“Another Summoner?”

Chapter 40: Day Off & Alchemist Alcohol?

Click, creak.

When the heavy front doors swung open, Thorin expected to see many things, but absolutely nothing could have prepared him for this.

Earlier, when he had overheard Ayala’s voice shouting mid-passion—telling him to, "Fuck off, I'm getting pregnant! Don't disturb my breeding!"—a bitter mixture of jealousy and inadequacy had taken root in his chest.

Lately, Thorin found himself writing letters to his five wives up north, inevitably comparing them to the parade of women revolving around Loki. It seemed his younger brother was constantly entangled with one beautiful woman after another—Sylvia, Shade, Shehuang, Yin Meng, Taki Tsuki, and now even their Full Knight instructor, Ayala. With an uninvited envy building in his heart, Thorin found himself silently praying that the innocent, adorable Princess Lana wouldn't become the seventh woman in Loki's orbit.

I deserve a beautiful woman too, right? Thorin thought.

He still clung to the comforting feeling of being the protagonist of his own life. He even spent his nights dreaming of an Elf Queen who suited his tastes to absolute perfection—though he knew bitterly that it was just a dream, completely detached from reality.

But the moment his younger brother stumbled through the doorway, Thorin’s internal grumbling vanished. Loki looked less like a proud noble and more like a man who had been brutally beaten in an alleyway robbery gone wrong.

Thorin stood frozen. Did Ayala actually ravage my brother? Did I abandon him in his darkest hour by not intervening?

When he saw the Eastern woman, Yin Meng, carefully supporting Loki into the grand hall, Thorin snapped out of his daze and rushed forward.

"Loki, are you alright?!" Thorin asked, his voice laced with panic as he reached them. "How bad is it? Do I need to find a Healer? Get an elixir? Should I call the city guard?"

Oh my fucking God, I thought, completely bewildered by his frantic reaction. I had no idea what kind of wild scenario was running through his head, but I desperately needed to clear the air.

"Cough... Thorin, it's fine. Ayala was just joking," I managed to say, wincing slightly. "She was giving me a... bone massage for my 3rd Circle Awakening. I just couldn't break free, that's all. Sorry to worry you, brother."

Beside me, Yin Meng looked away, her face flushing with deep shame. It was painfully obvious my lie wouldn't even convince a child, but she wisely chose to stay quiet.

Thorin, still looking deeply skeptical, reached into his tunic and pulled out a small, ornate silver mirror he usually kept on hand to maintain his appearance. He thrust it in front of my face.

When I caught sight of my own reflection, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. My hair was a bird's nest, my collar was torn, and my skin looked entirely drained of color.

"Fucking hell, what happened to me?!" I barked.

Yin Meng clamped a hand over her mouth, letting out a muffled snort, while Thorin’s expression shifted into one of profound pity. It was clear nothing I said would change his mind; he was now entirely convinced I had been violated while unconscious.

Once I finally escaped to the privacy of my upstairs bedroom, I immediately summoned Shehuang and Taki for an emergency Master-refreshing session.

"Heal my broken Master, Strong Heal Summons!" Shehuang chanted, her hands glowing with a soft, restorative light that mended my aching muscles.

"Refresh and clean the smell of overindulgence, Greater Water Utility!" Taki followed up, summoning a crisp, swirling mist that washed away the lingering scents of Ayala's room and left me feeling entirely immaculate.

Aside from a lingering lack of energy, I was as good as new. But mentally, I made a firm, non-negotiable vow: for the rest of the night, sex was a banned subject, topic, and nighttime activity.

The next morning brought a welcome change of pace: brother's day out.

Thorin seemed genuinely surprised that I hadn't brought a single one of my Eastern companions along with us. As we strolled down the cobblestone street, he looked over at me.

"So, what's the plan today? Don't forget you promised we'd have a drinking night before your big duel."

I leaned over and patted his shoulder as we walked, a smirk playing on my lips. "We're heading over to Marquess Sky's estate. He set me up with a small brewing workshop in the back of his property. We're going to do exactly what you suggested—make Alchemist Alcohol."

Instantly, all the frustration and dissatisfaction Thorin had been harboring over the past week melted away, replaced by the pure, unadulterated excitement of a man about to try a brand-new brew.

Unfortunately, my father-in-law, Steven Sky, had been called away to an urgent meeting at Castle Albion, leaving only the mansion's domestic staff behind to greet us. They showed us to the rear of the estate, where a small outbuilding had been converted into a fully functioning distillery.

Inside, the room was packed with intricate copper stills, barrels of soft well water, and winding glass tubing. Thorin walked around the space, idly running his hand over a row of coarse burlap sacks.

"I thought you only brewed your cider using apples," he said, turning to me with a raised eyebrow. "Why do you have all this rice?"

"Tell me, what was the most famous drink in Japan back on Earth?" I asked, leaning against a workbench. "Coincidentally, it also happens to be the traditional racial drink of the Dark Elves here on Myst."

Thorin paused, recalling tales of the old world soldiers. "Sake! But don't the Easterners already have their own rice wine? Why bother with the Dark Elf version? Will humans even like it?"

