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“Uu───ugh…it still hasn’t been born…?”
Soon after the graduation of Agnes’ group and the talk with Doushi about his past, Elise finally went into labor. As a soon-to-be father I wanted to stay by her side, but in this world men are not allowed to enter the room where the child is being born.
Even the midwife and healers, who Cardinal Hohenheim had arranged for, were all women. The only men involved with childbirth were doctors, but even they were surprisingly not allowed to enter the room of the laboring woman during the birth.
“Still not…? Not yet…?” I’ve been single-mindedly waiting outside the room where Elise was giving birth.
Since I’ve gotten too bored and extremely frustrated, I open a nearby window to get some fresh air. Thereupon, I spotted a huge tree. Since I can see many leaves continuously falling to the ground after being shaken off by the wind, I repeatedly shoot minuscule 『Fireballs』 at them.
If you’re asking why I’m doing something like that, the answer would be that I couldn’t endure worrying without doing anything as my emotions are too riled up. Given that it calms my mind and also serves as special magic training, I’m killing two birds with one stone here.
There’s no other meaning to it.
“I’m going to call it 『Fire Gun』. Are any more leaves going to fall…?”
Quickly running out of targets, I sit down on my chair again, and begin to nervously tap a foot. I never had the habit of doing something like that in my two lives, but I feel like it allows me to calm down a bit.
“U───uh.”
However, I quickly lose my composure again, so I take Master’s book out of my magic bag this time, and begin to read it. I scan through everything Master has written down, wondering whether I might have missed any knowledge or magic useful for childbirth.
“Nothing…a spell helping with childbirth…ah, Master was a man…besides, he was single…”
Since it’s a book I’ve received more than ten years ago, I’ve read it to such an extent that I remember each and every single word in it, so it’s impossible for me to discover anything new.
“Next is…”
Because I’ve become irritated again, I take out an empty magic gem and try to store some mana in it…
“The magic gem twinkles so nicely! How beautiful…bah, that’s only natural, isn’t it!?”
It’s common knowledge that a magic gem glows if you pour mana into it.
“Wend, give it a rest and calm down, will you?”
“Well, but, you see…”
“Nothing will change even with you getting flustered.”
Erw, who’s waiting for Elise’s delivery with me, cautions me to settle down.
“Isn’t it somewhat late?”
“Only two hours have passed so far. Won’t it take some time since it’s Elise’s first child?”
I guess Erw got some knowledge about childbirth. During my life so far, I never got in contact with childbirth… In my previous life I had a brother who was one year younger than me, but of course it’s impossible for me to remember the time of his birth.
In this world, I was the youngest child, and since the men were chased out even more fervently than now when Amalie-san gave birth to her children, I don’t know anything about it.
“Erw, you sure are well-informed.”
“There were many childbirths back home. It’s not like I helped out with those, but there were many cases where it took the midwife half a day or a day to come running. Though some of them were quite fast.”
I see, so he’s watched childbirths by the residents of his parent’s territory. I was busy with my magic training, so I never paid any attention to that.
“Wend-kun, drink this and calm down a bit.”
As I’m chatting with Erw, Amalie-san hands me a cup filled with mate tea.
“At times like these, it’s bad if the father isn’t a tower of strength.”
“Meaning?”
“It’d be best for you to simply sit here in silence.”
“Got it.”
My mind finally calmed down after I got cautioned by Amalie-san.
“Oh man, it’s good that you’re here with us, Amalie-san…”
◇◆◇
A lot of time has passed…I wonder how many hours it’s been…? Erw and I continue to wait stoically. I wonder, does smoking a cigarette at such times distracts one better?
I tried one during my time at university in my previous life, but it didn’t do me any good as I ended up choking horribly. Since this world has no cigarettes, I’d need to produce it from scratch by myself.
No, if I search, I might find some, but I don’t really know what tobacco leaves look like. It didn’t pique my interest so far since it’s no food…though I might have know the full account if I got a job over at ○Ｔ.
Well, I wouldn’t have had any chance with such an elite company anyway…oops, I’m digressing.
“Since Burkhart-san isn’t here, there’s no way to drink some wi…”
“Even if he was here, this isn’t the time to drink alcohol, is it…?”
“No clue.”
