Chapter 1

	A gentle breeze brushed against my hair, tickling my cheek with golden strands. Yet, it was not a giggle that passed my lips, but a strained sigh.
“Haah…”
I longingly glanced over my shoulder at the warm light which emanated from the familiar tavern. Despite my absence, the sounds of revelry carried on. The dancing silhouettes of the regulars flickered like the sway of the street lantern.
“Curse you, Vindr,” I complained under my breath, my voice barely audible over the muffled merriment.
My frustration welled as I touched the still-damp stain on my dress. Although the caress of the winds cooled my heated cheeks, the memory of his dopey face was enough to reignite the flames—a bad habit I had yet to kick throughout our sixteen years of growing up together.
Just as I contemplated my bad luck, the floorboards creaked behind me. I whipped my head around to see, only to find my best friend’s finger dancing in front of my nose.
“O-Osella?” I gasped.
Osella placed her hands behind her back and curled her lips into a mischievous grin.
“Gotcha,” she chuckled, rocking to and fro on the backs of her heels. “Have you calmed down yet, Elly? We can’t exactly continue the party without the birthday girl.”
“I don’t know—sounds to me like they’re doing just fine,” I grumbled, crossing my arms.
“You sure about that? A certain you-know-who got rather flustered after you stormed out.”
“Oh? And just who might that be?”
“Hmhm, I wonder~? Perhaps it was the same dork who thought he could juggle?”
Osella appeared to shrink back at my expression. “A—ehe… you know, you should try cutting him just a tiiiny bit more slack. Vindr is a lot more considerate than he looks.”
“Considerate?” I spat, “He’s a lot of things, but considerate is definitely not one of them.”
It was for but a moment—but I could have sworn that Osella’s smile faltered long enough to mutter something.
“Did you say something?”
“Nope!” She saddled up beside me and took my hand in hers. “There isn’t any point in staying out here all by yourself. Come on! Let’s go back inside and watch him make a fool of himself.”
“You act like that’s something new…”
“Come on!” Osella whined, pulling at my arm like an insistent child throwing a tantrum.
It was impossible for me to stay mad when I was around Osella. With a sigh of defeat, I surrendered to my fate.
“Fine, fine, I get it. You win… I’ll come back.”
“Yay~!”
Although that was the case, we still ended up fooling around for a little while before the cold made it unbearable.
Upon opening the door, an overpowering scent of roasted meats and booze washed over me, nearly knocking me over. I quickly shook off the dizziness and directed my attention to the sizable gathering at the back of the room.
A voice brimming with confidence reached my ears, speaking over the din of the crowd.
“Muck clung to my boots as I waded through the fog, the air thick with a stench of death. It was there, in the marsh, that I was ambushed!” Vindr, the boy I knew all too well, was in the middle of another one of his make-believe stories.
Each syllable oozed with exaggerated drama and punctuated with showy flourishes. He leapt atop a table in his excitement. Of course, as usual, his clumsiness kicked in, and he flailed his arms for balance.
I facepalmed from second-hand embarrassment.
Osella patted me on the shoulder and motioned toward Vindr, “I’m gonna go listen.”
“How can you stand listening to this drivel?”
“Who knows~,” she laughed, cheerfully skipping over to his table and joining the captivated audience.
I could only scoff and roll my eyes.
Vindr Milgard—my childhood friend, and at times, a pest, was the son of the tavern owners who ran the Mug N’ Chug. Given his reputation as the biggest braggart in Rustwood, it comes as no surprise that he was a hit with the local drunkards.
Leaving the entrance behind, I found my way to an empty table and settled in, memories of our childhood flooding my mind. I couldn’t help but let my fingers drum on the table, a telltale sign of my restlessness.
Despite the passing years, he hadn’t changed all that much, save for one thing—his ego had unquestionably grown tenfold. Yet, I must admit, he wasn’t all that bad. He knew how to make people laugh and could be somewhat reliable at times—though he did have a knack for getting on my nerves.
I stifled a giggle with my hand as I reminisced about the last harvest festival when he tried to impress me and Osella by throwing himself off the village walls. My warnings fell on deaf ears, and unsurprisingly, he overestimated his ability and got caught upside down in a tree.
“Pfft, so stupid,” I chuckled.
I’ll never forget that look of satisfaction he had as the town guard had to fish him from the branches. Even Osella’s grandfather, the captain of the guard, ended up giving him an earful.
Before I realized it my fingers had stopped moving.
In spite of his grating personality, I couldn’t bring myself to truly hate him. Alas, he’s the same old Vindr, through and through.
Just as my thoughts were drifting, a tap on my shoulder brought me back to the present. “Oh, Lloyd.”
Lloyd Edderhart—a boy slightly older than myself—greeted me with a warm smile. Even in his youth, he exuded an air of maturity. There was also a hint of ruggedness about him, likely developed by aiding his father as a skilled huntsman.
“Happy birthday, Eloise. Feeling any older yet?”
I glanced past him toward Vindr, who was currently brandishing a wooden spoon like a sword.
