We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Beyond the stairs.
On the stage, a bard began to sing, and the night deepened tenderly. However, many guests remained in the venue, and the banquet was still ongoing.
We also ate, drank, and rested, enjoying ourselves.
We danced in a circle, and we even howled together in a line.
My family, who had been with me all along, were increasingly called to one place and invited to another, often finding ourselves separated.
And now, I was surrounded by the dragonfolk men.
“Fufufu. Elnea, this is for the grudge from earlier.”
“W-What are you talking about~?”
The men, exhausted and a stark contrast to the satisfied Airi, still showed a last bit of spirit, surrounding me with the intensity of predators hunting herbivores.
“Elnea-kun, do you know what day it is today?”
Jiludo asked with a smile. But his eyes weren’t smiling.
Jiludo, too, had fallen for Airi’s trap. In fact, he was the biggest victim. The glares of hatred directed at me, his accomplice, were painful.
“Uh, today is the day we got married!”
“Hmm, indeed.”
No other special anniversaries were set for any race. So, if asked what day it was, I would answer without hesitation.
However, the atmosphere among the dragonfolk men was somehow unsettling.
With a firm grip, Zan slung an arm around my shoulder, and I was overcome with a bad premonition. I tried to escape, but I was held tightly and couldn’t get away.
I could easily escape with a spatial jump, but Zan wasn’t used to it.
If I, while drunk, dragged someone unfamiliar into a spatial jump, and Zan, with his arm around me, were to spin around…
My precious outfit would be in a terrible state!
“Well then, Elnea. If today is the day you got married, what does tonight signify?”
Id smiled with a smirk.
No, when Id makes that kind of face, he’s as scary as a demon lord!
My face twitched at Id’s imposing presence, and I answered a little shyly.
“What else could it be, tonight is…”
“Yes, exactly!”
“No, no, I haven’t even finished saying it yet!?”
The dragonfolk warrior interrupted my words.
But there was no need to say more. Everyone knew. They all knew what the first night of their wedding day signified.
The lively venue, even late into the night, would surely continue until the sun rose from the east again.
After all, we planned to continue this festive commotion for several days.
It was because we had a few days’ grace that we devised this grand plan to see if we could reach Teruru-chan.
However, we never said we would stay in this venue the entire time the festival was going on.
Everyone would likely return if they had business elsewhere, and they would probably come back if they had free time. And for us, it was the same.
We hadn’t discussed it, but I think everyone understood that.
Thinking about what was to come, I couldn’t help but grin.
“Fuh…”
But Zan just snorted when he saw my grinning face.
No, it wasn’t just Zan. Id, the other Dragon Kings, and all the dragonfolk men surrounding me wore wicked smiles.
“Elnea-kun, have you not heard of our dragonfolk customs?”
“Uh, what kind of customs are they?”
I had lived with the dragonfolk, and I knew various customs and traditions. Among them, were there any that were relevant to this situation?
“Fuh, if you don’t know, I’ll tell you.”
“We dragonfolk have a custom of interfering with the wedding night!”
“Whaaat!?”
“Gwahahaha, be prepared. You can’t go to your bride unless you defeat us all.”
“What a troublesome custom!”
To interfere with our precious night is beyond wicked!
“Now, a match!”
With those words, the colossal Dragon King Sestarinis slammed a bottle of alcohol onto the table.
“…No, no, I can’t drink alcohol, you know?”
“Kukukuku, what sweet talk are you spouting at this point?”
“Know this: unless you get us all drunk, a sweet night will not visit you!”
“Uwah, this is absurd!”
Apparently, the match wasn’t about weapons or techniques, but a drinking contest.
But I can’t drink alcohol…
Then, it suddenly dawned on me.
Come to think of it, shortly before the wedding ceremony, the dragonfolk people had asked me some significant questions. Like if I could drink alcohol.
It seemed they were hinting at this.
I finally understood the reason for the smirking smiles of the people in Carnela-sama’s village!
“Come on, drink up!”
“Eek!”
The alcohol poured into a cup was presented to me.
