Akivili.
Caelus waved a hand, still half-asleep.
Akivili!
"Huh? Huh? Who's yelling? Have some decency!"
Caelus's eyes blinked once—and he was standing in the narrow space between Paths.
Oh, he knew this place like the back of his hand.
Every time he'd ever borrowed power from another Aeon, he'd come here.
Akivili, nicely done.
Though he couldn't make out a shape or hear a voice, Caelus could feel the other party giving him a big thumbs-up.
"Hooh?"
Annoyed, Caelus rolled up his sleeves, ready to punch the thing.
Hu stretched out a formless hand, signalling Caelus to hold on.
He indicated he'd brought good news this time.
"Good news? What good news? And I'm not Akivili."
Right, right, you're not Akivili.
Hu didn't seem to care about names; after a round of riddles he politely ushered Caelus out of the Path-gap.
Caelus scratched his head, wondering what on earth equilibrium was up to.
Come to think of it, last night he'd gotten something fun; it was only six a.m. and work hadn't started—perfect for testing it on Dan Heng.
"March, get up, now!"
A night-capped March 7th and Dan Heng were dragged into Caelus's room.
"Deng-deng-deng-deng-deng-dong."
Caelus supplied the sound effects himself.
"What is that?"
"A gun—if it hits you, you'll have a baby."
Caelus held what looked like a plastic toy gun.
"Seriously..."
"Dan Heng, want to try?"
Caelus looked at Dan Heng.
Dan Heng:?
"I'm male."
"So what? Why can't a man have a baby?"
Caelus answered, righteous as could be.
March 7th's and Dan Heng's brains seemed to flat-line for a second.
"No... you..."
March 7th held her forehead, speechless.
"...No."
Dan Heng still shook his head.
"Having a kid really isn't a big deal—we're responsible adults, right?"
Dan Heng opened his mouth at that, then closed it again.
"...I don't have the equipment."
March 7th glanced at Dan Heng, then at the ridiculous gun, then back at Dan Heng's handsome, expressionless—but faintly helpless—face.
"It's fine; if it works you even get maternity leave."
Dan Heng, out-argued, finally let Caelus shoot him...
...
At noon Dan Heng sat silently on the bed, watching Caelus pat the horned dragon-child on the head.
[Picture reference imagine sylvie from the beginning after the end but with black hair and a tail]
Right up until the child actually appeared, he'd thought Caelus was joking.
The man hadn't even realized he'd just solved a race's extinction problem.
"So you're Vidyadhara, Dan Heng? And they grow horns?"
March 7th curiously teased the metre-tall little girl.
Horns on her head, a Tail behind her, round dumpling cheeks—utterly adorable.
"But why are her eyes golden?"
March 7th scratched her head and looked at Caelus.
"No idea—probably a recessive gene from Dan Heng."
Dan Heng:... still in stunned silence.
The little girl giggled, grabbed Caelus's mischievous finger, and in a milky voice called Caelus "Mama" and Dan Heng "Papa."
"Ma...ma."
"Pa...pa..."
"Hahahaha! You're the mama!"
March 7th howled with laughter.
"Auntie..."
March 7th:... "Not auntie—call me big sister."
"Gran...ny."
March 7th petrified.
"Quit pretending," Caelus said, lifting the girl. "Kids created by this gun inherit part of their parents' wits—she's just messing with you."
"Giggle." The girl laughed in his arms, golden eyes gleaming slyly—anything but innocent. She poked the stone-still March 7th: "Dumb sister," then the frozen Dan Heng: "Dopey dad."
"Hey, you little rascal!" March 7th puffed her cheeks, took the child, and tickled her; the girl wriggled and laughed even louder.
"This gun's actually a prop for the infertile, near expiry—limited uses."
Caelus waggled it.
"So that's how it is... Dan Heng, we'll help you raise her~" March 7th tapped the child's dimples.
"It's fine; now that she's here... I'll take care of her." Dan Heng shook his head, smiling wryly at his new daughter.
