Chapter 34: Alcohol is the Problem(1)
Chapter 34: Alcohol is the Problem(1)
As I chatted with Edin and the others, the main event finally began. "Main event" was a bit of an overstatement; the host simply stepped onto the podium, gave a brief speech, told everyone to enjoy themselves, and then the orchestra came out to play.
Still, the atmosphere in the Grand Hall grew even more vibrant after the formalities. Before the music started, the room had felt a bit chaotic with the constant low hum of voices, but the orchestra changed everything.
My interest in their music and instruments was fleeting, however, as I was too busy chatting away with Edin.
"You’ve read quite a lot of books, Isaac. That’s truly impressive."
"Not at all. You’re the impressive one, Edin. I’m in the Literature Department, so I have plenty of free time, but you don't."
"Thank you for the compliment. Have you happened to read the autobiography of Alexis the Explorer?"
"Of course. The part where he eats a larva and says it tastes like vomit was particularly memorable."
"Oh! You remember that part? Then..."
As we talked, I discovered several things about Edin—mainly that he was a fellow bookworm. Moreover, his favorite genre was autobiographies—specifically explorers' journals—which meant our conversation flowed without a single hitch.
Because we were so engrossed in our talk, I naturally ended up downing several glasses of wine. For every glass Edin finished, I must have had about five.
"Edin, have you ever fought a monster?"
"I went hunting with my father once a long time ago. An orc suddenly appeared and gave me a bit of a scare. It wasn't a particularly difficult opponent, though."
"Oh... What about an ogre? I heard they’re incredibly strong."
"I wonder. I’ve only encountered one once, and back then, I was working with other knights to take it down."
As the conversation progressed, we naturally dropped the formalities and began speaking casually. Unlike Jackson, Edin was sensible and had a refreshing personality, making him easy to get along with.
Edin seemed to appreciate my lack of hesitation as well; despite his cold first impression, he would occasionally burst into a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! That’s... Ah, right. Isaac? There’s something I’m curious about. Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead. What is it?"
Maybe it was because I’d had so much wine. Normally, I would have been a bit on guard, but the tipsy buzz dominating my brain pushed those thoughts aside. The wine wasn't bitter; it was quite sweet, which was why I’d ended up drinking so much.
Edin glanced around briefly. Realizing no one was nearby, he leaned in close and whispered his question.
"Earlier, Lady Rekilis and Princess Cecile were fighting over you."
"Uh..."
"Can you tell me why they were fighting?"
The fog in my head seemed to clear instantly. I shook my head vigorously at the question before looking him in the face.
His expression held no malice—it was pure, unadulterated curiosity. His features were so sharp and cold that it was usually hard to read him, but I could tell that much.
I pressed my fingers against the bridge of my nose and opened my mouth to speak. My brain really wasn't functioning well; I had definitely overindulged.
"It was just... Sister Cecile was teasing me. Mari saw that and told her to back off. You know how linking arms is something only lovers do, right? But it’s a bit different for the Demon Clan. Mari was worried about that and told her to let go."
"Sister Cecile? Are you seriously calling Princess Cecile 'Sister'?"
"Ah..."
Another slip of the tongue. I shook my head again as Edin stared at me in shock.
But once words are out, they can't be taken back. Still in a daze, I managed a response.
"Yeah. We’ve talked a few times and got close. I guess that’s why she teases me so much."
"Hmm... Really? By the way, how many glasses have you had? Your face is the same color as your hair."
"I don't know. Maybe..."
I tried to think back.
One at the very beginning. One before the event started. After that... I just remembered drinking whenever my glass was empty.
"I’m not sure."
"You’re not sure?"
"Yeah. It was tasty, so I just kept drinking whenever the glass was empty."
"... ..."
Edin stared at me blankly. He seemed to be gauging exactly how drunk I was.
Contrary to what he might have thought, I felt fine. My head was a bit fuzzy and my tongue was slightly heavy, but I could still think straight.
At least, in my own opinion.
"...Stop drinking for today. You’re going to make a mistake at this rate."
"Stop drinking something this delicious? Not a chance."
"Isaac. You don't drink wine just because it's tasty. It's for cleansing the palate."
"Then just one more glass."
"If it's just one..."
Edin reluctantly agreed to my final proposal, though he still looked skeptical.
Regardless, I drained the remaining quarter of my glass. It was bitter at first, but then a mysterious blend of sweet and sour took over my mouth.
For someone like me, who rarely drank even beer in my past life because it was too bitter, this was perfect. I felt like I could easily finish several bottles.
"Phew! Delicious as expected. What did you say the name of this wine was?"
"Alcyone. It’s one of the most famous wines in the world. The taste varies wildly depending on how many years it’s been aged. As far as I know, the wine served at this gathering has been aged for about ten years."
"Must be expensive."
"It’s not that expensive. It’s easy to produce because it’s so popular. It’s a wine that even commoners can easily enjoy."
Edin gave a kind explanation, but it barely registered. That last glass seemed to be the tipping point, and my head was spinning more than before.
No matter how sweet it was, alcohol was still alcohol. I tried my best to snap out of it, but the haze remained.
Noticing my poor condition, Edin spoke up in a worried tone.
"...You’re definitely drunk. Stop now."
"Just one more glass."
"When you're drunk, one glass becomes two, and two becomes three. That's enough..."
Just as Edin was trying to stop me...
"Isaac?"
A familiar voice pierced through my dizzy mind. I blinked at the sweet, feminine voice and turned my head.
Cecile was standing there, her eyes wide with surprise, holding a wine glass in one hand. Why was she here instead of with Lina? I suppose her duties were finished.
