June 30th, 1542.
Solaire stares at the ceiling as he lays on the ground, his arms behind his head.
Alone in the Dojo he ponders how he'll survive this training, constantly being on the verge of death, yet somehow every single time it's as if he senses the arrows coming at him, the logs that roll out of nowhere and the falling gargantuan boulders.
Every single time i feel like i sense the attack coming....., what the hell? He thinks to himself.
But that aside, its Sirella's birthday today and he's obviously jealous since his birthday is still a bit far away, however that doesn't mean he's not happy for her, she's finally eleven after all, and that's a pretty nice age, isn't it?
"But i don't really have any money...., how can i get her a gift?" Solaire mutters to himself, feeling slightly guilty that he can't add to his sister's joy.
Zerox.
His head above Solaire's as he stares at him and simply says "I have money to spare." Still indifferent and detached, yet who knows? perhaps he's kind.
Solaire squeaks "Eh?!" He immediately rolls away, getting to his feet yet Zerox's face simply follows him, as if waiting for his reply.
"How did-" Solaire blinks, flabbergasted by the unnatural stealth that allowed Zerox to appear so silently.
"I have money to spare." Zerox repeats himself.
"Right, yeah i got that. But how the hell did i not even hear you coming?" Asks Solaire, still shocked but trying to comprehend.
"It's a spell, called Silent Echoes. I'm always using it." Zerox answers simply, as if the question was quite foolish.
"Oh...right..." Solaire scratches his hair sheepishly "Magic and allat..." he sighs deeply, thinking he'll never gain the capability to use magic.
"You do not have mana, Shin already told you that, you have Tenil, Solaire." Zerox says, probably to reassure.
"And what is Tenil my guy? Tenil this Tenil that, you're acting like it's the strongest thing in the world!" Solaire says completely and utterly irritated.
"I cannot explain it since i didn't learn it, only Shin and a few others know about Tenil, they say it's extinct." Says Zerox, unaffected by Solaire's anger it seems.
"...Bruh, if you don't know then just shut up, how bad are you at socializing?" Says Solaire flatly.
"My apologies." Quickly replies Zerox.
Solaire sighs long and hard "Well...about that money you can spare, do you know some stores where i can buy her a gift or something? I think a dress would work maybe.." He rubs his chin in thought, he wasn't the one who got his sister her gifts back then, hence his hesitation. "Or maybe a ring? Earrings i guess? No probably a necklace...." He scratches his hair frantically with both hands "Ugh! What am i supposed to get her?"
"A birthday cake." Zerox says, detached, as if that statement is supposed to be useful.
"...dude..., a birthday cake is like...a mandatory part of a birthday, I'm talking about the gift." Solaire clarifies, he can't even be exasperated at this point since Zerox is atleast trying to help, albeit in an incredibly fruitless manner.
And while Solaire is trying to figure out what gift to get for his sister, Sirella simply sleeps, yes sleeps. And snores too it seems, and since Solaire isn't sleeping with her right now her limbs are everywhere on the bed, jeez what a dignified lady she is.
"So Zerox, where's Shin? Maybe he can help me" Asks Solaire, it seems Shin is his only hope now.
"He's in the living room in the house, drinking coffee, i would assume he's reading a book." Says Zerox as if reporting.
"...I didn't really need all of that but thanks." Solaire gives him a nod of gratitude and hurries off to go see Shin.
10:38 am, Friday June 30th, 1542.
Shin sips his coffee in absolute serenity as he reads a philosophy book that he seems to be engrossed in. Leaning back on the chair with his legs crossed he fills his mind with new knowledge, only to be interrupted by Solaire who skids into view as he points at himself with his thumb he declares
"I come to you requesting assistance!"
Shin simply stares at Solaire, narrowing his eyes at the ill-mannered boy but he'll humor him nonetheless.
"Fine, what is your request?" Asks Shin, expecting the worst only to be answered with...
"I want you to help me get a gift for Sirella, her birthday is today and i don't really know what to get" He pleads as if this is the most important thing to him.
"And even if i know what to get i wouldn't know where to go!" he quickly adds.
He didn't really find out much about Nitsilvania the only thing he knows is that there are magic artifact shops, wait...
"Just get her a dress." Says Shin, brimming with common sense.
