Helia gazed at the side profile of Asura''s face. The corners of her mouth rose as she felt the sensation of his heart beating through their connected hands.


    "What are you thinking about, My love?"


    Asura''s eyes flicked towards Helia, his piercing crimson iris shining from the rising sunlight. He slowly closed them while releasing a long sigh, his mouth forming a wide grin.


    "I''ve been thinking about the future, which you are an integral part of," Asura said in an elegant and endearing tone.


    "Oh my, Asura, you''ve recently be much more charming."


    ''Well, if I continued as I was, then it would make me scum unworthy of everyone''s love.''


    Helia smiled, her cheeks glowing a slight red in the sunlight, before leaning on Asura''s shoulder. "Well, don''t stop. Tell me more about this future you envision."


    "There are going to be some hardships ahead, and I might evenck the strength to ovee them. But, for the sake of all those I''vee to cherish, I will do everything in my power to stay alive and bring us closer to our dreams.


    "Even when I''m at the precipice of death, I won''t fall, and instead, I''ll push forward so that we can build a vast family together. Everyone together, for those we lost back then and may lose in the future. So those who perished no longer worry about us."


    "I see." Helia chuckled, her shoulders shaking from herughter.


    "Hmm, something funny?" Asura asked, arching an eyebrow.


    "No, it''s just... you were a real blockhead until now, but you''ve improved so much in such a short time. It makes me wonder what caused your awakening. Is it Noir, Sigurd or... maybe me?"


    Asura lightly grimaced. "Well, in the past, and until recently, my mind was too focused on the worst things. What in this world matters more than you and the others who love me and my family or people?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Family, hmm, are we going to start a family already?"


    "Is that a bad thing?"


    "Fufu, I wanted to enjoy the sex a little more first. How did you knock me up with one... well, four rounds?"


    Helia nced at Asura with a bright smile, and she cupped his chin, then brought it close so their noses were almost touching.


    "Your libido has also increased, but I was sure that people with higher bloodlines struggled to be pregnant. It took my mother almost a decade for me and my sisters.."


    "Weird, maybe we just have an amazingpatibility."


    "Our bodies do." She added while letting her tongue lick across his lips. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she kissed him passionately.


    Asura''s right hand stroked her back while the left gently caressed her side before lifting her onto hisp and holding her tight in his embrace. Helia purred and broke their kiss, then asked, "Asura, will you use the same title I have for you?"


    "Hmm, what do you mean, my love?"


    "Fufufu~ you know exactly what I meant. You just used it."


    "Only in private, okay?"


    "Nn~ that''s fine."


    After kissing some more, the two were content, just enjoying theirpany. With his hand around Helia''s waist and her resting her head on his shoulder, the two enjoyed a moment of peace in each other''s warm embrace.


    "Gaius should be arriving close to Lyndwrym today, although I wanted more time with you. It''s best not to dy the march too long... Can you forgive me?"


    "What''s there to forgive, Asura? If the situation were reversed, I would be the one leaving. So take care of the kingdom; after all, it will be our home in the future. I''ll follow you to the ends of the world, and no matter the hardships, I will be with you. There''s nothing to forgive because there is nothing you have done wrong."


    Asura turned his head and kissed her forehead.


    "Ah?! Papa and Big sister are flirting on the roof!" Noir''s voice came from below them, her hands carrying a tray with breakfast and assorted fruits. It seemed the others were already starting to get ready to depart.


    Asura and Helia chuckled and got up, then jumped off the roof to meet the others. They all gathered around the table and ate their breakfast together.


    However, the moment Sigurd saw Helia, she stopped in her tracks and looked shocked before her lips curled into a delighted smile.


    "Congrattions, I can already smell the change in your scent."


    Helia blushed, and Asura scratched the back of his head.


    "Yeah, it happenedst night. I''ll be taking a small leave after we finish this mission so I can give birth."


    "Wow, one shot, and she''s knocked up..." Lucia''s voice came from the shadow as she joined for breakfast.


    "Oh, wow, really! That''s awesome, big sis Helliana; congrattions! I want a little sister, please! Please!" Noir said excitedly.


