Chapter 211
Drinking Party
“……”
“……”
“Wow! This is super delicious!”
Dinner time.
Dinner was in full swing at Isaac’s mansion.
Originally, he had planned to have drinks with Silverna, but since most taverns were packed with laborers, they decided to skip that plan.
He didn’t want to take seats away from the laborers who had worked hard on repairs, and it was also excessively noisy.
Anyway, that’s why they were having dinner at the mansion.
“This is really delicious!”
Sharen was enjoying her meal, oblivious to the atmosphere.
There were quite a few food ingredients among the gifts Clarisse had sent from the royal palace, and Karen had prepared the meal using them.
“……”
“……”
“……”
The other three were quiet.
Isaac felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
Silverna was eating confidently as if nothing was wrong.
Rianna was eating her soup with a somewhat vacant expression.
“Sister, right? I’ve never eaten anything like this before!”
“We used to eat this often at the mansion, Sharen.”
“Huh? Really?”
Isaac seized the opportunity to respond naturally to Sharen’s comment.
“I suppose Hellmunt meals tend to be a bit heavy. You might have been nervous.”
Didn’t Arundel always gather everyone for breakfast, at least?
Of course, Isaac had been absent from those gatherings.
During the meal, the door opened and someone slowly entered the dining room.
“Ugh, how did Damaen move this body around? I feel so bloated.”
The Grandmaster entered with disheveled appearance, wagging her tail gently.
She seemed to be suffering from a hangover, frowning as she naturally took an empty seat.
Isaac saw her arrival as an opportunity and spoke to her gently as usual.
“Are you alright? You drank too much.”
“Hmm, I know. But on days like this, one must indulge a bit, don’t you think?”
The Grandmaster said while patting Isaac’s head.
As she stuffed some food into her mouth to fill her stomach, her ears perked up and she looked around at the others.
“Did something happen? The atmosphere seems rather unpleasant.”
“Nothing happened.”
When Isaac replied glumly, Silverna looked at him and snickered.
“Ah, then nothing happened indeed.”
“……”
Isaac warned her with his eyes not to play strange games.
And then.
“She looks like she’s about to plant her face in her plate.”
Rianna’s head was drooping so much that her face seemed about to fall into her plate.
“Sister, is it that delicious?! You look like you want to lick the plate! That would be impolite!”
“Ah, yes… sorry.”
Rianna apologized obediently, but her expression remained dark, making it not difficult to guess the reason.
“Hmm.”
After observing the situation, the Grandmaster thought for a moment.
“How about we have some drinks today?”
She suggested alcohol again.
* * *
“Hmm, the atmosphere here isn’t so bad at night, is it?”
Following the Grandmaster’s suggestion, they gathered for drinks.
According to the Grandmaster’s principle carried over from her previous life that alcohol tastes best when enjoyed while looking at the moon.
The group gathered cozily in the mansion’s garden.
“Can I drink alcohol too?”
Sharen asked brightly.
“No.”
“Of course not.”
Two women answered simultaneously, the former being Rianna and the latter Silverna.
Rianna immediately added an explanation.
“Wine would be fine. But the alcohol we’ve brought now is too strong and would be bitter for Sharen.”
“Shouldn’t she learn to drink this much from a young age? I used to drink this kind of stuff often when I was Sharen’s age.”
“That’s because you’re from the North.”
“Is that so?”
Silverna turned to look at Isaac with a puzzled expression.
He nodded and handed Sharen some orange juice he had brought separately for her.
“Drink this.”
“…I’m a drinker too.”
“Sure, sure.”
Though she claims to be a drinker, Sharen usually drinks orange juice.
It was an achievement of her dedicated maid, Kelsey.
“Those who love the sword always accompany it with drink.”
The Grandmaster immediately tore off the cork of an elegant-looking bottle with her hand.
Her tail wagged gently just from smelling the aroma, showing her anticipation.
“But Master, should you drink so much? Didn’t you drink heavily yesterday too?”
“Became a dog.”
Everyone’s eyes suddenly turned toward Rianna.
Rianna herself didn’t seem to realize she had spoken, sitting calmly until she noticed their gazes.
“Did I just say something?”
“Quite loudly too. You said I became a dog. Though I have a tail and ears, I am not a dog.”
The Grandmaster chuckled and brushed it off lightly, but Rianna had these moments occasionally.
“Is it still the influence of vassalization? Let me check.”
