Chapter 157 - Charge! Dinner on the Road 8: A Gorgeous Birthday Celebration!?
In an unexpected encounter, Ritz Alster hastily stamped out the cigarette he had swiped from the brothel. It was the early morning of the day after their return to Motiana from Roshozu, an event that took place in the Motiana entertainment district, where the usual hustle and bustle had faded, bringing a moment of tranquility.
“Oh? Ritz, you’re up early.”
Standing before him were Anna and Constanze.
“Mm, w-well, yeah.”
Last night, he had properly said his goodnights to Anna when she came by for her usual greeting, and had asked Franz to cover for him with the intention of returning in the morning. But running into them here completely defeated the purpose.
“Out for a walk?”
“...Something like that.”
“That’s unusual~”
Never suspecting that he hadn't returned since last night, Anna was genuinely impressed. Anna’s expression of complete trust stabbed his conscience sharply. But Constanze had clearly seen through him, and her withering, scornful gaze was painful. With no words of excuse, he just laughed sheepishly, and Constanze muttered under her breath.
“Filthy...”
“...Hahaha.”
He laughed meaninglessly to cover it up. Anna, not understanding the meaning of their exchange, just tilted her head.
Was I saved... or not?
“Hey, is that smoke coming from somewhere?”
A sigh escaped him as Anna peered curiously at his feet. It seemed it hadn't gone out completely because he had stamped it out in a hurry. He had been worried he'd get a huge lecture if Anna found it, so he had put it out despite feeling it was a waste. Now he regretted it; if he was going to get found out and scolded anyway, he should have just smoked it.
“What’s wrong? What’s there?”
Asked in a tone mixed with curiosity and concern, Ritz could only sigh and silently lift the foot he had used to stamp out the cigarette.
“Ah! A cigarette!”
Just as he expected, the moment Anna confirmed what it was, her eyebrows shot up. Faced with Anna, the daughter of the church, gearing up for a full-blown sermon, Ritz obediently hung his head. It seemed faster to get scolded than to argue.
“You can’t do that! It’s bad for your health, and it’s an incredible luxury! Do you know how much medicinal herbs you could buy with just one of these?!”
“...Yes.”
One cigarette could easily buy 500 grams of medicinal herbs for cuts and burns. In Tushil Village, the village of medicinal herbs, you could probably get a whole kilogram. What’s more, this top-quality brand was only available in places like high-ranking officer’s clubs and bars and brothels that only allowed entry to those of a certain class or higher, even in the Yuresla Royal Capital Sears, making it a rarity.
“You shouldn’t waste money! And they say it’s really bad for you! It’s the same as paying a lot of money to drink poison, you know? It’s definitely better to eat something delicious!”
“Yeah. I know.”
“Honestly! Ritz, you like things that cost money and are bad for you, like cigarettes and alcohol!”
“Sorry.”
While facing a pouting, worried Anna, he thought to himself that the thing he liked most of all was Anna, but that, in a way, was also bad for him... for his mental well-being.
“By the way, what are you doing here?”
Deciding that changing the subject was a win, Ritz changed the topic with a smile. Anna, thinking she'd been diverted, pouted, but after giving him a slight glare, she sighed and then smiled maturely, as if Ritz were a troublesome child. His heart skipped a beat at that smile.
Cute... she’s so incredibly cute.
Even though he was supposed to be a seasoned playboy who had just emerged from a brothel after a night of carousing, he was flustered like a boy by a single expression from Anna, which was pathetic. He felt keenly that Anna alone was definitely more beautiful than all the colorful, glamorous butterflies that gathered in the pleasure district.
“Anna.”
He called her name with a sigh and placed a hand on her head. Anna looked up at Ritz with a blank expression.
“What is it?”
“Hurry up and grow up.”
“Why?”
“Just because.”
“Honestly! Treating me like a child!”
As Anna sulked about not being a child, Ritz secretly sighed. Whether he could have her or not was a separate issue, but he sincerely wished she would at least grow up enough for him to confess. Then, maybe they could go beyond just a kiss on the forehead as a greeting, and there might be a possibility of doing more with Anna...
