Kudel and Corone both gave birth.
They were both daughters. Kudel’s daughter was named Laladel, and Corone’s was named Tolmane. Razmaria was the one who chose the names. Both mothers said they were fine with them, so I agreed.
At Kudel and Corone’s request, the birth celebrations were kept modest. They figured that once Malbit, Ruincia, and Suarlou arrived, things would inevitably turn into a flashy, over-the-top spectacle anyway. I certainly couldn’t argue with that logic.
Regardless, I was just happy for a safe delivery. I wondered if the Fairy Queen’s presence had played a part in it. I decided I should make some sweets for her later.
High in the sky above the Forest of Death, Dos was flying violently in his dragon form. He was thrashing about with incredible momentum. Raimeiren, who was standing beside me, launched a round boulder about two meters in diameter straight at him. It scored a direct hit on his head.
Direct hit or not, I really wanted her to stop throwing rocks; it was dangerous. The children might start mimicking her.
As for Dos, now that he’d been pelted with a boulder, I really hoped he’d finally calm down. The reason he was acting so wild was because we had discovered that Hakuren was pregnant with our second child. It was likely the result of me trying to comfort her after she felt lonely when Urza left for the Academy in the Royal Capital. I also wondered if the Fairy Queen briefly turning into an adult had influenced the timing, or if that was just a coincidence.
Hakuren herself had known about the pregnancy for a while, but she’d kept it a secret. She said she felt embarrassed about it. However, it was impossible to keep it hidden forever. Lu was the first to notice, followed by Raimeiren. I was the third. Once I found out, it was officially announced.
At that stage, Dos had remained calm. But then it was discovered that the baby would be a boy, and that was when he lost it.
I had also been wondering why Helze wouldn't go home and refused to leave Hakuren’s side after she arrived in the village. It turned out to be "that" dragon custom. It felt a bit strange to have a marriage partner decided before the child was even born. I would have preferred for them to wait until they were at least a little older... or, at the very least, actually born.
Mark had stayed behind as well since Helze wouldn't leave, and he wore a complicated expression. He felt it was far too early for Helze to be thinking about marriage, but he was worried that opposing her would make her hate him. He eventually told me that he wasn't going to oppose it because she wouldn't listen to him anyway—he was just feeling lonely.
I understood that feeling well. I decided we should drink together that night.
The next day, Dos was thoroughly beaten down by Raimeiren. It was likely because he had been flying around all night. She scolded him for rejoicing so excessively when Hiichiro was right there, which was a valid point to keep in mind. Hiichiro himself seemed purely happy about getting a younger brother, though.
A short while later, Draim arrived. His behavior was odd—he was literally skipping. When I asked what was up, he told me that Rusty was also pregnant with her second child.
It was wonderful news, truly, but it sent the dragons into another uproar. As soon as she heard about Rusty's pregnancy, Graffaloon came rushing over. She took to the sky in her dragon form and performed what she called a "dance of joy." She had seemed so calm when Lananon was born, but apparently, she had done her dancing back home that time. People there had worried she’d lost her mind, so she decided to do her dancing here this time instead.
I didn't mind the dancing, but I really wished she would stop using her Ice Breath. Hiichiro and Lananon were watching and might try to imitate her. Besides, from a distance, it looked like the village was under attack.
Sure enough, the Centaurs from Village Three arrived fully armed. Shortly after, a group of men from Village One led by Jack and the Minotaurs from Village Two led by Gordon showed up with weapons in hand. I had to go and reassure them that everything was fine.
Even Yor had brought a catapult from the Hot Spring Area, and she looked visibly disappointed when there was no fight. I also had to apologize to the Death Knights and the Lion Family for the false alarm.
Next, Suiren came to fetch Mark and Helze since they hadn't returned. Upon hearing that Helze’s future partner had been decided, she was genuinely delighted. Again, I had to ask her to please spare us the dance of joy. I also had to ask her to stop the domestic spat she started with Mark. She was angry because they hadn't contacted her, and she’d been worried. That was fair enough, but I told them that if they were going to fight in dragon form, they needed to move further away from the village.
I don't know how the news leaked, but Sekiren, Domaim, Kuon, and Kuorun all showed up to celebrate as well. While they congratulated Hakuren and Rusty, Sekiren and Kuon started asking very blunt questions about our private life. They wanted to know the "knack" for conceiving. Honestly, asking me that just made things awkward. I told them that Domaim and Kuorun just needed to work har—actually, that was a careless thing for me to say. I apologized and told them to just focus on nurturing their love steadily.
Giral arrived too. He hadn't come for the pregnancy celebrations, but simply to see Guronde and Gral. When he greeted me with a casual "I'm home," I had no choice but to say "Welcome back."
I noticed the massive amount of luggage on Giral's back and realized he was moving in for good. He told me he’d need to make several more trips to finish the move. That was fine, but then I saw the various letters tucked into his bags. They were all for me. Every single one of them was a petition begging me to persuade Giral to return home. I didn't mind him moving in, but I really wished he wouldn't leave such a mess behind at his old place.
Dos, Raimeiren, Draim, Graffaloon, Suiren, Mark, Helze, Giral, Guronde, Gral, Sekiren, Domaim, Kuon, and Kuorun. Plus Hakuren and Rusty.
The gathering was so large it made me forget my old fears about what might happen if too many dragons from the Age of Gods gathered in one place. When I voiced my concern about what we’d do if something actually happened, Dos just told me not to worry because the dragons would collectively blow any threat away. I could tell he was just walking on air because of his new grandson, but I wondered if it was really something to be that ecstatic about.
Dos explained that since Raimeiren had "claimed" Hiichiro, he was determined to secure this next grandson for himself. I had to remind him that the baby was my and Hakuren’s child first and foremost.
Regardless, we ended up having a banquet, though not specifically because so many people had gathered. I made sure Laladel and Tolmane were moved to a quiet room. I also told Kudel not to overexert herself since she was still recovering from childbirth.
To be blunt, I told her we didn't need any "dive bombing." Bombing and banquets don't have to be a package deal.
In the middle of the festivities, Beezel arrived and was absolutely stunned by the number of dragons present. I had to reassure him that it wasn't a formal Dragon Race summit or anything serious. It was just a banquet, and I invited him to join in and eat.