"How long has it been?"
Noah looked at Edith with a strange expression, not because she was pregnant again after three years. They were a young couple, not taking precautions, with frequent interactions, so pregnancy was not surprising.
"Six months? This doesn’t look like six months!"
The Golden Dragon pondered. Edith was a Half-Elf, and Tidel was exceptional, neither old nor young, both seemed average. But in reality, he was beyond the mundane realm. Their child couldn’t be judged by human standards.
For ordinary humans, pregnancy typically lasts nine to ten months, smoothly leading to childbirth. But they were different. Little Gwen had stayed in her mother’s belly for over a year.
"How long were you pregnant with Little Gwen?"
"About fifteen months."
"I feel like your second child might take even longer."
Noah made an assessment.
"I feel the same. Edith’s appetite is much bigger than when she was carrying Gwen."
Tidel agreed wholeheartedly. As a husband, he naturally paid more attention to his wife, knowing much more than the Golden Dragon.
Though everyone had expectations, including Edith herself, that this child might be even more special than Gwen.
But when her pregnancy reached a year and a half, and her belly only showed a slight swell, anyone could sense something was off, noticing something unusual.
"Dragon Dad, when can I be a sister?"
Little Gwen, sitting on a high platform, swinging her white and sparkling little legs, asked the Golden Dragon with eager yet puzzled eyes. Noah could only offer a vague guess,
"Probably another year!"
"A year? That’s so long!"
Little Gwen, who had just turned four, could only feel this way. For her, a year was equivalent to a quarter of her life, a very long time.
"Do you want a brother or a sister?"
"Whether a brother or a sister, I love them both. I just want to be a sister. I’ll definitely be a great big sister."
Little Gwen replied without hesitation, waving her little fist with confidence.
"Yes, yes, our Little Gwen will definitely become the most gentle big sister."
However, reality gave Noah a gentle slap as he misjudged the situation. Even a year later, the child in Edith’s belly showed no signs of being born, staying firmly put as if intending to reside there permanently.
"Is she going to give birth to a sea-dwelling child?"
When no one else was around, Noah quietly muttered.
Even a Dragon Species egg would hatch in the right environment, yet Edith’s belly remained still, with the child refusing to enter the world.
By now, the Augustus family had a completely different attitude toward this child, who had been in gestation for two and a half years without being born.
Despite Edith’s strong protests, her position as captain of the Griffin Knights was stripped, and she was forcibly moved to Elisium City to nurture the baby.
Despite her busy schedule, Selena, who had to teach Little Gwen, still made time daily to visit Edith.
As for Tidel, although filled with anticipation and joy, and a faint sense of anxiety and unease, he had become the busiest person now.
He took over his wife’s Knight Order, barely able to spare time to return, only to leave again after barely uttering a few words.
However, the most solemn in the Augustus family concerning this matter was not anyone else but Noah’s adoptive father, Casius, who, after being the Holy Dragon Slayer and Dark Conqueror, now bore titles like Catastrophe Terminator and Sky’s Fury.
This ever-growing legendary figure, after learning that his daughter-in-law was pregnant again, and after the completion of twenty-four natural months with no signs of childbirth, didn’t leave Elisium City anymore.
This was an extremely rare occurrence given that since conquering the Dark Territory, this legendary grand duke had always been elusive.
He spent most of his time outside the territory, and many followers who visited could only rely on Minstrels to hear of his grand achievements in distant lands.
Now, Casius declined all requests and invitations, offering no face to anyone, staying put in his territory, much to the delight of local close-combat transcendents.
However, Casius’s mind was not with them. When someone managed to meet him and seek guidance, a few casual pointers left them pondering hard, wishing to scratch their heads bald.
But Noah often saw this terribly strong legend enter the Elidis Mountain, practicing combat skills with various weapons.
There was no ocean-like surging Fighting Spirit, nor was there an ultimate power to split mountains with a strike. Noah saw merely a tall, solid youth practicing techniques even kids could learn, with an ordinary steel weapon.
Seeing this scene, how could Noah not understand why the child in Edith’s womb stayed this long? The answer was now clear before him.
The Golden Dragon’s first prediction was off, but the second was extremely precise.
When Little Gwen was five and a half years old, the Nine Swords Master had been pregnant for a full three years.