“Ri~itz, what are you thinking? You’re grinning.”
“Nothing...”
He hurriedly composed his expression, which had apparently shown on his face, only to find Constanze next to Anna looking at him with an even colder gaze. Her piercing stare was almost too painful...
“So, back to the point, why are you here? This is the entertainment district, and it’s not very safe. It’s calmer than at night, I guess, but it’s not a place for two girls to come alone.”
Putting on his guardian face, he placed his hands on his hips and said this, then put an arm around each of their shoulders and sat them down at a cafe that was serving breakfast early in the morning. Even if it was early and there were few people, standing and talking in the middle of the entertainment district was too conspicuous.
After two orange juices and a coffee were brought out, Anna finally spoke.
“You see, Conzie is going back to Saradio tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? That’s pretty sudden.”
“Yeah. School is starting, she said.”
He shifted his gaze to Constanze, and she gave a small nod.
“I only have one week left. Well, being a few days late is already factored in. My grades are good, so it won’t be a problem.”
Indeed, just by looking at Constanze, you could tell she was probably smart. Anna asked such a Constanze seriously.
“If your grades are good, is it okay to be absent?”
“It’s not exactly like that, but... have you been to school?”
“Hmm, I’ve never been. Only big autonomous regions have schools.”
“Then, you can’t read or write?”
“I can do that. All the village kids gather at the church to practice reading and writing.”
So Anna had only learned to read and write. In the case of Anna’s village, the only professions other than being a priest at the church were farming and dairy farming, so that might have been sufficient. Anna was also extremely knowledgeable about agriculture and childcare. That was all because she had learned it through practical life, not through academics. But when it came to common sense and history, she was terribly ignorant. Knowledge unnecessary for living in Vishnu simply didn’t exist for Anna from the start.
That must be why Anna, when she left the village, was terribly inquisitive, terribly childish, and stuck her nose into everything. The reason the mature-looking Anna in Vishnu suddenly became so childlike was because of that.
Now that she had acquired a certain amount of knowledge, she had regained the composure she had when they met in Vishnu, but her habit of immediately getting involved in things was still impossible to fix.
“That sounds nice. If I could, I wouldn’t want to go to school either.”
“You think so? I’d like to try going to school, just once.”
“...Even though you’re over thirty?”
“Oh, right. If I’m over thirty, it’s no good, is it? That’s a shame...”
Anna sighed, looking genuinely disappointed. A good idea popped into Ritz's head. When the journey was over and they returned to the capital, how about enrolling Anna in school? Joe was currently attending school, but knowing Evans, he would probably want to enroll her in a higher school as well. What if she joined then?
With the power of a former king and a former prime minister, faking an age would be easy. Besides, Ritz had to find a job to be able to live with Anna. Having Anna attend school until he found one would kill two birds with one stone.
“My school is not important. Please, let’s get back to the topic.”
“Oh, sorry, sorry. So, we decided to take a walk around the parts of Motiana we haven’t been to yet, and then plan for the birthday party.”
“...A birthday party? Whose?”
Ritz wasn't interested in anyone's birthday except Anna's. Naturally, he wasn't interested in his own either, so he never paid attention to anyone's birthday. As he tilted his head, Constanze glared straight at him.
“My brother’s. You’re his friend, aren’t you? You could at least remember that much.”
“Even if you say that...”
Even if Ritz were to celebrate with a smile, saying “Happy birthday, Franz!”, Franz probably wouldn't be happy at all. As he tilted his head with a frown, Constanze let out a big, exaggerated sigh.
“Although, my brother’s actual birthday is more than a month away.”
“Hey, now. And you’re blaming me for not knowing?”
“Yes, I am. Because it’s his momentous twentieth birthday!”
“...I see.”
Franz, who was still a seventeen-year-old boy when they met, was now turning twenty. Thinking about it, time flies.
