54
Doun lost his parents in an accident when he was in fifth grade of elementary school, went from relative to relative, and became independent when he turned twenty. Even after that, he was always alone on his birthday. He thought it was bothersome to celebrate and had no special meaning. That’s what birthdays were to Doun.
If his parents had been alive, he would have written them letters saying thank you for giving birth to him and hugged them tight, but there was no one left that Doun could call family.
‘What am I that I deserve something like this…’
The candlelight that appeared blurry through his eyes filled with tears and the banner that was clearly visible even through his blurred vision were celebrating a birthday that even the birthday person himself had forgotten.
His twenty-sixth birthday, celebrated in the mountains full of stars that seemed ready to pour down over his head at midnight with a crescent moon floating above, was like a fantasy.
“…Hyung. Are you crying because you’re moved?”
Samin, who had been leading with the cake, handed the cake to Hong Chan and approached Doun.
“…I never thought you’d celebrate my birthday.”
Doun’s voice trembled heavily as he answered. Samin took out a handkerchief he had prepared in his inventory and gently wiped away the tears. His technique was skillful as if he had practiced. Doun was too busy collecting his overwhelming emotions to do anything but quietly let his face be tended to.
“I memorized the birthday you told me about last time perfectly.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Cry later and hurry up and make a wish and blow out the candle. The wax is going to melt completely.”
“…Okay.”
Samin wrapped his arm around Doun’s shoulders and led him to the custom cake he had reserved. The cake with just one heart-shaped candle was too pretty to eat.
Looking at the flickering candlelight, Doun lowered his eyes. He still remembered the wish he had made the last time he blew out a candle on his birthday cake.
‘Please let me go to an amusement park with mom and dad next year.’
Although that wish hadn’t come true, he earnestly wished in his heart for the hope that came to mind first right now.
‘Please let me continue to live happily with good people like this, and if this is a dream, I won’t let it slide. You didn’t grant my wish when I was eleven, so please listen to this one instead. Please.’
It was a wish that was almost a threat. When Doun blew out the candle, everyone wished him a happy birthday.
“Phew. I thought I was going to die from frustration because that guild master bastard made us keep our mouths shut so tight.”
“Did everyone know it was my birthday?”
Doun, who received the cake from Hong Chan, carefully set it down on the table. A little wax had dripped, but it was still a pretty cake.
“When it’s a guild member’s birthday, we gather like this to celebrate. For people whose schedules don’t work out or who find it burdensome, we congratulate them with messages.”
Doun was newly struck by the fact that Yeoun Guild was truly a small elite group. Places called large guilds had close to 100-150 guild members. The scale was so large that hunters gathered to conquer floors in units of 20-40, aside from the top floor conquest team, were divided into several groups.
In comparison, Yeoun had fewer than 20 guild members. Since there were few guild members, this kind of birthday celebration event seemed possible.
“I can’t bear to cut the cake because it’s too pretty.”
Doun couldn’t even bring the bread knife Samin had given him to the cake, saying they should have a cutting ceremony. The birthday cake had the same phrase written in colorful colors as what was written on the banner that Choi Jiyoon and Do Hyeonwoo had been holding. Moreover, three-dimensional flowers were decorated around it, and it seemed like they would get crushed if he put a knife to it.
“Well, should we cut the cake later and skip to the gift presentation ceremony?”
“…There are gifts too?”
When Doun’s eyes widened, Hong Chan answered while fumbling to take out a gift.
“Are there birthday parties where you only congratulate with words? Here, starting with the youngest is our guild’s national rule. Happy birthday, Doun hyung.”
Hong Chan gently placed a gift box in the hands of Doun, who was starting to tear up again. And just by giving gifts one by one in order, Doun was instantly surrounded by presents.
“Now. There will be my gift presentation.”
Samin, who had been acting pompous saying the protagonist appears last, handed Doun a thick envelope.
“What’s this. What’s with the envelope? There isn’t a bundle of checks inside, is there?”
“He’s a building owner, isn’t he?”
Amid everyone’s murmuring, Doun, who received the envelope, hesitantly fumbled with it.
“Can I see what’s inside?”
“Yes. It’s my small token of sincerity.”
Since he usually engaged in such strange behavior, Doun couldn’t believe the word “small.” With a very tense face, he opened the envelope and took out the contents, his lips twitching.
“Doun hyung, what did Samin hyung give you? A blank check? A bundle of million won checks? Hundred thousand won ones?”
When Kim Minhyeok peered over, Samin showed everyone the bundle of papers taken from the envelope.
[★Handsome Guild Master Slope Daily Free Use Pass★]
It was a handmade coupon showing off flashy letter colors and all kinds of techniques. There was text heavily emphasized as ‘Limited Edition!!!’ in the upper right corner, and small text saying ‘The best birthday gift’ and ‘*Only Lee Doun can use!’
