Chapter 37

■ Chapter 36. The Problem is Alcohol (3) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

“...Me.”

“... ...”

“Wake up...!”

“...Wake up!”

“Ugh...”

What on earth is this sound? An indiscernible noise echoed in my ears.

I groaned at the mysterious humming sound in my ears. My head was spinning, and my stomach felt like it was on fire.

I felt so bad that I wanted to close my eyes and fall back asleep.

“Wake up!”

“Ugh...?”

But this time, the voice was clearly heard in my ear. It was definitely someone shouting at me to wake up.

With great effort, I opened my eyelids, which refused to budge, and the intense light stabbed my eyes. I blinked several times until my vision adjusted.

As my blurry vision gradually cleared, a familiar face came into view. White hair, blue eyes, and a somewhat disgruntled expression.

Despite the dizziness, I was sure it was Mari.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Ugh...”

I couldn’t answer Mari’s complaint immediately. As soon as I regained some consciousness, a headache hit me.

I clutched my throbbing head and managed to speak, my voice hoarse from lack of water.

“...Where am I?”

“Where? It’s the auditorium, of course.”

Ah, right. I remember Cecilie bringing me here just before I blacked out. I don’t recall what happened during that process.

I must have said something important, but it’s strangely absent from my memory. Well, I was drunk, so it’s understandable.

I don’t know what I did after that, but I probably fell asleep. Old habits die hard; I tend to pass out when I drink too much.

“By the way, where have you been? I found you sprawled out here. How many glasses of wine did you drink?”

Mari’s disappointed tone stuck in my ears, mixed with a hint of scolding, showing her genuine concern.

I pressed my nose and spoke, my voice still cracked.

“...I don’t know.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t. Here.”

“Huh?”

While I was pressing my nose, Mari handed me something. It was a regular glass, not a wine glass, containing a clear liquid and ice cubes.

I hadn’t expected to see a regular glass amidst all the wine. Of course, even if there was one, I would have only drunk wine.

“It’s just plain cold water. I didn’t put anything weird in it, so drink up.”

Still dazed, I stared at the glass for a moment before Mari’s voice snapped me out of it.

I finally said, “Ah,” and carefully took the glass. The coldness from the ice immediately spread through my hands.

I then carefully held the glass with both hands and brought it to my lips.

Glug, glug, glug—

“Ah!”

After drinking about half the water, a genuine sigh of relief escaped my lips.

My chest, which had felt like it was on fire just a moment ago, now felt like I could survive thanks to the cold water. My parched throat also felt back to normal.

“Feeling better now?”

Mari watched my reaction and chuckled, then asked me. I felt my dizziness gradually improving and replied.

“Thanks to you. Where did this come from?”

“It was on the table. There’s not just wine; there’s also cocktails.”

There were cocktails too, it seems. Well, the wine was so delicious that I only drank wine, so it’s understandable that I didn’t notice.

I shook my head to clear my mind and looked around. The band that had been playing on the stage was nowhere to be seen, and the number of people in the auditorium had significantly decreased compared to what I remembered.

It seemed a lot of time had passed while I was passed out in my chair. I scratched my head in embarrassment and quietly asked Mari.

“Um... by any chance...”

“I don’t know when you fell asleep. I just got some free time myself. It’s been about four hours since we parted ways.”

As if reading my mind, Mari spoke first, crossing her arms with a somewhat displeased expression.

I suppose she was busy running around, so my question might have been a bit rude. I thought about what to say and finally spoke.

“...So, can we go together now? You said that before we parted ways, right?”

“Huh? Oh, right. But are you okay?”

For a moment, Mari seemed flustered, but she quickly showed concern for my condition. I had been almost completely drunk before passing out, so it was understandable that she was worried.

However, after a good sleep, the alcohol had somewhat worn off. Moreover, the cold water Mari gave me acted as a kind of hangover cure, allowing me to function normally.

Of course, the headache and nausea were still there. I had heard that wine, in particular, causes severe hangovers.

“I can move around. And I heard from my father that circulating mana can help with hangovers.”

“Ah, that? I’ve heard that from my brother too.”

“Huh.”

