Today is the day Suella is discharged from the hospital.
It’s been a week since that day, a childbirth that can only be described as a fierce battle.
Fortunately, there were no postpartum physical changes, and the doctor gave us the all-clear that both mother and child are healthy, allowing for her discharge today.
“Is this all your luggage?”
The day I can finally feel at ease has come.
“Yes, it was an emergency admission, and I was mostly bedridden in a hospital gown, so my luggage is minimal.”
“You’re right.”
On such a day, I came to pick up Suella from the hospital.
I figured there might be some things to take care of for her admission, so I arrived a bit early.
The room is connected to our living space within the building, so it’s not far, but I’m still hesitant to let her walk alone just yet.
I considered bringing Himik along, just in case.
“No, I’ll pass this time. I want to focus on cleaning the room even more to welcome the children!”
She seemed to be being considerate.
In reality, there was no lie in Himik’s words.
As soon as she heard that Suella’s recovery was going well and the baby’s condition after birth was stable, she began cleaning the room.
The thoroughness of her cleaning was incredible.
She cleaned and organized the layout with a meticulousness that probably wouldn’t even be seen during the year-end big cleaning.
Just before I left, Himik, with her arms crossed and showing off her biceps, seemed eager for the arrival of the new baby.
Therefore, I also took the day off work to come and pick up Suella and our twin daughters.
The two infants are cradled by Suella, wrapped in a baby wrap.
Silver hair and black hair, sleeping soundly.
Just looking at them brings a sense of peace, as if they’re emitting negative ions.
In my hand, I hold a bag containing what Suella brought with her during her admission.
As Suella said, its weight is light.
With two children, they should naturally be heavier.
As a father, I have the desire to hold at least one of the children.
However, the way one holds a baby while sitting is different from holding a baby while walking.
It’s a fact that it’s safer for Suella to carry them than for me, who is still not used to it.
Besides, we also have to carry the Ore Tree, which is quite a large item.
That’s something I can’t leave to anyone else, and it’s currently on my back.
Given that I don’t have the courage to hold a child while armed, I vow to myself to hold them later when the opportunity arises.
“Alright, shall we go?”
“Yes.”
While immersed in such thoughts, the preparations for departure are complete.
Considering Suella’s diminished stamina, I adjusted my walking speed and stride to be slow and short.
As a result, we naturally walked slowly through the company building towards the dormitory.
“Oh! Isn’t that Suella! Congratulations on the safe birth!!”
“My, my, what adorable children.”
“…Congratulations.”
“As a fellow Dark Elf, I offer my congratulations. I wish I could have another child too.”
Babies, or rather, infants, seem to attract quite a bit of attention.
Every employee we passed stopped their work, their faces softening as they looked at the children Suella was holding, offering their congratulations.
The Goblin workers laughed boisterously with the surrounding Goblins.
A Harpy OL, flying nearby, circled in place and, with great care not to startle the babies, peeked at them and smiled at Suella, saying, “Congratulations.”
A passing Giant, cautiously measuring the distance so as not to frighten the infant, offered his congratulations.
Another passing Dark Elf male, after a polite bow, seemed to have a slightly different look in his eyes.
“It’s a bit embarrassing.”
“Yes, but it’s also heartwarming.”
“Indeed.”
This continued until we reached our room, with repeated celebrations.
While I naturally felt happy, being celebrated so extravagantly made me feel a bit shy.
Suella was right; it certainly didn’t feel bad.
Rather, it overflowed with joy.
“Hey, Jiro! We found you!”
“My King, please lower your voice for a moment. We have infants with us this time. Our presence might be too overwhelming for them.”
And waiting near the entrance of the dormitory were two individuals.
Instructor Kio and Instructor Fushio.
“Instructor.”
“King of Oni, King of the Undead.”
We hadn’t seen these two recently, but they always seemed to show up for events.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who expected them; Suella felt the same.
We exchanged glances and smiled, then approached the two with smiles.
Kio-sensei’s loud voice made the children fuss a little, but as soon as Suella whispered softly that it was alright, they returned to their peaceful slumber.
“It seems you went through quite a bit of trouble.”
“Kukukuku, the birth of life is truly a life-threatening endeavor. Well done for overcoming that trial.”
