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Chapter 171 — Part 1

After enjoying the food and drinks in Elkeney for a while, we went back to our room at the inn.

Darkness has fallen all around us, and lights spill out from the windows of all the houses, proof that even in the empire, people still go about their everyday lives.

Just like us, there were plenty of other people around who were filling themselves with food, quenching their thirst with alcohol, and making a lot of noise fooling around or having business talk. They were making their way back to their lodgings or their houses, and a few of them were leaving their tables to complete any necessary tasks for the night.

Fuuko lent her shoulder to Yachiyo, who was completely drunk, and headed back to the room they had been renting for a while. Yachiyo stumbled on her feet, her eyes wandering around in dazed circles.

She likes alcohol, but she’s not necessarily good with it, so her curly tail which extended from her skirt was wagging happily, and her face down to her neck was flushed red.

「Ahahahaha, I didn’t expect to be in such a good mood and have such good drinks! D-Dran and everyone, they’re really, really good people, ehehehe」

Yachiyo’s breath smelled completely of strawberries and alcohol, and her words were all slurred. She was so dead drunk, I couldn’t help but worry that her hangover tomorrow would be really bad.

Fuuko also smelled of alcohol to an extent, but she was clearly conscious and her feet were steady. It seems they’ll be able to avoid slipping on the stairs and falling down.

Candles hung on the walls at even intervals in the hallways, but the spots of dimness and the cold air strongly emphasized the harshness of winter and the coming of night time.

Fuuko and the others’ room seemed to be on the third floor, so they were about to part ways with us and rest for the night.

「Jeez, you always get like this as soon as you start drinking, Hachi. You’ve known this for so long, but you always drink too much. But I guess I am somewhat at fault for not stopping you… 」

「But, ever since we got here, more bad things than good things have kept, kept happening to us. Meeting Dran and Leon is, is one of those, uh, good things, you know?

I just wanna let loose a li’l. Isn’t that fine, Fuu~ko?」

「But that doesn’t mean you can forget about moderation. You know your own drinking limits, I just want you to be more careful. For a samurai to get this drunk, it’ll make for a good scandal, you know」

Although Fuuko spoke without hiding her exasperation, I could tell with a single glance that Fuuko didn’t hate Yachiyo, even when tired of her. She probably couldn’t ever abandon her.

If her wariness and abilities were just a little bit higher, I could look over them with a smile, but these two were lacking a bit in that department, so I couldn’t help but be scared that something bad would happen to them someday.

「It’s fine, it’s all good~」

「Jeez, for my childhood friend, you’re hopeless. Anyway, it would be a shame for a girl who is about to get married to show any more unsightly behavior than this, so we will be taking our leave for now. Come on, Hachi, grab onto my shoulders tightly」

Fuuko supported Yachiyo firmly as they rose with a heave, and she looked like she was used to doing this, so it was easy to imagine that this fox-girl would continue to always be there to help her friend, with a smile on her face, albeit a slightly wry one.

「We also had a fun time. It was a good thing that we met you two, Yachiyo, Fuuko. I would say have sweet dreams, but… that seems unlikely from how deeply drunk she is, so allow me to say, sleep well」

「We are grateful for your concern. Although Hachi has a habit of always getting drunk, she never gets hungover, and she eats breakfast the next morning very energetically, so there’s nothing to discourage her from drinking so much. It’s a bit troubling.

Oops, excuse me for my grumbling. Well then, everyone, our meeting was full of danger, but I pray that our next meeting will be a good one. Good night」

I also bid Fuuko good night, and we began to climb the stairs again, to our room on the fourth floor. Just as we had climbed a little ways up the stairs–

「Come on, Hachi, you might not get hangovers, but you reek of alcohol, so go change your clothes」

「Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Jeez, Fuuko, are you trying to be like my mom?」

「You know, sometimes, I wonder why I go to such lengths to take care of you. Up until now, I’ve helped change your clothes for you after you ended up falling asleep, countless times. Did you know about that?」

「I don’t know how many times, but… I’m always grateful to you, Fuuko~. I really, really am」

Perhaps because she was drunk, Yachiyo’s words were unnecessarily honest, which may have unexpectedly touched Fuuko’s heart, as her voice became a little watery sounding.

「Ah, you won’t even remember anything you’ve said tomorrow morning, but that’s why I can never abandon you, Hachi…」

「Ugh… B-blurgh…」

「W-Wait, we were just having a nice moment too! J-Just wait and hold it in, Hachi. Hold it in until we get to our room, hold it!!」

We suddenly heard flustered footsteps, and we all couldn’t help but sigh. Maybe those two have such personalities, that no matter where they end up, they’ll always be this slovenly.

Well, that’s exactly why I feel like these two will always be blessed with dumb luck.

They are blessed with such dumb luck, that even if the worst happens to them, they’ll still somehow manage to avoid the worst outcome.

When we made it to the fourth floor, His Highness was smiling from all the interesting things we saw, and gave us his candid thoughts.

「What an amusing pair, those two. They look very different from what I’ve heard about samurai and bushi, but it was very clear they were from foreign countries, at least」

There was a samurai general among the Seven Heroes I fought in my last battle of my previous life, who was called the Sword Saint or the God of Swords, but the atmosphere between him and Yachiyo was extremely different.

Well, it’s fundamentally wrong to compare him, who could unleash a slash that could cut through the universe, and Yachiyo, who couldn’t even cut through steel.

「The story goes that the ship they were on was shipwrecked in a storm, and they ended up drifting ashore in the southern part of the empire, and they’ve survived here ever since. They do have a bit of skill that might make some heads turn, but their luck, first and foremost, is good」

「Luck, huh. That’s just one of those things that you can’t simply acquire, even if you try. If they do possess such luck, then they have the potential to really bloom. They might even leave behind legendary stories that’ll be told for generations to come」

At the very least, they were blessed with the dumb luck to meet me, the reincarnation of an Ancient Celestial Dragon, just in time to save them from a dilemna. These two will probably leave behind such amusing and exhilarating stories, it’ll make anyone who hears them burst into laughter, but I wonder what will happen to them.

「Well, it’s fun talking about our impressions of the new people we encountered, but staying up too late isn’t good for the ladies’ beauty. Charles and I will go to our room now」

「Well then, ladies, see you all again tomorrow」

Fumu, it seems His Highness and Charles were being considerate of us. My time together with Selina and the others was already cut short, after all. It seems they were being considerate so we could at least exchange a few words before going to bed.