Arriving at the beast tide shelter, people were slowly emerging, heading back to their homes now that the demonic beasts were dead.
Having fled in haste, most had neglected to bring raincoats or umbrellas, leaving them looking particularly disheveled as they trudged through the rain.
“Where’s Sister Lena?”
Isha scanned their surroundings, but Lena was nowhere to be seen.
Celia’s brows furrowed, a flicker of anxiety stirring within her. Just then, her communicator lit up.
Snatching it up, she quickly read the new message, her expression brightening. “She messaged me! She’s safe and wants us to go to Alisa’s birthday party first.”
This news brought a collective sigh of relief from both Isha and Aurora. The latter glanced at the sky, a hint of hesitation in her voice. “At this hour, Alisa’s birthday party is probably almost over, isn’t it?”
“So, what do we do now?” Isha asked, turning to Celia.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Celia stated plainly, “Even if it’s over, we still have to attend her birthday party. After all, it’s something we promised.”
They had given their word, and they couldn’t easily break it.
Yet, just as they solidified their resolve, Isha suddenly remembered something, crying out in alarm, “Oh no! We haven’t bought her a birthday present yet!”
At her words, Celia’s eye twitched, her heart screaming in dismay.
Immediately, without even changing their clothes, they rushed into various shops, frantically searching for suitable birthday presents.
As the moon began its ascent, they finally, after a frantic search, carried their numerous bags and packages, heading towards Alisa’s home using the address Lena had sent.
Golden light spilled from the windows, with only an occasional silhouette passing by. Standing outside the house, Celia couldn’t discern a single sound from within.
‘If the birthday party were still ongoing, it would be impossible for it to be this quiet,’ she thought.
Knowing they were late, she sighed, but still pressed the doorbell.
*Ding-dong—*
“Coming.”
The crisp chime of the doorbell was swallowed by the rain. Moments later, the sound of a young girl’s footsteps echoed from within, and the front door swung open.
“Happy Birthday, Alisa!”
Celia extended the birthday gift towards the young girl, joining the other two in their cheerful chorus.
Alisa froze, surprised. The girls before her looked as though they had braved the heavy rain to get here, their clothes drenched, their hair plastered to their faces, and even tiny water droplets clinging to their long eyelashes.
She hadn’t expected them to be knocking at her door at this hour, nor had she imagined them appearing so disheveled.
“You all are…”
Snapping back to reality, Alisa suddenly understood. She quickly gestured for them to come inside.
“Quickly, come in, come in.”
Celia stepped inside, but paused awkwardly in the entryway, tugging at her still-dripping skirt hem, a blush rising on her pretty face.
“Apologies, we’re a bit messy…”
For a noble young lady, attending someone else’s birthday party in such a state was undoubtedly a complete loss of face.
‘If only I had known Alisa’s party was over, I would have changed clothes before coming,’ she mused.
“It’s alright. Celia, did you all go to fight demonic beasts?”
Alisa, for her part, didn’t mind the water dripping onto the living room floor at all. To her, Celia’s presence alone to celebrate her birthday was more than enough.
“Yes, for some unknown reason, demonic beasts suddenly appeared in the city again. We had no choice but to confront them, which is why we’re a little late…”
Having moved past the entryway, Celia glanced at the somewhat disarrayed living room. With an apologetic expression, she curtsied, her skirt held slightly, and said, “We’re so sorry. It seems the party has already ended.”
Alisa shook her head, smiling. “It’s perfectly fine. It’s still my birthday until midnight tonight!”
Next, she tilted her head, peering out the door. The streetlights outside were hazy, and there wasn’t a soul in sight.
Failing to see the person she most wished to, a pang of disappointment still touched her heart.
“Where’s Shopkeeper Lena? Isn’t she with you all?” she inquired.
“She took shelter in the refuge and got separated from us. But she should be arriving soon, shouldn’t she?”
“So that’s what happened.”
Hearing that Lena’s situation was exactly as she had imagined, Alisa’s earlier disappointment vanished, replaced by a surge of excitement and joy.
Indeed, Shopkeeper Lena hadn’t lied to her; her absence from the birthday party was due to circumstances beyond her control.
She forgave her!
As for what came next…
“Mom, let me introduce you! These are the three Braves that Shopkeeper Lena knows!” she exclaimed loudly, turning towards a busy figure in the living room, a subtle hint of pride coloring her face.
Mrs. Josephine paused her tidying. She eyed Celia and the other two with suspicion, still finding it hard to believe they were the Braves Alisa spoke of.
Decades of life had taught her that Braves were exalted beings, rarely seen. How could they possibly be acquainted with her daughter?
Moreover, to think they had just finished battling demonic beasts and were braving the heavy rain to rush to her daughter’s birthday party seemed unfathomable.
It defied everything she knew about Braves.
Seeing this, Aurora casually used wind magic to dry her hair. Upon witnessing the magic, Mrs. Josephine’s suspicion instantly morphed into astonishment.
“Oh, esteemed Braves, you must be utterly exhausted, coming here for a birthday party after a battle! Little Alisa has truly put you to trouble.”
Her attitude towards Braves differed from Alisa’s. To her, humans endowed with magic were inherently superior, and decades of experience had instilled in her a profound reverence for them.
“Trouble? Not at all. This was something we promised, and we couldn’t break our word, even though the party already ended…”
Celia waved her hands dismissively, her voice trailing off towards the end.
She felt that *they* were the ones causing trouble. Despite vowing not to break their word, they effectively had. With the party already over, their arrival now was undoubtedly creating fresh inconvenience.
The living room, which had just been somewhat tidied, was likely to become messy once more.
Isha, on the other hand, certainly didn’t think Alisa had caused them any trouble. Her eyes had landed on the remaining half of the cake the moment they stepped through the door.
“As long as there’s cake, nothing is a problem!”
Her delicate pink tongue licked her lips, her eyes reflecting a world entirely made of cake. She was practically drooling.
In Isha, Mrs. Josephine saw a glimpse of Alisa in her childhood. She chuckled softly, readily fulfilling Isha’s wish.
“The rest of the cake is all for you.”
“Thank you! Uh, that is…”
Though the desire to eat was clearly etched across her entire face, she still tried her best to restrain herself.
Celia had once said that when expressing gratitude, it was best to know how to address the other person; it showed sincerity.
Mrs. Josephine, discerning her predicament, smiled and introduced herself. “Everyone calls me Mrs. Josephine.”
“Thank you, Sister Josephine! Then I won’t hold back!”
Isha, wanting Mrs. Josephine to seem younger, had called her “Sister” instead of “Madam.” What she didn’t know was that Josephine was Alisa’s father’s surname.
This prompted a gentle smile from Mrs. Josephine.
Watching Isha, who wore a blissful expression after just one bite, she realized these Braves seemed a little different.