◈ 024. [Side Story] Victory Banquet
The evening after the battle.
A banquet was held at Crossroads.
To put it grandiosely, it was a banquet, but it was just a pile of food and alcohol piled up in the central square of the city and eaten.
“Come on, congratulations on your victory over those terrifying armor monsters… .”
I succinctly memorized the toast and raised the glass.
“Cheers!”
The soldiers in unison raised their drinking glasses and shouted along.
“Cheers-!”
“Cheers dear-!”
“Eat and drink to your heart’s content! I will live today!”
“Yaho~!”
“Long live the lord!”
The banquet has begun. The soldiers roared and ate meat and drank alcohol.
Death was right around the corner just a few hours ago.
You’ll need meat and alcohol to relieve that extreme stress.
A barbecue was sizzling by a large fire in the central square, and soldiers sang songs to celebrate victory.
Sitting in a corner of the plaza, I watched the scene from afar.
“Are you okay, Your Highness?”
Lucas approached me and asked worriedly.
“You haven’t eaten anything all day, so go ahead and eat.”
“… okay.”
I replied, but I wasn’t in the mood to put anything in my mouth. I twirled the glass in my hand.
The wine in the glass reflected the bonfire and glowed red.
Lucas, sitting next to me, smiled softly.
“You don’t look like a victorious commander, Your Highness.”
“… .”
“I blocked 1,000 living armor without much damage. You might be a little more happy.”
“There was no major damage.”
I slowly brought the glass to my mouth.
“Cool?!”
“majesty? Are you okay?”
“Uh uh are you okay. The taste of alcohol is a bit different from what I thought… … .”
I looked down at the glass with a dismayed look.
Wasn’t this beer? I think it’s 20 degrees no matter how low it is.
‘Isn’t it natural that the world is different, so the alcohol is different?’
I put my glass down awkwardly and finished what I was saying.
“There was no great damage, but precious lives were lost.”
It is meaningless to discuss how big or small the damage was at the point of death in the first place. Because there is no gyeongjung in life, everyone is precious.
Of course I know. You can’t save everyone. That’s arrogance in this harsh game.
However, one hero character I couldn’t save today, one common soldier could later play a decisive role in protecting this city.
Their lives were the seeds of the possibility of each blooming something.
it’s gone
“If I had been a little more careful… I would not have died.”
Recap of today’s battle.
could have done better I couldn’t have been more careless.
It was different from the tutorial stage. There is clearly room for improvement. It was more painful to know myself.
“Your Highness said you didn’t have to blame yourself for doing well enough… … I think, but even if I say these things, Your Highness’ regrets won’t disappear.”
Lucas said softly.
“But, Your Highness, this is the Victory Banquet.”
When I turned around, the blonde-haired main character was smiling.
“If Your Highness is displeased, the morale of the soldiers will not rise.”
“… .”
“Please smile. Please rejoice with us, at least for now. That, too, is the commander’s job.”
Laughing is the commander’s job.
The moment I really want to laugh because the words are right and funny.
“You are indeed right!”
With a fuss, Ader burst out from behind me. what?!
“It is important to mourn the sacrifice, but mourning alone cannot maintain morale. There should be time to celebrate and rejoice!”
Ader was dressed as a chef and held a tray of food in his hand. What are you doing again, son of a bitch?
“Eating only meat is bad for your health. I also brought some vegetables.”
“No, I haven’t even eaten meat yet… .”
Ader brought me a whole tray of grilled vegetables.
“Congratulations on clearing Stage 1, Lord.”
Ader’s gray eyes winked over the bangle glasses.
“It was a difficult stage, but you did well.”
“… .”
“Keep like this forever! Please.”
Embarrassed by the game director’s encouragement, I lifted the toasted corn from the tray and ate it.
But as soon as he asked,
“Our Prince Ash eats vegetables!”
Suddenly, Ader shouted.
“His Highness has no meat, so he only eats vegetables!”
“What is it? What nonsense are you talking about?”
Even though they were angry, the soldiers who heard the cry for a moment quickly gathered around me like a cloud.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness! Without even noticing us!”
“To think Prince Ash, who has a reputation for eating only meat, only eats vegetables!”
Did you have such a reputation? Ash, how the hell did you live?
“You rotten bastards! Bring meat to Your Highness Meat! Bring all your drinks!”
“majesty! Eat here the meat I’ve been roasting!”
“You idiot! His Highness is the royal family! They only eat raw meat dripping with blood!”
“Ooh! As expected, the Everblack royal family is amazing!”
“Fuck the bullshit you idiots! Eating normally!”
Each soldier offered meat to me as the flagship. I couldn’t stand it and screamed.
“I’ll take care of it, so leave it alone!”
But the soldiers did not leave me alone. Soon, a drinking party broke out around me.
“Pour it!”
“Drink!”
“die!”
Soldiers pouring alcohol into each other’s mouths with the intent to kill.
They were looking for when they could pour me a drink with their ugly eyes shining. These wolf pups?
I shuddered as I chewed the meat piled up like a mountain in front of me.
How did this happen! I was going to quietly and seriously review this battle in a corner!
“Say the prince.”
“Hey?! What is this time?!”
Looking to the side, Lily, her face as red as her hair, was twitching next to me.
When did you drink like this?
“Please retire… Please let me retire, please… … .”
“Yeah, no. work more.”
What kind of retirement is this in a recession like these days? Are you paying a good salary? Thank you for your work.
“I want to write a letter of resignation… .”
When Lily, who became the ghost of a person who wanted to leave the company, began to sob, the other alchemists dragged her away in a wheelchair and disappeared. Where do you go to sleep?