Solaire blinks at the simplicity. "But that's like...so cliché"
"...That's currently your only option until you understand her more." Says Shin, going back to reading.
"So um....Sure and all but...i don't know where to go." Says Solaire hesitantly.
Shin closes his book loudly as he stares, or rather glares, at Solaire.
"Fine." He quickly gets up "Let's go."
As they depart from the house and into the streets of Nitsilvania, Solaire's awe only grows the more they tread through Nitsilvania's grounds.
The lofty, intricate buildings hang high as if they know their own worth and significance.
All the while the district is bustling with constant business, especially in the magic artifacts department. Shin notices Solaire's awed staring
"Nitsilvania is known for its magical excellence, it has the Lartorch academy which is ranked number one globally in the fields of magic and medicine."
He glances over his shoulder to look at Solaire and finds him indeed attentive, curiosity brimming in the boy.
"Nitsilvania also has the biggest industry for magic tools and the highest investment in searching for magic artifacts."
"How is it that good?!" Solaire asks, clearly eager to know more.
"Due to the economy obviously, and the fact it's a neutral country. It has the strongest economy in the world which is 28 Trillion Nits(Nitsilvanian currency) in nominal GDP, and 35% of that is because of the magic industry and Lartorch academy's research in magic and medicine."
With sparkling eyes Solaire listens intently, he may not know what nominal GDP is, but he definitely understands that 28 Trillion Nits is a lot of money.
"Add on top of that Nitsilvania has the 2nd strongest military, but that's according to what's been made public, so I'd bet that the Nitsilvanian military is actually the strongest military." Says Shin, feeding Solaire's thirst for knowledge.
"But it has one minor issue." He adds.
Solaire blinks once, twice, thrice.
"What's the issue?" He asks innocently.
"...The minor issue is...crime. While theft and murder are low, assault of all of its kinds is rampant to say the least." Says Shin, clenching a fist, he fought to protect this land only to be rewarded with a new generation that is nothing short of criminal.
"Assault?" Solaire tilts his head, obviously not comprehending the term as a mere 12 year old.
"Let's set that aside." Shin says as they finally stop in front of a modest store.
Shin opens the door, and greets the shopkeeper "Greetings, Ellia."
The humble old lady, Ellia quickly replies with a warm welcome "Why Hello, Shin! Happy to have you."
Solaire glances between them If i didn't know better I'd say that's his wife, but neither of them have a ring on their finger. He thinks to himself, ever the observant boy.
Shin places his palm on Solaire's shoulder as he informs Ellia of the current situation. "So Ellia, Solaire here is looking for a gift for his sister, we were thinking of a dress since that's simple enough."
Solaire nods immediately in confirmation
"oh? Of course, what kind would she like, dear Solaire?" Asks Ellia gently, careful not to alarm him since he currently looks shy, or maybe he's just observing.
"Oh, um...i think she likes dark green and also violet, do you have any violet dresses?" Asks Solaire, a finger on his chin as he thinks. "Maybe a sunhat too since it's summer and all..."
"Ah, how thoughtful of you, i have all of those, dearie" She ruffles his hair gently, already captivated by the thoughtfulness he has for his sister.
"Right this way." Ellia gestures for them to follow her, and Shin simply guides Solaire along.
They stop in front of a violet sundress, and Solaire just knows that it'll be Sirella's size, he slowly reaches out but stops himself, glancing at Ellia for confirmation only to find her smiling, obviously giving him permission.
He traces the fabric "wow...it's like..perfect.." He murmurs in awe.
It's obvious that the clothes here are much more advanced than in Halia.
"She'll like it, I'm sure!" Solaire quickly blurts out with a grin, visibly overjoyed.
Shin pats the boy's back "We'll get it for her then."
"Of course." Says Ellia as she takes it off the rack and holding it for them
"What about the sunhats, ma'am? Where are they?" Asks Solaire, restless.
"Right behind you, little Solaire." replies Ellia, warm and gentle though she rubs her back, obviously affected by standing for too long.
"Oh! you can lean on me!" Solaire says as he steps forward to stand beside Ellia.
"My what a gentleman." Says Ellia with a gentle smile "I might just marry you, young man" She chuckles softly.
