Minion Forest (7)
Before hatching, Lulu had been quite small. Even being generous, she was only about the size of two fists put together.
But the skeleton rolling around outside the egg was as large as the eggshell itself. Though Lulu was a young child whose hands were smaller than the egg, the upper body that had emerged was large enough to rival Evni.
It was a physique that simply could not have come from that tiny egg. Had some kind of space-expansion magic been cast on the inside?
Ugh...
Lulu whimpered mid-extraction of her waist. Her once-confident eyes drooped pitifully as she looked around this way and that.
Ignoring Cheonsol, who was covering her mouth at how adorable Lulu was; ignoring her older sister reaching out a hand; ignoring Cha-cha carefully extending a hand for fear Lulu might get hurt; and after staring longingly at the Goddess's ample bosom for a good while — Lulu stretched her arms out toward me.
Please help me.
It was a moving line. Lan-lan-i and Evni were good girls but didn't know honorifics — yet Lulu was truly well-mannered.
Separate from the emotion, there was a peculiar power in Lulu's voice. It wasn't a sound produced by vibrating vocal cords like a human's, nor was it a sound projected through will like a spirit's or undead's, making it hard to define.
If I had to put a name to it, it was perhaps a seductive voice like a siren's. Of course, I'd never actually met a siren.
"Alright. Take Daddy's hand. On the count of three, push hard. One... two... three!"
I pulled Lulu on three. It felt as heavy as landing a big fish on a fishing line.
A suction force tried to keep Lulu inside the egg. But I pulled her out safely.
Pop.
Unable to overcome the momentum of emerging from the egg, Lulu flew into my chest. I carefully caught her so she wouldn't get hurt, and her amethyst-like luminous eyes curved into crescents.
Thank you, Daddy.
"Thank you for being born safely, Lulu."
This is truly moving.
Cha-cha dabbed the inside of her helmet with a handkerchief from who-knows-where. Given that no moisture transferred, it seemed undead couldn't shed tears.
Feeling the emotion was enough. Chichiking, that hikikomori undead god, was also moved enough to say nothing.
"Lulu. Want to go to Mommy too? Daddy can see you every day, but once Mommy leaves today, who knows when you'll see her again."
Okay. Mommy?
Ahh. My daughter. To think I gave birth to a daughter.
Cha-cha carefully received Lulu. She tensed up as if handling fragile glass craftwork.
Daddy is warm and Mommy is cool. Yaaawn.
Lulu yawned. She was so cute my heart ached.
"L-Lan-lan-i's chest feels weird. It hurts and goes thump-thump."
"Me too..."
"A lethal dose of cuteness. She's only just been born and already this much — how many of the opposite sex will she captivate in the future? I'm already worried."
"Something feels off?"
Only Sophia tilted her head. Does the Goddess not have a heart? I distinctly remembered the thumping sensation when I touched her chest.
Hmm. I was curious what race a child born between a Death Knight Lord and a mad human would be. This exceeds imagination. Lirota. Any ideas?
Unprecedented.
Ahem. Use honorifics.
*Grind grind*
The spirits reacting so strangely suggested Lulu had some secret.
Hauuuum.
So what if a cutie like that has a secret? The fact that she's my precious daughter doesn't change.
Sexy Newbie... I propose a deal...
"What is it?"
Hand Lulu over to me... The compensation will be...
Chichiking cut off the sound so I couldn't hear. Judging by Sophia's expression, it was clearly an enormous offer.
But Sophia had embraced even me, whom the rank-one had coveted. There was no way she'd hand Lulu over to the likes of Chichiking.
Let's trust Sophia-nim.
"When we get home, I'll need to make a new bed for Lulu."
Beds should be soft and fluffy.
"I'll make it soft and fluffy for you."
These ones have to be with me too.
When Lulu waved her hands, the two skulls that had fallen to the floor floated gently upward. Hugging the two skulls, Lulu beamed brightly.
These are my friends.
"Huh? Uh-huh. I see. Nice friends."
The sensibility of calling skulls friends was hard to understand, but substituting it for a little girl showing off her attachment dolls made it not entirely incomprehensible.
Being an undead's daughter, she must have undead sensibilities. I'd raised a half-vampir daughter and a half-elf daughter well, so I could raise an undead daughter well too.
At this rate, I might end up making a name for myself as a childcare expert rather than a minion trainer.
Mad human.
Not mad human. Daddy.
My apologies.
Lulu sternly rebuked Cha-cha. Honestly, I was moved. Lulu was truly a filial daughter!
Then what should I call him? Like that vampir over there calls him — Mad Demon?
Daddy is Mad Demon, that's right.
A filial daughter, but one with a bit of fire attribute mixed in...
Mad Demon. You promised to post photos of Lulu on the board every day, did you not?
