Kumo SS: Celebrating Age Five

Kumo SS: Celebrating Age Five
(Short story included in the 5th anniversary celebration of Kadokawa Books)
(May contain spoilers up to Kumo LN Volume 9)

　Back in Japan, there was an event called 'Shichi-Go-San'.
　It is a tradition where children aged three, five, and seven go to a shrine or something similar to celebrate.
　And Shichi-Go-San means we get Chitose candy.
　So I pretty remember it as that festival of Chitose candy.
　Other opinions may be allowed.
　So, why did I start talking about Shichi-Go-San? It seems that there is an event similar to Shichi-Go-San in this world I reincarnated in.
　Well, the only similarity is that the event is held at a certain age. Other than that, there's not much in common.
　It's held at the ages of zero, five, and six, and the only age that actually matches Shichi-Go-San is five.
　And I hear it's only for nobles.
　First is at age zero, right when a baby is born.
　Apparently at that time, a guy comes over from the church and gives you a blessing, praying for your good health.
　I say "apparently" because it's not like I've gotten any such blessing.
　After all, I'm a spider!
　Literally a monster!
　There's no way the church guys would give a blessing to a monster!
　And then, you get another blessing when you're five years old, but the meaning of the blessing is a little different than the age zero one. It was more like praying for the future development of the child.
　Then the year after is not a blessing, but an appraisal ceremony, where the child is appraised for the first time in his or her life.
　The Appraisal skill is hard to obtain, so they use a magic item called an Appraisal Stone that contains the power of Appraisal.
　There are only a few of these Appraisal Stones, so they decided to make it a big event and show off the child at the same time.
　Wow. Amazing.
　Completely unrelated to me.
　Because my first appraisal was already taken!
　Not when I was six, but when I was age zero!
　Because the Appraisal skill was the very first skill that I acquired.
　And the result of my very first appraisal… <Spider Nameless>…
　Not much different than giving no information at all…
　Since they use a pretty high level Appraisal Stone for the appraisal ceremony, it should actually show your status and skills.
　But then all your personal information gets leaked out everywhere.
　And I hear that the results are used to evaluate whether the child is a prodigy or a disappointment.
　A six-year-old is like a first grader in Japan, right?
　Getting your information leaked and judged on your talents, isn't that pretty harsh for that age?
　If it were me, I wouldn't want to do anything that would expose myself like that.
　Thank goodness I'm not a noble!
　Thank goodness I'm a spider!
　No wait, it wasn't that great.
　It doesn't have to be a noble, but I would have preferred to start out as a human…
　Well I'm kinda human now, so I guess it turned out alright…

　Now then, the reason why I explained the age-based events of this world is because I am currently five years old.
　By the way, the fact that I am five years old means that the other reincarnators are also five.
　Unlike the other reincarnators, I was born half a year earlier because I started out as a spider monster. So to be more precise, I'm five and a half and the other reincarnators are five.
　I guess that's the difference between egg laying and live birth.
"So you're five years old now, did you want to celebrate?"
　Is what the demon lord asked us.
"Celebrate? Did the demons have a church too?"
　Is what Oni-kun asked her back.
　Oni-kun is one of the reincarnators.
　In other words, he is a five-year-old.
　However his appearance is not much different from that of his previous life, aside from the horns growing out of his forehead.
　Going by appearance, he's a high school boy, so he looks absolutely nothing like a five-year-old.
　Well, I'm in a similar boat.
　I heard that Oni-kun was a goblin when he was reincarnated, and evolved from there to become his current race of kijin.
　It was the same for me, but it seems that when you evolve from a monster to a humanoid, you take on a form similar to your previous life.
　Maybe that's because D was too lazy to change anything when she reincarnated us…
"Nope. In the first place, the demons don't even have the custom to celebrate age five."
　You don't even have it!?
　We are currently in demon territory.
　So it seems that only the humans hold age-based events, and the demons do not.
"Then why did you even bring it up…?"
　Said Vampy with a frustrated sigh.
　She's also one of the reincarnators.
　And she's the only five-year-old in the room who actually looks her age!
　What?　The demon lord, you say?
　Regarding her, well…　her actual age is, you know?
　She's what we refer to as a 'lolibaba'.
"Shiro-chan?　Did you just think of something rude?"
