So, it seems like... I'm a mother now.

Well, I felt like one.

The nestling's reaction to my appearance was to be expected really. After all, I did storm in and destroyed their carefully constructed snake haven. It was the equivalent of a moody teenager telling their mother off for entering their room unannounced – not that I had any experience in such matters.

When I arrived, all I could think was – what's with all the leaves? I even missed the cave a couple of times, what with trying to find the entrance while also dealing with an arrogant lizard that refused to follow me inside. The leafy decorations were strange but now it made sense – snakes liked tight places and shade.

How was I to know they would be so protective over it and even attack me? My nestlings were no longer silly noodles. They had all gotten quite fierce!

I thought returning to the cave would be a rather sombre affair. I expected to see a few nestlings – maybe a silly dance or two but instead I was met with hormonal snakes.

For what it was worth, I was really sorry I'd upset the little snake tweens. However, although I was impressed by their growth, I was disappointed to see them so obviously bullying one of their own.

Why was one snake left out from their cool shade? It was even injured.

Naturally, I had seen through their attempts at [Stealth] quite quickly, but I pretended not to and played along. I hated to think they were treating the little snake badly. Now half of the nestlings were either unconscious or injured and I realise I might have played with them a little too harshly to teach them a lesson on comradery.

Still, I never expected them to grow so much in my absence.

Speaking of growth, what was up with these nestlings and their skills? I expected them to be the same as I left them, perhaps only one or two would have experienced a change, with the exception being my two guards who always seemed smarter than the others.

But if the average nestling had skills like this.

--------------------------

Nameless [LV3 Hatchling Cerastes]

Specie: Ailith Vipera

HP: 10/40 Defence: 25

MP: 12/12 Intellect: 22

SP: 36/36 Magic: 14

Attack: 30 Agility: 35

Skills:

[Grip:LV3] [Poison Fang:LV4]

[Scent:LV2] [Heat Sense:LV3]

[Rapid Strike:LV2] [Stealth:LV1]

[Rugged Scales:LV4]

[Steel Skin:LV4] [Bite:LV3]

Titles:

[Pit Member]

Resistances:

[Pain Resistance: LV4]

[Impact Resistance: LV3]

[Shock Resistance: LV2]

-----------------------

I was sorely mistaken about them.

I would say I had more confidence in my combat experience than they did. Their coordinated fighting was clumsy and in need of refinement. Having skills was great but using them to the best of their ability was another matter entirely. Most of these skills were below LV5 – I still had a lot of work to do with them before I could finish the quest.

That aside, I had appraised four nestling so far, whose skills could very much rival mine when I was their level. Even this injured snake had eleven skills.

Was it just my two guards working extra hard to train them? Or was it the result of having the free time to experiment and gain skills naturally?

Take the cute white snake staring at me now, for example. Some skills I'd seen from her were ones I couldn't even discern how she had got them.

[Descant] [Insight] [Glacial Skin]? What's with these weird skills? Even if I appraised them – it didn't tell me how to get them. So how did a little snake like this get them before me?

Well, wasn't this a bit embarrassing as their leader?

Sigh…running around trying to keep my life really didn't help me in the creative department. I found it odd how she had so many LV1 Resistance skills, like she'd only got them recently.

Also, why does she keep staring at me?

And…She's dancing.

Oh god. Please stop.

Don't look at me with such hopeful eyes! Like hell I'm going to dance with you! Just No.

Look away…Look away. Focus on healing…

I saw the female guard was now next to me. So close, we were almost touching.

Can I help you, snake tween?

Didn't she know of personal space?

Could her beady eyes not stare into my soul so eagerly?

Sensei snickered.

"If I don't do the dance, she won't leave me alone, huh." I sighed.

Also, what's with my male guard hanging over there at the back with the other snakes? Did he build his own faction or something since I left?

Or maybe I hit him too hard and now he's angry?

It was like if I didn't dance, he wouldn't acknowledge me or something. Did that mean all the others wouldn't either?

This. What was this pressure!

I looked from the male guard intimidating eyes to the cute white snake in front of me. If hers were a subtle probe, his were knives stabbing through my guts. How intense!

