Shirud was sweating coldly as he faced Luke’s expression, which had suddenly turned icy from his words.
The thought that he shouldn’t have said anything was rising like smoke.
After watching Shirud’s reaction for a moment, Luke mumbled as he gazed at the night sky, chasing the disappearing traces of the shooting star.
“A legend, huh…”
The resources primarily considered when using magic are largely threefold.
They are material resources, time resources, and spatial resources.
These resources, which are also the three elements that make up the world, are essential for handling magic.
They symbolize the rules represented by Sether, Mether, and Aether.
However, in that night sky, there were no rules for shooting stars.
If that is the case, then why do people say that shooting stars grant wishes?
After a moment, Luke was able to ponder some thoughts.
“The speed of a shooting star is incredibly short.”
“Uh? Uh…”
Shirud stared blankly at Luke, who was suddenly talking about shooting stars.
What could it mean?
“If it’s a wish that can be thought of in that brief moment, it must be something one has deeply desired for a long time. Am I wrong?”
The instant a shooting star falls is barely enough time to hope for a wish.
But if it’s a wish that can indeed be conceived and wished for in the moment a shooting star falls, then it must be something very important and truly desired.
“…Perhaps?”
Shirud somewhat agreed with Luke’s words.
It wasn’t necessarily incorrect.
“And if there is a wish that is thought about so deeply, it would surely manifest in his usual mindset and actions.”
Luke turned to face Shirud and continued speaking.
“The will of a person wanting to achieve something is stronger than anything else. Perhaps that’s why the superstition that shooting stars grant wishes has spread.”
A person’s will is stronger than anything else.
And the mage who tunes the world through that will believes it more than anyone.
Will, that is the greatest thing a human possesses, far exceeding any magic.
Thus, the saying that shooting stars grant wishes isn’t particularly wrong when viewed from another perspective.
At that moment, Shirud felt like clapping and shouted out.
“That’s right! That’s exactly what I meant!”
However, Luke, who was looking at Shirud with somewhat cold eyes, continued speaking.
“But to become a mage and accept such legendary tales without any criticism, that is surely a big problem…”
Sensing that Luke’s words were about to turn into a long lecture, Shirud shouted like a scream.
“Okay, that’s enough of the lecture! It’s fine!”
Shirud quickly shoved her hand into her pocket and presented the gift she had prepared.
She originally intended to give it in a better mood, but there was no help for that.
After all, this was the only way she could think of to shut Luke up.
“What’s this?”
Luke stopped his lecture as he stared quietly at the small box presented before him.
Shirud felt relieved that things were going according to her plan and said while handing over the box.
“It’s a birthday present. Take it.”
“Thank you.”
Luke carefully accepted the box and examined it.
This was clearly the source of the strange mana that Shirud had been holding in her arms earlier.
‘Is it a type of magic stone?’
Without further thought, Luke opened the box immediately.
And finally, upon confirming the item inside, Luke was overwhelmed with emotion.
“M-Mah, oh my God! A Moonstone?!”
He was so excited that his cheeks flushed, his mouth agape, and his eyes sparkled like stars. His ears perked up continuously.
It was hard to believe that this was the same Luke who had just moments ago been giving lectures with a cold expression.
Shirud struggled to adapt to Luke’s intense reaction and scratched her cheek, avoiding his gaze as she spoke.
“Uh… I saw you looking very intently at Moonstone at the World Tree Museum last time. So, um, I thought it would be nice to give it as a present.”
“C-Could I really accept something this precious?”
“I bought it to give it to you, so if you don’t accept it, I’d actually be the one in trouble.”
“Th-Thank you. I’m really grateful!”
Luke wrapped both hands around the jewelry box and smiled brightly.
This was indeed an incredible gift.
‘Oh my God, a Moonstone!’
He couldn’t believe his eyes.
He had never dreamed of receiving a Moonstone as a birthday gift.
He had only thought of getting some mediocre decorative gem, but this was too much.
Given its size, it was undoubtedly a high-value item worth millions.
As that thought crossed his mind, Luke’s joyful expression quickly transformed into one of regret.
“Isn’t this too much? Did you end up borrowing money from your parents…?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not a naturally fallen Moonstone, it’s one I mined, so it wasn’t that expensive. I bought it with my pocket money.”
