Chapter 274 – Inversion

#274.

Fruit juice is good to eat anytime. Its unique refreshing feeling of purifying the body belonged to a realm that could not be imitated with ordinary alcohol.

No matter how much I eat, I don’t have a hangover when I wake up, so I don’t have to worry about my body breaking down.

I quietly sipped my fruit wine and slowly rolled my eyes to capture Kiris. Kiris, who was leaning on the watchtower, must have felt the gaze, and turned her head to meet her gaze.

“Do you have anything to ask?”
“… Aren’t you going to the square?”

I know that the watchtower is a place where I have memories of my father, the former king, but it was a little strange to drink here alone until a day like this.

It’s not necessary to be the leader, but isn’t it better to have a drink together to strengthen the bond? Kiris, who was silent for a moment at my question, quenched her throat with fruit wine and opened her mouth.

“I might be uncomfortable with you.”
“It can’t be. Everyone likes the leader, right?”
“… Some people have lost family members in this fight. If I had been more careful, it could have been saved.”

So, according to Kiris, the victim’s bereaved family was in the plaza, and they might resent him, so he couldn’t join.

I can’t say it’s categorically not. Originally, people want to find fault elsewhere. You might want to put the blame on Kiris rather than say your family died accidentally.

But it seems that he forgot something important because he was so focused on that.

“But there must be more people who want to hang out with the captain than that?”
“… What?”
“It is. Even if the victim’s bereaved family hates it, me, Garos, and Orvin. You’ll want to hang out with the captain. There are only three people like this.”

Kiris sighed and drank the fruit wine. As if punishing herself, Kiris, who was diligently chomping on his throat, took the fruit wine out of her mouth and grew… Made a noise.

“Surely. I was short-tempered.”
“Then are you leaving?”
“No. Today… No. Later. When the festival opens again later… Let’s do it together.”

A shape that requires mental preparation. He looks strong on the outside, but on the inside he is very fragile. I laughed while watching that, handed me fruit wine from the inventory and said softly.

“Good idea.”
“… Thanks.”

After a small thank you, I take the fruit wine again.

After a brief conversation, silence enveloped the surroundings again. Concerned about whether there was something to talk about in the awkward atmosphere, I recalled the letter of introduction I had received from the lord of Ronda and took it out of my inventory.

Kiris seemed to be conscious of me as well, and when she seemed to be pulling something out, she turned her gaze to me. Facing him, she gave her a letter of introduction.

“Leader. Do you know someone from the Coast Guard named Francis?”
“… Captain Francis? How do you know him?”
“You seem to know.”
“Yeah, that’s right. … Because he was the commander of the fleet escorting us on his birthday five years ago.”
“Ah… Sorry.”
“Are you okay.”

He said it was okay, but Kiris frowned as if he had a sore throat and drank in succession.

According to the story I heard the other day, the fleet at the time was in a situation where the keel was broken and could not move. Only internal personnel can do such a thing.

I came up with a hypothesis in my mind, pondered for a while, then cautiously opened my mouth.

“Leader. Maybe that person… Are you from Leonard’s side?”
“…”

No answer. Are you saying that even Kiris doesn’t know? Or is there something that bothers you? She suppressed her impatience and waited patiently until she heard a voice.

“… I do not know either. Personally, I don’t think so. I hope not. Because he was a person trusted by his father, the previous king. I heard that he is a close friend who grew up with him since he was a child. So… I want to believe no.”
“Okay.”
“Sorry. Because I am not sure.”
“No. That’s enough.”

In the first place, I had no intention of writing this letter of introduction. Unless you’re in the worst-case scenario, you won’t be able to use it.

If you still have to use it, wouldn’t it be a gamble? After laughing, I stood on the watchtower alongside Kirisu and sipped the fruit wine.

How many hours have passed-

Hehe! It goes round and round…”
“Leader. Stay still. Then off!”
“Not off! Do you know i’m stupid ok? Don’t take it lightly!”

Kiris, whose mental age had deteriorated due to being completely drunk, staggered along the sail. She lost her balance the other day…

“Ah!”

Scared to worry like that, as expected, she stumbled and Kiris made a terrifying appearance.

“Oh really!”

As it was, he ran to Kiris, who was about to land on the floor from his neck, and grabbed him by the waist. He held on tight and gently took her into her arms.

─Whewyyyy!

Just in time, the wind blew and the scent of Kiris brushed my nose. At the same time, her wavy red hair hit her cheek, and her small breath tickled her chest.

