by Dojyomaru
“Thank you. Having you there is as good as having a hundred of anyone else.”
Hilde turned to face the rest of us. “Your Majesty! Refugee boss! It’s just like you heard. Sorry, but we’ll be wanting to borrow your underlings for this.”
“Sure, of course you can,” I said.
“Of course,” said Jirukoma. “We are a family. It’s a chief’s duty to defend the family.”
“Thanks,” said Hilde. “Dragonewt girl!”
“M-Me?!” Carla jumped a little when she was called.
“Go to the medical laboratory in the capital, as quickly as you can. Bring back equipment and medical supplies for us. If you ask for my black bag, the researchers there will know what you mean. You can just bring the whole bag.”
“I-I understand!” Carla hurried out of the tent.
Next, Hilde looked to Jirukoma. “Refugee boss, I want to borrow this tent. It’s best to move her to the most hygienic place we can manage.”
“I don’t mind,” said Jirukoma. “Use whatever you want.”
“Also, we’ll be searching for someone with the same blood as the mother, so gather the refugees around.”
“Understood.”
I learned this later, but this world also had A, B, and O (though their naming scheme was different) blood types. Mysteriously, even across races, if the blood types matched, they could almost always be used for blood transfusions. I said “almost always” because there were some blood types that couldn’t accept transfusions regardless of the blood type used. Maybe that could be because there was Rh positive and negative blood types in this world, too.
“Next, you know something about hygiene, right, sire?” asked Hilde. “Explain it to the boss here and his people. I want the environment we work in to be as good as possible. Also, boil a lot of water for us. We’ll want to disinfect our tools.”
“Got it! Liscia, Owen, let’s do this!”
“Okay!” said Liscia.
“Understood!” agreed Owen.
“L-Let me help, too!” Komain broke in.
Komain followed us around, setting up things inside the tent and helping boil a lot of water. With no regard for our respective positions, each of us worked hard to do what we could.
Those who could do something did it.
In a way, I felt like we were embodying the current state of this country.
Once the preparations were finished, there was nothing left for us to do.
Inside the tent, Brad and Hilde must have been performing the procedure now. I could hear the mother’s ragged breathing from inside. All we could do was wait outside the tent for the procedure to finish.
Liscia, who was watching the door, spoke in a voice filled with concern. “I heard they’re splitting open the mother’s belly. Is she going to be okay?”
“If that’s all you heard, it does sounds like a bizarre crime of some kind, doesn’t it?” I said. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
I put a hand on top of Liscia’s head.
“Cesarean sections are a method that is commonly used for difficult births in the world I came from, and the rate of women dying in childbirth is pretty low. The vast majority of people there don’t even think about the fact that a pregnant woman might die when she gives birth. They just assume the child will be born fine.”
“The world you came from is as amazing as ever, Souma.”
“Yeah, kinda,” I said. “Also... those two can do something similar to my country’s medicine. Well, my world lacks light magic, so it’s not easy to do a straight comparison.” I turned to Jirukoma, who was standing beside me. “What about the mother’s husband?”
“We don’t know if he’s dead or alive,” he said. “It seems they were separated while escaping from the north, you see. Still, she said she was determined to give birth to the child in her womb and they would wait for the father together.”
“I see...”
Mothers are strong. It seemed that was true in any world.
“For the people of this village, the child inside her was hope,” said Jirukoma. “It gave us a sense that we wouldn’t only be losing things. That’s why we had all decided that the entire village would raise the child together, with love.”
“I see... Hey, Jirukoma.” I turned to face him. “I know how capable Brad and Hilde are. That’s why I’m confident both mother and child will survive. With that in mind, I want to say something.”
“...What is it?”
“That child is being born into this country. This country is where it will grow up. It will call this country its homeland, having never known the land of its forefathers.”
Jirukoma closed his eyes and was silent. It seemed he understood what I was trying to say.
“You said you would raise it as the child of the entire village, with love, right? Well, there’s no need to force a child who knows nothing to inherit your sorrow. You can decide for yourselves whether to stay in this country or to leave. However, it’s a little much to force a child who has the option of taking this land as its homeland to live as one of the people of a ruined land.”
“You need say no more,” he said quietly.
“Brother...”
Jirukoma placed a reassuring hand on the worried Komain’s shoulder. “I have made up my mind. I will entrust the role of chief to Komain.”
“Wh-What are you saying, Brother?!” she cried.
“What are you planning to do?” I asked.
Jirukoma let out a sad sigh. “To be frank, the people of this village are tired from wandering. If these exhausted people can call this land their home, I think that is a wonderful thing. However, there are a handful of hardliners who can’t give up on returning to their homelands and are currently trying to drive the people on.” Jirukoma turned to the northern sky. “I think I will take those few hardliners and attempt to return to the north. We will volunteer to go to a country seeking soldiers and wait on the front lines for the time to come to reclaim our homeland.”
