Birthday
The morning light once again bathed the small town nestled at the crossroads of the valley, bringing an end to yesterday's battles and commotion. The group did not rush to set off, but decided to stay for another day to thoroughly clear out any scattered monsters in the surrounding area, and also to allow everyone who had been traveling continuously to rest.
The daytime clearing missions were now a piece of cake for the Hero Party. Himmel's sword flashed like a silver ribbon, his figure still elegant, but upon closer inspection, his steps seemed a little heavier than usual—that was the effect of Lowell's weakened gravity field. He and Ruby beside him were working together more and more seamlessly, and the two even took the time to practice their newly conceived Combination Technique, whose name was so long that it required a breath to pronounce it.
"Take this! Piercing through the dawn and stars, Bloom for friendship and hope, a symphony of the Sacred Sword and the magician!" Himmel shouted, the tip of her sword drawing upon her Battle Aura, tracing a dazzling trajectory.
"Respond! Burn away the darkness, blazing lotus vortex burst, starlight protecting the future!" Ruby her staff, the blazing flames intertwining with Himmel's sword light. Although the power was perfectly controlled, the flashy light and shadow effects and the lengthy prefix made Eisen, who was watching from the side, silently turn his head away, his bronze face twitching almost imperceptibly.
As always, Eisen charged ahead, his battle axe wielding immense power. Each strike carried the force of a thousand pounds, and under the influence of Gravity Magic, each blow appeared even more steady and ferocious.
Lupa followed closely behind, wielding her spear with considerable skill. Although her strength and technique were far inferior to Eisen's, her eyes were focused, and every thrust and parry carried a fierce determination, clearly showing that she regarded this training as the cornerstone of her path to revenge.
Linié moved silently along the edge of the battlefield, her deep blue eyes precisely capturing the fighting stances of Eisen and Himmel. The battle axe in her hand, formed from magic, sometimes unleashed Eisen's fierce slashes, and sometimes condensed into a longsword to Imitation Himmel's nimble thrusts, becoming a formidable fighting force.
Frieren lagged behind, listlessly waving her staff. Basic magic missiles flew out slowly, precisely intercepting the occasional small monsters that slipped past. Her languidness was enough to make one want to facepalm. Her emerald eyes were half-closed, as if she might fall asleep at any moment.
Heiter lay listlessly on a large rock further back, an empty wine jug beside him. His face was flushed, and he was hiccuping, muttering incoherent prayers, clearly still affected by the strong liquor from the previous night.
Lowell stood slightly ahead of Frieren and Heiter, his main task seemingly still being "protection"—only when a monster's ranged attack or the aftermath of a battle was about to reach the two, one slumped and one drunk, would he raise his hand to lightly deflect or annihilate them.
As he did this seemingly easy "cleaner" job, his gaze swept across the battlefield ahead, taking in the growth and teamwork of the group. A subtle, enigmatic smile played on his lips, and he occasionally shook his head helplessly, seemingly amused by someone's performance.
The day's cleaning work ended in an atmosphere almost like a picnic. In the evening, everyone returned to the mansion.
However, as Ruby followed everyone into the familiar banquet hall, a clear look of confusion appeared in her large, blue eyes. The long table wasn't laden with the expected formal dinner dishes, but rather with one exquisite and tempting dessert after another: cakes drizzled with chocolate sauce, tarts piled high with cream and berries, and glistening jelly... The air was filled with a rich, sweet aroma. Eisen, even wearing an apron, was intently grilling thick Hamburg Steak on a makeshift grill, the aroma filling the air.
"Huh?" Ruby blinked, tugged at Himmel's sleeve, and whispered, "Himmel, I remember the city lord said there wouldn't be a banquet today? And while our reward of ten gold coins is quite a lot, this is just too extravagant! It's not even a special day today, is it? Is there anything to celebrate?"
Himmel elegantly tossed a strand of blue hair across his forehead, a mysterious yet gentle smile spreading across his handsome face, his blue eyes gleaming under the light. "Yes, there are."
"Huh? What is it?" Ruby was even more confused.
