Chapter 13

 Baby

-Kakuto/Mina-

The four of us landed a little far from the city's entrance, so that we do not attract attention.

The shouts we heard when we were in the sky were clearly audible on ground.

I 'desummoned' Victoria-san so that we won't be adding to the chaos in the city, although she just became a ghost again. She turned fully transparent this time to make it seem like she disappeared due to the desummoning. 

We gave chase towards the city afterwards to find out the main cause for the panic.

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"What's going on?"

Machi was confused as to what had happened before her eyes. Hana had about the same expression, but only more clueless than the former.

People were rushing out like a stampede. The men shouting, the women crying, the children brought along, clueless.

"If I am sure, there were people shouting at the entrance that there was a fire in the west district."

"That's where Risha is...Mina, we have to hurry!"

"O-okay. But, aren't we supposed to pay something like a fee to pass?"

"Don't worry, they give free excess to adventures like me. I can somehow persuade them that you are in my party, just that you have to make sure to register later."

"Alright then, I'll register later."

I'll get to become an adventurer huh...

Wait, what did she just say?"

"Err, Machi, did you say that you are an adventurer?"

"Yeah?"

"Does that mean that there is an adventurers' guild!?"

"Y-yeah...?"

Are you kidding me...my theory was wrong? Sigh, this is what i get for jumping into conclusions. I have to stop this bad habit of mine.

"Nevermind, forget what I had just said. You have to give that flower to someone right?"

"Yes, follow me, quickly."

We ran towards the entrance of the city.

We were stopped by a guard at the entrance. He looked scary and distressed.

"Madam, what are you doing here! There is a fire in the west district, so you need to evacuate!"

"I am the adventurer Machi, and this is my party. We had heard that there was a fire somewhere in the city, so my party and I decided to help out in evacuating the citizens, and if possible save the ones still trapped in there."

Nice improvise, Machi-san!

"I see, alright then, you and your party may pass. Please help us evacuate the citizens."

The guard did a 90 degree bow towards us, but because we are short of time, we ran towards Machi's direction when he did so. I should apologize to him when I meet him again.

After a short distance of about a kilometre, we had reached the west district.

A giant fireball.

Oh that's was enough to describe the view of the current state of the place. A single living thing could not be seen, not to mention humans. There may be survivors in blind spots though, but it's just a matter of time before they die from burning.

It is just their luck that I'm here. Why? I have the [Soul Seeker] skill, so I can track them down in this fiery mess.

I invoked [Soul Seeker] and several red and black balls appeared. I wonder do the colours signify anything... I'll figure that out later.

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However, if I look closer, the black balls are disappearing, part by part the ball withers away like sand. That's not a good sign.

"Machi-san, go ahead to where your house is, there are some people who have not escaped from the fire yet."

"I understand. Then,"

Machi-san and Hana went off towards their house at a quick pace.

On the way here, Machi-san did mention that her house was secluded from other houses, so I should be able to find them with [Soul Seeker] later. Although, why was her house secluded?

I have so many questions, not only about Machi-san and Hana, but about this world itself. What is the [Desire Seed]? Why did the first [Order of the Goddesses] create it? Why did they give the seed to me? If anything, I have to visit a shrine to get my answers. All the more I should clean this mess up a fast as possible.

There is a group of four balls in a rather small house, three were red and one was black and withering.

I should not waste any more time.

Using Victoria-san's [Water Shield], I protected the four of the balls from the fire. A dome of water covered the area around the four balls, including me. The fire is slowly put out. This must be the effect of the [Water Shield].

Apparently Victoria-san is not wary of it, but her [Water Shield] is able to regenerate health. Perhaps because she was a dragon at that time, so she does not know about it.

Even without looking at its statistics with [Appraisal], it knew it was so when the three balls turned from red to white.

I entered the shield of water and went into the small, black, charcoal-smelling house.

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"Uwahhhhh!!!"

As I entered, I heard a crying voice of a baby coming from inside.

