Elias Status

After a while, I managed to calm Mia down and turned back to Elias.

"Hmm, what else has happened?" he pondered, resting his arms behind his head. "I think that's about it. Tell me, why are you back here already, interrupting us in the middle of...?"

"Haha, everything's fine!" I replied, scratching my head. "It's just that something came up, which accelerated everything a bit."

"Oh yeah? What happened?"

"I got my system!" I announced proudly and told him the rest. From the [Strongest Kingdom System] to its abilities and what happened.

"Is that also a reason why you both grew a little, have this mysterious aura and have this weird little stone on your forehead?" Elias interrupted.

I furrowed my brow... Ah, I had completely forgotten about that!

I scratched my head and said, "That's our crown."

I activated it, and the crown formed on my head.

Immediately, the atmosphere changed, and without apparent reason, Elias and Sylvia fell to their knees.

"Our king!" they exclaimed.

Completely bewildered, I glanced at my wife and immediately deactivated the crown.

As if nothing had happened, my in-laws got up and looked at me puzzled.

I just shrugged to indicate that I had no idea either.

Elias didn't seem to care; "No harm done! Just carry on with your story! It'll sort itself out!"

Relieved, I nodded, but I thought how convenient it would be if the crown could be worn as a ring.

Suddenly, I saw a beam of light in front of my eyes, and I followed it in surprise, seeing a ring forming on my ring finger.

"Cool!" I murmured, and while Elias was talking to his wife, wich wasn't as relaxed like him, suggesting it was probably nothing serious.

I told Mia about my discovery , who immediately turned it into a ring too.

I continued to experiment a bit and found that the crown, in its dormant state, could transform into any piece of jewelry, from a ring to a necklace, from a bracelet to a pendant.

However, I opted for the ring, as the thought of a wedding ring appealed to me.

Then, after Elias was finished with his wife, I continued my story, about my bloodline, the abilities, and the rest.

At some point, we wanted to make a kind of comparison.

So, I finally got to see Elias' status. I had been curious for a long time, as he was the strongest man I knew, apart from myself.

Thanks to him, I could become an 'SS' rank, because a guild master could only distribute up to one rank higher than his own.

Elias was an 'S-rank' adventurer.

"Status System!" he said, and suddenly Mia was also there, watching eagerly as the screen appeared.

"I finally get to see what your status looks like, Papa!" my wife exclaimed.

———

System: Reaper

Name: Elias (Varo)

Occupation: Fruit Vendor, Ex-Guild Master, Ex-Mayor, Ex-Prince

Species: Human?

Level: Near Transcendent

Level: 487/500

EXP: 38,876,631/48,700,00

Mana: 70,400,200/70,400,200

<[Status Points]>

<[Personal Data]>

<[System Skill Tree]>

<[Skills] >

———

"..."

"Why do you look like you've just seen a troll blocking your path?" he asked, amused.

I scratched my head and said, "To be honest, I didn't expect that. I knew you were strong, because one doesn't become the mayor and guild master in the most dangerous village just like that, but that you were a prince?"

I started laughing and slapped Elias on the shoulder, "You've got some stories to tell!"

"Oh, there's not much to tell!" he waved it off.

Mia stared at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, I tapped her and called her name. No reaction.

I let her thaw out a bit and looked at Sylvia, who looked at us with amused brown eyes.

"Valor... I heard that name today!" it occurred to me.

"Yes, that's quite possible! Currently, the current crown prince of Valorium is strutting around here." he shook his head, "and like everyone else there, he is very conceited."

"Hahah!" I laughed, "I noticed that! He wanted to pick a fight with me and have Mia as his queen."

He started laughing so hard that tears came to his eyes; "He probably said, 'You are courting death'!"

"Exactly that!" I said amused...

We made fun of it for a while. By then, Mia had thawed out again and was appalled at how he had kept it from her.

"You guys have to tell us everything!" she said firmly, also looking at her mother.

She waved it off and claimed, "I was born here in the village; I only met your father when he came here."

