Eagle Village.
Habs Manor.
"Mother, you found me a fiancée? And we're getting married in a few days?" Rennes blinked in disbelief, squinting up from where he lay in the sun. His voice was full of confusion.
This was just too sudden.
He didn't even know who the bride was, and now he was about to get married?
"That's right," Evelyn said firmly. "Your father and brother are both gone. If you don't marry and have children soon, the Habs family line could end with you!"
Her tone was serious—deadly serious.
And truth be told, she wasn't wrong. Throughout history, countless noble families on the continent of Varan had vanished because their bloodlines died out. For nobles, producing heirs was not just tradition—it was duty. The more family members, the stronger the legacy. In this context, the Habs family was in an extremely precarious position.
Rennes was the only remaining heir.
If something happened to him, the Habs name would be finished, and their lands would almost certainly be confiscated.
"All right," Rennes sighed.
Hearing his mother's reasoning softened his initial resistance. He was an adult, after all. Responsibility and duty went hand in hand. Since he had inherited the Habs title and lands, it was now his obligation to preserve and strengthen the family.
Of course, duty was one thing—personal taste was another. If he were forced to marry someone ugly or unpleasant, he wouldn't just roll over and accept it.
Sensing her son's hesitation, Evelyn smiled gently. "Don't worry. The fiancée I found for you is Janice, the eldest daughter of the Rhein Knights from the neighboring territory. She's a beautiful girl—you'll be pleased."
Rennes's eyes lit up. His last bit of resistance melted away and was replaced by anticipation.
Two days later.
The wedding was held as planned.
To help her son—now Baron Habs—integrate quickly into local noble circles, Evelyn spared no expense. The ceremony was grand. Invitations were sent to nearly every noble family they were acquainted with in the region.
On the wedding day, the Habs estate was full of guests dressed in finery. The manor bustled with the pomp of nobility.
Rennes himself was dressed formally. When he saw his bride-to-be, Janice, for the first time, he was struck silent.
Just as his mother promised, Janice was stunning.
Fair skin, a graceful figure, and soft golden hair cascading down her shoulders—she was the very image of nobility and beauty, and perfectly aligned with Rennes's aesthetic preferences.
Feeling his intense gaze, Janice, clad in a pure white wedding gown, blushed and shyly lowered her head.
Next came the official ceremony. Before the eyes of the noble guests and a priest from the Church of Love, Rennes and Janice completed their vows and became husband and wife.
That night, they fulfilled the final rite of their union.
Three months later.
During this time, Rennes made a conscious effort to build a genuine relationship with Janice. Even though their marriage was political in nature—typical for noble houses—he had no desire for his wife to live in his shadow or keep her heart elsewhere.
Thanks to his efforts, Janice gradually grew fond of him, and their emotional connection deepened. They became inseparable.
Seeing how close the young couple had become, Evelyn was thoroughly satisfied. But she didn't stop there—she began frequently reminding and gently pressuring them to conceive a child. The continuation of the Habs bloodline, after all, was still top priority.
Under her persistent supervision, Rennes found himself "putting in work" several times a day.
Thankfully, he was a 3rd-rank warrior. If not for his enhanced physical resilience, he might have been completely exhausted by now.
A month later, Janice gave him joyous news.
"Rennes, I'm pregnant!"
"Hahaha! That's amazing! Janice, you've done well!"
Rennes stood frozen for a second, then joy broke across his face. He rushed forward and held Janice tightly in his arms, placing a passionate kiss on her lips.
Leaning into his embrace, Janice gently stroked her stomach, her face glowing with happiness.
The couple was overjoyed.
But no one was more excited than Evelyn, who had longed for a grandchild since her husband and eldest son passed away.
"The Habsburg family is about to welcome a new heir!"
Ecstatic, she immediately began preparing everything Janice would need for her pregnancy. She even personally made nourishing soups each day to help her daughter-in-law stay healthy.
Meanwhile, Rennes was equally attentive. He reduced his martial training and spent most of his time caring for Janice. Their bond deepened with every passing day.
Ten months later.
As Janice's due date approached, Rennes made careful arrangements. To ensure the safest delivery possible, he hired a priest from the Church of Life.
While this high-magic world lacked modern medical procedures like C-sections, it had something arguably better—divine arts and miraculous spells.
The Church of Life worshipped the Goddess of Life and was renowned for its authority over birth and vitality. Their priests possessed divine arts of childbirth with an extraordinary success rate.
They were, essentially, the most powerful midwives in the world.
The only downside? The cost.
Hiring one required fifty gold coins—a considerable sum, especially when the Habs fiefdom's annual tax revenue hovered just above six hundred gold coins.
Small noble families usually couldn't afford such luxury.
But Rennes believed it was worth every coin.
Thanks to the priest's divine intervention, Janice delivered safely—and swiftly. In just over ten minutes, the cries of a newborn rang out.
Rennes's first child had arrived.
It was a healthy baby boy.
"This is my child…"
Rennes looked down at the wrinkled, squirming infant in awe. He couldn't help but smile.
He was a father now.
This new life, connected to him by blood, made Rennes feel something he hadn't felt since crossing into this magical world: a true sense of belonging. A real tie to this land, this life.
However—
Just as he was basking in this joy, his expression shifted. A flicker of confusion and unease crossed his face.
He had suddenly noticed something strange.
His qi—his inner life force—had inexplicably increased by one-tenth.
"What the…?"
He blinked, stunned.
Such an increase in cultivation strength should have taken years of grinding effort. And yet, it had just... appeared.
This wasn't a good surprise—it was too unnatural.
He couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. As a man who had transmigrated from another world, he knew better than to believe in free lunch.
Where there's power, there's always a price.
Determined to get to the bottom of it, Rennes prepared to inspect his inner energy, to trace the sudden gain in qi.
But before he could focus, a strange message appeared in his mind:
[Host's child detected. Family System activated.][Initiating aptitude scan…]
Ding! The child has no magical aptitude, low-level qi aptitude. Overall evaluation: Black Iron grade. You have gained 1 year of qi cultivation.]
[Note: Children's aptitudes are graded by potential—Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond… The higher the grade, the greater the reward to the host.]