Chapter 456 Wakaba
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Whoa, he’s so soft! He’s like a little squishy marshmallow…!”
”Hey, Elf ears are sensitive, so don’t fuss over them so much,” Tania said. “Especially with a newborn.”
”Ah, my bad… But Tania-san, you usually love it when I touch your ears, don’t you?” Kento asked.
”…Be quiet,” Tania muttered.
After the chaos of the delivery had settled, Tania and I were in the lounge of the ‘Ddo-Buddy Manor¹,’ doting on our son as he lay bundled in swaddling clothes. He had hair the same Fresh Verdure² color as Tania’s and those long, pointed ears. Even though he was just a wrinkly little newborn, he already looked like he’d grow up to be a world-class heartbreaker – though maybe that was just my biased fatherly eyes.
”Oh… my god. H-he’s… so… sooooo… cute!”
”Are babies of our own kind always this adorable!?”
”He’s a literal god! So precious! How can a baby be this wholesome? I’m dying!”
”That’s it, I’m claiming him,” one Elf said. “I’m going to be his godmother. I’ve decided. I will protect this child’s happiness until my dying breath.”
”I want one too! My maternal instincts are going absolutely feral!”
The Elf sisters who had helped with the delivery were already completely smitten. These Elven reinforcements³ were writhing in a strange sort of agony, collapsing as if in prayer. Okay, isn’t this a little excessive…? I looked over at Tania.
”Well, they’ve likely never seen an Elven baby before, or at least not for a few hundred years,” Tania explained. “In an Elven settlement, you might get an opportunity like this once a century, but…”
As Tania spoke, her own face was melting with affection, looking every bit as lovestruck as the sisters. Seeing her look so radiant, despite the exhaustion of labor, made me grin. Though, maybe she wasn’t that tired because the actual delivery had been over in a flash.
Still, I wondered what kind of mother she’d become. In the case of Lily, she didn’t seem to change her expression much even when our daughter Momo was born. She still used formal speech when talking to her, making her seem like a bit of a strict mom.
But I knew the truth. When Lily was alone with Momo, she had a surprisingly gentle look on her face. She’d quietly tickle her sides, knead her squishy cheeks, and occasionally whisper, “My precious little one…”
While I was daydreaming about the future and remembering when Momo was a newborn, Lily peeked over at me. There was no way she could read my mind, but I felt a little jolt of guilt.
”He’s lovely, Master,” Lily said. “He looks just like you and Tania-sama.”
”Ah, thanks, Lily-sama.”
”I’ll give you Tania-san, but I’m not sure I’m handsome enough for him to look like me,” I replied.
”Hehe, that’s not true at all,” Lily said, her eyes narrowing. “He’s the spitting image of you.”
Her expression was the same one she used when gazing at Momo – a mother’s face, overflowing with tenderness. Maybe because it was Tania’s child, she had let her guard down.
”So, have you decided on a name yet?” Tania asked.
”Actually, I haven’t heard it either,” Lily added. “Kento, do you have any ideas?”
”Uh, about that…”
I hesitated. Truth be told, I was still undecided. Originally, I’d thought about using the names I had passed over when Momo was born – maybe Alexander or Marx. But as I sat there, they didn’t feel right. Looking at his face, they felt even less appropriate.
When Momo was born, the name had just come to me naturally. I figured it would be the same this time, but nothing was clicking. Just as I was wondering what to do, one of the Elves crouching on the floor raised her hand.
”Ooh, ooh! If you’re stuck, I think Oberon would be perfect!”
”Hey, no fair! If we’re doing that, then I want Yngvi!” another cried. “Let’s go with Yngvi!”
”I… I think Frodi is better…” a third muttered. “I won’t let anyone else be the one to name him…”
The Elf sisters started hustling with a strange sense of rivalry. My son was barely an hour old and already the most popular guy in the room. I figured I’d better reject the sisters’ ideas before a civil war broke out, but having all these options thrown at me just made it harder to choose.
Since we were planning on having plenty more kids in the future, I felt like I should establish a naming convention. Maybe two syllables, like Momo? But then again… I wanted something that sounded Elven, but also felt like my son, and would still sound normal in this world.
The more conditions I added, the harder it got. Tania saw me struggling and told me there was no rush, but I knew that would only raise the bar higher.
”Hey, it looks like Momo-chan wants to say something,” Laika said.
Momo was squirming in Laika’s arms, desperately reaching her hands toward us. Laika was in her final month of pregnancy herself, but she handled the toddler with ease.
”There, there. Look, Momo-chan, isn’t he cute?” Laika said, approaching us. “Sister, congratulations.”
”Ah, thank you, Laika,” Tania replied.
Laika kept a firm grip on Momo to make sure she didn’t grab the baby, so Momo stretched her neck as far as it would go to peek at him. Then, with her eyes sparkling, she spoke.
