Chapter 70 : Alcohol and Antics Are One 1

Resident registration card.

Now, with the occurrence of the 1st and 2nd Great Rift, it's common sense that there must be something worldwide to prove one's identity.

In any case, unexpectedly, Shia had never drunk alcohol since returning to the modern world.

Of course, it made sense.

Without an ID, she couldn't prove her age.

No matter how large Shia's Holy Power pouch was, in principle, without an ID, store owners couldn't serve her alcohol.

Well, Shia herself didn't really feel much regret about not being able to drink.

It wasn't that she liked alcohol itself.

For Shia, the setting and company mattered more than the drink itself.

Anyhow, this was the first time Shia was going to drink since returning.

Feeling restless and not wanting to head home right away, it felt like a good idea to have a drink and chat with Yeonhwa over some snacks.

The place they headed to as they walked through the night streets was a cocktail bar in Jamsil.

It had a rather luxurious interior, with a faint red hue, and being a weekday afternoon, there were no other customers besides Shia and Yeonhwa.

No, to be exact, as soon as Yeonhwa entered, the bartender hung a "Close" sign on the door, so it seemed Yeonhwa had bought out the entire cocktail bar again.

"This is my first time at a place like this."

If asked about the impression of a cocktail bar, it's the kind of image you'd often see in movies or the media—a bartender polishing luxurious glasses.

Sometimes, it felt like the kind of place where the boss of a criminal organization or a mafia boss might meet, but in reality, it was much more elegant and serene than that.

"Unnie, is this your first time at a cocktail bar?"

"Well, I got caught up in the Great Rift when I was 21, so I never had the chance to try cocktails or anything."

Shia nodded as she responded to Yeonhwa's seemingly surprised question.

Shia had been revived as the Saintess of the Dead at the young age of 21 when the Great Rift occurred.

Naturally, in the 'previous world' where she awakened as the Saintess of the Dead, she'd never been to a pub or a cocktail bar even once.

Before even getting a chance to say whether she liked or disliked alcohol, Shia had said her farewells to reality far too quickly.

In the previous world, she could only leisurely drink alcohol after completely defeating the Demon King and banishing his corpse into the Abyss.

Of course, there were pubs, inns, and bars in that world, and Shia had gone with Teresa and Menelapie a few times.

But Shia was the right hand of the Empress Menelapie, and the most powerful Saintess of the Dead who had slain the Demon King.

After defeating the Demon King, Shia's rank became so high that instead of visiting taverns others could go to, she could only sip wine and put on airs at noble social parties.

Of course, there had been times when she drank like crazy at those parties, but this was her first time coming to a quiet cocktail bar with just one other person.

"Well, that's good then. I've taken your cocktail bar virginity, haven't I?"

"Listen to you. Did you plan that?"

"Who knows?"

Yeonhwa wasn't the type who enjoyed drinking, but renting out the entire cocktail bar today and bringing Shia here was purely to lift Shia's mood.

Hearing an unexpected story about Shia's past, Yeonhwa also felt somewhat unsettled.

Even though Shia was grinning with a careless smile on her face, Yeonhwa could sense that she didn't feel the same way on the inside.

"I'll treat today."

"I'm getting too used to you paying."

"Consider it payment for hearing your story. Even though it wasn't exactly a pleasant one."

"But… Bingu, you know I eat a lot, right?"

"I saw your broadcast last time where you ate over 60 bowls of blood sausage soup by yourself. Do you think I can't handle that?"

Though Yeonhwa's family had always been wealthy, now Yeonhwa was also an accomplished A-rank Hunter and made quite a bit of money on her own.

No matter how much Shia ate, it wasn't something Yeonhwa couldn't handle.

'At least I have one good little sister.'

Shia shrugged her shoulders and took a seat.

If someone offered to treat, refusing too often wouldn't be polite either.

However, since this was her first time at a cocktail bar, she had no idea what to order.

"When I go to a BBQ place, I just say what I want to eat, and that's it…."

"Take your time. It's your first time here."

Fortunately, the bartender skillfully handed over the menu to both Shia and Yeonhwa and stepped back.

He gave them enough time to decide, indicating that he was a bartender with plenty of experience.

"There are so many things on the menu…"

Tannin, Cloud, Sand, Bubble, Pure…?

What are these names?

Oh! I get it.

Aren't these like those Seven Deadly Sins guys from the Demon King's territory?

"….They're texture variety cocktails. In simple terms, these are cocktails the bartender here developed himself, so don't let your imagination run wild."

"I was just joking."

Smiling mischievously, Shia stared at the unfamiliar menu for a while.

The dryness of tannins from grape skins and stems, along with the floral delight of gin's scent….

