I Ended up as the Hero’s Mother After Reincarnating?! - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Somewhere Far

TL: Januva

Editor: Puissansa

Quality Check: Kittsune

First Published on Ainushi

Basked in the light, the cute baby laughed and extended his hand .

Just who is this child?

The young girl thought as she held his hand .

「Kyau-, kyau-」

She smiled when she saw the baby cheering in joy .

「Ne, who are you?」

She asked him, but of course there wasn’t a reply .

She found it fun, interesting and even comforting to play with the baby .

She tenderly held his hand and absentmindedly pecked him on the cheek .

(Areido)

She got a reply after all .

「Eh!?」

She raised her voice in surprise .

Babies are not supposed to be able to speak after all, but she clearly heard his voice .

This child… .

(Okaa-san, I’m Areido . )

She heard it once again .

「Okaa-san? Me?」

(Okaa-san, Okaa-san, Okaa-san)

「I see, so you are my child…?」

She lovingly hugged her baby… .

「… . -sama」

Just as she was about to rub her cheek against his… .

「Onee-sama!」

She snapped her eyes open with a start .

Her sister was pouting before her .

「Mou! Onee-sama, you finally woke up!」

She spoke discontentedly .

But, the young girl did not notice the state of her sister .

「Was that all just a dream…?」

She muttered absentmindedly .

It felt way too real…

POV switch

「… . Onee-sama? What do you want to do?」

I specially came over to play, but she’s just absentmindedly caressing her stomach . I can’t help feeling unhappy .

But, but… . seeing Onee-sama look this content, I can’t bring myself to dislike it .

I might not dislike it, but I’m angry at the unborn child .

I want Onee-sama to pay more attention to me .

It’s irritating and hard to bear, but that’s her precious child .

Even if it’s something I need to come to terms with someday, it won’t be anytime soon .

「Ano ne? I’ve decided on the name . 」

She spoke aloud abruptly .

I widened my eyes in surprise . I remember her saying previously that she will decide on a name after seeing her child’s face .

Why would she change her mind all of a sudden?

「Areido . I will name this child Areido . 」

That’s clearly a boy’s name .

What if the child is a girl? But, seeing how confident Onee-sama looked, I refrained from asking .

「I met my child in a dream . 」

She explained .

「That’s a good name . I’m sure he’ll grow up to be a fine and respectable man!」

I gave an insincere reply and looked up at my beloved Onee-sama .

「It’s fine even if he doesn’t become a great man, as long as he’s happy, that’s all that matters…」

She patted my head while giving that reply .

「Of course, that goes for you as well . 」

As she added the last part in, she gave a smile befitting a Holy Mother’s . I couldn’t resist burrowing into her bosom to hide my joy and embarrassment .

Taiga Drama 『Ria ~The young girl known as the Holy Mother~』Official Novel Adaptation

With the light of the morning sun shining on me, who was in a side-sleeping posture, I slowly opened my eyes .

It’s already morning…?

After rubbing my eyes several times, I placed my hands on the somewhat hard bed .

「Yokorase*!」

(TL note: something like heave-ho . )

I pushed myself up .

My everyday actions, like my sleeping posture, and how I get up has been changed due to my swollen belly and for the sake of my baby’s healthy development .

Although what I really want to do is to roll about on the futon!

While screaming in displeasure in my mind, I stood up from the bed .

The area around my ankles were sore and painful .

Somehow, as I enter the final month of pregnancy, my body is getting more and more worn out, almost as if it’s proportional to the swelling of my belly .

From time to time, I get into a really depressed mood and tear up .

Is it because I just woke up?

Even though I don’t understand it well myself, tears were streaming down my cheeks .

I carelessly wiped them away and stood up as if the tears were just an illusion .

I’m a little… really, just a little stressed .

One of the causes of that is definitely water .

Day after day, I needed to draw water . It’s really bothersome .

