"Master Lloyd, I have a message from Master Albert."
One day, while I was immersed in a book, Sylpha called out to me.
"He says he plans to host a tea party in the courtyard the day after tomorrow, and he would very much like you to attend, Master Lloyd."
"A tea party... Wait, do you mean...?"
"Yes, that one," Sylpha replied, letting out a long sigh.
It was the promise I had made to Tao back when I was acting as an adventurer: a tea party with Albert.
"Oh, right, we did make that promise. But why do I have to go?"
"When I informed Master Albert, he said, 'A tea party? That sounds wonderful. But if we’re doing it, we might as well make it a family affair.' ...Or something to that effect."
I see. It was easy to imagine the rumors that would fly if a prince and a commoner adventurer had tea alone. If the rest of us were there, it could be framed as a formal thank-you for her service. Albert had helped me quite a bit with the magic sword production, so I figured I’d participate as a way of returning the favor.
When the day of the tea party arrived, Sylpha led me to the castle’s inner courtyard. The garden was impeccably maintained, dotted with fountains and stone statues, and at its center stood a white table sheltered by a green canopy.
"Ah, Lloyd, glad you could make it."
Albert was already there waiting for us. He was dressed in much finer clothes than usual. For that matter, Sylpha had forced me into a similar outfit. Her reasoning was that even if our guest was an adventurer, it was only proper to show her due respect as her hosts.
"Wait, why are Dian-niisan and Alieze-neesan here too?"
Sitting at the table, also dressed in their best, were my older brother Dian and my older sister Alieze.
"This is a party to welcome the adventurer who helped you gather those monster nuclei, right?" Dian said. "I was a beneficiary of that work too, even if it was indirect. It wouldn't be right for me not to say thanks in person."
"I just saw everyone getting together for tea and decided to join in. Isn't that right, Ril?"
"Woof!"
Ril barked happily beside a smiling Alieze. Nearby, Eris let out a weary sigh. It must be exhausting having to keep up with such a whimsical master.
"I see... By the way, hasn't Tao arrived yet?"
"It’s not quite time yet," Albert answered.
Wait, what? Sylpha had been nagging me for an hour, telling me it was almost time and to hurry up and get ready. I checked the clock and saw that there was indeed plenty of time left.
"...Sylpha."
"If I do not tell you far in advance, Master Lloyd, you will immediately lose yourself in your books and forget the time entirely," Sylpha replied with a perfectly composed face.
Damn. She was right, so I couldn't even argue.
"...Oh, speak of the devil, here she comes."
Following Albert's gaze, I saw Tao being escorted toward us by the guards. She was wearing an exotic, bright red dress with high slits, and her hair was styled into buns on either side of her head. She had clearly put in an incredible amount of effort; she looked like a completely different person from the usual Tao.
Albert stood up and raised a hand in greeting.
"Hello, Tao. Welcome. We’re glad you could join us."
"M-Master Albert! And... um..."
Tao's eyes darted toward Dian and the others at the table. She looked incredibly restless and shifty. I suppose she hadn't expected to be greeted by such a large royal welcoming committee.
"Hahaha, there’s no need to be so stiff. These are my younger siblings who heard about the party and wanted to meet you."
At Albert’s glance, Dian and Alieze both stood up and nodded.
"I am Dian di Saloom. It seems you’ve looked after my little brother."
"I am Alieze di Saloom. Hehe, what a lovely young lady you are."
"I-It is a pleasure to meet you, yes-aru!" Tao squeaked.
She shook hands with them both, her nervousness making her speech quirk even more pronounced than usual. Sylpha stood behind Tao and whispered under her breath.
"Tao, you were the one who begged me to arrange this. What is with this pathetic display? Pull yourself together."
"I-I know, but you didn't say there’d be so many of them! And they're all so beautiful it’s intimidating! I feel totally out of place-aru!"
"Sigh, you really are far too weak to a pretty face..."
I didn't quite follow what they were fussing about, but it seemed like a lot of work. Personally, I wasn't that interested in the tea party itself. I figured I'd just sit back and let the time pass... Hmm?
Suddenly, a card tucked into the slit of Tao’s dress caught my eye.
"Tao, what’s that?"
"Oh, right! I should give this to you before I forget. It’s your Guild Card, Lloyd."
As soon as I touched the copper-colored metal card, my name and various other bits of information surfaced on the metal. This card... it had a very specific magic engraving on it.
"The Receptionist gave it to me when I reported the quest completion. She said she wanted to give it to you herself, but since you never came back to the guild, she ended up entrusting it to me."
The fact that a spell formula activated and displayed text the moment I touched it suggested it was keyed to the owner's magic power. They were using a nature transformation of magic to alter the appearance of the card's surface. In other words, it was an enchantment.
The construction was similar to a magic sword, but a card that would be constantly pulled in and out of a pocket would be prone to wear and tear. Perhaps the surface was coated in a material with high magic conductivity to prevent degradation? This was a fascinating application of the craft. Truly interesting.
"...Wait, you’re not listening at all-aru!" Tao shouted.
I had been so absorbed in the card that I hadn't noticed her speaking to me.
"Hahaha, Lloyd tends to get tunnel vision whenever magic is involved," Albert said with a chuckle.
"Good grief, what a hopeless little brother," Dian added.
"Hehe, but that’s exactly what makes him so adorable," Alieze said, smiling.
The three of them laughed together, and Tao eventually joined in with a giggle of her own.
"Now then, Tao," Albert said. "Why don't you tell us about the side of Lloyd we don't get to see?"
"Of course! Lloyd is—"
Tao began to recount stories about me, her expression finally returning to its usual, lively self.
"As expected of Master Lloyd," Sylpha whispered to herself. "The moment he saw how nervous Tao was, he turned himself into a conversation piece to ease the tension and smooth out the flow of the dialogue... I humbly thought he was a person who only cared about his own interests, but it seems he has learned to be considerate of others. His experience as an adventurer is already bearing fruit."
Sylpha continued to mumble her praises, but I didn't hear a word of it. I was far too busy trying to deconstruct the card in my hand.