Chapter 20: Let’s Go! Time to Drink!

Chapter 20: Let’s Go! Time to Drink!

“Ah right. Mr. Gaia, about today’s Magical Beast expulsion mission…”

Just as Aierjisi was about to ask where they were off to purify some Magical Beasts today, Gaia jumped in with an answer.

“Oh, right. Sorry about that! I’ve been swamped lately and completely forgot to tell you—this job has already been taken care of by someone else.”

“What? Someone else has already completed the job?”

Aierjisi’s mouth dropped open in shock. Wait a minute… Didn’t we just say we were short on hands? How could someone snatch this job away so quickly? She had been looking forward to enjoying some long-awaited Magical Beast blood!

“Yeah. My bad. I should’ve told you last night, but I was too busy and forgot. Really sorry!”

Gaia scratched his head, looking quite awkward. Now they had woken up early just to tackle this mission, only to be left hanging. He felt terrible for them.

“Well, who are they? I’m kinda interested in knowing their identities.”

Aierjisi was eager to find out who dared to steal her task. Seriously, she was all set to indulge in that long-awaited feast of Magical Beast blood, and someone jumped ahead of her? This was maddening!

“They’re a duo like you two, a guy and a girl. Speaking of which, the girl is about the same age as you. She looks like she’s in her teens. They took the mission and wiped out all those Magical Beasts last night.”

“Just like us, a pair? And they managed to take out all those Magical Beasts in just one night? Seems like these two aren’t your average Joes.”

Aierjisi frowned. Anyone who could eliminate all those Magical Beasts in one night probably wasn’t too far beneath her in terms of strength.

“Do you have their names? Any record?”

“Uh… it seems there’s none. They haven’t returned after completing the mission.”

“Okay then…”

She thought she could at least get the names from Gaia, but it turned out she was being too optimistic.

However, Aierjisi couldn’t even begin to fathom that the one who hijacked her mission was the very Phoenix, Weirafiya, she had been searching for.

“Well, if there’s nothing on the agenda for today, we’ll take our leave, Mr. Gaia.”

“Mm. I’m really sorry for making you come out for nothing.”

“No worries. Oh, by the way, are we allowed to leave the palace? It gets pretty boring being cooped up in here; I just want to wander around the town.”

“Of course! But if you’re heading to the town, take these with you.”

Gaia pulled out two brooches from the drawer and pinned them on their clothes.

“What’s this?”

Aierjisi examined the brooch, guessing it had similar effects as the token the City Lord had given her.

“This is the symbol of the Royal Palace. All members within the palace have this brooch. As long as you wear it, no one will dare to mess with you. Though honestly, even if someone tried, they wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

Gaia had an awkward yet polite smile on his face.

“Alright then. Thanks in advance, Mr. Gaia. Yake, let’s head out.”

“Oh wow! Mr. Gaia, thank you so much for your help!”

Yake bowed deeply before leaving, eager to express his gratitude.

“Ah, the energy of a guy with a girlfriend is definitely something else. Ailin, where are you right now? Are you eating well? I remember you were quite picky with your food.”

Gaia stared at the wedding photo of him and her on the table, longing for Ailin. He couldn’t help but wonder how she was doing.

“Ah-choo! Is Gaia thinking about me again? Or could it be Dad? Ever since I got here, I’ve been sneezing way more.”

Ailin rubbed her nose. Being from the Ice Dragon Clan, she had strong resistance to cold. If she was sneezing, it only meant someone was missing her. She wondered if it was Gaia or her dad.

“Speaking of which, this food looks just too awful. I’m a princess of the Ice Dragon Clan, and this is what I’m served? This slop?”

She glared with disdain at the plate of unidentifiable meat and bread that looked like it belonged in a pigsty. Growing up in luxury, Ailin couldn’t stomach this and immediately decided to skip eating.

【Whether you eat or not is your choice. I’m just responsible for delivering the food.】

Thinking back to the arrogant delivery guy from before, Ailin felt her frustration boiling. She could almost visualize herself taking that guy out to vent her anger, but she held back. After all, bringing in more trouble wasn’t a smart idea.

“Growl~”

Though refusing to eat was a statement of her feelings, her stomach certainly had something to say. After a long stretch without food, it was starting to protest loudly.

“Looks like I’ve got no choice. A gentleman waits ten years to get his revenge. I’ll deal with you guys properly once I’m out of here.”

Not caring about her dignity as an Ice Dragon princess, Ailin cleaned her plate completely.

“These streets look totally different from those in Pield. The architectural style appears so unique!”

Aierjisi gazed at the buildings lining the streets, feeling like she had stepped into a new world.

“Of course! I’ve heard from my dad that the location of Panimir leads to it being buried in snow most of the year. That’s why the buildings here are designed primarily for warmth. By the way, do you have any specific places you want to go? Or just wandering around?”

Yake observed the many interesting shops lining the street. There were plenty that caught his eye—especially a bar. It had been ages since he last had a drink, and seeing that lively bar made him crave a couple of glasses.

“Of course, I’m here to have some fun! Staying in the palace is so dull. So, Yake, do you have a place in mind? Show me what you want to check out!”

As Aierjisi said this, she noticed Yake’s gaze drifting to the left. There stood a bar, the very first one they had encountered upon arriving in Panimir. He must’ve wanted to go in for a drink!

“If you want to grab a drink, I won’t stop you, but let’s get one thing straight: no getting drunk! When it comes to drinking, moderation is key—got it?”

As the master, Aierjisi was willing to let Yake enjoy a little personal freedom, so going to the bar was no biggie—as long as he didn’t get smashed, everything was fine.

“Ah, then I’m going in for a couple. Want to join?”

“Absolutely! Perfect timing; I could use a drink too. Plus, I’d like to see how much alcohol this body can handle!”

Aierjisi was quite curious about her current form. How well could a Blood Clan member gauge their alcohol resistance? How many humans could she take down, drinking-wise? She was eager to find out. Notably, in her memories, she found no recollections of drinking. It seemed that little princess had never touched alcohol in her life.