Thankfully, it only took a few hours, reaching into the end of the night by the time they returned to the capital city. Once they arrived, they had to convince the city guards that they were indeed the same people who had left days ago, and not just specters who had died in battle after being away for so long.

  For a moment, Zeke wondered if Hamil might pull out the Cronus card again, but thankfully the guards were only asking for formality’s sake, considering that specters had indeed come by to attack citizens inside. As for how anyone could protect against something like that, well, that was why the city had barriers.

  Inside, the city was embroiled in its nightly activities, particularly involving a lot of drinking from the open bars and taverns. Strangely, this part of the city seemed more energetic than usual at nighttime, and that made Hamil realize today just happened to be a festival. The festival wasn’t anything special-it was just to celebrate the turning of the studded star that occurred during wintertime. The star just shifted slightly. It was a sort of solstice for the people in this world, at least in this pocket dimension where the effects of the studded star were more apparent.

  While that sounded fun to learn about, they were far too tired to really appreciate it. Today had been draining for all of them, but apparently not for Saang, as she decided tonight was the night for some bonding.

  “Let’s get drunk, eh?”

  That immediately triggered Zeke’s introverted side, making him want nothing more than to go home and rest. That also included Mikella, who was ready to say no for the sake of just going home. However, Hamil and Kote were all for it, and when they turned to them, Hamil spoke up.

  “I think it’s a good idea. It’s better to enjoy different experiences, to go along with the exotic. It’s good for the soul, and going home now would only cement the shittiness of today in memory.”

  Hamil smiled, as though he’d said something profound, but Zeke couldn't help but think it was just an excuse to get plastered with everyone.

  Still, nonsense aside, perhaps it was a good thing to do. They hadn’t really had a chance to ‘let loose’ for a long while. Zeke wasn’t the partying type, considering that his idea of fun was learning more about runecraft and their variable usage, and of course, playing with Clara. But perhaps a different kind of fun he wasn’t used to might be worth it.

  He turned to Mikella, who looked more apprehensive than normal. She also wasn’t the party girl type; she would most likely sleep early and wake up early. Still, eventually she caved when Saang put on a sort of puppy-dog-eyed look that eventually broke down their apprehension.

  “Come on, please?” Saang pleaded, sealing their decision.

  “Alright, fine,” Mikella groaned. “But we’re not really used to drinking. Least I’m not… Zeke?”

  “I don’t drink at all, really,” Zeke said honestly. He didn’t even know what it was like to be drunk.

  There were several reasons why he preferred not to lose his stability due to his condition from the old world, and he worried about it even after being ‘awakened’. Still, perhaps his super body might be able to handle it.

  “But… I don’t mind trying it out. As long as it’s not too expensive.”

  Mikella hung her head back in surprise. “I didn’t think you of all people would be such a drunkard, Zeke.”

  “Trust me, I’m not,” Zeke shook his head with a grin. “But if they’re willing to pay for us, I don’t mind.”

  “Gladly!” Saang shouted, once again throwing herself over their shoulders with a wide grin. “Your drinks are on me! Have at it!”

  “That means she’s gonna make you drink whether you like it or not,” Kote said, shaking his head. “I believe this is called ‘suffering the consequences’.”

  Zeke immediately regretted his decision the moment Kote said that, and eventually the otherworlders were taken away to a nearby bar that they frequented.

  The Marionette Strings was the kind of bar that had its name for the sole purpose of making its patrons drunk as hell. The building was a short one, smaller than the other establishments, as it was only one story high and about as large as a hall inside. It wasn’t exactly the most popular bar, since it contained the simple home-like atmosphere of wooden walls and flooring, all magically enchanted to ensure that no matter the mess inside, they would clean themselves up immediately for the next day.

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  For its reputation, having a place that could clean itself up was a godsend for the owner. Tables were strewn about, each hosting several brave folks trying out their drinks either on a dare or because, like the Tempest Winds, they were smart enough to know that the Marionette Strings knew their alcohol best.

  The owner wasn’t just a normal brewer; they were, in fact, a class that could make different types of alcoholic drinks based on someone’s build. Unlike most bars that catered to the young and inexperienced, they focused entirely on their craft, charging exactly for their ingredients, which sometimes wasn’t much at all.

  But one drink could launch a hardcore alcoholic onto the road to recovery. Some even decided to stop drinking entirely, due to just how strong it was-even for a Journeyman body. In fact, there were drinks available only for certain level ranges of Journeymen, from low-journeys to high-journeys, and even for specific builds such as Endurance and Vitality-based stats.

