A Hospital in Another World?

"Painless childbirth?"

Blake Hiller, the new editor of theNevis Pioneer, pushed up his glasses in disbelief.

Once a student at Bridge Magic Academy studying necromancy, Blake's two-year academic venture never elevated him from an apprentice to a full-fledged mage. Deemed untalented and unworthy of further training, his career prospects in necromancy were painfully narrow. In contrast, the education he received during his studies eventually led him to an editor position...

TheNevis Pioneer, though not a mainstream major newspaper in Nevis, was also far from a third-rate publication. Its target audience primarily consisted of businessmen, workshop owners, and city hall clerks—people with decent incomes, a certain level of education, and a self-imposed duty to enact social change...

Of course, to change society, one had to keep up with technological advancements. And the forefront of such changes lay inArcaneandMagicmagazines, along with the latest research by mages.

This background landed Blake his job at theNevis Pioneer, where he managed a column designed to introduce the citizens to magical innovations that could transform their lives.

He maintained contacts with his academy peers and seniors, continually updating himself with the latest editions...

"Yes, painless childbirth!"

His classmate Daniel Mode confirmed confidently:

Blake was well aware of cesarean sections. He had even visited the White Tower to borrow these journals and had gleaned much insider information from Daniel. Using these details, he published an article:

"Cesarean section could significantly reduce maternal mortality, undoubtedly one of the most useful medical procedures of our era. Sadly, the combined costs of divine and surgical services reach a staggering 2,000 gold coins, making it a service exclusively for the affluent..."

This article boosted the newspaper's sales by 500 copies and prompted continuous inquiries from readers. For this, he received a gold coin as a bonus, and the newspaper's editor-in-chief, highly appreciative of his work, promised a raise at year's end:

"It's a pity, though. If you had even more relevant content that resonates more with our readers, you could get that raise now! Become a senior editor! My boy, you are the only editor in our newspaper with a magical background, and I see great potential in you!"

Inspired, Blake went back to dig for more content. This time, he uncovered a gem:

"I know you think the cesarean section is too expensive, but this is different!" Daniel leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes sparkling:

"The cost of painless childbirth is much lower! The current rate is for full pain relief throughout the process at 100 gold coins, and if it's just for the most painful hours, only a handful of gold coins!"

"How wonderful!"

Blake was immediately excited. A few gold coins amounted to several months, half a year, or at most a year's income for theNevis Pioneer's readership. To spend such an amount so his wife could endure less pain during childbirth...

Someone would definitely be interested! This news was bound to concern many!

Blake's first thought was to apply for an interview at the clinic. The thought had barely formed before he slapped it down:

What interview! Just interviewing won't get the firsthand, freshest, most concerned data from the readers! To create a big scoop, you need to make the readers feel as if they are there!

And coincidentally, his wife was also near her delivery...

Blake gritted his teeth and took out fifteen gold coins, thought for a moment, and then one by one, lined up five shiny gold coins. As a new editor, his annual salary plus the bonus, after deductions for living expenses, all his remaining money was here:

"My dear, I'm taking you to a great place! Perhaps, it can help you give birth safely and endure much less pain..."

Their carriage stopped at the Oak Grove Clinic, or as the public coachmen called it, the "Red Cross" entrance, and they were immediately greeted. Seeing his heavily pregnant wife struggling to walk, even a couple of barbarians came out with a stretcher and promptly helped her onto it:

"Are you here for childbirth? Ma'am, directly to the Red House, sir, please go to the outpatient front desk to register..."

After registering their names, ages, addresses, pregnancy months, and paying the hospitalization fees—1 gold coin per day—Blake Hiller was led to reunite with his wife. Inside the corridors of the Red House, silent nurses in white scurried about, carrying stretchers, changing bedding, escorting pregnant women...

The stretcher, with

the combined weight of the pregnant woman, seemed feather-light in the hands of the petite nurses, as if weightless.

Blake always felt their movements were oddly familiar. Rubbing his eyes and then again, he realized:

This was the necromancers' favorite trick back at the academy!

Why are skeletons doing the work? Can I still take my wife and leave in time?!

However, his wallet reminded him that 3 gold coins had already been paid, non-refundable as agreed beforehand;

Logic told him that the Oak Grove Clinic was Nevis's safest childbirth care facility, charging—relatively much less than having a midwife and divine healer come to the home;

The front desk had informed him, based on his mage status, his wife could enjoy childbirth services at a half price...

Calculated and recalculated, one shouldn't fight over money with their wallet. Blake Hiller stayed by his wife's side, brought into a small empty room. Besides a bed and a chair, and a pair of antlers on the wall, the room was barren:

"Madam, please face the wall, sit properly on the chair, straighten up. Remove your top, expose your back—yes, just like that—" the guiding nurse's smile was gentle, her language approachable:

"A spellcaster will come to check on you soon. It's a male, but he will only see your back, at least 1 meter away, he won't touch you, no need to be scared~~~"

"Wait, why a male?"

Blake and his wife asked simultaneously. The nurse's smile remained:

"Oh, because the female spellcasters are all busy in the delivery room. These tasks that don't involve touching the patients are mostly left to the males—"

At that moment, the room door burst open, and a necromancer walked in, face to face with Blake. Both startled, the necromancer quickly retreated:

"Old classmate? Then I don't need to work, you do it. Use [Detect Magic] to spot your wife, on the sixth thoracic vertebra use [Mage Tricks] to dye, mark the spot—this is for locating the painless childbirth, don't get the wrong spot!"

After a slam of the door, Blake Hiller: "......"

He had no choice but to roll up his sleeves. Luckily, the knowledge he gained while training as a necromancer hadn't completely returned to his teachers. Clumsily, he finally found the sixth thoracic vertebra. After marking it, he brought his wife out and quietly grabbed his old classmate:

"......Hey, I did this job, can you waive some of the treatment fees?"

"What are you thinking! These fees weren't even billed to you! Mage Nordmark has waived a large amount of fees for research purposes, otherwise, do you think 3 gold coins would cover accommodation? —Stop chatting, next checkup!"

The next examination was also completed by a male spellcaster. And indeed, it was a male necromancer.

Blake Hiller watched as his wife was helped onto the bed, her legs spread, supported. Fortunately, no need to undress—only the nurse repeatedly inquired: "No metallic items on you, right? Clothes edges, belts, pockets, nothing, right?"

Then a necromancer knelt between his wife's legs, casting spells, looking from top to bottom, front to back, from every angle. Not just looking, but measuring back and forth:

"The anteroposterior diameter of the pelvic inlet, 11cm!"

"The interspinous diameter, 9.8cm!"

"The width of the ischial notch, 5.8cm!"

"The biparietal diameter of the fetal head, 8.9cm!"

...What exactly is this guy doing?

Observing the casting gestures, it seemed like the [Detect Magic] he had just used, but could this really reveal the size of the fetal head?

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