Two months after Team Claho's mass wipeout.
Eren was seen drinking at a lounge facility made for Edinburgh army personnel. He was sitting alone at his table in a corner away from any attention.
He had worn a large black overcoat and black pants. There was an insignia of the kingdom of Edinburgh attached to the right shoulder in the form of a strap. On his left shoulder, there were runic inscriptions that would spectrally project his army joining details if and when he runs his mana through it.
This was the standard uniform in the Edinburgh army for Ace rankers like him. It was just that nobody else had worn their uniforms in the lounging area apart from him. They were all in casuals or their personal gear.
He had ordered a known but relatively rare Elven ale on his tab– Frostfoam. He was also seen reading a spectral book that contained army regulations, the geography and topography of the nearby region, and some other details that only the army personnel of the Edinburgh kingdom were supposed to be privy to.
After reading some pointers, Eren would jot down a few of them or whatever he had learned from them into his journal. The other people would give him weird looks whenever they passed by his table. That was because he was writing things down in a book instead of saving them on his ID Spectral screen.
Eren had been inspired by Edgar's way of noting things down. So he had also started to write whatever he deemed relevant to him.
'Hm! Got to say the elven ale provided here is a bit different but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The shit packs a punch.'
Eren said to himself as he drank from his large mug. He had started to cherish times like these now– thanks to the experiences he had had so far.
They had taught him that life happens amidst a series of comedies and tragedies.
Eren had also stopped fearing his alcoholism now. He had come to realize that the Sativa stick was a viable vice. And since it wasn't something that could be detrimental to him or his growth, he didn't have to worry about getting used to it.
Now the booze was something Eren would drink to relax and unwind. He was glad for himself that he could drink this way, with this mindset.
However, peace doesn't last forever, just like the relaxing liquid in his pint.
"There you are!"
Eren heard a familiar voice behind him when he was enjoying his alone time. A few creases appeared on his forehead as a result. But he controlled his irritation and lifted his hand and waved without looking back.
"Why are you drinking alone, Eren? You could have come with your squad, you know. We are heading outside the army base to drink. Want to come?"
This was a young elf male in his mid-twenties. He had grey hair and grey eyes. He looked charming and attractive– highlighting his pure-blooded elven background. He had first patted Eren on his back and grabbed a seat in front of him without hesitation. The guy had asked Eren the same question twice in a day, expecting the same answer from the butcher.
"Sigh! I already told you, Arjun. I have some work. You guys can enjoy yourselves and have fun. I'll meet you when we are ready to resume our on-field duties after two days.
I mean, we all have our personal lives outside of our duties, right?"
Arjun pursed his lips after he heard Eren's response. He knew that it would be difficult to convince Eren. This was going to take time so he decided to join Eren.
"Excuse me. I'll have what this guy's having."
Arjun placed his order with the bar staff nearby before responding to Eren.
"Heh! I know why you don't want to come. It's because of Sid, right? Man, you shouldn't pay much attention to him if you ask me. The guy talks bullshit sometimes. You can just listen with one ear and let it out with the other. Haha!"
Arjun said and picked up the pint of Frostfoam that was just placed in front of him. He drank two-three gulps before putting it down and waited for Eren to respond. The latter shook his head before replying:
"It's not that, Arjun. I couldn't care less what the guy thinks about me or says to me as long as it's not totally off the line. I'm here to complete my on-field assignment in peace and that's what I'm focusing on."
Eren tapped his fingers on the table as he continued his speech.
It's nothing personal, Arjun. It's just not my style to waste time arguing with idiots or getting offended by them."
Arjun smiled mirthlessly after hearing Eren's "I don't give a fuck" answer before speaking up.
"Your nonchalance is exactly the reason that guy is getting irritated. Now he thinks you are looking down on him. Sometimes, it won't hurt for you to act your age and settle things for the better, Mr wise-ass!"
Arjun said and downed the elven ale served to him. He didn't like drinking Elven from any place because they would always be diluted. The guy was used to drinking strong stuff. Even what Eren had considered strong wasn't good enough for him.
That's why he regretted following Eren's lead in ordering up booze. However, he was known to be spontaneous like that. So he forgot about his dislike for diluted elven ale. He then chugged some more booze down his throat before continuing his speech.
His demeanour suddenly changed before he spoke up.
"Listen, Eren. I don't want to lecture you on how to behave. Especially someone like you who does everything right. However, sometimes you have to give 110% to the team.
If you want to work with your team and want your teammates to have your back, you need to adapt. There would always be guys like Sid who would hate on guys like you.
Of course, those people would also be made to change their behaviour sooner or later. But you also need to make conscious efforts to reach out to your teammates. You can't just ignore them and pretend they don't exist."
'I can. It's you who won't let me.'
Eren said to himself internally. He then finished his drink and lit up his smoke. Only after releasing a dense cloud of smoke, did he find the right words to respond to Arjun with.
"Look, Arjun. I never wanted this position of vice-captain. It's just these stupid rules and regulations that you, me, and every other ranker in here are bound by.
If a person is dense enough to hold a grudge because of this, I'd rather ignore that person as much as I can. I'd rather focus on the personal tasks at hand. I'm already behind schedule.
We are only supposed to report to duty for three days of the week anyway. The remaining four days are mine. So unless I'm assigned any on-field mission, I'd rather spend my time my way than be part of a team even during my off-hours. You wouldn't have found me here in the army base if it wasn't for the fact that I'm supposed to meet someone here."
Eren replied leisurely as if he wasn't affected by Arjun's request. The latter felt like he was about to have a headache talking to the butcher. It's not that he hadn't talked with Sid, who had quarrels with Eren over his position as deputy vice-captain.
But just as Eren had said, Sidro Zas was as unreasonable as Eren had painted him to be. So he had thought that maybe talking to Eren would solve this thorny problem in their team. He didn't want these two guys to become buddies. He just wanted them to find a common ground on which they could both come together and work in their squad without generating any on-site conflicts.
Arjun wanted his stubborn teammate to do more. But a spectral screen popped up in the lounge area before he could try to talk sense into him. It projected a female narrator in army uniform who was meant to provide regular updates about the Edinburgh kingdom.
Every day at 8 PM was a new hour in the army base. Spectral screens like these would pop up inside various army facilities to keep the soldiers updated about things happening inside the kingdom.
Eren and Arjun both shut up at this point and listened to the news given by the news lady.
"Good evening and at ease. This is a standard daily update at 8 PM. First, we'll look into the news about Nightshade duchy…"
The news lady began describing major crimes and cult activities in the duchy Eren was currently in. Then she talked about the monster activities in the duchy before shifting her focus to the neighbouring forces.
Eren had observed that the number of cultist activities and other crimes in the Edinburgh kingdom was slowly rising. He had also understood the reason behind these things. It was none other than himself. Or to be precise, his identity as the real Osan Woods Butcher.
She talked briefly about many things that happened in the Nightshade duchy. Then she started narrating about other duchies– one at a time.
Finally came the Lionheart duchy. And this is where everyone in the lounge and other parts of the army base paid close attention. This section of the update was slated to cover news about the OWB, after all.
"Team Claho posted in the city of Osan is still missing. It is assumed that the Osan Woods Butcher may have a hand in its disappearance. The report has yet to confirm the deaths officially. But it is assumed that their lives have been lost on duty.
The Lionheart duchy has announced a welfare package for the affected families…"
'Layla didn't disappoint me.'
Eren smirked after hearing the news.
