The Tyrant's Pet

Unlike what everyone expected, the challenger didn't drop as early as they thought he would. The challenger kept up with Abel, even though he looked pathetic. He also had garnered a few supporters who betted on him due to the odds. Some believed because Abel had been drinking, he would drop soon.

"Add more! More! More! More!"

The crowd started cheering to add more challenges for the contenders. Since Abel had proved he was a heavy drinker and the challenger was keeping up somehow, the crowd thought bringing out bigger mug barrels would be better.

"Alright! Since these are already your fifth drink, let's add more challenge for the next round, eh?!" the host excitedly announced, inducing another wave of roars from everyone surrounding them.

As everyone gleefully cheered, Aries shook her head. She kept her eyes on the poor challenger and sighed. The challenger's will to win was commendable, but it was clear he was barely keeping up. Unlike Abel, who was treating this booze as water, his opponent seemed he would throw up at any moment.

"It's getting late..." While the host and the people who were in charge of the competition brought forth larger barrel mugs, Aries looked up at the sky.

Abel joined for fun, but the sky had turned darker and darker, and Abel was still competing. It was not she wasn't enjoying herself, but it felt like they had spent so much time in this competition.

<strong>'Should I ask him to forfeit now?'</strong> she wondered, setting her eyes back to Abel. Aries scrunched her face, seeing the gigantic barrel mugs that could kill someone if they drank from them in one go. <strong>'Are they executing people or what?'</strong>

For sure, this would be a winning round. Aries wasn't being biased, but she instantly thought that size would definitely be something the contender couldn't finish unscathed. Yet, the crowd's cheers went to a crescendo.

They watched Abel and his opponent hold the handle of each barrel mug, raising it to their lips. Abel kept his eyes on the person opposite him over the rim, his Adam's Apple moving up and down each gulp. Meanwhile, his opponent also drank very slowly, coughing midway, before forcing himself to drink the rest.

When Abel slammed the bottom of the mug barrel on the barrel before him, another wave of roars erupted in the air. He drank the booze in one go while his opponent was coughing in between and sometimes gagging. When everyone thought his opponent wouldn't finish the mug barrel, they thought wrong. Although it took a bit of time, the challenger was able to finish it; he was coughing so badly though.

"Woah!!! Look what is happening! Arbie and the challenger just drank the first pint of booze!" the host exclaimed, matching the energy of the crowd. Another person was refilling the empty barrel mugs while the host continued to hype up the crowd.

<strong>'Why do I feel like this won't end?'</strong> wondered Aries, darting her eyes between Abel and his opponent. Her brows furrowed as Abel glanced at the booze before lifting his eyes at the man before him.

"This is boring." Abel broke his silence for the first time, snapping his eyes at the host. "Can we just compete on something else?"

"Huh?" the host looked at Abel, baffled at his sudden suggestion.

"I don't think you have enough supply of booze to see who wins." Abel slowly set his eyes on the person opposite him, pointing a finger at his opponent with his thumb erected like a gun gesture. "Instead of drinking until we drop, why don't we make it literally? Whoever bleeds first will be the loser, and as a loser, he has to gouge his eyes out?"

The cheers slowly subsided upon Abel's suggestion, looking at him wide-eyed. Did he just suggest whoever the loser would have to gouge his eyes out?

"Ah... ha ha..." the host awkwardly laughed, raising his brows, waiting for Abel to add something as like he was kidding or some sort. But Abel didn't.

Abel looked back at the host, cocking his head to the side.

"What do you think? That sounds more fun, right?" Abel added, blinking almost innocently.

<strong>'My god...' </strong>Aries pinched the bridge of her nose<strong>. 'Can't he see his opponent looks like he was already hovering between life and death?!'</strong>

Much to everyone's dismay, Abel's opponent hummed in agreement.

"I think he is right," said the pale, long-haired man. "Let's just do that."

Those who had heard him, including Aries, couldn't help but cast the man a judgemental look. How could he agree to such a wicked suggestion when he looked like someone who would break with a slight push?

"See?" Abel cocked his head back, eyes falling on the stupefied host.

The host opened and closed his mouth, looking around at the dumbfounded crowd.

"Uh..." the host cleared his throat, walking closer to Abel's side. "Are you drunk, man? Don't you know that cannot happen here? We'll be dead if this reaches the palace!"

"Oh?"

The host huffed, looking back at Abel in disappointment. "Just give up if you can't take it any longer --"

"It's not like I can't take drinking anymore." Abel cut the host off as he set his eyes back at the man across from him. "It's just that I cannot stand staring at how pathetic and boring this person here is. How can you not change the slightest, Max?"

Aries furrowed her brows, sensing the menace emanating from Abel's back. Her heart thudded when the contender replied calmly.

"How can you be so harsh, my friend?" her eyes shook, moving it to the sickly man opposite Abel. "I'm trying my best here to humor you. This booze is terrible... but I'm not complaining."

Aries unconsciously held her breath, watching the man smile warmly. Unlike the intimidating aura Abel was pulling, the other person still looked sickly, but one could tell he wasn't intimidated slightly.

"This man..." she whispered, only to trail off when the man turned his head in her direction.

The man smiled subtly at her until the corner of his eyes creased. "You have an exquisite taste as always, my friend. Your wife is stunning. The Grimsbanne men might be cursed, but they were surely lucky in their wives." His eyes went up and down at Aries before setting his eyes back to Abel.

"I wonder what her body looks like without all those fabrics?"