Chapter 81: Drunken Jokes (3)

Chapter 81: Drunken Jokes
(3)

Inside
a quiet inn with no one around except a mother and daughter and me.

-POP!

A
cheerful sound rang out as I popped the cork.

Dwarven
liquor is one of the more expensive alcoholic beverages, so I hadn’t
opened it much, except for when I was at Zirnier’s.

“Yuck.”

Ellie
frowned and covered her nose as she caught the scent of alcohol
wafting through the air.

“It
smells weird in here.”

“Smells
weird?”

I
ask, smirking at the cute reaction, and Ellie bobs her head up and
down.

It
certainly does smell strong.

Dwarven
brews are strong enough to get you drunk, and they don’t have a
pleasant aroma.

However,
its hot, cool throat feel and addictive flavor make it a surprisingly
popular drink.

‘It’s
also a favorite of the Zirnier.’

In
short, it’s a drink for sophisticates.

“It’s
a little hard for a kid to drink, isn’t it?”

“Well,
I’m an ‘adult’ now, so it’s totally easy for me to drink! I’m a
grown-up!”

Ellie
said with a lot of emphasis on the words ‘adult’ and ‘grown-up’.

Even
without emphasizing it, I can tell by looking at her body.

Her
breasts are in the top 1 percent.

The
fact that Ellie had an exceptionally nice body even among adult women
capable of ovulating was painfully felt as I stamped compliments on
her butt.

‘Even
against Diana, a walking sex machine, I’d say she’d win 3 out of 10
matches.’

I
handed Diana the bottle.

“Mr.
Diana, please pour Ellie first. You know how they say you learn to lead
from your parents?”

Diana
looked a little surprised at that.

“Parents⋯”

After
a moment’s reflection on her mother’s mission, Diana took the bottle.

“Ellie.”

“⋯Yes!”

Ellie
raised the glass with a slightly nervous expression.

It
was slightly larger than a soju glass, about the size of a straight
shot glass.

A
clear, watery liquid poured from the bottle, filling the glass about
halfway.

As
the glass filled, Ellie’s face became strangely tense.

Next,
Ellie, who received the bottle of wine from Diana, filled Diana’s glass
with wine as well, to the brim.

“It’s
good to give a lot, right?”

“⋯”

I
don’t know much about liquor in this world.

Even
when I worked in a bar, I was used to drinking beer on the rocks, but
I’ve never seen anyone drink from a glass like this.

Zirnier
always came in full glasses or bottles.

“⋯I’m
fine.”

Diana
didn’t say anything, so it didn’t seem to matter.

Now
that their glasses were filled, it was my turn.

Without
thinking, I raised my glass to Ellie, who held the bottle.

“Sir,
did you want me to pour you a drink?”

Ellie
asked, looking somewhat amused.

The
grin made me feel weird. I quickly shifted my drink.

“Uh,
Diana. I think your glass is a little too full, but let me ease it-”

And
with that, Ellie filled my glass.

For
some reason, she looked even tenser and focused than when she took
the drink from Diana.

I
smiled bitterly as I watched the glass fill to the limit of surface
tension.

All
three glasses under one table were full.

The
lineup of appetizers that Diana had prepared was also colorful.

“Congratulations
on your return from the Labyrinth, Balkan and congratulations in
advance on Ellie’s graduation from the Academy.”

“Cheers!”

With
Diana’s brief toast, a salty sound rang out.

It
was the beginning of a full-blown drinking party.

***

There’s
nothing quite like alcohol to bridge the distance between people.

The
conversation between the mother and daughter started off a little
awkward, as any drinking session would, but as the bottles were
emptied, the conversation deepened.

With
each clink of glasses and slurp of liquor down their throats, they
unravel a little more of their complicated stories and feelings.

After
all, three years of no communication was too long.

There
were many complicated stories they couldn’t tell each other, and deep
unresolved feelings.

But
little by little, the mother and daughter told each other their
stories, and together they untangled the threads.

It
would not be possible to resolve all of these feelings in one day,
but if they had a meeting like this often in the future, they might
be able to resolve them sooner than they thought.

‘This
is family.’

I
listened to them talk in the background and felt myself drift away.

Having
grown up without parents, this was always new to me⋯and
enviable.

I
thought of my only family.

Nam
So-eun, my one and only sister.

‘Where
are you, where have you gone⋯’

My
heart was empty.

A
terrible bitterness and loneliness ate away at my emotions and heart.

-Tsk-tsk.

I
heard the sound of the glass in front of me being filled.

“What’s
wrong, you don’t look happy⋯”

I
looked up and saw Diana, her cheeks slightly flushed, looking at me
with a worried expression.

“⋯No.
It’s nothing, I just got dizzy for a second, and Ellie’s ⋯
ah.”

I
didn’t even bother to ask Diana.

