And so, we had dinner together.
Since entering the Academy, it was the first time I’d eaten with someone other than Kiana, so it felt like a fresh experience.
The conversation was a bit draining, but… thankfully, we just ate and parted ways without any issues.
Then came the next day.
I woke up early in the morning and stepped outside.
The brisk morning air greeted me with a chill.
A yawn came out on its own.
“Yawn~”
“Ain. Are you tired?”
“…I’m not even surprised anymore. When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
As I stood at the meeting spot, yawning widely, a voice called out from behind me.
I turned my head toward the owner of that presence.
…Wow.
Maybe it was because she was wearing casual clothes.
I already knew she was stunning, but that outfit enhanced her charm even more.
It was an outfit I’d seen quite a few times in the game as well.
A scene I already knew from the game.
In reality, I had only ever seen her in her combat uniform, so this was the first time seeing Ren dressed like this.
As expected, she looked far better in real life than in the illustrated version on a monitor.
“So? Where exactly are we going together?”
“……”
“…Ren?”
I finished my silent admiration and asked her.
For some reason, there was no response.
Ren had a sulky expression on her face. Was something bothering her?
She puffed out her cheeks, clearly showing her displeasure.
Did I do something wrong again?
My brain spun quickly.
Even someone like me, a lifelong single with decades of no dating experience, had at least some sense.
My mind worked even harder than when I was casting magic.
Soon, I came up with an answer.
“…That outfit looks great on you. You’re beautiful.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Ain.”
Only then did she break into a bright smile.
I felt relieved that I had picked the right answer.
A strange, eerie sensation crept up on me, and I rubbed my arm.
…No, seriously. What was this, a date?
By now, Ren’s memories with me should only go back two days.
And yet, despite just one day passing, the distance between us felt nearly nonexistent.
Was this another side effect of being a Hero?
Grab.
“Ain. Let’s go. You didn’t eat breakfast, did you?”
“Uh… Huh? Wait, hold on—”
Drag, drag, drag.
She grabbed my arm and, just like yesterday, started pulling me along again.
There was no way I could resist the strength of a Hero.
In the end, I gave up and let myself be dragged.
***
Since the Academy occupied the entire neutral zone of the continent,
Ella Academy’s facilities, beyond just the educational ones, were on par with those of a major city in terms of scale.
Especially the variety of dining establishments.
“This place is…?”
“It’s a spot I go to often with Ron.”
This is… a tavern.
It was one of the restaurants that had appeared in the game.
Certain characters often came here to drink and relieve their stress.
Ren was one of them.
“…You’re drinking in the morning?”
“Why not? I’m only going to drink just enough to not get drunk.”
“How much is ‘just enough’?”
“Mhmm, maybe just ten bottles or so?”
How on earth was that considered light drinking?
I had forgotten. This girl loved alcohol so much that she was practically a drunkard in the game too.
And on top of that, her tolerance was ridiculously high.
I had a rough time with her three years ago too.
I wasn’t exactly a lightweight myself, so keeping up with her wasn’t difficult.
…Still, drinking in the morning felt like a bit much.
“Wait, do I have to drink too?”
“…? Isn’t that obvious? I brought you here to drink with you.”
“…….”
“Come on, let’s go in.”
Drag, drag, drag.
As if my opinion didn’t matter at all.
Like livestock being led to the slaughterhouse, I was dragged into the tavern.
.
.
.
It was only today that I finally realized something.
That from now on, I should never go to a tavern alone with Ren again.
“…Wow. Ain, you really do love drinking, huh?”
“I don’t particularly like it, okay?”
And you’re the one who keeps pouring.
If I didn’t drink, she would immediately pout—geez.
Gulp, gulp.
I emptied the last glass.
With a clink, the empty glass was placed on the table.
Thankfully, the alcohol here had a surprisingly pleasant taste, so even though I usually hated drinking during the day, it went down smoothly.
Maybe there really was a reason the place was so crowded even in the morning.
The table was already covered with empty bottles.
We had definitely gone past ten bottles a while ago.
I looked at Ren who was still drinking with a bit of dread.
She had already emptied another bottle.
“…Phew.”
“Ren. Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not drunk, are you?”
“Mhmm, I’m fine. For some reason, it’s going down even better today.”
Saying that, she opened a new bottle again.
…She really could drink. I should probably stop now.
Feeling the buzz starting to creep up on me, I circulated my aura to keep my mind clear.
Still… I wonder why.
I glanced sideways at Ren who was drinking like it was water with her chin resting on her hand.
Ren liked alcohol. But it wasn’t often that she drank this much out of nowhere.
Most of the time, she drank to relieve stress.
Could it be that even if she’s not showing it, she’s under a lot of mental strain right now?
As a Hero, she was strong…. but also fragile.
It sounded contradictory, but in the game, most of her deaths were due to mental breakdowns.
