I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Chapter 488
11-3. Naming
Name… a name, huh~…
I’ve been asked for a really challenging favor, but there’s no reason to refuse, so I’ll seriously consider it.
If I mess up, it won’t be something to laugh about.
My mental state will melt away.
Ah, but before that, I should ask.
“Is it a boy? Or a girl?”
“It’s a boy.”
“Got it.”
A boy, huh~… I want to give him a cool name, but… can I do it?
No, the most important thing is the meaning.
And a name that’s easy to call.
Hmm, if it’s a boy, maybe I should take one character from the father’s name.
REI or ZEN…
If I recall correctly, the meaning of Reizen’s name was “Be able to cut through the countless waters that fall silently and guide them through.”
The original meaning of “REI” is the quietly falling rain.
“ZEN” means gradually guiding and directing the flow of water.
At that time, I was submerged in water, you know.
Because of that, I wanted to use words related to water and rain.
Countless silently falling rain is absurd.
Cut through that and learn to guide those who follow you.
Now that I’ve reconsidered the meaning, maybe this one is better.
Well, interpretations can vary widely.
There’s no need to be so fixated on just this.
Alright, then… I’ll go with Zen.
I want to give this child the same meaning.
Now… the problem of the other character.
Should I place Zen at the end of the name?
It’s better to bring out the words “Learn to guide” in the latter part.
So, a character that fits that… Let me pull it from my memory somehow…
…
“He’s making such a serious face; it’s the first time I’ve seen Ouren like this.”
“Me too.”
“You lot, don’t interrupt.”
“”Understood.””
The sound of grinding ink stopped.
It seems that the preparations are complete.
A brush is placed in front of me.
I quietly hold it in my hand and dip it in ink.
But in that state, I freeze again.
I want to remember the meaning a little more.
“Naming a child is something I’ve never done before.”
“Raiki seems like he could come up with a better name, though. Is it okay? Reizen, Karna.”
“Ouren Aniki was the one who gave me the name! It’s definitely okay!”
“I also believe in it because my husband said so.”
“Hehe~”
“”These two seem to get along well.””
Could you be a bit quieter?
And then, as if Asure remembered something:
“Ouren-san and Reizen-san, as well as Houen-san, have unique names.”
“I thought the same. It’s interesting, isn’t it?”
“…Why are royal family members like you are here in the first place?”
“Did you call him ‘you’? It’s better to use honorifics, you know?”
“Nah, I don’t really mind.”
Can all of you be quiet…
Oh, wait?
I’m holding a brush as if it’s normal, but I don’t think I’ve ever done calligraphy before.
What should I do?
I have a feeling my writing will be incredibly messy.
…Huh?
I gently glide the brush, and the beautiful characters I imagined in my head are written.
Neat handwriting that someone who has held a brush for years can create.
…Is this also the influence of Hiwa?
That guy didn’t just teach me swordsmanship, he poured all his experiences into me…
It’s a grateful thing.
With this, I won’t embarrass myself.
I continue to move the brush.
I write swiftly and then gently lift it.
I carefully place each stroke, and finally, I stop.
“This might work well…”
“Ouren-sama, Ouren-sama. How is it pronounced?”
“I don’t know either…”
“Well, of course not.”
It’s a character that doesn’t exist in this world.
It’s only natural that they can’t read it.
I place the brush on the inkstone and pick up the edge of the Calligraphy paper with both hands, turning it over.
Then, I show it to everyone.
“Yuuzen…” (??)
Houen murmurs.
That’s the correct pronunciation.
Now that they know the characters and the pronunciation, I hand it over to Reizen.
“Yuuzen… You took one character from my name.”
“It’s Japanese, right?”
“Indeed! So… what does it mean?”
“I’ve thought it through, of course.”
I look at the garden visible from this room.
The garden of Zenko-ji Castle is vast and beautiful.
It’s a work of art made possible by careful maintenance.
The wind chime rang with a clink.
“Yuuzen. ‘?‘ means a spacious house like a garden, and from there, it signifies ‘having a broad heart,’ ‘relaxing,’ and ‘forgiving.’ ‘?‘ means gradually guiding and directing the flow of water. From that, I put in the meaning of ‘having a wide and generous heart and guiding things to their rightful place.’ …What do you think?”
Reizen and Karna exchanged glances.
Then, they looked at the child.
“That’s great, Yuuzen! It’s a name!”
“Yuuzen… Yuuzen. Yes.”
It seems they liked it.
I suddenly felt relieved.
“Sigh… I won’t let you do something like this again as soon as I wake up…”
“Hahaha! Ouren, you thought it through quite well for your standards!”
“You read it well too…”
“It was the on’yomi reading, so it took me some time to remember. ‘Yuu’ as in ‘to calm,’ ‘to forgive.’ It can also mean ‘to grow up to be a kind child.'”
“We don’t need two Reizen…”
“”Indeed.””
“Karna!?”
Houen and Karna agreed. Reizen then made a retort, and laughter erupted.
Ah, this moment makes me realize that a lot has truly ended. I don’t remember what we fought for, but there must have been a reason to fight. The fact that everyone is here means we must have won that battle.
After laughing for a while, Houen cleared his throat.
“Now… let’s talk, Ouren.”
“Finally. You’ve been beating around the bush.”
“Sorry about that. But after hearing this, you wouldn’t have been able to name the child.”
“…Huh? Bad news?”
“Yes. I’ll report on your current situation.”
“My situation?”
Why?
I mean, I just woke up, and I haven’t done anything yet. What do you mean by my “current situation”?
I pondered for a moment in my mind, but I still couldn’t come up with an answer. So, I waited quietly for Houen to continue.
“Do you know the situation of the Garrott Kingdom back then?”
“Yeah… It got buried underground, right? By something.”
“What about the devil realm?”
“At that time, it was already in ruins. It wasn’t a habitable environment anymore. I was told by Dacia that most of the lower devils had died…”
“That’s the correct understanding. So, do you remember who did that?”
“No, I don’t know.”
“We all remember.”
Houen pointed at me slowly.
“It’s you, Ouren.”