Isekai Journey Of The Magic Archer

750  An awaited invitation

[Eon's POV: ]

My little Anna loved the tea parties for some reason.

And it wasn't even like she just liked having people around her and playing house with them… no. She liked proper tea parties where everyone is dressed nicely, have a special items of decoration on them that is common for all, and are drinking the tea that she has prepared herself.

'She liked organising these tea parties ever since she saw the ladies do it the first time when she was little. And after the first time she organised one, she had never stopped inviting a few of us in her room, to sit on those small tables, with her doll friends, for some good refreshments.'

The ladies loved it when she organised them, not just because they loved how she innocently did all that, but because Anna only organised the tea parties when someone among us was going through a tough time.

'She could feel how someone was feeling, so she instantly knows when someone is sad, tense, or is stuck in some kind of situation.'

She is smart, so she organised the tea parties in order to help that person relive the stress that they were suffering from.

It was her way to help them without telling them what she was ultimately after.

'She had learned from the best people how a good tea with people that they trusted and loved could help one get over any kind of tough times.'

And helping the others was her main motivation behind most of her tea parties.

'This time was the same…'

She was happy when so many new faces came to our house for a stay.

It was the first time outsiders were going to stay in this house after she was born so she was certainly excited to meet, greet, and play with them.

Also, since most of these guests were people that she had heard so much about, people that her elder brothers and sisters considered friends, she was even more excited to greet them.

'And she was happy when she met them as well.'

They were good people, amazing even. She could tell at a glance how much more there was to them than her elder siblings had told her… however, some of them on one side, she could tell a majority of them were going through something.

'She did not know about all that had happened in the Principality, and we had requested others not to bring that up already so she wasn't going to know anything about it any time soon.'

At least, not from someone unrelated to that incident.

But even without anyone telling her, she knew there was something eating them away. So… she organised her first ever 'grand' tea party. She prepared for hours, made decorations, did planning, and at the end, even at an young age with no experience what so ever, she organised a gathering that was far better than most gatherings young ladies of high society could even imagine.

She did a very good job… and this good job cost her every last bit of mental stamina she possessed.

"Look at her…"

She was cheerfully playing with our familiars a moment ago, but she had passed out on her tea table now.

"She looks pretty."

"Especially with all of them gathered around her."

"Just like a princess from fairy tales."

It was night already, and since it was dinner time, we had also served dinner on their tables.

But instead of eating my special dishes, everyone was gathered on the centre table that was just a few steps away from where Anna had fallen asleep… and all of us were looking at her, and the creatures that were surrounding her.

"Can we record this? Or take a picture-"

"I apologise, everyone. We would like it if you do not do such a thing. Just admiring her as she is right now… is all we can do."

The blue moonlight and the lights of the night illuminated our front garden along with magical lights present around the garden.

The table she was sleeping on was also shining under the radiance of these lights, however, there were more lights around her that made the scene we were looking at, breathtaking.

'The red light from the glowing crystal wings of Rayray, shining green scales on Uto's body, lights that the Povpoi were producing intentionally with their powers, along with the lights that a few slimes were producing.'

Additionally, there were lights coming from Mirror's body, SanSan's amber-gold eyes, and similar natural lights that were being produced from the other familiar's body at this moment.

'Some of these lights had special effects while some were there to fend off the other creatures.'

Some lights were special, some unintentional, while some of them were normal lights the innocent Povpoi like creatures intentionally produced since they found it fun.

But whatever the case may be, all these lights combined were lighting up the entire area around my Anna. I wish we could have watched this all night long.

"Alright then, everyone. I will bring her to her room now so you should go start eating. Your food is getting cold and, from the looks of it, it will snow tonight so let's go to sleep early.

Everyone must be exhausted after all the drama today-"

"But I'm-"

"You shut up, Tia. You're going to bed early as well since you will have to get up early if you want to bid farewell to Ast."

