First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 42

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 42

 

The day of the consecration ceremony is at the end of March.

 

To be precise, March 27th at 6 PM.

 

‘There’s still plenty of time.’

 

Since today is the first day of March, the complete list of participating nobles probably hasn’t even been finalized yet.

 

I took my time waiting as I left the cathedral and walked through the streets of Harten.

 

Harten was a shabby and small city incomparable to Millennium in the Imperial Capital.

 

However, the people’s faces overflowed with smiles, and a pleasant vitality filled the streets.

 

Everyone seemed to be living happily.

 

“Huh? Isn’t that Asel!”

 

A middle-aged man with a bushy beard waved his hand when he saw me.

 

It was Frank, the carpenter who ran a workshop.

 

“It’s been a while, sir.”

 

“It’s been so hard to see your face lately! How’s the theology studies going?”

 

“Thanks to grandfather’s good guidance.”

 

“Kuhuhuhum! Priest Nicolaus is our village’s pride! You don’t know how surprised I was when he said he was adopting children!”

 

Asel is the alias I use here.

 

I don’t particularly hide my true appearance and go around with my black hair and blue eyes as they are.

 

Though blue eyes are a characteristic of the Imperial House, they couldn’t identify me based on that alone.

 

My appearance has changed a lot since I was young, so even people who remember 13-year-old Cael wouldn’t recognize me now.

 

“How’s young Seron doing? I heard the fruit shop owner’s son has been bothering her lately, why don’t you go say something to him.”

 

“There’s no real need to say anything. If he bothers her more, Seron will handle it herself.”

 

Seron is Deront’s alias.

 

According to our cover story, we were adopted son and daughter taken in by Nicolaus.

 

Even though our eye colors are different, we both have jet-black hair, so strangers sometimes think we’re real siblings.

 

“Kuhuhum!”

 

Frank laughed mischievously.

 

His suggestion for me to say something wasn’t serious either, he was just teasing me playfully.

 

“Youth is wonderful~ Love blooms like this~.”

 

Frank, who had been humming a strange song, suddenly made a shrill sound.

 

“Ah! Asel, come here and help me out. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old, but I’m lacking strength and this won’t cut well…”

 

After walking for about a minute to Frank’s workshop, he handed me a wooden stick.

 

The stick had a solid line drawn on it with a black pen.

 

“Originally, I should have cut all of this first and then coated it with magic, but I made a mistake in the estimate and coated it first.”

 

“I just need to cut along this line, right?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Let me borrow a sword for a moment.”

 

Frank handed me the saw he used instead of a sword.

 

Actually, the weapon didn’t matter much.

 

Whooom-

 

Aura rotated through the circuits in my body.

 

My entire body was covered in thin, blue energy and vitality surged forth.

 

Exactly 3-star level aura.

 

Since only the Pluton Sect knows that I’ve already reached 5-star, I moderate my strength appropriately in public.

 

‘It would be troublesome if things got noisy again.’

 

As before, but even more so since fleeing the Imperial Capital, I’m in a position where I must not stand out.

 

It’s best to avoid actions that would draw attention as much as possible.

 

Swoosh!

 

The wooden stick that Frank couldn’t cut no matter how hard he tried was cut along the line all too easily with one swing of my saw.

 

“My word, that’s impressive.”

 

Frank, who had been watching from the side, clapped his hands.

 

“You said you’re aspiring to be a holy knight?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

“Hornus must be happy~ if such a handsome and strong young man becomes a holy knight.”

 

“You flatter me.”

 

I handed the saw back to Frank.

 

Frank took the saw and continued looking at me fondly.

 

“Do you have any thoughts about attending an academy?”

 

“An academy?”

 

“No matter how I look at it, it’s a waste to let such talent rot in the countryside. Our Empire has many excellent academies too! Someone like you could probably pass Millennium Academy’s entrance exam.”

 

Millennium Academy.

