Dungeon Defense (WN)

“Hm……?”

“I asked whether Your Highness truly thinks that or not.”

I raised my head and looked at the girl.

The room was luxurious but dark. In this space lit by a few shimmering candles, the vampire’s purple eyes glowed like gems. The gems had no emotions. Her gaze contained nothing but beauty.

“……No. Not exactly.”

I have to deny it once here.

I made it seem like I had sobered up, like I was urgently trying to take back the words that had slipped out because of the alcohol. I grabbed the cup of water which I had never touched since we had started drinking and gulped the water down.

I’m drinking water to sober up. I was probably giving off this impression.

“You know as well, do you not? I have a tendency to exaggerate my words. Haha. I simply said those things because we happen to be drinking, so do not worry about it.”

Ivar Lodbrok filled my glass.

“Everything will simply evaporate into thin air no matter what is said. If Your Highness has any grievances, then this humble one will more than gladly listen to them.”

“Huhu. Is the head of Keuncuska my drinking buddy? It seems I have also reached success.”

I changed the subject here again.

“Very well, then. We should start to discuss the establishment of a shop inside my Demon Lord Castle. I do not have a great desire to bargain with you. You went out of your way to reveal your true body to me, so I should also be considerate in my own way, right?”

“……Of course, this humble one would only be grateful.”

Ivar Lodbrok answered calmly. She took a sip of her wine.

We had entered a new topic just now. The other party drank her wine despite this. What did this mean? You’re able to close your mouth when drinking alcohol, so you’re naturally able to take a step back from the conversation.

‘Now then. What’s on your mind now, Ivar Lodbrok?’

There were two probabilities.

First, the other party was letting me talk. In other words, this was like an ‘All right, let’s see what you have to say about this new topic’-kind of attitude.

This was practically an instinctual gesture.

It’s a rather interesting thing, but people tend to do something else when they want to agree with something. So in Ivar’s case, her drinking wine and turning her gaze away by 30 degrees from me…… these sorts of gestures could be translated as the following:

「Despite doing other things like this, not only do I agree with what you said, but I cannot help but nod because of some irresistible force.」

You’re intentionally showing that you’re distracted. You want to focus on the new topic but failed because you were so interested in what the other person was saying. That’s how much I was focusing on your words……. It roughly meant something along these lines.

All things considered, it was a rather strategical gesture.

People are almost never genuine, so they have no other choice but to utilize these kinds of minor ‘acting tools’ in order to feign sincerity.

However, Ivar Lodbrok’s behavior did not fall under this first category.

I wasn’t supposed to be the one to start talking earlier. The other party was supposed to respond since I brought up the topic. Despite this, she ignored the timing and drank her wine instead…….

Therefore, the second probability……she was deliberately showing her disapproval.

「I am not very interested in the new topic that Your Highness has brought up. Furthermore, I do not agree with changing the subject.」

This was a rather aggressive expression of opinion.

This could easily be overlooked in a normal conversation, but that’s not possible in drinking parties between politicians. In boxing terms, this was like a light hook. She probably wants to see how I respond to this attack.

‘Fine.’

It took 2 seconds for me to reach this conclusion.

I moved my hand to place my cup on the table as I mulled it over.

‘Should I pretend as if I didn’t understand again and ignore it? How would she respond? Would this be a good measure to take?’

A corner of my mind immediately vetoed this idea.

‘No. I’m currently acting as if I had quickly sobered up. That means I should be incredibly on edge right now. It’d be impossible to not notice the other party’s intent. No matter how much I tried to manage my expression, it’d look forced.’

All right. I’ll accept her opinion.

Then what would be the best response?

3 seconds were about to pass. I’ve almost placed the cup of water back down on the table. I don’t have much time left. This is the only thing your head is good for, you idiot. Hurry up and find an answer. Isn’t observing the other party’s complexion and responding accordingly your specialty!?

‘What about silence?’

That’d be the worst.

Silence is the most contrived acting in the world. Only the worst actors think silence is the most natural state.

‘If anything, I should be aggressive.’

That’s it. Now something useful is coming up.

I thought to myself as I smiled gently. That’s right. I had just sobered up. I’m in the middle of regretting my actions after revealing my true self too much. I should be fairly on edge right now.

“……Ivar Lodbrok.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Let me first apologize for trying to change the topic. Yes, I did declare before that trust is required between us.”

Despite this, the other party went on the offensive against me. What should I do? I have no other choice but to fray my nerves and growl back like a mutt.

I was certain that this was the answer as I spoke.

“But I must admit that I still feel hesitant. You refused to show me your true body until the very end. You acquired a body that looked almost like you and put that forward.”

“Your Highness, that was…….”

“I am not reproaching you.”

I chuckled as if I were trying to reassure her.

“Well, we have known each other for several years now. I have gradually gotten used to your methods. You are the type of person who cannot bear it if you do not prepare tests after tests and obstacles after obstacles.”

“…….”

“But I hope that you can understand. Your decision of trying to test me until the very end has made it difficult for me to open myself up to you with ease. At most, a bit was only able to slip out thanks to the influence of alcohol. That is all.”

Now she should be the one feeling impatient.

Cunning people tend to believe that the solution they come to on their own is the right answer. No matter how rational someone else sounds, people will always doubt the words of others initially. This happens more frequently the smarter the person is.

On the other hand, people think that they are close to the answer if they come to a conclusion after mulling over it carefully.

Currently, Ivar Lodbrok has only one question on her mind━whether I’m being sincere or not.

