WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Mistaken for a Masked Monster

Chapter 114

──────

Drunken Antics

The whole incident began with Lua.

We were in the middle of a board game when the girl came toddling over.

In her tiny hands, she held a bottle about the size of her forearm.

Maybe she had gotten it during dinner earlier, because she proudly announced that she had brought drinks.

"Dad!"

"Lua brought this from the restaurant!"

As I had said again and again, the academy had already rented out the entire hotel.

Taking a few bottles of drinks would not bother anyone, so I did not stop her. I only patted her head.

Besides, the way she looked up at me and asked if she could drink it was adorable.

"Mwehehe."

Once I gave her permission, Lua sat down on one side of the sofa.

Then she handed out glasses one by one, as if she meant to share with the group too.

How praiseworthy.

The children watched Lua and smiled warmly.

The problem began after they swallowed the drink.

"Waha...! It tastes amazing!"

"Apple and grape! The scent is super, like this, like this..."

After taking a sip, Lua's eyes went round.

The girl worked hard to describe the taste with gestures.

Nothing about it felt especially strange.

She only smiled brightly, as if she liked the drink.

So when each of their glasses was filled, the children drank without thinking much.

"Oho... What an impressive flavor."

"The fruit scent spreads so strongly."

"Mm! It tastes even better because Miss Lua shared it with us!"

"It's fine. Yeah."

Everyone seemed to believe it was just a drink.

Apparently, not a single person noticed.

'To think... that was alcohol.'

Of course Lua was fine.

There was no way an Ego Weapon could get drunk.

Since she was sipping it so easily, no one suspected anything.

'The taste itself was tricky too.'

It was hard to guess it was alcohol from the taste.

There was no sticky feeling, only the taste of a richly flavored fruit drink.

Even I only noticed the smell of alcohol creeping up after swallowing a few sips.

'Right.'

At least I was lucky to realize it before it was too late.

I was able to put my glass down in a hurry.

Afterward, when I inspected the bottle carefully, I found a mark that said [Sernin 30-Year].

The drink's true identity seemed to be a strong fruit liquor specially stocked by this hotel.

'The problem is...'

The other children had already accepted and drunk several glasses.

Sure enough, everyone gradually seemed to feel the alcohol hit them, and in the end, they became completely drunk.

Their reason had melted into a haze.

That was how this current mess came to be.

"I told youuu... Viktor is mine, did I not...!"

"N, no, nooo... I also, Sir Viktor, keeping him all to yourself is bad... hic, keeping him to yourself is bad..."

"Fuggin, bassard... piece of shid, always, only works me to death, asshole... why're you like this to me? Do you like me?"

My body swayed helplessly wherever they pulled me.

The children had gone past drunk and were now squabbling among themselves.

'How am I supposed to fix this?'

Honestly, I had no idea.

It felt more hopeless than when I faced Leviathan in the Deep Sea branch.

The girls mumbled with tangled tongues, then soon began poking my cheeks one after another.

"Viktooorrr..."

"Sir Viktor..."

"You bad, bassard..."

Was it because of the alcohol?

Everyone seemed to be getting more and more emotional.

No. Just how high was the alcohol content for them to fall apart like this after only a few glasses?

"Everyone? Shall we calm down for a moment...?"

I tried not to provoke the children.

But an emotional outburst caused by drunkenness was not something I could avoid just because I tried.

"Bad minion!"

The first one to grab my sleeve was Carmilla.

Her distinctive silver hair hung loose, and her eyes looked pitifully up at me.

Tears welled in that redness.

"Viktorrr... I only have you now, you know... No one, I have no one... hngh."

"Her Highness."

"Liaaar... You lied, then got, got caught... and then you shamelessly said you were on my side... and because I was crying, you hugged me..."

"The others are listening. I think you should calm down first."

"The others? The oothers? I am speaking right now...! But you are looking elsewhere! Am I not enough for you!"

"That is not what I meant..."

"Like... every day. You're nice to other women, wagging your tail... Even though you're my minion. Even though you're only, my minion... I only have you now..."

"......"

"Do you like women that much? Bad minion..."

"......I have committed a sin worthy of death."

"Do not die!"

"Yes..."

The princess's endless scolding.

Her sniffling voice.

I had no choice but to hang my head before her.

Part of me did feel wronged, but I decided to just listen obediently.

"Bad minion... Still, I cherish you..."

You were supposed to let drunk people win.

Especially when that person was precious to you.

After I patted her back for a while, Alice clung to me next.

"Big Sis Ally..."

"Miss Alice?"

"I miss you, Big Sis..."

"......"

"Sir Viktor, you won't leave, right? You can't leave... because you promised..."

"Of course. I will always be right where I am. So you do not have to hug me quite that tightly..."