Fortunately, there is a proper sewage system . If the toilets were like those of the middle ages of Earth, I would have lost it .

Next would be food .

Since there are no fridges, how should I put this… .

I actually think it’s alright, having gotten used to it, but if I had a fridge, my life would be better .

There’s also the lack of proper lighting, convenience stores, entertainment, medicine, hospitals, police post etc… The list goes on .

「Haa…」

And I’m not sure if it’s because I used to be male, or maybe all females experience this, but I’ve been emotionally unstable and honestly feeling afraid of childbirth . It’s really pathetic .

I pat my back as I stood up with no little effort .

「I seem to be spending a lot of time in the toilet lately . 」

While muttering to myself, I headed towards the toilet .

With the bucket of water that I prepared before bed, I washed my hands and then my face .

The inventor of the water pipe is definitely a genius . I never realised how convenient it was until I came here . I miss modern Japan .

「Aah~, I wanna eat ice cream…」

Haagen Daz, Garigari-kun, Yukimi Daifuku and Pino* . Ice cream used to be my favourite food but it’s just a faint memory now .

(TL note: they are all brands of ice cream in Japan . )

…Eh? It’s not just my favourite food .

Now that I think about it, there seemed to have been other incredibly delicious food as well .

That’s right, even just comparing cup noodles to any kind of food here… .

The cup noodle is the clear winner .

「Haa…」

I have already sighed several times since I woke up .

Shaking my head and slapping my cheeks, I tried to motivate myself .

「Nn!」

I made a small victory pose .

The world I lost . The illusion I can never touch .

Even if I yearn for it, I can’t attain it .

I still had a mountain of things I needed to do . Things that won’t just leave me with an unpleasant feeling if left unfinished .

I got lazy once and procrastinated, and the result was well… . just horrible .

The sewage will rot and turn into slime, while the dust that accumulates breeds bugs .

It made the house unfit for pregnant mothers, and before long, even the food was affected .

Not understanding how it’s like is a blessing in itself .

Ever since then, I stopped procrastinating on household chores .

If I think about it carefully, it’s actually not a big deal anyway .

Doing housework is a good way to kill time .

「Ne~♪」

I tilted my head .

A cute action unbefitting the soul of a man nearing 30 years of age .

But right now, I’m just cute Ria-chan and Ah-chan .

By the way, 『Ah-chan』is short for Aka-chan* .

(TL note: jap for infant/baby . )

When Mimoza-chan heard about it, she immediately asked what I will name the child after birth . From Ah-chan, I think I will name her 『Aria』 .

I think Ah-chan is probably a girl .

Although Ah-chan used to be so energetic in the past, I have not felt much movement from her recently .

How should I put it… I get a feeling of calmness?

That’s why I think Ah-chan is a she .

Although from the angle of Ah-chan’s future, being male is better .

This world can be thought of as Earth’s Europe during the middle ages .

It is rather hard on girls .

At any rate, the ideal for girls is to marry a rich husband, either as the wife or concubine . It is really, really difficult to attain freedom .

In many novels on Earth, after the girl is forcefully taken away by a noble, the lover will defeat the noble to get her back . It’s a pretty common plot .

In these kinds of stories, readers get agitated by the noble’s despicable actions and are relieved when the hero defeats the noble .

But, reality is different . Girls who are taken away would prefer becoming the lover or concubine of the noble rather than be with their former lover (hero) . This is normal, considering how nobles possess more money and authority .

Things like love only comes into the picture in a world that allows for such luxuries . In reality, the marriage partner is chosen with survival as the topmost priority .

Even back on Earth, marrying for love only became common during the late Showa era . Prior to this, it was more common to have formal marriage interviews arranged for the couple .

In retrospect, perhaps being held captive by the King was sort of a blessing in disguise?

But of course, that’s only going by the common sense of this era . For someone born during the Heisei era, it would not be a blessing but humiliation instead…

Even so, I am grateful to that person . I received this child from him after all .

