First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 44

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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 44

 

“Simple enough.”

 

Diago spun his spear once in a circle before strapping it to his back.

 

“They had numbers but weren’t much to look at.”

 

“I don’t think that’s right? The guy who seemed to be their leader was quite skilled at 4-star level. You’re just ridiculously strong.”

 

“Is that so? Well, your magic was impressive too, Kise.”

 

There were no living bandits left in the vicinity.

 

Where Diago’s spear and Kise’s flames had swept through, the bandits’ corpses were piled high.

 

Merry didn’t even glance in that direction, as if finding it disgusting.

 

‘She’s surprisingly fastidious.’

 

Ahead, I could see a young man in neat clothes trembling.

 

That must be the eldest son of House of Riod.

 

“Hey.”

 

I called out to him.

 

“What’s this situation about?”

 

“…Huh? Ah, yes! I’ll explain everything.”

 

The eldest son of Riod began explaining the whole story with gestures.

 

“I am Jerbran de Riod, the eldest son of Lord Riode. I was traveling from my hometown to Nelbern for the consecration ceremony when I was attacked by bandits…”

 

“Don’t tell me a noble traveled alone without any guards?”

 

Jerbahn’s expression darkened.

 

“No. The guards were all… by those bastards…”

 

“I see how it happened.”

 

I nodded.

 

Though he was a noble, it seemed the financial resources of a baron’s house weren’t enough to hire decent guards.

 

“Can you stand up?”

 

I extended my arm toward Jerbahn.

 

“Ah, yes. Thank you for saving me. Fortunately, I’m not injured, so I think I can stand up by myself.”

 

“No. There’s no need for that.”

 

“…What?”

 

Jerbahn looked up at me with a puzzled expression for a moment.

 

Thwack!

 

I swung the hand I had extended and struck Jerbahn’s neck.

 

“Urgh.”

 

Jerbahn let out a gasp and collapsed unconscious.

 

Kise, who had been watching the scene from the side, clicked his tongue.

 

“Wow… As expected of the Prince. You show no mercy.”

 

“What’s the point of keeping him awake longer? We’re already running behind schedule.”

 

I took off my robe and pulled out the Trickster’s pendant from the collar.

 

As I held it in my hand and concentrated, I felt a tingling sensation as my appearance gradually changed.

 

The transformation was instantaneous.

 

“How is it?”

 

I asked, looking around at Kise, Merry, and Diago.

 

“Is it perfect?”

 

They checked my face and all answered in unison.

 

“It’s identical.”

 

“Even Lord Riode himself wouldn’t recognize the difference.”

 

“There shouldn’t be any worry about being discovered because of appearance.”

 

I gestured slightly toward Jerbahn and said.

 

“Good. Let’s just dump this guy at an inn and go. By the time he wakes up, we’ll have already arrived in Nelbern.”

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

Mana flowed from Kise’s fingertips and seeped into Jerbahn.

 

It was a fatigue recovery spell that maintained nutrition during sleep to prevent deficiency.

 

“He’ll sleep soundly for about ten days with this.”

 

“Good.”

 

But I didn’t stop there.

 

I stripped Jerbahn of all his clothes except his underwear and put them on myself.

 

Originally, I was about a span shorter, but thanks to the sacred artifact adjusting even my body shape, the clothes fit perfectly like they were tailored.

 

I roughly dressed Jerbahn in the robe I had been wearing.

 

Crackle-!

 

A small crack suddenly opened in the air.

 

It was a subspace technique for storing items.

 

I reached into the black crack and pulled out a brown bag.

 

“You know you’d be dead if it weren’t for us, right? Or your family would have gone bankrupt trying to raise your ransom. Since we saved you from that fate, let’s call it even with this.”

 

Even I wasn’t completely without guilt.

 

I put the bag into Jerbahn’s robe pocket.

 

It was fried chicken I had bought in Harten.

 

“Enjoy it when you wake up.”

 

* * *

 

We couldn’t take a carriage to Nelbern.

 

The carriage Jerbahn had arrived in was completely destroyed, and the horses had already fled.

 

Kise didn’t have a warp point installed in Nelbern either.