The girl stopped tussling, looked at Dan Heng, tilted her little head, broke into a sweet smile, and stretched out both arms.
"Papa, hug!"
The crisp word of dependence made Dan Heng stiffen. Meeting those clear golden eyes, he hesitated, then clumsily lifted her from March 7th's arms.
Dan Heng went rigid, cradling her like baby, afraid to move. Looking down at his daughter, an indescribable warmth spread through his chest.
He shot Caelus a helpless glance, ignored the teasing, and adjusted his hold so she could rest more comfortably. The child yawned, eyelids drooping.
"She's sleepy," Dan Heng murmured.
"She just 'born'—needs plenty of sleep," Caelus said, poking her soft cheek; she batted his hand away. "Got a name, Dan Heng?"
"Not yet."
"How about Lu Shi?"
"Lu Shi...?"
"Since you don't have one, her nickname's Lu Shi for now."
"...Fine."
"Lu Shi... sounds nice." March 7th gently squeezed the tiny hand. "Little Lu Shi~ Big sis will play with you~"
Lu Shi nestled against Dan Heng's shoulder, found a cosy spot, and mumbled, "Mm... play..."
"Raising kids is life's big lesson; enjoy it. Five days paternity leave."
Paternity leave my foot.
"What about me?" March 7th pointed at herself. "I'm her god-mum, right? Any god-mum subsidy?"
"You just said big sister; I'm the mama."
Caelus put hands on hips.
"I'll tell Prometheus you and Dan Heng had a baby."
"Tch—blackmail, huh."
"I heard that." Prometheus popped up behind Caelus.
"Umm..."
"Tonight..."
Prometheus whispered four words into Caelus's ear.
.
.
.
"sleepless night."
The cooperation with Xianzhou Luofu begins tomorrow. Caelus tidied up his clothes and cleaned himself.
Although there was still a faint scent of junk on him, Caelus actually liked that junk smell.
'March, this time you and I will go to Luofu to talk about the cooperation.'
'Luofu? Which Luofu...'
'Xianzhou Luofu.'
Caelus shrugged.
'Our... our junk company can negotiate with Xianzhou now?'
'Of course. Our company has already started developing mining operations. Our mining is semi-automated; employees can control it remotely. Our specialty ores can be sold to Xianzhou. The kind that's genuinely valuable, not just hype.'
Caelus rubbed his fingers together.
'Still, there's another reason for this trip: we're going to purchase a large batch of Xianzhou-standard weapons. Conventional arms can be sold to outsiders, though the price will be a bit higher.'
'Xianzhou-standard weapons?' March 7th blinked, puzzled. 'Don't we already have zaku and kampfer? Why do we need those conventional weapons?'
'Their tech tree is stacked high. Don't think they're weak just because they wield cold steel; those are high-tech weapons in disguise. Flying swords are basically high-tech floating guns!' Caelus shook his head. 'Our big robots can indeed strut around a small place like Talia. But take them out into the wider galaxy, and compared with a proper stellar power like the Xianzhou Alliance, our cobbled-together junk is cannon fodder. One zaku with a seasoned pilot can at most trade blows with the Antimatter Legion's foot soldiers.'
He paused, showing a sly grin. 'Besides, the Xianzhou Alliance is filthy rich. Once we connect with them, we'll have a steady, deep-pocketed buyer for our ores and salvaged special materials.'
'So that's how it is!' March 7th suddenly understood, then got excited. 'Then can we have some fun in Luofu? I hear Xianzhou has tons of delicious food! And local specialties—'
'Play if you want, but don't forget the real business of procurement.' Caelus tapped her head.
'Then let me call Dan Heng. Dan Heng! We're going to negotiate a deal tomorrow—come with us!'
Dan Heng, who was walking Lu Shi, was grabbed by March 7th.
'Where to?'
'Xianzhou—Xianzhou Luofu!'
