Supreme Magus

"I'm fine. Unlike Kami no one kissed me or touched my abs. Most people went for a quick hug or a handshake." Lith was actually worn out as well, but he did have it easier than his wife and he knew how important that moment was for them.

"Come here, then." Rena embraced him. "Kamila, if you need advice or company, I'm here for you. If you ever need a babysitter, feel free to ask Nalrond because I'm done changing diapers for at least a decade."

"Don't listen to her." Tista said. "Whenever you need help, you just have to ask."

"I'm going to be an uncle again!" Aran said. "I can't wait to teach them magic like you did with me. Even better, we can do it together!

"Can I please be an aunt this time, uncle Lith? Being a cousin is lame and I'm sick of Aran pulling rank on me. I'm old enough to have someone to boss around." Leria asked.

"It doesn't work that way, but sure. We can make an exception for you." Lith chuckled making her scream with joy. "But only if you promise to be a kind aunt and take care of them. We don't need a second Aran."

"Hey!" Aran pouted.

"I promise, uncle Lith." She said with a radiant smile before going to Kamila and begging for a hug.

'Gods if I could use a drink right now.' She inwardly grumbled.

"Under any other circumstance I'd offer myself to be your midwife, but compared to Salaark and the Great Mother I'm but a novice healer." Faluel shook Lith's hand and offered Kamila an herbal tea, almost moving her to tears.

"I can't believe that the day has come when I'm not envious of you for being first at something." Quylla chuckled. "I'm so happy for you."

"If you need a babysitter, you can count on me." Friya said. "Just give me a call and I'll send Nalrond to you. I have him on speed dial."

"I'm not your property. You can't lend my ass around." The Rezar grumbled a bit but even being used like a bargaining chip didn't ruin his mood. "If you need a babysitter, you can count on me.

"I'll drop the baby on Friya and Warp away before she can brag about being the master of space."

"I'm really happy for you, Lith." Phloria hold his hand tenderly but didn't move forward. "I feel that even though having a child isn't part of one of your meticulous plans it's exactly what you needed.

"Someone who is exactly like you and who you can love unconditionally."

She took her hand back and offered it to Kamila.

"You are a lucky woman. Never forget that."

"I know it and there's no day that passes without me thanking the gods for their blessings." Kamila said, feeling the happiness in Phloria's mana tainted by sadness and envy.

***

Griffon Kingdom, City of Valeron, a few days later.

The news of the future heir of the Supreme Magus shook the Garlen continent almost as much as him receiving the first white robe in the Kingdom. Its political consequences, instead, went over and above Verendi's borders.

Very few knew exactly what had happened in the Sazar Mansion and how such events had caused natural disasters. Yet now everyone feared Kamila way more than Lith and wondered why she wasn't sent to the battlefield as well.

Those who did express such opinion openly, would usually retract it the next day while being diagnosed with a severe stroke. The fact that the Guardians protected the baby didn't mean that they would allow anyone to put them in danger for something as trivial as a throne.

Vastor, Xenagrosh, and Zoreth had called Lith after the party was over, apologizing for their absence. The Royals, on the other hand, were pissed off for being the only rulers of Garlen to not be invited.

Yet that wasn't the reason Lith and Tista had been summoned to the Royal Palace. Their presence had been required to discuss the future of the war.

The day of the revelation about the existence of the baby had changed not only Lith's life, but also the tides of the conflict. Leegaain unexpected intervention had allowed them to recapture the city of Trephius and the food provision it stored without effort.

Also, after taking Tista's place in the Awakened army, Gentor the Golden Dragon had led the advance, piercing through the enemy lines and recovering dozens of acres of fertile land.

Ever since that day the joint forces of the Council and the Royals had worked together to secure their newfound advantage. Trephius was a fortress easy to defend and hard to conquer that offered them a bridgehead from which to attack the enemy territory.

On top of that, most of those who had cursed the Royals for granting Lith a full pardon that they considered too cheap for his crimes and had opposed Kamila resuming her job had become stalwart supporters of the Crown.

"It's not by chance that you can rule the Griffon Kingdom." They would always say. "There must be something in Valeron's blood that grants his descendants the gift of foresight."

"Your Majesty." The Verhens said in unison, giving the Royals a bow.

Lith wore his pristine white Supreme Magus robe over a white shirt and black pants made of the finest silk on Mogar.

He had acquired them years ago from an Undead Court after undergoing their Foul Moon combat ritual and he had yet to find clothes of better quality.

Tista instead wore her deep red Mage robe over a set of baggy clothes more suitable for a hunting cabin than a palace. They consisted of a mottled green shirt, brown cargo pants, and boots.

She was about to be deployed as a scout when she had been recalled from the front.

Both of them had their wings resting on their shoulders like a cape as a statement of their pride in their inhuman nature.

"No need for formalities you can stand tall." Raagu Drerian the human representative of the Council said.

Even though she collaborated with the Royals, she still considered them weaklings who didn't deserve honorifics that even the Council didn't require of their members.

"You have been summoned here to take part in a joint operation that if successful might further increase our advantage." Raagu had a thin build and looked old enough to be the Queen Dowager but her demeanor exuded an authority in no way inferior to the Royals.

"The Guardian of the Empire suddenly taking a stand in the conflict has cost Thrud a lot of soldiers while leaving untouched the forces of the Kingdom and the army. For the first time since the beginning of the war, we have the advantage of numbers and a solid foothold in the Mad Queen's territory.

"Yet it's not going to last forever. The moment her generals are fully rejuvenated, we'll be locked in a stalemate again. We need to act now and get our hands on vital areas that will allow us to keep pushing on the offense in the long run."

"What's the plan and why us?" Lith asked.

"The plan requires to split our forces and attack multiple targets at the same time." Queen Sylpha activated the arrays of the room, projecting a 3D hologram of the distribution of troops on both sides.