"Hmm, I wonder what he’d like..."
The Thanksgiving Festival was now in its third day.
Having the whole day off, I was wandering through the city with Carol—who was also free—trying to figure out what kind of present to give to Orun-san.
Log had work to help with this morning, so we’d agreed that Carol and I would scout out a few options first. Once we met up for lunch, the three of us would make a final decision together.
Apparently, in some other countries, people have a custom of giving gifts to celebrate someone’s birthday. We didn't really have that tradition here, but the three of us had talked about wanting to give Orun-san a present during his birth month as a way to show our appreciation for everything he does for us.
However, we’d never really had the chance to ask him when his birthday was. When I finally managed to bring it up the day before yesterday and he told me it was June, I completely panicked.
I really regretted not being more pushy and asking him sooner...
Still, at least his birth month hadn’t already passed, so I guess it could have been worse. Besides, during the festival, the shops put out items they don't usually carry. There were bound to be plenty of rare things for sale.
I really wanted to give him something that would make him happy, but...
"You're right. I wonder what Orun-san would actually want... Thinking about it like this, we really don't know much about him, do we?"
"Master doesn't really talk about himself much, after all. I should've asked him more about his hobbies!"
Neither Carol nor I could come up with a single solid idea.
"Anyway, there are so many people! I guess that's an festival for you."
"Yeah. I think I'd rather not stay in this crowd for too long."
Just as Carol said, the street was packed with stalls, making it the most densely populated part of the city. I felt like I'd get motion sick if I stayed here much longer, so I wanted to move somewhere else soon.
"Hmm, maybe something made by a craftsman would be better than something from a stall. Want to try heading over to Artisan Street?"
As soon as I spoke, Carol suggested we change locations. I suspected she was being considerate of me.
Carol often comes across as a free spirit, but in reality—and it might be rude to call it 'unexpected'—she’s incredibly attentive to others.
I considered that to be one of her greatest virtues, but in her case, she often respects the other person's wishes to the point of suppressing her own. It felt a little tragic to me.
I’d known Carol for about a year now. Being around her for that long, I could tell she was carrying some kind of trauma. I could also see how that trauma led to this excessive need to please others...
I wished I could help her overcome it, but I couldn't think of a way. There wasn't much I could do right now, but I hoped that one day, Carol would feel comfortable enough to be selfish with me without any hesitation.
"Yeah, let's do that. Let's head to Artisan Street."
Following Carol’s lead, we left the bustling Stall Street behind and made our way toward the craftsmen's district.
"Hmm, I guess something useful for exploration would be best, right?"
Once we arrived at Artisan Street, Carol spoke up while looking at the display of a nearby equipment shop.
"I think he's already gathered everything he needs for the Labyrinth. The sword Orun-san uses is already a fine weapon, and even if there was something he wanted, we probably couldn't afford it..."
"That's true. In that case, something for his daily life?"
"I think that's a better bet. Maybe an accessory or something...?"
"I see! That might work. Okay, let's look around with that in mind! —Wait, hmm?"
Just as we’d decided on a direction, Carol seemed to notice something. She started walking briskly toward a nearby bench. I hurried after her, wondering what was going on.
"Excuse me, are you feeling okay? Are you sick?"
Carol was addressing a woman with indigo hair who was sitting on the bench with her head hung low.
"...? Are you talking to me?"
The woman looked up. She was stunningly beautiful. If my older sister was a 'cool' beauty, this woman was more of a 'cute' beauty. She looked younger than my sister. She was dressed like a Mage, so I assumed she was an Explorer.
"Yeah. You looked like you were in pain. Did you get dizzy from the crowds?"
"I was just lost in thought. I'm not feeling unwell, so please don't worry. Thank you for your concern."
The woman replied with a smile, but it was a lonely, fragile expression. It was clear she was forcing herself to look okay.
"Oh, just thinking? To be honest, we're in the middle of a big dilemma ourselves! You see, our Master's birth month is coming up, so we're trying to find a present for him. We just can't seem to find anything that fits."
"A present for your Master... during his birth month? ...You two are—I see. Come to think of it, it is already June."
The woman muttered something softly, an understanding look crossing her face.
"That's the problem! We only found out it was June the day before yesterday, so now we're in a total rush. Honestly, I wish Master had told us sooner. We could have taken our time to find something perfect."
