The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 19

“Happy birthday, Liv!”

“Ah, thank you…”

My voice was muffled, almost swallowed by the large vase overflowing with yellow flowers.

Clementine, who had thrust the vase at me, beamed, her smile brighter than the blooms.

“I grew these myself.  They’re yellow Armel flowers. They bloom the longest in our garden and have a lovely fragrance.  And Wady got the vase for you.”

“Well, technically, my parents got it.”

Wadin scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

“It’s… enchanted or something, so the flowers stay fresh longer, and the fragrance lasts.”

“Thank you, Wady.”

“I’m glad you like it…”

How could I not like presents from my friends?

Both the fragrant yellow flowers Clementine had grown herself and the enchanted vase from Wadin were special.

I handed the vase to a passing maid and asked her to put it in my room.

“What about the other presents? Have you opened them yet?”

Clementine seemed as excited as I was.

I shook my head. We had agreed to open them together after lunch.

It was my birthday morning, and I had woken up on time.

Although I had been feverish and unwell throughout the night, I felt much better in the morning.

I changed into clean, new clothes and put on the coat my mother had made for me.

As I walked down the hallway to the entrance hall, the maids I passed wished me a happy birthday, and each greeting lifted my spirits.

I greeted my parents, who were busy with the party preparations in the garden, and received birthday wishes from the head butler and Shuren.

They all knew I had been unwell during the night, but they didn’t mention it. It made me feel better than I actually was.

Clementine and Wadin had arrived much earlier than the other guests.

We spent the morning exploring the garden, basking in the warm autumn sun.

As lunchtime approached, food started appearing on the tables in the garden, filling the air with delicious aromas.

Carriages began arriving, and the garden gradually filled with guests.

I stood by the front gate with my father, welcoming the guests as they arrived.

Most of them were close neighbors and people from the Knights whom my father knew well.

Clementine’s grandfather and grandmother, the White Knight and his wife, Merian and Colin, my father’s lieutenant Erner, and Laillin and Joel, who were now full-fledged knights.

My father’s fellow instructors and colleagues, and even some holy mages and nurses from Ervan Medical Center, had come to celebrate.

Grain wished me a happy birthday and gave me a quick hug, then, as if sensing something, he placed a hand on my forehead.

His touch jolted me back to reality.

“Oh, you have a fever?”

“Ah, yes. He was a bit feverish last night.”

My father gave a wry smile, as if acknowledging that you couldn’t fool a holy mage.

“I’m better now.”

I forced a smile.  Grain smiled back and patted my head.

After he entered the garden, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I had been worried he might insist I go back to the medical center.

“Hi, Liv!  Happy birthday.”

Ilan, dressed in gray robes, greeted me and handed me a present from Luwen.

It was a short, black wand.

“Luwen asked me to give this to you.  It looks simple, but it’s made from very rare materials.

The black shaft is made from black volcanic wood, which is only found in the Alias region in the north.  And the mana terminal inside is custom-made for smooth mana control.  It has… an etched mana induction circuit, and on top of that…”

“Ahem, Ilan. Thank you for coming.”

My father smoothly interrupted Ilan’s detailed explanation with a cough and a greeting.

Ilan’s red fox ears perked up in surprise.

“Ah!  Yes, of course. I had to come.  And Luwen asked me to.  Liv, do you like the present?”

“Yes, very much.  Thank you, Sister Ilan.”

I clutched the wand Ilan had given me with both hands.

The black wand fit perfectly in my hand, as if it had been custom-made for me.  It felt almost weightless.

Even without Ilan’s detailed explanation, I knew instantly that it was an exceptionally well-crafted wand.

I rarely used wands, but with a wand that fit this well, I might actually try using one. Especially since I was learning southern kingdom magic now.

The garden, filled with guests, buzzed with conversation and laughter.

Everyone who passed wished me a happy birthday. Even though I had heard it dozens of times already, it never got old.

After lunch, with many people watching, I planted my birthday tree with my parents.

Next to the red pine tree we had planted last year.

The red pine hadn’t grown as much as I had expected, but I hoped this year’s white grapevine would grow taller.

“May you always be healthy.”

“May good fortune follow you in all things.”

With each scoop of soil they placed around the sapling, my father and mother offered their blessings.

Sincere and heartfelt words, as if they were speaking them directly to me.

Next, it was finally time to open presents.

I received a few more birthday gifts from the guests.

Grain gave me a book on holy magic and a small Rubiol sphere.

The Rubiol sphere, a red sphere infused with a small amount of holy power, was a holy tool that provided warmth and a sense of calm.

I showed it to Wadin, who had asked to see it, and he stared at it, fascinated.

It would make a great birthday present for Wadin.

