"Haaa..."
The two strangers with long ears who sighed appeared to be Nanami's new parents.
"It's over. Our lives are over!"
The one who said this was a female elf. She had blond hair held together in a braid and emerald green eyes. She wore a white dress decorated with vines which clung to her bombastic figure.
"To think that such thing happened in the royal family... how shameful."
The one who said this was a male elf. Like the female elf, he had silky blond hair, and light emerald eyes which seemed to be a trait of all elves.
"What should we do?"
They seemed to be thinking about something incomprehensible to Nanami. Nanami stared blankly from her crib.
Yes, a crib. Right now, Nanami seemed to have been reincarnated as a baby girl elf. Nanami was glad that she was reincarnated as a girl.
Suddenly, Nanami's father's eyes lit up. It seemed that he had come up with a solution for whatever predicament they thinking about.
"I know! Why don't we just leave her to drift on the river?"
Nanami reacted towards his disturbing words.
(Are they talking about me? If so, then my mother will surely disagree... right?)
"That's a great idea! Let's do just that! We can just say that some unfortunate accident happened to the newborn!"
(Huh?)
Nanami was deeply confused by the attitudes of her parents.
"That perfect, my darling! You are truly a genius!"
"Let's set that plan on motion right now!"
"You got it, my dear!"
•••
They really did it. Nanami's parents really did it.
They left a newborn baby in basket to drift on the river. A baby that couldn't even lift her head.
Nanami was shocked by the craziness of her biological parents.
(I guess that parents don't always love their children, huh.)
While she was delivered to the river, she saw a reflection of herself. Nanami concluded that her parents abandoned her because she had silver hair and rainbow hued eyes. She didn't have the blond hair and green eyes which are all elves did.
(When is the goddess going to explain everything to me?)
As she was pondering about her current situation, a familiar comforting voice called out to her.
(Hel~lo. Nanami? Can you hear me?)
Nanami thought that she was hallucinating.
(Huh. I didn't know that I was so desperate to hear the goddess's voice.)
(You're not, Nanami. Please call me by the name that you gave me.)
Nanami was very surprised. If she was drinking tea, she probably would have spat it out in surprise.
(Okay then, Zuhi.)
(What is it?)
(When are you going to explain what happened?!)
(Oh, sorry about that. I may have accidentally tweaked your appearance and caused you to be abandoned by your parents?)
(Zuhi...)
(B-but, I arranged your compensation.)
Nanami was skeptical of the goddess. Her impression of Zuhi was steadily getting worse. At first, she seemed divine, then she seemed to be a bit playful, but now, she seems to be plain irresponsible. It seems that her previous elegance and grace was all an act.
(What is it?)
(Adoptive parents and infinite magic power as well as the power to do anything you want!)
(Zuhi..... isn't that just you being irresponsible? What would happen if I use that power to wreak the world?)
(Don't worry! I've judged you to be kind and that's also the reason that the Creator let me reincarnate you!)
(Haaah? Me? Kind?)
(Yep!)
(First of all, who's the Creator? Also, I don't get how I would be considered kind.)
(I'll explain everything about the Creator and your reincarnation later. Your adoptive parents are coming! Change your appearance!)
(How?!)
(Just imagine it!)
Nanami followed Zuhi's instructions and imagined herself with light blue eyes and human ears. When she touched her ears, they felt like human ears.
(Wow! I really did change my body structure!)
(Of course! Did you think that I would lie to you?)
(To be honest, yes.
(Come on~ I mean, I'm not that unreliable, right?)
(Yes, you are.)
All of the sudden, Nanami was sent flying off a waterfall along with the basket that she was in. Suspended in the air, she was terrified.
She was screaming on the top of her lungs, hoping that her weak voice would be heard.
(Don't worry~ Your adoptive parents are going save you.)
Nanami wanted to punch Zuhi.
(Why didn't you warn me that I would fall down a waterfall?!)
(I forgot?)
Nanami was frustrated at Zuhi's idiocy. It seems that the goddess was unreliable after all.
Nanami was caught by a gust of wind and was sent to the arms of a middle-aged man.
"Gah?"
Nanami was amazed by the phenomenon.
(Was that magic?)
(Yes!)
Zuhi answered her. Nanami's hatred for the goddess was replaced with curiosity.
(Can I do that too?)
(I gave you the power to do it, so you should be able to. Anyhow, I have to go back to work. I haven't finished sorting the souls. Remember to just call my name in your mind if you need me. I will explain everything later.)
(Okay, bye.)
A kind voice called out to Nanami.
"Are you alright, little one?"
The owner of the voice was the middle-aged man. The man had brownish-red hair and a messy beard. His caramel eyes were full of concern.
"Dear, how could she be alright? She's a baby and she was almost fell from the waterfall!"
A woman in her twenties scolded the man. She had medium-length pink hair and vermillion eyes.
"Why was she even there in the first place?"
"I don't know, darling. Perhaps she was abandoned."
The woman was shocked.
"Why would they abandon such a cute baby? Okay, I've decided! I will adopt her!"
"Okay. Go ahead, darling."
"If I ever find this baby's parents, I'm going to kill them if they don't have a good reason!"
The woman declared resolutely.
"Darling, leave that to me. I can't stand such people either!"
Nanami looked at the kind couple in shock. She was shocked that they'd go this far for an abandoned baby that they happened to find.
Nanami started crying. She was deeply moved by their kindness.
"Dear, look! She was scared by you because you said such things!"
"What?! Me?! But, you were the first one to bring up that topic!"
The couple continued to bicker as Nanami watched them warmly.
Nanami smiled as she made a new resolution.
(In this new world, I will protect my new parents who were the first to show me such kindness in this world.)