"By the way, what else have you found out about ...... Petosy?　Like why it's so huge?

Not really. I dismantled its head and examined it, but I didn't find anything unusual except for its size.

Could it be a mutation?

Possibly. But considering the fact that it has never been seen until it reached that size, could it have come upstream from downstream or upstream from upstream? ......

If it grew up in this area, would you notice it before it got that big?

Probably. I don't care if you're from the city, adventurers sometimes go to the Petras River.

　They catch ordinary monster eels and sell them to make some money.

　They bring them in once a month, though not that often, so it's a little strange that there were no sightings of them around here until they reached that size.

　With that in mind, Ketola's prediction makes sense.

"I've sent Silas to take a look around, but ...... if we find any more, can you help us?

As long as we're in town.

　Now that we know how to deal with it, it won't be too hard to kill it if we can just catch it.

　The reward from the guild wasn't very high, but considering the profit from the sale of Petosi's body, it was a reasonable request for a day's work.

You're in town for the birth of someone you know, aren't you?　When is she due?
"Today.
...... What?
Today, right now, she's in the middle of giving birth.

　I added another word to Ketola, who tilted her head curiously, as if she could not understand my words.

　When she understood what I meant, she lowered her eyebrows with a slightly annoyed expression.

"...... Um, are you sure you want to be here?

It's not like we men are going to be of any use. I guess she couldn't stand her husband's restlessness, so she ran away.

Haha, that might be true for a first-time mother. But Nao, when it's your own wife, you should stay close to her.　You'll have a lot to say about it later on. That's my sister's advice.



"I see. So your sister is still blaming her husband for her problems?

No, I'm not!　I'm still single!　I'm still single! I'm looking for a husband who makes as much money as you do. How about you, Nao?

Thank you for your time. I'll be leaving soon. I think Toya is hungry.

　I turned my back to Ketola, cutting her off with a quick glance.
　I don't know anyone here, but I'm afraid if I do something wrong and Haruka hears about it.

"Oh, Nao! Your sister will be waiting for you.


　I felt guilty for abandoning Toya, so I bought some food from the stall, mainly things he would like, and came back, but the situation in the cafeteria was the same as when I left.

　No, Toya's eyes were dead.

　Yeah. I suppose it's no wonder that I've been staring at a wandering, rattling, restless man for hours.

...... Welcome back.
"Hey, I'm home. You must be hungry.　I bought some stuff for you, so eat up.

　Toya looked at me a little coldly, and I hurriedly put the things I had on the table.

　Toya's eyes softened a little at the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen.

I didn't have time to eat breakfast, you know. I didn't have time to eat breakfast, so I'll forgive you for abandoning me.

"Thank you very much. --But are Haruka and the others okay?　They haven't eaten either, have they?

Hmm, but we can't just bring it in ourselves. If they get hungry, someone will come. We've got the numbers.



So be it.

　At least Mitya and Mary are redundant.
　They'll send them on errands or come to us if they have to.

Hey, Chester. You haven't eaten yet, have you?　Why don't you sit down and eat?

　Toya asked, hoping to calm him down a little.

　Chester gave him a sharp look and responded in a half-shouted voice.

Chester looked at Toya sharply and half shouted, "Yasue is working so hard, she won't be able to eat!
"Oh, oh, I see. ......

　Toya is pressured by Chester's desperate expression.
　His eyes are bloodshot.

I don't think it's any wonder he's so uptight.
"On the contrary, if he collapses from hunger, it won't affect him. Just leave him alone.

　It may be a little heartless, but there's no point in forcing him to eat.
　If he calms down, he will make his own food or eat something. He's a chef, after all.

　However, we couldn't just ignore Chester and have a nice chat while we ate, so we proceeded to eat in silence.

　When half of the food on the table had been cleared.
　The door to the back of the room opened with a bang, and Mitya peeked out.

"You're having a baby?
What?

　Chester immediately rushed out.

　He ran into the back of the room, pushing Mitya away, and at the same time, Chester's voice, "Yasua! Chester's voice faded away.

"You're in too much of a hurry.

　Mitya says, a little dumbfounded, but I don't know what will happen to me, so I keep silent.

　I don't know what's going to happen when it's my time, so I stay silent.

"Well, it's your first child, so it's probably for the best, right?
"Hmm, I guess so.　Oh, my brothers, they're eating something delicious!


Do you want some Mitya?
"Yes!

　Mitya replied and immediately went to the table to eat.

So, everything okay?

No problem. He was a healthy boy. But Yuki looked a little pale.

　Hmm. Well, at least she's pale.
　I heard some husbands faint when they witnessed the birth.
　Rather, Mitya's calmness, even though it was someone else's, made her seem like a big shot.

I thought it was pretty long, but it's not?
Not really. My aunt said things were going rather well.

　The aunt that Mitya is referring to is Chester's mother, or Yasue's mother-in-law.

　The birth is being carried out with the help of the aunt and an experienced woman in the neighborhood, with Haruka and others helping.

　It's a little scary that there is no doctor specializing in childbirth, but that's how it is for ordinary people.

My sisters will be back soon.

　Not long after Mitya said this, footsteps began to be heard and the door was opened.

It's over!

　The first one to enter, breathing heavily, was Yuki, followed by Haruka and the others.

　Mitya said Yuki looked pale, but she had already recovered and now looked as normal as ever.

"Good work.

"I'm really tired. I was just watching.

Most of us were, too. It was the old lady who took him away, and then she helped Yasue to recover.

We did prepare hot water and purify her, but that was about it.

No, I think Purify helped a lot, you know?　It's hard to keep clean when you're a commoner.

　Even the big hotels have baths, but only a few of them have them.



　Of course, there was no bath here either, and the old lady who came in tried to just wash her hands lightly, so Haruka and the others panicked and applied Purify all over the old lady, as well as the room and the cloths used.

Infections are scary, aren't they?
Yes. Even if you say it's normal, it's a little ...... from our point of view.
We don't want to be told later that the baby is sick, do we?
You should do what you can, you know.

　I don't know about your common sense, but according to our common sense, cleanliness in the medical field is of the utmost importance.

　There is a useful magic called purify that can be used for this purpose, so not using it is not an option.

Well, fortunately, the baby seems to have been born healthy, so let's go home for today.