New Dragon (5)
‘First impression is that it’s a pass.’
Bracken Ranke had long wanted to meet Theo in person if he had the chance.
‘They took away two of my precious children, how can I feel sorry if I don’t see them with my own eyes?’
Second, I understood Holkus’ decision.
The boy who had given up on being the head of the household because he was pressured by his older sister since he was very young wanted to play in the big picture instead.
Do you want to live a glamorous and wonderful life?
It was a very good choice, considering how much he enjoyed being popular with people.
But first of all, it wasn’t Erica.
She enjoyed the company of Ranke’s inspectors, and took the position of successor quite naturally.
But after attending the opening ceremony, things changed ‘a little’.
-dad.
-Yes, daughter. Now you too are ready to receive training as a successor to inherit the dignified and majestic appearance of this father… …!
-I’m going to go play outside.
-huh?
How my daughter’s eyes sparkled when she said she was going to go play.
Bracken nodded without realizing it, because it was the look a child would have when they found a fun toy.
I don’t know where I got distracted, but I also thought I’d get tired of it soon and come back.
But now, almost a year has passed.
The children still had no intention of coming back.
I’m starting to get curious about Bracken too.
Then my children stopped by their hometown for a short vacation, and after hearing about Theo’s exploits, they decided.
Let’s meet up and see each other.
There was also news that the Gardner family’s young one, who had been acting suspiciously recently, was moving to Winterer, so I went out to find out why.
And this is how we met.
I certainly felt that the rumors were not wrong.
He was a guy who was very attractive to children who resembled him in that they had fiery personalities.
‘What the other members said was similar.’
If you want to learn more about a person, start by looking at the people they hang out with.
So, they hung out together at Baek Gap-yonggi-dae, drinking and eating meat, and their faces turned pale together.
-Hey, please save me!
-Please stop drinking… …! Eww!
-You ate too much meat… … Ugh!
-Kuhehehe! It’s alcohol! It’s meat! Eat as much as you want! Huh? You’re full? You’re drunk? There’s no such thing! If you feed it all, it’s supposed to go in, that’s what I’m saying!
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Well, there were some members who suffered from overdrinking and binge eating during the process.
Let’s just let such trivial matters pass by.
‘It would be great if we could share a drink.’
Bracken laughed.
I think I finally have a drinking buddy who is as fun as my children.
* * *
‘Fortunately, it seems like you like the Baek Gap Yonggi-dae.’
It was a well-known fact in his previous life that Bracken would give alcohol and meat to those he truly liked and wanted to be friends with.
Because of this, he fought many wars with the barbarians around Mahae, but I heard that he was on good terms with some of their chieftains to the point of being sworn brothers.
‘But because of that kind of personality, his final appearance was so vain.’
The problem was that in the near future, Bracken would meet his end because of his trusted sworn brothers.
Did you receive an invitation from a tribe and have a drinking party, drink some mountain poison, and have your magic sealed and your neck fall off?
Erica, enraged by the sudden betrayal, went into the grasslands and forests that very day and massacred all the savages in the area, including the tribe.
It was from that very moment that she was given the nickname ‘Blood-crazed Berserker’.
However, Bracken had a strong sense of loyalty that was strong enough to give everything to someone who opened their heart to him.
The fact that he freely gave alcohol and meat to Baek Gap-yong was proof of this.
-Wow!
-Hey, save me… … !
-I feel so bad… … .
-Uh-huh-huh! No more! I can’t drink any more!
… … I don’t know if my feelings were properly conveyed to the members.
As they are located so far north and are known to have a culture similar to that of barbarians, Bracken has a very shaggy appearance, with his beard growing thickly.
But Theo had the illusion that Bracken’s gaze was piercing through him.
“I heard that my children have really good friends. I wanted to see them, but I didn’t have time. But I came because of some issues recently… … If I had been a little later, I could have been in big trouble.”
It seemed like Theo was talking about leaving for the East soon.
“I am honored to meet the head of the Ranke family, whom I have only heard of through rumors.”
“Hahaha. Is that so? Ahem! Oh, is it perhaps uncomfortable for me to speak out? Actually, if you think about it, you and I are equals as the owners of Ragnar’s cattle… … .”
“How could you be uncomfortable? Before we had a master-servant relationship, he was your friend’s father. Think of him as your son and treat him comfortably.”
“Really? Hahaha! That’ll be okay, right? Contrary to its appearance, our Sogaju is actually quite angry!”
“I will think of you as my father. May I offer you a drink?”
As Theo was raising his glass to fill Bracken’s empty glass, Erica and Holkus suddenly turned their intense gazes in his direction.
Bracken shook his head slightly from the side without telling anyone.
‘no!!’
‘You’ll die if you do that!’
It seemed like he was saying exactly that.
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Sigh.
Theo found himself laughing.
Even if Holkus was like that, I didn’t know that Erica would show that kind of attitude.
“What are you doing? My arm is falling off.”
As Bracken began to joke with his glass in hand, Theo also ran over and poured himself a drink.
The glass was very large.
More than any washbasin.
‘People are dying after drinking several glasses of this.’
The alcohol had a strangely cloudy color and a strong, rancid smell.
Horse milk wine.
It was a liquor made from horse milk, mainly consumed in grassland areas.
Gulp, gulp!
“Ugh! That’s right, this is the taste!”
Bracken emptied his empty glass over his head and offered it to Theo.
“What do you think? Would you like to hear it too?”
