Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Volume 5 - A World Where Heads Are Flower Fields (2)
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Nnghaa..."
"Orca, time to get up? It's already morning. Today is your long-awaited birthday, you know?"
"Ugh... Mom, just for my birthday, let me sleep one more hour..."
"And then you'll whine that I didn't wake you up properly?"
I've never whined about something like that!
Mom is being too much on birthday morning of all days.
I glared at her for a moment before dragging my groggy body out of bed somehow.
"Orca, you're up?"
"Good morning!"
Dad, as reliable as ever, was sitting at the table waiting for me today too.
Ah, Mom could've just told me Dad was waiting and I'd have come out faster.
She really doesn't get it, does she?
"Heehee, morning kiss from Dad!"
"You're already turning nineteen. Isn't it about time to drop that morning kiss stuff?"
"Wah, Dad's love has grown cold."
"He's right. Dad's lips are mine now. You're an adult now, Orca, so no more of that."
They said once you're an adult, you can go out alone, and a bunch of restrictions get lifted, which had me excited.
But thinking I couldn't do morning kisses with Dad anymore felt kinda crappy.
And yet Mom hogs him all the time with those sneak-attack kisses.
"That's because your dad's mine. I'm just the one lending him out temporarily. Don't get it twisted."
"What are you even saying on our kid's birthday...? It's not that you can't, it's just that Orca needs to act a bit more grown-up now."
"Not doing morning kisses with Dad is acting grown-up?"
"Yep, graduating from that is definitely grown-up behavior."
I didn't really get it, but if Dad said so, it must be true.
I said okay for now, sat down, and waited for Mom.
She finished up the food quick, came over smiling, and wished me happy birthday. Dad followed suit with a grin.
"Happy birthday, Orca."
"Happy birthday, Orca."
"Ehehe..."
As I dug into a table full of way tastier-than-usual food, Dad warned me not to eat too fast or I'd get a tummy ache.
But honestly, with all this delicious stuff, how could I eat slow?
Mom can make food this good when she tries. So why does she always go on about health and make weird stuff otherwise?
"Hehe, takes me back."
"To when?"
"When we first had Orca? I was over the moon knowing our baby was on the way."
"...Ancient history much?"
"Orca's an adult now. Can't I tell her a bit?"
"No, what kind of story are you trying to tell on her birthday...?"
The second I heard Dad's troubled voice, I just knew this was gonna be something fun.
I immediately started begging Mom to spill.
"Hehe, Orca, do you know how babies are made, by any chance?"
"Hey, you crazy elf!"
"No, she's an adult now. She needs to know these things. How long are you gonna baby her?"
"Haa... You're still like this after all these years."
They bickered for a while like usual, but when Mom clung to Dad and pressed right up against him, his face turned red and he clammed up.
Does Dad really hate it when Mom hugs him that much?
"Dad, why do you always act like you hate it when Mom hugs you?"
"Hehe, it's not hate. He's embarrassed. Especially with you around."
"The hugging?"
"Seriously... Hngh!? Are you nuts?"
"Hehe, you say you hate it, but down here he's honest as ever today too? Keep it up, and I might have to give the kid her sex ed using your body."
Mom giggled and let Dad go. He clutched his head like it hurt and bolted from her.
That looked like he hated it no matter how you slice it. That's supposed to be embarrassment?
Adults' world really is complicated.
"Orca, babies are the fruit of love between mom and dad—you know, between husband and wife. Remember from Goddess Mia's teachings?"
"Oh, yeah! That's why the goddess puts the baby in mom's tummy!"
"Right. So there's a prayer process for that, yeah?"
"Prayer?"
"Yep. You pray to the goddess to give us a baby too."
Just begging isn't enough; there's a proper procedure, and only if you do it right does she recognize it as prayer and send a baby.
Sounds super complicated.
"How about I do it instead? Thinking about you giving her sex ed makes me uneasy..."
"Hmph, you run off embarrassed even hugging in front of the kid. What sex ed could you possibly give?"
