25. drunk (3)
“It smells like Vivian. Here.”
Kati spoke in a whisper and lightly touched the edge of my lips with her thumb.
“… … .”
I remembered the incident that had happened earlier when I was laying Vivian down.
that… . If you have to ask, am I a victim?
That Vivian, who was drunk and having fun, was like a joke.
I don’t know what was accumulated in my heart, but I didn’t mean it, but Vivien made a mistake because I was drunk?
I feel bad too, man.
No, it’s strange for me to be unfair to you and to explain… .
“Well… .”
couldn’t say
If I said that, something, something would happen.
I’m not sure what that’s going on.
Anyway, I felt a crisis that something big was going to happen.
“Ugh… .”
Kati lowered her head slightly and let out a sticky breath.
She lowered the corners of her eyes and looked at me with sad, slightly troubled eyes.
And then
“sorry… .”
He said and buried his face in my shoulder.
Kati’s body trembled slightly as she hugged me tightly.
“… are you crying?”
“… … .”
“Hey, why all of a sudden… .”
Kati leaned against me and shook her face.
Even if I denied it, my body continued to tremble little by little, and the strength that embraced me gradually grew stronger.
It was also easy to see that the crying made breathing difficult.
After a few minutes, Kati raised her head again.
He said he hadn’t cried, and the area around his eyes was red.
“I don’t cry.”
“… … .”
“Why are you crying?”
Kati, who moved her lips as if to say something, spoke like a sigh.
“Waiting… It’s too hard… .”
“What… .”
I was about to ask what I was waiting for, but I kept my mouth shut.
Summer is coming to an end, and after fall, the war will begin.
However, it is unknown how long it will take from the start of the war to the death of the demon king again.
“you… I want to monopolize… . Why are there so many enemies around… .”
“enemy?”
Are there many enemies around?
… Fruit warriors?
“Little what. Warriors are just warriors. Of course, it’s true that he’s a precious person to me, but it’s different from that. It’s different from you.”
“How are you different from me?”
“Yeah, you said… .”
“word?”
“that… . no, wait. Because they don’t have a heart like you in the first place.”
“… … .”
Katie stared at me without saying a word.
“master.”
Then, suddenly, he pushed his face closer to me.
The smell of breath is blatantly reaching.
A short gap between the lips.
It is dangerous, as if someone would touch it if they raised their chin.
With their foreheads crossed, she looks into my eyes with cat eyes.
“Don’t provoke me.”
What prompted me… .
“Because I’m still barely holding on.”
Whoa.
Kati sighed deeply and muttered in passing while slightly furrowing her brows.
“Shall I make sure… .”
“what?”
“no. nothing.”
Kati’s eyes kept going down and up again and again.
A pink tongue slowly licked her lips and then went back.
Kati stared at me with moist eyes and called me again.
“master.”
“why.”
“I’m drunk.”
“I see.”
At first, I wondered if he was doing this on purpose.
But I quickly changed my mind.
Even so, he is not a guy who can rub so closely with his sober mind.
“So. Please forget about what happened today as a mistake.”
Katie said, wiping my lips with her thumb.
It was a somewhat bittersweet voice.
“… How can I forget this?”
Is it possible to forget this shocking appearance?
Perhaps understanding it differently, Kati pricked up her ears and tilted her head.
“Are you saying you won’t forget what happened with me?”
“Why do you interpret it that way?”
“Am I wrong?”
“If you look at it logically, it’s true… . No, it’s not wrong, it’s different!”
“Hmm… .”
Katy stares at me.
Their faces are so close that you can still feel their breath.
I could even feel my body temperature because they climbed on top of me and held me close to me.
Obviously both are wearing clothes, but they are warm.
I must have had a fever because I was drunk.
“It’s really hard to bear, but… . Let’s be patient a little longer. I’ll be satisfied with this for today… .”
Saying that, Kati brought her left hand to her mouth and kissed it.
To be precise, on the white ring of subordination on the ring finger of the left hand.
-Chew-up… .
