Naro and Ray were currently traveling by carriage. Of course, they always took the carriage provided by the ducal house when going to the inn, but today was slightly different. Mellian was also riding with them up front.
“Stubborn one, why are you getting on?”
“If I treated you to a nice dinner, you should keep me company too.”
“What do you…”
“Maybe it’s because I’ve been holed up in my room for years, but lately I’ve been wanting to do some new things.”
Mellian spoke jokingly, saying she felt like a baby taking its first steps into the world. Before they could understand what that meant, the carriage slowly entered the central plaza and soon stopped. Naro got off the carriage, looking around the interior of the plaza, which was spending another glamorous and lively night, as if seeing it anew.
It was Mellian’s role to lead the way. Naturally, Naro and Ray didn’t know where she was going.
Mellian, who had been walking through the crowd without hesitation, stopped in front of a certain shop. Naro, who stopped with her, naturally examined the shop’s sign.
“M-my lady. Is this really the right place?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Naro looked back and forth between the shop’s sign and Mellian with disbelieving eyes. No wonder—the shop she was standing in front of was none other than a tavern.
“Come on, let’s go in.”
Without caring about Naro’s flustered expression, Mellian strode into the shop.
“Ray, let’s go in too for now.”
“Okay.”
Inside the tavern Mellian had chosen, most of the tables were already filled with customers. People had gathered together to catch up, and there were also those having serious conversations with quite grave faces. Smelling the faint scent of alcohol spreading through the air, Naro looked around unnecessarily. An employee who spotted the newly arrived customers guided them.
Perhaps immediately recognizing from Mellian’s appearance that she was from a noble family, the employee bowed obsequiously before her. The seat they were guided to was also the best seat, located in the very back.
“Um… my lady…”
Mellian casually picked up the paper with the menu written on it.
“Did you come here to drink?”
Naro asked her carefully as she scanned the menu.
“Then what else would I have come to a tavern for? Actually, I’ve never drunk alcohol before. In the past, Father said I couldn’t, so I couldn’t even put it to my lips, and later I voluntarily holed myself up in my room, so I never had a chance to drink.”
Mellian added that recently, as she had been doing outside activities little by little, she naturally thought of alcohol. But even so, Naro’s unease didn’t disappear.
“Are you really okay? Ah, what about the Duke? Did you get his permission?”
“Naro, I’m long past the age of needing Father’s permission. Besides, if Father had stopped me, could I have brought you here with me now?”
Come to think of it, when they left the estate with Mellian, Bern had told Mellian not to overdo it at all while even waving his hand to see them off.
Certainly, she just had a weak body with frequent minor ailments, not a disease eating away at her health, so enjoying a small amount of alcohol wouldn’t be much of a problem. Bern understood that too, so he must have readily sent Mellian off. Since she had been changing in a positive direction lately, he wouldn’t have wanted to block that decision.
“Of course I won’t drink much. But it’s boring to drink alone, so you two keep me company.”
At Mellian’s words asking if they obviously hadn’t tried alcohol either, Naro awkwardly raised the corners of his lips.
“Ray, can you drink?”
While saying that, Naro first checked Ray’s intention. Because Ray probably hadn’t tried alcohol either. But unexpected words popped out of his mouth.
“I tried it once before and it wasn’t bad.”
“Huh? Ray drank alcohol? When?”
“Garnet gave it to me.”
Hearing it, it seemed Ray had occasionally gone out alone to the plaza to buy things, and at that time Garnet had grabbed Ray and recommended he try it, saying it was alcohol he’d brewed himself. Garnet’s hobby was brewing alcohol himself and distributing it to people around him, telling them to try it.
But then, if it was alcohol Garnet made, it must have been quite strong. Seeing that he was fine even after drinking it and even said it wasn’t bad, Ray seemed to be quite good at handling alcohol. Well, if he was a dragon, his stamina would be several times stronger than a human’s.
While Naro was lost in thought alone, appetizing food and three glasses of alcohol had already been prepared on the table.
“Here.”
Mellian pushed glasses of alcohol in front of Naro and Ray respectively. Naro looked at the pale amber liquid contained in the wooden cup.
“I’m buying this because I’m grateful to you, so feel free to eat and drink without burden.”
Mellian naturally raised her glass into the air. Naro, who caught the gesture to toast, lifted his glass the same way and sent Ray a look telling him to follow along.
