Chapter 92: The End of the Great Tragedy. Sharing a Drink (2)
Chapter 92: The End of the Great Tragedy. Sharing a Drink (2)
“To being alive!”
“To the Captain, whom we haven't seen in ages!”
“To the first vacation we’ve had in forever!”
“To my buddy who just got divorced!”
“You call this booze? You pieces of trash.”
“Cheers!”
“These bastards are completely ignoring me.”
Clink.
Glass mugs collided grandly overhead, a chaotic scene where overflowing beer sprayed in the aftermath.
Amidst the storm of toasts and celebratory remarks where everyone shouted whatever they pleased, I quietly swirled my glass.
“Captain, why are you drinking all by yourself looking so melancholy?”
You crazy bastards, do you really have to ask to be satisfied?
“What am I supposed to do when I can’t reach?”
“Ah. Back in the day, we always sat around low tables, so I didn't realize that would be a blind spot.”
“Oh, I’m sure you didn't. I’m so sorry a young Magical Girl is stuck between a bunch of hulking brutes. Truly.”
“Young….”
Crash.
“What?”
“It’s nothing.”
A glass had shattered, but the crew, well-accustomed to such chaos, quickly swept the shards into a basin and resumed the festivities.
Thanks to that, it seemed no one heard my complaint. I tilted my glass to soothe my burning insides.
The transparent glass blocked the light as the brown liquid flowed down my throat. It tasted like water mixed with more water. There wasn't a hint of beer's actual flavor to be found.
I really can't stand this.
“Which one of you bastards ordered this beer? Get your heads on the floor right now.”
I didn't have a toothpaste cap or a soju bottle.
So, I’d have to make something.
Clack. Roll.
Steel Marbles appeared from the air and rolled across the floor. I jerked my chin at them, signaling for the culprit to confess.
“What are you doing? Assume the position. If you bought this kind of swill, you should be just as annoyed as I am.”
Despite my badgering, they only glanced at each other; no one stepped forward.
After about ten seconds of shifting gazes, Henry finally sighed and confessed the truth.
“That’s just sparkling water.”
Oh, is that so? Sparkling water…. Now that I’ve tasted it, I suppose it is.
I held the glass up to the light, but the color was so similar it was hard to tell the difference.
Assuming that’s true, I had to ask why they gave me sparkling water in the first place.
“Then why did you give me sparkling water? Where’s the alcohol, you damn bastards?”
You think it’s fun being the only ones drinking? Do you want to see what a sober person’s drunken rambling looks like?
“Ahem. Well. That… that is.”
“We’re also quite… in a difficult spot, you see.”
Why are these guys suddenly acting like mute idiots, squirming around?
“Did you all transfer to administrative roles? Why is there no backbone in your words?”
“It’s because we feel like the Captain might kill us if we tell the truth.”
“You think I’d actually kill you?”
There’s no way I’d be that rude to teammates I’ve shared life and death with.
“A civil complaint was filed about a Magical Girl who looks like a minor chugging from a bottle in a pub. An internal memo came down banning the service of alcohol to Magical Girls, regardless of their age.”
Some shameless bastard like that is running around calling themselves a Hero?
“Which crazy Magical Girl acted like that and ruined my happiness?”
“They said it was Crimson★Hammer.”
Huh? Who?
“Photos were taken, and there’s even a video of her shouting at the top of her lungs. Why on earth would you stick a spoon in a liquor bottle?”
“Oh, that’s because it’s a microph—.”
Wait. That was me.
“Where was that complaint filed?”
There haven't been many times recently where I’ve acted that unsightly. If I combined the complaint channel with my memory, I could probably track it down.
Think, brain. Recall the appearances and actions of the people around me at the time….
“If you’re thinking of retaliating, please don't. It’s pathetic.”
“I won’t. What do you take me for?”
Instead, I’ll make your beer taste terrible. Sparkling water, of all things.
Who drinks this? Though some of the kids seemed to like it.
As I sneakily poured my sparkling water into the other squad members' glasses to empty mine, Henry, seemingly unable to watch any longer, pulled a water bottle from his bag and poured it into my glass.