I felt like I had a gun to my head. Was this what you'd called a sis-con?

In the end I gave in and did the wriggly dance.

My female guard's eyes lit up like sparkles and my male guard finally came over, bringing all the snakes with him. Well, I guess they were cute. I couldn't really complain.

The option came up for me to name the female guard and I was thoughtful for a second. She looked soft but fierce, like a little princess snake, so I suppose 'Ophelia' would do.

〚Confirmed. 『Pit Member 2』has become 『Ophelia』〛

I had Sensei's disapproving sigh and chose to ignore him.

2 not 1? Well that was unexpected. I wondered who was first?

As for my male guard I had to think of a strong name, something reminiscent of a storm.

That's it, I'll call him Typhon!

〚Confirmed. 『Pit Member 1』has become 『Typhon』〛

Well, what do you know!

There were more disapproving noises from Sensei. «Your names lack refinement.»

This guy! Hmph.

"If you're so good with names – why not suggest your own? Name that one – the speedy one!"

«Alright then, he'll be Cygnus.»

"Huh? What's that? I was expecting something great." I burst into laughter. "How is that better than any of my names?"

«I named him after the Cygnus constellation, to signify a great snake soaring on the wings of a swan.»

A what now?

〚Confirmed. 『Pit Member 15』has become 『Cygnus』〛

Pfft…kill me now.

"Isn't it rather grandiose to name him after a star."

How could he name my snake after some fat bird! Wasn't he cursing him to become fat in the future?

«That's a hypocritical thing to say – considering you're named after an emperor.»

I scoffed in derision.

I didn't identify with such a grandiose name – in fact, it wasn't even mine.

My mother had named me Aurelius, feeling confident she would have a boy, after a particularly violent bout of morning sickness. 'He' was to be her golden goose egg and the proud heir to her lover.

So, at 28 weeks in when she realised she was having a girl, she wasn't too concerned about changing the name. And so, I got stuck with the girl version. Yay me!

But onto brighter things, it seemed like I'd acquired a few capable nestlings.

Cygnus had an agility of [136] – pretty high for a mere LV6 snake.

And aside from Ophelia, Typhon was pretty strong too. He seemed steadily on the path to becoming an immovable rock.

By gaining [Status Inspection], I wouldn't need to guide them so much, as they would know which skills to develop. I wondered if the lizard had also gotten that ability.

Also, the scarred snake who was still unconscious, seemed to have an annoying bug attached to him. In his appraisal results, I saw he had a strange title, [Guardian of Loiarn].

It had to be the name of the creature, so I appraised it.

--------------------------

Loiarn - Neutral elemental spirit that attaches itself to worthy candidates. Will remain with their guardian until they get injured or destroyed. Multiple Loiarn can share the same guardian, if they all deem he/she worthy.

Will use their powers to help protect their guardian, but that is very rare. Can be extremely aggressive against those they deem unworthy.

Rarity: S-

-----------------------

Somehow this description made me angry.

What the heck did a ball of water know about worth?

«They're parasites.» Sensei explained. «Mischievous spirits who trade in mayhem. When in danger they bring their troublesome foes to their protectors to fight off. He will have tons of trouble in the future if he insists on keeping it around.»

Hmm... as annoying as it was, I thought the opposite. Didn't it already protect him from danger?

Maybe this Loiarn liked him.

It could stay, as long as it didn't develop a taste for blood or bring more to join it – I thought the scarred snake was a little knight-like actually.

Soon my thoughts filled with the names of famous knights and before I could think it through, the system dinged.

〚Confirmed. 『Pit Member 27』has become 『Galahad』〛

Sensei groaned loudly. «Are you purposely being terrible with these names?»

"It was an accident, this time."

I felt awkward. I ought to apologise to the snake when he woke up.

But, aside from those outliers, it seemed none of the nestlings were ready for evolution. At least for now. My immediate goal was to train them up to standard – in less than 3 days. There was no time to waste!

I hissed out instructions to my two guards and they began organising the cave with the other snakes, gathering the unconscious snakes in one area, much like a field hospital.

I accessed the system to purchase potions. And much like a drill sergeant, I went around splashing them with it, evilly watching the nestlings rise up like resurrected dead.