Chapter 35: Visiting the Dragon God Shrine – My First Birthday

"An introduction… you mean?"

"Yeah. It seems Lord Orsted’s curse doesn’t work on me… and he wants to check if it’s the same for my child. He’s not nearly as frightening as he looks, so let’s bring Lucy along and go greet him."

That’s what Father said to me when he returned home from work.

Right now, Father serves under Lord Orsted, the Dragon God, following his prophecies and helping people who are destined to play an important role in the future.

Making use of teleportation circles, he flies all around the world—sometimes striking down monsters and bandits, and other times carrying out negotiations on Lord Orsted’s behalf, since the curse prevents him from dealing directly with people. It’s the sort of work that truly befits Orsted’s right hand.

Whenever he comes back home, he spends a few days with our family and friends—training with Mother Eris, or doing research with Lord Zanoba and Lord Cliff—before setting out again. Thanks to that rhythm, he’s been able to both fulfill his duties as Orsted’s representative and steadily grow in power as a magician.

And now, today, the fact that he’s summoned me and Lucy (Mother Sylphy told me not to add “-sama” to her name) must mean we’ve been recognized in the truest sense as part of Lord Orsted’s followers.

Lord Orsted is a long-lived being. Of course he would want retainers from the next generation, beyond Father’s time. I mustn’t make a single mistake…!

"Papa! Papa!"

"…………………"

"Eek!?"

Father is angry…! He’s about to kill Lord Orsted…!

Lucy had grown attached to Lord Orsted’s silver hair, the same shade as Mother Sylphy’s. And since Father is often away for work and rarely at home, Lucy sometimes forgets him. That’s what set him off—he was furious.

I had never seen Father this angry before. A shriek slipped out of my mouth, something I had never once uttered in this life.

From the very first time I met him, I knew that Father was powerful enough to take down even the Sword God or the Water God, depending on how the fight played out. I knew it, but even so, I had never once felt that kind of oppressive intimidation or fear from him.

It was like the mountains or the sky—immense, overwhelming, but part of the natural world, not something you feared. Yet suddenly, that very environment bared its fangs and glared down at me. That illusion alone left me frozen stiff in terror.

"That’s not Papa, Lucy… That’s Lord Orsted. O-r-s-t-e-d."

"Oars…? Oars-ted, Oars-ted!"

"It really seems the curse doesn’t affect her. But the older one… no good, I see."

"Hah… hahh…! Ah, I-I’m fine, Lord Orsted! I’m not afraid either!"

"I see. Then it seems any child of Rudeus will be unaffected."

For a moment, I envisioned the entire forest blowing apart in an instant. But Father managed to hold back his rage, choosing endurance over violence. After confirming that his curse had no effect on us, Lord Orsted hoisted Lucy up onto his shoulders and lifted me with his right arm.

Looking at his profile, his features didn’t seem so different from an ordinary human’s. Yet faint, silver, scale-like markings shimmered just beneath his skin.

(So Lord Orsted is surprisingly fond of children…)

When Lucy tugged on his hair, I thought my heart would stop. But instead of getting angry, he calmly said, "It’s nothing. My Dragon Battle Aura won’t falter from something like this," answering with absolute confidence.

His curse makes others fear and hate him. But it seems to have no power over Father and his children. That must be because Father is the God of the Swamp. Considering how Dragon Gods often dwell in marshes or underground, their compatibility is only natural.

A few days after our meeting with Lord Orsted, a party was held to celebrate my fifth birthday.

These celebrations, held every five years until coming of age, are much like the Shichi-Go-San festival among the unyielding tribes. Because of the Teleportation Disaster, Father and the others had often missed the chance to celebrate such occasions, so this time they had poured their full effort into preparing.

It was the very first time a celebration since my adoption was centered around me. Naturally, I couldn’t help but feel both delighted and restless as I spent that time with Lucy, unable to take part in the preparations myself.

"Happy fifth birthday, Edith! First, a gift from Papa."

One by one, the presents were handed to me. From Father, I received a custom-made set of Zariff’s prosthetic arm and leg, crafted in collaboration with Lord Zanoba and Lord Cliff. It seemed they had noticed how my eyes always lit up when I saw Lord Zanoba’s prosthetics during my visits, and so they had made a set just for me.

From Mother Eris came a sturdy stomach band crafted from the hide of a magical beast. Since I practiced the North God Style, it was something I could adjust myself, both useful and reliable. It could even withstand rough use—and, if the need arose, could double as a whip.

Mother Sylphy gifted me a cute flower-patterned apron, while Mother Roxy gave me a textbook detailing how to identify poisonous plants and the steps for first aid.

There was more still: Sister Norn presented me with a copied manuscript of The Adventures of the Superd Tribe, a record of Lord Ruijerd’s true history. Aisha and Lilia gave me a book-cover protector with adorable decorations of Aisha’s taste, along with a bookshelf made just for me.

In the span of a single night, I had received so many treasures I couldn’t even carry them all in both arms. My eyes went wide, darting back and forth, as I thanked everyone in turn.

Once the gifts were set aside, the feast began. We enjoyed paella, a dish from this country made by simmering rice with vinegar, fish, and vegetables.

That night, I gazed dreamily at the presents lined up wall to wall in my room until sleep finally claimed me.

Several months later, Mother Roxy reached the final stage of her pregnancy. After a difficult delivery, a third child was born—another girl, who would be named Lara.

This time, she did not inherit Father’s hair color. Instead, she had the same blue hair as Mother Roxy. I loved Mother Roxy’s hair color, but under certain light, it could appear almost green—a color that, sadly, marked one as a target of persecution.

Fearing the hardships that might await this child, I threw myself into training with even greater intensity.