Chapter 746

For three days, we traveled northwest, living and eating aboard the airship.

Though it couldn’t match my top speed, it was still far faster than a galloping horse.

“So—last time, you—”

“Damien, look at that. Isn’t the lake beautiful?”

Despite the growing cold, the group didn’t mind and enjoyed meals and casual chatter on the deck while admiring the scenery below.

The view from above was familiar to me and gradually becoming so for Damien, but for the others who had never been this high, it was a spectacle they couldn’t get enough of.

Wrapped in Ryu-rik’s fur leather and sipping warm black tea, they endured the cold.

“To improve energy efficiency, we’ll need precision machining. Casting and forging alone can’t eliminate fine errors.”

Asha spent her time teaching the mage tower researchers ways to mechanically improve the airship, while Ophelia enhanced the magical formulas to boost the mana reactor’s output and efficiency.

It was impressive, but even at a glance, the wastefulness was glaring.

Well, prototypes are like that. I was just grateful it didn’t suddenly break down and crash.

—

Nigel and Ja-han spent the day competing in pride-fueled contests. Since they were on the airship, they couldn’t duel with swords, so they resorted to every other possible method.

They compared lung capacity by holding their breath, arm-wrestled to test strength, and even competed in archery by aiming at ground targets with the Dragon-Slaying Crossbow.

If one had achieved an overwhelming victory, it might have settled their rivalry, but since Ja-han won some and Nigel won others, the competition kept escalating endlessly.

It was quite entertaining, so I let them continue.

After all, they were just testing each other’s limits, not building resentment.

In fact, I hoped they might grow closer through it.

Lately, things seemed better, but there had always been subtle tension between them due to their backgrounds—Landenburg versus the Great Plains.

If harmless competition could resolve that tension, I was all for it.

And so, their rivalry continued, until the original purpose of testing their skills as warriors was completely forgotten.

—

“A drinking contest…? What does that have to do with a warrior’s qualities?”

“Ah, you don’t know? Westerners really are half-baked warriors. A warrior’s virtues are fighting well, killing well, and drinking well. It’s common sense that an exceptional warrior has exceptional drinking capacity.”

Ja-han looked down at Nigel with a smirk, as if it were obvious. He had brought out all the strong liquor stored in the airship’s supplies.

“That’s nonsense… By that logic, the Empire’s elite knights would just be alleyway drunks.”

Nigel shook his head and sighed, dismissing the idea outright.

“Backing out already…? Oh, wait, can’t you drink? If so, I apologize.”

Ja-han suddenly bowed, leaving Nigel stunned and speechless, gaping like a goldfish.

“Huh? No, what’s with the sudden—?”

“My apologies. From your appearance, I thought you were well over twenty, but it seems you’re even younger than that archer.”

“…What?”

Nigel’s face twisted strangely.

“Competing seriously with a little girl who can’t even drink. I was being immature. I should’ve been more considerate. A child’s tantrums should be handled with adult patience.”

That was the final blow.

Without a word, Nigel grabbed a bottle of liquor from the table, popped the cap, and downed it in one go.

“Wait, stop! That’s not something a child should—!”

“I’m not a child! I’m twenty-one!”

Slapping away Ja-han’s hand, Nigel slammed the empty bottle on the table, her face flushed with anger.

“Childish tantrums? You really think that just because I don’t drink? Fine, let’s settle this drinking contest once and for all!”

Her eyes blazing, she glared at Ja-han, her fiery determination unmistakable.

“Wait, wait… Twenty-one?”

Ja-han turned to me, his eyes asking if she was serious.

“She’s twenty-one. She’s the second oldest in our group after you.”

“…I see. My mistake.”

Ja-han sat across from Nigel, picking up a new bottle.

“Then I can’t afford to lose.”

“Lose? Fat chance. Do you think the Sword of Landenburg is a joke? I’ll drown you in alcohol!”

And so, their drinking contest began.

All night long.

—

…So, who won?

Well, how should I know? Both of them kept drinking like bottomless pits, and even after watching all night, it seemed like there’d be no winner. So I just left them to it and went to bed.

Damien and the others also got bored and left, so unless we hear it from the two themselves, we’ll never know who won.

—

“…….”

“……….”

The next day, Nigel and Ja-han were unusually quiet.

They didn’t bicker or chat with anyone, just silently stared at the passing clouds from a distance.

…Seriously, who won to leave them like this?

Curious, I approached Nigel, who was sighing while gazing at the distant mountains, and asked about the contest’s outcome.

“So, who won last night?”

“…….”

Instead of answering, Nigel blushed and fidgeted like a child caught misbehaving.

“Nigel?”

I tilted my head and asked again.

“Well… you see…”

Finally, she reluctantly muttered in a barely audible voice.

“…A draw. Yes, it was a draw.”

A draw, huh? It seemed both had reached their limits after drinking all night and passed out.

Her usual confidence was gone, replaced by embarrassment after her bold declaration to drown Ja-han in alcohol ended with her collapsing too.

“Quite the spectacle. No wonder you’ve been so quiet since morning.”

I chuckled, patting Nigel’s shoulder.

Honestly, they’re so stubborn. Being embarrassed over a draw? If anything, tying with a Ka`har paladin in a drinking contest is something to brag about.

Anyway, after that, Nigel and Ja-han stopped competing or arguing, instead ignoring each other and keeping their distance.

…If anything, they seemed further apart. Maybe I should’ve stopped them before the competition got out of hand?

—

“Groooaaar!”

The journey to the Sky Mountain Range was mostly peaceful, but that didn’t mean it was entirely uneventful.

Traveling across the Empire’s territory meant encountering unwelcome guests.

“Grave Devourers, Undead Knights, Skeleton Serpents… The stench of decay follows us everywhere.”

Monsters popped up everywhere, causing chaos before being subdued.

While they were just light exercise for us, they were disasters for ordinary people.

“…What should we do? Take care of them?”

“Sure. It looks like the subjugation team will take a while to get here. Damien, go clean them up.”

I tossed Damien at the monsters roaring at us below.

Since only Damien and I could move freely without landing the airship, and it’d be a waste of experience for me to step in, Damien was the obvious choice.

“Uwaaaaah—!”

With a yell that could’ve been a battle cry or a scream, Damien spread his wings just before hitting the ground and began swinging his greatsword at the monsters.

“I’ll help too!”

Milia and Asha rained arrows and gunfire like a storm, while Nigel and Ja-han aimed their Dragon-Slaying Crossbows.

Me? I just sipped tea with Rana, leisurely watching the fight. There was no danger to speak of.

“Everyone’s gotten so strong! These are monsters we would’ve struggled with before, but now they’re being overwhelmed…”

“Indeed, they fight well.”

While everyone worked hard, the aroma of my black tea seemed ten times more fragrant than usual.