautiful mom?"

"Not at all!" Kamila blushed, yet Lith nodded from behind her back.

"Where is Valeron?" A female Dragon asked while holding Raldarak.

"In the next room with Surin and Shargein." Lith replied. "I would have loved to keep them together, but the night is going to be stressful, and I can’t afford any human to see Val shapeshift into a Bahamut. It would spark the rumors again."

"I see." She nodded. "Can we visit them after the shift change?"

"Of course you can." Kamila replied. "You don’t need to wait for their birthday to visit them, you know?"

After the honor guards were done, the visits to the babies resumed. All the nobles who left the room wore shocked expressions, arousing the curiosity of the other guests until it was their turn to see Raldarak.

Then, they formed a beeline for the nearest waiter who served strong, aged liquor, and after drinking enough to overcome the shock, they left the Main Hall. No one was interested in discussing the news until they formulated a plan.

’This is huge.’ Raagu, the human representative in the Council, thought as she gulped down Dragon Water as if it were actual water. ’With their six streaks and Indech form, those babies can reshape mankind’s future.

’May Faluel be cursed for snatching Verhen from me, and may I be cursed twice for missing the opportunity to be his mentor like a moron.

If only I had paid more attention to Verhen back when he was just a promising Ranger in the Kellar region, now he would be my in-law, along with two of Garlen’s Guardians!’

Dragons and Phoenixes, instead, left the room in high non-alcoholic spirits and asked to meet Surin.

"I’m sorry to bother you, but I don’t want to ruin your baby’s birthday with another visit, little sister." Gentor, the Father of all Golden Dragons, said. "I’m sure she’d enjoy spending her special day with her family rather than with strangers."

"You’re no stranger, Gentor, you are family." Elina was on cloud nine for all the attention her youngest received. "Surin loved your last birthday present, and she’ll like this one even more.

"Why don’t you come back in a week and give it to her yourself?" Most of the Dragons and Phoenixes had brought gifts for both the baby girls, and Raaz had already filled a room with them.

"Because in my experience, babies like creating chaos but hate being surrounded by it." Gentor laughed. "If I come, the rest of the Brood will follow. Then, the Phoenixes will come as well. At that point, you’ll have another Gala, just with a less strict dress code."

"You have a point." Elina pondered as she handed the baby girl to the Golden Dragon. "I’m not sure Surin would take it well. Not after tonight."

Surin had the face of someone who was there because she had lost a bet. She hated being separated from her friends, and she hated not having her parents with her at all times even more.

Being passed around by a bunch of weird strangers was just the icing on the cake.

"Who’s a good girl? Who’s the best girl in the world?" Gentor covered most of his skin in golden scales, creating sparkles and rainbows that dazzled Surin and brightened her mood.

"Mah!" She replied, trying to snatch a scale that stubbornly resisted her best efforts.

"You can talk already?" Gentor cooed. "What can you say?"

"Mama, Dada, nah, yah, mah!" The detailed answer flabbergasted the Golden Dragon, but not as much as Surin counting the words on her tiny fingers.

"You can count?" Gentor said in disbelief.

He turned to look at her parents, discovering they were as shocked as he was.

"Nah." Surin replied, having no idea what counting was.

"Humble and precocious." The Golden Dragon tilted his head, making the lights dance on his scales. "What does ’mah’ mean?"

"Mah!" Surin pointed at herself.

"Okay, color me terrified." Gentor said without changing his expression or tone of voice. "Surin understands when you speak to her and has already developed a sense of self. Were all your children so bright at this age, little sister?"

"No." Elina said. "They were all normal babies. I mean, normal human babies. Do you think this can be Manohar’s doing, dear?"