Chapter 100: Adoption
"My baby? Where are you, my baby?" the mother shouted while looking around the cove. It isn’t a big cove so there is no way for the baby to hide anywhere. However, the mother couldn’t find the baby anywhere.
"No...no no no no..." the mother starts to panic realizing the reality of the situation.
She started to turn over every single thing present in the cove to find her baby to no avail. She even climbed over the few trees present on the cove in hopes that the baby climbed on them but her baby’s presence and even signs that she was there were not present.
"Not like this! Baby! Where are you? Mommy is here!"
No matter how hard she tried to call for her baby, her voice only echoed on the empty cove without anyone else but her who could hear her words. She walked around for a bit until she noticed a few signs of skid marks on the sand. She followed them around and saw a few signs that seed to co from her baby. Soon, as she continued to follow the marks, the markings led her to the ocean.
"Oh no...she might not have gone too far. These marks are still fresh."
Without hesitation, she jumped back into the water and started her desperate search for the baby who was currently in a place that was far from the ocean’s water.
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"Sis, what are we going to do next? It’s quite clear that this baby was not a human. And based on its behavior alone, this is indeed a baby that has yet to learn any sort of manners or even a way to talk. This ans this is a newborn rfolk baby!"
"Newborn? Aren’t newborns pretty much incapable of doing things on their own especially if they have just been born for a few days and before they fully open their eyes?"
"Yeah, but that was for the humans. rfolk babies are different. According to the books that detailed the lifestyle of the rfolk that I have read, their babies are like human babies but much more mature and tougher. A newborn rfolk baby is equivalent already to a one-year-old baby or even two years old depending on their genes and blood."
Elaina looked at the sleeping baby that was currently drenched with the water inside the basin that Julia put. Despite being a baby, it is capable enough to survive on its own. Still, Elaina is wondering how on earth this baby reached the area where the fishern were present. Shouldn’t its parents be watching over it instead of letting their daughter swim alone into the ocean where big fishes can swallow a small baby like this in one gulp?
"What are we going to do now? I don’t think we can send this baby to the guild. They don’t deal with this kind of thing and I don’t think there would be so adventurer eager to help and get this baby back to her parents without a single paynt received in the process?" Princess Margaux asked.
"It might be a daunting task especially since this is not a human baby but a baby of a rfolk. However, my instinct as a mother is giving
so kind of feeling that I needed to keep this baby safe until she reunites with her parents."
"Are you sure, Sis?! You are still pregnant you know, and taking care of a baby is a big task especially since this baby is not our kind."
Elaina shook her head. "She might not be our kind, but that doesn’t an she didn’t need help from an adult. What if she didn’t have her parents already and she is the only one left in her family? Taking her in doesn’t matter much."
"Well, it is up to you, Sis. I have no qualms about you taking her in. It’s not like she is harmful. I find this baby cute. So, what are you going to na her?" Julia asked.
"It’s not my role to give a na to her as I am not her mother and I also suck at naming so I wanted to ask you guys what we should call her for the ti being?"
"How about Mier?" Julia suggested.
"Mier?" Elaina and Princess Margaux frowned.
"There is one language that I have seen before in the books that says the word Sea is currently called Mier in that language. I think it sounded a bit good for a na, don’t you think? And besides, isn’t this a temporary na?" Julia gave her reasons imdiately.
"I don’t see any reason for
to suggest anything at all. I like the sound of Mier. How about you, Miss Elaina?" Princess Margaux asked.
"Then we shall call her Mier for the ti being until her real parents co and take her."
"[Dear Elaina, if you are planning on keeping the baby, you need her to be always near the water or even living in the water as they can’t last long if you just let the baby on the basin. Compared to adult rfolks, they still can’t handle being dry for too long, and putting them in water like this can also endanger their life. I suggest you put her on the stream and maybe let the Harvest Goddess watch over her while she is currently on the stream.]" the Goddess of Taming revealed to her.
"Is that how it is? Then a basin of water is not enough?" Elaina asked.
"[No. Their skin especially as babies constantly absorbs water so they either needed to be near the water or they are always in the water for their developnt to continue without problems.]"
Elaina nodded. She looked at the basin of water and she realized that the water was indeed being absorbed quickly and it was almost being dried up.
"Looks like putting the baby in the basin is not enough. Considering that they are from the sea, that must also an that their main habitat is the water instead of the land. Then we have to put her on the stream to live there for the ti being."
"Is it fine? I an rfolks do live on the water but can we really just plop her down on the water like that?" Julia asked with concern.
"Well, we can ask for the Harvest Goddess for help. I don’t know if she will help but I hope she will."
"Huh, will she even accept it though? I know she lives there as I can see her from ti to ti whenever you are fishing. Will she accept that though?"
"No idea. Ti to ask her then. But first, grab
one of the dried fish on the counter."
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Carrying the basin, the girls headed to the stream and Elaina called the Harvest Goddess by tossing the Dried fish that she asked Julia to fetch. The mont the dried fish dropped into the water, the Harvest Goddess jumped from the water and devoured the fish like a shark that had caught its prey.
"Wah, you are insane for doing that. If I didn’t know, I might have thought that you are so sort of humanoid shark or sothing," Elaina jokingly said to the Harvest Goddess who was chewing the dried fish.
"Hey, if I am a shark, then I am the prettiest shark in the whole world," she smirked as she continued to take a bite.
Julia and Princess Margaux were awed as they didn’t expect eting a local deity would just be that easy for Elaina. She only needed so sort of bait and just threw it into the water, and voila! The Harvest Goddess appears.
"So? What is going on this is kind of rare for you to give
a precious dried fish like this. Let
guess, you have so sort of favor to ask, aren’t you?"
"Perceptive as always. Anyways, this is sothing that is not related to farming."
"Huh, I can see that. Especially that thing on your hands," the Harvest Goddess looked at the basin in Elaina’s hands containing the baby.
"Yeah...about this, we needed to put this little rfolk baby in a place where water is constantly flowing. Since we still don’t have properly flowing water installed in our bathroom and we still take water on the stream, can I ask for help about letting this baby rfolk here on the stream for the ti being and watch it for a while?"
"Elaina. I know I am a reasonable goddess, but I am not a babysitter, you know? And I don’t have first-hand experience in taking care of a baby at all and you are asking
to watch over and take care of a kid?"
"Yes, yes. I know it is too much to ask but can you? It’s not like you will have to constantly watch over her. We are going to look for her parents while we are doing so and we will also help as well. But I hope that you temporarily allow her to be on the stream for the ti being."
The Harvest Goddess is not sure about this matter. However, this choice that she will be doing will be sothing that will change her life forever.
"Well, perhaps I can try? I am rather curious about kids anyway and I do wanted to experience taking care of a daughter for once."
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