Chapter 463

Chapter 463

I was so frightened that I gripped the hilt of my sword. My grandchild was about to be born.
Erzebet sank back in her chair and began to catch her breath.
My face was soaked with sweat from how hard I worked.
“Aren’t we ahead of schedule?”
“That’s right—heh, about a month—.”
“Damn it, I haven’t finished my retirement yet.”
Tongue in cheek, the plan went awry. I had originally planned to finish the book by my due date and give the finished version to Lance.
“Whoa—we have to hurry, the family called from the hospital to come as soon as possible because she’s in labor.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
But I didn’t seem to have time to worry about that. I prepared to leave in a hurry.
I sheathed my sword at my waist and put on my coat. It took more than twenty minutes to run from here to the hospital where Sechika was admitted. He hurriedly tied the bundle of manuscripts to a leash.
“Honey! Eri!”
A shout rang out from outside the window.
Light pounded on the window, and I could hear a beast growling in the distance. Erzebet and I looked out almost simultaneously. Adeshan was looking up at the room we were in.
“Uh, sister?!”
Erzebet raised an eyebrow.
Adeshan was riding a strange-looking vehicle. It had two wheels, one front and one back, like a bicycle, but much more substantial. If I remember correctly, it was a motorcycle, the new product of Didikan & Alibrihe Company, which was launched last month.
“Get in!”
Adeshan exclaimed.
The helmet with goggles and leather jacket were a great match.
I laughed as I hefted a bewildered Erzebet over my left shoulder.
“You’re hot.”
“Now, wait a minute. Ronan–thwack!”
Then I jumped off the balcony. Upon landing, I, who was on the back seat, grabbed Adeshan with my right arm. With a bang, the motorcycle took off.
“Yahhh! Get away! I’m falling!”
“If you stay quiet, you won’t fall.”
“If I die, it’s the end of the Dawn Tower! Save people!”
Erzebet screamed, her legs flapping.
She was still slung over my shoulder. The motorcycle crossed the boulevard at a speed that rivaled the ghost horse. Blue flames tongued out of the exhaust. Adeshan’s black hair was whipping in the wind like crazy.
I put my cheek on her back and whistled.
“Killing it.”
‘Ahhhhh, okay? There’s another side to the ghost horse. How’d the writing go?’
“It’s a good read, albeit with an afterword.”
“That’s great. I can’t wait to read it, but I’ll speed up first!”
Adeshan pulled the throttle. There was a burst of power. His head snapped back as the motorcycle accelerated. The speed was fast enough to blur the landscape, but Adeshan avoided every obstacle with exquisite skill.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, I felt a creeping sensation above my head.
I looked up and saw Sita and the dream bird Abel flying in the same direction as us.
“Paaaaaah-!”
“Peep!”
They seemed to be watching the birth of a new life. Black and white trails were being drawn in the sky. We soon skid-marked our way to the front of the hospital. It was a 10-story building.
“What floor is your room on?”
“Seventh floor.”
I looked up. The side of the building was stained red by the setting sun.
It was worth it. Luckily, the window was open.
“It would be quicker to go to the window. Come here.”
“Haha, it’s been a while.”
“Now, wait—”
I jumped up, hugging the two women. I didn’t need help closing the door. As I entered the window, a nurse who made eye contact dropped the chart.
“Hee hee!”
“Sorry to scare you. Please get out.”
“Shi, there’s no heart left—the heart is—.”
Erzebet landed staggeringly. Adeshan kissed my cheek. The delivery room was already crowded. A dwarf with red hair looked back at me.
“Ronan, you’re home!”
“Good to see you, Asel. Where are Lance and Sechika?”
“Boo, there’s a— in the delivery room— and the doctor said he’d do his best.”
Asel’s voice was shaking. Like everyone else in the hallway, he was anxious about Nanshan. In the eyes of the world, they were great, revered as archmages, but in this, they were just ordinary parents.
Marja, next to me, shook her head in disbelief.
“You came in through the window again. You’re the same old you.”
“You left it open, Marja.”
“Sure. You’re about to become a grandfather, so how does that feel?”
“Well, so be it. Lance, you don’t have to look like this—.”
I chuckled. Lance and Sechika sped away, as did Adeshan and I. At least it was after graduating from Pileon Academy.
Marja was stunned.
“It’s going to work out somehow, look at me, I’ve had six kids and I’m still going strong.”
“I don’t think the arcsel is intact.”
“Oh, come on, Archmage. We could do a seventh right now, right?”
“Mmm, mmm–if Marja wants it.”
Asel’s shoulders slumped.
Marja, who was sniffling, tapped me on the shoulder.
“Ha—thanks, Ronan. That relaxes me a bit.”
“You’re welcome.”
“It’s going to be okay, it has to be.”
Marja bit her lower lip.
His mouth was smiling, but his jade-colored eyes looked like they could burst into tears at any moment. I’ve always thought she was a terrible actress. What parent wouldn’t be nervous about their eldest daughter giving birth to a child?
