Chapter 220

What on earth are you saying with that mouth?

That was the thought that simultaneously popped into their heads at that moment.

Who on earth made them act so disgracefully last night and suffer like this since morning…

That carefree face of his…

They didn’t particularly have any ill feelings toward Kurt, but he was so annoyingly smug that they felt like giving him a good smack.

Of course, no one was so drunk that they’d dare lay a hand on an actual transcendent, so they couldn’t act on it.

Kurt, under the gaze of the four, smiled carelessly, as if he didn’t understand the meaning behind their stares, and said:

“So, you’re not going to have a hangover cure?”

“Haa… A hangover cure?”

Daria sighed, holding back a lot of what she wanted to say, and replied.

“Yeah. You drank a lot last night, didn’t you?”

“…Didn’t you say yesterday that it wasn’t alcohol but just a drink with alcohol added?”

“…Did I?”

“…Ugh.”

Kurt awkwardly averted his gaze, and Daria barely suppressed the urge to throw everything aside and just smack him.

“Anyway, the alcohol you drank last night wasn’t just distilled liquor but a cocktail mixed with a lot of impurities, right? Those kinds of cocktails tend to give worse hangovers compared to regular distilled liquor, so it’s better to pay attention to a hangover cure.”

While there are differences depending on the type of cocktail, generally speaking, consuming the same amount of alcohol, cocktails tend to give worse hangovers than plain liquor.

Basically, the more impurities there are, the more energy is consumed in digestion, which in turn hinders the allocation of resources to breaking down alcohol.

Especially cocktails with a lot of sugar tend to have a stronger tendency to cause hangovers.

On top of that, the base liquor Kurt used for the cocktail was gin or vodka.

However, in this world, even those liquors were considered somewhat expensive, and since Kurt himself wasn’t particularly fond of alcohol, he didn’t have any on hand.

So, the liquor he used as the base for the cocktail was a cheap, high-proof liquor that Serena used to get drunk quickly when using magic.

Generally, distilled liquor goes through a fermentation process followed by distillation, which removes impurities, making it less likely to cause hangovers compared to regular liquor.

But not all distilled liquors have that characteristic.

Especially the cheap liquor Kurt used as the base for yesterday’s cocktail.

When looking at the production process of distilled liquors that don’t undergo aging, the first distillation removes impurities that cause hangovers, leaving behind ethanol and methanol.

Then, in the second distillation, the ethanol, which vaporizes at around 78 degrees, and methanol, which vaporizes at around 65 degrees, are separated, with the methanol being discarded first to further remove hangover-causing components.

This is because methanol in alcohol significantly contributes to next-day hangovers.

This research result is relatively recent even by his past life’s standards, but in the past, brewers realized this through experience and filtered out methanol to improve the quality of their liquor.

On the other hand, distilled liquors that undergo aging naturally break down methanol and impurities during the aging process, so they don’t need such steps.

But the liquor Kurt used was cheap, low-quality liquor.

Made without considering the quality or characteristics of the ingredients, fermented haphazardly, and roughly distilled.

That cheap liquor didn’t undergo any special aging process or have the time or resources to carefully separate ethanol and methanol.

So, it’s no surprise that even as a distilled liquor, it left a strong hangover.

And not just that.

The kebab they had with the meal was itself a meat dish that required a lot of energy to digest, and it was soaked in a sauce loaded with sugar to give it that sweet and savory flavor.

At this point, it was almost like they deliberately set themselves up for a hangover the next day.

Kurt explained all this to them, and Daria, hearing his explanation, looked at him with an expressionless, icy gaze.

“…You knew that and still recommended it to us?”

“…Well then, I’ll assume you’re all eating and bring out the food soon!”

“Wait, hold on…!”

With that, Kurt fled to the kitchen, leaving Daria to stare blankly at his empty seat.

.

.

.

With Kurt gone, the remaining four at the table decided to return to the conversation they hadn’t finished the day before.

“…Although I said last night that I believed you, that was just a conclusion drawn under the influence of alcohol with impaired judgment. Please don’t think I truly believe your relationship is innocent.”

“Then what will it take for you to believe our innocence?”

“Normally, I’d secure your identities to prevent any nonsense and then escort you to the Holy Kingdom’s church for a thorough interrogation, but…”

At Daria’s words, Arisa and Liche naturally went on guard.

“…But in this case, not only was I unexpectedly hindered by the master’s intervention in securing your identities, but it’s also highly likely that any future attempts will continue to be obstructed.”

As she spoke, Daria glanced toward the kitchen where Kurt had gone.

“…I’d like to subdue you now, but since I can’t, I’ll have to give up.”

With that, Daria concluded, sounding genuinely regretful.

Of course, whether Daria gave up on subduing the two because of Kurt’s presence or because of some other change of heart, only Daria knew.

At her words, Liche sighed in relief.

“So, does that mean our innocence is proven?”

“Not a chance. I thought about how to handle your suspicions last night.”

“…You had the leisure to think about that last night?”

“Ahem! Anyway, I’ve come to a conclusion! And that is…!”

“Sorry for the wait! It’s ready, so eat before it gets cold.”

At that moment, Kurt returned to the table with a steaming pot of soup, and the four’s conversation was temporarily halted.

.

.

.

“What’s this…?”

“It’s a soup good for hangovers. Perfect for an empty stomach the morning after drinking. The conversation is important, but soothing your body wrecked by overdrinking is also crucial. Let’s talk while eating.”

With that, Kurt showed the pot he brought to the four.

It was a peculiar-colored soup, a mix of a strange greenish-yellow and brown.

Judging by the color alone, it wasn’t exactly appetizing.

Add to that the fact that their stomachs were already churning from the alcohol they drank the night before, and they weren’t particularly hungry.

And weren’t they in the middle of an important conversation?

“Ah, I’m…”

So, Arisa quietly tried to decline the meal Kurt brought, saying she was fine.

But then, the fragrant aroma of the soup reached her nose.

A slightly sour yet rich umami flavor, a blend of softness and sourness that shouldn’t coexist.

Gulp.

“….”

If the aroma had been sweet, even Arisa, who loved Kurt’s cooking, would have refused.

Sweet things might taste good, but the sugar base would be a burden on an empty stomach after drinking.

But the aroma rising from the soup was sour.

Honestly, objectively speaking, it wasn’t particularly more appealing than the other soups Kurt usually made.

But at this moment, that aroma felt irresistibly appealing to her weakened body.

“Then, just a little…”

“Sure. Don’t overdo it the morning after drinking.”

With that, Kurt generously ladled a large portion into her bowl.

“….”

Arisa glanced at Kurt for a moment but soon turned her attention back to the increasingly vivid aroma rising from her bowl.

Gurgle.

The sound of someone’s hungry stomach growling.

“…Let’s follow Kurt’s suggestion and talk while eating.”

Daria, her face slightly red for some reason, said so, and Aila, who always silently followed her lead, along with the other two, agreed and began their meal.

“Then, just a taste…”

Clatter.

And Arisa, too, carefully scooped a spoonful of the greenish-brown soup, cooled it, and put it in her mouth.

Sigh.