"Fufu, you care a lot about Or—your Master, don't you? I envy him for having such lovely disciples."
"Hmm? Don't you have any disciples, big sister? You're really strong, aren't you? I bet you could handle both of us even if we fought you at once. I wouldn't be surprised if you were a teacher yourself."
I agreed with Carol. Normally, mana isn't something you can see or feel unless it's being used, but the air around this woman felt... dense. It was as if the mana itself was gathering toward her. Though, it might have just been my imagination.
"I have no disciples. Someone who is merely at the mercy of her surroundings has no business looking after others..."
I thought her mood had improved while talking to Carol, but that melancholic shadow returned to her face.
"At the mercy of your surroundings? Is that what's bothering you?" Carol asked, stepping deeper into the woman’s personal space.
"............Yes. It's embarrassing to admit this to girls as young as you, but lately, everything I do has gone wrong. Because of me, even my stepfather—"
Perhaps because Carol had shared our 'worries' first, the woman felt comfortable venting her own. I was impressed. This was a testament to Carol’s personality and her high communication skills. I could never have navigated a conversation like this.
Still, feeling like nothing you do is going right... that was a heavy burden. Anyone would become negative in that situation.
...Wait, Orun-san actually talked about what to do in situations like that during one of our lectures. If I recall correctly...
"I see. Hey, big sister, is everything really going wrong?"
"...Eh?"
"Master told us this the other day. He said that when you feel like nothing is going right, it’s usually because your vision has become narrow. That’s why it’s important to stop and look back. He said, 'Hidden in the shadows of what you think are failures, there are always small successes. If you can recognize the good qualities in yourself that you hadn't noticed before, your perspective will naturally change. You have to face your "reality" first, not your "ideal."'"
"My reality... True, perhaps I have been chasing my ideals too single-mindedly lately. Thank you for the advice. Your Master truly is a wonderful person, after all."
Hearing Carol—well, Orun-san’s—words, the woman’s expression finally cleared.
"Ehehe! He's our pride and joy!"
"Well then, I think I'll go find a quiet place to reflect on myself. Please excuse me."
"Yeah! Bye-bye, big sister!"
"G-goodbye."
In the end, I didn't get a chance to say anything until the final farewell. I wasn't great at talking to strangers anyway, so I hadn't planned on jumping in.
"—Oh, that's right. As a thank you for the advice, let me give you some in return. Your Master likely has a weakness for new information. Since merchants from other countries have gathered for the festival, he would probably be very happy with books published abroad."
That was it! Orun-san was always reading whenever he had a spare moment! Why didn't I think of a book? That was definitely the thing that would make him happiest.
Orun-san seemed busy even during the festival. My sister said that on the first day, when he was supposed to be free, something happened and he didn't get to see much of the city. If that was the case, the chances of him having already bought books from the foreign merchants were very low!
"Books...? Master definitely spends a lot of time reading! Thank you, big sister!"
Carol was clearly thinking the same thing. It was decided: we’d get him foreign books. They would be expensive, but if the three of us pooled our money, we could afford at least a few volumes.
"You're very welcome."
"But how did you know Master likes to read so much?"
"Hmm, let's see... The spirits told me."
Spirits? That wasn't a person's name, was it? What did she mean?
"Huh?" Carol tilted her head, just as confused as I was.
"Fufu. If you're curious, please ask your Master. I'm sure he can explain it much more clearly than I can. Well then, goodbye for real this time."
Leaving us with those cryptic words, the woman walked away, her steps noticeably lighter than before.
"I don't know what 'spirits' are, but I'm just glad she seems to be feeling better!"
"You're very kind, Carol."
"Hmm? Not really. I only did it because I wanted to. It wasn't like I was doing it for her sake or anything!"
I couldn't tell if she meant it or was just being shy, but Carol’s kindness really was her best quality. If it had been just me, I probably wouldn't have called out to a stranger. I wanted to learn to be more like her in that regard.
"Anyway, let's go find those books! If we wait too long, someone else might buy them!"
"Oh, right! Sophie, hurry!"
After that, we met up with Log, carefully picked out books published in other countries, and each of us bought one for him.
I really hope Orun-san likes them.