I am back – Chapter 214

I guess I didn’t really understand what it meant to worry about someone else.

So… I was the Hero. Always swinging the holy sword at the front lines, and sometimes I had to risk my life to move ahead of Kalia.

Besides, in the final moments, I really… died.

When I think back, it probably wasn’t because I was a Hero. Maybe it was just the way my personality was wired. When I remember the first time I died, when I saved Ga-young and died, it stands out even more. Back then, I wasn’t anything special, just a fresh high school graduate, still a kid.

My wife always says it breaks her heart when she recalls that time, claiming it’s her fault, but I know better. Sacrificing one’s life is not something that can be forced by someone else.

Above all, my older sister never pressured me into anything like that.

I simply lacked foresight in that moment.

So, there might be people who ask if everything turned out well in the end. And they wouldn’t be wrong. But all of it happened thanks to the existence of the Goddess. Looking at it through the lens of the world I knew, such events shouldn’t have happened at all.

Just thorough luck.

Simply because I had so many good people around me, because there were those who cared about me, I could reach this conclusion.

“…”

“You don’t have to worry too much.”

Realizing how painful my past actions were to others didn’t take long.

People usually reflect on their actions only after finding themselves in similar situations.

When Pia said that to me, I was still trembling in fear, wandering the hospital corridors.

“Statistically speaking, the failure rate of childbirth in Irrelaysia, a place with Divine Power, is actually much lower than that of the major cities in this country. There are even mothers and babies that die despite having a Bride right next to them—”

“Kalia, shh! Shh!”

Upon hearing Kalia’s words, my face turned an even paler shade, and Pia quickly put a finger to her lips in front of Kalia. It seemed Kalia realized her slip of the tongue and quickly shut her mouth.

Of course I knew. Kalia said that to reassure me. What she really meant was, “This world is much safer than Irrelaysia, which has Divine Magic, so just wait calmly.”

The problem was that her words constantly reminded me of the “possibility of failure.”

Mothers become extremely vulnerable during childbirth. Especially if it’s their first time. And if even one of them or the baby faces danger, both their lives are on the line.

Was suggesting that we give birth in the hospital a wrong judgment call?

Although Kalia said that, the truth is with Pia’s level of Divine Power, there was absolutely no way my older sister would be in danger. The Divine Power each individual possesses is different. The Divine Power of a regular believer, a monk, or a nun is not the same, and the power held by Brides, Cardinals, and other ranks differs as well.

And Pia, being a true “Saintess,” possessed a level of Divine Power that could at least attempt to heal any severed body part, as long as it wasn’t severely crushed or burned. It was nothing short of a miracle.

If someone like her were watching over, my wife’s life would have felt a lot more secure than it does now.

In fact, Pia was the one who first suggested it. However, my wife and I politely declined. We wanted our child to definitely be a citizen of this country. Of course, just because we gave birth at home doesn’t mean our child couldn’t acquire citizenship…

Emotionally, we just felt that way. Let’s just do this “like everyone else.”

And now, here I was at the hospital.

Since the child would be born just half a year apart, I was also in a state of full term. However, I didn’t suffer as much as my wife. After all, my physique wasn’t the same as an ordinary person regarding strength or stamina.

But if you were to ask me if it was completely easy, I wouldn’t say it was…

At least compared to the hardships my older sister faced, I could consider myself fortunate.

The decision to have a child together was also thanks to those around us being supportive. Maybe our thoughts were more influenced by the help we received throughout the pregnancy. We wanted to do it on our own, without relying on anyone else.

The screams from the delivery room made my shoulders tense. Arna gently patted my back.

“…”

Surely my older sister, my friends, and everyone else felt the same.

Every time I risked my life, every time I pushed forward against others’ objections.

In Irrelaysia’s case, simply losing myself wasn’t the issue. If the Hero were eliminated by the Demon King’s army, there would be no one left to resist them.

Were they always watching my back, heart racing like this?

“…”

There was another silent one like me. It was Dana.

The one who cast this magic on us, the miraculous gift that allowed us to have a child.

But for Dana, the magic was likely intriguing. Even if she had no other interests, I figured she cooperated with us because she wanted to quickly confirm the results of the magic.

That might be why Dana seemed unsure of how to react in this situation. She was excited about the success of the magic but probably never imagined we would go as far as having a child… Or if she did imagine it, she was probably flustered because she had never experienced it firsthand. Reading about it is entirely different from witnessing it.

“Siyun!”

“Mom!”

Mom arrived a bit late.

She rushed over, embraced me, and gently patted my back as she spoke.

“It’s okay, don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

“…”

Mom had probably been through this herself. After all, she gave birth to me. No matter how she went about it, it must have been something monumental. Very difficult and painful…

But mom didn’t give up on me.

“Having a child is just something you go through. It’ll be alright.”

“…”

I couldn’t say a word while wrapped in my mom’s arms.

*

Holding the quietly sleeping child was such a mystical experience.

Especially knowing the child was born of someone I loved made it even more so. My wife and my creation.

The memory of that moment still vividly lingered.

My entire body was drenched in sweat, hair sticking to my face, yet my wife looked at me with a bright smile.

After enduring such a tough ordeal, my wife finally brought my child into this world.

When I held the baby in my arms, I couldn’t help but break down in tears. Even as I wept, no one said a word. The one who gave birth, my older sister, was exhausted yet still wearing a bright smile.

“…”

I gazed quietly at my daughter, Se-yeon, in my arms.

Her face now was completely different from when I first saw her. The newborn Se-yeon didn’t look all soft and fluffy like she does now but was rather wrinkled… Her hair was wet, and her face was much redder.

But… even then, I thought that she was adorable. Just like now.

“I know there’s no such thing as angels.”

Arna looked down at Se-yeon in her embrace and said.

“Seeing it this way makes me think I know why there’s no such thing as angels. Everyone is an angel when they’re young. So maybe there’s no need to have any.”

Arna spoke with a mix of jest and seriousness as she smiled.

At that moment,

A swoosh sound came from my study.

The footsteps were light. Not that they were naturally quiet, more like they were deliberately being careful not to make noise.

Hearing that sound made me want to laugh a little.

As Arna slowly opened the slightly ajar door and stepped into the living room, it was Dana.

“…Are the kids sleeping?”

Dana asked a little nervously, clearly remembering the previous incident when she made a loud noise and both kids cried. Ever since then, she’d been extra cautious every time she came over.

Nodding my head, Dana approached us cautiously.

And then, she awkwardly stretched her neck to peek at Se-yeon in my arms and A-yeon in Arna’s embrace.

Though she seemed a little scared, at the same time, when her eyes fell upon those lovely beings, I couldn’t help but suppress a smile.