Never

Chapter 41: Welcome to the Family

It had been an exhausting day for Hollow. Normally his job as captain of the royal guard did not involve much stress, directing and organizing shifts, maintaining discipline in the staff, taking care of some problem elements and supervising training was not difficult or required of much common sense, it was more a matter of patience and discipline, qualities that he possessed thanks to Hornet's teachings

Even when it was his turn to fight a ruffian, he kept calm and even enjoyed the fight, but now things were different. For the first time he savored the fear of dying and the anguish of abandoning his loved ones. Despite his superiority in battle he was scared, a mistake, a misstep and Orchid would have to raise her children alone.

Even with all the stress that he carried, he performed well in combat and rose victorious, the villain that terrorized the City of Tears was defeated and calm returned, although this did not manage to reassure the knight.

Now Hollow had a lot to think about. For the first time he was aware of his actions and realized his absolute disregard for the dangers of the world, because of course, when it is impossible to die from things like a blow to the head or lack of food, most situations do not seem serious. But after this day, he finally understood Hornet or Ogrim, life was terrifying when you knew you could die.

But if his sister and his friends lived and thrived despite the dangers of the world, why couldn't he?

With all these thoughts running through his mind, he opened the door of Orchid's room without knocking, he was not in the habit of doing so because she no longer got angry with him for those things. Although sometimes his sudden entrances made him witness quite curious events, like now that Orchid was hanging from the ceiling doing who knows what.

"Orchid! What are you doing up there!? Get down from there! Is dangerous!"

"Ah hello Hollow. How was work for you?" She replied with absolute nonchalance.

"Orchid! Think of the eggs, come down from there."

"Easy, nothing's wrong, besides I'm almost done."

The mantis performed a couple more maneuvers before releasing the handles she was holding onto and descending the very long staircase that she had brought into the room. Only when both of her feet were on the ground, did her partner calm down and question her with his gaze.

"Don't be like that Hollow, I had it all under control, besides, we needed to put the rope."

The male observed the mantis's work, it was a simple rope that hung from the ceiling. Obviously, he asked what it was for.

"What else for? To feed the children when they are born."

"Orchid... Didn't we agree that we weren't going to raise them in the mantis-style?"

"Of course, we will give them lots of love, toys and time to play with them."

"Sure, but in this kingdom we don't hang their food on a hook to make them fight for it."

"Eeehhh? Seriously?" Her show of surprise was almost exaggerated. "But if fighting for food is an excellent exercise for precision in flight, and children find it fun. It is the best way to feed them."

"And you have not thought that some of our children will not be able to fly? There is even the possibility that none of them can, it is not certain that we are going to have a mantis."

"Oh, true..."

"Orchid took a defeated attitude, lowered her head, her antennae and her chubby tail dangled. She looked so devastated that Hollow immediately wanted to retract his words."