Episode 36: An Elf's Gift Must Be Extraordinary (2)
"A female elf? Are you perhaps talking about Lady Aria?
If it's a female elf around us, there's no one but Lady Aria."
"That's right. I'm worrying about what gift to give Ms. Aria."
As Rena said, the reason I had asked Rena was to give Aria a gift.
If you're asking why I'm suddenly preparing a gift, it was triggered by a conversation I had with Aria a few days ago.
'Now that I think about it, summer is coming soon.
Gifts that my acquaintances send me every year should be arriving soon, would it be alright to receive them at this mansion?'
'Yes? Gifts? I don't mind receiving them here, but what kind of gifts?'
'Ah, they're my birthday gifts.'
'Birthday?! Ms. Aria, your birthday was soon?!'
Among the trivial conversations I always had with Aria while working on the 4-panel comic, there was one unforgettable line that popped out as if it was no big deal.
It was the important information that Aria's birthday was not far away.
'Why didn't you tell me such an important fact?'
'It's just... Author-nim is already busy, and I didn't want to make you worry over something as trivial as my birthday.'
'Trivial?! Of course I should look after the birthday of Ms. Aria, who helps me so much by my side!'
It may be belated, but Aria really helps me with a lot of things by my side.
Not just secretary work, but also with drawing and music-related matters.
Just take the 4-panel comic for example—if Aria weren't there, wouldn't it immediately go on hiatus?
If I don't even look after such an important partner's birthday, I'd basically become a completely evil boss.
Even in the army of my past life, where they treated conscripts like slaves, they at least provided rice cakes for birthdays.
I can't become someone worse than that.
Last year I was extremely busy and didn't know, so I let it pass, but this year is different.
If I didn't know, that'd be one thing, but now that I know, I can't just let it pass by!
"So I'm preparing a birthday gift to match the occasion."
"Heeh. So Lady Aria's birthday is in just a few days.
If that's the case, you certainly need to prepare in advance."
In other words, the gift I had asked Rena about was Aria's birthday gift.
"I understand why you asked.
Then can't you just pick out a gift that women would like?
You know that much, don't you? I don't think it's something you need to ask me about.
Or is it because you want to give Lady Aria something more special?"
"That's part of it, but Ms. Aria is an elf."
"So what?"
"Well... it's about mentioning a woman's age, so I'm being a bit careful.
Ms. Aria's age is quite a bit older than she looks, isn't she?"
They say she worked as a bard for nearly 100 years before meeting me.
Her actual age must be even older than that.
Though looking at her beautiful and fresh appearance, she doesn't feel like that at all.
"So? Don't tell me it's because you don't know the tastes of someone from a different generation?
Lady Aria would be sad to hear that."
"Of course not! Just what do you take me for?
It's not a matter of taste. At that age, she would have experienced that many birthdays, so I was wondering if she wouldn't already be sick of receiving ordinary birthday gifts."
Isn't that right?
No matter how precious and excellent a gift is, if you receive them for over a hundred years, the excitement would wear off quite a bit.
Moreover, Aria was a superstar who had even a great noble like Count Lucid as a fan.
If it's something I can prepare at my level, she probably has already received plenty of them.
Having heard the explanation, Rena affirmed with an "Aah~ that makes sense," but somehow...
...replied with a sly grin.
"Hmm~ if it's Lady Aria, I think she'd like anything you give her?"
"Of course, I know well that the heart behind the gift is what's most important.
But thinking about how much I owe Ms. Aria, I want to give her something special and move her."
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"Hmm?"
Rena, having stopped mid-sentence, pondered for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders and spoke again.
"Well, if you want to give something special rather than simply rare and expensive, wouldn't something that only you can prepare be the best?"
"In theory, yes.
But I don't know what that would be, which is why I asked even you."
What on earth is something that only I can prepare?
Am I supposed to tie myself up with a ribbon and put myself in a box?
If I did that, I'd probably only earn Aria's contempt instead.
"Have you thought of something?
You must be so confident because you have something in mind, right?"
"Fufu. Shall I tell you?
If you politely bow your head and ask, I might feel like telling you?"
This brat?
I immediately counterattacked my younger sister who was trying to tease me by impudently attaching conditions.
