Chương 58: Drink a little

Before leaving, I stopped by the warehouse - the place where the brewing and fermentation took place. The smell of yeast inside was overpowering. There were numerous jars, large and small, which I didn't dare open for fear of ruining their livelihood. Lealia pointed out a medium-sized beer barrel with a tap, sitting apart from the other casks. I grabbed a nearby wooden mug, poured a sample, and had a taste. I had to admit, it was far better than I had expected.

The beer had a light fruity aroma and was quite sweet, with a peculiar, refreshing crispness. Consequently, I poured myself another half-mug and drained it. Lealia looked somewhat anxious.

"Didn't you say the poisoning might come from the alcohol?"

"Well, if I actually fall ill, then we've officially found the cause. Isn't that a good thing?"

"... You aren't going to get drunk, are you?"

"Not a chance. The beer is good; do you want a sip?" Lealia shook her head in refusal, looking rather averse to alcoholic beverages. I had drank beer many times in Averula. The brew here was usually a bit bitter for my taste, but not too difficult to swallow. This body has a very high alcohol tolerance, and since the alcohol content here is low, I've never once been drunk in Averula. I also found about ten bottles of finished grape wine.

I chose a bottle that had already been opened, poured a bit into a glass, and took a small sip. This time, the flavor was nothing out of the ordinary. Afterward, Lealia and I left the Martins' residence. She asked me:"What do you suspect in the alcohol is contaminated with Miasma? Could it be the fruit? Or that thing they called 'yeast'?"

"I don't know yet, which is why we need to visit the other patients. I also want to take a walk around town; who knows, we might stumble upon a clue." I asked a few locals for directions and followed them to one of the town's two public wells. From what I observed, a few wealthy households had private wells, but the vast majority depended on these two communal ones. We arrived at the northern well. The area surrounding it was constantly bustling with people fetching water.

Several stalls were set up nearby, creating a small marketplace. The townspeople would haul water up using a pulley system, then pour it into wooden basins or ceramic jars to be loaded onto carts and hauled home. As soon as one person finished, the next would step up. If half the town uses this well and remains unharmed, the water source here is unlikely to be the cause of the poisoning. Lealia and I took another lap around the town. Just as Mrs. Martins had said, many people here brewed their own alcohol.

However, most were on a very small scale, nowhere near the volume of the Martins' operation. We stopped by several shops and homes that engaged in brewing. Lealia's title as a Hero Candidate and the church soldier uniforms of the two men trailing us ensured we were welcomed warmly. At each stop, I struck up a conversation and sampled their beer or wine, hoping to find a pattern. But the only conclusion I could draw was that the Martins' beer was still the one that suited my palate best.

Seeing me about to duck into a sixth tavern, Lealia hurriedly grabbed my arm. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Hey. Don't drink anymore. You're actually going to get drunk."

"... I'll not get drunk." Lealia clearly didn't believe a word of it as she resolutely dragged me away.

"We should head over to where Iris and the others are. We need to discuss this with them and then report to the Mayor." As we made our way toward the eastern side of town, we ran into Iris and Edgar's group heading in the opposite direction. Iris called out, "Lealia? Are you finished examining the patients on that side?"

"Yes. We've developed a theory and wanted to see a few more patients before discussing it with all of you."

"Oh? We've just visited three houses, and all of them are showing good progress. Would you like to join me or Edgar for the next house?"

"Sure," I said, turning to Lealia.

"You go with Edgar, I'll go with Iris. You know what questions to ask, right?" Lealia nodded knowingly, and we split up. Iris's two assistants didn't seem particularly pleased about me joining them; they kept shooting me daggers every few steps. Suddenly, Iris leaned in close to me, closing her eyes as if catching a scent. Then she opened them and looked up at me with surprise.

"Have you been drinking beer, Asher?" I nodded nonchalantly.

"Yeah. We suspect the source of the poisoning might be the alcohol. Did the patients you visited drink any?" Iris faltered for a moment.

"You actually believe Lealia?"

"Shouldn't I?"

"I mean... there's no concrete evidence for it yet. We should stay focused on making the patients better instead of doing things that have no effect."

"Lealia is doing a fine job with the treatment; the two patients on the west side are already showing improvement. Besides, I don't think tracking down the root cause of this illness is a waste of time." Iris came to an abrupt halt. I turned back to look at her, confused. Iris stared at me with tearful eyes.

"Is that why you're drinking, even though you used to say you hated alcohol? You're putting yourself in danger just to prove Lealia is right?" Wait... Asher Griffin used to say he hated alcohol? How was I supposed to know that? You never mentioned anything about it during the last isekai life! Iris continued, her voice trembling, "You don't have to do this anymore, Asher. It's my fault… please, stop torturing yourself."

"..." I was speechless for a good thirty seconds.

"Stop doing what exactly?"

"You're angry with me, aren't you? Because I don't talk to you as much as I used to, you've turned to Lealia... You even volunteered to be her assistant and came all the way to this dangerous place just to make me worry about you?" I suddenly began to suspect that I might actually be a little drunk. Otherwise, how was it that I understood every single word she just said, yet the sentence as a whole made absolutely no sense? I rubbed my forehead and asked again, "Hang on, I don't think I quite follow you.

Are you suggesting that I'm getting close to Lealia just to spite you?" Iris lunged forward and grabbed my hand. Her two assistants stood there, jaws dropping, wanting to intervene but having no clue how to handle the situation.

"It's okay if you don't understand your own heart yet, as long as I understand it," Iris said.

"My sudden appointment as a Hero Candidate made you feel like the gap between us had grown too wide, and you were too afraid to bridge it, right?" I found it hilarious. Then, I couldn't help but actually burst out laughing. Alright, I had to admit the alcohol was making it a bit harder to suppress my emotions than usual, but this girl's logic was delusional to a comical degree. Seeing me laugh, Iris doubled down on her interpretation.

"Don't act like this. If you're sad, just show it. You and I will always be friends, so please, stop torturing yourself just to get my attention." I pulled my hand back and struggled to stifle my laughter.

"Iris, do you truly believe that everyone will love you to the point of obsession? I mean, you're quite good at playing your part, I'll give you credit for the effort, but the world doesn't revolve around you, you know?"

"Asher, I..."

"Look, there's no need to continue with these theories because they're wrong from the very start. I'm acting as Lealia's assistant because she's a good person who needs support. Beyond that, we are friends; I simply want to help my friend. As for you, if you're ever in trouble, just say the word and I'll try to help. But you don't really need it, do you?" I jerked my chin toward the two assistants hovering closely behind her.

I could have been harsher, but I didn't think now was the right time to burn bridges with Iris. Provoking her would only gain me an enemy ready to spread rumors and tarnish my reputation behind my back. I'd let her wear that "Saintess" mask for a little while longer and unmask her at the perfect moment, that would be the killing blow. Iris seemed unprepared for this reaction. She stood there dazed for several seconds, unable to find her voice. I tilted my head toward the road.

"Shouldn't we be heading to the next patient? Let's go."