Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: EP.54 Those Trying to Erase - 1
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"Fantasy Cocktail?"
Lucille and Veronica tilted their heads, and Luinen looked puzzled as well. And why wouldn't they? The fantasy cocktail Cecil was talking about wasn't something known to the public.
"What's that?"
"A cocktail made with my special recipe. But Veronica, you're a priestess—why are you interested? Is it okay for you to drink like that?"
"The church that allows marriage isn't going to complain about drinking, is it? The gods are generous."
*I wonder why that generous god is so strict with me.*
Anyway, both Lucille and Luinen seemed quite curious and were staring at me intently.
And Leventia, who knew what it was, couldn't even lift her head.
"Cecil. I don't need to ask how you found out about it."
*Claire, Evangeline, or Leventia. One of the three. That's the cocktail I only made for them. And it's probably Leventia out of the three.*
"I'm just curious how delicious it has to be to be called a fantasy cocktail. They say it relaxes your body when you're tired, makes your mind hazy, and after a few glasses, you fall asleep right away and wake up feeling refreshed the next day."
"Hmm..."
"I've tried quite a few cocktails myself, but I've never tasted one like that. So, what do you say?"
"Hey, disciple. If you've invented a new recipe, you should show it to your master too."
"It's not really something worth showing..."
But everyone here was already brimming with anticipation. *Ha. It's really nothing special.*
I looked at them and sighed.
"Don't we have Meister?"
I pulled out a dark brown liquor characterized by its herbal scent and sweetness, similar to Jaegermeister in the real world. Then, I took out some alchemy and pharmacology ingredients from my bag.
They were all common materials, so everyone was watching with curious eyes.
I ground herbs, squeezed fruit juice, heated it, added a few more ingredients.
After making a few potions like that and mixing in carbonation, it started bubbling.
Then, even some potion-making.
I transferred the finished golden liquid into a bottle and took a small taste.
*Mmm. Yeah, this is the taste.*
I poured the mixed potion little by little into glasses made of ice.
As the potion entered the rich brown Meister, it naturally melted and blended, emitting a subtle glow, creating a golden cocktail.
Seeing it, Cecil covered her lips in admiration.
"Indeed. It's beautiful enough to be called fantasy. Such a pure golden color... But why did you make five glasses?"
Cecil, Lucille, Luinen, Veronica.
And the last one.
I handed a glass to Leventia, who was staring blankly at me.
"....A-Are you giving one to me too?"
"Were you just going to suck your thumb in the back?"
"That's... not it.... I-Is it okay?"
*Better to feed her and put her to sleep than leave her be and cause unnecessary trouble.*
Whether she knew my intentions or not, Leventia hesitated before taking the glass.
But she couldn't bring herself to drink it, while the others brought their glasses to their lips and gulped it down.
"Puha... This is good?"
"It feels like my fatigue is recovering. Give me another!"
"It's a bit... strong..."
"That's the buzz. Princess. Good. I'll use Drunken Cure on you."
She lightly swung her staff. In an instant, a faint green light enveloped Lucille, and her buzz faded quite a bit, her eyes widening in surprise.
"How is it?"
"Am-Amazing."
"Hehe. Very few people can use this spell. Consider it an honor. Anyway, it really does recover fatigue... Sage. What did you put in it earlier?"
What else? Fatigue recovery potion.
It was a fatigue recovery drink made by combining a recipe obtained by unlocking certain achievements—one of the game's Easter eggs, commemorating the developers who supposedly lived on it every day.
Mixed with alcohol, it made the buzz hit faster and was great for recovering fatigue and stress, so most players used it.
"Want another?"
"By the way, drink too much of this and you'll pass out quick? It's sneakily strong."
"What? Underestimating Archduke Cecil? A mage of my caliber doesn't get done in by alcohol! One Drunken Cure clears it right up...!"
I don't doubt Drunken Cure, but I question if you'll be able to cast properly if you keep drinking this.
But since everyone was smacking their lips and wanting more, I looked at Leventia, who still hadn't drunk hers. She remained stiff, holding her glass.
"Are you performing a ritual?"
"No..."
"Drink up. Then my disciple will make another."