The dragonfolk men also held their cups.
“Well then, to crush the night of the Eight Great Dragon King Elnea, let’s toast!”
The dragonfolk men downed their drinks in one gulp.
“Now, you drink too.”
“What happens if I don’t drink?”
“It’s obvious. You’ll just be laughed at for still being a child. If you don’t mind being called weak, you don’t have to accept this challenge, but what will your bride, Mistral, think?”
“…Mistral, being dragonfolk herself, knows of these men’s customs, right?”
“That’s right.”
If I ran away from this custom, or rather, this trial for men, would I be considered half-baked among the dragonfolk? If so, I might not be able to face my wife, Mistral, and the others.
“Your alcohol tolerance has been lowered. That’s all we can concede to you.”
It wasn’t that I disliked alcohol. Seeing Yufilia and Nina, who drank every night, it looked very delicious.
But I felt it was still too early for me.
Some people start drinking before they even attend school, but I somehow had a prejudice that “alcohol is a sign of adulthood.”
My friends would tease me, calling me weak and frail, or comment on my youthful face. I always thought I was still a child, and it was too soon to touch that “sign of adulthood.”
But, what about now?
I have adventured so much. I have traveled more than the hero Listea.
And I have mastered the Dragon Sword Dance and welcomed five brides.
At the wedding ceremony, I am being blessed by countless people like this.
Am I still a child?
Or an adult?
No, it’s a mistake to agonize over it.
I am an adult!
As a husband, as the head of the family, I must support my wife and family. It’s not right for me to remain a child forever.
This is a trial of men, betting on our wedding night, but it might also be the trigger for me to step onto the path of adulthood.
I shift my gaze to the cup that was thrust into my hand. Then, I quickly down the contents in one go.
“Gueh, my throat burns!”
“Gahahaha, well drunk!”
Jura, the Dragon King, clapped me on the back, and I sputtered.
“Now, this isn’t the end. Let’s keep going.”
Heorona, a Dragon King with a lighthearted tone, poured more alcohol into my empty cup.
“It’s a contest now: who will get drunk first, Elnea or us?”
“…At least, make it sweet wine.”
As Wol, another of the Eight Great Dragon Kings, led the call, the dragonfolk men drank again. I was urged to drink too, but my throat still burned.
It felt like I was getting thirsty after drinking liquid, as if the alcohol was burning inside my stomach. My tongue tingled.
Is this the taste of adulthood?
Though I had taken a step towards adulthood, the stairs seemed to continue onward.
I guess I’m not good with strong liquor.
Zan showed a little consideration and changed it to fruit wine.
I drank the fruit wine.
It tasted sweet. But there was a unique flavor. And still, my throat burned.
The dragonfolk men cheered at my drinking.
But this was my limit.
Having never really drunk alcohol before, I was suddenly overcome with a dizzying sensation.
I should be standing on solid ground, but the scenery spun around unsteadily. My head felt foggy, and my breathing became irregular.
Though I was supposed to be standing on firm turf, my footing was as unsteady as if I were on a cliff.
I swayed and collapsed.
“Gahahaha, you’re already drunk, it seems.”
“So this is what it’s like to be drunk…”
The dragonfolk men laughed cheerfully.
I had gotten drunk by chance at the end of the year too, but compared to then, my thoughts were dulled, and I felt like my body wasn’t my own.
“Well, that’s how it is at first. Here, this is Spirit Tree Dew.”
“Thank you, Zan.”
I drank the Spirit Tree Dew Zan handed me. My burning throat soothed, and it permeated my body.
Come to think of it, Spirit Tree Dew is good for hangovers too.
I felt no discomfort or nausea.
Yufilia and Nina had said, “I like getting drunk,” and now I could kind of understand why.
My hazy thoughts, my swaying vision, everything was becoming interesting and fun.
Yay, I want to drink more.
Or rather, if I don’t drink, I won’t be able to do *that thing* and *that other thing*.
Everyone, wait for me!
Ahahaha!
I held up both hands, asking for more, and then collapsed onto the grass.