The two first smiled at Suella as if to comfort her.
“Thank you for going to the trouble of coming for my child’s sake.”
“Thank you for coming, Instructor.”
“Don’t mention it; I came because I wanted to. Although, I’m a bit busy with work and can’t stay long.”
“It is truly regrettable that I cannot be more involved despite this auspicious occasion. I lament my current busy schedule. Therefore, I apologize, but I will take my leave after presenting my gift.”
Suella, grateful for this, bowed her head slightly, careful not to disturb the children, and I followed suit.
Kio-sensei chuckled, telling us not to worry, while Fushio-sensei apologized for not being able to properly celebrate the birth of the children.
“One of them has hair the color of Jiro’s.”
“It’s natural for them to resemble their parents. And the other is Kiko? Kukukuku, she possesses good magic power.”
As if one of the reasons they were waiting was to see the children, they both leaned in to look, and Suella adjusted her hold so they could see the babies better.
“This black-haired one is also quite something. I’m looking forward to their future.”
“I agree. They show talent comparable to Kiko.”
We know these two don’t offer flattery.
Looking closely, their evaluation of our children was based on what they saw.
Therefore, we believe their words are sincere.
As parents, my wife and I were not expecting such praise from these two esteemed instructors, and we couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.
“So, what are their names?”
“Ah, right. Tell us.”
As they asked the question we expected, my wife and I smiled awkwardly.
“Actually…”
“We haven’t decided yet.”
After learning that the child Suella was carrying was a twin, followed by the emergency admission and all the subsequent commotion, we still haven’t decided on names.
To be precise, we have several candidates, but we haven’t been able to choose.
“What, that’s not acceptable!”
“Indeed! A parent’s first duty is to give their child a name. How about I name them for you?”
Naturally, we could only feel shame at the instructors’ scolding.
However, despite feeling ashamed, we politely declined the instructors’ offer.
“We have a few candidates, but we can’t quite choose.”
“I see. If you’re giving it proper consideration, then it’s fine.”
“Hmph, this is taking too long.”
Seeing Kio-sensei about to go on a tangent about giving them strong names, Fushio-sensei, sensing the conversation would drag on, intervened.
“King of Oni, we need to get to the main point soon.”
“Ah, my apologies. I’m actually here in secret this time. While Evia is distracted, I’ll give it to you.”
“Indeed. That woman is indulgent towards her own, but there are limits. Let us depart before we are prodded.”
And then, Kio-sensei handed me a white porcelain vessel he was holding, as if it were the main reason for their wait.
“From me, it’s celebratory sake. It’s a top-class sake made by the Oni this year. It’s preserved with magic, so you can give it to your children when they’re old enough to drink.”
What Kio-sensei prepared was akin to a vintage wine.
The surface was polished to a mirror-like finish, and though a faint magic circle was drawn on it, it was clear that it was protecting the contents. It was a typical gift from Kio-sensei after all.
Though it looked like a small bottle in the instructor’s large hands, it was about the size of a 720ml bottle when it reached mine.
“Thank you.”
The solid weight felt like Kio-sensei’s heartfelt congratulations. I thanked him sincerely.
“We celebrate auspicious occasions. That’s what it means to be an Oni.”
Without a trace of embarrassment, Kio-sensei patted me on the shoulder and said, “You did well,” before quickly turning and walking away as if his duty was done.
“Kukukuku, that’s his way of hiding his embarrassment. He was quite worried knowing Suella’s delivery was dangerous.”
Instructor Fushio, an old acquaintance, explained his behavior.
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. And he believed in you, Jiro. He knew that as the Master, you wouldn’t give up on your children or Suella. You know, he prepared that sake before the children were even born.”
Instructor Fushio, laughing, said it was rare to see such worry peeking through. My wife and I exchanged glances and smiled happily.
“We should express our gratitude later.”
“Yes, perhaps we could hold a feast, like in early spring.”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful. It would be a good opportunity to introduce our children, and it would be something for me to look forward to as well. It will give me the motivation for my future work.”
Hearing what we said, Instructor Fushio laughed, looking forward to it. He then asked us to tell him the names we hadn’t mentioned earlier, and my wife and I gladly agreed.