Following Luinen, the others chimed in, urging her.
Finally, Leventia squeezed her eyes shut and downed it in one go.
Though the glass was different, seeing her like that brought back old memories.
Back then in the evenings, after dinner, when the hero party's stress and fatigue became too much to recover from with their abuse and scolding toward me, I'd make that for them.
They'd drink until they were blackout drunk and pass out.
Even back then, Leventia would down her drinks like that in one shot.
Even if I made it intending to put them to sleep, chugging hard liquor like that was a bit much.
"Puha..."
A flush of intoxication began to spread across Leventia's face. From what I knew of her tolerance, about five glasses ahead.
I checked the others' current buzz and made more cocktails.
"Puhaaa..."
When I handed her the fourth monster cocktail, Cecil's eyes were half-lidded. She twitched her staff and grinned foolishly, so I nodded.
*I knew it.*
Cecil was now blackout drunk. In this state, she couldn't cast magic even if her life depended on it.
Confirming her, I snatched the glass from Lucille, who was blushing and about to take another sip.
"Ah? M-Master?"
"That's enough."
"Nooo... You made it, Master... A-And Drunken Cure..."
"Archduke Cecil seems out of it."
Only then did Lucille snap out of it and look at Cecil. The mage who was supposed to cast spells for her was drunk—what now?
Lucille panicked, and I smiled, handing her water.
"Drink a lot of water and you'll be fine. But studying today is impossible."
"Yeees..."
Lucille out for now. I turned to Veronica. Her small, pale face was only slightly flushed.
*Wow. This girl's tolerance is no joke? She's had like six already, and she's holding up.*
"You can hold your liquor."
"Before becoming a cardinal, I snuck into the church's wine cellar often."
"Oh ho."
"What else do idle nuns do in the convent?"
"Study?"
"Hehe."
She wagged her finger teasingly, took a sip of her cocktail, and rested her sharp chin on her hand on the table.
"Wanna guess?"
She popped the cherry garnish into her mouth whole.
"If you can't, you owe me another. But if you do, I'll grant one wish."
"Correct! Wine thievery!"
"Hehehe."
She lightly ran her finger over the cocktail glass. Then, winking one eye, she opened her mouth. On her extended tongue lay the neatly placed cherry pit and stem.
The stem was tied neatly.
*Impressive tongue work.*
"I didn't steal it. I paid for it. Hehe. Learned a lot there. About alcohol and such."
"Tch. Who knew the church taught that."
It was unimaginable in the game, and not in Veronica's backstory either—surprising.
As I looked bewildered, Veronica giggled and held out her glass.
"Even the all-knowing Sage doesn't know everything? Hehe. Wrong, so one more."
"But drink in moderation. What about tomorrow?"
"Hehe. Don't underestimate my tolerance?"
Fair enough. I poured her another and looked at Luinen. Had other customers come? He'd left his seat and was making cocktails elsewhere.
Then... the ones left.
I handed a water glass to Cecil, who was humming a tune with her flushed face, holding her glass.
Getting rowdy when drunk is a headache, so sober her up or get her fully wasted.
"Drink some water."
"Euuuum... One more..."
"You'll collapse if you drink more."
"So what...? I'm the Archduke. And there was even an assassination attempt today... So sometimes I need to get like this, right?"
True, with her birthday just days away and an attempt already, her mood must be foul. Might as well pour one more and up the count.
Whether she blacks out or not is her problem.
I poured Cecil another, then looked at the last one.
Leventia.
Having drunk her fourth cocktail already, she stared blankly at the last glass.
Her wavering eyes fixed on the rim of the glass.
The pure white moon reflected in the hole pierced through the ice castle.
Gazing at the round moon submerged in the liquor, she murmured softly.
"...You once said... drinking alcohol is like drinking the moon..."
Was it the alcohol? Or the drinking atmosphere?
Normally, she couldn't even talk to me properly, but Leventia was cautiously parting her lips.
But her gaze wasn't fixed on me. The white moon in the glass.
Perhaps she was seeing the past when I first made this cocktail for her.
"And I..."
"Cut the nonsense that doesn't suit you. And..."