With a sticky sound, Kati’s soft pink lips pressed against the ring and then fell.
As I kissed the ring, my eyes were defiantly fixed on me.
-Chung… .
Kati’s kiss didn’t end.
As if licking the ring with moist lips, as if coveting it, as if devouring it.
-Cheup… .
He made a sticky sound and rubbed his lips against the ring.
Even so, the eyes on me do not fall.
Saliva stretched thin between her wet lips and the ring, then dripped.
“… … .”
After kissing the ring, Kati buried her head on my shoulder again.
“Today, I’m sorry… .”
I was pulled by Kati’s tail again and forced to stroke her back.
‘No matter what, I have to kill the demon king first to make the frustrating situation better.’
We cannot arbitrarily advance the timing of the war.
War itself is a great mess.
You never know what will change even with a small change.
‘There’s nothing good about going outside the flow I know. It may change in your favor, but you can’t ignore the odds of it changing unfavorably.’
However, strengthening the internal stability of the empire and mankind before the war is more likely to bring about favorable changes than unfavorable changes.
I have always acted like that.
‘It’s good to grow fruits… . It would be better to raise the overall power.’
The thing about the acquisition of the Managers Guild that Marie talked about.
I must have disclosed the name Philip, there is nothing I cannot do.
‘First of all, we have to train the fruits more systematically and definitely by receiving the land. Katie won’t be hiding anymore. Guild takeover can proceed at the same time.’
Whether you know what I think or not.
Kati, who was leaning on my shoulder and reflecting, lifted her head and looked at me, then tilted her head again like a cat.
“Nyan?”
He smiled, but it wasn’t a comfortable smile.
*
the next morning.
I woke up early and cooked soup for hangover.
They start walking out of the tent one by one as if they smelled it.
Mercy was the first to come out.
“Manau… .”
“What is he saying now.”
“Muaha but go…” .”
“Eat and wake up.”
“Huh… .”
Mercy sat down and drank the soup bit by bit.
You probably won’t even remember what happened yesterday.
Every time.
Next came Kati.
“master.”
“yes. Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes. What about the owner?”
“I have no reason not to be okay.”
Kati sat next to Mercy and ate soup.
Then, three fruits sprinted out.
“Hello… .”
“good morning… .”
“Um, does it smell good?”
Unlike Vivian and Helena, who struggled to see if they were still drunk, Lucia was fine.
“Is Lucia okay?”
“yes. What… . Are you strangely fine?”
“Do you even remember?”
“A little bit? It’s a little blurry after Vivian unnie left.”
Vivian and Helena sat down and ate their soup in silence.
“I will eat well… .”
After eating some hot soup, his expression became more relaxed.
Lucia, who was belatedly holding a spoon, said as if passing by.
“I’m so glad. Because I clearly remember Vivian unnie’s atrocities.”
Startle.
At that, Vivian stopped her spoon.
Her eyes trembled anxiously as she looked at Lucia.
“I-I… . something yesterday… . Did you… ?”
Lucia replied with a smirk.
“It was cute.”
Of course there was no answer.
Vivian looked at me for an explanation, but I had nothing to say.
‘I’m an adult too… .’
I brushed off Vivian, who was lying on the floor with a blush that came to mind.
“Ugh… . What, what… ! What the hell did I do? yes… ?”
“Is it because it was cute?”
“Don’t tell me… !”
Lucia hummed and savored the soup, while Vivian ate the soup anxiously.
“Do you remember Helena?”
Helena, who was eating absentmindedly, shook her head.
“I do not know… . When I woke up, I was sleeping with Mercy… . Maybe I have something… .”
“don’t worry. Helena was very calm.”
“Is that so… .”
Relieved, Helena let out a small sigh.
Vivian, on the other hand, was more anxious.
“I, what have I done… ! I’m curious too… !”
“Well. Do you flirt with other people?”
Lucia answered calmly.
“Ah, aegyo… ?”
Vivian’s hands trembled.
“I, I… ? Really… ?”
It seemed unbelievable, but it was absolutely true.
Lucia didn’t tell me any more.
