I hadn’t anticipated a drinking party with such a large group.
Initially, Kato and his companions had planned for just five people. That would have been enough to call it a gathering among friends.
When our party was invited to that gathering, we became eleven. At that number, it was already a small banquet level.
However, we added my fiancées Suella, Memoria, Himik, and Evia, along with Kaido’s fiancées Amili, Shiik, and Miik. That brought us to eighteen people. We had already ballooned to the number that could be called a normal banquet.
Once it reached this point, a few more wouldn’t make much difference, so we included the overseas testers’ party: Benny, Bart, Shuya, Haruna, and Ishan. On top of that, Instructor Fushio and Instructor Kio. That made twenty-five people in total. We had accumulated a group size that could certainly be called a grand banquet. And with that celebratory atmosphere to match.
“Drink up! Drink up! Here!”
“Y-yes!”
“O-okay.”
“Kaka kakkakka, don’t hold back and drink!”
“Uh, gratefully.”
“I’ll have some.”
“Hmm? Both of your glasses are empty. Would you like something to drink?”
“Y-yes!”
“Thank you!”
“………? A warning, I am an adult, so drinking is not an issue.”
“Ah, yes!”
“It’s alright!!”
There was an odd sense of tension, rather than liveliness.
Instructor Kio was latching onto the well-built Goto and Bart. However, the two he was bothering were cowering. Well, I could understand why. I’ve gotten used to it and don’t mind, but they’re dealing with an Oni. Furthermore, Instructor Kio, who was even larger than two people, was completely in a sports-club kind of mood, pouring drinks one after another, so the two being bothered probably didn’t know how to respond.
However, this is also a rite of passage in this company. “Get used to it,” I said, downing my drink.
Instructor Fushio, for reasons unknown, made his wine bottle float and offered it to Haruna and Ishan while demonstrating his magic. Evia noticed that Benny and Shuya’s glasses were empty and reached for the menu. But Benny and Shuya, usually cheerful, straightened up and ordered their drinks.
And Sato and Ito, nervously sipping their fruit wine while wondering if it was okay to drink so much, were startled by Amili-san, who noticed their gazes and was quietly drinking hers. It was hard to get into the mood, no matter how much they tried.
Such was the atmosphere of the banquet hall. It was a matter of struggling to gauge the appropriate sense of distance.
“Well, if you think about it normally, it would turn out like this, wouldn’t it?”
“Is that so?”
Endo, who was not being bothered by the instructors, positioned himself next to Minami, who was drinking a cocktail as if in a safe zone. I already knew he didn’t get along with the four instructors based on their game discussions. Therefore, his crisis-sensing ability was second to none; he quickly secured his spot next to Minami.
“You seem surprisingly cunning. But you’re the type to hesitate on that first step.”
“A-am I?”
“Yes, you’re unsure of the distance, yet you’re still trying to gauge it little by little. Your peers are trying to get closer to their superiors, you know?”
Kitamiya noted Endo’s actions, not with criticism, but with a warning. Upon hearing this, Endo made an indescribable expression. He knew without being told. That’s probably why he didn’t want to hear it.
“Once you fall behind on that first step, it’s surprisingly difficult to catch up.”
Seeing his expression, Kitamiya spoke plainly without saying anything in particular. Then, she downed a cocktail, different from Minami’s, and as if flowing, ordered the next one. For her, the current atmosphere was something she was used to. There was no reason for her to be particularly tense like a newcomer.
“If you’re fine with it, I think it’s okay as it is. But remember, you are one of the lucky ones. It’s because Jiro-san is here that this lineup has come together.”
That’s why Kitamiya only told Endo the bare minimum, so as not to break the atmosphere. Endo stammered something.
“It’s rare for you to be so meddlesome, Gozaru.”
“That’s true. Perhaps I’ve had too much to drink.”
Minami teased, downing her drink. Katsushi, sitting next to her, was relishing the izakaya food as if it were everyday, without any concern.
“Ah, I think I can make this.”
He then memorized the taste.
