episode_0061

An hour spent ordering and savoring appropriate snacks with drinks.

What was thought to be enough with just one bottle of alcohol continued until the table was piled high with empty bottles.

It was truly an extravagant after-party.

The host, who insisted that wine shouldn’t be drunk like that, went as far as offering unsolicited stir-fried meat as a service.

I intended to have just one or two drinks and then leave, but Amy, and even Freid, seemed to enjoy alcohol more than I had expected.

Is it that adventurers are adventurers, even if they seem young and innocent?

“Ah… yes, this taste. I can’t remember the last time I had such a drink.”

“Ha, have you ever had it before?”

“Magicians have various ways to make money. After buying spell books and potions, there’s nothing left, which is a problem.”

“If you don’t have any money left, does that mean you can’t drink?”

I meant it figuratively. Surely you’re not really penniless, are you?”

“Oh, no, I’m not…?”

“…A bottle of alcohol for 5 silver may be expensive, but it’s not beyond reach, is it? Just the reward for this mission alone would be enough to buy several.”

“Well… that’s good. Then, you can buy the next bottle.”

“Why does it have to be like this…? Well, whatever. If you buy a bottle too, I won’t have any problem.”

“Um… alright.”

They exchanged words, whether joking or sarcastic, and even when it seemed burdensome for them to drink alone, they immediately refilled my glass every time I emptied it.

“I’ll pay for this round. So, let’s have another drink. Cheers!”

“Mmm…. this is delicious…. Here, Mr. Hilde, try some too.”

When I mentioned that I didn’t particularly like ale, they continued to order other drinks that were somewhat palatable, even if not at the level of Riesling.

“Uh… okay. Sure, got it.”

As they naturally persuaded me, I couldn’t refuse, and as I drank sip after sip, before I knew it, Mr. Hilde was feeling the effects of the alcohol.

Wait, was Mr. Hilde strong against alcohol from the start?

I don’t know. In the original novel, the character didn’t drink to the point of getting drunk, but just had a drink or two.

“Sigh….”

One thing was for sure.

If I kept drinking like this, I’d end up getting completely drunk at some point.

“Mmm, this is not bad. Here, here. Hilde, you should have some too.”

“Oh, Mr. Hilde! Your glass is empty! Let me fill it up for you!”

…That moment didn’t seem too far away.

◆◆

It seemed like I had been drinking for about two more hours.

What do you mean “seemed like”? If I drank, I drank, right?

Of course—

“Ugh… my head hurts….”

Just a moment ago, I was definitely drinking some kind of tangy sweet green liquor, but when I came to, I found myself lying on my bed in my room.

The morning sunlight seeped through the tightly closed window. The chirping of birds pierced my eardrums and echoed in my head.

“What time is it now…?”

The blanket was damp and warm, as if I had been sweating all night, and my limp body felt both heavy and light at the same time.

My physical condition was hard to describe even with empty words.

After an inhuman head spin, I felt like I had obtained a circular bald spot like a male pattern baldness, as if the contents of my skull were swirling around.

“It feels like morning, but… did I drink all night long…?”

Pressing my dizzy forehead with my hand, I sat up against the pillow, covering my upper body with the blanket.

“Ahh….”

A dizziness mixed with a sweet fruity scent and the strong smell of alcohol.

Rubbing my eyelids with my index finger, the blurry world revealed itself, its form and color diffused.

A shirt soaked in sweat and exposed skin. Hair clinging tightly to it.

Through the gap in the blanket that flowed down to my waist, bright lemon-colored hair peeked out like grass.

“…Huh?”

A sight that made my head spin involuntarily.

I blinked my eyes repeatedly and frantically, then looked down at my lower body again with a clearer gaze.

“I’m not wearing anything…?”

It was the same upon a second look.

The armor was not just taken off, but even the undergarments were carelessly discarded. When I woke up, my body was only covered by a loosely worn white shirt with all the buttons undone.

Sigh.

“I didn’t even put this on here.”

I lifted the blanket to check, and there was nothing covering my lower body, revealing the white underwear completely.

What is this?

If those who drank with me were not Amy or Friede but a man, then I could be sure that something terrible had happened overnight.

No, I probably didn’t even drink with a man in the first place…

Anyway, my dizzy head suddenly went blank, and there was a sensation of heat rising on my cheek.

“What… what happened?”

