Chapter 45 of 100

Chapter 45: The Belt + Potion = Token of Affection? (Part 2)

13 min read3,298 words

Before long, Lar came down from upstairs with a large sealed earthenware jar. There was a spout on the side of the jar, which was also sealed.

"Wu, I won't say too much about my gratitude. Come, try the barley wine that Sari brewed herself."

Lar removed the seal from the spout and poured a cup for me.

The golden barley wine emitted a fragrant aroma of barley. Without even tasting it, I knew it would be delicious.

In the dark world, perhaps due to the constant pressure of death, many job changers, ranchers, and even commoners would indulge in a night of drunkenness whenever they had the chance. This widespread phenomenon promoted the development of brewing. Therefore, the barley wine here was not as exaggerated as the horse urine-like concoctions in some穿越novels. Low-concentration barley wine tasted a bit like beer from the real world, slightly more bitter. I hadn't tried the high-concentration version yet, but I imagined it wouldn't be as strong as erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).

"Hmm, indeed, it's quite good."

I took a sip, and the barley aroma lingered between my lips and teeth, refusing to dissipate. It was even better than the barley wine in bars, no wonder Doug and Gaff, those alcoholics, were so eager.

"Here, to our friendship, cheers." Doug couldn't wait to clink glasses with us and then drank it all in one go.

"To defeating the Countess, cheers." Sweat...

"To the lovely Wu, cheers." Damn...

Before long, the large earthenware jar of barley wine was empty. In my original world, I had tasted even better wines, so I didn't drink as much as they did. When they all passed out on the table, I managed to stay relatively sober.

However, my alcohol tolerance was much lower than theirs. I was also swaying and feeling dizzy. In a daze, I saw what seemed to be Sari standing in front of me, bowing gratefully.

Hmm, with all the commotion earlier, it was impossible to hide it from her. Damn, I'm most afraid of being thanked by women.

With a dizzy and tipsy mind, I finally collapsed on the table.

Due to Lar's sudden "outburst," we all got drunk again. The originally planned trip was postponed. We only woke up at dusk, and it seemed we would have to stay at Lar's place for the night. We would leave for Akara early the next morning.

For dinner, Sari creatively prepared a barbecue feast. We sat around a bonfire in the courtyard, and Sari was carefully turning the meat on the fire. This was the kind of life one could only experience in a different world.

The other five of us sat around the bonfire, just like the night we met in the wasteland, except now we had delicious barley wine and warm, grilled meat.

Ah, and we also had Sari, and the little girl... hanging on me?...

Hey, what's going on? Why is the little girl by my side? This morning, she was still shy around me, so how did she become so close so quickly?

To make a long story short, let me get to the point. It all started at noon. Perhaps because I gave her a piece of grilled meat, after I sobered up at dusk, the little girl no longer felt any stranger to me. Apart from that, I couldn't think of any other reason. But it seems this little girl is too easy to fool, trusting me just for a piece of meat? Or was my gesture of giving her the meat so cool that it deeply attracted her?

Cough, cough...

In any case, the little girl no longer seemed afraid of me. But that alone wouldn't have led to this situation. The real culprits were Lar and his wife, who deliberately created "opportunities." They not only exaggerated my "great deeds" in front of Sari but also encouraged her to cling to me. They were up to no good. I just happened to remember a few little stories, and once I told them, this situation arose. Seeing the two of them occasionally giving me meaningful smiles made me shiver. I now have a shadow of their scheming smiles.

"Lar, are you just going to push your daughter onto me like this?"

I mouthed to Lar, making sure the little girl couldn't see.

"What? Didn't you give Sari those potions and the belt? You've already given her a token of affection, so you can't deny it now. Fine, after you leave, I'll tell Sari that someone 'toyed' with her feelings and then 'abandoned' her."

Lar said with a look of grievance, as if I had really done something to his daughter.

"Damn, you're ruthless. I'll remember this." I couldn't out-talk Lar, and he had the upper hand. After all, I did say I would give the belt to Sari. Wasn't I just digging my own grave? Although I don't believe the little girl understands the true meaning of 'toying' and 'abandoning,' I can't bear to make such a cute little girl sad.

"Big brother (I didn't expect the little girl to use the term I was hoping Linia would use), what happened to the mermaid princess in the end?"

The little girl shook my hand, her clear, sweet voice making me feel incredibly comfortable, as if I had just taken a sauna.

"She turned into foam."

I don't have the talent of a writer, so I couldn't adapt such a classic story. I could only recite it as it was.

"Aww~ So sad, big brother is so mean."

The little girl's big, watery eyes suddenly welled up, as if I had abandoned her.

Hey, I mean...

Seeing Lar and Sari chuckling on the side, and Doug and Gaff watching like it was a show, I wanted to throw these old guys into the bonfire and roast them. Although I do have a bit of a lolicon tendency, you don't have to push a thirteen-year-old girl, with a mental age of only seven or eight, onto me. I'm not that bad, and I'm ten years older than her. Don't you worry about your daughter at all? Do you really trust me that much?

Actually, I still don't fully understand the situation in the Dark Continent. As mentioned before, even commoners on the Dark Continent can live for nearly 200 years, with a prime age lasting over 100 years. A ten-year age gap isn't significant. Due to their long lifespans, their development is slower. So, even though the little girl looks thirteen, her mental age is only seven or eight.

Sigh, I thought to myself, this is your doing, so don't blame me. In my world, there's such a thing as a child bride. The little girl, though young, has an angelic appearance and demeanor that is already captivating. When she grows up, she'll be even more beautiful. It would be a waste not to take her in. It's too early to talk about love, but it's fine to slowly cultivate it. I gave a sinister smile, which made Lar and his wife feel uneasy.

Thinking this, I picked up the little girl, who was hanging on me, and let her sit on my thigh, freeing my right hand. The little girl was very light, delicate and soft like a cloud, and cool and smooth like water. Considering how sincere Lar and his wife were, I reluctantly accepted the situation.

I lovingly stroked the little girl's long hair, which reached down to her waist. On a whim, I decided to braid her hair. Uh... I remember it's like this, and then like this...

In the end, I looked at the two irregular, long braids hanging from the back of the little girl's head, feeling embarrassed. I had ruined her beautiful pink hair. Lar and the others glared at me as if I had committed a heinous crime.

The little girl pulled on her braids, paused for a moment, and just when I thought she would cry, she smiled brightly. Her clear, light pink eyes overshadowed the glow of the bonfire.

"Big brother, thank you. Sari is so happy. No one except Mom has ever braided my hair before." She hugged my neck and gave me a light kiss, then twirled around the bonfire with her strange red braids, her radiant smile capable of melting even ice.

Lar lowered his head in guilt, feeling that he had failed as a father, not even once having combed his daughter's hair...

Without a doubt, the little girl was the star of the evening. She was our beloved little princess. The courtyard was filled with her clear, melodious laughter, probably the happiest moment of her life.

After a night of revelry, the party ended. The little girl, who had been jumping around, was already exhausted and sleepy. She used my thigh as a pillow and fell asleep gently. Sari then carried her back to the room, and Lar also went inside. The three of us, of course, slept in the courtyard. In these turbulent times, having a safe place to sleep was already a luxury, so we couldn't be too picky.

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