“Far beyond my years,” I sighed.
He placed a hand under his chin and leaned closer, “You say that… but, you still seem as lovely as ever.” His handsome features were accentuated by his ocher eyes and earnestness, causing my cheeks to burn.
“T-that so?” I replied, bringing my hands up to conceal my blush.
Whether he didn’t notice, or politely ignored it, Lloyd only responded by smiling even more. However, his cheery demeanor quickly changed to shock as a flying object—specifically, a wooden spoon, shot right over his head.
“Whoops, my bad!” Vindr’s shout echoed across the room. His eyes first landed on Lloyd and then on me, pausing a beat longer than usual before he redirected his attention back to his audience.
Lloyd’s displeasure was evident. He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead settled for a disapproving click of his tongue.
Those two have always been at odds with one another…
While Vindr was more open about it, Lloyd would occasionally make his grievances known. Although, it's rare to see them argue, the times they do fight it ends up like fireworks—explosive, but short-lived.
Now that I thought about it, perhaps the two were simply incompatible. Their personalities were like night and day—Vindr, the pushy show-off, and Lloyd, the reserved gentleman. It was a wonder they had managed to coexist in the same town for this long. Luckily, it hadn’t come to blows quite yet… I think.
“… Ah.”
I think I realized when their feud might’ve started.
Back when we were children, Vindr somehow convinced me to follow him into the rust-woods. Being the foolish girl I was, I obediently followed him. Admittedly, it was fun, but on our way back we became hopelessly lost. Fortunately, Lloyd and his father found us and guided us back home.
The next day, Vindr was adamant that he definitely knew the way and accused Lloyd of meddling needlessly. He then dragged me along to witness a childish contest between them, and ever since, it’s evolved into a fierce rivalry.
“What a dummy…”
“Hm?” Lloyd perked up, clearly being snapped out of his thoughts.
Attempting to hide my outburst, I cleared my throat and stammered, “N-nothing!”
“If you say so… hm?”
Curious, I turned to see what had drawn his gaze, only to find his father lurking by the door. Our eyes briefly met, and he nodded in acknowledgement before shifting his focus to Lloyd.
Lloyd rose from his seat with a weary breath, saying, “It seems I am needed. I do apologize. I had wanted to chat with you a little more.”
“Oh, no worries!” I reassured him, standing up as well.
“Nevertheless—Eloise, happy birthday.”
“Thank you. Please enjoy the rest of your night.”
With a warm smile, he replied, “Oh, I already have,” before joining his father.
However, despite expectations, an air of tension hung between the two. Rapidly becoming engrossed in a hushed conversation, Lloyd, who usually displayed composure, struggled to control the volume of his voice.
I strained my ears, but their words remained frustratingly elusive. During their discussion, Lloyd would occasionally glance in my direction, his expression betraying a fleeting look of unease.
Eventually Lloyd’s father departed, leaving him standing there like a statue. After a few long seconds, he turned on his heel, offered me a lukewarm smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and trailed after his father.
Concern gnawed at me. I considered following after them, but my attention was swiftly diverted by an eruption of cheers and laughter. Seemingly, Vindr’s so-called epic adventure had reached its conclusion. He, of course, basked in the attention, his ego inflated beyond repair.
Between the thunderous applause, my eyes caught Osella squeezing through the crowd, making a beeline for me.
“Ya-ho~,” she hailed, slipping into the seat that was formerly Lloyd’s.
I suppressed my anxiety, determined not to appear worried, and forced myself to sit down. “… So, which tale was it this time?”
“Oh, you know—the one about the monster of the marshes. The one that attacks travelers in the dead of night and steals their flesh while they sleep.”
“You’d think he could come up with something new once in a while.”
She let out a snort. “I mean, what else would you expect from Vindr? All he does is talk about fighting and killing monsters,” she continued, her eyes glittering with mirth.
I shook my head.
“The only thing he’s killed is my patience. Honestly, that boy needs to grow up, and soon. Cause at this rate he’ll talk himself deaf.”
“Say what you will, but he knows how to get the crowd going,” Osella noted, propping her head up with her palm and grinning.
“How he manages to make the same damn story sound different each time he tells it is beyond me. Seriously… how can anyone believe anything he says? Forget ‘legendary hero’ or ‘wandering swordsman’, just look at him! He’s a mess! It’s like he got into a fight with a pig and lost!”
Osella said nothing, her violet eyes piercing into me.
“W-what is it?” I stammered, feeling a little self-conscious under her intense gaze.
“Hm~? Should I say it out loud?” She placed a finger to her lips before giving me a sly grin. “You say all of that—but you’re smiling, Elly.”
“As if!” I protested, turning away from her.
Osella burst into laughter. She slapped the table and threw her head back, shoulders shaking, and nearly tumbled off the chair as she strained to breathe.
I ignored her, surveying the tavern—only to find Vindr had turned his head in our direction. Our eyes locked, and he smirked. It was the same old song and dance. How many times had he given me that stupid, smarmy, half-smile that just made me want to slap it right off him?
