Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 137: Episode : Thank You.

Roxy was not phased by this question.

She had always considered herself intelligent, so she knew this question was inevitable, and she had already imagined how it could play out.

But first.

She stood tall despite her legs trembling from hours of standing. She looked at the Elder, then at the gathered pack who were clutching their new gold coins like talismans.

"We don’t force them," Roxy answered, her voice carrying clearly over the crowd. "We make them jealous."

She took in their tilted head for a second before she continued.

"First, we build the foundation here," she explained, addressing Varon directly. "Before we go to the Bears or the Foxes, the Iron-Wood must be the example. We establish a Bank, a secure house where you can deposit your coins for safekeeping, so you don’t have to bury them under your huts."

She gestured to the bustling market they had created in a single afternoon.

"When the other tribes see that the Iron-Wood wolves are well-fed in the dead of winter... when they see you buying steel weapons and silk clothes without breaking your backs carrying carcasses... they will come to us. They will ask how we did it. And we will tell them: We use the coin."

Roxy smiled, a sharp, confident expression.

[I didn’t even know you had this bite in you.]

No one truly ever cares to know more about me.

[...]

"They will have to adopt it, Elder. Because if they want what we have, they will have to play by our rules."

Varon’s eyes widened. He nodded slowly, a look of profound respect crossing his weathered face.

"A Bank..." Varon murmured. "A house of wealth. Yes. I see the wisdom."

The other Elders, who had been listening intently, stepped forward. They were the decision-makers, the old guard who usually resisted change. But seeing the pile of goods Torian had collected, more wealth in one day than they usually saw in a season, had converted them.

They also wanted to trade like that.

"Luna," one of the female Elders said, stepping close. "This ’Bank’. We wish to understand it. Sit with us. Teach us how to count the... interest? Is that the word?"

"Yes!" another Elder chimed in. "Come to the Council Hut. We have fire. We will roast meat for you while you explain the ledger system tonight."

Roxy opened her mouth to agree. Her mind was already racing with interest rates, loan structures, and vault blueprints. She wanted to strike while the iron was hot.

"I would be happy to—"

Kaelen stepped between Roxy and the Elders.

The Wolf King loomed over his own council members. He glared at them, his hackles slightly raised under his fur cloak. He didn’t look like the playful father who had been selling fruit tarts moments ago. He looked like the Apex Predator protecting his mate.

"No," Kaelen growled.

The Elders shrank back instinctively.

"But Alpha," Varon stammered. "The knowledge... she offered..."

"She is pregnant," Kaelen snapped, his voice rough. "She has stood in the freezing cold for six hours. Her ankles are swollen. Her scent is sour with exhaustion."

He glared at them, daring anyone to argue.

"The Luna is done for the day. There will be no council and lessons."

He turned his head slightly, looking back at Roxy. The aggression in his face softened instantly into concern.

"You are pushing yourself too hard," Kaelen murmured to her. "The crates are empty. We are going home."

He kissed her forehead, and her heart bubbled with warmth.

Roxy looked at him. She wanted to argue, but as soon as he said it, her body slapped her in the face. Her back throbbed. Her feet felt like blocks of ice. The baby inside her seemed to pull her down toward the earth.

"Okay," she whispered, slumping slightly. "You win, darling."

Grabbing her decision, Torian closed the stall as if he was waiting for her to breathe those words out. "Sold out," he announced smugly. "Every last coin distributed."

Zarek scooped Roxy up into his arms, wrapping her cloak tight around her so only her nose was visible. She didn’t protest; she just buried her face in his warm chest, closing her eyes.

"I have the children," Torian announced, taking charge of the strollers.

"I will assist," Syris offered. The Basilisk was still pale, leaning slightly on the handle of Drax’s stroller, but he refused to be useless. "Drax, hold onto the side. Do not wander."

"Yes, Papa Snake!" Drax chirped, grabbing the frame.

That left the mountain of goods.

Behind the booth lay a massive pile of furs, dried herbs, rare woods, and crates of smoked meat that the pack had traded for the coins. It was too much for one man, even a King.

