No one could remember how many mugs they’d already put away.

That probably went for everyone sitting at the table.

Bang! Bang!

The sound of beer mugs slamming down rang through the room.

The inn was hot and loud. The voices of half-drunk men mixed with the shouts of children running around, turning the whole place into a riot. It was so noisy that even people sitting at the same table had to practically yell to hold a conversation.

“Heh. Hehehe.”

“......”

Bang!

A beer mug crashed down onto the table. Foam and beer sloshed over the rim and splashed everywhere.

After downing more than ten mugs the size of Ren’s face, Luman had started grinning to himself, letting out little breathy laughs.

He smiled a lot even when sober, but this was different. Flushed with drink, with a faint red warmth blooming over his otherwise pale face, he looked exactly like the kind of man who’d make girls’ hearts flutter. The married women from the village, who’d hurried over after hearing the rumors, kept stealing glances at his face.

“Ladies. Lovely to see you.”

Luman gave them a wink and a wave, and the women squealed.

“What do you mean squealed!? Shouldn’t you wives be at home making dinner!?”

“You don’t want supper tonight?!”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant. It’s just, your husbands are right here...”

“It’s not like I said I was going to do anything with him! Can’t I just look!? I’ve spent my whole life staring at scary faces—let me look at a handsome young man for once!! Instead of buying that poor man a drink, you’re chewing me out!? Do you have any idea how much work I do at home every day—”

“Al-alright, I was wrong! Got it, I got it!”

“Kahahahaha! You’re getting properly chewed out there!”

“Hey, isn’t this all your fault!?”

“Haha, my apologies. I must look especially good today.”

When Luman said that and swept back his dazzling blond hair, another uproar broke out. The soft spill of it was enough to set the women off all over again.

Jepeto watched him with fascinated eyes, sipping his beer little by little. Temar looked at him like he was pathetic.

And yet even Temar let out a small snort of laughter, so he was clearly enjoying himself.

Ren looked like he was thinking, What the hell kind of person even is this?

By now he was practically just sitting there with his chin propped in his hand, watching.

But Luman didn’t spare him either. Every chance he got, he kept winking at him and flashing bright smiles, to the point that the women who’d come in to stare at Luman’s face were now practically crowding behind Ren instead.

“Hey, Luman.”

“Hm? Hehe. What is it, Ren?”

Ugh! His voice was so syrupy and sweet it felt like the soup from the day before yesterday was coming back up. Blegh!

“Eek!”

Ren and the women shrieked at the same time, for very different reasons.

“Now why did our Ren call for me?”

“......I forgot.”

“Oh dear. Was my smile just too cute? They do say seeing something cute makes people lose their memory. I guess it’s true after all! Hahaha!”

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

Temar’s Adam’s apple moved smoothly up and down. He drained in one go the beer mug the size of his face, strong liquor mixed into it and all, then set it down on the table.

BAM!

It honestly sounded like the table cracked.

It didn’t even look like he’d used any force, but the whole thing shook like it was about to break, and Jepeto startled so hard he grabbed the table. Beer splashed everywhere, soaking the surface.

At that huge noise, the inn—which had been roaring hot and loud enough to make the windows seem ready to shatter—went quiet.

Faces flushed with drink all turned to stare at Temar, wondering what had happened.

But the man who’d caused it didn’t seem to notice the attention at all. Or else he didn’t care. He simply looked at Ren with grave seriousness.

“...Ren.”

“Uh...?”

That low voice landing so heavily did not sound normal.

Ren awkwardly tugged his hood lower.

W-what’s he trying to say, acting all scary like this?! Did I do something wrong? Is this because I laughed at Luman?!

Ren’s pupils shook wildly.

Temar’s serious brown eyes stared straight at him.

It was a masculine face, with thick brows and little space between his eyes. When he frowned, he turned frightening in an instant, but the slightest smile could melt people. Seeing him head-on like this for the first time in a while, Ren spinelessly found himself thinking, Yeah... my brother really is handsome.

“Ren!”

Temar called his name again, strong and clear.

“Y-yeah?”

Gulp.

Someone swallowed audibly.

No, seriously, what could he possibly be about to say in that solemn, heroic tone?!

If he was planning to scold Ren over something stupid, then this time Luman was definitely going to scold him right back.

Just as that thought crossed Luman’s mind, Temar’s thick lips finally parted.

Everyone in the inn turned to him.

Tommy, who’d been carrying mugs around. The old innkeeper, who was in the kitchen roasting what had to be the tenth pig of the night. The men and women with their red, drunken faces. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

“Was it true?”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean, true?”

“Uh, I’ve got no idea.”

“Aren’t they just talking about something from earlier?”

Even Ren just blinked at him, not understanding.

“What are you talking about?”

The people who’d been eavesdropping started whispering among themselves.

“Kkh...”

The one who made that noise at Ren’s question was Luman.

His face had gone red all the way to the ears. He clapped a hand over his mouth and started shaking with laughter.

No, did he drink so much his laugh broke!? What’s so funny?!

Ren stared at him in disbelief, and then even Jepeto started snickering.

“I’m asking if it’s true, Ren.”

And now Temar’s voice was starting to sound drunk too.

“Brother, say something people can actually underst—”

“Luman’s cute? Is that why you forgot?”

“Uh? Brother, what kind of bullshit is tha—”

“Pwahahahahaha! Pwahaha! Ahahaha! I-I’m dying!”

