Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

"So…This is not your and your familiar's baby?" Lexi asked doubtfully.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Setting aside whether it's biologically possible, it's inappropriate to engage in such a relationship with my

familiar

. The power imbalance and background and so on make it wrong. Yanael, Alzara, and Soara are special, but familiars are familiars. Imagine if Nessa here took an interest in her centipede. She'd be thrown in a loony bin at once."

Lexi raised an eyebrow.

"Your standards are so weird, Zach. Aren't you a guy? Just stick it in whatever hole you can find. Isn't that how it's done?"

"I am not talking about this with you, Lexi! Now, what did you come here for?!"

Lexi looked at Zach, Alzara, and the baby again.

"Are you sure it's not yours? It's similar to both you and Alzara. It even looks a little like you when you were little." Her doubts had yet to settle.

"All babies look the same." Zach wanted to be done with this topic, but Lexi wouldn't let go.

"Hmm. Why are you raising it, then?"

"We're taking turns. You happened to barge in while I was taking care of him."

"Mhmm."

"So, why are you here?" Zach asked exasperatedly.

"What're you going to do with him?" Lexi asked while reaching forward and poking the baby's cheek. The baby was used to that kind of treatment by now and let it happen while he continued to flip through the book.

Zach sighed and shrugged.

"We don't know. For now, we're just taking care of him. We can't just leave him at an orphanage since he's too strong and because the Underworld will take him. But…I would lie if I said taking care of a baby doesn't interfere with our already hectic life here at the Academy." Zach put his hand on the baby's head while he spoke and gently rubbed it.

"Mmm…" Lexi hummed thoughtfully while looking at and poking the baby. She hesitated.

Zach raised an eyebrow. Lexi clearly had an idea. But if she didn't want to suggest it, no matter what he said, he couldn't drag a single word out of her lips.

"I…should probably ask our parents first."

"About what?"

"Right now, I'm just stopping by on an errand to the capital, but when I return, I could take him with me back to the family estate."

"Huh?" Zach hadn't expected that suggestion.

Lexi nodded.

"And raise him like an Evandiel?" He asked.

"If the parents are willing to adopt him, yeah. I mean, he would be safe from the Underworld with us, and his strength wouldn't be much of an issue. And he won't be in the way for your studies, but it also won't be the last time you see him." Lexi even took into consideration the fact that Zach had gotten attached to the baby, though it could also be because she wasn't sure if it was his son or not.

Zach stared blankly at Lexi for a moment.

"...I'll talk with the others about it."

"Of course. Besides, we still need to get our parents' permission, and I will be in the capital for a month or so. At most. I'll finish it quicker."

"Is there any reason they wouldn't agree?"

"...No."

"If it comes to it, we'll just say it was my idea."

"That will make them think it's your baby, you know."

"So be it. I know the truth. I stand by my choices and beliefs with a feathery heart."

"Good for you…"

After the talk with Lexi, Zach asked his friends about Lexi's idea. Nessa had heard it since she was in the room with them. She liked the idea. The others also agreed to it after Zach told them.

They didn't have any other suggestions, and Lexi bringing the baby to the Evandiel estate would solve all troubles. They would be able to rest easy knowing that the baby would be looked after and protected from the Underworld's grubby claws.

After reporting on his friends' agreement, Zach took the opportunity to inform Lexi about Liam's fate. He was, after all, the son of one of their parents' vassals and came from the same part of the Empire. Even if only to make sure the Vreer family wasn't involved in anything shady, Zach felt it was best if Lexi knew about it.

Without wasting barely another moment, Lexi took off.

Zach wasn't sure what her errand was, but if their parents had sent her on it, it should be pretty important. She probably shouldn't rush it.

But clearly, bringing back the family's first grandch—a totally ordinary, unrelated baby to be adopted was more important than whatever errand it was.

Zach and Lexi also both sent letters back home to inform their parents of the plan.

While Lexi was in the capital, nothing much happened at the Academy. The city was quiet. The underworlders were gone, either because they had died or because they tried their hand at returning to the Underworld.

The Underworld didn't launch any attacks or breach the surface in any way that the students noticed. Stay connected via empire

Since it was so quiet, the students stopped bringing the baby out of the Academy. There was no way they could risk getting ambushed and losing the baby. And while the Underworld didn't have any qualms about infiltrating the Academy with spies, launching an attack was a whole different level of play.

Zach and the others didn't let anyone they didn't trust close to the baby, so spies weren't a threat to the baby's safety.

Zach, Nessa, Dukiel, Anerias, and Violina rotated taking care of the baby and juggled it with training, studying, and preparing for anything the Underworld might do.

And then, less than a month later, Lexi returned. She hadn't received a response from the parents yet, but that meant they hadn't said no. So, it would be fine to bring the baby back to the Evandiel estate.

There was just one thing they had to do first. Maybe two.