C305: Baby Gift Rush

It’s been three months since Junior was born.
During this time, everyone kept expressing their congratulations.

Surely there is nothing more auspicious than the birth of a new life. Our mood was festive for days on end.
Not only the residents living on our farm but also our guests.

One day, the Demon King came to visit and…

“I’m sorry!”

As soon as he arrived, he got down on his knees.

“Huh? What’s going on?!”

I’m lost because I have no idea why he would apologize.

“I apologize for the delay in sending our baby gift in time! I am so ashamed of myself!”

Oh.
That’s what he meant.

Giving baby gifts to someone with a newborn is indeed common practice.
We also sent a lot of gifts to the Demon King when Goetia and Marine were born.

The fact that Platy has given birth to Junior makes the perfect opportunity to do the same, but…

“I don’t know what kind of gift to give your precious son! And to be honest, no matter what we decide to give, it will always be inferior to what’s here, so we dismissed every potential gift!”
“Oh… I see… I, uh… Sorry about that…”

Let’s assume they want to give Junior baby clothes, for example.

But on our farm, we already have a world-class seamstress named Batemy.
The materials she uses are first-class fabrics weaved here and nowhere else. Though she doesn’t always use legendary-grade fabric like adamantine silk in her creations, even her works made of common materials such as standard silk and cotton are said to fetch a high price in the market.

Can they arrange something better than the baby clothes created by such materials and tailor?
…They can’t, it seems.

This also holds true for other articles, so they rejected them as gifts.

I didn’t realize I troubled the Demon King by not knowing what to give us!

“P-Please don’t worry about it. We are happy with anything because it’s the thought that counts! Plus, we’re pals!”
“…No, I cannot let myself take advantage of your magnanimity all the time. I thought I’d at least express my feelings, so I prepared something!”

Oh!
So, you do have a gift!

I understand!
I’ll do my best to appreciate it, no matter what it is!

“I’ll sing a song!”
“Huh?!”
“To express my joy of Junior’s birth, I will sing a song of celebration that has been passed down from generation to generation in our race! That is my gift to you!”

So, he really is just going to express his feelings.

While the Demon King cleared and adjusted his throat, Orkubo and Gobukichi came with musical instruments.

“Are you guys going to play too?!”

A goblin and orc band with Demon King Zedan as the vocalist.

Titled, “Ohayo Baby, Bonjour.”

“Ohayo baby, bonjour~”

Wow, what a beautiful voice.
I could feel his distinctive baritone voice vibrate in me.
He sings like a professional.

My son, who is listening quietly at the front in his mother’s arms, has a gloomy expression on his face.

…It just so happens to be his naptime.
His face has “Can you please be quiet?” written all over it.
I guess an infant still hasn’t learned the ability to be considerate of others.

The Demon King sings the chorus multiple times before wrapping it up.
It was so good that it deserved a standing ovation.

“What do you think? Did that please him?”

Maybe it’s still tricky for a few-month-old baby to appreciate that?

“Oh! He’s happy! Thank goodness! My feelings reached him!”
“Huh?!”

When I looked at Junior, I saw an indescribable bitter smile as he wanted to take a nap right away.
He has already learned how to be considerate.

He’s my son, all right. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel sorry for him.

Thus, most of the baby gifts from guests were intangible, at most expressed through the sender’s feelings.

Even Prince Arowana prayed for Junior’s sound health through sumo.

Of course, I appreciated them all.
What could be better than everyone celebrating Junior’s birth and praying for his healthy growth?
None!

I thought that our lucky Junior’s newborn period would pass soon until…
An extra-special gift arrived.

“I’ve come to give baby gifts.”
“Huh? Sensei?”

There’s a reason why I’m surprised about Sensei’s visit: he has already given a gift before.

On the very day of his birth, Sensei cast a protective spell on Junior to ensure his healthy growth.

So, to come back with another gift now is unusual.
Has his memory started to grow weak after thousands of years of being undead?!

“No, no, I know I already gave mine. Though I personally don’t mind giving a gift again.”

Huh?
What do you mean, then?

“It is they who want to give Junior a gift. Hup!”

As Sensei waves his wand, the space distorts, and a dimensional hole opens up.
It’s a familiar sight, so this can only mean one thing…

“God summoning?!”

Hades, God of the Earth, and Poseidon, God of the Seas.
Aside from them, other deities also arrived!

“To bestow blessings upon the saint’s son, ‘tis for me to do.”
“Nay, ‘tis for me to do so!”

They’re fighting as soon as they appear?!
What’s going on?

“Saint, congratulations on the birth of thy heir. Today, I, Hades, husband of the Mother Earth goddess, hath come in person to offer mine own felicitations.”
“I has’t already bid thee that is mine own role! Meddle not uninvited, and make not a scene with thine intrusion!”

Why are they being so threatening?

I don’t want my child to be exposed to such unfriendly human relationships (perhaps god relationships?).
It has a negative impact on his education!

“Oh, saint. With the birth of a new life under thy care, it behooves us to offer blessings from the divine. So, I hath sent the Immortal King an oracle to summon us.”
“I apologize for bothering you with such matters…!”

I didn’t expect to be congratulated by deities face to face.
The scale is too overwhelming, but since they’re already here, I have to give them a warm welcome.

“I toldeth thee, I am the one who shall blesseth the saint’s son! Begone, ye earthly gods!”

However, Poseidon is stubbornly grumbling beside Hades.
Why the hostile attitude?
Can’t we all celebrate in harmony?

“…Saint, the rules set by the gods have a great deal to do with this,” says Sensei. “A number of rules that must be followed when dealing with mortals. One of them is…”

Deities must not give a mortal one too many blessings.

“Ahh.”

I’ve heard that one before.
They blessed so many people before that it almost upset the world’s balance, so they limited it to one blessing per person.

“Because of that rule, your son can only receive one gift. The gods have been feuding with each other over that privilege.”

I understand the situation now.
But to be honest, I want them to stop.

It’s no laughing matter if a divine war breaks out because of my child!

“Let’s be fair and judge which blessing is most appropriate for Junior!”

Let the divine gifting competition begin!