At that moment, upon that beautiful and spacious stage, the dancers of the Dance of the Goddess of Flowers and the Ceremonial Dance performed together, offering their movements to the monarch they served and admired.
Neither Eula nor Nilou had ever imagined that one day they would stand on such a grand stage.
But as true dancers, the instant the music began, both of them immersed themselves completely in the melody.
Without distractions.
Without hesitation.
Only dance.
Each one wrapped in her own steps, her own rhythm, her own essence.
And naturally, the performance of the two girls completely captured everyone's attention.
Including Leon and Nahida.
The audience watched the stage with surprise and disbelief.
"Is that… is that the Dance of the Goddess of Flowers?!"
"It's been years… years since the last time I saw that dance…"
"Since the disappearance of the Great Lord Rukkhadevata, I thought no one else could perform it…"
"It's not just her! Look at the other dancer—!"
"Her dance is just as incredible!"
"I heard she's His Highness Leon's favorite dancer… it makes sense… she dances magnificently!"
The styles were completely different.
The ceremonial dance was elegant, distant, and imposing.
Filled with pride and authority, as if each movement represented nobility and power.
Meanwhile, the Dance of the Goddess of Flowers was the opposite.
It was light and lively.
Full of energy and emotion, as if every step carried the very essence of life.
And yet, despite being so distinct, to the same music, the two dances intertwined.
They merged and coexisted upon the same stage.
In an unexpectedly harmonious way.
Almost perfect.
The spectators watched in awe.
But what no one noticed was the storm within the hearts of the two dancers.
Eula thought:
[Just by being his dancer… I receive this kind of attention…?]
[I never imagined that one day… I would be looked at like this…]
Nilou, on the other hand:
[I'm so nervous…!]
[I've never danced on such a big stage…]
[My heart feels like it's going to jump out of my chest…]
[But… I'm so happy!]
A faint blush appeared on both of their cheeks.
Almost at the same time, they looked toward Leon.
Seated in the elevated position.
And in that instant, a different feeling arose within each of them.
For Eula, it might have been the first time she was not looked at with suspicion or disdain, but with admiration and expectation.
And she knew the reason.
Because now, she was Leon's dancer.
He was the one who had placed her on that stage.
Thinking of that, a slight smile formed on her lips.
And her movements became even more resolute.
[I will remember this… Your Highness.]
On the other hand, what Nilou felt was something purer.
Gratitude.
At that moment, it was as if everything finally made sense.
Compared to the small stage of the Grand Bazaar—
This was where she truly belonged.
She almost felt like she was dreaming.
She had never imagined she would step onto such a grand stage.
Never imagined she could freely perform the Dance of the Goddess of Flowers for Nahida herself.
The young redhead was almost dizzy from emotion, yet paradoxically, her movements became even more beautiful.
Meanwhile, on the elevated platform, the two protagonists watched, captivated.
"Incredible… she really is the girl I chose."
Leon commented, satisfied.
"Both of them are so good… that it's impossible to choose which one is better."
Nahida agreed, clapping enthusiastically.
When the music came to an end, fireworks once again exploded across the sky.
And they would continue like that throughout the entire day.
After all, it was a special day.
Leon's birthday—and that of the Little Grass Queen.
A day that belonged to Sumeru.
After the performance came the next stage.
Gifts—and the cake.
Leon and Nahida returned to the float.
With all threats already eliminated in the shadows, Sumeru had finally regained its purity.
Order had been restored.
And before them stood a mountain of gifts—and a gigantic cake.
Nahida was completely speechless.
Not even in her dreams had she ever seen something like that.
"Le… Leon… what is all this…?"
"Well, isn't it obvious?"
he replied casually.
"Gifts and cake."
"It's your birthday. Of course you should receive presents and cut the cake."
"That's the basics."
"…Thank you."
Nahida replied sincerely.
She knew that very few people would truly remember her.
And yet, there they were—those presents.
Stacked like a mountain.
There was no doubt.
All of it had been prepared by Leon.
"You don't need to thank me so much."
He shrugged.
"It was a bit rushed this year, so I couldn't publicize it very well."
"So I prepared all your presents myself. I hope you like them."
"Of course I will!"
Nahida nodded firmly.
It was the first time she had ever received birthday gifts.
No matter what was inside those boxes, to her, everything was already a treasure.
Leon smiled and gently patted her head.
Then he looked at his own pile of presents.
He didn't even need to open them to feel the absurd difference in value.
Unlike Nahida, there were countless people in the world who adored Leon.
By usual standards, the gifts he received every year were enough to buy an entire kingdom.
Even so, he opened a few at random.
Alpha presented a sacred sword passed down among the elves.
Anis brought a newly developed magical artifact.
Euphie offered a high-quality, handmade suit.
Esdeath handed over a document of surrender from a small kingdom.
Without a doubt, that was the most valuable gift.
It was said that upon learning of Leon's birthday, the general gathered 50,000 soldiers and spent half a month preparing it.
Leon nodded, satisfied—but not surprised.
He was already used to it.
Every year was like this.
He even remembered an occasion when Ningguang gave him enough rare metals to buy an entire kingdom.
"…Hm?"
Suddenly, Leon frowned slightly.
He had opened an… unexpected gift.
Not just because of the item—but because of who had sent it.
The value of that gift was comparable to Sumeru's Gnosis.
Perhaps even greater.
Without hesitation, he immediately stored it in his storage space.
Then he raised his gaze and quickly found his target.
A woman in a black cloak, hidden among the crowd.
She met his gaze for a brief moment, then turned and disappeared.
Leon smirked.
"Using a gift of this level as a way to get closer…"
"Truly… a dangerous woman."
"Leon? What is it?"
"It's nothing."
he replied casually.
"Don't worry about it, Nahida."
"Now…"
He looked at the gigantic cake in front of them.
"Let's cut the cake."
Leon let out a sigh.
"Why do they make something this big every year…?"
And then, without any ceremony, he raised his hand and summoned Terminus Est.
(End of Chapter)