"Waa!~" "Waa!~"
After eating and drinking his fill, Okabe lay comfortably in his crib. Sleepiness was overtaking him and he was just about to fall asleep when a loud cry suddenly came from outside the hospital room.
Before long, a gurney and an accompanying nurse hurriedly entered the maternity ward where Hakuji and Koyuki were, finally stopping in the spot separated from them by only a curtain.
Looking over, a young woman with outstanding looks lay on the gurney. Her pale, weary face couldn't hide her peerless beauty, and her sweat-dampened blonde hair clung to her cheeks.
She possessed a unique aura—a strange beauty that combined the refinement of a classical doll, a sickly fragility, and an unquestionable dignity.
"No wonder I didn't see you when I came back earlier. It turns out you were also giving birth today."
Koyuki realized. No wonder Nakiri Mana wasn't in the maternity ward when she returned earlier. She had originally thought she went to the bathroom, but it turned out she had also gone into labor.
"I left not long after you. It was three days earlier than my due date. Thankfully, the doctor was skilled, and there were no complications."
Nakiri Mana sank weakly into the gurney, but her eyes were clear and intense. Seeing Hakuji and Koyuki looking over, she managed to force a smile.
"It's quite a coincidence. But since we were pregnant around the same time, I had thought we might give birth together. Speaking of which, did you have a boy or a girl?"
Koyuki and Hakuji exchanged a glance. They were a little surprised but not shocked. Then, Koyuki blinked and asked about the baby's gender.
"A girl," Nakiri Mana answered truthfully.
"Have you named her?"
"As decided by the family, if it was a girl, she would be named Nakiri Erina. I hope this little one can grow up safely and happily."
A motherly light glowed in Nakiri Mana's eyes as she looked at the small infant being placed in her arms by the nurse.
As she spoke, she reached out and gently touched the baby's chubby little face. Hakuji and Koyuki also turned their attention to the small infant in her arms.
"She definitely will. Our boy is named Okabe. Please look after him in the future.
But in that case, little Okabe and Erina will be childhood friends who left the maternity ward together. I feel like they'll get along very well in the future!"
Koyuki looked somewhat enviously at the baby girl in Nakiri Mana's arms. The other's child looked cuter than theirs; her face was chubby and her eyes were large.
Even as a baby, one could already tell she would be very beautiful when she grew up.
"Can I hold Erina? She's just so adorable!"
At this thought, Koyuki looked pleadingly at Nakiri Mana. Because her own child was all wrinkled, she really wanted to hold someone else's baby right now.
"Of course."
Although Nakiri Mana was a bit puzzled by Koyuki's expression, she didn't refuse.
She handed the baby in her arms to the nurse, who then passed her to Koyuki. Watching Koyuki cradle the baby with such a loving expression, Nakiri Mana felt a strange emotion welling up inside.
"Girls are really the best. So cute right after being born."
Koyuki sighed from the bottom of her heart.
Meanwhile, Okabe, who had just finished his milk and been placed back in his crib, felt terrifying waves crash in his mind after hearing their conversation.
Nakiri Erina?!
Isn't that a character from an anime he watched a few years ago? Did he transmigrate into the world of Shokugeki no Soma? No wonder the System said this world revered gourmet food...
But why Shokugeki no Soma? Could it be that the System sensed his dying wish!?
Just as Okabe was letting his thoughts run wild, a burst of hurried footsteps approached from outside the maternity ward.
"Quick, let me see my granddaughter!"
The voice that came with the footsteps was that of an old man, hurried and full of anticipation.
"Nakiri-senpai, and Mr. Azami, your granddaughter is here."
Hearing the familiar voice, Hakuji, who had been next to Koyuki teasing Nakiri Erina, stood up somewhat sheepishly. He then turned to greet the two people who had rushed in.
As Hakuji stood up and moved aside, Okabe, sitting in his crib, finally got a clear look at the two newcomers.
