Happy Birthday

Before Manus's research could make any further progress, his fifth birthday arrived first.

It happened to fall on a Friday, and Griffin had specifically come home half a day early, bringing Manus a large cake.

"Happy birthday, Manus~"

Although he had the nickname Manu, Griffin rarely called him that. He always hoped his son could grow into a tough, hard-nosed man like himself.

"You already said that before you left this morning, Dad."

Manus hugged Griffin at the door, then looked at the large box outside—or rather, a box painted to resemble a gift.

"That's right, it's your birthday present. But we'll talk about it tonight. No peeking now."

Griffin said it deliberately, then turned and lifted the gift box, which was nearly two-thirds his own height, placing it beside the Christmas tree that had yet to be taken down.

Although Manus did not know what Christmas was supposed to celebrate, or why people cut down a tree every year to hang decorations and place presents beneath it, he still rather liked this holiday where he could receive gifts.

"Okay, Dad. I won't peek."

Manus smiled and nodded.

Griffin's expression stiffened. A child being too obedient was bad in this way—there was no fun at all in teasing him. But then he smiled in resignation.

Watching from the side, Aivina could not help laughing as well.

"Alright, we should get going. I specially prepared lots of things."

Cokeworth was not a particularly beautiful town. Its industrial development was directly proportional to its pollution levels. The town center was somewhat better; those living there were either factory owners or wealthy people.

But the outskirts were different, especially downwind, where the factories stood. The river ran a murky blackish gray, and all kinds of household rubbish piled up along its banks.

Even the rain that fell there contained obvious particulate matter and could not be drunk. The snow was gray too, as though someone had stepped on it in the sky. No matter how thickly it fell, no one would use it to build snowmen.

So, on birthdays, Manus's family of three often went elsewhere for a picnic—perhaps to an open grassland in the highlands with a broad view, or beside a clear stream in the forest.

"Mom, where are we going this time?"

Aivina first lifted Manus into the carriage compartment, then picked up the luggage and followed him in.

Manus lifted the curtain and crawled inside. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary black carriage compartment, but it was actually a room about the size of his bedroom.

After setting the prepared food, ingredients, seasonings, and the cake Griffin had bought to one side, Aivina sat beside Manus and hugged him.

"I don't know either. Your father picked the place this time."

"Don't worry, it's a beautiful lakeside. You'll definitely like it—are you both seated?"

Griffin's somewhat excited voice came from outside the compartment.

"We're seated."

With Aivina's reply, the carriage compartment moved, and then there was nothing more to it—aside from the Undetectable Extension Charm that expanded the space, the entire compartment had been enchanted with all sorts of magic: acceleration, shock absorption, transformation...

Even the Aethonans pulling the carriage—a common British breed of winged horse—had been enchanted, so that Muggles saw only two ordinary chestnut horses rather than four winged horses.

As the carriage passed through an alley, Griffin activated the magic meant to conceal it. Like a skin that changed color with its surroundings, the spell wrapped around the entire carriage. Then the carriage sped onward and soon reached an open area.

Seizing the moment, Griffin snapped the reins. The four Aethonans pulling the carriage spread their wings in unison, and with several powerful beats, pulled the carriage into the air.

"Strange. Where did that weird gust of wind come from?"

The strong wind whipped up by the Aethonans' wings left passing Muggles in the distance thoroughly confused.

After violently jolting up and down several times in the air, the compartment steadied. Without the shock-absorbing magic placed on it, everyone inside would have been rolled into a heap by now. As it was, there was only a slight bumpiness.

"Alright, you can move around now."

Griffin's voice carried inside. Only then did Aivina release Manus and rise from the sofa.

"Would you like some snacks before we reach our destination? I made baklava, banana wildberry rolls, and honey apple tarts."

From among the food they had prepared, Aivina selected a box. After opening it, she held it out before Manus. Inside were the three snacks she had mentioned. There were not many, but they packed the box completely full.

Aivina was genuinely an excellent cook, but the portions she made were genuinely enormous as well. A single honey apple tart was nearly a full palm-width wider than Manus's outstretched hand.

For a four-year-old child, that was almost enough to fill his stomach.

"Um, can I just have half a honey apple tart?"

Manus wrinkled his nose despite himself, painstakingly chose his favorite, and reduced the portion.

"I think if I finish a whole one, I probably won't be able to eat much lunch."

"Hahaha, that's fine. Then have half, and leave the rest for me!"

Griffin's laughter drifted in from outside the compartment, somewhat distorted by the wind.

"By the way, dear, could you get me a banana wildberry roll first? I'm practically starving."

Taking a table knife from the small compartment on the side of the box, Manus cut off half a honey apple tart, then divided that half into four equal pieces before picking up one small piece and putting it into his mouth.

The crisp outer layer and soft, flaky inner pastry touched his tongue first. Only as he chewed did the filling of honey and apple slices within meet his taste buds, bursting into sparks called deliciousness.

The specially selected apples retained a hint of youthful tartness, which intertwined with the rich sweetness of honey to create a refreshing, exquisite flavor that was never cloying.

The thin layer of icing on top was the finishing touch. It was the first flavor his taste buds sensed, its pure sweetness lifting his mood and casting a hazy filter over the sweet-and-sour flavors that followed.

And after he finished that small piece, the icing left on his lips would add the final stroke to this brief feast of taste.

"Dear, I'm driving. Feed me, please~"

"Careful, the filling's about to leak out the other end!"

"If you eat the other end, won't it stop leaking?"

"You really are..."

The sweet conversation outside made Manus's hand pause as it reached for the second piece of honey apple tart. Shaking his head, he shifted his attention elsewhere.

The portions Aivina made were always so large because both Griffin and Aivina had huge appetites—far greater than their builds appeared capable of accommodating. Yet neither of them could be said to have particularly great figures, but neither was fat either...

Was it because of magic?