episode_0183

Even though they were not really starving to death, they kicked out all the merchants who were complaining.

By the time we chased them all out, it was already getting dark.

I haven’t done anything all day, but I’m tired.

I came in wearing dirty shoes, wiped the floor full of dirt and dust, and closed the store.

“I’m sure I’ll continue to suffer for a while.”

It may take some time, but for now, I am the only military supplier.

I also know that the quality of goods is better here, so I’m sure those people won’t just come today.

So, it seemed like it would be necessary to close the general store for a while and shake off the annoying people.

Thump thump thump-

“ah.”

The moon has already risen outside the window.

I went up to the second floor to wash and rest, but I wanted to see who was knocking on my door so late at night.

At least he probably didn’t come with the intention of getting along well with me.

Thump thump thump!

I burst out in anger at the uninvited guest knocking on the door once again! I opened the door.

Suddenly-!

“ah! I was under the influence of alcohol and wondered if I had come to the wrong place, but it turned out I wasn’t so lucky. “I remembered correctly.”

“… “Commander?”

When I opened the door, there was someone other than the person at the top who had been harassing me all day.

Commander Thalia was looking at me, wearing loose and simple clothes, looking at me with a drink in one hand.

“How can we get here…” ?”

This is a person who is busy with work all day.

I couldn’t believe that he was in front of me dressed like that late at night.

“Are you very surprised? haha!”

“Are you really Commander?”

“That’s right, it’s me. I asked a favor from someone with spatial mobility abilities. “Isn’t that what connections are supposed to be used for in times like this?”

Are you saying you came here because you asked a person with space travel abilities?

With a bottle of alcohol in hand?

From the front lines to here?

“What’s going on? Oh, please come in first.”

As if it had never been a hot day, the air late at night was very chilly.

I was wearing thin clothes, but it didn’t seem like I was leaving them outside all the time.

I took off the coat I was wearing and placed it on her shoulders.

To be honest, Commander Thalia’s current attire was almost like pajamas.

Long, sky-blue hair that looks just like Baine emits a fragrant scent that stimulates the tip of the nose.

“Hmm~ You said you were staying here on the second floor, right?”

When I stayed in the barracks next to her, I happened to find out that the commander had a habit of drinking every night.

I wasn’t the type of person who would get away with drinking, so I would quickly go into her barracks and drink together.

At some point, you start to look forward to having drinks after work.

The conversation we had over drinks back then was much more personal than I thought.

It was an opportunity to learn a lot about the human ‘Talia’, and I also told her a story about my time as a mercenary.

‘Maybe that’s why I remembered drinking together after I came back.’

When a particularly bright moon rises, I often think of the drinking parties I had with her.

And as if that wasn’t my only experience, Commander Thalia appeared in front of me.

“I came because I wanted to have a drink with you… . “Would it have been a hindrance?”

“no. “Come up.”

She curiously lifted the bottle up to me and smiled when she saw the commander timidly asking her where it had gone.

It was funny that a woman who commanded the battlefield could be so timid about something like this.

“Are you not hungry?”

“Anything you cook is welcome.”

I cut up the leftover potatoes and made french fries.

When I seasoned it with salt and served it on a plate, she was staring at the bottle of liquor.

I wanted to drink the drink in front of me right away, but I felt like I was holding it back.

“Why did you bring only one bottle?”

Whose nose should I put this on?

“I was planning on having a light drink and leaving. “You can’t drink like you normally do here.”

“Actually, as the night went on, I remembered that I had been drinking with the commander. So I was glad when the commander came. “Aren’t you here because you remembered the alcohol you drank with me?”

“… “Have you thought of that too?”

“Yes, of course. “Good memories leave behind regret.”

I pick up the bottle of liquor the commander brought and pour it into a glass.

Golden white wine fills a transparent glass.

“It’s not easy to find someone you can openly share your inner thoughts with. “You can’t do that even with your daughter.”

“It’s actually more difficult because the family is so close. Additionally, I want to show my family that I am strong rather than weak.”

“yes. I really like this about you. “You look at me like a normal person.”

Ta-da~!

Our glasses clink together.

He tilted his glass and lightly clinked it, making a clear sound, and drank.

Judging from the fact that it warms the throat, the alcohol content appears to be quite high.

‘under… This must be very expensive too.’

Why do I like drinking with the Commander?

The fact that the Commander’s liquor collection was enormous was one of the things that could not be ignored.

Until now, I had only been drinking cheap alcohol, but after drinking high-quality drinks for a while, the taste was completely gone.

