Barb
"I am excited,"
I heard the fifth time in ten minutes since we had left the mansion.
"I know you are excited, little girl, but can you keep it quiet? I am feeling a headache here," I said to the bubbly orc-blood girl.
"Maybe, you shouldn't have drunk so much last night, then Barb," replied the girl, and a tired smile couldn't help but appear on my face, hearing that.
"It is not drinking that giving me the headache, little girl, but not drinking it," I replied, before turning to them.
"By any chance, do you have anything in your purses? It is fine if it is a sip or two?" I asked, looking at them hopefully, but all I got was disappointment, seeing them shaking their heads.
It was a bad decision to send all my stock, along with my stuff, last night. I thought I would pilfer some from the party and I nearly did, till that girl Mena confiscated the bottles from me.
Saying it is a property of the establishment; I could drink it at a party but not take it away with me.
I had drunk it a lot, but the effects had disappeared by the morning, even with the skill, and the headache returned.
Now, I wish this carriage would move faster. So, I could reach the circle sooner and get my hands on my stuff.
However, I am also a little excited about the circle.
I tried to get a look at it but was shooed away. In the past three months, aside from Madam and assistant Madams, nobody was able to look at what was happening inside.
Though, I heard quite a lot of things, and the more I heard, the more excited, I could become.
However, my excitement is nothing in front of the girls around me, who are talking loudly about it. Some are so loud that my headache begins to worsen.
The only one who is silent among them is a girl named Bell. She was silent as usual, focusing on knitting, which she seemed to hate as well as love.
Thankfully, the journey ended quickly as the carriage passed through the gates and stopped in front of the circle.
Immediately, we began to come out of the carriage, and within a second, all twelve of us stepped out.
"It is so beautiful and big. It didn't seem so big when it was covered in all those clothes," said Cath, with a voice filled with awe,
I couldn't help but nod.
It is really beautiful in a bold kind of way.
The cream-colored building, but the more one looks, the more good it feels. However, the best thing about it is its shape; the circular shape looks good and those huge windows add a unique charm to it.
I hope no one would jump from them, especially from the upper floor, where even high stats in vitality wouldn't be able to save them.
I looked at the building for a minute before joining the girls, lined up in front of the huge iron gate of the circle.
In front of the gate is Margaux, with Carla and Dell at her left and right.
She looked at all the girls in front of her, over three and a half hundred of us.
"Welcome to the circle girls," she welcomed with a smile and the gates behind her opened.
She turned and walked inside, and we followed behind, already awed by what we had seen through the door.
Gasp Gasp
I passed through the iron doors and immediately heard multiple gaps. I was barely able to stop myself from gasping, seeing what I was seeing.
The outside was nothing compared to what we are seeing inside.
Inside the building, I saw the wide walkway lines with beautiful marble and big columns. Transparent elevators that will take one to any floor.
Though the girls barely glanced at them, as everyone focused on something truly beautiful.
There is a beautiful garden in the center, with trees, colorful wines, and charming flowers. It is all made beautiful by a drizzle of water from above and multiple ponds on the ground.
"Are those bridges?" asked Bell in surprise, looking above.
It was the first time I had seen her showing surprise at anything. When she pointed; I looked up and couldn't help but become surprised.
"It seems like it," I said in awe.
There are freaking bridges here, made of colorful vines and wood.
"Are those bridges real, Madam Margaux?" asked a young girl of fifteen, whose name I couldn't remember.
"Yes, dear, they are real," she replied with a smile, drawing out another round of gasps.
"The bridges will be really helpful. Instead of walking the whole walkway, we could simply go to the other side through these bridges," said Bell beside me.
Hearing that, my eyes lit up. I thought, they were only for design, but it seemed like they have convenience too.
"And these ponds, Madam Margaux?" asked Gloria. "They are not for the show either; they are swimming pools," she said and a second later, a couple of young girls rang toward the ponds, while removing their clothes.
Margaux raised her hand, and opened her mouth to say something, but closed it a moment later and shook her head.
Seeing girls jumping in the ponds, a couple of more girls moved, including the orc-blood girl Rexy beside me.
She tried to pull her friend, but she declined.
I looked at them for a few seconds before looking at the building in the center of the garden.
With all the trees, it is quite hidden, but one could still see it and from little what I could see, it seemed like it would be a real gem of the circle.
The spa.
"The circle will be our residence and the place of learning. It is equipped with a very modern facility, that one would need," said Margaux.
"You already received the cards, on which there is something printed below your names, in which is your room number."
"The first number is the floor on which you will live; the other two numbers after the name of the rooms or hall. Some of your cards will have a letter after this and that is your room," she explained.
Barb Utsa
04-22-B
I took out the card and looked at it like all the girls were doing.
We received it yesterday and asked to memorize the text or keep it with us till we reached the circle.
"Explore the place, but at eleven we will have to go to the establishment to sign the new contracts," she said and walked toward the elevator with Carla and Della.
I wanted to use the elevator too; I had never used those things in my life, but seeing everyone running toward it, I decided to explore the other places.
There is a lot to explore.
The building is a five-story stall covering a large area and lots of rooms. Which are not only to live but also to learn.
