(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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The excitement that had filled Hage Village after Asta and Yuno's arrival had only grown stronger.
The church grounds were now bustling with activity.
Children ran between the tables carrying decorations.
Villagers chatted while arranging food and chairs.
Laughter echoed from every corner of the hill.
Then suddenly—
A loud horse-like neigh echoed from the sky.
Everyone froze.
Heads turned upward instinctively.
Even Asta stopped talking mid-sentence.
"What was that?"
The answer arrived a moment later.
Far above the village clouds, several flying figures became visible.
At first they appeared as tiny dots.
Then gradually they grew larger.
And larger.
Until everyone could clearly see them.
A magnificent royal carriage descended from the sky.
Its golden frame gleamed beneath the afternoon sun while magical horses pulled it through the air.
Surrounding it were numerous flying Magic Knights acting as escorts.
The sight alone was enough to leave most villagers speechless.
After all—
This was not an ordinary carriage.
This was the royal carriage.
The kind only seen during major ceremonies.
For a brief moment, silence spread through the village.
Then—
The entire place erupted.
"THE KING!"
"Brother BEN!"
"HIS MAJESTY IS HERE!"
The children practically exploded with excitement.
Several villagers hurriedly fixed their clothes.
Others stood straighter.
A few looked so nervous that one would think the Wizard King himself had arrived.
Even Father Orsi stood there blinking repeatedly.
"...."
Because despite everything, it was still difficult for him to process that the little troublemaker he raised now arrived in royal carriages.
The carriage slowly landed before the church.
The moment its wheels touched the ground, the accompanying Magic Knights spread out around the area.
Several villagers immediately recognized some of them.
Even among the captains.
Charlotte Roselei.
Dorothy Unsworth.
And surprisingly—The elf girl, Fana.
The villagers didn't know who she was exactly.
But judging by the unusual ears and appearance, she certainly wasn't human.
Before anyone could think further—
The carriage door opened.
Harry, Ben's loyal butler, stepped down first.
As always, he looked perfectly composed.
He adjusted his gloves before opening the carriage door fully.
Then—
A familiar figure stepped out.
Ben.
Or rather—
King Benjamin of Clover.
The royal coat draped over his shoulders.
The crown resting atop his head.
And perched upon that crown like she owned the kingdom itself—
Nero.
The tiny anti-bird immediately looked around as though inspecting her territory.
The moment the children saw him—
All order vanished.
"AHHHHHH!"
"BIG BROTHER BEN!"
"BIG BROTHER IS HERE!"
Poor Asta and Yuno were abandoned instantly.
One moment they were surrounded.
The next—
Not a single child remained near them.
They all sprinted toward Ben like a flood breaking through a dam.
Asta stared at this scene with shocked look.
"...Traitors."
Yuno nodded.
"They switched sides fast."
The two could only watch helplessly as their popularity evaporated within seconds.
Meanwhile Ben barely had enough time to smile before the first child crashed into him.
Then another.
Then another.
Soon he was surrounded from every direction.
Nash.
Aruru.
Hollo.
Rebecca.
And countless others.
All talking at the same time.
All trying to greet him first.
All trying to get his attention.
Ben laughed.
The sound was warm and genuine.
For all the responsibilities of being king—
This place still felt like home.
He knelt down and began greeting each child individually.
"Looks like you've grown taller."
"Nash, are you causing trouble?"
"I don't!"
"You absolutely do."
Rebecca immediately nodded.
"He does."
"TRAITOR!"
Laughter erupted.
Then Ben snapped his fingers lightly.
Several large boxes were brought down from the carriage.
The children's eyes widened.
The moment they saw the boxes—
They already knew.
Gifts.
Ben smiled.
"Since your big brother has been away for a while..."
He opened the first box.
"...I brought something for everyone."
The reaction was immediate.
The church grounds practically exploded with excitement.
Each child received a carefully selected gift.
Books.
Toys.
Training equipment.
Clothes.
Drawing supplies.
Magical learning tools.
Even small sweets from the capital.
Ben had clearly remembered each child's interests.
The realization alone made several of them emotional.
Meanwhile the villagers watched with warm smiles.
Many still couldn't believe how much had changed.
The boy who once shared meals with the orphanage children...
Now arrived as king.
Yet somehow—
Nothing about him felt different when he stood among them.
Not to the children.
Not to Father Orsi.
Not to Sister Lily.
Not to Hage Village.
To them—He was still simply Ben.
Their Ben.
