Volume 2

Chapter 44 : Anselm’s Gift, Part One

“I lost, Mr. Anselm.”

The white-haired girl in an elegant black dress lowered her head, admitting defeat sincerely: “I’m still far, far from your chess skill.”

Anselm smiled, collecting the chess pieces, and patted Marina’s head: “Chess is just entertainment, and your talent is already impressive. There’s time, Marina. Be patient.”

“Noted.”

Marina half-closed her eyes, responding meekly.

The tender grass on the lawn swayed in the breeze, the warmth from above blending with the sunlight’s glow, filling Marina with a happiness that felt like it could melt her.

She wished time could freeze in this moment, free of all fatigue and worries, this serene, comforting tranquility—

“An—selm—!”

An excited shout from high above shattered the dreamlike warmth between the boy and girl. Both looked up, one with exasperation, the other amused.

“Catch—me!”

The voice came from a growing black dot in the sky.

Anselm, looking up, could already see the radiant, ecstatic smile on a certain wolf girl’s face.

He shook his head with a smile, shifted his chair, and stretched out his arms.

Hitana, falling face-down in a spread-eagle, saw his gesture and immediately flipped, curling her long legs into a ball, landing precisely in Anselm’s arms.

Despite falling from who-knows-how-many meters, she landed as lightly as cotton, without any impact.

“Fun?”

Anselm looked at Hitana, her eyes gleaming brightly, his already cheerful mood relaxing further.

“Fun!”

Hitana grinned, wrapping her arms around Anselm’s neck.

“So thrilling! So that’s what falling from the sky feels like... ugh, I shouldn’t have let Mr. Tornado cast that spell. Just ensuring I wouldn’t die would’ve been enough. Landing without impact feels like something’s missing.”

She had just jumped from the Notun, floating ten thousand meters above the Empire, for a high-altitude bungee.

Tornado, the Head of Magic, cast a spell on Hitana, instantly nullifying all her kinetic energy upon touching any object, ensuring she could play safely and enjoyably.

Anselm laughed: “Who gets bloodied on their birthday? Don’t tell me you’re developing some weird injury fetish, Hitana.”

“I... I don’t have that kind of hobby!”

Hitana’s face inexplicably flushed, her eyes darting as she instinctively touched the collar around her neck.

Right, that level doesn’t even count as an injury. I don’t have some bizarre fetish.

The girl coughed lightly, banishing the jumbled thoughts, hopping off Anselm’s lap, and declared proudly:

“Anselm!”

“Hm?”

“I’m now a Contract Head who can stand on her own, right?”

Looking at Hitana, hands on hips, chin slightly raised with pride, Anselm couldn’t help but chuckle: “Barely.”

“What?”

The wolf girl’s eyes widened slightly: “I’m only... barely there?”

“Because currently, the only ones who can threaten Mr. Anselm are fifth-tiers,” Marina said softly.

“So, Hitana, you’d need to be able to face fifth-tiers to truly stand on your own.”

“Fifth-tiers... ugh, that’s still too big a gap.”

Hitana scratched her head: “The gap in transcendent advancement is just too huge, especially the higher you go.”

“That’s because it’s a transformation and elevation of life itself.”

Anselm picked up the wine glass by the chessboard, sipping the crystal-clear liquid, smiling: “The stronger, the higher-tier, the harder the breakthrough. But once achieved, it’s an earth-shattering change.”

His words made Hitana think of the secret of godlike beings.

The girl, just moments ago beaming, suddenly looked distressed.

She crouched beside Anselm, gently tugging his sleeve, looking up at him:

“Anselm, what will you... do about it?”

“Hm?”

“I mean, the issue with godlike beings.”

The loyal wolf girl, recalling the scene Flamel once described—a white paper submerged in water, torn apart and disintegrating at a mere tug, knowing Anselm was destined to face such a future—felt her heart ache uncontrollably.

“If you could advance, maybe it’d solve the problem... That’s what the royals have always thought.”

Hitana murmured, her expression and eyes turning fierce and savage.

“Why not kill and devour all the other godlike beings! Maybe that’d lead to—ow!”

“What kind of fantasy nonsense are you thinking?”

Anselm, exasperated, withdrew his hand after firmly rapping Hitana’s head: “If it were that easy to solve, the world wouldn’t have so many beings, just four godlike beings in endless conflict.”

“I... I was just thinking out loud,” Hitana said innocently, rubbing her head. “Why can the Empress gain a chance to advance by burning the Hydras’ ‘madness,’ while you’re just burned with no choice at all?”

She felt indignant, clearly believing that the Hydras, theoretically the strongest among godlike beings, shouldn’t be in such a passive position.

Anselm ruffled Hitana’s soft, short hair: “It’s your birthday. Don’t think about this stuff.”

“...Okay,” Hitana replied quietly, then added with excitement and anticipation, “Anselm, Anselm, what gift did you get me?”

Her usual impatience had tormented her these past days, pestering Anselm a dozen times daily about what he’d give her, but no matter what she tried, she couldn’t pry it out of him.

“That...”

Anselm’s smile grew: “Don’t rush. You’ll know soon enough.”

“It’s almost time, so why not tell me!”

The more she was told to wait, the more anxious Hitana became, her swelling anticipation itching her heart.

The past two nights, she’d tossed and turned, wondering with sweet curiosity what Anselm would give her.

“It’s almost time, so why can’t you wait?”

“Argh, Anselm!”