　Ahh!
　I'm sure it didn't show on my face!
　Such frightening intuition…
　The demon lord leered at me, but I feigned ignorance.
　She only held her gaze for a second, and quickly turned back to the conversation.
　Phew.
"It's just…　You guys haven't celebrated your birthday or anything until now.　Well more like you don't even know when your birthday is, right?　So I thought we should celebrate at least a milestone year."
　I see.
　It's true that we don't know our birthdays.
　I just popped up in the middle of the labyrinth one day, and Oni-kun's goblins probably never kept track of dates.
　Out of us, Vampy would be the only one with a known birthday. Although her retainer Mera is probably the one who actually knows it, and she never cared about it herself.
"Celebration, huh…"
"Well, it won't be that big of a celebration. Just a small party with the lot of us. With a cake or something."
"Cake…"
　Vampy seemed unenthusiastic in the beginning, but the word 'cake' caught her attention and she suddenly jumped on board.
　As for me, if there's cake I would have to agree. Indeed!
　If it's for a delicious cake, I'm sure it's worth it!
"Well I've totally already made the cake though!"
　The demon lord said that as she went to the next room.
"Ta-da!"
　She came right back, and in her hands was a whole cake!
　She placed it right on top of the table we were sitting at.
　…Wait, this is cake?
"…Ariel-san. What is this?"
"Cake!"
　In reponse to Vampy's question, the demon lord responds with a broad smile.
　You're saying, this… is a cake?
　It's certainly in the shape of a birthday cake, but it looks to be more like a brownish lump…
　If I had to describe it, I would have called it bread rather than cake.
"This is a cake!"
"No, but…"
"It's cake!"
"But this…"
"Cake!"
"O-okay…"
　Pressured by the demon lord, Vampy backed down…
　Well I can think of the reason the so-called cake ended up looking this way.
　The demons right now are in a state that some may call poverty you see…
　Due to the long, constant battles with humans, the population has dwindled over time.
　Because of that, the number of laborers has sharply decreased as well. Production rates have fallen to the ground in all areas, not just that of food.
　And even in that situation, they have to prepare for the upcoming great battle against the humans. Needless to say, stockpiling rations is a necessity.
　So even if you're the demon lord, you can't afford to splurge.
"Well it was made with whatever was on hand, so it doesn't look too great. But I can vouch for the taste."
　So it looks like a lump of bread, but apparently the taste has her stamp of approval.
　Actually, from the way she put it, could it be that she made this personally?
"Ariel-san, did you make this?"
　Maybe he had the same thought as me, and Oni-kun asks the demon lord.
"That's right."
　Hoho.
　Then I can expect a lot.
　Though she may not look like it, the demon lord is an amazing cook.
　Or rather, she's good at most things, not just cooking.
　That age isn't just for show.
　So, no matter what it looks like, if she's ensuring the taste of this cake(?), I'm sure it's good.
　Probably certain.
　The demon lord uses a thread to divide the cake into four equal parts.
　A quarter of a whole cake? That's pretty big.
　But!　That's great!
　It's not quite everyone's dream of stuffing a whole cake into your mouth, but it's still a quarter of it!
　Usually you only get about an eighth, but this time it's double that!
　And it's all mine!
　Hahahaha!
　The pieces of cake are handed over to all of us on plates.
"So, in celebration of everyone's fifth birthday, Itadakimasu!"
"""Itadakimasu."""
　We say the phrase unison and take a bite of the cake.
"Sw-sweet."
"It really is."
　It may not look like it, but the cake was soft and sweet.
"It's so delicious!"
"Hehe. I told you, didn't I?　That I would guarantee the taste."
　Vampy shouted for joy, and the demon lord responded with a smug look.
　It's true that the taste of this cake is at a level that you can be proud of.
　The texture is a little hard to be called a cake. But the more you bite into it, the more the subtle sweetness seeped into the dough spreads throughout your mouth.
　I'd say it's more like a castella than a cake.
　Still only close though, since it's not like any of the normal sweets back in Japan.
　In other words, it is an unknown taste.
　Even though it looks nothing more than a piece of bread…
　Just what sort of alchemy did she have to use to make such delicious food using ingredients from the demon's meager budget…
　It's a wonder.