He was old enough to be assigned a rank and deployed after completing the specialized course at the military’s officer academy. Ritz, who couldn’t compare it to his own age, sighed as he compared Franz to the benchmarks he knew.
To think that Franz would quickly surpass him in age was a little complicated. He decided to treat him like a kid as much as possible while he could still act like the older one.
“And I was thinking of making it a farewell party for Conzie, but...”
Constanze cut Anna off as she was speaking.
“I don’t need that. I hate the sound of ‘farewell’.”
“...is what Conzie said, so I thought we should have a grand birthday party...”
“I see.”
Nodding, he mentally calculated the amount of his secret savings. If they were to prepare for Franz’s birthday in secret, he would probably have to provide them with the funds. Constanze likely had money, so he could leave Franz’s present to her, but if Anna intended to also make it her farewell party, it would be better for him to cover the cost of the meal.
“Anna.”
He called her name and beckoned. Tilting her head, Anna left Constanze where she was and approached. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, then whispered in her ear.
“What is it?”
“Here, use this.”
He casually pressed about two Giltz into her hand from his pocket. It was enough to go drinking five or six times, which made him sigh, but it couldn't be helped.
“Huh... where did this come from! This is a lot of money!”
“It’s the allowance I earned when I was a minister. My pocket money. We can’t have Franz pay for his own birthday celebration out of his wallet, can we? He might very well say it’s a waste of money for a birthday and refuse. And since you’re secretly making it a farewell party too, it would be strange to have Conzie pay for everything.”
“...You’re right.”
“So, use it. It should be enough for the four of us, right?”
“Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t be giving it to you if I wasn’t.”
“Thank you, Ritz!”
Saying this with genuine happiness, Anna gave Ritz a light kiss on the cheek. He couldn't help but grin. If he could get this from Anna, two Giltz was a bargain. As Anna returned to Constanze with a smile, Constanze muttered with a downcast face.
“What kind of present would make my brother happy, I wonder?”
“Hmm.”
Anna, who was asked the question, crossed her arms and groaned. She probably couldn’t think of anything Franz would want. Indeed, Ritz couldn’t think of anything Franz would want either. Franz had surprisingly little desire for material things.
The rapier and flame spear he cherished were gifts and necessary items, and he only bought new clothes when his old ones wore out after they left Saradio. Naturally, he had no interest in jewelry.
Perhaps the cause was his upbringing, where necessary things were always overflowing before him and he had accepted what he had without ever thinking of wanting something, but in any case, he couldn't think of anything Franz would want.
Ritz also had little desire for material things, but unlike Franz, it was because he had a tendency to wander, and the cause was that he couldn't carry things around even if he got them.
“Ah... a bag.”
Anna muttered as if she had just thought of something.
“A bag, you say?”
“Yeah. Franz’s bag has a hole starting to form. It wasn’t a sturdy bag for traveling to begin with, and since he buys history books and things every time we change countries, the fabric is getting worn out.”
“In that case, I shall give him a very high-quality bag!”
Constanze’s eyes sparkled. But he had his doubts about that idea.
“But knowing him, if you give him a bag that’s too high-end, he’s liable to say it’s a waste and tell you to return it.”
“...Has my brother become so stingy?”
“He has become so stingy...”
“But, but, the more high-end the bag, the sturdier it is, right?”
“I get that, but I think you’ll need one more trick to keep him from sending it back.”
“One more trick...”
The two girls in front of him slumped and fell into thought. Ritz also thought with a sigh, but couldn't come up with anything. Feeling at a loss, he took a sip of his coffee, and Anna shouted.
“Hey, hey, hey, how about this?”
“What is it?”
“What is it?”
“Let's buy a super high-quality, sturdy, absolutely unbreakable cloth bag, and then put him in a situation where he can't return it!”
“Put him in a situation where he can't return it?”
Are we going to get it dirty or break it? he thought, but there was no way Anna would think of something so wasteful.
“Yup! Hey, Conzie, let’s embroider it!”
“...Huh?”
