Chapter 81
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Childbirth - 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To build the delivery room, I received help from two nymphs: Fores and Ravi.
I had no idea how much assistance the two tiny nymphs, even smaller than Clia, could provide, but with only a week left until the birth, I was in a position where I needed even a cat's paw.
'At least they won't get in the way.'
Still, I didn't have high expectations.
Not until I saw them work, that is.
"Goddess of Nature and Harmony, bestow your energy upon this place."
Fores planted a sapling and offered a prayer to the goddess she served.
In an instant, the sapling grew massively, forming a small house.
"No way..."
"■■!"
Clara and Vivian, who had come out to assist with the work, were shocked beyond mere astonishment by the miracle Fores had performed. It took us over three days to build a single warehouse, yet over there, a single prayer made it happen in a snap.
Naturally, it left us feeling deflated.
"Don't get your hopes up too much. It'll collapse in half a month."
Noticing our reactions, Fores quickly corrected herself.
That's even more shocking.
"Lady Flora's miracles stem from abundance. You mustn't be surprised that this humble temporary shelter is all it produces."
"???"
This is just 'humble'?
'Somehow, Hestia's miracles are starting to feel insignificant.'
As if to confirm it wasn't just my imagination, Ravi then demonstrated another miracle.
"Goddess of Sun and Justice, purify the foul energies from this place."
Ravi created a pure white orb in her hand, donned what looked like a mask over her mouth, and began bathing the house Fores had made with light emanating from the orb.
"Sterilization complete."
"Good work."
"Huh?"
Less than ten minutes after starting, the delivery room was already finished.
Of course, the equipment needed for the birth wasn't set up yet, but that was a simple task we could handle anytime.
"If I may ask, what kinds of miracles can Lady Flora and Lady Sunna perform?"
"It seems the hero is curious about our gods. Allow me to explain."
Perhaps because she was a nymph, Fores was passionate about teaching and patiently described the miracles of the two goddesses.
"...Thus, Lady Flora governs abundance and life."
"...And Lady Sunna oversees light, righteousness, and sheep."
But since I knew nothing about theology, even the expert nymphs' detailed explanations went in one ear and out the other.
'Still, I get the gist of it.'
The gods could govern meanings equivalent to modifiers or descriptors.
The Goddess of Nature and Harmony, Flora, could influence the abundant powers of forests, mountains, and rivers associated with nature—like a divine descriptor—and exhibited great power when performing multiple miracles in harmony, true to her epithet.
In contrast, the Goddess of Sun and Justice, Sunna, governed only the sun itself, unlike Flora's broad natural domain. True to her descriptor of justice, she was principled and couldn't perform multiple miracles at once, but each one packed immense power.
'Even the same prayer would yield similar yet different miracles from Flora and Sunna.'
In game terms, it was like the difference between natural healing from Flora and instant healing from Sunna.
However, limiting a god's power strictly to their descriptors would be hasty judgment.
Exceptions existed, like how I wielded flames through Hestia's divinity as the Goddess of Love and Hearth.
"Could I perform miracles from these two goddesses too?"
"It's possible."
"But it won't be easy. Unlike Lady Hestia, the doctrines of Lady Sunna and Lady Flora are extremely difficult."
"What's so hard about them?"
"For starters, Lady Flora requires you to feel nature itself."
"Nature itself?"
Did that mean meditating under a waterfall like monks seeking enlightenment?
"You must sense Lady Flora's divinity present throughout nature. It's not easy at first, but with a few years of focus, you'll feel it."
"I see... Then what about Lady Sunna?"
Did it mean basking in the sunlight like with Flora?
"Lady Sunna is the most demanding among the Twelve Gods."
"In what way?"
"You must uphold the 144 Codes of Justice said to have been created by Lady Sunna."
"Then let's skip Lady Sunna."
Even Christianity's Ten Commandments had proven historically difficult to follow—144 was out of the question.
Better to give up cleanly.
