The next three days passed far too quickly for a certain someone.
"Where is Beatrice?" Nox asked, walking over from the breakfast buffet, his brow furrowed.
"She's been training to talk in front of his parents for days," Lina whispered, glancing at Regea with concern.
"H- Hellooo. Happy Birthday," an unnaturally deep voice rang out.
"Is it the principal?" Nox muttered, turning around with a serious expression.
Beatrice's dead pupils stared back at him, as if gazing into some faraway world. Dark circles clung beneath her eyes, and her posture was unnaturally straight, as though she had rehearsed standing perfectly for hours. Even breathing seemed like something she was afraid to do wrong.
"What happened?" Regea asked, jumping up from his seat, worry flickering across his face.
"Don't worry, she's just a bit sleep-deprived," Lina replied, her voice gentle but firm.
"Oh… she doesn't have to come to my birthday par-"
"Yes, I will!" Beatrice interrupted, her gaze decisive and intense. "Nox, wake me up."
He summoned tiny, round ice crystals. Combined with Lina's warm mana they rubbed over Beatrice's face and her eyes sprung open.
"I looove magic."
"Doesn't the party start at nine?" Nox asked, sneaking a few bread rolls into his pocket, scared he wouldn't get any food later.
"No! I need to make myself ready!" Beatrice shouted, leaving as quickly as she had appeared.
"We should prepare ourselves too," Lina said, grabbing Nox by the collar and dragging him toward the exit.
As the walked upstairs, Nox glanced at his boring, black shirt.
"What should I wear? I didn't buy anything appropriate," he thought, panic rising in his chest.
"Stop shivering. I got something for you," Lina murmured with a smirk. "You should wait here. I think Beatrice is changing right now."
Not expecting much, Nox waited outside the girls' room as Lina hurried inside. He prepared himself to get another bunny suit, a shiver running down his spine.
"No need to thank me," Lina bragged, walking out with a shiny black shirt and matching pants in her arms.
"Oh, you were actually serious?" Nox replied, eyeing her suspiciously.
"What? Of course!"
"But what are these shiny things?" he asked, pointing at short golden strings woven into it.
"D- Don't worry about it," she said, tossing the clothes into his arms. She wanted to turn around, but Nox grabbed her shoulder.
"Tell me."
"F- Fine. It's gold," she admitted, a hint of pride in her voice.
"What? That's way too expen-"
"My parents wanted me to give you a suit, but I thought you would like this better," she explained, her voice softer now.
"So, they gave me my late eldest brother's favourite shirt" she added quietly, her tone almost reverent.
The air between them shifted subtly.
Nox hesitated, then gently adjusted the fabric in his hands, careful not to crease it.
"I'll take good care of it," he said quietly.
A short silence lingered.
"Thank you so much. I'm really grateful to have you," he added, tiptoeing slightly to run his fingers through her blonde hair.
"N- No worries, you should get ready now!" Lina replied. She spun around and stormed back into her room.
After ten minutes, the four friends assembled in the teleportation hall.
"Wow, you look good, Nox," Lina said, her usual teasing tone returning.
"We can't be late!" Beatrice scolded, rushing ahead with urgency.
Regea led them through the hall to a dark corner, where a small, crumbling teleportation gate awaited.
Chaotic mana swirled around it, tinting the air with a gloomy, unstable light. The energy felt rough and raw against Nox's skin, nothing like the other polished gates. For a brief moment, he wondered how often people here were forgotten.
As the group stepped through, a foggy landscape unfolded before them.
"Are you sure we took the right one?" Nox asked, glancing at the old wooden houses around them.
"Yeah, but don't worry. Our house is actually quite nice compared to its surroundings," Regea said, marching confidently down the small path.
Beatrice and Lina lifted their dresses slightly and followed him.
The inhabitants watched them with suspicion. Several slowed their steps, eyes narrowing at the unfamiliar clothes and posture. A few hands instinctively moved closer to pockets or tools.
Only when they noticed Regea leading the way did the tension ease.
After a few minutes, they arrived at a large, spooky house.
"Don't tell me this scary thing is your house," Nox whispered, eyes wide.
"You'll be surprised," Regea replied, grinning confidently, a stark contrast to his usual reserved demeanour.
Inside, a warm, flowery scent welcomed them. The room was large, lit by faintly glowing chandeliers. Creaking floorboards gave way to polished wood beneath their feet.
"Didn't you say you're broke?" Beatrice asked, unable to hide her awe.
"Y- Yes, that's true. My father became the director of the suburbs a while ago, because the previous one passed away. He left us this house," Regea explained.
"But he didn't have any assets other than this building, and my parents don't want to sell it," he added.