Shuren presented me with a small, custom-made sword, with a flourish, as if revealing a grand surprise.

I laughed and thanked him.

The sword and its scabbard were clearly crafted with care and precision. The gently curved blade was light enough for me to handle comfortably.

Shuren said he had specially commissioned it from a blacksmith at the Knight Academy.

“Wow!”

As Clementine, Wadin, Shuren, and I sat in the entrance hall, opening presents one by one, cheers erupted from outside.

We hurried out to the garden.

Since the main birthday event, the tree planting, was over, some of the guests had left, but most were still enjoying the food, drinks, and the beautiful garden.

The guests near the front gate were buzzing with excitement.

“Liv, look!”

A young horse, led by my father, was just entering the garden.

My eyes widened, and I rushed towards him.

“Happy birthday, Liv.”

“Father, this is…?”

“Your birthday present, of course.”

My father seemed to be enjoying my surprise.

And I was indeed surprised.  I had never imagined I would receive a foal as a present…

I cautiously approached the light brown foal.

The foal blinked its large, gentle eyes at me.

Although I didn’t know much about horses, I could sense that it was healthy and docile.

“Lania is a descendant of Grecia. You might remember her.  Grecia has been my companion since I was young.”

“I remember. Is this little one’s name Lania?”

“Yes. She’s from Grecia’s bloodline, so she’ll surely grow into a fine horse.”

I gently reached out and stroked Lania’s cheek.

My father’s longtime companion, Grecia, remained at our home in Merribelle.

Although our manor in Prion had stables, my father, who mainly worked at the Blue Knights’ Hall, didn’t have much occasion to ride.

And yet, Grecia’s foal had been brought here, all the way to Prion, for me.

I was so touched, I didn’t know what to say.

“Would you like to ride her?”

My father asked with a smile, and I looked up eagerly.

“Can I?”

“I’ll hold her steady for you.”

My father lifted me onto Lania’s back. I wasn’t even using a saddle.

Lania’s soft, warm, brown mane brushed against my fingers.  I could feel the little horse’s breaths rising and falling beneath me.

“Let’s go to the stables.”

As my father led Lania by the reins, I moved with her.

“Whoa!” I gripped Lania’s mane. It felt a little precarious at first, but I quickly found my balance.

“I’ll teach you how to ride properly later.”

My father smiled.

“But we Luoirs tend to bond with animals easily.  It’s our tradition to ride without saddles.  If you can connect with the horse, you don’t need a saddle or reins.”

“Will Lania live here with us from now on?”

“Of course.  You mustn’t forget to take good care of her.  Alright?”

“Yes, I will. Thank you, Father.”

I stroked Lania’s soft mane, happy to have a new friend.

I spent the next few hours at the stables.

I introduced Lania to Clementine, Wadin, and Shuren, and learned how to care for a horse from the stable hand.

I fed the young Lania, who had traveled a long way, and brushed her mane with a soft brush.

Shuren, who had learned horseback riding and horse care at the Knight Academy, offered some advice.

It was late afternoon when we finally went back inside.

After dinner, most of the guests went home, and I saw them off, one by one, with my father.

However, Clementine and Wadin stayed.

Clementine even behaved as if she lived there, politely seeing off her grandfather, the White Knight, when he left.

The White Knight chuckled and told her to have fun, promising to see her tomorrow.

We gathered in my room, eating fruit and snacks while playing the new board game I had received.

I played a round with Wadin first and won easily, claiming the two pieces of candy we had wagered.

Wadin grumbled that it wasn’t fair because I had read the instructions beforehand, so Clementine took my place.

“Wait, can you do that?”

“Ah, wait, no…”

“No?”

Clementine asked, tilting her head, and Wadin’s face contorted.

Caught off guard by Clementine’s unexpected strategy, or perhaps just a lucky move, Wadin was at a significant disadvantage.

I munched on my candy, watching the game unfold, struggling to contain my laughter.

“…I lost.”

“Huh? Wady, what did you say?”

Clementine asked innocently, and Wadin, overcome with despair, collapsed onto the floor.

“I lost!  I can understand losing to Liv, but why can’t I even beat Clementine?!”

“Oh, I won?”

Clementine’s eyes widened in surprise, and Wadin groaned even louder in frustration.

Clementine smiled brightly at the news of her victory and started putting the game pieces away.

“I don’t really understand these kinds of games.  The rules are too complicated.”

“You should probably stop playing, Clementine.”

I said, stifling my laughter.

“If you keep playing, Wady might run home crying.”

“Shut up.”

His tone, as always, was less than pleasant.

Surprisingly, despite her lack of understanding of the game, Clementine had a remarkably high win rate.  Call it luck or good intuition.

Poor Wadin had become her unwitting victim once again.