“What’s with the water?”
“Give it a try.”
If you say so, I’ll try it.
As I slowly lifted the beer mug, a pungent scent tickled my nose. That specific smell of a highly volatile liquid.
As I slowly tilted the glass, the stimulation I had been longing for flowed in. That burning, painful sensation in the throat that I had wanted so badly.
Yes, this is it.
“…Good water.”
“Yes. It’s water.”
The squad members smiled in unison and nodded.
Indeed, this is how my subordinates should be. Who cares what the higher-ups say?
Once everyone had their alcohol, their faces flushed, and the conversation grew as heated as their complexions.
“How are you guys all still alive?”
“I’m more surprised that you haven't retired yet, Captain.”
“You think I’m doing this because I want to? Though my thoughts have changed a bit lately. By the way, how much is your salary? Your seniority pay must be insane by now.”
“Well, that is….”
A subordinate whispered his allowance details into my ear. This guy makes more than me too?
“Why do you get paid more than me?”
“That’s because you have so many deductions, Captain. The dam—.”
“Don't say such depressing things. You said something you shouldn't have, so take a long, deep drink.”
Gulp. Gulp.
The glass began to be filled half with beer and half with "water." The beer turned a faint color, looking like ginger ale.
“I’m being easy on you! It’s half water, so drink it all in one go.”
“….”
Oh. He drank it.
Thud.
Oh. He’s dead.
“Drag this guy out, he’s in the way.”
“Yes, Boss!”
One corpse was dragged away. Starting with that, the atmosphere heated up even more. Food flew through the air, and the festival of curses, insults, and flying fists began in earnest.
Indeed, people get drunk on the atmosphere. Perhaps it was a side effect of having so many depressing drinks lately, but a rowdy drinking session where insults were traded wasn't bad at all.
One by one, people began to drop out of the festival.
“Back in my day, I took down an A-Rank Mutant with a grenade launcher….”
“That was my grenade launcher, you moron….”
Suddenly, the "Back in My Day" contest began. Are they idiots? You guys were in the same squad back then.
“Are you all getting old? Why are you collapsing already?”
“The Captain is the one who’s weird.”
Creak. Along with the sound of the door opening, Henry returned to the party.
When did he leave?
“Where did you go?”
“I just stepped out for a quick phone call.”
Since it was such a mess, I hadn't even realized who was missing. I wasn't exactly keeping my senses sharp among my subordinates, either.
“A girlfriend?”
I threw that nonsense at him while tilting my glass.
“Ah, didn't I mention there were some guys who said they couldn't make it because they were busy?”
Right, he did.
Gulp.
Bubbles rose in the glass instead of an answer.
Taking that as an affirmative, Henry continued.
“One of them said he’d come in a hurry once he heard the Captain was here.”
“Urgh. Really?”
Normally, I would have suppressed the burp, but since I was among these masculine idiots, I didn't hold back and acted on instinct.
Henry didn't seem to mind either as he quietly sat in an empty seat and tilted a beer mug that belonged to who-knows-who.
Though many had dropped out, the "Back in My Day" tournament continued.
Eventually, a fistfight broke out, and by the time another half had been eliminated…
Slide.
“Sorry I’m late.”
With the sound of the door opening, he appeared.
“Oh, isn't that Ivan? I heard you were busy. Looks like you went to the Management Bureau Defense Force?”
A man with East Asian features, wearing a gray digital camouflage uniform with high-ranking officer insignia. At a glance, he looked like a soldier, but the Management Bureau Defense Force mark was where a national flag should have been.
“Yes. I apologize for saying I couldn't make it. I’ve had a lot to deal with lately.”
“Whatever. Come and sit.”
“Heave-ho.”
Letting out such an Old Man grunt, he sat next to me and downed the transparent "water" in the beer mug.
“Ah, that’s….”
I tried to stop him, but about half of it was already in his mouth.
“….”
His face began to turn bright red. Whether out of politeness or because he couldn't spit out what was already in his mouth, he seemed to be debating whether to swallow.
Since there was nothing I could do to help, I just watched blankly. Ivan finally chose to swallow, and I heard the sound of his throat working.
