Chapter 203: Birth Rush
The royal harem of the Silesie Kingdom was experiencing a true baby boom.
Sharon, Lyle-sensei, and Ria all gave birth in quick succession. Caroline had also safely delivered while returning to her hometown in the Duchy of Transylvania.
The saying ‘It’s easier to give birth than to worry’ proved to be quite true, as the births themselves were not as concerning as I had anticipated. This was largely due to the presence of Oracle, an expert in childbirth, and Ria, who could use healing magic without limit, ensuring that we were well-prepared for any emergencies.
For instance, even if a cesarean section were necessary, they could quickly close up the wounds. Fortunately, none of that was needed, as all the births were smooth, likely thanks to Oracle’s regular check-ups.
Take Sharon’s birth, for example.
While I promised to support her through it, all I could really do as a first-time birther was hold her hand and praise her once the baby arrived.
「Twins, huh…」
「A boy and a girl; they are fraternal twins. It’s quite common for those with the blood of multiparous beastkin to give birth to two or three at a time.」
Oracle, acting as the midwife, held the twins, both of whom had dog ears. Upon seeing them, Sharon wore a worried expression.
「I guess my beastkin blood has come out strong after all.」 「They’re adorable; you did well.」
The baby with the same dog ears and a tiny tail was truly cute. When I stroked the soft orange hair, Sharon’s face lit up with happiness seeing my reaction.
After discussing various name options with the slave girls, we decided to name the girl, who had orange hair like Sharon’s and my black eyes, Loranju.
The boy, who inherited my black hair and amber eyes, was named Noah.
-0-
When Lyle-sensei gave birth, something quite unusual happened.
Given her status as a mage, and considering her physical circumstances, a difficult delivery was anticipated.
During labor, she struggled painfully, breathing heavily and sweating profusely, which worried me greatly. But suddenly, as if the baby had willed itself through the birth canal, the child was born.
The boy, with brown hair inherited from his mother, immediately used healing magic to heal her.
「A, A…」
The incantation, merely calling out the first half of the name of the Goddess of Creation, was enough to reach the heavens and cast the healing spell. The injury from Lyle-sensei’s childbirth was being healed.
It was Ria who had discovered that even a sloppily recited spell could sometimes be understood by Asama. This newborn had apparently heard Ria’s casual spellcasting while in the womb and mimicked it.
It was an unprecedented event for a newborn to use a healing spell they had never been taught. Everyone was left speechless.
Later, when we measured the child’s magical power, we found that Lyle-sensei’s son possessed the innate magic power of an advance mage, making him a genius.
Naturally, the shrewd Nicola, the Prime Minister and grandfather, decided to name his talented grandson Coil, proclaiming that he would carry on the name of the Laertius family. Surprisingly, Lyle-sensei, who I had thought to be impossible to reconcile with her father due to their tumultuous past, accepted this proposal.
Just like that, the strained relationship between father and daughter was resolved almost instantly.
I couldn’t quite understand it at first, and when I asked Lyle-sensei for clarification, it only became more confusing.
「This child, Coil, was born with the magic power to inherit the family name, despite my being a failure and a half one at that. He has overturned everything my father dedicated his life to. There’s no greater revenge than this.」
「Revenge, is it?」
The word ‘revenge’, so incongruous with the joyous occasion of childbirth, left me stunned when it slipped from her lips, spoken with a tired expression yet accompanied by a radiant smile.
「Yes, it became a form of revenge, from me as a daughter and not as a son. It’s funny, really. I thought I had cast aside my femininity just like my father wanted… But what we discard has a way of coming back to us.」
「Coming back to you?」
「Yes. What is cast aside pursues and exacts revenge. I had planned to take the utmost revenge on my father. I believed I could never forgive him. That’s why I let my brothers die and ended the Laertius family line.」
「Sensei…」
「Ultimately, I intended to mock my father as he faded away, pitiful and alone. But I never expected it to end like this… Fufu, seeing my child’s overwhelming magic power, watching him prostrate himself in apology, brought me a strange sense of healing. I never thought something like that would ease my heart.」
「Well, if you can say you’re glad you gave birth to Coil, then perhaps that’s enough.」
I could hardly grasp what either Prime Minister Nicola or Lyle-sensei was thinking.
