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“Sit down, sit down. No need to be so formal. Just relax like usual.”

Clarice entered the room and urged Lindy, who was awkwardly standing, to take a seat. I followed her lead and returned to my original spot.

“By any chance… what happened with the discussion?”

Since I had been chatting with Lindy about it until Clarice arrived, what I was most curious about was the outcome of the conversation among the Spirit Kings.

“Wow, jumping right to the point without even breaking a sweat? You must be really curious.”

Though I wondered if I had rushed it, Clarice didn’t seem bothered. Instead, she wore a grin that suggested she was pondering how to tease us further.

Fortunately, Clarice understood our eagerness and set aside her mischief to share the results of the discussion.

“Well, the outcome today was 2 to 2. The problem is, since I made the decision in Flora’s absence, we got a split vote. But being only one person, I failed to convince the other two. So instead of lifting Lindy’s restriction, I managed to just postpone the decision that we should continue to ban her.”

The result wasn’t as good as I’d hoped, but it at least spared us from the worst-case scenario. If Clarice hadn’t supported us, things would be even more dire. Now, Lindy and I had to persuade the Fire Spirit King and the Earth Spirit King.

But more importantly, I needed to express my gratitude to Clarice sitting right in front of me.

“Thank you, Clarice. You’ve helped us breathe a sigh of relief.”

“Ah, don’t mention it. To be honest, I’m not sure Lindy really deserved such a harsh punishment. It’s not like she crossed any lines. Well, I’m not saying she did great, either.”

At Clarice’s innocent comment, I briefly doubted if Lindy had truly done something so wrong, but then I recalled the nature of spirits and understood Clarice’s perspective.

After all, differentiating gender for spirits seemed ridiculous. They could change their appearance at will, with no regard for gender distinctions. We hadn’t been followed by spirits who all took on female forms on our way to the palace?

So, it would make sense for Clarice to brush off Lindy’s behavior, which had succumbed to lust.

“Come on, come on. If you’re grateful, let’s have a drink together. There’s not much fun to be had in this dreary Spirit Realm.”

With a flick of her wrist, Clarice conjured a wine glass made of ice in an instant. Despite being made of ice, it showed no signs of melting even when touched.

Before Lindy and I could even take our glasses, Clarice filled three glasses to the brim. She handed one each to us, practically overflowing with the drink.

Knock knock

However, just then, there was another knock on the door. This was the third time after Lindy and Clarice. But given that I couldn’t use spirit magic and had no acquaintances in the Spirit Realm, I was curious to know who was visiting.

With a bang, the door swung open, revealing a face I recognized.

“Sorry to interrupt your break. I went to Lindy’s room, but she wasn’t there. I thought she might be in your room since you were together.”

Wasn’t her name Silphy? Even though Lindy was banned from summoning intermediate-level spirits, the contract with her spirit hadn’t been severed, allowing her to maintain that connection.

The supreme spirit Silphy standing before me was one of them. If Lindy hadn’t visited the Spirit Realm specifically, it was only natural for her to want to catch up with her contracted spirit after 30 years.

“Lindy? Silphy is here!”

“Silphy!”

Lindy, who had been chatting casually with Clarice, immediately jumped up at my words and rushed toward us. I wondered if Clarice would feel hurt being abandoned so suddenly, but seeing her shrug it off, she seemed to understand Lindy’s feelings.

With 30 years worth of stories to share, Lindy and Silphy began chatting right there at the door. I pondered whether to let them in but quickly decided against it. I was planning to discuss Lindy’s restriction with Clarice, and mentioning that topic in front of Silphy would be awkward.

It would be better to let Lindy and Silphy have their long-awaited reunion alone.

“Instead of standing around, why don’t you two go to Lindy’s room and chat? I’d be a nuisance being here while you have your talk.”

“Huh? You really don’t have to.”

“No, don’t be modest. There are probably things you want to discuss privately.”

However, unaware of my plan, Lindy tried to protest instead. Before my well-thought-out plan could go awry, I swiftly pushed Lindy and Silphy out the door, locking it behind them to prevent any return.

