The new chapter begins!
I’m posting this with the hope that it will lead to new developments!
There are times when I can’t concentrate, that’s for sure.
Concentration varies depending on one’s condition and environment, such as feeling unwell, the next day being a holiday, or the surroundings being noisy.
And work is directly linked to how that concentration affects work efficiency.
When you’re distracted, and you can’t focus on what you should be doing, your movements become scattered, leading to mistakes in your work and a decrease in efficiency.
This leads to a vicious cycle of work, which is not something a working adult welcomes.
I may have been like that for the past few days.
I’ve been getting support from my subordinates and friends for mistakes I shouldn’t have made.
Each time, I was laughed at and they worried if I was alright.
I know I shouldn’t be told that this situation is unavoidable, but at times like this, I want to say, “Please forgive me.”
After all.
“Suella’s in labor!”
For the first time in my life, I’m on the verge of becoming a father.
I repeatedly checked with the doctor, and after being told it was soon, I became aware that my concentration had started to wane.
I thought I shouldn’t do that in the dungeon, and when I tried to force myself to concentrate, I ended up spinning my wheels more than usual.
I also made mistakes in administrative tasks that I normally wouldn’t.
And when Keiri-san said that to me while I was working.
“Hurry up and go to Suella’s side already!!”
Keiri-san physically kicked me in the butt with a full-swing roundhouse kick and chased me out of the office.
I don’t know what kind of face Keiri-san made as I ran out with all my might, writhing in pain.
Instead.
“Don’t worry about work! I’ll settle for twenty-year-old wine!! So be a proper father and go!!”
It’s going to be quite an expensive outing, but with that encouragement, I was allowed to leave work midway.
I’ve heard that Dark Elves cherish their children.
Grateful for their national character, I started running.
Knowing where I was going, I ran towards the medical district without hesitation.
On the way, I recalled my interactions with Suella over the past few days.
“Suella, are you feeling alright?”
“Really, how many times do you need to check?”
Every time I visited, I was worried, and every time, she laughed at me.
“It’s alright, the ore tree you’ve nurtured is protecting me.”
And yet, Suella, who should have been the most distressed, was smiling and encouraging me.
Women are strong.
Someone once said that.
It was a statement that raised some doubts, but I now think it’s completely true.
Women accomplish what men cannot.
That ability to accomplish things is likely what allows them to exert their strength in desperate moments.
“Haa… haa…”
I ran at full speed, forgetting to hold back.
As I reached the medical district and stopped to catch my breath, I heard the light patter of footsteps running towards me and saw Memoria approaching from that direction.
She usually maintains a calm expression, but when something truly happens, she becomes emotional.
In contrast to Memoria’s footsteps, a shadow appeared around the corner with such speed that it seemed to leave a trail. It was Himik, who used her physical abilities to perform a sudden stop by spreading her wings, making a sharp right-angled turn at high speed without decelerating.
“Jiro-san.”
“Master!”
Presumably, Memoria was informed first, and then Himik.
The fact that the two of them appeared at the same time, canceling each other out with their speed difference, made me feel a little amused, and it felt like a load was lifted from my shoulders.
The corners of my mouth turned up.
Harem, a genre often criticized as merely a male fantasy filled with hardships and no good outcomes, was often dismissed as just that.
But when they come running with me in a panic for the birth of a child like this.
“What are you doing? It’s already starting.”
And most importantly.
We can share moments that they usually don’t show us.
That alone makes me feel that this kind of relationship was worth it.
I never thought I’d see the day when Evia, who was fidgeting, came out of the medical district. It meant she had arrived earlier than anyone else, and the pounding of my anxious heart had gradually calmed.
“Ah, I’m coming now.”
Without any prior arrangement, the four of us entered the medical district together and walked down the hallway. And then, entering a special section, we could hear a hurried atmosphere from within.
“Magic Concentration level!?”
“Breathe in! Breathe out!”
“Prioritize the mother’s stability!!”
“It’s alright! Just a little longer!!”
“The child’s magic reaction is increasing!!”