I sneered playfully as I began moving the heavy sacks around to set up the batch. "Don't compare their literal piss-water to what I'm about to brew. I'm making a smooth, crystal-clear, alchemist-grade version of Elven Wine—but using sake as the base."

Thorin gasped, his eyes widening. "Fuck! Elven Wine goes for at least a hundred gold a glass! I only got to try it once when I had lunch with Prince Vali at his family's restaurant. Just a single glass made my entire body feel incredible."

I nodded, satisfied with his reaction. "Taki Tsuki used to be a water priestess for her hidden clan. She explained their secret sake-brewing process to me, and it gave me an idea. Rice is incredibly cheap to source here. By utilizing my Life Utility magic, I can drastically improve, alter, and accelerate the fermentation process."

I cut open one of the sacks, letting the grains spill into a large vat. "Back when you and I hunted that Ogre, I managed to harvest some incredibly high-grade wild yeast. I've been cultivating it specifically for this. Let me just channel my magic to modify the rice grains and jumpstart the fermentation, and then we can head out for lunch."

At the time, I had absolutely no idea that this experimental sake concoction would eventually make King Owen weep tears of pure joy, nor did I foresee the absolute chaos it would cause when various high-ranking nobles started doing incredibly stupid things under its influence.

By the time midday rolled around, Thorin and I hired a private carriage to take us to the bustling food street located in the capital's upscale district.

As we stepped down onto the pavement, we watched a continuous stream of extravagant carriages bearing noble house crests roll past. We stood on the sidewalk for a moment, genuinely overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.

"Do you want to check out the 'Royal Restaurant'?" Thorin asked, gesturing toward a grand establishment. "We could see if they have any of those Earth-style dishes on the menu."

I shook my head firmly. "Not a chance. The second either of us steps through those doors, we'll draw the eyes of the entire royal castle. It's our day off; let's just eat in peace. Look over there—that bar and grill looks perfect. Let's do that instead."

Thorin nodded, letting out a weary sigh as we walked toward the casual eatery. "Sigh... I really thought moving to the capital would be amazing. But now that we aren't allowed to leave except for summer break, Secret Realm missions, or dire family emergencies, I finally understand why you called this place a two-year prison sentence."

"It's a tale as old as time," I replied dryly. "In Earth's history, this practice was incredibly common. The royal family essentially holds the children of powerful nobles hostage to ensure loyalty, while simultaneously using the opportunity to recruit promising talents into the royal bloodline through arranged marriages."

With that grim historical reminder, the two of us stepped inside.

We secured a comfortable booth near the back of the restaurant, giving us a clear view of the front windows while keeping us out of the main crowd's line of sight.

The menu was exactly what we had hoped for. Fresh cuts of meat and seasonal vegetables were grilled rapidly over open, magically fueled fires, offering fast service without sacrificing the high-quality ingredients demanded by a wealthy clientele.

We both briefly considered ordering some of the exotic Demonic Beast meats, but the prices listed next to them were staggering. While being married to a Duchess meant I wasn't exactly hurting for coin, spending gold so fruitlessly felt incredibly disrespectful to my wife—and a complete waste of funds in general.

Instead, we settled on a hearty order: a rack of glazed beef ribs, several chicken and vegetable skewers, grilled corn on the cob, a fresh salad tossed in red wine vinegar, and a pitcher of Royal Honey Mead.

When the chilled drinks and crisp salads arrived, we finally relaxed and began to enjoy our meal.

Suddenly, a loud clatter echoed from across the table. Mid-bite, Thorin had dropped his fork straight into his salad bowl. His eyes were comically wide, staring fixedly toward the entrance.

Curious, I turned my head toward the front door, where a pair of striking, blonde, blue-eyed women had just walked in. My own eyebrows shot up in surprise.

The restaurant was packed for the lunch rush, and the greeter was politely explaining to the new arrivals that all the tables were currently occupied.

The woman who had completely short-circuited my brother's brain was a towering, six-foot-one High Elf. She possessed flowing, platinum blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and wore an elegant, deep blue and white mage-style dress that perfectly accentuated her statuesque figure.

Standing right beside her was a human woman dressed in a white summer gown cinched by a golden belt. Standing about six inches shorter than her elven companion, she had mid-length blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, and was none other than our former Vice Principal, Lisa Swallow.

Frustrated by the lack of seating, Lisa scanned the room. The moment her eyes locked onto Thorin and me watching them, a spark of inspiration lit up her face. She turned and murmured something to the greeter.

"Loki, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Thorin whispered urgently, his eyes still glued to the pair.

"To grab our food and sprint out the back door?" I muttered back.

"Yeah... wait, no! Look, they're walking this way. Do you think they want to sit with us?"

"Or Lady Swallow is about to throw a handful of gold coins in our faces and tell us to scram so they can take the table," I countered realistically.

"Lady Swallow might do that, but definitely not a beautiful Elf woman," Thorin insisted, leaning in closer. "Hey... doesn't that Elf lady look incredibly familiar to you?"

I squinted at her features. "She looks a lot like Queen Breeze, just slightly shorter and... significantly less chest endowment."