What is this description?

I have no idea what this tastes like.

And Cloud, it's a cloud.

A calm yet rich aroma, the feel of a cloud at the tip of your lips, blended with the sweet scent of vanilla ice cream.

'…I'm getting more confused….'

The Sand cocktail was the simplest.

Mineral sugar, the sensation of earth, and the umami of barley and chocolate.

I'd heard that there was a beer that tasted like chocolate milk, so maybe it's something like that.

But if alcohol tastes like chocolate… does that taste good?

I've never tried it, so I wouldn't know.

"Excuse me, miss?"

"…Ah, yes?"

"If you're having trouble deciding, how about trying the Omakase menu?"

The Omakase menu.

In Japanese, it means "leave it to me," where you entrust the selection and preparation of dishes to the chef.

In this case, it would mean leaving everything to the bartender instead of the chef, but for someone like Shia, who was a beginner at cocktail bars, it wasn't a bad choice.

Some customers ordered the wrong cocktail, took one sip, and ended up gagging, so this was a good option for her.

"Oh, um… then I'll leave it to you!"

"Understood. And for the young lady?"

"I'll have a Black Russian with extra ice, and please add a little more liqueur and don't stir it."

Yeonhwa's order was quite professional.

She had probably been to a cocktail bar a few times before and even used words Shia had never heard of when ordering.

Come to think of it, in the previous world, I always left it to Teresa or Menelapie….

It wasn't that I hadn't tasted good alcohol, but I rarely initiated drinking on my own.

"Alright, please wait a moment. Would you like any snacks?"

"Oh."

The cocktail bar's menu was quite diverse.

Basic meat-based items like skewered fried beef tenderloin, shrimp, and quail egg fritters were available, along with assorted skewers.

There were also dishes like soba, ramen, even tteokguk (rice cake soup), and a unique dish called dried persimmon rolls.

I guess it's to cater to the different tastes of various drinkers.

At the bottom, there was a separate menu exclusively for hunters, which included dishes like seasoned edible Alraune petals and orc pork belly butter skewers.

"Uh…"

"What's wrong?"

"No, it's just…"

"The orc pork belly butter skewers?"

Shia recalled the bitter memory of failing at cooking orc pork belly at her home before.

The nasty stench of it, even when grilled with butter, was still fresh in her mind.

It was strange to see it being served at such a fancy cocktail bar.

Maybe the cooking method here is different…?

"Unnie, do you want to eat that?"

"Uh, no…"

"It's okay. Don't hesitate."

Yeonhwa raised her hand to the bartender.

"Give us ten of everything on the menu."

"….Excuse me?"

"It's fine. We're both hunters, so we won't leave any leftovers."

With Shia present, there was no way they'd leave any food behind.

No matter what the customer ordered, it was the bartender's job to follow their request diligently.

A veteran bartender had dealt with all sorts of demands, and as long as the customer paid for it, they wouldn't complain.

But ordering ten portions of everything on the menu…?

Sss, what kind of villain is this again…

She doesn't seem drunk, but could even a hunter finish all the food they ordered?

The bartender retreated to the kitchen, contacting the staff to urgently prepare the food, while he started making cocktails for Shia and Yeonhwa.

"Ugh, this feels worrisome…"

"It's okay. You'll definitely like it."

The first drink to come out was Yeonhwa's Black Russian.

At a glance, it looked like iced Americano with ice floating in coffee, but the color was much darker than typical coffee.

The Black Russian is made primarily with a coffee-flavored liqueur called Kahlua.

It doesn't typically contain milk, tonic water, or juice, so it had a high alcohol content.

"Miss, your Omakase menu is ready."

"Oh, thank you…"

"Since this is your first time at a cocktail bar, I've made something easy for beginners to enjoy. It's a Sand cocktail base with a bit of milk and Kahlua."

Honestly, I have no idea what he's talking about…

Shia stared at the cocktail, which gave off a faint scent of chocolate and coffee.

Maybe it's similar to the one Yeonhwa ordered since it smells like coffee…

Gulp.

"…!"

Shia cared about both quality and quantity when it came to food, but given her physical trait as a malicious predator, she leaned more towards quantity.

She felt a bit disappointed by the single cocktail that was served, but its taste justified the small serving.

The first sip was sweet and smooth.

But slowly, the characteristic warmth of alcohol began to creep over her mouth and tongue, only to disappear cleanly at the end.

Just from a single sip of liquid, it felt as though a grand party of coffee and chocolate had erupted in Shia's mouth.

"Haa, mmm…"

"Is it good?"

"Mmm…"

"I'm glad you liked it. Here's some olive chocolate. You can pair it with each sip of your cocktail."