Hearing Shirud’s words, Luke instantly looked relieved again.
If she had borrowed money from her parents to buy him a gift, he would have felt so guilty.
He had already received too much from Shirud in various ways.
Moreover, for her to gather her precious allowance and give such a valuable gift…
“I’m really, really grateful. Oh my God…”
Luke began to sparkle his eyes again as he looked at the jewelry box.
His mind was filled with thoughts of what kind of magic he could unleash with this Moonstone.
Perhaps he could even create a magic circle to open his own dimensional space!
“Ah, it’s so beautiful…”
From a little to the side, Shirud watched as Luke displayed such a wide range of emotions, realizing that today was the first time she knew he could change expressions like that.
She had always seen him smiling faintly or with a serious face, but she had never witnessed how quickly and greatly his expression could change in just a few minutes.
Seeing him so happy made her feel good as well.
Since Luke was not normally the type to react so excitedly, it felt even more so.
Was the kid who had just been complaining a moment ago really the same one?
‘A gem… This really works wonders, doesn’t it?’
Her mother was right: for girl’s gifts, gems are the best.
——-
Finally, after the party ended, both Pyris and Diana, filled to the brim and exhausted, fell asleep as soon as they got in the carriage.
On the other hand, Luke’s eyes were still wide open.
He was the most tired, yet was shown no sign of fatigue, all thanks to the necklace he received as a gift.
Yerna spoke to Luke, who was in such a state.
“Did you enjoy the party?”
“Yeah. It was an incredibly fun party.”
As he fiddled with the necklace hanging around his neck, Luke smiled once more.
The necklace embedded with a deep blue gem, the size of a thumb joint.
No matter how many times he looked at this necklace, he couldn’t get tired of it.
All the fatigue and effort accumulated while planning the birthday party for a week seemed like it had all been for this.
The three elements of magic, symbolized by the Moon, the Sun, and the Stars, represented by the Moonstone.
He had been wanting one since he confirmed its existence back at Beriton’s museum.
However, due to its expensive price, he had given up early and was thinking of finding another way, only to end up obtaining it in an unexpected way.
As a birthday gift.
It was a present purchased by Shirud, who remembered his actions from before and gathered her allowance without him asking or requesting it.
Isn’t it astonishing?
Unlike the past, where he had no status or power, he couldn’t provide her with a proper repayment, yet Shirud had readily given such a gift.
Luke was deeply thankful, regretful, and quite fond of her.
In his heart, he felt like giving her a hug and even kissing her cheek, but that didn’t happen because he knew that too much contact would make Shirud uncomfortable.
It seemed he was still not so accustomed to contact with females.
At times like these, he found it a little uncomfortable to be in a girl’s body.
Did he end up making Shirud uncomfortable just by being a female?
Yet on one hand, he was also a bit worried, wondering, ‘How could I be so weak to women…?’
After all, half of the world consists of women, and feeling embarrassed about contact with them could be seen as a huge weakness.
Indeed… Only consistent contact would be the answer.
It seemed the best solution would be to allow Shirud to have interactions with other girls besides just him.
At that moment, Dayton, who was observing Luke with various expressions as he looked at the necklace, chuckled and said.
“Hey, is that gift making you that happy?”
“Of course, it is! Look at it, isn’t it truly beautiful?”
Luke proudly held up the necklace as if to show it off.
Yerna, checking it through the rearview mirror, couldn’t help but smile at how happy Luke looked.
“Yeah, it’s really pretty.”
“Isn’t it? I wonder where they managed to get such a thing; it’s truly astonishing.”
“Lucky you, having such a good boyfriend.”
At those words, Luke awkwardly laughed and replied.
“A boyfriend? That’s absolutely not the case. Shirud is merely my friend and my student.”
To Luke’s claim, Dayton casually responded.
“Yeah, right. Sure, why not.”
Seeing how they seemed to easily get along all of a sudden.
There are times when one confession turns them into a couple.
He had seen plenty of those around him.
“Dayton, even if you say so, do you not trust me? I have no interest in boys at all.”
“Sure, sure. I believe you. I believe you.”
Luke thought it was puzzling why there were such misunderstandings.