I caressed my abdomen that carried Ah-chan .

「Da!」

Pumping my right hand up into the air, I hyped myself up .

Fighting spirit replenished, motivation max!

The weather is great now too, let’s start with drawing water .

Getting water on rainy days is truly troublesome* so I’m glad the weather is fine today .

(TL note: I don’t understand why she can’t collect rainwater and save herself the trouble of going out . )

It’d be a problem if this develops into a drought, but there shouldn’t be any concerns of that now .

In fact, the most troublesome rumour going around is the increased sightings of demons, a foreboding omen of the Maou’s resurrection .

Demons include large lizards, so in a sense they are the wildlife of this world . Maou must be- . Pu-pu . What a joke .

Instead of bothering with this, it’s better for me to finish eating quickly and finish my job of mending stuff and completing the mosquito net .

Once I have it, I wouldn’t be bothered by bugs anymore . It’s extremely crucial to my mental health .

Around noon, I ate some rye bread with beans and fish soup before picking up the needle and thread to continue this morning’s unfinished work . Thereupon, a thought struck me .

What a waste of the fine weather today . Let’s go for a walk!

It’s important for pregnant mothers to get sufficient exercise, though I probably get enough of it from drawing water and other housework . Even so, going for a walk is different from housework . It’s different in nature .

After storing the needle and thread back into the sewing kit, I pushed the chair back and stood up while patting my lower back . I then headed towards the door .

I grabbed a cape to ward off the cold and urged myself forward . Just as I reached out to grab the door handle, it moved away from me, faster than I could grab it . The door swung outwards and left me in an awkward posture . I barely managed to regain balance .

「Nee-sama!」

The one who opened the door noticed me and energetically pounced! I was hit by Mimoza-chan’s frontal assault and coughed violently while taking a few steps back .

I definitely deserve praise for being able to withstand her surprise attack .

After all, I’m 11 but my body size is roughly the same as Mimoza-chan . Furthermore, I’m pregnant as well . That’s why it’s praiseworthy .

I complained to no one in particular .

「That’s dangerous so don’t do it again, okay . . ?」

I warned her with teary eyes .

When something is bad, I would clearly state so . When something is dangerous, I would warn of it to make sure it doesn’t happen again .

This is the duty of a responsible adult… or rather, a parent’s duty .

As someone who was about to become a mother, I needed to become good at such things .

But… with the personality of a Japanese salaryman, I couldn’t word my warnings any firmer .

While I was immersed in my pathetic thoughts, Mimoza-chan was feeling down .

「Nee-sama, sorry…」

She sincerely apologized .

She really is a good girl .

I unconsciously hugged her tightly .

「Mimoza-chan is a good girl who knows how to apologise . 」

All brats should learn from her .

「Yeah, Mimoza is a good girl . 」

She said bashfully . She really is like an angel .

I thought I caught a glimpse of her snickering “that was easy”… must be my imagination .

I hope my child will be as cute as Mimoza-chan .

「Nee-sama . Here, a gift . 」

She said while holding up a jute bag that smelt pleasantly of sweet fruits .

At the same time, her accompanying maid brought out some board games that Mimoza-chan’s Onii-san developed for sale .

I guess she wants to play that today?

I was going to go out for a stroll and get some side dishes for dinner tonight… but well it’s fine . I’ll make do with salted butter potato and rye bread, and supplement the lack of nutrition with Mimoza-chan’s gift .

「Thank you . Please come in . 」

I carried Mimoza-chan and turned around to face the living room and gestured for the maid to enter .

No matter what we are going to do, it’s better to do it inside rather than at the door .

Just then, I felt a sudden pain in my abdomen . This sounds crude, but it’s a dull pain like the stomach-ache that comes with diarrhoea .

Eh? Did I eat something bad for lunch?

…no . Can’t be .

I’ve been very careful with what I eat nowadays .

