Jewel the Jewel Cat was sitting on my lap, a rare occurrence. She even assumed a pose that suggested I was permitted to pet her. It was likely a gesture of apology for the rowdy behavior of the Older Sister Cats lately.
I told her she didn’t need to worry about it, but she immediately began issuing specific orders on the proper way to pet her.
Essentially, she restricted my petting exclusively to her back. I had to stroke along the fur, never against the grain. Oh, and she wanted a bit more pressure.
"Like this?"
There, there.
I managed to finish and slip away just before Kuro and Yuki, who were watching from the sidelines, reached the limit of their patience. As expected of Jewel; she knew exactly when to make her exit. I petted Kuro and Yuki as they rested their chins on my knees, thinking about the cat who had just departed.
Immediately, the two wolves scolded me for being distracted while it was their turn.
Since it was lunchtime, I headed to the kitchen and found Suiren and Kuon cooking alongside the High Ogre Maids. While it should have been a rare sight, I had grown far too accustomed to it. That was just how long Suiren and Kuon had been staying with us. They had integrated so thoroughly that they were practically permanent residents of the Village Head's Mansion.
We had plenty of spare rooms, so I didn't mind them staying, but I did wonder what they thought about the petitions being sent from their homes pleading for their return. Even Giral went back once in a while. I felt like ignoring them entirely was a bit problematic, but the two of them worked hard in the village, and the petitions weren't addressed to me personally.
Therefore, I decided to stay out of it. If a petition ever showed up addressed to me, like they did for Giral, then I would consider stepping in.
After checking the progress of the meal, I went to call Mark, Helze, and Domaim.
I found Helze pacing back and forth in front of Hakuren’s room. This, too, was a familiar sight. It wasn’t as if she was forbidden from entering, but she seemed to be keeping her distance out of consideration for Hakuren, whose delivery was drawing near. I appreciated the sentiment, but I wasn't so sure about the way she ducked into hiding whenever Hakuren tried to step out of the room. She looked like a suspicious person.
Then there was Mark. I didn't mind him watching over Helze from the shadows, but I really wished he would stop clinging to the ceiling beams. It was making things difficult for Zabuton's children. Since they were father and daughter, I didn't see why he couldn't just stand normally beside her. Did he think she’d find him annoying? I highly doubted that.
In any case, it was time for lunch, so I told them to gather in the dining hall.
Helze hesitated. She asked if she could be the one to carry lunch to Hakuren. While I appreciated the thought, I told her not to steal my job.
Next was Domaim, whom I expected to find in the dungeon, but as I put on my outdoor clothes and opened the front door, he arrived from the other side. Draim was with him. Both of them were carrying baskets on their backs, so it looked like they had been helping harvest bean sprouts.
That was a huge help. Demand for bean sprouts had been skyrocketing lately at the Ramen Street in Village Five. Of course, the reason demand was so high was that I was the one who taught them how to make extra-large bowls of ramen using sprouts... It had reached the point where I seriously needed to consider whether we should start cultivating bean sprouts in Village Five as well.
However, bean sprouts were made by germinating beans in a dark place and letting them grow long, thin, and soft. If one didn't use the Universal Farming Tool, they had to properly grow the beans in a field first. When you considered the need for a sizable field and a dedicated dark space, bean sprouts were actually quite labor-intensive. Growing them from beans was simple enough, though.
I decided to give it some serious thought later. I took the baskets from Draim and Domaim and encouraged them to head to the dining hall. As for me, I told them I would drop the sprouts at the loading area for transport to Village Five, change my clothes, and join them after I brought Hakuren her lunch. Despite my words, Draim and Domaim ended up following me.
In the dining hall, everyone was divided into four groups at their respective tables. Since they were kotatsu, it felt more like cozy clusters. Dos, Raimeiren, and Hiichiro were at one. Giral, Guronde, and Gral at another. Mark, Suiren, and Helze at the third, and Draim, Rusty, Kuon, and Domaim at the fourth.
I joined Dos and his group. Lunch was a set meal featuring a hearty meat and vegetable stir-fry, rolled omelets, rice, miso soup, and pickles. The meal proceeded and concluded without any fuss or picky eating. Hiichiro had developed quite an appetite lately. He was going to be a big brother soon, after all.
After the meal, I asked if he wanted to come with me to see Hakuren, since I had to go collect her dishes anyway. I told Dos and Raimeiren they were welcome to join as well.
As we were having our post-lunch chat, one of the midwives from the Devil Race arrived. She informed us that Hakuren’s labor had begun.
Two hours later, Hakuren gave birth with surprising ease.
It was a boy. And he was glowing. Intensely.
I didn't remember this kind of luminescence happening when Hiichiro was born. I worried if it was normal, but Dos and Raimeiren remained perfectly calm. They assured me it would settle down on its own. If they said so, I suppose it was fine.
And then, there was the second child. It turned out to be twins. Some of the midwives had suspected as much, but since they weren't certain, they hadn't informed me beforehand. The second was a girl, and she was shrouded in a veil of black darkness. I was told this, too, was perfectly fine and would settle down eventually.
That was a relief. For now, I expressed my deepest thanks to the midwives who had helped with the birth. It sounded like they’d had a rough time of it—having their eyes dazzled by light while delivering the son, only to be effectively blindfolded by darkness while delivering the daughter.
Raimeiren had even been called in to assist during the process. I had been a bit tense then, but it turned out her magic was needed to help suppress the son’s light and the daughter’s darkness. Regardless, both mother and children were healthy. That was the most important thing.
However, there was one problem. Because I had been so certain we were having a son, I had only prepared a name for a boy.
What was I going to do about my daughter's name? I wanted to have a naming meeting with Hakuren, but she had fallen fast asleep from the exhaustion of labor.
Was I supposed to come up with it all on my own? That seemed reckless. I knew I had no naming sense.
Dos looked far too eager to start making suggestions, so I told him I wouldn't be deciding anything right this moment. I would take his ideas under advisement, but the final decision would have to wait until Hakuren woke up.