I stood up and circulated the mana in my body. Even if I lack talent in martial arts, I can still activate mana.

As I focused my mind, the sluggish mana in my body began to move rapidly. Every time I circulated mana, I felt a refreshing and invigorating sensation, which always seemed new to me.

‘It’s amazing that people fight using this...’

While I was thinking this and adjusting my clothes, Mari seemed to be deep in thought about my method of using mana to cure hangovers. Suddenly, her eyes widened as if an idea had struck her.

She then grabbed my arm with an urgent look and shouted, her expression showing clear panic.

“Hey! Hey! Stop immediately! You shouldn’t circulate mana now!”

“Huh? Why? I’m feeling better...”

Ding—

Before I could finish my sentence, a headache like being hit by a hammer surged through my head.

Staggering from the sudden pain, I had no choice but to return to the seat where I had been sitting. Not only that, but the nausea I had suppressed with the cold water also returned.

“Using mana makes hangovers worse! It shortens the time you feel the hangover but intensifies it all at once!”

“Ugh...”

“Really... Do you even know what you’re doing?”

Her harsh words continued, but I couldn’t hear them. The headache and nausea that had just subsided hit me all at once, leaving me disoriented.

“Really... What a comedy of errors.”

Mari grumbled, looking exasperated, and sat down in the chair next to me.

Since it would take a while for me to recover, she seemed to be waiting for me. Feeling guilty, I had to apologize.

“...Sorry. I didn’t know this would happen.”

“Shut up and drink more water.”

I realized that the remaining cold water was still in my hand. I drank the rest of it in one go, as she suggested.

Thanks to the ice, the cold sensation was still there, and I could feel the refreshing feeling in my throat. My upset stomach began to settle, making me feel a bit better.

However, my stomach was still queasy. I was lucky that I stopped circulating mana immediately; if I had continued, I might have collapsed.

“Ugh...”

“If you’re feeling too bad, I can get someone to take you to your room. Usually, there are waiters on standby at events like this to help drunk people.”

Judging from my condition, Mari worriedly suggested this. However, I noticed the disappointment hidden in her concern.

After all, if she finally got some free time and I couldn’t keep our promise, anyone would be disappointed. Even if the other person was in a bad state.

Moreover, while I was sprawled out, she must have been running around to help the family, which must have been exhausting. Yet, she came to me to keep our promise.

I didn’t want to disappoint her. I forced a smile and reassured her.

“I’m fine. My head is just a bit dizzy, but it’s not as bad as you think.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

“Still, moving around will be difficult. Should we just talk here?”

“Here?”

While my stomach was still queasy, I glanced at Mari, and she was looking at me with wide eyes. I nodded to save my energy.

Mari blinked her cat-like eyes and then smiled, as if giving up.

“You’re usually good, but sometimes you can be quite clueless.”

“It’s the wine’s fault right now.”

“That’s a pretty convincing excuse.”

“Didn’t you drink?”

“I did, but not as much as you. And the Rekilis family has a trait of not getting drunk easily.”

You must have inherited blessed genes. I thought to myself, feeling envious, and looked ahead.

The waiters were starting to clean up the tables, and the number of students who had attended the event had decreased significantly.

However, one person stood out, naturally, Cecilie in her red dress. She was walking with Lina, as usual.

If asked to name her closest friend, she would probably choose Lina without hesitation. Lina was almost always by her side.

“... ...”

Did she notice my gaze? Cecilie, who was talking to Lina, looked directly at me and waved her hand.

Although I had no energy to move, I had to respond to her greeting. I weakly waved back, and Cecilie chuckled.

“Is she looking at you?”

Mari asked, her voice filled with complaints. I replied with a weak voice.

“Probably. By the way, I always see Cecilie with Lina.”

“...They probably just hang out with each other.”

She seemed to be harboring some resentment from our previous parting, and her evaluation of Cecilie was quite harsh. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at her words.

Meanwhile, Mari, who had been looking at her well-manicured nails, spoke in a calm voice.

“...Isaac.”

“Yeah.”

“I was just wondering, what’s your ideal type?”

“Ideal type?”

I looked at Mari, surprised by her sudden question. She glanced at me once and then fiddled with her nails, confirming her question.

