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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The next day.
“Haa, I can still taste the orange in my mouth.”
Kurika, who had been given the largest room, was the reason Hatsim and I were pouring drinks in his room, having a midday drinking session.
The only problem was that Eris came running in, claiming she was here to supervise, and snatched the drinks away.
She plonked herself down right next to me and kept a close watch, in case I tried to have a drink.
And while she was at it, she kept sipping from her own cup.
In the end, it wasn’t me who ended up having a drinking contest with them, but Eris. I tried to soothe my burning heart with orange juice, but it just filled me up.
From time to time, Eris slurred some remorseful words at me like, “You bad man,” “I already told the other elves,” “I even got a house,” and “It’s not over yet.” She was now asleep in her own room.
We were currently attending the year-end banquet. Kurika was too conspicuous to attend, and Hatsim claimed this kind of place wasn’t his style and didn’t show up.
So, the attendees were…
“If it’s a black dress, won’t my skin look too pale?”
Rin, elegantly dressed.
“Hah, I was hoping to have you all to myself, but they’ve already swarmed around you.”
May, grumbling and poking me in the side.
“This is loose.”
Sen, who kept saying her dress was loose, unintentionally highlighting her slender figure.
“Ah, I love this atmosphere!”
And Adriana, who had spent her entire life in the Demon Realm Forest and had never even dreamed of a royal party.
Elise, being a princess, had said she would join us later.
So, it ended up being an academy party in all but name.
And as far as I knew, Tana, Eve, and Hayun, who had stopped by her family home, were also attending this party.
It truly felt like a full gathering.
“There are so many bean dishes.”
Being a year-end banquet, there was, of course, an abundance of food.
Various dishes were laid out to suit the refined palates of the nobles, and the meat dishes had chefs waiting in front to cook them on the spot.
Amidst all this, Sen was staring intently at each of the bean dishes, steeling herself.
“Beans? Why beans? Don’t you usually not like that stuff?”
Sen generally didn’t like dishes like beans or bread. Because in the Chokugen Faction, they just fed the kids food that could quickly fill their stomachs.
She had claimed that it had stunted her growth.
“Yeah, I don’t like them, but I heard from Eris-nim that eating beans makes your chest grow. She said it worked for her.”
“……”
As she said this, Sen glanced at Adriana.
It would be a bit difficult to use Adriana as a target. It was fortunate that people with other-worldly, violent levels of development like Eris or Eve weren’t here.
“But doesn’t that make things a bit strange?”
I grabbed Sen, who was about to run towards the bean dishes, and spoke.
“You said you ate nothing but boiled beans in the Chokugen Faction.”
“……Ah?”
She was so bewitched by Eris’s words that she had overlooked a crucial fact. The reason she disliked beans was because she had eaten so many of them.
Realizing she had been a fool, Sen slumped.
Seeing her so crestfallen, like a child whose gift had been snatched away, I sighed.
“Hey, don’t be too down. You’re plenty attractive without those.”
At that, Sen perked up as if she had cat ears and looked at me.
“Really?”
“Of course, it’s true. Being too much can be a burden.”
“Hmm?”
That nasal sound just now didn’t come from Sen.
A heavy yet soft sensation on my back made my spine straighten, and my senses focused on that area.
When I slowly turned my head, there was Eve, the owner of a truly violent physique, pressing her chest, hidden within a blue dress, against my back.
“Is it a burden?”
“No.”
Sen pouted her lips and glared at me at my answer. I had to be honest here.
“Sorry.”
“Daniel, it’s been a while.”
Eve, who had made a strong entrance, and Tana behind her.
Tana was looking at me, who had given in to my instincts, with a disgusted expression, and I cleared my throat to deliberately change the subject.
By the way, when I turned my back, Sen started hitting me with her fists from behind.
“It’s been a while, have you been well with Tana?”
“Yes, especially the time I spent in the Mayas family’s library was fantastic! I wanted to live there forever.”
“I was bored just bringing you food all the time.”
