Escolleia (4)
At the evening banquet.
As the students had eaten lunch, the dinner had a feeling of reception for the dispatched magicians.
Leaving the main stage graduation ceremony, each faction sat around the table for dinner.
"Is it good?"
"Yes, it's delicious."
"Eat slowly. If you want more, just say it."
"Okay."
Watching Rosaria chewing her food with a happy expression, Reed raised his head.
He could see Dolores, holding a fork in her left hand and a knife in her right hand, with a textbook-like posture, she elegantly sliced the meat.
But only Reed could see her face filled with embarrassment.
Reed stared silently at Dolores.
Under his sharp gaze, Dolores raised both her hands.
With a face that says she had no choice but to admit.
"I... made a mistake."
Dolores obediently admitted her fault.
"What kind of mistake did you make?"
"Well... I was so distracted by something else that I couldn't focus on what others were saying. As I tried to make up for that... it somehow turned into attending a tasting party."
"Uh..."
He wanted to ask if she was out of her mind but swallowed it back.
She must have accepted such a suggestion because she was out of her mind.
'Keep calm, Reed.'
It's already spilled water.
It's better to think about how to fix her mistake rather than blame her.
"Dolores, the funny drunk?"
He couldn't help but ask about this nickname because he was too curious.
"...That's because once my master was drinking with the professors, and I was eating next to him. But I mistook the water glass and accidentally took a sip of alcohol..."
"Did you make a scene?"
"It wasn't a scene. I just... became a bit more honest. Because of that, I decided not to drink in front of others..."
But if Dolores had done the same to others as Reed had experienced, it would have been a scene.
"So that means other people don't know because they haven't seen it directly?"
"Yes, only the old professors know..."
"Then say you can't go now."
"How can the tower master take back her words?"
"Then what are you planning to do?"
"I'll try to endure it with my spirit."
"Can you do that?"
"I was a bit lacking back then..."
As Reed looked down worriedly, Dolores clenched her fist and said.
"Really, I can do it, so don't worry. I had a bit of a grudge against the tower master back then, and I didn't make any major mistakes."
"..."
She seemed to not count it as a mistake because it was something special.
But that only made Reed anxious.
As Reed tapped his lips, thinking, Dolores cautiously asked.
"What are you going to do, tower master?"
"I decided to attend as well."
Even though they were in a competitive situation, it didn't make sense to be left out of a gathering that was partly for building friendships.
If Dolores had dropped out, he would have had a reason to drop out as well, but now is not the time to back down.
***
The dinner ended with a mountain of worries.
There was still one hour left until the tasting party.
Although it was called a tasting party, it was actually a place where a drinking party took place, and it was not a place where children could participate.
Zekeheil and Reed discussed this point, and eventually, Rosaria and Yuria ended up sleeping in one room.
Zekeheil approached the elegantly standing Yuria and explained the situation.
"Our daughter, can you please take care of the tower master's daughter as well?"
"What? Why, why! Where are you going, Dad?"
Yuria was so flustered that she even forgot to act coy.
"There's an adult gathering."
"I don't want to! Why do you decide that on your own, Dad?"
Yuria, who had been raised with great care, couldn't understand Zekeheil and became irritable, her face filled with tears.
When Zekeheil was hesitating, Reed also told Rosaria the same thing.
"Dad, where are you going?"
"Dad is going to an adult gathering tonight."
"Rosaria wants to go too!"
"It's time for Rosaria to be asleep by then. You can sleep with Dad tomorrow, so can you sleep with your sister tonight?"
"Hmm... Okay! I'll sleep with Yuria."
Rosaria easily nodded her head, thinking that it would be fun in its own way.
Seeing her composed appearance, Reed stroked her head.
"You can't break the barrier recklessly and wander around looking for Dad, okay?"
"Is that not allowed?"
"Then Dad will be very sad. You have to sleep quietly in the room, okay?"
"Alright, Rosaria will endure it."
"Can you do that?"
"I can do it!"
'Why can't I do it if she did?'
Yuria, who believed she was far superior in seniority and ability, had no choice but to grit her teeth and understand.
Zekeheil swallowed his tears secretly.
'My daughter finally understands her father's heart.'
He thought she would always be a child, but she grew up like this!
If they had been alone, he might have shed tears of joy.
With the conversation settled, Reed looked down at Yuria.
'Can I trust her?'
Although the princess had a consistently rude personality, she was not so wicked as to harm others.
"Can I ask you a favor, Miss Frenda? As a big sister, please take good care of our Rosaria."
"Ah, of course, tower master!"
"Thank you."
And so, the time for the tasting party approached.
***
The tasting party took place in a rented dining room.
On the main table, there were simple snacks that could be eaten, and on the other tables, wine bottles were placed one by one with the labels visible.
Everyone was warming up the atmosphere with conversation until the cork was opened.
'It seems like no one else knows about Dolores being funny when drunk.'
There was only one thing on Reed's mind.
'Will she be okay?'
Reed knew what would happen if she drank alcohol, whether it was a slip of the tongue or not.
If even half, no, a quarter of that behavior was shown, her dignity as a tower master would be completely shattered.
If her dignity as the tower master of the Silence Tower was shattered like that, she would have to let go of everything she had worked hard to achieve.
If she lets go like that, there will be nothing but regrets.
What should he do?
Pop!
The sound of the cork being removed.
The merchant alliance magician who smelled the wine exclaimed and poured the wine.
Since it was a tasting party, he filled the wine glass with an amount equivalent to a shot of soju.
"Now, now, let's toast."
"To the dreams and hopes of this year's graduates!"
At the moment when everyone was about to taste the wine, Reed's hand reached out to Dolores' wine glass.
He snatched her wine glass and drank it all at once.
Dolores, who suddenly had her drink taken away, looked at Reed with a puzzled expression.
His eyes were saying this:
Don't drink.
As soon as he returned the empty wine glass to Dolores, the other nobles opened their eyes, savoring the taste.
"How is it? Everyone?"
"It's top-notch. The merchant alliance has a lot of precious items."
"That's why goods are imported through the Merchant Alliance, whether it's the Empire, the Order, or the Tower, isn't it?"
"It seems you have no pride as a magician."
"When I taste this money, I realize that the path of mana I pursue is not so precious. Tower master of Silence Tower, who moved to magic engineering, aren't you similar to us?"
That arrow flew towards Reed, and Reed immediately drew a line.
"The Tower of Silence is independent of capital."
"Hey! I've seen the goods you supplied to the nobles this time, and it seems like the profits are tremendous?"
The profits were indeed tremendous.
Money was piling up in the Silence Tower, which had nothing but money.
It was a product worth coveting by the merchant alliance magicians.
"Let's discuss that point later."
