Turning Chapter 1013

Chapter 1013

"Over here, over here!" Kanna guided them to a restaurant located not far from the branch office. While it didn't have a luxurious feel, it was clean and, above all, spacious enough to accommodate dozens of people with room to spare. As they entered, everyone exclaimed in admiration at the sight of the interior, where all the space except for the kitchen was left open without dividing walls.

"This is amazing! It's so spacious."

"You can see the sea from the window!"

"Ooh, the food is already coming out! It smells delicious. I'm hungry!"

As someone who reacted to the smell of food first said, the kitchen was already busy cooking. As soon as they sat down, small plates of appetizers that could be eaten in one bite were already emitting a delicious aroma on the table.

"How did Kurga and Ever find a place like this?"

"The owners here were relatives of someone from Kurga's village. Originally, it was a very popular place, so at first, they were only going to rent the second floor, but the owner closed the entire business for the day and generously emptied the whole place for us."

Ever, who appeared at the right moment, answered the question with a smile. Considering the numerous gifts and letters that had poured into the Cavalry after saving the South twice, this level of hospitality was no longer surprising.

"Ah, I see...!"

"But where's Kurga? I don't see him."

"He's helping in the kitchen, saying he can't just receive the favor." Ever pointed to the inside of the kitchen. The members turned their heads and discovered the head of a bear-like, large figure sticking out in the middle of the busy kitchen. Kurga, wearing a cute apron that didn't suit him, was stirring a huge pot with one hand that seemed to contain at least 50 servings of food over the fire.

"Pfft! What is that!" As the members burst into laughter, Kurga, who finally realized they had arrived, turned his head.

"Oh. You're all here. Sit anywhere. Ah, Yuder is the protagonist today, so I've prepared the best seat for him. Have him sit there."

He didn't care whether the members laughed at his appearance or not. Without even a chance to respond, the members grabbed Yuder and sat him at a table close to the kitchen that was particularly spacious, following Kurga's words. There was a temporary reservation sign made of folded paper, along with the words "The victor who made the Cavalry's prestige known to the world."

'...This is absurd.' As Yuder stared at it blankly, Kanna, who sat close to him, laughed and giggled.

"Don't be too dumbfounded. I wrote it."

"..."

"After watching the fight, I thought I had to write it like this. Everyone agreed."

"That's right. Kanna seems to be good at naming. Don't you like it? It seems like a perfect title to commemorate today's great victory." Ever leaned in from behind Kanna, bowing her waist. Yuder alternately looked at their playful, shining faces and let out a short sigh.

'Well, it's much better than being called the Emperor's dog, the Cavalry's demon, or a half-finished Omega.' Yuder lightly moved his hand and pushed the paper aside. The laughter grew louder.

Before long, a variety of dishes filled the table. As Kurga explained, they had prepared only the most popular southern dishes at the restaurant, with plenty of seafood and generous portions that emitted a delicious aroma.

"Ahhh! Look at the seafood stacked like a tower by type! This is insane!"

"I don't care if I eat all this and my stomach bursts so I can't go to the capital tomorrow! Get out of the way!"

Watching the members excitedly rushing towards the plates, the new members, who were not used to this atmosphere, widened their eyes. But in fact, most of the people gathered here were acting as if they were drunk, almost unbelievably so, due to the excitement that had risen to their heads after watching Yuder's duel and victory, even though they hadn't drunk alcohol yet.

"Hey, you guys! We should make a toast first!"

"Ah, right!"

"Yuder! Raise your glass!"

"Yeah! Raise your glass! Give a toast too!"

Yuder saw the huge glass placed in front of him with a thud and the beer sloshing and overflowing inside it.

'A toast, huh.' Did he really have to do that?

However, looking at the numerous eyes trying their best to hold back despite their desperate desire to eat and drink, he felt that he shouldn't dampen the mood by just brushing it off.

Yuder sighed once more and raised his glass.

Kanna and Gakane were sitting next to him, laughing. A little further away, Ever was resting her chin and looking this way. Kurga, who was cooking but glancing here from time to time. Steiber, who was sitting at the opposite table, showing more interest in alcohol than anyone else, swallowing his saliva. Next to him, the water-ability members who had been on the deep-sea crack mission were sitting unusually close together.

Yuder scanned the members sitting freely mixed together regardless of their usual friendships, then shifted his gaze to the more distant seats. Among those who were once members of the Star of Nagran, Elpkins was sitting like a huge tree, sticking his head out. Next to him were Reneve and Cyregina, who were not yet members but had become close to them, and nearby, Marin and Gloe could also be seen. Pruelle and Revlin were also sitting there with happy faces, so natural that it was hard to believe they were children of the four ducal families.

A place where most of them had either disappeared by this time or had not even appeared yet, or were enemies, in the previous life. In fact, if the Yudrain Aile of the previous life had seen the faces of those gathered here, it would have been a sight where he might have thought he was having a terrible nightmare.

But the current Yuder didn't feel like this was a nightmare, nor did he feel particularly strange about being a part of this gathering.

After taking in all of it without missing anything, he finally slowly opened his lips and spoke.

"Everyone, you've worked hard."

"...Oh..."

"Anyone who is even a second late for the departure time tomorrow will have to run and catch up with the carriage, so drink moderately."

The expressions of the members, who were ready to open their mouths and be moved by the first words of appreciation, froze like ice as their expectations crumbled.

Yuder raised the corner of his lips and smiled at the foolish faces revealed as their expectations collapsed. Although it was too cold and scary to be a normal smile, the members who witnessed the momentary smile, deeper and larger than ever before, doubted their eyes. In an instant, that face was buried and disappeared behind the huge glass.

Yuder put the glass to his mouth and began to drink the beer without hesitation. The glass, which was twice as large as the ones in front of the members, quickly emptied, and finally, his Adam's apple, which had been moving up and down incessantly, stopped.

Yuder roughly wiped the beer that had flowed along the edge of his lips and raised the empty glass high above his head, turning it upside down.

"..."

While the members remained silent after seeing not a single drop flowing, Yuder opened his mouth with an expressionless face and said the last words.

"For the Cavalry."

The members, who finally came to their senses, pounded the table and screamed in unison.

"W... Wow!"

"Crazy! What did I just see?!"

"To become the spirit of the Cavalry, you have to drink at least that much! The best!"

"Yuder Aile! Yuder Aile! Yuder Aile!" The members, who were chanting Yuder Aile's name in unison, poured their own glasses, raised them, and shouted vigorously.

"For the Cavalry!" In an instant, the lively sound of glasses clinking together resounded here and there. The overflowing liquids quickly disappeared down the throats of their owners. Not all the glasses contained alcohol, but the atmosphere was already so wild that it didn't matter who drank what.

Yuder closed his eyes as he gazed at the faces of those who were happily drinking, eating, and chatting.

He was suddenly reminded of a gathering he had attended after joining the Cavalry, a get-together just for the newcomers. Back then, they too had mingled and danced in a tavern similar to this one.

'Back then, I only attended to avoid repeating my past life's mistakes.'

He remembered feeling a tinge of sentimentality for making a choice he hadn't in his previous life. But at that time, that was all it was – a faint sentimentality with little else in the way of emotion.

But what about now?

"The day when we first gathered with our fellow recruits and drank in the capital comes to mind."

Then, as if reading Yuder's thoughts, someone spoke to him. As he turned his head, he saw Ever approaching with a smile, holding her glass.