When I tried to drink cheap alcohol again, my mouth felt dry and tasteless, which only made me irritated.

“I really missed this drink.”

“haha! You are addicted to alcohol. “Once you taste it, it has a charm you can’t escape.”

“The alcohol the Commander brings is always fantastic. “Where can I get alcohol like this?”

“Most of the items came as gifts, and the alcohol I often drink is obtained through auctions.”

“If it’s an auction, are you talking about that auction?”

“No, they don’t serve ordinary things like alcohol there. You can get it at a regular auction. “Are you interested in the auction house?”

“I think I’ll often think about drinking with you, Commander.”

Since I had enough money, I thought it would be better to buy and drink it myself instead of just waiting for the day to drink with the commander.

But the commander seemed disappointed by my words.

“But for what purpose? “If you drink with me, you can drink for free.”

“Commander, you are on the front line. “You can’t keep calling a busy person here late at night, right?”

In reality, it made no sense.

It was unreasonable to keep asking a person with spatial mobility to go back and forth.

“… “What do you think of me stepping down from my position as front-line commander?”

“yes?”

What nonsense.

Absolutely not.

“Actually, it was said that they would reward me for solving the monster wave this time.”

“That’s a good thing.”

It was a bad thing for me because I needed her to support me reassuringly.

“But I’m thinking of refusing.”

She has lived nearly her entire life protecting the front lines.

My obsession with that place was so unusual that I was confident that I would never give up that place in the future.

Although I was greatly relieved on the inside, I said it on the outside, pretending like nothing had happened.

“You made a decision that no one else would easily make.”

If you have achieved this level of achievement, you can now rest comfortably and pass it on to the next generation.

But from my perspective, it was good to have her reliably guarding the front lines.

“Actually, I felt a lot from this incident. I found out that more people than I thought went along with targeting me. “With that many people gathered, even if something had gone a little wrong, I would have retired in disgrace rather than a honorable mention.”

That’s why the commander shows extreme affection for me.

If I hadn’t helped her, it would have fallen apart like Baine’s character scenario.

Since I prevented that, I was no different from the commander’s benefactor.

Moreover, no matter how mentally strong you are, if you are attacked from all sides like in this case, your mentality cannot be intact.

Since I also drank alcohol, it was natural for me to feel skeptical and complain.

“In the end, Commander won. That’s important. Those people collapsed because they indulged in ugly greed. “He who is doing what is right must not be shaken by malice.”

“is it? “You shouldn’t be shaken by something like that, right?”

She nods her head at my words and her expression hardens.

It seemed like he had made up his mind, but there was no need to do this in front of me.

Because I was telling her to be strong, I wasn’t telling her to endure all the pressure on her own.

“It’s okay to complain like you do now in front of me.”

“… “In front of you?”

“yes. “There’s no need to show your strength to me, right?”

“Wouldn’t you be anxious if I showed weakness? “A person like this is protecting the front lines?”

“Wouldn’t it be okay if there was at least one exception like me? “At least one drinking buddy.”

When drinking alcohol, it is best to eat comfortably.

Plus, people won’t take what you say after drinking seriously.

“At least I would think so.”

If Commander Thalia showed more enthusiasm for her work, that would be enough.

“… A drinking buddy. “Not bad.”

“Actually, I was already thinking that I was drinking friends with the commander.”

As I said that and raised my glass, the commander clinked his glass against mine.

Jang!

“No problem. “It’s the same for me.”

“If you ever need a drinking buddy, come by. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Can I bring some good alcohol with me every time I come?”

“You’re completely welcome.”

As the night gets deeper, the drinking party gets deeper and deeper.

＊ ＊ ＊

Wow!

I was sleeping on my stomach when Rebecca slapped my butt.

“Ugh!”

“This damn son of a bitch. You drink a lot these days, don’t you? “You’re not drinking with me, so who are you?”

“Ugh… “I just drink it at home.”

“If you drink at home, call me! “I like drinking too!”

“You’re busy.”

If there’s one thing I overlooked, it was that I didn’t know how to steal, which I learned late in life.

The commander fell in love with the fun of going out alone at night.

Isn’t space movement something you have to ask someone else to do?

So, I thought that even if I were to become a drinking buddy, I wouldn’t be able to see him often.

But Commander…

‘It’s already been four days in a row.’

I was a drinking buddy with the commander who came every night for four days, and every day he brought me alcohol that was delicious but strong and caused aftereffects.

The strong alcohol made exclusively for awakened people left a terrible hangover for the first time in a long time.