86 – After party
The current emperor of the empire, his birthday has finally arrived.
All the subjects of the empire would not hesitate to raise a toast to bless the emperor and the imperial family.
The imperial family will also prepare a splendid festival to repay those subjects.
The festival that lasts for a week will not die down until the last day.
Anyone can have a good time during the week leading up to the festival.
It was a festival and a banquet that was originally planned with the hope of that.
However, if there is one part that is a little different from the emperor’s birthday, which has been held every year so far.
“…… Did you hear On this birthday…….”
“…… No way, it’s still a war…….”
…… That would be the fact that strange rumors began to circulate quietly within the system.
At first, it was dismissed as a very small, ordinary conspiracy theory.
The conspiracy theory, which gradually grew in size, soon reached the point where it was dismissed as truth.
That was indeed an abnormal propagation speed, and anyone with a slight brain would have doubts about it.
The truth is, rather than covering up such a conspiracy theory, the imperial family was supporting the rumors to spread even faster.
The imperial family had no reason to hesitate any longer.
Because I made a decision both as the emperor and as the heads of the seven families that form the main axis of the empire.
…… In the atmosphere that started to heat up with the festival, a very complex and subtle air began to calmly drift within the system.
*****
A meeting of the heirs of the seven families was arranged like a regular event before you knew it.
It was a meeting that had already been held several times, but the enthusiasm this time was even more special.
“Now, now. You too, White.”
“… ….”
The cause was none other than the presence of a boy with platinum hair frowning in the middle of the meeting.
It was because White, who seldom attended meetings, gladly accepted the invitation this time.
“… ….”
Looking calmly at Aidan, who offered him a reddish wine, White narrowed his brows once.
It was an attitude that he didn’t like something very much.
“…… I’m done.”
In the end, White can’t say anything harsh.
Aidan let out a chuckle at that appearance.
“Well, you don’t have to drink, though. For some reason, the atmosphere is strange, White.”
“…… ?”
Seeing Aidan suddenly say such a thing, White raised his eyebrows once.
The atmosphere is strange.
Of course, my head was filled with problems such as the 12 demon kings and the war, so it was extremely complicated.
I’m sure he’s not immature enough to show on the surface.
Aidan’s smile widened even more at White’s questioning wink.
And spit it out.
“Did you finally decide to reveal it? Your true relationship with Orca—”
…… A word you should never say.
f*ck!
“Yup.”
Aidan let out a short silence as if he hadn’t expected it at the momentary stabbing punches from both sides.
No, to be precise, I should say that I didn’t expect the second attack.
Leaving behind White, who was throwing his fists out in displeasure in front of him, Aidan jerked his head away in a cold sweat.
“…… What, what nonsense are you talking about!”
Behind it, a red-haired girl was screaming with a very hot face.
“Me, me. No, White and I aren’t like that…… !”
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been drinking, or if it’s something else.
With her face reddened, Orca uttered her barak barak.
“…… Aidan. If you want to be trampled on like last time, add just one word there. I will personally mix it with mana and step on it.”
“Ah, ahahahaha… ….”
In the meantime, I even heard White’s terrifying warning behind my back.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, Aidan quietly took his seat.
“I’ll keep my mouth shut and drink… ….”
Soon Aidan spat out with a sullen expression, and only then White and Orca calmed down their emotions.
Seemingly somber, Aidan sipped lightly, tipping only her glass.
“…… Well, I can’t even play…….”
My fist didn’t come flying at the words I muttered because I got drunk, so it’s fortunate if it’s fortunate.
Anyway, the drinking party continued after that.
The first to fall was Aidan, who had no tolerance for alcohol.
After that, they slowly fell asleep one by one.
Soon after, Persia, who raised her divinity and endured as much as possible, and Chris, who was originally used to drinking, collapsed.
There are only two people left who are fully conscious.
It was none other than White and Orca.
“…… Hmm.”
After taking a quick look at the fallen heirs, White quietly stood up.
As if he wasn’t getting drunk enough, his cheeks were also red to some extent.
For the Archmage of the 8th Circle, drunkenness was nothing.
The drunkenness that would disappear once mana was rushed through the whole body once, in fact, it was no different from getting drunk on purpose to enjoy the burning heat.
“… ….”
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Apart from that, I wonder if there was a part that was a bit suspicious.
White’s gaze soon turned to Orca, who was still leaning back in her chair and her eyes were dimly open.
“I didn’t expect you to be awake, Orca. Didn’t you in particular drink quite a lot?”
“…… Ahahahaha.”
At White’s words, the orca scratched her cheek in embarrassment.
Soon she rose from her seat as slowly as White.
Quietly, so as not to disturb others who have fallen.
“Well, I wasn’t particularly strong on alcohol, but… ….”
Letting out her silly laugh once, she looked at White with a meaningful expression.
With the corners of her mouth raised mischievously, she drew a graceful eye smile.
“…… Well, there’s nothing to do.”
Orca held out her hand to White as if to patronize her.
“Do you want to go out together?”
“… ….”
White stares at that touch for a while.
But even if she stayed soon, she would have judged that there was nothing to do.
“It doesn’t matter.”
White nodded her head lightly, and her orca’s expression brightened slightly.
