Chapter 7: The Midwife
A few days after Ivern returned, I found myself at home, taking care of Meileen.
Morning sickness had begun.
She could no longer eat anything greasy and had lost her appetite for meat.
Vegetables and fruits were about all she could manage, and every day she seemed utterly drained.
“…I’m sorry, Kenta. I keep causing you trouble,” Meileen said apologetically from her bed.
I took her hand in mine, trying to encourage her. “What are you talking about? This isn’t a bother at all. It’s about our child, after all.”
“Kenta…”
Even so, I had no idea what more I could do.
Back in my previous world, I had only attended high school up to a certain point, so I lacked any knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth.
If things continued like this, Meileen and our child might not get enough nutrition.
Facing childbirth without any medical knowledge was an incredibly risky situation.
We needed to see a doctor.
However, going into town also posed its own risks.
After much deliberation, I decided to bring a doctor to us.
What made this decision easier was hearing that people in town no longer feared me.
Had I not heard that, I would have had to wait until Ivern came back.
I truly appreciated the timing of that information.
So, I resolved to fetch a doctor, but first, I needed to contact Ivern.
I had no idea where to find an obstetrician or midwife in town.
I donned a typical disguise of a hat and black-rimmed glasses and headed toward the town.
Using teleportation magic, I arrived near the town and walked the rest of the way in.
This town wasn’t particularly large, so there were no checkpoints for entering or exiting.
There were guards to prevent Magical Beasts from entering, but that was about it.
Once inside, my first destination was the Adventurers’ Guild.
This organization buys materials collected by adventurers at fair prices and distributes them to various vendors.
While it was possible to deal directly with merchants without going through this organization, those merchants were seasoned traders.
Adventurers lacking knowledge often fell victim to overpricing or scams, so most opted to use the guild.
Thus, there was a high likelihood that Ivern would be here.
Upon entering the guild, I found it comprised a reception counter and a waiting area.
Adventurers first received a queue number at the reception, and when their number was called, they would submit their materials at the designated counters.
Afterward, they would receive another number and collect their payment at the payment counter.
As a result, the waiting area was quite crowded.
The waiting area had long benches and table seating, where people could eat while waiting.
I didn’t see Ivern on the benches, but there he was at a table.
“Hey!” I called out.
“Wha—! You scared me!” he exclaimed, visibly startled.
“Whoa? That’s unusual. What’s going on?” I asked, noticing his surprise.
Ivern looked at me as if he had seen a ghost. Yulia was surprised too, but her shock seemed to stem from my unexpected presence.
“What’s with the surprise?” I asked.
“Well, I never thought you’d come here,” Ivern replied.
“Yulia doesn’t seem that surprised,” I pointed out.
“Huh?”
“Yeah. She seems to be wondering why I’m here, but that’s about it.”
Right, I needed to convey that.
“Ivern… or should I ask Yulia instead?” I said.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Why are you asking Yulia instead of me?”
Ivern’s eyes narrowed with suspicion, which was understandable.
“Do you know any obstetricians?” I pressed.
“Uh… well, that’s definitely more Yulia’s area of expertise,” he admitted.
“Exactly. So, do you know of any skilled obstetricians or experienced midwives?”
When I asked, Yulia’s expression turned serious, and she leaned in to whisper, “…Is something wrong with Meileen?”
Yulia and Meileen were close friends, and she was clearly worried about her.
“…She’s been suffering from severe morning sickness. She can barely eat anything. I don’t know what nutritious foods are safe for pregnant women. Also, ideally, she should be regularly checked by a doctor or midwife, but we haven’t been able to do that.”
Upon hearing my words, Yulia seemed to relax a bit before her face hardened again.
“Got it. My landlord is a skilled midwife, so I’ll introduce you to her.”
“Thank you. That would be a great help.”
“Let’s go right away!”
As Yulia took my hand and stood up, Ivern hurriedly interrupted, “Wait! We’re still waiting for our payment!”
