Seraphim is a Bystander

Sprouting

 
 
It had been one month since the rule-breaking incident involving Lady Spirits. Both the mother and child I had reincarnated into were in good health, and I was thoroughly enjoying my time off.

 
 
Having this much uninterrupted time to just read… What a glorious experience! Taking this job had absolutely been the right choice!

Even books whose contents I’d long since memorized—whose plots I already knew inside and out—somehow felt fresh and exciting again!
 
 

I closed the book I had just finished and, filled with anticipation, headed to the bookshelf to choose my next read. But just then, the normally dim space around me began to light up all of a sudden.
 
 

Looking around for the source, I saw a glowing orb floating in the usual reading spot where I kept my chair and desk.
 
 

“What the…?”
Curious, I approached it and saw that it was a semi-transparent sphere containing a human fetus, gently glowing. When I examined it with my angel’s halo, I confirmed that this was the mental core of the child I had reincarnated into.
 

 
Apparently, their consciousness had just awakened.
 
 

Peering inside, I could make out the baby’s wrinkled little face.
 
 

“Whoa… So tiny. And also…”
I carefully picked up the entire sphere with the fetus inside. Giving it a gentle shake, the fetus scrunched its face and squirmed, eyes still shut, waving its little arms and legs.
 

 
“What a funny-looking baby—look at you~”
I wasn’t sure if the fetus understood I was teasing it, but it squirmed in response to the motion anyway.

...Adorable.
 
 

“Alright, time for some prenatal education. I’ll read you a picture book.”
If I remember right, I made one based on memories from my human life, about {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} 2.3 billion years ago. It should be… around there.
…Ah, found it.

 
 
I retrieved the nostalgic picture book, quickly created a rocking chair, cushion, and blanket, and sat down with the fetus nestled in my lap.

 
 
I placed it gently on the cushion and draped the blanket over it.

 
 
“Okay~ Time for storytime!”

The fetus squirmed again, maybe in reaction to my voice. …So cute.
 
 

“Ri and Ta… Our names are Ri and Ta…”
Reading this book after so long (about 2.3 billion years) made me feel unexpectedly nostalgic and happy. I got more and more into it, finishing all the old books I’d made.
Then, based on old memories, I started creating new picture books on the spot and continued reading to the fetus.

 
 
Squirm, squirm. …So precious.

 
 
Like that, I spent about half a month reading picture books to the unborn baby. The fetus grew steadily over that time—but then, one day, it suddenly started squirming much more violently than usual.

 
 
“Whoa there… What’s wrong? Easy, easy.”

I tried gently rocking the sphere to calm the baby down, but it showed no signs of settling.
Could it be…?
 

 
I activated my angel’s halo—which I’d only really been using as a reading lamp lately—and extended my perception outside my personal space.
 

 
“Oh… That’s not good.”
What I saw: a collapsed building, and nearby stood a man shielding a pregnant woman. Opposite them, a massive four-legged beast, over five meters tall, was about to attack.

 
 
It looked like the baby’s mother was in real danger.