Chương 83: Chapter 81 – Family Is Not a Luxury

Amber Amber had learned several very important things since dying. The first was that reincarnation was real. The second was you didn't get to meet some reincarnation god while sitting in a white space. The third was that she was currently upside down inside someone. That last one had taken her a pretty long while to accept. At first, Amber assumed she was trapped somewhere. Maybe buried. Maybe sealed inside some kind of magic container.

Maybe Chelsea had finally gotten into enough trouble that the universe decided Amber needed to be stored safely until she was done making decisions. Then Amber heard the heartbeats and she heard the voices. Claustrophobia was really rough for the first day or so. Now though? She had gotten used to this being her existence. Amber was a baby. Not even a baby, really. A baby before babies are babies. A draft baby, if you will. She had no motor control and literally could not breathe. That was a head trip.

She had been reincarnated, and she was still in the oven. She wasn't awake all the time. That would have been cruel beyond reason, and whatever force had done this to her apparently had limits. She drifted in and out. Sometimes she slept. Sometimes she listened. Sometimes she kicked because there was nothing else to do, and every time she did, the woman carrying her made a soft sound and rubbed her stomach. This woman was her mother now. That was another thing she had not fully processed. A new mother. A real one.

The woman talked to her sometimes, though Amber did not think she knew Amber understood her. Her voice was low and warm, and she had a habit of grumbling when she was tired. There was another voice too, deeper, gentle. Amber thought she had figured out that the second male voice did not know about her. In her mind the voice would have gotten louder as he got closer to her… uh… new mother's stomach. The language wasn't a problem. Amber understood most of it, but the heartbeat drowned out most of what was said.

Amber was almost positive her mother was in denial about her. There were only so many explanations for the kicking. Still, the woman seemed to believe this was maybe something she ate, or a strange stomach problem.. As for Amber, she had nothing to do except think. She thought about Earth. She thought about dying. She thought about Chelsea. She wondered if Chelsea was alive. She got fucking Truck-kun'd into this world. It was real. She wanted to laugh about it so badly but this body just would not cooperate.

That sounded more accurate. Amber kicked again, mostly out of frustration. Her mother stopped talking. There was a literal pregnant pause. Then a hand pressed gently over her. Amber did not know if her mother knew. Not really. But something about the touch made Amber's thoughts quiet down. Like she wanted her mom to be OK with her being there. Then the woman muttered something that was drowned out by the heartbeats, sighed, and kept talking. All right. So that was Amber's current situation.

Dead, reincarnated, and unborn. Cool. Neat. Amber stared straight into the darkness. She wanted to sigh so badly. Instead she pretended that Truck-Kun did an amazing job and sent her to a world with a system. Like in every LitRPG Isekai ever. Nothing. She stared some more and something seemed to try to appear. She wanted to shout. To cheer. Something was happening but she didn't know what yet. Then it appeared. A genuine… faint and flickering status screen. It disappeared as fast as it appeared.

Amber wasn't able to read any of it. But she did… see… it…. For… Amber fell asleep. Chelsea"Hey, can we talk?" Chelsea asked Adriane. Adriane looked away from the table. The dining room had become loud. The Valkyr were eating, arguing, laughing, and trying to decide which pizza deserved the highest honor. Dewey had declared meat lovers the obvious victor. Bea had threatened to stab one of the Valkyr which had led to a minor confrontation. Fiona was still working through a piece of supreme with deep concentration.

She looked like something had upset her tummy. Chelsea Smiled at her as they passed.

"Sure," Adriane agreed, rising from her chair.

"Let's go to your room." Chelsea nodded and followed her out. The noise faded as they moved through the hall. Chelsea kept her hands folded in front of her, fingers pressing together just hard enough to keep them busy. She had rehearsed this in her head several times, but the words kept shifting now that she actually had to say them. Adriane did not rush her. When they reached Chelsea's room, Chelsea stepped inside first and closed the door behind them.

Adriane crossed to the desk and sat, leaving Chelsea the space in the middle of the room.

"What's on your mind, Chels?" Adriane asked. Chelsea took a breath.

"I got you something. Well, sort of an ongoing something." Her voice wavered on the last word. She swallowed and tried again.

"Call it a going-away present." Adriane's expression changed at once.

"And you think I'm going to let them take you?"

"No," Chelsea said. The word came out quickly, but the breath after it was rougher. She blinked hard and looked down for a moment.

