The lid of the iron pot began to rattle.
Jin felt at ease, having left the heat control entirely to Reiko. A moment later, Reiko extinguished the flame. All that remained was to let the rice steam.
After waiting about ten minutes, Jin lifted the lid.
"Yeah, looks just about right."
He stirred the rice with a wooden paddle and set to work making onigiri immediately. Rice becomes difficult to shape once it cools, so it was a race against time while the grains were still piping hot. Since they hadn't had time to prepare any fillings, he stuck to simple salt onigiri.
"Reiko, if you would."
"Yes, Father. Please leave it to me."
Reiko wouldn't flinch even if she were handling molten iron. She sprinkled a precise amount of salt onto the steaming rice and began shaping it into triangles. Jin had always preferred the triangular shape over the cylindrical, bale-style ones.
In short order, about thirty bite-sized onigiri, perfectly sized for Reiko’s hands, were ready.
"Now for the tea. Reinhard, do you have any hojicha?"
"Ah, I believe so."
Jin searched the kitchen and found a jar of hojicha leaves.
"This will do perfectly."
He boiled some water and brewed the hojicha. Once he transferred the tea into a thermal pot, the refreshments were complete.
Jin gathered a few teacups and hand towels. Reiko carried the onigiri, Jin took the towels and cups, and Reinhard carried the pot of hojicha as they made their way to the delivery room where Berche waited.
A maid stood guard outside the door; they asked her to announce their arrival. As it seemed it would still be a little while before the birth, they were permitted to enter.
"Ah... Jin-sama."
Berche lay on the bed, her forehead slick with a cold sweat.
"Don't try to get up," Jin said, gently gesturing for her to stay still. "I've brought some food for everyone. Elsa, thank you for your hard work."
"Thanks, Jin-nii."
Inside the room were the elderly midwife, Elsa, and a middle-aged maid. The maid mentioned that she usually worked in the kitchen and had just been thinking about going to prepare a meal.
"Onigiri? Simple, but delicious," the maid remarked.
"They're tasty even with just salt. Thank you, Jin-nii, Reiko-chan," Elsa added.
Berche decided to stick to her Persica juice for now.
"Ber, I can't do anything to help, but hang in there," Reinhard said.
"Yes, dear."
Jin glanced around the room and saw a basin filled with water for the baby's first bath. With Elsa here, she could use Heat magic to warm it into hot water in an instant.
Suddenly, Berche’s expression twisted in pain.
"Uugh..."
"The contractions have finally started in earnest," the midwife declared. "Men, out with you!"
Urged by the midwife, Jin and Reinhard hurriedly retreated from the room. Only Reiko remained inside. The maid who had been standing at the door went in to help as the men left.
"...Ber, you can do this," Reinhard whispered just before the door clicked shut.
The wait that followed felt eternal. From beyond the door, Berche’s moans were constant, punctuated by the encouraging shouts of the midwife. Elsa’s voice was nowhere to be heard.
"...Oh, ancestors, please protect Berche...!" Reinhard paced the corridor, muttering prayers under his breath. Jin decided it was best not to speak to him. In moments like this, there was nothing a father could do.
They waited for what felt like hours—perhaps it was only thirty minutes, or perhaps two. Finally, a sharp, clear cry rang out from the other side of the door.
"The baby's here!"
Reinhard literally jumped for joy.
Shortly after, the door opened and the midwife peered out, a reassuring smile on her face.
"It's a healthy baby girl. The mother is doing just fine as well."
"Is she? Thank you... thank you...!" Reinhard’s voice broke with tears.
The door closed again, and another thirty minutes passed before it opened once more.
"Come now, come and see her face."
At the midwife's invitation, Reinhard stepped tentatively into the room.
"...Dear."
"Berche, thank you."
Reinhard gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Berche’s forehead. Sleeping peacefully beside her was the newborn.
"Her face really is quite red. I see now why they're called 'red-babies'."
Being a newborn, her face was still a mass of tiny wrinkles.
"...They say it's a girl."
"Yeah, I heard. Jin told me about a proverb: 'First a girl, then a boy.' He says that order makes children the easiest to raise."
"Oh, is that so?"
Jin was granted permission to enter as well.
"Berche, congratulations. You did a great job."
"Thank you, Jin-sama. Elsa-san was a wonderful help."
"Indeed," the midwife chimed in. "The Young Mistress's Healing magic is truly marvelous."
Thanks to Elsa, the bleeding had been kept to a minimum and the risks to Berche's health had been averted.
"Elsa, good job."
"Mm."
Elsa had provided various types of support, including using Sterilization magic to sanitize the room and prevent postpartum infections.
"Reinhard, congratulations."
"Thanks, Jin."
"I'll bring a proper gift for the baby another day."
"Ah, don't worry about that. You really saved me today."
"I'm just glad this happened while I was visiting from Hourai Island."
"Hm?...Wait! J-Jin! And Elsa! I'm so grateful, but don't you two have another reception tomorrow?!"
Reinhard’s wits finally seemed to be returning to him.
"It's fine. We're going to Loizart now to get some rest."
"I-I see."
The wedding festivities in the Celuroa Kingdom would last for three days starting tomorrow; by traveling from their mansion in Loizart, the time difference would be negligible.
"That certainly helps," Elsa said.
"Mm."
"So don't worry about us. More importantly, have you thought of a name?"
"I have a few ideas, but we'll take our time and decide once we've spoken with our parents."
"I see. Well then, we shall take our leave."
"Yeah, thank you so much, Jin, Elsa."
Jin, Elsa, and Reiko said their final goodbyes to Reinhard and Berche before departing for the mansion in Loizart. Konron 3 would be sent over by Edgar later.
A trip through the Warp Gate brought them to Loizart in an instant.
"Welcome back, Master," Butler D said, greeting them at the entrance. "The bath is already prepared."
Laojun had anticipated their arrival and issued instructions to have everything ready. It was already 4:00 PM.
"Now, let's just relax..."
"I'm... a little tired."
Tomorrow, the "exhausting" wedding reception would begin all over again.