Chapter 4: Volume 4 Prologue part 3
The silence was deafening. The only thing you could hear was the clangs from the beer mugs.
It was inevitable. Everyone here knew that it was the privilege of the living only too well within their heart. There were already countless many whom they would never exchange drinks with ever again.
"It's so quiet in here. How many plates did they break so far."
In the corner seat, about a step away from the dividers, the five from the Knightly Order were surrounding a table.
"Haha, well, we should look over something like that."
"Yeah. It's been a long and difficult war. Let them do whatever they want now that it's over."
Torway and Matthew spoke while nodding. There were drinks and food sprawled on their table as well, but they did not eat or drink indiscriminately. The five were here as Duty Officers. This occasion was to show appreciation not only for themselves but for the soldiers' hard work as well.
"Al~right! Then your commander will drink with you… What? Only the palm wine in this bowl? No thank you for that. I want a beer, too. In a proper beer mug!"
Ikta went along with the crowd. He took the beer mug in hand and drank the content in one shot. The subordinates cheered wildly at the scene. Being able to fire up the mood was one of his strong suits.
"Puah… Here, Yatori! You drink, too."
"Uh, me too?"
"If we're going to make up, we should. Here, Suya, you too!"
The two Ikta gave drinks to each other half-forcibly. The moment two of them were facing each other awkwardly, the black haired boy stood between them and shouted.
"For the goddesses of battle!"
With that phrase, Ikta forcibly clanked his mug with the two of them. Yatori smiled bitterly and quietly said "cheers" and drank after clinking her mug with Suya. After a moment of hesitation, Suya quickly followed suit. As Ikta heated up the atmosphere with his subordinates like that, two new people approached the table where three of the members of the Knightly Order were left behind. One was Captain Sazarf with an exhausted expression and the other was Princess Chamille who did her best to hide herself and not dampen the mood.
"Oh~ This is a remarkable gathering. Man, while I was the one experiencing all the difficulties."
Perceiving their superior officer and the princess, the three stood up promptly and saluted.
"Princess Chamille, Captain. It probably has been hard."
"Much thanks to you for your hard work. How was the gathering with the order?"
Haro extended the encouraging statements alongside a cup loaded up with grape juice to the princess and a mug loaded up with lager for the commander individually. Next to her, Matthew and Torway brought a seat each.
You need not stress over me, so console the captain's struggles."
Sazarf took the mug, half-purged it and slumped as though he was falling.
"You folks attempt that, as well… Just sitting in that air alone is sufficient to deplete you… Ah, I appear to have been elevated to major. Commend it. Commend it energetically."
"Congrats" the three of their voices covered. To be perfectly honest they had just foreseen it, so it was not all that amazing. Matthew posed a few inquiries to the man drooped over the table in the half dead state.
"So, about that… How did it go?…"
"It appears to have barely passed. It's not affirmed at this point, however connect with your father early."
At that answer, Matthew folded his arms with a confounded face. At the table where two more had joined, Yatori got away from the alcoholic group and returned.
"Thank you for your hard work, Captain. Your highness, shall I bring a beverage for you?"
"Ah, Yatori. There is no need for--"
Princess Chamille stopped mid-speech. For the same reason, everyone had their eyes wide open as well. It was because Yatori's face was red like a ripe tomato.
"... Puha! Hahahah! Lieutenant Yatori… were you weak with drinks?!"
The one who could not hold back and let out the first laughter was Sazarf. Torway and Haro barely held it in, but Matthew was the next one to reach his limit.
"I, I didn't even notice… But, haha, man, your face is amazing! It's as red as your hair!"
Yatori sighed before grumbling. She was not just red in cheeks, but her entire face was red as well. Especially since she usually acted so composed, this elicited even greater reaction.
"S, speaking of which, Yatori always drank quietly in a corner."
"Yeah, it's the first time I've seen her empty a mug in one go."
Haro and Torway each demonstrated their shock. Then again, as though Captain Sazarf had a propensity for snickering when flushed, it required a significant stretch of time to quiet himself down. He was giggling constantly with Matthew who appeared to take after him.
"... Ha, doesn't make a difference. On the off chance that it makes your beverages taste better, ridicule me anyway much you need."
Being so liberal as opposed to blowing up resembled her. Princess Chamille, who recomposed herself in the wake of hearing those words projected a furious look at Matthew and Sazarf, however it resembled attempting to extinguish a backwoods fire with just a can of water. The giggling proceeded.
"Hahaha, the main rival that invulnerable close-battle ace Yatori is feeble to. It's something called liquor."
Ikta returned at inexplicable timing while being drunk to the boot. He slurred his words and swayed from side to side while walking. It was not as apparent on his face as Yatori, but he was quite drunk.
"All things considered, sadly, she doesn't drink all the more once drunk. Every time I attempted to get her to drink more to get something amusing to occur, it finished in disappointment."
"How might she win against somebody like you who continues drinking and hurling throughout the night. Are you attempting to do it again today around evening time?"
"No, no, a long way from that. Since I'm the Duty Officer, I realize being too smashed is hazardous."
"I remember having to carry you out from various places more than once after you've blacked out saying similar stuff."
Yatori reminisced about the high school days before shrugging. Looking at a conversation that only the two of them knew about and Princess Chamille and Torway who were looking at them with complicated expressions -- It was the usual.
"Ah~ Captain Sazarf. How did that business go?"
Ikta asked while reclining on the seat and Sazarf put forth a valiant effort to fix his breathing from all the giggling.
"Kukuku… Yeah, that, it'll probably pass. And I'm becoming a major! How about it? Aren't I great?"
"Congratulations. If it'll get passed, then that means…"
Ikta stood up from leaning back against the chair and circled the table to stand behind Matthew. He leaned against Matthew's chubby body to speak excitedly.
"So that's how it is? I'll be relying on you in many ways, Matthew, my friend."
The moment he spoke, the laughter stopped. The moment Matthew understood what Ikta had meant, his smile turned into a shaken expression.
"... Is that how it'll go… Honestly, I'm not sure about this. I'm really not feeling sure about this."
The kid slumped his head and groaned. The alcoholic behind him tapped his head while talking.
"No, no. I anticipate it as of now. It's anybody, yet between you and me. I've generally been reasoning we ought to go visit one day."
Energized at the possibility, Ikta talked uproariously with a mug close by.
"The opportunity has arrived! Presently, we should all return to Matthew's home!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
yoloswagftw
yoloswagftw After debating for about an hour with myself while rereading the soldiers gathering part, I am unable to convince myself to change anything substantial within it. Even though I believe the respect Ikta earned from wining the war and successfully retreating does not earn enough merit for Suya to open up to Ikta. I will still keep it the same. I do believe that the gathering should be somewhat less cheerful, and more morbid from the death of their fellow soldiers. After all, this is the first time Ikta and his friends' soldiers ever seen such a death rate amongst themselves. Perhaps the atmosphere should be cheered up only by Ikta rather than them having merry time already. So the only thing I have changed in this part is the atmosphere.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone