Cecily was intensely upset.

　After all, all of a sudden Kurohiko had become a baby.
　It would be crazy not to be upset.
　Currier was equally upset.

'Hey, what happened?　Is this baby ... a blackberry, or is it?

　The baby is lying on his back in his seat, with only his head and small right hand sticking out from under the collar of his stubby clothes.

'A shadow, if you will, of a face.

　Currier came up with something.

'Didn't Krohiko before this happened say something about taking the potion Shanatris Tuellf gave you last night or something?

　Cecily puts her hand to her forehead with a headache.

'That's it,'

　If it was that little witch's homemade potion, it makes sense.
　Cecily knew the effects of her homemade potion on her body's growth stage.
　Perhaps it was the discovery of the cause that allowed Currier to regain some of his composure.

'If it was caused by the woman's medicine, then it will come back to normal over time, right? As for the duration, it's hard to say yet.
'I suppose so. However, it would be somewhat reassuring if we found out that it was caused by Shanatris Two Elves' medicine. At the very least, I don't think she would give a harmful potion to Kurohiko just because she risked her life to fight with the Four Deadly Plagues and took it. They seemed to have built up a certain amount of trust in each other as well.

　Looking down at the little blackbird, Currier gives him a complicated look.

'I'm not sure if I can consider this harmless or not, though.
I've pretty much figured out what's going on here, but now, what should we do?

　Kurohiko raised his body and reached out to Currier.

''Duh.''
What do I do, Cecily?
Wow, am I the wrong person to ask for a hug?
'Ugh?　

　Kurohiko felt that he was being left alone, and he was in tears.

''Ugh.''

　The emotion that came and went in her chest was a desire for protection.
　Right now, Cecily felt the urge to give Kurohiko a hug.
　Currier seemed to have a similar feeling, and she quickly picked up Kurohiko in her arms.

'Hey, don't cry. See, oh, it's a boy, right?　Huh?

　Currier speaks with an awkward smile while shaking Kurohiko's body in small increments.

''Ah, ah, ah........hmm!

　The loneliness disappeared from his face, and Kurohiko seemed to nod his head.
　Oh good, good, good, good, Cecily was relieved as she tickled her heart.
　Suddenly, a cold sweat trickled down Currier's cheeks.
　Her bangs are hanging down, hiding her eyes.

''Ko--''
Huh?
I'll raise her myself.
Currier!

　Currier hugs Kurohiko, squeezing him.

I'm going to have to protect her.
'No, no, you just calmly analyzed yourself earlier that it would return over time!
I don't know.

　It seems that Kurohiko's swept-up loveliness has shaken her emotions violently.
　That feeling is understandable, but Cecily reminds herself that she has to get her act together here.

'Wow, I understand. Then please let Currier soothe her.'
Hmm.

　I gulp down the words "I want to hug you too, but...

'I don't think I've ever felt so much love for a baby in my life.
Well, he's a blackberry, for a baby.
'Do you want to keep your clothes as they are?'

　Right now, only his head and the tip of his right hand were protruding from the collar of his clothing.
　As it was, it would be difficult for Kurohiko to move.
　Cecily fetched sweat wipes from the luggage in the back of the truck and pieced them together to make simple underwear and clothing.
　As she dressed him, she naturally saw the masculine symbol on Kurohiko's lower abdomen, but she told herself that this was different since it was a baby's.
　Kurohiko was quiet while he dressed her.

'Now, well... yeah, it looks like it's going to be all right.
You're very handy.
So, yes, mother?

　I hand Kurohiko over and Currier picks him up.

'Wow, I'm not your mother,'

　Cecily asks Kurohiko while pecking him on the cheek.

'Then maybe it's my father?
So your mother is Cecily?
'You'll take care of him, won't you?　Uh, ta?
I'm afraid the man you're about to marry must be in a lot of trouble.
Is that a compliment?
50-50.
Oh, it's complicated.

　Taking a break from the joke, Cecily said, playing with Kurohiko's pudgy hands.

''I made sure that these clothes would be untied as soon as the effects of the potion wore off and my body returned to its original size. We don't know when the effects of the potion will wear off, and--
Squeak, squeak, squeak.

　Kurohiko is in a good mood, probably because he can move more easily now.
　Cecily couldn't help but swoon.

''Oh, you're so cute....''
Hmm. If she's this cute, it doesn't seem so bad to have a baby, does it?
If you give birth to a Blackberry baby, you'll probably have a baby that looks like him?
Well....now that you mention it, that's what it comes down to...hmm?

　Chupu, Kurohiko sucked Currier's finger into his mouth.

''Hmm........What, what?　What's going on?
"Chirp chirp chirp...
Hmm.........tickles........
Mmmm. Mmmm.
"Y--Wait, you're sucking too hard!　Hey!
!

　To Currier's scolding, Kurohiko's body reacted with a jolt.
　Suddenly, tears pooled in the corners of Kurohiko's eyes.


