A mixture of shock and surprise led to a flurry of reactions.
I also asked Namira with a puzzled expression on my face.
"Is Speranza's birthday really coming up soon? No, more importantly, how did you know about Speranza's birthday, Namira?"
Namira seemed flustered by our intense reactions and answered with a very taken-aback expression.
"Yes of course I remember. I was there watching over when the little miss was born. She was so tiny and adorable. It's an unforgettable memory for me."
"Ah"
I belatedly realized I had asked a foolish question.
I already knew that Namira had been with Speranza when she was younger. So, it wasn't strange for her to know Speranza's birthday.
In an instant, everyone was panicking.
As always, Andras was the first to regain his composure and tried to sort out the situation.
"When exactly is Speranza's birthday?"
"It's in 5 days."
"Have you ever mentioned the birthday to Speranza?"
"No, I haven't directly talked about the birthday. I did ask about her favorite foods and simple preferences a few times, planning to prepare in advance like today."
"Hmm Since only Namira knew about the birthday, there's a high probability that Speranza doesn't know either."
I nodded in agreement with Andras's words.
If Speranza hadn't deliberately hidden her birthday, it was more likely that she didn't know.
In an instant, our eyes met among the people present, excluding Namira. We quickly reached a consensus with just our gazes and started to move hurriedly.
An emergency assembly was called for the entire farm.
Farm members who were doing their own tasks gathered in one place immediately.
Kaneff was also forcibly brought by my hand to take a seat.
"Brother Sihyeon, why did you call everyone like this?"
"Is there a problem with the farm?"
Lilia asked with a hint of annoyance, while Ashmir asked with seriousness. Kaneff, who was deeply seated in his chair and yawning, muttered under his breath.
"What else could it be? That guy must have caused another accident or brought trouble with his meddling."
"What did I"
Kaneff described me as if I was the cause of all accidents.
Although I felt personally wronged, I clenched my mouth shut in the middle of the conversation, as the others seemed to silently agree.
"So, what's really going on?"
"Before we tell you, Sihyeon, where is Speranza right now?"
Andras checked Speranza's location before starting the discussion in earnest.
"I saw her playing with the baby griffins earlier. Urki agreed to keep an eye on her, so it should be fine."
Although I didn't mention it, I was monitoring Speranza's location in real time through someone's thoughts.
-Ahhhh! You tiny, pathetic creatures! Get away from me right now!
The newly arrived baby fox was currently basking in the affection of its older siblings. From time to time, Speranza's laughter mixed with the thoughts I heard.
Fox deity. Think of it as doing your part, and just do your role diligently now. You'll get used to these kind and good guys soon enough.
Sending a silent message of support, I momentarily blocked the connection with the fox spirit.
Andras confirmed that Speranza wouldn't suddenly barge in, and then explained what had happened in the kitchen earlier.
Those who weren't present couldn't hide their surprise when Speranza's birthday was mentioned.
"What?! Speraz's birthday is only 5 days away?"
"Shh! Your voice is too loud."
"Uh, sorry."
Lilia, who had screamed like a banshee, quickly lowered her voice.
Lilia and Lia also decided on something and clapped their hands together in agreement. As the four of them moved ahead with gift preparations, my heart grew anxious.
Now there were only three people left.
I casually spoke to Ashmir, who had a calm expression.
"Ashmir, are you thinking about a gift as well?"
"I have a few suitable gifts in mind. They're all things that can be obtained in the Angel Realm, so I plan to visit with Apprentice Urki soon."
"Ah I see."
Ashmir seemed to have a detailed plan already. It looked like everyone's gift preparations were going smoothly.
Now, only two people were left.
Until dinnertime and Speranza's return, Kaneff and I remained behind, agonizing over our gift ideas.
Life on the farm continued as usual.
On the surface, it didn't seem like anything special was happening, but behind the scenes, everyone was busy preparing for Speranza's birthday party.
Namira prepared fresh ingredients one by one for the food to be served at the birthday party, and Lia neatly organized the items needed for the party.
Everyone was busy making sure their gift preparations were going well.
In contrast, Kaneff and I were still struggling to come up with a concrete plan.
"Boss, are you still undecided?"
"What about you?"
"Me too"
It wasn't that I couldn't think of an appropriate gift. I knew Speranza's tastes and interests quite well.
But, how should I put it?
There wasn't anything that really struck me as the perfect gift.
I couldn't think of a gift that would truly impress her, and I wasn't willing to compromise on something mediocre.
I didn't want to just settle for a mediocre gift for Speranza's first birthday.
As a result, my worries only continued to grow.
Time passed relentlessly as I pondered.
Suddenly, Kaneff seemed to make a decision and got up from his seat.
"Boss?"
He didn't respond to my call, and instead, opened the door and walked away at a brisk pace.
It seemed like Kaneff had decided on a gift too.
Feeling bitter about being left alone, I was surprised when Kaneff quickly returned. He handed something to me, looking puzzled.
"Here."
"Huh? What is this?"
What he handed me was a small piece of paper.
It was slightly larger than the coupons you get when you order a chicken delivery. Familiar handwriting was written on it in various colors.
"Um Oh?!"
At some point in the past,
There had been a fierce competition among the farm members, with a tremendous reward at stake, and only one person had claimed that prize.
It had been quite a while ago, so I had completely forgotten about it. But now, that reward appeared before me again.
I read out loud the words written neatly by Speranza on the paper.
"Vacation companionship pass"
"There might not be any suitable gifts here, but there could be something in your world, right?"
"But, this is a vacation companionship pass I wasn't planning on taking a vacation"
Kaneff casually asked, draping his arm over my shoulder.
"Do you want to go on a regular vacation or take a sick leave?"
I had only one option to choose from.
CH 388-397 (Happy Birthday my dear daughter) $2CH 398-407 (Subduing the Angels) $2CH 408-417 (Farm family, Assemble) $2CH 418-424 (The END) $2