 

So we decided to warp to the Imperial City and then walk to Nelbern.

 

Finally, the day of the consecration ceremony.

 

“So this is Nelbern.”

 

The scenery of Nelbern, a satellite city of the Imperial City, wasn’t much different from the Imperial City itself.

 

High-rise buildings constructed with excellent technology lined the streets, and the citizens’ faces were full of leisure.

 

Just as the temples of the Celestial Deities including Gabriel were built in the Imperial City.

 

Here in Nelbern, numerous sects of various neutral deities were located.

 

And among them, a particularly large and splendid temple caught my eye.

 

Kise spoke up.

 

“I can see it. Our destination.”

 

It was the Temple of the God of Swords, jokingly called one of the ‘Big Three’ neutral deities along with the God of Lightning and the God of Stars.

 

A sect that possessed that many followers and priests.

 

As we entered the temple, priests wearing stoles embroidered vertically with sword emblems were busily moving about in preparation for the consecration ceremony.

 

Among them were ordinary priests, but occasionally bishops and cardinals could be seen as well.

 

“How may I help you?”

 

A young priest approached us with a bright smile.

 

I greeted him according to the etiquette I had learned while living in the Imperial Capital, placing one arm against my chest and bowing my head.

 

“I am Jerbran de Riod, the eldest son of Lord Riode. I have come to participate in the consecration ceremony. These are my escort knights.”

 

I gestured toward Merry, Kise, and Diago, who had their faces hidden behind full armor.

 

The priest looked them over once and let out an exclamation.

 

“Wow, they all have really fierce auras. They seem worthy of being chosen by the esteemed Lord Riode.”

 

“You flatter me.”

 

I felt slightly uneasy.

 

Was this what it meant to be a priest serving the God of Swords?

 

To notice the aura these people gave off at first glance.

 

“The consecration ceremony will be held in the Grand Cathedral on the 1st Floor. If you go straight ahead and open the door you see, you’ll be able to enter.”

 

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to realize that this wasn’t the kind of intimidating presence that mere knights of a baron’s house should possess.

 

We were escorted by the priest into the Grand Cathedral.

 

Though there were still a few hours until the consecration ceremony, countless people were already seated inside the sanctuary.

 

There were some faces I recognized from the list Merry had investigated.

 

‘Lucian de Blade. The eldest son of the Duchy of Blade.’

 

A clever-looking boy with black hair and eyes.

 

He was of the bloodline of the Duchy of Blade, whose family had served as the Empire’s chancellors for generations.

 

The Duchy of Blade was counted among the Empire’s five great noble houses alongside Ifrit, Garnian, and others.

 

It wouldn’t hurt to remember him.

 

‘That one is Lessor de Balkaud. The second son of the Viscounty of Balkaud.’

 

A plump build. A boy with a somewhat mischievous impression.

 

He was a scion of the Viscounty of Balkaud, a prestigious family that dominated the western part of the Empire.

 

‘Floelle de Arpel. The eldest daughter of the County of Arpel.’

 

A beautiful girl with a pure and radiant smile.

 

She seemed to be the daughter that Count Arpel, a Sword Master, cherished dearly.

 

Besides these, there were countless noble families participating in the consecration ceremony.

 

They were all influential figures of the Empire with considerable power.

 

I was gradually realizing how significant the political implications of this consecration ceremony were.

 

“My, what a bustling crowd.”

 

Diago cracked his neck from side to side as if his body felt stiff.

 

“There are seats over there. It looks like we can go sit over there.”

 

I turned my gaze in the direction Diago pointed.

 

Coincidentally, someone I knew was sitting in the seat next to it.

 

‘…Right. She said she was coming too.’

 

A girl with beautiful purple hair flowing down to her waist.

 

It was Artie de Gamillan, the eldest daughter of House of Garnian.

 

Just like that day four years ago, she had an indifferent look in her eyes as if she wasn’t particularly interested in her surroundings.

 

Swoosh.

 

When I went and sat in the seat next to her, Artie showed a reaction.

 

Though it was just a brief glance to the side.

 

Soon she turned her gaze away again as if uninterested.

