Birthday Presents, hearing those words sound exciting. When I was a kid, I used to look forward to my dad’s return from work even more than usual on my birthday.
However, this is strange…… I’m supposed to get such a birthday present from now on, but what’s with this inexplicable anxiety……
No, of course, I’m very happy. However, I’m still just as frightened at what would come out here.
Especially Shiro-san, and Eden-san who wasn’t at the Karaoke Battle earlier but showed up before I knew it. There was no way these two could have prepared a decent present that was acceptable by common sense. I- I wonder what kind of abnormal thing will pop out today……
As I was thinking about this, Kuro handed the microphone to Alice, who took over the proceedings for some reason.“……Excuse me. It seems like Kuro-san is a little busy, so I’ll take over the proceedings. Well then, Birthday Boy Kaito-san, please take the stage!”
Can’t I just receive it here? Going on the stage again…… No matter how many times I experience it, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this attention-grabbing embarrassment.
Well, though I say that, it’s not like I disliked it enough to complain, so I just followed and went up to the stage.
“Now then, with the number of people gathered today, if everyone gives their presents as they please, Kaito-san will be squashed under them…… Everyone will have their chance though. Thus, it’s decided that we will be handing the gifts, one after another. As for the order, it will be determined by my own judgment and prejudice.”
Errr, in other words, from now on, people would come up on the stage in the order that Alice calls out, and hand them to me one by one?
Indeed, that would certainly make it easier for me to thank them, so that helps me…… but why is Alice the one deciding the order?
“As for why I get to decide the order and not through a lottery or something like that, and what’s with me saying it’s by my own judgment and prejudice…… Well, I can understand why everyone is thinking about that. Why am I going to decide? That’s obviously because there are people here who have been “trying to manipulate the law of causality for a while now! That’s also the reason why Kuro-san is busy.””[……Eh?]
“I mean, we’re all going to eventually give him our presents, so why does the order matter!? Gehh, hey, you rotten angel! Don’t try to interfere from multiple dimensions at the same time! You’ll wipe out the venue! Come out here and I’ll make chicken wings out of you!”
There was some kind of incomprehensible super-battle going in some place I didn’t know about!? Eden-san…… is acting just as usual huh.
However, arehh? Alice said people, so does that mean there are also other people doing the same thing? ……Shiro-san huh. I see, that’s why Kuro handed over facilitating the event to Alice huh.
No, well, it’s just as Alice said. Everyone is going to get their turns anyway, so it’s not like the order matters……
“Ahh, by the way, it would be better if my present is given last, so I’m going to take that spot…… Ah, no, I’ll give it to him second to last.”
……Hmmm…… I’m not sure why Shiro-san and Eden-san are interfering with the law of causality by trying to give their presents to me in the order they wanted, but then, there’s Alice, who nonchalantly assigned her present’s order as she had wanted.
I mean, why did Alice specifically take the second to last spot rather than the last one? Well, let’s not think too much about it.
“Well then, the first one is…… Well, I guess she should do. Yes, Lilia-san, please come to the stage.”
[Me!? Eh? O- Of all the people here…… I- I’m going first?]
“Incidentally, this is the spot that Shallow Vernal-sama and that fiendish angel have been targeting since a while ago.”
[Why in the world did you have to add that information!? Phantasmal King!!!]
I wonder if Lilia-san is one of those? Was she born under a star that attracts trouble? She’s too pitiful. In the midst of all the leaders of the Human Realm, Demon Realm, and God Realm, she unexpectedly became the first batter.
No, Lilia-san certainly was the first person I exchanged words with when I came to this world, so perhaps, having her as first may be appropriate in some sense but…… You’re trembling so badly that I can see it from a distance, Lilia-san.
She’s probably faint at this rate…… Would she be alright?
After nervously looking around with a pale expression on her face, Lilia-san let out a sigh of resignation and came over to me.
Then, after closing her eyes in front of me and taking a deep breath, she stopped shaking, opened her eyes, and spoke with a gentle smile on her face.
[……Kaito-san, happy birthday.]
[Thank you.]
[Ummm, I’m sorry I couldn’t prepare a proper gift since I heard about your birthday too abruptly but…… here.]
[This is…… a knife?]
[Yes, it’s a paper knife used to cut off the seal on a letter. It seems that Kaito-san writes letters often after all.]
[It has quite the beautiful design. Thank you! I’ll treasure it.]
Lilia-san gave me a paper knife with a beautiful rose engraved on it. Although it was small, it seemed to be well made, down to the smallest detail, and looked like a very high quality item.
Even though she shouldn’t have that much time to prepare…… How should I say this…… I’m just grateful.
[……Lilia-san, thank y……]
[Kyuuuu~~]
[Lilia-saaan!?]
“……Errr, anyone who can use Recovery Magic here…… Ah, there are a lot of them here. Vier-san, we’re counting on you.”
She couldn’t take it anymore!? Even though she had somehow forced herself to stop shaking, it seemed like she was very nervous to be first in line, going before the leaders of the three realms.
Dear Mom, Dad————— Putting aside the invisible attacks by the Gods, I was really happy to receive a present from Lilia-san, who got the first batter. Even so———— Lilia-san really did faint.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [……So, why not pick the last one and instead, go for the second to the last?]
? ? ? : [……Well, there’s that one person who’s going to leave after giving her present, as if she has no business in that place anymore……]