We were still only in the early stages of the story, but even so, it was something worth paying attention to.
Depending on the outcome of the tutorial, the character’s state at the start of the main story could vary greatly.
Maybe something unexpected had happened during the three years we hadn’t met.
“Ren.”
.
“….Gulp. Hmm? You called?”
“So why did you want to drink from the morning? Is there some other reason?”
“Another reason…?”
Gulp.
Gulp.
Seriously, drinking straight from the bottle?
Seeing that small, delicate hand and mouth guzzling from a bottle felt strangely out of place.
She quickly emptied the bottle in her hand and gave a satisfied, pleasant smile.
Then she stared at me intently.
After a moment, she spoke.
“Mhmm, just because….”
“Just because…?”
“…I’m not really sure myself. I just wanted to come here with you, Ain.”
“To a tavern?”
“Mhmm.”
She just wanted to come with me….
With me? To a tavern? Why?
It was a response that made no sense.
Why on earth—ah, could it be?
She had definitely forgotten about me.
But judging from her behavior over the past two days, it didn’t seem like she had completely forgotten.
Maybe she was instinctively drawn to a memory still lingering deep inside.
A long time ago.
A promise from the past came to mind.
– Ain. Have you ever tried alcohol?
– …Alcohol? Why do you ask all of a sudden?
– I saw the director drinking it with other adults. It looked really good.
– I don’t think it actually tastes that good.
– So you’ve tried it before?
– No.
Back when we hadn’t yet grown apart.
It was a curious conversation we had as kids.
– Hmm… I’m curious. Should I ask the director if we can have some?
– He probably won’t give it to us. We’re too young.
– Then when can we drink it?
– I don’t know… at least when we’re older than now. And let me say this again. It’s not something you drink for the taste.
– But the director and the other adults look happy when they drink it, don’t they?
– It’s not the alcohol that makes them happy. It’s about who you’re drinking with.
– So it’s about drinking together….
It had just been curiosity.
It had just been a small promise that started from there.
– Then Ain… when we grow up, let’s drink together.
– Alcohol?
– Mhmm. I feel like I’d be really happy if I drank with you.
– …Sure, whatever. Just call me when you decide to drink.
– Really? …You have to keep that promise, okay?
It was a promise even I had forgotten.
Just one of those conversations that flowed by like water.
Could that promise have really taken root in her subconscious all this time?
…All that fuss over such a trivial promise.
A bitter feeling lingered in my mind.
The countless empty bottles on the table felt as though they were unraveling the long time she’d spent waiting for this moment.
Was that why she was smiling so happily?
But now, even that happiness was gradually coming to an end.
Clink.
The last bottle was emptied.
“…Wow. You really drank all of that. Are you okay?”
“Mhmm… I’m happy.”
“….…”
Ren looked at me and smiled. Her face was flushed with a soft blush.
Seeing her like that… I don’t know. I just felt a wave of guilt.
It was a feeling I’d grown used to, so I pushed it aside and stood up from my seat.
***
After finishing breakfast, we finally left the tavern.
I thought we were just going to eat and be done, but Ren grabbed me just as I was trying to sneak away.
It seemed like I had to spend a bit more time with her.
So we wandered the outskirts of the city.
The central district where Ella Academy was located housed the educational facilities.
Other cultural centers were spread widely around the outskirts with the academy at the core.
This was a neutral zone where both citizens of the Empire and other races could freely come and go.
The tavern we had stopped by also belonged to this area.
“There are a lot of people.”
“Yeah. Everyone’s busy from early in the morning.”
I walked through the market with Ren.
This place wasn’t all that different from the streets of the Empire.
A place where various goods were bought and sold.
It was also where surprisingly important items were exchanged in the game.
…Since I’m here, should I drop by that place too?
At the start of the story, I’d been too busy and planned to visit it later.
But now that I happened to be here, I figured I might as well check it out.
Something that could improve the current condition of my body.
“Ren. Want to stop by over there for a bit?”
“Over there? …Mhmm. Let’s do that, Ain.”
Whatever had her in such a good mood…
Ren’s expression as she walked through the streets looked even brighter than before.
Drag, drag, drag.
By now, I’d gotten used to being pulled around with her arm linked through mine.
The stares from other people were still pretty uncomfortable, but I figured I’d get used to that too.
We walked for a few minutes with my eyes fixed on the ground.
The once-crowded crowd gradually thinned out, and before long, we stepped into a quiet alleyway.
Despite it being morning, the alley ahead gave off a dark and secluded vibe.
As I mentioned earlier.
The outskirts of Ella Academy closely resembled many parts of the Empire’s cities.
Among them, this darker side existed as well.
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a black market…
It was probably here.
The item that could prolong my fragile thread of life.
A Dragon Heart that contained the will of a certain dragon race that no longer existed in this world.
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