“In that case, to properly receive that enjoyment, I must return to work soon. It’s also about time I stopped interfering with the younger generation.”
Saying this, he slipped his slender hand into his pocket and took out a small box.
“This is my celebratory gift.”
He gently opened his hand to reveal the contents: two cylindrical crystal-like objects, similar to snow globes.
“Could these be!?”
Suella exclaimed in surprise, looking at the objects about five centimeters tall, with sparkling particles dancing inside.
“Hoh, as expected of an elementalist, you are sharp. Indeed, these are called ‘Tears of the Spirits.’ They are high-purity magic stones formed from crystallized pure magic essence in the Spirit World.”
“And two of them must be…”
“Indeed, they are ‘twin stones.’ They are rarely found, but do not worry. May they be of use to your children in the future.”
Seeing this, I felt they might be quite expensive and hesitated to accept them. However, Instructor Fushio showed no concern and quickly placed the small box in my hand.
“Well then, lately things have been rather tense, and it’s been rather depressing, but this auspicious occasion has lightened my spirits. Thank you for that.”
These words from Instructor Fushio were uncharacteristic. However, before we could say anything, he melted into the darkness and disappeared.
“As always, they’re like a whirlwind.”
“Yes.”
They arrived and left in an instant. We turned our attention to the gifts we received. We received splendid celebratory gifts.
“By the way, may I ask…”
“Yes, what is it?”
Holding up the sake given by Kio-sensei among the gifts, I asked Suella, even though the instructors were nowhere to be seen.
“From your world, at what age can one drink alcohol?”
“It varies by race, but in our village, only those who have completed the coming-of-age ceremony can. By age, the youngest is sixteen.”
“So, at the earliest, sixteen years from now.”
Hearing that it was top-class sake, I felt a slight urge to try it. However, I decided to endure it, thinking it would be nice to share this story with the children later when we drink it.
“Hehe, please endure it properly.”
“You’re right.”
Acknowledging Suella’s gentle reminder, we resumed our interrupted walk.
“Still, our children are amazing, aren’t they?”
“Why do you say that?”
The conversation along the way was mere small talk, but this was something I wanted to say. Suella tilted her head in confusion at the sudden topic.
“They’re expected to achieve great things by the instructors, right? Perhaps they might accomplish something incredible in the future.”
While they probably didn’t foresee my rise from a newly hired employee, I believe I’ve come this far thanks to their expectations. The fact that my own children are now receiving the same expectations from these two makes me feel proud and happy.
“Yes, I would be delighted if they turned out that way.”
We boarded the elevator, and in the midst of casual conversation, the feeling of slowly ascending weighed upon us.
“In that case, we’ll have to carefully consider their names when we get back to the room.”
“Agreed.”
Suella adjusted her hold on the children, as if to support the weight.
“I want to call these children by their names soon too.”
“Choosing from the candidates will be quite a challenge.”
We can only call them “our children” for now. It’s our responsibility, so I can’t say anything.
The notebook, filled with names written before we knew they were twins, contained a vast number.
Names from Suella’s world and names from Japan.
Considering the meaning and appearance of the characters, the list of good names grew to an incredible amount.
“It’s difficult, but the fact that I don’t find it unpleasant is a good thing.”
“Indeed.”
Suella, who had placed her hand on her cheek in concern, smiled at my words. Then, we entered the room, opening the door.
“I’m home.”
“We’re back.”
After a long absence, and upon entering the room, Himik greeted us.
“Oh! Son-in-law! Suella, welcome back!”
My wife and I were surprised by the unexpected appearance of Muil-san.
“Muil-san!?”
“Grandfather, why are you here!?”
Muil-san nodded, saying it was satisfying just to see our faces, and gave a firm thumbs-up.
“I’ve come to see my great-grandchildren!!”
He declared cheerfully.
Today’s Word:
There will come a day when you realize that the ordinary everyday life is what matters.
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*The first volume of this novel has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was released on October 31st of the same year.
The second volume was released on December 19th.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the version posted on Shosetsuka ni Narou, with the addition of unpublished interlude chapters.
Please check out the new releases as well!!
The comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
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