“Yeah. Ideal type.”

“Why do you ask suddenly?”

“Just curious. No particular reason.”

Although Mari tried to sound casual, I noticed her ears were slightly red. Her white hair made it even more noticeable.

I was momentarily taken aback by her reaction but then stroked my chin, thinking about her question.

“Ideal type...”

To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it. In my previous life, maybe, but now, there are so many beautiful women around me.

Including Mari, Lina, Cecilie, Leona, Adelia, and the elf Cindy, who is often called a goddess of beauty.

Depending on one’s taste, none of them could be considered unattractive. If someone said they were unattractive, that person would be the odd one out.

Anyway, I’ve never really thought about it. If I had to, maybe just big eyes?

I stopped stroking my chin and spoke.

“Hmm... I’ve never really thought about it. I just think big eyes are nice.”

“What about women with big chests like Cecilie or Lina?”

That’s a very direct question. I was flustered, but Mari seemed genuinely curious. I met her serious gaze and then subtly looked down.

Although not as daring as Cecilie’s, Mari’s dress was quite bold, revealing a bit of her chest. Her porcelain-like skin would likely catch the attention of many men.

Anyway, Mari’s chest was not small. Compared to Cecilie’s, which was excessively large, Mari’s was still on the larger side by my standards.

‘No, that’s not it.’

The conversation veered off due to the alcohol, but I brought it back to the main topic. I looked up at her face and spoke honestly.

“...I think big is good. I’m not the only one; most men probably feel the same. It’s instinct.”

“R, really? I see...”

Mari was about to turn her head with a gloomy expression. I quickly added, as a thought flashed through my mind.

“Ah, I have one. I like it when we have the same hobbies.”

“Hobbies?”

“Yeah. Hobbies.”

In my previous life, even if we set aside other things, having the same hobbies always made us get along well. Even though I lost contact with her after my parents passed away, I once had a female friend who was almost my girlfriend.

Edin was a similar case. It might be due to the wine, but as soon as I learned we had the same hobby, words poured out of me, even though we had just met.

“Having the same hobby makes me feel closer. Knowing and enjoying something together? I like that.”

“...Surprisingly ordinary?”

“Yeah. As you know, my hobby is reading. But lately, people only read the Zyon Chronicles. I wish they would read other books too.”

This was sincere. Before the Zyon Chronicles, people read a variety of books, but after its release, the situation changed.

Adapting to the easy-to-read Zyon Chronicles, people no longer paid attention to other books. It was a bit disappointing.

“...History?”

“Huh?”

“Do you like history?”

Mari asked cautiously. I slightly tilted my head, then nodded.

“I do. Why?”

“I just thought of it. No particular reason. Oh, and...”

Mari hesitated, then shook her head.

“No, never mind. Anyway, your ideal type is someone who shares your hobbies?”

“Yeah. What about you, Mari?”

“Me?”

She pointed to herself, surprised by my question. I nodded to confirm.

She then stared at my face and smiled, a mischievous grin I had seen before.

“I won’t tell you.”

“What?”

“I won’t. Isaac, you’re surprisingly innocent, aren’t you?”

“No. Ha...”

I sighed. If I had known, I wouldn’t have answered. My judgment was clouded by the dizziness.

Feeling ridiculous, I let out a hollow laugh. Mari muttered, almost to herself.

“Someday...”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Nothing. By the way, is your head feeling better now?”

“I feel like I’m going to vomit.”

“If you vomit here, it’ll be a scandal... Oh, it probably already is. A red-haired guy, drunk and sprawled out in a chair. It’s quite a story, isn’t it?”

“Do you really want to get hit?”

“I’ll call my dad if you do.”

It took about 30 minutes for my condition to improve. Mari and I went outside the auditorium, had a brief conversation, and then parted ways as it was late.

Just before we parted, Mari called me back.

“Oh, right. Isaac, I almost forgot to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“You looked cute when you were sleeping.”

“... ...”

“See you next week. Bye~”

I couldn’t smile as I watched Mari wave and walk away.

‘I shouldn’t drink anymore from now on.’

This event was a black mark on my record, at least for me.