However.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“…… Uh?”
Without even paying attention to Orca’s outstretched hand, White turned her body around and started walking away.
She was an orca who gave him a blank expression for a moment.
“…… This.”
However, I belatedly realized that it was a surprise.
“…… Hey! You really!”
Gritting her teeth, she shouted at her as low as possible.
“Oh, I can hold her hand! Escort, don’t you know?”
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t know what, the name and color of the heir to the duke’s family! Why don’t you just say openly that you don’t want to hold my hand?!”
“Oh, such a good way.”
“What, what…… ?!”
At White’s positive attitude, Orca broke her expression with a look of hurt.
“You…… !”
Even so, it was very pitiful to see her chasing after White with her gunfire, but fortunately for her, no one was watching the scene.
*****
“…… The moon is pretty.”
“… ….”
Instantly, White and Orca came out of the palace.
“Hey, I can give you an answer.”
Orca spat out curtly, and White waved his hand roughly in an annoyed manner.
“…… Yes, it is pretty.”
At that very dry voice and attitude that didn’t contain any sincerity, Orca puffed out her cheeks.
“Haa… ….”
But she must have decided that she couldn’t elicit any more reaction, so she let out a sigh and shook her head.
At the same time, he smiles.
Perhaps questioning that, White tilted her head once.
“…… Is there anything funny?”
“Ah… …. No, just.”
Orca shrugged her shoulders as she let out a shallow laugh.
Soon after, a bitter and vague feeling began to appear in her eyes.
“…… It’s all over, I want to.”
“… ….”
There was no subject, but White wasn’t stupid enough to figure out what it meant.
Presuming that it must have been a problem with Louis Vampir, White opened her mouth in a slightly cautious tone.
“…… She became sorry for not yielding the last. It was a situation where she could be reversed.”
“Oh, no, no. Because I don’t care about that.”
An orca shook her hand in denial with a silly smile.
Soon she let out a deep sigh once again with her wry smile.
“…… It just seems a little futile, and I feel empty.”
“… ….”
The pupils of the orca who said that were very slight, but she was clearly shaking.
She couldn’t see into her heart, but White could guess her feelings.
As she said, it would be futile, empty, and at the same time, very vague emotions.
Bitterness engulfs the whole body, and he may wonder whether the success of her revenge has had a good effect on him.
And that was a problem she had to deal with on her own.
…… It was, though.
“…… I told you at the beginning, vengeance would be empty.”
“Huh?”
I thought she wasn’t close enough to her that I couldn’t even say a word or two of her.
With just a little bit of advice, if it could ease her mind a little bit, she decided that there was nothing she couldn’t do.
White muttered in a low voice.
“Nevertheless, think of it as something you had to do.”
“… ….”
It was a voice that, if I had to say it, was close to talking to myself, but strangely, Orca was overcome by the feeling that White’s voice sounded like it was right in his ear.
“It was revenge for your brother who died in childhood. No matter how futile emotions dominate your whole body, no matter how negative thoughts keep popping up in your head.”
Nevertheless, you have to deal with it and overcome it.
With that, White concluded her remarks.
She flicked the glass she brought out and poured all the white wine into her mouth.
“… ….”
“… ….”
Once, a slightly awkward silence fell between the two.
White kept her mouth shut as if she had said everything, and Orca seemed to be confused by what he said.
And before it’s too late, it was Orca who broke the silence by opening her mouth first.
“…… So, what about you?”
“…… ?”
Leaning softly at the orca who opened her mouth, White put her puzzled expression on her face.
Orca turned her head towards White.
He was still slightly drunk, but his red eyes were shining brightly unlike before.
Right around the time her white eyes flashed, Orca pulled her lips away again.
“…… How did you manage your heart after you achieved your revenge?”
“… ….”
And.
At the Orca’s words spoken like that, a dagger made up of words that could be described as stabbing at the pinnacle.
White’s expression cracked, at least momentarily.
“… ….”
I never said I would take revenge, or there is no such thing as a target for revenge…….
There were many words to deny her, and there was no reason to even bring out her answer that would convince her if I went a little further.
I don’t know why or why.
Her straight eyes seem to see through her own dark inner thoughts, her own goals of revenge, she is overcome with sentiment.
“…… I am.”
Just then, White is about to open her mouth.
“──What kind of interesting things are the two of you talking about?”
“…… !”
In an instant, a presence was felt from the sky.
The heads of the two bent upward at the same time.
Then what caught my eye was a girl with waving black hair shining brilliantly in the moonlight.
“…… Master?”
White let out a puzzled voice, and it was shortly thereafter that Ashera carefully landed on her ground.
White and Orca’s questioning gazes reached her, and then she moved to an object she was holding.
“…… Is it wine?”
Orca carefully put the identity of the object into her mouth, and Ashera responded with a bright smile.
“Right, that’s very precious too, isn’t it?”
Ashera shrugged her shoulders, with a slightly playful look on her face.
“It’s nothing special, I thought I should prepare a small drinking party for the two people who have worked hard this time.”
“Uh… ….”
“That’s why, from now on, even if it’s sudden, we’ll have a drinking party!”
With a mischievous smile, Ashera swung the wand and uncorked the wine.
As she said, it was a very sudden development.