The doctor’s angry shouts echoed, and the nurses moved accordingly, encouraging Suella.
“…”
I had heard that childbirth was a battle, but I never expected to hear it described in this way. Beyond being stunned, I was filled with anxiety, and my previously calm tension returned.
“[□□□□□□□□□□!!]”
Is everything really alright?
I’m sure she’s biting down on something, which is why it’s only this much, but it was undoubtedly Suella’s voice. Even separated by a single door, I could hear such a loud voice. What on earth is going on inside? I looked at Memoria and the others standing beside me. Inwardly, I had hoped that perhaps, as a fellow woman, I was the only one flustered, and not them.
“[「「…」」]”
And then, I slightly regretted seeing their faces. All of them had the same expression that said, “Is childbirth this painful?” Memoria’s eyes were wide, Himik nervously shook her head, and Evia, though appearing calm, had beads of cold sweat on her cheeks that I couldn’t ignore. As screams, shouts, and cheers mingled, and time ticked by, all we could do was wait. While I was glad to understand that they shared the same anxious feelings, my own anxiety grew because I couldn’t determine if the current situation was alright.
“[□□□□□□□□□!!]”
“Look! The head is coming out! Breathe! Breathe out!”
I don’t know how much time has passed. Either the walls are too thin, or perhaps it’s due to my physically enhanced body by the magic crest, but constant reports from inside only increase my anxiety.
“[Ogyaa, ogyaa, ogyaa!]”
“The first one is out!!”
“Don’t just stand there! There’s another one!!”
Hearing the first cries, I stood up from my chair, but when I was told that it wasn’t over yet, the tension in my heart didn’t ease. It was a sigh of relief, but before I could even fully relax, I was told that only half the battle was over, and I, standing outside the door, felt even more anxious. Memoria, looking up at the sound of the baby’s cries, clasped her hands as if in prayer, and Evia, without looking away, clenched her arms tightly. I could only sit there, staring intently at the door. I really wanted to be present, but they said it was for the sake of the mother and child, and to ensure everything was perfect, so all I could do was wait. And then.
“[Ogyaa, ogyaa!]”
“It’s born! It’s born!!”
Hearing the second cries, this time it was truly over. The noisy room fell silent, and as a minute, then two, passed, that time felt incredibly long. Just as everyone started to wonder if something was wrong, the door quietly opened.
“Doctor!”
A Dark Elf woman in surgical attire emerged, removing her gloves. Though her expression was tired, she smiled so broadly that I could tell even through her mask.
“Congratulations. You have healthy twin girls.”
Her voice was slightly muffled by the mask, but it was filled with joy.
“Where’s Suella?”
Hearing that the child was safely delivered, I let out a sigh of relief, but then I suddenly worried about Suella, the mother.
“She’s a little weakened, but conscious. Her life is not in danger.”
The female doctor assured me that she was also out of danger. This time, I truly felt relieved.
“Can I see her?”
“Yes, you can.”
After requesting to see her and receiving permission from the doctor, we entered after undergoing purification magic and hygiene management with a simple barrier, the four of us.
“Ah, Jiro-san.”
There was Suella, lying down with her upper body slightly raised by the bed’s function. And in her arms.
“Suella, you worked so hard.”
I knelt on one knee, met her gaze, and the first words that came out of my mouth were as she held what was clearly her treasure. This battle of childbirth, which had lasted for several hours, or rather, for several months since she became pregnant. At times, she had faced the brink of death, but she had ultimately achieved the best possible outcome. To Suella, I could only offer those few words, and I cursed my limited vocabulary.
“Yes, I tried my best.”
However, at this moment, extra words were unnecessary, and she, hearing my words, gave me the most beautiful smile with her slightly thinner face.
“Finally, we can meet.”
And then, a single tear flowed from her eyes. Naturally, I embraced Suella’s shoulders, enveloping her and the children together as if snuggling up to her. The children, wrapped in towels, could not yet open their eyelids and lay still in their mother’s arms.
“They’re cute, aren’t they, Himik?”