    "Calm down, Noir, it takes time for these things. Now eat your breakfast, don''t be picky." Helia scolded Noir, who kept pushing away the food she didn''t like.


    "I think you should return to the capital, Helliana. That ce is safe and quiet, and I''m sure you would be happy there." Sigurd said with a concerned face while drinking her orange juice. Her eyes filled with concern.


    "Don''t worry about it, Sigurd. Besides, I want to stay beside Asura. The first few months are always the most dangerous for humans, but for the Phoenix tribe, it''s only thest month that is dangerous. So I have quite some time before I need to take time away from battle."


    "If that''s your decision, then I shall not meddle. You''ve been through so much, and you know your body better than me, so do as you see fit."


    "Nn, thank you."


    Asura didn''tment or get involved merely because he didn''t know about this kind of thing. Though now he understood, his mind focused on Lorem and made a mental note to make sure she didn''t fight until after giving birth.


    When they finished their breakfast, the servants collected the dishes, and the entire force began preparations to depart towards the southeastern Lyndwrym fort. Asura paid both financial support and left supplies for the vige in return for them lending a ce to stay on short notice.


    Although he didn''t need to, the Phoenix de''s people and their lord held a very honest and trusting rtionship. Thus, Asura chose this method.


    Now, a few hourster, Asura stood in front of the vige, along with his forces. This time, he rode inside a carriage with a shadow clone of Lucia, Sigurd, Helia, Rasha and Yufa. Because they came closer to the border, he wanted to get to know more about the arachne nation and the other tribes.


    "Oh~ if it isn''t our lover boy prince." Rasha''s small body flicked her spider legs towards Asura while she looked away from him. Her face filled with displeasure, narrowed eyes, pouting lips and a lifted squinting nose.


    "Hello, my beautiful spider princess. As always, your shines like the first snow on a winter''s morning."


    "Humph, don''t think you can get on my good side with that cheap ttery. I know what you did with those women at night! Hmph! You ignored me for so long, I won''t forgive you."


    Asura raised an eyebrow and nced at Helia, Sigurd and Lucia, who shrugged, then back to Yufa, who had a bright smile while blushing.


    "Really, what did I do? Is it because you weren''t invited to the party?"


    "Yes, and... that''s N-No! I am not that perverted!" Rasha protested, her hind legs spreading out as she became more adorable and shy.


    "Oh~ what is it then, little spider? Come on, tell me." Asura teased with a sly grin while leaning towards the little spider girl. His lips came close to her pointed ears as she tried to crawl up the wall to avoid him; however, he snapped his fingers, causing the surface to be slippery as she fell onto hisp with a thud.


    "Y-You!" She said, her eyes watering as her arms and legs clung to his body, making him unable to move.


    "Calm down, now. I thought you wanted to be treated normally, and that includes teasing."


    Meanwhile, watching him flirt with Rasha, the other women all looked at each other and shook their heads.


    "Are you okay with this, Helliana? He only put you to bedst night, and he''s seducing a spider girl."


    "Aha~ don''t tease me, Lady Sigurd, this is just how he is. I wouldn''t be with him now if I couldn''t ept that part of him."


    "Mhm, true." Lucia, who controlled one of her shadow clones, agreed.


    "Eh, really?!" Noir asked with a shocked look as she used her vines to copy the movements of Rasha''s legs as she pretended to avoid Asura''sp.


    "Y-you! Ahnn... wait, no, not there!"


    Asura''s fingers pressed into the centre of her back, near her humanoid waist and rubbed in circr motions. The lovely Rasha''s body instantly went limp, her cheeks blushed, and she started drooling while unable to fight against his movements, the dull ache making her feel amazing.


    Because the nerves of an arachnid''s human body differed from a normal human, they needed more intense massage and care due to how sturdy their bodies were to endure their arachne form.


    Rasha and Yufa were going to join this time as their mission was to act as guides through the area and, if needed, protect the convoy.


    However, Asura knew that his true goal was to increase rtions with the two during his mission and attempt to foil the Empire''s ns.


    ''Will I be able to stop them without significant losses? Let''s hope Gaius has some ideas, though Sigurd and Helia are here... it should be fine.''