Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 297

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Ugh, this is difficult.”
The Starving Child, barely three years old, clutched their head as if pretending to be foolish was simply too hard.
Could I not enroll them in Kindergarten right away? Wouldn’t it help them learn how their peers navigate the world?
I consulted with Gerth about it, and from the books that Apet and Leri had brought, I carelessly selected a treatise on human nature and thrust it into Obero’s hands. Whether she was trying to learn letters first or simply found the curious Imperial script workbook fascinating, Obero spent an hour absorbed in the book before declaring, “To say one lacks conscience is to say one is not human.” Her words sent a chill down everyone’s spine.
Well, she did grasp the core point precisely, but the way you said it makes it sound so ominous, daughter.
I’d only worried about feeding, bathing, and clothing the child since she hatched from her egg—I never imagined I’d have to concern myself with how she influenced and was influenced by those around her. Should I really introduce this child to my family and friends as she is? Might this meeting change someone’s life irreversibly?
While I wrestled with these worries, time slipped away, and the day arrived when my birth family would visit the Serpent King’s Tower. The moment Evan’s Father and Rael laid eyes on Obero, they both let out ear-splitting shrieks like crows.
“Aaaaaaah! So adorable, aaaaaaah! A precious little fairy from the Demon Race, aaaaaaah!”
“Father! Keep the recording going! We can’t miss a single moment!”
“I brought fifty copies for exactly this reason!”
“I’m making three photo albums to take home today!”
Evan’s Father started recording with his imaging orb, then knelt before Obero and wept. Rael, having come as the representative of his siblings, declared he would capture everything about his niece to comfort those who couldn’t be here, and began snapping photographs.
“You said she was just born recently, yet she’s grown so much. Will she become a general when she’s older?”
Eleanor Mother has no prejudices. That’s probably why she took on raising me.
“Grandmother, you overestimate me. How embarrassing.”
“Miss. You can already speak? Not a general then—perhaps a scholar?”
That’s not lack of prejudice; that’s complete absence of it.
Eleanor Mother made a fuss, already thinking about sending the child to the Academy, while Titi—a ten-year-old girl in stature—held the three-year-old Obero and bounced her gently. Still, Titi was the only one treating Obero like an ordinary child simply because they were both Demi-humans.
“What a good child, truly your daughter, right?”
“Her conscience and righteous heart come from her father, Gerth.”
“That must be it, right.”
Even if Obero meant no malice, this brat Titi was definitely insulting me. I scooped Obero up and handed her to Eleanor Mother, then massaged both of Titi’s ears. A sparrow’s shriek pierced through the Serpent King’s Tower.
“Grandmother, come here too. You should hold me once before you go.”
“Hmph.”
My Obero really is good-hearted. Look at her calling out even Iyongi, who had been hiding in the shadows like a pillar in the Serpent King’s Tower, asking her to come embrace her. But there’s really no need for that.
“That woman doesn’t need to call me grandmother. She might hit you, Obero—don’t go near her.”
“I wouldn’t hit you!”
“But I hit you?”
“That’s…!”
Now that she’s grown, I find her reactions quite satisfying. I enjoy verbally sparring with Iyongi, so I deliberately uttered words designed to torment her.
“Demonic mother.”
“Ugh!”
“Our beloved daughter, tonight we’re having Dr. Bruno’s signature mixed stew.”
“Aaaaah!”
Cold sweat was pouring down her face. My mood improved. As I began humming, Obero shook her head gently and spoke kindly to Iyongi.
“Grandmother, don’t worry.”
“Who’s a grandmother! I’m not a grandmother!”
After seeing my granddaughter, how could I say such a thing? She’s received nothing but affection her whole life, so I watched carefully to see if she’d be upset about being rejected for the first time—and sure enough, her face bore the shock of it.
“Grandfather, come here!”
But it wasn’t the kind of shock I’d anticipated. The Starving Child, nestled comfortably in Eleanor Mother’s embrace, forced Duke Neftis and Duchess Neftis to their knees and scolded them with an air of exasperation.
“I heard from Grandmother on Gerth’s side that our family relationships were a complete mess, but now I see the fault lies largely with you, Grandfather!”
“Um, what exactly do you mean by that…?”
“Because you had a child with someone who had no confidence in being a parent, this tragedy was born!”
Oh, so that’s where this is going? True enough—Iyongi’s father was someone she adored, yet she felt no attachment to her children. Even now, the role of mother feels uncomfortable to me, and becoming a grandmother on top of that must weigh on Iyongi in her own way.
As Obero’s lecture continued, Father’s eyes cleared, and he began to weep openly. Ah, so this is it—he’s being instructed.
“If you understand, apologize to Mother and Grandmother!”
“I’m sorry, Mitchell. I’m sorry, Procula. I just wanted to see the child so badly.”
“A child isn’t a toy for you to feast your eyes upon!”
“You’re absolutely right. It’s all my fault.”
What on earth will this child become when she grows up? As Father sniffled and begged forgiveness, I found myself genuinely worried about Obero’s future. She mustn’t ever say she’ll shoulder humanity’s original sin and sacrifice herself for it all.
“This posture looks great! I’ll take ten more shots like this!”
And Rael—you’re a younger sibling who won’t break no matter how hard someone tries to snap you. In this tense atmosphere, my sibling cheerfully snapped photos, rewinding the video feed to check the recording quality while our parents wept or remained silent. Strong. That kind of resolve is what allows a person to stay unshaken and endure retaking exams three times over.
“Now, now, the young lady isn’t saying much, so there’s no need for her daughter to step in either. Let’s just have a meal.”
“That’s true enough.”
Obero, noting that I was the one directly involved and thus my will mattered most, ended her lecture, and Father thrust a gift into my hands, saying he’d commissioned it specially to commemorate Obero’s birth.
“Obero wasn’t born from an egg, you see. So I looked into egg craftsmanship, and I found an artisan whose skill was extraordinary.”
“Oh…”
Yes, it reminds me of Imperial Russia. How lovely.
The golden egg, the size of an ostrich egg, was adorned with intricate engravings and jewels hanging from it in profusion. With this alone, I could probably purchase another Neftis Townhouse. Obero won’t break it, but just in case, I should place it in a case and display it in the Treasure Hall.
After a rather pleasant meal together, we parted ways. Father, who had been a bit sulky after being scolded by Obero, brightened up the moment I showed him Gerth and Seian’s faces, and we had various conversations.
When my friend’s team came to visit, they all found Obero curious, but they weren’t particularly surprised. After all, she’s my child with both Gerth and Seian, so they’d already anticipated the worst-case scenario where she’d inherited only the shortcomings of each—and they said Obero was well within the bounds of their expectations.
What did surprise them was why my child was so kind, and after whispering among themselves about it, Reina spoke up on their behalf and got beaten for it.
Because I’m kind, of course Obero is kind too, damn them.

