The Baby Isn’t Yours

Affectionately whispered, he touched his daughter’s head gently without even hugging her with his strong arms.

He was careful as if touching her too hard might break her, or applying too much pressure might make her disappear.

The man gingerly kissed his daughter’s forehead and mumbled.

“Sorry for being late, my child. But I have a special surprise gift for this birthday. Let’s watch the rising of Oscar’s Star and I’ll show you the gift.”

Listening to her father’s affectionate words, Gaia showed a slight excitement but then shook her head.

She quickly realized what she had done and shook her head again. She grabbed her father’s wrist as if she had just come to her senses.

Struggling, she pulled his thick, heavy arms.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Do you have someplace you want to go?”

Although, to him, her force was weaker than a breeze, he gladly went where his daughter led him.

Gaia led him into the deep forest.

* * *

When they stood in front of the mysterious cave, Kalia noticed a faint scent coming from the cave and circular bloodstains on the ground.

She wondered if these bloodstains were from the wolves she had attacked, or…

Without further thought, Kalia confidently entered the cave.

“Wait a moment!”

If it weren’t for Hemmie, she would have gone straight in.

Hemmie, with a stiff expression, cautiously warned her while surveying the inside of the cave.

“It’s too dark inside. Going in like this is dangerous.”

Despite witnessing Kalia easily defeat a Lycan Wolf with a single swing of her sword, Hemmie was deeply worried about her.

Kalia smiled strangely at the sight of Hemmie worrying that she might get hurt.

It seemed like she was the one who should be worried now, but why is Hemmie so restless looking at her?

‘Hmm… maybe my skills aren’t good enough?’

As if she had sensed Kalia’s thoughts, Hemmie quickly added.

“I know monsters like that wouldn’t possibly be able to harm Kalia. But… what if you go in there without knowing what’s on the floor and Miss falls over?”

Hemmie was worried that she would fall, hurt her butt or even worse, fall forward, which could potentially be very dangerous for Kalia.

“It’s too dark, Kalia.”

Hemmie knew she was a great war hero and a master with unparalleled skills. However, for the past eight months, in Hemmie’s eyes, Kalia was like a ‘future mom’ who needed protection. So she couldn’t just send the expectant mother into the darkness.

What if that wolf startled her? It was a concern that came to mind.

Inwardly angry, Hemmie threatened the future, clenching her small fist in the air.

‘Curse that wolf cub! I wish I were a bit stronger so I could barbecue you!’

“Rather than going in, we will lure them out. I think it would be safer.”

Kalia seemed to understand Hemmie’s reasonable words and agreed with heer.

But even in this case, for some reason Hemmie didn’t calm down. She stared into the darkness of the cave with trembling eyes and said:

“Can’t I go ahead of you? We don’t know who will come out. Well, I just have to find out, even if I somehow get hurt…”

‘Oh my.’

Kalia patted Hemmie’s hair with a worried face, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at her words.

What the hell does this kid think of her?

Kalia was a bit speechless but there was a bit of laughter in her eyes too.

‘She’s the one who looks so vulnerable yet she thinks that she’s going to protect me.’

For a moment, Kalia felt a strange rush of emotions.

Even in such a situation, Hemmie wanted to protect her. Kalia and for the first time in her life felt a corner of her heart melting, like ice cream under the sunlight.

“You don’t have to do this, Hemmie.”

“No! If anything happens to you, if you stumble or get shocked, I know Allen will fry me in a pan!”

Panicked, Hemmie raised her voice. Kalia grinned and raised an eyebrow.

“So I’ll stand in front of you.”

Hemmie finished, rushing in front of Kalia.

“…I see. Then Hemmie, you protect me well.”

Kalia glanced past the back of Hemmie’s head into the darkness behind her, and pulled out something round, the size of her thumb.

Then, one hand lightly touched the back of Hemmie’s head, as if to alert her, while the other threw the round object into the cave.

‘Huh? What’s this?’

Hemmie saw a circular bead fly past her and before she could look too closely, rough but warm hands came down in front of her eyes, completely blocking her view.

A soft but gentle voice whispered:

“Hey, if you keep staring like that, you’ll hurt your eyes.”

And at that moment, pop! With a sound, light flashed from the bead.

Hemmie slightly recoiled in surprise, but Kalia gently held her, putting her mind at ease.

“It’s a glow pearl. It may not be very bright, but it will softly illuminate a certain area.”

As the pearl burst and scattered a sparkling light, the fine white particles floated around the cave before adhering to the walls, gradually emitting a soft light. The cave, which had been dark, was now gently lit.

Kalia looked at Hemmie with a smile on her face.

‘Like this…’

He wondered if Kalia thought of him as something… a little concerned, Hemmie returned her smile.

Hemmie turned around to look at Kalia with a flat, unamused expression, unable to even finish the thought in her head.

Kalia grinned and gestured with her chin to the outside of the cave.

