The Drinking Sage 25

Night.

When the Academy students were finishing their daily routines and entering their rest period.

I was planning to visit someone who was primarily active during this time.

Adela Ciadelia.

Since I had already met Silvia after returning to the Academy, it was time to meet the Sage.

I was about to dress and open the dormitory door.

“Loran.”

A girl’s voice came from behind.

When I turned my head, there was a silver-haired girl with a blank face.

“Where are you going?”

“I have someone to meet. Sword Star, you can go to sleep first.”

Though I said this, Silvia had been sleeping until just now.

‘She seems to spend most of her day just sleeping.’

She could be compared to a newborn at this point.

It was to the extent that it wouldn’t matter even if I acted as if I were alone in the room.

Silvia maintained her expressionless face and stared at me intently.

‘Hmm.’

Her mouth seemed to twist slightly.

The change was very small, but.

‘She seems displeased about something.’

As I expected.

She rose from her seat and approached me without making a single footstep sound.

Then she lightly grabbed my arm and.

“I’ll go with you.”

She quietly declared.

“There’s no need for you to come along. Even if you do, it won’t be particularly entertaining.”

“No. You just got back and you’re going out again. I want to stay together.”

I had stayed in the dormitory for a few days since returning. Was that not enough?

Silvia’s possessiveness toward me was somewhat persistent.

I sighed lightly and agreed.

“Very well. Let’s go together. Just don’t interfere.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry about that.”

The Sword Star’s eyes blinked.

Perhaps the sleep demon had visited her again. Her eyelids repeatedly closed and opened.

“I’ll just sleep anyway…”

Her words trailed off. She was probably planning to fall asleep.

My gaze briefly turned to her small hand.

Her white, soft hand was lightly holding my arm. The strength in her grip on my clothes was only the minimum force.

I was concerned she might trip and fall if she wasn’t careful.

“Sword Star.”

“…Hmm?”

The Sword Star, who was just falling asleep, answered dreamily.

Seeing her blurry focus turning toward me, I removed her arm.

“…?”

She tilted her head in confusion.

To her, who looked slightly bewildered, I calmly spoke.

“You might get hurt that way. What if you fall while walking in your sleep?”

“Hmm… I don’t know. I’ve never had that happen before.”

“Of course, you’re probably not as careless as I’m worried about. However, I’m saying that I’m concerned as I watch.”

“…”

‘So?’

To her, who was sending me a look that asked what I was trying to say.

My arm was raised and.

I extended my hand in front of her.

“If that’s the case, hold my hand as you walk. It’s more comfortable that way.”

“…”

Silvia’s gaze quietly turned downward.

Silver pupils blankly looking at my hand. What emotions were contained in those white eyes?

Curiosity. Awkwardness. Unfamiliarity. Novelty.

After various emotions swirled, Silvia’s decision was.

“…Yeah. Okay.”

She quietly extended her hand to meet mine.

“…Ah.”

A voice barely audible. Though she didn’t express it outwardly, she seemed surprised by something.

Silvia’s small lips formed words.

“…Strange.”

“What is?”

“Holding your hand… hmm… feels somehow, curious.”

My lips formed a bitter smile at her child-like mumbling.

Though she was a woman who needed a lot of consideration from my side.

That in itself was, unexpectedly, not a bad feeling.

“What kind of feeling makes you say that?”

“…Don’t know. Just, I like it. Yeah.”

Single-word answers that made it difficult to follow the context.

But knowing that this was Silvia expressing her emotions to the maximum extent, I silently held her hand and left the dormitory.

 

Bardishe Bar was unchanged, now as before.

Even at this late hour, the gazes of students having drinks turned toward us.

However.

-….

The reactions were quite different from when I had come before.

The reason was easy to guess.

‘The Knight Hunter.’

Word of his defeat must have spread.

As I expected, the students began whispering among themselves, quietly in their own way.

-Ah… Why does the prince keep coming here? It makes it hard to enjoy the drink.

-You idiot…! Watch what you say. Haven’t you heard the rumors?

-That person supposedly subdued someone at the Flower Realm level? …Is that even possible?

-Didn’t he use some kind of magic trick? Like last time.

-Just a magic trick? In my opinion, the prince seems to have something real.

In the eyes of those looking at me during these conversations, there was a different emotion than before.

Reverence.

The base desire to see me as their equal or even inferior had vanished somehow.

Respect (恭敬) befitting the noble status of imperial family. And fear of the unknown power.

These combined gazes now prevented them from treating me carelessly.

‘It’s more comfortable now.’

Though I hadn’t particularly minded before. It’s true that the students’ previous attitude had been annoying.

I moved my steps toward the figure sipping alcohol at the counter. The Sword Star, holding my hand tightly while sleeping, was with me.

“It’s been a while, Sage.”

We weren’t acquaintances of that long a standing. But we hadn’t seen each other recently, so I had missed her in my own way.

However, Adela’s response wasn’t very gentle.

“…Yes.”

Her voice answering was still coquettish, but.

“It’s ‘really’ been a while, Your Highness.”

Though her tone contained laughter, somehow it seemed to be reproaching me.

The pressure contained in that single word “really” was extremely heavy.

“…”

‘No.’

She was indeed reproaching me.

Recalling the conversation we had before parting with the Sage, I could easily understand why.

-…Yes. It doesn’t seem like it will be pleasant at all.

I had left after dismissing her questioning with excuses. And after that, I hadn’t met her because I was busy resolving the sealing stone issue.

Adela couldn’t help but be upset.

Understanding the situation, my head bowed immediately.

“I’m truly sorry for leaving without giving a proper answer last time.”

