Chapter 132

‘Wait, wait, hold on.’

My brain, which had momentarily frozen, started spinning wildly.

Assess the situation, understand the intention… But what was the intention?

The princess was asking me when I had time?

Given the context, she was clearly referring to the festival period.

Even during the festival, the busy princess was asking me this question, which meant she was willing to make time for me.

But why would she make time for someone like me?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer.

One thing was certain.

She had some business with me.

Whenever that business arose, I had no idea.

‘…Should I accept?’

I was curious about the business itself, but the person in question was a key figure in the game.

A character who contributed significantly to the chaos in the game world.

I couldn’t just ignore the situation where such a character was requesting a meeting.

Having made my decision, I spoke.

“I’m available tomorrow afternoon.”

“Ah, I see. How about meeting at 5 PM tomorrow in front of the clock tower?”

The clock tower located in the center of the academy.

A popular meeting spot for students due to its central location.

“That sounds good.”

“Hoho, then it’s a date.”

Princess Oscar smiled and returned to her seat.

Riviera and I also sat down.

But being at the next table was a bit unsettling.

…It felt like drinking in front of a boss.

Should I drink quickly and move to a second location?

Before I could even look at the menu, I was already having these thoughts.

“As a token of gratitude, I’d like to give you this.”

Princess Oscar handed over a luxurious-looking glass bottle.

“Huh? Why are you giving that precious thing to that guy?”

Ethan looked incredulous.

“No, Princess… I mean, Miss. That’s a bit…”

Emily also tried to dissuade her.

But the princess shook her head.

“You both made the mock battle enjoyable for me, so this is a small token of my appreciation.”

Before the princess even finished speaking, Riviera almost snatched the glass bottle.

Tap.

She gently placed the bottle on the table as if handling a baby.

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

What on earth is that?

I squinted and examined the contents of the bottle.

A red liquid shimmered inside.

Its radiant and subtly mystical red hue made it clear that this was no ordinary item.

‘That’s…’

I remembered.

I knew what it was.

“The Dew of the Crimson Flame.”

The answer slipped from my lips.

If the northern end of the Empire had the ‘Tears Frost,’ the southern end had the ‘Dew of the Crimson Flame.’

A rare and precious liquor produced only at the ‘Red Oasis,’ a single location in the blazing desert region.

Not only was it rare, but its fiery taste was said to be unique in the world.

Thus, it was considered one of the Empire’s two great liquors, along with the Tears Frost.

‘No wonder she’s so excited.’

A liquor-loving Riviera would naturally go wild over such a top-tier liquor.

“Wow, you have a good eye.”

Princess Oscar said, seemingly surprised.

Like the Tears Frost, the Dew of the Crimson Flame wasn’t something you could buy with money alone.

The Red Oasis, where it was produced, was royal land, so only royalty or a select few granted by the emperor could drink it.

Hence, her reaction.

“Recognizing good liquor at a glance is a connoisseur’s virtue.”

I replied with a smile, trying to look impressive.

“Ah, you both must be true connoisseurs. The good liquor has found its rightful owners.”

She sure knows how to talk sweetly.

With her doll-like beauty, it’s no wonder she has so many followers.

Even I mistook her for a likable character before I knew better.

Getting hit with the harsh reality afterward was just shocking and terrifying.

‘I’ll play along for now.’

I must never reveal my hand.

I had to keep my cards hidden and decide my actions based on how she played hers.

That was the best strategy.

To do that, I couldn’t let on that I knew anything about her.

I put on my well-practiced poker face.

“You flatter me.”

Let’s see who’s better at acting.

“A sensible junior.”

Riviera, who had somehow brought a glass, spoke while placing it in front of the bottle.

Hey, did you only bring a glass for yourself?

Wait… Are you seriously going to fall for a bottle of liquor?

Are you the Blood Witch or the Drunkard Witch?

“Hoho, it’s rare to get a compliment from a senior.”

Princess Oscar took it in stride.

She’s good at handling things.

“You know, anyone who gifts expensive liquor can’t be a bad person.”

Where did you get that logic…?

“You’re just saying that to make me feel good, aren’t you?”

Princess Oscar smiled.

It would be sensible to think that, but she’s a bit different, Princess.

“Is it Riviera, right? I saw you in the newspaper.”

For the first time, she mentioned her name directly.

She probably didn’t care before the mock battle, but Riviera’s performance must have left a strong impression.

“The sickly genius magician girl.”

“…Hoho, you’re amusing.”

Did she almost reveal her true nature just now?

Her face seemed to momentarily stiffen.

Impressive, Riviera.

Making the queen of acting momentarily lose her composure.

“A sensible junior, I have a request.”

Riviera suddenly brought up a request.

What now?

Why do I feel uneasy?

“Go ahead.”

Princess Oscar still smiled.

“Could you pour me a drink?”

At that moment.

The atmosphere turned icy.