“Well then, it wouldn’t be right for me not to say something to my junior, so I’ll excuse myself. Minami, you shouldn’t just sit still either; interact a little.”
“I’m already interacting spectacularly, so there’s no problem for me, Gozaru~ Well, I’ll at least show my face to the instructors later.”
“Do that.”
It would be too much to spoil the mood by being preachy. With that, she picked up her glass and stood up.
“Karen-san, would you care to join us here?”
“Yes, I’ll impose on you, Suella-san.”
“No, given the situation, I can’t just move around carelessly.”
Kitamiya then sat in Suella’s vacated seat. Memoria and Himik were seated in the seats that became available when the instructors moved away.
“You’ve gotten big, your belly.”
“Yes, it’s very soon now.”
“So the senpai is finally going to be a father? How are you feeling about that?”
“I can’t quite say. I’m happy, but I don’t know how to express that joy.”
Kitamiya, mindful of Suella, who should avoid moving due to her pregnancy, looked at her swollen belly. Kitamiya asked if she could touch it, and Suella smiled and nodded, gently touching her abdomen.
“Ah, it moved.”
“Yes, it’s even been reacting to magic lately.”
“Oh? Is it a boy? Or a girl?”
“We haven’t checked yet. It’s about time, so I’ve asked Father to find a sorcerer for us.”
Amidst the tense atmosphere of the banquet hall, only here did a relaxed air flow. When asked about his feelings about becoming a father, Kaido’s inability to articulate his feelings was likely due to not knowing how to savor this happiness.
“Uoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!”
Just as we were savoring such peace, a roar echoed through the banquet hall. Looking to see what was happening, Bart and Goto were challenging Instructor Kio to an arm-wrestling match.
“Reckless.”
“Indeed.”
Upon seeing that scene, the first word that came to mind for me and Kaido was “reckless.” The instructor was facing Goto with his right hand and Bart with his left, yet his expression was one of utter confidence. Goto, his face red, was putting his weight into it to force a win, while Bart, veins popping in his forehead, was gritting his teeth so hard it seemed his teeth might shatter. Even as members of the “Earthling” category, with their physically gifted bodies, they had picked the wrong opponent.
“How many more seconds do you think they’ll last?”
“Less than ten seconds to a beer.”
“Then less than five seconds to a beer.”
He was an Oni famous even overseas. Even for their trained bodies.
“Here you go!”
“Yo!?”
They were defeated as easily as twisting a baby’s arm.
“That must have been the last four seconds.”
“Crap, I would have won if I’d held out for two more seconds!”
“Then go and show us how it’s done. You should be able to hold out longer than them, right?”
“Alright!! As a man, Kaido will show you!! But first, Shiik-chan, Miik-chan, please cast enhancement magic!”
“Oh my, it’s a request from the Hero. Right, Miik?”
“Yes, Shiik, this requires some effort.”
Kaido, about to avenge his juniors, stood up. But seeing the Oni beckoning with a smile, he immediately turned around and called out to the twin angels for help. I wryly smiled at the anticlimactic development and watched the results.
“That’s his way of lightening the mood, instructor-like.”
“Yes, he does have a kind side to him, no matter what.”
Oni enjoy drinking parties. One reason for this might simply be that they enjoy alcohol, but there’s also the argument that they enjoy the liveliness unique to banquets. Deepening relationships between Oni, becoming prosperous as a species, they drink together and laugh heartily. It’s simple, but it’s not an idea that can be dismissed.
As proof of this, Kaido, who boldly challenged to avenge others, lasted exactly two seconds longer than Goto and the others, and was defeated by the instructor while maintaining his senior’s dignity. Then, Goto and Bart took their turns challenging him, seeking revenge. The surrounding newcomers watched and laughed. I, along with Suella, Memoria, and Himik, smiled at the instructor’s actions. No matter how you look at it, both instructors, Evia, and Amili-san are figures who sit at the top of the organization. They know how to bridge the gap with newcomers.
“Now, this levitation magic has a slightly unusual application. Naturally, one thinks of floating objects, but is that all? If you ask me, no.”
“What do you mean?”
“Not just objects… Could you float magic too?”