“Be on the lookout outside the cave. I’ll try luring the wolves out from inside. If you see anyone outside, hide and wait for me. We have to finish this as quickly as possible so we can get out of here, okay?”

“Huh? Yes!”

“Okay, let’s get this over with and go back. Before we’re both fried by Allen.”

With those words, Kalia grabbed her sword and swung it lightly into the wall.

With a bang, the sword dug deeply into the cave wall near the entrance. The sound resonated deep into the darkness.

-Grrr!

Soon, three Lycan Wolves appeared in front of Kalia, breathing heavily and growling at her. One had more than half of its shoulder cut off, and he only staggered and his light snarl revealed its teeth.

However, these clever wolves didn’t lunge at her or continue forward beyond a certain point. One of the monsters came out holding a small body in its paws.

“…Oh God.”

Vicious as they were, were they using the child as a hostage?

Kalia’s gaze turned even colder. She hadn’t planned on letting them live, but she didn’t want to simply kill them without any thought.

-Grrrrrr.

The three Lycan Wolves stood on two legs like humans. They held the child’s neck with their sharp claws, threateningly inching closer to the child.

Kalia’s forehead creased in silence. She stared at the panting wolves.

That wolf’s movements were small, moving his nails little by little around the child’s neck, as if to threaten her. However, the monsters came out with only one of the two children.

One child may have been left inside the cave.

Seeing as she could not pick up any human sound from inside, the child had probably fainted or collapsed.

Monsters had habits of eating at night when there was less threat to them, so it was probably saving for a big meal tonight. The child held in the wolf’s claws was covered in a lot of blood.

It didn’t seem to be the blood of a monster, nor the blood of that child. 

Then, the only remaining possibility is that the blood was the missing child’s.

-Grrrr! Craaaaw!

With a more intense glare, Kalia watched the creatures threateningly inching away from her.

Their eyes had become clearer than when she first met them. Perhaps they were regaining their consciousness due to the pain.

The  monster’s eyes glared at Kalia, exuding killing intent from its gray depths. But beneath its hatred for her was a great deal of fear of her.

However, except for the wounded one, the eyes of the other two wolves were still crazy.

Mouth foaming, they exposed their teeth to Kalia and their mouths were dripping saliva as they approached her.

While watching the wolves who were overtaken by madness move towards her, the wounded wolf, who had been slowly backing away, suddenly threw the child towards Kalia and bolted.

At the same time, two remaining monsters rushed toward Kalia.

Kalia caught the child with one hand and readied the sword she was holding in the other.  Her sword had long been drawn in anticipation. Her one swing left an afterimage in the air and effectively cut the two wolves in half.

Kalia carefully laid down the child in her arms who had long fainted and signalled to Hemmie with a short whistle.

Then she turned to chase after the remaining flewing monster.

Chiw!

From the outside, Hemmie heard a whistle and then, not long after, a wolf was seen rushing out with Kalia following right behind.

‘Yes, be so frightened. Shiver when you realize you can’t escape.’

Kalia thought coldly and closely chased after the wolf.

It was not difficult to catch a monster whose body was significantly slower due to its injury.

She accelerated a bit, applying force to the soles of her feet and swung at the monster’s back.

The sound of her sword piercing through the air cut like the wind. The bluish blade soared through the air, but no remnants of it remained.

The golden glow of her sword pierced the back of the fleeing wolf’s head.

The action was accurate, neat and very quick. The monster crumpled in a few mere seconds.

Kalia watched the ground beneath the collapsed monster slowly dye red with the monster’s blood with unimpressed eyes.

The memory of the creature’s claws  that had dug into the child’s throat, still remained in her mind.

There was no way she’d have any mercy left for this crazy monster. Had it not been the child in her belly, she would have long ripped the beast to pieces and destroyed it without leaving a single trace of it behind. 

No, maybe she’d have left the nerves intact and the wolf alive so it could watch her rip its body up piece by piece.

Maybe even something more cruel, brutal and painful than that…

Thinking that far, Kalia felt one side of her stomach cramp lightly and shook her head hastily:

“…I’m sorry, baby. Mom had such horrible thoughts. I promise to think only good things. I’m so sorry.”

-Grrr!

At that moment, a wolf that’d been hiding jumped violently from behind her and swung its long claws.

Kalia, who easily avoided the attack with a dodge and a half-step back, frowned at the sight of another attacking monster. 

Except for the child in her womb, she would have torn that creature to shreds and erased all traces of it from this world.

Or maybe she would have left it alive, torn apart and suffering more…

Those thoughts vanished as Kalia felt her belly grow light.

“…I’m sorry, little one. Mommy had such cruel thoughts. I promised to only think of beautiful and good things. I’m truly sorry.”

-Grrrr!

At that moment, another wolf hiding behind her lunged at her with sharp claws.

Kalia easily dodged it and frowned at the wolf that had attacked her from behind.