Strongest Warlock - Wizard World Irregular

"Yes," Ethan replied after taking a sip from his mug. "This weather is not ideal for treasure hunting."

Unlike the balanced sweetness of the mead he had in the tavern earlier, the one he was drinking right now was also sweet, but there was a sour fruity aftertaste.

Nevertheless, it wasn\'t bad and was good enough to drink.

"This mead is only a month old," Nicole said after pouring herself a mug and making a toast with Ethan. "But this weather makes me want to not wait for a few more months to enjoy it. I just want something to warm me up, especially when the nights are cold."

Out of habit, Ethan almost touched Nicole\'s forehead to check her temperature.

However, this time, he managed to hold himself back just in time because he didn\'t want to make the young lady become suspicious of him again.

"You brewed this mead by yourself?" Ethan asked after drinking a bit of his mead. "It\'s not bad. You have talent in brewing."

"I bet you say that to all girls," Nicole replied in a teasing tone. "Well, I learned a bit from my father before he passed away. One of the joys of his life is brewing, and it rubbed off on me."

Ethan wanted to ask Nicole if the father she was talking about was the priest of the church. But in order to not make the atmosphere awkward, he decided that it would be best if he didn\'t pry on the matter any longer.

"So, do you live here in the church?" Ethan asked.

"No," Nicole replied. "But I visit it twice a week to clean. This church is made to honor the Goddess of the Earth, and since I am one of her few existing believers in this town, I make it a point to clean it regularly."

"Isn\'t it hard to clean this place on your own?" Ethan inquired.

"It is, but that\'s just how it is," Nicole replied. "Sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do."

Nicole then drank everything in her mug before pouring herself a second serving.

"Drink up as well," Nicole said as she refilled Ethan\'s mug. "It\'s very rare for me to have company, especially on a dark, cold, and rainy night like this."

Ethan sighed helplessly before drinking the mead that was offered to him.

The two then chatted about many things.

About the Obnoxious Town Mayor and the recent scandals that he had, which forced him to leave the town and use a business trip as an excuse for it.

Ethan chuckled because Nicole\'s story was quite funny, and he was also feeling a bit down about the world inside the painting.

Since the young lady was dissing the Mayor (Fortis Dud), Ethan decided to diss him together with her, making the two chuckle like good drinking buddies.

Their talks flowed just as smoothly as the mead that the two of them were drinking.

Before Ethan realized it, he was already drunk, no longer in the right condition to return to the inn.

"You\'ve drunk too much," Nicole said apologetically. "Come. Let me take you to the bedroom to rest."

Although his thoughts were already a little hazy at that point, he was still pleasantly surprised because Nicole was strong enough to support his wobbling body.

Fortunately, the bedroom wasn\'t that far of a walk because it was just located on the right side of the room.

Nicole made him sit on the bed first and then helped him take off his shoes.

Ethan\'s head was already nodding off at that point, but he could still faintly sense that Nicole was removing his robe.

"You\'re so defenseless, Ethan," Nicole whispered. "Coming here was worth it."

That was the last thing that registered in Ethan\'s head before he felt something soft press against his lips.

Followed by a sweetness that was sweeter than honey.

A moment later, he blanked out, and soon, the rustling of clothes echoed silently inside the room.

The cold body pressed over something warm, igniting the heat that spread like wildfire.

When the flames finally settled down, the lingering sparks shone for the last time.

Ethan finally closed his eyes to sleep.

When he woke up the next day, he felt a bit fatigued as if his magic and vitality had been sucked out of his body.

Even so, he shrugged it off and looked at the unfamiliar room that he was in.

It took him a while longer to realize that he was only wearing his underwear, while the rest of his clothes were properly folded on top of the table.

He tried his best to recall what happened the night before, but every time he did, he only felt an ache inside his head.

\'I drank too much,\' Ethan thought. \'I should have controlled myself a bit more.\'

Ethan poured himself a glass of water and drank it to feel better.

But just as he was about to wear his clothes, the door of the room opened.

Nicole entered, holding a tray of food.

"It\'s not much, but I made porridge for the two of us," Nicole said as she placed the tray on the table. "Do you have a hangover? I have medicine here for that. Do you need it?"

"Yes, please," Ethan replied.

He then slowly put his pants and robe on as if he wasn\'t embarrassed to do it in front of Nicole.

The young lady then handed him a small bottle and asked him to drink its contents.

"Just drink it slowly. It\'s a bit bitter," Nicole stated.

Ethan nodded and drank the bitter liquid that made his face contort for a brief moment before returning to normal.

"Come, let\'s eat," Nicole said as she patted the chair beside her.

Ethan thanked her and sat beside her.

The porridge was simple, but it was warm enough, and the volume was big enough to fill his stomach.

"By the way, what are your plans for today?" Nicole asked.

Ethan stopped eating and pondered what his plans were today.

He felt like he needed to do something important, but no matter how hard he tried to remember it, the thought would slip into his hands, making him unable to recall anything.

While the memory he was trying to recall slipped away from his fingertips, a new memory willingly allowed itself to be caught, making Ethan "remember" what he was supposed to do.

"Weren\'t we supposed to pick up edible plants and herbs in the forest?" Ethan asked. "With this rain, our food supply will run out if we don\'t stack up soon."

Nicole smiled faintly before nodding her head. "Let\'s go together after breakfast. It\'s hard to look for edible plants at night."

"I can still look for them at night," Ethan answered.

"And leave me alone?" Nicole answered. "Are you sure about that?"

"… Maybe not." Ethan shook his head. "It\'s too dangerous to leave you alone here in the church. We don\'t know if someone with ill intentions will suddenly barge here when you\'re alone."

Nicole smirked before whispering something in Ethan\'s ear, making the latter arch an eyebrow.

"You really are adventurous," Ethan commented.

"Since it\'s already raining, why not get wet together?" Nicole said as she gave Ethan a mischievous smile. "It has been a while since I bathed in the rain. Will you accompany me?"

"Why not?" Ethan replied. "But you better prepare yourself, okay? If you invite a wolf into your home, you should be prepared to get eaten."

"Oh, there\'s no need to worry about that," Nicole said as she affectionately caressed Ethan\'s cheek. "Last night, I invited a good wolf to enter my home, and I am the one who ate him."

Ethan\'s eyes became dazed for a brief moment before it returned to normal.

"What did you say?" Ethan asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I think I really drank a lot last night. I didn\'t hear what you said earlier."

"Don\'t worry. It\'s nothing important," Nicole assured him. "All you need to do is enjoy our date in the rain later."

"Sounds like a fun date indeed." Ethan smiled.

"Indeed." Nicole agreed. "It will be fun indeed."

The smile on her face widened as he looked at the handsome young man, who was happily eating the food that she prepared especially just for him.