 

‘Still the same.’

 

Since I had no intention of making conversation either, I paid no mind and stared forward.

 

But soon.

 

I understood why no one had sat next to this girl until now.

 

Whoosh.

 

A sudden surge of intense pressure.

 

I rolled my eyes to identify the source.

 

“…”

 

An old knight, presumably Artie’s guard, was openly emanating intimidation.

 

The people around seemed unaffected, as if he was controlling his aura to reach only me.

 

Even Artie herself seemed unaware of this outrageous behavior.

 

‘What a rude bastard.’

 

Of course, there was no way I would be fazed by this level of pressure.

 

When I maintained a nonchalant demeanor as if it was nothing, the knight’s expression changed.

 

His face seemed to say, ‘Well, look at this?’

 

Grooooo-

 

The pressure intensified further.

 

If it had been an ordinary human receiving this aura instead of me, they would have already vomited and fainted.

 

But I maintained my natural attitude.

 

It was the same even when the pressure intensified by another level.

 

“Hehe.”

 

Finally, the old knight seemed to give up and withdrew his aura.

 

Then he immediately spoke to me.

 

“Who might you be, sir?”

 

I answered in a somewhat sharp voice.

 

“Before asking that, shouldn’t you first reveal your own identity as a matter of courtesy? Especially if you’ve made the other party uncomfortable by rudely emanating your aura.”

 

“Hehe, that was my mistake. I simply didn’t like seeing an outside man sitting next to the young lady.”

 

“Sir Chadman. What did you do while I wasn’t aware?”

 

A refreshing and beautiful voice like bursting fruit juice.

 

Artie, who was sitting between the old knight and me, had joined the conversation.

 

“I apologize, young lady. I will gladly accept punishment when we return to the main house.”

 

The old knight stood up from his seat and bowed in apology.

 

Artie shook her head and made eye contact with me.

 

“I am Artie de Gamillan, eldest daughter of House of Garnian. This is Buckle Chadman, my personal guard. I don’t know what my knight did wrong, but I will apologize on his behalf.”

 

“It’s fine. Actually, I wasn’t that displeased.”

 

Since the other party had revealed their identity first, it would be proper for me to do the same.

 

Indeed, Artie was staring at me intently as if she had more to say.

 

“I am Jerbahn de Riod, eldest son of Lord Riode’s family.”

 

“Ah, you’re from Lord Riode’s family. The house that protects the far eastern territory of Albren, correct? I regularly use potatoes and herbs from Albren myself.”

 

“That’s very kind of you to say.”

 

Well, look at that.

 

She knew this much detail about Lord Riode’s family, a countryside house I had never even heard of before?

 

As the eldest daughter of House of Garnian, one of the centers of the Empire’s social circles, this girl must have made tremendous efforts as well.

 

Swoosh.

 

Artie extended her hand to me.

 

Was she asking for a handshake?

 

I grasped her hand.

 

‘This is.’

 

On Artie’s index finger was a ring set with amethyst.

 

Did she end up getting married?

 

No, seeing that it was on her index finger and not her ring finger, it wasn’t a wedding ring but…

 

“Is it an artifact?”

 

When I asked while looking at the ring, Artie was surprised.

 

“You have excellent discernment. That’s right. It’s an artifact that helps with mana manipulation.”

 

An artifact that helps with mana manipulation.

 

‘So she did end up learning magic.’

 

Artie seemed to have accepted my advice and chosen the path of a mage.

 

Sure enough.

 

Upon closer observation, I could feel an intense flow of mana from her body that was incomparable to before.

 

Four years since I met this girl at the Imperial Capital’s banquet.

 

From my perspective, it was like a fleeting moment.

 

But for humans, it was sufficient time to achieve such dramatic change.

 

Boooo-

 

Bam bam ba bam!

 

The powerful melody of brass instruments echoed throughout the sanctuary.

 

I checked my watch.

 

‘There’s still a little time left before the consecration ceremony?’

 

I turned my head.

 

A voice that seemed to tear vocal cords burst out from the direction of the door.

 

“The rising star of the Empire, Her Highness Princess Seria de Argent, is entering!”

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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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