Chapter 5
Here, there was a baby who had cried herself to exhaustion and fallen asleep as if she had fainted.
She was curled up into a little ball like a baby turtle, breathing softly. It was heartbreaking to look at her.
“Since Young Master Rewiwood and Young Master Mikard were away on a mission, they couldn’t stop the young lady’s rampage in time.”
The lights in the reception room had been dimmed as much as possible in case she woke up.
Diegon silently listened to Carmin’s report.
“It was power that no one could have stopped unless they were at the level of those two. Everyone survived because Your Excellency happened to be nearby and went there.”
“If I hadn’t, they would have been wiped out.”
“Yes. Young Master Ricardo, who was closest to her, suffered severe damage to his Bijou. It seems he tried to defend himself, but since it was a battle between Awakened… he may not be able to develop a Bijou at all.”
“He’ll be disowned. There’s no way Cecilia will keep someone useless.”
Diegon’s tone was frighteningly indifferent.
He played with the child’s cotton-candy-like pink hair, gently twirling it around his fingers.
Even so, the child did not wake up.
She only had a red nose and occasionally sniffled.
“What about the crab?”
“Lady Syu’s condition is apparently fine. Honestly, considering that this was her first clash, she’s far too unharmed… Other than the fact that she is receiving the Spirit King’s blessing, there’s no explanation. When someone this young summons a Spirit King, they can sometimes become crippled because their body cannot handle the power.”
“That’s right. A Spirit King…”
There was a faint feeling of emotion catching in Diegon’s throat at the end of his dry voice.
But he did not continue.
Carmin also bit his tongue.
The man who commanded the Pasayen Navy.
His Bijou had appeared when he was around seven years old, and as soon as he turned ten, he fought the Mermaid King and brought about the current state of peace.
He was a genius among geniuses.
His cruelty was like a swarm of sharks that had tasted blood, and his instincts for battle were innate.
Once someone was caught by Diegon, no one was ever allowed to live.
Pirates now trembled and fled at the mere sight of Diegon’s flag.
Yet there was one little-known fact about Diegon.
He had once deeply loved a single woman.
A woman who had been loved dearly by the spirits of this world, so lovely that looking at her was almost painful.
Carmin remembered her, too.
And the tiny daughter she had held in her arms.
But no one remembered what the woman and her daughter looked like.
One day, suddenly, that happened.
There was no need to explain how much it had driven Diegon mad.
Even now, seven years later, it was still a forbidden subject.
“A child so dearly loved by a Spirit King. How… curious.”
After a long silence,
Diegon slowly muttered.
His tone was filled with suspicion.
“Couldn’t someone have created this child?”
“Spirits are pure beings, Your Excellency. Surely not.”
“Right. Homunculi are beings that defy the laws of nature, so there’s no way a spirit would obey one.”
When someone became an Awakened, they gained abilities beyond those of ordinary people.
A homunculus was an artificial lifeform created using such supernatural powers. It was a method primarily used by Bellarion of the Eclipse during territorial wars.
“Highly refined homunculi are indistinguishable from humans, so they can be difficult to identify. However, we’ve never received any information that someone created a baby.”
At Carmin’s firm statement, Diegon lowered his gaze.
There she was, sleeping while tightly hugging his thigh.
Even when they had tried to separate her from him to show her to the doctor, it had taken quite a struggle to get her off.
“She’s not even a real crab. Why is she holding on so tightly?”
Is she afraid I’ll leave?
Even though she had been so brazen when she said she didn’t want to become his daughter.
“It seems the young lady trusts Your Excellency. Judging by how tightly she’s clinging to you.”
Carmin smoothly slipped in the comment without missing the opportunity.
In truth, Carmin had been completely charmed by the little lady from the moment he went to the daycare to pick her up.
He had thought that the youngest young lady, whom no one could remember, might have looked just like this.
Diegon was not unaware of Carmin’s feelings, either.
His father must have assigned this little crab to him for a similar reason.
“We’ll have to give her a new name.”
“Oh, what will you name her?”
“Hmm.”
Diegon raised an eyebrow.
Giving her a name meant accepting her as his adopted daughter.
If that was the case, he couldn’t just give her some random name.
“Cecilia must be throwing a fit by now. She’ll probably try to take this one away.”
“But you won’t give her up, will you?”
“This one follows me well. Look.”
Diegon pointed toward the child, who was now breathing softly through her nose.
Then he added quietly,
“She’s not a child who should go to someone as greedy as Cecilia.”
