Chapter 588 Childbirth Season ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Now then—two good things have come from Hazuki being born and her great-grandmother (and my master) Old Lady Miranda making herself at home here. Actually, maybe three.
The first good thing is, of course, that she can check on the pregnancies of my beloved love-slave Lily and my dear “Saint” Sister Amelia. Even Miranda, for all her prickliness, can’t help but offer her opinions when a pregnant woman is right there—she doesn’t make a fuss about consultation fees or anything. Though I suppose she might just be currying favor so we don’t disturb her time with her great-grandchild.
”Everything’s going smooth as butter. Just make sure they don’t turn breech on ya. Though honestly, even if they do, they’ll probably just pop right out anyway, I reckon.”
She always has to add one extra remark, but I’m grateful regardless. The second good thing is that she’s surprisingly good at watching the children. She’s a top-tier Magic Medicine Master and sorceress, after all, so she knows exactly how to entertain kids on that front.
”Look, go chase it! It’s a cute little kitty!”
”Wheee!”
My beloved daughters Momo and Mikan, and my beloved son Wakaba, chase after the cat Miranda conjured with magic. Naturally, Momo—a full year older than the twins—is the fastest and most nimble, reaching the cat first, but it leaps aside with a flick of its tail and lands right between Wakaba and Mikan.
”Kitty! KIT-TY!”
”Ahh!”
Momo spins around with a huff and chases after it again. Wakaba and Mikan, completely unfazed, charge forward on all fours. All three reach out at the same moment, but the magical cat simply hops up and escapes.
”Ughhh!”
The three of them get more and more absorbed in the chase. Before I know it, the cats have multiplied to two, then three, and soon the entire room is filled with them dashing around. Some stretch out on the fireplace mantle. Some perch on the magical lamps hanging from the ceiling. Others sit halfway up the stairs, watching the children with patient eyes. And there are even a few curled up in Hazuki’s crib, keeping watch over her…
The children charge at any cat they see, but they never quite manage to catch them. And when they’re tired out from all the running, the cats come to them—letting themselves be hugged.
”Grandma’s cats… it’s been a while.”
My beloved Love Mage Satsuki says this as she uses her own magic to catch a cat trying to escape, scooping it up in her arms. For the record, I tried too—and I couldn’t catch a single one. They didn’t take pity on me and come closer, either. Grrrr…
”…That’s a new magic to me. How do you do it?”
”It’s familiar magic, my foolish disciple. You should study the old magics, not just all that modern sorcery you’re so fond of.”
”Ugh… well, I haven’t had much time to study lately…”
And that’s the third good thing. After some grumbling, Miranda taught me how to conjure the cats. With my mana circuits, I can only summon one at a time, but still—it feels pretty cool to be a real mage. And now I can entertain the children too.
In other words, having Miranda in the house means I can get her to watch my training sessions again. Magic is woven into every part of her life—from entertaining children to making baby food, and of course, her specialty: magical medicine.
Having my master always available for questions is a true blessing. That’s why I used to live with her as her disciple back in the day… but I never imagined I’d have the chance to learn from her again now.
After all, when we finished my last round of training, she told me, “There’s nothing left for me to teach you,” and cast me out. The fact that she’s willing to bend that rule and teach me new magic and techniques must mean I’ve grown a fair bit compared to back then.
Or maybe it’s just that she’s in a good mood because her great-grandchild was born. Either way, I’ve been making the most of it—picking her brain about every question I’ve ever had and learning as much as I can.
By the way, my current goal is to finally get her to teach me the recipe for that stamina tonic she’s always refused to share. Even with her in a good mood, she’s tight-lipped about that one—but I figure she might relent once Hazuki can say “Baa-baa.” I’ll need to improve my skills by then.
In the midst of all this, Lily’s due date arrives. The baby inside her—the one Momo called a “slowpoke”—shows absolutely no sign of being born, just as everyone predicted.