I
looked over to see Ellie, who had retired with her forehead on the
table.

‘What
the hell is she dreaming about?’

“She
was so excited that she drank too much and now he’s gone.”

“Whoo-hoo.
You learn by drinking, don’t you?”

Diana
laughed softly, a little drunkenly.

Her
flushed cheeks were a little redder, her smile a little wider.

She’s
pretty.

I’d
always thought that, but today she was strangely prettier. Maybe I’m
getting drunk, too.

“Should
we finish our drinks?”

Diana
asks, glancing at Ellie for a moment, then clinking her glass.

I
couldn’t resist the temptation.

“I’d
be honored to drink with you, Diana.”

The
corners of her mouth turned up at the words.

This
time, I filled her glass halfway.

-Snap.

A
crisp, clear toast rings out, and she empties her glass again.

We
often shared some of Diana’s appetizers as well, and we had many
conversations.

Mostly
about the Labyrinth or the inn.

“⋯You
did it again⋯”

Diana’s
expression darkened slightly when I mentioned the monstrosity I had
encountered on the fifth floor, but it was quickly erased.

“By
the way, how are your relationships with the others these days, and
are you settling in well in Labyrinth City?”

Diana
changed the subject.

It
had been nearly five months since I had traveled to this world.

In
that time, I’ve done a lot of work to adapt to the Labyrinth City,
and to descend the Labyrinth, where modern common sense and
experience doesn’t apply.

What
has helped me the most along the way is, of course, people.

I
thought of the people around me.

Diana,
Ellie, Idelbert, Serif, Zirnier, Jubeel, Joy Hog, Lammel, Hitolis⋯

Benefactors,
benefactors’ daughters, teachers, saints, business partners, and
colleagues.

I
also thought of those who were gone for a while and the unknown.

My
pet masochistic slave, Grumpy, Jeremy, my armored knight, etc.

I
met and lost so many people in that short time and without them, I
wouldn’t be who I am today.

“Yes.
I had a lot of people who helped me, so I think I’m settling in
well.”

“That’s
good to hear. Who were the people who helped you?”

Diana
asked, and without thinking much about it, I named the people who had
helped me.

“Without
Ms. Idelbert, I would have lacked combat experience, and without Ms.
Zernier, I wouldn’t have been able to get good weapons.”

Ellie
also does an important job of analyzing portals.

Serif’s
miracle has also been a great help.

Trusting
them or not, it’s clear they’ve been a great help.

“⋯I.”

I
heard a muttering, almost inaudible, sound.

I
looked straight ahead, and saw Diana with a bitter expression on her
face.

“⋯I
was of no use to Balkan, I see.”

She
had a slight flush from drunkenness and her lips pursed in defeat.

The
reddened corners of her eyes were wetter than before and my heart
sank instantly.

“I
was just… just… just… someone who fed you and housed you.”

“No,
no, no, no!”

I
shouted urgently. It was a ridiculous misunderstanding.

She
was only speaking for herself.

She
might have thought she was being unhelpful, that she was just giving
me food and a place to stay but that wasn’t the truth.

I
took Diana’s trembling right hand in both of mine and held it
tightly.

“The
reason I didn’t bring you in with the others is because you’re
helping us so much more than the others.”

Who
was it that handed me a bowl of warm soup when I was nearly raped by
beggars in a back alley?

Who
wholeheartedly helped me find my place in this world?

Who
has warmly embraced me and taken care of my mental health whenever
I’ve been in the Labyrinth and gone through rough times.

It’s
all Diana.

In
fact, she’s the only person I can completely trust in this harsh
Labyrinth City.

I
say all of this with as much care as I can muster.

I
want the favor and affection I have for her to reach her, unfiltered.

“You
are the only person in this world I trust completely.”

At
those words, Diana’s eyes, which had been closed the entire time,
snapped open.

Her
beautiful amber eyes shone even more brilliantly, moistened slightly
with emotion.

Diana’s
eyes caught the image of a man in a broken helmet.

Yes.
A helmet.

In
order to break down the psychological barriers between people, the
first thing you have to do is talk to them face to face.

For
me, it was the last thing on my list of things to do, but it had its
benefits.

Because
once the psychological barrier is broken down and you’re on the same
page, it’s proof that the person sees you on the inside, regardless
of how you look on the outside.

‘Now,
I won’t need this mask in front of Diana.’

“I
want this⋯
to be proof that I trust you completely.”

“Balkan.
What’s that⋯”

I
looked at Diana, who looked slightly confused, and smiled.

Then,
I reached for my helmet.

Diana’s
pupils gradually widened.

She
seemed to have realized what I was about to do.

-click.

The
sound of the strap coming undone echoed through the silence of the
inn.

Carefully,
I removed my helmet and on Diana’s lower abdomen, a pink womb tattoo
emerged.