“Let’s embroider a message from you on the bag! That way, he can’t return it to the store, and it’ll be the only one of its kind in the world!”
“That's not a bad idea...”
He looked at Anna with admiration, and Anna puffed out her chest.
“On the orphans’ birthdays, it was lonely when there were no presents, so I used to dye cloth and make handkerchiefs. I would embroider their favorite things on them. They were really happy.”
“That sounds good. He won’t refuse to accept it then.”
As he and Anna got excited, Constanze sighed.
“It’s no use. I’ve never embroidered anything before...”
Anna took the sad-looking Constanze’s hand.
“It’s okay! I’ll help you!”
“But...”
“You want to make Franz happy, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then, let’s do our best!”
At Anna’s powerful encouragement, Constanze eventually nodded.
“All right. I’ll do my best.”
As the two of them finally seemed to have made up their minds, he let out a sigh of relief, and Anna squeezed his hand. There was an unfamiliar feeling in his palm. This was... the two Giltz he had given her earlier.
“So, for that reason, Ritz, please find and book a delicious restaurant that we can reserve for everyone—the Saradio Guard Corps, Ed-san, you, Franz, me, and Conzie!”
“...Me?”
“That’s right. You seem to know the town best, Ritz. A cheap and delicious place, please!”
Anna smiled and said this with eyes full of trust. Faced with that look, there was no way he could refuse. Besides, he had a vague idea of a place that could be booked for that number of people. If he paid the owner the two Giltz in advance, he might be able to pay without Constanze noticing.
“What’s the budget?”
He asked with a sigh, and Constanze puffed out her chest.
“As long as it’s within 100 Giltz, I don’t mind!”
“A hu-a hundred?!”
“Oh... is that not enough?”
“It’s too much, you idiot! I’ll look for something less than a tenth of that price.”
“That’s cheap, surprisingly.”
“What kind of restaurant were you planning to book, Conzie...”
With a sigh, Ritz stood up. For now, it would be better to return to the inn, have breakfast, and then start looking. Restaurants were open late at night, so they were also slow to open in the morning.
“Well, I’m off. I’ll leave the bill here.”
He put down the money for the three drinks and stood up, and Anna hurriedly stood up as well. She clung to Ritz's arm and pulled. Realizing she meant for him to lean in, he bent down slightly.
“Tell Franz we’re having a farewell party for Conzie, so he should prepare a present.”
I see. The idea is to have them exchange presents to commemorate their reconciliation.
“Leave it to me.”
“Okay. I’m counting on you!”
Leaving behind a happily smiling Anna and a Constanze who was staring into the distance with a serious gaze, Ritz returned to the inn.
It was breakfast time, so Franz was already up. When he told the still-sleepy Franz about the present for Constanze’s farewell party, he agreed more easily than expected. It seemed Franz himself had been thinking of giving her something as an apology.
In that case, there was only one thing for Ritz to do: find a restaurant. After eating breakfast and resting for about an hour, Ritz left the inn to visit a few places.
2
“Franz, happy birthday!”
The moment Franz entered, the voices of Anna, Constanze, and the members of the Saradio Guard Corps echoed along with a shower of confetti. Stunned for a moment, not understanding what had happened, Franz turned a complicated expression to Ritz, who was right behind him.
“...My birthday is still a while away, though?”
“Conzie won’t be here when your birthday comes. Just let her have her way.”
“...You’re right.”
Franz, who had been violent towards her in the past, still felt a sense of indebtedness to Constanze. But it seemed this was not heading in a negative direction, but rather in the direction of wanting to be kind to her.
“Sit down! Brother!”
Beaming, Constanze offered him the seat next to hers, and with a slightly reluctant expression, Franz obediently sat down. The obliging owner of the establishment simultaneously brought over sparkling wine and poured it into the glass in front of him. Taking that as their cue, the members of the guard corps, who were acting as servers, went around pouring wine, looking apologetic. The guards, ever since learning Ritz and Edward’s true identities, had been meeker than borrowed cats.
“Ed-san, would you please give a toast?”
