Early in the morning, before the sun could even rise over the horizon, Rose Fannett clocked into work like usual.
She let out a yawn, greeted her co-workers, then sat down and handled some documents on her desk.
Her wolf-like ears twitched when a paper slid off and fell to the floor.
Kneeling down to retrieve it, she realized it was Judas' profile.
She stared at the parchment, a subtle smile touching her lips.
Holding the page between her fingertips, she glanced at his birthdate, then looked up at the wall calendar.
Her gaze shifted back and forth repeatedly.
'Oh… his birthday… it's in two days.'
…
Meanwhile, inside Twilight Manor, Judas stood in front of the bathroom mirror brushing his teeth.
After finishing his usual morning routine, he walked through the hallway and headed toward the training grounds.
Along the way, he couldn't help but notice an unusually jovial atmosphere settling over the Familia.
Members greeted him with bright, knowing smiles as he passed.
"Judas! How you doing?"
"Good morning."
"I can't wait for your birthday celebration, man!"
Naturally, Judas responded to each of his fellow Familia members' greetings and questions in kind.
"Judas, do you mind if we ask what kind of cake you like?"
Alicia asked, practically lighting up as she waited for his answer.
"Chocolate."
Judas replied simply.
"Got it!"
Alicia beamed before quickly hurrying off, already looking like she had somewhere important to be.
Seeing her walk away with such a happy smile, Judas shook his head.
'It's just a birthday... do they really have to make such a big deal out of it?'
'Loki...'
He thought, already imagining Loki's grinning expression.
Right after they got back home from Apollo's banquet a week ago, Loki had gotten drunk and gone around the entire manor, loudly announcing his birthday to everyone.
Now, the entire Familia had suddenly become determined to throw him a celebration, and Finn had even approved of it.
'16 years…'
That was how long he had lived in the world of DanMachi as Judas Spade.
'Time sure does fly, huh?'
When he finally stepped out onto the sunlit training grounds, the usual sounds of clashing steel met his ears.
Before he could take another step, his eyes locked onto a figure hurtling straight toward him at breakneck speed.
Having spotted him from across the yard, an energetic Tiona launched herself like a missile, a beaming smile plastered across her face.
"Judas! Judas!"
She shouted excitedly.
If he got hit by her, a Level 6 speeding toward him like a torpedo, Judas would probably suffer several broken ribs.
'Tiona...'
Judas' lips twitched.
Accustomed to her wild antics by now, Judas simply sidestepped at the last possible second, sending Tiona flying straight through empty air.
"Hm?"
Realizing she had missed her target, Tiona executed a fluid front flip and landed cleanly on her feet.
Not discouraged in the slightest, she kicked off the ground and sprinted back toward him, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.
"Judas! Loki mentioned your birthday is coming up!"
She chirped, looking straight into his eyes.
"Me, my sister, Ais, and the others are heading out to buy you a present… Want to come with us?"
But before Judas could even reply, Tione suddenly appeared behind her, grabbed her sister by the shoulder, then yanked her back, throwing her to the ground.
As Tiona fell on her back, she yelped in pain and rubbed her hip.
"Hey! What the hell is your problem!?"
She said as she looked at her sister with an aggrieved expression.
"You idiot…"
"Who invites the birthday boy along to shop for his own present? The major point of a gift is the surprise."
Tione said as she looked at her sister with her arms folded.
"B-But did you really have to do that?"
Tiona huffed shooting her sister an annoyed look.
Ignoring her sister's whining, Tione turned her gaze back to Judas.
"The Captain asked me to let you know he's drafting the invitation letters. He needs your help figuring out who we should invite."
"Understood. I'll head to Finn's office as soon as I'm done here."
Judas nodded.
"Great."
Tione promptly grabbed Tiona by the arm and dragged her away, leaving Judas to watch the two sisters squabble as they disappeared down the corridor.
…
"Right, is everyone here?"
Standing near the main gates of Twilight Manor, Tiona turned around to count the small group gathered behind her.
"Everyone's here… let's get going."
Tione added after confirming that no one was missing.
Other than the Hiryute sisters, those present were Ais, Lefiya, and her roommate, Elfy.
Anakitty and Line had also tagged along.
The group had gathered together to help one another pick out a birthday present for Judas.
As they walked through the streets toward the shopping district, Ais couldn't help but notice Lefiya wearing a troubled expression.
"Lefiya, is something wrong?"