Burkhart-san loves his booze above all, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to start a drinking bout in this place either.
“Wait, the move to distract your mind with alcohol…”
“Stop it. The idea is retarded!”
Immediately after I get warned by Erw that it’s wrong to have a drinking bout when your own child is being born, I can hear a baby loudly crying from the room where Elise is giving birth.
My child has finally been born.
『Ogyaa───a! Ogyaa───a!』
“Wend!”
“Erw!”
“It was born!”
“Yeah!”
I try to open the door in a hurry, but it’s still locked.
“He───ey! You can already open up, can’t you!?”
『Ah, yes. We’re going to open it right away』
Once I tell them to open the door, I hear the midwife answering from within. As expected of a true veteran, she isn’t perturbed at all. I guess it’s the proper attitude since everyone would likely become anxious if the midwife panicked during the birth.
She opens the door’s lock while answering carefreely. And in the instant a small crack appears as I pull on the door, a dazzling light floods out from inside the room.
“Magic light?”
“What’s with this radiance?”
When I hurriedly enter the room with Erw, a shining baby enters our field of view. The one emitting the dazzling light is the baby that was just born by Elise.
“Nothing less of my child. It’s already shining. No, it’s got a wonderful charisma that doesn’t resemble me at all.”
“You’re already acting like a doting parent, or what!? But, do babies shine like this normally? It’s definitely got something to do with magic.”
The baby’s glow disappeared after one hour, but when I checked its mana, it had an amount of mana at the level of an elementary magician, despite having just been born. It was at this very moment that Arnest’s claim about my babies very likely all becoming magicians unexpectedly turned into reality.
◇◆◇
“Elise, it’s a shining, healthy boy. You did awesome.”
“Thanks, I’m happy that he’s healthy.”
Since the baby is safe and sound, I first talk to Elise while casting healing magic on her to alleviate her exhaustion somewhat. It’s the healing magic I don’t use overly often since it’s inferior to Elise’s, but now it’s a good help after a long time of not using it.
“I’m relieved that it’s a boy.”
Elise must have been expected to give birth to a boy by her family. Because she managed to accomplish this, she now looks very relieved. Though I’m simply happy that it’s been born safely without a care about the gender.
“Earl Baumeister-sama, considering it is Elise-sama’s first child, I am relieved that it was an easy delivery. It finished almost without the need to use healing magic to soften the labor pains.”
The veteran midwife Cardinal Hohenheim sent here informs us that it was born a lot faster than planned. Just for caution’s sake, several priestesses capable of using healing magic have been waiting here on standby as well, but it looks like they didn’t have much to do.
It’s common knowledge in this world that healing magic will be frequently used by priests if it’s a long and complicated delivery. However, it has the condition that it’s limited to people of status who can afford to call healers over. Ordinary people bear their children while shouldering the risks, just as it happened in ancient Japan.
“I see, that’s wonderful.”
It means the perfect superwoman Elise has demonstrated her perfection even during childbirth.
“How adorable. His hair color resembles mine, huh…?”
His face still looks like that of a monkey, but the baby has inherited the strong, light brown hair color, characteristic of the Earl Baumeister House. I’m sure this boy is going to become a handsome guy. It’s said that boys resemble their mothers. so he probably won’t become a loner like me.
“Dear, please give this child a name.”
“Oh right…I had many candidates, but I’ll make sure to decide properly.”
I’ve been preparing to name my children for quite some time now, but in the middle of it I got quite confused about what name to go with. I ended up brooding over it on end as I felt like I’d find a better name as soon as I decided on a specific one. This has continued for the entire last week.
“Please go ahead then.”
“Cardinal Hohenheim didn’t say anything about wanting to name him?”
For the sake of his beloved granddaughter he dispatched priestesses capable of healing and an excellent midwife who’s likely contending for number one or two in the capital. Those women seem to be superb enough to even assist with the birth of royalty.
Having gone this far, he might have asked to be allowed to name the child.
“Grandfather told me that you should be the one to name it, no matter what. Because this child is going to become the heir of the Earl Baumeister House.”
Even if this boy might be his great-grandson, it’s still going to be the next patriarch of another Earl House. I guess it wouldn’t make any sense for Cardinal Hohenheim to name it.
“Wend, you still haven’t decided?”