“Me?”
“Yes! Please.”
Edward, suddenly assigned an important task, gave a wry smile. The purpose of the day had been explained to him. He was aware that it was a combined celebration for Franz’s birthday and Constanze’s farewell party.
“Then, if I may be so bold, I will give a toast. Though we met as adversaries in Ciedena, we have enjoyed a month together. Should we meet again somewhere in the future, I pray that we may meet as friends.”
In a calm tone, Edward looked around at everyone. It was almost laughable how the air of a king followed him wherever he went.
“To our comrade Franz’s slightly early birthday, and to Constanze’s hopeful return home.”
“Huh? Me too?”
Sending a silent smile to a bewildered Constanze, Edward raised his glass. Everyone followed suit.
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Glasses were raised, and what Anna called a celebration party began. The owner of the shop had brought out a large amount of visually stunning hors d'oeuvres and main dishes, centered around a whole roasted chicken, so there was no fear of running out. Anna was happily munching on a vegetable salad, which was a rarity in this region.
This kind of food, rather than high-end cuisine, was just right for a gathering of close friends. And to top it off, after much negotiation, it was only seven Giltz, so there were no complaints. Having connections pays off at times like these.
As the meal became the main event, the members of the Saradio Guard Corps started singing a cheerful song, and the waiter of this shop played a stringed instrument to accompany them. It was a nostalgic atmosphere from his military days.
Carried along by the flow, Ritz was even made to perform a random song from his mercenary days that didn't quite fit the farewell mood, and the party continued.
After a while, when the place had quieted down somewhat, Constanze, prompted by Anna, brought over a wrapped package. She handed it to Franz.
“Um, Brother... your bag was worn out, so please take this.”
“For me?”
The Franz who received it carefully opened the wrapping paper. From within emerged a bag that looked at first glance to be of high quality, elegantly combining a sturdy canvas-like fabric and fine leather.
“I can’t accept something this expensive.”
Just as expected, Franz said this and tried to return it to Constanze.
“I’ll buy a new one when my bag breaks, so don’t worry.”
To a blunt Franz, Constanze fidgeted and looked up at him, explaining in a small voice.
“Um... you can’t return it.”
“Why not?”
“Open it and see.”
Urged on, Franz opened the front part of the bag. The top of the bag was a flap, and opening it revealed the main compartment. On the back of that flap, something was written. Ritz, who was nearby, also peeked at it.
“...”
Franz was speechless, and Ritz gave a wry smile. There was an embroidery that looked like a very clumsy child’s doodle. Naturally, there was no color in the embroidery; it was just the outlines stitched with thread. You could just barely make out that two figures, a man and a woman, were sewn.
And below it, the words ‘To my beloved Brother Franz ・ Constanze’ were stitched.
“I’ll take it. Thank you, Conzie.”
After saying this softly, Franz re-wrapped the bag. Constanze stood there with a troubled look on her face. From Ritz and the others’ perspective, it was clear he was very happy, but it seemed Constanze couldn’t tell.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to offer some kind of follow-up, Franz took something out of his pocket. It was a small box. Into the hand of the still-standing Conzie, Franz placed the small box.
“From me to Conzie.”
“May I open it?”
“Yes.”
As she gently opened it, Constanze let out a sigh.
“...It’s lovely!”
With a rapturous sigh, Constanze took out the item from the box and gently held it up. It was a small necklace with a rose made of Ougin at its center.
“It was short notice, so it’s not the best quality, but it’s made of Roshozu metal, and it looked a lot like the flower you were wearing in your hair at the circus.”
Constanze, who had turned the flower over, noticed something, her eyes widened, and in the next moment, large tears spilled from them.
“What’s wrong, Conzie?”
Anna was about to step forward, but a moment sooner, Constanze had thrown her arms around Franz and started crying. The words written on the back of the smoothly flowing necklace came into view.
‘To my precious sister, Conzie’
While Franz muttered about how it was really just a cheap thing, bewildered by the sobbing Constanze, Ritz downed the distilled liquor that had been served. This brother and sister had been through a lot, but this would settle things. Then someone sat down in the seat next to him.