I cleared my throat; "What do you say we save it for the journey to our new home?"

Elias and Sylvia looked at each other.

Then suddenly Elias said, "If you let us finish what we were doing earlier!"

For that, he received a fierce look from his wife and astonished looks from mine.

I gave Elias an understanding nod and stood up.

"Shall we go find Emma and see if our house is still standing?" I asked Mia, laughing slightly, "or do you need more time to sort it out with your mom?"

With a slightly flushed face, my wife stood up and shook her head hastily.

"Have fun!" I said with a grin and left the house.

Outside the door, she looked at me with narrowed eyebrows.

She looked like an angry squirrel.

I was still grinning and stroked her head.

When no reaction came, I scratched my head, tilted my head to the side, and smiled. I was about to take her hand and go when she said, "Wait!"

"What's up?" I asked, amused. "Are you in the mood now too?"

She ignored the comment and took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant," she said confidently, looking deeply into my eyes.

Stunned silence, "are you sure?" I managed to bring out.

Excitedly, she nodded and even hopped a little on the spot. Her expectant gaze pierced me.

@@@@

My thoughts were racing.

No joke? Not just a suspicion like last time? This is amazing! I could shout it out to the world!! A child with Mia? It's like a dream! How did I deserve something like this? Will I be able to handle it? Will I be a good father? How cool is that? Boy or girl? Does it matter? ...Will I turn out like my parents? What if I...

"Aren't you happy?" After a while, my wife's disappointingly sounding words interrupted me.

I slowly looked down at her and managed to utter from the turmoil, "I think that I am."

I heard Mia sigh and saw her pulling me along.

Along the familiar path, now paved with stone. Through the usually empty streets, now full of life.

Out of the city, towards the setting sun, through the forest, until we reached an open area.

From here, you could see over the open fields and green forests, a stream babbling into a small clear pond. Spring water.

The sun reflected in the water, and the warm wind blew through our hair. The leaves rustled. A bird chirped.

I sat down on the self-made wooden bench. Mia stood in front of me.

She leaned her arms on her hips and looked at me with a firm gaze. Into my eyes.

Her hair was blown about, and the orange-golden sun gave her a divine aura.

"Do you know what place this is?" she asked firmly.

I nodded. Of course, I knew that.

This was where I had confessed my love to her for the first time and proposed.

I would never forget it! I took a deep breath.

"Why am I so emotional since I met you?" I asked her and myself mumbling, with pressed lips, because a few years ago I would never have thought that I could have such complicated thoughts today.

I shook my head in frustration, leaned forward, propped myself up with my elbows on my thighs, folded my hands, and looked up at Mia.

With a confident smile, puffed chest, and crossed arms, she started to chuckle.

I looked at her puzzled.

As if she didn't hear my question she startet; "I know what you're afraid of," grinning broadly, then she grimaced and pretended to glare fiercely, "but why don't you trust in our relationship, in me, and in your progress?"

I shrugged; "I want to... No, I do. I trust you even more than myself."

I sat back again and scratched my head, somewhat uncertain and reserved, then I said, "But every time I think about it, it catches up with me... without me wanting it to. Even though I know a good parent form my past life too…"

Mia patiently watched me and waited during my pauses for thought.

I leaned forward again and looked at my fingers, nervously playing with them.

Occasionally, I rubbed my leg and then back to the start.

I looked back up at my wife, into her eyes, which were sparking with blue fire.

Then she opened her mouth again: "Then trust me. Only me."

I looked at her for a long time, without saying anything, I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

Mia sighed, sat down beside me, leaned against me, and silently looked out over the landscape with me.

I was lost in thought as the grass swayed in the wind, seeming alive, the insects flying around small flowers, preparing for the night, and the large trees, which seemed to be waving with their branches.

Eventually, I broke the silence, slowly turned to Mia, and told her, "I'll trust that you're right."

Mia started to glow and hugged me, and we held each other for a while.

Why does she smell so good?

And then we walked back hand in hand.