“Hehehe. Prince.”
“Oh, what a surprise! Who else!”
This time, the sound of tongue twisting came from the other side. It was Damian.
“Some water is used here hehe… Hiccup.”
“No, that’s not water… … .”
Who gave the kid so much to drink? ok?
The culprit was sitting right next to him. Jupiter smirked with a face without a hint of drunkenness.
This damn old woman was pouring an unknown poison into Damian’s glass.
“Hey Jupiter! What are you doing to the kid!”
“Oh no. He is a full-fledged mercenary.”
Jupiter, who leisurely sipped his cigar, gave a smirk with his only eye.
“You have to learn how to drink, how to smoke, and how to waste money. He is like a grandson, so I will teach him well.”
“Why are you teaching your grandson that kind of thing, you stupid adult!”
Then my shoulders got heavy. Damian, completely drunk, placed his forehead on my shoulder.
“Hehe, it’s the prince… Hiccup.”
“You dare to put your hand or your forehead on the jade body of the imperial family. You have become very brave, Damian.”
It is unimaginable from the point of view of Damian, a commoner, but the power of alcohol is amazing. Well, I’m not the kind of person to be scolded for something like this.
Just as I was about to take him and tell him to put him to sleep, Damian mumbled with difficulty.
“… When I am alone, I think of the face of my dead friend.”
“… .”
“The scenes of that day constantly come to mind. The feeling of guilt that I shouldn’t be the only one surviving weighs on my heart.”
I shut my mouth and listened to Damian. Damian mumbled in an indistinct voice.
“But strangely, when I’m by the prince’s side… … It puts me at ease.”
It’s not because I’m a special and great person. It’s just a passive skill.
It’s just the [Indomitable Commander] effect that prevents mental abnormalities.
But I couldn’t say that.
“so… next to the prince… … .”
Damian soon began to doze off.
I put my forehead on my shoulder and stared awkwardly at the poor child who was breathing heavily.
“Come to think of it, for some reason, while following Your Highness’s command, I felt like my magic got stronger.”
Jupiter, who was looking this way, tilted his head.
“Is it because of Your Highness’s excellent command?”
It’s not because my command is great, it’s just because of my traits and party synergy system.
In this battle, a total of 25% buffs were applied.
You can’t say that. I just laughed out loud.
“It’s all thanks to Your Highness’ wonderful personality and natural talent as a leader.”
This time a voice came from behind. Looking back, Lucas was sitting there.
“When I am with Your Highness, my wandering thoughts disappear, and I feel light and nimble when I follow Your Highness’s command. If this is not proof of Your Highness’ character and talent, what is it?”
How could you say such flattery with a straight voice?
When I said that he was not like this guy who looks like a stone incarnation of diligence, he must have been drinking quite a bit. A bunch of empty wine glasses are piled up next to it.
It was the first time I saw Lucas like this, so I laughed involuntarily. I raised my eyebrows and gave Lucas a chin.
“So Lucas, are you sticking right next to me too?”
Lucas, who was drinking beer, raised an eyebrow.
“well?”
This kid said ‘well’. That’s not an answer like a model student knight character.
I wanted to ask more, but other soldiers swarmed around me. The soldiers exchanged toasts and swallowed their glasses.
“For the dead comrades!”
“For those of us who survived!”
“For Your Highness the Prince-!”
Everyone took turns drinking, and soon everyone’s eyes were on me.
I freaked out and looked around.
“What is it? Why do you look like that?”
“majesty. Your Highness’ cup is full.”
“Ah, this condition is a little bad… .”
I didn’t enjoy drinking much on Earth, so I tried to get rid of it somehow.
All at once, the soldiers prostrated themselves on the floor, pretending to cry.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness! Because we couldn’t set the mood properly!”
“To think that Prince Ash, who has a reputation for drinking all week long if he wanted to, wouldn’t be able to drink even a single drink!”
So what kind of reputation is that from earlier! What kind of life has this damned prince led!
“We are the ones to kill! Please kill me!”
“No, don’t overdo it guys! Stop and get up!”
“Then please drink!”
“uh? why is that… … .”
“Drink! Drink! Drink!”
The soldiers around them started shouting slogans all at once.
Drink! Drink! Drink!
“What the fuck.”
However, in this atmosphere, you can’t show your true colors while exposing class differences.
what can i do I finally closed my eyes tightly and took one shot of my glass.
The poisonous liquid ran down the esophagus and down the stomach.
“Kuaaa! Are you okay? it’s okay?!”
I wiped the corner of my mouth roughly and threw the glass away from above my head.
The soldiers cheered and were about to die. These pups… … .
“You dare to make me, the lord and commander, drink, so you have the confidence to handle it?! hey! Fill up all your glasses!”
At my command, the soldiers rolled a whole tree of liquor to please.
I shouted as I refilled everyone’s glasses.
“Okay, let’s all eat and die!”
We ate, drank, sang and chatted while the moon crossed the sky.
The night of victory was deepening.
***
“Ugh, I’m drunk… .”
The banquet ended only near dawn.
After barely returning to my room in the mansion, I washed up and sat down on the bed, holding onto my twirling forehead.
There is no mercy in this world, no mercy. Even though I only drank beer, the alcohol level is different from the beer I drank on Earth.
I wanted to fall asleep right away, but I lifted my heavy eyelids and opened the system window.
‘I should open this before going to bed.’
A reward box received as a stage clear reward.
2 R-rank crates 3 N-rank crates.
It was time to see what these things contained.