“Come on! Hurry up!” Yulia urged.
“Don’t look at me for that…” Ivern replied, flustered.
After a bit of back-and-forth, we soon finished our transaction, and we headed toward the apartment where Ivern and Yulia lived together.
The apartment we arrived at looked spacious enough to be called a mansion back in Japan.
“The landlord lives on the first floor. Excuse me! Landlord!” Yulia called out as she knocked on the door.
Almost immediately, a voice from inside responded, “Yes, yes?” and after a moment, the door opened.
“Why, it’s you, Yulia! What brings you here?” a kind-looking middle-aged woman said.
Yulia quickly explained the situation to the woman, who was named Bennett.
“Hello, Ms. Bennett! Actually, I need your help as a midwife today.”
Upon hearing this, Ms. Bennett’s eyes widened, and she looked back and forth between Yulia and Ivern before breaking into a warm smile.
“Is that so? Have you finally been blessed with a child?”
“…Huh?”
Ivern tilted his head, not quite understanding Ms. Bennett’s words, but Yulia seemed to get it right away and laughed, “No, Ms. Bennett, it’s not me! It’s about my friend!”
“Oh, I see! And this is her husband,” Yulia added.
Husband.
That was the first time I had been introduced that way.
What a delightful sound it had.
Finally realizing my presence after Yulia’s introduction, Ms. Bennett’s eyes widened for a moment.
But she quickly regained her composure and spoke to me calmly.
“So, you’re the one, huh?”
“Yes. I’m Kenta Maya.”
“I see.”
Ms. Bennett stared intently at my face.
Her expression was serious, and I felt like I couldn’t interrupt, merely standing there under her scrutiny.
After a moment, she seemed to come to a conclusion and nodded once.
“So, what seems to be the problem with your wife?”
“She’s suffering from severe morning sickness and can only eat fruits at the moment. I can’t determine if she’s getting enough nutrition or how the mother and child are doing. Please, I need your help.”
I bowed my head to Ms. Bennett as I spoke.
Ivern looked utterly astonished at my display of humility.
“K-Kenta is bowing his head…”
Of course, I would bow to someone who would examine Meileen.
“Lift your head. I’m a midwife. If a pregnant woman is suffering and asking for help, it’s only natural to lend a hand.”
Ms. Bennett smiled gently, trying to reassure me.
“Thank you very much.”
When I expressed my gratitude, Ms. Bennett turned to Ivern.
“He’s polite and seems to care for his wife. Why is he wanted, though?”
“Well, that’s… a bit complicated here…”
Ivern glanced at me nervously, so I answered Ms. Bennett.
“I’ll explain at my house. We can talk freely there.”
When I said this, Ms. Bennett looked puzzled.
“Your house… is deep in the forest, isn’t it? It’s not easy to get there.”
“Oh, the travel will be quick. Could you just bring what you need?”
With a skeptical expression, Ms. Bennett prepared for the examination and returned.
“Alright then, let’s go. Ms. Bennett, please touch my arm.”
“Like this?”
“Ah, can I come too?”
“I’m going as well.”
As we prepared to move, Yulia and Ivern also touched my body.
“Here we go. Teleport!”
As I said this, the scenery shifted, and we arrived in front of my house.
Unlike Ms. Bennett, who stood there in shock, Yulia immediately entered the house.
“Meileen!”
Yulia knew the layout of our home perfectly and headed straight for the bedroom.
“Ms. Bennett, this way, please.”
“Ah, yes… Is this teleportation magic?”
“Yes.”
When I answered Ms. Bennett’s question, her expression turned incredulous.
“To use such legendary magic so casually…”
“That’s why countries are after Kenta,” Ivern added.
With that one remark, Ms. Bennett seemed to grasp the situation.
“…You’ve got it tough too. Now, let’s focus on examining the pregnant woman.”
Ms. Bennett said this as she followed closely behind me.
And so, another ally was gained in this world where few remained.