'...Sorry, I can't go.' Dan Heng pondered a long while and shook his head. 'Other Xianzhou... no problem. Only Luofu. I'm... forbidden to set foot on Xianzhou Luofu.'
'Forbidden to set foot on Luofu?' March 7th repeated softly.
Dan Heng stayed silent, lips pressed into a line. Shards of memory about scale-shedding punishment, guilt, and exile surged in his mind, stabbing sharply.
'Nothing... pleasant.' Dan Heng finally answered vaguely.
He didn't want to bring those heavy memories to this newly built, hope-filled land, nor did he want to drag March 7th and... Caelus into his feud with Xianzhou.
'All right, then don't go.' Caelus grinned, flashing white teeth. 'Rest well here. If you don't want to talk about the past, don't. Our company doesn't do background checks.'
Caelus's understanding made a flicker of emotion cross Dan Heng's eyes.
'Right~ Sorry, Dan Heng. Did that bring up uncomfortable memories?'
March 7th scratched her head.
Clatter-clatter.
Little Lu Shi understood... 'Mommy, I wanna come... I promise I'll be good and won't cause trouble!'
Little Lu Shi's watery eyes looked at Caelus.
'Mommy, Lu Shi will listen... really...'
The little one was clearly mature in mind, yet her coquettish pity act came naturally.
'Then you absolutely must not run around.'
'Mm-hmm!' Little Lu Shi nodded hard, her small face serious. 'Lu Shi will stick close to Mommy and March Sister and absolutely won't run off!'
Dan Heng looked at his daughter's excited face in Caelus's arms, then at Caelus's 'even if the sky falls I'll hold it up' stance, and could only sigh helplessly.
'...Take good care of her.'
Dan Heng stood in place, watching their departing backs, his gaze finally settling on his daughter's carefree smile.
'Daddy~ when I come back Lu Shi will bring you yummy food!'
Watching Lu Shi wave, Dan Heng was stunned, as if something gently scratched the tip of his heart.
Perhaps letting Lu Shi see the land he couldn't set foot on wasn't entirely bad.
He only hoped that Caelus wouldn't teach the kid anything inappropriate.
'Safe travels.' His lips curved... The outline of Xianzhou Luofu gradually appeared outside the porthole. It was a colossal starship.
'Like a traveling planet...' Guinevere exclaimed, looking outside.
'Waaah—!' Lu Shi's eyes went wide, little hands pressed to the window. 'Mommy! March Sister! Look! Such a big, beautiful ship!'
After docking and opening the hatch, an atmosphere completely different from the Talia Star System greeted them.
But soon, Caelus and the others were detained.
'Why are you detaining us?'
The person in charge was sweating profusely.
A little girl with horns on her head, pointed ears, a Tail behind her, her whole body exuding an aura of permanence.
Not reporting this immediately would be career suicide.
'Honored guests, my apologies. We need to delay you briefly.' The person in charge smiled apologetically. 'We must report this young lady's situation upstairs. Please follow me to the reception room for a short rest.'
Caelus arched an eyebrow, looking unsurprised, as if he'd expected this. He lowered his head and ruffled little Lu Shi's hair. "See? I told you you're too conspicuous—you scared them off the moment you arrived."
Lu Shi pouted. "Lu Shi is very well-behaved, not scary at all."
Soon a squad of Cloud Knights politely invited Caelus and Lu Shi to come along.
"Hey, what about us?" March 7th blinked.
"Take everyone to eat and drink nearby." Caelus handed a card to March 7th. "Here, this is the activity budget—more than enough for a feast."
Of course the Cloud Knights didn't lead them to some gloomy interrogation room but to an elegantly furnished reception lounge.
"Apologies for not welcoming you sooner."
"Even the general of Xianzhou Luofu has been disturbed?"
Caelus folded his arms.
The man smiled, then swept his gaze over the timid little girl behind Caelus.
Similar—too similar… practically identical.
Apart from those golden eyes, her face was no different from Dan Feng's.