I met eyes with Kati, another person who was as normal as Lucia.
asked telepathically.
‘Seeing that you’re fine, you don’t seem to remember either?’
How can you do that and be so calm?
Of course I don’t remember… .
[no.]
… uh?
[I remember everything.]
‘What?’
[It’s just that my true intention came out because I was drunk. Alcohol may be what makes a person sincere.]
It’s absurd for a second.
I wanted to applaud Kati for her confidence and brazenness.
It’s downright awe-inspiring.
How can you be like that?
‘But it’s true… .’
[That, too, is self-respecting.]
‘What do you care about… . Oh no. Don’t answer me.’
*
The return of Superbia was very noisy.
It was because of the activities of the fruit warriors.
From manager monthly magazines to small newsletters, of course.
From the bulletin board where the story of the warrior is written down to the cubic child of the people.
There was no place where their names and performances did not go up and down.
It was worth it.
So far, most of the warriors’ activities have been passed on through word of mouth.
Who said that, and how?
In fact, it was rare to see the scene directly and pass it on.
However, in this official hero test, hundreds of people watched the battle.
They were enthusiastic, angry, sad, cheering, and immersed in battle in real time.
It was inevitable that the rumors would spread more violently.
“Ahh… .”
Vivian couldn’t come to her senses from the crowd.
Now that I’ve only become an official hero, it’s not without my influence that I’m getting so much attention.
There is still a lot of talk about how to call this party.
Is it Ian’s party or Philip’s party?
Or was it the first Vivian party that came in?
I didn’t care because the name wasn’t that important.
I arrived at the manager guild before I knew it.
“Vivian, Helena, Lucia. The three of you have been promoted to Class C Heroes and Official Heroes starting today.”
The receptionist, neatly dressed in uniform, handed over his new warrior license and greeted him formally.
“Congratulations. Good luck in the future.”
Vivian’s eyes sparkled like a child’s, Helena held up her license aloft, and Lucia smiled contentedly.
By the time the party was promoted to official warriors.
A message came from the emperor.
There were two dragons.
The territory to be given to me has been decided.
The warp portal technology was completed, and it was a request to participate in the opening ceremony.
It is said that at the opening ceremony, he will be given a manor and even a title.
*
“Ian. To you who have dedicated yourself as a pillar of the empire, I bestow the title of count in the name of Julianus Apostata Humil. This is the empire’s answer and expectation for your dedication.”
“I will do my best.”
I knelt down in front of the emperor and said.
Wearing a suit and a furry coat that nobles would wear was quite stuffy.
The emperor moved his sword over me.
Parietal, left shoulder, right shoulder, parietal.
The awarding ceremony ended with a total of four touches.
Seonghwang then came to me and blessed me.
“I have no doubt that the second apostle, Ian, will be blessed with light, and that your footsteps will guide the stray igniter and the wandering ashes.”
At this meeting, it was even announced that I was the second apostle.
“thank you.”
After saying goodbye, I got up from my seat.
This is the public hall on the highest level in the Julian Palace.
It is a seat used by the imperial family when an important issue is declared to the imperial people.
It was an open place in all directions, so the blue sky of late summer spread out.
The surroundings were filled with the youngest princess Grace and other emperor’s children and their families, as well as palace butlers and maids, as well as nobles and royalty from other places.
They all smiled at me and clapped their hands.
‘I must be tired from now on.’
and down the stairs.
“—!”
There was a crowd bursting out with a noise that was hard to catch.
The crowd viewed from above was so dense that it looked like a swarm of ants.
In fact, my consecration ceremony is not such an important event as to use the public hall.
The key today is the commercialization of warp portals.
The day has come.
I raised my head again and looked at my party in the front row of seats for nobles.
Kati, Mercy, Vivian, Helena, Lucia.
What was so thrilling about it, Mercy, Strawberry, and Orange even had tears in their eyes.
Kati and Lucia just smiled happily.
I smiled and shook my hand briefly.
“Then from now on. There will be a first implementation of the warp portal!”