Edin’s eyes widened slightly at Cecile’s appearance, and he asked quietly.
"...Princess Cecile?"
"Ah."
Only then did Cecile notice Edin and offer a formal greeting.
"Hello. I am Cecile Drat Aisilia bin, Princess of Helium. Please, feel free to call me Cecile."
"I-I am Edin Mavi Signer, the eldest son of the House of Signer. It is an honor to meet the heir of Helium."
At her polite greeting, Edin momentarily cast his gaze downward before bowing according to etiquette. His eyes definitely flickered toward her chest. The fact that he was stuttering confirmed it.
So you’re a man too. To be fair, Cecile’s current appearance would draw anyone's gaze, regardless of gender.
"I’m glad to meet you as well. Anyway..."
After the introductions, Cecile turned her attention back to me and asked Edin.
"May I ask why Isaac is in this state?"
"Ah, well... he’s had quite a bit of wine."
"I told ya, I didn't drink that much..."
My pronunciation was a bit slurred. But don't worry. My head was just a little dizzy; I was perfectly fine.
Probably.
"Hmm."
Cecile checked my condition and let out a subtle hum, her lips curling upward. Even with my blurry vision, I could recognize that mischievous smile she wore whenever she was about to play a prank. It made me feel a bit uneasy.
The moment I saw that smile, I instinctively tried to step back. But before I could move, Cecile swiftly grabbed my wrist and made a request to Edin.
"If you don't mind, may I take Isaac with me for a moment?"
"Pardon?"
"It’s alright, isn't it?"
Say it’s not alright, you idiot. But Edin betrayed my expectations.
He looked back and forth between me and Cecile before accepting with a hesitant expression.
"I don't mind, but... please make sure he doesn't drink any more wine. I’m worried something might happen."
"Of course. Let’s go, Isaac."
"Ugh, ah..."
In the end, I had no choice but to follow Cecile’s lead. I focused what little concentration I had left on not dropping my wine glass.
Of course, I didn't forget to say goodbye to Edin. My words were a bit garbled, but my intent must have gotten across because Edin told me to drink in moderation. I told you, I’m not drunk.
Cecile led me to a table laden with various foods. As soon as we arrived, she spoke softly to a waiter waiting nearby with wine.
"Could we have some more wine?"
"Of course, beautiful lady."
"Then, Isaac, you go first."
"Okay..."
Following Cecile’s lead, I held out my glass, and the waiter poured the wine with practiced grace. It wasn't purple, but a deep, dark red.
Realizing it was different from the wine I’d been drinking, I asked the waiter. My words were so slurred they felt as limp as a mollusk.
"Whut kind of wine is thiz?"
"It is Red Cali. Unlike Alcyone, it has a much stronger acidity."
"Give it a try. It’s delicious. But before that..."
Cecile downed her remaining wine in one gulp and held out her glass to the waiter. Without a word, the waiter refilled her empty glass.
Now that I looked at it, the color of the wine was very similar to the color of Cecile’s dress. A dazzling beauty holding a glass of wine that matched her dress... it really looked like a painting.
While I was dazed, admiring her, Cecile gave a bright smile and spoke to me. Her seductive voice tickled my ears.
"I heard that in the human world, there’s a culture of clinking glasses before drinking. Was it called a 'toast'?"
"The Dwarves actually did that first..."
In my past life, it was just a culture that happened to develop, but here, it was a culture humans adopted from Dwarves. It was a fact I’d stumbled upon while reading various history books.
However, most people mistakenly believed toasting was a human custom, partly because humans vastly outnumbered Dwarves and partly because Dwarves didn't really care.
"Really? I had no idea."
"Does the Demon Clan... have a toasting culture?"
"We have something similar. We raise our glasses slightly. It’s like a tribute to honor kin who met a tragic fate. So, we don't really do it on happy days like this."
"I see..."
I nodded, my head drooping slightly.
Talking to Cecile like this revealed characteristics of the Demon Clan that couldn't be found in books.
Last time, I learned the meaning behind stroking a Demon's horns, and I also learned that their inner evil intensifies during certain cycles.
So, even these small details...
"...would be good to write down..."
Maybe it was the alcohol. What I was thinking in my head slipped out of my mouth.
Fortunately, my head was down and I was just mumbling, so there was no way Cecile heard—
"Write down... Isaac?"
She did. My panic was brief as I lifted my head to meet her eyes.
"...Yes?"
"Shall we toast?"
Cecile smiled brightly and held out her glass. I watched the red liquid inside ripple.
In my heart, I knew I shouldn't drink anymore, but my body was already moving. Maybe it was because it had been so long since I’d had a drink, but despite Edin’s warning, I wanted more.
Clink—
A clear, crisp sound rang out as our glasses met. Immediately after the toast, Cecile smiled and brought the glass to her lips.
I also brought the glass to my mouth to drink. The reddish liquid began to flow into my mouth.
"Ugh..."
I shivered. Just as the waiter had described, it was more sour than sweet, unlike the Alcyone.
A lemon flavor with less tartness? That’s what it felt like.
"Isaac."
Just as I was reeling from the sourness filling my mouth, Cecile called my name.
Despite feeling like I was about to black out, I managed to speak.
"Yes... Sister..."
"There’s something I’m curious about. Can I ask you a question?"
"Whut is it...?"
My vision wasn't just blurry anymore; it had turned completely hazy. The voices of the crowd and the music of the orchestra no longer reached my ears, echoing like a distant thrum.
But strangely, Cecile’s question came through crystal clear.
"By any chance, do you like writing?"