Adeshan was comforting her.
Suddenly, the door to the labor and delivery room swung open and a young man walked out.
“Haa—haa—woof.”
“Lance!”
All eyes were on me. It was my son, Lance. He was gagging, dressed in a strange garment and cap they call a sterilization suit. He barely raised his head and looked at me and Adeshan alternately.
“—Dad or Mom?”
“Lance. How dare you still have hair.”
She swept her bangs back and laughed. Lance’s face was a mangled mess, like someone who had been attacked by a gang of ferocious feline bandits. Scratches and pinches were rampant from the top of her head to the base of her neck. His sweaty hair was pinned back in the same shape that Sechika had grabbed it.
“Father.”
“What the fuck is wrong with this guy?”
Suddenly, Lance approached, sobbing.
His face was white and he looked like a soldier who had just come back from the battlefield.
Lance gasped and grabbed my hand.
“Three, Sechika is dying, Dad. Sechika is dying.”
Marja and Asel gulped. I said nothing and narrowed my brow. I could tell by the look on her face that she was fighting an uphill battle.
Looks like we have a stubborn child on our hands.
After organizing what I wanted to say, I opened my mouth.
“You won’t die, man. Don’t you know that women are weak, but mothers are strong?”
“That, that.”
“And women who are not mothers are also strong. Look at Sister Nabiroze or the Fire Mother. They could blow your head off with the force of their thighs alone, and rest assured that Sechika falls into that category, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Well, yeah, I guess, but I’m having such a hard time–blah.”
Lance covered his face with his palms. The sentiment was understandable.
The hardest part is obviously the mother, but it’s not uncommon for the husband to have to watch from the sidelines.
As a father, I was racking my brain for something to say.
So, do you want me to give you this manuscript and have you read it?
Suddenly, Sechika’s screams echoed from inside the delivery room.
“Aaaaaaah!”
“Cechika! No!”
Lance spun and leaped. The speed of his return was good enough to pass.
The door slammed shut with a loud, scary bang.
“You scoundrel, where have you been without me!”
“I’m sorry, Sechika. My parents are here. Just calm down a little—”
“Are you serious?! You’re the reason I’m so sick!”
“Off!!!”
This time, Lance’s screams echoed.
It sounded like a soul being put through a threshing machine. Asel clapped his hands over his mouth. Adeshan poked him in the side, as if to ask if he was like that.
Based on the status, it looked like we’d be waiting a while longer.
As I stood there, I heard a dignified greeting from out of the corner of my eye.
“Uncle Ronan. It’s been a while.”
Turning, he saw Miss Iril, her hair dyed black, standing somewhere in the center of the room, a young woman so beautiful and so much like his sister that he could have sworn she was his sister.
I shook his hand with a pleased expression.
“Oh, Gumsung. Welcome home.”
The current pinnacle of Imperial swordsmanship. She was Aria de Grancia, the only child of her sister and Schlieffen.
When I was a kid, I thought I was a monkey reincarnated, but now I’m a grown man. Schlieffen and her sister were sitting in the waiting area, looking impatient.
After shaking my hand, Aria shook her head in disapproval.
“It’s nice to meet you, but I’m no longer a censor.”
“Why?”
“You’re rubbing salt in a sore wound, since you lost the sword fight two months ago.”
“How dare anyone beat you? Sister Nabirozé and the Zaifa inspirer are completely retired, and so am I and your father.”
“That’s—”
“Wow, that’s crazy. Are you my biological dad?”
Aria was dragging the tail of a horse. Someone slapped me across the back of the head. My head snapped up for a moment.
“Ugh!”
The spicy snaps were just like my mom’s.
I felt a tug on my arm from behind, forcing me to turn around.
The young lady with the white hair pointed her thumb at herself and exclaimed.
“I’m the prosecutor! I’m Erin, the tax-cutting beauty queen prosecutor who turned the system upside down!”
“I’m sorry, daughter. Daddy’s been busy lately.”
I patted her head and apologized. It was Erin, my daughter and Lance’s sister.
Erin was the opposite of Aria, resembling her sister only in hair color.
“How could you forget that, no matter how busy you are? Wow, now I understand why my brother used to whine when he was a kid that his dad wasn’t there for his first day of school.”
“Technically, I didn’t forget because I didn’t know about it. Haha.”
“Kyaaaaah!”
Erin bit my arm. I let out a small squeal and soothed her. I’d been so focused on my writing that I hadn’t even realized she was a swordsman.
‘It should have changed as often as it did.
I was a little disappointed. She was surprised to learn that someone other than Erin had beaten Aria.
I wasn’t even keeping track of their wins and losses. It’s been a long time since the Sword Castle Decider turned into a fight between Erin and Aria.
Erin stuck her tongue out at me.
“You’ll have to take the challenge and reclaim your position, Aria. Gracia’s name is crying out.”
