Ep 46. Lords Are Mean. (3)

  Patrick drew heavy breaths as he fixed his posure, drops of sweat falling onto the practice field’s soil. Piles of broken practice targets were littered around him, with scattered blocks of ice gradually fading away.

  - ‘And it certainly doesn’t require as much mana as you cimed it does.’

  The enforcer bit his lips as he remembered what his little brother…or, sister?...sibling, had said.

  ‘Damn it, ‘doesn’t cost as much mana’ my ass! This spell’s going to kill me before I pull it off.’

  Turns out he still couldn’t use a Snow Cw spell properly. He was making progress, but at a snail’s pace.

  ‘The formu isn’t even that hard…do I just have to wait for my reserve to grow? How do I…’

  “Ah, Parma. There you are.”

  Patrick turned around to face the individual calling his was one of the enfort sector’s agents, specifically one of the persohat handled reports.

  “Oh, hey. Didn’t e to kick me out, did you? Didn’t look like the training grounds were booked.”

  “Haha, nothing like that. Though, are you alright practig with your injuries?”

  “I’m fine. Figured I’d e practice a spell I’d been w on before, now that I have some time and all.”

  “Diligent as ever, I see.”

  Patrientarily teared up as the pliment reached his ears.

  Somehow, it felt like ay since he’d heard one. Surely he was imagining things.

  Not that the agent knew what was going on inside his head. He briefly glimpsed at the st remains of the dissipating ice before looking at Patrick again.

  “Which spell?”

  “Uh…Snow Cw.”

  “Isn’t that an 8th circle spell? I didn’t realize you were so profit in ice magic.”

  “Long way to go, still.”

  The enfroaned, shrugging as he answered. A mana she wasly a problem he could fix ht.

  “Anyways, what’s up?”

  “Ah, you see, the chief had a job for Iris iies. I believe she’s goo interrogate the dragon from st night. But…

  “But?”

  “We haven’t heard back from her for the entire day.”

  “…The whole day?”

  “That’s correct. There hasn’t been any additional i reports, but…as you know, it’s not like Iris to go silent for so long.”

  Iris Alpid. She was undoubtedly the most active and hard-w of Mage Association’s enfort sector, and also a person who strictly lived by paranutions that she’d set for herself. She reported at least twi hour ohrough magid that was assuming she didn’t already the case in that time.

  However, Patrick still frow the request. While it was w news, it wasn’t something that should’ve been reag him in the first pce.

  “And…you wao che her? Aren’t others around?”

  “Other enforcers aren’t currently avaible, and agents never mao keep up with Iris, so…unfortunately, yes. I know you’re on leave, so this is only a personal favor. You’re free to dee.”

  “All the other enforcers are gone? What’s Ray and Simon doing?”

  “Simon otted sleeping on a park bench.”

  “O…kay, where’s Ray?”

  “At the park, arresting Simon.”

  “…”

  ? ? ?

  “ you believe it?! Hide this, silehat…who does he think we are, journalists?”

  “Aww, sorrryy to hear thattt…sounds like that chief personnn jus doesn’t leave you alonee...”

  “Right?! If he wahe sector to look useful, he should make himself useful first!”

  “Uh huh…uh huh…”

  The tavern’s patrons were much quieter than usual. Partially because there was both a dragon AND an enforcer in there with them, and partially because it was eaining to watch the intoxicated enforcer drunkenly talk behind her boss’ back to an equally drunk dragon.

  Just an ho, Iris had rushed out of her portal to ‘talk’ with Ilias about keeping quiet regarding st night’s events – only to find out the dragon was too drunk to uand full sentences, let alone go somewhere quieter. Being on duty, Iris had relutly walked up to the red dragon in the off ce that she’d be sensible enough to verse, but…

  - ‘Ilias?’

  - ‘I…’t believeee…they told me to go awayyy…’

  - ‘…That’s very disheartening, but I believe my question was if you had a moment to talk.’

  - ‘Kids grow too fasttt…don’t you think soo?’

  - ‘…Sure. You know, why I don’t I just e around another day, seems I picked a bad time…’

  - ‘Are you leavioooooo??’

  - ‘What? No, I…’

  - ‘nnn, have a seat!’

  - ‘I really shouldn’t. I’m on duty-’

  - ‘Keep, two more! On mee!’

  - ‘Aye aye!’

  - ‘…Well, I suppose a drunken dragon could be potentially dangerous…’

  “…”

  Crossing his arms, Patrick looked at the tavernkeep in disbelief. The burly man was looking away, whistling ily from the questioning eyes of the enforcer beside him.

  “…Seriously? ‘Aye aye’? You gave alcohol to an enforcer on duty?”

  “Hey, I deliver what’s ordered, I ain’t got no business worryin’ about whether my er’s on duty or not.”

  Patrick rubbed his ag forehead. As far as he was ed, those who strictly bound themselves with regutions at a paranoid level were often trying to keep themselves away from certain behaviors.

  Just ohere was a time when Patrick drank with Iris – and that was the day he learned what hers was. That woman could NOT trol her drinking habits when exposed to alcohol.

  ‘And out of all the people she could be drinking with…’

  Patrick’s gaze shifted from his coworker to the dragon sitting on the neighb chair. Admittedly, after st night’s happening, both Iris and Patrick had grown a bit closer to the rather friendly red dragon.

  ‘But that still doesn’t mean you should be drinking with her on duty, Iris…’

  Patrick slowly made his way to the two drinking women, loudly clearing his throat as he stared at his coworker from the er of his eyes. His tone was unusually oppressive as the mage tried to feign at least some form of dignity for their jobs.

  “Enforcer Alpid. You’re on duty.”

  “…Patrick? Weren’t you on leave?”

  He snatched the mug of beer away from Iris’ hand.

  “Yes, I still am. And you aren’t.”

  “Hey! Gimme that!”

  “Are you drunk?”

  “Of course I’m not. I’m just keeping watch over the dragon…”

  “Really? Because you don’t need beer to keep watch, and I heard you haven’t reported once since leaving.”

  “…Just gimme that.”

  “No.”

  Ilias drowsily watched the two enforcers fight. The alcohol had almost khe dragon off her senses by this point.

  “Aww, don’t fight…I’ll buy you another one…”

  Iris made a sheepish smile towards the dragon, nodding her head in approval.

  “Aren’t you the sweetest thing? I’ll make sure your s taken off our list ter.”

  Patrick squinted in disbelief at his flushed coworker.

  ‘Holy Maker, she’s giggling and spitting nonsense. She’s totally drunk. She sounds totally sober but she’s totally drunk!’

  Patrick swiftly took hold of the staff hanging on his back. The staff’s head began to glow in a shimmering green light as he tapped it over his coworker’s head, puttio sleep.

  “Ooh, that’s cooool…your staff is all glowyy…”

  And that was the st thing Ilias said before her head also fell into the table, falling asleep on its wooden surface.

  “…”

  With the drinking pair now knocked out, Patrick looked towards the taverhe man was looking back at the enforcer with a pleading gaze.

  “…Take ‘em both if you , will ya? Ain’t no one gonna move that ss outta her table. I ain’t kiddin’ when I say I’ve seen her sneeze fmes before.”

  “…”

  ‘I really should’ve just stayed home.’