“…”

“I would like to give you a clear explanation this time, if you’ll allow me.”

The expression of the woman in the hood wasn’t clearly visible.

However, I felt her gaze shifting slightly.

Following the direction she was looking.

Saek- Saek-

The silver-haired girl sitting next to me with her head on the counter. She was looking at the Sword Star.

“…Today too…”

She muttered something to herself. But I couldn’t hear it.

Tsk- the sound of her clicking her tongue. Then, as if she had grown horns, she spoke to me sharply.

Nevertheless.

“Fine. Tell me. What circumstances did you have?”

Fortunately, she seemed to have accepted my apology. Since she was willing to listen.

My mouth began to tell the story slowly.

That after winning the friendly duel with the Sword Star, she showed immense interest in me.

That her approach was quite forceful, and rejecting her wasn’t appropriate considering the imperial command I was entrusted with.

Thus, I couldn’t prevent the Sword Star from sharing sleeping quarters with me.

But nothing improper had occurred beyond that. I emphasized this point clearly.

After eliminating the unnecessary details and focusing on the core explanation, I finished.

Adela then.

“I thought as much.”

She answered indifferently, without surprise.

For someone who had been curious, it was a dry response, which left me rather perplexed.

The Sage flatly elaborated on what she had just said.

“You don’t seem like the type of person who would casually share a bed with a woman outside wedlock. Or should I say, that’s what I believe.”

“Hmm.”

It was quite a solid trust.

It was good news that Adela saw me as a trustworthy person, but.

“So although I wavered, I never completely lost my trust. Fortunately, my faith has been rewarded.”

“…”

“However.”

Naturally, she wouldn’t let it go so easily.

A chilling voice.

Reminiscent of when I met the Northerner.

Adela tended to have coldness in her voice when she was upset.

“I ‘really’ suffered emotionally during this time. Do you know that?”

“…I apologize.”

It was a repetition of the same word “really,” but.

This time it carried even more weight.

It meant she had been that hurt.

Since I could fully imagine it, my head bowed even lower.

“…Hmph.”

The sound of a snort. It seemed like she had grown quite substantial horns.

“How can I ease your mind?”

I earnestly asked her.

For me, who couldn’t afford to have strained relationships with Special Class members in order to fulfill the imperial command.

Adela’s displeasure was a major crisis.

Perhaps she felt my sincerity. The Sage looked at me silently for a while, then.

Eventually, she whispered softly.

“Then. Grant me one request.”

“A request, you say.”

“Yes. If you want to appease my heart, you could do that, couldn’t you? Isn’t that right?”

At first glance, it might sound sarcastic, or as if she didn’t expect anything.

However.

“…”

Fortunate or unfortunate. With my Dragon Eyes, I could feel the emotions behind her statement.

‘Well.’

How should I describe those emotions?

Expectation that I would grant her request.

Faith that my desire to appease her heart wouldn’t change.

And.

Perhaps, fear that I might callously ignore her feelings and leave.

‘I still don’t fully understand.’

The first two emotions were quite comprehensible. That’s typically the psychology of someone making a request.

But.

What was the background of that ‘fear’?

The current intimacy between us was not yet enough to probe the foundation of that psychology.

The answer I should give now was.

“Please tell me.”

A declaration.

“I will grant any request.”

To dispel fear with firm trust.

“…Hmm.”

Adela’s nasal sound. However, the atmosphere was considerably more moderate than before.

She rose from her seat. Bringing her upper body closer to me, her mouth approached my ear.

When she got close enough to blow her breath directly into my ear.

“Then.”

The Sage whispered quietly.

With a voice dripping with honey.

“Will you take off your clothes?”

“…”

‘Hmm.’

I did say I would grant any request, but.

‘I didn’t expect such a request.’

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t perplexed, but.

“Yes.”

I nodded silently.

“I will.”

And immediately moved my hand to the buttons.

Tuk, tuduk. As the fastenings were undone one by one.

“…Eh, ehh? No, wait…!”

The one surprised was actually Adela.

The Sage awkwardly adjusted her posture, then quickly reached out to grab my hand.

The hood had come off, revealing eyes like obsidian that were shaking violently.

“N-no, no, no, you can’t do that…! What nonsense are you talking about, you should say something like…!”

“I told you.”

My voice was firm.

“That I would grant any request.”

With clear pronunciation so Adela would understand plainly.

That I would not betray her trust.

“…”

The Sage’s pale cheeks flushed with color.

The color of emotions flowing through her mana was visible. The fact that I could see this so clearly without particularly straining my optic nerves meant.

‘My Dragon Blood has strengthened.’

It would indicate that the influence of the dragon’s blood on my body had increased.

In any case. Adela’s current emotional state showed confusion first, but.

Beyond that.

Relief and joy.

I could see that these two colors were largely present underneath.

“Ah… I, I see…?”

The sound of awkwardly fanning herself.

Cooling her bright red cheeks, Adela mumbled. Her voice was trembling uncontrollably.

“Then… I guess it can’t be helped. Yes. Since you’ve said it like that, I can’t keep being upset.”

While trying to turn her head away pretentiously.

Seeing her mouth corners twitching with happiness.

‘It seems her heart has been appeased.’

I smiled faintly too.

I was satisfied that I seemed to have reached a bit closer to her deep inner heart.

Just when it seemed like things would end warmly.

“Ah.”

Adela regained her composure and.

Said to me in a calm tone.

“I was serious about asking you to take off your clothes.”

“…”

My face turned sour at her bold statement without the slightest hesitation.

‘Isn’t the standard flow in this situation to retract one’s words?’

It seemed that more time was needed to understand her inner heart.