Luman burst into every kind of laughter imaginable.

He was absolutely losing it. The second Luman broke down laughing, Jepeto gave up too and dropped his forehead onto the table, wheezing. Even the inn, which had gone still in baffled silence, filled with laughter again.

“What the hell is he even saying!?”

“Ahahahaha!”

“Good grief, what kind of nonsense is that!”

Luman’s face had gone so red from laughing it looked ready to burst.

“Ren. Your brother asked you a question.”

While everyone else was laughing themselves sick, Temar alone stayed serious.

W-what answer is he even expecting?! Does that actually matter?? What kind of ridiculous thing even is this to ask?!

Ren answered flatly,

“Brother, are you drunk—”

“Is it hard to answer?”

“What?”

Ren glanced toward Luman.

Apparently he’d finished laughing, because now Luman had gone serious too.

No, ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ what is wrong with all of you?!

Once the whole group turned serious, the mood in the inn shifted again into a low, curious hush. People stretched their necks, trying to catch even a glimpse of Ren’s shining eyes under his hood.

...Ah.

So this is what alcohol does.

Having suddenly grasped one of life’s great truths, Ren stuck out his lower lip.

“Ren! Your brother asked—!”

“No! I forgot what I was going to say because the whole thing was so ridiculous. Happy now??”

That’s the answer you wanted, right?!

The moment Ren finished, Temar’s mouth relaxed.

Looking closer, there was a faint flush across his face too. It just hadn’t stood out much against his darker skin.

“Ren, that’s harsh. Temar, you too. Did you really have to hear him say it?”

Luman grumbled and ordered more drinks.

“Brother.”

Everyone else had sunk back into their own conversations. Temar, Jepeto, and Luman were all getting increasingly drunk, but Ren alone felt like his head was clearing.

Brother! This is the most pathetic I’ve ever seen you.

If you drink, then go to bed quietly! That was the exact kind of sharp village scolding Ren was just about to throw at him—

“Yeah. My little brother, Ren.”

“......”

—and this time he forgot every word completely.

Bang! Bang!

The surrounding noise, which had felt distant somehow, all came rushing in at once. Ren had been sitting apart from the heated mood, watching it all with bored detachment, but with that one sentence from Temar, he was suddenly inside it. Part of it.

His face felt hot.

Only then did Ren think he might be getting a little drunk too.

The warm air, the smell of alcohol everywhere, all the food—even without drinking, there was more than enough in here to make someone dizzy.

More than anything, though, what Temar had said sent Ren’s mood soaring past words.

'My little brother, Ren.'

That.

The word brother... from him...

Said that gently!

Alcohol... maybe it isn’t all bad!?

“Yeah, Ren. My little brother. Go on. Tell me. I’ll listen.”

“......F-fine, enough already!”

“Heh. My little brother. Ren.”

Ren, who’d gone blank and frozen in place, trembled and shook his head.

N-no, do that kind of thing normally!

Ren wanted to run upstairs and hide. His face under the hood was burning red—his ears, his hands, even the back of his neck.

The hood hid most of his face, but with his pale skin, it all stood out anyway.

“Tommy~ could you bring four more beers over here?”

“Yes! Coming!”

Just a second ago, he’d looked sulky and bored, pouting like none of this interested him.

Now the corners of Ren’s mouth kept twitching, like maybe he was enjoying himself a little.

Even with his juice glass blocking part of his face, it was obvious! Those awkward hands and shoulders, that body giving tiny little happy jerks from side to side.

And of course, the reason was Temar.

That irritating bastard. I wonder if he’ll remember any of this tomorrow. I hope he won’t. It pisses me off!

And Ren too—seriously, Ren. Was one stupid little sentence enough to make him that happy?

Luman, who could have said a hundred things sweeter than that, felt a little cheated.

What, should I write him a love letter or something and show off how dazzlingly eloquent I can be?! Huh?!

Luman’s mouth twisted.

“Tch.”

“Oh? Luman siiir. What’s wrong with youuu?”

Jepeto, who’d been steadily sipping beer all this time, had apparently come fully unstrung after laughing so hard earlier. His tongue was starting to slur.

Seriously. He was the one who said he’d throw blankets over us if we collapsed, and now it looks like I’m the one who’ll have to drag him to bed.

Luman bitterly pitied himself.

He’d pulled a pointless prank and gotten nothing out of it. Sure, it had been fun smiling shamelessly at the women and teasing Ren—

but who knew Temar would interfere like this?

He should’ve just sat there quietly and drunk like he always did.

Instead, Temar kept drinking without any sign of stopping.

Filled with spite, Luman poured as much strong liquor into Temar’s mug as he pleased. What he’d already used wasn’t enough, so he took out three more bottles from his coat, secretly topping off Temar’s drink every time he drank, careful to stay out of Ren’s line of sight.

Only then did he start to feel a little better.

At least he’d still achieve his goal. No matter how much of a Hero Temar was, after drinking this much he was bound to wake up with a hangover.

This was Hero-grade liquor, after all.

He’d get him thoroughly drunk, then go take Ren around the village.

Come to think of it, everything here would be new to Ren.

Part of him felt sorry for that.

Part of him was happy to be the one sharing those firsts with him.

Honestly, it was a very complicated feeling.

Like his stomach was bubbling. Like he wanted to run. Like he was excited and strangely sinking at the same time.

What kind of explanation is that?

Luman couldn’t explain it either.

He had no idea what the hell he was even thinking.