　She must have learned the tricks to making good-tasting food even when poor at some point during her long life.
　A granny's wisdom, or something like that.
　She'd probably get angry if I treated her like a granny, so I'll be keeping quiet about that though.
"Hmm!?　I just sensed an impure thought!"
　No no no.
　No such thoughts are in the area. I assure you they are not.
　And so, as we savored the cake(?) our fifth birthday celebration continued on a happy note.


　　☆


　Today is the day my sister Sue and I receive our age five blessing.
　To be honest, I was looking forward to this day quite a bit.
　That's because that blessing was the first magic I've seen in this world.
　I'm a reincarnator who has memories of my previous life.
　Back then, my name was Shunsuke Yamada.
　In this life, my name is Schlain.
　Thanks to the memories of my previous life, I've been self-aware since I was born, so I could remember things a baby normally wouldn't.
　At age zero, I saw that blessing with my own eyes.
　I'll never forget that moment.
　The priest made some sort of movement, and the next moment a glittering light enveloped my body, filling me with energy.
　It was because of that experience that I realized this world was different than the previous one, a world with real magic.
　And it was because of this new and exciting magic that I was able to overcome that period of emotional instability, right after I was reincarnated into another world for no apparent reason.
　That's why the blessing was a magic that had a special meaning for me.
　I can't help but get excited at the thought of receiving that blessing once again.
　However, contrary to my excitement, my sister Sue and maids Anna and Klevea were not much different from usual.
　Unlike the appraisal ceremony for six-year-olds, the blessing for five-year-olds isn't a big deal. It's apparently just a quick blessing from the priest at the church.
　So while it was still a special event, it wasn't supposed to be something to make a fuss about.
　A short period of time was set aside after lunch, and other than that, our schedule was to be the same as usual.
　There doesn't seem to be any cake or presents like the birthdays of my previous life.
　Most nobles go to the church to get a blessing, but in the case of Sue and I, we're having the priest come to us.
　After all, Sue and I are royalty.
　They said that the priests normally come for only royalty and some high-ranking nobles.
　So even most nobles have to go to the church.
　This is a testament to the power of this world's church, known as the Word of God Religion.
　In the morning, Sue and I were told by Anna to be careful not to be rude to the priests.
　Even royalty has to mind their manners.
　Well, in my case, I was more excited than nervous, so I shouldn't mess up too badly.
　We finished our lunch and it was about time for the event.
　One of the maids came in with a message and began talking with Anna about something.
　The maid appeared to be troubled, and Anna also had a furrowed brow after listening to her.
　…Did perhaps something bad happen?
"Schlain-sama, Suelecia-sama. Let's go."
　But Anna called me and Sue as if nothing had happened, and led us out of the room.
"Did something happen?"
　I asked Anna without hesitating.
"Yes, that's…"
　Anna seemed to fumble her words.
"Something bad?"
"No, no, it's nothing not like that…"
　I felt uneasy and asked her further, but I guess it wasn't anything bad.
"Rather, it's a good thing. A very great honor."
　An honor?
　A question mark popped up in my head.
"Schlain-sama, Suelecia-sama. It seems His Holiness the Pope has come to bless you personally."
　The answer to my question comes from Anna's mouth.
　But even though I heard the answer, I didn't understand its meaning for a moment.
　His Holiness?
　The Pope!?
"Whaaa…!?"
　I couldn't help but shout out.
"Schlain-sama."
　Anna scolds me.
　I hurriedly shut my mouth.
　But shouting there couldn't be helped!
　It's the real Pope you know?
　The Pope is very top of the church, the Word of God Religion.
　Even royalty must be courteous to one of the church's priests.
　And the Pope is the head of all those priests.
　To put it bluntly, his rank is way higher than that of any country's king.
 We may be royalty, but I'm the king's fourth son, and Sue is the second daughter. It was unthinkable for him to go out of his way to give us blessings.
　No wonder Anna and the other maids were troubled.
　In fact, if they were this confused on the day of the event, then it probably means that they weren't informed in advance.
　Is it even okay for the Pope to just pop in without any arrangements…?
"Is that alright…?"
"I've heard that His Holiness has expressed the desire to visit, so I believe everything is in order."
　Why would a super VIP like the Pope come for my blessing…?
　There's no point even thinking about it because the answer is obvious.