The one in the lead was an old man dressed in traditional Japanese samurai attire, wearing geta on his feet. His hair and beard were white, and his slightly bristling hair and beard made him resemble an aged lion. He had a scar over his right eye, which added to his dignified presence.
That's right. The visitor was none other than the Director of Totsuki Academy, the leader who held the reins of the Japanese culinary world, the man known as the "Food Demon King," Nakiri Senzaemon!
"Mana, you've worked hard!"
Nakiri Senzaemon's voice boomed, his eyes filled with concern as he looked at his daughter.
But soon, his attention was drawn to the granddaughter in Koyuki's arms. On his scarred face, which usually held an imposing aura even without anger, there now appeared an almost clumsy tenderness and excitement.
"Here, quickly, let Grandpa see!"
He strode over to Koyuki's side and carefully took Nakiri Erina from her hands.
The tiny baby girl looked even more delicate in his broad arms, and his eyes filled with the tenderness of a tough man.
"Look at these eyes and brows, so full of spirit! Her cry is so loud, too. Her future achievements will certainly be extraordinary!"
Nakiri Senzaemon carefully studied Nakiri Erina's features, his eyes shining with irrepressible joy.
"This is my granddaughter? What a lively little girl!"
Following behind Senzaemon was a young man with a cold appearance and a somewhat gloomy aura. This person was none other than Nakiri Azami.
His reaction was much calmer than Nakiri Senzaemon's. He first nodded to Mana in acknowledgment, then cast his gaze upon his daughter, his eyes revealing an indescribable complexity.
"Father, you're exaggerating. She's just a baby right now."
Facing Nakiri Senzaemon's praise, Nakiri Mana smiled weakly, a trace of helplessness in her voice.
"Hahaha, my, Nakiri Senzaemon's, granddaughter is destined for greatness right from birth!"
Hearing Nakiri Mana's words, Nakiri Senzaemon laughed heartily. Then, as if sensing something, his gaze shifted to Okabe in the other crib, who was curiously sizing him up. He stepped forward and picked him up as well.
"This little fellow isn't bad either! His eyes are bright, and his arms are strong. He's good stock for learning to cook!"
The sudden large hands made Okabe struggle instinctively. After feeling this strength, Nakiri Senzaemon thoughtfully loosened his grip slightly and then remarked with emotion.
Okabe's mood at this moment was subtle. Directly opposite him was Nakiri Erina. Perhaps tired from crying, she had already closed her eyes, her sleeping face serene.
It had to be said, babies were really happy. No worries at all. When tired or sleepy, just close your eyes, and when you open them again, it's a new day. Good thing he was also a baby now...
"So sleepy..."
[Newbie Mission Triggered]: As a newborn, you must gain control of your body as quickly as possible. Please raise the one hundred and eight basic physical abilities—such as vocalization, sight, smell, sound differentiation, crawling, walking, and jumping—to the Adept level before the age of one.
[Mission Reward]: Body Control (Gold)
[Body Control (Gold)]: Allows free control over any part of the body. As the skill's proficiency level increases, the precision of control also increases.
Just as Okabe was sighing about how happy and carefree babies were, and was preparing to adjust his position in Nakiri Senzaemon's arms to get some sleep, the System's prompt suddenly sounded in his mind.
"Body Control? Freely control any part of the body... that's a pretty wide scope..."
Looking at the skill flashing with dazzling golden light in the system interface, Okabe's heart couldn't help but beat a few times faster. The image of Luffy, who could stretch his body at will, surfaced in his mind.
"No, it's probably not that exaggerated. But the strength of this skill still can't be underestimated."
A body becoming like rubber would violate basic human anatomy.
But this was, after all, the only Gold-tier skill at this stage. Okabe naturally couldn't look down on it. The "lie flat" (slack off) mentality he had just developed instantly vanished the moment it appeared.
Although his body was small and young, and there were many things he couldn't do, he could still clench his fist.
And clenching his fist just happened to be one part of the newbie mission.
____
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