With one last push from my Will, we entered the Void. There were some initial "oohs" and "ahs" from my kin after Nemo made his door transparent. But after a few minutes of staring out into space, Naia was like, "That's all," clearly already bored.

I shrugged my shoulders and got to work creating an invisible barrier around Nemo. I had hoped that by imposing my will onto the enchantment's blue lines, I could make the invisibility barrier act as a temporary part of the demon door. No such luck; it seemed some sort of defensive function of the magical vault prevented any lasting change. So, I was forced to maintain the spell myself while my family trained their skills. The only thing I could focus on was expanding my Will pool.

Theresa chose to learn an archery-enhancing spell called "Multi-Arrow" as her second spell. Our dad would continue to focus on his physique and toughness. He would train differently than I did since pink muscle training wouldn't work as well for someone his age. He’d start with his strength attributes, as attempts to train Will spells had not yielded success for him. I believed he would eventually succeed, but for now, we needed to stick to what worked.

For Scarlet, I suggested the Physical Shield spell, given her role as our frontline combatant and primary healer. Our dad would be the main heavy-armored tank, and she could heal him if he got injured. If her Will was low or she was preoccupied, I could lend a hand, but my healing was less effective.

The Physical Shield was a somewhat mysterious spell. A blue glowing outline surrounds the user's body. It made a sound and appeared to be light magic-related, but there was something too different about it for me to replicate. The barrier blocked anything that would harm the user—be it magic, weapons, or poison gas. Yet, somehow, the user could still breathe. So, one of two things was happening: either the barrier filtered air and let it through, or it recycled the air inside. Either way, it maintained a breathable atmosphere within the shield, which I had no idea how to replicate.

Several weeks of training passed like this for the rest of my family. I maintained the invisibility of Nemo for days before moving us back into Albion's space for breaks to get some sleep. This would significantly decrease the amount of time we could remain there, especially since I had other training that required me to be outside the Void.

Somewhere around five or six weeks into our training, Scarlet fell ill. At first, I didn't think much of it. But when the sickness didn't subside after a week, I knew something was wrong. I recalled that the common cold and flu only incubate for less than four days, and Scarlet hadn't gotten sick until weeks after we arrived. No one else had fallen ill, so it definitely wasn't contagious.

Then the realization hit me, and I knew what was wrong. What takes four to six weeks to make a woman sick? I made my way toward where Scarlet was bundled up, trying to wait out the sickness with a bucket nearby in case she lost her lunch.

"Mother, I think I know what's wrong with you. This is going to sound weird, but I need you to put some of your pee in an empty potion bottle. That way, I can test it and we'll know for certain if you’re pregnant," I explained to a surprised and wary Scarlet.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Pregnant?" Brom's face lit up, clearly delighted by the thought.

"Wha... Wait... Pregnant?" Scarlet seemed surprised by the revelation.

"Well, you see, when a man and a woman love each other in a very special way and they get together, sometimes the man’s seed impregnates the lady, and a baby is born," I jokingly ranted.

"I KNOW WHERE BABIES COME FROM!" Scarlet shouted at me, frustrated.

"Look, if we add a little vinegar to your pee and shake the glass bottle, we can tell if you’re indeed pregnant," I further explained.

"Fine, Brom will bring it to you later," she exhaustedly conceded.

About 45 minutes later, I had a small pink glass bottle on the ground in front of me. I had at least two layers of gloves on. Hey, I'm not touching my mom's pee. Gross! I just had to be the one to do the test since I’d know what to look for, and they wouldn’t. I gave the bottle a shake, confirming that no bubbles formed in the pee. After adding the vinegar, I repeated the action. Yep, bubbles formed like crazy.

The method of testing was really old but still reliable. Scarlet was pregnant, which meant we had another problem. How could a pregnant or recently pregnant woman fight Jack of Blades? Scarlet was our most experienced fighter, our healer, and our secondary tank. We would have to adjust the roster a little. Since Scarlet would have the Physical Shield spell, she could remain in the back lines as our healer.

Well, it looked like it was up to me and Dad to hold the front line. I wondered whether I would get a little brother or a sister. Now, I was stuck in a confined space with a hormonal pregnant woman for at least the equivalent of nine to ten months. This was going to get worse before it got better.

Taking a moment, I thought about what this must feel like for Scarlet. She was a first-class hero, and in another timeline, she had failed her family. Now, she was pregnant and unable to protect us again. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine what that would be like for her. Pregnancy just isn't something I’d have to deal with personally. Unless some crazy wizard came up with a male pregnancy curse. I'd rather die first, but I wouldn’t deny that anything was possible.

Walking over to Scarlet, I explained, "Mother, it appears you are pregnant, but don't worry. It’s going to be okay."

I could see the disappointment on her face. "How is it going to be okay?"

"You can still fight; we just need to adjust our strategy a little."

"I've failed you again, haven't I?"

"No, you have not failed us. This pregnancy is not your fault, and you have never failed us. Not in the other timeline and not in this one. It's not your job to protect us from life, and death takes all eventually. Jack's actions are also not your fault," my speech started out comforting but turned serious near the end. I hated that she doubted herself, and it was partly my fault.

I had been trying to save everyone's lives but had ignored how it affected them personally. My family were people too, and sometimes they needed reassurance.

Why did it feel like my own emotions were missing? I knew I should care about things, so I acted the way I thought I should. Everything I felt was like I was hearing music in another room instead of where the party was at. I was starting to have my own suspicions about what this may mean...

"You're right. It's best not to focus on what cannot be changed," Scarlet replied, now standing next to me. "I love you, son," she added.

"I love you too, Mom," I said, even though I felt bad saying it. Part of me still believed she wasn't my mother and I wasn't her real son.

I called everyone over so they could hear me all at once. "Now let's go over the strategy for the Battle of Oakvale. Also, let's start picking baby names. How about Granok, Destroyer of Worlds?"