Help! I’m in Another World and the Dragon Man Want Me To Get Pregnant

"By the way," Ignatius added, "that white pill is harmless if taken without consent or a vow. It will have no effect and simply pass through the body."

"Consent and a vow?" Shen Xinghui echoed.

"You place the pill in one hand, cover it with the other, and seal the vow with a kiss. If both parties share mutual affection and at least some desire to have a child, the pill will react and turn pink. If the pill is taken in that state, a black mark will appear near the navel, signifying that the body is prepared to accept the other. The effect lasts for about a day."

"That's actually pretty well thought out," Shen Xinghui said, feeling a little relieved. "So, at the very least, it seems impossible to have a child with someone against their will."

"It rarely happens," Ignatius confirmed. "Even if someone were to force the ritual while the other party was unconscious, the pill would not react. It also won't respond to threats or coercion. If the pill detects rejection, it won't change color. Additionally, even if someone attempted the ritual with another and then gave the pill to a third party, it would be ineffective unless taken by the person involved in the vow."

"That's reassuring," Shen Xinghui said.

"Children are sacred and precious," Ignatius said softly. "The system is in place to ensure that no unwanted lives are brought into the world."

Ignatius's voice took on a somber tone as his gaze grew distant.

His expression became complicated, his eyes narrowing slightly as though trying to hold back some deep emotion.

"Did something painful happen to you?" Shen Xinghui asked hesitantly.

The subject seemed to touch on something deeply personal, and Shen Xinghui wondered if Ignatius had experienced heartbreak or, perhaps, the loss of a child.

Ignatius looked too young for such burdens, but his eyes carried the weight of someone who had endured hardship.

Ignatius shook his head quietly and letting out a heavy sigh.

His face bore the weary expression of someone shouldering more than his share of struggles.

"In truth," Ignatius said, "the Dragon Man have a low birth rate. Our numbers are dwindling rapidly."

"What?!" Shen Xinghui exclaimed in shock.

An endangered species?

That sounded like an incredibly dire situation.

"But with this pill, either men or women can have children, right? Even so, your kind is facing extinction? You're such an incredible man, Ignatius—it doesn't make sense," Shen Xinghui said earnestly.

Ignatius gave a faint smile. "Thank you. It's nice to hear that. But the issue runs deeper than that. The Dragon Man have a poor affinity with the 'core' needed for conception. Fertilization is rare, and even when it occurs, the embryo often fails to implant. Even if it does, there's a high chance of miscarriage."

"That's... terrible," Shen Xinghui said, his concern deepening.

Ignatius seemed to age before his eyes, the weight of his words adding years to his otherwise youthful appearance.

"Moreover," Ignatius continued, "Dragon Man are unpopular as partners for bearing children."