Bright, bluish-white thunderbolts rumbled through the night sky, illuminating the grand city below the clouds with constant fshes of their brilliance. It was happening above the capital city of the Empire of Aerthus, named after its first emperor, Aerthus the Conqueror.

  Six hundred years after the Camity caused by the Mad God, Aerthus had risen to power as the son of a small city-state located in the southern region of the Dalhern continent. He was one of the first cultivators in the new area dawning, and he had wielded power never seen before. He could wave a hand and change the course of rivers and sy hundreds with a swing of his halberd in the meantime.

  Becoming one of the first to unlock the new power bestowed upon mortals, he began conquering neighboring cities and established a nd empire that spanned the entire left side of Dalhern. He ruled for more than two centuries before abdicating the throne to his son, Aerthus II. Since then, the line of successors has always borne their forefather's name, calling themselves Aerthus, representing the power of the Empire that was about to celebrate its second millennial birthday very soon. An Empire... that has lived longer than any other before it.

  In the heart of the Empire, simply called the Grand Capital, within the home of one of its generals, the man of the house was pacing up and down in his mansion's hall. He was anxiously looking out the window, watching the lightning strikes, listening to the thunderstorm, and biting his lip. The fearless soldier who led the armies of the Empire into battle time after time, standing tall and daring against all odds, now looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

  His towering and sturdy body was bent as he incessantly fiddled with the sleeves of his maroon-colored silk robe, almost tearing them apart a few times. His long, curly blond hair was like a chicken's nest because if not with his robe, he was fiddling with his curls... Not to mention, his ocean-blue eyes were darting to and fro as if he were surrounded by enemies, trying to see where the next attack would come from.

  "Lord Xendar, should I bring a refreshment?" the old, already white-haired butler asked as he followed him like a shadow.

  "Yeah, yeah, that sounds good, Hal." Xendar, the General of the Vanguard forces, replied, his voice nervous, somewhat hoarse.

  "Here, my Lord," Hal answered with a small smile and presented a jug of cold red wine from nowhere, already prepared.

  Xendar didn't even ask anything, just grabbed the jug, gulping it down like a man coming back from his tour of the endless dunes of the Western Desert.

  "Don't worry, my Lord, the Lady is strong; she will deliver the baby healthily." Hal continued, watching him empty the entire thing in one swing, "If your soldiers saw you now, they wouldn't believe their eyes."

  "Heh, those idiots wouldn't dare ugh even then!"

  "Well, you would punish them with running around the city walls naked… so…"

  Xendar just let out a low chuckle while his face became somewhat calmer; it seemed Hal's words had eased his worry. But just a little. This was about his bloodline: his wife and soon-to-be-born heir. He may have been a soldier, triumphing in more than a hundred battles and commanding the army of the Empire for thirty years now, but still…

  "The st time I felt this way was when I asked for the hand of Anya. No, this is even worse..." he sighed loudly, grabbing his hair, almost pulling all of it off his head. "Fffffuuuu-"

  "Ahem," Hal warned him with a soft cough.

  "Khm! Khm... Yes, yes, no cursing around the baby, I know, I know, I promised Anya that our child won't inherit too much from me..." he sighed, pinching the ridge of his nose. "But what takes this long?! It's been what? Eight hours?"

  "Only three and a half, my Lord."

  "Huh? Bullsh- Khm! Khm... BullBull. No way!"

  That was when a lightning strike came crashing down, right onto the manor itself, triggering its defensive formation that instantly covered the whole estate like an indigo-colored gss dome, redirecting nature's wrath elsewhere.

  "This would be the perfect weather to cultivate if I could concentrate." Xendar sighed, feeling the electricity all around him.

  "My Lord, if you would try now, I'm sure you would perish with your current state of mind."

  The general didn't respond to his butler and just watched the formation blocking off the might of the heavens. After the st remnants of the lightning strike dissipated, the dome itself slowly faded back into invisibility.

  "After my child has grown up and taken my pce, I shall try to cross the st hurdle..."

  "The Lady would not agree."

  "Everyone who starts walking on this road is destined to face tributions, Hal. I can feel mine is around the corner; I can put it off until my heir is of age, but not longer. I have been ready for years now... Anya should understand this, too."

  "Mm... I... Understand, my Lord."

  "Good, and don't bury me so soon, Gods be dam- khm, Gods be something-something. I'm still barely sixty, and if the Emperor can do it, why the hel- khm, heavens, I could not?! That idiot managed it... show off."

  "Please watch your tongue, my Lord; the Emperor's ear hears many things."

  "Hah! He still owes me his life three times over! I can call him a buttface if I want to."

  Listening to his lord's words, Hal just shook his head and wanted to say something, but the double door at the end of the hallway suddenly swung open, and Xendar almost bit his tongue, snapping his head towards it. The old midwife stood there, wiping her hands with a towel, her face creased with a warm smile.

  "Congratutions, my Lord, she's a healthy girl!"

  Xendar just ughed loudly, storming into the room, his eyes fixed on his wife, who looked frail, her silver hair sticking to her pale, exhausted face. Still, her violet eyes sparkled brightly, revealing a happiness that had never before been seen on her face. Their daughter's eyes were just as open, shining in a purple hue, looking around like a curious little puppy, not even crying.

  "Look, dear, she looks just like me!" Anya exhaled, knowing that she was now a mother, not just the wife of a general, "Thank the Gods, I was afraid our child would take after you!" she added with a weak, giggling voice.

  "As long as she inherited your looks and my brain, everything will be fine!" Xendar ughed again as he sat down on the edge of the bed, kissing his wife's forehead and then his child's.

  "Hah, it would be a catastrophe!"

  It seemed the little one was blinking her eyes hard, trying to understand her parents' words as she looked up at them, but soon gave up on the effort and turned her head towards her mother's bosom. It didn't take long to take the hint, and she was quickly only focusing on eating her first dinner with a serene, rexed expression.

  "How are you feeling?" Xendar whispered, stroking Anya's head gently, running his fingers through her wet hair.

  "Exhausted. More so than after the wedding night... Ren took her time coming out. She is as naughty as her father!"

  "Ren? You already named her?"

  "Why not?" Anya pouted, "We had an agreement! I name her if she is a girl, you if she is not."

  "Ah… true... true. Ren, it is then!"

  As if understanding it, Ren slowly opened her eyes again, but not her mouth, as she continued to suckle as hard as she could, looking up at her parents. When Xendar gently stroked her head, she closed her eyes back down, enjoying her parents' warmth. But inside her head... thoughts were indeed swirling around rapidly.

  "Ren… Ren, it is. This taste… filled with energy..."

  "Hehe, look how hungry she is; it looks like her appetite came from you!" Anya giggled, holding her daughter close.

  "Are you sure about that?"

  "What are you implying?" Anya's mood darkened instantly, but little Ren no longer bothered with her parents' antics and instead concentrated solely on drinking her mother's milk, lost in her own thoughts.

  "It worked! A mortal with this much energy… no, she can't be considered a mere mortal anymore. Good… good! I need to learn how much time has passed… Ahaha! This is going to be fun!"

  "Look, dear! She's smiling!"

  "I had the same expression a few nights ago." Xendar nodded, scratching his chin.

  "Can you… just for one hour… be normal?" Anya groaned again, rolling her eyes while her husband couldn't wipe his grin from his face, not even if he tried to, watching the two most important people in his life.

  At the same time, outside, the rumbling thunderstorm slowly died down, and the dark clouds disappeared, giving way to the two moons whose bluish light shone down onto the Grand Capital... which was shaken up the next day by the news from the General of the Vanguard Forces, announcing the birth of their daughter.