The bartender handed over something that looked like a white wooden stick to both Yeonhwa and Shia.

At first glance, it didn't look like chocolate, but more like a vanilla-flavored stick snack.

Crunch.

Chew, chew.

The texture was slightly hard, just as its appearance suggested.

For chocolate, the taste was rather light, but when Shia took a bite of the olive chocolate and then a sip of the rich cocktail, the combination turned out to be quite a treat.

As if entranced, Shia quickly devoured the olive chocolate and cocktail.

The alcohol content wasn't low, though…

"…It's delicious."

"Feeling better now?"

"Mm-hmm! Mm-hmm! Can I have some more?"

"Certainly."

The bartender skillfully took Shia's request and began preparing a new cocktail.

"This one's different from the last one."

This time, the cocktail that came out didn't look like chocolate milk, but more like a blue-colored fruit juice.

"Since it's the Omakase menu, if you keep drinking the same thing, your taste buds will dull, and even something that was delicious could start tasting different."

"Eh… but I wanted to drink more of the same one…"

Shia wasn't someone who liked to take risks.

After the failure of the buttered orc pork belly, she had vowed only to attempt recipes that were well-organized on her smartwatch.

She didn't want to waste precious ingredients by trying something risky again.

And the same went for food.

Might as well stick with what I've already eaten.

That's safe and delicious.

Something along those lines.

"Unnie, trust the bartender. That drink is probably quite good too."

Shia's gaze slowly shifted to Yeonhwa's throat as she gulped down the Black Russian.

"…Churp…"

Before she knew it, saliva dripped from Shia's mouth, and she hurriedly wiped her lips, making Yeonhwa smirk.

'Shia unnie has a childlike side.'

Especially when it came to food, it seemed.

Hunters, in general, had a high tolerance for alcohol.

Their physical abilities were far superior to those of ordinary people, and their liver's detoxifying power was much stronger.

And it was the same for Shia.

Shia, as the immortal Saintess of the Dead, had a body immune to all poisons, so alcohol wouldn't cause any problems either.

After briefly eyeing Yeonhwa's Black Russian with desire, Shia finally picked up the blue-colored cocktail in front of her.

Yes, adventure is necessary, even in cooking and fine dining. Let's trust Yeonhwa and the bartender.

Gulp.

"…!"

Gulp, gulp.

Chuuup…

"Pwaah…!"

Normally, cocktails are supposed to be sipped slowly, but as soon as Shia tasted that cocktail, she found it so delicious that she gulped it down all at once without stopping.

Even though it was a Hunter-exclusive cocktail and came in a generous portion, Shia downed it all in one go, her face now glowing with satisfaction.

No, more than satisfied—it seemed the alcohol was already hitting her.

"Hehe, it's so good…"

"I'm glad to hear that. What was that cocktail?"

"Oh, it was a Hawaiian Blue base with a bit of milk and vodka. I only added a small amount of vodka for flavor, so the alcohol content shouldn't be too high."

"It's delicious. So delicious…"

Shia was now grinning like a fool, seemingly captivated by the allure of cocktails.

Seeing her smile, Yeonhwa felt relieved as she raised her glass of Black Russian to empty it.

"Binguyaaaaa…"

"Yes? Why, unnie, wha—hic!?"

At that moment, Shia reached out like a snake, grabbing Yeonhwa's Black Russian and leaning her face close to hers.

Their faces were now so close, only the cocktail glass stood between them, and Yeonhwa, caught off guard, could do nothing but stare at Shia.

Ah, I can hear her breathing…

Unnie's eyes are really big…

At such a close distance where they could hear each other's breaths, Shia, with a slightly flushed face, wore a playful grin as she tilted Yeonhwa's cocktail toward herself.

Gulp.

"…."

What the—scared me…

You just wanted to drink this, didn't you…

"Mmm, it's a bit bitter…."

"Didn't like it?"

"No, it's delicious…."

Gulp, gulp…

"This one's pretty strong though…"

Even as Yeonhwa warned about the high alcohol content, Shia continued to drink as if she intended to devour the entire glass.

"Haaah… it tastes like coffee… so fascinating."

"That's because it's an unstirred Black Russian."

"What's the difference if it's not stirred…?"

"Kahlua is thicker and heavier than vodka, so it sinks to the bottom. The top part tastes like pure vodka, the middle is a mix of vodka and Kahlua, and the bottom is sweet with the Kahlua flavor. You get three different tastes in one glass, and some people really enjoy that."

"Hehe, my Bingu… knows so much, huh?"

"Back then, after finishing dungeons, there was nothing else to do, so the only place to go was a bar like this."

"Hmph, all alone? Must have been lonely."