Although it is not particularly recommended for sanitary reasons to hand over the glass you were drinking from.
Theo nodded, accepting it without hesitation.
“I’ve never tried mayuju before. I don’t know if I’ll enjoy it.”
“Hehehe! It probably tastes really weird. But once you get used to the pleasure, you’ll never be able to stop.”
The other members’ gazes were also naturally drawn this way.
-Theo is drinking it?
-I’m alive!! I finally got out!
-Wow. But will you be able to drink that well? It might be difficult to drink at first.
-That’s… …right? Actually, we go out a lot, so we’re used to it.
-Will we finally get to see our Sogaju-nim get drunk today? That would be fun… … Woof!
-Stop talking, you punk! You smell like alcohol!
Could it be because he always handled his work confidently and skillfully, unlike other new employees?
The members who were still alive(?) were grateful(?) for Theo not being a burden, but on the other hand, they were sad that they couldn’t see the cuteness of the new recruit.
But this time, I’ll be able to see your cute side for the first time… …!
Gulp, gulp!
-… … Huh?
-You drink too much?
Erica and Holkus were equally surprised.
It was amazing how they could drink alcohol so well, even though they themselves tried to avoid it because it was so disgusting.
Theo drank his glass in one go without even frowning.
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Then he shook his glass over his head just like Bracken had done.
“Is this how you do it? It’s delicious.”
“Oh, you like it? Holkers! What are you doing? Why don’t you bring me another bottle of liquor?”
“Yes? Would you like some more?”
“I met a good ‘Anda’ (brother, friend), so I should enjoy it, then! Why? Is your butt heavy? Should I kick your butt?”
Holkus looked as if he was possessed by something, then hurriedly brought a new bottle of wine.
“Can I drink some more?”
“Of course. But it seems like you’ve already eaten a lot before I came. Is that okay?”
“What? Hahahaha! I didn’t know there would be anyone worried about me, a drunkard on the prairie!”
Bracken smiled and raised his already full glass.
“Okay, drink it all up.”
Bracken brought the glass to his lips. He was so drunk that it was hard to tell whether he was a person or a drunkard.
“Hey, are you sure you’re okay?”
Erica asked Theo worriedly as she handed him a new glass.
Even the famous drinkers of Ranke suffer from hangovers for three days and nights after having a great time with their father.
Theo, who rarely drank alcohol on a regular basis, was planning to somehow mediate if she said she was having a hard time.
First of all, wasn’t it because the siblings ran away from their hometown to become the targets of their father’s drinking buddies?
however,
“It’s okay. I have a secret recipe.”
“… … ??”
Erica blinked at the playful smile on Theo’s lips.
But Theo had already begun a full-fledged drinking war with Bracken.
One glass, two glasses.
“Aww! This is good!”
“I’ll have another drink.”
“Our kids have made some really cute friends! How can they act so darn cute? Come on! You can have some too!”
“I will drink it gratefully.”
Ten glasses. Eleven glasses.
The glass had already surpassed the kettle and was now over the ‘poison’ level.
-… …Can I just leave it like this?
-Oh, yeah. Aren’t you full? No, you’re not even going to the bathroom?
-It doesn’t look like you’re using magic to blow away the spirits.
-Hey, someone stop him. He’s going to fall down like that!
One poison, two poisons, three poisons… … .
As the alcohol addiction between the two grew, people were no longer just amazed but shocked.
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What’s more surprising is that while Bracken’s face, which would make even Kyle run away if it were a masterpiece, turned red,
Theo was still very neat and tidy, without any sign of dishevelment.
“So, hiccup! I, hiccup! At that time, I was obsessed with your father, hiccup! I came first, hiccup! I was loyal, hiccup! That’s it!”
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that drunken remark.
‘Wow! My father is drunk!’
‘Does this make sense!?’
Erica and Holkus now had to look at Theo with fearful eyes.
But Theo still just stubbornly continues to pour his drink.
『Your skill at removing the bottom is now becoming very similar to Sigurd’s.』
Lordbroke, who knew the truth, shook his head as he looked at Theo.
‘Wouldn’t it be great if nothing gets caught?’
“After seeing that, we decided to call it a scam.”
Theo’s method of surviving a hangover was quite simple.
Separation of mind and body.
Using <Nirvana>, the mind enters a state of deep awakening, and the sensations felt in the body are thoroughly separated and kept separate.
Since this was a training method that Theo had obtained through spiritual enlightenment, it was difficult for others to recognize it because the magical power used was extremely small.
Of course, the aftermath that will come later after Nirvana ends will be very big.
‘Well, we can think about that when we get there. More importantly, Rodrigo, are you getting ready?’
『… … What preparations?』
‘Why are you doing this? It’s the ribs, of course.’
“That, that was really, no, not a joke, but serious?”
‘Hey, of course.’
“What a crazy guy! I’m a patient! How can a writer like you say such outrageous things!?”
Lordbroke jumped to his feet.
‘Compared to Rodrigo’s real size, it’s actually not that big, right?’
“But still, it hurts!”
‘Then, Yong Hwal Geom, should I just leave it alone?’
“This, this, this, this is bad!”
‘There’s nothing I can do. I just feel sorry for my friend, the Sea King.’
“Eeeeek!”
Lordbroke trembled with betrayal.
And on the other hand, I realized.
… … It seemed that Theo’s drunkenness was what was making the people around him miserable.
How the bastard of the Return Sword Family lives
