Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 1985 - 198

"Don’t worry too much about the doctor. It’s just that his right leg was corroded by the red mist. You should understand the nature of that red mist even better than I do—any living person who isn’t from the Edwards Family, once exposed to the red mist, has a chance of suffering its flesh-corroding effect. Among the Church Ring Sorcerers who landed on the island later, some were injured because of it as well... The doctor was just a bit unlucky. But we’ve already checked him over—although his right leg can’t move for the time being, with Magic Potions and Holy Water Healing, and a few days of rest, he’ll be fine. He just shouldn’t be walking too much these days."

Even though Luviya said that, she still went together with Shard to visit Dr. Schneider afterward.

The doctor was staying at the Green Lake Hotel in the city, claiming to the outside world that he’d injured his leg in a fall while traveling. When they saw him, his entire right leg was wrapped in bandages, looking a whole circle thicker than his left. However, the doctor’s complexion was quite good; when the two entered, he was lying on the bed reading a newspaper:

"As long as you don’t laugh right now, that’s the greatest respect you can show me."

He said this very solemnly, making Shard, who had still been somewhat heavy-hearted, almost unable to hold back a smile instead.

Iluna appeared at the Green Lake Hotel on Green Island at about six forty. She had spent the entire day on the island and only squeezed out some time to come over near dusk.

Tifa had led the Maids in setting up tables, cake, and drinks on the open space outside the Green Lake Hotel. When Iluna passed through the trees and arrived at this woodland inn hidden among the woods, Shard was the first to welcome her. After that, the six Grand Witches, Luviya, Dorothy, Lecia, Helen, Grace, Angelina, and the other girls all crowded around her together, guiding her to the table with the cake.

Even Margaret took part in this event. The Princess of the Southern Nation had held the cruise ship with Miss Benanis during the Battle of Green Lake, so she hadn’t appeared at Shard’s side. But she’d done very well; it was just that there was still a great deal to deal with on Velindale’s side, so she would probably be the first one among everyone to leave here.

"Gifts!"

Miss Galina was the first to speak, smiling as she pushed a slender box wrapped in red cardstock and tied with a ribbon into Iluna’s hands:

"Iluna, even though you won’t admit I’m your teacher, and I’ve never said you’re my official apprentice, you’ve learned quite a lot from me one way or another. This is a birthday present. Happy eighteenth birthday."

"Eighteen is the best age; don’t waste the coming year. When you look back on this time many years from now, you’ll realize what this moment really meant to you."

The youngest Grand Witch, Miss Sylvia, said this as she also presented her own gift.

Granny Cassandra, chuckling, was the third to bring a gift over:

"Have a good time, child. Youth is beautiful; with every passing year people grow older, gradually drifting farther and farther from these happy things without noticing it themselves. One day, when you recall this evening, you might feel that it was the most wonderful night of your life."

Iluna’s eyes lit up as she nodded and took the gift from her hands. She intended to write these words down and use them someday to teach girls even younger than herself.

Everyone went up in turn. Dorothy gave her a personally signed copy of the Hamilton Detective Stories, as well as the handwritten manuscript of the twenty-fourth story that was about to be published. Margaret gave her a beautiful pair of high-heeled evening shoes, said to be this year’s most fashionable style. Lecia’s gift was an Amethyst-studded hairband. Even Angelina gave her a light, thin black cloak for ladies... she apparently had some misunderstanding about what a Church Ring Sorcerer’s identity entails.

Very soon, the gifts in Iluna’s arms piled higher and higher. She hadn’t expected to receive so many presents, and she was even a bit wooden when she thanked everyone, since there were some people whose names she couldn’t even remember. Everyone smiled as they congratulated her birthday, while Tifa pushed over a serving cart so Iluna could put all those beautifully wrapped gifts on it.

Luviya’s gift was the second to last:

"I hope you like it."

She mysteriously placed something like a notebook into Iluna’s hands:

"Remember to read it only when no one else is around."

Then she leaned close to Iluna’s ear and whispered something, and the eighteen-year-old girl’s face instantly flushed red.

[Do you need me to tell you what she said?]

"No, no need."

It actually had to do with the Book of Pink.

Luviya stepped aside with a smile, letting Shard, who was holding his gift, stand facing Iluna.

The ladies surrounded Shard, Iluna, and the table with the cake on it. By then, the sky had already darkened, but the entrance of the Green Lake Hotel was quite bright thanks to the various Light Orbs summoned by the Female Sorcerers.

It felt like a festival, and also like a celebration. The multicolored Glimmer lit up the two of them, and everyone watched them with smiles; Dorothy even gave Shard a little push, making him step up to Iluna.

"Iluna, happy birthday."

Shard felt that all the ladies around them were holding their breath, as if afraid to disturb this moment. He found it rather strange—they seemed to be expecting something, which made him feel like an elephant performing in a Circus.

"This is a gift for you."

As he spoke, Mia jumped down from his shoulder into his hands:

"No, not this—oh, Mia, don’t mess around!"

Tifa walked over and gently scooped up the misbehaving cat into her arms. Amid the ladies’ laughter, Shard finally took the gift out of his pocket.

