[13th Round] Snowball
“If you want to know how a stranger knows about your hidden mole, then you’ll have to be patient…”
“Wait! How can I just ignore this?!”
“Let’s have a drink first. We can’t talk about this sober.”
“Why not? What are you speaking about…”
“Let’s have a drink.”
“Okay… Fine.”
Saintess C was forced to agree.
The men who hung their ears to listen to our conversation looked at me like I was the greatest being to ever exist.
“Bartender, do you have a 20-year-old Black Dragon?”
The Black Dragon was a high-grade fruity vodka that could put one out of action pretty quickly. At first, it would seem as fresh as mineral water, but it could instantly get anyone drunk.
Usually, it was poured for warriors about to go to war. In small quantities, of course.
Or…
It was ordered when one wanted to find a heating pad for the night.
But this was such a well-known alcoholic drink that it was mostly the daughters of aristocrats and princesses who were hiding their identities that fell for it. If they are tricked by the other party, then they just pretended that they were consensual.
In other words, this fruity vodka was like Valentine’s Day chocolate.
▶ Astonishment: Kang Han Soo, you know a lot about alcohol too. So that’s why many of my partners offered me that vodka. But don’t think about anything strange! I have good alcohol tolerance! I always held my ground until the end and then cleaned up after everyone.
‘Trainee Teacher, you have a beautiful liver!’
“I’m sorry, but we don’t have a Black Dragon. I have been working as a bartender for a long time, but I can confidently say that this is the first time I’ve heard of such a name.”
“Don’t get me wrong. The high status that you suspect I have is true, but it’s not some valuable and expensive alcohol.”
“Ah! Okay.”
It seemed that the Black Dragon fruit vodka hadn’t been invented in this era yet.
I remembered it could be easily found in any bar on any continent, so much so that it was even called the ‘people’s vodka’.
There was nothing I could do about it, so I began to think about what drink to order instead…
“An angel is just a race, not a symbol of high status. Engage in self-glorification in moderation, Mr. Suspicious Adventurer.” Saintess C laughed, emphasizing the word ‘Adventurer’.
“As soon as any noble emperor lifts his heavy butt and embarks on a journey, he becomes one of the adventurers. What matters is what job I have now. I wish you can see it.”
“If we’re talking about your skills, then I checked it two days ago already… Huh?”
Saintess C’s eyes widened in surprise.
I had the same reaction.
“Can you see my stats?”
Not the Chosen Hero, but Saintess C?
“You were just an adventurer! What did you do in those two days?! How did you get such an absurd job?!”
“It seems you really can see it,” I replied with a smile.
Looking at the window behind the bartender, I ordered the strongest alcohol.
Naturally, Saintess C was surprised by what she saw.
My stats had changed, after all.
▷ Race: Legendary Angel
▷ Level: 999+
▷ Job: Dragon King (Dragons → Level ↑)
▷ Condition: Gifted ZZZ, Faith Z, Fabrication Z, Intimidation MAX, Taming MAX…
▷ Condition: Magic Sword, Shaman, Dragon Scale
I became the Dragon King.
After taking over the body and soul of the Snow King Eshinoff, I was honored with his throne.
This was also unusual for me. I had to put up with the ‘Hero’ job, so I didn’t know that I could take over someone else’s job.
Its effect was that whenever I fought against dragons, my level would go up.
Compared to its majestic name, its abilities weren’t as impressive.
I was still powerful without it.
And in general, there was little sense in it.
Why would a powerful being, capable of overpowering even the Dragon King, need a boost to fight ordinary dragons?
This job was useless.
▶ Objection: Think broader, Cadet Kang Han Soo. You don’t have to fight them in single combat… The Dragon King can calm the dragons down if they band together and revolt against him!
‘Ah! You’re so smart, Trainee Teacher!’
Yes. I didn’t have to fight them one by one.
If I wanted to massacre dragons, there was no better job than the Dragon King!
▶ Confusion: I didn’t mean it…
Regardless, I was now the Dragon King. It was a bit strange that I got it despite not being a dragon, though.
“How can you be the Dragon King if you are an angel?”
“What makes you think I’ll answer that so easily?”
“Don’t make me sad.”
“You’re impudently asking me to tell you about something that should be normally classified. How else should I react? Am I really the one in the wrong here?”
“Oh… I’m sorry. I spoke without thinking because of my surprise. Excuse my immaturity.”
Having listened to the logical objection of the MAX-Class Righteous Hero, Saintess C bowed her head and apologized.
I answered with the smile of a Righteous Hero.
“Forgive me as well. I behaved rudely in the presence of such a beauty. I blame it on the lack of alcohol in my system.”
“You speak well.”
“Thank you, although I know you’re just flattering me. A glass?”
“Yes, please.”
Starting with one glass, we continued our conversation.
Aside from my ‘Detoxification’ skill, the effect of alcohol was also softened by my ‘Fortitude’ skill.
But if not to get drunk, why drink at all?
Unless the situation was critical, then I deactivated those skills for a while.
Personally, even without the skills, I still had a good alcohol tolerance.
It was higher than average, but I still couldn’t compete against Lanuvel.
And if I did get drunk…
“W-wait! Your hand…”
“I can feel it every time I look at your back, but you have a beautiful spine.”
