Chapter 84
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Festival - 13
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Was the inn's interior too bright to fall asleep?
Or were the surroundings too noisy with their drinking party?
Or maybe it was just hard to sleep deeply on alcohol alone.
Ellie was standing behind my back instead of the chair I'd laid her on.
My outer coat was caught in both her hands.
She stretched her arms out and charged at me in that state.
"Earthbound Spirit niiim...!"
"When did you wake up─, whoa."
The clothes covered my face.
"Huh? Earthbound Spirit is gone!"
"Ellie, I can't breathe."
"Hmm? I hear a voice? Where did you go...."
"Right in front, right in front. Please move the clothes."
She wasn't sober.
She couldn't recognize the person who'd been right in front of her just because his face was covered.
Still, communication wasn't impossible.
Pushing the clothes off my face let me breathe freely.
"Hic, found you!"
"Did you come to return the coat?"
"Yes!"
Seeing her hiccup, she must have drunk too much.
She brightly smiled and draped the coat over my shoulders.
The outer and inner fabric were reversed, and the direction was all wrong.
To get my arms properly through, I'd have to move myself anyway.
'Koon must have gone back in the meantime?'
Turning my head, Koon—who'd been sitting in Ellie's spot—was gone.
My tangled thoughts had sorted out somewhat, and the chair's owner had returned, so he'd quickly vacated the seat.
Thanks to that, Ellie returned to her place.
"Will you be okay without eating more food?"
Ellie nodded.
Probably because she'd stuffed herself at the stalls, she didn't seem hungry at all.
Even though she'd gotten drunk right away and dropped her head, barely eating anything once the banquet meal started.
"Eat a little at least. That way the drunkenness will fade."
"Won't Earthbound Spirit eat...?"
"Me? I've been eating all along."
"Nooo.... More alcohol, hic. Won't you drink more?"
I swept the stacked empty glasses aside all at once.
"I've drunk enough alcohol. I drank with Koon while you were asleep."
"Hic, really? Then is Earthbound Spirit drunk?"
What kind of question was that?
Suddenly, Ellie thrust her face close.
Then she started scrutinizing my face intently.
"Hmm, why aren't you drunk....?"
"No, I think I'm a bit drunk."
"Liar. You're not drunk!"
As if I had to be drunk.
"Your face isn't red at all! This won't do...."
"What's not okay?"
"Rien told me, to do it like she said, both have to be drunk.... Both get drunk, and then...."
Mumbling softly, Ellie suddenly raised her hand.
Her hand was in the index and middle finger spread—a so-called V shape.
In moments like this, it usually meant two.
Ominous.
"Two more drinks please!"
"Huh? Drink more here?"
"No! Earthbound Spirit has to drink!"
"......?"
I'd been worried she'd drink more in this state, but now I was bewildered for a different reason.
She was ordering two glasses for me to drink.
"Why are you ordering for me to─."
"Hic!"
"Surely you're going to make me drink until I─."
"Hic, hic!"
"Wait, are you sober? Seems like you're faking those hiccups on purpose since earlier."
As my suspicion grew, two glasses brimming with alcohol arrived on the table.
Couldn't refuse now.
"Everyone worked hard preparing the festival—you won't waste it sadly....?"
"......Won't waste."
No choice.
Drink this and pretend to be drunk.
If I looked fine here, who knew how many more she'd order.
First, I tilted the glass steeply to down one quickly.
"Seeing you drink so well, you're still far from dead drunk...."
I hurriedly twisted my wrist.
Better drink slowly.
After downing one, now the next....
"What? Where'd the second glass go?"
"Kyaha─!"
A refreshing sound came from the right.
The second glass was in Sua's hand.
And there was no alcohol left in it.
"I drink well toooo....!"
- Plop!
"Not drunk...., I'm not drunk...."
"Please don't rub your face on the table."
"Bring more alcohol....!"
Seems worth positively considering helping with Delion's plan.
The banquet meal wrapped up.
Next was fireworks, but they had no choice but to adjust the order.
The person in charge was in no state to perform.
"Can you use magic now?"
"Hmm? Magic? What I'm most confident in, hic! ......is magic!"
"No. Don't. You'll cause a big accident like this."
For fireworks, colorful flames had to burst into the sky—but in Sua's current state, even proper magic was questionable.
If the cast failed, it'd be fortunate; but using the wrong spell or misaiming could burn down a few buildings.