Leventia's shoulders trembled slightly. We both knew what came next.
Finally, she couldn't hold back and downed the liquor in one go.
No, she downed the ever-changing moon in one go.
As if hoping the past within her would change.
"...I can only say I'm sorry."
"I told Claire too—since it was for defeating the Demon King, I'm fine."
"...But you got hurt."
"True."
Yes. Just as her past wouldn't change, our relationship wouldn't either.
Leventia's head drooped further, her shoulders shaking more.
Drops of water fell one by one from her bowed head.
Seeing the water drops enter the glass instead of the moon she'd swallowed, mixing into the remaining liquor, I took the glass.
"Last one, so drink and go sleep."
"You... remember. My tolerance..."
"Yeah."
Leventia clenched her fist. I gave her the final cocktail of the night, and she carefully lifted the glass, drank, then supported the staggering Cecil and stood.
"...Again. Even like this..."
"Master... one more water pleeease..."
Lucille raised her hand, interrupting Leventia. I glanced at Leventia then turned to Lucille.
Between Lucille and Leventia right now, obviously Lucille was more important.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeeees..."
"Friend. Can't you pay a little attention to me? One more."
"Yeah, yeah."
I glanced at Leventia. She looked regretful with Cecil leaning on her, but it was no use.
My place right now was here.
In the end, I ended up taking care of the passed-out drunk Lucille and Veronica, who was clinging to me mumbling nonsense.
I carried Veronica on my back—she had her arms tight around my neck, her long legs locked around my waist, breathing sweet alcoholic breath on my nape—and held Lucille, who was hugging my arm, back to the room, barely managing to place them on the bed.
*Ugh, tiring.*
Don't drink like this elsewhere. Seriously.
"Euuuum... Muumuu..."
Bragged about her tolerance and look at her.
Lady Killer cocktails are like that. Tasty, goes down easy, keep drinking and suddenly you're wasted.
Hope she learned something.
I looked at Veronica wriggling, emanating sweet liquor scent, and brushed her face.
"Hottt..."
This girl, really.
The long slit in her black nun habit skirt was fully flipped up, exposing her long white legs wrapped in black stockings, but she was completely out.
No, her heated skin was beaded with sweat—guess she really was hot. Somehow she'd unbuttoned while unable to control her body; the shoulder of the habit had slipped down.
Revealing black lingerie unfit for a priestess and the large, well-shaped white breasts it cradled half-exposed, I hurriedly grabbed her hand and laid her down.
"Wanna take it ooff... stockings too tighttt..."
Cardinal. If the church sees you like this, you're on alcohol ban for a while.
"Hey! Drink this and sleep."
"Euuu... Nooo... Gonna buuurst..."
"If you don't drink and sleep, you'll die of hangover tomorrow? Not playing tomorrow?"
Midway, my fatigue recovery ran out, so she gulped down other cocktails I made. Not special ones, so the buzz piled up—definite hangover tomorrow.
Good thing I could make a potion to reduce hangover even if not as good as Drunken Cure. Otherwise... whew.
I supported the resisting Veronica and fed her the potion.
"Euuung... Eeeeng... Uuup... Feed meee..."
*Already feeding you.*
Only after seeing the medicine go down her small mouth did I properly lay her down.
Whether the medicine kicked in or not, all tension left her body.
After covering her collapsed on the bed with a fluffy feather blanket, I went to cover Lucille on the other bed to let her sleep and was about to leave.
"...Don't... gooo... Hyunwoo... Come... come... Euu..."
*Knock knock.*
Beyond Veronica's faint moans came a knock. I lightly stroked her groaning head and said.
"Be right back."
Only then did she relax, her breathing evening out. Hearing her soft snoring, I got up and went outside.
*Who at this hour?*
Another knock. I opened the door to find Vermund.
"What? This late. Nightmare?"
"...If only. I dug into the assassins' backs."
"Oh. Yeah? Who are they?"
He paused, sighed heavily, then revealed what he'd uncovered.
"Guys dreaming of reviving the Demon King. Organization name...."
"Black Rebels."
"...You know?"
Yeah.
No achievement for catching them, and if left alone, they revive the Demon King. Scum.