“Hweee, fwooo fwoooo!”
After the family team and friend team visited the Tower and departed, only my confrontation with Cecilia remained. Since the Kindergarten was at full capacity and couldn’t accommodate a field trip, I instead invited the entire seahorse demi-human family to the Tower to receive instruction.
I told them they could take the warp gate on the way over, and that I’d transform into an airship to transport them back. The Sea Dragon Couple, grateful for past favors, readily agreed to cooperate and brought their children.
Obero carefully observed the starving children as they rushed about causing trouble. She meticulously noted their speech patterns, behaviors, and even their tendency to throw tantrums when displeased in her notepad, then proudly declared while patting her chest.
“Now I can pretend to be foolish!”
Obero’s statement was essentially calling the Sea Dragon Children foolish, so Gerth, Seian, and I earnestly apologized to the Sea Dragon Couple.
The couple said it was fine, remarking that compared to Obero, their own children were practically foolish, but that wasn’t really appropriate. When I told Obero to apologize as well, the little one bent deeply at the waist to convey her remorse.
“I spoke carelessly. I’m sorry for troubling you.”
Being so small, her head grew heavy when she bowed, and she nearly tumbled forward face-first. I quickly slid over, caught Obero’s head, and became a cushion as she fell onto me instead. After doing it, I realized the floor and my body were equally hard, but kind Obero, appreciating my effort, simply rubbed her sore forehead.
“Thank you, Mother. I didn’t get hurt because of you.”
“No, I should have sent the soft Gerth instead.”
“I was a step too slow. My apologies.”
We laughed merrily and prepared harmoniously for tomorrow. Once we got past this major hurdle with Cecilia, things should be peaceful for a while.

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Cecilia invited us for afternoon tea, considering the child’s nap time and such. We decided that Obero was simply larger in body but had completed growth equivalent to a stone age. With that settled, we headed to the Imperial Palace as a harmonious family.
Obero seemed displeased at being swaddled and carried in a bundle, but everyone at the Imperial Palace smiled upon seeing her.
“Did you really give birth to this child, Evan Mitchell?”
“If she resembled you, she’d have a foul temperament, but fortunately she doesn’t resemble you at all.”
Young Seian Mark Two and the Bachelor also commented as they observed Obero up close. The little one continued her act of pretending to be foolish quite well, responding to anyone who spoke to her with either “Bwaa!” or “Uwya!”
Could our child actually be a genius?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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