Chapter 507: She’s Pregnant… Wait What
What they saw was Garion and Rachel, but what froze them wasn’t Garion. It was Rachel.
Garion looked exactly as he always had.
His stance was steady, his presence unchanged, his gaze clear and composed. There was nothing unusual about him.
Rachel, however, was different.
The change was immediate and impossible to ignore.
Her eyes lacked their usual sharpness, drifting slightly as if she had trouble focusing.
Her posture, once straight and assured, now carried a subtle heaviness, as though each movement required more effort than it should.
One hand rested against her stomach, almost unconsciously, while the other held the edge of the table for support.
Her complexion was pale, drained of its usual vitality. She looked unwell.
Clara’s hand, which had been raised mid-gesture, slowly lowered.
Her expression tightened, confusion quickly giving way to concern.
"Elder Rachel...?" she said, her voice unsteady. "How is this possible? How can you be sick?"
Arden gave a small, uncertain nod, his brows drawn together. "Yeah... no one has ever gotten sick after cultivating the God Physique Path. Not once."
Valtor frowned, his gaze fixed on Rachel as if trying to find an answer just by looking. "Then explain this. How can Elder Rachel be sick?"
Arden exhaled and shook his head. "I don’t know. I’m not the creator of the path. If you want answers, ask Master."
Before anyone could press further, Rachel noticed them.
Her expression shifted. She straightened slightly and offered a faint smile, one that didn’t quite hide her fatigue. "So, all of you are here."
Dahlia didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward at once, her eyes scanning Rachel from head to toe.
"Rachel," she said, direct and firm, "what happened to you?"
Rachel’s smile lingered, but it softened. "It’s nothing serious. I’m just a little tired."
A brief silence followed.
Clara frowned. "Elder Rachel, that doesn’t make sense. You shouldn’t even be capable of feeling like this. And..."
Her eyes dropped to Rachel’s hand, still resting on her stomach. "...what’s going on there?"
Garion let out a quiet sigh, as if he had expected this moment.
He stepped forward, placing himself slightly beside Rachel. "I’ll explain."
Everyone turned to him.
Garion looked at each of them in turn, taking a moment before speaking, as if choosing his words with care. "Rachel is pregnant."
The words landed heavily.
For a brief moment, no one spoke. Then the shock broke across their faces.
Clara’s eyes widened. "What? That’s impossible. How can that even happen?"
Arden frowned, his mind already racing through what he knew. "No... that doesn’t make sense. At Elder Rachel’s level, the chances should be close to zero."
Rynar and Rynor were less composed. Both of them looked completely thrown off.
"Our stepmother... pregnant?"
"What are we supposed to do now?"
Their voices overlapped, unease turning into restless energy.
Valtor, however, remained still, his attention fixed on Rachel. His expression tightened, but not with disbelief, more with scrutiny.
"I see. Pregnancy," he said slowly. "But something’s off. Why is it progressing this fast?"
Seira nodded, picking up on the same detail. "It doesn’t line up. It should take at least three or four months before it’s that noticeable."
She pointed at both of them. "And it hasn’t even been a month yet since they did it the first time in the ship."
That realization spread through the group just as quickly as the initial shock.
All eyes turned back to Garion.
He exhaled again, this time with less patience. "Like I said, I’ll explain what I can. She’s pregnant. For some reason, the progression is accelerated. Beyond that, I don’t have answers."
Dahlia frowned. "That’s not an explanation. That’s just restating the problem."
Garion gave a small shrug. "It’s all I’ve got."
The room fell into a tense silence.
Rachel shifted slightly, her hand still resting against her stomach.
Her expression tightened, and when she spoke, her voice carried a hint of strain. "Please... don’t be so loud. I’m trying to eat."
That was enough to break the moment.
No one argued further.
One by one, they gathered their things, the earlier energy replaced with quiet restraint.
Whatever questions remained would have to wait.
Without another word, they left the restaurant, careful not to disturb her any further.
---
Back in the training hall, they made their way straight toward Raviel.
He stood near the center of the room, overseeing a smaller group, his attention fixed on the trainees before him.
That focus broke the moment he noticed them approaching together.
His brows drew together slightly. "Dahlia."
His gaze shifted across the group, assessing each face in turn. "Shouldn’t you all be training under Rachel?"
No one answered.
The silence lingered long enough to be noticed. Raviel’s eyes dipped, catching sight of what they carried. "You brought food?"
A faint crease formed between his brows. "Isn’t there a restaurant?"
He looked back at Dahlia, waiting. "Why are you here?"
Dahlia crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Because the restaurant is occupied."
Raviel lifted an eyebrow. "Occupied?"
Dahlia gave a short nod. "By Rachel and Garion."
His expression remained steady. "And?"
He tilted his head, as if the answer should be obvious. "Isn’t that normal?"
Clara stepped forward before Dahlia could respond. "Not today."
Raviel’s attention shifted to her. "Explain."
Clara hesitated, scratching her cheek as she searched for the right phrasing. "Well... Elder Rachel is a bit..."
Raviel’s gaze sharpened. "A bit what?"
Clara let out a quiet breath. "Sick."
Raviel frowned. "Sick? What do you mean?"
Clara raised both hands, as if to steady the moment. "Just like I said. She’s sick."
He didn’t look convinced. His eyes narrowed further.
Clara exhaled again, then said it plainly. "Because she’s pregnant."
Raviel froze.
For a heartbeat, he didn’t move. Then... "What?"
The word came out sharper than intended.
Clara nodded once. "Yes."
That was all he needed.
Without another word, Raviel turned and rushed out of the hall.
His steps were quick and decisive, his presence gone almost as soon as the realization settled.
The door hadn’t even fully stopped moving before he was out of sight.
The group remained where they stood, the sudden emptiness settling in.
Valtor blinked. "That was fast."
Rynar scratched the back of his head. "He didn’t even question it."
Rynor gave a small nod. "He believed it immediately."
Clara folded her arms. "Of course he did."
She glanced toward the exit Raviel had taken. "That’s his sister."
Dahlia said nothing. Her eyes followed the same direction, thoughtful and quiet.
Seira spoke after a moment, her tone even. "His reaction is expected."
Valtor let out a breath. "Yeah... I guess so."
Clara sighed, her shoulders dropping. "This day just keeps getting worse."
Dahlia finally turned away from the doorway. "Let’s go."
Clara blinked. "You want to follow him?"
Dahlia nodded without hesitation. "Obviously. I want to see what happens next."
Valtor’s grin returned at once. "Now this is interesting."
Clara groaned under her breath. "I knew you’d say that..."