“Somehow I can’t quite narrow it down to one name.”
“It’s fine to name the child in a few days, but this child is shining very brightly, isn’t it?”
It’s already a written fact that this boy is going to become the next Earl Baumeister. Rather than that, the point about it having inherited the trait of being a magician, which shouldn’t normally be hereditary, stands out as odd. The mysterious phenomenon of its dazzling glowing at the time of its birth ─ did the same happen when Wendelin was born?
I’m kinda scared to ask father since I feel like I’d unnecessarily stir up a hornet’s nest…
“Elise, have you ever heard about a phenomenon like this?”
“No, it’s my first time to encounter it.”
Elise immediately places the baby at her breast to allow it to suck some milk. It looks like the baby quite readily accepts the offer to drink.
Erw had left the room before that. After all it would be improper for him to see the breast of his lord’s wife, and as Elise’s friend, he took her feelings into consideration.
◇◆◇
“Is it fine now, Wend?”
“Yeah.”
Right after Elise finished feeding the baby its first milk, Erw returns while bringing someone with him. It’s our dangerous guest from afar, the archeologist and demon Arnest.
As he has been writing a thesis about a new underground ruin he’s explored around one month ago, he has holed himself up in his room until now.
“Earl Baumeister, Mrs. Wife, congratulations on the safe delivery.”
Unexpectedly – although it might be rude to phrase it like that – Arnest seems to have enough common sense to at least congratulate us. Even if there’s the precedent of him having caused quite a bit of chaos by pointing out my special characteristics without any hesitation before that.
If Arnest’s deduction had been wrong, all would have ended as some random, fictional theory brought up by a scholar, but as a matter of fact, the baby does have mana.
It might lead to many difficulties for this child as the next Earl Baumeister, but I have a hunch that it’ll bring me a lot of troubles as well.
“It’s just as you’ve said, Arnest…though it would have been better if it had stayed a silly theory by some scholar…”
“Earl Baumeister, no matter how much of a genius I might be, it is still possible for me to sometimes come up with wrong theories. However, the theories concerning artificial magicians have been researched by experts over many, many years, and thus can be regarded as proven facts. It would be best for you to accept it for what it is since there is no mistake in the theoretical foundation.”
“I see…”
If I’m going to believe Arnest, the research related to the artificial magicians of the Ancient Magic Civilization has long ended in the demon country.
“The researchers of the Ancient Magic Civilization have tried to artificially inherit magic ability as it is inborn for us demons. However, there is too much of a difference between humans and demons, and therefore they failed in changing it into a permanently inherent component. Our research results tell us that this is owed to the inheritance ability of the blueprint of life related to magic being too weak in humans.”
Still, blueprint of life, eh…? You really can’t underestimate the scientific level of the Ancient Magic Civilization, seeing how they’ve been able to identify genetic structures. The genes influencing magic have a dominant heredity in demons, and a recessive heredity in humans, I guess.
“What about halves then?”
“Our records tell us that they existed in the past.”
Going by outward appearance demons aren’t all that different from humans as they’ve only got slightly longer ears, so I’d think it should be possible for humans and demons to make children with each other.
“However, halves cannot give birth to children amongst each other.”
Giving birth to children between halves would be the most efficient method to affix the genes related to magic in the following generations. However, it looks like that option doesn’t exist.
“If a half makes a child with a human, the child will be a human, and if they make the child with a demon, the child will be a demon.”
I suppose this is the reason why no halves between humans and demons exist on this continent. Currently the demons live in the far west, avoiding exchange with the humans, but I already considered it strange for there to not exist a single descendant of their blood in this land.
“The detailed method has not been handed down, but the researchers of the Ancient Magic Civilization have worked out a method to create magicians up to many generations into the future through some kind of special process.”
No artificial magicians survived the collapse of the Ancient Magic Civilization, but it looks like the genetic traits have revived in me through atavism by chance.
“What a strange story. But, how can you say that it’s true for me? If this was truly the case, wouldn’t it have been noticed by my family right after my birth?”
It’s unthinkable that the parents wouldn’t notice a baby shining as bright as a signal flare right after its birth. But then again, it’s unclear whether Wendelin possessed magic right after his birth.