“Erin, that’s an inappropriate look for someone with a 3-7 record.”
“Hehe, what am I supposed to do. I’m the one who won the last time, don’t you think?”
“——hoh.”
Aria gasped. Erin tucked in behind me as the air grew cooler.
Schlieffen coughed and calmed her down.
“Hmmm—Aria.”
“Okay, Gazoo. I know.”
This is a funny situation. This was many years ago. Lance had worked hard to become a swordsman, only to be defeated by Arya in the very next match. Erin, vowing to avenge her brother’s death, defeated Arya on her third try. Though she lost the very next match.
‘Initially, it was ridiculously big news that we beat Aria.
But Erin didn’t give up, and that’s how the two became rivals.
Only Arya could match Erin’s ability to turn laziness into competition.
Lance was unable to stay out of the way and turned to military studies. Luckily, that talent was passed on to Adeshan, who was on his way to success.
I chuckled to myself.
I stroked Aria and Erin’s heads at the same time.
“I love you guys. Awesome.”
“Sah, Uncle—!”
“Okay, okay, you can keep petting me like this for another hour or so, and maybe my merciful and beautiful daughter will forgive you specially?”
Aria blushed and Erin snorted.
It seemed to calm my nerves a bit.
But that was short-lived.
About two hours later, as night fell, Sechika and Lance’s screams began to echo through the halls again.
“Aaaaaah!”
“Off!”
“—Sechika.”
Aria clenched her fists. Erin had been praying with her hands together a moment ago. To them, Sechika was like a sister.
“Cheer up, cechika—cheer up.”
“I can’t, I’m going to see a doctor.”
“Come on, you’re going to be okay, you’re really going to be okay, aren’t you, sis?”
“I hear Sita is using her blood magic to stop the bleeding.”
Everyone else was praying for a smooth delivery, too. It was a snobbish idea, but a very expensive prayer. Each person here was a continent-moving giant. It was no easy task to bring them all together.
Five more hours passed.
“Argh—argh!”
This time, only Cechika’s screams could be heard. No one was laughing anymore.
It was long past the scheduled time. The stars were shining in the darkest sky of the day. Something was wrong, and more and more medical personnel were entering the delivery room.
From the corner of my eye, I could hear Marja sobbing.
“Oh, Asel—oh, my daughter—.”
“It’s going to be okay, Marja. It’s going to be okay.”
She was crying, burying her face in Asel’s small shoulder.
Usually it’s the other way around, but in a rare case, Asher was in a position of comfort.
It was about an hour ago. Breathing heavily, the doctor approached me and asked me if I could only save one of them, the mother or the child, who would I save?
Marja couldn’t answer, and Asel narrowed her eyes, begging for Cecica’s life.
No one has come out of the delivery room since.
Two more hours have passed.
“——.”
The hallway was silent. The eastern sky was growing dusky.
There were no more screams from Cechika. Marja was exhausted from crying and fell asleep.
Everyone was up all night.
“——That’s interesting.”
Neither did I. I hadn’t expected things to get so serious, and the laughter and chatter of just a few hours ago seemed like a distant dream. I wanted to go in and see what was going on, but the delivery room was strictly off-limits to outsiders.
Sitting in the waiting room, I tapped the hilt of my sword.
“If you’ve had enough, come out, kid.”
His gaze remained fixed on the tightly closed delivery room. Unsurprisingly, no answer came. The urgent voices of the medical staff in my ears were muttering medical jargon about amniotic fluid and blood vessels. A c-section wouldn’t be this bad.
“Don’t you feel sorry for your mom and dad?”
I suddenly realized.
Maybe your baby realized in the womb. That the world she’s about to inhabit isn’t a smooth one. That a catastrophe called Akasha would come in the not-too-distant future and take her life.
If that’s the case, then—.
“What’s so scary that you won’t come out? Huh?”
“Honey—.”
Adeshan looked back at me, a deep shadow under her eyes. I released the hilt of my sword and took her hand in mine.
“Don’t worry, come out.”
And then he said
In a voice so low that even Adeshan couldn’t hear it. But with a clear sense of sincerity.
I closed my eyes and swore.
“Whatever the future holds, I’ll make sure you’re protected.”
When a child is anxious, it’s the adult’s job to reassure them. I’d saved the world four times, and there was nothing I couldn’t do. I repeatedly told her that I would protect her, but once again, she didn’t answer.
It was about the time that the fierce light of the night invaded the hallway.
“Yay! Yay!!”
A loud cry echoed down the hall.
Everyone in the room jumped to their feet.
Thumping footsteps got closer and the door to the labor and delivery room opened.
The doctor, his face drenched in sweat, pulled down his mask and shouted.
“Both mother and child are healthy!!”
I don’t remember much about the immediate aftermath.
My vision blurred and cheers erupted from all directions.
The tear-stained world was the same color as the morning sun.
The Academy’s Genius KnifemanChapter 513