"I don't wanna... If I let go, I feel like you'll run away just like that..."

"I have no particular intention of doing that."

"But. Sir Viktor, you feel... somehow. Always so far away... From everyone. Like you're doing it on purpose..."

"......"

The black-haired girl was tearful too.

At the few words Alice spoke, my breath stopped for a moment.

Soon, though, I took a deep breath and wrapped my arms around her slender shoulders.

"Do not worry. I always think of all of you as very special."

"Sniff... R, really?"

"Of course. Really."

Pat, pat.

Her pupils were dazed and unfocused. I stroked the girl's head.

After sitting the two of them down on the sofa, I began sorting out the chaos around me.

"Heeey..."

"Miss Caitlin."

And the last one.

I also took care of the girl with bronze skin and yellow eyes.

Maybe Caitlin had the weakest alcohol tolerance out of the three, because her tongue was especially tangled.

"Fuggin bassard... asshole... every day, puppy, this, that bullshit... piece'a shid..."

"Miss Caitlin."

Harsh words. A cute way of speaking that contrasted with them.

It did not match her usual prickliness at all.

Caitlin's powerless fists thumped against my chest.

"Always, only... bullying me, what even are youuu..."

"I think you should go to sleep now."

"Fuck, ah... shiit... stop, bullying me already... Why're you doing this to me... Do you really, like me or something..."

"Miss Caitlin."

When she woke tomorrow, she was definitely going to die of embarrassment over this.

Thinking that, I moved my hands.

"I hate, you..."

"Oh dear, that hurts a little."

"I hate you because, you're too good... When I'm beside you, I feel... so pathetic..."

"......"

"Hate you, hate you, hate you so much... Die... All you talented bastards, die..."

"You are clearly drunk. I will move you to the bed in the empty room."

"Like, always, saying you trust me, when you don't even believe me..."

"I always believe in you, Miss Caitlin."

I meant it.

Otherwise, I would not have dragged her into the group.

Yet the girl's distrust had roots deeper than the alcohol.

"Liar... No one, believes me... They said no one, would believe me..."

"That person must not know you at all. Who dared say such a thing?"

"......Me."

"......"

"Me... I'm like an idiot... Yeah, that's why I hate myself too..."

"That is not true. For now, do not think and sleep."

"Mmh..."

Soon, the girl lost her strength and sagged limply.

I carried Caitlin to the room.

'These kids...'

How could every single one of them be so worn down inside?

With them saying things like that, I did not have the heart to shake them off.

So I did my best to accept all the children's drunken antics.

They poked my cheeks, tugged on my arms, hugged me tightly, and even got carried.

Only after that storm-like hour passed did the children sprawl out, nodding off to sleep.

'It would be fun if they all remembered everything once they sobered up.'

I cleaned up the surroundings with a bitter smile.

Lua was also sleeping soundly among the girls.

Careful not to wake the children, I quietly tidied the room.

"Sir Viktor."

"Ah... Miss Ranne."

"I will help you."

The girl approached softly.

Even though she had drunk a few glasses just like the others, she looked strangely fine.

Ranne, who had lifted the sleeping Alice into her arms, answered my question with a bright smile.

"Mm! I have a blessing on me, you see. It instantly purifies toxins inside my body anytime and anywhere. I believe the alcohol was broken down in the same way."

"I see."

"Let us clean together!"

"Really, I am glad you are here, Miss Ranne."

"I am happy to hear you say that, Sir Viktor."

Was that what made her the protagonist?

In theory, this meant she had the highest alcohol tolerance among the original characters.

I put those pointless thoughts behind me and cleaned up the remaining mess with Ranne.

***

The next day.

Once the children came to their senses, they all spoke with serious faces.

"Please forget it."

"Forget it."

"Forget it."

Yes, ma'am.

I should tease them with this for a while.

***

And so, the School Trip came to an end.

The week they spent at the sea remained a special memory for everyone.

Afterward, the students took the cruise, passed through the Tram, and finally returned to the academy.

It was a strange feeling.

Almost like returning home.

It was tiresome, but in one way, I was glad to be back.

[The Faculty Office has an announcement.]

[First-Year Class E. Student Viktor, please visit the headmaster's office as soon as you return.]

But I had no time to reflect on that home.

I was summoned to the headmaster's office as soon as I arrived.

The notice came as if it had been waiting for my return.

I wondered if something else had happened, but what waited for me was surprisingly good news.

"Student Viktor."

"Yes, Headmaster."

"The preparations are complete. For the Purgatory Expedition."

The Purgatory Expedition.

It was news that the activity that had been stopped all this time was ready to start again.

"Starting tomorrow, deployment to Floor 71 will be possible."

In other words, the high-grade item mine was open.

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried