"Huh? A swordsman stronger than Luke showed up? What's that… That's cheating!"
Liliz slammed her empty mug onto the table and spoke with a sharp gleam in her eyes.
Citry giggled at her older sister and traced a line along the middle of her left arm with her finger.
"You left so quickly, Big Sis… Luke was really happy, you know. The moment he saw the other guy holding a sword, he charged in all on his own and got cut down in no time— Even though it was obvious the opponent wasn't human, he was just so reckless…"
As usual, a conversation that made no sense.
High-level Hunters were monsters, but the Phantoms that lurked inside the Treasure Halls they conquered were generally even tougher than those Hunters.
For that reason, Hunters who constantly risked their lives fighting on the front lines earned respect.
Even if Luke was a man who burned his soul on the path of the sword and was hailed as one of the finest swordsmen in the Imperial Capital, he was at a disadvantage against the incomprehensible monsters that inhabited high-level Treasure Halls.
This was especially true for the Mourning Specter, who always challenged Treasure Halls right at the edge of their limits.
This time's City of Ten Thousand Demons was a Level 8 Treasure Hall. The Mourning Specter hadn't reached the appropriate level for conquering it.
At first, I'd been terrified by my friend's rampages, but now I believed in his abilities and made sure not to speak up unless something truly serious happened.
I was technically the Party's leader. Luke and the others were as brazen as they came, but they did listen to what I said. That was precisely why I, who had half-become an outsider, needed to keep my input to a minimum.
I'd heard about the City of Ten Thousand Demons from Liliz as well, but she was rather rough around the edges with everything, so the new information Citry brought was extremely helpful.
The table was packed with the dishes Tinno had ordered, crammed together on large plates.
A mountain of large fried chicken pieces and french fries. Crispy bone-in meat alongside fish and chips. A huge plate of meat-sauce pasta.
There was enough here for me to eat for a whole week straight. Just looking at it made me feel full.
The potatoes are buried in there. And there's no salad. Not enough vegetables…
Citry downed her mug in one go, letting out a small, somewhat alluring sigh. But there wasn't a trace of intoxication in her eyes.
Golden Ale had "ale" in its name, but its alcohol content exceeded thirty percent. It was strong enough to get even Hunters drunk. What on earth was going on inside a Hunter's body?
Tinno, who was drinking quietly, was consuming roughly the same amount despite all appearances.
Liliz grabbed a thick piece of mystery bone-in meat and bit into it heartily.
Citry cut into her steak with a knife and fork in movements that were somehow elegant. If the steak hadn't been so enormous that it deserved to be called a hunk rather than a steak, those manners could have passed for aristocratic.
She was an eater beyond the word "glutton." Where did all that food even disappear to?
As I watched Liliz's sun-tanned stomach, which showed no signs of bloating no matter how much she ate, she apparently noticed and looped her arm through mine, leaning close. She flashed a grin like a massive flower and said: "Hmm? What's wrong, Klye? You haven't eaten anything, have you?"
It wasn't that I hadn't eaten. Liliz and the others had simply eaten too much.
The portions were just too large. A single piece of fried chicken would fill me up. I was taking my time eating.
Citry smiled wryly at my small appetite.
"You need to eat, or you won't have any strength. Even Big Brother's healing technique is less effective on people who haven't eaten properly."
"Yeah, growing back arms and legs like that makes you crazy hungry… You gotta eat too, Klye, or you'll be in real trouble when the time comes. Here, say 'ahh' for me."
That was the last scenario I'd ever want to come true…
Liliz licked her lips and held out a french fry in front of my eyes.
Having someone do that to you in public was embarrassing no matter who you were, but excuses didn't work on Liliz, who had a heart of steel.
The fact that what she was offering wasn't another oversized piece of fried chicken but french fries I could actually manage to eat—that was probably the lingering kindness Liliz still had left.
"You're eating way too fast, Big Sis. Even for a Hunter, there's a limit— You'll get drunk! What if you collapse again like last time?"
"I'm totally fine! Golden Ale is like water to me! Here, Klye, say 'ahh'!"
Ignoring Citry's warning entirely, Liliz flushed and spoke in a sweet, coaxing voice.
Her chest was pressed firmly against my arm. At this point, I had no choice but to give in.
I reluctantly opened my mouth, then noticed Tinno beside me with wide eyes.
But her gaze wasn't directed at me. She wasn't looking at Liliz, who was draped against me either.
"Come on, Klye! Say 'ahh'!"
"Ah, sure."
I accepted the offered potato while following her gaze. What Tinno was looking at was Citry.
Over Liliz's shoulder, I could see Citry smiling as she stirred the Golden Ale with a muddler.
…Hmm? It's not a cocktail, though… Golden Ale.
I chewed the aggressively salty potato, and apparently satisfied, Liliz finally released my arm.
By that point, Citry had already put down the muddler.
As Liliz settled back into her seat, Citry admonished her.
"Oh, honestly! Big Sis, you keep causing trouble for Klye…"
"She's not causing me any trouble at all. Right, Klye?"
Being asked with that smile, I really couldn't shake my head no.
"You're too soft on Big Sis, Klye… But I will stop her if she drinks herself unconscious, okay?"
"I won't get unconscious! Citry, what have you been watching this whole time? I long since surpassed alcohol—"
As if to demonstrate, Liliz gulped down the mug in front of her. Through the noise, I could hear Tinno let out a small cry.
The golden liquid that had been poured to the brim vanished in an instant. Liliz slammed the empty mug onto the table with a loud bang and— "Oh, by the way, Cit. You, at Akasha's—!"
Just as she spoke, Liliz's body swayed for a moment. Her eyes lost focus, and she nearly lost her balance before barely managing to grip the edge of the table.
The stacked empty plates rattled with a high-pitched clatter. Her breathing had grown ragged. Her eyes wandered in confusion.
"See, Big Sis? I told you…"
Citry sighed, the corners of her eyes dropping in exasperation, and let out a soft chuckle. Liliz shook her head back and forth and looked up at Citry.
It was a razor-sharp glare, as if she were trying to bore holes through her.
"Ci… try… You spiked it, didn't you?"
"What…? Don't blame me! Besides, Big Sis, you're supposed to be immune to things like drugs, right? Right, Tinno?"
"I… I didn't see anything. I didn't see anything at all."
Tinno clutched her own mug protectively, eyes welling with tears, and shook her head back and forth.
The number of mugs Liliz had already emptied was seven.
Maybe it was because it had been a while since she'd been to a tavern, but I'd thought she was drinking at a pretty fast pace. Still, Liliz was human, and drinking that much would make even her a little tipsy.
Citry was certainly known as the "Worst of the Worst," but she wasn't so terrible that she'd actually spike her own sister's drink. She had no motive.
I calmed Liliz down as she looked ready to pounce.
"Now, now, Liliz. Citry didn't do anything. You probably just drank a little too much."
"What!? Klye, are you serious!? You're not gonna take my side!?"
Liliz was genuinely shocked for once.
Even if she said that… if this went on, you two were going to start a real fight.
I felt bad for Citry, who was being falsely accused.
"I'm serious. Dead serious. This isn't about whose side I'm on. You took a sip just now, but how about some tea?"
"…Fine."
Dejected, Liliz took the tea mug I offered with both hands and gulped it down.
Drinking was fine, but she really needed to pace herself.
If a high-level Liliz got violently drunk and started rampaging, there'd be hardly anyone in even a Hunter-exclusive tavern who could stop her. Worst case, she'd get banned. She had prior offenses. That would be troublesome.
At that moment, Citry placed two mugs of Golden Ale in front of Liliz, who was finally starting to calm down.
The translucent golden liquid gleamed inside the mugs. It looked like a fresh round had arrived.
Plates and glasses alike were being replaced the moment they were emptied, because Liliz had casually ordered enough food for about ten people to begin with. She'd brought this on herself.
"There, Big Sis. The extra you ordered just got here! How about a drinking contest for old times' sake? Let's bet tonight's entire tab for everyone—"
"Haaaah!? You're gonna spike it again, aren't you!? Don't push your luck! Even if Klye forgives you, I sure as hell haven't!?"
Liliz's voice sounded like a belligerent drunk at a bar fight.
Still, while Liliz kept going on about being spiked, Citry wasn't exactly blameless for challenging a drunk Liliz to a drinking contest.
And she was trying to bet the tab without permission. I'd cover the tab, but— I sneaked a hand into my pocket to check my wallet and realized I'd left it in my room.
"…"
Liliz grabbed Citry by the collar and, staggering but determined, hoisted her off the ground. Her eyes had gone completely blank.
But even so, Citry didn't stop smiling.
"Besides, you helped me make that golem, didn't you!? You were obviously building countermeasures against mine!"