Ais asked softly.
"Eh?"
Hearing her idol suddenly speak to her, Lefiya was caught by surprise and immediately became flustered.
Noticing the rest of the group turning to look at her, she let out a quick cough to compose herself.
"Oh… um, it's nothing, Miss Ais! It's just… I haven't been able to decide what kind of present I should get for him."
She admitted, scratching her cheek nervously.
Before she could dwell on it any further, Tiona slung an arm over the young elf's shoulder.
"Don't worry about it! We can figure it out while we look around... that's why we came together, right?"
Tiona grinned brightly.
"Besides, I think Judas will appreciate anything as long as it comes from us."
Staring into Tiona's earnest, dark-green eyes, the tension in Lefiya's shoulders thawed.
"R-right!"
The young elf replied, smiling back.
"That sounds nice and inspirational, but we still need to pick something he'll actually like."
Anakitty pointed out, stepping up beside them.
"Heh… don't worry, we got the whole day ahead of us. We have plenty of time."
Tione said as she put her hands behind her head.
The group continued chatting as they entered the bustling central market.
'Hmm?'
As they browsed the stalls, Lefiya caught sight of a familiar figure walking down the street.
"Lefiya? Is that you?"
When she saw that it was Filvis, the black-haired elf that she befriended back on the 24th floor, Lefiya hurried over with a warm smile.
"Filvis!"
"What a coincidence… I didn't think we would bump into each other here."
Filvis said with a warm expression.
"Are you out shopping too?"
Lefiya asked.
"Ah… yes. I'm running an errand for Lord Dionysus."
Filvis replied smoothly before glancing at the group behind her.
"What about you?"
"My friends and I are looking for a birthday present for Judas!"
"Veneratus Est? His birthday?"
Filvis muttered, her eyes blinking several times.
"Oh? Is this the friend you met down in the Dungeon, Lefiya?"
Tione asked, walking over with a polite smile.
"I'm Tione Hiryute. Nice to meet you."
Tione extended a hand, but Filvis' warm demeanor instantly vanished.
She pointedly ignored the offered hand, her expression freezing into an icy wall.
"Filvis Challia."
Her introduction was curt and cold, a stark contrast to how she had spoken to Lefiya just seconds before.
"Lefiya… did I say something wrong? Does she hate me?"
Tione blinked, staring at her own hand in confusion.
"N-No! Not at all! She's just… not very comfortable around new people."
Lefiya stammered, cold sweat running down her neck.
An uncomfortable silence descended over the street as Tione, Ais, and the others stared at Filvis, who returned their gazes with detached indifference.
'Ah… now the mood has gotten awkward.'
'Speaking of which, Filvis was harsher with me at the start as well…'
Lefiya thought as she began to sweat profusely.
Just as she was panicking over what she should do to lighten the mood, Tiona casually popped up right beside Filvis, hands tucked behind her back.
"Hey, hey, Filvis, do you have someone you like?"
Tiona asked, staring up at her with wide, innocent eyes.
"Wh… Whhaaatt?"
"Don't you think that's an entirely inappropriate question to ask someone you've just met, Amazon?!"
Filvis' composure instantly shattered.
A deep crimson blush rushed up her neck to her ears as she stumbled back.
"That reaction!"
"You're definitely in love!"
Tiona's eyes lit up as she pointed an accusing finger.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Filvis snapped, turning her head away to hide her face.
"Who is it? Who is it? Tell me!"
Tiona pressed, leaning in closer.
"Is it someone we know? A god? A mortal? An elf? A human? A beastkin? How far have you two gone?!"
Tiona's rapid-fire interrogation sent Filvis into complete disarray, her eyes swirling in flustered panic.
'Incredible! To be able to change the awkward situation so quickly… Tiona, you are amazing!'
Lefiya cheered mentally, impressed by Tiona's ability.
"Could that person be Lord Dionysus?"
Lefiya guessed, joining in the conversation.
In her mind, her guess was plausible.
Filvis always seemed to be at Dionysus' side, and when she was not, it usually meant she was out following his orders.
After all, there were many cases where a patron deity and a member of their familia had fallen in love.
But the way Filvis reacted caught Lefiya and everyone else by surprise.
"No."
Filvis answered, her flustered expression suddenly vanishing as if it had been a lie, replaced with a serious and cold expression.
"My body belongs to someone else… I could never feel anything for that disgusting god."
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