Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Exciting Drinking Party - 3
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"Hoo."
I wiped down Trivi with the handkerchief Ellis had handed me, then pointed at Pat and Matt's corpses, now cold as ice, and muttered.
"Want anyone else to end up like Pat and Matt?"
Of course, no one answered.
The organization grunts who had been chattering away with cocky smirks just moments ago were now all kneeling before me.
"Is this enough of a shot across the bow? Or should I crank it up a notch?"
They all shook their heads, faces pale as ghosts.
They seemed to have figured out that provoking me now would only lead to death.
I set Trivi down and picked up a glass instead.
Sometime along the way, my hand had been filled with Chuir, the top-shelf liquor.
It was originally meant for Cheshire... but whatever, none of my business.
"Drink up, everyone. It's supposed to be a fun party. I've taken care of the bad senior who tried to steal your junior's credit, so relax."
But not a soul so much as twitched. Staring at them, I said,
"Looks like this level of scare isn't cutting it, huh?"
At that, they all hurriedly gulped down their drinks.
Where else are you gonna find a junior this considerate of the party vibe? They must've been deeply moved.
I downed my Chuir in one go and pulled the glass away from my lips.
"Cheshire's not coming tonight, right?"
They all nodded vigorously.
Their nods came with a wobbly sway.
They'd chugged so fast the booze was hitting them hard.
"I'll let you all live. But when you get back to Cheshire, report everything that happened here, word for word."
"Of course."
Someone answered crisply.
Good. I moved into action with Ellis right away.
"Ellis."
"Yes! Master."
"Burn all that."
"Huh?"
Ellis's head tilted to the side. She froze, looking flustered.
"I said burn it."
"No... that? You mean that?"
Ellis stretched out her finger, pointing at the mountain of skeletons and slime cores Cheshire had greedily hoarded.
I nodded.
"Can't burn you, now can I?"
"True... wait, hold on."
Ellis scampered right up to me and whispered in my ear.
"Master, that's all money! You're burning money?"
I just murmured her name softly.
"Hey. Ellis."
"Fine, I'll burn it real good. I've got skills honed from cooking up drugs—I'll make it go up clean and pretty."
She bolted off like she was fleeing toward the treasure trove piled high like a mountain.
It was a shame to torch all that cash, sure.
But the reason I was pushing this anyway was to draw out Cheshire.
I could wipe out every Wonderland grunt here, but...
'That'd just piss off Wonderland as a whole, not just Cheshire.'
Yeah, it'd earn me the wrath of the entire organization.
But if I burned every bit of the fortune Cheshire had secretly hogged away from Wonderland?
'Only Cheshire gets mad.'
From her perspective, no matter how furious she got, she couldn't report it up the chain. It was loot she'd skimmed off the books to begin with.
Her only way to vent that rage would be to show up herself.
Not a bad trade if I could recruit her.
I watched Ellis diligently setting the blaze and nodded with satisfaction.
"Cheshire's gonna be pissed."
"She'll be throwing a fit."
The guy in the front row answered.
Their suddenly polite speech was growing on me.
"Don't even think about pulling any shady crap in Wonderfentanyl territory from now on. Especially no turning in bounties."
"Of course. If you just let us live, we'll do anything."
Should've done that from the start. I nodded.
"Wonderland never ordered this crap anyway—what made you idiots think you could get away with it? Got an escape plan if the higher-ups send auditors? Huh?"
"Cheshire promised to take real good care of us, so we got greedy. Looking back, we were fools."
"Yeah, you fools. Have another drink."
I filled his glass to the brim with Chuir.
It was high-proof stuff, but he gulped it down without complaint. Right, better than dying.
"Who's the smartest guy here?"
Moments later, all eyes turned to one person. It was me.
"No, no—don't mind me. I said I'd let you live, didn't I? I didn't even graduate the academy. Who's the smartest among you?"
But even then, one guy nodded.
Crack!
"Ow!"
I smashed my glass on his head.
"You nuts? I said I didn't graduate, why nod?"
"S-Sorry."
"Who's the smartest here?"
This time, eyes locked on one guy—a scrawny fellow.
"That guy's the smartest?"
"He did grad school at the academy."
"Grad school? Already looks low-IQ."
"He did graduate, though..."
Whatever. I smacked my lips.
"Fine, whatever. Just memorize my words exactly and relay them to Cheshire."
"Got it."
"Touch my stuff one more time, and it won't end with two dead grunts and a bonfire."
"Yes. Locked in."
"Not bad memory for an academy grad."
"......"
The pile was so massive the heat rising off it was intense.
As it got stifling, my hand naturally reached for another glass.
Filled it with Chuir and drained it.
High-proof for sure. A pleasant buzz was starting to creep in.
"Now scram, all of you. Party's over."
"Thank you! Thank you!" They shouted it everywhere as they bolted.
I stared blankly at the scene when someone grabbed my arm.
"Wha?! Master! You're just letting them go?"
"Gotta. That's how Cheshire shows up."
"B-But Master! Those jerks made me entertain them! Can't you beat 'em up a bit?"
I handed her Trivi.
"You do it then."
"Eek!" Ellis let out a squeak.
With her magic power, she could probably fire a shot or two. But nothing too powerful.
The reason I gave her Trivi was simple.
She couldn't do much with it anyway—just a hint to hold back.
"Hey!"
But Ellis yelled that and charged at them.
Thwack!
She started pistol-whipping their napes with the gun's butt.
The ones who got clocked stared in bewilderment, but spotted me behind her and didn't dare retaliate.
They figured messing with her meant I'd step in. Not really.
"Who you calling a whore?! I'd never service trash like you! Got it?! Didn't?!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
"...Unbelievable."
She wasn't right in the head either, come to think of it.
"Huff... huff..."
After her petty revenge, Ellis panted as she handed back Trivi, adding,
"Master, anyway, I spared their lives like you wanted. You know I'm actually super strong, right?"
"That so."
"O-Obviously! I'm the top graduate of Valhalla Academy's Healing Department!"
"You look like you couldn't pull Trivi's trigger."
"I-I can shoot!"
"Ellis."
"Sorry."
Pop. I flicked her forehead. She yelped, "Ow!"
"And you brag about cooking drugs with healing department knowledge? That's your pride?"
"S-Sorry. Eek."
"Anyway, time for the next move."
"Next move?"
Ellis's eyes gleamed with dread.
Manual labor, piling debris, starting fires... she was finally realizing she always got the grunt work.
"Wonderfentanyl territory's safe till Cheshire shows. So we do what we can before then."
"So... what exactly?"
"Make a drug antidote. You're in charge, obviously."
"Oho. Me in charge? Master acknowledges my skills?"
Put her in a high position, and she's thrilled.
"Just make the antidote. Try any funny business mixing drugs and antidote mid-project, and it's gone."
"Eek?"
Ellis flinched.
Making drugs and antidotes together was the cruelest, most lucrative play.
Guess her scheming brain was already turning.
"What happens if the project vanishes? I get free time?"
"You vanish with it."
"Master. I'm a Valhalla Healing top grad. Making real medicine's way easier than drugs. Trust me."
Conversation over, we stared blankly at the raging inferno.
"...Burns real pretty, huh."
Ellis murmured.
We watched the flames endlessly.
Me, once Elfriede's shadow. And the Lady of Revelry, infamous for her drugs. Our gazes fixed on the fire.
No words passed. None needed.
We could sort our thoughts. That was enough.
"M-Master..."
A voice like melting honey.
I shoved off Ellis as she slyly tried to hug my arm.