“...Adriana, huh.”
Shuuki Tsetse muttered the name as he felt the weight of the infant sleeping in his arms.
“The sole survivor of Balbora Village...”
The child shared the same name as the woman he had once loved, and she had been entrusted to him by the mother he had watched pass away. Since he could not father children of his own, Shuuki decided to cherish this twist of fate.
“Alright. From today on, you are Adriana Barbora Tsetse.”
By giving her the name of her home village as a middle name, Shuuki formally decided to raise the baby as his own daughter.
To prevent the red dysentery from spreading any further, they cremated the remains of the residents and the village of Balbora itself. To ensure they did not carry the infection with them, Shuuki and the others performed a thorough 'Sterilization' on their bodies, clothing, and belongings.
“Now then, shall we head back?”
＊ ＊ ＊
It was the 11th when Shuuki’s party returned to Shaia Village.
When the disciples heard what had happened to Balbora Village, their faces filled with sorrow. However, upon learning that their master, Shuuki, intended to adopt the infant survivor, Carla—the only woman among the disciples—spoke up immediately.
“Please, leave her care to me!”
The other disciples also offered to provide whatever cooperation they could.
“First, we must find someone who can provide milk.”
They had managed the journey back using fruit juice and sugar water, but she was a newborn, after all. He wanted to raise her on breast milk if at all possible.
Fortunately, they found help immediately. Three mothers who had given birth about six months prior came forward, offering their services as a way to thank Shuuki for saving them from the red dysentery.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you...”
For Shuuki, this was a lifesaver. This world had no infant formula, and even if he wanted to make rice gruel, there was no rice in this region. While rice grew in the southern part of Mitsuho, their supplies—including seed rice—had been exhausted by the time they reached the Leonard Kingdom.
Inevitably, Shuuki made Shaia Village his base of operations. He moved here from Habione, settled down, and focused on raising Adriana.
As rumors of the 'Magus' spread, people began to gather from all over. Some became his live-in disciples, and through them, 'knowledge' began to take root in the land. Meanwhile, Shuuki continued to refine his Craft Magic and Healing magic.
To Shuuki’s relief, Adriana did not cry much at night. She grew up healthy and strong, nourished by the milk and affection of her three 'wet nurses'—mothers who lived up to the title in every literal sense.
It goes without saying that 'Cleanup' was a godsend for dealing with soiled diapers.
＊ ＊ ＊
At four months, Adriana could hold her head up; by ten months, she began to crawl.
Because Shuuki had settled here, his room had been renovated into a Japanese style. Though it was carpeted, shoes were strictly forbidden, allowing her to crawl around safely. Naturally, he performed periodic 'Cleanup' to ensure the highest standards of hygiene.
As an aside, there is a theory that if a child is forced to stand before they learn to crawl, they fail to develop the reflex to catch themselves, leading them to hit their faces when they fall. Another theory suggests that without the sensory development in their palms, they might grab a hot cup and bring it straight to their mouth, resulting in burns.
In that regard, Adriana was perfectly safe.
＊ ＊ ＊
Exactly one year after her birth, Adriana stood up on her own; two months later, she began to walk.
“Come on, Ado, over here!”
Shuuki always made time between his lectures to dote on Adriana.
“Da!”
“Come now, Adriana-chan, come to your big sister!”
As she took her first tottering steps, Adriana was especially adored by the female disciples, growing up showered with affection.
＊ ＊ ＊
Adriana was weaned about a year and a half later. Prior to that, Shuuki had visited neighboring orchards to collect fruits similar to apples and peaches—namely apulul and Persica—which he grated into a paste for her baby food.
“Yummy!”
Watching Adriana smile with her face smeared in fruit paste, Shuuki found himself forgetting the hardships of childcare.
“Adriana, grow up to be a good girl.”
The warmth of the child in his arms healed Shuuki’s long-standing loneliness.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Pa... pa.”
Adriana was a little late to start talking, only beginning around the age of two.
“Oh! Ado spoke!”
Shuuki’s joy was immense. He had been in the middle of a lecture for his disciples, but he abandoned it immediately. Knowing how much their master cherished Adriana, the disciples simply watched the scene with indulgent smiles.
“Ado! Say it again! Come on! Say 'Papa'!”
“Pa... pa!”
“Whoaaa! Adriana!”
Overjoyed, Shuuki scooped her up and hopped around the room. Eventually, the hands holding her felt a familiar dampness.
“Ah, you got me.”
Shuuki hurriedly set her down to change her diaper. He had become quite skilled at the task lately.
“There, doesn’t that feel better?”
Once changed into a fresh diaper, Adriana giggled and cooed in high spirits.
＊ ＊ ＊
Rites of passage like measles and mumps existed in this world as well, but with Shuuki and his disciples looking after her, Adriana’s cases were always mild.
Soon, Adriana turned four.
“Papa!”
On his days off from teaching, Shuuki would take Adriana outside to play. The area around Shaia Village was rich with nature—mountains, rivers, forests, and meadows. While letting her play, Shuuki imparted various bits of knowledge to her.
“The pretty flowers are blooming!”
“This one is called a Chinese milk vetch. And this one is a dandelion.”
“Milk vetch and dandelion. Okay, I remember!”
Adriana was a bright child who remembered almost everything after hearing it once. As she played in the flower-filled meadow, Shuuki felt as though he could see the image of his late wife in her.