Oh, I'm sorry I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that but hey, I was just, please don't cry, okay?　Okay?　Here, you can smoke as much as you want....
'Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...'

　Kurohiko's face becomes more and more calm.

''Ugh ... my fingers feel strange ... hmm?　Whoa, what are you doing?
DUH!
What are you doing?

　Kurohiko, who was being held, grabbed Currier's chest and was about to open it.

''Duh!''
"Wait, wait....　What is it?　He's pretty strong...?　Does the power of the forbidden host remain in this state?　Yeah, so--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't--don't.

　Maybe because I said it so strongly earlier and almost made her cry, Currier didn't seem to be able to come out strong either.
　She is making an effort to get Kurohiko to stop his actions, but she is having a hard time brushing it off.

'Help me, Cecily. For some reason, Kurohiko is trying to open my chest!
'Uh ... maybe you're hungry?'
...What?
I mean, he's looking for breast milk.
Oh, is that why you wanted to suck on my finger earlier...

　She hadn't been able to produce any milk, so now she was aiming for the breast.
　Calm returns to Currier, who understands.

''Mm........then it can't be helped. Then--''
What are you doing, Currier?

　Currier was trying to get her own breasts out.

'What?　What are you doing ... breastfeeding?　This time you can't say four or five. Ha, to say it's embarrassing would be an understatement....
No, no, it's not... well, you know.

　Don't they know?

'Hmm?　What's going on?　What's the problem?
In the currier I'm thinking that maybe, well, you know, I'm not going to be able to breastfeed.
"...why?
'What?　Uh, uh....

　Cecily turned bright red and explained her reasoning, gurgling in Currier's ear.
　The color of understanding on Currier's face grew darker.

''........Is that so?''
I hear that there are some who don't need to go through the 《stages》, but basically it's something that doesn't come out without going through that.......stage. Therefore, it's impossible for Currier to give breast milk to Kurohiko........
'Yes, well no, but. So, if Kurohiko is going to keep this up, what are we going to do about food?
'The infant food that is coming in from the west should be sold in Iowa. So, if only we could get to Iowa....
Yeah?

　Currier strokes Kurohiko's head as he presses his face against his chest with an ahhh.

'I'm sorry Kurohiko it looks like I can't breastfeed right now.
Woo?

　Kurohiko looks up at Currier and looks up at him.
　The next moment.



　Kurohiko began to cry.

'I'm sorry. But we can't do anything about what doesn't come out so please, be patient with me until Iowa.
Wheeze, wheeze!
Hey, stop crying Cecily, what should I do?

　Cecily giggles.

'Would you like me to take you in for once?
Ta, please.
Come on, baby.

　I take Kurohiko from Currier and hold him in my arms.
　Her body is soft.


Well, then, would you like to squeak it out for a while?

　When Cecily held out her index finger in front of her mouth, Kurohiko sucked the white finger at the tip of her mouth into her mouth, even though she was in tears.

''Chupu........chupu.......chupu.........''

　Maybe it was the fact that he sucked something into his mouth that put his mind at ease.
　Kurohiko became meek.
　Its eyelids gradually fell away.
　It's probably because of the peace of mind that she felt, she became sleepy.

...
Hm?　Have you fallen asleep?
I guess so.
You're very good, Cecily.
No, no. It's all a bit of a burnout.

　Cecily lowers her eyebrows as she looks at Kurohiko, who is breathing in his sleep on her chest.

''Hmmm, I hope he's going to stay asleep until Iowa...''

　At that moment, the carriage stopped.
　Cecily could feel that it was slowing down from earlier.
　Had there been some kind of obstacle?
　The carriage door opened and Banton appeared.

''That young lady... it may be my imagination, but I've been hearing something that sounds like a baby crying for a while now--''

　The moment he saw Kurohiko in Cecily's arms, Banton's expression changed suddenly.

'Oh, the baby, na, why--ha!

　Banton's face turns pale.

'Well, you don't think................your illegitimate daughter?　This trip to Iowa is a front, but in fact, it's an escape, a getaway, a getaway with an illegitimate child--
'Bunton?　You must have misunderstood something--

Banton!

　Banton blew a bubble and made his body wobble.

'Oh, hey!'

　In a panic, Currier propped up Banton's body as he was about to fall.
　Currier inspects his condition.

'It's okay, he's just passed out. He's not dead.'
''Oh, I see.......haha.......I'm having trouble with Banton's quick thinking.......''
I'll just lay it out in the open back for now, is that okay with you?
Yes I'm sorry, Currier.
If you don't know anything about it, I'm sure you'll be surprised.

　I laid Banton down on the back of the pack, but the gentleman was gone.

'Then I'll take over for you.
'You can go straight down this road and when you get close to Iowa, there's a standing sign, so I'm sure you don't need a map... are you sure?
I'll take care of it. And...

　Currier chuckles, as if ashamed of himself.

'Cecily seems to be better at handling babies than I am. I'm better suited to these roles.'