“Haha……”
It looked like Eve had just holed up in the library and hadn’t come out, so Tana had brought her food out of concern.
“But you played a lot with Ben and Valtori.”
“I went there to play with you.”
Ben Mayas and Valtori Mayas.
Tana used to be very uncomfortable around those two, but now it seemed they had become quite close. That was a good thing.
“Ahem, anyway, I’m glad you’re doing well. I actually have something I want to ask of you two.”
“Actually?”
“It feels like you’re asking us as an afterthought.”
Tana and Eve immediately furrowed their brows, but I avoided answering with an awkward smile.
It wasn’t like I could really entrust these two with truly dangerous tasks.
They both understood that, so they accepted without much difficulty, even though they had only said that.
“Tana, you’ll probably have some work to do with the Mayas family. There’s a lot to prepare, so there’s something I need you to take responsibility for and do as I instruct.”
“Haa, so what the head of the family said was true. The continent will be destroyed, and Ares is the culprit?”
When I went to see the King, the head of the Mayas family was also present. So, naturally, he would have told Tana, whom he knew as my friend.
Seeing that she wasn’t too surprised, I nodded.
“Being a student, there’s not much I can actually do, but still, I’m asking you.”
“What can I do, as you said? I’ll just help out from behind the scenes.”
She knew that I couldn’t expect much from Tana, who was still a student.
Eve, who was next to her, also seemed to think she would just be assisting Tana, as she was just staring blankly.
“Eve, you’re coming with me to the Dragon-kin.”
“Yes?”
Eve was startled by the sudden statement that I was taking her to the Dragon-kin.
Her chest jiggled for a moment, and my gaze was briefly stolen, but Sen, who was hitting me from behind, put a little more strength into her punches.
“Hey, it hurts now.”
I had been ignoring it, thinking she would stop eventually, but at this rate, she was going to keep doing it until the banquet was over.
When I turned around, Sen was still looking up at me with a pouty expression.
“……”
Sen looked like she was in a battle she absolutely couldn’t back down from.
I slipped sideways, gathering the three people who had been surrounding me in front and back into one place, and spoke.
“Sen, listen up. You’re coming with me to the Dragon-kin’s land too.”
“Huh? Me too?”
“Yeah, I need you.”
I needed to go to the Dragon-kin’s land and meet the Dragon God called Shakarim, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy.
Sen was skilled at moving in secret, so I included her in this schedule.
“Me, Sen, and Eve. The three of us will go. Everyone else has their own tasks, so it’s the minimum number of people.”
“It’s a bit unsettling, but okay.”
“I’m fine with it, too.”
I was worried they might refuse, but Eve and Sen accepted without complaint.
“But I understand Sen, but why are you taking me?”
Eve, in her rustling blue dress, was rubbing one arm with the other. She looked a bit anxious, so I reassured her.
“Don’t worry, I’m just taking you because you seem to know the most about dragon legends and stories. Just think of it as sightseeing.”
“Ah, is that so?”
She confidently clenched her fist, saying that was definitely her specialty.
Sen, who had been watching blankly, approached me slightly.
“I’ll give you credit.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a burden, but I think it’s a good thing.”
“……”
“I’m going to go eat some bean dishes.”
“……Good luck.”
I had never felt such an overwhelming sense of defeat before.
While I wished her luck, I asked Eve, who didn’t seem to know that she had won.
“Do you like beans?”
“Beans? Yuck! Beans are my least favorite. I never eat them.”
“……Yeah, don’t tell that to anyone.”
I should just think that the Chokugen Faction is bad at this point.
While I was talking a bit more with Tana and Eve, I saw a girl with bobbed hair walking around the banquet hall busily by herself and approached her.
“What are you so busy with?”
“Daniel? I have to be busy. Now I have to take responsibility for the Len family alone.”
“Don’t think of it as too difficult. You have a strong backing.”
“Elise? Hmm, she’s a good person, but I think she’ll be strict about separating public and private matters.”