And then, my vision narrowed.
Succumbing to the pleasant sensation, I fell asleep.
“Ugh… Where am I, who am I?”
When I woke up, a beautiful starry sky filled my vision.
Hmm, why am I sleeping outdoors?
“Gahahaha, Folganne can certainly hold her liquor.”
“This time, I won’t lose to the dragonfolk.”
“Ooh, a challenge.”
“Well, as the representative of humankind, I’d like to participate too.”
“Rudoriado, was it? Very well, show us the strength of humankind.”
The boisterous voices of men disturbed my hazy thoughts.
I moved only the top of my head to check the direction of the noise. It was a banquet with a mix of races.
…Right, I was challenged by the dragonfolk men and drank alcohol.
Finally grasping the situation, I gave a bitter smile.
How long had I slept?
What were the Mistrals doing?
Were they annoyed that I missed our special night?
Mistral knows the dragonfolk customs, so perhaps she explained it to everyone?
Is it still not too late?
As I slowly got up, my vision was still a little shaky.
“You’re awake.”
“Good morning, Zan.”
When I greeted him, he laughed.
“It’s still midnight. You must still be drunk.”
He handed me another cup of Spirit Tree Dew.
The dragonfolk men who had defeated me seemed to be in the middle of a victory banquet.
But fortunately, only Zan seemed to notice me waking up.
“Just let me rest for a bit.”
“You can run, but the Mistrals are still caught by the others.”
“Could it be that women have women’s customs…?”
“It’s not quite like that.”
Zan explained.
The dragonfolk apparently do this to crush the happy beginnings of a marriage and make the couple aware that their married life will be full of hardships, especially for the man.
What an unpleasant custom.
If Zan or anyone else gets married, I’ll definitely interfere to the fullest!
…Ah, so that’s how this custom has been passed down, I thought, and I started to laugh.
“I won’t run away. I’ll just go for a walk to clear my head.”
Zan didn’t try to stop me or suspect me, nor did he follow.
Seeing Zan off, I left the dragonfolk men’s banquet area.
The venue was still as festive as ever.
As I walked, I saw Yufilia and Nina chatting happily with nobles. They must have drunk a lot, but they didn’t seem drunk.
As expected, they can drink as much as they want every night.
I might have to gradually get used to drinking too.
Laira was happy, surrounded by the King and Friel. Revalia and Gusferus were also nearby, spending time together.
If left alone, they would likely spend as much time together as possible, not just tonight but tomorrow and the day after.
But well, it’s a rare opportunity, and there’s no need to separate them unnecessarily.
Let them enjoy themselves.
Mistral was taking care of Sleigsta-ro and Asher.
Mistral, who always works hard even in times like these, is really amazing, I thought.
Or rather, they were all spending the night as they pleased because they were sure I would lose. Everyone, I’m sorry.
Sleigsta-ro, being taken care of by Mistral, seemed to have finally been released from waiting. He was playfully grooming Mistral and eating meat.
Besides Mistral, there were other figures around the ancient dragon species. Mistral’s mother, Cornelia, Yuuri-obaa-chan, and Jab. Other dragonfolk women and Mimicho women were also present.
Because Asher, who dislikes males, was there, there were no other men. Or so I thought, and Asher glared at me from afar.
The children, led by Priscilla-chan, were nowhere to be seen.
Although it was the height of the banquet, it was late at night. They were probably scolded by their mothers to go to bed and reluctantly went to their rooms.
There were also many guests eating, drinking, and relaxing in various places.
However, among the noisy crowd, only Ruiseine was nowhere to be found.
That was understandable.
Ruiseine was on the stage. Not only Ruiseine, but also the Miko Kiiri and Inea, and other clergy members, were performing a night Kagura on stage.
I might have done something regrettable to Kiiri and Inea.
Although they are Miko and Listea’s wives, they cannot participate in this grand banquet.
Clergy members cannot participate in lively banquets and festivals as guests.
It was the clergy who firmly supported our wedding ceremony from behind the scenes.
Currently, the clergy are offering a night Kagura, praying that the Goddess will watch over us.
