#942 Another Shichi-Go-San

My name’s Dalkish.

I am but a humble man, a minor feudal lord of the Human Kingdom... I mean, the Human Republic, and am satisfied with living out my days in peace.

Today, I’m taking a break from official duties to spend some quality time with the family.

“Father, Fatherrr.”

“Right here, Fernod, son. Your father’s over here. Look at you, walking like a champ!”

Our eldest son, Fernod, is our long-awaited firstborn from about four years ago.

He is destined to take over my stead as the feudal lord of this territory one day.

My wife, Varlina, and I once fretted over not being able to have children, but starting with Fernod, we now have our two-year-old second son Parliv. And now, Varlina is nurturing our third child, growing steadily within her.

At one point, I was despairing we might never have kids, but compared to that, this feels like heaven.

Fortunately, managing our territory is going smoothly.

Thanks to annual major events within our lands in recent years, a boom has occurred, allowing us to start various projects with the extra cash.

Both home and work are smooth sailing.

At one point, I almost became the new king of the Human Kingdom. It was a close call, but thankfully, I managed to dodge that bullet.

What a relief!

Just when life seems tranquil, trouble draws near...

***

“An invitation from Lord Saint...!”

Here it comes!

In a way, this is more nerve-wracking than a call to arms.

He holds power far greater than the current king and is capable of remaking the world if he so chooses.

This omnipotent being is none other than Lord Saint of the farm.

He whimsically holds events using a fraction of his mighty power right in our lands, bringing us great benefits.

So, when a message comes from Lord Saint, it demands quicker and more careful attention than dealing with royalty.

What has he conveyed this time?

Upon opening the letter...

“...Shichi-Go-San?”

It starts with a baffling subject.

Reading on, it mentions a ‘Shichi-Go-San’ ceremony or some sort. Apparently, it’s for celebrating children’s growth.

Lord Saint has two children around three to five years old, so it makes sense that he’s interested in such matters.

Nothing worries a parent more than their children’s well-being, after all.

It’s something I can heartily relate to as a father of young ones myself.

This ‘Shichi-Go-San’ is not just for Lord Saint’s family but includes several other acquaintances and friends in a rather large gathering.

And our family has been invited.

What for?

Among those likely to be invited...

The Demon King’s family.

The Mermaid King’s family.

And others.

It’s quite the illustrious company, but can’t they consider how a minor feudal lord like me feels about this?!

First, I look to the sky, rub my forehead, then sigh deeply looking down.

...All right.

Time to discuss this with my wife.

“Another significant affair concerning our land’s future, isn’t it?”

I’ve grown quite comfortable with Varlina over the past five or six years.

Despite her origins as a demon bureaucrat dispatched from the Demon Occupation Office, my wife, initially sent to keep an eye on me, the feudal lord of these lands somehow ended up warming up to me. Before we knew it, our story blossomed into a marriage—a tale likely to delight the locals.

With her background as a former bureaucrat, she provides invaluable advice on complex issues.

She’s a true partner in every sense.

“Remember the last time we had a situation like this...?”

“That time, too, we had a serious talk about our territory’s survival...!”

Like when we were invited to Lord Saint’s wedding.

Dealing with entities so far above us feels like walking a tightrope, which is terrible for my heart.

This time, sitting alongside kings and the world-commanding Lord Saint at the same table, one slip in mood could end disastrously!!!

“Well, considering Lord Saint’s generosity, the chance of that happening is less than one in ten thousand...”

“Still, relying on his broad-mindedness feels like it could lead to a major blunder someday...!”

It always feels like crossing a bridge with utmost tension.

So, my dear wife Varlina, faced once again with a similar situation, do you have any wisdom to share to navigate this safely?

“Well, I do have one idea. It’s risky, as it might offend if timed poorly...”

Oh, that sounds intimidating.

But let’s hear it anyway.

“The Tardy Tactic!!!”

The Tardy Tactic?!

What’s that? But isn’t tardiness a blatant faux pas?!

“If we have a plausible excuse, it would mitigate any rudeness. And being late means arriving later, which shortens our visit. The shorter the visit, the less time there is to potentially offend these high-profile individuals.”

Ah, of course!

As expected of my wife! Always pulling out some sneaky tricks from her drawer!

“Using this trick too often might make people think you’re purposely late, so it’s really only good for a time or two. But since it’s the first time, it should be fine. Just aim for right after the peak of excitement—that’s when you can blend in smoothly and no one will even notice you.”

“You talk like it’s none of your business, but you’re coming too, you know.”

“Huh?”

Why the surprised look?

After all, today’s event is to celebrate our children’s growth, so of course, we’d bring them along.

It would be odd if you, their mother, didn’t come.

All the other guests are coming with their families too, so it’s impossible for anyone from our family to be missing.

“So, the whole family needs to come together... Very well then, I’ll do it!”

My wife seems half resigned to her fate.

***

And so, on the day of the Shichi-Go-San celebration at the farm...

My wife’s tactic of being fashionably late worked wonders. I realized this the moment we arrived, seeing all the ladies at peak rivalry, boasting about their sons.

It was chilling to think if we had stumbled in at the climax—who would have calmed things down?

“Ah, now that Dalkish and his family have arrived, we have everyone here! Let’s officially start the Shichi-Go-San celebration!!!”

Eek! Lord Saint?!

I was trying to slip in quietly mid-way, and here he was making such a big announcement?!

“To be honest, we have a special gift for the Dalkish family, unlike for the other families!”

Why?!

Why on earth are we, the most ordinary family, getting special treatment?!

“Well, your family is the first-ever union between a human and a demon. So, the birth and growth of your children are particularly joyous occasions! For that reason, we’ve prepared this commemorative gift!!!”

What in the world—something huge covered in cloth is being wheeled over here!

This seems pretty serious! When they whisked the cloth away, it revealed... a statue?

It’s some abstract design that’s hard to make sense of... with a plaque at the bottom reading “Harmony, by Pissokh.”

I don’t get it.

Such a massive and, frankly, awkward abstract sculpture. Where are we even supposed to put this?!

But those giving it are all smiles, so it’s a hundred percent goodwill.

Me, Varlina, Fernod, Parliv, and even our unborn third child in Varina’s belly probably all had awkward expressions as we accepted the gift.

Our kids are inheriting the genes of utter normalcy, too.

The first ever half-human, half-demon children in history. Yet despite their uniqueness, our kids turned out to be perfectly ordinary.