Ethan, Emily, and even I included.

Even if she’s a junior, asking the princess to pour a drink?

If it were a male senior, it would be a complete uproar, and it would be the same for a female senior.

It was an unthinkable level of rudeness.

‘…This is a headache.’

I couldn’t defend this.

Getting involved would only drag me down.

Staying silent was the best choice.

Crack!

Ethan clenched his fist so hard it seemed like it would break.

His already fierce face became even more menacing.

Emily glared at Riviera as if she would devour her.

I just kept my mouth shut and watched the situation unfold.

Then.

“Hahaha.”

Suddenly, the princess lowered her head and laughed.

But the frozen atmosphere remained.

Everyone thought it was the laughter before an outburst, not genuine amusement.

A moment later, the princess raised her head.

“Well, alright. I’ll do as you asked.”

What?

I couldn’t believe my ears.

“Wh-What are you saying!”

“That’s absolutely unacceptable, Miss!”

Ethan and Emily, their faces pale, tried to dissuade her.

It was a natural reaction.

As people of the Empire and close aides to the princess, this was something they couldn’t accept.

However.

“It’s fine. I’ll handle this.”

Princess Oscar’s words made it clear that her decision was firm.

“But…”

“I said it’s fine.”

Ethan and Emily closed their mouths.

They realized they couldn’t stop her.

The princess stood up without hesitation and approached Riviera.

She uncorked the bottle of the Dew of the Crimson Flame.

“Here you go, Senior Riviera.”

“Thanks.”

Riviera extended her glass.

With one hand.

‘For heaven’s sake, at least pretend to put your hand on your chest out of respect!’

I screamed internally.

In society, unless there’s a significant age or rank difference, it’s customary to show proper respect. Why doesn’t she understand this?

In contrast, the princess held the bottle with both hands.

The world’s gone mad.

Is the princess a waiter now?

Ethan and Emily trembled as they watched.

I completely understood their feelings.

The sound of the liquid filling the glass was clear and pleasant.

You could feel the expertise in it.

It seemed that a true genius is a genius no matter what they do.

“You pour well.”

Riviera casually commented.

I was horrified by the nuance of her words.

What the hell!

Keep such praise to yourself!

Do you have no sense at all?

“Grrr.”

“Hmph.”

Ethan and Emily were clearly at the limit of their patience.

It was obvious that both Riviera and I had firmly earned their ire.

This won’t do, Camian.

I’ll leave the relationship with those two to you.

…Because of some strange person, I’m out of the picture.

“Hahaha.”

The princess laughed again.

Riviera, pick up on it.

The princess’s laughter went from ‘hohoho’ to ‘hahaha.’

“All done.”

I thought it would end there, but the princess turned the bottle towards me.

“Max, would you like a drink too?”

“Huh…?”

Why me?

If I join in, I’ll be lumped together with them.

I don’t want that.

“Since we’re at it, why not?”

The princess smiled.

Sigh, I can’t refuse this.

“Alright…I understand. Then, the glass…”

Just as I was about to get up to fetch a glass, a glass floated over from the other side.

…She’s using telekinesis to give me a glass?

What if it breaks?

I was worried, but the glass landed softly in front of me.

“Here you go.”

“…It’s an honor, Oscar.”

I politely held the glass with both hands.

This is how it’s done.

Why can’t you do this?

The liquid filled the glass smoothly.

As soon as it was filled, I placed the glass down and stood up.

“I’ll pour you a drink too.”

“Oh, thank you.”

I carefully took the bottle of the Dew of the Crimson Flame.

The princess’s empty glass floated back to her hand.

No one around seemed to notice.

Who would imagine a glass floating in mid-air?

This was the first time I’d experienced such a bizarre drinking session.

I wonder if the drink will even go down my throat properly.

I filled the princess’s glass.

Sigh, that was tough.

The start was a mess, but at least now it looked like a somewhat proper drinking session.

Let’s drink and forget about it.

…As if that would happen.

“A sensible junior.”

“Yes?”

“I’m impressed today.”

“Hahaha.”

…Isn’t that a good senior-junior relationship?

I’ll just think of it that way.

My head hurts, and I want to relax.

“Bottoms up.”

“Yes, bottoms up.”

“…Yes, me too.”

Clink!

And so, the awkward drinking session began.

* * *

“Wake up.”

In a half-asleep state, I heard someone calling me.

I felt a small hand shaking me.

My head ached from a headache.

Did I drink too much?

I squinted and spoke.

“…What? Is the drinking session over?”

“The drinking session ended a while ago.”

“Huh?”

I suddenly became fully awake.

“Then where am I?”

“My room.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“I’m leaving.”

I jumped up in a hurry.

But…why am I so underdressed?

No way…?

No, it can’t be.

“You have to take responsibility.”

“Aaah! No, no! It’s not like that!”

“Just kidding.”

“Gahhh!#$%&!#%&*()!”