Capital is Always Right

"Capital is always right."

"...Huh?"

"What, you planning to leave last night's memories as just some daydream? I'm hurt."

"Huh???"

"Kidding. We said the one who taps out first calls the other unnie, remember?"

Did we? What the hell did I even do yesterday?

"So, that bastard Karnaroff piled on the homework like crazy."

"That family's always been sticklers, generation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after generation. He tried to slap a restraint spell on you just for one little prank."

"The student council too. Can't a student sneak out once in a while? And now they're on me about fixing my uniform."

"What a pain, all these rules. Our elders are the same. 'Don't interfere with humans,' they say. As if there's any race more fun than them."

"Tell me about it."

"...Pour! Drink!!"

"W-wait. Mmph, if I drink any more..."

"What? Tapping out?"

"Ti-time out...! Real time out!!"

We trashed the professors a bit behind their backs. No big deal. But I got a professor-level mana user blackout drunk on booze.

"Hehe, you're the first human I've met who can drink like that, unnie."

Adrian said with a laugh.

"You keep calling me human—aren't you one too?"

"Do I look human to you?"

"I am, and I've got snake eyes."

"You're less human and more like an orc or a dwarf..."

"Hm?"

Something shady just slipped in there.

"Nothing."

Adrian glanced sideways at the pile of empty bottles next to us.

"Can you clear these? My inventory's a bit small for all that."

"Of course."

I shoved them all into my inventory. No recycling here—just cram 'em in a trash bin and they vanish. But if nothing but bottles start popping out of the trash? Nah, better dump 'em myself.

"You coming back sometime?"

"Obviously."

For more drinks. And venting.

"Hehe. Good answer."

Ugh, my head. I smacked my throbbing skull a few times.

"Mm... Want this?"

"What's that?"

"Hangover cure from my world? Or something? Dunno. Back home, it was just a snack sometimes. Only one's left, though."

Did I seriously ramble that far? Booze is dangerous.

Adrian held something that looked like traditional herbal medicine. I popped it in without thinking.

Mm. Tastes like real herbal meds.

I decided to head out for now.

"Before you go, a little gift for you, unnie. It'll help."

"I don't need anything that fancy."

"Can't friends exchange gifts? It's fine—not what you think."

What do I think it is?

Adrian stabbed a fingernail deep into her chest. Pok. Blood should've trickled down crimson, but scarlet blood sprayed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠unnaturally, pooling on her finger. In moments, it formed a tiny, beating heart. The blob pulsed on its own.

While I stared, mesmerized—

"Here, doesn't hurt."

Adrian zipped right up and jammed it into my Dragon Eye.

"GyaAAAAAHHH!!! My EYE!!!"

It burns like hell!!!

As I rolled on the floor, messages exploded in my vision.

"Ughhh..."

When I finally pried my eyes open, Adrian had vanished.

A voice echoed in my head.

Beautiful voice. Magic like this exists?

But I'm too hungover to even want to call. My head and stomach are wrecked.

...Good stuff's good, I guess. I headed out.

For some reason, magic beasts didn't hide—they just eyed me warily and bolted when I got close. As long as I dodged the alarms, smooth sailing.

Early morning now, so scaling the wall should get me in scot-free.

Oh yeah, I came here to boost my mana. I checked my still-pathetic mana pool...

"Huh?"

Not pathetic anymore?

"Why's it tripled?!"

My mana had ballooned threefold.

Huachen Tower. Among the empire's towering magic spires, the tallest and gaudiest. A girl with vast wings spread wide appeared in its skies.

Adrian's eyes went wide.

"Huh? They added something new since last time."

"Intruder!! Prepare the grand magic net!"

"You think these toys can stop me? Foolish to the end."

Adrian's eyes blazed with monstrous mana. She locked onto every anti-air cannon in an instant, then stretched out her hand.

"Wonder what happens if I clench this fist?"

"Who cares! Fire!!"

A mage in a conical hat and fancy mustache gripped his staff. His booming voice left no doubt—he was in command.

Adrian looked down at the young mage.

"...Nothing's changed. Forgot it's been decades. Much better that way, though. Sigh. Time for a little spice..."

"Insolent fool! Rain mana bullets on the intruder... Gahk!"

Then, with a crash and clatter, a red-uniformed mage dropkicked him. Adrian recognized the face.

