There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

"..."

It must be an illusion! That's definitely it!

However, this factor also played a part in my decision not to stay at the innkeeper's house. This town is so peaceful; if I don't create some tension for myself, I'll probably forget why I came here in the first place.

To take it a step further, what if the adult identity "Wanderer" in the colonist system is real? Wouldn't I really become a vagrant in the alley, idling around all day?

If I had fragrant, sun-dried blankets to sleep under every day on the upper floor of the tavern, and a room that Lin kept spotless, and if downstairs Mr. Dart cooked for me, and I could drink and chat with everyone in the tavern at night, why would I ever want to revitalize any ranch!

I might as well just work for the boss here, marry Lin someday, become Boss Dart's heir, and keep the tavern running...

Hmm... thinking about it that way, it doesn't seem so bad?

Bah! I'm here to revive the Mineral Town Ranch, and I have a cheat code to my name. How can I be so unambitious?

"Marcus? Why do you look so serious?" Lost in thought, Lin came up from downstairs and greeted me when she saw me standing there in a daze. But she was too close; her breath could be heard on my face, and I could see her thick eyelashes fluttering.

Hmm... well, it's not like it's absolutely out of the question...

"Why are you laughing again, and why is your laughter so strange?" Lin asked, puzzled, as she sat down next to me and waited for her elderly father to bring out the dishes.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about something happy... Don't mind me. Um... Father-in-law... no, Mr. Dart hasn't served the food yet?" Oh no, I accidentally let it slip. I hope Lin didn't hear me, or it would be awkward.

But then, the jay curiously approached and asked again, "Marcus, what does 'father-in-law' mean? Are you looking for Boss Dart?"

Shut up!

Stop asking!

Ugh, this is so embarrassing! I don't know how to get off the stage!

But Lynn seemed not to hear her and greeted Jay proactively, "Hello, I'm Lynn! Are you a guest of the Marcus family?"

"Yes, yes! My name is Jay! Thank you for taking care of me today! You're so beautiful, sister!"

"Hehe, what a cute little girl! I'll turn on the TV for you!"

After saying that, the two girls started their conversation and began to develop their friendship, leaving me standing alone.

I looked around and realized that it was almost seven o'clock, but there were still not many customers, and the place seemed deserted.

Besides me sitting at the bar and the drunk Sebala, there were only two girls chattering in front of the TV. I'd basically finished everything I needed to do today; I'd collected all the necessary seeds and tools, so I had the rest of my time to myself.

It's a good opportunity for the two of us, who have been busy since early morning, climbing mountains, going to the police station, visiting the hospital, and shopping, to take a break.

Let me reiterate, this isn't me being lazy! I'm just balancing work and rest!

"Boss, why are there so few people here today?" I asked the boss in the kitchen.

Dart's voice drifted over from afar: "It's Sunday today... no wonder no one's coming. Alright, stop bothering me. You should go home early too, or you'll regret it... I need to cook for my precious daughter, so don't bother me."

"Okay, boss!"

I gave a casual reply.

What dangers might there be?

It's just a tavern. The most dangerous drunkards haven't even gathered today, so what's there to be afraid of?

At that moment, the door burst open, a gust of wind blew in from outside, sweeping through the deserted bar and leaving it completely silent.

A tall figure walked in from outside, sat down next to me as if we were old friends, and affectionately put her arm around my neck?

"Hey! Isn't that Marcus? What a coincidence!"

"Karen?!"

To my shock, I found Karen, whom I had just parted ways with at noon, walking in. Had she followed me all the way to the tavern just so I would keep my promise to drink with her?

That can't be right. Judging from her expression, she really didn't expect to run into me here. She couldn't have come on purpose.

Could it be...?

A terrible thought suddenly popped into my head...

Upon hearing the sound, Mr. Dart shook the water off his hands and came out of the kitchen to greet the guest. When he saw it was Karen, his expression changed drastically. He barely managed to control his expression and said as calmly as possible, "Karen, you're here. Same as usual?"

Karen exposed my shoulder and said happily, "Boss, double the drinks today! It's rare to see any other customers in your bar!"

She glanced at me with a smile, "I'm going to drink myself into oblivion with Marcus!"

Mr. Dart nodded without saying anything more, leaving me with a "good luck" look before walking into the warehouse.

Sensing something was terribly wrong, I cautiously asked, "Miss Karen, do you often come here for drinks?"

“Yes! Every Sunday night after I became an adult, I come here for a little drink, really just a little!” Karen laughed happily, unconsciously tossing her long golden hair.

Oh no, the little gesture of fiddling with one's hair usually means one is lying... So here's the question: did she lie to me that she only started drinking after she became an adult, or that she only drinks a little bit?

"Okay... but I can't hold my liquor very well, so you'll have to take good care of me."