“Ehehe, no role for me to play.”
It was a sheepishly smiling Anna. It seemed a mediator was no longer needed for that brother and sister.
“Then eat up. It’ll be a waste if there are leftovers.”
“You’re right.”
Anna stabbed a piece of prosciutto with a pick from a nearby plate.
“Everyone’s getting older, huh.”
Anna murmured, staring intently at the translucent prosciutto.
“That they are.”
“If Franz starts to look older than you, will you be upset, Ritz?”
“Of course not. I may look young, but I’m getting older too.”
“Oh, right. You’re 150 years old, after all~”
“Right, 150... wait a minute.”
The moment he said it, Ritz realized. His birthday had passed. And very recently, at that.
“I’ve turned 151.”
“Huh? When’s your birthday?”
“Looks like it was around the time we came to Motiana.”
“What?! You have to tell me!”
“Even if you say that, I just remembered.”
“I had a birthday party for you, so I promised I’d have one for you, Ritz~”
“Don’t worry about it. If you remember next year, you can do it then.”
He patted the head of a flustered Anna, and she gave him a resentful look.
“That’s not okay.”
“It’s fine.”
“Then, I’ll just give you a present!”
Anna declared this in a resolute tone. He couldn’t help but smile wryly at her stubbornness in strange places.
“It’s fine. I didn’t get you anything either.”
“You did! The marron cream cake.”
“Food doesn’t count as a present.”
Besides, he had already received a slightly early birthday present from Anna. She had extended a hand and rescued Ritz from the prison of his own making.
“No! Tell me what you want!”
To the stubborn Anna who wouldn't bend at all, Ritz found it more than just wryly amusing; it was becoming funny. A normal woman would be angry about her birthday being forgotten, but getting angry at Ritz for forgetting his own birthday was putting the cart before the horse.
But it seemed Anna wouldn't be satisfied unless he said something. So Ritz decided to tell Anna something that could pass as a joke for now, while laughing.
“I’ve got it.”
“What, what?”
Anna turned to Ritz, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Her unusually serious face was also funny, and he told her with a laugh.
“What I want is you, Anna.”
“Huh?”
“I want you.”
“What’s that?”
Anna’s eyes went wide. At the same time, everyone else fell silent and turned their shocked attention to them. It seemed everyone had been listening, pretending to be nonchalant.
What a bunch of busybodies.
“But I’m not a thing. Even if you say you want me, I can’t give myself to you.”
“You’re right.”
“Honestly, if you don’t say it in a way I can understand, I won’t get it!”
Anna pouted, looking displeased. It would be somewhat problematic if you did understand, he thought, and it suddenly became funny. So Ritz, without paying any mind to the piercing gazes of everyone else, pulled Anna into a hug with a smile.
“Just having you with me is enough to make me completely satisfied. The fact that you decided that is a valuable and splendid birthday present for me.”
“Is... that so?”
“Yup. So that means I already got my present in Ciedena.”
“I’m not quite convinced...”
“It’s fine because I say it is. I’m counting on you from now on, partner.”
“Okay!”
Perhaps because she was very fond of the word “partner,” Anna turned a bright smile, unclouded by a single doubt, towards Ritz. As she looked up at him happily, he couldn’t help but break into a smile himself. If they could be together next year, and the year after that, he wouldn’t need any birthday celebration.
Anna is by my side. Just that alone makes me happier than anyone else in the world.
This concludes Volume 11. How did you find the Lucina siblings?
To be honest, when I started writing this volume, I had nothing decided, and halfway through, Franz suddenly blurted out something like, “I did a terrible thing to my sister...” which surprised even me, the author.
As I wrote in the afterword of the previous volume, what is planning? Is it delicious? That’s how little planning I do.
In the next volume, the group gets caught up in a murder case involving the Birdfolk. Amidst this, Anna comes to realize her own feelings.
Look forward to it~.