Time flew by after his trip ended earlier than planned.
Ren had returned to Clausel determined to find a gift right away, but days had slipped through his fingers without progress. He simply couldn't make up his mind. Between his indecision and the mounting workload from managing the Old Wing, his anxiety was starting to peak.
"This is bad..." he muttered.
Another afternoon found him mid-chore in the Old Wing. With less than two weeks until Licia’s birthday—the date Baron Lezard had mentioned upon their return—he realized he couldn't afford to waste any more time on cleaning. Regardless of how important the job was, the gift took priority.
"I can't just sit around like this."
Ren abandoned his cleaning for the day. Stepping out of the Old Wing, he squinted against the mid-afternoon sun and crossed his arms, deep in thought.
Eventually, he started walking.
Instead of taking the connecting corridor back to the Main Building, he braved the summer heat and circled around through the Main Building's Garden. There, he found Weiss drilling the knights.
"Pathetic! Every last one of you!" Weiss’s voice thundered across the grounds. "Do you think that level of effort will save the people? This winter is going to be harsher than any in living memory! You need to be ready to move for the sake of the people at a moment’s notice—I’m increasing the intensity of these drills starting now!"
The knights nodded solemnly, then immediately moved into mock battles, their spirited shouts filling the air.
I should come back later, Ren thought. He didn't want to interfere with their training, so he prepared to turn on his heel and head back to the Old Wing.
But just as he turned, Weiss’s voice reached him. "Ren?"
"Oh... sorry. Did I interrupt?"
"You don't look like you were planning to join the session," Weiss said, walking over. "If you have something to discuss, why don't we talk while I head back to the manor?"
"Are you finished with the training?"
"Indeed. I have other duties to attend to; I can't stay here and supervise them all day."
Weiss began to walk, and Ren fell into step beside him. Grateful for the man's time, Ren waited until Weiss had finished wiping the sweat from his brow with a towel before opening his mouth.
"Actually..."
The topic was, of course, Licia. When Ren confessed his indecision, Weiss simply laughed it off.
"So, in short, your great concern is what to give her?"
"Yes. Pretty much."
Weiss didn't seem to think it was a major issue, shrugging his shoulders as they walked. "...Wouldn't anything be fine? This is the Young Lady we're talking about. I suspect she would be delighted with anything, as long as it came from you."
Weiss wasn't being dismissive; he spoke with genuine conviction. While that was a heartening thought for a gift-giver, it didn't solve Ren’s problem. He still had no idea what "anything" should be.
"Is there really nothing Lady Licia said she wanted?"
"Hmph... As I've said before, the Young Lady has very little material desire."
"Please, there must be something! It really can be anything!"
"Mmm... mumu..."
Weiss crossed his arms and looked up at the sky, seemingly stumped. As the silence stretched on, Ren began to feel guilty for relying on the old knight so much.
I'm sorry. I really should be thinking of this myself—
Just as Ren was about to apologize, Weiss spoke. "Come to think of it..."
He lowered his gaze from the sky and looked at Ren. "I recall her mentioning a hair ornament once."
"I see... A hair ornament."
Ren immediately began to wonder what kind of ornament would suit her. Since he was going to give her something, he wanted it to be something she truly loved. While he would likely remain anxious until the moment she saw it, an observer would have said that the value of the gift lay in the very fact that he was agonizing over it so much.
"Take that!"
"Hah!"
"Again!"
The valiant shouts of the knights echoed from the training ground as Ren walked back toward the manor, thinking desperately. He visualized Licia, trying to overlay various designs onto her image, but nothing felt quite right.
I've got nothing...
His thoughts trailed off as a flock of birds drifted into his field of vision. They were White Hawks—pure-white avian monsters he’d hunted during his escape with Licia. He froze, his eyes tracking their movement.
Weiss watched him curiously, stopping as well to look up at the sky. When he looked back at Ren, the boy's face had cleared, replaced by an expression of sudden clarity.
"What is it? Did you think of something?"
"...Yes. Though the problem is whether I can actually get my hands on it."
Ren kept his eyes on the White Hawks, but his mind was elsewhere.
I wonder if I can do something about that material...
It was a material that was notoriously difficult to obtain, but the idea had already taken root. He was possessed by the thought; nothing else would do.
"It might be a long shot, but I'll try the Tailor who helped me before, and then I'll check the Guild."
"I hope you find what you're looking for, Ren."
"Me too. If not... well, I'll have to go back to the drawing board."
He had to verify the possibility first. Ren bowed to Weiss once more and dashed out of the Clausel family's Main Building.
By the time the horizon began to bleed into a deep crimson, Ren was at the Adventurer Guild. He sat picking at an early dinner, his obvious distraction drawing looks from the other patrons.
"Is something wrong, Lord Hero?"
The Werewolf sat down in the seat opposite him, his eyes kind. "You look troubled. Is there anything I can help with?"
"N-No, it's fine! It's just a personal matter, don't worry about it!"
"I don't mind at all. As someone who owes you his life, I'd very much like to be of service."
"If it's about the reward, I was already paid in full!"
"That isn't the point. It's enough for us to help each other out when someone is in a bind," the Werewolf said in a gentle tone.
Ren decided to accept the kindness and answer honestly. "I'm looking for a specific material, but it's incredibly rare."
"A material? One that even you are having trouble finding, Lord Hero?"
Ren nodded immediately. In truth, there were many materials he couldn't get his hands on yet, but he didn't see the need to point that out.
"Actually..."
Putting a sliver of hope into the name of the material, Ren spoke. He prayed the Werewolf might have a lead, or that there was some way, however slim, that he could obtain it himself.