This morning, Lil woke up feeling happy.

She buried her face in Kohaku’s fluffy fur, who was sleeping beside her. Then, she noticed some noise coming from outside.

It was the sound of birds. Their beautiful voices sounded almost like they were singing.

Lil hurriedly changed clothes and went outside with Kohaku.

The sun had just risen. Countless birds were gathered at the entrance.

Even an owl, still half-asleep, was present.

‘We’re here.’

‘We’re here.’

Lil greeted the birds.

‘It’s me, Lil. Nice to meet you!’

‘Lil, nice to meet you.’

‘Let’s play!’

The birds flew around Lil. There were all sorts of birds, each colorful and beautiful. The birds sang, and it truly sounded like music. Apparently, the divine beasts of birds were good at singing.

Hearing the birds’ voices, the knights who were training gathered at the entrance. They sighed at the fantastic sight before them.

Lil, standing in the center, looked like a fairy.

A particularly large group of hawks flew from the forest. One hawk carried a large branch in its talons, which it handed to Lil.

‘This is a token of our meeting. This fruit is delicious.’

Lil wobbled slightly from the branch’s weight but smiled and thanked the hawk.

‘Thank you, Mr. Hawk!’

‘Sorry for all the noise. These guys just love to sing.’

The hawk looked around in exasperation. The birds were still flying about, singing cheerfully.

Lil didn’t mind at all because it was fun.

Lil and the others enjoyed the birds’ concert for a while.

After the singing had settled down, the birds departed.

‘Come visit again!’ Lil called out, waving her hand enthusiastically.

Lil showed the knights the branch the hawk had given her. It was a rare fruit that only grew deep in the forest and was apparently very valuable.

When Lil suggested they share it after breakfast, everyone was delighted.

The fruit was incredibly sweet and delicious. Even though they had just finished eating, everyone managed to devour a whole fruit on their own. Lil convinced herself that eating a lot would help her grow bigger.

In fact, the knights felt relieved whenever Lil ate a lot, so it wasn’t a bad thing at all.

In the afternoon, it was time for their usual patrol in the forest. Today, Maynard stayed behind to keep watch.

Lil wondered what she should do while waiting.

‘Lil, shall we make something fun?’

Maynard suggested. Lil, curious about what they’d be making, followed him to the storage room, hand in hand.

Maynard pulled out wooden planks, ropes, and some carpenter tools.

First, he drilled two holes in a wooden plank. Then, he carefully sanded the plank — Lil helped with this part too.

Maynard threaded the rope through the holes and tied it securely, forming a curious shape.

Next, they tied the rope to a large tree at the forest entrance.

It was a swing! Lil finally realized what it was and jumped with excitement.

When Lil sat on the swing, Maynard gave her a push.

At first, it was a little scary, but soon Lil found it thrilling.

Kohaku circled around Lil, seemingly eager to join.

When Kohaku sat on the wooden plank, Lil pushed her from behind. They took turns playing, laughing the whole time.

Maynard, meanwhile, started making something else. He tied a platform to some bamboo poles. Lil recognized it from Michiru’s memories — it was stilts!

Lil carefully stepped onto the stilts. Since the footrests were quite high, Maynard supported her at first. Soon, Lil managed to balance on her own and even walked without Maynard’s help. The high vantage point was incredibly exciting.

Lil dashed around, lost in the fun. When she finally stopped, she was exhausted.

As they took a break, Lil asked,

‘Maynard, how can you make so many things?’

‘My family’s in carpentry. My dad used to make all sorts of things for me when I was little, so I remembered how.’

Lil had always thought carpenters only built houses, so she was surprised. She admired that toys could be handmade too.

Maynard continued to teach Lil various games, like spinning tops and grass whistles, until she was so tired she fell asleep.

Maynard carried Lil to her bed with Kohaku’s help before heading off to assist Milena.

Before dinner, Lil woke up and left her room.

In the dining hall, Milena and Maynard were preparing dinner. Everyone else hadn’t returned yet.

‘Lil, you’re awake? Want to help a little?’

Hearing the word ‘help,’ Lil’s enthusiasm soared. It was her first time helping with cooking.

Tonight’s menu was simmered hamburg steak, and they needed to make a lot of them. Lil was put in charge of shaping the meat. It was an important responsibility.

Following Milena’s example, Lil shaped the meat into oval balls. She dropped them from a slight height a few times to release the air. Some of the shapes got a bit misshapen, but she carefully reshaped them until they looked just right.

Lil made lots of hamburg steaks, knowing the knights would eat plenty. Milena put them in a pan one by one to simmer.

By the time the delicious aroma filled the air, the knights had returned.

“Dad! I made hamburg steaks!”

Ian was surprised to see Lil in the kitchen wearing an apron. When he heard she had made the hamburg steaks, he praised her enthusiastically.

He had thought cooking was still too early for her, but apparently, Lil was quite skillful. The shapes looked perfect.

Ian tasted the food — since Lil was watching anxiously, he knew he had to comment.

The hamburg steak was delicious.

When Ian praised her, Lil smiled with relief.

Everyone else gave their compliments as well. Even Louis and Kohaku barked happily after eating, filling the room with a warm, cheerful mood.

Lil’s first attempt at cooking was a huge success.