The Victory Banquet
The main thoroughfare of the Royal Capital had long been submerged by crowds and noise.
The sunlight was perfect, making the streets paved with brand-new stone slabs shine, and reflecting the almost burning excitement and reverence on the faces of the people on both sides of the road.
Petals, like a tireless rain, poured down from the windows and balconies of the tall buildings on both sides. Red, pink, and blue petals, mixed with the fragrance of new leaves, swirled in the air, landing on people's shoulders and carpeting the road the heroes were about to travel.
The crisp sound of hooves approached from afar. The Royal Knight Guard, riding magnificent white horses and gleaming in armor, led the way as a ceremonial procession, striving to maintain order. However, their majesty softened considerably in the face of the bustling crowd.
Finally, as the eager cheers reached their peak, the true protagonist of the day slowly made his way in.
Himmel walked at the front. His short blue hair shone like a pure gem in the sunlight, and his clear eyes held a gentle smile as he calmly waved to the people on both sides of the road.
Each time he raised his hand, it drew an even louder roar; children screamed his name, and girls threw more flowers at him.
He nodded slightly, his smile as warm and radiant as Melt spring snow—a textbook example of impeccable courage.
Beside him, Ruby stood proudly with her chest puffed out, her fiery red curls like a leaping flame.
In order not to lose in terms of momentum, she even used a bit of Flight Magic to float half a foot off the ground, ensuring that her line of sight was parallel to Himmel's and that she could even look down slightly at the surging crowd.
Her bright blue eyes sparkled, and her little face was full of pride and arrogance, as if to say, "See? This is what we did." She also waved vigorously at the crowd, just like Himmel, which drew good-natured laughter and even more enthusiastic responses.
Heiter and Eisen followed half a step behind. Heiter remained as unrestrained and carefree as ever, dressed casually. In response to the cheers, he mostly laughed heartily, occasionally accepting a wine glass hastily rolled from leaves from someone, tilting his head back to gulp it down, drawing cheers from those around him.
Eisen remained much quieter, his short, stocky frame as steady as a mountain rock, only occasionally nodding to the crowd.
The cheers of the crowd were like a tsunami, engulfing the small group.
"Lord Himmel! Look this way!"
"Ruby! You're amazing!"
"Thank you, Hero Party!"
Long live peace!
Children weaved through the crowd, Imitation sword-wielding gestures, their little faces flushed with excitement. The air was filled with the warm, festive atmosphere, a blend of the aromas of food, flowers, and the warmth of the crowd.
Lowell and his group mingled among the residents, following at the back of the procession. Frieren seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the excessive noise; her silver eyebrows furrowed slightly, her emerald eyes half-closed, and she subconsciously moved closer to Lowell.
Lowell noticed her movement, but remained calm. He simply put his arm around Frieren, his gaze sweeping lightly over the bustling crowd beneath his black hair, carrying a hint of detachment from an observer and a barely perceptible Lowell of relief that "it's finally over."
Lupa and Linié followed on either side. Lupa's heterochromatic eyes held a sense of wonder, while Linié remained quiet, her deep blue pupils reflecting the bustling scene as if recording data.
Solitär wore a perfectly timed, sweet smile that suited the occasion, but her pale green eyes, like the most sophisticated instruments, constantly scanned the expressions and reactions of everyone around her, her fingertips unconsciously tapping slightly in the air.
The parade was long and enthusiastic, and the commotion gradually subsided into a longer-lasting celebratory atmosphere that permeated the entire city as the sun began to set.
In the evening, a grand banquet was held at the royal palace.
The hall was brightly lit, and a long table was laden with a dazzling array of delicacies, the silver cutlery gleaming in the candlelight. The king bestowed this highest honor and reward upon Himmel and his three companions.
Although the feast was nominally for the Hero Party, Lowell and his companions, as "friends of the Hero Party," were also allowed to sit at the side of the main table.
The old king was delighted with his generosity and declared a three-day feast for the entire city. The banquet at the royal palace was naturally the most lavish, but Frieren complained, "He was only willing to give us ten copper coins when we set off. What a snob!"
"Haha! Finally, no one's stopping me from drinking! That's great!" Heiter picked up a silver wine jug that was about the size of his head, took a big gulp, exhaled a satisfied breath, and his face quickly flushed red.
Frieren was quickly devouring a plate of golden-brown, crispy glutinous rice balls drizzled with honey when she heard this. Her cheeks puffed out, she looked up, her emerald eyes glancing at Heiter, and mumbled a dismissive, "Tch, a drunkard."
Almost simultaneously, Ruby swallowed the roasted meat in her mouth and made a face. "You gluttonous monk!"
