Chapter 71. Drinking Contest

The endless bickering eventually circled back to me.

What does that mean?

“Uh…”

In short, the three heroes, each proud of having brought the best chef after their hungry days, asked a third party for an impartial evaluation.

In other words, they asked me which place had the tastiest food: the Imperial Palace, Hilton Castle, or Sahar Castle.

“Um…”

This is a really tough question.

Having tasted the cuisine from all three places, I closed my eyes and tried to recall the memories in my mouth. I could feel the men, who had been noisily chattering until now, quietly focusing on the answer that would come out of my mouth.

“So, if I had to choose one…”

I contemplated deeply and slowly opened my eyes.

Johann, Claude, and Mihail were staring at me intently. It was as if the most important judgment in the world was about to be made here and now.

Picking the wrong one seemed like it might spark a war.

The chef at the Imperial Palace was currently proving their top skills with food that melted in my mouth, the chef at Hilton Castle created dishes like a beacon of hope in that barren environment, and the chef at Sahar Castle executed unique and challenging recipes with ease, like rolling backward with eyes closed…

“They’re all delicious. Hehe.”

I can’t choose.

I genuinely couldn’t pick one.

I thought it was a happy conclusion, but the faces of the three men, which had been shining with anticipation, crumpled amusingly.

“Are you kidding?”

Claude, clearly the most hot-tempered of them, threatened me.

I flinched and shrank back.

Then Johann gave a sly smile and snickered.

“You must have coerced Hilton’s chef like this too. If they wish to escape, let them know there’s always a place at the Imperial Palace.”

The first sentence was directed at Claude, and the last one at me.

I laughed awkwardly, “Hahaha.”

Do you think I could really convey that?

If I did, I might not die by the undead but by Claude’s hands. No, I might become a public enemy at Hilton Castle.

“So you’re saying you’re sending Purifier Seraphina to Hilton.”

What…!

How did the conversation jump there?

Startled, I looked at Claude, who was waiting like a hyena, and Johann, who held the decision-making power.

Johann just gave a faint smile, as if it wasn’t worth responding to.

Clink.

At that moment, a clear sound resonated in the air.

I looked toward the sound. Mihail had raised his wine glass and clinked it against the one in front of me.

“……?”

“You seem tense.”

“Oh…”

Drinking a bit of alcohol usually helps relax the body. Understanding his intent, I grabbed the wine glass.

“You’re going to leave with me anyway, aren’t you?”

…In what world?

It didn’t seem at all like I was being dispatched to Sahar, but I just curled my lips up.

Yeah.

Everyone sees things as they want.

At this rate, my dispatch location might never be decided.

Then I suddenly realized that maybe this was Johann’s aim.

The only person benefiting from dragging out the time here was Johann. Until a decision was made, I would ultimately remain in Elmon.

Neither the Grodes Mountains nor the Sahar Desert would wait long for the two heroes.

I looked at Johann with a peculiar gaze. His smiling face looked different.

“The wine here is nothing but spoiled water.”

Then Mihail started picking a fight.

Oh, come on.

Can’t I just have a sip of wine without any fuss?

“Sahar’s wine is called the dew of the gods. Compared to that, this is just… tsk, it ruins the taste.”

Despite saying that, he took another sip of wine.

“It’s just a trivial beverage.”

This time it was Claude.

He tilted his glass and emptied it in one go, literally making a face as if it was trivial.

“It’s too weak compared to the whiskey of the North.”

Well, it’s obvious that whiskey is stronger.

I wanted to retort, but somehow, I felt like I shouldn’t intervene, so I just quietly sipped my wine.

Thud!

Then Johann, sitting beside me, downed his glass just like Claude and set it down on the table with a flourish. What he said next was outrageous.

“Bring the whiskey.”

“……”

I was speechless, looking at him with unnecessary solemnity. Not that I was saying anything to begin with.

“Are you challenging us?”

“Interesting.”

Claude and Mihail spoke in turn.

Uh-oh, why is the situation unfolding like this?

Aren’t you guys being too easily provoked? Can’t you see Johann’s ploy to disrupt the purpose of coming to the Imperial Palace by starting a drinking contest? Am I the only one who sees this?

I was dumbfounded, but well… I figured it would work out somehow.

Watching the maids setting up the scene in earnest, I sipped my wine, resigning myself to whatever would happen.

The table, which had elegantly paired wine and food, was quickly overtaken by whiskey. I wondered if it was necessary to bring ten bottles at once, but whatever.

