Lullaby of the Defeated

I'm not sure either. It kind of sounds like someone running towards

This cannot be right!!!

？！

Please, tell me, Master.

I have heard that one can earn a great deal of money in casinos!

So then, why... Why...?

Why did I end up broke!?

？！

Um... Atalante, I'm afraid the key word in that statement is "can."

Just because you CAN make a lot of money at casinos, it doesn't mean you will...

But... But even if I cannot make more money, I should not be able to lose all the money I had to begin with!

(Sniff...)

？！

Heh. I know that heartrending wail. The pain... The foolishness... The sheer heartache that comes from knowing what a dumbass you've been.

Who goes there!?

Me. Duh.

I heard what happened to you, Atalante. So you're flat broke now, huh?

Yes, I am. What about it? If you are here to laugh at me, go ahead.

Me, laugh at you? Never. Besides...

I'M IN THE SAME GODDAMN BOAT!!!

...!

You too!?

？！

(Shaking hands)

(Shaking hands)

This is bullshit! How the hell're we gonna keep up with all these complicated rules anyway?

Yes. Truly, I know how you feel.

At least with roulette, I know where I should place my chips.

...Well, no, not really.

And then there's all those odds you gotta keep track of in Texas Hold'em and shit. What gives?

...Hey, gimme another Café Royale. And don't bother lighting it.

I got that bit covered myself.

I will have one cider made of pressed golden apples, please.

Huh? You do not have that? I suppose silver apples will suffice, then.

？！

What is it?

Is something wrong?

？！

You dumbass, of course you do.

We wouldn't even BE in this Singularity if not for you, right?

But we only came here to make it go away...

Um, well, I guess I can have orange juice then...

Nope. Mash, you gotta grow up someday, and there's no time like the present!

Get this girl a cocktail!

Very well then, a Cinderella for the young lady in glasses.

U-uh, thank you... Well, here goes...

...Oh wow, this is really good. I can feel myself getting tipsy.

Fou!?

？！

(It's all right, Master. It's a mocktail. No alcohol.)

Fou, fou fou? Fou...

？！

... ...

I still do not think this is right. None of it! You agree, Master, yes?

Ah, whatever. Who cares? It's all just funny money anyway.

My book? Eh, don't worry. It's coming along fine.

So keep us company a little longer, Master. 'Cause if you don't, I'll burn you to a crisp.

？！

Senpai.

I was watching Ereshkigal the other day...

...and it got me thinking how maybe I should try to speak more cutely, like she does.

Maybe it would help if I started going by Mashkigal...?

Nooo!

You think it's cute...?

？！

I see your Servants can get drunk on atmosphere just as much as you can, Master...

Then again, I suppose that just goes to show how much influence you have on them!

Ugh, this sucks. I lost all my money gambling, and I'm all out of ideas for my manga.

Guess this is what getting kicked when you're down feels like.

I finally found the perfect present for the children...

But the stuffed (mass-produced) hippogriffs were so much more expensive than I thought...

Hehehe. How's it goin', ladies?

... ...

... ...

How's about you two chicks come with us and What? What's with the look?

Boy did you pick the wrong girls on the wrong day, assface. Hope you got your will sorted.

Huh? How come?

Do you have any money? If so, it is ours now.

I will hold back the best I can. With any luck, you might not end up dead!

Why's this happening!?

But all I did was...talk to them...

？！

W-watch yourself out there, kid... Don't let booze...get the better of you...

Now that's what I call a mean drunk...

What was that?

Er... Nothing, young lady. Nothing at all. (No death wish)

Bartender, could Mash have another one, please?

Very well, but just to be clear, there is no alcohol in your drink. You can't possibly be getting drunk!

Mash is okay with that. It still makes for a yummy soft drink.

？！

Yeah, Mash. You're never gonna leave an impression with weak sauce crap like that.

You've gotta be more...Altery.

Me, an Alter!?

Hmm.

I do not know what to make of that, so I will continue to ignore it. Barkeep, another cider.

And how about some

There you are, Big Sis. C'mon, no more booze. It's too easy to go overboard with that stuff.

Hm? You're here too, Master? Aren't you kinda young to be drinking?

Hahaha, hey now, don't be mad. How 'bout this? Next round's on me.

Don't worry, I won't tell the parental figure Servants.

... ...

What's up, Big Sis?

All of a sudden, I feel like carrots. Barkeep, some manner of carrot-based snack, please.

Huh? Why'd you feel like carrots as soon as I showed up!?

Hey, Hermes knockoff, I'm bored. Do something fun.

You're a Greek hero, right? Can't you at least stop time or something?

Yeah! Mash wants to see something fun, too!

(Yo, Master, the hell's going on around here!?)

？！

(I believe they're also depressed about their gambling losses.)

(Aw man, they tried to gamble? Anyone coulda told them how that was gonna turn out...)

Hey, what's with all the sign language? You trying to exclude us?

If that's how you wanna play, maybe I'll go full berserk and burn the whole place down.

Nooo! This bar is all I have going for me in my old age!

I see that look of pity in your eyes!

So you think I should stop here and save some money for lodgings too, do you!?

Well, I cannot help it! I did not just want to win. I... I also wanted to look badass!!!

Me tooo!

I wanted to saunter up in my best dress all cool and elegant and be like:

"Royal flush, bitches!"

But I couldn't exactly DO that when the best I could manage in the first few hands was A GODDAMN PAIR!!!

When I tried to raise the pot with a full house, I bluffed so hard everyone else folded!

Then, when I went all in with three of a kind, the other guy had a goddamn flush!

Some people just aren't cut out to be gamblers, no matter how sharp their eyes might be...

？！

Me? I'm awesome at it, of course.

So I hear, young Achilles.

They say you won so many games you nearly got yourself banned from the premises?

... ...

... ...

Ha, you already heard about that, huh?

Guess it just goes to show what I can do when I put my mind to

Uh......What's up?

You're gonna join us for drinks until you're drowning in our sorrows too.

Indeed. Neither you nor Master are leaving until we have hit absolute rock bottom.

？！

Ugh, dammit, guess we're out of options.

There's only one way out of this now, Master: fighting!

Mash and I'll start by

... ...

...Mash feels light as a cloud...

？！

Damn. All right, guess it's all up to us then!

......I'm sleepy.

...Me too. ...Ghh.

It's a good thing they were so drunk. I don't wanna think about how that might've turned out if they weren't...

I'll let them sleep it off on the sofa. They'll wake up sooner or later.

？！

You're quite welcome. But I do insist that you take responsibility for seeing her home safely.

Senpai! Senpai! Senpaaai! ...Mash is feeling reeeally tipsy now.

？！

Haha, guess it wouldn't be my place to help you out then. Night, Master.

Sweet dreams!

I'm coming in.

Um... I just wanted to apologize to you for last night, Master.

Achilles told us what happened. I am so ashamed of how I behaved.

As Altera would say, I know now that drinking too much is definitely bad civilization.

I'm not sorry, but screw that anyway.

Why's Kyrielight flailing on the bed like that?

？！

Aaaghhh... Ghhhhhh...!

Please don't remind me, Senpai. I've never wanted to crawl into a hole and die so badly...

Man, now I wish I remembered too. Did Mash really get that drunk?

Did she find her inner Jing Ke or something?

As luck would have it, I just so happen to have a video file of last night's proceedings.

And for you, Master, I'm willing to let it go for a very low price indeed.

？！

Senpaaaaaai!!!

Fou...