NOVEL NEXT chapter 83
83 – Dragon’s Nest (2)
“Gasp!”
Keita was surprised and fumbled for Liana’s face, not knowing what to do.
“What should I do?! I think labor has started!”
“Calm down, wizard. The baby isn’t coming out that quickly.”
But Keita didn’t seem to calm down at all.
“Saint! This child is no ordinary child…! No one knows how soon she will come out!”
“What do you mean? He’s not an ordinary child?”
“It’s a dragon’s child!”
Saint Celeiza snorted her laughter.
However, upon seeing Keita’s expression, Saint Celeiza erased her smile and asked seriously.
“Really with dragons…?”
“I am the child’s father.”
Saint Celeiza turned her head.
“So… You’re saying you’re a dragon…?”
“Yes.”
I don’t know if this saint is a trustworthy person.
But at least in order to tell Erhina’s exact condition, I had to reveal that I was a dragon.
Saint Celeiza’s eyes widened in surprise as she showed the black scales growing on the back of her hand.
“A dragon’s child…?”
“Ah, then the story is different…”
“Keuuu…
Suddenly, Liana began to moan in earnest pain.
“Ugh! Chamberlain!”
Keita was sweating nervously and caressed Liana’s face and her stomach.
“Saint! Please do something!”
“Ah. So… What should I do with this…”
Saint Celeiza, perhaps embarrassed, also began to panic like Keita.
“Erga… Erga…”
Liana, drenched in sweat, looked for me, whispering.
“I’m here, Liana. The saint came now and performed divine healing and said that both you and Erhina are safe.”
“Is that so… Ugh… But Erhina… I guess she wants to see us quickly… She’s coming out now… Hmm…!”
Liana bit her lip and tightened her hand as she held my hand.
“Liana. It’s okay. Nothing will happen. Uh, so this is the saint. Right?”
“Uh… For now… That…”
Saint Celeiza, who made eye contact with me, ran to the bottom of her bed, speaking gibberish.
“Legs… Spread your legs first…!”
Keita and Wolfert ran over and grabbed Liana’s knees and spread them to both sides.
“Wait… Wait… Wash your hands first… Phew… Calm down, Celeiza… You can do it… It’s nothing…”
As she washed her hands in steaming hot water and dried them with a towel, Saint Celeiza spoke to herself anxiously.
“Legs… Spread your legs… What… Is your name…?”
“This is Liana.”
“Liana! Can you hear me…?!”
Liana, who was gritting her teeth, nodded her head.
“Breathe… Take a deep breath… In through her nose and out through her mouth… Uh… Like that. Good.”
As Liana was breathing heavily, Celeiza bent down and looked between Liana’s legs.
“Wow…! I can already see the head…! How can you be so fast?!”
“Ugh…! It hurts so much…!”
Liana let out a scream, clutching my hand with both of her hands.
“Riana! When your stomach hurts, apply strength together! When the pain subsides, take it out and breathe… And apply strength again…!”
Following Celeiza’s guidance, Liana moaned between her teeth, giving her strength.
“You’re doing great! Keep doing it! Give it some strength! Take it out!”
Seleiza shouted, sweat dripping.
Wolpert couldn’t bear to look in that direction and turned her head, and Keita’s face turned pale and she bit her lip tightly.
Because Liana was really in pain, I was afraid that she might die.
Dragons lay eggs.
And the process is not that difficult.
At least I’ve never heard of a dragon dying while laying eggs.
But humans are different.
Many humans die during the birth process.
In some cases, the baby dies after giving birth due to infections or other reasons.
Furthermore, Lyana did not bear a human child but a dragon child, and even that blood was shed in a fierce fight.
No matter how much Saint Celeiza said she was fine, seeing her suffering like this right in front of her eyes made her unable to help but be scared.
Wait a minute… You’re scary…?
She was born from an egg, and it was a feeling she had never felt before.
Even when escaping from the island, being chased by blood relatives, and fighting while outnumbered, he was not afraid.
But now, I was filled with uncontrollable fear at the thought that Liana might die.
What kind of person is Liana to me?
Putting aside all her impure intentions, she guided me from the desert as her guide.
She accompanied me through all the hardships of my journey and assisted me in becoming a lord with her clever mind and her cunning tactics.
And now she is giving birth to my child, our child.
I held Liana’s hand tightly.
“Liana. It’ll be okay. Erhina will come out safely. The three of us…”
“uuu!!!”
“It’s mom!!”
At that time, Saint Celeiza and Keita shouted at the same time.
“The baby is coming!”
“Chief Chamberlain! Just hold on a little longer! It’s up to your shoulders! Saint! Take it!”
“Uh oh! Wait a minute! Towel, towel!”