“What’s with that design. It’s the worst. Really.”
“The design is hopeless, but it’s Samin hyung’s daily free use pass. If you use that and ask him to transfer a building, wouldn’t that be profitable?”
Hearing Jang Hyeonseong and Hong Chan whispering, Kim Minhyeok quickly asked Doun.
“Hyung. How many are in there?”
“…Wait a minute.”
Doun slowly counted the colorfully printed papers.
“There are 30.”
“You can use Samin hyung as a slave for a whole month.”
When Kim Minhyeok was purely impressed, Kim Chansol snorted.
“But Guild Master usually treats Doun-ssi like a slave anyway. Would making something like that have any meaning?”
“…Hmm.”
Choi Jiyoon, who knew Samin’s track record inside and out, couldn’t continue speaking and just shook her head. After checking all the other gifts too, Doun reluctantly cut the cake.
“Thank you so much for celebrating my birthday today. I’ll make sure to take care of everyone else’s birthdays from now on.”
When Doun divided the cake he cut himself onto plates and expressed his gratitude, everyone without exception told him their birthdays.
Although it had been quite a large cake, it disappeared in an instant when divided into ten pieces. When they also took out the sweet potatoes that had been placed under the pile of firewood, it felt like the perfect dessert.
After chatting for quite a long time, opening birthday gifts and talking, it was already late dawn before they knew it.
“Phew, I should go to bed early if I’m going to practice again tomorrow and drink and play.”
Starting with the eldest, Jang Hyeonseong, who grumbled that his body wasn’t what it used to be as each year passed, they began to quietly say their goodbyes one by one and disappear into their rooms. Meanwhile, Doun, who had moved the gifts received from guild members to his room and came back out to the garden, couldn’t bring himself to leave the vicinity of the campfire where embers remained.
“When are you going to sleep, hyung?”
“Since I came all the way here, I want to look at the stars some more and sleep a little later.”
“Geez. Where did Magnetic go, who said he didn’t want to practice when I suggested we watch the fire and heal in the car?”
“Where would he go. He’s right here.”
Doun grinned and glanced at Samin.
“The fire is almost out, should I stack more firewood? I want to watch the campfire a bit more too.”
“Then I’ll light the fire.”
“Good.”
Samin, who brought an armful of firewood, stacked it on top of the campfire that was almost extinguished. Since the embers didn’t catch immediately, Doun lightly conjured the least dangerous flame skill at his fingertips.
Samin’s expression, who had vaguely imagined bright red flames, began to be tinged with bewilderment. Although it changed to the commonly known bright red flames when it caught onto the firewood, the flames that had definitely been flickering above Doun’s hand were like an aurora shining in full color.
“…What are you doing lighting firewood with holy fire, hyung?”
The flame Doun had applied to the firewood was ‘holy fire’ that worked effectively against undead-type magical beasts. The very thing Doun had been firing rapidly at the magical beasts appearing on the 50th floor.
“What does it matter. As long as it lights the fire.”
Doun leaned back in his camping chair and stared blankly at the flames as if it didn’t matter. He seemed to like the campfire much more than expected. Samin quickly dragged a chair over and sat close next to Doun.
‘Ah, this is it! Next to our hyung is exactly my spot!’
If he had his way, he would have wanted to sit next to Doun from a while ago. But since he had to prepare for the birthday party, if he had sat next to Doun, he probably wouldn’t have wanted to get up, so he had to give in with tears in his eyes.
“Somehow sitting like this just the two of us and watching is really atmospheric.”
“That’s right.”
The occasional sound of sparks flying and insects chirping made his heart comfortable. Perhaps because there were dense trees nearby, the smell of the midnight forest was also nice.
“About the birthday gift from earlier.”
“Ah. The ‘Slope Free Use Pass’?”
Doun chuckled. The green background with rainbow-colored letters left a strong impression.
“That was a fake I put in because I didn’t want to reveal my real gift in front of the guild members. Actually, my birthday gift is this.”
What kind of birthday gift did he want to keep so secret that he even prepared a decoy gift? When Doun tilted his head, Samin took a short breath and took out a small jewelry box embedded with magic stones from his inventory.
Swallowing dry saliva, he carefully handed it to Doun and muttered in a trembling voice.
“…Please open it.”
When he opened the lid of the box that looked expensive at first glance, there was a pair of small earrings in the center of luxurious, glossy velvet. When Doun touched the earrings with his fingertips, a notification window appeared.
[Covenant Token (S)]
Doun read the phrase in the notification window that clearly appeared before his eyes several times as if he couldn’t believe it.
‘S-rank artifact?’
S-rank artifacts were worth their asking price. You could only buy them when they were irregularly put up for auction in the system’s own auction house, or make them directly with synthesis skills.
Since there were so few on the market that they were hard even to see, Samin had presented it as a birthday gift. Doun was astounded.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
