Chapter 164: You Even Have a Child Together?!

Chapter 164: Eldara: You Even Have a Child Together?!

Having received permission, Mimi let out a joyful chirp of delight.

It dissolved into a streak of pink light, eagerly rushing toward the ancient bough that emanated a soft, living halo.

Celeste and Elaniel exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them as they followed.

The closer they drew, the thicker the life-giving mist in the air became, so dense it was almost tangible. Every breath carried a sweet, refreshing fragrance that seeped deep into the heart and lungs, relaxing every limb and joint to the point of blissful lethargy.

Mimi flew to the base of the ancient tree but did not touch it immediately. Instead, it cautiously circled the thick trunk twice, as if performing some ancient, instinctual ritual of confirmation.

Finally, it stopped before the bark and closed its star-like eyes.

A pure, though not overwhelmingly vast, stream of life energy was drawn from the ancient tree, flowing like a trickling stream into its tiny body.

Mimi’s form only glowed faintly, its soft pink light flickering twice before stabilizing. The light was not dazzling, but gentle as moonlight.

Bathed in this sacred radiance, Mimi’s small silhouette began to undergo a fundamental transformation.

Its originally fluffy, round body was slowly stretched and reshaped by an unseen force. Its long, wing-like ears drew upward, refining themselves into the elegant, pointed ears characteristic of the elven race. Its short, stubby limbs also lengthened, turning into the slender arms and legs of a human child.

As the light fully receded into its body, Celeste felt her heart skip a beat.

The fluffy little pink sprite was gone.

In its place stood a little girl of about four or five years old.

Barefoot and pale, she stood quietly on the grass, looking as if she had been born from the very soil she stood upon.

The girl had long, cherry blossom-pink hair, its ends adorned with adorable, natural curls. A pair of pointed ears peeked through the silky strands, hinting at some mysterious connection to the elves. She wore a pure white dress, over which was draped a slightly oversized purple trench coat. The ruby that had once been on her chest was gone, replaced by a sparkling blue, star-shaped gem on her belt.

The little girl’s eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.

They were pure blue, but her pupils were shaped like two sparkling pink diamonds.

Gone was the innocence and confusion of her sprite form, replaced by a spark of human-like liveliness and clarity.

Her gaze bypassed the curious queen and locked precisely onto Celeste.

Her small lips parted slightly.

In a clear, soft child’s voice, she uttered a single word with perfect clarity.

“Hungry.”

That one word shattered Celeste’s entire train of thought.

Not ‘Celeste.’Not’Who are you?’Nor’Where am I?’Just one word: hungry.’From a repeater that only said “Mimi” to a food-devouring machine that only says “hungry”?”Is this evolution path bugged? I literally just became a summoner, and now I have to smoothly transition into being a mom?!’

“Hungry? Oh, oh, food! Food! I have some!”

Celeste instantly switched from teary-eyed emotional mode to panicked caregiver mode, frantically tearing open the entrance to her storage space in front of her.

She plunged her entire arm inside, rummaging like a hamster digging for provisions in its nest, muttering to herself, “Fiery-hot jerky sticks, no, too spicy… hardtack crackers, too dry… smoked meat, a bit tough… got it!”

The next second, she pulled out two packages labeled “Pillow-Soft Tea Cakes,” her hands trembling slightly as she tore one open and offered it.

The little girl tilted her head at the cake in Celeste’s hand, her tiny nose sniffing it cautiously.

Only after confirming it was safe did she carefully take it and tentatively nibble a small bite.

Her eyes instantly lit up, shining like distant stars being ignited.

She immediately buried her head in the cake, her cheeks puffing out like a squirrel hoarding a hazelnut as she munched away rapidly.

“Don’t rush, eat slowly. I have plenty, it’s all for you!”

Watching her, Celeste’s heart completely melted. She tore open the second package and handed it over.

Seeing the little one happily eating a cake in each hand, Celeste crouched down and asked in an almost coaxing tone, “Um… do you remember anything? Like… things from before?”