The two women hurriedly placed a towel under Erhina, who was starting to come out little by little.
“Riana! Give me strength! You can’t relax!”
“uuugh!”
“Oh my! Oh my!”
Saint Celeiza, sweating like rain, received her baby with both hands resting on her towel.
“Ugh… Came out…”
Saint Celeiza, holding Erhina as carefully as if she were a breakable glass bottle, sighed.
I couldn’t see Liana because I was at the bottom, but I could clearly see Erhina.
It was a very small lump that was shriveled and reddish.
It is so small that Saint Celeiza could hold it with both her hands.
Still, it was funny that she had all her arms and legs, even her eyes, nose, and mouth.
It was so funny that I smiled without realizing it.
“Liana. Erhina has come out.”
“Does it have a tail…?”
“No, nothing. Just… Human. Just like you.”
Liana smiled faintly.
At that time, Saint Celeiza opened her mouth in an anxious voice.
“Why… Why aren’t you crying…?”
“Should I cry?”
“You have to cry to breathe…?”
I felt like my heart was falling again.
“It’s strange…? I should cry, but why don’t I cry…?”
Saint Celeiza rolled her eyes and looked at Erhina, not knowing what to do.
Then Keita, who was next to her, stretched out her arm like lightning and snatched Erhina from the saint’s hand.
Keita held Erhina’s legs upside down and slapped her buttocks with the palm of her hand.
Party! Match-!
Suddenly, Erhina burst into tears that pierced her ears.
The cry was so sharp that it pierced her ears, but to me it sounded more beautiful than any other sound in the world.
“I cried…!”
Saint Celeiza sat down on the floor as if she was about to faint.
“f*ck… I thought I was going to die because my heart was pounding…”
Wolfert staggered back and muttered.
Keita, who was also relaxed, looked back at me with a smile on her face, glistening with sweat.
“My lord, we need to cut the umbilical cord.”
“Uh… Okay…”
Saint Celeiza stretched out her arms with difficulty and grasped the umbilical cord tightly with both fingers.
Holding the scissors prepared in advance, I carefully cut the center.
“Hug me.”
Keita wrapped Erhina in a towel and handed her to me.
“How will it cost…?”
“It’s like lifting the most fragile thing in the world.”
I carefully hugged Erhina.
Erhina, with only her face exposed under her towel, could not open her eyes and pursed her mouth.
Erhina, with her incredible strength, grabbed her fingers as she placed them in her protruding hands.
“Liana… Erhina… Here…”
I couldn’t continue speaking and placed Erhina in Liana’s arms.
Liana just looked at Erhina with tears in her eyes without saying a word.
At that time, the door suddenly shattered with a loud noise.
Balder, carrying the old man on his back, hurriedly ran into the room.
“I brought the midwife!”
“You’re a little late.”
Wolfert, who was leaning against the wall, pointed towards us.
When Balder saw Erhina starting to cry again, startled by the sound, he sighed and put the old man down.
“Ugh… I’m sorry I’m late…”
“It’s okay, Mr. Bertrand. The midwife has to come anyway to take care of Liana…”
Saint Celeiza said while sitting on the floor and wiping her forehead.
The midwife slowly approached and looked between Liana’s legs and immediately took action.
We all left the room following the midwife’s instructions, and a few half-elves who washed their hands thoroughly went back into the room with the necessary things.
Balder tapped my shoulder.
“Thank you, Erga. Please go down to the first floor. I will prepare a meal for you.”
“Thank you, but I will stay here. Wolfert, Keita. You go and eat. And Mr. Balder.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, but can you stay here for a while? At least until Liana’s body recovers.”
“I was planning on doing that anyway. Don’t worry too much. Then, go down and eat. There won’t be anything to do if you stay here anyway.”
As Balder grabbed my arm and dragged me, Keita grabbed her other arm.
“Let’s go, my lord. This is a safe place.”
“That’s right. It’s the safest place in the world.”
Balder smiled smugly.
But that’s true, so it’s a bit too boastful.
* * * * *
While eating, I told Balder everything that had happened.
Balder was most surprised by the fact that he had traveled back and forth for forty years using the Capel Tower.
“What was I doing 40 years later?”
“I don’t know because I didn’t come here.”
“It’s a shame.”
Balder said with a smile.
“So, now Erga-san has nothing except for her subordinates.”
“Yes. I didn’t bring a single gold coin.”
Hearing my situation from someone else’s mouth, it sounded quite bleak.
Balder continued speaking.
“What are you going to do now?”
“We are going to start over somewhere else. Either get territory or do something else entirely.”
“Is that so…”
Balder closed his mouth and seemed to be thinking about something.
After a while, he asked.
“If you had suitable land, would you be willing to become a lord again?”