After they finished speaking, they looked at each other, Ruby chuckle. Frieren, on the other hand, continued to eat as if nothing had happened, as if her earlier comment was just a casual chewing sound.
Himmel, holding his wine glass, gazed at the lively scene before him, a gentle smile on his handsome face. His blue eyes reflected the candlelight as he softly sighed, "Such a beautiful sight, one I could only dream of."
He paused, then added with a smile, "Speaking of which, Heiter often has times when he's completely useless the day after drinking too much."
"How rude!" Heiter brandished his wine jug. "Wine is the best of all medicines, a solace bestowed by the Goddess!"
"The best medicine?" Frieren had already finished off the little dumpling and was precisely stabbing a piece of dessert covered in syrup with her fork. She brandished it and complained again, "I see you most often when you're hungover. You're supposed to be a monk, so unreliable. I'm much more reliable." As she spoke, she shoved the dessert into her mouth with a "humph," her eyes squinting in satisfaction.
"Haha!" Ruby slapped the table and laughed, "Frieren is unreliable all the time! Ruby remembers you getting bitten by Mimics more than fifty times in the past four years! Even though some of those Mimics were identified as Mimics using identification magic!"
Frieren froze, but calmly swallowed her dessert. "Hmph... you don't understand, that spell only has a 99% accuracy rate! A great mage is one who seizes and challenges that other 1% possibility!"
"Tch~ A true mage wouldn't always get bitten by Mimic!"
"That's because you haven't seen Flamme..."
"Don't say that!" Lowell quickly reached out and gently covered Frieren's mouth. Frieren blinked, stopped struggling, and let him cover her mouth, only expressing a hint of dissatisfaction with her eyes.
Lowell, maintaining Flamme's "majestic" image, released his grip, swirled the glistening fruit wine in his glass, looked at Himmel, and casually cut to the chase. "So, Himmel, the next step is to find a place to settle down? Haven't made a final decision yet, right?"
"Hmm." Himmel nodded. "The heroes who slay the Demon King will best remain in the Royal Capital to appease the people. However, I won't stay in the city forever; I will frequently travel to various regions to inspect the reconstruction progress and clear out any remaining monsters..."
"I want a job where I can drink!" Heiter announced loudly, taking another gulp.
Lowell raised an eyebrow and slowly reminded her, "Have you forgotten your promise to the children of the Hearth House to visit them once a month?"
Heiter's expression froze, his imposing manner instantly diminished, and he awkwardly put down the wine jug. "Uh... haha... well... if I don't drink for a day now and then, I should be able to... resist, right?"
"Really?" Lowell's lips curled into a half-smile. "I think I heard that some of those kids have already learned some kind of little magic called 'scent residue detection,' specifically used to tell if someone has been drinking recently."
"What!? No!!" Heiter was shocked, his face instantly falling, and his hand holding the wine jug trembled as if it were a hot potato. Ruby, seeing Heiter's discomfiture, covered her mouth and chuckled, her shoulders shrug.
Eisen calmly sliced the roasted meat on his plate and said, "I'm planning to go back to my hometown. I've been away for too long, and I miss it."
"Well..." Ruby put down her fork, her voice softening, "I need to go home first to see my father and mother... Then, I have to go back to Teacher Serie to continue my training... She gave me a good scolding, saying that this is all the 'member of the Demon King's team' I'm supposed to be..."
She stuck out her tongue, then glanced quickly at Himmel beside her, her cheeks flushing slightly. She immediately raised her voice to change the subject, "Afterwards... we'll talk about it later! Lowell, don't just talk about us! What about you and Frieren?"
Lowell glanced sideways at Frieren, who was intently devouring a piece of cream cake beside her, and said in a relaxed tone:
"Us? Hmm, we promised to go to the Southern Islands to try those blue pineapples, and also to find some suitable materials for Lupa and Linié to craft new equipment. After that... we'll probably just wander around aimlessly in safe places, like before."
He paused, then looked at the group of people present, "But I'll definitely come back to visit you often."
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence at the table. Himmel's smile was gentle and understanding, Heiter temporarily forgot the troubles caused by the alcohol, Eisen nodded slightly. Ruby blinked, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded vigorously.
After finishing the last bite of cake, Frieren gently wiped the cream from her lips with her fingertips. Her emerald eyes quietly swept across everyone's faces, finally settling on Lowell, where she gave a very soft "hmm."
The banquet was warm and harmonious, like a hopeful ending to a long story. Outside the window, the lights of the Royal Capital stretched into a warm ocean, and celebratory songs could be faintly heard.
Finally, Lowell's gaze returned to Himmel, his tone still casual:
"By the way, about your job..."