Let it be.

“I thought you couldn’t drink well.”

“It’s not that I couldn’t, I just didn’t.”

When Claude snickered, Johann casually replied. Then Mihail, as if to say, ‘Let’s see what you’ve got,’ elegantly began to fill the glasses.

Gurgle…

As the dark brown liquid poured out, the strong scent of alcohol filled the air.

I watched the scene with indifferent eyes while sipping my wine.

Well.

Having taken down a dragon, of course, they’d handle drinking well.

“The glass is small.”

Mihail’s provocation was subtle.

But the ripple effect was significant, and by the time I blinked a few times, the three men were drinking whiskey straight from the bottles.

I at least thought they’d maintain the dignity of drinking from glasses.

Is pride all that matters?

“This is taking a while.”

A new voice came from beside me. Turning my head, I saw Ionia looking at the three heroes with a straight, measured gaze, as if she found them pathetic.

Do you see it that way too?

I see it that way.

“Oh.”

Then I remembered something and spoke to her.

“Miss Ionia.”

“…Yes, go ahead.”

She turned her head to me, away from the drinkers setting up their game on the other side of the long table. This textbook-like woman seemed like not a drop of blood would spill even if she’s pricked with a needle.

In fact, I hadn’t had much interaction with Ionia, so we were still awkward, but… borrowing the power of alcohol made her seem a bit more approachable.

“Um… I have a question.”

She nodded slightly, as if to say, ‘Go ahead.’

“Oh! Hehe… It’s not my question… It’s my friend’s. Hehehe.”

“I understand. A question from Miss Seraphina’s friend.”

“How do people who work in the Imperial Palace retire?”

“…Retire, you mean?”

For a moment, it seemed like a sharp light shot from behind Ionia’s glasses… or maybe not?

After blinking a few times, Ionia was gone.

Huh?

Did I dream that?

It was as if Ionia had never been there, and everything else remained the same. The whiskey game surrounding the three men on the other side of the long table continued.

“I should’ve fixed your manners back then.”

“Do you even have the skill for that?”

“Still insisting it was a draw?”

“It was a draw.”

Johann and Claude growled at each other.

With every exchange, they tilted the bottles in their hands back.

Impressive.

How many bottles is that…?

Even after drinking like that, they’re still fine.

I counted the bottles piled on the table: one, two, three, four, seven, eight, nine, fifteen… I gave up at twenty-one. My head was spinning too much.

“Light of purification…”

At that moment, Mihail, who had been muttering to himself with his head down, stood up.

“Ah, Miss Sera.”

Judging by his staggering, it seems he’s quite drunk?

I thought absentmindedly as I watched him approach me. Maybe he wasn’t staggering, perhaps my vision was swaying.

“Hmm…”

Why did I drink so much?

Forgetting my meager tolerance of just three sips of beer, I ended up swaying like this…

I didn’t even drink that much, but it’s so unfair.

Sip, sip…

Huh?

Why is this happening?

I was sure I was drinking red wine, but why is the color yellow? Oh, it’s white wine.

It’s really strong…

I tried to hold on, but my eyelids were too heavy.

Despite my will, my eyes slowly closed.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, bright sunlight was flickering over my face.

“……”

I know this ceiling.

What happened?

I blinked a few times in confusion, but the scene before my eyes didn’t change.

It was the room I stayed in during my special training at the Imperial Palace.

“Did I fall asleep here…”

Muttering in a hoarse voice, I tried to lift my heavy body. Or rather, I tried to.

“Huh?!”

Why is my body so heavy? What is this?

“Claude?! Oh…!”

Without realizing it, I called his name like a neighborhood friend and gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.

But this was truly surprising. Claude was sprawled across my thighs, sleeping.

Now that I looked, it seemed like I hadn’t slept properly either.

I was lying horizontally on the bed.

I slowly surveyed my surroundings.

To my right was Johann, and to my left was Mihail. In the midst of it all, this crazy Holy Knight Order commander clung to my hand, gripping it tightly with both hands.

“Ugh…”

At that moment, I sensed someone waking up. Judging by the muscular weight pressing on my thighs, it seemed to be Claude.

“……!”

And as I looked at him, whether he’s still half-asleep or not, Claude’s hand groped my thigh.

“What the heck is this…”

Hey, that’s what I want to ask!

My eyes met Claude’s as he slowly opened them.

“Kyaaaaah!”

Simultaneously, my long scream echoed through the Imperial Palace.