The demeanor that I had furtively displayed to her until now and the fact that I was being on edge after trying to change the topic at first were the only clues she had…….

“Very well, then.”

The girl swept her blonde twin tails behind her as she spoke.

“Your Highness mentioned that you were able to talk thanks to the influence of the alcohol. If that is the case, then we simply have to receive Dionysus’ Blessing.”

“Oh?”

I raised a brow as if I were surprised.

“In other words, you are courteously suggesting that I should drink until I become dead drunk……. Is it fine for me to think this?”

“That is correct.”

She raised her right hand and flicked it in the air. Before I knew it, there were strings attached to the tip of her fingers and they glimmered slightly as the light from the candles reflected off of them.

The strings soon wrapped around a few dozen bottles of alcohol that were on the other side of the room. She pulled the bottles to her with a ‘woosh!’ and she received them gently by fluttering the mantle over her shoulders. It was a fantastical performance.

“Impressive!”

I found myself applauding her. The girl’s pale naked body was on full display because she was using the mantle to receive the bottles, but it didn’t matter.

Ivar Lodbrok placed the wine bottles down one by one from the mantle.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The bottles were lined up like the walls of a fortress. Once the number exceeded thirty, the bottles gave off an imposing aura.

“If this humble one may, I believe that Your Highness is by no means a light drinker. This humble one is also fairly well-versed in drinking.”

“Are you saying it would be difficult to speak with only normal alcohol?”

“That is correct. Everything that has just now been presented before Your Highness is the strongest liquor you can find in Naraka. If a normal vampire were to drink this, they would become a drunkard after only a single bottle.”

How about it? The girl offered a bottle to me daringly.

“Would Your Highness like to wager whether Your Highness’ truth or this humble one’s truth is lighter?”

“Kuhu.”

I applauded her once more.

“Now you are showing me some grandeur. I have been longing for a moment like this, head of Keuncuska.”

The girl in front of me was undoubtedly smart.

She probably remembers every conversation we’ve had and had thus come to this decision. Despite not knowing that she was tripping herself because of this clever side of hers.

“Then?”

“Will I partake in this match? Of course I will.”

Since I didn’t have anything like the truth in the first place.

The only person here who has something to confess is you, Ivar Lodbrok.

“Despite my flimsy appearance, I am someone who has drunk with Barbatos and Beleth. I cannot say that I am the best in the Demon Lord Army, but I am at least in the top ten. I will tell you this now, but you will come to regret challenging me to a drinking competition.”

“Being able to drink with Your Highness is already an honor in itself, so what is there to regret?”

We both believe that we have nothing to lose.

From Ivar Lodbrok’s perspective, I already have a grasp of almost all of her truth. I knew that Ivar Lodbrok’s main body was something else and that she had lost her lover to a Demon Lord a very long time ago. In other words, there was nothing else she could reveal to me…….

She probably thinks that my truth is the only thing that’s left to be revealed since everything she had hidden away was already revealed. A fight where she had nothing to lose.

‘But this is actually a fight where only you have things to lose.’

She came into this fight trying to pry something out of me that never existed in the first place. How utterly foolish.

‘For example, Ivar Lodbrok.’

I took out my pipe and put the end of it in my mouth.

‘You have no idea that I prepared herbs that relieve hangovers.’

Half of the herbs that were mixed into my pipe were of that relief medication. This was the precaution that I had asked Jeremi to prepare. The medicine wasn’t made out of a single herb, but was instead created by fusing a whole bunch of herbs together. This way, she shouldn’t be able to know what I’m smoking with just the smell alone.

“Hoo.”

I took a long puff from my pipe. I could feel my head becoming clearer. I’m not sure if it was because of my mood, but the effectiveness of the herbs was amazing. Keke.

“Then let us drink.”

“Yes. Allow this humble one to pour Your Highness a cup first.”

Ivar Lodbrok courteously poured me a glass.

This was a match where the result had already been predetermined, but that’s life for you. Life is a game since the victor is always predetermined. Large companies build casinos because they’re certain of their victory.

One hour.

Two hours.

And eventually, five hours.

We drank without even a moment of rest. A long time had passed since we finished the first thirty bottles, and then another thirty bottles, and then another.

Thus, the girl in front of me ended up like this.

“Ugh…….”

Her face was bright red.

“Ivarrr Lodbrook? Are you drunk? You drunk? Kuhaha.”

“No……Your Highness, is the one, who’s drunk.”

“No I’m not! Not one bit!”

I cackled. I really looked like a drunkard. Both Ivar Lodbrok and I have been slurring our words for a while now.

“Now then, it’s now your turn. It’s your turn to drink!”

“Very well……here I go!”

The naked girl raised a bottle of wine high into the air. She then drank straight from the bottle. The sound of her gulping echoed audibly and it didn’t take long before the bottle was empty.

“Kuh! It is now Your Highness’ turn……!”

Referentially, Ivar Lodbrok had taken my mantle off at some point. She was drinking naked. Not only was her face red, but her neck and chest were red as well. A completely drunk girl was in front of me.

I grinned widely as I responded.

“Fine……fine! Wait, let me take a puff from my pipe.”

I put the end of the pipe in my mouth.

Mm.

What a fragrant taste.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Well, I’m back from my brother’s wedding. I’m so tired. My back hurts. I had to go out again the day after the wedding to return the hanbok that my mom rented from a store an hour away. This has been such a mental and physical drain. I just want to chill right now, but I also don’t like being behind on translating. What a conundrum. I’ll just see how my well-being is tomorrow.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

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