It had been a year since I joined the Red Hammer Guild.
A full year.
“Hey! Gillian! You make any coin lately?”
“You’re here, Gillian! Isn’t it about time you treated us?”
A year was long enough for many things to change.
A year ago, I had just become an adventurer—still a rookie—and barely knew anyone whenever I walked into a tavern.
But now, fellow adventurers I passed would greet me warmly.
My skills as an adventurer had grown that much too.
I could now make it through the first floor of the Labyrinth on my own, more or less.
“Silti! Five orders of roasted hind leg and house stew! And five drinks!”
“Okay~! Just a moment, please!”
As soon as we sat down, Garon shouted out our usual order in his booming voice.
The new server, Silti, who had been rushing around, quickly responded to his call.
Before long—
“Ahhh~ It just doesn’t feel like the day’s over unless I have this!”
“Wahaha! You’ve really outgrown your rookie days, Gillian!”
“…You’re judging that based on my food preferences?”
I bit into the familiar roasted hind leg, the meat juicy as always, and washed it down with a drink.
Even after eating this nearly every day for a year, I hadn’t gotten tired of it.
The taste?
It’s the same as always—nothing new.
But the fact that I came back alive.
The relief, the fatigue melting away.
That’s what made the meat and stew taste impossibly good, no matter how often I had them.
“Wahahaha!”
“Come on, Garon! It’s fine to enjoy yourself, but stop stealing mine!”
“You always leave leftovers anyway, Ronabelle! And you like stew more than the roast!”
“Still, I don’t like it when you take my share!”
Garon’s hearty laugh, Ronabelle’s playful scolding,
And Levan, smiling warmly at the two of them—
Peaceful.
Life as a Labyrinth adventurer was undeniably tough and dangerous.
But after every dive, these moments—
Eating good food, laughing with companions—
They were pure happiness.
…So different from my days at the orphanage, where I had to guard what little was mine, alone.
The orphanage was safer, sure.
But somehow, I felt more fulfilled, more genuinely happy, exploring the Labyrinth.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
Ariel, sitting beside me, held something out in front of me.
A drink.
I turned my head to see her looking at me with a faint smile.
Clink.
At her signal, I gently tapped my glass against hers.
We drank at the same time.
“Heh, thinking back, the way you fell earlier was hilarious.”
“…I panicked, alright? How was I supposed to know that many slimes would show up?”
“True. You did a good job supporting, though.”
My relationship with Ariel had changed a lot since the beginning.
Back then, she had bluntly refused to take me in and treated me coldly.
Even when she was teaching me the basics, she had been strict and short-tempered.
But now, her gaze had softened.
She had warmed up a bit even after my first month once I started proving myself,
But nowadays, when we walked or fought in the Labyrinth together,
I often got the feeling she trusted me—relied on me.
“What? Why are you staring like that?”
“…I wasn’t. Just happened to look.”
“Ugh, you coward. How can you still be like this after a whole year?”
“……”
She still teased me like this now and then.
The words sounded like complaints, but that smirking smile—
…Somehow, it wasn’t annoying. Not really.
Just like that, the Red Hammer Guild I had joined a year ago had become a place of peace and warmth for me.
It felt like—
Yeah, like I finally had a family I never knew.
Garon was like a father.
Ronabelle, a mother.
Levan, an older brother.
And then there was…
“See? You’re glancing again. Just look properly if you want to.”
“My eyes just happened to go that way.”
Ariel was…
“Wahaha! You two bickering again?”
“Hehe, well, they’re the same age. They’ve gotten close lately.”
In any case—
The Red Hammer Guild had become like a family to me.
I grew up in an orphanage and didn’t really know what having a family felt like.
But if I did have one…
I imagined it would feel something like this.
***
“You’re late!”
“…Come on, you know I’m not a morning person.”
“Still! You were the one who suggested this, and now you’re the one who’s late? Unbelievable.”
“……”
I kept quiet under Ariel’s scolding.
I didn’t really have an excuse.
Can’t exactly tell her I couldn’t sleep from nerves…
We were currently facing each other in the plaza by the central fountain.
Even though we stayed at the same inn, we’d agreed to meet here, separately.
Naturally, Garon, Ronabelle, and Levan weren’t around.
It was just Ariel and me.
“Hurry up! Let’s go!”
“…You’re really hyped.”
“What, you got a problem with that? I’m the star of the day, remember?”
“…Fair enough.”
Ariel grabbed my hand and pulled me forward, a childlike grin on her face.
She makes expressions like that too, huh…
As she led the way through the streets, I couldn’t help but smile.
Today was her birthday.