"No. I know you are. You're my mother, and I know you want what you think is best for me. And what's best for me, advancing my strength, is going with the Valkyr. I haven't forgotten why I was summoned to this world. I also know why you haven't forgotten either." Adriane did not answer right away. Chelsea could feel her watching. Adriane's silence was worse than that, because Chelsea could hear the restraint inside it. She knew Chelsea was right.

"Interesting observation," Adriane responded. Chelsea let out a small laugh, though it did not last.

"I feel like I've finally gotten a grasp on the mind of the mysterious Adriane Wixx, S-rank adventurer extraordinaire." Adriane's smiled slightly.

"But really," Chelsea continued, forcing herself to keep going before she lost her nerve, "what struggle is left for me here? In a couple of days, Celeste's father should arrive. Once that's done..." Chelsea shrugged.

"I poke my spear at Bea a few times a day, then maybe take the occasional job? The mom I know wouldn't want stagnation for her daughter." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Adriane nodded along.

"You know me better than anyone else," she replied. Chelsea's eyes burned again. Adriane said it too simply, and somehow that made it worse.

"I will take over reading jobs at the guild until they can find a replacement," Adriane said. Chelsea nodded.

"I set up a system at the merchant's. The Wixx account will continue to grow. If a business fails, a lower-tier A-ranker will reinvest money to replace it. Right now, you would have to spend seven hundred gold per hour just to stop it from going up."

"Chels, I'm not worried about the money."

"No, I know." Chelsea rubbed at one eye with the heel of her hand, then stopped because she did not want to look like she was already crying.

"I just... it's part of my thank you." Adriane's face softened. Chelsea pulled a plain box from storage under her bed. It was the one Maggie had handed her earlier, and placed it carefully on the desk.

"This is my other thank you." Adriane looked from the box to Chelsea. She opened the box. Her eyes went wide.

"Chels." Adriane's voice dropped.

"What is this?" The box was filled to the top with exact replicas of the stuffed animal Adriane had once made for her unnamed daughter. Exact copies. The same uneven little shape. The same strange angle in one ear. The same imperfect stitching around the face. The same flaws Chelsea had seen in the original and understood were not flaws at all. Chelsea stepped closer to the desk.

"I set up a program with ten different tailors around the kingdom," she said.

"They are going to make exact copies of your stuffies. Fabrics may be different, or the pattern might vary a little depending on what each tailor has on hand, but they're going to keep the shape and the feeling of it." Adriane did not move. She just stared down at the box. Chelsea's voice grew quieter.

"The program is called Family is Not a Luxury." Adriane closed her eyes. Chelsea kept going, because if she stopped, she might not be able to finish.

"The Wixx family is going to donate a swaddle blanket, a wool blanket, a bar of soap, and a stuffy to every family that visits a birthing center in the kingdom." Adriane opened her eyes again. They were wet now, and she was fighting it hard.

"Every..." She sniffed and cleared her throat.

"Every baby gets one of my stuffies?" Chelsea reached into the box and grabbed the one sitting on top. It was made with soft fabric in colors she liked, and the uneven little ear made a lump form in her throat and hurt in a way she did not know how to name.

"But they can't have this one," Chelsea said, hugging it to herself.

"This one is mine. I like its color." Adriane stood. Chelsea barely had time to react before Adriane crossed the short distance between them and wrapped her arms around her. This was a rare occasion. It wasn't often that Adriane initiated a hug. Chelsea froze for half a second. Then she hugged her back with everything she had. Adriane held her tightly. When she spoke, her voice was unsteady.

"You're an incredible girl, Chelsea Wixx." Chelsea squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to say something clever. Something light. Something that would make this easier for both of them. Nothing came. So she stayed there and let her mother cry. Adriane held her for a long moment before pulling back. She wiped one cheek with the edge of her hand, then looked toward the door. The softness in her expression vanished.

"You're going to need to watch out for that one Valkyr," Adriane said.

"She seems to think spying on you in intimate moments is appropriate." Chelsea blinked. Then she turned toward the door. It opened. Passion backed into the room with both hands lifted, her eyes wide, as a yellow shield wall pushed her inside from the hallway.

"I, uh, Miss Wixx. It's not..." Passion stumbled over the words as the shield shoved her another step into the room.

"It's not what it looks like." Adriane's stare sharpened.

"And was it also not what it looked like when Chelsea was checking up on your patron goddess?" Passion went pale. Chelsea's eyes widened.

"Oh, Freya? She's such a sweetheart." Chelsea looked back at Passion.

"Oh," Chelsea said.

"You saw what happened earlier?" Passion did not answer. Chelsea pointed at her with the stuffed animal still in one hand.

