Anyway, after the tea meeting I had with the goddesses, I simply woke up the next day, as if all the events were mere fleeting dreams. Of course, this would only be true if I didn't know that the goddesses actually existed. Before waking up, I vaguely remember the goddesses talking about me, but for some reason, I can't recall the details.

As these thoughts permeated my mind, the door was abruptly opened. I directed my gaze, and the first thing I noticed was the white-haired hairstylist, Ana, entering the room suddenly. She rushed towards me and suddenly lifted my blanket, getting under it right away.

Before I could articulate any words, Saemi and Aoi entered through the door, surveying the surroundings. Although I didn't fully understand the situation, it was clear that both were looking for Ana. While pondering this, Aoi approached me.

"Makoto, have you happened to see Ana? We were trying to get her ready to meet the princess, but she ran off suddenly"

Hearing Aoi's words, I was confused because I didn't know why they were getting ready for that. After all, all we were going to do was visit a friend. I honestly didn't see a reason to dress up so nicely, especially because there was nothing in the letter indicating that we should go dressed up.

"Why do we need to dress up so much to visit Sylvia?"

I asked, with a puzzled look. Hearing my words, Aoi stared at me with a confused expression.

"What do you mean by that? Today is Sylvia's birthday, you know? Although the invitation didn't mention it, we need to, at least, dress appropriately. Moreover, she specifically called us for the evening part when the party will happen. Of course, she expects us to attend"

Hearing Aoi's explanations, I became even more confused since I honestly had no idea that today was Sylvia's birthday. Actually, why didn't she tell me anything? Even in the letter, she only mentioned Shinji and the others who arrived in Arclight.

"Weird, why didn't she tell me anything about this?"

Hearing my words, Aoi put her hand on her face, as if not believing what she was hearing. Then, she turned to me with a disappointed expression on her face.

"You, more than anyone, should understand the reason. Sylvia didn't want to bother you with this kind of matter. She's probably the type of person who values friends more than herself"

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Hearing these words, I couldn't deny that Sylvia really seemed to be that kind of person. Well, to be honest, she didn't share much about herself during the time we spent at her palace. Although, in reality, I also haven't talked as much as I would like with Sylvia.

"Do we still have some time before the start of the party? I want to buy something to give her"

Hearing my words, Aoi put a small smile on her face.

"Sure, we probably have enough time for you to do something"

Upon hearing those words, I sighed in relief. Meanwhile, Saemi was right at the edge of the bed, staring intently at the blanket covering my body. In a split second, Saemi pulled the blanket with all her strength, revealing Ana clinging to my leg.

The scene that unfolded afterward was Saemi and Aoi pulling Ana toward the bathroom while she reached out her arms in my direction, asking for help. I wasn't sure why Ana was so frightened, but I decided not to get involved, just praying for her well-being.

After that, I left the inn and began to wander through the city of Anima, searching for something to bring as a gift for Sylvia. I wasn't sure what would be suitable, considering Sylvia probably already had everything anyone could wish for. After pondering for a while, I chose to pick out some kind of dress.

I wandered through several stores in Anima, but none of the dresses were catching my attention. Certainly, all the dresses I saw along the way were beautiful, but I was looking for something more special, something exclusively suitable for Sylvia. When this idea came to my mind, a solution began to take shape.

(Wouldn't it be easier to order the making of a dress?)

In the end, if I couldn't find a dress that was good enough for Sylvia, I decided I would make one myself. After this decision, I stopped by a few dress shops, asking if they could tailor a custom dress for me. After a few minutes of searching, I finally arrived at a store in an upscale neighborhood of Anima.

When I entered the store, I was greeted by a Demi-human. I briefly talked to her, and she informed me that it would be possible to create the dress, as long as I provided the desired measurements and details on how I wanted the dress to look.

As I provided the dress details, she carefully noted them down. After completing the preparations, she informed me that the dress would be ready in a few hours. Honestly, I thought it would take several days for the making, which initially almost made me give up the idea.

According to her, there is a special method that some people master to create dresses from scratch in just a few hours. I didn't delve too deeply into the subject, as, to be honest, I wasn't that interested.

Upon leaving the store, I mentioned that I would return later to pick up the dress. As I walked back to the inn, I decided to buy some things for the girls too. Overall, I acquired personalized rings with the initial of each of their names. The gems embedded in the rings reflected the color of their hair or eyes.

If you're wondering where I got so much money for this, the answer is quite simple: monster hunting. Although lately, I haven't had much time for it, whenever possible, I go out to complete some guild missions. With that, I accumulated a considerable amount of money, which I used today.

Anyway, I'm not sure if Sylvia will like my gift. I imagine she receives gifts like this practically every year on her birthday. However, I'll try to make my gift something special and different from the others, at least that's what I hope to achieve.