What a harsh thing to say.
“No, I, who is known to be favored by Elise, am right beside you. Spend a little time with me. Then people’s attitudes towards you will definitely change.”
“……Thanks.”
Most of the nobles already knew that Elise had overwhelming trust in me.
There were nobles who had spoken to me a few times, and others who were watching me.
And if I spent a long time talking with Hayun, the nobles here would probably think that the Len family and Elise were in a close relationship.
“Honestly, it’s been really hard. When my uncle died, a 17-year-old kid became the head of the family, so other nobles probably thought it was practically destroyed.”
The nobles were probably thinking that it would be pointless to be friendly with a failing house, as it would only lead to unreasonable requests later.
Moreover, the Len family was closely associated with the Time Priestess, a traitor.
Normally, they should have been executed along with her, but if they were to be strict about it, most of the nobles had some kind of relationship with the Time Priestess.
So, they deliberately made a clean break, so that the nobles wouldn’t be affected.
Hayun, after subtly confirming that the surrounding nobles were watching us, put her glass to her lips and smiled faintly.
“It’s definitely working. It’ll be easier next time.”
“Yeah, use your friends like this.”
It wasn’t alcohol, just a simple juice, but we clinked our glasses. As we did, Hayun noticed the love bracelet on my wrist.
“Oh right, I forgot about that.”
In the previous timeline, Hayun had cut the bracelet on my wrist herself, saying she hoped my love with Eris would fail, which was practically a confession.
But this time, I had gathered everyone before she could cut the bracelet, so it was still on my wrist.
“Give me your hand.”
Hayun seemed to be planning to cut my bracelet with her own hands this time too, but I held out my arm and asked.
“You’re not going to cut it yourself, are you?”
“……”
Could there be a better expression of being completely seen through?
Hayun looked at me with an expression that perfectly conveyed that she had been found out.
“D-Did it show…… that much?”
“No, not at all. That’s why I didn’t even think about it until now.”
Even though she was told that, Hayun took out a pair of sewing scissors from the small bag she always carried at her waist and snipped it off.
“What? But should you be this nonchalant about it? I’m a little hurt.”
No.
You already told me everything, and I was very flustered.
So, I took my now empty wrist back and told Hayun.
“I can’t give you an answer right now. But when everything is over, I’ll definitely give you an answer.”
“……”
“I’m sorry, this is all I can say right now.”
At my answer, Hayun lowered her head and looked at the glass in her hands, then she glanced at me.
The lighting might have been bright, or someone might have spiked Hayun’s drink, I don’t know.
This was the first time I had seen her like this, but Hayun, who looked like a red radish, spoke to me as if she were feeling unpleasant.
“I have to rebuild my family, you know? So, I have no intention of dating someone lightly or having casual relationships.”
“Hmm?”
Seeing me with a puzzled expression, Hayun seemed to feel a little victorious, and her mood improved.
So, she added.
“I’m saying I’m not just going to end it with dating. The point at which you say everything is over might actually be a point where nothing is over for me.”
“……”
“I’m just starting. Some might say I’m late compared to others, so I practically have no chance.”
Hayun, moistening her lips with the drink in her glass, declared to me, only glancing with her eyes.
“But drawing the sword last and cutting down the enemy first. That’s the swordsmanship I learned.”
Seeing her apply even romance to swordsmanship, I chuckled.
“Sure, the double draw is cool.”
“Huh? You saw it?”
“You were practicing in the village. Your posture was a bit awkward, but you’ll improve if you keep correcting it.”
“Geez, I was going to show you when it was complete.”
Hayun pouted, but her gaze was directed towards the entrance, and she sighed and pointed with her chin.
“I think I should go.”
Following her words, I turned my gaze, and there was an elf, the pinnacle of beauty, walking in, flushed and staggering.
“You told her to sleep in her room.”
I smacked my forehead and apologized to Hayun before heading towards Eris.
Whoosh!