"Better not let her find that out." The three returned to the dining room. Everyone was still there. The Valkyr had relaxed considerably since dinner began. The Wixx side of the table was quieter. Ivy looked toward Chelsea as soon as she entered. Chelsea wanted to go to her immediately, but Adriane's hand touched her shoulder before she could move. Freya had returned at some point as well. She sat alone near the middle of the table, helm back in place, her posture impeccable. No one had crowded her.

No one had asked what had happened. The Valkyr gave her space because she was Freya. Adriane stepped forward.

"Excuse me. May I have your attention?" she said loudly. The room quieted. Valkyr, and Wixx family all fell silent and turned toward her. Adriane did not enjoy speaking to groups. Chelsea knew that now. Her mother could walk into danger without blinking, but a room full of people waiting for a speech made her squirm.

"Hi," Adriane said. Chelsea pressed her lips together.

"Umm, so as you know, the Valkyr have arrived here to collect our dear Chelsea from us. We talked it over and have agreed she will go with the Valkyr." Excited murmurs spread through the Valkyr at once. The Wixx side of the room reacted very differently. Ivy went still. The others all had varying levels of grievances. Adriane raised one hand.

"There are special conditions, though." The Valkyr quieted again. Justice, one of the larger Valkyr, leaned forward. Her voice was deep and steady.

"And what are those?"

"She will remain here for a few more days," Adriane said.

"A demon king is arriving from a distant nation specifically to speak with her. It would be detrimental for Junstruce if he were to arrive and she was not present." A few of the Valkyr exchanged looks at that, but none interrupted.

"Furthermore," Adriane continued, "when she departs, she will not be accompanied by any of us, nor will Ivy accompany her." Chelsea's stomach dropped. Ivy turned toward Adriane.

"No," Chelsea said at once. The word left her before she had time to stop it. She stepped forward, but Adriane raised her hand. Chelsea stopped. Not because she wanted to. Because Adriane was her mother, and because that raised hand carried the weight of every conversation they had ever had about trust, danger, and what Chelsea needed versus what Chelsea wanted. Ivy's face had gone pale. Chelsea looked at her and nearly broke right there. She needed her Ivy.

That was the thought that filled her head so completely she could not hear the first few words Adriane said afterward. She needed her. How could Adriane send her away without Ivy!? Chelsea's hands curled into fists at her sides. Adriane's voice pulled her back.

"Hence, she will require a confidant. I understand the Valkyr have a pairing program. Chelsea holds many, many secrets, and she will need to confide in this individual." The room had gone very quiet. Adriane leaned forward slightly, her gaze moving over the Valkyr one by one. It settled on Passion last.

"No one will go out of their way to extract these secrets from either of them." Passion lowered her eyes. Chelsea barely noticed. Her attention had already drifted back to Ivy. Ivy was still sitting where she had been, hands folded too tightly in her lap. She looked hurt, but she was trying to understand. That made it worse. If she had looked angry, Chelsea could have grabbed onto that. Instead, Ivy looked like someone who trusted Adriane enough to wait for the reason. Chelsea didn't want the reason.

She wanted Ivy.

"She will be returned to us in three years for evaluation," Adriane continued.

"If the Wixx feel she is not making sufficient progress, she will not return to the Valkyr." This time, the disapproving murmurs came from the Valkyr. Adriane did not react to them.

"Lastly, her diet. Obviously, she is a demon. She consumes humans, specifically hearts and livers. If the Valkyr are unable to accommodate this, we can provide assistance. We have a steady supply here in Junstruce if there is a means of delivering them to her." Chelsea saw several Valkyr stare at her. She gave a small wave because she did not know what else to do with herself. Freya raised her hand and the all of the Valkyr stopped their protests and disgust. Freya nodded once at Adriane. Chelsea stared at her.

She knew Freya could speak. She had heard her speak. She had held her while she cried. So why was she sitting there, helm covering her eyes, behaving as if she couldn't? Chelsea did not understand gods. She was starting to think gods did not understand themselves either.

"Those are the conditions," Adriane said.

"If there is any disagreement with them, then she does not go." Chelsea looked at Ivy again. Ivy looked back, tears in her eyes. One of the Valkyr stood up. The large woman looked thoughtfully down at Adriane.

"Valkyr of Truth," she said, formally identifying herself to the room. Adriane nodded once.

"We agree to these terms," Truth declared.

"If it is acceptable, we will stay the night, then depart in the morning. We will retrieve Havoc in five days' time."