"Damn," Thorin whispered. "Either all Elves really do look the same, or you're actually onto something."

We instantly cut off our rude whispering as the trio reached our booth.

"Excuse me, honored guests," the greeter said smoothly, acknowledging my status with a polite nod toward the house-pin pinned to my cloak. "Lady Swallow has requested to know if you would be willing to share your table, given the current rush. She has offered to cover the entire bill for your lunch today."

Fuck, I thought, a wave of instant regret washing over me. I really should have ordered that expensive Demonic Beast meat.

As Thorin eagerly nodded his head, flashing what he clearly thought was a charming, smoldering smile, Lisa didn't waste any time.

"Celia, this is Sir Thorin Sky, and this is Count Loki Sky," Lisa introduced expertly. "Celia is the Elven Ambassador, Celia Breeze. Would you mind if we joined you?"

"Sure, Teacher Lisa. Let me just move my d—"

Before I could finish saying I would slide my dishes over next to Thorin, Lisa confidently slid into the booth right next to me. This left the slightly awkward Elf ambassador with no choice but to sit directly next to Thorin. Despite the unexpected seating arrangement, she maintained her diplomatic poise, smoothing her dress and sitting down with flawless elegance.

A server quickly rushed over, took their order of a vegetable platter and white wine, and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Lisa immediately leaned across the table, pointing a finger toward my brother. "Celia, this is the Full Knight air and lightning aura user you were asking about earlier."

I cut my eyes sideways to look at Lisa. She had intentionally highlighted my brother's rare combat talents while completely glossing over my own identity and background. I found myself feeling simultaneously thankful and annoyed by her political maneuvering.

I was thankful because it meant I didn't have to deal with being evaluated like a piece of meat by a proud, aloof High Elf. But I was annoyed because I had a strong suspicion Lisa was deliberately trying to keep her elven friend's attention far away from me.

True to form, the naturally arrogant, distant expression on Celia’s face instantly thawed the moment she looked at Thorin. She offered him a graceful nod.

"Sir Thorin, news of your accomplishments has already crossed the borders into the Elven Kingdom. You are quite a popular topic among our court. I am truly delighted to make your acquaintance. Perhaps you should consider visiting our homeland sometime in the future?"

Ah, and there it is, I thought, suppressing a groan. The classic honey-trap trope. Any total idiot could see this coming from a mile away.

"Lady Celia, if you would be willing to personally show me around, I would be deeply honored," Thorin replied smoothly.

Idiot! I shouted internally.

Though, I had to give my brother some credit. He was surprisingly smooth to demand her personal company as a condition, leaving himself an easy out to refuse the invitation later if she tried to hand him off to a regular guide. It turned out he was a bit of an idiot savant when it came to flirting.

Lisa watched the subtle, irritated twitches in my facial expression as the two played their game of fake flirting. Amused, she reached over and poked my arm.

When I turned to look at her, she raised an eyebrow. "You didn't show up to yesterday's class. I fully expected you to be there."

Remembering the grueling 'Amazon appreciation day' I had survived at the hands of my instructor, I offered a painful, honest smile. "Half of my current training revolves around aura control, and Ayala refuses to let me skip out on her sessions. You know how she is—she gets exactly what she wants, even if I try to say no."

Lisa reached into her spatial storage, a soft magical hum resonating as she pulled out a worn, leather-bound book and slid it across the table to me.

"Many years ago, I entered the Royal Secret Realm and made my official breakthrough to the 4th Circle there," she explained quietly. "These are my personal journal entries, experiences, and the detailed maps I charted during my time inside. I had intended to give this to you yesterday."

I picked up the book, flipping it open to find incredibly detailed, handwritten accounts of a realm sealed away over a century ago. This was an invaluable resource.

Just as a genuine wave of gratitude washed over me, the kitchen staff arrived with our smoking platters. The rich, savory aroma of barbecued ribs and grilled chicken filled the air. The moment the scent hit Celia's nose, her delicate features contorted into a subtle frown of distaste.

Thorin, who had desperately wanted those ribs in the first place, knew that Elves despised meat and found the heavy smell of it repulsive. Sensing an opportunity to score points, he instantly turned on me.

"Loki, I told you not to order those ribs! The smell is completely overpowering... Oh, look, my lovely grilled corn arrived!"

Before I could even process his betrayal, Thorin delivered a sharp kick to my shin underneath the table. He pulled a massive platter of grilled corn on the cob toward himself, enthusiastically pretending that a pile of vegetables was exactly what he had wanted all along.

Celia's gaze shifted to me, her eyes tracking the massive pile of ribs and meat skewers on my plate with an expression of mild superiority. Clearly, Thorin's quick thinking had worked perfectly to paint himself as the more refined, elf-compatible brother.

Lisa, however, easily saw right through our unspoken, chaotic brotherly dynamic. A knowing smirk played on her lips as she leaned in toward my plate.

"Count Loki," she purred, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Mind if I try one of your skewers? I'm absolutely starving."

I had at least a dozen sarcastic retorts ready to fly out of my mouth, but with a High Elf ambassador watching our every move, I simply swallowed my pride and nodded.

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