Birth

Of the four countries occupying territory within the Azure Continent, Sirc Kingdom was the only one predominated by human cultivators. Although other races like elves, dwarves, and beastmen could also be found in the bordering towns and cities of the Sirc Kingdom, their numbers were low, and they rarely, if ever, held any power in the area where they reside.

At the northernmost part of Sirc Kingdom was a small town named Lakar. It was a famous town situated between Everium Forest and Sol City. Although its territory was significantly smaller than other cities, Lakar still boasted a variety of its own guilds and prefectures for merchants and cultivators. The fact that its location was near a forest where monstrous beasts could be freely hunted was one of the best attractions for cultivators looking to earn a fortune.

Within the Luo Family Manor, a brown-haired man in his thirties was pacing back and forth across the door of a room. This man was the current head of the Luo Clan and the governor of Lakar, Rein Luo.

At the moment, Rein's wife, Amaria, was giving birth to their 2nd child. Technically speaking, it should be their first child, but given the circumstances after what had happened a few years ago, they had no choice but to adopt a child since the Luo Clan believed that Amaria was unable to conceive a child.

Now, five years after they had adopted their first child, Amaria, who was thought to be infertile, had suddenly become pregnant, giving rise to constant celebration throughout the entire town of Lakar.

A slow creaking sound almost stopped Rein's heartbeat. As a cultivator, he was a man who could even stand up to the most powerful officials of the Sirc Kingdom, but as a husband, he was but a man who cherished his wife more than anything in the world.

An old woman, with a head full of white hair and a face covered in wrinkles, walked out of the room. As soon as she did, Rein couldn't help but let out a number of questions, "Maester Mai, how's my wife? What about my child? Are they safe? Did anything happen? Is everything okay?"

The moment that his wife told him that she was about to give birth, Rein was instantly overwhelmed by anxiety. Three hours had already passed, and since then, the only thing Rein did was pace back and forth outside the room, mumbling incoherent words as clumps of sweat poured out of his body.

The old woman, whom Rein called Maester Mai, gave him a wide smile before speaking, "Rein, you should calm down. Both the mistress and your child are safe and sound. Your newborn child is a boy. Mistress Amaria is currently resting with your child inside the room. It's okay to enter now, but before that..."

Maester Mai took a handkerchief from the pocket of her dress and wiped the sweat off of Rein's forehead. With a smile on her face, she fixed Rein Luo's appearance as she spoke, "You have become the governor of Lakar, yet you're still the same as when you're a child. You really must fix that anxious face of yours. You should greet Amaria and your newborn child with a smile on your face."

Maester Mai patted Rein on his shoulder before clearing the way. Taking a deep breath, Rein excitedly went inside the room, walking as gently as possible.

Unknowingly, a bright smile soon bloomed on Rein's face. All the anxiety and fear he felt suddenly vanished into thin air as his eyes fell on his newborn child. His wife, as radiant as the sun, greeted him with a smile as she carried the delicate child in her arms.

"Rein… it's our child." Tears streamed down Amaria's face as she called out to her husband. It had almost been a decade since they first married, however, they had never been blessed with a child to the point where they were pressured to adopt a suitable child as an heir for the Luo Clan.

Rein tread his way toward the bed as tears welled up on his eyes. He took a seat beside Amaria and gently caressed his wife's beautiful silver hair while looking at their newborn child.

"Finally, Amaria… the gods have blessed us. We shall call our child Raizel… a rose that bloomed amidst hopelessness," Rein spoke as he used his free hand to touch the cheek of the newborn child.

"Raizel…" Amaria muttered as she gazed at the sleeping child in her arms. At the moment, all she had in her mind was that she was truly blessed by the heavens. The pressure of being unable to conceive a child had vanished, unlocking one of the knots in her heart.

Five years after their marriage, the Luo Clan thought that Amaria was infertile, and they gave Rein Luo a choice: get a concubine or adopt a suitable child.

Since Rein wholeheartedly loved Amaria, he never dared to think about the first choice for even a second, leading them to adopt a child. Now, five years after adopting a child, Amaria had suddenly become pregnant, and truth be told, this was something the couple considered to be a miracle.

While both Rein and Amaria were cherishing their newborn child, a small little girl hurriedly entered the room, clumsily running her way toward the bed—it was the child they had adopted five years ago, Rhea Luo.

"Father, Mother, is that my brother?" The little girl, Rhea, looked intently at the baby in her mother's arms. Curiosity and excitement were written all over her cute little face.

Rein shifted his gaze toward the little girl. A gentle expression appeared on his face as he carefully lifted the delicate baby toward his lap, giving the little girl the opportunity to take a closer look at her brother.

He then patted Rhea's head as he said, "Rhea, this is your brother, Raizel. As his older sister, you need to take care of him, okay?"

"Yes, father." Rhea's eyes were glued at the baby even as she spoke. A bright smile was plastered on her face as she excitedly muttered, "I have a little brother, I have a little brother!"

She was just but a 6-year-old girl, and living in a place without anyone at or near her age made her feel lonely. The arrival of her brother to the world meant that she would finally have company other than the old and middle-aged folks running errands in the Luo Family Manor. This, of course, made her feel really happy.

After a while, Rein, upon realizing that it was already getting late, stood up as he spoke, "Amaria, we should rest. Rhea, go back to your room and sleep. You can go see your brother again tomorrow, alright?"

Amaria, upon hearing Rein, suddenly felt exhaustion all over her body. Although she was a talented and powerful cultivator, it didn't mean that she had unlimited stamina. The excitement and relief after giving birth had seemed to push all her tiredness away, but after everything was said and done, the exhaustion overwhelmed her as she soon fell asleep.

Rein kissed both his wife and newborn child on the forehead before carrying Rhea back to her room. After such a tiring day, all of them deserved a long rest.

…