Chapter 219

“Ugh…”

The first thing she felt upon opening her eyes was a splitting headache and a nauseating dizziness that made her feel as if she were on a storm-tossed ship, even though she was just trying to sit up.

It was as if the bed she was lying on was actually drifting on the sea, and the slightest relaxation of her mind threatened to bring up a wave of nausea. In the midst of this discomfort, Daria, with her sharp instincts honed over years of life, quickly assessed the situation.

‘An unfamiliar ceiling… This isn’t the church of the Holy Kingdom where I was staying.’

Realizing she was in an unknown place, Daria immediately tensed up.

‘A strange place I’ve never seen before, with a headache and nausea… Could it be some kind of drug or magic to limit my physical abilities? If so, have I been kidnapped? By whom and for what purpose? I remember yesterday… Ugh! My head…!’

As Daria tried to piece together the situation and think of a way to handle it, the piercing headache forced her to stop and clutch her head, leaning against the floor.

Squish.

At that moment, her hand touched something distinctly different from the bed—a sensation so soft and luxurious that it defied the feel of mere fabric, something even a noble’s bed couldn’t match.

“Ugh…”

Daria, feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding, turned her gaze toward the source of the sensation.

And what her fingertips touched was…

“Ugh… My chest… feels heavy?”

It was Arisa, sleeping right beside her in nothing but her underwear.

“…”

“…”

One was clutching her throbbing head, while the other was still half-asleep. They slowly took in the situation as they stared at each other…

“Kyaaaah!”

“Kyaaaah!”

They screamed almost simultaneously.

“Wh-what are you doing!? Why are you groping my chest!?”

“I should be asking you! Why am I sleeping in the same bed as you, in just my underwear!? And where is this place!?”

“W-well, you were completely out of it yesterday, so I had no choice but to let you sleep in my room since you couldn’t even go back to the church!”

“If you let me sleep, then why are you sleeping next to me in your underwear!? Kyaaaah! Now I see I’m in my underwear too! Don’t tell me you…!”

“That’s not it! I had to take off your clothes because you threw up all over yourself and me yesterday when you were completely drunk!”

“…Ah.”

Finally, bits and pieces of the previous night’s memories began to surface.

Daria had clearly judged Arisa’s group as dangerous and, using her authority as the field supervisor, had attempted to subdue them.

However, due to continuous interference from third parties, the mission failed.

And in the midst of it all, Kurt, who had intervened last, forcibly dragged everyone to the Adventurer Guild for a meal…

Then, he offered them a drink he had made…

What followed were memories so embarrassing and horrifying that they ranked among the most shameful moments of her life—moments that made her unsure whether to turn pale or blush furiously.

She had complained to Arisa about how hard her job was, cried like a child, and finally, completely drunk, threw a tantrum, insisting she would go home despite Arisa trying to stop her…

And then, clearly, she had felt sick…

“Ah… Aah…”

“…Do you remember now?”

The day after drinking and causing a scene.

People can be broadly divided into two types.

Those who remember their shameful behavior and those who don’t.

And Daria was the type who remembered.

Recalling every bit of her disgrace, Daria, overwhelmed by shame and guilt, couldn’t bring herself to say anything and just closed her mouth.

“…”

“…”

The room fell into a heavy silence.

“Um…”

In the oppressive atmosphere, Arisa opened her mouth to say something.

But perhaps because she had screamed and shouted from the moment she woke up…

“Ugh!”

Crash.

With a serious expression, she tried to speak but couldn’t finish her sentence as a wave of nausea surged up her throat. She quickly covered her mouth with both hands and rushed to the window.

“Uweeeek!”

“…Ugh!”

Watching Arisa regurgitate the meal Kurt had prepared the previous day, Daria, for some reason, began to feel nauseous as well.

“Ueeek!”

Soon, both of them were leaning out the window, expelling what had once been kebabs.

That day, two small puddles of mysterious composition formed in the backyard of the Adventurer Guild.

…

…

…

Swish, swish.

“…”

“…”

After borrowing clothes from Arisa, Daria helped clean up the puddles they had made and returned inside the guild.

Even as they shoveled away the cocktail of kebabs and other ingredients, neither of them spoke a word…

When they returned to the guild’s hall, Liche and Aila, who had woken up to the commotion, were sitting at the table, waiting.

“Ahem. By the way, wasn’t there one more member in your party?”

Daria, feeling inexplicably awkward, coughed and asked a random question. Surprisingly, it was Liche, not Aila, who answered.

“Miss Yuri went back to the academy. She lives in the academy dormitory.”

“…Ah, right, she’s a student at the academy.”

Daria suddenly recalled Yuri Blossom’s background.

“Then where did the people from the Empire go?”

“They left with Kirsch for a second round of drinks at another bar while you were making a scene. They’re probably somewhere around.”

“…I see.”

Liche, though still somewhat cold, answered Daria’s questions dutifully.

Her attitude, though still far from friendly, was completely different from the fear and hostility she had shown upon learning Daria was from the Holy Kingdom just the day before.

Daria felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity at Liche’s change in attitude, while also feeling surprised that she herself no longer felt the same wariness toward Liche as she had yesterday.

This was the effect Kurt had intended.

There are many reasons why people feel rejection and fear toward others, but a significant factor is the unfamiliarity and the unknown about the other person.

Unfamiliarity breeds rejection, and the unknown creates fear.

Thus, people tend to divide others into “us” and “them,” attaching reasons to justify their hostility.

Conversely, if people can understand and empathize with each other, such hostility naturally diminishes.

Sharing a meal at the same table creates a shared memory that erases the sense of unfamiliarity.

In this process, the experience of eating delicious food that’s hard to find elsewhere becomes a good memory, turning into a fond recollection.

Good memories make the people who shared them leave a good impression.

Moreover, kebabs, which are shared around a skewer, foster a sense of camaraderie more than individual dishes like steak.

Then came Kurt’s cocktail infusion.

Though it was almost a mix of persuasion, trickery, and a bit of coercion, they ended up drinking it willingly, completely unaware of how drunk they were getting. In the end, though unintentionally, they ended up pouring out their innermost thoughts to each other.

Mostly, it was Daria who did the pouring.

But through sharing their true feelings and life stories, Daria’s group and Arisa’s group began to vaguely understand each other’s ways of thinking and why they thought that way. Through this process of empathizing with each other’s lives, the two groups could no longer simply view each other as enemies.

“…Hmph. Even though I let it slide yesterday, it doesn’t mean all my doubts about you have been cleared.”

“That’s why I keep saying I’m innocent.”

Daria’s sharp retort lacked its usual edge, and Liche, though slightly annoyed, didn’t react too strongly.

“…”

“…”

As the two groups exchanged somewhat lukewarm glances, engaged in a vague staring contest…

Creak.

“Haah… Oh, you’re up early. I thought you’d sleep for a few more hours.”

Kurt, yawning lazily as he descended, was met with the silent, resentful gazes of the four.

“Had breakfast? If not, I can make some hangover food.”

The four, who had been forced into drinking and chaos by him, glared at him with unspoken resentment.

It was the first time the four of them were united in thought.