The day Ariel was born—a special day.
That’s why, two days ago, I asked her to meet me alone.
‘…On my birthday? Just the two of us?’
‘…Yeah.’
‘Why?’
‘Why else? …I wanted to treat you to a meal instead of a gift. If you don’t want to, then forget it.’
‘W-Who said I didn’t want to? …Fine. Just don’t be late that day.’
‘You don’t trust me at all, huh? I won’t be late.’
There was a bit of bickering, but we made the plan.
And now, here we were.
For the record, the idea of treating her to a meal wasn’t mine.
It didn’t come from Garon or Levan either.
The one who suggested it was Ronabelle.
‘…A date. You should call it that.’
While helping me figure out a birthday present for Ariel, Ronabelle had smiled and said, “How about asking her out on a date?”
A date.
Something I had never experienced.
All I really knew was that it involved a man and woman spending time together.
I had no clue what one actually entailed.
But—
“I’ve been looking forward to this so much! Hehe, I mean, going to that fancy restaurant with Garon would’ve been super awkward.”
“Garon’s going to be heartbroken if he hears that.”
“He can deal with it! He’d probably get kicked out of a place that fancy anyway!”
Ariel was more excited than I had expected—and clearly enjoying herself.
Maybe she liked the restaurant recommendation.
Or maybe it was just the joy of celebrating her birthday.
Either way, seeing her so happy lifted my spirits too.
“This is so good…”
“It’s just a piece of meat, but it tastes worlds apart from what we get at the inn.”
“Yeah, it’s incredibly tender… How did they even cook it like this?”
The meal was perfect.
Today, both Ariel and I had dressed in neat, proper clothes, different from our usual dungeon gear.
In those outfits, we shared a quiet, delicious meal in a beautiful, clean restaurant.
Ariel hadn’t stopped smiling all day.
She smiled when we walked the streets together, when we looked around the restaurant, and while we ate.
‘Looking at her like this… she really does seem like a noble lady.’
Her calm outfit, the elegant setting of the restaurant, and her striking beauty—it all fit together so naturally that it felt strange to think of her as a dungeon explorer.
“Hey, look.”
“…H-Huh?”
“You’re staring again. Heh, but I guess you’re being a little bolder today. Staring so openly like that…”
“Shut up… Just eat.”
“What were you thinking about while looking at me?”
“…”
Maybe it was the excitement in the air.
Ariel’s cheeks were faintly flushed, and she gave me a sly, teasing smile.
“…Nothing.”
“It’s my birthday, you know.”
“…”
“Just for today, answer me honestly.”
Normally, I could’ve brushed this off as one of her usual jokes.
But today, Ariel wasn’t letting it go so easily.
Maybe it really was because it was her birthday.
Yeah… it’s her birthday, after all.
“…I was thinking… you look really pretty.”
“….”
I answered honestly.
And surprisingly, Ariel—
“R-Really…”
—Didn’t tease me. Instead, she looked genuinely taken aback.
Normally, she would’ve flashed that mischievous grin and made me squirm.
But today, she averted her gaze and quietly focused on cutting her steak.
It really must be because it’s her birthday.
…After that, the atmosphere turned a little awkward.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said it out loud…’
Things had been going so smoothly.
I felt like I’d just ruined it.
As I sat there silently panicking—
“Hey… let’s come back here again sometime.”
Ariel suddenly said that with a soft smile, as if the tension had already melted away for her.
“Sure… but this place is kinda expensive.”
“Next time, I’ll treat you.”
“No need. That’s not what I meant.”
“I didn’t mean it that way either. Your birthday—let’s come back here on your next birthday.”
“…I don’t even know when my birthday is.”
“Oh.”
“…”
For a moment, silence hung awkwardly between us.
Then Ariel, flustered, quickly tried to recover.
“T-Then how about this! The day we met—that can be your birthday!”
“What…?”
“It’s perfect, right? That’s the day you became an adventurer too! Come on, isn’t it a good idea?”
“I mean…”
“Great! Then it’s settled. That day is your birthday now.”
And just like that…
On Ariel’s birthday,
I spent a wonderful day with her.
And at the same time, my own birthday was decided.
***
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Today was the best birthday ever.”
“…I’m glad.”
After we finished our quiet lunch together,
we spent time walking around town, and in the evening, we had dinner with the rest of the Red Hammer crew.
That dinner was special too.
Garon, Ronabel, and Levan each cooked one of their specialty dishes just for tonight.
After enjoying yet another memorable meal,
Ariel and I found ourselves alone once more.
This time, we were sitting on the roof of our lodge.
