Chapter 60: Troubles and Liquor
Amphere Harrison
I've been drinking my morning coffee for the past five minutes. I'm readying myself to go back to the cathedral, to see Airi's condition. It's still five in the morning, and I'm so excited. I forgot that H.G. needed twenty four whole hours. That means I have to go back at eleven AM. I'm overly excited.
What troubles me now is what the Princess Elkyria told me yesterday in the funeral. "Please lose your next battle in the tournament." That's all she said, and we never had the chance to talk again. Judging from her expression, she really meant it.
And that seems to be a really big trouble. Those words mean that she doesn't want me to become her knight…ever. If I do win the tournament and she still hates me, then there will be a lot of conflict regarding the passing of the Dragonoid Rights Bill. All that I…No. All that we've been working through will be utterly nonsense.
But there's a somewhat evil thought in my mind. Maybe I can have the bill passed without actually winning the tournament. Maybe I can bargain. Losing, equivalent for the bill. I don't know if it will work, but it's still a freaking ridiculous idea. Just why does the Princess want me to lose the tournament? I don't get any of it.
There was a knock in my room. I sipped the last drop of my coffee and then opened it. It was the young Duchess Corasell. She's usually beautiful, but now, her hazelnut hair seems to be at mess. She's on her pajamas, and her eye sockets are so deep that I could mistake her for a panda. Look who failed to have some sleep.
"I-I came here to apologize, Sir Amphere." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry for being rude to you all the time. I promise I won't have that kind of harsh treatment to you from now on."
Liar. No one knocks at dawn to apologize to a fake hero like me.
I let her inside and gave her a hot glass of chocolate milk while she watches the morning news on my TV. But then she continued. "Miss Kyrie and Miss Reina told me your side of the story. I do understand your actions, but losing Sir Estoff Wraith is hard for me. He's like a big brother to me."
"I'm sorry about that." I said. "Since it's my entire fault, I'll try my best to become your second big brother."
My words got the duchess all flustered and she tried hard to hide her expression again. "Y-You d-don' t have to do that… I-It's not y-your f-fault."
Suddenly, the news reporter delivered some shocking news that made both of us awestruck.
"According to our sources, the new leader of Arcadia is the former duke Yuri Dragunov. He has released a private press conference in an unknown location. We have to current footage which is going viral as of this moment."
The screen shifted to a white bearded man on a stage. The background has a new flag of the terrorist group Arcadia; a dragon sigil wielding a sword and a shield. I don't know how that sly demon got the support of the Arcadia, but that's not the main problem. The main problem is somewhere on his speech.
"My dear citizen of Alterra. I am Commander Yuri Dragunov, the new leader of the freedom group Arcadia. As you have known, the former freedom fighter,Commander Estoff Wraith, has been slaughtered by his student Amphere Harrison and Airelina Frembell. That is why I am here in front of you dragonoids, to lead and serve you. I will continue Wraith's will of freedom to all dragonoids in the world. I shall show you the proper way to attain freedom! And now, I, the humble crusader of liberty…shall announce…the declaration of the Fourth Dragonoid War! Dragons versus Humans! Dragonoids versus the Empire of Alterra! We shall take the empire to the hands of our freedom! Viva Arcadia!"
There were several voices behind him. "VIVA ARCADIA!!!"
I immediately searched for the remote and turned it off. This…Is getting a lot dirty. The evil general has been deal with a lot of sacrifices. A lot of deaths. Now, a new trouble appears!
My brain is already overloaded! I have to think of Airi's revival, think of a way to defeat our next enemy in the tournament who appears to have Dracaryx, think why the princess disapproves me being her knight, research on my Eye of Deus power, and think of a way to avoid confronting Arcadia while taking down Dragunov.
What would Estoff do if he's in this kind of situation? I know! Drink a lot of beer until you're wasted. Right. Before I know it, the duchess was already searching for it in my refrigerator! "Here!" She said, as she passed me a canned pint like an American football pitcher. And then she drew out a bottle of wine.
"You're too young for that!" I screamed as I witness her pour out the dark violet liquid to her glass.
"Don't worry. I'm used to it. My father always let me to taste our wine back in the plantation." The duchess said. And then she gulped half of the content out. Just what kind of bad parents Corasells are!? They failed to teach her all kinds of proper manners!
Five hours later, and I'm already regretted drinking. Richard escorted me again at that time and had a portal ready for fast transport. That's very great because if we're taking a car, a ship, or a plane, I'll certainly puke out.
But after jumping to the portal, I vomited out anyway. All the priests' and priestess's eyes are on me. Richard apologized on my behalf.
I made a 'dramatic' entrance on the grand door in the healing spring by slamming it out. The six priestesses and her holiness H.G. was surprised when I barged in outrageously as a prank. I'll apologize for my manners later. All I care about is my dragonoid, who's supposed to be revived right now.
I don't know if my remaining left eye is playing games on me, or I'm just drunk. I am drunk. But a pretty lady with scarlet hair was there, in front of me. She's slightly taller than Airi, and marginally bustier too. Her hips and buttocks make her a very great supermodel. But too bad, she's wearing a shrine maiden's outfit.
"A-Amphy…" The shrine maiden had her crimson eyes tearful. What a crybaby. Wait… her eyes seems a lot familiar to me.
"Hey, is this Airi's sister?" I turned to Richard and then made a hiccup. "She's a lot prettier."
I'm already drunk, but I know that Richard's face is currently astounded. He replied to me. "…That's Airelina…"
Ehehehehe I thought I was the only one drunk here. I tried examining the face of this Airi-wannabe. This girl is really beautiful. A matured body with an adorable baby-like blushing face…I would really marry this kind of woman.
This feeling…It's certainly love! I touched my chest in order to record my heartbeats. Suddenly, the shrine maiden's chest glowed with blue light. A sign of a Vesryn Pulse. If I shouted 'Activating Vesryn Pulse' right now, it would wreck the whole underground cathedral.
There was a dead silence. I hanged my jaws in confusion. It took me a minute until I finally realized. "A-A-A-Airiiiiii!!!"
I jumped with tears of joy and hugged her tight as if she was my missing teddy bear when I was two years old. I didn't care if I got her breast squeezing in my chest. I just want her to hold her constricted by my very own arms.
"W-We can continue in bed if you like! Totally!" She said. I felt that her cheeks are getting hotter.
"Shut up! Hic! Don't you dare take advantage of me just because I'm drunk!" I cried as I tightened my grip a bit more. She's not even in the verge of suffocating.
Airi gave of a smile at me as she embraced me the same way I cuddled her.
"I'm back, Amphy. Totally!"