“Just say you want to make her your daughter.”
Carmin grumbled, but Diegon completely ignored him.
Thousands of ancient and foreign words with beautiful meanings were already running through his mind.
He was trying to figure out which one would suit her best.
“Ah, then we should inform the two young masters as well.”
“There’s no need to contact Mikard. He probably already knows.”
“Then I’ll contact only the second young master.”
“The second one… No. Actually, yes.”
Diegon began to say something, then stopped.
Carmin cautiously offered a suggestion.
“Perhaps the young lady’s existence could have a positive influence on the second young master. Why not let them meet?”
“He’s already given up on life.”
“He’s only been ill for a year.”
“Enough. We shouldn’t expect too much from the crab.”
Poke.
Diegon poked her plump cheek.
“Mmm.”
The child frowned as if she disliked it.
Such a tiny thing, yet so temperamental.
“You told me to bite anyone who hit you. I never told you to summon a Spirit King and nearly kill them…”
Still, he was proud of her.
Diegon lightly tapped the bridge of the child’s nose.
The perfect name had just occurred to him.
“Syuperty. This child’s name will be Syuperty.”
The North Star that guides a ship’s course,
and the Goddess of Battle.
The name seemed to suit her perfectly.
“Mommy, Mommy!”
“It’s okay. Mommy will always be by our daughter’s side.”
“But… but… I can’t see you anymore. Don’t die, Mommy…”
“Our daughter, you won’t cry, right? You can be a good, grown-up girl, can’t you? You’re the class president.”
“Sniff, sob… Waaahhh!”
No.
But I can’t.
I can’t do it.
I’m not the class president anymore.
“Sniff.”
When I opened my eyes, bright sunlight was streaming in.
I rubbed away the tears hanging from the corners of my eyes and sat up.
“Oh my! Young lady, you’re awake!”
“Rina?”
“Yes, it’s Rina. Do you recognize me?”
“Mhm.”
What was I dreaming about?
Something sad had happened, but I couldn’t remember it well.
“Now, let me get you ready. I heard your lessons are canceled today, so why don’t you have a meal with His Excellency and then have lots of fun?”
Rina spread five dresses out in front of me.
Since Rina looked so excited, I quickly became excited too.
“Shall we eat something delicious and play at baking cookies?”
“Yes!”
Yay!
I put on a blue dress with a white rabbit on it, along with shoes decorated with starfish.
Rina also tied my hair into two pigtails.
Excited, I ran toward the dining room as fast as my little legs could carry me.
Then—
Bang!
“Ow.”
I bumped into someone and landed hard on my bottom.
“Hmm? Ah, it’s you.”
A deep voice like the booming sound of a ship’s horn rang out.
I looked up quickly.
There was the Marshmallow Grandpa.
“Marshmewo Gwampa!”
“That’s right, that’s right. Come here, you little darling. Let me hold you.”
Grandpa picked me up effortlessly.
I grinned happily because I suddenly thought of the strawberry macarons.
I had given them to the Carrot Class teacher, but I wondered if all my friends had eaten them.
“You summoned a Spirit King, even if only temporarily? How impressive.”
“Spirit King…?”
“You don’t know what that is yet, do you? That’s fine. You’ll learn everything eventually. Hahaha!”
Grandpa energetically pushed open the dining room door.
Inside were Daddy-but-also-Uncle and Uncle Carmin.
“Where is your seat?”
“Over there. There’s a crab.”
“That’s right. Here it is.”
Grandpa sat me down in my chair, and I swung my little legs while waiting for the food.
Everything I ate here was so, so delicious that I always looked forward to mealtimes.
“Why have you come?”
“Why, you rude brat! I came to see my new granddaughter’s face!”
“…Sit down.”
Gasp!
But I had fought with my friends.
Am I not going to get scolded?
I nervously looked around, but no one seemed like they were about to scold me.
I let out a small sigh of relief and firmly gripped my fork.
But at that moment—
[The Water Spirit King ‘■■■■’ is furious, shouting, “No one is allowed to scold my baby!”]
A sparkling light appeared in front of my eyes, and letters began writing themselves.
[The Water Spirit King ‘■■■■’ proudly boasts, “Come over here and look at my baby!”]
[The Fire Spirit King ‘■■■■■’ sighs and says, “There they go again.”]
[The Earth Spirit King ‘■’ nods and says, “She really is cute, though.”]
Huh?
What is this?