"Klye, please help me. Big Sis is making accusations without any evidence…"
"For the record, that thing was hard but total garbage! It was all durability and nothing else! Even Klye was fed up with it!"
"…Its brain was just trash. If I'd been the one using it, Big Sis would've been charred meat in one second. The engineer behind it was first-rate, but as a warrior it was third-rate…"
"Did you hear that, Klye!? You heard all that, right!? It's all Citry's fault! Akasha was definitely one of Citry's victims!"
That was unusual… Getting this drunk from just seven mugs.
Liliz released Citry and lunged toward me. I caught her and patted her head gently.
But saying Akasha's Tower was a victim of Citry's? What an absurd claim.
"You're reading way too much into it. Citry caught all the ones I let slip. The case was solved thanks to Citry."
"Klye!? You know everything, don't you!? Why are you siding with Citry!?"
No, I wasn't siding with anyone…
I wasn't taking Citry's side because she was Citry—Liliz's claims were closer to baseless accusations, and that was all there was to it.
Well, even Liliz probably didn't truly believe it was Citry's doing.
Citry's eyebrows had softened, and she was watching me with a look of faint ecstasy. I certainly loved Liliz, but I had no intention of letting favoritism cloud my judgment.
After all, I was still Level 8. Fairness was one of my few virtues.
Citry pushed one of the mugs in front of Liliz.
"…Big Sis. Come on, let's have that drinking contest. It's fine—even if you drink yourself unconscious, I'll tuck you in and take care of you properly. If you're feeling that bad, you can always tuck your tail and run… But you'd just be causing trouble for Klye, so if you're really that far gone, maybe you should just lie down? Right, Tinno? You'll take care of Big Sis, won't you?"
"I didn't see anything. I didn't hear anything…"
Caught between two "big sisters" fighting, Tinno was completely useless.
Stuck between her master and her nemesis, Tinno was having an unlucky day.
Liliz's eyes glinted at the blatant provocation. She rose unsteadily to her feet and, as if to psych herself up, slapped both her cheeks hard.
Grasping the mug in front of her, Liliz roared: "Hah!? F-Fine then, Cit! Just because you're my little sister, don't think you can beat me just because you spiked my drink!"
"…As expected of Big Sis. I didn't spike anything, but… even on the verge of collapse, your fighting spirit is incredible. Please, go easy on me…"
Citry let out a small laugh, then picked up the giant mug in front of her in the same manner.
It was supposed to be just a drinking contest, but the atmosphere was more like a duel. Tinno watched Liliz with anxious eyes.
But Liliz still thought Citry had spiked her drink?
That was when I had a brilliant idea. Not to brag, but I was actually pretty confident when it came to mediating fights.
I snapped my fingers and addressed the two, who were about to start drinking.
"Before you begin the contest, why don't you swap mugs? I know it's unpleasant for Citry to be suspected like this, but Liliz, this way you'd be satisfied too, right?"
"…Huh?"
It was a method where nobody lost. Citry knew Liliz's personality inside and out, and she wasn't so petty as to get upset over something like that.
It was a proposal I made with confidence, but for some reason, Citry's expression had frozen.
While Citry was still stunned, Liliz snatched the mug from her hands and thrust her own previous mug into them.
Liliz downed the confiscated mug in one gulp, wiped her mouth, and flashed a triumphant grin.
"Pfft. How you like that!? Did you really think Klye would take your side? Not a chance! You should've quit while you were ahead, but no, you had to scheme—this is what you get! If it's a new drug that can break through my resistance, you won't get off unscathed either, Cit! Now drink up! You drink too! Come on, come on, come on!!"
Pressured by Liliz, Citry's eyes went blank with panic. Her hand quietly drifted toward the potion bag at her hip, but Liliz glared and it stopped dead.
I took a sip of the freshly brought cold tea and glanced around the tavern.
Every table was as lively as ours. A hero's banquet. Sitting here like this, I almost felt as though I'd become one of them.
With a sentimental feeling, I turned my gaze back to Liliz, and she was still arguing with Citry.
Their eye shape, height, bust size—there were plenty of differences, but seeing the two of them side by side like this, you could really tell they were sisters.
"You two really are close, huh. Ah, I think I'll get some ice cream… Tinno, you want some too?"
"Mastaa… …I'll have some."
Tinno shrank in on herself and scooted her seat back, trying to get away from the two of them.
But moments ago Citry had been the one with the upper hand—how had things reversed so completely?
Slice-of-Life Chapter 2