Chapter 262: Chapter 262 - A Day With Vienne
Atlas wondered if he really needed paternity leave. No, perhaps he was just looking for an excuse, or maybe he truly did need it? Either way, he decided to take one full day off, just to spend time with his newborn daughter. He wanted to hold her, to gaze at her endlessly, to kiss her, to admire her.
He carried the baby everywhere, marveling over her again and again, while the residents of Gacha Haven constantly gathered around. They laughed, cooed, and spoke to the little girl. Even though, of course, she couldn’t respond yet.
That night, they held a small party. Nothing overly special, since nightly gatherings were already a tradition. But this night, Vienne was the center of attention, whether in Atlas’s arms or Morganna’s.
Later, Atlas stayed in Morganna’s room, sitting quietly beside her. Strangely, the Vampire Queen didn’t drive him out as she usually would. Not even when she lay down beside the baby, or when she went to nurse her daughter. Though in that case, she gave Atlas a sharp glare that sent him out the door.
Why did he have to leave for that? Why did this family still feel so awkward, so strange, that he could be dismissed from the room over something so natural?
The next morning, Atlas frowned slightly. When Morganna came out with the baby, he noticed it at once. She looked... bigger than yesterday. Not by much, but enough to be obvious.
"She is not a fragile human baby," Morganna declared firmly.
"But... isn’t this too fast?" Atlas asked.
She gave him no answer.
Atlas took the baby in his arms, and soon after, others held her as well. Lyrassa cradled Vienne with ease, and the baby laughed, reaching her tiny hands toward the woman as she playfully teased her.
Why did Lyrassa look more like a mother than her own mother did?
Then Mira took her turn, and though Atlas worried at first, the bunny girl surprised him. She was warm, gentle, and attentive as she carried the baby, even taking her into the garden. There, Mira sang softly in her own playful way, pointing out the different flowers and plants.
Atlas followed not too far behind. "Mira, she’s just a baby."
Mira turned to him. "But she’s not just any baby! She’s the baby of the Vampire Queen, so of course she’s strong and special! Even if she’s tiny now, she already has magic in her smile!"
Atlas tilted his head. "What do you mean by magic in her smile?"
Mira beamed, hugging Vienne closer. "When she smiles, it’s like the whole garden blooms brighter! Even the flowers look happier, and my heart feels lighter too. Isn’t that magic, my lord?"
Before Atlas could respond, more of his elite subordinates began arriving. He turned, then froze.
"Eh... what?!"
A serene voice spoke gently. "My lord, raising a child is not about power or strictness. It is about patience."
Atlas blinked rapidly. A woman stood there, long blonde hair flowing, her radiant youthful face glowing with a golden aura.
"Feed her warmth, and she will return it. Guide her gently, and she will walk steadily. Protect her, but also let her fall, for even small stumbles teach strength."
"Wait a minute," Atlas muttered in disbelief. "Who are you?!"
Then he noticed it, the black executive suit. His jaw clenched.
"Dullorak! Get back to your normal face!"
But the woman’s visage simply smiled, radiant and elegant. "My lord, children are treasures of both fragility and resilience. Teach them love, and they will grow stronger than steel. Show them kindness, and they will become wiser than kings."
Atlas groaned, but before he could reply, heavy footsteps shook the ground. Karian marched forward. Without hesitation, he seized Dullorak’s head, yanked it off, and held it high.
"Release me, Sir Karian," Dullorak’s voice came smooth, elegant, and polite, even with his head detached. "I assure you, I mean no harm. Kindly return my head, if you please."
Karian just snorted and flung the head into the distance. "You might disturb the lord’s happiness. Better to toss you out. Hehe." He turned toward Atlas with a smirk. "Don’t worry, my lord. That fool won’t interrupt your peace."
Dullorak walked off in the direction his head had been thrown, while Karian, still grinning, also departed and left Atlas in peace.
A little while later, Vienne began to whimper softly. Atlas could tell immediately, she needed her mother. He carried the little girl back to Morganna’s room.
The Vampire Queen was just about to loosen her dress, but froze mid-motion, glaring at Atlas with those sharp, commanding eyes.
Atlas didn’t complain. He simply smiled, then stepped out quietly, leaving Morganna and the baby alone.
By the time the sun began dipping toward the horizon, he realized how quickly the day had flown. Happiness had made the hours vanish in an instant.
That evening, he called for Edrik to meet him in the island’s central square. Dullorak and Kurogasa were already waiting there.
Edrik asked once more if they could postpone matters until tomorrow. But Atlas shook his head.
"Nah, it’s fine. We can’t afford to grow complacent. We must balance this blessing without forgetting that we still have to work hard."
After that, Edrik began reporting on the progress of the island’s leveling.
"In about one more week, we should be able to hit the target, my lord. Over eighty percent of our people have already reached level 100 or higher."
"Well, that’s remarkable progress," Atlas replied with a small nod of approval.
Then Edrik produced a skill scroll, the one Kurogasa had mentioned earlier, intended to help Atlas raise his affinity with the Earth element.
[Rare – Earthen Pulse (Active)]
[Sends a small vibration through the ground, revealing hidden enemies or unstable terrain within a short radius.]
Atlas studied it, nodding slowly. The grade wasn’t impressive. Rare. By now, almost all of his personal skills were at least Elite-grade or higher. But that didn’t matter. This was the only Earth-based skill available, and it suited his immediate needs perfectly.
Without hesitation, he tore the scroll open, letting the energy flow into him as the new knowledge imprinted itself upon his core.
"There’s one more update you should know, my lord," Edrik continued.
"Yes?" Atlas prompted.
"The production of Soulbinding Armor will have to slow down for now. Baldric had warned of this before, but at the time it wasn’t an issue. With our forces continuing to grow, however, we must be careful. The rate at which we hunt monsters is beginning to outpace their natural replenishment. We don’t yet have anyone skilled enough to manage proper breeding. For now, we should focus on meeting the quota to fully equip all residents of Gacha Haven with the armor before pushing production any further."
Atlas exhaled, nodding in understanding. "I see. Thank you, Edrik. Let’s work on finding a solution to this soon."
It was truly a beautiful day. Perhaps the most precious Atlas had ever experienced in his entire life.
That night, he stayed in Morganna’s room, lying beside her with their beloved baby nestled safely between them.
There were few words exchanged, yet the silence spoke louder than a million things they could have said. The warmth of that shared moment was enough.
Tomorrow, the hard work would begin again.