Just then, Himmel nodded slightly to the attendant standing at the door. The next moment, all the magical lamps in the banquet hall went out instantly, plunging the vast space into darkness.
"Ah!" Ruby instinctively.
But the darkness lasted only a moment.
A soft glimmer of light emanated from Frieren's fingertip, then Swirl out like ripples. The light didn't illuminate the room, but rather transformed the ceiling of the banquet hall into a deep, dazzling night sky, dotted with stars and with the Milky Way winding its way through it.
Immediately afterwards, countless soft points of light, like seeds, Bloom down, quickly "growing" and blooming beneath everyone's feet. In the blink of an eye, the entire banquet hall floor seemed to transform into a boundless sea of flowers, with various colored blossoms swaying gently under the starlight, lifelike and even exuding a faint fragrance. This was Frieren's improved Flower Field Magic, used to create the atmosphere, with a breathtakingly beautiful effect.
"Wow..." Ruby tilted her head back, looking at the starry sky above, then looked down at the sea of flowers at her feet. Dreamy light and shadow were reflected in her emerald pupils. Her mouth was slightly open, and she was completely stunned.
The lights came back on, soft and warm. Himmel had appeared before her at some point, holding a delicate little box in her hands. Inside the box lay an elegantly designed brooch, with a lifelike Cecilia Flower in the center, its petals as white as snow— Ruby's favorite flower.
"Happy birthday, Ruby." Himmel's voice was gentle and clear.
"Huh? Huh?" Ruby snapped back to reality, pointed at herself, her face filled with disbelief, "Today is my birthday?"
"Haha!" Heiter's loud laughter rang out, "It seems your father was right, you little girl really do forget your own birthday! Here, Eisen's gift for you is these homemade Hamburg Steak, more than enough! As for me, I'm giving you a little blessing that will surely bring you sweet dreams tonight!" As he spoke, his fingertips glowed faintly as he gently touched Ruby's forehead.
Eisen silently placed a perfectly grilled, sizzling Hamburg Steak on Ruby's plate and nodded to her.
Lowell smiled and pointed to the table full of desserts, "These desserts were a gift from the few of us. They're delicious, aren't they?"
Ruby the brooch before her, listening to her companions' words. Her large, bright green eyes quickly welled with tears. She blinked hard, her voice choked with emotion and overwhelming joy:
"Thank you... thank you everyone! I... I'm so happy!" She carefully took the brooch, clutching it tightly in her hand, then looked up at everyone with utmost seriousness. "Then I also want to know your birthdays! I promise I won't forget this time! I'll remember them all! And I'll celebrate your birthdays with you all in the future!"
Seeing her earnest and adorable expression, everyone laughed and offered their birthdays. Ruby on her fingers, muttering to herself, trying hard to remember.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, her emerald eyes swept around the hall and she noticed that one person was missing.
He tilted his head in confusion. "Where is Frieren?"
She turned her head to look, and saw that at the other end of the long table, Frieren had already taken her seat at some point. She was picking up a small silver fork, spearing a piece of cheesecake covered in berry jam, and putting it into her mouth. Her cheeks instantly puffed out, and her emerald eyes narrowed with satisfaction. She was completely immersed in the world of dessert, as if she hadn't been the one who had just created the dreamlike scene with magic.
"Lady Frieren!" Ruby was both annoyed and amused, almost losing her composure from her earlier emotional outburst. She stomped her foot and shouted, "Say something! And what about your birthday?"
Upon hearing this, Frieren slowly raised her head, swallowed the cake in her mouth, blinked, and said in a flat tone, "Uh... birthday? I think it's... spring? I forgot the exact date... but Lowell remembers." After saying that, she lowered her head again to focus on the next piece of strawberry tart.
Ruby: "..." Oh well, she's Lady Frieren after all. She shook her head, but a big, radiant smile bloomed on her face as she carefully pinned the Cecilia Flower brooch to her collar and joined in the sweet celebration that was made just for her. The banquet hall was filled with laughter, the aroma of food, and the glow of starflowers, as warm as a beautiful dream she didn't want to wake up from.