Drunken Rambling From Heart
We're eating dinner under the night sky outside.
I cut corners today and served meal packs like sushi and party sets I bought in Japan.
I originally wanted to cook but as I was snacking out in the inn terrace in the evening, Hero-kun's group joined in asking for sweets, then Hyula-san and Radia-kun also showed up until eventually all the training members were here.
It turned into an impromptu all you can eat party. How'd it come to this.
"Uwoo! It's sushi!"
"Pipe down, Neora! Heck, isn't that just raw fish on aro rice!"
"R-raw fish huh... I really like that seafood bowl dish from Randorainam, but I dunno about eating them raw..."
"Ah, are you talking about the day special set near the port? That restaurant's real fussy about freshness but they're pretty lax on parasite management."
"Ha!? They were selling that kinda hazard there!?"
"P-parasites. Good thing you recovered fine, Radia-san."
"Urp... I'm getting sick recalling that..."
As part of an effort to save, I usually cook for our party and rarely eat out.
So we never came down with food poisoning like Radia-kun... Guess I'll heat up some frozen food for him.
"Haa... Suppose this is the last time I can kick back and enjoy my meal worry free."
"Well, it's wartime from tomorrow on after all. Wait, can't Kajikawa-san and Neora-san go back with Fast Travel?"
"It won't look good with other groups if we're the only group that goes back and take it easy. People will eventually find out we've been returning home."
"Yea, we already got that purple captain hot on our tail as is. I can just imagine her sermon if we did that."
I should avoid going back unless it's to train with Oni-sensei, or for fetching the new equipment and replenishing supply.
Taking everyone back home with Teleportation is unrealistic due to the sheer amount of people, so it's gonna be a one way trip.
...It's probably feasible if we had Alma Mama chuck down bottles and bottles of Mana Potions, but she's an important war force that's better off taking care more important stuff.
As our dinner pretty much turned into a full blown party, I treated everybody with some alcoholic beverages from Japan.
Sake, shochu, whiskey, all kinds of stuff. I bought them for all the people that have helped us out, not for me personally.
Apparently they tasted quite novel to the heavy drinkers.
Even Hyula-san who usually chugs down a barrel is sipping hers bit by bit.
...Old man Spadia is guzzling down seishu next to her though. And there he went opening another bottle. You're drinking too much, man.
"Hmmm, all of them tastes new yet familiar all the same, really curious... It's good stuff."
"Mwu, this seishu drink has got this deep flavor to it yet it goes down easily. Umu umu, very nice."
"They're drinks from my homeworld, please go ahead and have as much as you want... Well, not like I'm much a drinker though."
"What, that won't do. Drinks are the oil that lubricates socializing, ya gotta learn to like 'em."
"Yep, you always got away whenever I offered you drink but there are times you just gotta cut loose."
"No uh, Hyula-san, those times are every time to you."
"No buts!"
"Wha, maggobuguaaa!!?"
...She chugged a bottle down my mouth and strong alcohol taste spread out inside my mouth.
It's bitter, it's pungent, it's sweet, I still don't get how can these drunk find this tasty...
I coughed violently as the alcohol went down my throat.
It's almost waterboarding by way of alcohol.
"Cough cough, gah! Hyuu...! Phew...! H, hey now, I really don't like alcohol, stop it...!"
"Gahahaha! Do you even hear what you say, youngling! Ya ain't got nowhere near enough, get to it!"
"No way! You can have it all!"
"Whaaat, you not gonna drink mine!?"
"No uh, I brought those!"
"Kajikawa, your real self is showing there. Here, have some water and pull yourself together."
"S, sorry... Gofa!? Hy-Hyula-san, this is no water, it's diluted alcohol!"
"Ah, my bad, my mistake. Well, it's pretty much water when it's so thin, no biggie hahaha."
"It is a biggie..."
U, urp, I'm feeling sick...
I don't feel tipsy when I drink, I get straight to feeling nauseous.
...It tastes so bad, so sick, all that food now tastes like alcohol, this is why I don't like them...
"S-sorry, I'mma rest over there. Go ahead and drink anything you want."
"...Y-you sure you're alright, Kajikawa-san. Your articulation is getting weird, want me to look after you?"
"I'mma be fine, you-take-care-you-don't drink-too-much-Neora-kun... Ourp..."