”Pwetty…!”
”Hehe, thank you, Momo. He’s cute, isn’t he?” Tania asked.
”So cute…!”
”Ahaha, I wonder if she actually knows what she’s saying?” I wondered aloud.
She kept looking at her brother’s hair, repeating “Pwetty!” over and over. Hair the same Fresh Verdure color as Tania’s. Green… sprout… forest… leaf… I ran through associations. Come to think of it, I’d decided on Momo’s name based on her hair color too.
”…How about Wakaba⁴?” I asked.
”Hmm. Wakaba… Young Leaf,” Tania whispered, testing the name. “Wakaba… Yes, I like it.”
The word had just slipped out, blowing away all my overthinking. Tania whispered it several times, testing how it felt on her tongue.
”It bothers me a little that he’ll still be called ‘Young Leaf’ a thousand years from now… but it’s not bad,” Tania said.
”Really? This is important, so if it bugs you, I can keep thinking -“
”No, I think this is the one,” Tania said, pointing at Momo.
Momo was looking up at us, her eyes shimmering. She let out a loud shout.
”…Ba!”
”O-oh… Hey, it’s not ‘Ba,’ it’s Wa-ka-ba, okay?” I corrected her.
”Ba! Ba!”
”No, listen…”
”Fufu, isn’t it perfect?” Tania laughed. “Look, your big sister is already calling you, Wakaba.”
Tania tickled his cheek, and he – Wakaba – started crying. “Waaaa! Waaaa!” I felt a bit bad that his peace was disturbed, but maybe that was just his way of answering Momo.
”Waka…! Wakaba-kyun…!”
”C-c-c-cute! So cute!”
On the sideline, the Elf sisters were overcome with emotion. I was worried “Waka” might start sounding like ‘Young Master’ or something, but it seemed he had a name people would love. Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, the midwife Miranda walked over.
”Sounds like you’ve settled on a name,” Miranda said.
”Yes, he’s Wakaba,” Tania said. “We’re in your debt. But wait – Master? I thought you said you were heading home?”
”I tried to,” Miranda replied in her raspy drawl. “But when I got to the front door, there was a crowd of Elven men loitering there. I couldn’t get out.”
”Ah…”
The Elven men I’d unceremoniously kicked out before the birth. Apparently, they had been waiting patiently outside this whole time. I scrambled to go meet them, apologizing as I introduced them to Wakaba.”,
—
Summary:
Kento and Tania celebrate the birth of their son, who is born with Elven features and vibrant green hair. The Elven midwives and sisters are ecstatic, as Elven births are extremely rare. After some deliberation and a cute intervention from Momo, the baby is named Wakaba.
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Trivia:
- Elven births only happen roughly once every hundred years in their villages.
- Kento almost named the baby Alexander or Marx, which were leftover ideas from Momo’s birth.
- Lily’s formal speech with Momo is a known character quirk that Kento observes.
- Laika is also very close to her due date (final month).
- The Elven men were loitering at the door the whole time during the delivery
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Character Insight:
Kento shows growth in his fatherhood, moving away from Western historical names to something that connects his children (Momo and Wakaba) through a shared theme of nature and appearance. Lily shows a rare glimpse of vulnerability and maternal warmth, which Kento notices despite her strict exterior.
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Behind the Scenes:
The term ‘Wakaba’ (Young Leaf) is a classic Japanese name often associated with freshness and new beginnings, fitting for an Isekai rebirth/family expansion theme.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Tania – An Elf adventurer who, despite her race’s reputation for low sex drive, is secretly quite passionate. She initially seemed ‘wasted’ (emotionally dry) to her friend Raika, but was easily introduced to the pleasure-items sold at ‘Harvest.’ She is easily embarrassed and attempts to maintain a dignified facade, despite her recent, frequent purchases. She wears practical but light armor over a simple cloth tunic and short pants, highlighting her grace and agility. Her primary relationship is one of friendly senior-junior with Raika.
• Kento – Lord Harvest—the unassuming owner of the Harvest magic tool shop (with a discreet adult goods side). An isekai’d Japanese salaryman resembling Kazuma Satou, with dark hair and basic magic for crafting. Recently triumphed over a Great Dragon; now juggles his harem, tinkering, and ties to Amelia and the Queen at Ddo-Buddy Manor.
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Momo – The newborn daughter of Kento and Lily. She has pink hair and her father’s ear and eyebrow shapes.
• Laika – The beastwoman dog.
• Wakaba – Newborn son of Kento and Tania. A half-elf magic user with large Mana Circuits. Has squishy cheeks, tiny fingers, and soft floppy ears. Emits magical discharges when throwing tantrums. The newborn son of Kento and Tania. Has green hair and elf ears.
• Miranda – An elderly woman known as Granny Miranda. Kento’s master of magic medicine and an experienced midwife. Uses magic to monitor the status of babies in the womb.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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