“Yeah, they really are.”
“…I believe so.”
Their occasional movements of their hands and lips indicated that they were alive. Stimulated by their gestures, Memoria, Himik, and Evia expressed their honest feelings. In my own heart, I felt something warm stirring.
“Ah, we finally meet.”
I wonder what my face looks like right now. I think I’m smiling, but I don’t know what kind of smile it is. After all, my heart is overflowing with happiness. Am I making a sloppy expression, or am I smiling gently? At least, I know for certain that my joy has made me ecstatic. In Suella’s arms. A child with silver hair like Suella and a child with black hair like mine. And their skin color is…
“…?”
Caught up in the emotion of the birth, I hadn’t noticed, but as I calmed down, I realized. The skin color of the children in Suella’s arms. Well, their coloring isn’t particularly unusual. Their skin isn’t blue or green. The child with black hair has the same brown skin as Suella, but the child with silver hair has white skin.
“…Hmm?”
” …Ah.”
” …?”
As if noticing my gaze, the three behind me, who were peeking, also noticed.
“Could they be rare children?”
However, unlike me, who was flustered by the difference in skin color, Memoria seemed to realize the truth and stated it.
“Yes, it appears so.”
In the first place, Suella wouldn’t have failed to notice the difference in skin color, and if there were any strange issues, the doctor wouldn’t have said it was alright.
“Rare child?”
However, for me, who doesn’t have a perfect grasp of the affairs of this other world, the unfamiliar word sparked my curiosity.
“Rare children are pure white children born from various races. Very rarely, they are born with a high aptitude for magic. They are sometimes called ‘God’s beloved children.’ With crimson eyes blessed by the moon and skin as white as the moon, such children are a cause for great joy for the Demon Lord’s Army.”
Evia’s tone was very soft, with a hint of envy. Hearing her words, I thought of an albino constitution.
“Are they alright? Are their bodies weak?”
“There’s no need to worry about that. Instead, thanks to their high magic aptitude, their bodies are very robust.”
In this world, people with albinism often have various ailments, such as sensitivity to sunlight. However, it seems different in this other world. Instead, they are accepted as rare and auspicious beings.
“Is that so?”
Learning that, I felt relieved. When you wish something for your child, the first thing you hope for is their health. Since she is a child born between me, a person from another world, and Suella, I was worried if there might be something unusual, but it was good that it was actually a positive factor. And looking at the gently swaying hands of the children, I tentatively extended my finger. When my finger touched their tiny hands, as if by reflex, they held it with a very weak grip, not quite a “ギュッ.”
“…”
What is this indescribable emotion? It’s certainly not a bad feeling, and I know it’s a good feeling, but it’s a warm emotion that I can’t describe in words.
“Suella.”
I extended my finger to the other child with my other hand, and as I was gripped again, the warmth intensified, and I naturally called out Suella’s name.
“Yes?”
“Thank you for giving birth.”
“Yes!”
And then, the gratitude that naturally spilled out, as if illuminated by a gentle light like sunlight filtering through trees, made me want to work hard in return for Suella’s efforts. I slowly shifted my gaze from Suella to the children, who could still only grip weakly, and with a calm voice that I didn’t think I could produce, I said:
“Thank you for being born.”
As the children squeezed my fingers in response, as if hearing my words, I smiled again. Ah, so this is how fathers start becoming doting parents.
“We need to think carefully about their names.”
“Yes, let’s think of wonderful names.”
Happiness feels like this, doesn’t it? I feel like I will never forget this moment.
Today’s word:
There are indeed days when you realize that something has changed.
Thank you for your usual feedback and for pointing out any typos. If you find this interesting, please leave your comments, ratings, bookmarks, etc.
*The first volume of the novel is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA. It was released on October 18, 2018. The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year. The second volume was released on December 19. The third volume was released on February 20, 2019. The content includes revisions and additions to the material posted on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, with the addition of an unpublished interlude. Please be sure to check out the new books!
A comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.” I hope you enjoy that as well.
Thank you for your continued support of this work.