"No, it's embarrassing! Can't you try feeling a little shame yourself?"
"Orca, doesn't Dad seem kinda weird? Being embarrassed about loving each other—what a strange guy."
"Yeah! Love isn't something to be embarrassed about!"
And making babies is such a precious and important act of the goddess's will.
She said you feel super happy while doing it.
So I said I was curious, and Mom tried to take my clothes off.
Dad freaked out for real and tried to stop her.
"You seriously...!"
"She's an adult now!"
"No, even so, shouldn't she figure that out herself instead of parents showing her?!"
"...Maybe you're right?"
"Does that fit your aesthetic?"
"Nah, probably not. Best to think of someone you love and let it happen naturally."
Surprisingly, Dad won this round.
I had no clue what their talk even meant, so I just chowed down on the meat in front of me and watched.
Mom and Dad always get along so well.
"Ahem, anyway, remember ever seeing Dad's pee-pee when he was going potty?"
"Hey...!"
"Yeah! Sometimes it's super big, sometimes smaller than that!"
"A man puts that into the hole where a woman pees and prays for a baby."
"For real? Then a baby pops out?"
"Yep. That's how Mom and Dad made you, Orca."
Like how Mom and Dad live together, if I find someone I wanna be with forever.
Then I just pray with them to have a baby.
So I asked if Dad wouldn't work, but dad-daughter prayers don't count, and Dad belongs to Mom anyway—she'd cry.
"I don't like Mom crying."
"Right? So find someone else to love besides Dad."
"Okay!"
And with that, the baby-making lesson wrapped up.
Next was the birthday present I'd been yapping about.
But Mom and Dad still seemed skeptical about it.
"Sorry, Orca. I really wish you'd learn more about the world first before going out alone. The imperial capital of all places... I hear more elves are living there these days, and I'm worried someone might pick on you for no reason."
"But you're an elf too, Mom. Why would they hate me?"
"It's... kinda like prejudice? You wouldn't know, Orca, but a long time ago there was this thing called the Racial War."
"Racial War?"
Back then, Mom's people—the elves—and Dad's people—the orcs—got along really badly.
They fought super scary fights.
Lots of people got hurt, even died. A really bad event.
And the elves who lost got forced by orcs to have babies.
Tons of half-orcs were born then.
"Halves just like me?"
"Exactly. Half-elf, half-orc babies born just like you."
"But if it was because they lost the fight, it was forced, right?"
"Yeah. Forced to pray for babies against their will."
"So only the orcs wanted those babies?"
"Right. But who do you take after, our Orca?"
"Mom!"
That was the problem.
Orcs and elves used to be easy to tell apart by looks, but halves who looked just like elves got raised by orc dads and started fighting elves.
In the sudden chaos where they couldn't tell friend from foe, tons of elves died, and halves kept popping up after.
"Why'd they fight so hard?"
"Eh, probably started over something small... But once lines are crossed, emotions run deep, right? So Orca, if you ever fight someone, make up quick?"
"Okay!"
Now all races agreed to end the war.
But even non-elves who suffered from orc halves mostly hate orcs.
And those scary half-orcs? They hate the fangs alone, harass them.
"Of course, our Orca was born from Mom and Dad's love—a precious child. But we're scared ignorant people might hurt you."
"Can't I just say I was born from Mom and Dad's love?"
"That works on real good people, but not everyone. Even those who know might not accept it easily."
They always said once you're grown, you can go out alone.
But now that I am, they're all "you might get hurt"? Not fair.
I didn't wanna miss out on something unproven.
"Mmm... But traveling the capital alone was something I really wanted to do once I grew up."
"What if something bad happens? Or come with Mom..."
"No way! I wanna go alone!"
"Haa, if I'd known you'd grow up this fast, I never would've made that promise."
In the end, since it was a promise, Mom gave in.
I grinned big and hugged her thank you.
Heehee, I'm finally going out alone!
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