　Without waiting for Cecily's words, Currier left the carriage.
　Soon the carriage began to move.
　Cecily, who was alone in the carriage, sat down on the seat, holding Kurohiko, who was sleeping comfortably in his arms.

''Huh ... hurry up and get back to normal, Kurohiko?''
Supi.
''Hmm........But this kind of Kurohiko might be attractive in its own way. Ahhh, I'm so small now.

　Cecily gently held Kurohiko's sides, face to face.
　There was no sign of him waking up, he was sleeping comfortably.

　Even if your sister did something to you, I can't resist anything!

　He lifts his body over his face and speaks in a winning tone.

'My God, you know. It's all right. I'm not so mean as to play a prank on the irresistible baby Kurohiko.

　Giggling, Cecily smiles.

'I'd be grateful if you'd continue to sleep like this until Iowa, but--?

　-- Huh?

　On the cheek, an uncomfortable feeling.

'Hmm...?　What?

　Plop, plop, plop........
　Some lukewarm liquid was dripping onto Cecily's face like a drop.
　Quickly, Cecily divined the identity.

''Geez.''

　Was that the voice that came out of his own mouth?

''Oh--I'm peeing, I'm peeing.......?

　He hurriedly lowers Kurohiko's body.
　Jowaa, a stain spreads between Kurohiko's legs.

''Hey Kuroch--Hyah!　In my mouth.....................no!
Ahhhhhh.........................
Why, of all the times, would you want to do this?


　The raw warmth spreads again from the part of Kurohiko's lower body that was in close contact with his knees.......

''Ahhhhh.................''

　Kurohiko was asleep.

　And then.
　A strange feeling in my throat.
　For the second time.


Geez.


　No way, Cecily's expression froze.


　--Why did you do that...?


　Black, Hiko.......... --


..........

　....................

　I wonder.

　When was the last time Cecily Arkwright had uttered such a cry?




　Cecily Arkwright's memory of the arrival of Iowa was too vague.

　She remembered that immediately after she had screamed, Currier, who had changed his blood color, had jumped into the carriage.
　But I just can't for the life of me remember why I screamed.
　When I asked Currier about it, he was all, "Some things are better left unknown to the world," he said.
　Apparently Banton was still unconscious.
　Also, for some reason, when he arrived in Iowa, he was in different clothes than he had been wearing.
　It seems that Currier had let him change into his clothes........

'Huh?　What has happened to me?　Ummm.....

　Placing the fingertips of her hands on her temples, Cecily searched her memory.
　But there was no sign of the door of the locked-up memory opening.
　She looked at the sleeping baby in Currier's arms - Kurohiko.
　I'm not sure if I can remember anything by looking at him, though.

It's not good. After all, I can't remember.

　As I was twisting my neck in the square beyond the gate leading to the Iowa Feeding Ground, Currier, who had seen Banton off, returned.

'It looks like I'm going to go to the accommodation to complete the formalities, can I ask you to do that?　I'm a little uncomfortable behaving in a place where there are so many nobles.
Yes, I understand.

　Banton left his carriage and headed for the small town adjacent to the Iowa Feeding Ground.
　Many of the people who work in Iowa commute from that town.
　A place to stay in Iowa in Banton was not secured for him to stay in Iowa.
　For that reason, they are required to stay at an inn in town during their stay.
　Incidentally, he understood the baby's case after hearing an explanation from Currier.
　If you ask him, he seems to have patted his chest, 'I thought my heart would stop.

''Well, I guess it's a memory I don't need to recall.

　So Cecily told herself, and looked out at the beach at night, peeking through the tall trees.

'We've come all the way to Iowa, and now we should concentrate on enjoying ourselves.

　At a small run, he came up next to Currier, who was in front of him.
　Kurohiko was asleep in Currier's arms.

''Uh...........................''

　He pressed his large breasts against me, even though he seemed to be in a bit of pain........

''When will you be back to your old self - I wonder when you'll be back to normal?　Huh.

　A peck on the cheek.

'Yikes.'

　He's not awake, but he looks happy.
　At first I was worried about what was going to happen, but baby Kurohiko wasn't too much of a handful.
　The hunger issue was not a problem until we arrived in Iowa.

'Kusu, he's a very well-behaved good boy.......great, great,'

　When I stroked his head, Kurohiko looked comfortable and buried his face directly into Currier's cleavage.

''Soooo.........''
She looks so pampered. Blackbeard usually doesn't know what to do with himself.

　Currier's eyes softened.

'Maybe it's a good thing for Kurohiko, who has been on the edge of his nerves lately, that he had time to be a baby and relax like this, surprisingly.
Maybe.

　Cecily lightly kneaded Kurohiko's cheek with her fingertips.

'Good for you, isn't it, Kurohiko?'




　Thus, the baby Sagara Crohico, Cecily Arkwright, who has forgotten something, and Currier Versteen, who is the only one who knows the truth of what happened along the way, are safely (?) in the Iowa Nourishing Ground. They had arrived.