That bastard Isono refused to have a prenatal gender reveal.
His old-fashioned clan also refused, claiming, "Regardless of the gender, they are family."
I didn’t think the conversation was quite that heavy... but I suppose something must have happened in their past.
And so, the gender remained a mystery until the child was actually born.
The doctor knew, of course, but they wouldn't say.
We didn’t try to pry it out of them, either.
As long as the parents were happy, that was all that mattered.
The child turned out to be a girl.
Ah... yeah, she’s definitely on track to marry my kid.
Following Selene-chan’s child, the destination for my own child’s future has already been decided...
The only question left is which of them will be the child of the Galactic Empire and which will be the child of Chronos.
Ideally, I’d prefer they have a romance of their own choosing, but...
Well, all things are in flux.
For now, it’s just a tentative reservation.
There’s always the possibility I’ll pull some incompetent move and destroy Chronos, after all.
Besides, if the kids say they hate the idea, they should be able to avoid it.
I tried to put myself in my child’s shoes.
A childhood friend... a childhood friend... A childhood friend. That’s the dream.
Coming from a depopulated planet, that was an event that absolutely never happened for me.
I’m jealous.
Do your best, my yet-to-be-seen child!
Live strong and follow your sexual fetishes wherever they lead.
"Hey, Leo, what are you doing about the name?"
When I went to the hospital to accompany Wifey and Claire, that bastard Isono stopped me.
"Ah, about that... It looks like I won’t have any decision-making power."
One was the son of the Galactic Empire Emperor, and the other was the son of the Chronos First Consort.
It was a major event, not just politically, but religiously as well.
The names had to be decided through consultations with all relevant parties.
And above all else... nobody trusts my naming sense!
I’ve been completely cut out of the naming process.
"Right..."
"What about your place, Isono?"
"A while back, I followed family custom and suggested 'How about Sango?' and Hanako-san just said 'I'll kill you' in this low voice... Within seconds, it was reported to Hanako-san's parents' house, and a heated battle broke out between our families that still hasn't been resolved. I’m sitting on a bed of needles here... and even my sister betrayed the family to side with Hanako-san..."
"That sounds like hell..."
Neither of their families was exactly known for superior naming sense.
A truly hellish meeting must be underway.
"Well, that’s how it is. Welcome to the world of being a papa!"
"Caught between your own parents and your wife's family!"
Eddy arrived just then.
Eddy was also there to accompany his wife.
"What’s wrong with you two...?"
"There’s this whole uproar over the children's names..."
When I explained the details, Eddy went silent too.
Apparently, it was the same at his house.
It wasn't just the immediate family; even some random distant relatives were sticking their noses in.
Even my Wifey doesn't have the best naming sense.
I mean, she’s the person who gave One-O-One the family name of atomic element 101.
It was only allowed because One-O-One herself was easygoing; otherwise, it could have reignited the war with the Zork.
"And that is why I have summoned an expert."
Yes, it was the creator, Rikochi-sensei.
I had kidnapped her while she was taking a breather after finishing a stage of her manuscript.
"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what!"
Today, Rikochi was wearing a jersey and a hanten.
She was in full "at-home" mode.
"Well, you see, Isono's house is in a constant battle over the child's name, and it feels like it's going to spread to us too."
"Heh~, being a big shot is tough, isn't it?"
Rikochi, who showed no signs of pregnancy herself, treated it as someone else's problem entirely.
"No, no, no, no, Rikochi, you're going to be a party to this soon enough!"
"Ehh... For my hometown, wouldn't it be Alisha if it’s a girl, and maybe Alex if it’s a boy?"
"And what does your family say about that?"
"They're making a fuss about naming a girl Mei and a boy Daisuke. I’m just going to ignore them, though."
"So you are having a conflict!"
"Ugh. Then should we have them decide for our kid too?"
Asking that was a mistake on my part.
The naming process is the kind of thing people get suddenly serious about once they're actually pregnant.
"You're a manga artist, don't you have any good names?"
"I don't give characters names like that. A normal name is best."
Why is she so sensible at times like this when she’s usually so broken?
I don't understand my wife at all.
"Anyway, why not just let the people who are complaining think of something? Leo-kun, you can just be the one to give the thumbs down. You are the King, after all."
"What kind of tyrant is that?!"
"That much should be permitted, right?"
Was it?
If it were names like Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, or Ieyasu, my heart wouldn't ache even if I refused!
...But they might actually do it.
I need to keep watch.
Also, I recommend blocking Fairy.
She would definitely come up with something outrageous out of sheer malice.
I know because she's my partner. That's just the kind of creature she is.
She’d probably deliberately have an old AI generate something at random.
The examination finished, and Wifey came over.
"What is this... all of you huddled together like this..."
"Wifey! What should we do about the name?! Isono's house is in a huge mess!"
"Eh...? I haven't received a report on that?"
"Because it’s a private matter."
"Why is it that an uproar always breaks out in a completely unexpected direction whenever the Lord Groom and those around him are involved!"
Exactly.
I wonder why?
"Hey, hey, what are we doing for ours?"
"The temple and the shrine are in consultation."
"Please, no 'Chinnen' or anything like that."
The kid would be teased for life.
Please, seriously, spare them that!
"I told them that first!"
The naming rights... it was a battle without honor between powerful organizations.
Once again, the Kamishiro Clan Members were in a pinch!
As I stood there trembling, Claire arrived.
"What's wrong, everyone?"
"Yeah... we were just having a huge row over names..."
"Our child's name is going to be decided by the Chronos Religion, isn't it?"
"Because he’s the Prince of Chronos. They said he doesn't even have to join the faith."
If they decided for themselves and wanted to join the Chronos Religion, that would be fine, but if not, I thought being a parishioner of the Zashiki-warashi would be fine.
I don't know the God of Chronos very well, but the Zashiki-warashi is a friend.
If the Galactic Empire Style of mixing and matching everything is okay, then it's fine to associate with the Chronos Religion too.
However, I intended to hand over the naming rights for the prince.
With that alone, the Chronos Religion would become my child's backbone.
Even if I were to die, they would support him.
Increasing the number of people one can rely on is a parent's duty.
Claire agreed, saying, "This name will be more advantageous for making friends."
Claire is amazing for thinking seriously about the child's future, and not just being enthusiastic about the name itself!
Super amazing!
Seeing how calm Claire was, both Eddy and Isono let out sighs of relief.
"Don't make those faces! I shall mediate!"
"Yo! The best woman in the universe!"
"Nuhahahaha!"
As expected, my wives are reliable.
The useless papas truly felt that way...