Gerald had been brought up strictly by his family since he was a child. Though he had to socialize as a noble and therefore couldn't smoke or drink in principle, he had strict restrictions on such pleasures that could numb the mind.
Being a part-time bodyguard of the mayor of Lancaster, Gerald had strong self-discipline. Even if he liked alcohol, he would only dabble in it.
Today, however, was a little different. The banquet hosted by the Players who were born into the lower class was completely free of the rules and restrictions of noble banquets. Though it wasn't to the extent of sensual pleasures, it was still quite unrestrained.
Given the Players' impression, even Gerald, who had been hiding in a corner and drinking his sorrows, couldn't help breaking his usual drinking boundaries.
Brewing wasn't a difficult process, and even a normal household could brew some fermented wine in secret as long as they had enough food and weren't afraid of being investigated.
Naturally, there was no guarantee of the quality of the wine.
In this world, one had to buy fine wine from the believers of the God of Wine.
Although many might have forgotten that the current God of Wine was a member of the Invisible Pantheon, Stoff, the God of Craftsmanship and Fine Wine who provided equipment enhancers to Xi Wei's church.
That was precisely why the Church of Games didn't lack fine wine at all — although they mostly traded two types of cola with the God of Wine's church.
Being a believer of the God of Wine, Stoff still couldn't figure out how to brew cola on a large scale.
It was the same for Stoff himself. While it was possible to create wine that tasted and tasted exactly like cola with his divine power, it was a divine wine that couldn't be produced on a large scale …
At the very least, the recipe for cola wouldn't be so easily deciphered before the people of the mortal realm understood what carbon dioxide was.
Anyway, Gerald digressed.
Either way, Gerald had tasted his fair share of fine wine as a noble. He had assumed that he would at most have some sour, fermented farmhouse wine at the banquet hosted by the Players, but he didn't expect that he would get to drink something that wasn't for sale from the God of Wine's church, and couldn't help drinking a few more cups in his distress.
But just as the alcohol kicked in and left Gerald feeling a little dizzy, a voice spoke beside him.
"Why are you drinking alone in the corner?" Edward greeted him as he passed by with a skewer in his hand.
Unlike the ambitious Angora and the unambitious Princess Leah who would be pushed around by Old Vanke, the Player who contributed the most to the event from a certain point of view, Edward had always maintained his heart as a Player. All he wanted was to complete quests and explore new places, and had no interest in complicated matters such as politics.
Therefore, to prevent himself from being dragged to the platform by either Angora or Princess Leah, Edward slipped away first and ran to the chaotic scene of the banquet, feasting to his heart's content.
"Don't you want to join the rabbitmen in their folk dance?" Edward handed Gerald a few skewers while chuckling. "Although it doesn't look like much, it's quite fun to jump in and have a surprisingly high mood."
"Forget it, I'm not in the mood."
Gerald naturally knew who Edward was. His proficiency in fire magic had reached the acme of perfection in the previous event, and while he was pinned to the ground by the Roaring Blaze Tiger Warrior who was immune to fire damage, he managed to regain his dignity in the battle against the Revived Nightstalker, and could be considered one of the most powerful champions in the Church of Games.
Gerald even weighed the matter in his mind, and felt that Edward might be stronger than the swordsman who had easily defeated him before.
Shaking his head, he refused Edward's goodwill.
"Don't be in such a hurry to refuse. You wouldn't lose anything by trying." Edward urged him even more passionately. "Life is about trying."
Still, it wasn't all out of goodwill, but mostly because he wanted to see how the young noble who always kept a straight face would perform folk dance …
"Then I'll try this skewer in my hand."
Even if Gerald wasn't aware of Edward's thoughts, he really wasn't interested in dancing. "Please don't try to persuade me. I just want to be alone and calm down."
He had seen all sorts of spectacles when he was a city watch knight in Lancaster. After all, most nobles were cultured in the arts to a certain degree, and danced elegantly and subtly. He had even seen the performances of great dancers and artists that nobles praised so much at banquets, and could be considered knowledgeable.
The Players' seemingly silly dances had at least a certain degree of strength and technique, and the wild sensation of breaking free from restraints wasn't something that could be easily created. While not everyone could appreciate it, there was at least a certain degree of appreciation and artistry.
On the other hand, the so-called folk dance was nothing more than a bunch of people holding hands around a bonfire, kicking their legs — it was really meaningless.
"You have to change your mood. No matter how long you hold it in or how long you have to calm down, the feeling of discomfort wouldn't disappear." Edward was clearly younger than Gerald, but he appeared more mature as he spoke with assurance. "It's uncomfortable no matter what you do. So instead of chewing it over and over by yourself, why don't you do something troublesome so that your mind won't be able to handle it and forget about it?"
Edward's words smoothly dispelled Gerald's refusal, leaving Gerald unable to think of a way to refuse at once.
Edward could tell that Gerald was going to keep refusing, and so simply pulled him towards the bonfire.
"Also, it's fine if you have something that makes you unhappy. Everyone has something that makes them uncomfortable. If there's anything that you can't figure out, you can tell me and let me … ahem, help you as a reference," Edward continued.
Gerald's heart stirred a little at his words, and a figure quietly appeared in his mind.
"May I ask … what kind of person was Mister Marni in life?"
"Well, you've asked the right person. Let me tell you, I was the one who pulled Marni into the church …" Edward couldn't help putting his hands on his hips whenever the topic came up.
In the distance, Eggface took a picture of the two of them pulling each other as they walked towards the bonfire with a wretched expression. Then, he started to think about the title of a new post.
He had a premonition that this time, his post would definitely explode!
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Chapter 275 CHAPTER 275
Folk dance
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