I was greeted with a ventablack room, with creaking sounds of burnt wood and the smell of roasted furniture.

I looked to a corner of a room, to find a woman protecting a basket. However, that woman was burnt to a crisp.

There were the three balls that I saw in the basket. They belonged to a cat and it's young, and a baby, wrapped in a silk blanket.

The woman was probably this baby's mother.

This is just horrible. I don't think this baby will be able to survive on its own. My guilty conscience is acting up.

If only I had been here sooner...

Alright, I'm going to take responsibility in taking care of this baby.

I invoked [Soul Seeker] and another ball other than the three white balls appeared.

It was dark blue in colour, almost the same as Victoria-san. Maybe the colour blue signifies the soul becoming a spirit capable of going into the afterlife.

I tried talking to the soul.

"Umm, hello? Are you this baby's mother?"

.

..

...

"A...ugh...Did...I...die?"

"I'm sorry, but yes."

"I see. The fire got the better of me. Who are you by the way? And why can you talk to me?"

"I'm sort of a special existence, so yeah. You can think of me as someone who can talk with spirits. My name is Mina"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mina-sama. I am Karen, this girls mother."

Girl?

"So this baby is a she?"

"Yes."

Geez, all baby faces, they look the same, regardless of gender.

"Am I able to take care of this baby? I promise to raise her and protect her to the end."

"May I hear your reason for doing so?"

"She just looks familiar to me."

"I see. Well then, you have my gratitude."

"By the way, I am able to reincarnate you into another life in this world. Would you like that?"

"I appreciate it."

When I was on the way to the city with the others, I checked out if some of my skills got updated. The [Assimilation] race skill was one of them.

[Soul Seeker]

Allows the interaction between spirits and souls.

If the soul gives you it's permission, you are able to take the soul along as your companion. Ethereal form can be granted to the soul.

However, if the host of the soul is not strong enough, the soul will automatically be sent into another life in this world.

This basically means that only strong people will be able to follow me. Citizens and the like will just reincarnate.

Considering that Karen is a normal human, I don't think she will be able to come along with me.

However, she accepted that fate. So, I will honour her request.

I absorbed her soul with the same method as when I absorbed Victoria-san.

The ball slowly is pulled, but to my left hand this time.

She entered my palm and came out of my right hand a second after.

Skill acquired: [Chore Master]

The ball shot towards the sky, disappearing from my sight after entering the grey clouds.

I wish you a happy life, Karen.

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I got a skill from Karen through [Assimilation]. I guess this shows that even if they reincarnate, I can still get their skills.

Although expected of a mother, but really? Chore Master?

Aren't I now the perfect candidate for a loli maid? Would be nice to try being one though...

No no no, come back, my train of thought. This is not how a guy should act. Oh wait, I'm a girl now. Did my thinking process change as well when I swapped gender? I hope not.

After satisfying myself with my own comedy, I walked to the side of the basket.

Picking up the basket, I had a closer look at the baby.

She has defined features. Her face was small and plump, as expected of a baby. Her eyes her large, but closed, probably due to how a baby usually sleeps more than adults. But, the main feature, was that she has black hair.

The people living in this city, I have seen many vibrant colours of hair like red, green blue and the like. However, this is the first time I seen one with black hair.

Pulling back the blanket covering her head exposed the rest of it.

Short black hair.

"This is..."

The baby suddenly woke up.

"Gu..gu...ga....gu?"

My heart is melting. Stop. Please. I'm weak to babies. Stop. Stop! Don't look me with that face!

Aah, she tilted her head with the same expression.

Kwueeeee! So cute! I might die of sugar overdose!

Can trees die of sugar overdose? I don't think that's possible, so screw you diabetes! I can eat all the sweets I want now!

*Ahem* I went back my usual calm mode.

Anyway, this baby, she looks awfully familiar to me, I wonder...

.

.

.

No way.

It can't be.

Wait, it's should be possible, since I had reincarnated as well.

I have a gut feeling, with my experience with many light novels and such, this baby,

is a reincarnated person.