I'd thought time would let the drunkenness fade enough for her skill to activate.
Even dead drunk, swapping in water glasses each time she wanted a drink would get her back to her senses before fireworks.
Unexpected actions always happened, though.
Who could've guessed that, right at the meal's end during a momentary lapse, she'd down another drink?
Koon's sensible water swaps ended up futile effort.
"You called me a kid, hic! But you can't drink much either....!"
"Hey, you collapsed after one.... I drink way better than youuu...."
More time was needed for the drunkenness to fade.
I left the two for a moment and headed to the village head.
Tiana was there too.
"Earthbound Spirit! Finally get to see fireworks!"
"Was looking for you—perfect timing. But where's the other adventurer who was helping with the fireworks?"
"Well, a bit of a problem. Could we do another event first?"
Reporting the situation right before starting.
Had to get permission.
Fortunately, the village head said the order could be adjusted without issue.
He said he'd be right back and stepped away.
"A problem? Fireworks canceled?"
"Just delayed. The mage we asked drank too much...."
"The red-haired adventurer from before?"
"Yes, that's the one."
Tiana had been really looking forward to the fireworks.
Her face fell at "problem," then brightened right up at "just delayed"—it showed plainly.
"You seem to like fireworks."
"Not particularly—just never seen them before. Only heard about them till now; first time seeing with my own eyes."
"Sorry for making you wait. Especially since you were expecting it."
"I think it's good to save the important things. Regret or anticipation only grows bigger the longer you delay."
First memories are special.
You can't recreate that exact feeling even if you try the exact same experience again.
I hoped Sua's drunkenness would clear even a second sooner.
With her expectations that high, the festival couldn't skip fireworks.
"By the way, Instructor—you drank quite a bit too, but you're completely fine?"
"Seems you're the same."
"I might not wake up tomorrow from exhaustion."
"That'd be a problem. To shake off a hangover next day, don't you need a spar?"
Hangover sparring.
A fresh combo I'd never heard before.
"Well, if my eyes open tomorrow daytime, we'll do it."
"Fine. If you don't wake, this body will come wake you itself."
"......Joking, right?"
The match hadn't even been a full day ago—Tiana clearly wanted to wash away the bitter taste of defeat.
While idly chatting with Tiana, the village head returned.
"Originally after fireworks, but doing this first isn't bad."
"What's that in your hand...."
"Right. This is a lute."
The advanced event was a "performance."
Honestly, I still couldn't believe it.
The village head had been a bard in his past—even hearing it from him, it didn't feel real.
"To think the day would come I'd take out my instrument again—haha. Live long and see new things."
The lute looked similar to a guitar.
It had eight strings, but according to him, not all lutes did.
Despite being unused for so long, the instrument was pristine without a single flaw.
He must have maintained it carefully.
"Told Raymond the schedule changed, so he's probably informing everyone now."
"Great. Let's start the village's greatest performance. You can look forward to it."
His confidence was certainly something.
I hoped it lived up to expectations—at least halfway.
Reviving the mood if the performance flopped was outside my plans.
Failed.
Not the performance.
It hadn't even started yet.
The problem was the seating for viewing.
Like the banquet, Ellie on my left, Sua on my right.
And Deina sat to Sua's right.
So who sat next to Deina?
'Of all people, Delion.'
With Deina in between, two people who absolutely shouldn't meet were seated close.
And Sua still had drunkenness left— no telling what sudden move she'd pull.
Please don't provoke Delion.
'Just hope the performance passes quickly.'
The village head's lute playing and singing that followed—
"......"
Nothing to say.
Um, Deina's reaction alone read the room.
"This isn't the performance I wanted...."
The performance flopped too.
The village head's hands and voice were slower than his youth, his throat cracked to the limit.
Even spitting lyrics on time was hard, making the pitch sound desperate.
Deina, who'd insisted festivals needed performances.
She turned and glared right through me.
"You punk—said you'd practiced. This the result?"
"Village head must've practiced too. As much as he could."
"......"
"Sorry. Just kidding."
Village head couldn't lift his head either.
As I pondered how to revive the failed mood, someone stood.
And approached the village head.
"Can I give it a try?"
"Uh......, you know lute?"
"Mine was ten strings, but this'll do."
He took the lute.
The village head went to the audience seats instead.
'Delion, you......?'
He started playing.
Village head had said he was the only bard.
Yet this guard knew how to handle an instrument.