Among the things I'd blurted out to calm Cha-cha's anger, there might have been something like that.
"Probably did?"
Keep that promise. If you don't, I will claim custody.
"Where did an undead learn words like custody."
Before becoming undead, I was human too. In any case, keep your promise and make Lulu happy.
Anyone listening would think this was a mother marrying her daughter off to a son-in-law rather than entrusting her own daughter to the father.
"Of course. Just look at Lan-lan-i and Evni."
"Lan-lan-i is happy! And I'm Evni and Lulu's big sister! Lulu! Lan-lan-i is your big sister! Got it?"
"Me too..."
Of course I know. Big sister Lan-lan-i. Big sister Evni. And there's big sister Evril too.
"Lulu is so good! Lan-lan-i will give you head pats!"
Lan-lan-i stroked the head of Lulu nestled in Cha-cha's arms. Lulu seemed to like the pats, melting into them before falling asleep.
"No matter how great the price, I'm never handing over Lulu, so know that."
A shame...
Meanwhile, the gods' conversation had ended.
"As expected of Sophia-nim. I believed in you."
"That tone is subtly annoying. Anyway, the talk is over, and Lulu is... asleep? Let's head back soon."
Leaving already?
Cha-cha looked terribly disappointed. The Death Knight's solidly armored shoulders looked fragile.
Cha-cha... Trainer random encounter... time's up...
"We can't hang around forever just because we met another trainer in the Minion Forest. Where there's meeting, there's parting. Newborn Lulu is asleep, and the kids have worked hard, so let's go home and rest."
Understood.
Cha-cha looked dejected like someone who'd just heard their favorite food was discontinued. I couldn't exactly knock on her solid plate mail, so I gently scratched the only exposed bare skin — her chin.
"I'll post photos often. Contact you often too."
"This lady believes one only earns the right to make such promises after frequently contacting Evrande."
I should contact Evrande when we get back too. Cha-cha looked incredulous.
What is this hand? I am not a dog.
"Well I can't touch your armor. It'd get handprints."
Truly a Mad Demon...
Cha-cha shook her head. But I didn't miss the faint smile.
It seemed this man's charm had melted even a Death Knight's frozen heart. The kind of charm that seduces women as naturally as breathing. I am a man of many sins.
Anyway, we hooked our pinkies and made a promise.
What is this?
"A custom for making promises in my hometown."
Some kind of ritual, then.
"That's right. Press thumbs together for a stamp and you're done."
We firmly stamped thumbs too. Chichiking, who had been watching blankly, gestured.
We... shall return... See you in the regular season...
Chichiking and Cha-cha vanished. Lan-lan-i asked Sophia.
"Does that mean battle? Lan-lan-i is an adult now too! I can fight!"
"Lan-lan-i."
"I can fight!"
"No. During the regular season, various content opens up. It was a proposal to form a team and participate in content together."
I recalled the raid I'd heard about earlier. A giant monster to tackle alongside an undead legion!
"Sounds fun."
"Right? Then before we head back too! Let's grab that."
Sophia pointed at the eggshell. Definitely something worth taking. Lan-lan-i had nommed the shell she'd broken out of as nutrients, and Evni... the sister crystal battle had been so impressive I didn't remember.
Anyway, even Lan-lan-i's ordinary egg had been useful. Lulu's egg — which sparkled like a gem, was hard as mineral, and had been imbued with unprecedented power — could probably be used as item material.
"Then let's go back."
"Waaah!"
At Sophia's declaration, the Lamia fluttered her ears in delight. It was her first visit to the Divine Realm.
The Lamia's eyes that had sparkled while looking at the garden died the moment she saw the black void.
"There's no riveeer..."
"Huh?! Na-a! I'll make a river right away!"
"Reallyyy? I'm so happyyy!"
The Lamia clapped her hands in joy. While Sophia groaned trying to make a pretty river on the cheap, I made a bed for Lulu.
"Mad Demon! Aren't you making a bed for Na-a?"
"Na-a is a Lamia, so won't she live in the river? Let me finish Lulu's bed first and then ask."
I laid Lulu on Lan-lan-i's bed as a temporary measure. I'd made the bed wide because Lan-lan-i and Evni sometimes slept together, but I couldn't keep them sleeping together forever.
"This lady should contact Evrande. She will surely be delighted to hear Lulu has hatched."
"Daddy... help..."
Cheonsol exchanged messages with her friend. Evni, with her skilled hands, helped me with her little fern-like hands, and Lan-lan-i, finding watching boring, went off to play with Na-a.
Having worked separately, we gathered again after finishing. I moved Lulu to the newly made bed.
"Sophia-nim, did you finish the river?"
"It's not an environment you can sculpt overnight. I came to clear my head for now."
Sophia looked down at the sleeping Lulu.
"We should check Lulu's information."