Chapter 32

That night, Beifeng drank a lot of alcohol, even the constitution of a Druid would be enough to get him thoroughly drunk.

Sigma accompanied him, drinking cup after cup. The Washington family members were all known for their large alcohol capacity. Although Sigma didn't particularly like drinking, he had been forced to drink by his joker-like alcoholic relatives since childhood. By the time he became a Necromancer and learned some side tricks, he had reached the point where drinking was like drinking water.

However, influenced by the tipsy Beifeng, Sigma also felt a bit dizzy.

The two drunkards started to talk nonsense.

"Your Highness, do all geniuses have such good alcohol tolerance?" Beifeng asked, tipsy.

Sigma raised an eyebrow and refilled their mugs with ale, "We? All? Who else?"

"Princess Aya, she drinks and eats meat every day, with an astonishing appetite and alcohol tolerance," Beifeng replied.

Sigma vaguely remembered who Aya was—a Druid girl he met before leaving Atlas, with a bright smile and a touch of wild passion, leaving a good impression on him. It seemed Aya also had a good impression of him.

However... this passionate and beautiful girl was actually a big drinker? Sigma found it hard to believe.

Beifeng took a sip of alcohol and said, tipsy, "Your Highness, don't be fooled by Princess Aya. She seems harmless and beautiful, and is usually like that, but... hey, Princess Aya has a title called 'Daughter of the Earth Spirit,' but that's just the official title for those who don't know the truth. All those familiar with Princess Aya have given her another nickname..."

"What?" Sigma guessed curiously, "Big Stomach? Alcoholic? Glutton? Yuyuko?"

Beifeng rolled his eyes, "It's Meat Grinder."

Sigma almost spat out the alcohol in his mouth. He looked at Beifeng in disbelief, thinking he had heard wrong, "What?"

"You didn't hear wrong. Princess Aya is usually sunny and bright, but in battle, she is extremely violent and terrifying. She has been training in the Frontier Lands. Once, when exterminating a large sand pirate tribe, she charged into the enemy camp alone, transformed into a giant bear, and with one shoulder, shattered a statue of a giant rock several dozen meters high. Then, she melted the entire massive and heavy sculpture into flowing lava with the power of fire, lifted it, and sprayed it all over the tribe. It is said that the fire burned for several days and nights, burning the ground into glass crystals, and countless people died—Princess Aya's reputation as a Meat Grinder was thoroughly established from that time." Beifeng burped, "Princess Aya seems to be quite bloodthirsty, once she starts fighting, she can't stop, which is very different from the peaceful and life-loving path of nature. This seems to be a problem that the masters have always been troubled with..."

Damn, she's also a problem child...

Sigma felt a bit indignant. The unpredictability of fate, nothing could be more fitting. He and Aya should have swapped talents.

Sigma considered himself a harmless young man, who liked greenery, animals, and liked to show off discreetly. As a Druid, he could drink and eat meat without any taboos, and it was peaceful and interesting. If he were a Druid, he would definitely live happily and freely here, unlike at Atlas Academy, where he was scared by people pretending to be gods and forced to learn all kinds of disgusting and terrifying necromancy spells, always thinking about how to skip classes.

And since Aya was so fierce, killing people like chopping vegetables, she wouldn't be afraid of ghosts. As for her bloodthirsty nature, it wasn't a problem at all. The masters of the Necromancy Academy were all born violent maniacs, and such a personality would suit them perfectly.

However, there was no "if" in this world. Despite being very afraid of ghosts and being very open and harmless, he had the sinister experience of necromancy. This could only be attributed to the whims of fate, with no other solution. However, Sigma still felt a bit happy. After understanding Aya's true nature, he thought, "There are other geniuses as joker-like as me," which made him feel very comforted, a sense of "I am not alone," and he felt a bit closer to Aya.

Moreover, there were more than just the two of them as geniuses.

The Church in the Holy Sword Province of the Sacred Empire, the Royal Magic Academy supported by the Empire, the Mage Federation with the longest history and the most diverse talents, the Great Snow Mountain Barbarians in the Northern Kingdom, the City of Warriors, the birthplace of martial arts... Even within human civilization, geniuses were never lacking. Sigma was sure he might be one of the top geniuses, but just one of them.

However, what he was more concerned about was... whether the top geniuses cherished by these major powers were as joker-like as him and Aya?

He had long known that Nolun was vast and the world was colorful. Now it seemed that it might also be very interesting.

Beifeng got drunker and noisier, "Why aren't you drunk yet, Your Highness? I heard that powerful warriors who practice martial arts can force out all the alcohol through their fingers with martial energy. Are you cheating?"

"Of course, I can't get drunk. If I do, you'll get carried away and I'll be the one to suffer," Sigma shook his head and hummed, "You can't be too careful. You can even do things to animals, so doing something like that wouldn't be too surprising—let me tell you, I'll cast Frost Armor and Bone Soul on myself before I sleep, and set up a warning spell around me. If you dare to do anything, I'll beat you to death."

"…I've already said I didn't do that, how long are you going to keep this joke up!" Beifeng slowly cried, "If others hear this rumor, how can I face people!"

"Then don't face people, face your true self, young man. Maybe you can start a cult. I think there are many people like you on the continent, guide them to face their true selves, the Beast Cult Leader!" Sigma raised his hands, curved his fingers, and made a cute gesture, "Come, repeat after me, Beifeng, Beifeng, Be~"

Beifeng's mouth twitched, and he finally burst into tears.

That night, they drank until very late. Beifeng, drunk, talked a lot. He talked about his mental torment over the past few days, his hesitation, his dilemma, his disbelief, his ten-year friendship with the half-beasts, and his deep affection for the Nature Academy. Unlike Sigma, he and the half-beasts were true friends, but he also had a deep attachment and dependence on the Nature Academy. This situation made him suffer and be in a dilemma, but he had to make a decision.

Perhaps, it is in these painful but necessary decisions that people grow up.

***

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