The last time Mikella drank alcohol was during her college days, before she had to quit to get Clara away from her family as it was breaking apart. Before that, it was at a high school party where her friends begged her, saying, “If you don’t come, we’ll never speak to you again.” Of course, after high school, that still happened regardless of whether she went or not. That’s just how high school friendships go.

  In high school, she only had a sip of alcohol-not enough to get drunk. It was then she decided drinking wouldn’t be a hobby. During college, her friends convinced her to drink enough to actually get drunk. She could barely keep her head straight, but she was still clear-headed enough to call her mom for a ride home.

  Honestly, the only real damage was her little sister calling her “stinky” when she got home boozed up. That actually stung enough to leave a mental scar, and it’s why she was glad the title of “stinky” now went to Zeke instead.

  Now, however, she was reaching levels of drunkenness she hadn’t experienced before-confirmed by the debuff she received:

  You are afflicted with Alcohol Intoxication: Medium.

  Your body is inebriated by the specialized concoction ‘Body Knockout’. Your physical stats are decreased by 15%, and your mental stats by 25%.

  The debuff said “Medium,” meaning she was barely halfway there, but she felt like she might hurl at any second. Thankfully, her Journeyman body was able to keep her insides in check, and her mind was still capable of understanding what was going on around her.

  It felt as though her head was being held up by some unknown force, her thoughts floating in front of her, yet feeling distant and not quite her own. They were hers, of course, which explained why her words were slightly slurred and her vision was blurry.

  On the other hand, she felt absolutely fine. She was also grateful that it kept her from tipping over and falling like Kote, who immediately collapsed face-first onto the wooden floor. Even after that, the floor remained practically squeaky clean.

  “Whoops, Kote’s down… again!” Hamil shouted, his face bright pink and his breath reeking of booze. “Dude can’t hold his drink to save his life!”

  Despite laughing his ass off, Hamil helped the dazed Kote off the ground and laid him on the table, his head down across his arms. Kote didn’t speak, only grumbled and muttered, probably cursing at everyone who kept splitting into several people at once.

  The other patrons were laughing at that, apparently already familiar with the Tempest Winds. Saang stayed by Mikella’s side, drinking her third cup by the time Mikella finished her first.

  “Saang… what was in that stuff?” Mikella asked, trying to keep her words steady while holding her head for support.

  “Like I said-it’s a hardcore drink. I figured you should get used to this kind of thing if you plan on being an adventurer,” Saang replied, grinning as she rubbed Mikella’s shoulder. It actually helped, as if Saang’s hands were keeping her steady. “You’re holding up well! A lot better than Zeke, for sure.”

  “Wha… Zeke?”

  Suddenly, her mind snapped to attention, eyes widening at the thought of Zeke being drunk. She’d never seen him drunk before, and she remembered how he said he’d never really had a drink.

  Now that she thought about it…

  “W-Where is he?” Mikella half-shouted, half-slurred, scanning the bar. The movement only made her head pound from the constant shifting.

  “Don’t worry, he’s not in any danger,” Saang chuckled.

  “But… but the asshassin…” Mikella slurred, her heart racing at the thought of someone taking advantage of his situation.

  “Not even an assassin would go that far during this celebration,” Saang assured her. “There are plenty of guards out there keeping watch. Lots of people get drunk and tend to go a little too far with their fun. I’m sure he’s-”

  A loud exclamation of voices whooped and hollered from outside, catching everyone’s attention. The bar was open to the street, so the noise carried in easily. They noticed bursts of color and noise coming from somewhere nearby, and people were gathering and shouting along with whatever was happening.

  With Hamil and Kote out of commission, the girls went out to see what was going on. Mikella, especially, wanted to find Zeke. She remembered seeing him drinking for a while, but her mind had been spinning from the drink, and she’d lost track of him.

  Now, she finally spotted him.

  “Whooooooo~”

  The one causing all the noise was Zeke himself. His face was absolutely flushed, his half-finished mug of glowing blue liquid still sloshing in his hand. Pens flew around him, drawing runes in the air with Ethereal Manifest.

  He created small explosions of color-like fireworks-bursting with a low pop and mesmerizing intensity. The spectacle drew everyone’s attention as they watched the crazed Runist whooping and casting in the middle of the city square, laughing like a maniac.

