A Wholesome Cultural Exchange
Alcohol had always been a bit special to me. These days I barely give it a thought, but back then, I drowned the pain of losing a partner in booze. I drank enough to worry everyone around me—so much that Sera dragged me in for a full health check.
My personal doctor, who knew pretty much everything about me including my original gender, just said,
“…It's all normal. Every single value, across the board.”
“So I can keep drinking!?”
“W-Well, you can, but maybe show a little restraint…”
“Kyaaahou!”
“Sigh…”
I came to a realization.
“So booze is just this thing that makes you feel great with zero side effects, huh?”
“No, quit chugging it already! With that face of yours blowing on bottles at a bar, I'll end up looking like the creep!”
“I'm tellin' ya! Euisaga meogeo!”
“Hey!!!”
...Well, that eventually led to me frying up a countless horde of kimchi jeons the next morning before calling it quits. For the record, Sera—who'd scarfed them down with me—had to cancel every single mission that day. A-rank hunter laid low. Good times, good times.
So why dredge up those memories now? 'Cause I'd just had a drink after a long while. Why? What's it to ya.
The West Forest's first impression was surprisingly mystical and beautiful. The thick mana in the air had taken on a tangible form, glowing with an otherworldly light. It felt just like bright fireflies or will-o'-the-wisps illuminating the night.
If the East Forest was a serene place dominated by plants...
…It's insanely pretty, huh?
...then the West Forest hit like a full-on fantasy world woodland. The place was so saturated with mana it looked like an aurora had draped over the trees. And...
Breathing felt amazing. Like coming home.
It wasn't just the high mana density. The air itself was pristine.
“Mmm. Air tastes good.”
I stashed the soju bottle in one hand into my Inventory. Then I plunged right into the West Forest.
Of course, I hadn't come totally unprepared.
Monsters, right?
Magic Creatures. Probably beasts that attack humans.
—Awoooooooo!!!
—Grrrrrr...
I had a rough idea. Even back in the modern world, animals infused with mana occasionally went feral.
Happens in the mountains sometimes.
Not always, but rarely. Those ones were such a threat even to normal animals that hunters prioritized taking them out. I'd helped bag a few myself and pocketed the mana stones.
But here... it seemed like they were the norm.
Dragon Eye absorbs homologous mana.
Mana slightly increases.
A message pinged in my head right then.
...Huh? I didn't do anything?
...Good stuff's good stuff, I guess.
Anyway, dealing with those things was simple.
Don't get spotted.
Natural Affinity wasn't just about befriending plants and animals, after all. I'd discovered another trick back at the training grounds: blending into nature itself.
Rustle rustle.
I reflexively scrambled up a tree. Scaling a 10-meter trunk took under three seconds. Mana boost really amps up your base physicals.
“Where ya at...”
A pack of wolves prowled below, yellow eyes gleaming. But spotting me? Impossible. I'd dived into the underbrush the second I saw them.
It was like the bushes were part of me, cradling me tight.
So fluffy.
Despite the tough foliage, there was zero resistance as I moved. And finding me? Forget it. Even Gomi could only flee when I signaled from afar—'cause I let him see me. In this state, not even a bear who'd memorized my scent could sniff me out!
That said, pushing too deep was risky, so I stuck to the entrance until the coast cleared. There were alarm spells on the perimeter anyway.
Emerging from the brush and wandering a bit, I found a prime spot: a small clearing without trees. Close to the exit, perfect for magic practice. A big flat rock in the center, and for some reason, no magic creatures came near.
Then it hit me.
…I don't know how to draw magic circles?
...Why'd I even come?
I'd memorized the terrain basics for mountains and forests, so getting lost wasn't an issue... but whatever.
“Time for drinks, then.”
That was the real plan anyway. Couldn't crack one open in the dorms with Aris around. I'd had to stash my booze back in Inventory even after unpacking everything else. Turned me into a walking liquor cabinet.
Supposedly, students only started hitting this place from third year onward, when they were legal drinking age. But you can't exactly serve booze in the cafeteria. And the stuff here sucks. They have wine in the student dining hall. Tastes like ass. How does it taste worse than soju?
“Ehehehe...”
Chaser was the dried squid from last time on the mountain. Doesn't take much Inventory space, easy to pack.
I cracked a fresh bottle...
“Unni.”
Something was behind me. No presence at all. But the moment that low voice hit:
An overwhelming aura flooded out.
“What brings you here? Students don't come around much. Or rather, they can't.”
I turned. And there...
stood a breathtakingly cute girl smiling back. Hair black as the night sky reflected the mana lights in shades of red and blue. Jewel-like eyes: one ruby, one sapphire—heterochromia. Pupils just like my Dragon Eye. Coincidence or not, identical to mine.
Below them, a dark gothic dress. But the real kicker...
All the ambient natural mana in the area swirled around her.
No. Not natural mana. Hers. I'd just mistaken it. Her personal mana was so vast it fooled me into thinking it was the environment.
What the...?
“Who're you?”
“You don't know me?”
“How would I?”
She eyed me closely, then covered her mouth and laughed. Those Dragon Eye-like pupils returned to normal.