“It is impossible for the blueprint of life to change after the birth, but I have heard that you have become aware of your talent in magic at an age of around five or six, Earl Baumeister. Did something happen around that time?”
“No, nothing in particular.”
“Hm───m, that makes it a riddle then.”
The age mentioned by him is just the period of time when I transferred into Wendelin. Did Wendelin’s genes change in some way when the souls were swapped? Considering it like that, it’d make sense, but either way, it’s just a guess, and it’s not like knowing the truth would actually change anything. Also, there’s something else I’ve got to do first.
“Names…there’s way too many candidates…”
“So that’s the part worrying you!?”
“The name is important. After all, it’s going to stick with this child for the rest of its life.”
There’s no way that I’m going to use some silly, vogue name. I take Helmut Kingdom’s biographical dictionary out of my magic bag, and begin to flip the pages.
Anyway, I must name my son as soon as possible.
“Didn’t you say something about having many candidates?”
“It might contain another good name…”
I end up worrying deeply about the child’s name once again.
“Oh, it was born, Elise!”
“A boy, huh? That’s great news.”
Ina and Luise, both close to giving birth themselves, enter the room, and seem relieved seeing that Elise’s child is a boy. If this child had been a girl, and Ina or Luise gave birth to a boy afterwards, the number of family members trying to meddle with the succession right might have grown in number.
“I think it’d be impossible going by family status, but there’s always people kicking up a fuss in order to force things…”
“Like a part of Margrave Breithilde House’s retainers…”
It was conceivable that they might start some political maneuvering, believing that it’d be easier to control the child of Ina or Luise than that of Elise. Of course that’s utter nonsense, but not all of Margrave Breithilde’s are decent, and it’s not like the Margrave can perfectly control all of them either. Since people causing trouble would definitely show up one way or the other, you can call Elise giving birth to the heir a huge relief.
“I tell you, nobles are truly annoying…”
“Rather than that, are you still troubled with the naming?”
“Erw, how about you?”
Since Haruka is going to give birth soon as well, Erw should be in the same position as me with having to come up with a name for the child.
“Leon if it’s a boy, and Emma if it’s a girl.” Erw declares without any hesitation.
The speed of his decision really makes me envious.
“What criteria did you use?”
“Well, you see, I just flipped randomly through the book you’re holding, Wend.”
It looks like he picked the names that caught his attention. I feel like that’s a fairly irresponsible way of handling it, but those aren’t bad names.
“I mean, it’s endless once you start worrying about such things. The Baumeister House has no traditional names or some such, right?”
“None…”
Just what is Erw expecting from the Baumeister family? I’ve never heard anything about traditional names from my parents or brothers.
“Our family has them, however. The eldest son is usually given the name of a family head from several generations ago.”
This method isn’t limited to just Erw’s family either. Quite a few noble families are practicing this way of naming. That’s because giving the eldest son a name that can only be used by family heads emphasizes that this boy is going to become the heir.
“But, what if something happens to the eldest son, resulting in the second son succeeding?”
“You give the second son the name of a former family head as well. That’s also the reason why they’re treated as spares.”
“The name is that of a family head, and yet they’re treated as spares, forced to live back at home…”
I can’t suppress feelings of pity welling up within me when I consider how trivially second sons are treated in this world. For their only good treatment to be their name…
“But, maybe the Baumeister House actually has strict naming rules and I simply haven’t been told since I’m the eighth son…”
Wondering about that, I took out my MHCD and contacted Paul. After telling him about Elise having given birth to a boy, I have him put Dad on.
『It’s a boy? That’s wonderful』
“Yes, it gives us peace of mind.”
『Parents always worry about all kinds of things when it’s their first child』
Dad is delighted that a male heir has been born for me. He immediately passes the MHCD to Mom, who likewise cheerfully congratulates me for the birth of a boy.
『That doesn’t mean that a girl would have been bad or anything like that, but nobles pay a lot attention to male heirs. Many nobles are troubled as they can’t quite give birth to children. After all, it involves the continued existence of their house』
In case the wives don’t give birth to a boy, the house is being maintained by adopting a son-in-law from relatives or outside, but in the end, parents strongly wish to have a son, who shares their blood, to succeed the house.
