The full moon hung high in the night sky, its silver light cascading over the elf village like a blanket of liquid pearl.

The air was cool and crisp, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and cooking herbs that drifted from the center of the settlement, where a small banquet was currently underway.

Tables had been arranged in a rough circle around a crackling bonfire.

Several of the villagers were busy tending to large pots of stew, their movements practiced and efficient as they stirred and seasoned.

Most of the others were already seated on the wooden benches, waiting patiently for the meal to be served.

These banquets were a cherished tradition in the elf village.

Normally, the elves prepared their own meals and ate in their own homes, content with their private routines.

But every week or so, they would come together like this—everyone contributing, everyone sharing, everyone celebrating their community as one family.

The tradition had become especially frequent ever since Luca had arrived, his presence infusing these gatherings with an extra spark of joy and warmth.

Usually, these nights were filled with laughter and music, with singing and dancing that would continue until the moon began its descent.

By the end, everyone would be pleasantly exhausted, their bellies full and their hearts lighter.

But tonight was different.

Tonight, the atmosphere was somber.

The elves sat on their benches, their hands fidgeting restlessly in their laps.

They kept looking around nervously, their eyes darting toward the edge of the village as if expecting something to emerge from the shadows.

The ones who were supposed to be stirring the pots were so absent-minded that they kept burning their hands on the hot metal, hissing in pain before returning to their distracted stirring.

Leona herself was circling around the bonfire like a caged animal. Her steps were measured and repetitive, a clear sign that she was deep in thought.

Even Nyx, who was cutting vegetables had accidentally sliced her finger three times already.

The sight of blood welling up on her usually steady hands was jarring—she was the one who could handle any blade with the grace of a master, who could dice and chop with her eyes closed.

But tonight, her thoughts were so scattered that she couldn’t focus on something as simple as preparing vegetables.

The cause of all this anxiety, of course, was Luca.

He had gone to meet with the Goddess above, and after hearing the vicious rant he had unleashed earlier, the entire village was terrified of what might happen.

What if he actually followed through with his threats?

What if he scolded the Goddess to her face?

What if he cursed her very being?

In their minds, Gods were not the type to let things slide. They were proud, powerful beings who would be easily offended by mortal insolence.

And if Luca had truly offended a divine being, the consequences could be catastrophic.

They could only imagine what the Gods might do to him.

Even the most composed of the elders had given up on maintaining their dignity.

They were sitting with their hands clasped together, their eyes closed, muttering prayers under their breath to whatever divine being might be listening.

The children had joined in as well.

They had found a new father in Luca, someone so much better than their actual fathers had ever been and they didn’t want to lose him.

The thought of him disappearing suddenly, of never seeing his warm smile again, was too horrible to bear.

Among all the worried elves, Luna was perhaps the most anxious of all.

She sat on a bench with a bowl of soup in front of her, untouched and growing cold.

She was so consumed by her worry that she hadn’t even realized she had been staring at the same spot for the past half hour.

She needed to talk to someone. She needed to share her fears, to hear someone else’s reassurances.

She turned to Lulu, who was sitting beside her—

And immediately let out a startled gasp.

"Lulu!" She exclaimed, her voice rising with shock. "Why are your boobies out?!"

It was true. Lulu, who was sitting beside her and casually drinking some soup, had her plump breasts completely exposed to the open air.

Her pink nipples were grazing against the rough surface of the bench, and from time to time, she would drop some of the scalding hot soup onto her chest.

Each time, she would whimper slightly, her face twisting with discomfort, but she made no move to cover herself.

Lulu turned to her sister with a snort of irritation.

"Of course I have them out, Luna!" She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It’s to calm down Luca when he comes back."

Luna stared at her, utterly baffled, while Lulu continued, her voice filled with certainty.

"Think about it, Luna. Luca is definitely going to come back absolutely fuming. He’s going to be like a spicy little chili pepper just waiting to explode on anyone who looks at him wrong."

She grinned, a proud look spreading across her face.

"And that’s where I come in! The second he gets back, I’ll just march right over and offer him a faceful of my chest and all that anger will just melt away instantly. Boom! Crisis averted!"

She puffed out her chest, which made her tits flop around

"And when that happens—"

She declared triumphantly.

"I’ll officially be the Hero of the entire village! The genius who managed to tame the actual Hero!"

"Everyone will praise me, throw flowers at my feet, and celebrate my incredible wisdom and foresight!"

Despite everything, Luna couldn’t help but let out a small, reluctant smile.

Just like everyone else, she was worried. But this was Lulu’s way of coping.

It was silly, yes, and completely nonsensical. But it was so very Lulu that Luna couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit of warmth in her heart.

Still, she was worried about her sister catching a cold.

The night air was chilly, and having one’s breasts exposed like that was definitely not good for one’s health.

"Lulu." She began, reaching out to cover her sister. "You should really—"

WHOOSH!

The sound was sudden and unmistakable, the fabric of reality itself being torn apart.

The air in the center of the village seemed to shimmer and ripple, and a brilliant blue portal burst into existence, hovering just above the bonfire.

Every single elf turned their heads at the same moment, their hearts leaping into their throats.

And then, finally, a person stepped out.

The moment they saw who it was, the entire village erupted.

"LUCA! IT’S LUCA!"

"HUSBAND! YOU’RE BACK!"

"HE’S HERE! EVERYONE LOOK! LUCA’S BACK!"

