Once we finished the cake, it was finally time for the presents. To be honest, Aoi was even more delighted than I’d anticipated; she practically beamed with anticipation for her gifts.
"Well, now that the cake is done, here’s your birthday present... I know we have a date to go shopping together later, but I prepared this separately, so please take it..."
"Hold on! Wait just a second, Kaito-senpai!"
"Hmm? Hina?"
I had intended to hand over the gift to Aoi right then, but Hina called for a timeout. Unsure of her meaning, Aoi and I both tilted our heads in confusion.
"If you give yours first, Kaito-senpai, mine is going to look completely pathetic by comparison! I’m going first. Save your super-luxury item for later, please."
"...Wait, super-luxury item?"
"...Aoi-senpai, Kaito-senpai’s gift is insanely expensive. For now, just let me give you mine first."
"O-okay. Now I'm starting to feel a little nervous..."
It was a simple fact: the gift I’d bought was a high-tier luxury item worth a hundred platinum coins. Personally, my wealth was growing much faster than I could ever hope to spend it, so I was actually grateful to Alice for giving me a reason to make such substantial purchases every now and then. I didn't have any expensive hobbies, nor was I particularly high-maintenance, so without Alice’s shop, I’d almost never have an excuse to spend money on a platinum-coin scale.
"Mine is an accessory case! The design is really cute, and it's just the right size for pens and things, so I thought it would be handy to keep on your desk."
"Thank you, Hina. It really is an adorable design. I don't usually buy small things like this for myself, so it feels very fresh. I’m looking forward to using it."
"Ehehe, I’m glad you like it! Well then, putting that aside... are you ready? It’s Kaito-senpai’s turn."
"...I haven't exactly had time to prepare myself mentally. I’m caught somewhere between excitement and anxiety..."
Since it was just Hina and me, the order didn't matter much, and it was my turn immediately. When I pulled the gauntlet out from my magic box, Aoi was left looking like she’d been hit by a bolt from the blue.
It made sense. Hina had just handed over a high-femininity, adorable accessory case, and then I followed up with a combat gauntlet. Her brain probably couldn't bridge the gap.
"...Um... it’s a gauntlet, right? I mean, it's practical and I appreciate it, but doesn't this seem more like something for Hina?"
"I think it’s only natural for you to think that, but I bought this at Alice's General Store specifically for you, Aoi. Here, let me explain how it works."
As a dedicated back-line support, Aoi seemed to think that a gauntlet would be better suited for someone like Hina, who fought with her bare fists. I’d thought the same thing when I first saw it, but the functionality made it perfect for a golem user.
Ignoring the awkward atmosphere for a moment, I began to explain the features. As I spoke, Aoi’s expression shifted visibly, and her eyes began to sparkle.
"S-so, in other words, if I use this gauntlet, I can carry around high-performance golems I've pre-fabricated! That’s... that’s incredible! I’ve been studying with the books I got from Chrome-sama and I can use fairly advanced golem magic now, but the high-tier ones take so long to build that I can’t use them in a real fight. I've had to settle for simple ones. Is there a size limit? Can it house large-scale golems? What about swarm-types that function as a single unit? Can I retract them after they’ve been deployed?"
"Whoa, Aoi, slow down..."
"Ah... s-sorry. I just got a little too excited..."
I couldn't help but give a wry smile at Aoi, whose enthusiasm was now impossible to hide. Her initial confusion had vanished completely.
"I actually have a booklet from Alice that’s basically an instruction manual, so you can check that for the specific details later. Regardless... happy birthday."
"Thank you so much! I’m truly happy! To think such an amazing magic tool even existed... It must have been incredibly expensive... expensive... Hina? You mentioned Kaito-san’s gift was a 'super-luxury' item earlier, didn't you? How much... was this?"
"One hundred platinum coins."
"Ack—! Wh-wh-what?! A hundred?! Hold on, Kaito-san! Surely that's way too much for a birthday present..."
"No, it’s really fine. If anything, I have more money than I know what to do with, so I’m glad I found a reason to use it. Besides, Alice said she made it with you in mind from the start, figuring you’d never be able to afford it on your own. I think it’s best that it ended up in your hands. So, please, accept it without reservation."
Aoi looked a bit overwhelmed, yet her joy was clear. She nodded and clutched the gauntlet to her chest as if she were hugging a precious treasure.
"Y-yes. I’ll definitely make it up to you! For your birthday, Kaito-san, I’m going to find something that makes you just as happy..."
"...Wait? Kaito-senpai, isn't your birthday coming up very soon?"
"............Come to think of it, it is."
I had completely forgotten. My birthday was July 2nd, barely ten days after Aoi's. Well, today was actually a little before her official birthday, so mine was still about half a month away, but it was certainly fast approaching.
Serious-senpai: He finally remembered his own birthday... But because of the interference from Shiro and Machina, he probably hasn't realized the scale of the party they’re planning. However, one thing is clear: at this point, Aoi and Hina haven't been told about the party yet, right?
Machina: No, I've already notified every single one of my beloved child's associates. It's just that I've made it so that not only my child, but everyone else as well, cannot remember it while they are in his presence. It's an application of how I previously made my beloved child unable to remember our interactions in his dreams. So, Aoi and Hina have actually already bought birthday presents for my beloved child and stored them in their magic boxes. They'll remember the moment they leave his room.
Serious-senpai: She’s going to absurd lengths to make sure the surprise doesn't get spoiled...