Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Gotta Grow Up Fast. (2)
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Toddle, toddle.
Even just walking around, it felt like she was making sounds.
She was that cute.
Swoosh—
Luna's face turned toward me.
"Walky."
Luna waited there, as if expecting something.
When I reached out and stroked her head, a bashful smile bloomed on her face.
They say babies grow when they wake up from sleep.
But not this fast...
"You're really growing so quick...?"
"Most intriguing. Is this how divine power works?"
That was Closel's remark upon seeing the suddenly sprouted-up Luna.
Until last night, Luna had been a baby's body.
A tiny form that couldn't even crawl yet.
After I saw her standing on the bed at dawn, her hair started growing.
To a bob that reached past her chin.
Her body was the same.
Probably, in a few more hours, she'd fully grow into a two- or three-year-old's size.
"Old Man."
"What's on your mind?"
"Is it normal to grow this fast?"
"Not at all."
Toddle, toddle.
Toddle?
Luna turned her head once more.
Pat—
Bashful smile—
Luna kept circling around me.
About every three laps, I'd have to pet her.
"Why not ask her directly? She might know."
Would a baby know why she's growing so fast?
Since she's a saintess, she might, Closel prodded me.
"Gwanpa!"
"Ho ho, calling for me?"
"Luna, gotta grow fast."
"May I ask why?"
"Um... Secwet."
Her serious pondering was utterly adorable.
Even Closel's lips twitched.
After a moment's thought, Luna circled half way to Serena.
"Sissy!"
"...Yes?"
Then back to me.
"Baba!"
I was still Baba, it seemed.
Luna's tiny finger pointed at Closel.
"Gwanpa!"
"Ho ho ho ho."
Luna tilted her head.
"Bwoo gwanpa?"
"Blue grandpa?"
Nod.
I had no idea why blue, but if no grandpa, it must mean Parmon.
So Parmon was currently away.
For a sort of interrogation.
He said there was something to learn from the assassin. How to explain this to Luna?
Closel spoke first.
"He went to buy snacks."
"Snacky?"
"That's right."
Bashful smile—
Luna nodded in satisfaction.
"Luna, why is Parmon the blue grandpa?"
"Um..."
Struggling with words, Luna pondered.
"Bwoo wight."
"Hm...?"
Luna glanced at Closel and gave her impression.
"Yewwow gwanpa!"
"Ho ho ho ho."
"Gwanpa is... dat!"
Her finger pointed to a roadside flower.
Why a flower?
Because Old Man likes flowers?
"Oh, right."
It hit me anew: Luna's eyes are different from others'.
She can't see with physical eyes.
She sees a different world only she can.
"She sees with light, right?"
Nod—
Seemed different from Spiritual Eyes.
People appear as colors, maybe revealing their essence.
"What color am I?"
Tilt—
"Hmm..."
Luna started scanning around.
Like she did with Old Man, searching for a match.
But.
"None."
"Huh?"
"Never seen."
Am I colorless?
Maybe a unique color she's never seen before.
As I was about to ask, Luna stretched both arms.
"Up?"
Nod.
"No more playing?"
"Walky now. Sleepy."
Then all that circling till now was...?
"Practicing walking?"
"Yup!"
Old Man stroked his beard in amazement.
Like a baby self-teaching to walk.
I picked up Luna, and she clung to my back.
Squirming as she rubbed her face and settled in.
"Sleepy?"
"Gotta grow."
"R-Right..."
I'd never raised a child, but this was different.
A baby sleeping to grow?
No matter how you slice it, not a normal kid.
"Genius. A total genius."
Zzz—
Zzz—
Before I could finish, Luna was out.
Then Drant, who'd been quietly present beside me, cleared his throat.
"Ahem..."
"What?"
"Seems the saintess forgot about me."
Come to think of it, she'd called everyone once, except Drant.
Closel's rebuke flew.
"You should've befriended her sooner, what were you doing?"
"..."