The little girl paused her munching.

She looked up, her beautiful diamond-shaped pupils filled with pure, unadulterated confusion.

She thought seriously for a moment, then honestly shook her head before returning to her grand battle with the little cakes.

Celeste was speechless.

She finally understood.

This little one had simply used the energy of the ancient tree of life to craft herself a body and, as a bonus, installed a basic language pack.

As for the memory card, it remained in its factory-default, freshly formatted state.

‘A flawless vessel of the Path of Remembrance, and she’s a goofball who gets memory-wiped on her first boot-up… System, I give this black humor a perfect score.’

“Alright, it’s fine if you don’t remember.”

Celeste reached out, gently stroking the smooth pink hair, her voice carrying a tenderness and resignation she hadn’t even noticed herself.

“From now on, your name is Cyrene. Remember that, okay?”

“Cyrene…” the little one repeated in a soft, childish lilt, then went back to munching her cake, as if the word, like the cake, needed to be chewed and digested.

Unable to resist, Celeste scooped the little one into her arms, nuzzling her soft, pink cheek vigorously.

Not remembering was even better!

Being able to talk, to take human form, to be held so tangibly in her arms—this was already a huge win!

All the unresolved regrets, all the lingering obsessions, in this moment, melted into this warm, soft little bundle in her arms.

‘Totally worth it!”So what if I have to raise a kid? I’ve herded worse noobs through raid nights in my past life; surely I can handle raising a little cutie who only knows how to say she’s hungry?’

Beside them, Elaniel had long since recovered from her initial shock.

Watching this almost unrealistically heartwarming scene, her wine-red eyes sparkled with amazement and keen interest.

“Truly incredible. It seems she used only a minuscule amount of life energy to complete her physical transformation. This isn’t magic; it’s more like… an instinct?”

As a queen, her focus always went straight to the core of the matter.

“Celeste, your companion here is truly a miracle.”

Gazing at the genuine, unadulterated, almost silly joy on Celeste’s face, she felt a twinge of something she herself hadn’t noticed… envy.

To be cherished so unreservedly by her… it must be… very blissful.

Just then, the clank of hurried footsteps in armor echoed from the garden’s entrance.

Immediately after, a clear, cold voice tinged with urgency cut through the tranquility.

“Your Majesty! I have urgent military intelligence to report!”

It was Eldara.

The smile on Elaniel’s face faded slightly, replaced by a touch of regal authority. She glanced at Celeste and the little Cyrene in her arms but did not ask them to leave. To her, Celeste was already one of her own, and Eldara was her most trusted confidante. There was no need for secrecy.

“Enter, Eldara.”

At her command, Eldara’s tall figure, clad in heavy black armor, strode quickly into the garden.

As she walked, she spoke urgently, “Your Majesty, there’s unusual activity on the northern border. Those undead—”

Her words choked in her throat the instant she took in the scene before her.

Her footsteps froze abruptly on the spot.

Those eyes, usually as cold as frost, were now fixed, unblinkingly, on Celeste.

And also…

On the little girl with pink hair and pointed ears, held snugly in Celeste’s arms.

Eldara’s mind buzzed.

Time: Late at night.

Location: The queen’s private garden, a forbidden sanctuary within a sanctuary.

Person one: Her Majesty the Queen, dressed in a casual nightgown, her expression… pleased?

Person two: The otherworldly visitor, Celeste, also lightly dressed, her expression… doting?

Person three: A pink-haired, pointy-eared little girl who looked about four or five, being held by Celeste while munching on a cake?!

Eldara felt her entire worldview begin to groan under the strain, threatening to splinter into a million pieces. The impeccable chains of logic that defined her existence snapped, one by one, shattered by this bizarre combination.

Finally, her voice trembling slightly from the sheer cognitive dissonance, she asked the devastating question.

“You… even have a child together?!”

[Elysian’s Note: Having a good time with the story? Every single bit helps immensely: