Unfortunately, Cirella was not around. The Silver Dragon Lady was currently at the top of the Tower of Heaven, under the starry dome, taking a napâno, workingâquite happily.
Without absolute military might, there can be no absolute voice. At this moment, Garrett Nordmark deeply missed the Mage Towerâ
With a Mage Tower holding the fort, such chaos wouldnât even have a chance to arise within its jurisdiction. Who would dare to fight, or even shout loudly? The Mage Tower would suppress them instantly!
However, the Mage Tower was absent. To prevent a catastrophic incident where the family members of a pregnant woman and the pregnant woman themselves fought, demolishing hospital rooms and causing mass casualties, Garrett had to rack his brains and speak persuasively:
"Ah, this clinic I run aims to alleviate everyoneâs ailments. The lady here is pregnant and came seeking help. We treat everyone equallyâŠ"
"Arenât you afraid she has ulterior motives?"
Selina glanced at the adjacent room, a half-smile playing on her lips.
As a level 7 knight and noble lord, she had also been to the battlefield, patrolled the coastline, and fought fiercely with warriors under the Radiant Church.
Now, seeing the warriors of the Rhine Kingdom inevitably triggered a bit of a stress responseâ
"Who would have ulterior motives while seven months pregnant?"
Garrett waved his hand dismissively. Before the other party could retort, he took the lead and asked:
"Tell me about yourself. How have you been lately? And who is this friend of yours? You havenât introduced her yet."
Selina hesitated before smiling and began introducing herself. Garrett learned that over a year ago, she had journeyed to the New World with her sword to push her limits. Upon returning, she became the Queenâs guardâ
"At home, it was annoying. I was constantly pestered about marriage." She couldnât help but vent a bit before smiling:
"Being in the Queenâs guard has its perks. It deters many suitors. If someone is unsuitable, I can hint that âguarding the Queen requires absolute loyalty,â and most people will back off obedientlyâŠ"
"And if someone persists, you can say they have ulterior motives, trying to harm the Queen through you, right?"
Garrett couldnât help but laugh. Although he didnât walk the warriorâs path, he had heard a few things. The age of 20 to 30 is the golden period for a warriorâs rapid advancement. After advancing to a knight, this period can extend to 35 or even over 40, until physical decline sets inâ
However, female warriors getting pregnant and giving birth almost certainly interrupts this process. Pregnancy and childbirth deplete physical strength and vitality, often requiring several years of recovery and training to regain enough strength for another advancement.
Therefore, female warriors with high standards generally avoid early marriage and childbirth unless they hit a bottleneck. Joining the Queenâs guard is a good way to avoid arranged marriages, as long as the Queen doesnât play matchmakerâ êŠđąâđđ±Ăđš
Well, as long as the Queen isnât out of her mind, she wouldnât force an eighth-level female knight to marry.
"And your friend?"
"Ah, Cecilia is from the capital, a member of the Royal Mage Corps, a level 4 mage." Selina raised her hand, pointing to the petite, fair-faced woman sitting quietly beside her:
"She read about the Oak Grove Clinic in recent issues of âMagicâ and âArcana,â so she asked me to accompany her here. I hadnât read the papers myself. Only upon arriving did I realize this clinic was yours. By the way, can I stay here with Cecilia and take care of her?"
âŠLady, you are still so considerate of your female friends⊠Garrett couldnât help but recall their first meeting when she was hiding from Archmage Tolga with her friend Iris. Is this another round?
But the law is the law, and rules are rulesâ
Though not as stringent as modern hospitals where only one caregiver is allowed with a nucleic acid report and no free in and out, there were still regulations:
"Of course. The rooms here are spacious enough for both the caregiver and the pregnant woman. You can stay with her and let me know if you need anything. If Iâm not around, you can find little Jenny; sheâs the head nurseâ"
Selina readily agreed. Garrett, still uneasy, reminded her again:
"Donât provoke the lady next door. Likewise, I wonât let her trouble you. As the clinic owner, I must ensure the safety of all patients and their familiesâ"
"Alright, alright! Donât worry, I wonât cause any trouble!"
Garrett took his leave and went to work. He sat in the clinic for an hour, saw two patients, performed two C-sections, and upon coming out, saw Selina pacing the hallway of the obstetrics building:
"Selina? Whatâs up? Is something wrong?"
"Ah⊠I just wanted to checkâŠ" The female knight stopped, her ears turning red under the light of the "Eternal Flame":
"Cecilia is a bit anxious, hoping to confirm that childbirth wonât be too painful and that sheâll be treated with the dignity befitting her statusâŠ"
Garrett began to rub his temples. Generally, it isnât advisable for pregnant women to witness childbirth scenes as it can scare them. As for "treatment befitting her status"â
Heaven knows, what counts as befitting status?
Female mages have given birth here before, and none of them were particular about "befitting status!"
Everyone here is a spellcaster, with spellcasters performing examinations and surgeries. What treatment counts as befitting status?
Garrett directly asked Selina, who, after some hesitation, responded:
"Well, Cecilia is a noble, her father is a marquis⊠although just a court title in the Royal Mage Corps. So, Iâm also tasked with ensuring she receives respectful treatment befitting her noble statusâŠ"
Thatâs a bit difficult! Nevis is a city of mages, not nobles. Garrett himself knew nothing about noble etiquetteâ
"So what special treatment does noble status require?" He tried to use his imagination:
"Should the nurse curtsy to the pregnant woman before approaching her, and should security guards bow? Should male medical staff avoid physical contact unless necessary?"
Or maybe the patient wants wallpaper and tapestries in the ward, and carpets in the delivery room? Thatâs impossible; hospital rooms need to be easy to disinfect!
"Thatâs not necessary." Selina smiled, shaking her head repeatedly:
"We just hope the examinations and delivery wonât be too rough, causing pain or loss of dignity. Cecilia mentioned seeing some midwives who, uhâŠ"
Her ears turned red again, a thin layer of blush on her cheeks, likely embarrassed to describe certain procedures. Garrett shook his head slightly:
"Honestly, we train our medical staff and midwives to minimize discomfort for patients. But some positions and procedures are inherently uncomfortable, and thereâs nothing we can do about itâŠ"
For example, the lithotomy position, or checking cervical dilation. If this makes them feel painful or undignified, and they want to complain or sueâŠ
A sudden thought hit him:
"By the way, you mentioned working in the Queenâs guardâis the Queen married?"
"Of course, Her Majesty is married!" Selina gave him a curious look, her eyes saying, "How could you not know this?" Thinking that mages are often engrossed in their research, she explained:
"Yes, she married last year, shortly after I left Nevis for the New World. She confirmed her pregnancy two months ago, so the kingdom should have an heir by next year."
So, another advance guard?
That lady Annaâor Miss Annaâwas an advance guard for the Duke of Saxony of the Rhine Kingdom, more precisely, for the Dukeâs daughter, the Frost Flower, Veronica Rudolph.
This female mage, Miss Cecilia, might be an advance guard for the Queen? A rather luxurious guard, experiencing things firsthand with a companion?
Garrett didnât want to guess further or expose the truth. He cautiously pointed out:
"The physical condition of extraordinary individuals differs from that of ordinary people. While mages arenât as strong as warriors, they are still superior to ordinary peopleâŠ"
"We know that." Selina raised her eyebrows and smiled. Her gaze swept the corridor, noticing the previously varied groans had turned into relaxed sighs, her smile widening:
"Pain relief all of a sudden?"
Indeed, Oak Grove Clinic had methods for painless childbirth. With this spell, the suffering during childbirth was halved.
"I know, in noble families, almost everyone is aware. Even girls who canât endure the hardships of martial arts strive to become spellcasters. At least, as an apprentice priest, they can benefit from divine power."
She sidestepped a stretcher being carried past and walked alongside Garrett. Turning a corner, she lowered her voice when they were alone:
"Even Her Majesty the Queen is a level 1 priest of the Spring Goddess. During the Radiant Churchâs invasion to usurp the throne, it was the Goddessâs protection that helped her turn the tideâŠ"
Understood. A level 1 priest and a level 4 mage have no substantial difference in physiqueâthey havenât crossed the level 5 threshold for a qualitative leap. Garrett pretended not to hear, smilingly gesturing down the hallway:
"As a woman, you can enter the examination room with the patientâs consent. The delivery room is off-limits, and the operating room is absolutely forbiddenâŠ"
"Thank you very much!"
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