Episode 50
‘My mother was a genius at the art of longevity.’
According to the standards of a knight, the method of training must be combined with swordsmanship to be complete. However, for my mother, the method of training alone was sufficient.
“Hoooooo, haaaaaaaah.”
My mother’s complexion cleared up. Her breathing also became stable.
The mother herself sensed the change in herself and devoted herself even more diligently to the breathing technique.
‘That really works!’
The Ramajusri Aura training method was a great help in childbirth. When I took the pulse, I found that my mother’s Aura Road, which had been in disarray, was connected smoothly.
After that, things went quickly. The midwife moved around busily.
“The door is open. Just a little more force, just a little more force. Now!”
The midwife had a timing that came from experience.
I held my mother’s hand tightly. I sent out a little aura to ease her suffering. I summoned Inferno to warm up the air in the room.
“Oh! What a beautiful daughter!”
The midwife cried out as she held up the clot of blood. It was hard to believe that the newborn baby, covered in amniotic fluid and blood, was my brother.
I thought the midwife might take out the baby who had been hiding somewhere and claim that she was my sister and my mother’s daughter.
I was completely out of my mind.
The baby was so small that I thought I could hold it with both hands, and the skin all over its body was wrinkled, just like it had been while it was fully immersed in amniotic fluid.
“Your Majesty, would you please cut this part with your knife?”
For a moment, I doubted my ears.
The midwife held out to me a long string of internal organs extending from my sister’s belly button. It was an unfamiliar sight even to me, a medical student.
“Are you asking me to cut up my sister’s intestines?”
“It’s not the intestines, it’s the umbilical cord. If you cut it and tie the end, the umbilical cord attached to the belly button will fall off.”
“Is it okay to cut this little baby’s thing? Doesn’t it hurt?”
“Of course. And this is also the job of the household. Do not be afraid, my lord.”
The midwife looked at me and smiled.
I had no choice but to trust her expression. She was an old woman three times my age, and the person she was facing was the Viscount who ruled this area.
Unless you have seven necks, you can’t talk nonsense.
I accepted the knife the midwife handed me. It was a dagger that had been soaked in boiling water.
The hand holding the dagger was trembling.
Seo Eo-eok.
I got goosebumps all over my body.
When I first met my sister, the first thing I did was cut her flesh, and I wondered if this was a good thing.
The midwife held my sister’s short, thin legs with one hand, a movement that was both skillful and numb, as if she were handling a turkey.
slap!
At that moment, I raised my aura without realizing it. I felt like I was raising an army and starting a war.
The surprised midwife turned to me and hiccupped.
Her hands were trembling as she held my sister.
‘Yes, I remember hearing that. They make newborn babies cry so they spit out amniotic fluid and stool, right?’
I suppressed my anger and hugged my sister.
The little baby burst into loud sobs in my arms.
“Eww!”
It was small.
It was hard to believe that something like this could grow, live out a life, and give birth to another life.
It was only when I saw my mother’s belly shrink that I realized I was having a younger sister.
“A daughter? I gave birth to a daughter? Hahaha! I knew this would happen someday. Oh, I knew this day would come!”
The father looked for his wife before the baby.
He held his mother’s hand tightly and sobbed for a long time.
It was the first time I realized that my father was such a soft-spoken person. I thought that with such a soft personality, he would not be able to become a lord.
It was fortunate for all of us that I followed in my father’s footsteps.
“Father, have you decided on a name for the baby?”
“I had Elenaheim, Svatkovskaya, Alexandraevich, Sevastyavnia, Victoria, and Alexandria in mind. What are your thoughts on this?”
My father gave me a choice, because I was the head of Hebron.
‘The names my father suggested were… … .’
Victoria was the easiest to call.
The rest seemed to be variations of the names of famous figures in Zeno, confirming that my father had no talent for naming.
“Dinah of Hebron.”
“Isn’t that too simple? The name Svatkosvskaya means that I gave birth to a daughter in my later years. If that doesn’t suit you, how about Sebastia-Vnia? You probably know Sebastia and Vnia. It’s meant to be a noble lady like them… .”
As I squinted my eyes, my father’s words trailed off.
Sebastia was the wife of a marquis who had given birth to twelve children, and Bnia was the wife twenty years older than her and had raised her foolish husband well.
They were both great people, but I didn’t want my sister to live like them.
“This child’s name is Dinah de Hebron. Dinah means freedom in ancient language. This child will make her own way in life. I will do everything I can to help her do so.”
“I will follow the will of the Count of Hebron.”
My father readily accepted my opinion. It was not only because I was a lord, but also because I was his son.
I could feel my father’s boundless trust in me.
“Dina, it’s Daddy. Do it, Daddy. Daddy.”
I stared at the little baby, hoping that he would say, “Daddy,” but no such miracle happened.
The baby, who was moved to his father’s arms, blinked his eyes.
At first, he could barely open one eye, but later he opened both eyes and frowned.