Solaire's cheeks redden slightly, what an adorable flustered sight.
Solaire looks at the sunhats, having a hard time picking "Uh...what color would go well with violet?" He tilts his head, contemplating.
"I'd say lavender." Shin suggests, his arms crossed as he scrutinizes the options.
Solaire nods in agreement "Yeah definitely!" He quickly nabs it.
"We'll take the sundress and the sunhat, ma'am!" Solaire says, seemingly satisfied with his choices.
"Of course, dear." She says soft and gentle. Ellia looks up at Shin "That'll be 120 Nits."
Shin raises a brow "Interesting, prices decreased? I thought it was going to be 150 Nits."
Ellia chuckles "Oh dear, haven't you heard? The Nitsilvanian government started producing cotton after some agricultural research."
"I see, they're advancing more swiftly than expected." Says Shin with mild surprise, it seems he expected this to happen.
Shin hands Ellia the cash.
Solaire simply stares at the transaction as he thinks to himself Oh they have paper money here! Neat! Back in Halia we used coins.
Carrying Sirella's two gifts, Solaire walks alongside Shin.
"So Shin! It seems Nitsilvania is advanced in agriculture too!" He beams at his deduction.
"Indeed, although i didn't expect cotton to be produced, it's not like we have the weather for it, i wonder what chemistry allowed for this." Says Shin.
"Oh Oh! I know! Greenhouses!" Solaire says, proud of his scientific knowledge.
"Greenhouses ay? Not bad kid, that is likely." Says Shin, seemingly agreeing with the opinion.
Eventually the duo make it back home and they find Zerox in the kitchen...wearing an apron as he decorates the birthday cake even though no one asked him to bake in the first place.
"...huh, nice." Mutters Solaire under his breath as he looks at the intricately crafted cake.
Shin simply whistles, and yet Zerox is still precisely decorating the cake, he probably didn't notice either of them yet.
11:32 am, Friday June 30th, 1542.
"Yo Zerox, is Sirella still sleeping?" Asks Solaire as he peers over Zerox's shoulder to look at the cake.
"Yes." He replies indifferently as he continues his intricate cake decoration.
"Okay, we'll surprise her once she wakes up then."
Shin pats Solaire's head gently "You're a great brother to her, aren't you?" Says Shin, his voice slightly softer than his usual cold self.
"And she's a great sister to me! We both love each other very much!" Says Solaire with a grin, blushing slightly at the compliment but beaming anyway.
Shin chuckles "Alright kiddo."
After some time passes, Zerox finally finishes decorating the cake and simply places it on the dining table, and quickly takes off the apron, tossing it with the other laundry.
Sirella finally awakens from her slumber, padding softly as she rubs her eyes.
"Why are you always so loud Solaire?" She yawns, covering her mouth, her eyes still barely open.
"Happy Birthday!" Solaire, Shin and Zerox all say in unison, but obviously Solaire's the most enthusiastic while Zerox is the complete opposite.
Sirella gasps, definitely not expecting this at all.
Solaire quickly throws some confetti over Sirella's head "Happy 11th birthday, Sirella!" He says loudly with a happy grin on his face. He holds the sundress and sunhat for her to take "Your gifts!" He adds and his grin simply widens.
"Do you like the sundress and sunhat?" Solaire asks in anticipation, awaiting her response.
"like?" Sirella says flatly as she takes the sundress and sunhat from Solaire.
"I love them!" She blurts out happily as she quickly wraps her arms around him in a tight hug "Thank you! I always wanted a sundress!" She grins, visibly overjoyed.
Shin simply winks at Solaire, as if telling him that a dress was indeed the optimal birthday present.
Solaire wraps his arms around Sirella as well. "Glad you like it, Sis." He smiles softly, satisfied he managed to give her joy.
Zerox silently starts cutting the cake for everyone.
A successful endeavor by Solaire, he managed to make his sister happy, he managed to make it so that she doesn't forget her importance, her birthday is hers, and just because their parents aren't here doesn't mean it shouldn't be celebrated.
A moment of joy and yet Solaire understands that there are still things to do, and the most obvious thing is avenging their parents.
You'll always be safe with me, sis. I'll make sure of that. Solaire thinks to himself as he tightens his embrace of his overjoyed sister.