“Hehe... this is fun! As for me...”
“Hold up. Lemme guess.”
No fun if she just tells me.
“This is a dangerous forest... you've got tons of mana... and you're butting in on my drinking... Hm! You live here, right?”
“Eh?”
“I'll just have a little and bounce, so don't mind me.”
Found a spot this good and leave after one bottle? No way!
“Hmm? Unni's a bit weird. Most people fear me outright. And I haven't even reined in my aura.”
“Why fear you? You're not attacking.”
No ferocity, no hostility.
“Our profs have scary mana too, y'know. By volume alone.”
Her body brimmed with terrifyingly dense mana.
“Theirs is all bottled up. Mine's way bigger total.”
“Pfft. Tomato, to-mah-to.”
I chugged my soju and said,
“Hehe. What an odd unni. I sensed kin aura and braced for a fight... but nah. Okay, just one question, then.”
She put real weight behind her voice. Like this was non-negotiable.
“How'd you get those eyes?”
I split my pupils wide.
“These...?”
Next thing I knew, sharp nails hovered at my eyes. Like she'd gouge them out for a wrong answer.
“Yeah! Those. Like mine. Choose your words carefully—I might have to take 'em back.”
My eyes went all fuzzy.
Hmm... what to say? Situation seems kinda serious, but the booze makes it hard to care. Just tell the truth.
I chirped,
“Dunno!”
She looked even more baffled.
“For real? Doesn't ping any divine senses... Yeah, you really don't know.”
But now I'm getting annoyed. Tough talk's killing my buzz.
“Hey, you.”
“Yeah?”
“Not drinking? Then beat it somewhere else?”
“Hehe.”
“No splitting hairs.”
“Fine. I'll join you, unni. I've had my fun with booze before.”
“For real!?”
Drinking buddy acquired!
She grinned and flicked her hand.
“Hey! My booze!”
The bottle flew from my grip. Snap of her fingers: glasses appeared.
“Hmm. Odd taste. Bitter... and that sweetness is so artificial.”
“That's the point.”
“Better than commoner swill, at least. Not bad.”
That's not booze, that's trash. Dining hall B's liquor was undrinkable.
“Wanna up the snacks, then?”
I pulled more soju, instant ramen, and dried squid from Inventory.
“Subspace storage too? Unni, what are you?”
“Told ya, dunno.”
I cracked the ramen. Chips were gone, but this was decent.
“Try it!”
I sprinkled seasoning, snapped a piece, and handed it over. She popped it in, crunched.
Her eyes went wide.
“Unni, this is good! Super crunchy and tender!”
Nom nom. Yeah, that reaction's familiar now. But tender? Girl's got gator jaws or what?
I slammed more soju. She asked,
“Got more?”
“Duh.”
We sat facing each other. More ramen packs cracked open.
This is cultural exchange.
“Cheers first? Names, maybe. I'm Adrian. They call me the Winged King.”
She tossed back her black hair.
Winged King? Rings a vague bell... something dangerous? Memory fuzzy.
Whatever!
“Me? Yumia. No fancy titles.”
“Perfect. Titles don't matter anyway.”
Glasses clinked.
We downed a bottle each in silence. Then,
“So, what do you want from the Winged King for this tribute?”
“Tribute?”
“Everyone's the same. Before this place, they always offered tribute first, then took my blessings or powers.”
Seductive tone. Like she knew I craved it too.
“Want something? Name it—I'll grant one. Big reward for killing my boredom.”
“This ain't tribute.”
“You laid out a full spread. Tribute.”
...What?
“Gah!! Calling a sacred booze feast 'tribute'!”
I shot up yelling.
Okay, maybe not yell-worthy. Adrian stared with round eyes.
Whatever, committed now.
“Fine, tribute it is.”
“Right?”
“Tribute to make a drinking buddy.”
“Drin...king buddy?”
“Yeah. No one here to drink with—been so boring. Can't throw down with profs either.”
She looked barely legal. But solid drinking experience.
You pass.
“Hehe, hahaha, nyahahahahaha!!!”
Adrian burst out laughing.
“First human to demand a drinking buddy as tribute! Love it! You're on!”
I poured for us both.
“Guess I should break out my private stash. Way better than this.”
A ridiculously luxurious bottle materialized from thin air.
...That thing's gotta cost a fortune. The aroma alone was insane. Names of liquors I'd never afford flashed in my head.
Mix it with soju? Okay?
Adrian smirked provocatively.
“But unni... can you keep up? I'm one of the best drinkers in my kin.”
The hell.
My dying Chad spirit from guy days fired laser beams from my eyes.
Don't back down. Some fights you just take head-on.
“I ain't tapping out! Let's die tryin'!”
Next day.
I woke on the big flat rock. Weekend—no classes.
“Ugh... huuuh?”
Checked Inventory. Empty.
All my booze: empty bottles scattered around the rock. And across from me, Adrian grinned slyly.
“......?”
“Last night... whew. You were epic, unni.”
“Promise kept—I'll call you unni forever?”
“...Huh.”