....


　The funeral was over. As I stared at the sky, I thought to myself, "I'm sure Mr. Bell is waiting for me.

　Mr. Bell was surely waiting for me. I'm sure he'll be waiting for me beyond this twilight.


　And with that, I'm going to leave this place. I have no more plans after this. The rest of the day I plan to go back to my room and read a book I've been reading. However, I am surrounded by familiar faces.


''What's going on, folks?''
Hey, Julia. You're a big deal this time.
Mr. Roy. I don't want to...
What, no need for modesty?　We all recognize your accomplishments, you know.
''........I see. But I.........
'Huh ... totally, that's why you're so uptight. And now, I'm going out for a drink. Follow me.
....


　I'm not in the mood for that, so I'll say no. I tried to say that, but the person who followed up with that was unexpected.


''Yulia-kun. It's fine for a bit. How about it?
Mr. Derrick....


　The current members are the men of the special forces.

　Me, Roy, Derrick, Gil, Leo, and Johan. I know that Roy-san likes to drink, so it's only natural that I invite him to join us. And Johan-san also seems to like to drink. These two guys are surprisingly strong drinkers and are well known in the area.

　The other two, Gil, Leo and Derrick, don't seem to be the same, but... when I think about it, I still only know the superficial aspects of them all. We talked about it on a previous trip, and we didn't talk about it that much in subsequent operations because of the different squads.

　We've met face to face at Ops Command, but that's about it.

　........Come to think of it, maybe I'm more involved with women. Due to the composition of the squad, it's inevitable that I'll be with a female special class anti-magician.......


　And while I was thinking about that, Derrick-san continued to say more words.


''We didn't have a social gathering for Yulia-kun, you know.
Could it be that kind of event for a rookie special class antagonist?
No, I don't.
...What?
I'm just kidding. I'm taking you out.


　As I say this, I hear everyone laughing behind me.

　Hey, what's that?　What the hell is going on here?

　Earlier, they all had a dark look on their faces. That too. Among the special class anti-magicians, Belle-san, who was the second oldest person after Gil-san, had passed away.

　She was also the strongest swordsman in humanity.

　And yet, everyone's expressions are somewhat cheerful. It's just a matter of getting used to the fact that they switch back and forth so quickly.


　It's true that I've come into contact with a lot of death in the past few months. But I am sure that those who are older than me, the wizards, have come into contact with even more death. I'm sure they've said goodbye to many of their friends. The probability of dying is quite low for a special-grade counter-magician due to their strength. There are things like Bell-san's this time, but even so, it's clear that ordinary antimagicians have a shorter life span.


　Is that why? Maybe they are used to this kind of thing. Besides, I don't think it's a good idea to disturb the harmony here. I was beginning to change my mind, thinking that since you've invited me, let's go.


I understand. I'm underage, so I can't drink alcohol, but....
'Fine, fine. It's just the way things are in these situations.
Yes, sir.


　As I tell him this, Roy raises his hands in a loud voice. He had already taken off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves. It's hard to believe that it's after a funeral, but I thought it was still typical of Roy-san.


'Yes!　I've got a place I'm renting out today, one of my favorites. Alright, let's go, boys!
"Oh!


　As soon as a mysterious match was made, they were going to have a drinking session with the men of the Special Class Counter-Magician as it was.


　◇


Master, are you ready?
Roy. Yeah, I'm just getting ready to go.
That's impressive.
So I want you to have a good time. It's the most important day of your life, so...
Yeah. I'll take my chances.


　We slithered in and out of the room. There are six men in the special class vs. The space in this izakaya is obviously more than that, but even so, renting it out must be a special thing.


　The three of us line up at a table facing each other and immediately start ordering our drinks.


Master, the usual six people.
Yes.
What?　I'm underage!
Oh?　Can't you drink my booze?
''Yes.........isn't that a power harassment.......
'I was already guzzling when I was your age, you know. Well, I guess we'll be fine.
Yeah, you sure you don't want to do this, people?


　I glanced at everyone, but they didn't seem to have any objections.


''Well, if you want me to drink, I will, but...''


　And I reluctantly agreed. But I don't want to be like Shelly, like last time, so I'll weigh myself a little bit.

　I'm not going to be the same as Sherry, so I'll weigh myself down a little bit. Well, it's not a bad idea. At worst, I think it's theoretically possible to dissipate alcohol with magic.


　And so comes the liquor in the mug. It contained a lot of foam and was a yellow colored liquor. I don't know much about it, but barley fizz?　Apparently.


All right, you've got everybody?　Well then.....
"Hooray!


　Following in the footsteps of those around me, I, too, lift my mug for now and make a toast.


''........''


　I stare at it. The golden liquid shining in the air, making a sizzling sound, seemed to be inviting me to join it. Normally, I would have said no, or perhaps I would have said no, even here, in a firm manner. But now it's different. I was still........somewhat sentimental.


　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're going to do with it.


　--You're not going to be able to get a good deal more than just a few minutes.

　--If only I had defeated the Ancient Scorpion, the Ancient Scorpion, earlier and gone to Mr. Bell's side.

　--If only I had moved faster ... and more seriously when moving with Shelly.


　Such an assumption had been passing through me the whole time during the funeral. And of course he knew. That such assumptions were meaningless and useless to think about. Still, I can't help but think about it. There must have been a way to avoid that death.

　But, as the saying goes, "Regret is not the first thing to go," and that's just thinking backwards from the outcome. Because time is irreversible and it can never be rewound.


　So, at least for today........I wanted to get away from the thought of such an impossible task. And so I put my hand on the liquor.


"Puh-uh........


　It didn't taste good. It never felt good.

　But somehow it was pleasant. This bitterness on the tongue and the sensation of alcohol passing down your throat.


　It's hot. It wasn't burning hot, but I thought its throat could best be described as hot.


'Oh, Julia. You're a good drinker.'
'Mr. Gil is this good?　I'm not sure I'm the right person to...
Well, I don't hate it. When I was younger I didn't appreciate the taste of it but now it's essential.
Well....


　Will I be old enough to appreciate the taste of this sake someday? I'm only 15 years old, and I can't predict what will happen in 10 years, 20 years, or even 30 years from now. There is a possibility that I will die halfway through my life. Just like Ms. Bell, that is..... But for now, let's enjoy the bittersweetness of this. That may be one of the things I can do as a survivor.



Now, then. Do you want to talk about the example?
Oh. Mr. Roy, that's very nice.
I don't like it.
Leo's pretty talkative when he's drunk.
You're the one who's amazing, but...


　And then everyone starts buzzing around.


　What the hell is going to happen?　


　Instantly, all eyes were on me. The one who opened his mouth among them was Roy.


'Hey Julia. You, who's the real deal?　Is that Eira?　Sherry?　Or.........Eve in a big hole?　You're a popular guy. So who are you going to pick?
...What?


　As we all grinned and laughed, the first time in our lives that kind of topic of conversation would begin.