Chapter 661 Strategy and Paternity
"You don't know?! Our God, my master and husband is offering his hand to the top goddess at the end of the games! If you are the number one, you will have the chance to have your very own baby!" Nya cheered, but the others, even the Cat-Folk behind her, gave mixed reactions.
"Baby? What kind of prize is that?" Sheri asked, but Penny had frozen in place.
Penny, Chili, and Nya were the only ones who had met Grace, Breya, and Galio's new daughter. This was also the first child that had ever been born into this world, so the word baby hadn't existed until Galio had said it. All the women were used to full-grown women being hatched from the golden eggs.
"Y-You are s-serious?" Penny sputtered, making Sheri peer around at her face.
"What are you getting so embarrassed about?" Sheri asked and then quirked her eyebrow. "Your face is the same color red as your hair. What is this baby thing?!"
Penny opened her mouth to explain but before she could make a sound, Nya stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "It's a little... creature? Well, not a creature. It's sort of like a... mini-human. It's very small and delicate and needs a lot of care. It grows into a full-grown woman over time. It's not like the golden eggs we are used to. This child is born from a woman's body and is a combination of her and the father... our God's essence."
Penny watched as the Dog-Folk women's expressions ranged from confusion to wonderment. Some were whispering among themselves, eyebrows furrowed in thought. Others remained silent, lips slightly parted in surprise. Sheri was among the latter, staring open-mouthed at Nya.
"And... and Galio is offering one of these... babies... to the winner?" Penny managed to ask, struggling to wrap her mind around the concept.
"Well, that might be reading between the lines, but I can't see why not! I know that I am waiting my turn to get my Golden Egg because I am one of these wives! I just assume that whoever wins will get the same chance! Though there is a bit of a lineup with the other goddesses, I don't think that they all want the little monsters! Especially after seeing how wild and crazy little Gracie is!" Nya cackled.
"That... sounds like a generous prize," Penny finally said after a few seconds of stunned silence, trying to conceal the shock in her voice. Suddenly, the stakes of the Goddess Games felt so much greater. "I'm sure many will be motivated by that."
Around her, the Dog-Folk women glanced at each other, their expressions thoughtful. The prospect sparked something in them – a challenge, an aspiration, a wholly new objective they hadn't even thought to consider. The idea of a baby, a small being to be loved and nurtured, was a prize that held more value than any they had contemplated.
"Well, you better get practicing then! A baby and becoming a Goddess, that's a win-win!" Nya suddenly giggled, causing Penny to blush furiously. The sudden shift from profound revelations to Nya's playful bantering left her stunned and flushed, a flustered laugh escaping from her lips.
The atmosphere felt lighter, the nerves eased, and despite the enormous implications of what they had just learned, the Dog-Folk women found themselves chuckling along. The concept of becoming a mother was something new and exciting, a prospect that seemed as alluring as becoming a goddess.
With newfound determination in their hearts and a gleam in their eyes, they looked forward to the start of the Goddess Games. Little did they know, darkness was creeping into Northwall and was about to shake their world.
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"Woah!" I exclaimed as I leaned down to the map of Northwall with all its renovations. "Do we really need five public bathhouses?! I am putting bathrooms in every building and all the houses will have either showers or tubs!"
"Bathhouses are much more than just getting cleaned!" Eliza declared, stabbing her finger at me from across the table with Grace still in her arms. My little girl was also nodding alone to my disdain.
"It is true," Breya said from beside me. "The bathhouses in the angel kingdom are usually a hotbed for gossip and sweaty women."
"I was trying to dance around that fact, but yes. The point that it is a fun place to go with your friends to relax while meeting others," the Countess sighed as I shook my head and moved on.
"Ok, ok! You win! Five public bathhouses it is. But that still doesn't explain why we need four different arenas?"
"The three colleges each need a sports stadium, and then we need one for everyone else in Northwall," Nemoria explained, but then I turned my gaze to her.
"I still don't understand why we need three colleges? I thought that one would be more than enough, right?" I asked, but Tallia shook her head.
"We are one of the few places in this world that readily accept all races, so I think that it would be good to start inviting more people. You already have your adventure school down south that has worked well so far, so I thought that it would be good to have three more in the city. Each of them will focus on different areas," Tallia said, and her mother smiled and nodded her head.
"The first will study ancient history, lore, and magical artifacts, with training in deciphering ancient languages. The second will focus on alchemy, herbology, and the application of magic in medicine. And since you have your adventure school, we don't need to focus on fighting, so the third will be a school of the science and mechanical integration of magic," Nemoria explained, and I shrugged.
"That actually sounds kind of interesting!" I chuckled and then looked back down at the map for a moment before pointing to a few of the residential areas. "You guys have a lot of houses surrounding the city, but nothing else, save the few bathhouses. There needs to be some parks and stores in the neighborhoods so people don't have to travel so far."
Part of me had wanted to build play structures for the kids, but I was the only one in the world that could have kids. I might possibly be able to tamper with the golden eggs and make it so all women who did the mating ritual could have babies. That might be interesting but would ruin the dynamic that the women of this world knew. On top of that, most of the world didn't even know what a baby was, or how to care for them.
"I was thinking the same thing," Draconia agreed, "Parks, shops, restaurants, and other entertainment spots make a neighborhood more interesting."
Nodding, Eliza pointed out a plot of land on the map. "We could turn this into a park, and maybe add a few cafes and bakeries around it, so people have places to go."
"I could make an Amazon traditional fighting ring!" Giantessa offered, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of teaching young women how to fight in true Amazon style.
"I'm open to the idea, but remember there's a limit on what we can do in each district," I gently reminded her, not wanting any misunderstandings.
"Right, but parks, shops, even an Amazon ring. These would bring life to these neighborhoods," Breya added.
Decisions were made, plans were adapted, and gradually, the city development scheme was taking on a fresh look.
It was a long, tiring day. But as I looked over the map one last time, a sense of satisfaction washed over me. There was still a lot of work to be done but for now, I was happy. Northwall was coming to life.
"Let's adjourn here for tonight everyone," I finally said, rubbing my eyes, "Things now look better, but I still have to build Breya and us a home tonight, so I will see most of you tomorrow."
"Like you aren't just going to wave your hand to make the house!" Eliza giggled, sticking her tongue out at me, making me roll my eyes.
"Listen here, munchkin! While it may look like I just wave my hand to make things, I have to slow down time to a near stop and design everything that I make. Still, a house is much simpler than an entire city," I laughed.
"Really? I didn't know you had to do all that!" Eliza said, looking amazed.
"Having god-like powers doesn't necessarily mean everything is easy-peasy," I explained, "The thought, love, and dedication behind creating each thing are also important."
"Well, I think everyone should thank Galio when they see him!" Giantessa, her voice booming with enthusiasm. An approving murmur rippled through the other goddesses.
"You know I am right here?" I protested with a laugh, "You're talking about me like I'm not in the room."
"Galio, you have to accept that you're a God. In a certain way, we too are always talking about you, even when you're here," Draconia teased.
"Followers! All of you are just obsessed with me!" I groaned, causing everyone to burst into laughter. It was a fun, light moment and despite the challenging event waiting ahead of us, the spirit was high. An infectious happiness spread across the room.
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