409-377 Before the journey (2)

Well, we were all set and ready to leave Laffan, but by the end of the day, we had easily reached our first destination.

The town of Kerg.

It's right next door.

Very close, but we were not just stopping there, we had a specific purpose.

Haruka, Yuki, and Natsuki were the ones who strongly requested to go, but since we still had plenty of time left in our schedule, we had no reason to refuse, so we accepted.

As soon as we arrived in the town, we went to the store where the person we wanted to meet was.

Welcome!

Even though it was past the peak time for lunch, more than half of the seats in the restaurant were occupied.

The cheerful voice and the noise of the customers.

As if to weave in and out of the crowd, a girl moved quickly with an empty plate in her hand.

No, it would be rude to call her a girl.

Her belly had swollen so much that I could clearly see it.

She put her plate down on the counter, looked back at us, and rolled her eyes.

"Huh?　It's Haruka and the others! It's been a while!

It's been a while!　What are you doing?　What are you doing?

What do you mean, work?

The one who tilted her head was Yasue, the proprietress of this store.

I'm not sure if it's because I have a child or because I'm used to this world.

No, it's not that...!

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm busy. I'm sorry, I'm a little busy right now.　I'll settle down in a little while.

Yasue replied lightly to Haruka's hasty rebuttal and resumed her work.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I've been so impressed with your work.

We looked at each other and settled down at a table in the corner, "She's pregnant, isn't she? Did Haruka and the others know about it?

"Possibly. I didn't tell Nao and the others because I wasn't sure.

Is that why you wanted to come here? Is that why you said you wanted to come here?

Haruka and the others wanted to stop by Kerg before they left town this time.

I had heard that it was because they wanted to see Yasue, but it seems that the reason was her pregnancy.

They had been told before that they would need to take some time off after Marks-san's dungeon investigation, and this was probably the reason.

"Confirmation and support. We're friends now, right?

There are some concerns about the medical system here: ....... If I or Haruka were here, we'd be able to help a little.

The rest is for our experience, I guess. I've never had the experience of witnessing a childbirth, even if I do have some common sense knowledge about it.

In general, there are people you know who can help you during childbirth, such as your parents or neighbors, but in our case, those connections are thin.

The only adult female acquaintances we have are Diora, Aella, Luce and Ishka, but that's about it.

I'm not a woman of childbirth, so I'm not sure if I can rely on her for childbirth.

If I had to guess, I would say that Gantz's wife, Sybil, is also there, but unfortunately she is only an acquaintance.

"So you're saying you want to support Yasue and gain some experience?

I see. I'm not sure about me, but I'm curious about Haruka and Nao, aren't you?

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

I've been thinking about it. I'm sure you'll be able to find someone you can talk to. It's your first time experiencing this.

I've heard about maternity blues and such.

We never know when it's going to happen, do we?　You should be careful, Toya. If you plant seeds without thinking...

Oh, yeah. ....... You'll be fine.　Maybe.

The three were unexpectedly serious, and Toya nodded, as if a little pressured.

I don't know much about it, but I would think that a store like that would have measures in place, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.

I'm ....... Well, yeah. I'm thinking about it.

I've been thinking about it for a while, but I've heard that the odds are lower between elves than normal, so it'll probably be a while before I get around to it.

I'm not sure what to make of this.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

When more than half of the tables in the restaurant were empty, she came back with a tray of cups in her hand, saying, "Thanks for waiting.

She laid them out in front of us and sat down on a chair with a "yokkosho", when Haruka opened her mouth.

I'd like to congratulate you first. I knew you were pregnant.

"Congratulations.

"Congratulations.

"Well, thank you.

We congratulated each other, and Yasue responded in a whisper, her eyes wandering as if she was a little embarrassed.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

It's kind of emotional. I never thought that one of my classmates would get pregnant at this age. ......

"Wait, don't say that!　It's kind of embarrassing!

It's me and Toya who are glancing at each other.

It's normal in our world to be pregnant in high school,......, and when you think about it, it's certainly a bit strange.

But as a man, it's hard to get into these topics.

However, I don't want to be talked about too much, so Toya and I keep our mouths shut and quietly fade into the shadows.

But I'm relieved to hear that things are going well.

Are things going well with your husband?

"Well, yeah. Well, thanks to you, I'm able to help with the cooking now.　No problem.

Yasue glanced towards the kitchen and smiled, her face was happy and not as stern as when we first met.

I was not really expecting you to come.　I wasn't expecting much, but... I wasn't expecting much, but you guys have work to do.

You said you'd come and take a look. We keep our promises, don't we?

I wouldn't have minded if it had been the first time we broke up, but now that we're reconciled...

Yes, but ...... well, thank you.

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll understand.

I'm not sure what to say.

We can't help but loosen our mouths at such Yasue.

"Well, it's not a good night's sleep when your classmate dies in childbirth, is it?

"Hey, don't say something that won't bring good luck!

"But it's closer than you think.　For ordinary people.

If you are a rich person or a nobleman who can call a healing wizard, the mortality rate of pregnant women and unborn babies associated with childbirth is quite low, but if you are a commoner who cannot call a healing wizard, there is a danger of a rate that cannot be ignored.

As light magic has purify and disinfect, people are aware of the importance of cleanliness and would not perform medical treatment or take away a child without washing their hands. In other words, there are limits. In other words, there is a natural limit.

"Yes, but ...... think about my feelings.

"Sorry, sorry. Sorry." "Don't worry, Yasue. Even if something happens, I'll take care of it. Haruka and Natsuki...

We're all in this together!

We're one and the same!　And we live in the same house.

......　How's that working out for you?

So far, so good.　It's going well.

I'm sure it's going well.

Well, it's definitely going well, isn't it?

I don't have any experience, but I think it's much easier than living in a dormitory.

Part of it is that we have been close friends since childhood, but another part of it is that I have a private room.

I wouldn't say that we have zero disagreements, but they can be resolved through normal discussion.

Mary and her friends, whose living conditions were different from ours, would never complain about their greatly increased, if not lowered, standard of living.

The only people who would have a problem with this situation would be people with communication problems.

By the way, do you have any plans?

"I don't, but Haruka...

Yuki shook her head and looked meaningfully at Haruka.