Chapter: 799
The calf entrusted to Behemoth quickly became the center of attention and affection from the kids.
It’s not surprising at all. Traditionally, the first animal to move into our mansion always receives loads of love from the children. When Mane and Mine first arrived, they went through all kinds of handling like they were having an initiation ceremony. From a distance, it looked like they were being wrung out like laundry.
However, this calf, despite being young, is pretty hefty. It’s not small enough to be manhandled like laundry; it only received gentle, affectionate pats.
– Moo~
And cows are known to be smart and perceptive animals. Knowing that the small human kids adore it, the calf welcomed their gentle touches with bright vocalizations.
I heaved a sigh of relief. If it had been startled by unfamiliar hands in a strange environment, it might have bolted around. If a calf started rampaging through the mansion, it would have been quite the headache. Thankfully, it’s meek and calm.
Of course, considering Behemoth’s nature, he probably took that into account when he entrusted the calf to us. Behemoth is the most gentle and intelligent of the three giant beasts.
“This one is just like the one our grandpa raises! But this one’s a bit… fluffier!”
Upon hearing the Crown Princess’s words, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
What on earth could be lacking in the Emperor’s animal farm? Chickens, cows, horses, dogs — you name it, it’s all there. I even heard that the two sable martens donated from the Stiniye Kingdom are currently being taken care of there. At this rate, the animal farm might just evolve into a full-blown zoo.
“Hey!”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“What’s this fluffy little thing’s name?”
I looked at the calf, blinking innocently.
Right, what should we call it? Behemoth didn’t permanently transfer it, just temporarily handed it over, so I hadn’t really thought of a name.
‘How about calling it Mini-Moose?’
Both Behemoth and this calf look strikingly similar, so Mini-Moose could work, right?
But if I really call it that, I can foresee my status plummeting. My wife and kids, along with the servants, would bombard me with looks of doubt about my naming skills. It’s a future I can easily imagine without even experiencing it.
“Would you like to name it, Your Highness?”
“Huh? Me?”
So, I suggested the idea to the Crown Princess, and she blinked in surprise.
“That little one is just temporarily with us, entrusted by Behemoth. In about a month, it’ll return to him, but until then, it will be your friend. How about giving your friend a name as a gift?”
“Oh!”
This was a golden opportunity to gift a name. The unexpected stroke of luck made the Crown Princess’s eyes sparkle as she enthusiastically patted the calf.
“C-can I really name it? For real?”
“Of course! Your siblings will like it too.”
“Yeah! Big sister will come up with it! Because she’s… big sister, right?”
Just at the right moment, Pedi nodded, making the Crown Princess even happier.
“Right! This is Big Sister’s job!”
“Name! Big Sister will name it!”
“Make it pretty~!”
Even the triplets began to cheer Pedi on.
Good job, my beautiful kids. This dad is so happy to have such wonderful children.
“Then, since Behemoth sent it, let’s call it Behemoth Junior!”
?
“Behemoth… Junior?”
“Yup! It looks so much like Behemoth! So it’s Junior!”
Her innocent answer left me speechless.
At the same time, a subtle relief washed over me.
‘I wasn’t wrong.’
What I thought was Mini Behemoth, the Crown Princess decided on was Behemoth Junior. Both names had similar meanings. The name Mini Behemoth I initially wanted to use wasn’t a weird name at all.
“That’s a nice name.”
So I smiled wholeheartedly. The Crown Princess gave the calf the gift of a name, and in turn, gave me a sense of relief.
If anyone dares to criticize my naming skills in the future, I won’t feel intimidated any longer. I’ll simply mention that the Crown Princess has a similar naming sense as mine.
The future heir to this Empire would be alongside me—
“That’s kinda long, can we pick something else?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
‘Ah.’
I didn’t expect Pedi to interject.
“Then let’s just call it Junior!”
“Sounds good!”
Thankfully, the critique was brief and manageable.
As mid-December approached, the mansion became lively.
The kids were busy having snowball fights in the garden, rolling around to build small, cute snowmen, and begging to try making igloos after hearing about it somewhere.
And amidst this chaos, I found myself lost in thought.
‘What should I give as a gift?’
The wedding of Tannian, the next saint of the Dawn Sect, and Cardinal Alexandria.
Even a local commoner’s wedding will earn scorn if you attend empty-handed, so you can imagine the pressure of attending the wedding of two major figures. It’s more than just saving face; I need to prepare a gift that’ll leave them in awe. The Empire has maintained friendly relations with the Holy Kingdom since the time of the Grand Emperor Amanca. We must thoroughly cooperate with the Dawn Sect for the Empire’s governance legitimacy.
On top of that, Tannian has been a benefactor who blessed our children. Ignoring his wedding would be downright disgraceful.
‘Thanks to that, I’m heading to the Holy Kingdom myself.’
