Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Chapter 88

Connie Conning the Conniving Charmer

The next morning, as every other morning since the Ball, Kurosaki Yuuji sat at a table at a corner to the left of the entrance, accompanied by those of his companions. Leida, Seine, and Akula. Kamiya was still hungover from a night of excess drinking back at the Vorzennian Compound.

Unlike the usual, however, today there was no trace of the flirtatious gentleman that played around with his companions.

Even the affectionate Leida kept her hands to herself. Seine, who usually laid her head upon his lap glanced around awkwardly, not knowing what to do with herself.

The only one not making awkward movements were Akula. This was because she was staring blankly at Yuuji’s face as if she was looking at something precious to her. Even if Leida and Seine tried to talk to her, she would only nod.

A few women who were charmed by Yuuji’s gaze came forward to talk to him, but he refused them coldly, causing them to feel heartbroken and sob uncontrollably. After this, he kept his eyes trained at the entrance, right leg restlessly moving up and down.

3 hours had passed. And the sun had almost reached its peak. Yuuji had broken a few mugs during his stay, but people did not dare to disturb him as they knew his status as a Hero. Though they did not exactly hide their envy at him being ogled by the women.

“Yuuji…aren’t you hungry? Let’s get something to eat!” Seine asked cutely.

“SHUT UP!!” Yuuji flipped out and pushed her away.

Seine, who was used to the kind and pampering Yuuji, who saved her from almost being sold to slavery by her family looked at him with befuddled eyes. As if she was seeing someone else.

Realizing what he just did, Yuuji came over to her and kissed her head. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Seine. You know I love you, right? I’m just a bit impatient right now.”

Their eyes met, and in his eyes, she found warmth. Such warmth that made her forget everything and the young beastfolk girl hugged his waist tight.

While he was placating the poor beastfolk, he heard a voice.

Cornelia Asterium Steelheart. A beautiful young girl with a slender figure. She was just like how he imagined her. A delicate teen wearing a skirt and leggings, completed with a thin armor which looked slightly bigger than she was. She even had the twin tails style of hair.

“That’s…Cornelia? She doesn’t look much like she did at the Ball.”

“Ssh…” Yuuji stopped Leida from talking and quickly returned to his seat and began watching her with hawk-like eyes.

She’s here! Finally!! Should I go to her now? No. Wait. Wait. I have to follow the ‘scenario’. The scenario needs a villain. I have to wait until someone went up to her.

While Connie had entered the building, Nick and Martell were waiting in an alley opposite the Guild. In the scruffy man’s hand was a bottle of the strongest alcohol he could find.

He watched Connie enter the Guild through the opened door and tried to remember what he had to do.

Yesterday, Kim Sooyoung told them that the scenario had Connie being harassed by a lecher at the Guild. She was then supposed to be saved by the Hero, and she would fall in love with her savior because of it.

“But then, what would happen if no one came forward?” asked Illumca.

“If there is no villain, then we will make sure there is one,” Connie explained. The scruffy man did not miss that sly grin on her face. “That’s where our Nick comes in.”

Nick shuddered at the shamelessness of his employer. If it was another girl, they would be averse to being harassed. Especially at such a tender age. But not Connie.

The man opened the stopper and got a whiff. Martell immediately covered his nose and gagged at the smell.

“Hurgul’s Feet! What is that, Nick? It smelled like something died in there!”

“This is a local moonshine. Something people in the slums cooked up by fermenting whatever is available. Even rats,” he gave it a slosh and spat it out. “Yeah. Definitely rat.”

Martell was used to good alcohol or at least middling ones. He had never smelled one as bad as this one and had to force himself not to throw up.

Nick splashed his face with the vile alcohol and groaned as they sting his face.

“Aaagh! Aah…that smarts!” he groaned as he shook the bottle for another swig. “This thing’s foul. You can strip rust off armors with this shit!”

He handed over the bottle to Martell and stepped out of the alley after he achieved the look of a ne’er-do-well drunkard.

“And now, my time to shine.”

Kurosaki Yuuji was watching Connie like a hawk stalking its prey.

She was awkward and stuttering with her words as she spoke with the receptionist. A patient, professional man with an unerring smile. Connie was, at that moment, the very image of a girl trying to sound tougher than she was as she asked for a quest beyond her capabilities.

The man explained to her that she needed a party to take certain quest and she looked distraught at this. Her eyebrows flickered and her eyes darted around, not knowing what to do. She withdrew half a step and bit her lips.

Yes. She was just as he imagined. A girl trying to be what she wasn’t. Oblivious to the realities of the world and ripe for the taking.

Then, as Yuuji imagined the fortune that she would bring and the feel of her skin against his when she succumbed to him, he choked. He caught a whiff of a rank smell that made Seine, who was a Beastfolk with a keen smell, to pinch her nose tight.

A man in a well-used armor stumbled harshly against the counter. His nose and cheek were red and he smelled strongly of cheap alcohol.

“Nick?” an old receptionist who recognized the man was surprised to see him.

“Sorry. Had…a bit too much to drink last night. Or was it this morning?” he scratched his hair and grinned lasciviously when he saw Connie to his right. “I had to…oh, well now. Hello there, Cornelia.”

Nick turned his body to lean on his side and sidled closer to her. “Still at it with quests, are you? Tell you what? I can join you in another quest.”

Connie stepped aside and tried not to look at him. “Y – you are…drunk…”

“Drunk? No. I’m not drunk. Come on. Let’s do it now, yeah? I’m very good at the…sword shit. Just ask Herbert here. I’m a bona…bonafide Hunter! Isn’t that right Herbert?!”

“Nick? What in Junnaveil’s - !” the old receptionist was taken aback by his uncharacteristic action.

“Halt!!”

