Book 12 Chapter 15

Excursion Part 2, Chapter 8

The Child Who Weaves Hearts (8)

For that reason, in the evenings after the bakery closed, Nen's magic education began.

This education, starting with simple arithmetic, was also a journey for Rein to revisit his past.

As Rein wrote down the basic arithmetic formulas on a blank sheet of paper, his mind traveled back to a distant era.

– Rin, shall we try solving this problem this time?

During the time he first learned magic under the Dean, Rein had the name Rin.

Rin.

This name, given with the hope that he would become a spring breeze in the world of magic, transformed the boy who wandered the slums into Rin.

– Rin.

That name invited Rin to a new daily life, one where there was no hunger, no loneliness, only abundant love.

"The result of multiplication is called a product (積), which means 'to pile up,' my dear."

In those days, Rin was truly impressed.

"For example, three times five means laying down three and then adding four more layers on top. So that there are a total of five layers."

By the truth (眞理) of mathematics, which clarified and made certain all things in this world that had been vague and uncertain.

"See, isn't it easy when you look at it this way? It's just like building blocks! Shall Nen try it too?"

"Nen will try it too!"

"First, shall we try two times four?"

Nen, nestled in Rein's arms, held a quill pen and drew two blocks at the very bottom.

And immediately, she stacked three more layers on top.

Counting the number of blocks, Nen looked up at Rein, her cross-patterned eyes shining innocently.

"It's eight!"

"Correct!"

"I want to count faster!"

Rein grinned.

"Nen, there's no need to rush. No need to be impatient. The enlightenment towards mathematics is just like this multiplication, so you just build it up step by step and then count."

As Nen was about to nod, Rein deliberately cleared his throat.

"But if Nen is eager for speed… maybe I can secretly teach only Nen Yonghyun's super secret?"

"!!!"

"Ah, this is the multiplication table. If you just memorize it, it guarantees super-fast calculation for multiplication up to the nine times table."

Nen's expression as she looked at the multiplication table's formulas shone with utmost clarity.

"Multiplication table! Gugugu! Gugugu! It's like pigeons!"

He wondered if the truth lay within that clear laughter.

'Ah, what I've realized for sure now is…'

It wasn't mathematics that was clear.

It was the Dean's teaching, which explained numbers and formulas engagingly even to those who didn't understand numbers well, that was truly clear.

From birth, in short, even before learning mathematics, Rin was capable of super-fast mental arithmetic in his mind.

He didn't know himself how it was possible, but the Dean said he was born with innate talent.

– Rin, your talent is not for showing off and dominating, but a power gifted by the providence of creation to serve the weak and helpless.

However, because he was born with such talent, Rin, far from serving others, couldn't even understand the ignorance of his fellow students at the academy.

Why they couldn't reach enlightenment and struggled so much under the Dean's clear teaching seemed more difficult than any mathematical conundrum.

The Dean, despite Rin's arrogance and ignorance, did not give up on his disciple and guided him to the path of righteousness (義) until the very end; that was truly love.

'Dean, I couldn't become a being like the spring breeze.'

A spring breeze is a warm and gentle presence that announces the end of winter and the beginning of spring to everyone.

But Rin's violent talent forged his nature into a biting wind (朔風).

Into a cold wind that neither understood nor cared for the weak.

But Nen was different.

This child's path in life would truly make this child's nature a spring breeze.

'A being who embraces everything in this world warmly and gently with love…'

* * *

The year the bakery started was eventful in many ways.

No sooner had one problem been solved than another arose, but the most memorable event was probably Miria's childbirth.

As the bakery began to establish itself, Miria's labor pains also began.

Around the time she was full-term, her family sent a host of midwives and doctors disguised as travelers.

The reason was that childbirth is very painful and difficult, requiring extensive assistance.

While grateful for their concern, their presence was more of a nuisance, and there was a risk of their true identities being exposed, so Rein sent them all back, keeping only one midwife.

Rein and Miria did not come to regret that…

Until just before childbirth, Miria was moving around unusually vigorously, carrying bread and standing at the counter.

Then, as soon as the labor pains came, she merely frowned for a moment, entrusted the counter to Rein, and went into the back room.

'Why is she not coming out? Is she slacking off or something…?'

Just as he was thinking that, a baby's cry came from the back room.

Startled, he rushed into the back room and found Miria holding a baby.

"What? What did you do? I really don't know."

He was so flustered that his old habit from his Rin days came out.

"I just pushed hard! And it just came out! I was a bit flustered too. I was a little scared."

"No, it didn't hurt at all?"

"Hmm~ it did hurt. But compared to when I used to fight in the old days, not really?"

"The old days" probably referred to the period of turmoil 300 years ago.

"But look at this. Oh my, he's so cute and lovable."

To be honest… he wasn't cute at all.

The newborn was a wrinkled squid, and remembering Aki, who had just hatched from a dragon egg, the comparison was strikingly clear.