The imperial spokesperson shouted, and Iris, who had been waiting, came out and explained.
It completely matched the way I knew it to work.
It was something like that, which could synchronize the wave frequency of the magic stone that embodies the warp portal with other warp portals to come and go.
I don’t know the detailed principle either.
After Iris explained, I went down the stairs with the emperor and nobles.
This was because the first warp portal was outside the main gate of the imperial palace.
I felt deaf to the cheers of the people of the empire, divided like the Red Sea.
Among them, there were quite a few people who recognized me and my warriors.
“Cute Vivian-!”
“Helena! The strong party shield-!”
“Lucia! Please look here!”
The group that followed closely next to me were awkward but waved their hands from time to time.
However, Vivian muttered softly so that only I could hear.
“Why am I a cutie… .”
“Iknow, right?”
The nobles marched to the main gate of the imperial palace, and there was a warp portal I knew.
An oval-shaped mass of mana shimmering with translucent blue light.
said the spokesperson into the picture mirror in his hand.
“Now.”
As soon as the signal dropped, Aegis soldiers armed with brass-colored armor walked out of the warp portal.
The one who appeared with them was Oedipus, the crown prince in uniform.
‘I wondered why I couldn’t see it, so it was because of this.’
Oedipus, who appeared dignified among the Aegis, bowed in various directions around him.
Subsequently, Oedipus himself preached his hopes and aspirations regarding the war between the Empire and mankind, and furthermore, against the demons.
So, the conferment ceremony and the warp portal opening ceremony ended.
“Ian.”
The Emperor came to me first.
“Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“You will be busy in the future.”
“I will do what I have been doing.”
“If we govern the land as you have done, the imperial family will be in danger.”
It was a heavy joke that only the emperor could make, difficult to laugh at.
“Listen to Iza for details. They will become limbs that will help you in the future.”
The emperor introduced the man next to him.
He was an elderly gentleman, dressed in a neat tuxedo, with his hair and beard neatly trimmed.
“It is an honor to meet you. Sir Ian. It’s called ‘Charles Van Geriha’. I am the butler of the castle where you will be staying, and I am in charge of acting authority.”
“… Jerry?”
That Jeriha from the operation to recapture Jeriha?
The first SS-class dungeon to appear?
‘Doesn’t using the surname Jerry Hara mean royalty?’
Charles nodded, perhaps understanding my question.
“Yes. It is the body that owes its life to Sir Ian. I will serve you with all my heart.”
is it.
It seems that he is trying to repay me for helping me.
I’ll have to listen more to know more.
“The war is not far.”
The emperor said as if passing by.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“Yes. … Just a moment before that, okay?”
The emperor nodded.
I went to a place away from people for a while and talked to him.
“What is it?”
“I’m trying to turn the beastmen over to the human side.”
“Hmm… .”
At the mention of ‘beasts’ rather than demons, you should have understood what I meant.
“You are reckless. Is it something in the future you saw?”
“… no. The future I saw didn’t have it. But, I would like to see it in the future.”
“The man called the Prophet is saying something interesting. I know you are a wonderful person, but prejudices are not so easily broken.”
“I know. So, I’m going to start with my land first.”
“Huh… .”
The emperor stroked his chin and said.
“You are now the owner of your land. Even though it is a vassal state of the Empire.”
“Yes.”
“Talk to Charles and discuss enacting the relevant laws. It will be difficult to support, but I will be able to acquiesce.”
“thank you.”
“but. There must be a strong backlash from Seonghwagyo.”
“I have a method in mind.”
“okay. The mouse was worried about the cat. I look forward to it in the future.”
After saying goodbye, I went back to the warp portal where Charles and the party were waiting.
“Would you like to go?”
Charles asked.
After looking around the group for a moment, I replied.
“Yes. Let’s see. where it is.”
Charles smiled gently and approached the portal manager.
“I am the Crescent Spirit. Set it to the current Ian-ryeong.”
“Yes!”
The janitor soon adjusted the portal’s frequency.
I led my party and Charles and stepped into the portal first.
My eyesight turned blue.