E-Rantel, early morning.
The sun rose as it always did, casting its light over the city. Inside the walls, people were already up, beginning a new day.
At the Spinning Bird Inn, the owner Ajjie had also started work. The scent of ale drifted through the air. Though it was still early, a sizable crowd had already gathered.
"Write it as 'drain the cup dry'!"
"Read it as 'cheers!'"
Someone stood on a table, leading the chant, and the crowd roared along. Mug after mug of ale was brought out.
As the mood heated up, people began stripping off their upper garments, throwing themselves into true revelry.
"This is freedom!"
Seeing this, Ajjie took off his glasses and wiped at the tears in the corners of his eyes.
Free from the restraints of worldly rules, everyone laid themselves bare before one another. Heated bodies collided, igniting sparks of camaraderie. This was the freedom he had always longed for.
Amid the crowd, one figure blended in perfectly.
His bare upper body was packed with well-defined muscle, explosive strength evident in every line. The sculpted contours of his physique drew eyes from every corner of the room.
"Come on, you bunch of trash. Not one of you can drink."
Naohara tilted his head back and drained his ale in a single gulp, then flung the empty mug forcefully toward the crowd, his voice brimming with disdain.
At his feet lay dozens of bodies sprawled across the floor. Every single one had boasted about outdrinking him—only to collapse first.
"Naohara, don't get cocky!"
"Maybe he's already at his limit! Everyone, get him!"
"Naohara, let me be the one to end your first time! (Your first time getting drunk!)"
...
Naohara's taunts sent waves through the crowd. Egged on by a few loud instigators, more challengers immediately stepped forward.
"If you can do it, then come."
Naohara burst out laughing, not taking them seriously in the slightest.
Trying to get him drunk when he was a Dragonoid?
Sorry. For someone who had maxed out every resistance, that was about as likely as a pink-haired gorilla turning into a petite, adorable girl. Completely impossible.
At the counter, Herohero sat quietly, watching Naohara compete in drinking contests with an exasperated look.
"Naohara really is something else."
With a sigh, Herohero realized his friend had changed drastically since coming to this other world.
His personality seemed to shift every single day. Even calling it "doing whatever he pleased" didn't quite cover it.
Before they were transported, he'd been fairly proper. How had he turned into this?
Herohero shook his head, completely unaware that he himself had already changed as well.
"Relax, Herohero. What matters is being happy. Isn't this the life we used to dream about?"
Momonga, who was also sitting nearby enjoying the show, took a sip of his ale. Savoring its rich aroma, he smiled at Herohero.
To taste what alcohol from this other world was like, Momonga had activated the item [Mask of the Dead] early on, temporarily transforming himself into a human.
Though it only lasted three hours, that was more than enough for him to enjoy the experience.
"Come on, let's have one."
Momonga raised his mug in invitation. Herohero looked helpless, but his body was honest—he picked up his ale and clinked glasses with Momonga.
Inside the inn, conversation roared like fire. Naohara continued downing challengers one after another, while Momonga and Herohero drank at a more leisurely pace.
Everything seemed to be moving in a good direction.
Just then, a figure with short golden hair appeared at the entrance of the inn.
She stood at the doorway, staring blankly at the scene inside.
"Clem"'s face was filled with astonishment. Given her status, she had seen all kinds of scenes—but this? This was a first.
With things this chaotic, she didn't dare step inside. Instead, she remained at the doorway, waving both hands vigorously in Naohara's direction.
"Hey, Naohara!"
Clem shouted toward him. Her voice was instantly swallowed by the roaring crowd, but as a Dragonoid, Naohara noticed her at once.
"Huh? Clem?"
Seeing the familiar figure at the entrance, Naohara looked slightly surprised. He hadn't expected her to find this place. Still, he didn't think much of it. Casually tossing the mug in his hand behind him, he headed for the door.
As long as she hadn't torn through that thin membrane, she was still Clem—the new friend he'd met last night.
"Hey, hey, Naohara! You running away?"
"Ha! I told you he couldn't handle it!"
The crowd erupted in jeers when they saw him leaving, howling as if celebrating a hard-won victory.
"Fine, I'll take the loss this time. We'll continue next round."
Naohara waved at them indifferently and strode toward the exit without hesitation. Honestly, messing around with a bunch of drunks couldn't compare to spending time with a girl.
Even if this girl wasn't exactly a good person, he didn't care. He wasn't human either, so there was nothing for him to be afraid of.
As their gazes followed Naohara, the crowd finally noticed the blonde figure standing at the door.
"Damn, no wonder he left so fast. Someone came looking for him."
"She's pretty. Are they a couple?"
"No way. Absolutely impossible. How could anyone in this inn possibly have a girlfriend?"
A chorus of exaggerated wails broke out behind him. They had technically won, yet somehow it felt like a complete defeat.
[Message]
"Hey, hey, Naohara, who's that?"
Herohero had noticed too. He perked up instantly and sent a rapid voice inquiry to Naohara.
He'd originally planned to head outside for a "buffet," but the moment he saw this scene, that idea vanished.
Forget the buffet—this was way more interesting.
"Just a surface-level friend I met yesterday. Don't get the wrong idea, Blackie."
Naohara shot Herohero, who was sitting at the counter, a speechless look and explained.
"Friends are great. Friends are wonderful. Today friends, tomorrow—hehe…"
Herohero immediately doubled down, delighted to have found a rare chance to tease Naohara. If he didn't make the most of it now, who knew if he'd ever get another opportunity?
"Alright, Herohero. Be careful, or Naohara might give you a lesson tonight."
"Go on, Naohara. Just stay sharp."
Momonga forcefully cut off their voice chat. Grabbing Herohero with both hands, he dragged him toward the room, ignoring his struggles.
He absolutely couldn't let Herohero follow. If that guy went along, he would definitely cause a scene.
At the same time, Momonga gave Naohara a quiet reminder to be cautious. Out of habit, he had just cast a perception spell and discovered that the blonde woman was level 34.
That was far stronger than the Warrior Captain they had encountered before. As the kingdom's highest combat power, the Warrior Captain had only been around level 29.
"Thanks, Momonga. I'll leave Blackie to you."
Naohara thanked him, inwardly sighing. At critical moments, Momonga really was reliable.
Pushing his way through the tightly packed drunks, Naohara stopped in front of Clem.
"Didn't expect to see you again so soon, Clem. You look beautiful today."
He looked her over. She wasn't wearing the adventurer outfit from yesterday. Instead, she had changed into something completely different.
A pure black long dress, black stockings wrapped around her calves, and a pair of round-framed glasses gave her the air of a gentle girl next door.
It was hard to connect this version of Clem with the comical woman from the original story. They felt like two extremes.
"I'm relieved to hear you say that. I prepared this outfit carefully."
"And Naohara-san, you're in excellent shape."
Clem smiled brightly at his compliment. Her gaze discreetly swept over his bare upper body, and she couldn't help but voice her admiration.
To be honest, she was a little confused herself. The man in front of her seemed to carry some strange charm, something almost magical that made her want to draw closer.
(P.S. Genetic-level attraction + the passive effect of the World-Class Item [Millennium Rod] + Dragonoid hormones. Together, these allow Naohara to easily gain favor with women of lower level.)
Naohara chuckled at her words and picked up his clothes from nearby, slipping them on. Walking outside bare-chested wouldn't be appropriate.
The two chatted casually as they stepped out onto the street, completely ignoring the dramatic howls echoing from inside the inn behind them.
...