Mira listened to my explanation with a blank expression. Some details she already knew, others— namely the my being fertile part, she didn't. She remained speechless by the end of it, and we sat in the king's chamber in awkward silence.

"So, I'm pregnant," she finally muttered, rubbing her chin.

"Yes," I nodded, then thought of means to resolve the situation we were in. "Cammy can probably confirm for us. But don't worry! We have the ingredients to create a brew to cause miscarriage—"

"No!" Mira shouted. She shot to her feet, both hands on her belly, pacing back and forth in front of the throne. Her outburst surprised everyone in the room, including the unusually emotionless bunyips.

I was baffled, at a loss for words. All I could ask was, "Why?"

"Because I love you." Mira grabbed both my hands and stared me right in the eyes.

"W-What are you saying all of a sudden?!" Now I was confused and blushing.

"Oh, my." Ceris and her two bunyips watched with renewed interest.

"Mira… now, isn't the time… to have kids or— I don't think I'm even ready for—" Broken sentences sputtered out of my mouth.

Her hands clenched tighter on mine, but they were at the same time gentle. The determination in both her voice and gaze told me she wouldn't move from this topic until we've settled it here.

"Being who we were, I had long given up any hopes of children. I thought we could maybe adopt some litter runts when we retire from all this work, find a quiet place in the countryside— all that really mattered to me has always been and will be you. Now that I know I can bear your… our child makes me the happiest witch alive."

Unlike me, Mira was so much more eloquent, composed. She was so mature for her age, knowing what she wanted despite the turbulent circumstances we're in. The more I looked into her eyes, the more secure I felt trusting my life in her hands.

When I was in the tower, my mind hazy from the amnesiac spell Demos' mansion had on me, it was Mira who came to mind that kicked me back into gear. 

My nose suddenly tickled, and my eyes stung. I pulled my hands away from her grasp to pull the hat down to cover my face. A warm sensation pulsed inside my chest. In this moment, despite everything that was going on, I was happy.

"I still don't understand what you see in me," I said, trying to keep my excited voice from quivering too much.

A hand fell onto my head. Mira patted me, and I glanced up to see her warm smile.

"Where do I begin?" she asked.

"Hehe— On second thought, never mind. It's just going to be embarrassing," I answered.

"Then it's settled. We shall have this child, and you shall be mine hereafter. Shall we seal the commitment with a kiss in front of the audience?" Mira gestured unabashedly toward the others.

Our three guests watched with glittering eyes. I pushed Mira away and cleared my throat.

"Please. Think of us as invisible spectators," Ceris said.

"No, I don't think I will!" I told the priestess.

Io and Mana's ears perked up. They leaned into one another and whispered out of earshot. Then Io turned to Ceris and asked monotonously, "How did they manage to produce an offspring?"

"Our illustrious witch, Ellori, has a penis and her ejaculate is fertile." Ceris winked at me when she answered.

"Curious," Io said.

"Very curious," Mana repeated.

Both of them who had been staring at myself and Mira now had their eyes firmly set on my lower member.

 It occurred to me that Ceris was also another person whom I had sex and came inside of. I couldn't let this panic show, otherwise Mira might not take that news kindly. Ceris and I would need to have a talk later to keep this a secret, at least until I can break the news to Mira amicably.

This was becoming very complicated.

Belle threw open the doors and sighed. She had returned from her adventure from relieving herself.

"I'm back and— " her eyes fell to each of us, taking in the change in atmosphere since she had left. "And everyone seems to be in a brighter mood?"

Mira threw an arm over Belle's shoulders and dragged her towards the teleportation circle still in the works.

"I shall have to tell you later, and it will be over the finest bottle of wine!" Mira declared.

The flabbergasted Belle gawked in disbelief and asked, "I'm not used to this fraternizing side of you. Should I be worried?"

Ceris and I left them to the teleportation circle to continue touring the late King Marcus' manor. It was hard to concentrate with my heart soaring. I was on cloud nine. I wanted to make this work out with Mira and spend the rest of my life with her.

"You haven't stopped smiling since we left the throne room chamber," Ceris teased.

"When I became a witch, I thought my life was going to be filled with work on top of work. The idea of one day putting away my staff to settle down— or even having a baby, wasn't really what I had in mind," I said.

She nodded thoughtfully. We got to the royal bedchamber, a modest room without many belongings or furnishings. Judging by the direction we walked, it was towards the back of the castle. It faced westward and had a balcony to step onto much like Ceris' and her fellow priestess' own room. However, there was no grand bed, nor silken sheets or finely crafted furniture. It was a simple room with a bed, a full bookcase, and a study.

Ceris took a seat at the bed and let her bunyips wander about. I sat down next to her.

