Wine is the sovereign of all medicines.

When she awoke, she was in the mansion’s bed.

Something is amiss.

I was definitely holed up in another realm, sipping酒 and nibbling snacks earlier today.

Perhaps she returned and fell asleep without realizing it, drunk.

Memory loss during intoxication is problematic—but unavoidable.

It is possible to rapidly break down alcohol, but doing so would eliminate the purpose of drinking it.

A drink without alcohol isn't a drink at all!

In a pinch, memory feedback can be drawn from the fragments scattered throughout the area. No issue.

No memory feedback registered at this time.

No, but it’s kind of scary to see what kind of state I end up in when I drink alcohol, isn’t it?

Shook her head, confirming no issues with her condition.

I don’t get hangovers even after drinking, but accidents happen, so one must be cautious.

Hmph. I am in peak condition today.

My skin feels subtly more radiant.

So, alcohol is actually good for health.

I leave the room and head to the dining hall to fetch breakfast.

The Vampire Child and Oni-kun had already taken their seats before me.

"Good morning."

"O-oh, good morning."

Oni-kun offers a polite greeting. The Vampire Child manages a greeting as well, though his face twitches slightly.

I’ve seen this behavior occasionally during our travels. Vampires really are weak in the morning, aren’t they?

"Hmm."

A brief response. Better than silence.

I sit in the seat beside the Vampire Child.

His posture is unusually stiff. What’s with that?

"Um…"

Hm?

"…I think we should stop doing things like yesterday."

Syrilis spoke in a tone that sounded like blame.

Hmm?

Yesterday?

Did anything happen yesterday?

A fleeting glance toward the Vampire Child.

Though eyes remained closed, no eye contact was possible.

The Vampire Child stared, as if viewing something unfathomable.

Huh?

What’s this?

What happened yesterday?

“Sophia also seemed uncomfortable. I think forcing something someone dislikes is wrong. Even if drunk, there’s a difference between acceptable and unacceptable actions, I believe.”

Alcohol.

Drunk.

Emergency request sent to the branch within the manor!

Feed back the memories from yesterday, while the main body was intoxicated!

Transmit the memories of the branches secretly lurking within the manor to the main body.

Reviewing the received memories in sequence, identifying the relevant section.

Bwuff!?

What in the world is this!?

Hey! Hey, me from yesterday!

What are you doing!?

Not some petty nonsense like getting drunk!

I saw a glimpse of something far more terrifying!

Nope.

Not happening.

Can't do it.

Looking at my drunken self objectively... it's not happening.

Attacked the Vampire Child, then blasted Oni-kun with a full-force Still Eye to stop him.

Did whatever I wanted.

Wait— if I try hard enough, I can talk this smoothly?

Ah, yes.

Not the time for escapism.

What now?

Turn my face toward the Vampire Child.

The Vampire Child, sitting in the chair, skillfully avoids me.

Ah, right.

"Sorry."

Yes.

No— to the Vampire Child.

Why are you trembling with disbelief over there?

I'd apologize if I did something wrong, wouldn't I?

I'll seal the alcohol for a short while.

Drink only where D is.

Ah, no, that’s kind of scary too.

For now, temporary abstinence from alcohol.

It’s painful—still, unavoidable.

When I looked back at Oni-kun, he had an expression of relief on his face.

He might have warned me with his life on the line.

Then again, after seeing yesterday’s incident, it’s understandable if he thought I’d gone mad.

Who would’ve thought alcohol could have such a trap.

Alarming.

“Master… are you truly the real master?”

The Vampire Child had started saying something odd.

I wanted to retort, “If you’re not the real one, then what are you?”

“Do you have a fever? Did you eat something strange? Did you go mad?”

Hey, come on.

What kind of character do I play in your head?

Annoying. A single chop to silence him.

“Ow! That’s too harsh! I was just worried about you—how is that too harsh!?”

"No, I think it was Sophia who was the one being harsh just now."

Oni-kun cut in, calm, dismissing the Vampire Child’s protest.

Hmm.

No reason to make such a fuss over a simple apology.

Unlike some foreign deity, I can actually communicate.

Not like D! Not like D!

"Master, you know? A living embodiment of wickedness and atrocity? Who would you say is the origin of such a master—someone who loves slaughter and human flesh? I can't even tell you how much I want to ask that!"

The Vampire Child's perception of me as a great demon.

Huh?

Really that bad?

I was that much of a menace in their eyes?

Ah—uh.

Now that I think about it, I did cause chaos during the war that destroyed their homeland. And wasn’t it just after that when I… cooked an elf right in front of them?

Wait—wasn’t it even before that? Wasn’t my behavior toward the Vampire Child suggesting I wasn’t exactly a newcomer to this kind of thing?

That makes sense.

It fits.

No way!

So I was classified as a demon who devours human flesh every night among the Vampire Children!?

Well, not entirely wrong—so I can’t argue.

“Uh… aren’t you exaggerating?”

“Everything’s true.”

“Huh?”

Oni-kun stared at me, stunned.

Stop it!

Don’t look at me like that!

I turned my face away, fleeing the gaze.

D “Received a broadcast dissing me from some spider. I’ll deal with it.”

Yōdo “You think we’ll let you go? Get to work—quickly.”