"Don't worry, Irene. No one's going to attack our little bakery. And even if someone did, I could take care of them easily."
Ren felt like he was about to suffocate. He gently pushed Irene away and reassured her.
He never called Irene "Mom." From the moment he learned to speak, he had always addressed her by name—and she had never objected.
"Ren, you must never let your guard down. This world is full of hidden dangers. When someone can't beat you in a fair fight, they'll turn to underhanded tricks. That's why you have to protect yourself."
Irene rubbed his cheek softly, speaking with gentle concern.
As she doted on him, she continued sharing her experiences from life among humans—lessons about trust, betrayal, and staying vigilant.
"I understand."
Ren nodded sincerely. He knew Irene meant well, so he put on his best attentive expression.
"Good."
With a snap of her fingers, Irene summoned a swirl of glowing light. Fruits, flour, and various ingredients began to materialize all around the bakery.
These were the ingredients they used for baking, all grown by Irene herself. Every day, she would climb the mountain behind their shop and gather exactly what was needed, no more, no less.
Then she would use her Enchantment Magic to process the ingredients before bringing them back to the bakery.
Thanks to the freshness of their supplies, the bakery always had a steady stream of customers. It was one of the shop's best-kept secrets.
As for whether those crops might be destroyed by wild animals or humans, there was nothing to worry about. Irene had cast protective enchantments across the entire mountain range. Neither beast nor mage could easily disturb it.
"Irene's back!"
The moment she finished unloading the ingredients, the customers inside the bakery started calling out greetings.
"I'll be closing the shop early today. So starting now, everything we haven't sold will be half-off. First come, first served—once it's gone, it's gone!"
Irene clearly had something important to discuss with Ren. But with the store still packed, she paused, then addressed the crowd.
"Half-off?!"
"That's amazing!"
"I'll take five!"
"I'm buying all of these!"
"Jack, save me one! My kid only eats Irene's bread now. Ever since he tried it, he refuses to touch mine!"
"Get in line! Everyone in town loves Irene's bread. If you want it, grab it. If you can't, go hungry!"
Within minutes, the bakery was completely wiped clean.
Irene smiled, waving to each satisfied customer as they left with their purchases.
Once the final shopper exited, she stepped outside, flipped the sign on the door from "Open" to "Closed," and returned inside.
"Why the discount so early today?" Ren asked from his perch at the front counter.
Normally, they only discounted leftovers close to closing time around five in the afternoon. Sometimes it was half-off, sometimes 90% off, or even just given away, depending on what was left. But that was rare—most days, nothing remained. Irene always adjusted the next day's baking based on the previous day's sales.
Today, though, was clearly an exception.
"There's something I need to talk to you about."
Irene looked at him, her expression a little complicated.
"…?"
Ren blinked, confused, but before he could ask further, Irene had already picked him up and was carrying him toward the staircase in the back.
They climbed to the second floor of the shop, the private living quarters they shared.
"The truth is…" Irene hesitated, then smiled warmly and patted Ren's head.
"Ren, you're about to become a big brother."
"Oh," Ren nodded, casually acknowledging the news.
"…Hm?"
Irene tilted her head slightly, unsure what to make of his indifferent response.
He hadn't seemed surprised or excited. Was he not okay with the idea of having a little sister?
"I mean, how wonderful!"
Ren realized his reaction had been too flat, so he quickly tried to sound more childlike, his expression pure and innocent.
"Is that so? That's a relief. I was worried you might not want a sibling."
"I'd even planned to wait until you were ready before bringing this child into the world."
As she caressed Ren's face, Irene let out a long, relieved breath.
The truth was, she had been torn. She could never forgive the man who fathered the child inside her.
But the child itself was innocent.
That contradiction had left her unsure for a long time. Eventually, though, she made her decision, she would give birth.
"Oh right, Ren!" Irene suddenly looked at him. "Have you thought of a name for the baby?"
Ren paused.
This was Erza. She had to be Erza. Giving her any other name would feel… off.
He thought for a moment, then answered, "If it's a girl, how about Erza?"
"Erza?" Irene's eyes lit up. "That's a beautiful name. Erza Belserion. I love it! Then it's decided. Her name will be Erza."
"Erza Belserion…" Ren thought to himself. Even if the family name was different, Belserion was her true surname anyway. It was fine.
"Erza~" Irene repeated the name softly. Then her expression shifted. Her eyes grew resolute as she turned to Ren.
"Ren, I'm going into labor."
"Oh, you're, wait, you're going into labor?" Ren blinked, eyes widening.
"Here?! Now?! I'll go get a doctor!"
He floated up from the table, using his Kilo Kilo no Mi to reduce his weight and hover.
"Separation!"
Before he could drift out the window, a flash of light filled the room.
In the next moment, a tiny, beautiful baby was already resting in Irene's arms.
"Ren, look, she's so adorable…"
Irene's expression softened completely. She stared at the baby, completely at peace.
"She's born? Just like that? In a snap?!"
Ren's brain froze. His memories from his past life, his understanding of childbirth were now nothing but useless baggage in this new world.
"…She really is adorable."
Floating gently over to Irene and the baby, Ren couldn't help but smile.
He didn't know why, but just looking at this pure, innocent newborn seemed to wash away all his anxiety—the fear of future battles, the dread of facing Acnologia someday… all of it vanished, cleansed by the sight before him.
"Waaaahhh!"
Just as Ren and Irene were smiling like fools at the sleeping Erza, she suddenly burst into tears.
"She's probably hungry! I'll get some formula."
"I think we ran out… I'll go buy more."
Ren immediately floated toward the door.
"Nutrient Enchantment."
Before he could leave, Irene gently waved her hand and cast a spell. A soft glow enveloped Erza, and she stopped crying instantly, drifting back into peaceful sleep.
"This enchantment magic is ridiculously useful…"
Ren watched with admiration, a little jealous of how versatile Irene's magic really was.
Erza has been born!
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!