Chapter 277
Chapter 277
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Boastful Siblings (3)
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――――――――!!
My whole body started boiling like there was a fire raging in my gut.
Sweat streamed down my forehead, and an unrelenting thirst kept surging up.
Still, I couldn't stop here.
The smartest way to handle pain was to get through it as quickly as possible.
In battle, it was better to take one deep stab than a bunch of shallow ones everywhere.
That way, the agony didn't drag on forever.
‘So, keep shoving in the bread without stopping—shorten the pain's duration!’
“Ve-Veil…!!”
“Heh, that’s a pretty clever strategy.”
Lydia clutched her twin tails in worry, while Hanna watched with an impressed look.
“Fuuu….”
Finally, the moment I scraped every last bit of sauce off the plate and sopped it up with bread.
Arden huffed and puffed, finishing his meal right around the same time.
“N-Not bad at all……. For a westerner, that’s some decent grit…….”
“You’re struggling pretty hard yourself, for an easterner.”
I smirked, tossing out a leisurely taunt.
But my stomach was already a living hell, and my mouth was thick with lingering heat.
“Fuuu…. Let’s take a breather before the next round….”
Arden wiped his brow with the back of his hand and forced the words out.
Turned out, he wasn’t great with spicy food either.
He’d charged in on pure determination to protect his lovely cousin.
“Sure thing. I’ll step out for some fresh air myself.”
Drenched in sweat, I headed to the shop’s entrance for a moment.
I let out a deep breath, taking in steady lungfuls of air.
‘Time to neutralize this blaze with Grand Aura….’
Eyes closed, deep in solo meditation.
That’s when I heard the door creak open behind me—someone following.
“Veil.”
I cracked my eyes open at the familiar voice and turned.
There stood the petite youngest imperial princess, out in the doorway.
A bottle of white milk in one hand.
“You okay?”
She tossed the question out like it was nothing.
But I knew the genuine concern tucked into those casual words, so I flashed her a big smile.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Why go showing off when you’ve never even touched spicy food before?”
Lydia grumbled like she was annoyed, staring straight ahead ramrod straight.
Her sharp gaze and long lashes stood out sharp.
“Challenges are always a thrill, right?”
I replied with a deep exhale.
The youngest princess shot me a quick catlike glance, then muttered under her breath.
“H-Here, at least drink this.”
“Isn’t that milk?”
At my question, Lydia grabbed a lock of her hair and smoothed it down gently.
She turned her head away and murmured quietly.
“It helps when you’ve eaten something spicy.”
I twisted open the milk bottle as the princess suggested.
Slowly bringing it to my lips.
“…!”
It spread through my scorched mouth like cool water dousing flames.
Then it poured down my stinging throat.
The heat ebbed away, like a rainstorm quenching a blazing desert.
“Wild…. This actually tames the burn.”
“Ahem….”
Lydia covered her mouth with a dainty fist and cleared her throat.
I gazed at her with genuine admiration.
――――――――!!
Someone inside must’ve caught the scene—the door flew open.
Out stormed Arden, his fierce face twisted into an expression of utter injustice that didn’t suit him at all.
“L-Li-Lydia…!! Why’d you give that guy the milk!!”
The hulking man let out a wail at the sight of me holding the bottle.
“You always gave it to me first….”
He squeezed his eyes shut tight, like he was heartbroken over losing his cousin’s affection.
But Lydia paid no mind to his pitiful display.
“It’s your own fault for picking on Veil first, big brother.”
If anything, she lifted her chin high and scolded him with the icy stare of an eastern lord.
The black fur draped over her shoulders looked every bit the mark of a regional overlord right then.
“Guhk……. I can’t forgive this, Veil Mikhail…….”
“Leave my foolish big brother be and let’s head back in, Veil.”
Lydia crossed her arms with elegant poise and strode back into the shop alone.
I followed, brushing past the defeated Arden.
‘They really do get along.’
The Third Imperial Princess was infamous for her cold judgment on wrongdoers.
And when we’d first met, she’d scared me half to death suggesting a murder license.
But watching her with family? It wasn’t all ice.
Her twin tails puffing up in annoyance at her cousin’s rudeness actually looked kind of cute.