  That was why this bar was mostly known to the savants of the drink-those who’d been around the block and explored all manners of drinking. For adventurers, this was most likely, since sometimes they took on quests that might be harder on their souls than their bodies. Sometimes they had to make decisions that were hard, and sometimes they might even have to leave a comrade to their death to ensure their own survival. Saang had seen it happen time and time again among adventurers, to the point where she could probably guess the percentage of how often it happened.

  She never once regretted being an adventurer, no matter how many awful things she’d seen. It was because of that vocation that she managed to get away from the oppressive regime against women in Arcelot. It wasn’t something one could change, especially for someone like her who was only good for fighting. Not to mention, she knew she was helping people, especially after being Cronus’ lapdog. If he were the kind of man that didn’t care about the people, she would have never agreed to be his ‘secret agent’. Still, even she preferred to drink some troubles away-especially after today, after that gods-forsaken tower.

  And that’s why she wanted the two new members of Tempest Winds to take a load off. She could tell at a glance that they were the sort to stick to discipline. They needed to learn how to have fun and relax, and not worry so much about their potential circumstances and the state of society.

  That was too damn much for anyone, especially when they were just a few years away from system initialization. Hell, according to them, it only happened over a year ago, and that was even more bizarre for Saang. Then again, she’d seen some crazy shit in the dungeon, so she could believe anything else at this point.

  The inside of the bar was pleasantly noisy, not at all rowdy and rambunctious like the other bars at this time. There were some hollers here and there, egging their buddies on to drink more of the hardcore liquor in their mugs. More importantly, there was free room at the counter where their favorite bartender presided.

  A young man whose looks defied his age. In truth, he was the owner of the bar, as well as the most experienced Brewer in the entire capital city. None other than the true Vagabond Brewer himself, according to the name of his Class.

  She went up to the man with her team in tow, the two pups lagging behind. The young man, who was actually an old geezer, looked at the team with a grim smile.

  “Ah, welcome to my humble abode, my dear customers,” his voice was deep and whimsical, as though he had entered into a show of his own accord. “I take it that you all have been weary from your travels. And so now you bring me suitable sacrifices to appease my boredom?”

  “Take it easy with the grim reaper schtick, Talos,” Saang said with a grin of her own. “Give us our usual, and tell us your recommendations for these two. The girl’s a fighter with some brains, and the boy’s packing so much Mana he’s bursting at the seams.”

  “Oho, interesting,” Talos, their favorite bartender, grinned wildly while rubbing his stubbled chin. He scanned the two pups, nearly making them shiver, as they rightfully should. Talos wasn’t the kind of man to hold back. “I’ve never heard of anyone packing that much heat, and I’ve been dying to have someone drink my special mix for ages…”

  “Hell, if you made it yourself, let’s go!” Saang said, slapping several gold coins on the counter with a meaty slap. “But take it easy. They’re still pups.”

  “Pups, eh?” The bartender raised his brows. “This power from them… I could hardly imagine.”

  “Trust me, they can handle it,” Hamil said, intervening. “Still, I’m surprised there’s barely anyone here. What’s up with that?”

  The bartender rolled his eyes. “The damn Alchemist Guild, that’s what. They gutted pretty much everyone’s coinpurse and hung them up to dry. It’s a sad day for this lonely brewer, especially on a night like this.”

  “So suddenly everyone’s real eager to be frugal, huh,” Saang muttered, mostly to herself, as she knew exactly what Talos meant.

  After a few minutes of talking, she looked over at the nervous-looking Zeke who, by his own words, had never drunk before (by gods, he’s so innocent). Talos appeared with five mugs in hand, expertly handing them over to each of the team members without mixing any of them up.

  Saang spotted the two otherworlders with a keen eye, curious as to what they received in return. To add nothing to her surprise, Mikella received a large mug filled with a potent yellow color, reminding her of a drink that’s all the rage for Stamina users. A drink that really hits hard on one’s Endurance and physical stats, and gives a buzz to someone with potent magical abilities. It was perfect for someone like her, and she couldn’t wait to see her reaction.

  As for Zeke… quite frankly, it even gave Saang some chills. The same wooden mug instead held an incredibly blue liquid, and it looked like it was even glowing. She had never seen that type of drink before, proving that Talos had indeed mixed up something quite potent. The results would definitely be interesting.

  She picked up her own drink, a frighteningly red one built on Vitality, and held it up to show the team.

  “Let’s shut off our brains and relax! Nobody here has any right to decline! Bottom’s up!”

  And so, they drank, whether one or two wanted to or not.

  Strangely though… the bluish drink Zeke had started to sizzle. Then again, Saang might just be hearing things.