After telling Master happy birthday, I expected to get a reaction out of her, whether that was a happy or wry smile, yet I got nothing; looking up at her from my plate, I saw her practically shoveling the food into her mouth as she completely ignored my presence. Seeing that, I didn't know whether to smile or shake my head, but I felt both would be applicable given the situation.
I was tempted to admonish her etiquette, but I also knew she'd most likely ignore my words, considering this hasn't happened once; whenever I cook this dish, it's like she's under a trance, and nothing from the outside world affects her. So, for the next several minutes, I calmly ate my food while keeping an air bubble around Master, catching all the fried rice she would've spilled and floating them back onto her plate.
"Fufu, excuse my poor etiquette, but that was utterly delicious; I swear, with each dish, your skills improve, Alexander." Stated Lavender softly as she covered her mouth in embarrassment after burping, though Alexander hardly minded, as long as it wasn't directly in his face.
"Thanks for the compliment, Master, but it's kind of lost its meaning after you say it nearly every day; it's more like a formality now than an actual praise." Said Alexander lightly with a raised eyebrow while glancing at Lavender's plate, which was spotless.
"Well, the only person you have to blame is yourself; your culinary skills simply improve too fast." Remarked Lavender with a slight smile as she leaned forward and rested her head on her hand while looking intently at Alexander.
"Anyways, happy birthday Master. I said it before, but I doubt you heard, considering you were wolfing down the food." Mentioned Alexander with a shake of his head as he repeated his earlier words, causing Lavender to display a wry smile.
"Thanks, Alexander. Another birthday for me; what a wonderful day." Said Lavender with a sincere smile before her tone turned sarcastic as she remembered she'd aged once more.
Seeing Master lamenting her birthday, I quietly chuckled to myself as I finished my food; once done, I grabbed our plates and placed them in the sink before grabbing a third plate and filling it with the remaining fried rice.
"So, knowing you, Alexander, I'm sure you've prepared something special for today; what is it?" Asked Lavender with a smile as she greedily eyed the plate of food beside her, though when she went to grab some, Alexander lightly smacked her hand.
"That's for Talis, you greedy, Master; though Yes, I have prepared a few things specifically for you; however, I'll present most of them during nighttime." Said Alexander with a grin, failing to contain his excitement as he looked at Lavender, who was rubbing her hand.
"Fufu, seeing how excited you are, I'm rather eager to experience them; does it have something to do with that tarp by the pond?" Remarked Lavender with a smile of anticipation as she read Alexander's emotions that were plastered on his face, not even requiring the use of her skill.
"The tarp is actually the main event, so yes, though, make sure to wear something fancy, and I mean very fancy, like something you'd wear to a high-end ball where you might encounter Kings and Queens." Stated Alexander with a nod while advising Lavender, which further deepened her interest in what was beneath the tarp.
"Alright, if you insist, I'm pretty sure I've still got a few dresses from way back when. So what time will this main event start?" Said Lavender with a thoughtful expression as a few clothing options came to mind, specifically the ones from when she was still a princess, though technically she still is one.
"Well, then, Master, I'd love to accompany you on your special day, but I still need to finalize my presents, though hopefully, I'll finish before nighttime." Said Alexander as she stood up and gently kissed Lavender before reluctantly leaving the kitchen.
"Fufu, don't keep me waiting, Alexander." Said Lavender with a lovely smile as she squeezed Alexander's butt, causing him to shake his head at her antics.
"Also, please put on some clothes, Master; the sight of your body is marvelous, but let's save that for later tonight." Remarked Alexander as he exited the kitchen, his words causing Lavender to look at herself, only for her to blush in shame at the realization.
"Tch, that boy, only telling me once he's leaving." Muttered Lavender, quickly entering her room, which didn't smell like sex as they were smart enough to keep a window open through the night.
___
___
Exiting the house after checking upon Talis, who was still sleeping, I headed back into the forest; however, unlike last time, when I was just randomly wandering around, I had a specific direction. Heading towards the mountain in the distance, the same mountain where the centipede dungeon resides, within several minutes of jogging, I arrive and enter the dungeon, though before I do, I use [Heroes Gaze] to make sure Master isn't following me.
