#781 Celebrating Birth

Before I knew it, we were in the middle of autumn.

It’s no exaggeration to say that spring and summer had been consumed mostly by the joint wedding ceremony.

Such a significant event meant that I hoped for autumn to be more relaxed.

But even in this off-season, there’s another major event we can’t overlook.

The birthday celebration of our kids!

Our eldest son, Junior, and our second son, Norito, have birthdays that fall around autumn.

So, I’ve decided to celebrate their birthdays at once.

In this world without calendars, we can’t pinpoint the exact date of their births, but that’s okay.

Even after coming to this different world, I didn’t want to be bound by time. So, no matter how much knowledge from my world I’d use here, I’ve resolved never to make a calendar or clock.

Although, I do miss the coolness of wristwatches...

But back to my kids’ birthday celebration.

While it’s a given that we’ll celebrate with everything we’ve got, I’m a little worried about one aspect.

Last year, for Junior’s celebration, we had a mochi-stomping event in honor of his growth.

It’s a tradition from my family. But this is only supposed to be for the first birthday.

However, perhaps my intent wasn’t clear enough, because they had the mochi-stomping event again for his second birthday.

At this rate, Junior might end up stomping mochi for his third birthday.

Rituals should be done correctly. So, I’d like to break this chain.

I’ve decided to prepare a new birthday celebration event for Junior.

After giving it some thought, I came up with... 

“...Shichi-Go-San?”

...What, what?

No, it just came to mind because Junior’s turning three.

I know what shichi-go-san is.

It’s that event where children celebrate turning three, five, and seven, right?

I don’t know the details, but isn’t this the perfect event for Junior, who’s turning three?

Or is it counted differently? Is it the completed third year or the beginning that counts?

Well, whatever, it’s all about the feeling!!!

Anyway, it’s time to launch the Otherworldly Shichi-Go-San Plan!

I was all set to get things going when...

“Mochi poundingggg. Mochi poundinggg.”

They had already started pounding mochi.

I missed my timing again this year...

“I knew it was happening, but still...!”

They were holding the mochi-stomping event again this year.

Because besides Junior, we also have his younger brother, Norito.

Norito has grown healthy, reaching his first year.

Now’s the perfect time for his legit mochi-stomping event!

In fact, I should be leading the charge to let him stomp on the mochi!

“Let me do it! Preparing the mochi is the father’s job!”

With that, I jumped into the group of orcs busily pounding mochi.

I bet the goblin team is knitting straw sandals for Norito by now.

“Ah, My Lord...!”

“Good work.”

You too, you guys.

But you shouldn’t have started the mochi pounding without me.

This is a legit event for my second son, Norito.

We must proceed steadfastly!!!

So, I’d appreciate it if they’d waited until I arrived.

“But My Lord...!”

What? What’s the matter?

The orcs seemed to smirk awkwardly.

“Pettan, pettan...”

Who’s that?!

Who’s continuing the mochi pounding despite my objections?!

“Pettan, pettan, tsurupettan...”

And singing that risky tune, too?!

It’s too sensitive; stop that right now!

Wondering who could be pounding mochi and singing, I saw a young child, about three years old who looked nothing like the orcs.

It was Junior.

“Tsurutsuru pettan, tsurupettan...!”

Stop singing that song!!!

If you’re pounding mochi, at least mimic its sounds properly!

“But why is Junior pounding mochi...?!”

“Why, because of the beautiful brotherly love between your sons, My Lord...!” replies one of the orcs enthusiastically. “For Norito, Junior is his first elder brother. Wanting to do something for his younger brother’s first birthday, he offered to pound the mochi himself!”

“How admirable and mature of the young master...!!!”

“Just recently, he was just a mere baby who could hardly speak, and now, look at how much he’s grown...!!!”

The orcs surrounding Junior are all choking up with emotion.

...Aren’t you guys getting a tad too emotional over him?

Sure, watching a child grow is amazing, but if you tear up over every little thing, it’s going to disrupt daily life.

Yet, before I knew it, I found myself... shedding tears too.

“Alright, let’s leave the mochi pounding to Junior. Swing that mallet for your little brother with all your might!”

“Pettan, pettan, pettan, pettan, pettan, pettan...”

...Hey, um...

Are you even listening to your dad, Junior?

Well, getting so engrossed that you tune everything else out is a childlike trait.

But for such a petite three-year-old, he sure can handle that massive mallet well.

Lifting it like a hammer, aiming perfectly at the rice in the mortar, and striking with exquisite force.

Oh, the beauty of his motions.

One of the orcs is supporting him from behind... Wait a second!

Isn’t it a father’s role to support his son?!

Hey, you! Swap places with me now!

“Pettan, pettan, pettan...!”

While the orcs and I wrestle for the best position, Junior remains focused on pounding mochi...

“Pettan, pettan, pettan, pettan...!”

Suddenly... Huh?!

“The mochi is getting bigger?!”

What’s happening?!

With each of Junior’s strikes, the mochi in the mortar grows... Actually, it’s multiplying?!

Soon it starts to overflow, expanding in every direction, swallowing up everyone around!

“Gyaaaaaaaaah!”

And that includes me!

We, along with the gathered orcs, are being consumed by the expanding mochiiiiiiiiii!

“We were supposed to eat the mochi, not be eaten by it!”

What in the world is going on?!

Did any of you orcs tamper with the mochi?!

“We don’t know, My Lord! We used the same rice harvested from our farm like the past years...!”

Then why is it multiplying like this?!

Did you use some sort of expanding agent?!

This is like a biohazard scenario!

Amid our struggles, drowning in mochi...

“Pettan, pettan, pettan, pettan, pettan...”

Junior still diligently pounds the mochi.

Balancing on top of the growing mountain of mochi, he doesn’t sink into it and continues to pound.

Also, is it just me, or does the rate of the mochi’s expansion sync up with Junior’s pounding rhythm?

“Juniorrrrr! Stop pounding for a secondddddddddd! At this rate, the farm will be swallowed by mochiiiiiiiii!!!”

“Pettan, pettan, pettan, pettan, pettan, pettan...!”

It’s no use!

He’s so innocently engrossed, eyes shining!!!

He’s in full-on kid mode!

He won’t stop until he gets tired!

“Am boreddd.”

And, predictably, for a child, he got bored quickly.

Thanks to Junior’s fickle attention span, we narrowly avoided a mochi-related demise.

“I-I thought I was going to die...”

Damn, that was a sticky situation...!

But why did the mochi multiply when Junior pounded it? Did it get excited from the pounding?

I’ve always had my suspicions, but does Junior possess some special power?

Thinking about it gives me the creeps, so I’ll turn a blind eye for now.

The people of the future can deal with future problems.

In any case, we now have more than enough mochi, so Norito can have his fill stomping on it.

Be sure to say thanks to your big brother.

With the issue regarding my younger son settled, it’s time to focus wholeheartedly on celebrating my elder son.