"Not reall—"

"No, it was lonely…"

Shia swallowed the ice left from the Black Russian and patted Yeonhwa's head.

"Being alone is, you know… being alone is really, really, really… lonely."

"Unnie, are you already drunk?"

"Huh, no way. I'm the Saintess of the Dead. Poison doesn't affect me…"

Yes, poison doesn't affect her.

But Shia's body doesn't neutralize poison—it just doesn't die, even from lethal toxins.

That meant alcohol was the same.

It didn't get neutralized, but it was enough to make Shia's face and mind heat up.

"…From now on, call me. Yeonhwa, don't eat alone."

"Yes, yes."

"I really hate being lonely. You do too, Yeonhwa. You can't, can't be alone…."

Hearing Shia's speech starting to slur, Yeonhwa couldn't help but chuckle.

The reliable figure she could lean on like an older sister suddenly looked like a whining child, making her laugh unintentionally.

"Pfft.."

How amusing.

The Saintess of the Dead, carrying scars.

At times, the scars remained as unhealed wounds, tugging at the hearts of those who saw them.

Yet here she was, muttering that being alone was unacceptable while downing one cocktail after another.

"Hehe, it's delicious… Bartendeeer, more pleeeease…"

"Yes."

Gulp.

"Hehehehe, Yeonhwaaa…."

"Unnie, don't you think you got drunk too quickly?"

"I'm not drunk."

Gulp, gulp… Pwaah.

No matter where you go, there's always that saying.

I'm not drunk.

I'm strong with alcohol.

How can you say I'm drunk?

The people who say those things are all the same.

"Heehee, hehe…."

"Um, miss? I think you should slow down…."

"…Eh, noooo I don't wanna…."

The bartender, sensing the signs of trouble from Shia, tried to stop her, but Shia, her face flushed red from the alcohol, shook her head vigorously.

Normally, her skin was so pale it could be compared to a vampire, but now Shia's face was red with alcohol, and she shook her head back and forth like a child.

Artistically, every time she shook her head, her massive Holy Power pouch swung violently along with her.

"It's fine. Just give her what she asks for."

Normally, Yeonhwa would have stopped her by now.

But today… it was a day for getting drunk.

Drink. Drink.

Drink until you're drunk.

"Hehe, it's only Yeonhwa for meeee…."

Gulp.

"Hic, hic… Yeonhwaaa."

"Yes."

Gulp, gulp…

"I'm not alone, righttt?"

"Of course not. I'm eating with you, aren't I?"

"Heehee, ahh, Black Russiannn… I wanna try it againnn…."

"Since earlier, you've been wanting to drink mine when it comes out, huh?"

Gulp. Gulp… Pwaah…

"It tasted betterrr. Doesn't feel like I'm drinking alone, and… let's just share one cocktail glass."

"If we do that, I won't be able to drink any of it."

"Heehee…. I guess you're right… gulp…"

Shia continued to drink.

By then, the bartender had brought out various snacks, from chocolates to crackers, cheese, and skewers, including orc pork belly skewers.

Ah, delicious…

"Why is it so gooddd? Mine wasn't good, it was a failuree… sob, sob, sob…"

Now she's even crying.

"If it tastes good, isn't that a good thing?"

"Sob, I faiiiiled…."

"What did you fail at?"

"Orc pork belly butter skewerrrr… mine didn't taste good, but this one does… waaah, so saddd, it's so sad…."

Yeonhwa gently patted Shia's shoulder to comfort her as she spouted nonsense.

There must have been many more things Shia wanted to grieve about, but she never said them out loud.

She just drank. And drank again. Checking repeatedly to make sure Yeonhwa was still beside her, she drank again.

It was as if she feared Yeonhwa might disappear at any moment.

"It's okay. Everything's okay."

"Heehee…. sob, sob, waaaa…."

"I'm right here next to you. Look, here's your Black Russian."

"Hehehehehe, deliciousss… gulp… haaa, sob…."

Yeonhwa decided to remember this newfound fact about Shia.

'Unnie is terribly weak with alcohol.'

And that night, Shia ended up drinking 218 cocktails.

"Hehehehehe! Let's go to round 2! Round 2ooo! Let's go to round 2 with Yeonhwaaa~"

"...."

Yeonhwa opened her smartwatch to send a message to Yeonju, who was probably handling the Yeon family's administrative tasks.

[Yeonju unnie, I won't be coming home tonight.]

[Why?]

[Shia unnie has started her antics.]

[…What?]

"Heeheehee! Heehee…."

"Sigh, unnie. Let's go together."

"Iheeeheeheehee… let's drink more, more, let's drink more togetherrr…"

The words 'let's do it together' somehow sounded sorrowful.