“Brother!” Komain grabbed her brother’s arms tightly, like she was trying to hold him in place. “This village needs you, Brother! I’m the one who said the king’s proposal is cruel! I’ll take on that job!”
“You can’t,” he said. “The reason you felt His Majesty’s proposal was cruel was because you care for the people of the village, right? With a heart like that, you will be a better community organizer than I am.”
“But didn’t you say that the king’s proposal was wonderful?!” she cried.
“I am simply better at masking my true feelings than you are.” Jirukoma softly brushed Komain’s hands away. “In my heart, I can’t give up on returning to our homeland. However, I have been entrusted with being the chief of this village. That is why I’ve put a lid on those feelings, bottling them up deep inside my chest.”
“Brother...”
“However, there is no longer any need for that. His Majesty has said that if the people of the village will love this country, this country is prepared to accept them. The people have reached a land where they can find peace and safety. That means my job is already done. I can set these feelings free now.”
Komain was crying, but Jirukoma smiled for her. That expression was one already filled with resolve.
Geez...
I said, “Don’t make your little sister cry, you damned fool.”
“I have no response to that,” he said. “Please, take care of Komain and the others for me.”
“About all I’m good for is handling the paperwork,” I admitted. “If anything can truly protect them, it’s the country itself.”
“Then, please, make it so that this country stands the test of time. So that no one can destroy it.”
“...I’ll try.”
That was when we heard a weak cry from inside the tent.
While I was wondering what it was, Liscia shouted out, “It’s been born!”
“Ohh! So that was a baby’s cry, huh?” I asked. “I’ve always thought
it would be louder, more shrill...”
The child was born safely. Now, it’s just a matter of the mother...
We looked at the entrance to the tent, praying for the mother’s well-being.
◇ ◇ ◇
—One week later.
“So cuuuute,” Liscia said.
“I-It’s so soft...” Komain murmured.
“Liscia, l-let me hold it, too,” Carla pleaded.
The baby with pointed ears was sleeping in its mother’s arms, and Liscia, Komain, and Carla were taking turns holding it.
That day, one week ago, we had heard from Brad that the procedure was a success, but we hadn’t been able to meet them on the day it’d happened. That was why we’d been eager to see how they were doing, and so we’d come to visit with the same group as back then.
I wanted to see the baby up close, too, but the three of them were hogging it to themselves and I couldn’t find anywhere to slip in. W-Was this what a maternal nature was like...?
“Ahh, my companions seem to be making a scene,” I said. “Sorry about that.”
The child’s mother smiled. “No, we’re lucky to have the princess and the others adore my child like this.”
The mother was a calm, cat-eared beastman. I was relieved to see her so healthy. Her recovery didn’t seem to be going badly, either.
The mother held the baby’s hand. “We truly are fortunate. I mean, we even have Your Majesty concerned for us.”
We had revealed our identities to the mother. My face and Liscia’s were both widely known, so it seemed futile to try and keep it a secret. At first, the mother had been terrified (almost like after Master Koumon takes out his seal), but now, she had largely gotten used to us.
“Well, I agree with you that the child is lucky,” I said. “Incredibly lucky, in fact. After all, it was born when not just one, but both of the greatest doctors in this country were here together.”
“That’s true,” she said. “They didn’t only save my child, they saved me, too.”
It was pure coincidence that Hilde had visited the village that day. Because she had met us by chance in the former slums, because we happened to have business in the refugee village, and because Hilde decided to tag along, the two great doctors had both been present. If the child had been born a day sooner or a day later, she wouldn’t have been able to receive the care of these great doctors. When I thought of it that way, this child had even saved its mother’s life.
“Almost like a god of fuku...” I murmured.
“Fuku...?” she asked.
“It’s a word from my world. It means good fortune, or happiness.”
“Happiness... Um, Your Majesty?” The mother rushed over to me. “That name, Fuku. Could you give it to this child?”
“Hm? You’re not asking if you can give it that name, but for me to give it that name?” I asked.
Liscia was holding the child. She explained, “In this world, when a person of high status or a great person gives you your name, it is believed you will receive some of their momentum. So, please, give the child that name.”
Well, I guess I had no problem with that.
“It’s a boy, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, his name will be Fuku, then. Raise him to be healthy.”
When I said that and patted him on the head, little Fuku let out a cute little baby sound and nodded with his eyes still closed.
He responded to me while asleep?! This kid... he might be a big deal when he grows up. While I was thinking that, Liscia peered closely at my face.
“Wh-What?” I asked.
“Other people’s babies are nice and all, but having our own baby would be so much cuter, right?” she asked, shooting meaningful glances in my direction.
Ahh, yeah... That probably meant exactly what I thought it did. Hakuya and Marx were telling her we needed to produce an heir already. Now that the country had stabilized, they were probably pressuring her even more.
“Yeah... You’re right,” I said shyly. “We have the method for births by Cesarean section established, and there are more and more obstetrics and gynecology specialists. It’d be safe for you to give birth any time now.”