"HE CAME BACK! HE ACTUALLY CAME BACK!"

The relief was palpable, a wave of emotion that swept through the clearing like a physical force.

Every single elf—young and old, pregnant and not jumped to their feet.

Bowls and cups were abandoned. Cooking utensils were thrown aside.

The entire village surged forward as one, an enthusiastic stampede of love and worry and sheer, overwhelming joy.

They wanted to hug him. They wanted to touch him.

They wanted to make sure he was real, that he was truly back, that he was unharmed!

But Luca, who had a broad smile on his face, immediately held up his hands and shouted,

"STOP! STOP, STOP, STOP! STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!"

The elves skidded to a halt, confusion replacing joy on their faces.

Luca on the other hand rubbed his forehead, his expression caught between exasperation and genuine concern.

"What...ARE YOU ALL DOING?!"

He began scolding.

"Do you really think that all of you are still just carefree, reckless little elves full of unlimited youth and vitality?!"

"Like you can just climb trees, sprint across rooftops, jump from bridge to bridge, and do whatever crazy stunts you want without any consequences!?"

He paused, considering his own words.

"Well, okay, to be fair, you are incredibly youthful and full of vitality." He admitted. "You’re elves, after all. With your insane lifespans, I don’t think anyone on this planet could ever look at you and call you old."

Few of the elves puffed up with pride at that.

But then Luca’s expression hardened once again.

"But at the same time..." He continued, his voice taking on a stern edge. "...don’t forget that you’re pregnant right now.""

"You have a child in your womb who will you call you mother one day."

Many of the elves unconsciously rubbed their bellies, their expressions softening with tenderness.

The reminder of the life growing inside them brought a sense of grounding, of responsibility.

Luca went on, his voice growing more serious.

"You’re supporting not just one life, but another. And just imagine what would happen if you tripped and fell, or banged into each other while running."

He gestured at the chaotic stampede that had almost happened.

"Do you really want to take that risk?"

The image he painted made everyone shiver.

They had been so excited to see him, so relieved that he was safe, that they had completely forgotten about their condition.

They had acted rashly, impulsively like children who hadn’t learned to think before they acted.

A wave of guilt and shame washed over the assembled elves.

This was especially so for the ones who had already given birth before.

They should’ve been guiding the younger mothers.

Instead they had failed in their duty. They had let their excitement get the better of them.

Luca saw their reproachful faces, their genuine regret, and something in his expression softened.

He let out a deep sigh, the tension draining from his shoulders.

"But it’s alright." He said gently.

The elves looked up, hope flickering in their eyes.

"After all, from here on out...you don’t have to worry about such a thing at all."

Confusion rippled through the crowd. They looked at each other, their expressions bewildered.

What exactly did he mean by that?

How could they not worry about tripping and falling?

What magic could possibly prevent such accidents?

Before anyone could ask, Luca gestured for them to move closer.

"Come closer, everyone." Luca beckoned, then quickly added. "But slowly! Walk, don’t run!"

"And I swear by all that’s holy, if anyone so much as power-walks toward me, they’re getting a spanking they won’t soon forget!"

Several elves perked up at this threat, looking tempted to test his resolve.

Luna could have sworn she saw Tessa take a deliberately quick step before catching herself.

Soon, the entire village had gathered before him and they looked at him with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity.

After all, they had expected him to be in a bad mood, to be grumpy and frustrated after stifling all his true thoughts about the Goddess.

But to their utter confusion, Luca had his hands behind his back and the biggest, widest smile on his face.

His eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement, like a child who had just received the most wonderful gift.

Luca, seeing their expressions, finally spoke.

"I know that everyone here has a lot of questions they want to ask me."

All the elves nodded vigorously.

They wanted to know what had happened in the heavenly realm.

They wanted to know what the Goddess had said to him.

They wanted to know how he had managed to come back in such high spirits.

But Luca held up a finger, silencing them.

"I’ll come to that." He said. "Before that, I have a surprise to give you."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"A surprise?"

"What exactly is he going to give?"

"Didn’t he go to the Heavenly Realm? Why is he acting as if he went to a shop and brought back a treat?"

But Luca’s next words made them all go silent.

"It’s actually a gift from the Goddess of Fertility."

The excitement exploded.

"A gift from the Goddess of Fertility!"

"Is it some sort of artifact?"

"An item that can never be found in our world!"

"No—it’s the Goddess of Fertility! It has to be something lewd!"

Lulu’s voice cut through the noise, her eyes shining with hope.

"Wings! It has to be wings! The Goddess always knew I wanted to fly, and she’s finally going to grant me wings right now!"

Selma smacked the back of Lulu’s head. "Don’t be ridiculous! We can’t just sprout wings! What would we even be then, some kind of harpy-elf hybrid?"

"We’d be heavenly elves." Lulu retorted with a dreamy expression, rubbing her head. "Soaring through clouds, touching the stars..."

Luna, ever the romantic when it came to divine matters, clasped her hands together.

"Honestly? Even if the Goddess sent down a simple handkerchief, I’d treasure it forever."

"Just imagine—an object that exists in the heavenly realm, touched by divine hands..."

Every single elf over there had similar sentiments.

Even though they knew that gods existed high up in the heavens above, they had never actually had any direct connection with them.

This was the closest they had ever come, an actual gift from a divine being.

It made them all giddy with anticipation.

Even the elders were leaning forward, their ancient eyes sparkling with childlike wonder.