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“… shoot!”

Within a few hours of starting to drink, Merc remembered something she had utterly forgotten.

“Estert!!! That’s why I! I really respect ya!”
“I know, I know. You just said the same thing.”
“You did a fantastic job managing the party and bringing together such oddballs… You’re incredible!”
“S-Sure.”

Astard’s face and arms went red after only a few glasses of wine, and he began rambling incoherently.

Merc was reminded that Astard was a lightweight drinker. He would start acting like this when he was drunk. That’s why Merc couldn’t unwind and also have a drink.

“You’re probably the only one that drinks like this. We should bring you some snacks!”

It was common knowledge that if you drank on an empty stomach, you’d get drunk faster. Astard, like Merc, hadn’t eaten since this morning. The booze would, of course, circulate quickly.

“Theeen I’ll ask Kena to bring somethiiing…”

Astard pushed himself up and staggered towards the door.

“Hey! Wait! Just call her using the Transmission Magic Stone!”
“Oh yea…”

Astard slumped back in his chair and, with a languid movement, picked up the Magic Stone on the desk. Even Merc couldn’t decide whether to laugh or be amazed when she saw Astard swing the Magic Stone multiple times.

“KENAAAA!”

After Astard spoke out in a passionate, Mana-filled voice, there was a brief silence.

‘Um… Excuse me?

Kena’s perplexed voice echoed throughout the room.

‘G-Great Sage? Is there something wrong’
“Yes! It is me, the Great Sage! Wait… What was I going to order?”

Astard gave Merc a puzzled expression, as if he’d forgotten what he was going to order from Kena. Merc scratched her head a few times before snatching Astard’s Magic Stone.

Since it was her first time using the stone, Merc wasn’t sure whether she could handle it effectively, but she tried to channel mana into it for the time being.

“Um, can you hear me?”
‘Is this you, Miss Merc? What’s wrong with the Great Sage?’

Kena’s still perplexed voice was heard right away. Merc chuckled as she struggled to keep Astard’s head from leaning on her.

“It’s nothing. We’re having a bit to drink but Astard ended up getting drunk.”
‘The Great Sage got drunk…’
“Pitiful isn’t it? Either way, could you bring us some snacks? Something that goes with alcohol.”
‘Something that goes with alcohol… We only have Goza here, would that suffice?’
“That sounds great, let’s go with that. Could you bring them to the room?”

Merc asked nonchalantly, but she didn’t hear a response.

“Um, is there something wrong?”
‘I-Is it really okay for me to come there?’
“Huh? Why wouldn’t it be? Astard is already drunk, and you’re not planning on staying long, right?”
‘That’s right, but… Okay… I’ll be there right away.’

The Mana flowing from the Magic Stone dimmed and vanished just with that one phrase. Merc took a sigh of relief.

Why did she act like that? Was she hoping to join us for a drink?

However, it was obvious that drinking with a drunk Astard was unthinkable due to the potential complications if he accidently slipped up. Furthermore, Merc didn’t trust Kena.

She was planning to ask her to leave as soon as she gave them the snacks. Even if Kena was truly grateful to Astard and that was why she remained by his side, her ideals would be shattered if she saw him in this state.
　
In any case, there were no advantages to allowing Kena to stay any longer.

“Not that I don’t have a way to bring him back to his senses, but…”
“ESTERTTT!”
“Oh shut up! And don’t cling to me! You’re annoying!”

Merc considered using Healing to sober Astard up, but it was sometimes necessary to take a break like this. It was most likely unusual for Astard to let go of himself to this extent, based on the manner he spoke and Kena’s reaction. As a result, Merc decided to let him drink as much as he wanted.

“Oh, Iriem!!! Why did you leave me?!”
“Let go of me! I’m not Iriem!”

It was alright to let Astard get drunk, but having him cling to Merc’s waist was somewhat unpleasant for her. Merc was reminded of Elea, a member of Blazing Impact, by Astard’s sloppy behavior. Merc would have happily let Elea hug her if it had been her.

Unfortunately, the drunk in front of her was not really attractive.

There was a little knock at the door as Merc struggled to get him off.

“Excuse me. Here is the Goza…”

Kena froze when she saw Merc with Astard’s arm around her waist as she opened the door. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say she froze when she saw Astard’s hand around Merc’s waist.

“G-Great Sage?”
“Oh? Kena, you’re here!”

Astard then immediately let go of Merc and crept on all fours to Kena after he saw her.

“HYA?!”
“OH KENA… Huh? Kena, you’ve gotten so big haven’t you?”

Astard, who was on his hands and knees and staring up at Kenna from directly below, said something really foolish.

Anyone would appear big if they were standing straight and viewed from Astard’s point of view.

“Good grief… I’m sorry, Miss Kena. I’ll take care of him so you’re free now.”
“Ouch…!”

Merc lightly kicked the pervert, who was on all fours and staring up at Kena, and then received the bowl full of Goza from her along with the two sets of knives and forks that came with it.

“Um, what is wrong with the Great Sage?”
“Oh, don’t mind it. He’s always like this when he gets drunk. It may have given you the wrong idea, but he’s only like this when he’s drunk, so don’t hold it against him.”

As she tried to close the door, Merc was resisted by Kena, who peeked into the room. Merc showed Kena a kind smile and pushed her away, shutting the door swiftly.

“… you sure know the Great Sage well…”

Merc swore she heard a cold, heartless voice just before the door shut behind Kena, but she pretended she didn’t hear it.

I must be hearing things due to the alcohol. That’s definitely it¹.

1. Silva: That girl is very sus, I still can’t figure if she’s a spy or is she simply jealous