Heaven’s Three Star Restaurant, Royal Capital Altea — Ray Starling
Last night, after I had talked about various things with my brother, the dinner had turned into a normal banquet.
My brother and Nemesis, who had eaten more than double what I had, had given up partway and had left more than half the food untouched. So we’d passed out the remaining food and drinks to the other customers in the restaurant, and the entire scene had morphed into a party.
If an observer were to look about the restaurant, they wouldn’t be able to tell who among those partying was a player (Master), and who was an NPC (tian).
The one saying to my brother “Hey big spender” is probably a player, I thought. That was a joke from a retro game. The one with a glass of wine in one hand and an exaggerated way of speaking is probably a tian.
Other than the distinction of who had an Embryo crest, these were the only sorts of vague differences... They all look human to me.
The whole scene made me appreciate again just how amazing Infinite Dendrogram was, and along with this, I felt there was something I needed to think about.
I felt this, however...
“My head hurts...” I groaned. The headache made it impossible in my current state to think about anything philosophical.
“Is this a hangover?” groaned Nemesis from beside me, holding her head like I was. I looked about the restaurant and saw that every person at the party who had consumed that drink was in the same state as us.
A hangover... I thought. Yeah, this must be a hangover.
Normally, underage players couldn’t drink any alcohol. However, among those who had joined the party yesterday, there had been a Master with a skill that could change water into “an alcohol-like drink.” To which I’d just like to ask, “Why would there be a skill like that?”
“This isn’t alcohol, okaaay?” the person who’d offered me the drink had said. “It’s just juice, okaaay? Drink it and you’ll just feel as light as air, okaaay?”
It had tasted great, so I had drunk several cups. And so when the sun had risen, I found myself in this state.
“Ugh... Why does it have to show up here, too?” I muttered.
“Hangover” was also displayed on my status, and even though the pain setting should had been turned off, my head was throbbing.
“That drink, it was similar to alcohol but it was probably actually poison,” said Nemesis.
“Ahh, a poison disguised as alcohol that gives you status effects, huh?” I responded.
In that case, it made sense that a skill like that existed, as well as why I had been able to drink it while ignoring the underage restrictions.
There was a folk tale about something like that in Japan, so there might’ve been an Embryo based on that.
The person who made the drinks was just fine after drinking it, though.
“Why would you drug someone like this...?” I wondered aloud.
“It’s Lei-Lei’s beary special way of welcoming you.” Bro Bear, who had been passing out water to those suffering with a hangover, said this with a strained laugh.
“Welcoming?” I asked.
“She makes sure to get every newbie to drink that Divine Oni Poison Sake (light).”
“Why would anyone do such a thing...?”
“She’s teaching you the lesson, ‘Surprise attacks like this exist, so you need to be careful, okaaay,’ by letting you experience it.”
Oh, I see, I thought. No wonder I thought the people who didn’t drink her alcohol seemed like they were grinning or looking on with nostalgia. I’m sure they received the same welcome earlier.
“...I learned a good lesson, then,” I said.
“By the way, she’s one of the Masters I mentioned yesterday who bears a Superior Embryo,” said my brother. “She’s also known as the Prodigal of Feasts Lei-Lei.”
“Prodigal of Feasts...” I murmured.
She seems like an extraordinary person, but I wonder how she got a second name like that?
“Oh, also by the way, she wasn’t able to participate in the previous war due to a schedule conflict in real life, it seems,” said my brother.
I guess it goes without saying, but there are people who’re too busy to participate in the game’s events.