127. Am I Doing This Right?

“8th Floor? I thought we’d find clues around the 7th Floor. Guess we have to go deeper.”

“That it’s on the 8th Floor is just my speculation. We might find clues on the 7th Floor too.”

“I see. I need to work harder to grow stronger in many ways.”

I needed to get stronger. To fully explore the 7th Floor, I’d need to be at least Platinum Rank. For the current me and the Lady, that was still a distant future.

“Sigh. Nothing ever seems to go smoothly. Forget it, Shion. Let’s have a drink.”

“Alcohol?”

“Yeah. Since we’ve decided to plan our future together, shouldn’t we share a drink? Right?”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. We need a drink right now. Excuse me!”

The Lady cheerfully ordered drinks before I could stop her.

Before I knew it, beer was delivered to our table.

When there was no alcohol in front of me, it was fine. But now that a frothy beer was right there, I couldn’t resist not drinking it.

One drink wouldn’t hurt, right?

“A toast to our future. Come on, raise your glass, Shion.”

“Sure, sure. Cheers.”

I clinked glasses with the Lady in a daze.

As droplets of alcohol splashed, the Lady gulped hers down with an excited expression.

The Lady’s face, which had been full of worries, seemed a bit brighter now. I couldn’t help but join in the mood.

She’s been having a tough time lately, so I should liven things up for her. That’ll make life more enjoyable.

“What are you doing? Drink up, Shion.”

“Oh, yes. But do I have to down it in one go too?”

“Yeah. I did it too.”

“Understood.”

If there’s one silver lining, it’s that my drug resistance has increased thanks to the Giant’s Essence, so I don’t have to worry about getting drunk quickly.

Even if the Lady gets drunk, I can take her back to her lodging. At least we won’t end up passed out on the streets together drunk anymore.

“Ahhh. Refreshing.”

Beer really is best served cold.

The smooth swallow is great too. Places that grill meat well usually serve good alcohol too.

Since I started making money, I’ve visited several good restaurants in the Labyrinth City, and places with great food tend to have great drinks.

Especially those that brew their own-they have a unique charm. I should take her to more places like this often.

“One drink isn’t enough. Should we have another?”

“Are you planning to get drunk today, Lady? Don’t you have plans tomorrow?”

“Nope. No classes tomorrow. What about you? Can’t you? Drink with me.”

When she looks up at me with those adorable eyes, my resolve wavers. Seeing Leah acting cute like this makes me feel like not joining in would be a crime.

I can’t help it. Just one more drink…

Two drinks…? Three…?

“Huh?”

Before I knew it, the table was piled with empty bottles.

Somehow, we ended up drinking a lot.

The Lady was already on the verge of passing out, and I was starting to feel tipsy too.

Drinking one glass after another while chatting with the Lady, we ended up drinking way more than I thought.

‘This Giant’s Essence is amazing.’

Just as Helena said, my drug resistance has increased, turning me into a drinking machine.

I drank enough to knock myself out, but I’m still perfectly fine?

Normally, I’d start feeling it by the fourth drink, but my mind is still sharp right now.

“Lady.”

“Ugh…”

“Lady Leah?”

The Lady was sprawled on the table, groggily moving. She seemed pretty drunk.

Guess I’ll have to take her back to her lodging.

“Lady, I’ll carry you for a bit.”

“Mmm… Carry me…”

“Sure, sure. I’ll carry you.”

I picked her up in a princess carry.

As soon as I lifted her, she buried her face in my chest and nuzzled against me.

The smell of alcohol mixed with her scent tickled my nose.

Yuria’s scent is hard to catch because of her odor-removing ability, but the Lady was different.

It was that soft, feminine fragrance. I wanted to bury my nose in her neck all day and get drunk on her scent.

“Lady, are you comfortable?”

“Mmm… Feels good…”

Carrying the drowsy Lady, I stepped outside.

Of course, most restaurants here require prepayment to prevent dine-and-dash, so I didn’t need to settle the bill separately. I left a few coins on the table as a tip-the staff would take care of it.

But where was the Lady’s lodging again? I forgot.

“Uh, Lady Leah. Where was your lodging again?”

“Uhhh… Dunno…”

“Huh? Wait, if you don’t know-“

“Shion… Let’s just… go to a nearby inn…?”

“……”

The Lady suggested finding a random inn. This is trouble. If she doesn’t return before curfew, Rika, her escort knight, will worry.

But she’s sleepy now, so what can I do?

Is there a decent inn nearby where we can stay for the night?

“Lady. How about that one?”

“Urp…”

“Whoa, don’t throw up.”

“The swaying… makes me nauseous…”

“Ah.”

This won’t do. I need to get her lying down quickly.

‘Crescent Moon and Wolf. That inn looks decent.’

The exterior was plain, but inside, it had a peculiar vibe.

How should I describe it? Like a modern-day motel, I guess?

Most inns in this world are just places to sleep, nothing more.

They’re not meant for, you know, intimate encounters.

But this place was different.

“Two?”

“Yes. Two people.”

“Room at the far right. Don’t wreck the bed too badly.”

“Huh?”

“Here, take a towel. If it’s your first time, put this underneath. Don’t get blood on the sheets.”

“……”

I was handed a towel in confusion.

The innkeeper, wearing a strangely suggestive smile, lit a fragrant cigarette and jerked her chin toward the room.

That lady looked way too pleased.

“Sigh.”

Let’s just head to the room first.

Since the Lady is uncomfortable, I’ll lay her on the bed and figure things out from there.

“Wow.”

The room was even more… peculiar than I expected.