"For the record, I'm yellow. Like a flower."
"..."
"Yours must be too filthy to name. Hm! That'll do."
Old Man pointed at some wilted weed.
"Something like that light, right?"
"Outrageous. Wake the saintess. I'll ask her myself."
Their bickering continued.
Closel waved toward one spot.
"Blue Gramps, back?"
"Clo...sel...?"
Parmon returned, and we hit the road again.
"So you just handed it over?"
"An imperial informant happened by."
Does that even make sense?
Why would an imperial informant be passing through Harf Kingdom?
"Isn't that a spy?"
"An informant on vacation."
"Ugh..."
Truth be told, what happened to that guy didn't matter much to me.
My business was done.
"One thing to ask."
"Yes?"
"Did you do something to him?"
I did nothing.
Just saw through his identity.
Old Man had already turned him to mush anyway.
"He kept muttering at thin air."
"Thin air...?"
"In my life, first time an assassin's said 'my bad' before interrogation."
I had a pretty good idea.
"Did he fall asleep? Pass out or...?"
"Even unconscious, he woke right up."
"Suddenly couldn't breathe, body shaking?"
"Spot on."
If he couldn't sleep, one thing came to mind.
Children's spirits were attached to him.
"Sleep paralysis."
"...Sleep pa?"
The children's spirits must've started interfering.
One of the scariest ghosts is a child ghost.
The younger the appearance, the worse.
A child's grudge is pure resentment.
And the younger, the harder to appease.
Words don't work.
Like soothing a tantruming toddler.
"Sleep paralysis is like..."
Closel's eyes gleamed.
"Sometimes spirits climb on you while asleep and stomp."
"Ho ho..."
"Or jump on your belly. Like nightmares."
His case was worse.
Not one or two spirits.
Probably crushed every night for a while.
"Being with you, I learn mystical truths. Spirits are truly wondrous."
"Invisible, so they feel mysterious."
Most live unaware.
Mistake it for ghosts sometimes.
True paralysis is rare anyway.
Old Man muttered.
"Were they always there, unknown...?"
No shamanic knowledge here, so likely.
No proper ancestral rites in this world—who'd know?
Though absurd divine power exists.
From my side, it might seem weirder.
If shamans could heal wounds instantly too...
"This seems better though...?"
"Hm?"
"Nothing."
More importantly, something bugged me.
He must've had something.
"Any black orb or such?"
"No special items."
"Hmm..."
There had to be a vessel collecting souls.
Already whisked to his bosses?
"Looking for something?"
"When summoning demons last time, they had soul-collecting mediums."
"Hmm... I'll check separately."
We walked a good while into the forest path.
Suddenly the old men started chuckling.
"...?"
What got into these guys?
Why snickering?
Closel pointed far off.
"Over there."
"Yes."
"Your copycat's there."
"...Pardon?"
Chuckle—
Old men burst laughing again.
"Just like you said, he found us himself."
As I puzzled, I remembered one thing.
Wasn't there a guy imitating me?
The slave traders kidnapping kids.
They must be there.
"We'll meet soon."
"Quite a few, eh?"
Now even Drant and Serena eyed the spot.
"About forty..."
And soon, I faced them.
Disguised as a merchant caravan, hauling big wagons.
Probably empty inside.
"..."
Faces looked hurried.
One familiar face spotted us and lit up.
Ding—ding—ding—
"A baby with mana aptitude."
"...?"
As he approached saying that, the old men grimaced.
"Family on a trip, looks like."
He scanned our group, eyes twitching at Serena, Drant, and Luna.
Palpable greed.
And eerie emotions.
He spoke again.
"You may have heard the rumors."
Ding—ding—
"I'm the Chris who drove undead from the Empire's north."
"...?"
"Chris."
Chuckles—
Chuckles—
Laughter erupted everywhere.
He rang the bell again and opened his mouth.
"Do you believe in fate, by chance?"
What nonsense.
Even here, running into cultists.