“Ugh sorry…”
“I’m sorry, I’ll be quiet.”

I hesitated, wondering if this was okay, and put my hand on Kiris’s head. I can’t even remember it anyway, but this should be fine.

As expected, Kiris did not sever my hand. Rather, with a playful smile, he raised his head and met his gaze with me.

“Hee hee… Did I see everything earlier?”
“What?”
“Tru touched a woman’s breast!”
“…”

I wish I could correct my words. It wasn’t touched, it was touched. Isn’t it rude for a woman to ask her to touch her breasts, but she refuses right away?

But apart from my sentiments, Kiris wriggled in my arms, wondering what was so exciting about him hehe… She laughed.

“But why did you just come?”
“Yes?”
“Why didn’t she follow Mir Ella?”

I think the name of the dark-skinned woman earlier was Mirella. Why does she think I should follow anyway? Her questioning gaze sent Kiris away from me and whispered as she struggled to balance.

“But men have a lot of sex drive, don’t they? Didn’t Tru endure too long?”
“I endured it for over a month.”
“But why didn’t you follow me?”

It seems that her mental age has deteriorated, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t look like a girl at that age. I never thought I would bring up a story like this casually.

When I couldn’t answer, her Kiris smile grew even thicker. Seeing her smiling face as if she was enjoying my reaction to bewilderment, she suddenly came close to me.

Do I have to be treated like this by a drunken, prowling woman? You won’t be able to remember it anyway, but why don’t you try it at least once at this opportunity?

Since there was almost no risk, I whispered in Kiris’ ear with a soft smile in the sense of paying back.

“Because of you.”
“Eww… Eh?”
“It’s because of you. Kiris Carleya. I declined because of you.”

Hearing my words, I whispered again to Kiris, who was spewing out doubtful words, and his face turned red as if he finally understood the meaning. Embarrassed, he rolls his eyes and avoids my gaze.

Then, when he stumbled again, he locked Kiris in his arms again. It was pretty cute to see her crouching in my arms.

“Did you get an answer?”
“Yes…”

A small amount of firearm returned to the eyes that had been opened in a hazy way. The sudden confession seems to have blown the alcohol a little bit. You probably don’t remember when you wake up in the morning, do you?

I looked down at the top of my head in worry, then slightly removed it and turned my head toward the dawn coloring the night sky purple.

“It’s almost morning now. Let’s go home now.”
“Ah Okay.”
“Then hold me.”
“…”

We went downstairs carrying Kiris, who approached silently, and we scattered towards our respective homes. I hope I don’t remember this incident, but I’m worried.

***

“Um…”

Kiris, who had been tossing and turning, frowned at the sunlight streaming in from her window, and got up, straightening her tousled hair.

Kiris got out of her bed, grabbed her change of clothes, and headed for her shower.

─Shoot aaaaa!

As she turns on her shower and gets hit by the water, little by little she starts to wake up. At the same time, remember what happened before going to sleep.

“Yesterday… What did you do?”

Apparently drinking alone in the watchtower. Then, like the last time, True came, and we tasted fruit wine together and talked about various things.

General Francis.

In the past, before the accident, we would often meet and talk. Since I was a child, I called him Uncle and followed him, so I still remember him vividly.

Currently, he has resigned as a maritime guard due to his responsibility for the job at that time. He was told that he was wasting his life in waters that had no need or value to guard.

“Then…”

There was no conversation between them. After watching the sea and the night sky for hours, drinking alcohol… What did you do? Kiris grabbed her head at her unclear memories.

This was a familiar development. She always took a shower like this after drinking a lot and collected pieces of memory to complete the puzzle.

However, unlike before, this time two memories were colliding.

One is the memory of exchanging greetings and parting ways while properly drunk as usual and returning to the place of residence. And another…

“No way… ?”

It was a memory of laughing and clinging to that man like a child. As if he had returned to his immature state five years ago, before the incident, he was laughing wildly while playing nonsensical pranks.

Memories of drinking alone on the watchtower and making provocations based on the sights I saw and hanging out without hesitation. The memory of running wild like a colt by myself and then tripping over and being held in his arms.

His face blushed in embarrassment after receiving his confession at the end… It was like a specter of the weak and foolish past that I hated so much.

“No way… It won’t be.”

That should never happen.

Kirisu’s eyes shook violently as if an earthquake had occurred.

Percussion!

Kiris quickly turned her shower off, got out of her shower, put on her clothes, and left her house.