 

An educational institution located in the Imperial Capital, called one of the world’s three great academies along with Olympus of the Western Alliance and Byeolmaseong of the Holy Kingdom.

 

Since the first-year enrollment age is seventeen, all the talented children my age would be gathered there by now.

 

‘Those guys too…’

 

Seria, Max, Carno.

 

Every time I think of them, a corner of my heart aches.

 

Imperial family members have mandatory enrollment.

 

They would enter with special selection qualifications, passing without entrance exams.

 

Even if they took the exam, there’s no way descendants of the Argent Imperial Family would fail a mere entrance exam.

 

Naturally, all three would have entered the swordsmanship department.

 

‘Are they all training hard right now?’

 

I recall how they whined on the first day of sword training, unable to endure Zeroph’s physical conditioning.

 

I wonder if they’ve improved a lot compared to then.

 

“I can’t go.”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“The enrollment period has already passed.”

 

Millennium Academy’s entrance exam is held in December, with the entrance ceremony the following March.

 

To enter, I should have applied last year, but it’s far too late now.

 

I have no intention of enrolling anyway.

 

“Is the regular entrance exam the only exam? There are also transfer exams during vacation, so give it a try!”

 

“Transfer exams are much harder than regular entrance exams.”

 

“Someone like you could definitely pass. Definitely!”

 

Listening to the middle-aged man’s nagging is starting to give me a headache.

 

I said goodbye and left Frank’s workshop.

 

The middle-aged carpenter offered me strawberry pie to eat before leaving, but I didn’t accept it.

 

And I regretted it in less than five minutes.

 

‘I’m hungry…’

 

I should have just taken it.

 

It’s delicious. Strawberry pie.

 

On my way back, I stopped by a restaurant and got fried chicken and sauce to go.

 

As soon as I entered the cathedral, Deront, who had caught the scent like a ghost, came running out.

 

“Wow! Something delicious! Something delicious!”

 

“Wipe your drool, please.”

 

Deront, who had woken up from the aftereffects of future sight, had disheveled hair and was drooling from her mouth.

 

She greedily reached out her hands to steal my fried chicken.

 

“Stop.”

 

Freeze.

 

Deront’s movement stopped.

 

Due to the master-servant contract, my command took priority over her will.

 

I stuffed all the fried chicken into my mouth without leaving a single piece in front of Deront’s eyes.

 

“That’s so mean!”

 

Deront collapsed with a thud and cried out in despair.

 

“Idiot! Stupid Cael! Pluton moron! Waaah!”

 

Actually, I could have given him a piece or so.

 

But his lively reactions were so amusing that I ended up teasing him without realizing it.

 

‘I’m sorry, so I’ll let the insults slide this once.’

 

Since Deront was crying so pitifully, the next day I stopped by the same restaurant and brought back another whole fried chicken as takeout.

 

Deront beamed with joy and ate it deliciously.

 

* * *

 

Time passed, and it was March 17th.

 

Ten days before the consecration ceremony.

 

“I’ve found out.”

 

Excluding Nicolaus, myself, Merry, Kise, Diago, and even Deront were present.

 

All those who could be called the full strength of the Pluton Sect had gathered.

 

Deront wasn’t participating in this operation, but he came to watch since he said he’d be bored alone.

 

Rustle—

 

Merry unfolded a paper.

 

Inside it was a neatly written list of nobles participating in this consecration ceremony.

 

“Among these, the easiest target is this person.”

 

Merry pointed to one name with her finger.

 

“Lord Riode. 46 years old. His power is meager, and his guard forces are at a pitiful level. What’s even more fortunate for us is that he’s not coming personally, but plans to send his 20-year-old eldest son in his place.”

 

This consecration ceremony was profitable to attend if only to avoid falling out of favor with the Order of the Sword.

 

However, the head of the family didn’t necessarily have to attend personally.

 

Sending the eldest son instead would be enough to save face.

