Chapter 190 – A Fake Hero

*** Tanatsu ***

I guess I shouldn't be surprised they waited till dark to act. I doubt this job went to anyone with some skill. Pregnant dragon without mana is hardly a challenge.

Except somehow, the dragons all have mana despite only one having a class at seventeen. Some Goddesses are truly getting involved in the world now.

Of course, there is the pregnant vampire, so the guild will even have to worry about the Countess getting her own revenge. I may need to go looking for those three idiots after this if I want to live. The Queen can still swarm me.

I don't have Nakuma's balloons around to wake them up, so I just push something off a counter. A crash rings through the house, freezing the assassin in place. The three dragons wake up in the bed. The target comfortably holding her wives as I should be able to do with my love.

Just need to play this correctly and get my help.

The dragon with the most mana pulls out a sword. My dear little sis must have given her a storage ring. Then, a splash of water shoots out at the assassin, just getting them a bit wet. But it confuses the assassin enough to let the sword nick them in the shoulder.

You better pick it up, assassin. Sure, there is another in the house I can count on, but it would be easier to have everything work the first time around. At least the second assassin is still pushing forward despite all the noise.

The first pushes forward, their knife ready to sink into the nearest dragon. She is not the target, but she is in the way.

Still on the bed, she isn't able to defend herself, the knife sinking into her side. A new knife pops into the assassin's hand, and then I come in. The dragon screams out in pain.

The new knife is looking to bury itself into the womb of the very pregnant dragon. I cut off the hand and snatch the knife, moving it across the assassin's neck and finishing my portion of this play.

The second assassin isn't needed so I just teleport her into one of my cages for later.

"Here is a potion," I say to the hurt dragon. Just a simple healing potion, but enough to keep her alive till that Kelly girl can come over and finish the job. Looking too prepared for this would be an issue. "Sorry, I was a little late. I just got word about it from Audrey. She didn't know if she could stop it, so she asked me to help."

The hurt dragon accepts the potion, and the target pulls the knife out so she can be healed. The third stares at me. The only one to even think I may be an issue.

She isn't completely wrong, I guess.

"And you are?" the third asks.

"A higher-up in the guild," I say. "I know Yuki. Don't spread this name around. Only share it with Yuki or Nakuma. Tanatsu. Anyone else hears about it and I will have to come here and finish the job this one started. Understood?"

"Why should we trust you?" she continues.

"Did I say trust me?" I say, pulling the corpse into one of my rings. No need to waste a good body. "I said talk to Yuki or Nakuma about me. I do hope you see I saved your lives."

"If you work at the guild, then why didn't you just cancel the contract?" she asks.

"I do not have that power," I say. "I'm just the top guard."

"Akhae," the target says. "Be nice. But I do agree it is a bit weird that you show up just in time. Why would Yuki know about a high elf assassin guild guard?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you about her revenge mission for your daughter's assassination attempt?" I say. Maybe I can earn a bit more here. "I was the one that helped her find out who ordered those assassins."

That gets Alzi's Mother to freeze up, her hands frozen around the healing knife wound on her wife.

Oh, little sis, keeping more secrets. Is it bad that I always seem to profit from them?

"So you really know Yuki?" the pregnant dragon asks.

"Yes," I say.

"Then thank you for the help," comes from behind me, the pregnant vampire. "What do you want?"

"Not even going to ask if the dragons are ok?" I say, turning to the small vampire.

"They look fine, and the screaming stopped," she says. "I'm sure they'll be freaked out for a while, but there is nothing to do right now. I have been in their place before."

"True," I say. "I need help with something, and I think Alzi would be just what I need. Her life mana is likely the missing part of a project."

"We can't promise anything on her behalf," the Mother says. "She's done too much for me already. I won't hand her over or force her to do something for me again."

"Then, when she is here, I want to be able to ask her for help," I say. A Mother that cares for her child. I thought you could only care about your grandchildren. "How about that?"

"Fine," the Mother says. "But Yuki needs to be there to help her. I don't want someone taking advantage of her again."