　Julius-niisama.
　Julius-niisama is my brother, even sharing the same mother.
　And most importantly, he's the current Hero.
　He has been active as the Hero from a very young age.
　The Word of God has been giving the Hero their full support.
　It must be because of that connection that the Pope himself came to bless me, Julius-niisama's younger brother.
　I can't think of any other reason.
"Nii-sama. Who is this Pope?"
　I nodded my head after understanding, while Sue asked a question from beside me.
"He's an important person from the church."
"Important?"
"Yes, very very important."
"More important than you?"
　I chuckled at Sue's question.
　She speaks very clearly and intelligently for a five-year-old, but as I thought there are parts that are still young.
　Unlike me, who has memories from a previous life, she's really nothing more than a five-year-old. There's still a lot she doesn't know.
　And since Sue has been with me for such a long time, she seems to think that I'm the greatest person in the world.
　I think it's like when you're little and you think your dad is the strongest man ever.
　I'm even the fourth son, which is a pretty awkward position in the royal family. It's kinda hard to say I'm great.
"He's much much much more important than me."
"Ehhhh…!"
　Sue puffs up her cheeks in frustration, not liking my answer.
　It seems she wants me to always be the best.
　After I stroked her head with a wry smile, her puffy cheeks returned to normal, as if she was satisfied with that.
　During this conversation, we arrived at the chapel room of the royal castle.
　Whoa!
　As soon as I entered the room, I shouted silently in my mind.
　Since Anna had just warned me about it, I of course did not make a sound. However, I think the surprise may have shown on my face.
　In the chapel, there was already an old man waiting for me, dressed in a luxurious costume. I recognized at a single glance that he was the Pope.
　I was prepared for this, so it was okay, but beside him stood a man I had seen before.
　Even Father is here…
　That person is our dad, the king of the Kingdom of Analeit.
　To be honest, I find it kind of hard to think this man, who we hardly ever get to see, is my dad…
　In my mind, the impression of a "king" is far greater. He's like a person on a different plane of existence.
　And next to him is yet another person from a different plane of existence, the Pope.
　It was as if I had wandered into a place I shouldn't have, and I felt very out of place.
"Your Holiness, allow me to introduce you. This is my son, Schlain, and my daughter, Suelecia.
　However, despite my hesitation, my father began introducing me and Sue to the Pope.
　I had no choice but to prepare myself.
　If I recall correctly, it's good manners in the Kingdom of Analeit for those of lower status to name themselves first.
"Thank you for the kind introduction, I am Schlain Zagan Analeit."
"Oh. What a clever little boy."
　After I introduced myself, the Pope smiled gently, like a grandfather watching over his grandchild.
　My father nodded in satisfaction, so it seemed like I had made the proper response.
　Relieved, I put my hand on Sue's back to motion her to go.
"I'm Sue."
　Sue, who was still dejected, spit out a short sentence.
　I felt like I had gotten a massive headache.
　Sue is just a nickname, you have to formally introduce yourself at times like these!
　Look, Father has wrinkled his brow too!
　Crap!
　So this is what it feels like for time to be completely stopped, I think to myself, half trying to escape reality.
"Ho-ho-ho. What a good girl for being able to introduce yourself properly."
　However, a soft laugh melts the frozen atmosphere.
　The Pope was looking at Sue with a kind smile.
　I guess he is just passing it off as the actions of a child.
　As expected of the head of a large organization, he has a great deal of generosity.
"I am Dustin LXI. May you two have a bright future ahead of you."
　The Pope says his name, and a more dazzling light than I've ever seen before shines down on Sue and me from his hand.
　It was as if we were enveloped in the Pope's kindness, and it made us feel warm from the inside out.
"I wish you good health."
　The Pope gently pats Sue and I on the head.
"…Now then. I'd love to spend a little more time with these children, but I'm afraid I have to go."
　The Pope took his hands off our heads regretfully, as if he was truly sorry to leave us.
"Thank you for coming all this way today."
"No, no. I apologize for the suddenness of my visit."
　Father and the Pope bowed to each other.
　The scene resembled that of two Japanese businessmen bowing to each other, and I had to resist the urge to laugh out loud.
　And thus, the blessing of Sue and I at the age of five became even more unforgettable than the one at age zero.