『It seems our Baumeister family never had any problems with giving birth to children, but…』
The scale and financial situation has always been somewhat dicey, but my family never had problems with producing heirs.
Come to think of it, all of my brothers quickly produced boys after marrying. Dad has fathered ten children as well, so if pushed to say, I’d rather describe our family as having problems with what to do with all the children than having a lack of children.
“By the way, Dad, does the Baumeister family have some established naming rules?”
『It’s not like we have none. We usually used the names of the previous family heads. But then again, it’s not like our family has been too strict on adhering to this custom either…』
It’s kinda rude to call it unexpected, but it seems like the Baumeister family had such a tradition too. Ah…but that would mean it’s possible that one of my descendants is going to be called Kurt in the future…
『Wendelin, only Hermann’s place follows that naming rule. Since Paul is the founder of his house, he’s decided the names by himself. And Helmut and Erich respected the rules of the families they married into』
I see. I guess I must decide the names of my children by myself since I’m the founding family head.
『Paul also worried about it, but during such times, the kingdom’s biographical dictionary is very useful. Paul made use of it as well. As final measure, you can flip its pages and then randomly stop at some point…』
“I see……”
If you worry about the child’s name, rely on the dictionary. It sure looks like it’s a standard work which serves many of the fathers living in the Helmut Kingdom as reference, and not just our family.
It appears that Dad also chose my name as it caught his attention when he randomly flipped through the dictionary back when I was about to be born. Sounds like a father is going to start cutting corners if he reaches his tenth child.
『I’ll come visit to see my grandson after he’s grown up a bit』
“Sure, we’re looking forward to your visit.”
I turned off the MHCD after finishing my conversation with Dad.
“I must think of a name…”
Given that it’s the name of my child, I think I should name it more like…yes…putting the wishes of its parents into the name. But, what would be a name containing my wishes?
I begin to feel terribly out of place here. As someone housing a Japanese person inside, I’ve problems coming up with good ideas if I can’t use kanji. Why are the names mostly German-based despite this world using Japanese as its language?
“(As if I’d know the meaning of German names…)”
I chose German as a second language at university, but I’ve forgotten most of it by now. 『Guten Morgen』 and 『Baumkuchen』…are completely useless as names for a child…
In the first place, I’ve got absolutely no clue what my Wendelin means either. (T/N: Don’t worry, it means nothing)
In that case, I think it won’t work unless I change my policy here.
“The Kingdom’s biographical dictionary is useful.”
“I guess I’ll try to take a look since it has all possible prospects listed…”
I randomly turn the pages of the dictionary, but then stop. A single name on the current page has caught my attention.
“Let’s go with Friedrich.”
“Whoa, that took like no time!”
“Isn’t this a great name?”
“You’re right, it has a nice ring to it.”
During history class in my previous life, I’ve heard that a king or emperor used that name, and I genuinely think that it sounds cool. It’s also a plus that it’s a name somehow sounding like its holder is going to become a big-shot.
“It’s settled! This boy is going to be called Friedrich!”
“Friedrich von Benno Baumeister? It is a nice name.”
Seeing how Elise has given her approval as well, the baby’s name is set in stone with this. This child is going to further develop this territory as next Earl Baumeister.
“Friedrich, grow up quickly so that I can retire soon.”
If this child is going to diligently handle the duties as lord for me, I’ll be able to lead a life of retirement while freely going on adventures without any need to worry.
“Man, you totally spoiled it on so many levels! The deep emotions over a male heir having been born, and everything else!”
“Wend, you’re still in your teens, aren’t you? How about not talking like an old man?”
“No matter how many different things might have happened around here lately, I doubt that you can simply step back just like that.”
For some reason I end up blamed by Erw, Ina, and Luise, but either way, it’s great that my son has been born safely.
◇◆◇
This was a point that allowed me to feel relieved for starters, but half a month later, Ina, and then my other wives went into labor one after the other. The birth rush at the Baumeister House was on full throttle.
“This is definitely more painful than I’ve imagined…”
“Ina-san, let me heal you.”
“Thanks, Elise….ouuucchh!”
“I will increase the healing power a bit.”
“Thanks, it’s already become a lot less painful.”
This world has parts where childbirth is a lot easier than back in Japan. Of course, it has the precondition that you can afford a healer, though.