She was a fairy that can move through the realms as she wanted to sleep and night and all the normal concepts that applied to us mortals were nothing unrelated to her.

"So, go eat and get to your beds, everyone. Or at least, go inside. Temperature is going to drop soon."

Walking up to Anna and after convincing the familiars guarding her as if she was their master, I picked her up gently, and turned around.

"Dad, Uncle El, Uncle Theo, please help everyone to their places. The warm food is better when it's hot."

The three of them were the least exhausted right now since they had not done anything straining the entire day. The clothing was no problem for them, they had nothing to do while we were helping the other ladies and boys, and most of the time, they were just playing around, enjoying the rare break they had today. They were the most capable ones present that could drag their wives, as well as the others who had no mood to stand up from this round table, to the places where their food had been served.

'We could have moved their food here if it was possible, but then it wouldn't be the romantic candlelight dinner that it was supposed to be.'

At least the couples and aspiring couples had to have some privacy here. And since we had an engaged couple with us as well, their dinner was especially special tonight.

'They were going to love it, but to eat those things, they had to go sit in their places.'

The three of them would take care of the rest here, I had that much faith in this trio, so I started walking towards the house…

"Ah, right. Master Axion! Please wait a minute."

However, right after I took a few steps, Prince Alph called me out.

"Yes, Prince Alph?" I turned back slowly with my one hand behind Anna's head and waited as he walked up to us and secretly passed an envelope to me.

"Brother Charles asked me to pass it to you. I just wanted to pass it on before I forgot."

"Ah, thank you."

"That was all. Please be on your way."

He gave me a brief bow and walked back to his table partner.

'Weird…'

It was something from the eldest prince of Roxana, Prince Charles so I obviously wanted to take a look even though I had some idea what it might be.

But, I couldn't do that with Anna in my arms so I walked in, went to her room with some of the creatures following me till the end, and put her on her bed. "Where is your mother, Lala?" { "She should be in Miss Hazel's house with the babies, Master~." }

"Shuuu. Be quiet and don't sleep on the bed. You all have gotten heavy."

Some of the Povpoi and slimes were going to stay here tonight, with her, but they weren't allowed on the bed anymore.

There were too many of them and the bed was not made for heavy furballs like this bunch.

So they were going to sleep in their rooms, or on the ground. The choice was up to them.

And if they still wanted to try and go on the soft bed, they will have to hear from Mave, their good mother who was taking care of some of my research projects.

"Good night, little sun."

Giving her a forehead goodnight kiss, and a glare to the little ones present in this small room, I walked out of house and sat down on our table in the garden, with only Rein sitting before me.

"Others seems to have lost in the food, again."

Hmmmm… you are a sorcerer. But that aside, what did Prince Alph pass you so secretly? A love letter?"

She was tired, but the smirk on her face indicated she was having fun in this moment.

It was night and the atmosphere was cold. It was the perfect time to have a special warm meal with a special warm candle present on the table.

"It's better than a love letter."

Rolling my eyes at her smirk with a smile, I took out the envelope I had received just now and placed it on the table before us. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"He said Prince Charles asked him to pass it to him, but you can obviously tell who this is from, right?"

The smirk on her face vanished as soon as she saw the envelope on the table, and puffed her cheeks.

"So she finally decided to contact us, hun?"

In the annual alchemy competition, we encountered a certain person that carried the powers of demon kind, and was perhaps the one who helped Ball when he was in that shadow realm.

She was a special person, and we got a chance to talk for a brief moment when I was escaping the alchemy ground after causing that potion incident.

She asked me for a tea and I had agreed back then, however, after she received her award from Lord Justin, she vanished from the capital along with prince Charles.

We never heard from either of them after that, however, now that we have this envelope with us that contained the distinct smell of demons, it was obvious the invitation we had been waiting for… at least the one that I had been waiting for, had finally arrived.

'She doesn't like her, but there is something special about that person.'

Something special that I somehow believe is connected with the origins and the divinities…