That thought vanished quick, though, when I faced the massive beer stein waiting on the table.
“Back already, Veil Mikhail.”
Sword Dance Captain Hanna—her face hidden behind the beer stein until I got close.
She swept her bangs back with a crisp flick, her red eyes—unique to the Lydia clan—flashing bright.
“No feast is complete without booze, eh?”
I let out a dry chuckle at the bucket-sized stein right in front of me.
‘This thing’ll fill me up before the buzz even hits…?’
She met my blinking stare with a tomboy’s easy grin.
“In the East, this counts as one glass….”
She gripped the bucket with both hands.
Hoisted it high and declared.
“You’re not some frail weakling who can’t handle one, are you?”
Lydia smacked her smooth forehead at her sister topping even her brother.
Then she whispered to me on the down-low.
“Veil, don’t take the bait. My sister’s a total booze monster.”
The princess knew my tolerance was weak.
She was urging retreat from an obvious beatdown.
“I’ll keep her in check, so you can slip out for a bit.”
Touched by her worry, I stared silently at the beer for a moment.
Golden liquid, bubbles drifting lazily on top.
Past those ripples, Hanna’s face egged me on.
‘Get past this, and I’m golden.’
“I’ll take it.”
“What…?!”
Lydia’s eyes went wide at my surprise move.
But I had my reasons.
Keep force-feeding me drinks, and trouble brews—so I’d cooked up a new trick.
Drunken Meditation, born from pushing Grand Aura to its limits.
Even blackout drunk, cycle aura through meditation, then deep-breathe it all out.
Time to test the new skill.
“Nice, got some spine. Let’s do this.”
Hanna barked a hearty laugh and clacked our buckets together.
Down it went like water in one go.
She looked just like a whale gulping seawater.
――――――.
And so began the East-West drinking showdown.
Even the other patrons started watching as we battled it out fierce.
“Fuu…….”
Halfway through my bucket, the buzz started creeping in.
Perfect timing, I figured—I stood up.
“Be right back, restroom.”
“Go on, don’t pass out in there-.”
Hanna snickered, popping some bread from the snack plate.
Lydia, meanwhile, tracked my path to the restroom with a dead-serious gaze.
She was ice-cold when it came to contests, alright.
“Fuu…. Tough stuff.”
Door shut behind me, eyes closed, meditation kicked off.
Aura gathered slow in my chest’s core, pooling the haze.
Deep breath out to cap it.
――――――.
White alcohol vapor drifted into the air.
The bigger the cloud grew, the more the body-clenching drunk faded clean away.
“Perfect.”
I smirked, rolling my shoulders loose.
Casual stroll back to the table.
“Ooh-. Quick return, Mikhail.”
Hanna was still chill as ever.
Face unchanged, she’d nearly drained her bucket.
‘This woman…. She’s Grandmaster-tier on booze alone.’
“Looks like a scrawny gigolo at first glance.”
“Not scrawny—agile. Plenty strong in this frame.”
I drained my bucket nice and easy.
Hanna grinned approval and clapped for the server.
“Two more over here!!”
Fresh buckets arrived at her call.
Meditation or not, they still looked brutal.
I took mine without a word.
Slow sip to start….
‘Hm…?’
Frowned at the off taste from the first round.
Faint sweetness lingered on my tongue, for one.
Smoother slide down the throat too.
Like the harsh bite got mellowed out, crisp and clean.
Head tilt, quick glance at the server.
She dodged my eyes like she was clueless.
I followed her gaze back around.
Sharp-eyed Lydia stared out the window, feigning nonchalance.
Mysterious glass vial clutched in her hand.
Packed with herbs and all sorts of hangover cures.
“What a barbaric drinking contest.”
Lydia stashed the vial quick and sneaky.
Back to her trademark pout, picking at her bread.
“Honestly, if I didn’t watch out for you-.”
The Third Imperial Princess chomped with her soft cheeks puffed.
Red earrings swayed with every bread chew.
Crumbs fluttered down like snow on her black fur.
“Hurry up and settle it—we’ve got somewhere to be after.”
Lydia eyed the city hill out the window.
Gazing hard, like she could already picture the fireworks bursting sky-high up there.