“A demiurge…?”

“Here? That… aren’t there too many people here? Why would one of those demons come here?”

It didn’t even take seconds for unsettled conversations to start. Our companions for the drinking game were all fairly shocked.

“Don’t you get it? You hide a tree in the forest. It’s the same case. A lot of people have been coming into Glorenstein with the start of the academy. It is the best time for them to move unnoticed.”

“No way,” One of them scoffed. “Those vermins are carnivores. If something like that was true then cases of demiurges eating people would have already been a buzz.”

“There is no way we can have demiurges in this city.”

A lot of them turned to me. I had just proven my credentials as a Major, so it was natural.

I shook my head with a wry smile.

“There is no chance your friend saw a demiurge.”

The girl who had told the story shook her head.

“I think so too, but that girl is too scared! She didn’t even want to leave the house.”

“I assure you. A demiurge here is impossible.” I placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder and looked at the rest of them as well. “I can bet on it, on the frontlines, I had seen a lot of those rodents. They wouldn’t survive. You should reassure your friend.”

They were all silent for a second.

“If it doesn’t feel right, you can contact me at the academy. Or you’re Jeremy’s friend, just ask him to bring me around. If there’s anything like a Demiurge I’ll handle it personally.”

It seemed my words had gotten to them. All of them slowly broke into a smile and some awkward laughter.

“The professor is right.”

“Couldn’t have been a demiurge.”

We all started downing our drink. All of us except the girl. A sigh left me as I downed the drink faster than the rest.

That had completely sobered me up.

***

The drinking party continued for a while after that, but I couldn’t find myself half as interested anymore.

The hours that had turned into minutes in the party were compensated for by the minutes which stretched as long as hours. It was finally late enough for the party to die down.

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The orchestra had left, and the dance floor had become a sitting area for the tipsy, exhausted dancers. The food was now too cold to eat and the drinks too hot to drink.

Many people had also gone on their way. It was now time to close this party.

But…

The hosts were wasted.

“Jeremy. Jeremy.”

I slapped the face of the young prince as he groaned.

“Prof… drink more…”

“Did you book the rooms here?”

“Rooms? I don’t know… All these buildings are ours…”

That much was enough. A confirmation from the one who booked the place was safest.

With the help of the staff, I started moving people into the rooms of the half-dozen hotels they had booked out.

It was easy to sort them. Ladies and elderly, the ones too wasted to make it home. I also made sure one of their more sober friends was with the wasted folks in the same rooms.

That took a long while, but we moved most of them in. Some people were too wasted to go down and also a bit too rough to be worried about. It was mostly Jeremy and his ‘boys,’ so we shoved them all into a single room.

After that, I went down to the streets and informed the guards about the party and the residents in all the hotels.

“You got it, we’ll stick around.”

“Thank you very much, sir.”

That ensured safety in case any fights or something more unseemly happened. It would also keep the hotel staff in check.

While I always liked to trust people, I didn’t trust intoxication.

Instead of going back up, I went to get a carriage first. Many drivers were hoping to take some people back from the bumper party.

And among them was Jackie, the kid who I had relied on to go and get the ogre.

I asked him for help.

Jackie was not just young, smart, and sensible, for some reason he was also very respectful toward me. It bordered on fear, almost. I wondered why.

Anyway, with Jackie and his group of drivers, I started sending home the rest of the people. Some were professors, others businessmen, and some students. They all were comparatively sober, but not too much.

We got them all on a carriage.

With those two things, we had emptied out the terraces of all the guests. It took two whole hours and it was now a little shy of 3 AM.

I said goodbye to the hotel staff, telling them to expect a big tip from Jeremy, the host.

With Richard on my back, I stepped out of the place. Ready to go back home.

“I’ll take you back to the academy,” Jackie said.

“No, it’s alright… haahm… It’s a short walk.” I wasn’t very drunk either.

I reached into my coat pockets and pulled out a small checkbook.

Spending my money was a goal, but I didn’t expect it in this manner.

I quickly wrote a check and handed it to Jackie.

“Here. It’s for everyone’s rides. Please hand it out.”

People seemed too intoxicated to pay, so I told the carriage drivers that I’d pay them all.

“This?” Jackie looked at the check with widened eyes.

“And a little tip.”

I suppressed another yawn as I spoke.

“But… this is still too much, sir.”

I smiled and tapped Jackie’s shoulders.

“Keep an eye out for me, okay?”

“You got it, sir.”

“Thank you. Then, have a good night Jackie.”

“It’s almost morning!”

I laughed and turned away. The sun wasn’t going to rise for a good few hours, I counted that as night.

Richard on my back was fast asleep. I wondered for how many hours now. He had exhausted himself laughing and just collapsed.

It seemed I would have to miss the morning walk near the flowers.

“Fun party, Richard?”

The man was fast asleep on my back. Quiet.

“I found it fun too. Let’s go back, yeah?”

Talking with him, I inched closer to the academy late in the night.

Only for the same closing events to repeat the next day in the drinking party with the academy faculty. Oh, with the added event of Principal Kurt almost dragging me and Gladwin into a strip club.

I had had enough to drink for a whole year.

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