A heroic voice called out. All eyes quickly gathered on the Hero.

Connie and Nick shared a quick glint of the eyes before turning to see the target of this little game.

The perfectly handsome young Hero stepped forward and faced down the middle-aged man with poor hygiene and a scruffy beard.

“I can’t stand by and just let you harass a young girl like that. Have some shame!” Yuuji said. “Are you okay, miss?”

“I – I’m okay. You just surprised me, that’s all,” Connie answered sheepishly. “Oh, you are…!”

“Hey, Connie,” Leida smiled cheerfully at her. She gave her a small nod before glancing at Akula. Akula’s eyes were unfocused and hardly responsive. Connie had seen that type of gaze. They were the gaze of someone who had been brainwashed.

“Hey, what’s the big idea, boy? This doesn’t con – concern you!”

“What’s your name, Miss?” Yuuji asked as he looked at the girl in the eyes.

At the moment of their eyes meeting, Connie felt something entered her mind. A suggestion of promises of love and warmth and kindness. It was so strong it would have affected weaker minds.

And then it met Connie’s Dao of Heaven Devouring. It lasted only seconds before being devoured and ground into nutrition by her Dao.

Nick gazed at her from the corner of his eyes, ready to pull her out if something happened.

“It’s…Cornelia,” the girl said. “Please. I – I can handle this. I am…a member of his Party. He’s just a bit drunk right now, that’s all.”

Nick let out a sigh of relief at seeing the plan was still on track. It meant that she was not affected by the Charm.

“As a Hero, I can’t stand looking at an adult harassing a girl.”

“No. I mean it,” Connie smiled painfully as he looked at him with a pitiful gaze. “He’s very strong. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She is starting to fall…good.

“I am plenty strong myself, Cornelia. Step outside! We’ll handle this man-to-man! If you lose, you’ll back off from her!!”

“Whazzat? Why should I do that with a scrawny little ass like you?” the man laughed and ran his arm around her waist and brought her close. Connie almost gagged at the smell but hide it by looking away while whispering. “You smelled like rot.”

“I know. Because it is rat,” he whispered back. His voice was so low only she could her him.

“Are you a coward?” The Hero grew irate. He was supposed to fall into his provocation. He did not expect for him to refuse.

“A coward? No. I just don’t trust someone who has his whole…whole party behind him,” Nick answered with a slurred voice.

“Please, don’t fight!” Connie begged. “I don’t want people to get hurt!”

“Yeah…yeah…I know,” the man grinned. “How’s about a bet?”

“A bet?”

“Yeah. You want her, right? Then let’s make it a bet,” he grinned. “If I lose, you get her. And if you lose…well,” the man squinted his eyes and looked at him. “I get that Centaur, yeah? That’s only right, you are trying to poach a member of my party.”

“…how did you know that she is a member of my party?”

The straight question made Nick slightly panicked.

“Tell him because he’s a Hero. And everyone knows him,” Connie whispered.

“W – well, everyone knows who the Hero’s party is.”

“Fine…” to everyone’s surprise, the Hero accepted the bet.

Leida frowned. “Yuuji! What are you doing?! Why are you accepting the bet with this vile man?!”

“Trust me. Just trust me on this. I will not lose. I am ‘perfect’,” he said softly to her before bellowing to Nick. “What shall we bet on?”

“If…if you must do this,” Connie said awkwardly. “How about a drinking game? That way no one’s going to get hurt.”

“A drinking game?” Nick smiled. “Yes. A drinking game!! I’m good at that,” he burped loudly.

“Fine! I accept!!”

With that, the whole guild suddenly went into an uproar.

Hunters loved to make a ruckus. And such a high-profile bet was so rare that they all pitched in. Hunters quickly put away the tables, leaving only two tables and two seats in the middle. And tankards of ale were quickly brought out. The receptionists joined them, knowing that today no work could be done until this was finished.

“Hold up,” Nick said out loud. “I wanna give you a handicap, Hero. How about we make it your party against mine?”

“…why would you give me an advantage?”

“Because I can beat you alone! That isn’t interesting!”

Yuuji scoffed at the boastful man who was clearly too drunk to think straight. It would be an easy win. But he wanted to make it even more decisive. “Fine. I accept. My party against yours!!”

“Good!!”

New tables and chairs were put in the middle of the Guild. Nick and Connie sitting on one side while Yuuji and his party on the other. Akula sat on a long bench and still looked out of it.

Herbert the receptionist came up to Nick with a frown.

“Nick. You absolute git. What in the hell are you doing? You are going against a Hero!!”

“Just a game, Herbert. A game,” the man replied.

Sighing, Herbert held out a piece of thick parchment. “This is a guild certified contract. The same one used for dispute settlements between two parties. If both parties signed this, it will be viewed as a formal contract and what is written on this contract must be concluded.”

“Y-You are involving the guild on this?” Nick was taken aback.

“Yes. I know your kind. You often break promises. This is the easiest way to make you stand by it. Are you scared?”

This was not in the script, so he glanced at Connie. But she did not say anything, so he got on with it regardless.

“Hah?! Scared?! Give me that!” Nick shouted and quickly signed on it. Yuuji also did the same while smiling provocatively.

Herbert stored the contract and then cried out.

“These are the rules. Anyone who backed out of the table by throwing up and falling unconscious or anything else that made you lift your butts off the chair is counted as the losers!”

Mugs of ales were put on the table. Each side looking at the other with determination.

"Yuuji? Are you sure you can win this?" Seine asked with worry. She did not want to be a member of the other party.

"Don't worry. My 'Cheat' will handle the alcohol. I cannot lose this one even if I tried to."

“Are you all ready?”

“Hands on your mugs!!”

“DRINK!!!”

And thus, the longest drinking game that would become a legend, began.