But if the child was born safely and that brought them joy, then I will say no more.
Still, it baffles me how a newborn, instead of crying out at birth, had used healing magic on its parents.
Lyle-sensei had barely managed to become a mid-level mage after enduring the forbidden magic and gene manipulation passed down in the Laertius family, while I possessed no magical power at all.
Yet their child was born a genius of an advance mage. It seemed like nothing less than Asama’s will.
Perhaps it was that the magic power of the Laertius family had regressed so far that the blending of our bloodlines had led to a resurgence of ancestral magic.
Regardless of the reasons, children are the ties that bind.
Thanks to Coil’s birth, Prime Minister Nicola and Lyle-sensei had reconciled, and that was a good thing.
By the way, when it came to Ria’s childbirth, the baby popped out with a sound, almost comically easy.
However, that was just the beginning of the trouble.
-0-
She insisted on naming the baby ‘Anal’.
If she named my daughter that, she would surely go astray.
「Ria, you… do you even know what you’re talking about!」
「Ara, but in the Kingdom of Silesie, Saintess Anal is a well-known historical figure! It has the ‘A’ from Steriana and the ‘Ru’ from Takeru, so it’s absolutely fine!」
TN: It’s アナール(Anaru)
Absolutely not!
It might be a common name in Silesie, but in Japanese, it just sounds awful.
Was there really a Saint Anal?
Ria clearly said that knowing I would object, and that made it all the more infuriating. She was still messing around as usual.
「Alright then, let’s meet in the middle with Ruana. This way, it includes both ‘Ru’ from Takeru and ‘A’ from Steriana, right?」
「I see, you brought up Saintess Ruana.」
Eh? She improvised but there’s still a saintess with that name?
I couldn’t tell where Ria was being serious and where she was joking.
「The future of the child is at stake here; I won’t give in.」
「If Takeru says so, then it’s settled. Ruana is fine. Besides, it still has ‘Ana’ in it, so I suppose it’s acceptable.」
So she was implying ‘that’ means after all!
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity. Even as a mother, Ria was still like this; I was at a loss.
I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of daughter her child would grow into.
I needed to think of ways to minimize her mother’s influence.
-0-
When it came to Caroline’s childbirth, it was particularly difficult since it was a bit late and she had returned to Transylvania for the delivery.
As soon as the contractions began, we used teleportation magic back and forth numerous times, and when she finally gave birth on the third day, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
While everyone around her was anxiously flustering, Caroline continued discussing the affairs of the duchy orally from her bed, displaying remarkable composure.
The reason for her delay in giving birth, despite her large belly, was that she had delivered a baby weighing over four thousand grams.
The baby, with the same flaxen hair as Caroline, was a splendid boy who had inherited the dignity of his grandfather, King Valram.
In accordance with the traditions of the Transylvania royal family, Caroline and my son was given the name Mauritz, and I had a feeling he would grow up to be a serious and dependable nobleman, just like his mother.
-0-
Silhouette was also a bit late, which caused concern, but the word was that her childbirth would happen soon.
After peeking into the bustling children’s room, I headed to the newly built room prepared for Silhouette’s delivery.
Since more babies had come into the family, I had become especially careful about hygiene. The delivery room was a kind of hospital ward.
After shaking off the dust from my travels, I thoroughly washed and disinfected my hands and feet with soap.
Even though we had recovery magic at our disposal, maintaining proper hygiene was still essential.
「Welcome back, Takeru-sama…」
「Yeah, I brought cacao as a souvenir today. The cacao pods have a yogurt-like texture, so Silhouette should be able to eat them. I’ll crack them open and feed her right away.」
I had sampled it at the market, and the ripe yellow cacao was just as delicious.
When I broke it open, the inside revealed a gooey, white, jelly-like substance that had a tangy flavor with a sweetness unlike yogurt.
I scooped out the fruit into a glass bowl and used a spoon to feed it to Silhouette.
「It’s really sweet and delicious!」
「Right? The fruit part has to be fresh to eat, so I’m glad it suited Silhouette’s taste.」
By the way, the cacao beans used for chocolate and cocoa are found inside the white fruit.
