Though I had drunk a lot before, the alcohol I had in Irellexia and the alcohol in this world couldn’t be the same.
For one, beer did exist in Irellexia. Since brewing beer from barley and hops didn’t require advanced technology, it wasn’t uncommon.
However, the process of bottling and storing it couldn’t be compared to how things were done in this world.
There were devices somewhat similar to refrigerators, allowing beer to be kept cool, but there was almost no technology to hermetically seal it like modern factories do, preventing carbonation from escaping.
All alcohol in Irellexia was handmade and typically stored in wooden barrels. Naturally, over time, the carbonation would gradually dissipate, so by the time it was served at a tavern, most of the fizz would be gone.
That’s not to say it had no fizz at all, but it was nothing compared to the modern beer on Earth.
The crisp, cool sensation of carbonation sweeping from my mouth down my throat was incredibly pleasant distinct from that of carbonated soft drinks.
Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d had alcohol since arriving in this world.
The flavor of the beer itself wasn’t particularly strong. There was still that characteristic bitter aftertaste lingering in my mouth, and the aroma hovered around my nose, but compared to the beer I drank in Irellexia, the taste felt weaker.
Maybe it was just because the beer was so cold and heavily carbonated.
Still, it was drinkable. I wasn’t someone who was particularly sensitive to the taste of alcohol, anyway. Even when drinking what was supposedly an excellent wine, my reaction never went beyond, Oh, this tastes pretty high-end.
So, I decided not to dwell on it too much.
What mattered more was the fact that I was sitting across from my sister, sharing a drink together.
When our eyes met, she gave me an awkward smile.
Under the dim lighting typical of a bar, with soft music playing in the background, she looked even more atmospheric than usual.
“Um…”
She sat across from me, shifting her gaze around as if struggling to find the right words.
And honestly, I was in the same boat.
A moment ago, she had made a sound like she had just remembered something an “Ah” but when I asked about it, she had brushed it off, saying it was nothing. That bothered me.
Did she still have things she found difficult to say to me?
Even back when I was a man, I didn’t think my sister had shared everything she went through with me.
People naturally have personal matters they don’t want to share, even with those closest to them whether out of embarrassment or simply because they don’t want the other person to worry.
So I couldn’t exactly press her for answers, but…
“Um, so.”
While I was lost in thought, my sister seemed to have finally gathered her thoughts. She looked at me and opened her mouth to speak.
She wasn’t staring at me directly or intensely. Instead, she had her head slightly lowered, gazing up at me with her eyes raised. That look was incredibly endearing.
It wasn’t just because I was the one looking at her—my sister was undeniably beautiful to anyone who saw her. Her smile was lovely, but even this moment of hesitation had its own charm.
Then, cautiously, she spoke.
“Sitting here like this… it just made me realize how little we really know about each other.”
“Oh… yeah.”
I nodded.
I knew my sister, but she didn’t really know me.
Or rather, to be precise, I didn’t know her that well anymore either. I hadn’t heard what had happened in her life over the past five years.
I could make some guesses based on what we had talked about so far.
Most likely, she had spent those five years in complete exhaustion.
Maybe, aside from volunteering once a month, she had done nothing but go back and forth between work and home.
Of course, I could be wrong.
No, I really hoped I was wrong about this…
“Um, so.”
My sister, realizing she had just repeated herself, let out an embarrassed laugh before speaking again.
“So… you said you’re living with friends, right?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
Yeah, calling them friends was the right choice. I could have said companions, but honestly, the concept of the Hero’s Party didn’t really matter anymore. The Demon King was dead, and his army was in shambles. By the time we had marched on his castle, many demons had already surrendered.
There would probably be peace for at least a hundred years unless humans started fighting among themselves, that is.
So yeah, they were just friends now. People I could rely on whenever needed, without any calculations or obligations. People I could meet even without a specific reason, just to laugh and enjoy each other’s company.
“With four other people?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t the house too small?”
I had been answering her questions smoothly, but that one made me pause.
Not at all. In fact, each room could easily fit another person without it feeling cramped though the living conditions might not be ideal. Even when all five of us gathered in the living room, there was still plenty of space.
The house was big.
Technically, Dana’s study wasn’t exactly a room in the traditional sense, but since she used it without any inconvenience, it counted.
“No, it’s not small.”
After a brief moment of hesitation, I gave her my answer.
I was living in an absurdly expensive house—one that some people could work their entire lives and still never afford.
I worried that if I mentioned that, it might make my sister feel distant from me. But hiding it and having her find out later would be even worse.
Besides, she already knew my address, so she had likely realized I had a lot of money.
‘Would she think I had changed because of that?’
The old me wasn’t rich, didn’t live in such a luxurious home, and definitely wasn’t sharing a house with four beautiful women.
“I see…”
My sister answered, her expression thoughtful, as if lost in her own contemplation.
I watched her quietly, my heart pounding with unease.
*
I see.
So it’s not exactly small, huh?
Thinking about Shihyun’s address, I figured it wouldn’t be cramped. It must be a spacious apartment, big enough for four people to live together.
Still, a question lingered.
Could there be a girl sharing the same room with her?
…Yeah, I know. I realize how weird this sounds. I mean, I’m a girl, Shihyun is a girl, and the people she lives with are probably girls too.
So feeling this odd sense of jealousy didn’t make much sense. If I could be jealous of a girl, did that mean I wouldn’t feel jealous over a guy?
Being a coward, I still couldn’t be sure if what Shihyun said to me back then was really a confession.
After all, neither of us had clearly defined our relationship as romantic yet.
Even if we wanted to become a couple, there were still a few hurdles to overcome.
So it wasn’t right for me to be suspicious or jealous just because Shihyun lived with someone. Even if she liked girls instead of guys.
And yet…
Even so, after saying something like that to me, wouldn’t it be wrong if she were sharing a room with another girl? No matter how you looked at it, leaving room for two people like that…
…Seriously, what am I even thinking?
Holding back a sigh, I quickly opened my mouth and asked Shihyun,
“Do you each have your own rooms?”
In the end, my words were just a way to confirm my own suspicions.
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
Shihyun’s eyes widened slightly.
Did she notice I was feeling jealous?
Hmm, no. She didn’t seem to. It was more like she was wondering why I was asking such specific details.
Yeah, if someone suddenly asked me how many rooms were in my house, I’d probably find it weird too.
“Oh, I was just… curious.”
Even as I gave that flimsy excuse, I felt relieved. If they each had their own rooms, there was little chance of anything happening.
…Seriously, what kind of thoughts am I having?
I let out a small, amused breath at my own ridiculousness. Here I was, asking a bunch of weird questions to someone younger than me.
But at least I felt better now.
Besides, Shihyun wasn’t the type to do something like that. She wasn’t that naïve.
“How did you meet those friends?”
Feeling a bit more at ease, I asked with a smile.
“Oh…”
Shihyun hesitated for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.
“We met by chance a while back and went through something together. Uh… we took down a really bad person, I guess?”
“For real?”
Her words were way more serious than I had expected.
“Uh, yeah…”
Shihyun looked more surprised by my reaction than anything.
But no matter how you put it, taking down a bad person wasn’t something you’d hear in an ordinary situation.