"If you don't tell me the answer right this instant, I'll reveal my identity to your goofy friends as your older brother."
Didn't you say your friends bother me because they're my fans?
Let's see how much more bothersome they'll become once they find out you're my younger sister.
"Argh! You really never try to lose even once!
Alright, I'll tell you! It's fine if I just tell you, right?"
Then Rena, startled, instantly changed her attitude and told me the answer.
"A book written by you."
"Books I've written? Why those?"
"No, not the works you wrote before.
I mean write a completely new book to commemorate Lady Aria's birthday."
"Huh?"
This was truly an unexpected method.
"Would that... work as a gift?"
"I dare say it would be the gift Lady Aria is most delighted to receive?"
"Is that so?
Well, it's a bit awkward to say with my own mouth, but Ms. Aria is a huge fan of my works."
Come to think of it, wasn't there a similar culture of celebratory works in my past life too?
Surely, receiving a celebratory work from your favorite author on your birthday would be an incredibly delightful gift.
Rather than material gifts that she's already tired of receiving over more than a hundred years.
A new work written just for Aria might be more valuable.
No, it was definitely more valuable!
"Alright. Rena, I'll do as you say.
Thanks for the advice."
"I was the one who brought it up, but are you really going to do it?
Isn't it hard to write a whole work?"
"What else can I do but try even if it's hard?
I have a strong feeling that the method you mentioned is definitely the best.
If I'm not going to do it after hearing the best method, then this whole conversation was meaningless."
What's the point of asking if I'm not going to follow proper advice?
I'm not the type to waste your time asking questions when I've already decided on the answer.
"Well, I should look for a separate gift too.
The birthday party will be held at this mansion, right?
Then I can't attend empty-handed either.
Shouldn't I bring at least something?"
"Yeah, yeah. If there's anything I can help with, let me know. If necessary, I can even pay for the gift.
I should pay for the advice I received."
"No need. I still have allowance left, so that's enough."
Well then.
I should focus on my gift.
Now then, I've decided what kind of gift to give, but.
"What on earth kind of book should I write?"
***
Having accepted Rena's advice, it was all well and good that I had decided to give Aria a book I wrote for her birthday, but.
"The problem was that I had to worry again about what kind of book to write."
In the end, the worrying phase came around once again.
To think that solving one worry just rolls another worry right in.
Isn't this pattern too intense?
"Let's organize things one by one."
First, I plan to make the content of the gift book not very long.
Because there's no unlimited time; there's a time limit until Aria's birthday.
To definitely complete it within the period, I have no choice but to sacrifice some length.
Besides, novels given as celebratory works are mostly short stories to begin with.
"And next, the protagonist is confirmed as an elf."
This is an obvious decision.
Since it's a gift to commemorate the birthday of Aria, who is an elf.
Doesn't it make sense to set the protagonist as an elf, the same as Aria, the person in question?
Also, since it's a joyous day called a birthday, it shouldn't be dark or heavy, but light and enjoyable to read...
"Ah, if possible, it would be nice to have a story capable of long-term serialization so I can gift it every birthday."
Isn't it a waste to use a good idea like this only once and throw it away?
I'm thinking it would be nice to write and gift a book like this every year if possible.
Could you call it a kind of annual serialization?
For an elf with a long lifespan like Aria, wouldn't it be a pretty nice gift that makes her look forward to it every year?
Great! As I organized things one by one, I could slowly start to see the path.
Light and enjoyable to read, with an elf protagonist, and a story that can reach a conclusion even with short content.
Yet with continuity that allows the story to continue each year as a gift.
Combining all of this.
"A slice-of-life healing story.
Perhaps in an omnibus format collecting short episodes."
Ah, come to think of it, hadn't it been quite a while since Aria quit being a bard and started working as my secretary?
She had quit her life as a bard freely traveling the kingdom and was stuck working by my side, looking a bit stifled.
"As a good employer, I should resolve my employee's complaints as much as possible, right?"
If I add one setting for Aria's vicarious satisfaction, who has become too busy helping me to travel around like before as a bard...
"It's decided: a slice-of-life omnibus travel healing story."
And so, the perfect book theme for Aria was decided.