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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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I had already purchased the item needed to obtain this power-up.
A brown backpack. An ordinary, unremarkable backpack, the kind you could find in any market.
In the original story, a drunk Arthur had left his backpack at the tavern. And the next day, someone had mistakenly taken Arthur’s bag instead of their own.
That was the first step in obtaining the power-up.
“Arthur, want to grab a drink?”
I asked casually. Arthur, of course, wouldn’t refuse my offer.
“A drink? Sure. Where are we going?”
“I know a good place.”
Could I really obtain this power-up by simply following the original story? A lot had changed, but it was worth a shot. I decided to trust in my luck, and Arthur’s.
The novel was based on a game, after all. And today was the third night of the festival, the same as in the original story.
“Where is it?”
“The Sleeping Giant Tavern.”
“Just the two of us?”
“Yeah. It’s good to have a guys’ night out sometimes.”
Why not invite Sepia and Vivian?
This time, having more people would be a disadvantage. They were unpredictable variables.
Arthur had to get drunk and leave the brown backpack at the tavern. If Sepia or Vivian were there, they would make sure he didn’t forget it. That would ruin everything.
We arrived at the Sleeping Giant Tavern.
It was the third day of the festival, but the lively atmosphere showed no signs of waning.
The tavern was filled with the sounds of clinking glasses, laughter, and drunken boasts.
All sorts of people were gathered here. Some were even drinking straight from the keg.
And as expected, there was a drinking contest. So far, everything was proceeding as it had in the novel.
“Alright, let’s find the best drinker! Who’s next?”
In the original story, Arthur and Sonny had participated in the drinking contest at Sonny’s suggestion. So, I had to be the one to suggest it to Arthur. He wasn’t likely to participate on his own.
“Arthur, want to join the drinking contest?”
“Drinking contest?”
“Yeah, it looks fun, doesn’t it?”
“Sure, why not? It’s a festival.”
Arthur readily agreed. He was a lightweight, so I had to make sure he drank enough. Arthur, with the brown backpack slung over his shoulder, walked towards the drinking contest area.
“Can I join?”
Arthur stepped into the circle, and a burly, thuggish-looking man looked him up and down, then laughed.
“You look a little young to be drinking.”
That seemed to have provoked Arthur.
“I’m old enough. And you can’t judge a book by its cover.”
“Really? Let’s see how much you can handle.”
Just then, one of the contestants surrendered and collapsed onto the floor. The winner was the burly man. He raised his hands in victory, like a champion in the ring.
“Come on, kid.”
“Alright.”
Arthur grinned and sat down across from the man. He always had that grin whenever he was determined. It was his version of a poker face.
“Let’s start with something light.”
The man handed Arthur a mug of beer.
They clinked glasses and started drinking.
Thud!
Arthur slammed his empty mug down on the table and wiped the foam from his mouth.
“Haha, kid, the goal is to drink a lot and stay standing. Not to drink fast!”
Arthur just shrugged. The drinking contest continued.
Thud!
They drank wine, mead, whiskey, and strawberry liqueur.
Even though it wasn’t a speed drinking contest, Arthur was emptying his glass quickly. And he maintained the same pace throughout. The burly man finally raised his hand in surrender.
“I give up! You win! Man, how can you drink so much?”
“Man? You look older than me…”
“Anyone who can drink like that is my elder! I apologize for underestimating you.”
The burly man paid for the drinks, including the 50,000 Elleh wager. Arthur grinned, looking at the coins in his hand.
“Come on! Anyone else want to challenge me?! I’m the champion!”
Arthur was already quite drunk. A few people, seeing their opportunity, stepped forward.
“I’ll challenge you!”
“Alright! How much are we betting?”
Arthur won the next two drinking contests as well. It was amazing how much he could drink. He was drinking even more than he had in the original story.
Of course, in the original story, Arthur and Sonny had wreaked havoc on the tavern together.
“Arthur, are you okay?”
“Of course I am! Hic!”
Perfect. I helped a stumbling Arthur out of the tavern. It was almost closing time.
I had followed the original story so far. The results would be revealed tomorrow.
“Hic! Ethan! I think I can drink more!”
“Let’s save it for tomorrow.”
“No! Let’s drink until we drop!”
I handed Arthur a bottle of whiskey. He had left the brown backpack somewhere in the tavern.