“With everyone suddenly gone, the lively atmosphere has settled down… will you be okay?”

When I returned to my seat, I found Clarice already drinking from her glass in anticipation.

“Really? Can’t be helped then. I don’t mind, so don’t worry about it.”

“Since this is how it turned out, let’s drink up and enjoy ourselves to the point where Lindy regrets stepping out.”

Clarice didn’t get up even with Lindy gone. But if I thought of it as a good opportunity, securing Clarice as a solid ally while Lindy was out might just surprise her when she returned.

Even though Clarice was on our side now, who knows when she might change her mind and turn against us again? Persuading the two opposing Spirit Kings was one thing, but showing sincerity to Clarice, who was supporting us, was equally important.

Seeing Clarice raise her glass for another drink alone, I lifted my glass too and chimed in.

“Cheers, Clarice!”

Fortunately, Clarice simply chuckled and clinked her glass against mine lightly before taking a drink. I did the same, bringing the glass to my lips. The icy drink was pleasantly cool, but not bone-chillingly cold – just the right amount to feel refreshing.

As I tasted the drink, I realized this was the first time I was drinking alcohol with my sanity intact, so I had to be cautious. Yet, my worries turned out to be unnecessary, as the drink she provided was easy to drink. Actually, it was pleasantly sweet. Given that sweetness, it probably wasn’t that strong of an alcoholic beverage.

Well, considering the fruits from the Spirit Realm that Lindy had brought, the taste made sense.

In the midst of tasting cautiously, I noticed Clarice’s glass was already empty, so I quickly tipped my own glass back. Though I had originally planned to sip it over two or three rounds, it went down so smoothly that I couldn’t stop and finished the entire glass in one go.

Hehe… yum…

*

Clarice held a fondness for the Hero Elysia. It wasn’t the reckless infatuation where she’d give up everything, but enough to show her goodwill towards her. It was likely due to her natural personality, but Elysia being the Hero played a part as well.

Thus, when the Fire Spirit King and Earth Spirit King insisted on maintaining Lindy’s punishment, Clarice quickly supported Elysia, claiming there was no need to rush the decision.

Just then, she had brought along some drinks as a gift that a recently returned high-level spirit had made for fun, intending for us to share them. So she hadn’t anticipated the current situation at all.

“Hehehe… Cheers, Clarice!”

How many drinks had I downed already? Of course, as a spirit, she could drink as much as she wanted without getting intoxicated. But the human in front of her was a different story. Elysia had looked unwell after her very first drink, and after several more, she had completely succumbed to the effects of the alcohol.

Just look at her now; she should’ve been sitting opposite Clarice, but instead, she had scooted right up beside her, practically clinging to one of Clarice’s arms and acting all cuddly. She was completely unlike her usual self, which was always so concerned about manners.

“Don’t you think you’re already drunk enough? Maybe it’s time to stop drinking?”

In a normal situation, Clarice wouldn’t have said something like that first. She actually enjoyed interacting with other races, and having a conversation with someone from another kind was something she wanted to prolong.

“I’m not drunk at all!”

However, Elysia’s state was worrying enough to make even Clarice concerned. She was giggling at everything, tripping over her words, having completely erased any distance there had been between them and was now physically sticking to Clarice. She couldn’t even gauge her own drunken state and kept insisting on giving Clarice more drinks.

Clarice even tried to take the drink away from Elysia to stop her, but Elysia pouted and quickly pulled the glass back, making Clarice give up.

Although Elysia was completely smashed, she still had one thing intact: a sense of purpose. The determination to lift Lindy’s restriction and solidify Clarice as an ally.

What would be the best way to persuade her? In the midst of her drunken haze and with her mind not functioning properly, Elysia racked her brain to come up with the best strategy. And finally, she found that answer.

To lift Lindy’s restriction, she just needed to prove that Lindy’s actions weren’t particularly wrong. So, Elysia slowly reached out her hand toward Clarice, lightly brushing her arm, trying to be as natural as possible, just like Lindy used to do to her spirit.

“Hehe… Clarice…”

 

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