Liscia’s eyes went wide. “I thought you were going to wimp out again.”
“Now, listen... Okay, yeah, that’s part of it,” I said. “Because I’m prepared to be your husband, but I’m not ready to be a father yet, y’know.”
“Oh! R-Right... I see...”
I wanted to get all lovey-dovey with Liscia and the others. But, in order to increase the number of royals which had declined precipitously in the succession struggle after the death of the king before the last one, the chamberlain, Marx, had insisted, “I won’t stand for you using birth control until you produce at least one child!” You can see why I would be cautious.
“Well, aside from that, this high rate of death during childbirth in this world had been concerning me, too,” I said.
When I looked into the population of this country, I was surprised how high the death rate was for newborns and pregnant women. In modern Japan, while we might worry about whether the baby would be born safely, we hardly ever thought about the mother potentially dying in childbirth. However, it seemed that, in this country, pregnant women died sometimes. If there were a thousand women pregnant, a handful of them were going to die. In this country which lacked a formal study of obstetrics and gynecology, pregnant women were literally putting their lives on the line to give birth.
As the king, I was being told to produce many children with multiple women. If a child were born to Liscia, Aisha, Juna, or Roroa, and I were to lose one of them during the birth... I couldn’t stand that.
“In order to make sure that doesn’t happen, to keep the risk of losing any of my family to an absolute minimum, I’ve pushed forward with medical reforms,” I said. “It might be abusing my authority a bit, though.”
“It’s fine, isn’t it? The result was that you ended up helping everyone.” Liscia wrapped her arm around mine. “H-Hey, Souma. If making babies is okay now, do you want to try working on that tonight?”
When Liscia said that, fidgeting shyly, I couldn’t help but love it. But, as I’d said earlier, I wasn’t able to convince myself I should be a father yet, so I had to turn my head and look away.
“Oh! Um... do you think you could wait a little longer, after all?”
“Geez! You still wimp out in the end!” Liscia shouted.
When Liscia raised her voice, it startled Fuku, and he started making a fuss. “Wah... Wahhhhhhhh!”
We handed him back to his mother and tried to amuse him with funny faces. Owen tried to join in and do the same, but his face startled Fuku again, causing him to cry loudly and make a big scene.
Someday, we’ll make a big, noisy scene like this in the royal castle, too.
In the midst of that noisy happiness, that was what I thought.
Final Chapter: In the Snow
—31st Day, 12th month, 1,546th year, Continental Calendar — Royal Capital Parnam
There were eight days in this world’s week. With four weeks in a month, that meant each month had 32 days. There were twelve months in a year, so the year ended on the 384th day.
The third through fifth months were spring, the sixth through eighth were summer, the ninth through eleventh were fall, and the twelfth through the second of the next year were winter, the same as Japan.
Today was the 31st day of the twelfth month. In Earth’s calendar, this would be New Year’s Eve, but in this world’s calendar, it was just another day at the end of the year.
In this country, New Year’s Eve and Day were generally celebrated quietly with one’s friends and family. Normally, the castle wasn’t all that busy (the political year began on the first day of the fourth month), aside from priests who carried out the New Year’s ceremony, but right now the great hall in Parnam Castle was in a state of pandemonium.
“Aisha, carry that set over to the
right,” Liscia ordered.
“Understood, prin... Lady Liscia.”
Following Liscia’s directions, Aisha picked up a stage set that would normally have taken multiple adults to lift and easily slung it over her shoulder. Aisha could always be counted on to do the heavy lifting... Oh!
“Carla, Hal,” I directed. “Line up those two pillar props over here.”
“Understood, master.”
“Right, right,” Hal said. “...Sigh.”
With my directions, Carla and Halbert, a vanguard commander from the National Defense Force, were affixing (fake) marble pillar-like objects that looked like they belonged in the Parthenon to the floor. From there, Liscia and I kept giving orders to my vassals (and betrothed), following the plans in my hands.
“Still, to think you’d not only use the National Defense Force, but also a future queen to do hard labor for you...” Ludwin said with a wry smile.
Behind us, Ludwin, the Captain of the Royal Guard, and his second in command, Kaede, were finalizing the details of their plan for on-site security.
“It would be unthinkable in any other country, you know,” said Kaede. “Also, Hal, work faster. Chop chop.”
“I am, Kaede!”
I waved my hand dismissively at Ludwin. “Now, now, Aisha said she wanted to help herself. Besides, it’s just a fact that there’s no one in this castle stronger than Aisha.”
If we’d had earth mages (for gravitational control), this would have been easy, but they had all been sent out to lay roads in the newly absorbed Principality of Amidonia. We didn’t have cranes for indoor use, meaning we had to rely on human labor for all of this, and I couldn’t see a reason to let Aisha’s muscles go to waste.
Liscia let out an exasperated sigh. “Honestly... If you had just said something sooner, we wouldn’t be dealing with this tight schedule...”
“It’s not like I could have,” I said. “I mean, I only came up with this idea a week ago.”