Jyaaaanng—!! Wuuum—whiiiing! Drang-ting ting~ Fwoooong~ priiing! Twang-tring~ triiing!
The strings of a guitar thrummed wildly, echoing through the grand guild hall.
With wine glasses in hand and laughter brimming on their lips, the adventurers filled the room with roaring voices, singing songs of valor and heroic tales.
Glasses clinked, swords crossed, and steel rang out in rhythm with the melody.
Clang—! Clang—!
"Ho! Ho! Ho!"
Cling—! Cling—!
"The dragon's fire burns!"
Clang—! Clang—!
"Ho! Ho! Ho!"
Cling—! Cling—!
"Glory to the guild forever!"
Arm in arm, the brave souls danced and raised their cups high toward the ceiling. Their voices grew stronger as the music surged into the second verse, bold and heavy.
Clang—! Clang—!
"Beneath the stars, we march ahead!"
Cling—! Cling—!
"Ancient myths, our dearest friends!"
Clang—! Clang—!
"From dragon's lair to the clouds above!"
Cling—! Cling—!
"Comrades in spirit, forward we move!"
Mages wove fire magic, bursting sparks of light into the air like fireworks. The atmosphere grew ever more festive, drowning in warmth and joy.
Then—one adventurer leapt onto a table, raising his mug high as he bellowed with all his might.
Clang—! Trrt-trrt! Clang—!
"Hey, hey, hey! Raise your swords high!"
Cling—! Fsssshhh~ Cling—!
"Hey, hey, hey! Let the song ignite tonight!"
Clang—! Trrt-trrt! Clang—!
"Together with dragons, together with legends!"
Cling—! Fsssshhh~ Cling—!
"The Adventurers' Guild, eternal forever!"
The feast was in full bloom. Warriors, mages, merchants—none held back in the revelry after the guild's official expedition had come to a close.
Within the bustling celebration, some wrestled arms, some tested their tolerance for liquor, while others sought to charm the beloved guild receptionist.
At her desk, a young adventurer shouted above the noise,
"Lucia…! I love you…! Please, accept these flowers!"
He thrust a bouquet toward the woman, Lucia, whose beauty shone even brighter in the firelit hall. She answered only with a strained smile.
"Y-you really don't know when to give up, do you, Cedric…?"
"Of course not! You're my type! Especially your boo—voice of my heart… it only ever calls your name!" Cedric's lips trembled, barely restraining the indecent words threatening to spill out. So close… His heart shook with fear of offending the goddess before him, yet his dusk-colored eyes still lingered upon Lucia's forbidden curves, frozen in place.
Time itself seemed to halt upon the valley of her chest.
Lucia's eyes narrowed at his reckless gaze. Quickly, she shielded her cleavage with her delicate hands.
"…Kyaa! Y-you…!"
Her pale cheeks flushed crimson, her snow-white hair spilling down to hide her face like roses buried beneath snow.
Hic!
A hiccup approached.
"Oi, Cedric! What are you doing to our guild's angel?"
The stench of wine slammed into Cedric's nose as the drunken Jay pressed his face against him.
"Jay! You stink! Get your mouth off me!" Cedric struggled desperately, yet Jay clung to him like a leech.
Jay's words slurred, but bore no malice.
"…Hoam, su…re…ly… You… Me…—Su… Su…"
Annoyance flared, yet Cedric held back from violence. After all, Jay's foolishness wasn't limited to the feast; he was always a nuisance. Together, they often ended up making spectacles of themselves before Lucia.
"Argh! Just go away if you're drunk! You're ruining my approach plan!" Cedric wrestled against the mop of blue hair poking at his face.
In that instant, Cedric's sunset eyes caught Lucia's faint smile. Heat rushed through his cheeks, and he quickly lowered his head, golden hair covering his face—like a boy caught misbehaving under her gaze.
"Tristan! Help me with Jay, he's drunk!" Lucia called to another adventurer. Her gaze flicked back—meeting Cedric's eyes head-on.
Time slowed. Her heart skipped as his dusk-colored eyes pierced through the bangs shadowing his face.
Blush!
Lucia turned away with a sudden outburst.
Cedric panicked at her reaction.
"Why, Lucia?!"
"Why are you turning away?!"
"Do you hate me?! No…!!"
A massive shadow loomed behind him. Tristan approached, his towering frame casting Cedric and Jay into darkness.
"That's enough, both of you! You're troubling Lady Lucia. Come—finish the rest of the wine with me!"
With one swift motion, his arms wrapped around them like iron chains, dragging them off.
"Mmmmpphhh!!" Cedric and Jay's cries were muffled beneath Tristan's mighty armpits.
"Oh, Tristan!"
"Damn, suffocating them like that—poor guys!"
"Hah! You just dragged them here to drink, didn't you? They're already drunk on your pits, Tristan!"
Tristan plopped them onto chairs.
"Take care of Jay—I'm not babysitting. And Cedric, teach him how to drink. He's already eighteen."
"Hahaha! Understood, sir!"
Cedric gagged, "Hoek!" intoxicated by the suffocating stench. His fury deepened when Tristan strolled off to Lucia's desk, casually striking up conversation.
"Unfair!"
The adventurers pulled Cedric back as he tried to flee.
"Come on, fresh adult! Just taste the wine. Don't worry, we won't tell your grandma."
Cedric scowled.
"I'll tell her myself!"
Laughter roared around him. Tristan chatted leisurely, Jay muttered in drunken slumber, Cedric downed his very first wine—and the guild hall thrummed with endless merriment.
The street musicians hired by the guild master shifted to a new tune.
Mages sparked fire spells into the air, warriors clashed blades to the beat.
Amid the uproar, Cedric's heart turned quiet. The wine stripped him bare, leaving only honesty in his thoughts.
His inner voice could not be heard by others, but to him, the world felt warm.
Eighteen years had passed since my rebirth.
Now, this world feels like home.
My parents are gone. Raised by my grandmother, and by my late grandfather.
Cedric Albrect—that was his full name. He remembered it well. This world beneath his feet was none other than the setting of a novel. He had come from modern Earth, where magic was but a myth.
Well… after all, I'm only a side character. Someone with no role in the main story.
Though born of sorrow, Cedric was grateful to live in a world where Lucia truly existed.
I only fell in love at first sight with her.
Even in the illustrations, she was breathtaking. But seeing her in reality… she was beyond compare.
Cedric remembered every plot, every scene involving her. Obsessed with the guild's receptionist, he had even gathered every scrap of fan data back on Earth.
Lucia—whose full name was Lucia Bloodveil—unknown to the world, bore the bloodline of a nearly extinct race. A Succubus.
This world… the very novel itself—James Arthur: An Adventure Full of Love.
Back on Earth… Cedric had been one of its most ardent fans.