What exactly happened? I remember drinking with the three of us after successfully completing the commission… but I have no memory after that.

What could have possibly happened afterwards that I ended up sprawled on my bed, drenched in sweat?

…I don’t know.

Whether it’s due to excessive drinking causing a blackout, or if it’s my hungover brain refusing to think, no matter how hard I try, I can’t recall anything from the previous day.

Still, well… there’s no need to make a fuss about being shocked.

My legs aren’t sore, and there’s no blood on the sheets. Seeing myself lying quietly on my bed, it’s unlikely that anything bad happened.

Perhaps, after coming back from the drinking session, I went to bed and in my tipsy state, took off my pajamas and underwear…?

Yes, that’s probably it.

It’s entirely possible. In the old days, one of my friends used to take off his clothes as soon as he got drunk.

I never imagined I would do such a thing.

“Haah….”

As I let out a sigh filled with determination to refrain from drinking in the future, I pulled the blanket covering my lower body completely aside.

I should ask the party members what happened last night.

Feeling sticky and uncomfortable due to the sweat, I intended to wash it off in the bathroom and then put something on.

…That was definitely the plan.

“Mmm…”

“Hmm…”

Due to the dizziness in my head, I didn’t notice them, until I faced the uninvited guests under the blanket and stiffened once again.

“…Huh?”

It was a sight that made me doubt my eyes.

Amy, dressed in a clearly visible purple negligee, and Freide, who had nothing on except for her lower underwear, were both sleeping deeply, just like the rest of the party members, curled up on either side of my legs like shrimp.

“…….”

What is this?

No, really, what is this?

Why are they sleeping here?

It was beyond confusing; it was shocking.

After drinking to the point of blacking out, waking up the next day in an inn’s bed, snuggled up with everyone so harmoniously, it felt like we’d caused an accident while drunk.

Thankfully, I’m in a female body now, not my original body from the previous world. Otherwise, I would have been screaming and thrashing around like an elementary school student on the first day of school.

By this world’s standards, Amy is an adult, but by Earth’s standards, she’s a minor.

She may be twenty, but Freide looks younger than that.

Touching such kids while drunk?

If this were Earth, it wouldn’t be strange for armed men to shout “FBI, open up!” as they broke down the door and aimed their guns at us.

Of course, I was innocent.

Absolutely. There was no possibility to consider. Am I crazy to mess with these kids?

There’s a limit to causing accidents while drunk. Even if it were drugs instead of alcohol, I wouldn’t do something insane like that.

No, I couldn’t even have done it in the first place.

Hasn’t my third leg long since gone into retirement? It hasn’t been used properly and can’t even perform its duties anymore. Poor thing.

So, you don’t need to worry about that part.

Probably.

“Uhh…”

“Mmm…”

“…….”

These kids, they’re like… that’s right, just like me, just like me.

They must have been so drunk that they didn’t have the presence of mind to find their own rooms.

The half-dressed Freide probably threw off her clothes due to the heat, just like me.

…Right? That’s right, isn’t it?

It had to be.

No, I will definitely do that. I swear on my honor and conscience.

◆◆

After barely managing to clear my head from the confusion, I carefully got off the bed and headed to the bathroom so as not to wake the two up.

Being cautious not to step on the scattered clothes all over the floor.

Is that my panties… and is that Freide’s pants? The robe hanging on the chair looks like Amy’s.

The armor was neatly arranged in one corner, but the other clothes were haphazardly thrown around, creating a chaotic mess.

If someone saw this, they’d think we had a clothes fight or something, seriously.

– Splash!

“Ugh….”

I filled the bathtub with water and submerged myself, feeling a shiver run through my shoulders as the icy coldness penetrated my body.

I wondered if they hadn’t bothered to heat the water because it was morning. The bathwater flowing through the pump was as cold as a winter lake.

It did help clear my mind a bit, though.

I carefully washed my sweat-drenched hair and body while sinking into the chilly tub, resolving to ask Amy and Freide what exactly happened last night when they woke up.

…Honestly, it’s a bit scary to ask, but I have to.

I can confidently say that ‘that’ didn’t happen, but there’s always a chance, isn’t there?

Surely it didn’t happen, of course it didn’t, it shouldn’t have… but the possibility of me being more of a lunatic than I expected while drunk wasn’t zero.

…What would I do if I really messed up?

Just thinking about it made everything seem dark and dizzying, so I decided to stop thinking about it.