Chapter 19

"Damn, I'm so frustrated!"

Kuuna slammed her wooden mug on the table and shouted.

The day after the entrance exam, the three of us came to the tavern after completing the procedures for enrollment and dormitory entry.

We all ordered honey wine.

Ale was cheaper, but we ordered honey wine as a celebration.

"Miss, another round!"

"Ah, miss, ale from the second round onwards."

"Soji-kun, Kuuna, don't you want something sweet?"

Kuuna, with flushed cheeks and moist eyes, leaned over, her tone changing. I swallowed hard and opened my mouth.

"Miss, two more ales. And also, sautéed mushrooms with butter and steamed clams in wine. Both in large portions."

"Understood."

I ordered ale, casually ignoring Kuuna, and the waitress, who knew I was the one holding the wallet, disappeared into the back.

"Ah, Soji-kun, you're so stingy!"

"What do you mean by stingy? Today, I'm being generous. If you complain, we'll split the bill."

Kuuna's face turned pale.

Thinking it was my money, she had been ordering expensive dishes one after another. If we split the bill, she would go bankrupt.

"Soji is so picky about strange things."

While sipping her first cup of honey wine, Anne said.

Around her neck hung a medal commemorating her first place in the tournament for examinees.

"Ugh, it's fine, just spoil me. I'm so shocked to have lost to Anne-chan."

"You're better in terms of skill. You just had a good match-up this time."

"Kuuna, you used too much power in the semi-finals. You could have won with less exhaustion. Using that barrier against a person is a waste."

It was a technique designed for fighting multiple opponents at once.

"The duel of the Fire Fox must be entertaining."

"What do you mean by 'entertaining'?"

"I'm not sure. Father used to say it, and I like the sound of it, so I use it sometimes."

"Don't use words you don't understand."

In the final match, Anne won against Kuuna.

Kuuna had used up most of her magic power in the semi-finals and had repeatedly crushed her fists while punching a hard Rank 1 opponent, healing herself with her blessing each time, which left her with almost no blessings left.

At the beginning, Kuuna was overwhelming with just her martial arts, but after taking a hit from Anne's sword, her blessings dropped below thirty percent, losing her precision of movement, and the rest was a one-sided defeat.

Challenging a top-tier swordsman with bare hands was nonsensical to begin with.

Moreover, there was something off about Kuuna's movements. Her movements weren't for martial arts but for a swordsman. ...There must be some reason she's deviating from her usual style.

"So, comfort me. I'm depressed from losing to a girl my age. Please, comfort the cute, cute Kuuna-chan with enough alcohol to make her collapse!!"

"Making a depressed girl drink until she collapses is dangerous, no matter how you look at it!?"

"Look, Kuuna-chan is crying. Didn't Soji-kun say he's tired of seeing my crying face? So, here, honey wine to make her smile!"

She seems to really love honey wine.

If she insists this much, maybe I should order it. I refused earlier just to see her reaction, and I'm satisfied. She's getting closer with each request, and I've already gotten what I wanted.

"Alright. But, how about something you haven't drunk? Ah, there's Ersie wine. It's a rare find that doesn't come around often. Let's buy it."

The tavern's menu had Ersie wine.

It's a sweet and refreshing wine made with cranberries and maple syrup.

As the name suggests, it's a famous wine from Kuuna's hometown, Ersie. Due to its limited production and popularity, it disappears quickly. It's lucky to find it in a place like this.

A bottle costs thirty thousand bal, but it's worth it. It's a celebration, so it's fine.

"Sure. When I was still a noble, my father often let me drink it. I'd like to have it again."

Surprisingly, Anne was the one who agreed.

"Kuuna and I will drink the Ersie wine. I'll have ale."

However, Kuuna, the most important person, looked uninterested.

"Ersie wine is a sweet drink, right?"

"I know. I grew up drinking it. I just don't want to go out and drink Lady Yuki's wine."

Lady Yuki's wine... Kuuna must be the daughter of the Ersie wine cellar.

A noble's favorite wine, and the daughter of the cellar that produces it, it makes sense why Anne calls her princess.

I heard that the temperature of Ersie wine is controlled by magic. That's why they rigorously train in magic from a young age and build their bodies for the physical labor of winemaking. Everything makes sense.

...No, wait, that's strange. No way. There's no way a mere wine cellar's daughter would be called a princess. Normally, if someone is called the princess of Ersie, it would be... Yeah, that makes sense. So, Kuuna is the daughter of a wine cellar.

"Soji-kun, Soji-kun."

"Ah, Kuuna, why?"

"Your eyes suddenly lost focus and you looked dazed. Do you have some strange illness?"

"No, it's nothing. I just drank a bit too much."

"Surprising. Soji seems like someone who can handle alcohol well."

"I'm usually strong, but... Look, the food is here."

The additional sautéed mushrooms with butter, steamed clams in wine, and ale arrived.

"Miss, add Ersie wine. And leave the choice of snacks to you."

"Understood. For Ersie wine, I recommend a selection of Berr cheese."

"Order that."

"And add ale for me."

Kuuna casually added another ale. I've heard that most Fire Foxes love alcohol and can drink like fish.

The ale came quickly, but the Ersie wine would take a bit longer.

"Well, let's finish the food. Soji-kun, good choice. They're all my favorites."

"That's great."

The sautéed mushrooms with butter and steamed clams in wine smelled delicious, and I couldn't help but dive in.

Washing it down with ale, today's fatigue seemed to melt away.

Even Kuuna, who had been insisting on honey wine, swallowed with a satisfied sound.

"Phew, it's delicious."

"...That kind of vulgar drinking style seems fun, too."

Seeing Kuuna drink so enjoyably, Anne, who had been sipping her first cup of mead elegantly, threw the steamed clams into her mouth and washed them down with mead.

"Not bad. This is fun. Burp."

Anne blushed, embarrassed by the burp from doing something unfamiliar.

"Soji-kun, there's a maiden in this run-down tavern."

"Kuuna, don't push Anne. And don't call it run-down. The looks from others are painful."

"Everyone, I'm sorry. It's a good kind of run-down, like a local, down-to-earth place."

Kuuna bowed, saying something incomprehensible.

The other customers, not understanding her apology, forgave her because she was cute. Kuuna had an aura that made people love her unconditionally.

"Here, the Ersie wine has arrived."

Pouring the wine into the glasses that came with the bottle.

I filled one for Anne, one for myself, and offered one to Kuuna.

"But I said I don't want it."

"You don't dislike the taste, right?"

"I like it. But—"

"Kuuna, you cried when I played the Ersie song, didn't you? I think you still have feelings for your hometown. I think there was a reason you left, but you don't have to hate everything about it. There's no sin in good wine."

"Ugh, but—"

"Well, if you don't drink, I will. If you miss today, you might not get Ersie wine for years."

"Soji, that's unfair. I'll have Kuuna's share too."

Anne and I exchanged glances and teased Kuuna.

After a while, Kuuna sighed.

"Alright, I'll drink. There's no sin in wine."

"Alright, then the wine is distributed. Let's toast."

I raised my glass.

Kuuna and Anne followed.

"To our first mission of the 'Tail of the Magic Sword.' To all of us becoming special students and achieving our goals."

I set the tone.

Kuuna and Anne read the timing.

Then, the three of us together.

"Cheers!!!"

We toasted in unison.

We were about to enter the academy and delve into dungeons.

We had just reached the entrance, but with these three, I felt we could go anywhere.