I highly doubted Master would follow me, especially considering it was related to her birthday, but still, having lived with Master for sixteen years, I've learned quite a lot about her, and when Master gets curious about something, it's almost impossible to quell her interest unless her curiosity is satisfied. So I couldn't completely rule out the possibility of her following me, though after looking around the vicinity, making sure to check the ground and air just to be safe, and spotting no Master, I entered the dungeon.
My destination was the bottom-most floor, so I ran through the four floors so quickly that none of the centipedes even had time to exit the walls before I left the area. Arriving before the entrance to the guardian, whom I like to call the final boss, I entered only to spot a massive centipede, the same one that nearly killed talis and I.
"Wakey, wakey." Said Alexander, approaching the massive centipede as he raised his open palm to the air, manifesting a ball of fire that grew substantially, only stopping until it was about the size of Alexander himself.
Just when I finished casting [Fire Blast], the massive centipede finally noticed my presence as it faced me with its large black pincers that clamped together menacingly. Seeing it charge right at me, I launched the massive fireball towards the incoming monster, which, unlike usual, evaded the spell, though I used [Blink] on the fireball, causing it to appear directly in front of its face before connecting.
The instant the fireball collided with the monster, it erupted into a fiery explosion as the centipede caught on fire, its hard scales burning underneath the flame's high temperatures, and in a matter of a few seconds, it lifelessly collapsed onto the ground, it's body still burning from the potent fire.
////////////////////
Mana: 11,234/12,910
////////////////////
'Heh, I hardly used any mana when casting that [Fire Blast]. I suppose I've gotten pretty strong.' Mused Alexander with a slight smile as he approached the side of the cavern.
Nearing some large boulders, I pushed them out of the way, revealing a small, dark passageway I created several months ago to keep my presents hidden, though I was really only worried about one of them being exposed. Entering the passageway, I moved the boulders back to position and walked down the dark passageway; a little less than a minute later, I arrived at a small, hollowed-out space with a desk, chair, and boxes, which was about.
'Nothing seems tampered with, that's good.' Thought Alexander as he ignored the boxes lying about and sat down at the desk.
Grabbing a small box at the edge of the table, I carefully opened it up, revealing a small yet beautiful silver ring with a golden crystal in a bundle of soft leaves. Well, it was at least beautiful by my standards, considering I crafted this thing myself after many, MANY failed attempts at doing so.
////////////////////
Name:______
Tier: Legendary
Description: Made from common metal yet infused with the potent ichor of a True Hero, displaying the eternal and boundless love for his beloved. Grants the wearer immunity to all negative status effects of Epic and below.
////////////////////
(Note: Don't forget to look at Discord for images)
The description was a little corny, in my opinion, but I couldn't refute its words despite what it made me feel, and the only reason the name was empty is that I haven't decided on a name yet; I'm still undecided on whether I should name it, "Lavenders Ring" or "Master's Ring".
"Now that I look at its description, I don't think either of those names will work; they just don't feel right, not enough flare." Asked Alexander with a slight frown as he examined the ring within the box.
Still coming up blank on a good name, I decided to leave it for later, though not like there is much of a later left for me, considering I've got until nighttime. Opting to float the ring instead of possibly dirtying it with my hands, I grabbed a rough-looking metal stick with a pointy end, which I've used as a welding tool since it's got a rather high melting point; I held it in my hand like a pen and caught the point side of it on fire.
'I really hope I don't make a mistake.' Thought Alexander, intently focusing on the ring as he started creating intricate designs on the silver ring with his make-shift welding tool.
___
Created a discord server, so if anyone wishes to join, [https://discord.gg/TGc9yymDJP]
___
___
Elven Legacy (Chapter 182: Good or Bad? Who Knows?) || Hero of Harmony (Chapter 63: What's Under That Tarp!?) || One Piece: Chaos Kong (Chapter 101: Scar's Training) at [patreon.com/Ozonelayer691]