Were the kids exhausted from all the snowball fights? They were resting, buried in their fluffy winter coats. Looking at them, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Leaving those kids behind to go abroad isn’t appealing, even without any subtle pressure from the Emperor to leave. Considering the friendship between the Empire and Holy Kingdom, the precedent set by Lather’s wedding, and the kindness shown to my children, I must go.
That’s just human decency. It weighs heavier and is far more daunting than the Emperor’s orders.
‘If it were a command, I could at least rebel against it.’
How disheartening. Orders can be ignored or circumvented, but voluntarily engaging in diplomatic activities feels like a loss.
‘Damn that road guy.’
I can barely imagine how proud Erich will be seeing me and him crossing borders together. I bet he’d be thrilled to call us special slaves together.
…
‘What on earth should I give?’
After a brief lament about the Emperor, I returned to contemplate gifts.
It’s a headache. I’ve already given Rutis a signed sword, and handed Lather Trixie’s and my second father-in-law’s thesis. Those were gifts that could make anyone’s eyes spin with joy in magic and swordsmanship.
So, I should give Tannian something symbolic of religion—
‘But what could it possibly be?’
Regrettably, I don’t possess such sacred items.
Honestly, I have the Blessed deacon certification, but that title wasn’t achieved through my own means but given to me by the Dawn Sect. Without that glorification from the Dawn Sect, I’d just be an ordinary guy with no strong ties to religion.
A divine honorary priest and benefactor. Even though it sounds impressive, it lacks substance. Of course, I’ve received various things thanks to my connections with the deities, but that doesn’t mean I can gift Tannian Giz or a spirit as presents.
– So, what are you looking for?
‘Yes.’
After much deliberation, I decided to reach out to the Eternal Blue Sky.
I was hoping for a wedding gift for Enen’s son, and I was wondering if any good ideas popped up.
– A monetary gift would be appropriate since it’s for a human, right?
‘If I were a regular human, perhaps, but it’s the next saint and a cardinal, isn’t it? I need a gift with religious significance.’
– Complex, isn’t it? Just give what you want.
Though it grumbled softly, the Eternal Blue Sky began contemplating earnestly.
Hearing their deep thinking made my heart race. The Eternal Blue Sky often shows disappointment, but they are still the primordial god who existed before Enen. If such a god truly reflected on this with sincerity, wouldn’t it bring good outcomes?
– Honestly, I’m drawing a blank. Nothing comes to mind.
But the excitement quickly waned.
How lamentable. Did I place too large an expectation? Is it so wrong to ask a god for a deeply religious gift?
– Ah.
‘What is it? Did something come up?’
– Ah, no. I’m just saying this might not make for a good wedding gift…
‘Anything’s fine. Gifts are usually well-wrapped anyway.’
My dwindling hope surged back up.
Whether or not the gift is appropriate, I’ll figure that out. I may lack the ability to prepare an excellent gift, but I can wrap it beautifully.
– Remember when I took care of Enen and Constantina when they were newly born? At that time, I had them practice descending onto the continent while they were still clumsy in wielding their powers, right?
‘Descending?’
– There are rare moments when a god physically descends to the continent. But that’s not the main point.
The Eternal Blue Sky, who had paused for a moment, then continued with a voice mixed with laughter.
– To put it simply, when they were still inept, their first footstep left a deep imprint on the place they landed. It remained unerasable, soaked with the sun’s power. That should still be located up north?
‘Wow.’
I gasped in admiration. A footprint left by a god on the continent. Even if a regular person were to receive that, it would certainly be a keepsake worth preserving.
‘Thank you. This will help me find a wonderful gift.’
– I hope that’s the case. But can you really give a footprint as a present…?
‘Just take the ground with it. It should be a size I can lift with two hands.’
In my previous world, dinosaur footprints fossilized existed. If they can make a fossil of a god’s footprint, why wouldn’t it be possible?
So, I made my way north, as per the Eternal Blue Sky’s directions.
It was deep in the northern outskirts, a sparsely populated area far from where the Jiz made its nest, a place no one would visit.
“Wow.”
In that place, I immediately spotted a footprint exuding divine energy.
‘It… burns?’
– Right. It’s still burning, huh?
Surrounding the footprint were flickering little flames.
– Being a sun god, Enen’s fire lasts a long time. But I didn’t expect it to still be glowing.
‘……’
– Is that alright? Should we think of another present?
‘Nope. This is more than enough.’
The eternally burning solar flame. I like it even more.
– By the way, before you take it, make sure to pray to Enen and express your apologies.
‘Huh? Pray?”
– Since it’s a trace from when Enen was still unskilled, Enen might feel a bit embarrassed. He’s been trying to hide it with divine power, and you just stumbled upon it since you’re with me.
For a brief moment, I flinched at the notion of divine embarrassment but quickly composed myself.
If I truly thought of it as a shameful story, I would’ve taken action to prevent me from being here.
‘I’ll make sure to use it well.’
Following the guidance of the Eternal Blue Sky, I offered a prayer to Enen.
I will certainly wrap that not as a dark history, but as an extraordinary first step moving forward.
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