「Nee-sama, what’s wrong?」

Mimoza-chan asked me as she noticed my strange state . Her maid looked worried as well .

「No, it’s nothing . 」

I shake my head and replied while firmly grasping Mimoza-chan’s hand .

Since she noticed that I wasn’t feeling well, Mimoza-chan’s maid helped to serve the gift of fruits instead .

While taking a sidelong glance at her, I sat opposite Mimoza-chan . Before the two of us, Mimoza-chan laid out the game board known as ‘chass’ .

To be honest, it looks similar to chess from back on Earth . It looks similar, but I don’t actually know chess well enough to say for certain .

Incidentally, Mimoza-chan’s Onii-san developed other board games like ‘Go’ as well . But then again, I don’t know ‘Go’ well either so I couldn’t say for certain if it is like the one on Earth .

But because of that, it’s kind of shameful for a near 30 year old ossan like me to be taught how to play these games by a 9 year old girl .

But, this is just the pride of a (former) ossan! When it comes to the actual match, I will definitely not lose!

What’s with these childish lines?

All humans have things they can’t back down from .

To put it simply, 『How can an imouto defeat her ane!』

However, I currently lacked the composure to say such things with certainty .

My aching stomach is making it hard for me to concentrate .

Even though the usual me would be driven towards winning by desire to not be defeated, no matter how bad the situation…

「Nee-sama, are you alright?」

「Y- yeah…I’m fine . Mimoza…I’m fine…」

Just smiling took all I had . I wasn’t in any state to have an intellectual battle .

…Well, even Mimoza-chan who’s not even 10 can tell that it’s a forced smile . I was evidently in pain .

Yet I feigned nonchalance, while wiping the sweat off my forehead before making my move . Maid-san brought the dish of fruits over with a concerned look on her face .

Even so, I maintained my composure .

「Ah, that reminds me . Erm, have you decided on Ah-chan’s name?」

As if she couldn’t bear to watch anymore, Mimoza-chan asked .

「Aria . 」

「A girl’s name? What if Ah-chan is a boy?」

「Well… what to do…?」

I was quite confident in my woman’s intuition (*laughs*) that it’s a girl so I didn’t think of a boy’s name .

The pain was worsening and it’s getting harder and harder for me to maintain my composure .

Nonetheless, I desperately maintained the smile on my face and ate one of the fruits Maid-san had cut .

The sweet and sour taste of the citrus fruit spread in my mouth and calmed my tense nerves, though it’s only for a short while .

Finally, the excessive pain made me slam my hands on the table with loud bang .

「Ne- Nee-sama!」

「Ria-chan!?」

Their shrieks shook my eardrums .

Ignoring that, I finally…

Really, only now did I realise .

This is labour pain…!

「G-…giving birth… . , I’m going into labour…」

Aah- shit . Damn it .

Why didn’t I notice? Why didn’t I understand?

Is it because I’m a male in spirit? Or is this something that no one will understand the first time round?

Aah- that’s not it . These inconsequential things can be left for later .

For now, I need to quickly get to a church… someplace I can deliver at ease…

The church encourages childbirth and such, so at times like this, it’s really reliable .

That’s why, I have to go there as soon as possible… otherwise…

I will end up giving birth in public ☆

That would be a humiliation that will last me my entire lifetime . No way!

With a pale face, I impatiently stood up and knocked the chair away in the process . At this moment… basha! A large amount of liquid flowed out from my body, and a stench filled the air .

「Nee-sama is going to die! Gyaaaaa!」

Mimoza-chan screamed like a monster while crying .

「qあwせdrftgyふじこlp」

I have no idea what Maid-san is saying, but she can’t be depended on . Please speak Japanese . Even though this isn’t Japan .

It’s that . When you see people panicking more than you are, you end up becoming calm .

In other words, I can’t depend on anyone but myself . For example, the water breaking . This means-

As I watched the two of them, I considered what to do .