Chapter 201: A needle in the haystack
"Nina—!"
She turned anxiously. "Odian, Sal—the baby is about to hatch! We need to find a safer place, quickly!"
"Alright."
Odian rose into the air, scanning the surroundings. After a brief search, he located a relatively secure area and carried Nina and the cubs over.
Nina set down a small table and the babies’ nest, then carefully placed the egg—now trembling with imminent life—on top.
Everyone gathered around, forming a loose circle as they waited.
"What do you think this one will be?" Ridan asked curiously.
"Hard to say," Pado replied. "Every one of Nina’s cubs has been a different species."
He shook his head. "I’m not guessing this time. I’ve been wrong every single time."
"Still, we can narrow it down," Pado added thoughtfully. "This one clearly has fire-element abilities. That rules out the merfolk."
The merfolk fell silent.
He wasn’t wrong.
Due to their nature, fire affinity was almost nonexistent among their kind. Even in rare exceptions, such individuals usually lived near land rather than in the sea.
"I hope it’s one of our dragon cubs," Viann said eagerly. "Fire pairs perfectly with dragon blood."
"Foxes, too," Lorin chimed in. "Our clan has plenty of powerful fire users."
"Or wolves," a wolf warrior added with a grin. "Fire and snow—what a perfect contrast."
Ridan’s eyes lit up. "What if... it’s a little phoenix?"
He grew more excited as he spoke. "Every baby has been different so far—why not?"
Pado shot him a sideways glance. "Careful. That’s a dangerous thought."
Silinx laughed. "Even if it is a phoenix, it won’t belong to your High Priest. That just means one more rival."
He smirked. "Though honestly, I wouldn’t mind a little spirit cat either."
Ridan sneakily glanced at Odian.
He didn’t hear that... right?
He smacked his own mouth lightly.
Why do I always say things I shouldn’t...
And yet, deep down, he couldn’t help thinking—
A little phoenix wouldn’t be so bad...
Odian did hear everything. He simply chose not to respond. His gaze rested on the egg, calm but steady.
If it really was a phoenix... he would raise it well. As for the child’s absent father—his eyes darkened slightly—he could stay far, far away.
Ghost Wolf puffed up with confidence. "This one is definitely our boss’s leopard cub."
He glanced at Sal.
If it wasn’t...
He shuddered. He didn’t even dare imagine the consequences.
The others also looked at Sal.
If it wasn’t his... that would be... unfortunate.
Sal felt the weight of their stares. For the first time, pressure settled heavily on his shoulders.
He fixed his gaze on the egg.
Kid... don’t let your father down.
Finch and Taru were both filled with anticipation.
Fire affinity... There was a very real chance this cub belonged to the fox clan.
Kith watched quietly, his gaze gentle. Another little tiger wouldn’t be bad.
But he was no longer greedy. Having Nina... was already enough.
Aviel remained composed. If it was a dragon cub, he hoped it would be a daughter.
If not... that was fine too.
He glanced at Linny. One less troublesome son might not be such a bad thing.
Yanai stood calmly, his expression soft. As long as the child was Nina’s, its lineage didn’t matter.
Aron shared the same peace of mind. No matter the species, a baby was a blessing.
Lex, Dian, and Rosen, however, felt a trace of regret.
If it was fire-element... then it was almost certainly not a merfolk child.
They had hoped for another little mermaid princess.
But still, whatever the child turned out to be, they welcomed it wholeheartedly.
After all... they already had Mimi. And that was more than enough.
Setan stood there, staring blankly at the egg. A strange, unexplainable emptiness settled in his chest.
The baby was about to hatch. Soon, he would finally get the Flame Crystal.
He had waited for this moment so eagerly—so why... did he feel no joy at all?
Once he had the crystal, he would leave.
And once he left... he would never see her again.
His gaze shifted, almost involuntarily, toward Nina—standing beside the egg, her attention wholly fixed on it.
Why... did he suddenly not want to go?
He shook his head sharply, forcing the thought away.
No.
That wasn’t allowed.
Once he got the Flame Crystal, he had to leave.
Immediately.
He tore his gaze away, cutting off his own thoughts before they could go any further.
Nearby, the lion warriors were full of curiosity and excitement.
"Hey, we actually get to watch a baby hatch today."
Many of them were unmarried—some had never even seen a hatching before.
In the beast world, births usually happened in private. Unless invited or by rare coincidence, outsiders rarely witnessed such moments.
They watched the egg for a while, then, inevitably, their eyes drifted back to Nina.
This little female... she was almost unreal.
Beautiful. Gentle. And her fertility... astonishing.
If Ridan hadn’t told them these cubs were all her own, they never would have believed it. They would have assumed some strange circumstance was involved.
If they had the strength, if they dared challenge the males around her, they might have tried to pursue her themselves.
Their gazes shifted toward Setan.
Their city lord, at least, could.
But he already...
What a pity.
Still, one of them couldn’t hold back.
"My lord... a female like her—are you really not tempted at all?"
"Exactly," another added. "If you miss this chance, there might not be another."
They weren’t just curious—they genuinely wanted to help their lord. Even if they themselves had no chance... at least Setan could.
"You’re talking nonsense!" Setan snapped, his voice rising unconsciously. "I have no such thoughts about Nina. The only one in my heart is my little female!"
It sounded firm. As if saying it louder would make it more true.
Yes.
The one in his heart was the girl from his dreams.
Not Nina.
The sudden outburst drew everyone’s attention. Several pairs of eyes turned toward him—some displeased, some outright annoyed.
What’s so great about you?
As if Nina would even look your way.
Odian and the others narrowed their eyes slightly.
This lion... why did he sound so guilty?
Even Nina glanced over, a flicker of realization in her eyes.
So he already has someone...
No wonder he kept his distance.
The lion warriors, sensing the shift in atmosphere, awkwardly stepped back a little.
Alright, alright... no need to shout...
This is embarrassing...
Setan turned his face away, equally awkward. Why had he raised his voice like that?
He stole a glance at Nina.
She heard that, didn’t she?
What... was he even doing?
A faint, unfamiliar unease crept into his chest. The lion warriors muttered under their breath.
"What if he never finds that dream female?"
"Exactly. That’s like searching for a needle in the haystack."
"And now there’s someone this good right in front of him—why cling to someone he doesn’t even know?"
"Yeah. No way she’s better than Nina."
"Enough!" Setan shot them a sharp glare.
They fell silent immediately.
But their words lingered.
What if... I never find her?
And if he did find her... what if she wasn’t good?
Would he still bind himself to her?
For the first time, Setan felt... uncertain.
Just then, a louder, sharper crack split the air.
His thoughts snapped back instantly.
He looked toward the egg.