Not that I’m worried. Momo was the same way. And Miranda’s been checking on her, after all. It seems Lily’s womb is just too comfortable for the little one.
But there are two people more anxious about it than Lily or me. My beloved sister-in-law (?) Flearis and my brother-in-law, Martin Popol Count.
”M-Miranda-sama! Are you absolutely, POSITIVELY sure everything’s going to be fine?!”
”If anythin’ ‘appens to me sister or ‘er baby, I won’t forgive ya! ‘Ouse Popol’ll bring its full power to bear in retaliation, it will!”
”…Well, do whatever you want, I suppose.”
These two missed Momo’s birth last time because they were off negotiating the “Ddo-Buddy Trade Zone” in the Maritime Nation of Sylvaol. Now, with this slowpoke of a baby, they’re in an absolute panic.
I understand how they feel—they’ve spent the weeks leading up to the due date buying baby supplies, collecting good-luck charms, and praying. They adore Lily, after all. But putting pressure on the midwife isn’t exactly helpful.
”Hey. You two panicking isn’t going to help anything. Look at Lily—she’s huge as can be, and she’s completely calm.”
”There’s no point in worrying, yeah? The baby’ll come when it wants to.”
”Ughhh… Brother-in-law, sister… but everyone else’s babies came so much faster…”
”That’s right! How can you all be so calm?!”
I tap them on the heads to snap them back to reason, but it doesn’t do any good. I’ve told them over and over—since that time they performed that bizarre summoning dance for little Tōri—but they just won’t stop worrying. At this point, there’s only one way to calm them down.
”Kukuku. You two… are you going to give that same reply to Momo-sama? Surely you don’t doubt the words of Momo-sama?!”
”N-No! That’s not it…”
Naturally, I’m referring to my beloved daughter, their adorable niece—Momo-sama. I scoop up Momo, who’s gotten quite heavy now, and lift her high in front of them.
”Now, Momo-sama, speak your words to these foolish ones!”
”Hmm… To-ri is a s-slowpoke. No worries—all fine!”
”Momo-sama!”
Flearis and Martin prostrate themselves before Momo as she delivers the line I taught her. This has become a daily ritual lately. Momo’s starting to get tired of it—she shoots me a look that says “Can I be done now?”—but humor them a little longer.
”Uuuhh, Momo-sama! But I’m still worried about my sister and Tōri-sama!”
”Me too! Please, won’t you use your power, Momo-sama, to persuade the baby to be born soon?!”
Flearis and Martin cling to a toddler who hasn’t even turned two yet. “That’s absurd,” I should say, but… well, it’s Momo-sama.
”Hmm… Daddy?”
”Yeah? What is it?”
”Mommy.”
Momo wiggles her little limbs and points at Lily, so I carry her over. Those flailing little arms and legs are just adorable. It seems she wants to see the belly. I set her down, and Momo clings tightly to Lily’s belly.
”To-ri. Wake up now, okay?”
Probably: “Tōri, it’s time to wake up.” Just like with Wakaba. It seems Momo-sama’s power is still intact. Sure enough, Lily speaks up right away.
”Oh, here we go.”
”!!”
”Oh, it’s time?”
”Good grief…”
Flearis starts preparing in a frantic rush, while Miranda mutters “It’ll just pop right out anyway.” Martin, of course, gets kicked outside… and before long, just as Momo had predicted, a healthy baby boy was born.
—
Summary:
With Miranda’s arrival, domestic chaos transforms into warm family comedy as children chase magical cats and the narrator rediscovers his master’s teachings. Lily’s due date approaches, but the slowpoke baby refuses to arrive, sending Flearis and Martin into comedic panic. Momo’s oracular intervention and the grandmother’s dry humor eventually pave the way for a swift birth, leaving the family’s bond reaffirmed.
—
Trivia:
Miranda previously dismissed the narrator as having nothing left to learn, yet now teaches him new magic—subtly acknowledging his growth.