My hands began to allow themselves more and more freedom.
“You can hardly be accused of sexual harassment because you are interested in something so strange… You are a really unusual person.”
“Same as you.”
“What do you mean? I’m perfectly normal.”
She would have answered differently if she was drunk, but Saintess C was still holding her own, answering confidently.
I just wasted my money on booze.
“Two days ago… You were so annoyed when I suggested that some guy marry a nice girl from your party. Are you jealous because you like him?”
“You are deeply mistaken! It’s quite the opposite. I don’t understand why an outsider is showing an interest in this, but I can confidently say that there is nothing between that man and me.”
She looked serious.
I didn’t think she was jealous. I only provoked her to make her talk.
Why was I so interested?
That question served as a clue.
“On the contrary… does that mean you like that lovely girl? What’s that called again…”
“No! You got it all wrong! How could you even think about it that way?!”
“You said it’s quite the opposite. If you don’t like men, then you like women.”
“Isn’t there an option that I don’t like neither?!”
Great, the alcohol had already hit her head.
The increased pressure Saintess C was feeling didn’t drop.
She began to open up to me, an ‘outsider’, about the complaints accumulating within her.
“Only those ranked first are recognized in this world.”
“I agree.”
“We have a slight difference in skills. Sometimes I win. Sometimes he wins. But because of the competition and the prize at stake, the difference between us began to widen.”
The first place would always receive the most valuable prize. 2nd placers also gained a prize, but it would never be the best.
Until then, everything was fair.
However, the one who received the prize for 1st place would enjoy a significant increase in strength. Those who came in second would always grow less.
As a result, if they competed again, the results would remain the same. The rewards they’d get from it would only widen the gap between them.
What if that was repeated multiple times?
“Now, I’m not even his rival anymore, but just one of the girls he laid his eyes on.”
“Yes, he… he became a snowball.”
“Snowball?”
“That’s what they call it in my homeland.”
The more one rolled it, the bigger it became.
The First Hero quickly created a huge snowball and crushed Saintess C, causing her growth to lag behind.
At that point, she could no longer expect to win again.
Because the snowball was calculated using compound interest.
1st place would always remain at the top.
Thanks to the conversation with Saintess C, I was able to obtain interesting information.
They weren’t yet a ‘Hero’s Party’. At the moment, they were just an “elite squad” of the best adventurers.
They were all candidates to become heroes.
But there was only one “Real Hero,” and the strongest candidate for that position was my senior, who took 1st place in all exams.
“The more I think about it, the angrier I feel! Bartender! Pour one more glass for me! Give me your strongest alcohol!” Drunk, she began to order more drinks.
I didn’t even offer her anything. She drank voluntarily.
Using this opportunity, I tried to get more intel from her.
“Do you know about the teaching staff?”
“Teaching staff?”
“Those who abducted you and transported you to here, forcing you to learn all sorts of nonsense.”
“Fantasy?”
“Hmm…”
She probably didn’t understand what I meant by teaching staff due to the difference in terms, but how could I ask again about Fantasy?
I skipped this topic for now. There was no time to waste, as she was becoming even more intoxicated by the second.
At this point, she had already relaxed her guard and was in a defenseless state.
This was the moment I had been waiting for. I needed to ask everything that interested me.
“Who in your group is not an adventurer?”
“There are many of those.”
That was too vague.
“Who taught you?”
“I don’t have a teacher since I was already superior to the rest of the competition at home. But there is a person who helped us adapt to life in this world.”
“Well, who is it?”
“The lovely girl you called out two days ago.”
Lanuvel again?
“She’s an adventurer?”
“She’s our senior. She came to this world before us.”
“Did she introduce herself like that?”
“Yes, but why are you asking? Oh! Do you like lovely girls like Lanuvel… Kya?!”
“Sorry. My hand slipped.”
Some things shouldn’t be said!
How could she imagine something like that?!
Saintess C, blushing, turned away.
“Aren’t you exploring too much with your hands? Do it moderately, or I’ll get angry.”
“So you’re okay with it?”
“Take it as you will… Hmph! Enough about that. Pour me a drink with your naughty hands.”
Saintess C handed me her empty glass.
Her words about my disobedient hands offended me, but I was a hero, so I decided to restrain myself.
If I waited, my chance would definitely come.
“Where was I? No, I don’t even understand why I’m telling you all this…”
BAM!
Saintess C was trembling since she was drunk, so at one moment, she lost her balance and hit her forehead straight on the table, immediately knocking her out.
“Oh…”
The chance came faster than I thought.
I grabbed Saintess C by the waist.
I then looked at the bartender, who was cleaning the glass. His eyes told me he understood what I needed.
I turned to him.
“I don’t have to say it, do I?”
The Righteous Hero practiced justice even at this moment!
How could I leave a lovely lady in a bar full of hungry wolves ready to pounce on her?
I had to help her.
“Yes. I’ll provide you with a bedroom surrounded by thick, soundproofed walls so she can rest in peace. Unfortunately, it only has one bed.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t sleep anyway.”
I still didn’t understand why the teaching staff couldn’t appreciate me, a fair and ardent hero, and my abilities.