The first was a bouquet of red roses, which Shard had obtained from the God’s Gift Box and somehow treated so they would never wither:

"Iluna, I wish you to stay forever young, forever in your prime. May your beauty never fade."

The eighteen-year-old girl, cheeks slightly flushed, looked at the young Knight before her, then gently nodded and accepted the flowers:

"Thank you."

She very much wished her voice could be a little louder at this moment, to drown out the pounding, pounding, pounding of her wildly beating heart.

"Flowers stand for beauty; the Balance stands for your Power. Iluna, happy birthday. May Balance be with you and me."

Next, Shard presented the black metal Balance he had retrieved from the "Black Mist Camp" of the Fifth Era; from the very first time he used the corresponding Time Key, he had set his sights on this Balance. Although after leaving the Black Mist Camp it seemed to have become just an ordinary object, it was still an antique from the Fifth Era and, in Shard’s eyes, remained very valuable.

The black metal had a substantial texture, and because the objects Shard brought back from the Fifth Era had been washed by the passage of Time, it possessed an extra touch of ancient weightiness that it had not had back in the Black Mist Camp. Even someone completely ignorant of such things would not mistake it for some cheap decorative trinket.

"This is an antique I got from that place—maybe it’ll be useful to you. Or just putting it on display at home as a keepsake would be quite nice too."

Cradling the Balance, Shard handed it to Iluna, feeling a bit regretful that he hadn’t wrapped the gift like the others had. But it was clear that Iluna truly liked it; she softly thanked him again.

Around them, the girls—like spectators at an opera—laughed and chatted among themselves. Some discussed the symbolism of that Balance; others praised the wonderful age of eighteen.

So many people celebrating her birthday, so many gifts, with Shard and Luviya both at her side—Iluna had thought nothing more wonderful could happen today, and she also believed Shard had finished giving his gifts. Yet unexpectedly, Shard once again reached into his pocket; even Luviya, at this point, grew curious about what he was going to do.

Aside from Ms. Helena Green, who had kindly offered her suggestion, no one knew Shard still meant to give this:

"Lastly, Iluna, I wish you eternal Luck. This is the gift that suits you best, for the leading lady of this birthday party, the brightest girl of the night."

The golden apple he had obtained from the Darkmoon Circus was taken out by Shard. Though the golden apple was edible, its surface had a distinctly metallic sheen, so that the moment it appeared under those multicolored Light Orbs, in an Instant it seemed to draw every gaze in the room.

Shard heard a chorus of sharp inhalations, and he also noticed Miss Galina, standing behind Iluna and smiling so happily just a moment ago, suddenly clutch the hem of her skirt.

Iluna first exclaimed at how beautiful the gift was, then realized that the atmosphere around them had grown a bit strange. Even so, she still reached out and took the golden apple:

"Thank you."

The eighteen-year-old girl was a little slow to react, but holding that apple in her hand, she finally realized that everyone’s eyes on her were somehow different. Instinctively, she looked to Luviya, who said with a smile:

"An eighteenth birthday only comes once in a lifetime. This gift is almost on par with the broken-armed statue Shard presented at Her Highness Angelina’s birthday banquet. Oh, Iluna, do you have something you want to say?"

Because of Luviya’s remark, the mood shifted once more. The ladies clustered around again with jokes and laughter to offer their congratulations, and so Iluna did stammer out a few words—words she herself could hardly remember afterward.

The lively birthday party began in earnest. Everyone gathered close around Iluna, and under the glow of the multicolored Light Orbs overhead, Miss Galina pressed the cake knife into her hand.

On the massive three-tier cream cake, Iluna’s name was written in elegant cursive letters, and eighteen slender candles had been set into it.

The candles had been lit some time ago, yet showed no sign of having burned down at all. Iluna reached out, about to cut the cake, when Dorothy at her side stopped her:

"According to tradition, you should make a wish first."

She gave Iluna an encouraging look. Iluna pressed her lips together; looking at all those smiles shining in the rainbow-colored Glimmer, looking at Shard and Luviya standing beside her, looking at the big cake bearing her name right before her—even someone as strong as she was felt her eyes grow a little wet:

"I know. And once you make a wish, you can’t say it out loud."

She gave Shard a long, deep look, then closed her eyes. The banquet was not grand, yet she would remember this night, remember every person here, forever. As Iluna closed her eyes and made that wish concerning Shard, in her heart she was, in fact, feeling grateful.

Every peaceful day is a Miracle born of countless miracles in succession. She did not know how many miracles she had encountered to be able, after so many brushes with danger, to still safely stand beside the people she cared about and live through the only eighteenth birthday she would ever have.

Her perilous life seemed, with Shard’s arrival, to have branched into the best possible storyline. She hoped such days would continue, and if anyone tried to destroy her hopes for a beautiful future, she would definitely kill them.

"This is the Balance of Justice in my heart."

Opening her eyes with a smile, she took a gentle breath, and all eighteen candles were blown out. Iluna Amelia Beath had reached her eighteenth year; at the age of eighteen, the flower had finally come into bloom.