Ceres was in her room, organizing paperwork. There were no signs of Anastasia’s Dragon Crest when examined a few days ago, but when examined this morning, her secondary sexual characteristics had begun to show. She’s working on the papers for that.
The dragon crest is a sign of adulthood. It’s proof that the body has matured from child to adult.
In the case of men, there’s not much change and they may find the crest floating on their body, but when it comes to women, they stay in their shells for a week or so to rest.
Anastasia’s body has the awakened magic reshaping her body and preparing her to conceive a child.
Pregnancy is difficult for the Kiryu–any magic bearers. The child is conceived in the mother’s body when the male and female’s mana are sufficiently familiar and fused. If their mana isn’t familiar with each other, they’ll repel and the female won’t become pregnant.
The female has a receptacle of mana in her womb to receive the man’s mana and mix it with their own to blend it. The receptacle of this mana is now starting to function inside Anastasia, Lina and Mira already had it awakened.
Because of this receptacle of mana, the female dragon’s mana is stronger than that of an ordinary male dragon.
And a weak male’s mana won’t mix with a female’s mana. Only a strong male who can subdue the female’s mana and forcibly pour his own mana into her is qualified to procreate with her.
Incidentally, it’s easier to impregnate women without mana.
Since they can’t repel the magic, the male’s mana will easily penetrate, and even between different species, the effect of mana can cause pregnancy. The centaur the protagonist met on their way to school was also made through that mechanism.
Children born from both Kiryu will always be Kiryu, but most children of Kiryu and humans without mana will be Zatsuryu.
Ceres finished her paperwork and pondered.
How did Anastasia reach sexual maturity without any warning?
Anastasia has been in her shell inside Lina’s room. Why there?
Dragons are cautious and don’t allow outsiders to their nests. If she were to shell herself, she should’ve been back in her room. So why is it that she is in Lina’s room, someone she just met?
It’s almost like that room became her nest.
「 That boy…no, that’s not possible 」
Even if. If that boy accompanying Lina turned Anastasia, then the mystery is solved.
But that boy…
「 It’s impossible for a Zatsuryu to pair with a Kiryu 」
A weak male with inferior magic. A weak male can’t even have intercourse, let alone produce children.
There’s no chance a Kiryu woman would allow that kind to be her partner.
Ceres knows that better than anyone.
Kiryu’s got the power of a dragon and the heart of a human. An unstable existence wavering between dragon and man.
They can have a good relationship with humans with no magic, zatsuryu who are inferior in mana, and even become equal friends, but they’ll never develop a romantic relationship.
「 That’s impossible. That’s unthinkable 」
Ceres’ hand unconsciously reached for her lower abdomen. Ceres’ crest, where the organ for conceiving a child was located, is touched unconsciously.
■
「 Fire Lord. It’s my win! 」
「 Sorry. Here, Light King. I’m taking this 」
I put the Light King Joker on top of the Red Lord Card she confidently played. I win because the King is the strongest card beating all the other cards.
When they come out, they take all the cards on the board.
「 Aaaaaah!!!! Why, how do you have another King?! 」
「 Well yeah, I was holding it 」
「 Haa… It’s a winning streak, you’re strong. Are you sure that this is your first time playing card games? 」
「 Yeah, today’s my first 」
Well, I played lots of games in my previous life.
The game we’re playing now is called “The Great War” and it’s played like some kind of irregular card game.
The strength of the cards is determined in the following order, Light King, Dark King, First Knight, Second Knight(The picture Cards), Numbers 1-10, and then the person who plays the strongest card takes all the cards on the field.
The rule is when everyone’s cards are gone, the number of cards in hand is counted, and the person with the most cards wins the war. There’s no such thing as an 8th cut or 11 back, and the game’s easy to understand even for beginners.
「 I was winning the first time! Another game! 」
「 Yes, sure. I’ll redistribute the cards then.
I shuffled and cut the cards and dealt them again. This time, my hand has no kings or Lords. My strongest card is just the first night at best, so this is weak.
Well, I’m sure that I’ll win against the two anyway.
「 Take this! Light King 」
「 Oh~ My Knights… 」
「 Hehe! It’s my win this time! 」
Lina-chan and Mira-chan were playing the strong cards at the start. If they have it, they play their strongest cards so they naturally run out of gas in the second half.
If you count the cards on the field, you can easily see what’s left and what’s gone, but they haven’t thought that far ahead.
I know the remaining cards, and my hand, so I can take everything else from here. And that’s another victory for me. Sorry, Lina-chan.
I don’t think it’s fine to play card games during school hours but this is an important part of class.
Only the child of Kiryu are quick to put their hand out and fight when something goes wrong. Adult Kiryus can calm down and often settle their fights by playing games instead of dueling, Buono-sensei said.
If they don’t know how to play games, then they’ll have trouble socializing when they become lords or knights, and this is how they teach children at school by making time for games.
Today, they taught us to play with cards, but there are many other games. I look forward to what they teach us next.