Momo’s predictions have been accurate before (Wakaba’s birth), establishing her oracular reputation in the family.
The narrator’s inability to catch any magic cats underscores his comedic incompetence compared to Satsuki.
The stamina tonic recipe remains a running gag that Miranda refuses to share even in her good mood.
Flearis and Martin missed Momo’s birth due to the Ddo-Buddy Trade Zone negotiations, explaining their overcompensation now.
The family humorously treats toddler Momo as a divine oracle (Momo-sama), bowing to her pronouncements.
Miranda’s three benefits: pregnancy check-ups, child-minding, and training—but the unspoken fourth is her comforting presence.
Lily’s calm demeanor contrasts with the panic around her, reflecting her steady character.
The magical cats multiply and fill the room, showcasing Miranda’s powerful familiar magic.
The chapter subtly reinforces themes of family continuity across generations (great-grandmother, grandmother, children, newborn).
Notes:
• Miranda – Granny Miranda is an elderly, witch-like midwife with silver hair and a weathered cloak. The widow of Tadayasu, she is grandmother to Satsuki, great-grandmother to Hazuki, and a shared mentor to the narrator and Barbara. She masters magic medicine to monitor unborn babies. Beneath her gruff exterior and old-fashioned rural speech lies a tender warmth.
• Hazuki – Job: Infant; Relationship: Daughter to Narrator and Satsuki; Great-granddaughter to Miranda; Appearance: Black hair like father, distinctly Eastern facial features; Note: Newborn, first of narrator’s children born with his hair color.
• Amelia – A voluptuous, light-blue-haired “Saint” Sister of the Canarias convent who runs soup kitchens, this shy, blushing religious figure is the protagonist Kento’s wife. Pregnant with his child after a sacred conception and wearing his ring, her intimate bond and controversial marriage to him spark intense ecclesiastical debate, yet she remains as devoted as ever.
• Lily – Jin’s pink-haired, blue-eyed love-slave, secret magic user, and wife/concubine pregnant with her second child. Calling the protagonist “Master” (who calls her a wanton), she is a Harvest shop slave and test subject resembling Nada. Energetic and expressive with V-signs, she tends the mansion garden, watches repairs, and informs him on domestic and political matters.
• Wakaba – The newborn half-elf son of Kento and Tania, and sibling to Momo and Mikan. An infant magic user with large Mana Circuits, green hair, squishy cheeks, and soft floppy elf ears. He emits magical discharges during tantrums and often chases Momo after she pulls his ears.
• Mikan – Kento’s orange-themed newborn daughter and the protagonist’s/shopkeeper’s child. She is an infant with a cheerful, oblivious expression. She is the sibling to Momo and Wakaba. She adores Momo and follows her everywhere.
• Momo – Exceptionally cute and energetic, this pink-haired, one-year-old toddler is the eldest daughter of the protagonist (Jin) and Lily, and sibling to Wakaba and Mikan. Inheriting her father’s ear and eyebrow shape, she is affectionate, babbles with toddler mispronunciations, and loves walking in the garden. Remarkably, she also possesses the ability of future sight.
• Satsuki – Miranda’s granddaughter is a robed court mage and former top Academy student with long black hair and mixed Western-Eastern features. Now a Harvest Love-Mage at the Ddo-Buddy Palace, she is the protagonist’s playful, warm wife and mother to Hazuki and Nagatsuki. She orchestrates family conversations, tutors her husband, assists in prototype design, and is friends with pregnant Amelia.
• Flearis – A pale, pink-haired covert unit member serving as a diplomatic envoy, guard, shopkeeper, and Coalmine Kingdom liaison. The protagonist’s relative—Lily’s sister and Martin’s younger foster sister/sister-in-law—she displays a cold, vengeful pragmatism, notably when reporting Lily’s words to Martin. Though only mentioned, she is noted as next in line for mating season.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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