On the morning of October 9th, 2000, in a coastal fortress, inside the room shared by Germain and Shizuku.
Germain opened his eyes.
He turned to glance at the empty bed beside him, then looked toward the bathroom.
Truthfully, he had already woken up earlier — right when Shizuku got out of bed.
But since she told him to go back to sleep, he'd simply closed his eyes again.
Still, nearly ten minutes had passed.
Shizuku hadn't returned from the bathroom, and in this kind of situation, Germain couldn't rest easy.
He lifted the warm blanket off his body, sat up, slipped on his slippers, and walked quickly toward the bathroom.
Even with abilities like En or Gyo, nothing compared to seeing with one's own eyes.
Germain needed to check on Shizuku himself.
"Shizuku?" he called softly at first.
No response.
Only the sound of dry heaving came from within.
He pushed the door open without hesitation.
Shizuku, dressed in a loose bathrobe, was crouched over the toilet, the lid lifted, vomiting into the bowl.
Only after throwing up a bit did she feel slightly better, raising her head with a pitiful look toward Germain.
Germain immediately squatted beside her, concern written all over his face.
"What's wrong? Was it something you ate last night?" he asked gently.
"I don't know," Shizuku replied, shaking her head. "I don't think so…"
Her constitution had always been strong.
Even if the food had been off, it shouldn't have made her this sick.
Suddenly, a different possibility crossed Germain's mind, making him freeze for a moment.
Ever since they got married, they hadn't taken any precautions like they used to.
And it had already been two months since they started doing that.
Nervous, he leaned down slightly and gently pressed his ear to Shizuku's lower abdomen.
For a normal person, this would have been absurd.
But Germain was no ordinary man — he was a top-tier Nen user.
And that made all the difference.
He did hear something.
Slowly, he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
But Shizuku, who had no experience in such matters, completely misunderstood his actions.
She reached out and lightly tugged on Germain's hair.
Usually expressionless, she now wore a rare, teasing smile.
"Doing it here? Wouldn't that be a bit… gross?" she murmured.
"Besides, I don't feel very good right now... How about we wait until tonight?"
"We're going to the medical center."
Germain gently lifted her into his arms, holding her at the waist as he carefully stepped out of the restroom.
He picked up a jacket and draped it over her shoulders to keep her warm.
"To do it at the medical center?"
Shizuku wrapped her arms around Germain's neck, blinking her wide eyes.
"There are a lot of people there. It's dangerous. We might need to be a little careful."
Germain gave a helpless smile.
He leaned close and whispered the real reason softly into her ear.
As he carried her toward the medical center, Shizuku froze like someone under a spell.
Her eyes widened, and she stared ahead in a daze, completely still.
Inside the medical center, Sanbica — who was always bundled up in thick clothing — had already arrived after hearing the news.
She quickly examined Shizuku on the bed.
"Hmm."
Finally, she confirmed what Germain had suspected.
"Shizuku is definitely pregnant. About one month along. Congratulations to both of you."
Germain thanked Sanbica sincerely before turning to Shizuku on the bed.
She was still in a daze, though her posture had changed.
This time, she was staring at her lower belly, her gaze blank, as if unable to believe what she was sensing.
Germain sat beside her, gently took her hands, and rested them together on her abdomen.
His own hands joined hers.
Four hands together — and in that moment, it felt like they could all sense the presence of new life.
It was just a normal case of morning sickness.
Soon, the two of them returned to their room.
But within just half an hour, the news of Shizuku's pregnancy had spread through the entire coastal fortress.
The first one to burst into their room was, unsurprisingly, Bisky.
She slapped Germain hard on the back, then rushed to Shizuku's side, full of surprise and joy as she spoke excitedly.
After that, more and more familiar faces came by to visit them.
Chairman Netero, who had returned from the rear lines.
Members of the Zodiacs.
Morel and Knov with their students.
Kurapika, Killua, Gon, Leorio, and even Illumi.
As the news spread, more people came — friends, acquaintances, even strangers who barely had any connection, just hoping to use the opportunity to get to know Germain.
Kurapika, Killua, Gon, and Leorio took it upon themselves to stand outside the room in the hallway, helping to filter who could enter.
Vice Admiral Pier, Queen Oito, and Steiner personally came to visit.
Admiral Mike, however, did not.
He simply sent someone on his behalf, bringing gifts as a token of congratulations.
Ever since that devastating loss on the frontlines — with countless soldiers and resources gone — Admiral Mike had locked himself in his quarters, claiming to be recovering from his injuries.
Those few who were granted an audience with him quickly noticed the change.
He had grown increasingly irritable, lashing out with little provocation.
He no longer wished to handle military or political affairs, throwing the burden onto Vice Admiral Pier and Chairman Netero.
Though still the nominal supreme commander of the New Continent, his absence left a vacuum.
And so, the responsibility naturally fell to Pier and Netero to carry the banner forward.
Compared to Mike, Pier was far more open to Netero's guidance.
Together, their cooperation managed to fill the cracks left by the war.
The brutal conflict between humans and magical beasts had finally come to a halt.
To prevent future hostilities, the Hunter Association began working tirelessly to establish meaningful dialogue between both sides.
Still, the hatred sown by Mike ran deep.
To fully extinguish it would take years — perhaps more than a decade.
It would be a prolonged tug-of-war, a cold truce at best.
But Netero had faith.
He stood firm in the Hunter Association's ideals — that peaceful coexistence between humans and certain non-human species was possible, so long as mutual respect and understanding were upheld.
Among those familiar with the situation, Ging was the last to visit Shizuku's room.
Before that, he casually greeted Gon, who stood watch in the hallway outside.
It was worth noting — Ging had once again disappeared on his own into the New Continent, abandoning Gon for who-knows-how-long, without a word or explanation.
No one could tell if he was truly busy with work, or simply avoiding the responsibilities of fatherhood.
And yet, Gon didn't seem to mind.
Those who once wanted to stand up for him now found themselves without a valid reason.
Their anger quietly faded.
Ging, acting as if nothing had happened, entered the room with a light smile, offering his congratulations to Germain and Shizuku.
Then, he shared some exciting news.
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