The birthday cake that appeared was... well, let’s just say it was of a staggering scale. It was massive enough to make a wedding cake look modest by comparison.
It looked incredibly appetizing. It was a vibrant masterpiece, laden with a bounty of fruit. As one might expect from Alice, the decorations were so exquisite that just looking at them was a delight.
Still, the size was simply immense... far too immense.
『Shaltan... isn't this a bit too big?』
『Not at all. If you were eating it alone, Kaito-san, I would have made it smaller, but for this many guests, it naturally has to be around this size.』
『Ah, I see. There are a lot more people this time compared to last year, and we have some pretty large-bodied guests, too.』
When she put it like that, it made sense. In fact, if someone like Megiddo-san were to dig in, even this size might not be enough. Well, Megiddo-san isn't fond of sweets, so he'd probably only have a bit, but still...
『Wait... in the otherworld—or maybe it's the same for Humankind here? Anyway, isn't there a custom? You’re supposed to blow out candles for every year you’ve lived, right?』
『It varies quite a bit. Sometimes people blow out candles shaped like numbers... but yes, blowing out candles is a staple.』
『But with a cake that size, can Kai-chan even blow them out?』
Fate-san didn’t seem very familiar with birthday parties. On second thought, many Demons and Gods were incredibly old and often only remembered their ages in general terms.
Since Demons didn't really have a custom of celebrating birthdays, it stood to reason that Fate-san, as a goddess, wouldn't be well-versed in the details.
And she was right. If Giant Candles proportional to that cake’s size were to appear, blowing them out would be impossible. But I couldn't imagine Alice failing to account for that.
『Oh, that'll be fine. I considered making a Mini-sized Cake just for the blowing out part, but... some people were being very loud about wanting to participate, so... we decided to solve it with God Power. All right, Shallow Vernal-sama and Machina, please provide the candles.』
At Alice's request, Shiro-san and Machina-san gave a light wave of their hands. Immediately, Giant Candles perfectly suited to the cake's gargantuan proportions appeared and burst into flame.
The individual flames were clearly as large as my face. There was no way I could blow them out. As I wondered what the plan was, Canalis-san appeared right beside me.
"Now then, I shall shrink them. Here you go, Kaito-sama."
"...Ah, thank you. I see, the brute-force approach."
"Taha! God Power can solve most problems, after all."
Canalis-san shrunk the Giant Candles and the section of the cake they sat on, then placed them on a Mini Table she'd set up in front of me. This way, I could easily blow them out, and the cake could be returned to its original size afterward.
『Now then, everyone, do you have your Lyric Cards? Here we go!』
At that signal, a Kigurumi Orchestra that had appeared on the Live Stage without me noticing began to play a familiar, classic Birthday Song.
And just as she said, the crowd gathered at the venue sang along to the melody.
It was a truly extravagant sight. Despite everything, I couldn't help but feel happy. I felt a hot, prickling sensation behind my eyes.
Urged on by Canalis-san as the song ended, I blew out the candles. Instantly, the air was filled with applause and the sound of Party Poppers.
Despite the outrageous scale, they had stayed true to the traditions, making it feel like a proper birthday party. It made me realize all over again just how lucky I am.
Truly... if only the scale were within the realm of common sense, I’d have no complaints. But then again, I suppose it’s my own fault for not specifying that beforehand.
Serious-senpai: "That was a touching, lovely story. But let's not forget... we still haven't seen the gift scenes for the lovers other than Shiro and Lilia. Since they're his lovers, you know they're coming. Ugh, is the story about to get even sweeter from here? And I don't mean just the cake—ow!?"
???: "...Can I just belt her one?"
Serious-senpai: "I already got hit, you know!?"