The ground floor is for the teens, who are not working, while the second, third, and fourth floors are for the working girls or those who will work in a few months.
There are also two restricted sections covering all the floors in the north and south. They have their own entrances, stairs, and elevators.
The northern academic section and the southern academic section.
The northern academic section is the mage area, where the magic would be taught, while the southern academic section is where all non-magical classes would be held.
The teachers would come through the separate entrances and would be forbidden to leave those sections and enter the residential area.
There are strong-looking guards to enforce those boundaries. If the railings and the signs are not enough.
I was able to see the southern academic section, with all types of teaching rooms, that brought tears to the eyes of girls, including mine, while the northern academic section was restricted, even to the girls with magic.
It will open from tomorrow, but only to girls with magical talent.
The spa is also restricted, but it will open at ten. It was kind of sad, as I wanted to look inside.
It was the most beautiful building I had ever seen.
It seems to be made wholly of mirrors and crystals and shaped like a tower.
When I went back to the elevator, there was a lot less crowd. However, some girls are still playing with it, going up and down, like little kids.
Even after experiencing so much, they still have some innocence remaining in them. I couldn't help but feel envois of that.
I entered the elevator hesitantly, and the young girl tapped on the button.
The elevator moved as the energy screen covered the energy. It's movement was so smooth that I barely felt it moving.
A few seconds later, it stopped on the floor above and some girls came out and it moved again and stopped on the floor. It stopped at each floor, before stopping at the fourth floor.
"Sister Barb," called the young girl, and I hastily got out.
The door of the elevator closed a moment later as it moved ahead, while I looked ahead of me.
I stayed on the spot for a moment before walking out. Looking at the numbers on each door and also the garden, which looked as beautiful, from above, as it is from below.
Soon, I reached the door with '22' stamped above and pressed the handle.
Click!
It opened smoothly, and I entered inside into the room.
The room is beautiful with sofas and tables and even a bookshelf, but what attracted my eyes is the five doors on three sides marked, A, B, C, D and E.
There is also one 'Bathroom' written on it.
I looked at them, before walking to door B. I tried opening it, but it was locked, seeing that a smile couldn't help but appear on my face and I took out the key.
The card isn't the only thing we have received last night, as it was the key.
Click!
I inserted the key and heard the clicking sound.
A moment later, I pushed open the door and saw the most beautiful room I had ever seen in my life.
It is slightly bigger than my old room had a beautiful white bed, a cupboard, and a table to study with two chairs.
Though, the thing, that attracted my eyes was the widow. It is big and gives a clear view of the establishment and everything around it.
The view couldn't help but bring a smile to my face, but I also felt myself tearing up.
"I need a drink," I said to myself and walked up to the cupboard and opened it. As I had expected, all my stuff was here, but my eyes fell to the bottom, where my precious things were.
I do not have any hobbies, except for drinking. Though, I wouldn't say it is a hobby, to me it is medicine.
I had gained that class roughly ten months ago, and in just ten months, I took my Drinker Class to Lv. 11.
It is a shocking speed that would have shocked anyone, but here, it would only bring a mild surprise.
There have been many girls, who have gained classes coming here and took them higher than me.
I looked at bottles; nearly every type of liquor is there, from wine to whisky to beer, and they are not cheap.
I may be a drunkard, but I dislike the cheap stuff.
Thankfully, I have a good supplier, who brought them for me at a wholesale price. Without that girl Ina, I would have been spending a lot more on them, than I should.
I took out the round bottle with amber liquid and opened the cap before taking a sip directly from the bottle.
I felt the velvety rum touch my tongue, bringing the taste of caramel with a fruity hint from behind.
I kept it in my mouth for a few seconds, before gulping and activating Lasting Intoxication as it hit my stomach.
I closed the bottle and sat on the chair by the window, feeling the burn and intoxication that came with it. It is a pretty hard rum, and I shouldn't drink it neat, but I like it.
I felt the relaxation seeping into me, and the headache disappearing.
As long as I remember, I had a headache. Sometimes it used to become so much worse, that I wanted to die. I had tried once when I was young but was saved by Carla's mother.
I tried everything to heal it with the means I had, but nothing seemed to work, even a healing potion brought with months of savings, was useless.
Some medicines did work, but they made me feel completely different; I didn't like them one bit, but took them for years.
They were the only thing, that made the headache go away.
I tried alcohol, but it also didn't work. Maybe it was because of cheap stuff, I drank or something else.
Now, I do not feel any headache as long as I have a drink in my stomach. Today was the first day, I had felt the headache in over three months, and it was due to my own mistake.
It made me wish that I had come to this place sooner.
I laugh, thinking it; I am part of the first group. There was no one before me, even Master Silver, who came here months after I did.
I wanted to take another sip, but I didn't.
The Lasting Intoxication will keep a headache away for hours and I need to be conscious as possible when I sign the new contract.
Though I wouldn't have drunk, even if there was no contract to sign. To me, alcohol is a way to control my affliction.
A medicine; I won't let it become a vice.
I have seen how it destroys people, and my own loved ones have been destroyed by it. I will not let it destroy me, just when I have found the joy in this worthless life of mine.