The birthday party continued late into the night.
Soft music filled the grand hall as musicians played gentle melodies on string instruments and flutes. Servants moved between guests carrying trays of drinks and snacks. Laughter rose and fell in warm waves.
Azrea and Memei had clearly drunk quite a bit. They leaned heavily against their husbands, faces flushed and eyes sparkling.
Azrea draped herself over Dean's broad chest, giggling softly.
"My big strong husband~ you always look so handsome when you're trying to act serious~"
Dean let out a low chuckle, one arm wrapped around her waist to keep her steady.
"You're going to regret this tomorrow morning."
Memei was no better. She poked Kumi's cheek repeatedly, swaying in his lap.
"Kumi~ my handsome flower picker... why are you so cute when you smile like that?"
Kumi grinned, holding her close.
"You're the one who's cute right now."
Meanwhile, Azrean and Sumi sat together on the large head couch, almost completely buried under a mountain of gifts. Boxes, wrapped packages, and colorful bags surrounded them from every side, leaving barely enough space to move.
"I feel like suffocating," Azrean muttered in a small, strained voice.
Sumi, cheeks slightly pink from the excitement and warmth of the room, picked up another gift from her pile and pushed it toward him.
"Here, take this too! I don't need it."
Azrean's eyes widened as the new box pressed against his side, squeezing him even tighter between the gifts and the armrest.
"Stop!"
He tried to push it back, but Sumi just giggled and shoved another small package onto his lap.
They kept shifting and squirming, trying their best to make space, but the pile only seemed to grow around them.
Just then, they heard steady footsteps approaching.
They both turned their heads. Jaek was walking toward them, now dressed in a formal dark coat that made him look even more dignified. He stopped in front of the couch with a small smile.
"I have a gift for you two as well."
Azrean and Sumi immediately started looking around for any remaining space on the couch.
"Maybe later because—" Azrean began.
But before he could finish, Jaek raised one hand.
"It's a sword."
Sumi's eyes instantly glowed with excitement. She shot up from the couch so fast that several gifts toppled over.
"Really?! I don't need these gifts! Master, I only need yours!"
Jaek laughed heartily and raised both hands in a placating gesture.
In the next moment, two beautiful swords appeared in his hands out of thin air.
They were elegant and deadly looking— long, straight blades made of shining silver steel that seemed to glow with a soft inner light. The hilts were wrapped in dark leather with intricate silver patterns running along the guards.
Azrean and Sumi froze, staring at the weapons with wide eyes. "Is that…" Azrean whispered.
Jaek nodded calmly. "Pocket Space magic."
Azrean and Sumi's mouths fell open in surprise.
"Master, you can use advanced magic too?" Sumi asked, eyes sparkling.
Jaek thought for a moment, then shook his head with a small smile.
"Not quite. I can only use magic related to carrying and transporting things. I cannot use any elemental magic. I spent most of my life learning swordsmanship instead."
Sumi's eyes glowed even brighter. She started praising him excitedly.
"Wow, that's so cool! You're really dedicated!"
Then she tilted her head.
"But why is that sword glowing?"
Jaek smiled and passed the two swords to them. The moment their hands touched the hilts, a sudden warm energy spread through their entire bodies.
Inside his mind, Azrean thought, 'What is this? This feels like some kind of energy is slowly filling my body.'
Jaek raised one finger and explained.
"This sword is filled with silver energy."
Azrean and Sumi looked at him in confusion.
"What is that?" They asked together.
Jaek scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.
"I thought you would know. Looks like you haven't studied that much yet."
Azrean and Sumi both froze and quickly looked away.
'Well… I only read magic-related books,' Azrean thought.
'I've barely studied anything… I don't even know the date and time system of this world. Looks like my past life habits got me again,' Sumi thought.
Jaek raised his hand. A small knife appeared in his palm, glowing with the same soft silver light.
"Silver energy is like mana, but it can only be created using certain materials. It can only be applied to weapons and some items. It buffs the item's main quality. For example, I can cut a boulder with this knife filled with silver energy, but the knife itself will break instantly because its body cannot handle the power. The silver energy only enhances its sharpness."
Azrean and Sumi nodded excitedly, then raised their swords with bright smiles. Jaek watched them for a moment, then suddenly made a strange face. He pointed at them.
"By the way, Lord Azrean and Lady Sumi... how can you pick up that sword so easily with one hand? I gave these so you could use them in the future when you grow up. I didn't know you both were already this strong."
Azrean and Sumi froze. They slowly turned their heads toward him. Then, almost at the same time, they started pretending the swords were heavy. Their arms trembled dramatically, shoulders hunched, faces scrunched up with fake effort. Jaek just stared at them in complete shock.
Meanwhile Somewhere else in the mansion, a man was slowly sneaking through the shadows.
He was thin and wiry, dressed in dark, travel-worn clothes with a hood pulled low over his face. His movements were quick and silent, eyes darting around nervously.
"Tch, where the hell is that marquess!"
He pulled out a small pouch filled with water, took a quick drink, then muttered again.
"Did he get killed? If that's the case, then he was useless. I'll have to take the job of taking down that Thirteenth Star Magician myself."
"Are you talking about me?" A soft voice came from behind him.
The man's eyes widened in shock. He jumped forward and spun around. Invanne stood there calmly, her long dark hair still wet from the bath, droplets clinging to the ends. She wore her usual crisp black maid uniform, the silver trim catching the faint hallway light.
'What... Why couldn't I sense her?'
Invanne slowly raised her right hand. In it, she was holding something.
"I think you forgot this," she said quietly.
The man froze. He looked down. His left hand was missing. Blood flowed freely from the clean stump like water from a tap.
"I'm screwed…" he whispered.