PDMLS 13

Chapter 13

My body froze on its own.

Ah, right.

Today was my birthday.

“Because of that person’s sacrifice, the peaceful life we have now has been preserved. At first, we planned to hold a memorial ceremony on the anniversary of their death, but… we never found out exactly when they passed away.”

“……”

“So we ended up celebrating their birthday instead. Since it became a birthday celebration rather than a memorial service, it turned into a party. People like it because it gives them a reason to drink and have fun.”

A birthday party…

It wasn’t like I had never had one.

After I claimed the position of first place among the Magic Tower’s apprentices—that is, from the year I entered the tower—Count Volks had faithfully celebrated my birthday every single year. The room would become so full of gifts sent by the people of the family that there was barely any space left.

And then, it abruptly stopped when I turned seventeen.

It was around the time I had accumulated my fifty-fifth defeat against Filion.

After that, I deliberately tried to forget about it.

Even after I crossed over to the Eastern Continent, I never celebrated it.

But here, in a place like this…

“There was someone who… remembered my birthday.”

“……Pardon?”

“Ah, no. I was just wondering how people found out.”

The woman looked around cautiously before approaching me and lowering her voice.

“It seems Filion Elfert was the one who told them.”

Her tone was careful, as if she was afraid someone might overhear.

Even mentioning Filion’s name was something people hesitated to do.

I realized that once again.

But what bothered me even more was—

“Filion told them?”

“To be precise, people asked, and the Magic Tower answered.”

“Not the people of House Volks?”

“The Volks mages were almost all imprisoned even after Count Volks was executed. Apparently, it was quite difficult to determine who had participated in the Count’s schemes.”

“……”

“And the Volks mages who weren’t imprisoned… apparently they weren’t particularly close to Lord Laiel either.”

In other words, every Volks mage who had known me had been detained.

Thinking about it, the reason they had been close to me in the first place was probably because of Count Volks’ orders.

Those loyal to him wouldn’t have refused to cooperate with the summoning of the Demon King.

“So that’s why Filion Elfert became the only person who knew your birthday.”

My birthday…

He knew.

‘I don’t even know Filion’s birthday.’

I glanced toward Filion.

He had turned his head away, looking somewhere else.

He definitely must have heard our conversation, but his expression was completely indifferent.

As if he were listening to a conversation about a stranger.

“Would you like to participate?”

“Excuse me?”

“There’s a saying that if you make a wish in front of that statue, it will come true. Especially when it comes to romantic luck. Apparently, it’s very effective. It has helped me a few times too!”

The woman smiled brightly and pulled flowers from the bouquet she was holding, handing one to me and one to Filion.

“You’re visitors from another place, right? Everyone in the capital knows Lord Laiel Volks’s birthday.”

Could there possibly be some belief that showing kindness to Laiel Volks on his birthday would bring good fortune?

The excessive kindness left me dazed.

Then Filion spoke.

“Let’s go.”

“Huh?”

“You’re curious, aren’t you?”

“Th-that’s true, but… did you know about today?”

“Yes. I have seen it before. Even then, nothing came to mind.”

I carefully asked him.

“Nothing? Really?”

Filion’s gaze shifted, and I followed it.

In front of the statue.

People were standing around the piles of flower bouquets, clasping their hands and praying.

Even if they did that, it wouldn’t help at all.

I was about to look away, feeling embarrassed and even a little sorry, when he suddenly spoke.

“Do you know why that statue was erected?”

“……I heard that the former Tower Master, Serios, built it to honor Laiel Volks.”

“That is the public reason. The true purpose, apparently, was to eliminate the prejudice against the remaining Volks mages within the Magic Tower.”

Prejudice?

“After it became known that Count Volks had attempted to summon the Demon King, and that many Volks mages had participated in it, the Volks mages had to endure difficult times inside the Magic Tower.”

“……”

“They were questioned about whether they truly hadn’t followed Count Volks, whether they had simply escaped suspicion by luck.”

“So that happened…”

“Some of them left the Magic Tower, but discrimination continued even outside. Even without using magic, people with red hair were rejected. They were suspected of possibly being distant relatives of the Volks family.”

“The statue was built as a countermeasure against that?”

“Yes. It carried the meaning of: There are good Volks as well. The effect was apparently quite significant. And the moment when her popularity reached its peak was…”

“Was it when Filion stole the forbidden book?”

Filion slightly shrugged his shoulders.

“Isn’t that the woman Filion Elfert risked his entire life for? Even people who had never been interested before came at least once just to see her face.”

“So that’s why rumors say it’s effective for love luck.”

Oh no. This is even more embarrassing.

“Even after hearing all of that, nothing came to mind. Yet you would still insist that you are Philion Elfert, wouldn’t you?”

“Insist?”

I’m not insisting. It’s the truth. My face looks exactly the same as his, for goodness’ sake.