"Hey, idiot! That's no intruder!"

"Eh, y-yes? But Tower Lord, our duty is..."

"We only call what we can stop an intruder! Get lost!"

"B-but... it's a rare intruder after so long... my duty..."

"You wanna take responsibility if the whole anti-air net blows?! Think how many tens of thousands of gold we sank into this?! Unless you're fetching the budget from the finance minister, shut it!!!"

"S-sorry!!"

Soon, Adrian was ushered into a lavish guest chamber. A sweaty, exhausted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠man burst in.

Tower Lord Alberich Karnaroff. Real power lay with his brother, the family head, who'd jetted off to Reinhardt. But he'd taken the role willingly enough—something a mere 5-rank like him could never snag otherwise.

Until now. For the first time, he cursed his brother.

"Damn... where the hell is bro..."

Winged King. The name alone made his head throb.

The pact limited human-dragon interference. But pacts could be circumvented. Especially by her race.

"So... what's the business?"

A dragon dropping by the magic tower unannounced? Never boded well.

Yeah. Never well.

"Oh, nothing much. Sell me three scales or so."

...Not just well—jackpot.

"...Pardon!? You're selling those?!"

Dragon scales. Getting dragon materials was like grabbing stars. Unless they willed it, scraps just dissipated on separation. Dragons had sky-high pride, even low-ranks. No way they'd peddle their bodies.

And this was the Winged King. Grade? Top-tier, obviously.

"Swap 'em all for booze. The best stuff. You got plenty in your treasury, right?"

"Pardon?"

She casually drank, sure. But this much? Would empty the treasury.

She knew nowhere else—not even the imperial vaults—stocked this volume. Unless raiding dwarf lands.

Three scales? Fifty top-shelf bottles easy, with change.

"May I... ask why?"

"Made a fun drinking buddy. They pulled out booze I've never seen, so I can't hold back, y'know?"

'Some legendary dwarf?'

No—even dwarf grandpa couldn't handle that quantity.

He opened the sub-space. Exactly fifty premium bottles left.

"Fifty top-grade on hand..."

"Perfect. Gimme all. No change."

"Right away."

Alberich boxed the booze and handed it over. Received three cloth-wrapped scales pulsing with draconic mana.

"Phew. Another whim."

As she turned to leave, chills shot through him. The crystal orb lit up.

Karnaroff. The only outsider allowed the Karnaroff name.

Ivan G. Karnaroff.

"Y-yes! Bro! What's up?"

"Sold it all, bro."

[...?]

"Winged King dropped by earlier, bought the lot..."

[What?]

"I heard someone scales the A-dorm walls sometimes."

"What? No way. This ain't knight school..."

"For real—like a monkey, zip zip zip. Some nervous guard fainted seeing it."

"Probably seniors. They live low floors. Second's doable..."

"Fifth floor."

"Kiyaaaaah!!"

"Ah... shut... hungry..."

Monday. Devouring instant ramen mindlessly was my downfall. Only canned goods left...!

Managed to fill up somehow, but no carbs? Stomach felt totally empty.

"Who even goes there? Unbelievable."

Aris pouted—no dinner from her yesterday. She seemed over it this morning, but my hunger raged on.

Then, someone yapping while eyeing me.

"Hmph. As expected of commoners. No economic freedom means talent's wasted in place."

"Carter, aren't you common-born?"

The oblivious kid butted in, but he ignored it.

"Hah! I'm the heir to Carter Trading Company. Worlds apart."

Couldn't ignore that. I shoved aside the white hair blocking my view. Too lazy to cut it, keeps flopping down.

"...Who?"

"You don't know her? Third in dorm exams! Would've been second without you—you stole her spot!"

"Hey, no need to hype third place that har—"

"Third! Third! Beat every other genius in this room except two! That's Robert Carter..."

A slightly sharper kid nearby clamped his mouth.

Well, got my attention anyway.

...Third?

"Eh?"

Go whine to first, then. Heard of second jealous of first, but third of second? New.

Should I fetch first to calm her? Too sleepy.

"Dunno who, don't care... buzz off..."

I stretched my arms and faceplanted on the desk. Ignore everything now...

"Hmph. Join me and I'll give you fifty silver a month."

"For real!?"

I yelped brightly.

"...Eh? You actually...?"

His flustered voice echoed, but I tuned it out.