Scented candles burned, casting a dim, oddly intimate glow.

This is literally a fantasy-world motel.

‘First, let her lie down.’

I laid her on the circular bed, removed her coat, and hung it on the rack.

After settling her in, I sat on a chair to catch my breath. About an hour later, the Lady stirred and woke up.

“Uwah! I passed out!”

Startled, she opened her eyes, glanced around, then looked at me as if asking where we were.

“Ah, you seemed out of it, so I brought you here to rest. The inn’s vibe is a bit… unusual.”

“Uh, uh…”

The inn’s atmosphere was indeed strange, but I hadn’t planned to take advantage of her while she was drunk.

I wasn’t sure how to explain this.

******

While Shion was in the labyrinth, Leah had heard about him from Yuria.

When Leah confessed her desire to get closer to Shion but found it difficult, Yuria gave her the solution: get him drunk.

‘Make him drunk. He becomes bolder when drunk, she said.’

Leah had arranged this drinking session with Shion, hoping to take things further.

She’d heard Shion’s limit was about four and a half drinks-enough to make him tipsy.

‘Why isn’t he drunk?!’

But she didn’t know Shion had consumed the Giant’s Essence, boosting his drug resistance. Her plan to take advantage of a drunk Shion backfired spectacularly.

Instead of him being drunk and pliable, she was the one wasted.

‘My head hurts…’

Far from overpowering Shion, Leah was on the verge of passing out. She almost wanted to cry.

The winner of this battle was Shion. A rare victory for him.

Unlike the past where Yuria and Moira got him drunk and had their way with him, this time, he was the one who got Leah wasted.

The problem? Shion had no intention of taking advantage of her.

“Don’t… don’t panic too much. Sigh.”

Leah sighed, trying to reassure him as he awkwardly explained the situation.

This man was such a blockhead when it came to women. He was too considerate.

She wished he’d just take charge already. She’d rather he be a brute who’d just push her down.

‘I’ll have to mold him myself.’

This was something she and Yuria had agreed on. They needed to change Shion’s overly cautious attitude toward women into something more fitting for the Labyrinth City.

Biologically speaking, females were creatures who felt the greatest pleasure when pinned beneath males.

The desire to be dominated was natural, so to fulfill that, the women had to take matters into their own hands.

“Just lie down for now. Wait, why did you drink so much?”

“It’s not that… I’m frustrated. Why aren’t you drunk?”

“Tch. Frustrated? Maybe you misjudged your own tolerance.”

“Hey! No… urp… wait-“

“Here’s some water.”

“Mm… thanks.”

Leah drank the water Shion handed her, rolling her head.

Unintentionally, she’d succeeded in bringing him to an inn. Now, the next step was to escalate things, but Shion showed no signs of making a move.

Instead, he was fussing over her.

‘That… that impotent bastard!’

If he’d been the drunk one, she could’ve easily taken control.

Cursing herself for getting drunk first, Leah began removing her clothes.

If he wouldn’t make the first move, she’d have to make him want to.

“Uh, Lady. Why are you suddenly undressing-“

“Shion.”

“Yes?”

“You. Strip. Now.”

“Me?”

“Yes! Ugh, Shion! You idiot! If I’m drunk, you’re supposed to bring me here, rip my clothes off, pin me down, and just-! That’s how it’s done! I got drunk so you could take me, damn it! I should’ve gotten you drunk first. Why’d your tolerance shoot up like this?”

“Ah, well. I picked up some stuff in the labyrinth. That’s why.”

“Groan.”

Leah shook her head and lunged at Shion.

She grabbed his clothes and yanked them off.

“Shion. Women… sometimes want to be taken.”

“Want to be taken…?”

“Yeah. Not by strangers, obviously. But with someone they like. If I set the table like this and the man doesn’t pounce, it hurts my pride. I mean, a woman like me is drunk right in front of you, and you don’t even touch me? What are you, impotent?”

“Uh, well. I’m not impotent.”

It was inevitable.

Having lived in 21st-century Earth-specifically South Korea, where even a brush of the fingertips could land you a sexual harassment charge-Shion still struggled with being forward with women.

It clashed with this world’s norms.

“Don’t get me wrong, I like that gentlemanly side of you. It’s part of your charm, really. But…! If you’re too polite, too careful, it backfires. I like you, okay? That means I want to sleep with you, you idiot! Don’t make a virgin spell it out for you! Just-! You know what I mean, right?”

Under Leah’s passionate rant, Shion nodded.

“I get it now.”

“You… understand?”

“Yeah. Rough. Manly. That’s what you want, right?”

“Yes! Exactly! Just pounce on me already.”

“Got it.”

Finally grasping her needs, Shion roughly tore off his clothes.

Just that made Leah cover her mouth with both hands, inhaling sharply.

Beneath his clothes were impressively toned muscles-survival-honed abs from eight months of hellish training.

“Whoa…”

“Now, strip.”

“Huh? Mmm!”

Shion’s voice had changed completely.

Gone was the polite, gentle Shion. Now, arms crossed, he looked down at her like a stern instructor. Leah felt an inexplicable thrill.

Their long-foiled attempts at intimacy were finally happening-under Shion’s lead.

“I-I’m… naked now.”

“Then lie down on your back.”

“Mm!”

Leah was nobility. No man had ever commanded her so dominantly before.

As a cherished daughter, even her father and brother never spoke to her like this. Her heart raced.

The man who’d always been so gentle was now ordering her to strip and lie down. Leah felt deeply satisfied.

‘Is this how it’s done?’

Of course, Shion was still struggling with the situation.