Marina, hands cupping her cheeks, smiled as she watched Hitana suddenly go wild, playfully butting Anselm’s stomach. The affection and tenderness in her eyes were vivid.

When her gaze shifted to Anselm’s face, that affection and tenderness turned to calm and peace.

She could feel that Anselm was genuinely delighted by Hitana’s actions—her loyalty, her absurdity, her obedience, her willfulness. Whatever Hitana did brought Anselm joy, and that was more than enough.

Because in this world, perhaps only Hitana could bring Anselm true joy and comfort now.

As long as someone existed to support Anselm’s path forward, to keep him from feeling alone, Marina could feel heartfelt happiness.

But... Madam said that even with Hitana’s companionship, Anselm, on a deeper level, still felt lonely...

At this thought, the girl’s expression remained unchanged, her eyes lowering slightly, a soft sigh in her heart.

What I can do is still too little.

Even with a terrifying guess in my heart, what could I do?

With my current self, thinking I could “share his burden” is too presumptuous.

If it’s true, lightly speaking of “sharing” would be... belittling the suffering Anselm faces.

Though Hitana is loyal and brave, she’s too naive, even now holding a “fervor” that might, at times, work against Anselm.

She can’t stand at the same intellectual height as him.

...Speaking of which, how has Miss Zege been lately?

The Ether Academy lecture incident involved Mingfuluo, so Marina had thoroughly reviewed it—she always believed there were no coincidences in Anselm’s plans.

Mingfuluo’s presence, her speech, and revealing the Data System must have been part of his design.

Though unaware of what happened between Anselm and Mingfuluo three years ago, Marina, reasoning from their relationship, arrived at an answer close to the truth.

So now... she wondered if the proud Miss Mingfuluo Zege would attend.

Her Anselm wouldn’t miss such a perfect opportunity.

The birthday banquet was likely just the start, with more plans Marina couldn’t fathom awaiting.

If Miss Zege remained stubborn in this situation... Anselm would likely truly give up on her.

Thinking this, Marina felt a slight vibration in her pocket.

She quickly took out the communication crystal and spoke with the contact.

“...Alright, I understand.”

Ending the brief, swift conversation, Marina looked up at Anselm: “Lord Anselm, the gift has arrived.”

“Gift!”

Hitana sprang up: “My gift? Is it from you, Anselm?”

“Not from Mr. Anselm, from someone else for you, Hitana,” Marina smiled helplessly. “It’s from Lord Solen, Mr. Anselm.”

A Grand Duke, one of the Ether Academy’s Supreme Nine Seats, giving a gift to a third-tier transcendent seemed absurd, but with Hitana as the recipient, it was perfectly normal—even though Anselm hadn’t publicized her birthday.

“Why?”

The girl looked puzzled: “Anselm didn’t tell anyone it’s my birthday, did he?”

“It means you’re a big deal now, Hitana.”

Anselm stroked her cheek, saying warmly: “Even if you’re not yet fully independent to me, to the Empire, to the world, you’re already someone worth strong figures stooping to please and weak ones desperately currying favor with.”

Though most were likely aiming for Anselm, some goodwill was undoubtedly for Hitana—her potential was plain to all.

Anselm looked at Hitana, who seemed dazed, not quite grasping the reality, and chuckled: “No need to be nervous. Just accept all these gifts. You deserve them, Hitana.”

“...Like a dream.”

The girl murmured dreamily: “Even a Grand Duke is sending me gifts, Anselm?”

“What’s that? Didn’t the Hydras give you gifts too?” Anselm ruffled her cheeks.

Hitana snapped back, exclaiming: “So what are you giving me!”

“Why not check what Lord Solen sent first? It’s not just him—more people will probably send gifts later. Some are surprises.”

“I don’t care about those.”

The girl scoffed: “Pile their stuff with you, Anselm. I don’t need them... I just want your gift!”

She sat on the grass, head resting on Anselm’s thigh, bored: “Why’s the banquet still over an hour away... I can’t wait, Anselm. Knock me out, will you?”

“I have other ways to knock you out.”

“What... ah!”

The battle-hardened Miss Hitana reacted instantly, smacking Anselm’s thigh in shy annoyance.

But perhaps because it was her birthday, her courage surged, her face flushed as she said: “Knock me out in just over an hour? Even you can’t do that, Anselm!”

“What?”

The beastly young man raised an eyebrow, challenged.

“I hold back a bit usually and you think that’s all I’ve got?”

“You, what do you mean hold back! You call that holding back?!”

Hitana headbutted Anselm’s waist, huffing: “No more of this topic today!”

“Alright, alright, Hitana’s call.”

Anselm’s hand rested on the girl’s soft, snowy skin, feeling its warmth.

Birthday... a distant concept for Anselm.

He hadn’t celebrated his birthday for six years. In his remaining life, he had no time for such things.

Though Flamel and Elnilisa always found ways to celebrate for him, Anselm never truly engaged.

—Because since that day, Anselm no longer believed his birth was worth celebrating.

And that... could have changed, truly could have.

If three years ago, that woman had reached out to him, he might have chosen to struggle upward, but alas, there were no ifs.

Anselm didn’t harbor much malice toward Mingfuluo, because he knew better than anyone that he had initially approached her with malice.

He was too young then, unable to control his plans, thoughts, or emotions.

So, in a way, Anselm was grateful to Mingfuluo. In a matter of fate, of utmost importance, she had provided immense help.

So, to repay the help you gave me, I’ve prepared... a gift for you too, dear Arlo.

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