CH 74.4

The couple with the baby walked out of the front door, bowing their heads repeatedly, and melted into the darkness outside.

It’s been a little over a year since our slaves started getting married.

….areh? Was that the first baby?

I wonder if there were other babies who died like that long ago.

Maybe if it was a little while ago, I would say something like, “If you are born, you will die.” and won’t even bother.

However, the me right now won’t dare say that.

I know that I can’t save everyone and I’m not even willing to do it.

Still, I couldn’t get that baby’s pained expression out of my head.

「Is this my responsibility?」

Laura-san, who was standing next to me, slapped my back! And it hurts.

「It’s your vice to try and carry everything on your shoulders like that. People die, whether they are near you or not. Even god can’t be responsible for that.」

I wondered if Laura-san was an esper who could understand that must just from a few words or if she had suffered from the same thing.

My back still hurts.

Laura-san was probably right.

No one can be responsible for someone’s death.

And taking care of a slave child is already beyond my responsibility.

However, perhaps this will be a source of regret.

Things that I can’t control, things for which I have no responsibility, things that I later wish I should have done at the time, are usually regrets.

And I’m like that.

I still wake up in the middle of the night dreaming of regrets from my past life.

I can’t carry more regrets of this life on top of that!

Regret is a dangerous thing that can kill you.

In the end, I have to do it!

「Chicken, how can I make sure the children won’t die? I’d prefer to do it in a way that it won’t add to my workload as much as possible.」

Chicken thought for a moment, pushed up the bridge of her glasses, and then answered.

「…right, desu ne. I heard that there is a big hospital in the royal capital that even commoners can use.」

「Hospital, hospital….」

That’s good but I’d like to make sure that it will lead to the direction I wish…….

Alright, let’s also get the girls to study so we can get more doctors.

That way, I’ll have a little less work to do in the future.

「Let that old black market doctor I bought a while back open a hospital. He can at least give others potion infusions.」

「It’s Ophiuchus-dono. Understood.」

「Take some of the younger ones who want to become apprentices. I want to increase the number of doctors.」

「Yes」

「And if any of the slave’s has trouble with their children, take care of them during the day. In the future, I want to turn it into a school.」

「That would be wonderful」

「I’ll pay for the intermediate operations and potions. It should be free for the slaves and their children. Also….」

I glanced at Laura-san. She was smiling but she had the “it can’t be helped” look on her face.

Yeah, this is my nature after all.

In theory, I don’t need to feel responsible for my slaves more than I already have.

However, no matter how many times I am reborn, I will never be a person who can live by logic alone.

「If the doctors can’t cure the patient, bring the kid to me anytime……that kid also doesn’t have to be my slave.」

「By your will」

Somehow, I felt my shoulders were getting heavier.

Now, not only the slaves but also the lives of their children are on my back.

However, I have to do it.

「Then, please excuse me.」

I walked briskly out of the front door and into the yard after Chicken had left.

Even though it was the middle of the night, I could still smell the delicious smell of grilled meat.

Listening carefully, I can hear the silly laughter of adventurers or something in the distance.

They are so carefree that it makes me want to cry.

『Damn you!!』

I howled into the darkness in Japanese.

The wind whipped the sand and blew it past my feet. In the house, the cries of the twins resounded.