But no matter how many times I explained it, he wouldn’t believe me.

“How did you know the true purpose behind the statue? Did you investigate it separately?”

“I heard it from my master. He said that because of that statue, she was able to live as a mage without dyeing her hair. He said he didn’t know if she was truly an amazing woman, but that one thing about her was admirable.”

“Dael was discriminated against too, huh.”

“So, are you going to see it?”

After thinking for a while, I nodded.

Then we walked toward the statue.

Besides bouquets of flowers, there were all kinds of other offerings. Dried pieces of paper that seemed to have wishes written on them, bottles of liquor decorated with ribbons, and piles of candy that looked like they had been brought by children.

It really seemed like everyone was commemorating her in their own way.

I placed my flowers among them.

When I looked up at the statue’s face, I couldn’t help but laugh.

It looked nothing like me.

And when I unconsciously clasped my hands together—

Suddenly, my mood sank.

It wasn’t because I was annoyed or angry.

Strangely, I simply became calm.

I didn’t have any particular wish I wanted to make.

It felt ridiculous to ask something like that for myself.

But if there was something I wanted to say…

‘Happy birthday, Laiel.’

Even though I was only thinking it, it felt incredibly awkward because it had been such a long time.

Still, I smiled.

‘You worked hard. Really.’

My life had never been easy.

The moment I awakened my magic, my own biological parents sold me to Count Volks, and under his coercion, I learned magic like a madwoman without taking even a single day off.

Even while maintaining first place among the Magic Tower’s apprentices, I never neglected my studies for even a day.

Because if I truly became useless, Count Volks would have killed me.

And he would have immediately searched for a replacement.

There was no way he would have let me live.

He was that cruel of a man.

How many people had he killed under the excuse of “They might become a future threat”?

‘You endured well. You overcame it well.’

Because I knew that, I acted loyal to Count Volks on the outside.

I hid my true feelings, bowed my head, and lived as a trash bin for the emotions of the family members.

I comforted myself by saying it was better than being forced to conduct cruel experiments.

I knelt down and endured their humiliation.

That was why I was able to escape without being discovered.

‘Look at me now. I’m living just fine.’

I felt truly sorry for Philion, whose life had been twisted because of my lies.

But I didn’t regret running away.

At the time, it was the best choice I could think of.

After living through it, I found good days.

I met good people.

Although I was a little poor right now, it was still far better than living under Count Volks.

‘Things will get even better from now on.’

For some reason, I felt like I might cry.

The tip of my nose stung slightly.

I must have gotten too emotional.

Good job. Really good job.

I patted my own shoulder a few times for no reason.

‘Let’s wake up Bridin as soon as possible. Earn money, and return to the Eastern Continent.’

After wiping the corners of my eyes and burning my determination once more, I stepped away from the statue.

And the moment I turned around—

Boom—!

With a loud sound, fireworks exploded in the sky.

It wasn’t even completely dark yet, but they bloomed brilliantly.

It really seemed like my birthday was just an excuse and everyone actually wanted to have fun.

‘Well, whatever.’

I looked at each person watching the fireworks and greeted them silently.

Thank you.

This is the first time I’ve ever received such a grand celebration.

A smile naturally appeared on my face.

Then I looked at Philion again.

“Aren’t you going to do it?”

The black dog looked at the sky and thought.

‘They’re making quite a spectacle.’

Above the bluish sky, fireworks continued exploding one after another, without holding back at all.

There were white and yellow ones mixed in, but most of them were red.

‘Are they trying to make people with red hair feel a little more familiar with it?’

‘It has nothing to do with me.’

Although the woman in front of him called him “Philion” every day, the black dog still couldn’t truly comprehend that he was that famous man.

There were many things about that man that he couldn’t understand.

First of all, he disliked the fact that Laiel Volks had sacrificed herself alone.

They said he loved her, didn’t they?

Then why had he left her in such a dangerous situation?

If it had been him, he would have been too ashamed to even stand before this statue.

Yet that man had gone so far as to break taboos in order to revive her.

What did he intend to do after meeting her again?

‘He should be grateful if she doesn’t resent him.’

Why didn’t you help me sooner?

What were you doing while I was dying?

Do you think I’ll forgive you just because you brought me back?

At that moment—

Why did you do that to me—

Huh…?

‘What?’

The black dog pressed a hand against his forehead at the strange sensation that suddenly appeared.

It was strange.

The black dog had never been interested in the Demon King’s summoning, forbidden books, the Magic Tower, or even the love story between those two people.

This was the first time he had ever thought about them deeply.

But why?

Why was the flow of his thoughts connecting so naturally?

And just now…

Something…

“Philion?”

When he raised his head, he saw Rex.

The woman he had happened to meet a few days ago.

Green eyes reminiscent of a forest.

Slightly raised eyes.

A pale face.

Golden hair.