"O, ou... Will he even manage the war tomorrow..."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
I lay down on an inn's bench but it's so hard it doesn't feel good on the head part. Heck my head hurts.
Cushion, someone get me a cushion...
...Mwu?
"...Hmm? It's so soft..."
My thought was answered and someone really did put a cushion over my head.
They're so kind. Gratitude.
...Who's it anyway?
"Hikaru, you okay?"
"Nn...? Alma? Ah, I'm fwine, just a lil' tipsy, thanks for the cushwon."
I looked up to see Alma's face.
Mwu? Shouldn't it be a wall. How am I looking at Alma's face?
...Could this be the so called lap pillow. My first ever in life~.
"...Where does it hurt, your head?"
"Nn, it not, thanks to your lap pillow."
"That's good... I had no idea you'd act like this when you're drunk, Hikaru."
"Yup... I'd go away and lie down on my own whenever we had a drinking party in Japan too."
"Really."
"The next room's gets swo nwoisy, it's killing my head. Give me a break, no for real~."
"...Really."
Why'd I go and start grumbling again.
It's troubling Alma. Sorry, for real.
"You're not eating and drinking with those guys, Alma?"
"I've had my fill. I'm avoiding alcohol to get ready for tomorrow."
"Yeah? I shoulda got away first thing first too..."
"Are you sure you're okay, Hikaru?"
"Yup I am... I been avoiding alcohol lately so I got no resistance against something that strong outta nowhere."
"Really. You can take it easy at least when you're drunk. You've been too hard on yourself lately, Hikaru."
"Nn, in what way?"
Alma puts her palm on my forehead. It's cold, feels so nice.
"This world has no future if we don't defeat Demon King. I understand that much but you can't be the only one doing all the work Hikaru. I think it's okay to let it all out every once in a while like this."
"You think~?"
"Un. Don't keep it until you're drunk, please open up to me when you're feeling down. I know you're the type that bottles it up, Hikaru."
"I see."
"...Don't you have anything to say to me?"
"Nn...?"
She looked downcast with a dispirited expression, what's wrong? Your tummy hurt?
"You've been looking after us all this time. But you seldom show your weak side or open up to us."
"Eh, is that how you see me?"
"Un... I believe this is a good opportunity to let it out. It's not good to keep piling up grumbles and complaints."
"You're 'rite. Guess you don't mind if I do then?"
"Un, don't hold anything back."
"Then, oh yeah, I been living a sad lonely life until I got to this world. Having meals and going out with Alma have been super fun~."
"Un. Same with me, every day is fun with you, Hikaru. How was it like in Japan?
"Err, nothing felt fun no matter what I did ever since my mother passed away. I dun even know if I was alive or dead. Heck I just kept living on while thinking it was poo poo."
"Your mother, is...?"
"Nn, in an accident."
"...I see, sorry."
"Well, I got to meet mother in the dungeon the other day tho'. Cried my eyes out. Not literally 'course."
"I heard you get to meet a magic beast that takes the shape of someone you wants to see most there. You mean that?"
"Yep, that. She asked me if I was happy, told her I was thanks to Alma and the girls. Prolly couldn't have said that if I was still in Japan."
"...."
"Sorry I can only say this when I'm wasted."
"Hm, what?"
"Thank you for staying by my side always. My happiness is when I'm next to you, Alma."
Hello, good morning. It's such a nice weather today.
I could kinda recall old man Spadia and Hyula-san harassing me with alcohol but no more after that.
I never experienced this kind of memory lapse after drinking before, but I guess I must have headed back to my room on my own since I was in my bed by time I came to.
I'm not having a hangover either, in fact, I feel more refreshed than ever.
Glad it didn't have an ill effect on my body, today's the d-day after all.
Now then, time to make breakfast.
Oh, Alma's sitting in the dining room. What an early riser.
"Good morning, Alma."
"! M, morning."
"Hm, what's up? Your face is red, caught a cold or something?"
"I, I'm fine... Um, about, yesterday..."
"Mwu? What happened yesterday?"
"...Nevermind if you don't remember."
She turned away while blushing hard.
Her State shows 'Normal' so she hasn't come down with a cold or anything. But then why.
...Really, what happened yesterday? What did I do again?
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