The World Is Mine For The Taking

The preparations were steadily coming together, and with every passing day, everything felt more tangible than it had before. Even though only a relatively short amount of time had passed since we first began, an incredible amount of work had already been completed thanks to the massive resources that all of my allies had willingly poured into the effort.

The Kingdom was lending its support as well, standing alongside the United Republic without any hesitation.

After a while, I also received word from the Bethlan Kingdom. The King himself apparently wouldn’t be able to make the trip personally because of matters that demanded his attention back home, but he promised to send additional manpower to reinforce the defenses of our allied nations instead.

That was honestly more than enough for me.

The Milham Kingdom wasn’t going to be the only nation benefiting from these preparations. The United Republic and the Bethlan Kingdom would also be protected, and at a time like this, the cooperation between those three countries was more valuable than ever before.

Without that cooperation, trying to face what was coming would be far more difficult than any of us wanted to admit.

Fortunately, everyone seemed to understand that.

Personal pride didn’t matter anymore.

Survival mattered a whole lot more.

"Fufufu, Kana really is such a sweet little girl, isn’t she?" Titania said while gently cradling Kana in her arms with an affectionate smile.

Kana wasn’t Titania’s daughter.

Even so, watching the two of them together felt surprisingly natural. They looked so much like a real mother and daughter that it almost made me forget they weren’t related by blood. Honestly, I never expected Titania to have such a gentle and motherly side to her. It suited her far better than I would’ve guessed.

"She really is," Trill replied softly as she looked down at Kana with a warm smile, with her tail moving left to right while watching her.

For some reason, even Yr, who was almost always asleep whenever I saw her, had opened her eyes just to quietly watch Kana. A gentle smile rested on her face, making her look surprisingly adorable. Meanwhile, Isiliraiellyn, who was usually loud enough to fill an entire room by herself, had become unusually quiet for once. The three of them simply watched my daughter with expressions I couldn’t quite put into words.

It almost felt like they were looking at something precious they had never experienced before.

Kana, on the other hand, seemed perfectly happy surrounded by all of them.

She giggled every now and then, making those tiny bubbly sounds that she usually reserved for Gabrielle and me. Her little hands stretched toward their faces, happily trying to grab anything within reach while smiling without the slightest concern in the world.

Honestly, babies really did have an unfair amount of charm.

Just smiling at people was somehow enough to melt everyone’s heart.

"Someday... us too..." Isiliraiellyn quietly muttered, almost sounding as though she were talking to herself.

She probably meant for those words to stay inside her own head.

Unfortunately for her, someone who spent most of her life talking loudly apparently wasn’t very good at whispering.

Almost everyone heard her perfectly clearly.

Titania looked over first.

Trill followed right after her.

Yr quietly shifted her gaze as well.

Even Kana stopped looking around and turned toward Isiliraiellyn, as if she somehow understood that the conversation had suddenly become about something important.

Realizing that everyone had heard her, Isiliraiellyn’s cheeks immediately turned bright red.

She looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

Unfortunately for her, that wasn’t happening today.

"Fufufu, that’s right, isn’t it?" Titania said with a soft laugh. "Us too... someday. I think that sounds pretty wonderful."

As she spoke, her eyes slowly drifted toward me.

That single glance was enough to tell me everything.

She wanted to have a child with me someday.

Looking around the room, I quickly realized she wasn’t the only one thinking that.

The others wore similar expressions.

Ever since Gabrielle gave birth to Kana, followed by Irene and Rose giving birth to my two daughters, the idea of becoming mothers themselves had clearly become much more appealing to them.

Watching children grow up right in front of them had changed something inside their hearts.

It made the future feel a little closer.

It made those dreams seem possible.

Still, as things currently stood, I didn’t think it would be wise to get any of them pregnant.

A major battle was already waiting just beyond the horizon, and an even larger war wasn’t far behind. Bringing new life into the world during a time like this didn’t seem like the smartest decision. Waiting until everything had finally settled down felt like the better choice for everyone involved.

Eventually, when all of this was over, we could seriously think about starting bigger families together.

That day would come eventually.

For now, patience was simply the wiser option.

While everyone continued happily playing with Kana, I quietly excused myself and stepped away from the room for a little while.

Before I could get very far, Maya walked over toward me.

"Commander Lilia and Vice Commander Veronica are here," she informed me.

"I’ll head over right away, so thanks for letting me know," I replied before immediately making my way downstairs.

Lilia and Veronica were already waiting for me by the time I arrived.

"It looks like you really didn’t waste any time getting everything underway," Lilia said with a faint smile.

"Waiting around would’ve only made things worse," I answered with a shrug. "The sooner we start preparing, the better our chances become. We have absolutely no idea when that bastard is going to unleash another disaster on our countries, so sitting around and hoping for the best isn’t exactly a strategy."

"I suppose you’re right about that," Lilia admitted with a small nod. "Trying to delay things now wouldn’t accomplish anything worthwhile."

She folded her arms before continuing.

"I still have to admit that I’m surprised by just how many connections you’ve managed to build over the years. You were even involved in helping establish the United Republic."

She let out a quiet laugh.

"Although, considering it’s you we’re talking about, maybe I really shouldn’t be that surprised anymore."

Her expression gradually became much more serious.

"Anyway, we’ve started receiving more reports that the Empire is finally making its move."

The atmosphere around us immediately became heavier than before.

People nearby even seemed to instinctively lower their voices.

"And this time," she continued quietly after a brief pause, "I honestly don’t think either side intends to hold anything back once the war finally begins."