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The two eyeballs rolled around, unfocused.
“Hey, why are your eyes like this? Does it hurt somewhere?”
“All babies are like that. They will get better.”
“ah…….”
I felt relieved when I heard the midwife’s words. On the other hand, I remembered how insignificant my confident medical skills were.
“I heard that there are many women who die while giving birth, and that many babies die shortly after birth.”
I had seen some statistics, but the birth of commoners was not a concern for the nobles. While they recognized that they would grow up and increase the population, they considered commoners to be uncivilized and dirty and would die.
However, it was not possible to use expensive priestly treatments on commoners.
“That’s right. I tried my best, but my abilities were not enough.”
“I don’t want to blame you. I just want to hear the truth.”
“Two out of ten mothers die or become seriously ill. Two out of ten babies are not born, and five out of ten die within a week of birth.”
The statistic I remember was three out of ten. That’s how many died. I didn’t count the sick. But the midwife said the opposite, three out of ten survived.
“Fifteen out of ten? Are you sure about that number?”
“Yes, my lord.”
The experience of the mother delivering the baby at the scene would have been more definitive.
I imagined that number dwindling. If ten people were born, one or two would die, and everyone else would survive, Hebron could increase its population without having to invade neighboring territories or hire mercenaries.
‘It is the most certain, but equally difficult choice to make. It’s not like the other lords were so stupid as to just let the commoners die.’
“Is there any way to reduce that number?”
“There is no special secret. It is best to just feed them well. In times of food shortage, more babies and mothers die.”
It meant that there was no way in the private sector.
But there was something I could do on a permanent basis.
“Mother, are you okay?”
“Don’t worry, Viscount Hebron.”
Mother’s expression became much more relieved.
“Did the breathing technique I taught you help you with childbirth?”
Mother smiled and nodded.
“If it weren’t for the breathing technique that the Count of Hebron taught me, this mother would have had a really hard time. Thank you, Count of Hebron.”
I took care of my mother and went to find Amy.
“You have arrived, my lord.”
Amy had a busy day as usual.
This time, since the Barony of Delgaine was also incorporated into Hebron, Amy became even busier. Hebron became a viscounty, but its territory was relatively small compared to other viscounties, and its economic power was also weak. Gaius also took this situation into consideration when he cut Hebron’s taxes in half for the next ten years.
Hebron could only survive if it had the strength of any other maker within ten years.
“Today is the auspicious day that my sister Dinah de Hebron was born. From today on, I will enact the Law of Dinah.”
“Dinah Law? Suddenly?”
Amy was also involved in the law of the land.
It was because there was no subordinate who got things done as reliably as she did.
“We will give some tax breaks to pregnant families.”
“… … Do you know how many babies are born in Hebron? If we introduce a bill like this, they will just keep having babies to reduce their taxes.”
“That’s what I was aiming for. It’s a good thing that Hebron’s population is growing.”
“It’s not that simple. Half of the babies die when they’re born. Many die during birth.”
Even taking pregnant families into consideration, this meant that not many babies survived.
“There is a method of Aura training. It can solve the problem of mothers and babies dying during childbirth.”
“Now, wait a minute. So you’re saying that you’re going to teach Yeongjimin the Ora Yeongong method so that she doesn’t die while giving birth?”
It was a solution that was beyond common sense.
The Aura training method was a family treasure that was only available to regular knights and elite soldiers.
For a poor baron, it was common to share the seniority method with only a few knights.
“It’s just breathing, but my mother says that it’s effective. If you keep trying, you can awaken the Aura training method. By the way, my mother awakened the Aura training method after giving birth. It seems like she was born with a genius talent in that field.”
Amy looked at me with a bewildered expression.
Contrary to her concerns, I know of over 100 aura training methods. It’s not like the Baron who bribes to get one decent training method.
Anyway, since distribution of the seniority law was under the authority of the head of the household, Amy couldn’t stop it.
“Well, that aside, what about the problem of babies being born and dying?”
“Save me.”
“yes?”
“They say five out of ten die. Let’s reduce that to two out of ten.”
“yes?”
Amy looked bewildered.
It seemed as if his eyes were asking me why I was tormenting myself after causing the trouble.
“Prime Minister Amy.”
“Yes!”
Amy’s answer was thunderous.
This was because she was called a prime minister, not an administrator. The prime minister was a position in charge of the internal affairs of the house of the baron. It was also a high-ranking position that acted as a proxy for the lord when he was absent.
In a short time, Amy had stabilized Hebron and gained my trust. I believed in her potential.
“I will assign my first mission to the Prime Minister of the House of Hebron.”
“Well, but this is a bit difficult. Even if you look through Zeno’s history, there is no case where the mortality rate of commoner babies was drastically reduced.”
It was something no one had ever tried before.
So it made sense. If they could do this, Hebron would be ahead of the other fiefdoms.
“I trust you.”
Amy didn’t sigh.
She looked up at me and responded faithfully to my faith.
“Yes, my lord!”
