episode_0186

With the number of people doubled, the chaos also doubled in volume.

No, it should have been exactly twice as chaotic.

The uproarious atmosphere filled with dozens of loud voices, and I didn’t want to witness the dreadful drinking habits of the orange-haired blonde.

“Edan Gong! Out of the 21 duels we’ve had, I haven’t forgotten a single one of the 18 defeats!”

“…Natalie, your drinking habits aren’t great. I’d gladly agree to a duel if you want, but right now, this is a gathering hosted by Princess Seraphine, so it’s best to behave…”

“What are you talking about! I don’t get drunk! There’s no way I have drinking habits when I don’t get drunk! I used to drink with my long-time hometown friend, Thomas, all the time, and I’ve never been drunk in front of him!”

…Of course, Thomas would say that.

It takes a lot of courage to openly admit one’s drinking habits to the woman they like.

Especially since she was the type to completely erase her memory when she got drunk, unlike Agnes.

It was inevitable that resentful eyes would be directed towards the one who caused this situation.

“Damn it. Why is the hero just watching Natalie drink?”

Didn’t he know how to strategize? He protected Cerista, brought Selena along, and even included Thomas in the party, but why didn’t he stop Natalie’s drinking, the most basic mistake?

Of course, if he were asked if the hero did nothing at the drinking party just now, that wouldn’t be true.

He seemed to have some understanding of the interaction between the heroine and alcohol and tried to prevent dangerous behavior when alcohol was involved.

…The problem was that it was Agnes, not Natalie, who tried to stop her drinking.

“Agnes, isn’t it a bit too early for you to drink?”

“What? Are you mocking me, saying I’m like a child?”

“I think Blaise would prefer a different drink than this Blue Quirasso cocktail. Here you go.”

“What’s with you again? The lectures on communicating with spirits are over now? The semester is over, and you think I’ll just listen quietly to what you say?”

“Stop it, Agnes. Depending on one’s constitution, some people don’t handle alcohol well…”

…I unexpectedly rushed to stop Agnes from drinking, just like me, but no matter how much I thought about it, the hero’s actions were too irresponsible.

I agree that Agnes, like Natalie, shouldn’t drink when alcohol is involved.

But if there was a situation where only one of them could be stopped, it should have been Natalie, right?

It would have been better to listen to her whining for a few hours than to leave the mess of a ponytail to start a duel and cause chaos.

…And I couldn’t understand why Natalie was causing a scene by poking Edan with her finger instead of the protagonist.

Seeing Natalie with her orange ponytail fluttering like a wild horse, Edan responded as if he couldn’t believe it.

“If you like dueling so much, you should fight with that hero you follow, why are you poking me for no reason?”

“I’ve lost 18 out of 21 duels! 18 losses! While you’ve only managed to win three times during those 18 losses! That even includes one draw!”

“So what’s the big deal? Is it my fault that your sword can’t penetrate my defense?”

“No! What I want is simply to defeat you, Edan Gong, and make up for the shame of the past! It’s about that shame stained by 18 defeats! 18 times! 18!”

As soon as the focus shifted to Edan, the emphasis on those 18 losses felt like a curse, but that was probably just my mood.

It seemed that Natalie’s ‘Duel Master’ habit determined the opponent with the ‘lowest’ win rate among those present.

Gyethmyojoshegwo, Edan, Natalie.

Including the absent Kara, there were a total of 4 members in the swordsmanship department’s 1st year, all at the top level, but even among those 4, there was a subtle power dynamic where each individual’s win rate fluctuated. Among them, Natalie’s Esterc showed a particularly weak tendency against Edan’s dual swords, as Natalie’s specialty was to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities, making it especially difficult to face Edan’s versatile attack and defense.

Even though Natalie had about a 30% win rate against the hero Gyethmyojoshegwo, her win rate against Edan was not even 20%, perhaps because Edan had become the opponent of Natalie’s Duel Master habit.

In the original work, no one other than the protagonist had ever been seen drinking in front of others, so that was an overlooked detail.

‘This is really getting messed up…’

If only that orange-haired blonde troublemaker had focused on the protagonist, it would have been enough to either ignore her or quietly take Edan away during the commotion.

The problem was that the focus of that orange-haired blonde troublemaker was on Edan.

If Edan didn’t respond properly to the challenge, she would probably repeat that nonsense for hours. Either until she collapsed from exhaustion, or until she collapsed from the fatigue of alcohol coursing through her body.

With Cerista present, any safety accidents during the duel could be easily prevented, but I didn’t want to just listen obediently to what that light-year was saying, leaving aside everything else.

I just wanted to put an end to the duel and go to sleep. Was there a peaceful way to put her to sleep…

“Please respond to the challenge, Edan Gong! If you are a true swordsman, you need to face the sword that is challenging you with honor!”