  At first, Mikella panicked, thinking the knights would see Zeke casting spells and consider it a threat, but a quick glance showed several guards watching the show with gleeful smiles. They didn’t seem drunk-just entertained.

  She realized that Zeke was probably the least of their concerns, considering all he did was make noise and whoop like a siren. Seeing all that, there was really only one thing Mikella could do.

  Just watch and enjoy the show.

  Then Zeke did something even she didn’t think he was capable of. He drew runes like mad, giggling, his eyes wide like a mad scientist on the verge of a breakthrough. He kept drawing, his writing captivating everyone who watched, all waiting to see what he would make next.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  She heard someone shout, asking why a Runist was here of all places. Still, most people ignored it-no one believed a real Runist would make a spectacle of himself like this, and if he was, he must have been the one kicked out of the guild. Saang explained this as they watched, and Mikella smiled, realizing no one was going to bother reporting a “rogue Runist”-at least, not while they were this drunk.

  As soon as he finished, Zeke constructed a convoluted-looking instrument made entirely of ethereal constructs, drawn in elaborate runes that were dizzying to watch in the night’s darkness.

  Then it played a song. On its own. It was an upbeat tune, mostly drums and guitar, though the sound wasn’t quite like the real instruments-but it was close enough.

  The crowd didn’t care. They lost their minds at the idea of a mage creating music. Zeke created more, bolstered by the crowd, making more instruments and more music out of constructs. It became a literal symphony, each one carrying a tune that finally struck a chord in Mikella’s heart.

  It was based on a popular pop song, something that reminded her of a young woman with a tendency to roar like a lion.

  “Are you kidding me?” Mikella said in awe, once again astounded by Zeke’s prowess as a Runist.

  Saang, on the other hand, howled in exhilaration, cupping her hands to cheer Zeke on. Then, all of a sudden, Zeke paused at the center. Some of the crowd noticed, waiting for another stunt, but Zeke looked around, tilted his head, and stopped his whooping.

  “Somtings missin’,” Zeke slurred. “Somtin impotant… Oh! I need a singa!”

  Zeke, as if on autopilot, immediately spotted Mikella.

  “Mikky~!” Zeke called, stretching his hands as if greeting an old friend. “Sing fo’ me! Sing fo’ my mastahpice~!”

  Mikella immediately blanched. No matter how drunk Zeke was, how did he manage to spot her? And what was he thinking?

  Sure, she had a habit of humming tunes, and she sang lullabies to Clara when she had trouble sleeping. During one rare night in Eve Glade, Zeke had heard her singing a tune Clara loved and told her she was pretty good. She’d just taken it as a compliment.

  Now, she regretted ever letting Zeke hear her sing.

  “No, no, no, no, no, no, definitely not!” Mikella shook her head furiously, ready to fight to the death at the mere mention of singing in public-especially now, when she was not in her right mind.

  The crowd booed at her for ruining their fun, but she couldn’t care less. Zeke, however, took it as an offense to her, glaring at them-though his face showed nothing of the sort.

  “Hey! Stop that! She’s incredible!” Zeke insisted. “She’s the greatest singer I ever heard! She’ll blow your socks off!”

  Mikella wanted to strangle him, but there was a part of her that glowed at his praise. Just when she thought she’d have to drag Zeke back, Saang put a hand on her shoulder.

  “Hey, why not try?” Saang asked, her ever-present smile unwavering.

  “T-There’s no way I can do that!” Mikella protested. “I’m not good enough like he said!”

  “So?” Saang chuckled. “It’s just a song. Who cares if anyone hates it? As long as it’s fun, it’s fine, right?”

  “But…”

  She wasn’t sure if it was her alcohol-addled mind working against her, or if it was Saang’s words and Zeke’s praise, but suddenly the idea of singing in front of a crowd-without caring about anything else-sounded… fun.

  And she always did trump the records at karaoke in the old world. She was certain she could put on a good show if she tried.

  So… what was holding her back? Even if someone made fun of her, who cared? It was just for fun. She’d worked hard, cleared a dangerous dungeon, survived countless ordeals, and she was drunk off her ass. So why was she being a prude now?