There’s also a belief that cacao powder can have medicinal properties, but its bitter taste means it’s best not to give it to Silhouette just yet.
I gently rubbed Silhouette’s large belly and spoke to her.
「You’re about to give birth soon. I hope you have a healthy baby.」
「Yes, it’s reassuring to have you here with me during times like this.」
Since Silhouette is a half-elf and has a smaller build, I couldn’t help but worry about her.
However, according to Oracle, everything is progressing well, and childbirth is imminent. I had no choice but to trust the words of the expert.
※※※
When I returned to the children’s room, the oldest, Orakeru, was playing with a stack of picture books.
The other children were still small and in their cribs, but Orakeru was often out of bed by now.
「Orakeru is reading some difficult books, huh?」
「Yes, Nation’s Father! Orakeru-sama is quite clever and has already begun to learn demon magic!」
Kaara, who was serving as the tutor, answered on behalf of the still-silent Orakeru.
「Dah!」
「Does Orakeru really understand?」
Looking at the books Kaara had given to Orakeru, I saw titles like Beginning Magic and Sorcery for Picture Book Readers, A History of the Demon Race for Picture Book Readers, Demon Language for Picture Book Readers, Military Strategy for Picture Book Readers, The Prince for Picture Book Readers, Political Economy for Picture Book Readers, and Advanced Sorcery Doctrine and Rituals for Picture Book Readers, among others.
These were far too difficult; even I would find them challenging to read.
It’s not true that anything is understandable just because it’s in a picture book.
In this regard, Kaara, despite being a demoness, had mastered human-level advanced magic before the age of twenty, which made her an undeniable genius. It must be a heavy burden for Orakeru to learn from her. Kaara likely has high hopes for raising Orakeru as a king of the demon race.
However, even though he was the oldest, Orakeru was still a zero-year-old infant.
I was surprised when I saw him standing up with support, but I was relieved to hear that he was just floating thanks to demon magic.
But when I thought about it, it’s even more impressive for a zero-year-old to be floating with magic. Unlike human magic, which is difficult to master even at the beginner level, demon magic seems to be relatively simple and intuitive.
Even so, I had to admit that Orakeru was undeniably a genius. I couldn’t help but wonder who he took after.
He was so amazing that I secretly asked Oracle if Orakeru might actually be a reincarnated hero, and she just laughed.
「Orakeru is the child of me, an Ancient Succubus, and you, Takeru, an otherworlder.」
「Does that mean he’s going to be incredible?」
「Well, I can’t say for sure.」
「You can’t say for sure?」
「There are things even I, the expert on reproduction, don’t understand. There hasn’t been a case of pure Ancient Succubus and human hybrids in at least the last eight thousand years.」
「So, this is a first?」
Orakeru, who had returned to his adorable little old lady form after childbirth, nodded cutely.
As an Ancient Succubus, Oracle usually has a childlike form resembling a thirteen-year-old and only takes on an adult body when giving birth, making her an anomalous species among demons.
Naturally, I had no idea how her child would grow up.
「It’s unprecedented. However, I am merely a clone created from the nail of the Immortal King Oracle, who has lived for only three hundred years. Yet, for some mysterious reason, Orakeru, born from me, seems to inherit a power comparable to that of the Immortal King.」
「What does that mean?」
「It means Kaara is eager to educate him as a demon king. If I think about it, the miasma surrounding Orakeru closely resembles that of the Immortal King, whom I faintly remember…」
「Whaaat?!」
The Immortal King Oracle.
The true master of the Oracle Great Cave, said to have lived for over five thousand years, he is the king among demons.
Considering that Orakeru has inherited the power of the Immortal King, I couldn’t help but think that my son’s future would be quite challenging as I stroked his grayish hair. While it’s beneficial to have strength for survival, possessing too much power can also bring about various difficulties.
I feel I must meet Kaara’s expectations, but I don’t want my son to go through the same struggles I did. While I was lost in these thoughts, relaxing with Orakeru while reading a picture book,
Oracle entered the children’s room with a serious expression.
When I asked where she had been, she suddenly said something alarming.