From behind, I heard the sound of Hayun throwing the cut love bracelet out the window.
“Excuse me.”
I thought the timing was just right.
How many men wouldn’t talk to an elf who was walking around drunk and flushed?
Like beasts rushing towards their prey, men naturally gathered around Eris.
They were about to reach out to Eris, under the pretext of helping her keep her balance, so I neatly squeezed between them.
“What?”
“Excuse me, don’t just cut in line.”
“What is this, without any manners……”
Several young nobles raised their voices in criticism at me for cutting in line without any regard for order.
“Thish is my boyyyyfrieend!”
But Eris hugged me tightly from behind, and the faces of the nobles who had been complaining just moments ago immediately darkened.
Well, I was not her boyfriend, but it’s easier to resolve the situation that way right now.
I gestured for the nobles to go away, and they had no choice but to back off, biting their lips, clenching their fists, and even with tears in their eyes.
“Where are you all going! This person is!”
“Okay, okay, let’s get some air.”
I forcibly dragged Eris, who was clinging to my back.
I wanted to take her outside the banquet hall, but I didn’t think she would be dragged that far, so I just took her to the nearby terrace.
Some people who were on the terrace saw Eris and immediately went outside. I expressed my gratitude with a nod for their sensible consideration.
“How much did you drink?”
She wasn’t like this when she was sleeping earlier.
“Hatsim gave it to me.”
That damn dwarf.
Why would you give alcohol to someone who’s already drunk?
“Sigh, wait here. I’ll get some cold water.”
“Okaaay.”
She then leaned against the railing, which was honestly a bit dangerous, but I went and got some plain water with ice.
My worry was not unfounded, as Eris, who had been standing perfectly still, was now sprawled on the railing like a discarded rag.
“Sigh.”
“Don’t sigh!”
“Okay, drink this.”
I heard that elves were particularly vulnerable to alcohol, but I didn’t know it was to this extent.
How much did she drink?
Eris, who had been fluttering around, suddenly slumped and asked.
“But… where are you?”
“I’m behind you.”
Eris, still hanging on the railing, just peeked her head back.
Of course, in that position, she could only see the scenery outside, so she turned her head this way and that.
In the end, I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up.
“Drink some.”
“Ah.”
Like a baby bird waiting for food, Eris just opened her mouth.
In her past life, she didn’t really drink even when there was alcohol, and even when she did, she only took a sip, so I didn’t know she had this kind of drunken habit.
“It might be very cold.”
I carefully poured the water, and Eris gulped it down and made a refreshed expression.
“Ah! Drinking ice water makes me feel… sober…”
“Is it because you’re an elf? Does your natural healing ability work even in situations like this?”
“Uh, um… I, I guess so.”
Eris, her ears bright red, lowered her head and glanced at me, and I chuckled.
“I don’t remember!”
“D-Don’t copy me!”
“Why did you drink so much and end up like this? You almost got dragged off by other nobles.”
“Ugh. I’m sorry about that. But I couldn’t bear it without drinking.”
“……”
A moment of silence.
As we were both thinking about what to say, Eris spoke first.
“Daniel, do you know?”
“Hmm?”
I glanced at her, and her expression showed a faint sadness, which made me gulp involuntarily.
However, Eris was cautious but showed no hesitation at all.
“That the way you looked at me was very special?”
“……”
“Even I, who was being looked at, felt my heart flutter. Your eyes were shining.”
There was nothing after that.
Eris didn’t say anything, so this time it seemed like she was waiting for me to say something.
“And now?”
So I decided to go head-on.
I had already told her that I didn’t love her anymore.
‘Sigh, why did it have to be now?’
Of course, saying it again wasn’t easy. It felt like giving her a second wound, which made it even harder.
“What do you think?”
“……”
I didn’t expect her to ask me back. I tried to make my eyes look as pretty as possible, but Eris just chuckled and turned to lean on the railing.
“You know, Daniel.”
“Yeah.”
“What does it feel like to remember a world that no one else knows?”
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