Jing Yuan wondered if Dan Feng had undergone rebirth again—and been reborn female—but that was impossible, since a Vidyadhara rebirth never changes gender.
Yet he couldn't be entirely certain this wasn't Dan Feng; perhaps it was just cross-dressing… The density of permanence power in her body was several times stronger than Dan Feng at his peak, and the undying Path fluctuations were even mightier than when Dan Feng revealed his dragon form.
After a few polite exchanges, Jing Yuan asked with a smile, "Mind if I ask the child a few questions, Mr. Caelus?"
"Go ahead, just don't scare her."
Jing Yuan nodded.
"Little sister, what's your name?"
Lu Shi answered softly, "Lu… Lu Shi."
"Lu Shi… a lovely name." Jing Yuan's gaze casually brushed the dragon horns identical to Dan Feng's atop her head and the gently swaying Tail behind her. "Where is your family?"
Lu Shi blinked. "Daddy's at home."
Caelus rested a hand on Lu Shi's shoulder; with "Mommy" here, Lu Shi felt no fear.
"I see."
Jing Yuan kept smiling while his mind raced.
Dan Heng?
This child isn't Dan Feng?
"Little sister, can we pinky-promise?"
"Pinky-promise…?"
"Yes, just a pinky-promise; I want to be sure."
Jing Yuan nodded.
"Mm, okay."
Lu Shi hooked her little finger with Jing Yuan's.
"…"
Definitely not Dan Feng.
The aura matched Dan Feng perfectly, but she was female, and… wrapped in draconic majesty, an undying power even stronger than a Dragon Lord.
Two possibilities: first, he'd changed his own sex—but that chance was slim.
Second, slightly more likely yet even more absurd: Dan Feng—Dan Heng—had a child.
A child?!
A Vidyadhara… with offspring?
How could those words form a sentence?
Jing Yuan's expression shifted as he studied Lu Shi's small face, so like Dan Feng's but with brilliant golden eyes instead of Dan Feng's jade-green.
Now, right in front of him, stood a living child brimming with dense undying Path power, gazing at him with those pure golden eyes.
Inexplicably, Jing Yuan looked toward Caelus.
Golden eyes.
"…"
For an instant Jing Yuan's mind went blank.
Caelus—this man's file had been blank when Jing Yuan checked earlier, as though he'd appeared from thin air. Only scattered recent records in the Talia Star System and an extremely unreliable title: Cosmic Junk Company.
"Mr. Caelus's origins are quite curious," General Jing Yuan said, smile still gentle but eyes a shade deeper. "To sire such a pure immortal descendant—unheard of on Luofu. Could you enlighten me?"
"I'm just a scrap collector, General. The Talia Star System has plenty of junk; I make a living there. As for this child…"
He lowered his head and stroked Lu Shi's soft hair; the little girl was munching on a sweet cake like a hamster.
"Lu Shi is simply Lu Shi—Dan Heng's and my child. Does the general find that problematic?"
"You and Dan Heng's child?!"
Problematic? It was a colossal problem!
The Vidyadhara cannot reproduce; countless Dragon Masterss exhausted their lives without overcoming that limit. Now a living descendant, flowing with pure and mighty draconic power and clearly carrying paternal blood, stood before him—not merely unheard-of, but revolutionary.
Wait.
"My apologies, I assumed you were female, Madam Caelus."
"For you to make that misjudgment, General, is… remarkably insightful. But I have no hobby of cross-dressing; I'm a genuine man."
Jing Yuan pondered seriously.
"Dan Heng turned into a woman?"
Caelus's expression turned wonderfully colorful; he opened his mouth, seemed about to speak, but finally let out a heavy sigh carrying a clear "your imagination is astounding."
"General, your line of thought… is quite broad," Caelus said carefully. "But Dan Heng remains male, and so do I. As for how Lu Shi came about…"
He paused.
"She was conceived and born the usual way."
Jing Yuan: …Certain eye-scarring images flashed through his mind, making him shudder.