As a representative of the family, I must see this through. With that in mind, I walked towards the stage.
Then, in one corner of the venue, an unusual space had formed.
“…I’m sorry. Even though you were kind enough to come, I haven’t even greeted you yet.”
“Elnea, you don’t need to worry. While Elnea was sleeping, your beautiful brides greeted me.”
“Even so, it’s a late greeting.”
I really wanted to watch the night Kagura properly, but I couldn’t leave this unattended any longer.
I changed my course and headed towards the area of the mysterious group.
The first person I spoke to was Micheila-chan, whom I met in the forbidden territory. I recognized her and her family, a Mimicho with tanned skin.
However, the others were all strangers.
The Nazaria family was seated, relaxing, chatting, and taking care of the four women watching the night Kagura.
However, the people in this area were not just the Nazaria family and the four women sitting there. There were eight other women in this mysterious section, working to serve drinks and replenish food.
There were people with long ears, people who looked like us humans, people with beast-like faces, and people with wings on their backs.
People of various races were working for the four women.
And the person sitting around the table with Micheila-chan, who was being served, was three people.
One was a girl with pale skin like a witch. However, she had some color, with rosy cheeks, pink lips, and green eyes.
The girl looked about the same age as Micheila-chan.
She was wearing attire that somewhat resembled Ruiseine’s formal dress.
No, it was more similar to Jab’s outfit than Ruiseine’s.
However, it seemed even more ancient and patterned than Jab’s.
Looking a little closer, I realized that the others were also wearing similar, unfashionable attire.
It seemed less like Jab’s outfit and more like clothing from another region, or perhaps an ancient pattern.
Besides Micheila-chan and the girl, two other people were seated.
At first, I thought they were sisters. Because they had the same purple hair. But their facial features and hair color were different. Moreover, one of them had two horns growing from her head.
Curved horns extended forward from above her ears.
The horns, like those of a dragon, did not suit her beautiful face.
Her appearance, whether young or middle-aged, was ageless, like a spirit.
And her hair, which trailed to the ground, was very long. Surely, even when standing, her hair would still touch the ground?
In fact, it seemed to be several times her height.
Her long hair created a purple river on the lawn.
“It was a wonderful ceremony. You are loved by many races and many people.”
“Ah, thank you.”
It seemed I had been staring.
She smiled gently, and I hastily tried to cover it with a smile.
The horned woman seemed to prefer food to alcohol.
She was eating the food brought by those serving her with relish.
Where is all that food going in such a slender body…?
After greeting the horned woman, I turned to the other purple-haired woman.
This woman’s hair was neatly cut off at her back.
Unlike the soft-looking hair of the horned woman, it had a smooth, silken texture.
And this woman had no horns. Instead, she wore a beautiful red headdress.
This woman seemed to prefer alcohol over food. However, she drank elegantly, just moistening her lips.
Though she had a gentle demeanor, she was not unguarded.
She was surely no ordinary person.
After greeting the woman with the headdress, the pale-skinned girl stood up.
“I’ve been watching you the whole time. You are a splendid person who has made wonderful encounters and put in unceasing effort.”
“I-I’m flattered…”
When she said “watching you the whole time,” she meant today, right?
Yet, her words, which seemed to evaluate my past, left me bewildered.
Ah, that’s right.
I watched the Kyōgeki. But that was an exaggerated performance designed to please the audience.
“Fufufu, it’s not like that.”
“Ah…”
My thoughts were read.
Since she seemed to be an acquaintance of Micheila-chan, I assumed she could do that much.
I looked at the girl.
A lovely girl with large green eyes.
Her white skin might be unnaturally pale.
But her eyes showed strong vitality… and by the time I realized it, I was already captivated.
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her eyes.
The scenery converged.
The blurry surroundings stretched into lines and were drawn into her eyes.
And my consciousness was absorbed as well.
At first, I thought I was still drunk.
There was no doubt that I was drunk.
But this was not a dream or an illusion.
Before I knew it, I was standing in a pure white world with no heaven or earth.
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