  She needed to have some fun, for once.

  Leaving behind every doubt and worry screaming at her to stop, she walked forward. Zeke saw her coming, and a big, stupid grin spread across his drunken face.

  “Mikky~” Zeke cheered. “It’s all on you~!”

  Mikella let out a defeated breath and turned to the crowd. With the music blaring behind her, she closed her eyes, opened her mouth-and sang her heart out.

  The constant noise and chatter made Zoan’s ears ache. She wished she could just stay home.

  Normally, she would be. Unfortunately, her duties as a ward meant she had to ensure Clara-the only link she had to this world-was alive and mentally stable. Even more unfortunately, Clara wasn’t the type to stay inside when there was a festival in town.

  “Wow! Everyone’s having so much fun!”

  Clara’s head swiveled from side to side, her eyes sparkling like stars in the night.

  Meanwhile, Alissa made sure to stay behind Clara at all times, lest she lose her in the crowd. Clara was too energetic, but she hadn’t seen much excitement in days.

  Zeke and Mikella had been away in the tower, and Clara had worried for them. Knowing they were fighting in the tower brought back bad memories, and her mood had suffered. So when the festival came to celebrate the turning of the season, Alissa suggested they go out, and Clara jumped at the chance.

  Because of that, Zoan had to come along. She would have preferred they all stayed home-there was considerable danger in such a massive, noisy crowd.

  This had nothing to do with wanting to stay home and read books. Nothing at all.

  Alissa, to Zoan’s surprise, seemed to enjoy the atmosphere despite her usual business-like attitude. She chatted with people she knew and others she met daily. Of course, this was part of her job as Cronus’ liaison, gathering information in the most effective way possible-by joining in the festivities.

  Still, even Zoan had to admit, the atmosphere was better than she expected. Humans were loud, obnoxious, and often lost, but lately, they seemed lost in the most interesting ways.

  Her wards were getting a better sense of their powers and becoming more responsible. As their ward, she couldn’t ask for more.

  She couldn’t help but feel bitter about being stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean with nowhere to go. She kept dodging their questions, pretending all was going according to plan, when in truth, nothing was. It nagged at her, undermining her confidence in the future-she had no clue what the next trials would bring.

  The last biodome tower still haunted her, how it resisted her control even before she lost her power to Zeke’s attunement. Her only hope was to find more angels like herself, which meant taking down towers and finding more otherworlders. Even if they didn’t survive, the angels would-but they were surprisingly few.

  So for now, Zoan decided to leave it to her allies, and the best she could do was take care of Clara. Music blared through the city, catching their attention. It was a kind of music Zoan had never heard before-not in centuries of history. Chaotic and flamboyant, yet with a steady rhythm that drew everyone in.

  Clara, being Clara, wanted to see what was up, and even Alissa was curious-bards didn’t usually perform at this hour. When they reached the crowd, they immediately saw the cause.

  “It’s Bobo and Sissy!” Clara shouted, glee in her voice. “And Sissy’s singing! Come on, let’s go!”

  Clara practically dragged a stunned Alissa toward the crowd. Zoan followed, just as confused by what she was seeing and hearing.

  For one thing, Zeke’s ability to create instruments and play music like this was absurd. Clearly, it was thanks to his high Intelligence and mastery of runecraft. He could recall a song from his old world and play it exactly from memory, and with near-perfect recall, it was flawless-except for the vocals.

  That’s where Mikella came in. She sang with such clarity and passion that everyone stood still, jaws agape.

  It was immaculate, sweeping even Zoan off her feet. If she were human, she’d believe Mikella was an angel in disguise, entertaining the masses with a heavenly voice. Each note rang out with gusto, reaching the depths of everyone’s soul.

  No matter how powerful her body had become, this was clearly the work of Mikella’s sheer vocal tenacity. Whether or not Mikella even realized her talent didn’t matter. She sang with one intention-to enjoy herself, and for everyone else to enjoy it too.

  Zeke and Mikella, finally enjoying themselves after all their hard work. Clara, ecstatic to see her family together. The three who had endured so much were now just enjoying what this world had to offer beyond danger and hardship.

  Without realizing it, Zoan’s lips curled into a small, warm smile.