Aki had been the cutest and most lovable being in this world from the moment he was born!

"Hey, I can see what you're thinking from your expression, you know?"

"I wasn't thinking anything. I just thought the comparison was too unfair."

"You just said you were thinking! Just you wait!"

The midwife, who was nodding towards Rein, even looked happier.

"Congratulations on the auspicious occasion! It's a healthy son. He seems truly intelligent, just like the young master."

Rein's expression distorted once more.

'Ugh, I wanted a daughter…!'

He felt there would be nothing good about raising a son. And a mortal couldn't possibly be as intelligent as Mir.

"No, no. Don't say that! How am I supposed to raise a son like me! I'm already overwhelmed."

He thought of all the eccentricities he had committed during his Rin days.

The thought of his son doing the same things made his whole body tremble.

"I, I… will finish up and come back. I can't do any more business today."

Rein chose to escape from reality.

But as he left the room, only then did he feel an immense thumping of his heart raging within his chest.

With his untamed pulse, Rein had to clutch his chest and pant for breath.

'The providence of creation, where a person gives birth to their child through a human body…'

He had vaguely known it, but encountering it directly like this, it was a mystery itself.

That mystery…

It seemed so great and sacred that he dared not approach it.

'Ah, Alakish… just what kind of tremors and expectations did you hold when you carried Aki…?'

The knowledge he didn't know in his youth was now understood by his heart, and that understanding was so painful.

* * *

Although four or five loaves of bread were left, since making money was not the original purpose, Rein closed the shop without hesitation.

Returning to the back room, he saw Nen carefully holding the baby.

Her cross-patterned eyes gazed curiously at the crying baby's face.

"Cold?"

Could Nen even read the emotional tremors of a child who didn't even know language yet?

When Nen hugged the baby tightly and pressed her forehead against its, the baby's crying quietly subsided.

The midwife blinked blankly and said.

"This is the first time I've seen a newborn fall asleep so easily and quietly. I've witnessed auspicious events of the Ludwig family for decades…"

Rin had been unable to even understand and comfort the hearts of those who spoke the same language.

But Nen…

Even if language didn't connect them, she had the power and ability to understand that heart and embrace it warmly.

"Elaam."

Rein didn't know how that word came to his mind and immediately left his mouth.

It even felt as if someone had directly placed it in his head.

Rein approached Nen, embracing the newborn child and Nen together, and repeated the name.

"Elaam, it means 'warmth' in the Dragonic language. On the day you were born, never forget this warmth you received… and someday, become a person who can share that warmth with the world."

What is a name, after all? Why is a name so tearful and heart-stirring?

Rein remembered the heart-pounding day in the distant past when he received the name Rin from the Dean.

In this very moment, only today, did he finally understand your heart when you gave him that name… it was all love, wasn't it?

– Rein.

That realization led to the memory of his mother, who cared for her son, who had no will to live, with the same love.

In the old era, and now in this era.

The blessing of a new birth, which made him realize anew the invaluable and profound love he had received, blurred Rein's vision.

"Elaam… it's a good name."

Miria took Elaam from Nen's arms.

Miria, lovingly holding her son with both hands, looked down at his sleeping face and said.

"Elaam, in the distant future when you leave this world… make the world a warmer place then than it was when you were born."

* * *

Elaam's growth was unusually fast.

He was said to be a robust baby from birth, but he already seemed about 12 months old.

At this rate, it seemed they could hold the traditional Ludwig family's first birthday celebration, even though he hadn't yet reached the age.

After discussing with Miria, Rein decided to travel to the capital.

If his grandfather, Skalji Ludwig, were to come immediately, he couldn't overlook the repercussions.

The owner of the bakery, which had just barely found its footing, was actually Yonghyun… such an article would surely be sensationalized in the newspapers.

"Yes, he would certainly do that."

Miria chuckled happily.

Rein shuddered once more, thinking of his grandfather's fuss.

Even with Nen, his grandfather adored her so much that the whole family had to dissuade him from retiring from his position as head professor at <Libarden> to devote himself to raising Nen.

"Or should we go to my family's home first?"

"No, what if Elaam gets sick from seasickness? I'll send a letter. Tell them to come to my family's home. It would be better to see them all together there."

"Yes, I should call Aki and Mir too. It would be great if they could come."

It was a bit painful to close the shop for a long time just as it was settling down.

However, the customers knew about Miria's growing belly, so they would understand.

Even if they didn't understand, he could just start over from the beginning.

After all, the purpose of running this bakery was for Nen's education.

"Nen, do you want to go see Aki and Mir?"

Nen was sitting across the table, carefully solving the math problems Rein had given her.

It had been three months since he started teaching math.

Compared to the days when she would shriek and run away just looking at the Papal See's catechism, this was truly remarkable progress.

'Even Nen's serious face is cute!'

But it's even cuter when Rein calls her, and she looks up and smiles brightly.

"Nen wants to see Sister Aki and Mir too!"

"Good, then let's go meet them!"