By the time I stumbled out of the tavern, night had already fallen.

It was my first drink, and I was dead drunk. Leaning against some random wall by the roadside, I retched violently.

Drunk felt different from what I’d imagined. My mind was oddly clear, but my vision and body felt light and floaty, like my limbs had slipped free from my brain’s control.

I swayed back to the Exclusive little inn on the village’s north side, fumbling for the key to the room I’d rented at noon.

But after patting my pockets for ages, I couldn’t find it.

Where had the key gone?

I slapped my forehead. Right—if Anjelit had escorted me to the Sanctuary, she must’ve taken it.

Was she inside now?

I knocked on the door.

*Knock knock knock…*

“Anjelit, open up… Not here? Ugh…”

Bad timing—I felt sick again.

Clamping a hand over my mouth, I waited. No answer. Turning to head downstairs and ask the innkeeper for help, I spun around—and nearly crashed into Anjelit herself, trudging up the stairs, exhaustion etched on her face.

When she saw me, she huffed in annoyance, clearly not wanting to deal with me. But noticing my greenish face, she sighed and stepped closer.

“Seriously, if you can’t hold your liquor, don’t force it!”

She unlocked the door and sidestepped to let me in first.

“If you’re gonna puke, do it by the window. Don’t mess up the room.”

“Mm…” I nodded, dashing to the windowsill. *Bleurgh!* I vomited straight out.

“Who the hell just puked on my head!”

A man’s shout erupted from below. I yanked my head back inside, startled.

After puking, my mind cleared a little. Patting my stomach, I plopped down on the floor.

Anjelit was already unstrapping her Temple Knight armor. Underneath, she wore a shirt and underskirt, so she wasn’t worried about exposing herself to me.

Not that there was much to see—I wasn’t interested anyway.

“Hey, Anjelit.”

I called her name softly. Her body stiffened. She turned with a thoroughly impatient tone.

“What?”

“I’ve figured it out…”

“Huh?”

“Except for humility—which you basically lack—you embody the rest of the Knight’s Oath perfectly…”

“What are you even talking about?!” Anjelit frowned.

“The Knight’s Oath! The Knight’s Oath!” I flopped onto my back for comfort, eyelids drooping as I stared at her. “I apologize for calling you an unqualified knight. Sorry.”

“At this point, words won’t change anything.”

“Maybe not. But let me say one last thing…” I took a deep breath and yelled at the top of my lungs.

“Keep pushing to become a glorious Temple Knight!!!”

“You lunatic! Stop screaming in the middle of the night!!!”

Grumpy shouts echoed from other rooms. Anjelit and I clapped hands over our ears, then glanced at each other—and burst out laughing. Realizing she’d smiled, she quickly turned away, snapping back to her usual impatient tone.

“You’re drunk. Get some sleep. I’m going to shower first.”

She grabbed a fresh shirt and underskirt and headed out.

Just as she reached the door, my mouth ran away with me.

“If you can… stay a little longer? You’re the only person I’d call a friend in this world… We haven’t known each other long, but I rely on you more than I thought… If you leave, I’ll feel lost and empty… Please, even one more day…”

“You’re really drunk.” Anjelit left, closing the door behind her.

The moment she stepped out, she crouched in the hallway, burying her flushed face in the clothes she was holding.

“What’s with you… Why say stuff like that… Now I can’t just walk away again…”

…

I woke to bright daylight, still sprawled on the floor—but this time, a blanket covered me.

The bed was empty. Anjelit had already left.

Rubbing my forehead, I winced at the pounding hangover headache.

Memories were patchy; I could only vaguely recall talking to Anjelit after getting back to the room.

What had I said?

No idea.

Massaging my temples for relief, the pain finally eased.

*Creak.*

The old wooden door opened. Anjelit stood there, holding two breakfast trays and a cup of hot water. She shot me a cold glare, marched in, set down the food, and thrust the water at me.

“Drink this to sober up! Ugh, thanks to you, we couldn’t finish the quest. My EXP barely moved!”

“And whose fault is that?” Her sour face pissed me off again, and I grumbled under my breath.

Anjelit bared her teeth, ready to snap back—and I braced for a fight.

But to my shock, she held back. Taking a deep breath, she calmed down.

“You… aren’t arguing with me?” I swallowed hard. This was unbelievable.

This was Anjelit! Snakey Anjelit! The flat-chested tyrant!

The muscle-bound, small-chested Temple Knight who’d toss you into the Sanctuary at the slightest provocation!

What was wrong with her today?

“Why would I argue with you?” Anjelit munched her breakfast, indifferent.

“You really won’t fight me?”

“Yeah. I’ve realized arguing with you just ruins my mood. So I’ve decided—I won’t get mad at you anymore.”

“Oh, really…” I stroked my chin, thinking hard. Then I spat two words at her.

“Flat-chested.”

“…” Anjelit kept eating calmly. One bite. Two bites. Three… three… three… “Sorry, I didn’t catch that~” She turned with her signature sweet smile.

“Flat—*ugh!*” Before I could repeat it, her slender but terrifyingly strong fist slammed into my cheek. My body arced through the air in a perfect parabola—y = -2x² + 10—and crashed into the wall.

“…Oops, my hand slipped. Sorry about that~”

…

Something was definitely wrong with Anjelit!

I stared blankly at the monster before me: HP 10/1000.

With only ten HP, even a poorly equipped Hero like me could kill it in one hit.

“What are you waiting for?!” Anjelit yelled from outside the EXP zone.

I drew my starter short sword and slashed the monster down.

“…Gained 500 EXP. Level up…”

“…Obtained 200 copper coins…”

“…Acquired title: Master of Free Wins. The aura of a pushover can’t be erased!…”

“…Ding! Detected special skill tied to this title. Character info updated…”

I usually ignored titles, but that last line made me freeze.

A title with a special skill?