“Cough. Hack. Gasp.”
Once the "water" was dealt with, he let out exaggerated coughs and swayed.
Since it was partly my fault, I patted his back. Ivan soon regained his senses and lifted his head.
“What is that? That’s not water, it’s liq—.”
Don't say that word.
“It’s water.”
“No, calling that water is—.”
“It’s water.”
Otherwise, I’ll make you drink water through your nose until you lose your memory. With that silent pressure, I brought the glass bottle filled with "water" close to his face.
“…It is water.”
Did he sense my sincerity? Ivan quietly shut his mouth and slumped his shoulders.
This guy Ivan, coming late and trying to ruin the operation.
Ignoring Ivan, who was slumped over trying to soothe his intoxication, I watched the semi-finals of the "Back in My Day" contest. I felt Ivan lift his head and twitch his lips.
He clearly had something to say but was finding it hard to speak.
“So, what have you been so busy with lately?”
So, I opened the floodgates for him. As a Captain, I should at least do this much.
“…I was in Hokkaido until recently.”
“Ah, really? Must have been tough.”
It was an incident caused by me, but I hid my emotions and replied as such.
“Yes, it’s a mess. The higher-ups are trying to find someone to pin the blame on, there’s information manipulation, and we have to find housing for the civilians… it’s chaos.”
Hmm. From the sound of it, he should be working in his sleep, yet he said he came suddenly because he heard I was here?
“…Do you want to transfer to the Assassination Unit?”
Rather than taking the fall, he might have come to ask me for a favor to quickly scrub his identity and transfer units. If I put in a word, they’d accept him to some extent.
Upon hearing my words, he made a strange expression and lifted his beer mug to wet his lips.
After waiting a moment, he slammed the mug down with a thud and spoke.
“Do you think I’m that stupid? My liability has already been cleared. Unless some moronic commander’s head rolls, the worst I’ll face is a long delay in promotion.”
That’s a big responsibility, and you say it’s nothing? Is there any reason to stay in the low-paying Defense Force other than promotion?
While I slowly gathered my thoughts, he pursed his lips and mumbled inside his mouth.
‘There is something I want to ask you.’
It seemed he wanted to tell me a secret. Mumbling in a low voice that only I could hear.
I slowly nodded in response.
‘Actually, the one who guarded the rear in the Hokkaido Battle was your clone Mutant, Captain. Black Marauder.’
“….”
I maintained no reaction and watched the "Back in My Day" finals.
Fists flew between the men.
Flying sweat and various liquids.
‘Well. It’s information that the Bureau has classified, so it’s not circulating.’
He’s really beating around the bush.
“What is it you want to say?”
It wasn't a mosquito-like buzz like Ivan’s, but I whispered back in a voice that wouldn't be heard by those around us.
Did he not want to react to that? Ivan quietly lifted his beer mug, pretending to drink while letting the beer flow.
‘Clone Mutants tend to follow the original’s personality. Well, there are many cases where it’s heavily distorted, but….’
I told him to get to the point, and he’s still circling.
‘I read an interview with that Black Marauder. Justice of the past. Only a perfect Hero with powerful, disciplined, and repeatedly forged strength can protect humanity from these Waves of the Otherworld.’
I also quietly swallowed some "water."
My own operational plans and ideology, heard in an unexpected place.
‘That ideology is spreading within the Management Bureau. After all, those who experienced the Great War are more familiar with that side.’
Clack. Clack.
Two glasses were placed on the table.
‘So, I thought I’d ask the Captain. Because you’re someone who would listen and answer without getting angry.’
Your trust in me is a bit much.
‘I’m thinking of standing with this faction. What will you do, Captain?’
“….”
Did he take my silence as neutrality?
‘It’s fine if you say you’re neutral. However, if… just in case, if you ever sympathize with Black Marauder’s ideology, please side with us.’
I saw the conclusion of the fight. The winner was the subordinate who claimed to have sniped an O-Rank esper Mutant’s eyeball with a rifle.
While he let out a roar of victory, I turned my head toward Ivan and spoke.
“I am….”