Ina managed to safely give birth to a girl thanks to Elise’s healing.
Just like when Friedrich was born, my options were limited to waiting…not.
『Milord, there’s a method how you can definitely take your mind off things』
『Oh, something so amazing exists? What is it?』
『It’s work, milord』
『Even though my child is being born?』
『Milord, I shall immediately notify you with the MHCD once your child is born. Then you will be able to come back with 『Teleport』 at once』
『Roderich! You’re a devil! Moreover, a terrible one!』
『This is all for the sake of your children』
Like this, my schedule was crammed full with work by Roderich, starting with Ina’s childbirth, since I wouldn’t be able to calm down while waiting for the child to be born. Of course it’s fine as long as I get back immediately once the child is born, but still, Roderich is a true fiend.
『Milord, you must do your very best for the children who are going to be born. The development of the territory is going to directly influence the children’s well-being, and they will grow up while watching their father’s strenuous efforts』
『A newly born baby can’t watch my strenuous efforts, though』
『……It’s work』
『Roderich, you tried to dodge the issue just now, didn’t you?』
What Roderich says is sound, but I think it’s terrible for a retainer to push his lord around to work until the very minute the lord’s child is born. As I prepare the soil in an area where a new town is going to be built, I keep waiting, wondering when my child is going to be born.
And then, several hours later, I finally got the message that Ina’s child had been born.
“She has your hair, hasn’t she Ina? A girl sure is adorable as well.”
Honestly though, boy or girl both kinda look like apes right after their birth…but, she’s going to become cute in no time.
“Just as with Elise, this child is dazzlingly shining as well.”
“I had expected as much, but this one as well, huh…?”
In accordance with Arnest’s explanation, Ina’s and my daughter radiantly glows as well.
◇◆◇
Next…
“My child is a girl as well, eh? And it also shines.”
The childbirth rush at the Baumeister House keeps going. Following Luise, Katharina gives birth to a boy, Therese to a girl, Wilma to a girl, Katia to a girl, and Lisa to a girl over a period of several months.
In the mere span of a few months, I have become the father of two boys and six girls after becoming 18 years old myself.
But, eight children, eh…? It looks like I’m going to pass Dad in no time…
“There are many girls, but Friedrich and Cayenne will have to do their best as the only guys.”
“Wendelin-san, just what are you expecting babies to do their best at?”
“Since men tend to bond with other men, there will be times where they’re going to be worn out from being constantly surrounded by many women.”
“Is that so?”
Katharina looks as if she doesn’t get what I’m saying, but it’s a serious issue for a man. Among children, girls grow up faster and they’re more skilled with words as well.
Friedrich and Cayenne might find it difficult to be surrounded by older and younger sisters all the time. It’s similar to what you’d call in Japan, 『A man among a crowd of women』. I guess it’s a salvation that they won’t be isolated since there’s two of them.
“Doesn’t Erwin-san’s family have Leon as well?”
Once the childbirths finished, the babies were moved to an exclusive child room. Because of the large number of babies to accommodate, a big room was allocated to them. Then we prepared the appropriate number of cribs in there, turning that place into their living space.
Because noble houses often had wet nurses to help with the born children, Haruka and the wives of other retainers were assembled in the child room. However, as long as there was no milk insufficiency, feeding the babies was basically handled by the mothers.
“Elise, is that fine with you?”
“Each noble house deals with it differently, so I would like to breastfeed my child by myself.”
Some houses completely leave the breastfeeding to wet nurses, others compensate only when there’s a lack of milk, and some have the mothers somehow manage it all. Whichever is chosen depends on the family’s tradition, or the patriarch and his wives pushing through their own agendas.
In other words, it was random.
However, in all cases, wet nurses are apparently hired as baby-sitters to take care of the children in alternation with the mother. Well, although I call it hiring, it’s not like it’s possible for women from outside to enter this circle. In most cases it’s the wife of a retainer who has recently given birth herself. For this reason, our family has also hired Haruka, Erw’s wife, as a wet nurse.
In Haruka’s case, she can also guard the babies, so it’s two birds with one stone. I don’t think that anyone is targeting my children at present, but it’s never wrong to be on the safe side.
Of course, Leon is sleeping in a crib right next to my children. He’s going to become my children’s foster brother.