"Still, there are other ways to perform divine miracles."
"How?"
"By performing miracles through a god's legacy."
"Oh? Like that bottom-something-or-other guy from before?"
"Exactly."
"So how do you obtain this 'god's legacy'?"
"The Holy Kingdom stores divine legacies. With your status, Sian, you could borrow a few."
"I see... But I don't really want to go that route."
After all the trouble caused by a divine legacy before, I had no desire to handle another dangerous item. Sure, stability-wise it was incomparable, but dangerous was dangerous.
"Too bad."
"But there's one other method."
"What's that?"
As I was tempted by other gods' miracles, Fores offered advice.
"A nymph's disc possesses performance equivalent to a god's legacy. That's why nymph hunting was rampant in the past."
"Really?"
Music to my ears.
With just a nymph's help, I could wield divine miracles freely...
"Hoee? Senior, doesn't that mean the nymph dies?"
"That's right."
"..."
Guess some things are better left alone.
As the day of birth approached,
Chloe entered the delivery room with Sylvia and the three nymphs.
Despite making every preparation and doing everything possible, Sian couldn't hide his anxiety and began trembling his legs.
"Sian."
Elsia offered advice to the anxious Sian.
"You've done everything you could."
He had been careful around pregnant Chloe to avoid shocking her and visited her room frequently so she wouldn't worry.
Moreover, through Helen's connections, he had secured the help of nymphs—proxies of the gods and guides of humanity—for the birth. Excluding the imperial family and the Holy Kingdom, no place offered better conditions.
"You're right. I know, but it's still hard."
Even so, Sian couldn't control the uncontrollable trembling or his emotions.
"I still can't believe I'm about to become a father."
He had steeled himself before marriage.
But now that it was here, he didn't know what to do.
His past life's experiences, which had helped him so much before, offered no aid in this moment.
"Can I really be a proper dad?"
"Of course."
To Sian, who showed a lack of confidence for the first time, Elsia embraced him as an adult and a mother herself.
"You'll be a better father than any man I've seen."
"Yeah... If Elsia says so, it must be true."
Was it because his most trusted family member said it?
Sian overcame his anxiety and gradually composed himself as a parent.
And then...
"Sian!"
With a resounding cry from the baby, the thickest door in the world—the delivery room's—swung open.
"Chloe, you did great."
"No, it was only right as your wife and the child's mother."
The sweat she had shed gave a glimpse, even indirectly, of her ordeal.
Even though painless birth was possible with miracles, Chloe endured the pain for the sake of their child.
I came to truly respect her and felt immensely proud that she was my first wife.
And our child with Chloe.
Our firstborn was a daughter, whom I cradled in my arms.
She had black hair like mine, distinct features like Chloe's, and heterochromatic eyes—an intriguing odd-eyed gaze—inheriting half my golden eyes and half Chloe's blue ones.
Only now did I understand why people say a child is as precious as the pupil of one's eye. I felt like I could do anything for this lovely little one.
"Thank you. For giving me the most precious gift."
Gazing at the now peacefully sleeping child brought tears to my eyes for some reason.
It was the first time since my adoptive father's passing.
Finally, it felt real.
That I had taken root in this world, in our family.
From now on, I would live for this world. For my family, for my child.
"And thank you for coming through safely."
"It's all thanks to you, dear."
Chloe looked at the nymphs who had assisted the midwife, then at her tearful mother Sylvia, and spoke.
"Mom gave birth alone, but I had the blessings of so many."
"......"
The more I heard about Sylvia's past, the more shocking it was. If the chance arose, I'd comfort her properly later.
In any case, taking Chloe's hand, I said,
"Still, you went through something tough and came out strong."
"That's right. I'm so proud of our girl."
As Sylvia joined in, Chloe finally smiled.
I approached her cautiously.
"I love you. More than ever."
"Me too."
Thus, we shared a brief kiss.
Yet it felt deeper than any before.