Our base was located on a tall hill in the third city, Sveline.
From up here, you had a perfect view of the city’s twinkling nightscape.
It was like our own private, secret spot.
“Hey, Gillian.”
As we sat side by side, quietly watching the lights of the city, Ariel called my name.
“Yeah?”
“Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Why I became a dungeon explorer.”
It came out of nowhere.
But I remembered—we’d talked about something like this a year ago, the day we fell into the lower floors of the labyrinth.
“You said your parents were adventurers. Like you.”
“Heh, you remember?”
“I’m not an idiot.”
Ariel chuckled at my annoyed reply.
Then, her laughter faded, and she stared quietly out over the city.
“…Actually.”
She began to speak in a softer voice.
“My parents being adventurers… it’s not the real reason.”
“…What? Then what is?”
The story she began to tell wasn’t something I’d expected.
I turned to watch her expression, curious to hear what she’d say next.
“Hmm…”
She hesitated for a moment, then smiled.
“Well, the reason’s changed now. …It’s a secret.”
“Ugh, seriously? That’s such a tease.”
She never gave me a real answer.
“Then what’s the reason now?”
“Our party.”
“…The Red Hammer?”
“Yeah, that ridiculous-sounding party name. Exploring with all of you… it’s just really fun.”
“…”
“It’s become more precious to me than I expected.”
“…I see.”
“My real goal is to keep going—to reach deeper into the labyrinth.”
“…Even deeper than the fourth floor?”
“Yeah. …But the more I think about it, the harder it seems. So I’ve decided to focus on what makes me happy right now.”
It was a side of her I hadn’t seen before.
She didn’t go into detail,
but as she spoke and gazed out over the nightscape, her expression gave off a quiet sense of acceptance.
And even if I didn’t know everything—
I could feel what she meant.
How important her goal was…
And how much our party meant to her…
I could feel it clearly.
“…Me too.”
“…You too, Gillian?”
“…Yeah, I feel the same. I don’t know… it feels like a family.”
“Heh, a family?”
“Yeah. Garon’s the dad, Ronabel’s the mom, Levan’s like an uncle or big brother.”
Since she’d shared her honest thoughts with me, I wanted to do the same for her.
Somehow, tonight just felt like the right time.
And when I opened up, Ariel looked at me with a curious glint in her eye.
“Then… what about me?”
Her voice was soft as she asked the question, her gaze fixed on mine.
“…?”
“What am I, huh? Why aren’t you answering? My birthday’s not over yet, you know.”
“….”
Should I say it?
I hesitated.
I remembered how things had gotten awkward earlier when I’d been too honest.
“…Little sister, I guess.”
So I just blurted something out to defuse it.
“…Hmph.”
But for some reason, Ariel’s expression twisted into a pout as she turned her head away.
…What was the right answer?
Birthdays are hard.
But—
“Still… thank you.”
“…?”
“Thanks to you… I had a really good time today.”
“…I’m glad.”
It was a happy birthday.
Ariel smiled all day, and I found myself smiling just as much.
Garon, Ronabel, Levan—
All of us in the party had shared a truly joyful day together.
That’s why,
As I looked far off into the distance at the silver-lit World Tree, I silently made a wish in my heart.
I wasn’t sure if it was okay to make a wish on someone else’s birthday.
But still…
…I hoped this happiness would last, for a long, long time.
That was the prayer I offered.
***
I’d wished for our happiness to last forever.
I was certain I had.
…But it happened just three days after Ariel’s birthday.
“This can’t be…”
We’d entered the labyrinth like we always did, beginning our exploration as usual.
And just like always, we fought monsters together, supporting one another.
But something was different this time.
It happened after our third battle.
“….”
A soft glow began to shimmer around Ariel.
“This is…”
Levan muttered in disbelief, eyes wide.
“Hm… That’s the World Tree’s light.”
As if responding to Levan’s words, Garon explained calmly.
“The World Tree’s… light?”
Just like he said, the golden radiance enveloping Ariel began to slowly draw inward,
until it finally seemed to melt into her.
Afterward, she looked completely normal again.
Except for one thing—her eyes.
I had never seen her look so shocked before.
She stared straight at me.
“Gillian…”
“….”
What was this feeling?
I didn’t know.
I didn’t even understand why that light had surrounded Ariel in the first place.
But for some reason, a chilling sense of dread crept up my spine.
And then, as if to answer that unspoken fear—
“Ariel. You’re…”
Ronabel approached her with a solemn expression.
And spoke gently.
“…a Pioneer.”
That moment—
I don’t think I’ll ever forget it for the rest of my life.