Ray, who read that intention, lifted his glass, and at the same time, the three glasses clinked in the air. After the dull resonance spread, Mellian lightly took a sip of alcohol. Ray emptied an entire glass in one go.
“Ray, you can’t overdo it.”
Naro was worried because Ray had recently maintained his human form for a long time before turning back into a baby dragon. It seemed his stamina had recovered to some extent since then, but he still had to always keep potential risks in mind.
“It’s fine. This much.”
But Ray seemed fine even after emptying a glass of alcohol in one go. He even had the illusion that maybe he’d drunk water, not alcohol.
“Oh, black lump. You must be quite strong with alcohol?”
Mellian laughed as if surprised.
“Naro, aren’t you drinking?”
“Ah.”
Mellian asked, seeing Naro just holding the glass without drinking. Naro had another staring contest with the liquid in the glass. Actually, like Mellian, Naro had never put alcohol to his lips once in his life. In his previous life, alcohol was almost taboo because of the chronic illness he suffered from.
Even after coming here and starting his second life with a healthy body, he hadn’t really had a chance to try it. Garnet had once offered him homemade alcohol like he’d done with Ray, but he’d heard rumors here and there that Garnet’s alcohol was so strong that one glass would knock you out, so he didn’t dare and refused.
Since there were no opportunities, Naro, who coincidentally had no experience drinking alcohol until now, didn’t even know whether he could drink well or not.
“Can you not drink it? Then you don’t have to force yourself.”
“Naro, you can’t overdo it.”
But for that reason, he was suddenly curious. What exactly alcohol that people enjoyed drinking so much tasted like. And whether he was good at drinking too.
Right, since he was reborn anew with a healthy body, he should at least try alcohol.
Naro decided that and put the glass to his lips. A sweet yet mysterious taste spread throughout his mouth. The cool and fiery sensation going down his throat was unique.
“…Haa.”
“Naro, are you okay?”
Ray looked at Naro with a worried face.
“Ah, yeah. It’s delicious!”
Naro widened his eyes and nodded vigorously. It tasted better than expected. He thought it would be terribly bitter, but it wasn’t. His throat burned a little, but even that sensation just seemed novel.
Naro took another sip while he was at it. Perhaps he was what people commonly call someone who drinks well, and quite a strong drinker at that.
* * *
“Naro, are you okay?”
Ray asked with a serious face.
“Huh? I’m perfectly fine. Why do you keep asking?”
“…That’s because Naro keeps stabbing the table with your fork.”
Ray placed the plate with food closer to Naro. The food was somewhere else, but he kept stabbing the wrong place, so of course the food wouldn’t be within reach.
Seeing that, Mellian laughed with a “pfft.”
“Stubborn one, don’t laugh.”
“Sorry. But I never would have thought that I’m fine but Naro would get drunk on not even one glass but half a glass. Besides, this isn’t even that strong of an alcohol.”
Mellian unconsciously covered her mouth as she watched the swaying Naro.
That’s right. Naro had gotten completely drunk on not one glass but half a glass of weak alcohol. When he first happily sipped it, no one had predicted this situation at all. But as time passed, Naro’s eyes glazed over and his face turned red, then later he just repeated incomprehensible words, and finally ended up like this.
“Ray! Why do you keep shaking your body? It’s distracting, so you should stay still.”
Naro pounded on the table. Ray moved his lips.
“…Yeah, got it.”
The words “the one shaking isn’t me, it’s you, Naro” didn’t come out of his mouth. It didn’t seem like he’d understand even if he said it anyway. Eventually Mellian let out a small laugh aloud.
Ray was pointlessly glaring at her when Naro suddenly stood up from his seat.
“Naro, where are you going?”
“Restroom.”
“Got it. Then let’s go together. It’s dangerous to go alone.”
Seeing Ray trying to stand up to follow, Naro suddenly narrowed his eyes. With a face full of dissatisfaction, he abruptly grabbed Ray’s shoulder and pressed down firmly. As if telling him to sit back down.
“I can go by myself. Do I look like someone who can’t even go to the restroom alone?”
“That’s not it…”
“Ray, if you follow me, I’m breaking up with you.”
Ray’s face was colored with shock. He already knew roughly what the word “breaking up” meant since he’d studied it.
Satisfied seeing Ray become docile, Naro disappeared toward the back of the shop, saying he’d be right back.