Kaelen looked at the pile. Then he looked at the warriors standing nearby, watching their Alpha. As if they could sense why their Alpha was looking at them, the wolves scrambled forward, ears perked.

Within minutes, Zarek led the way with Roxy. Torian and Syris followed with the heirs. And bringing up the rear was Kaelen, leading a caravan of laden wolves carrying the spoils of the first Money Exchange.

***

The return to the cabin was a relief.

The moment the door closed against the howling wind, the silence and warmth of home wrapped around them like a blanket.

The helper wolves deposited the goods in the storage shed and left with respectful bows. Kaelen locked the door, securing their fortress.

Zarek deposited Roxy gently on the sofa, then marched straight to the kitchen. He didn’t bother with kindling. He breathed a controlled stream of dragon fire into the stove, instantly igniting the wood. He began pulling out pans, his movements efficient and focused.

He had gotten too used to this.

"I will put the terrors to bed," Torian sighed, unbuckling the triplets from their strollers. "Come, tiny beasts. Let us remove these ridiculous animal suits."

"No! I am a wolf!" Axel argued, running away.

"I get him," Syris muttered, limping after the toddler.

Roxy sat on the sofa, staring at the fire. She felt heavy. Dirty. The sweat from the day had dried cold on her skin.

Kaelen stood before her. He had shed his heavy fur cloak, wearing only his trousers and a loose linen shirt that was unbuttoned at the top. He smelled of pine, snow, and the hard work of the day.

"I’m too tired to move, Kae," Roxy mumbled. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"I know," Kaelen said.

He bent down and picked her up again. But instead of taking her to the bedroom, he turned toward the bathroom.

"Zarek is cooking," Kaelen said as he walked. "It is my turn to take care of you."

He carried her into the bathroom. It was warm, so Zarek must have heated the water tank earlier. The large wooden tub was already filled, steam rising in inviting curls.

Kaelen set her down on a stool. He knelt before her and began to unlace her boots.

His hands were rough, calloused from years of hunting. But his touch was incredibly gentle. He slid the boots off, then peeled away her thick socks. He rubbed her cold feet, his thumbs working into the arches until Roxy moaned in relief.

"Better?" he asked, looking up.

"Much," Roxy sighed.

He stood up and helped her undress. He didn’t leer. He didn’t try to touch her inappropriately. He handled her with the reverence of a priest handling a sacred artifact. When she was naked, he helped her step into the tub.

Roxy sank into the hot water with a groan of pure ecstasy. "Oh... that’s the stuff."

Kaelen grabbed a stool and sat beside the tub. He picked up the soap and a cloth.

"Lean forward," he murmured.

Roxy obeyed, resting her arms on her knees.

Kaelen began to wash her back. He lathered the soap, the scent of lavender filling the small room. He scrubbed away the grime of the market, the soot from the morning’s smelting, and the stress of the negotiation.

For a long time, there was only the sound of water splashing and Roxy’s relaxed breathing.

Kaelen watched the water run down her spine. He looked at the curve of her waist, thickening now with the child she carried. He looked at the marks on her skin.

He was the Wolf. The wild one. The one who built things with his hands and fought with his teeth. Sometimes, standing next to a Dragon King or a wealthy Tiger Lord, he felt... simple.

But today, he had watched her.

He had watched her stand before his pack, his people, and offer them a future. He saw how the mothers looked at her with hope. He saw how the warriors respected her strength. She hadn’t just brought gold coins; she had brought dignity to the Iron-Wood.

She had forgotten how he had almost taken her by force from the dragon king.

He rinsed the soap from her shoulders, the warm water cascading down her back.

"Kaelen?" Roxy murmured, sensing his shift in mood. "You okay?"

Kaelen stopped. His hand rested on her wet shoulder, his thumb brushing her skin. He leaned in close, his face near her ear. His breath was warm against her damp neck.

"Roxy," he whispered, his voice thick with an emotion that the Wolf King rarely showed.

"Yeah?"

He pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck, right below her ear.

"Thank you," Kaelen whispered.

A/N: And thank you, my dear readers for reading :3