My friend was in the process of calming herself, wiping a tear from her eye. After managing to catch her breath, she leaned over to me and whispered, “I think he wants to talk to you.”
Sure enough, Vindr motioned, subtly directing my eyes toward the kitchen door. I almost got up reflexively before the memory of him splashing ale on my dress rushed back. My brow twitched, and I sat back down.
Osella must’ve sensed my hesitation, because she urged, voice hushed, “Come on, he’s probably just going to apologize. Give him a chance.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Fine. I’ll see what he wants.” I rose to my feet, giving her a sidelong glance. She flashed me a thumbs up as I stomped toward the kitchen. Before I left the room proper however, I heard Osella breathe a sigh of relief.
Once inside, I was met with the scene of a mother happily humming to herself as she stirred a pot of boiling stew. At the sound of my footsteps, she turned and quickly set aside what she was doing. “Oh! Eloise, dear! Happy birthday!”
“Ah, thank you, Miss Milgard. As well as for hosting my party.”
“Nonsense,” she dismissed, waving her hand, “There isn’t any need to act so formally. You’re practically family.”
However, our pleasantries were interrupted by the door opening behind me, and Vindr stepped inside.
While my emotions have calmed… I couldn’t let him off the hook so easily. I narrowed my eyes, crossed my arms, and tapped my foot, staring him down.
He hesitated to speak before asking, “… Still mad?”
“What do you think?!” I spat back.
“Oh, come on! You know I didn’t mean to do it! It was an accident—I swear!”
I bit my lip, trying to quell any resurfacing irritation. “Yeah, well, that doesn’t change the fact I smell like a lush,” I scoffed.
“Surely it’ll wash out—”
Vindr cut himself off as I continued to glower at him.
“… Sorry.”
He scratched his chin awkwardly before suddenly changing tack.
 “Uh, anyway, I wanted to give you this.” Walking past me, Vindr plucked something off the top rung of a shelf and, after giving it a once-over, thrust it into my hands.
Tied together with a loose string, the brown-paper wrapped object morphed as I received it. It wasn’t heavy, and felt rather soft.
I eyed Vindr suspiciously as I turned it over in my hands. “What is it?”
“Why don’t you open it and find out, eh?” He teased, flashing me a raised eyebrow. Determined not to show my excitement, I grabbed the end of the string and pulled it, allowing the paper to gracefully fall to the floor with a soft plop.
“You’re always complaining that your clothes are so boring, so I thought I’d finally do something about it.”
Pinching it between my fingers, it unfurled to reveal a white dress. It was foreign, with delicate frills and ribbons, while the lace trim running down the middle gave it a fancy, almost fairy-tale look.
I was no seamstress but even I could tell it was expensive.
I stared up at him in disbelief. It was then that I noticed his mother had tiptoed off and out the back door, leaving just the two of us alone. Of course, through the window, I could see her still watching us.
“I, uh—don’t really have a sense for this kind of stuff. But the merchant swore up and down it was high quality.”
I was honestly stunned. I tried to speak, but the words seemed to dance out of reach, fueling the awkward silence forming between us.
Even Vindr, who was usually unflappable, nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
“You, uh… if you don’t like it, y-you could throw it away, or sell it,” He stammered, clearly trying to play it off.
I, on the other hand, remained speechless. I searched for a number of ways to describe it, but… in the end, found only one. Mustering the courage to finally speak, I took a deep breath—
“I… love it.”
Vindr, who was surprised by my earnestness, took a step back. “Huh… oh! Uh, I’m glad.”
I brought the dress up to my nose, using it to shield the fact that blood was rushing to my face, and peeked over the top of it. “T-thanks.”
He faltered, then changed his expression to smug satisfaction. He thumbed his chest and winked, “Why, you’re welcome! What kind of guy would I be if I couldn’t do something as simple as make a girl feel pretty? Ha-ha-ha!”
“Mhm,” I managed to mumble back, fidgeting in place.
My reaction appeared to cut through his façade, leaving behind only a bashful looking boy. The two of us stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. I wanted nothing more than to run and hide somewhere. And, judging by the way his eyes were darting around, Vindr felt the same way.
Thankfully, the muffled voice of Osella called out to me from the front room. The sound of my name snapped us both out of our stupor, and we quickly exchanged sheepish glances before I broke the silence.
“Suppose I should be getting back, huh…”
“Right. Enjoy the rest of your birthday.”
I wanted to melt into a puddle and die, so I simply nodded to Vindr and retreated out of the kitchen. Upon my return, the drunk patrons greeted me with cheers and whistles, happy to see me in lifted—and albeit flustered, spirits.
Osella was quick to save me, clearly thirsty for the latest gossip. “So?! What happened in there, I wonder~?”
Tightening the grip on my dress, I averted my eyes, playfully saying, “Not telling~.”
“Oh, come on!” She cried out with exaggerated disappointment, her voice almost drowned out by the patrons who had started to sing a rather catchy tavern song.
I spent the rest of the evening enjoying my party, knowing that I’d cherish these memories for a long, long time.