 

From what I heard, there were quite a few families sending their eldest or second sons instead like this.

 

“Good.”

 

If it was the eldest son rather than the family head riding in the carriage, the level of the security forces would drop accordingly.

 

Attacking and switching places would be as easy as eating cold porridge.

 

‘I feel bad for Lord Riode, so I’ll have to do something for him later.’

 

I should at least send him some fried chicken as a gift.

 

The list also included several influential families I’d heard of at least once while in the Imperial Capital.

 

Among them, one name was particularly familiar.

 

‘This guy is coming too.’

 

Artie de Gamillan.

 

House of Garnian was a family that started from merchant origins and rose to the position of count, known as a model of human triumph.

 

In terms of financial power alone, it was a great house among the top five on the continent.

 

Of course, what I remembered wasn’t the family’s prestige or anything like that, but Artie herself.

 

—You should try learning magic sometime.

 

I had met her once before at the First Empress’s birthday banquet.

 

I remember her being quite timid, but I wonder if she followed the advice I gave her well.

 

If she had accepted my advice and learned magic from that time, she would have become quite a capable mage by now.

 

She might have even married someone compatible as she had wished.

 

Rustle.

 

I turned a page.

 

It seemed that the further back I went, the more powerful people’s names were written.

 

Surely the Imperial House wouldn’t be attending too.

 

“…!”

 

When I finally saw the name written at the very end of the list.

 

I couldn’t help but gasp.

 

—Seria de Argent

 

I wasn’t seeing things wrong.

 

No matter how many times I looked, it was her.

 

Seria’s name was written on the list.

 

‘It’s been a long time.’

 

This was the first time meeting her in four years since leaving the Imperial Capital.

 

My heart was pounding.

 

I couldn’t tell if it was excitement or nervousness.

 

Merry, Kise, and Diago also seemed to notice what was making me act this way after looking at the list.

 

“Your Highness…”

 

Merry looked at me with a worried expression.

 

“There won’t be a chance for conversation.”

 

Diago also spoke as if trying to calm my agitation.

 

“The gap between Lord Riode’s eldest son and the Empire’s princess is too vast for them to exchange words. If you’re lucky, you might exchange a few words, but it would be better not to have too high expectations…”

 

“Your Highness, do whatever you want!”

 

Kise grinned and interrupted Diago’s words.

 

“It’s not your real face anyway, right? Since we’re already disguising ourselves, just go for it boldly. Let’s do everything we want without regrets.”

 

No.

 

I appreciate the sentiment, but that won’t happen.

 

Just confirming from afar that she’s doing well would be enough.

 

My surname is no longer ‘Argent.’

 

From that day four years ago, those guys and I became complete strangers with no relationship whatsoever.

 

“Let’s focus on our objective.”

 

When I made my eyes shine sharply, everyone showed relieved expressions.

 

“The location where the consecration ceremony will be held is ‘Nelbern,’ a satellite city not far from the Imperial City.”

 

Merry continued speaking.

 

“Using Kise’s warp magic, the movement itself will be quick, but considering we need to ambush Lord Riode’s eldest son midway and steal his identity, we should start preparing soon.”

 

“Good. Which way is his territory?”

 

Mages who can use teleport or warp are really rare and extremely expensive.

 

Someone like Lord Riode wouldn’t be able to enjoy such conveniences, so he’d definitely travel by carriage.

 

“It’s countryside at the eastern edge of the Empire. To get from there to Nelbern by carriage, they must pass through ‘Buehern.'”

 

“Then we just need to arrive at Buehern first and wait.”

 

Buehern.

 

It was a city that served as a trade route connecting the Imperial City and the eastern territories.

 

Our first destination was decided.

 

“Everyone pack your things. Kise, set up the warp point.”

 

“Kyaaang…”

 

Kise’s disgusting sound effect, whether it was aegyo or a scream, brushed past my ears.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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