Their troublesome big brother who had somehow become king without ever losing the part of himself that belonged to this little church on a hill.
The moment the gifts were distributed, the church grounds descended into complete chaos.
Happy chaos.
Children immediately ran off in every direction to show their gifts to one another.
Some proudly displayed new books.
Others showed off toys from the capital.
Several boys had already started comparing training equipment while a few younger children were busy unwrapping sweets before anyone could stop them.
The atmosphere became even livelier than before.
Ben watched them with a smile.
For a moment, the king who carried the fate of a kingdom on his shoulders disappeared.
Leaving only the big brother they all remembered.
Eventually, his gaze moved toward Father Orsi.
The old priest was standing there with moist eyes, trying very hard not to cry again.
Unfortunately—
Nobody was fooled anymore.
Ben chuckled softly.
Then slowly walked toward him.
For a brief moment neither spoke.
Father Orsi simply looked at the young man standing before him.
The boy he had raised.
The boy who once ran through the church covered in mud after causing trouble.
The boy who used to share meals with everyone at a tiny wooden table.
Now standing before him as King of Clover.
Yet somehow—
Still the same.
Ben smiled.
"Happy Birthday, Father."
Before the old priest could respond, Ben stepped forward and hugged him.
Father Orsi immediately hugged him back.
Tightly.
Like he was afraid Ben would disappear again if he let go.
Several nearby villagers smiled warmly at the scene.
Even Asta and Yuno quietly watched.
Because they knew exactly what Father Orsi was feeling.
After a few moments they finally separated.
Father Orsi wiped his eyes.
Again.
"Dust?"
Ben asked.
"Dust."
Father Orsi answered immediately.
Both burst out laughing.
Then Ben reached into one of his pockets.
"I almost forgot."
The old priest blinked.
"Hm?"
Ben pulled out a small polished case.
The craftsmanship was beautiful.
Silver and black with intricate magical runes carved into the surface.
Curiosity immediately appeared on Father Orsi's face.
"What is this?"
"A gift."
Ben opened the case.
Inside rested a pair of spectacles.
Elegant.
Simple.
Yet clearly magical.
Several nearby villagers leaned closer.
Even Yuno and Asta looked interested.
Ben carefully picked them up.
"I had these made in the capital."
Father Orsi looked surprised.
"For me?"
Ben nodded.
"This should help you read books written in different languages."
The old priest blinked.
"What?"
"For now it supports five languages."
The villagers stared.
Ben continued casually.
"It can also adjust its focus automatically according to your eyesight."
Father Orsi's eyes widened.
"It does what?"
"It improves night vision."
The villagers looked stunned.
"It filters dust and smoke."
Father Orsi looked even more stunned.
"It also reduces eye strain while reading."
At this point even several villagers looked ready to steal the glasses.
One elderly villager whispered.
"I need one."
Another nodded.
"So do I."
Meanwhile Father Orsi carefully accepted the gift as though it were made of gold.
His hands trembled slightly.
Not because of its value.
But because it came from Ben.
Slowly, he placed the glasses on his face.
The moment he did—
The magical runes faintly illuminated.
A soft blue glow passed through the lenses.
Then disappeared.
Father Orsi blinked.
Then blinked again.
His eyes widened dramatically.
The blurry edges of his vision instantly sharpened.
Objects became clearer.
Details became more distinct.
Even the decorations hanging far away appeared surprisingly crisp.
The glasses adjusted themselves automatically.
Tiny magical inscriptions within the frame responding to his eyesight.
Father Orsi looked around in disbelief.
He turned toward Sister Lily.
Then toward the villagers.
Then toward Ben.
"I can see."
His voice sounded genuinely shocked.
"I mean..."
He adjusted the glasses.
"...I can REALLY see."
The villagers laughed.
Meanwhile Father Orsi looked around like a child receiving his first toy.
He even picked up a nearby newspaper.
The old priest's eyes widened again.
"I don't need to hold it this far away anymore!"
Several older villagers immediately became jealous.
One of them stepped forward.
"Your Majesty."
Ben looked at him.
"Can I have a birthday too?"
The entire village burst into laughter.
Even Father Orsi laughed so hard that he nearly had to remove the glasses.
Then he looked back toward Ben.
For several seconds he simply stared at him.
No words came out.
Because no words felt sufficient.
Finally—
He placed a hand on Ben's shoulder.
A warm smile appeared on his face.
The kind only a father could give.
"Thank you."
Simple words.
Yet they carried more weight than any royal reward ever could.
And for Ben—
That alone made the gift worth it.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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