She should've asked for the Countess to be there. Yuki, I can manipulate as I please. Lil sis would never dare to go against me.

"As you wish," I say. "Now, I should get going. The contract should already be closed; this one just never came back to find out about that. Sleep well, dragons and vampire. You should have the healer look at that wound soon."

I guess Yuki has somewhat gotten over keeping secrets. A bit unfortunate, but the dear old dragon wasn't likely to give me more than the ability to ask for help anyway.

But that dragon has quite the surprise in her womb. A boy and a girl and some drops of royal blood. Maybe my dear old Mother will thank me for finding that out for her.

Bit sad that Yuki slacking in her duty is working out so well.

*** Armirynth ***

"Ilka, are you ok?" I ask. The strange high elf disappears, as Nakuma likes to do. She sits there talking in short sentences, then decides she no longer wants to be here and acts like smoke in the wind.

"Still hurts," she groans out, slowly stretching. "But better me than you. But why would they want to kill a pregnant dragon?"

"Maybe they found out I'm having a boy or something?" I say. "Or they're going after me now that my daughter is with a Princess?"

"I'll go get Kelly," Mai says. "She is probably out cold still."

"Thank you," I say.

Akhae has to get out of bed to check on Ilka, my belly making it impossible to roll over to the other side. There wasn't much blood, and it was a clean stab. No twisting or pulling to open the wound up, and the potion really left us nothing to do but hold and comfort each other after the scare.

"You damn dragons are crazy," Kelly mutters, the human's hair a mess. Bags under her eyes show how much she has been running around the city for work. Staying up too late brewing those potions.

Too much pressure to prove her worth around the Kitsunes. Just mentioning Yuki gets her stressed.

Akhae moves to the side and lets the healer work. The small bruise that formed fades away under her touch.

How far away are we if this is falling behind in her eyes?

"All done," Kelly says. "Armirynth, I should check the kids while I'm here."

"You are overworked as is," I say. "I should be fine."

"It'll just take a second. Alzi will kill me if something bad happens to those babies, and rightfully so," Kelly says, her hand resting on my belly. "All good. Try to get some sleep."

"You are the one that needs the sleep, Kelly," I say. "You are so much stronger than us. Please don't work yourself to death before you can marry my daughter."

"I'm fine," Kelly says, shuffling out of the room.

"Goodnight, everyone," Mai says as well. "Another girl was sneaking around, but it seems the high elf killed her. She likely was here well before Ilka was stabbed."

"Maybe," I say. "We won't sleep deeply for a while. But we can force it if needed. Goodnight, Mai."

The catkin leaves us be. My two wonderful wives snuggle in close, but I don't think any of us goes to sleep.

...

A loud knock comes from the front door. Whoever it is pauses for a few seconds. The three of us were too tired to get out and check it. But then the knocking turns into a banging.

"I need to get that," I say. I have taken control of the house despite my growing pains and aches. My level is the lowest with how little I can do with my class till these twins pop out, so I have to do what I can.

"Ok, love," Akhae says. It took them a long time to let me do things without fighting about it. I'll also need to fix Ilka's nightgown today.

I find my slippers and head towards the front door, the banging just getting louder.

"Hello?" I call through the door. Yuki told me never to open the door if I was not expecting someone until after they introduced themselves.

"Guards sent by the Queen," they say back.

Unable to ignore the Queen, I open the door. Behind it are four women in golden armor.

"We are here to guard you," the first woman says. "Reports of an attempt on your life were sent to the Queen."

"Um, a high elf killed the two assassins last night," I say. "Are more expected?"

"No," the woman says. "But the Queen wishes to protect you."

"That is nice," I say. "But why?"

"Your daughter is married to her daughter. She wishes to protect her family," the guard says.

"I guess that makes sense," I say. But why wait till after the threat to show up? "Do I need to do anything?"

"No, you will just have a small guard detail for a while," the guard says. "Just wanted to inform you of that."

"Ok," I say. "Thank you?"

"Have a nice day, madam."

"You too," I say, closing the door.

Why does everyone care about me now?