Isaac approached and examined her body. Rianna smelled his scent as he came close, briefly closing her eyes and slightly pulling back her head.
“Someone might think you’re kissing.”
Silverna, who was distributing glasses, remarked sarcastically. Rianna seemed to have had the same thought, as her face turned slightly red.
After checking, Isaac tilted his head in confusion.
“There’s no particular trace. Has it just become a habit?”
“That could be it.”
Rianna nodded calmly at Isaac’s words. Since the vassalization period was quite long, she might have become accustomed to blurting out whatever came to mind.
This would naturally resolve itself with time, so it wasn’t a major issue.
“Come now, raise your glasses.”
It was a clean, high-proof alcohol. This too was a gift from the royal palace, and they had been told to ask for more when they finished it.
That showed how much the royal family was concerned about Isaac.
They each drank and chatted.
“So, disciple, what did you do today?”
“I had the opportunity to spar with the Margrave. It was certainly a time of learning.”
“Good. Don’t neglect your sword just because your goal has disappeared. You didn’t learn the sword to fight the Transcendents; rather, the fight against them was on your path of learning the sword.”
Looking at the Grandmaster savoring her drink, Isaac’s eyes widened.
It wasn’t wrong, and he knew it, but hearing it directly from the Grandmaster made his path ahead seem clearer.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Mm, good. Very good.”
“But Master, you should drink in moderation—”
“Pour me another glass.”
* * *
“……”
Drinking is fine, but don’t let the alcohol consume you.
It was something he had heard in passing once, and Isaac thought it was quite necessary advice for drinkers.
Especially for those who get completely drunk.
“Haah.”
Two people were leaning against him on either side.
Rianna and Silverna.
Isaac sighed softly as he felt their touch.
“Hey, you’re lying, right? It’s a lie, right? Tell me it’s a lie.”
Silverna kept poking his cheek with her finger and asking.
“Hmm? Hmm? I know it’s obviously a lie. You’re actually wavering because of me.”
“……”
“Heh, honestly, you liked it when we kissed today, right?”
The Northern frankness, perhaps due to being soaked in alcohol, came without hesitation.
It was hard to tell if her flushed face was from embarrassment or just from being drunk.
“Is this that thing? Huh? The tragic love from novels? Are you really going to give me up like this?”
“……”
Poke, poke, poke, poke.
“Hey you, say something! I know you actually have feelings for me when you glance at me. Right?”
Pinch.
“Stop that and just come to Caldias? How about it? Isaac Caldias. It sounds good together, the name is cool too.”
Pinch.
“Answer me! Hurry up and say you’ll be my husband!”
Silverna’s proposal for him to become her son-in-law again.
Since she probably wouldn’t remember properly anyway if he answered now, Isaac ignored her, but then—
Squeeze!
He felt pressure on his right hand.
Rianna, who was leaning on his right shoulder and gripping his arm tightly, asked while sniffling.
“Isaac, I’m sorry.”
“……”
“I’m sorry. So I’ll try to do better. Okay?”
“Ria, stop it. You’re clearly the head of the house. You need to live up to the Hellmunt name.”
“Sniff, that’s right.”
Rianna nodded and leaned on him again.
“Isaac smells nice.”
She seemed to have already forgotten what she just said.
“Huh?! Say it. You actually like me.”
“I’m sorry. Isaac, I’m sorry. Don’t abandon me.”
“……”
Tormented by the two women on either side, Isaac looked at the bottle of alcohol in front of him.
Despite its high alcohol content, it went down smoothly because of its clean taste.
That’s why the women were unable to keep their senses.
“……”
Looking at the empty glass right in front of him, Isaac smiled bitterly for a moment.
‘It’s hard to get drunk.’
Hadn’t the Grandmaster said it before?
That his reason was suppressing his emotions, which was hindering his progress with the sword.
He had certainly improved, but the reason that was still turned on prevented Isaac from getting drunk.
Like a night when you want to sleep but can’t.
Like a night when your eyes are closed, but you’re just awake.
His body was warm and tipsy, but the fact that he couldn’t let go of everything and get drunk—
It felt like a kind of curse.
He swallowed a bitter breath and poured another glass of alcohol.
His mind was still clear, so his gaze reached the bright-eyed girl beyond the glass.
“Oh.”
Sharen saw the sprawled Grandmaster and the two women who were completely drunk.
She jumped up and shouted, holding her orange juice.
“I’m the best drinker!”
“……”
“I’m the champion!”