"Yes, this house is an important anchor for the inhabitants. We use it to distribute leftovers and other goods," a voice said.
A tall, muscular man stepped forward. Behind him, a petite woman adjusted his suit.
"You must be Regea's friends. I'm Livius Nere, and this is my wife, Loli Nere," he said. He tried to sound calm, but his hands clearly trembled in nervosity, reminding of his son.
"You don't have to be so formal," Loli whispered softly.
"I wouldn't be so sure. What if their parents work for the king or something?" the father asked.
"H- Hello, I'm Beatrice Ollheimer. I- It's nice to meet you," she said, bowing deeply.
Her hands trembled as she straightened, eyes flicking briefly to Regea before returning to the floor. She braced herself, shoulders tight, as if awaiting judgment.
Loli mustered her demeanour with a scrutinizing gaze, her lips curling slightly.
"You look so cute… thanks for being 'friends' with our Regea," she said, pronouncing a certain word in a weird way. But Beatrice was too nervous to notice.
"I'm Nox van Strier, but please speak informally with me," Nox clarified.
"W- What? You're a noble?" both parents exclaimed, eyes downcast in shame.
"It's just a coincidence that I was born into such a family. Please treat me normally," he said politely, already regretting that he didn't lie before.
At Regea's nod, the parents lifted their heads again.
Lina stepped forward, an excited but devious smile playing on her lips.
"Hello, I'm Lina van Arkheim. Thanks for the invitation!" she said.
"Van Arkheim? I think I've heard that name somewhere," Livius muttered.
The four friends closed their eyes briefly, bracing for what was coming.
"Yeah, I'm the princess of the continent Britannica," Lina announced.
The silence that followed was thick and heavy. Only after a moment did the parents process her words.
"What?" they screamed, so loudly that some guests came running from the backyard.
"What's happening?"
The wild crowd eyed Lina with suspicion, clenching their fists.
Nox stepped closer to her, hand gripping his sword's shaft.
"I- It's nothing. These are Regea's friends," Loli said, regaining composure.
"Oh, Regea has friends?" someone exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief as if it was the weirdest thing in the world.
"I think we should've used fake names," Nox whispered.
"Yeah, the dad looks like he's about to pass out," Lina replied.
After many compliments and introductions, everyone walked past the living room and into the garden. Though small, effort was clear in the well-cut flowers and grass. More than thirty people already sat around large wooden tables.
While they were eating cake, a tall man sat down across from them.
"You're the princess, right? I'm Renart Nere, Regea's older brother," he said.
"Yes, I am. It's nice to meet you."
"I owe a lot to his majesty. He allowed us to create a raid team without money."
"The last time I've heard someone say that, we ended up trapped behind a barrier," Nox murmured with a full mouth.
"That's great, but if you are allowed to go on raids, shouldn't you earn some money with that?" Lina asked, placing another piece of chocolate cake on her plate.
"We all work other jobs, and I have to look after my friends and family here. We train in the evening to protect the suburbs," he said, gesturing to some adults behind him.
Lina studied him carefully. Renart held her gaze, aware that her judgment could affect his people's future.
"Would your team like to accompany us on future missions if we needed more people?"
Renart's eyes widened in surprise.
"Looks like you saw right through me," he sighed. "Yes, that was my plan from the beginning."
"It was obvious. But if your team is strong, we will gladly ask for help."
"Thank you, I was worried I'd be punished now," he said, exhaling in relief.
"I'm not an evil person!" Lina said, laughing awkwardly.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Nox muttered under his breath.
"Come on. You like it when I'm naughty... it turns you on," she whispered, causing him to drop his fork in embarrassment.
The party continued. The friends stuffed themselves with cake and sweet drinks. Laughter rose and fell, mixing with the clatter of plates and quiet conversations.
"Why are you only drinking water?" Nox asked, turning to Lina.
Without answering, she tapped her flat stomach.
"But you're eating cake right now."
"T- That's different!" she said, stuffing her mouth with chips instead.
As the sun neared the horizon, people slowly began leaving. They nodded at Regea and the others with respectful gazes.
After the party ended and everyone left, Loli and Livius started to clean up.
"Aren't you going to open these?" Nox asked, pointing at a mountain of presents in the living room.
"I- I was too nervous to open them before the guests," Regea said, tapping his fingers together.
"Yeah, you thanked everyone thousands of times."
"Come on, open them," Loli shouted from the kitchen.
The sunset let the presents glimmer in a bright silver-golden light.
Regea carefully moved his hands onto the first one, as if it were fragile.
"Let's see what's inside," he said, and everyone leaned in slightly, careful not to break the moment.