「Takeru. Silhouette’s water broke. She’s about to give birth.」
「Wait, is she okay? Isn’t water breaking supposed to happen after contractions?!」
I hadn’t expected it to be so soon and jumped to my feet, frantically pacing about as I tried to figure out what to do. What should I do?!
「Contractions and water breaking can occur in reverse order. Birth can vary, so how many times must I tell you not to panic?」
「Even so…」
I always fumble around during childbirth, and Oracle reprimands me like a child, telling me to ‘calm down!’ Yet, seeing that I was still agitated, she broke into a laugh, looking somewhat exasperated.
「Ha ha ha! Let’s just say that panicking is your job, Takeru. If you’re flustered, the person involved will end up calmer.」
「Cackle cackle」
My frantic behavior seemed amusing enough to even make Orakeru, who was sitting and reading a picture book, laugh. But honestly, how can I calm down at a time like this?
「Well then, Oracle, we should hurry.」
「Right. We might need healing magic, so let’s also ask Asama’s santess for assistance.」
Ria quickly dusted off the hem of her clothes and began to calmly disinfect her hands and feet before changing into clean garments.
I hurriedly followed suit, disinfecting my own hands and feet, but everyone else seemed so calm. Women truly are strong in situations like this, I thought.
I wasn’t capable of acting as a midwife like Oracle, nor could I use healing magic like Ria.
All I could do was stay by Silhouette’s side in the delivery room and wipe the sweat from her forehead.
With that, the birth began.
Even though I wasn’t new to being present for childbirth, Silhouette, who was giving birth for the first time, was far calmer than I was.
「Silhouette, hang in there! I’m here for you!」
「Fuu,thank you, Takeru-sama… it’s comforting to have you here…」
At a time like this, I felt I should be the one expressing gratitude. It pained me to see the strained look on Silhouette’s face.
When there’s nothing to do, time seems to crawl by, but remembering how much harder it must be for Silhouette made me realize I had to stay strong. I could only keep watch by her side, praying to Asama.
「Takeru, it’s almost time.」
「Hang in there, Silhouette…」
It seemed that the strain of childbirth was quite a burden for Silhouette’s small frame. Still, I was grateful that she was able to give birth naturally.
Eventually, a loud cry of ‘Waaah!’ echoed through the delivery room. The baby, born just as dawn broke and the sky turned white, was a healthy girl.
Silhouette’s child, being a quarter-elf, inherited golden hair and slightly elongated ears. The tradition in the Kingdom of Silesie dictated that the throne be passed down to male heirs of human descent, but with Silhouette, a half-elf woman, becoming the 18th queen, that tradition was changed.
After Silhouette’s reign began, it was decided that the firstborn child of any gender, descending from the Founding King Renz, would inherit the kingdom.
In other words, if all goes as planned, this child will become the crown princess of the Kingdom of Silesie.
「Well done, Silhouette.」
「Yes…」
Silhouette had completed her great task and had fallen asleep with her eyes closed. As for me, I was overwhelmed by the mysterious emotion that always follows such a lengthy birth, making it difficult to rest.
「Takeru, would you like to hold her?」
「Yeah.」
I received the newborn, now washed and clean, from Oracle and lifted her up. The baby’s golden, soft hair shimmered beautifully. It was remarkable that, even at birth, she looked so stunning with elven blood flowing through her veins.
「It’s good that she doesn’t resemble you too much since she’s a girl.」
「Oracle, that’s cruel… But yeah, I’m glad she doesn’t look like me.」
「The skin color has a hint of pale orange mixed in. And the shape of her eyes resembles yours quite a bit.」
I often get compliments about my eyes, so if she inherited only the good traits from her parents, then that was a relief.
「She’s like a child of light. What do you think about the name Lumière? It could work for a girl, right?」
As I suggested this, the newborn, whose eyes were still closed, seemed to crack a faint smile as if she had heard me. A child born from Silhouette of shadow, named Lumière of light.
Yeah, that could be good.
When Silhouette wakes up, I’ll ask her if we can name the baby that.
Perhaps it was my parental bias, but I had a feeling this child would grow up to be incredibly beautiful. As I held the tiny baby, feeling an overwhelming sense of love, I prayed that she would become the new light of this country.