“Hoh, to notice that shows considerable promise.”
He gave Haruna and Ishan a lecture on magic, piqued their interest with a bit of trivia, and before he knew it, their tension had eased, and they were gaining experience.
“Indeed, levitation magic is merely magic that floats. The essence is to affect all things with the concept of floating. Don’t have fixed ideas! All magic has meaning. Ishan, was it? You need to be more open-minded.”
And because it was a drinking party, he could teach them so casually. Haruna and Ishan nodded in understanding. And next to them.
“I see. You have no talent, but you wish to pursue that path.”
“Is it impossible then?”
“………”
“No, I’m not saying it’s impossible. I’m saying it’s difficult and will take time. In any case, I was also one of those people. But even then, I’ve reached this position.”
Benny confessed to Evia that he lacked talent as a frontliner and asked for advice on whether he should switch to a backliner. Shuya looked at Evia anxiously, but she didn’t dismiss it, saying there was a possibility.
“However, that’s a statement I can only make because I’m long-lived. Whether you fall by the wayside or not depends on your effort and talent.”
“Isn’t that the same as saying it’s impossible!”
“Shuya, calm down. The supervisor’s words are not wrong.”
However, she didn’t offer them false hope. Whether it’s possible or not, the fact that it’s difficult doesn’t change. Shuya, perhaps fueled by alcohol, lashed out at Evia for her words, which indirectly stated this, but Evia didn’t seem bothered. Benny, who had sought advice, seemed more anxious.
“Shuya, was it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“What you say is not wrong, but here’s some advice from someone who was told they had no talent.”
“What advice?”
“Giving up just because they say it’s impossible is not a great wish to begin with. And those who succeed are the ones who push forward even when told it’s impossible.”
While thinking they were naive, she encouraged them with words.
“Strive your hardest, and you might surprisingly reach what you desire?”
Her words were not dismissive but were simply her experiences from the path she had taken. They were the words of someone who had finally reached her current position after constantly being told it was impossible.
“It’s a drinking party now. Drain your despair and let it disappear within you.”
It was her own form of encouragement. And Amili Mazacraft, the Machine King, who was quietly drinking fruit wine at the table opposite them.
“Impossible.”
“Do something about it!!”
“En-shi-san, here, do a mid-air rotational dogeza!”
“No! That should be a triple axel dogeza!”
“Let’s do a sliding dogeza for this one!”
“Even by drunken standards, this is the first party I’ve ever seen make their leader do a dogeza.”
“Me too.”
Kato, the very person who made Kaido’s suit, was receiving a passionate dogeza. Initially, he seemed to be talking as a fan of sentai shows, but as more alcohol flowed, his desires took over. Normally, such an act would dampen the mood, but as Kato performed a variety of dogezas like street performance, Sato, Ito, and Endo got into it, and Amili-san joined too.
Although a dogeza is normally meant to show sincerity, these successive displays became so acrobatic that they were hard to look away from.
“Please!”
“Impossible.”
“Hah! Please!”
“Impossible.”
“One more please!!”
“Impossible!”
It was as if he thought “impossible” was the cue for the next dogeza. Kato would leap and then land in a dogeza.
“Haa, haa, please!”
He then performed a vertical triple-rotation dogeza, reaching almost to the ceiling. As Kato, fueled by alcohol and nearing his physical limit, approached his limit, Amili-san said.
“………I accept, with conditions.”
Finally, she relented.
“Really!!”
“Affirmative, but if you don’t meet the conditions, I won’t do it.”
Kato ruffled his neat hair, and sweat beaded on his forehead, but he achieved victory in the form of conditions.
“It’s always noisy, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“It’s nice to have days like this sometimes.”
“Indeed! Fun things are good things!!”
We leisurely watched the scene of the banquet and enjoyed our relatively quiet gathering.
Today’s Word:
When you try it, banquets are surprisingly fun.
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*The first volume of this novel has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year.
Volume two was released on December 19.
Volume three was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the version posted on “Shosetsuka ni Narou,” with the addition of unreleased interlude chapters.
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A comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
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