“Okay, let’s drink as we walk.”
Arthur drank straight from the bottle as we walked back to the inn. I managed to get him back to our room.
The next day.
I woke up and immediately woke Arthur. He sat up groggily, blinking his eyes.
“Arthur, where’s the backpack I gave you?”
“Huh? Where is it? Did I leave it at the tavern?”
“You left it at the tavern?”
“I’m sorry… I think I left it there…”
We hurried back to the tavern.
I grabbed the brown backpack as soon as I entered. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. It was clearly older and more worn than the one we had bought.
The bags had been switched, just like in the original story.
I wanted to cheer. I carefully checked the contents of the bag.
A large egg, a coin purse, a steel dagger, a potion, and a brown diary.
I didn’t need to identify the egg. It was a dragon egg. I quickly put it back in the bag.
“What are you so happy about?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
I couldn’t contain my excitement. The owner of this bag had stolen a dragon egg from a dragon’s nest.
That took guts and skill. And he had accidentally swapped bags with me.
“Hey, I think my bag was switched.”
“Switched?”
I showed him the bag. Arthur scratched his head, looking troubled.
I opened the bag and showed him the egg and the diary.
“It’s a common design, so someone must have taken it by mistake. Ethan, what’s that egg?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then shouldn’t we read the diary? We have to find the owner.”
We opened the diary and read it. It was a detailed account of how the thief had raided the dragon’s nest.
He was planning to steal the treasure, settle down in the countryside, and live a peaceful life.
The last entry was a celebratory note about stealing the eggs and jewels, and his plans to get drunk tonight.
“Wait… is that really a dragon egg? Or is this just some crazy story?”
“I don’t know.”
Of course, it was a real dragon egg.
“What should we do if it’s a dragon egg?”
“We have to return it to its rightful owner.”
“Hmm, you’re right.”
It was time for the second stage of the plan.
The thief would come looking for his bag soon. He was probably watching us right now.
He would attack as soon as we left the city. The city guard presence was too strong during the festival.
I explained my theory to Arthur.
“You think he’ll really attack us outside the city?”
“Or he might try to ambush us while we’re sleeping.”
“That would be troublesome.”
We whispered to each other as we walked along the beach, leaving the city behind. We were bait.
A man in brown leather armor approached us.
Just like in the original story, he challenged us directly. He was confident in his abilities.
“Hey, you guys. I’m sorry, but that’s my bag. Give it back.”
The thief’s face was partially hidden by a mask and a hood.
“I’m afraid we can’t do that. We intend to return its contents to their rightful owner.”
It was a typical Arthur Pendragon response. It was early morning, and the beach was deserted.
“If you’ve seen what’s inside, then I have no choice but to kill you and take it back.”
He was so kind to explain his plan. Villains shouldn’t talk so much. It made it easier for me to fight him without feeling guilty.
He lunged at us.
He was fast.
As expected of a thief who had stolen a dragon egg, his movements were swift and agile. Arthur and I drew our swords.
Clang!
The sound of metal against metal echoed through the quiet morning air. Two daggers, held in reverse grip, flashed.
He must have been confident in his ability to take us both on.
“Arthur, on your left!”
“Got it!”
We attacked from both sides, our movements synchronized. But the thief was ambidextrous.
He deflected Arthur’s attack with one dagger and blocked mine with the other.
Three surges of blue mana clashed.
“Give me back my bag, and I’ll spare your lives, kids.”
His lines were straight out of a cheesy villain script.
I stepped back, gathering my mana while Arthur kept the thief occupied.
Linchester Swordsmanship, Second Form: Sword Soul!
A wave of blue energy, taking the shape of a dragon, surged towards the thief. You stole a dragon egg, so face the wrath of a dragon. I moved to the side, flanking the thief.
Arthur rolled out of the way as I unleashed my attack.
The thief was a skilled fighter, among the best of the thieves. But he was no match for us.
[Your swordsmanship has become faster and stronger, my lord.]
Lien was right.
My Sword Soul was more powerful and faster than before.
Bang—!
The thief’s clothes were torn to shreds by the impact. He collapsed, his knees buckling.
“Wow… Ethan, you’ve gotten so much stronger.”
I sheathed my sword and checked the thief’s pulse. He was dead.
Now, all I had to do was return the egg to the dragon’s nest. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. I was about to receive a power-up.
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