“Gathering the children of the wet nurses in one place will also raise the child rearing efficiency.”
“Efficiency, eh…?”
“Everyone is busy after all.”
The wives of my retainers don’t have any free time either, so it’s true that it’s more efficient to rear the children together in one place. It also has the goal of bringing up the children of lord and retainers together so that they develop a feeling of solidarity, turning the retainers’ children into very loyal retainers themselves. Since we’re a new house, it’s all the more important to strengthen the bonds between lord and retainers.
It’s planned to not only bring in Leon, but also the children of the retainers living close to Baulburg.
“I think it’s a great custom, but we never did anything like that back at home…”
Going by Wendelin’s memories, something like wet nurses or wet siblings were a no-show. It seems I was a loner to the bitter end. Even though it’s me saying it, I must admit, I had a childhood that makes me cry.
“Among provincial lords, some don’t have the means…”
Still, it sounds like it’s common for the wives of retainers to share their milk, and have children of the same age play together as childhood friends to strengthen their loyalty.
“Or they limit it to just the succeeding eldest son, right?”
Erw, who got neglected just like me, declares that he had no foster brothers or wet nurses either.
“Ooohh, comrade!”
“What a bad reason to be your comrade… I was relieved that Haruka-san safely gave birth to Leon as our heir.”
This means the Armin House can breathe a sigh of relief as well.
With Erw and me watching from the side, Haruka is changing the diapers of one baby after the other.
“Haruka is quite skilled at this, isn’t she?”
Even though it should be her first child, Haruka is quite familiar with baby care. Once I ask her why, she explains that she’s been taking care of her relatives’ babies in her childhood.
“It’s because low-ranking samurai are generally poor.”
Given that men and women must work to earn money for the family, the families and their relatives have a custom of bringing the children together and have the older children take care of the younger ones. While taking care of the young ones, Haruka practiced her swordsmanship in her free time until she was chosen for the Battou Unit.
“As expected of a sword genius…”
If I had been in her shoes, I’d have had my hands full with taking care of the babies.
“Still, having someone experienced around sure is appreciated.”
Several wet nurses experienced with baby care are present as well, and skilfully see to caring for Friedrich and my other children while also handling their own children.
My retainers, who got married thanks to that big marriage meeting, have produced children, resulting in a record-breaking baby-boom within the Baumeister Earldom.
“Leaving that aside, the big problem is…Elise’s Friedrich, my son Cayenne, and the children of the others…”
“Isn’t it great that they’ve inherited the talents of their mothers?”
“I feel like the danger goes beyond that…”
As might be expected, even Katharina actually feels uneasy about all the children fathered by me to have the qualifications of magicians. Since they all shone right after their birth, the midwife and priestesses, who were dispatched by Cardinal Hohenheim, have apparently gotten used to it. Them not saying anything is probably owed to Cardinal Hohenheim having firmly told them to keep it confidential.
However, with information easily leaking at the church, it’s reasonable to be anxious when considering how other people are going to react from now on.
“I’m happy that Cayenne, the next family head of the Waigel House, will be a magician, but…”
Katharina is worried that various other issues are going to spring up again, now that only magicians have been born in our family. Pushing wives on me is going to become a major issue.
“It’ll work out as long as you firmly turn down all such requests.”
I’m no thoroughbred who dominates the Triple Crown. As if I’d allow myself to be turned into a studhorse!
“You’re right. Even if those three are set by now.”
“Ugh!”
Having Katharina point out the matter with Agnes, Betty, and Cindy, something pricks my heart.
“Either way, right now there’s another urgent problem.”
“Another urgent problem?”
“Yes, if a noble house gives birth to children, things become troublesome in various ways.”
I’m threatened by Roderich, who’s come to visit in order to check the situation since his child is here as well, that things are going to become hairy from now on.
“It’s just at the level of sending some letters of thanks after receiving congratulatory gifts, no?”
“Well, that describes it basically, but…”
For the time being, the childbirth rush has finished at eight children, but a little while after that, the Earl Baumeister House was dragged into various disputes.
On a short notice, with seven more Associate Barons, this series will get another weekly release on Thursday, and you’ll be able to read almost a full volume ahead. Would be kinda weird to fail so close before the goal. xD
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