Chapter 64 – Face to face with Haku"s parent desu There is a small wooden scaffold built in the middle of Oise Village.
According to what Elder and Misaki says, Haku"s egg was placed and worshiped there.
However, it was washed away by heavy rain, arrived at Laura, and then finally returned to Oise Village once again.
With that scaffold behind them, Laura and the rest pa.s.sed through the village, entering the forest.
There is a steep cliff deep within the forest that surrounds Oise Village.
When they advanced parallel to that, a cave appeared.
It is a cave with a huge entrance that even Leviathans and Behemoths would be able to enter.
「I-It somewhat feels like a tremendous presence reaches this far……!」
「There"s clearly a big shot……」
Charlotte and Anna stared deep into the cave and shuddered.
「If you"re scared, it is alright to wait there」(Misaki)
「I am not, scared! Come, Annsan, let"s go ahead!」
「Honestly, I"m scared though……」
「Please shut up!」
Charlotte forcefully pulled Anna"s hand and willfully strides into the cave.
Laura and the rest also followed behind them.
The cave was deep, the rays of the sun do not reach it.
However, thanks to Charlotte making light using magic, they were able to look around closely.
And at the same time, a gigantic sleeping dragon emerges in the back.
「Hyaa!!」
Charlotte screamed and clings onto Anna.
Even if it is not her, anybody will get surprised if a dragon suddenly appeared in front of them.
However, that is not a dragon, but a G.o.d Beast.
「It has been half a year, Haku. You look quite haggard huh」
The Great Sage muttered and approached the G.o.d Beast.
Just like she said, that G.o.d Beast seemed very feeble.
It had a mouth that can swallow a whole horse and an enormous body that cannot fit in the school"s cla.s.sroom.
However, its white scales did not have l.u.s.ter, and it is very thin that its ribs can be seen.
It was true that there was a G.o.dly aura that can be felt before they entered the cave.
That is still present, but looking at her like this, it had an impression like a dying ember.
「Great Sage huh……I"m glad to meet you in the end」
The G.o.d Beast opened its eyes and mouth and replied to the Great Sage with a low voice.
「Ara. To say that this is the end, what a sad thing to say. What happened to your spirit like the time when we fought against the Demon G.o.d together 130 years before」
「Don"t be unreasonable. I have lived 200 years longer than you. This body is already at its limit. I was able to safely give birth to a child. Let me rest already」
「……is that so. I"m very sad to lose my oldest friend, but it can"t be helped huh」
With just a short conversation, how many meanings was thereーー?
Laura tried to think of it, but the imagination of her life that she had for 9 years was completely insufficient.
「And so, the one on top of that girl"s head, is my child?」
The G.o.d Beast stared at Laura. More specifically, it stared at the top of Laura"s head.
Although it is weakened, a G.o.d Beast is one of the G.o.ds.
A divine existence that was sent to the earth by the Supreme G.o.d at times more ancient than the ancient civilization.
Receiving such opponent"s gaze, even Laura was unable to utter a voice to her nervousness.
However, the child Haku let out her usual carefree voice.
「Pii〜」
Hearing that, Laura also felt relaxed.
「Haku. This person is your true parent you know?」
「Pii〜?」
It was a cry that says it does not understand.
However, Haku must understand what she is, and must stay in this village.
If she doesn"t, Laura would also need to live here from now on.
「Predecessor-sama. This new Haku-sama, she had met with Lauraemon-dono……or rather, Laurdono when she was just born, and because of that, she thinks that Laurdono is her parent. All responsibility falls onto me who was unable to protect the egg from the heavy rain. I, the shrine maiden, must have watched over her properly…… 」
「No, this is not Misaki"s only fault. Everyone from the Oise Village must"ve protected Haku-sama. In fact, it was not Misaki who was the watcher during that day of the heavy rain. However, the scaffold was broken by wind and rain, and the egg was already washed away when we noticed it. We desperately chased after it, but we were unable to reach it. If she was not picked up by Laurdono, who knows what place she would"ve been washed away to……」
Misaki and the Elder kneeled, then bowed their heads, almost reaching the floor.
However, the predecessor Haku seemed to not mind it that much, all that she did was mutter「it is fine」silently.
「With your faiths, the G.o.d Beast shall not perish just because of being washed away by rain. And as you can see, she has returned. G.o.d Beasts are such existences. It is not a coincidence at all. And it is also inevitable that that girl was the one who picked up the egg」
And, the predecessor Haku looked at Laura once again. This time, she did not look on top of her head, but really stared at Laura"s eyes.
「Little girl. Your name is Laura, right?」
「Y-Yes……I"m Laura Edmonds」
I"m nervous talking with a G.o.d Beast, but my intuition says that it is not the time to hesitate.
There is not much time left for the predecessor Haku.
Laura felt that she must not waste the time of the great existence that protected the country together with the Great Sage.
「You, how frightening. To think that there would be a human stronger than the Great Sage would appear」
「Ara, how rude. I"m still stronger you know」
The Great Sage quickly refuted the predecessor Haku"s words.
And then, the predecessor Haku grinned.
「Your hate of losing won"t get better no matter how old you become huh. Still, doesn"t that mean that you are admitting that you lose to her when it comes to your potentials」
「That"s wrong. It"s just that no one knows what would happen in the future. I"m just not a.s.serting it」
The predecessor deepens her smile seeing the Great Sage pouting.
「That part of you that sulks when someone gets right on the mark hasn"t changed. I am sure that you will live hundreds of years more without changing. That"s why I can go without worries. And, Laura. I"ll leave my child to you. It was not a coincidence that you picked up her egg. My child herself chose the parent that would raise her up. If not so, then why would she get so attached to you?」
「Pii〜」
The baby Haku reached out her front feet from the top of Laura"s head and *PechiPechi*-s her forehead.
I don"t know what it means.
There might be a deep meaning that only Haku herself understands.
「I"m Haku"s foster parent……? But, Haku needs to stay in this village right? I"m a student of Gyrdorea Magic School in the royal capital. I cannot stay here forever……」
「You do not need to worry about that. The reason why we G.o.d Beasts always stay at the same place is because it is comfortable there. It is not like there are rules or laws for that. If my child stays in the royal capital with her own will, then there is no problem」
「Eh, was that so?!」
Misaki shouted with the back of her words after hearing predecessor Haku"s words.
「I completely thought that there was a rule that Haku-sama must not move from here……!」
Misaki, although she"s a shrine maiden, it seems like she doesn"t know about the G.o.d Beast Haku"s ecology.
「Me too!」
It was the same with the Elder.