Chapter 517: Strongest Baby Introduction
Two days later, Rachel stood at the edge of the flying ship, holding Giselle close as she breastfed her.
Even though this was a meeting of Grand Faction leaders, she still brought her baby along.
Giselle was still too young, and she needed her mother.
The wind moved softly across the deck, but Rachel stood steady, completely used to it.
Behind her, Dahlia leaned forward slightly, peeking at Giselle with a raised brow.
"She’s still drinking?" Dahlia asked. "Hasn’t it already been two hours?"
Rachel chuckled softly, adjusting Giselle a little in her arms. "As expected of Garion’s child, isn’t she?"
Giselle didn’t respond, still focused, her small hands gripping lightly.
Rachel watched her for a second, then glanced back at Dahlia.
"But still..." she said, her tone light, a small smirk forming. "You’ve changed, haven’t you?"
Dahlia blinked once, caught off guard. "Huh?"
Rachel continued, calm but teasing. "You used to argue with me all the time after I married Garion."
She shifted Giselle slightly again, making sure she was comfortable. "But now... you’re just standing there quietly."
Dahlia clicked her tongue and looked away, crossing her arms. "Just thank Giselle for that."
Rachel let out a small laugh. "I see."
Dahlia scratched the back of her head, her voice a little less sharp now. "...It’s not like I hate you or anything."
She paused, then added, "You’re just... annoying sometimes."
Rachel didn’t answer that directly.
She only smiled, calm and warm, and continued feeding Giselle.
---
Not far from them, Arden stood by the ship’s side, looking out at the horizon. "We should be arriving in a few hours."
Valtor stretched his arms over his head, letting out a wide yawn.
"A meeting, huh..." he muttered, rolling his shoulders as if warming up already.
A smirk slowly spread across his face. "Good. Sounds like a new, interesting war is coming."
He cracked his neck to the side. "Hehe... time to show my strength again."
Before he could say more, Mersha suddenly popped up from behind him, holding a small glass vial between her fingers.
"Hehe, yeah, it’ll be interesting," she said, her eyes gleaming. "So many new subjects... so many chances to test my potions."
She leaned closer to Valtor and tilted the vial toward him. "How about you try this one? It’ll make you stronger."
Valtor immediately took a step back, raising a hand in refusal. "No thanks. I’ll pass."
He frowned slightly. "I’d rather get stronger through training."
Truthfully, it wasn’t just pride. The effects were really impressive, sure, but the taste... he grimaced just thinking about it.
Mersha tilted her head, her grin widening as she stepped closer again. "Oh, come on, just one drop..."
Valtor narrowed his eyes and leaned away, keeping his distance. "No. Give it to someone else."
She didn’t stop. Instead, she followed him, still holding the vial up, her voice turning more insistent as she continued to nag him.
Arden let out a quiet sigh, glancing briefly in their direction before looking back out at the sea. He chose not to interfere.
---
A few hours later, the flying ship began to slow down.
Rachel carefully held Giselle in her arms as they walked down the ramp.
She adjusted her grip slightly, making sure Giselle was comfortable before stepping onto the ground.
The moment they arrived, Rachel and the others stopped in place, visibly amazed.
The entire place was bright, almost dazzling.
Many of the buildings had open roofs, allowing sunlight to pour in freely.
Warm light spread across the stone paths and walls, making everything feel alive and radiant.
Rachel blinked, her eyes widening as she looked around. "It’s... really bright."
Dahlia nodded, a faint smile on her face. "Of course it is. The Solmira Clan draws power from the sun. That’s why most of their buildings have open roofs."
She gestured upward as a beam of sunlight streamed through one of the structures. "Around midday, it gets even brighter than this."
The others exchanged glances and nodded, taking in the explanation while still looking around in quiet awe.
Unlike the rest of them, Dahlia seemed completely at ease.
As a former true heir of a grand faction, she was already familiar with places like this. Nothing here surprised her.
She turned back to the group and gave a small wave, snapping them out of their daze.
"Come on. Let’s head to the meeting," she said casually. "No need to stand here staring. Our God Gym is much better anyway."
Rachel let out a soft breath and adjusted Giselle again before nodding.
The others followed, still stealing a few curious glances at their surroundings as they walked inside after Dahlia.
---
Rachel and the others went inside and soon found Sorien. He had also seen them and walked toward them.
But the moment his eyes landed on Rachel, he froze. His gaze dropped to the baby in her arms.
"Wait a minute..." he said, frowning slightly. "Whose baby is that?"
Rachel smiled, adjusting her hold on the child. "She’s my daughter."
Sorien blinked once, then again, clearly thrown off. "Your daughter? What the hell?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, still staring. "Didn’t you just get married? It hasn’t even been a month."
He paused, then added, more thoughtfully, "And isn’t it supposed to be harder for people like us, with higher realms, to have children?"
Rachel met his gaze, her smile calm but a little playful. "Let’s just say... things are a bit different. No need to worry."
Sorien studied her for a second longer, as if trying to piece it together.
In the end, he let out a quiet sigh and raised his hands slightly in surrender. "Alright, alright. I won’t ask more."
Shaking his head, he stepped aside and gestured toward the hall. "Come in. Everyone’s already inside."
Rachel nodded. "Okay then, excuse us."
With that, she and the others walked past him and entered the hall.
The moment they stepped inside, they realized they didn’t recognize many of the people present.
Rachel’s eyes moved quietly across the room, taking in unfamiliar faces one by one.
"It looks like this meeting is more serious than we thought," she murmured under her breath.
The others exchanged brief glances, their expressions tightening slightly as the weight of the situation began to settle in.