‘…Wait, with honor?’

The moment I casually heard Natalie’s words, one way to avoid this situation came to mind.

Right before the duel between Natalie and Edan was about to begin, I quickly intervened between the two to defuse the situation.

“I thought of you as just a simple commoner lady, but I didn’t know you harbored such hatred towards me in your heart.”

“I only wish to move forward as a swordsman, overcoming defeat! And the mountain I must first climb to leap forward is you, Edan Gong…”

“Me, Natalie? Can you calm down for a moment? No matter how much you’ve accumulated in duels, your opponent is a member of the Blackwood family, Gongja? I can’t let this disturbance go on…”

“Just a moment, Natalie!”

“…Lilith?”

“…Miss Lilith?”

With my sudden appearance blocking Natalie’s path, Edan and Seraphine’s gazes turned towards me.

Even Natalie, who had been causing a ruckus with a cocktail in hand, turned her eyes towards me.

“You are, Edan Gong’s fiancée, right? Are you thinking of intervening in this sacred duel out of concern for your fiancé?”

“That’s not really important, let’s talk about it later. More importantly, didn’t you just say ‘honorably’ in Natalie’s name?”

“Yes! This is Natalie Sharp! Although I was born a commoner and only have a talent for stabbing with a sword, I have lived a life of honor without shame under the sky!”

“And you also mentioned that Natalie has never been drunk.”

“That’s right! I have never been drunk even once, so it is clearly a misunderstanding that I challenged Edan Gong to a duel due to a drinking habit…”

“Then, Natalie, is it truly ‘honorable’ to challenge someone who is drunk with a sword while you are sober?”

“…Huh?”

Natalie, who had just been shouting for a duel moments ago, suddenly fell silent.

According to this logic, even in her drunken state, she had to respond.

Honesty and honor. It was a value that Natalie upheld in the game, almost to the point of risking her life, a symbol of her character.

Even in her drunken state, it seemed like some consciousness had awakened in Natalie at the mention of these words.

“T-That’s… not an honorable action….”

“Yes. However, Lord Edan has been present in this place long before Natalie arrived. Naturally, he has consumed a lot of alcohol and is currently drunk.”

“Ah, I see…”

“Now do you understand, Natalie? You requested a duel in an dishonorable situation to gain a cowardly victory over Lord Edan.”

“Oh, what have I done…”

Finally stopping her finger-pointing towards Edan and bringing both hands to her head in despair, Natalie seemed shocked by her own lack of honor.

– Thud.

“I-I apologize, Lord Edan! I have offended you with my dishonorable behavior!”

“It’s fine. People make mistakes in life. …You almost crossed the line, though.”

“How can I ever apologize for this shameful mistake…”

– Thud! Thud!

“N-Natalie?!”

Natalie, now lying on the floor, repeatedly hitting her head in despair with a distressed expression.

Her hard head echoed loudly throughout the banquet hall, almost as if boasting about its durability.

Concerned that either the floor or Natalie’s head might break, I quickly grabbed her shoulders and suggested another “apology method.”

“N-Natalie!”

“Stop. You don’t need to apologize that much, you’re not seeking forgiveness.”

“Natalie, stop! Lord Edan said it’s okay!”

“Oh, no…. I am a disgraceful knight who has acted dishonorably…. I must apologize…”

“It’s okay, Natalie. There’s a more certain way to apologize than this ignorant method.”

“…Really? Lady Lillis?!”

“Yes, yes….”

Upon hearing that there was a certain way to apologize, Natalie grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth.

I decided to overlook the sudden change in my title to “Lady.” It would be forgotten by the next day anyway.

“The only mistake Natalie made is one. It’s when sober Natalie challenged a drunk Lord Edan to a duel.”

“That’s right…. It’s shameful to target a weakened opponent….”

“In that case, Natalie, like Lord Edan, just needs to reach the same level of intoxication.”

“…What?”

“A duel challenge between two intoxicated parties is just a joke. Isn’t that right?”

“I-I see!”

…As if that would ever happen. In a situation where chaos had already erupted, if punishment could be avoided by getting drunk later, what’s the point of laws and police… I mean, knights.

But in this current situation, what was important was not an irrefutable perfect logic. As long as there was enough reasoning for a drunken whale like Natalie to not find it strange, it was sufficient.

I didn’t want to see Natalie causing trouble again after being deceived, and probably no one else would bother to counter my logic.

“Come on, have another drink, Natalie. Just keep drinking…”

So, I disguised the strongest possible alcohol available as a regular cocktail and handed it to her as if it were nothing.

– Thud.

“Thud, whoosh… Thud, whoosh…”

The wild orange horse remained deep in slumber, exhaling peaceful breaths.

…Seriously, post-processing is such a pain.