"Genuine happiness is a rare find these days. If you have found love, you must seize it," Ceris urged. "We high priestesses are actually sworn to each other, and love one another as much as the next."

"W-Wait a minute… does that include the three of us, too?" I asked.

"Of course. We six are in one big open, polygamous relationship whether you knew it or not," she said, grinning.

I was suddenly lightheaded. She rubbed her stomach in the same way Mira did. I knew right then and there, that she could very well be pregnant, too.

"I don't even want to know how many people I've possibly gotten pregnant." I buried my face into my hands.

Ceris laughed. It might be funny for her, but it was a big deal for me. I didn't want to see a bunch of children that were the result of me running around. 

"If I wasn't pregnant, would you like to finish the job?" she asked., tugging on her thin robes.

Memories from the night after defeating the dracolich reminded me of our intimate encounter. 

I shook my head of the thoughts and temptations. "Let's not tempt fate."

Eileen had collected additional vials of Miuna's secretions. I wonder if Ceris would like to surprise her priestesses when she returned to Vessyra.

Once Ceris had seen enough of her distant relative's home, we traveled west outside of Lotherain to translocate Ellowyn from the tower. When I coaxed the spell scroll to life, a pillar of light flooded the area around me. The originally flat, albeit somewhat bumpy terrain materializes the familiar surroundings of trees and even the great hollow that was my home. 

The scroll worked, and I successfully transported the village and its inhabitants outside of Parthun's capital.

"Okay, Gurk. You stay there while I gather some more ingredients!" Eileen threw open the door and was surprised to see us. "Oh, Mistress. Ceris, and… the snake things… back already?"

"Maybe I'll let them find out on their own," I whispered to Ceris, who nodded in agreement.

Preparations to travel to Juna took several days, bottlenecked by Eileen working tirelessly on a concoction to disguise a demi-human as a human. By the second day, every witch including Eudora offered to lend a hand, but she refused all help citing that we would just get in the way. On the third day, after going without sleep all night, she shouted loud enough to startle Mira and I from our sleep.

Mira lifted her head from the pillow, glanced at me, and then dropped back into bed. I dressed myself to check out the commotion. Eileen had bags under her eyes, but she held a batch of vials like a fisherman holding the biggest catch of their life.

"I did it Mistress… If you don't mind, I'm going to borrow your bed." Eileen handed me the lockbox full of the new concoction and went upstairs.

"Brave of you to come into bed with me, apprentice," I heard Mira say to Eileen.

"Do what you will to my body. Nothing will stop me from passing out," she said.

By the time Ceris, Io, and Mana came by to test out the new potions, Mira had woken up and come downstairs.

"Does Eileen not want to see the culmination of her hard work?" I asked Mira.

"She's tuckered out," Mira answered, then noticed I was glaring at her. "I didn't touch her, I swear!"

I apologized to Ceris and the bunyips. "Gurk was supposed to test the concoctions for your safety, but he's hidden himself somewhere."

"No worries. I think he has suffered enough mental trauma from being force fed so much." Ceris giggled into her palm.

The three of them each took a vial, stared into its contents, and drank in a single gulp. Nothing happened at first. They looked at each other suspecting that it was another failed brew. Eileen sounded so sure of herself, yet—

Io and Mana clutched their stomach. The long, snake-like tails began to shrink and form legs. Their long, grey fur became a jungle of hair instead, their bodies were as smooth as human skin instead of covered in scales. Ceris, too, lost her most defining elven trait— her pointed ears shrank and rounded out.

Perhaps the most surprising changes were the bunyips, whose entire physicality had changed. They explored each other's smooth skin, groping their breasts and crotch.

"You're human," Io said of Mana.

"And you as well," Mana said of Io.

Both of them were still incredibly tall, but not abnormally so that it would bring attention to them. Their personalities, however, might be a problem. The moment they took a step forward, they collapsed to the floor due to trembling legs. Neither of them were used to walking with legs and feet.

"If my calculations are correct, the effect should last up to two days," Eileen said, peeking from behind the railings. She retreated back to bed, not even bothering to marvel at her own handiwork.

Ceris found a mirror to inspect herself in.

"This is incredible. Magic and alchemy… what powerful tools you all possess," she muttered.

They didn't get so much as a minute to themselves when Eudora barged through the door uninvited. She took note of the demi-humans' changed appearance. "Well, if this isn't a pleasant surprise. I assume you are all ready to depart then?"

"We are. But about performing subterfuge— what exactly are we going to do in Juna?" I asked.

The corners of Eudora's lips curved into a devious smirk.

"I have learned from Parabelle that King Uldrin of Juna and his inner council are quite the lechers. At the heart of the kingdom, in the capital city of Semiramis, there is a renowned brothel which he frequents— the Lady's Garden. I have arranged your travel with human traffickers. You all will infiltrate the city as prostitutes."