In short, the best course of action at this point is to back down.

"Of course! You're a rare drinking buddy! Rick, that sissy, can't even drink a glass, so we can't count on him. This tavern's been pretty empty. Luckily you came!"

Miss Karen, I know of more than just these people in the tavern. Now all that's left is me, completely unaware of what's going on, and Sebala, who's already gotten herself drunk... It seems things are really going to get very bad...

"Come on, Marcus! Let's drink this first!"

"Huh? Isn't this a bit too much? This isn't a wine glass, it's a beer glass, isn't it?"

"Don't worry about it... Cheers! Another one!"

"No, I'm a little tipsy... Let me calm down..."

"It's alright, one more cup will do!"

"Then... just one more cup, I really can't drink anymore..."

"This is juice, just to help you rinse your mouth... Yes, grape juice!"

"Hehehe, Karen, what are you drinking? Let me have a sip too..."

"Marcus! Don't grab it, that's my cup!"

"Haha, Karen, you're being too kind... Come on, cheers!"

"Cheers! Marcus, you've got a good capacity for alcohol... *burp*"

"You too... Another one, let's... keep going..."

"This is bad... The boss said there's no more alcohol left..."

"He must have...deliberately...lied at you...I'll go check with Boss Dick..."

"Okay...hey, take your hand off...or I'll...hit you...Marcus? Marcus! Wake up! What's wrong with you?"

“Marcus…”

Chapter 103 Hangover

"who am I?"

"where am I?"

Where is my head?

"...No, my head is still here, it just hurts so much...I wish it weren't here..."

I opened my eyes to the familiar ceiling. Turning my head, I was met with an overwhelming headache.

The room contained a lonely bed, a table in a cool color, a floor made of the same material as the table, and a useless person lying on the bed...

Oh, that's not trash, it's me...

I tried hard to recall what had happened to me.

drink wine……

Oh, and let's drink!

My last memory is of drinking with Miss Karen at a tavern yesterday. At first, I refused, but... it was so good!

Then it seemed like the two of them were having a drinking contest, and after they finished all the wine in the tavern, I had to go next door to get some new wine from Mr. Dick's cellar. I don't remember anything after that...

Thankfully, I didn't wake up in a strange bed with a long-legged beauty or a cute girl from the tribe next to me, otherwise things would have been much worse...

After lying in bed for a while, I felt that my splitting headache was getting better, and I no longer had that illusion that my brain would scatter if I shook my head.

Karen's alcohol tolerance is truly unfathomable. Was she lying when she said she started drinking after turning 18? How could she possibly develop such a tolerance in just two years?

Even someone with my legendary "Bear Grylls" traits, a 90% immune system, and an ultra-fast metabolism, couldn't handle it. Does that mean Karen's alcohol tolerance is more than ten times mine?

This isn't just a drunkard, it's the god of wine.

"Get up..."

I managed to sit up, then slowly moved to the doorway, stood holding onto the doorframe for a while, and finally was able to walk on my own.

But when I opened the door, the sun was already high in the sky, clearly it was noon.

"This is bad... It's almost time for the jays to go home..."

I looked around the pasture but didn't see any jays. A vague unease crept into my heart, so I stumbled towards Mr. Dart's tavern. Since my last memory of yesterday was there, the owner should know where the jays were, right?

…………

As soon as I entered the tavern, I saw Lin cleaning up the mess on the floor. The tables were all crooked and messy, and it looked like some drunkards had caused trouble there...

Cause trouble... Really?

"Lin, good morning!" I quickly greeted her warmly, testing her reaction.

When Lin saw me, she first greeted me with a beaming smile, "Marcus! Good morning!" Then, as if remembering something, she said angrily, "You guys went too far yesterday! I don't want to talk to you anymore!"

This is bad. Even Lin, who is usually good-tempered, is so angry. Did I do something shameful?

"I'm so sorry, Lin. I was drunk yesterday and I'm so sorry for causing you any trouble!"

It's not shameful to admit your mistakes; it's shameful to know you're wrong and not correct them. I quickly moved closer to her and carefully apologized.

Lin was initially reluctant to talk to me, but after a while, seeing that I was still persistently pestering her, she finally showed a helpless expression and said, "Marcus, how could you go along with Karen's nonsense? Yesterday, after getting drunk, she was singing and dancing, flipping through tables looking for a time machine, and even yelling that she wanted to dance some kind of 'manly version of Shin Treasure Island,' but she just got up and then collapsed, and we couldn't wake her up no matter what we did..."

...A macho version of Shin Treasure Island? Should I start with a grand feast for everyone or just act like a bear rubbing against a tree?

It seems I can't drink like this anymore; the dangers of drinking contests are far greater than I imagined. I suspect that if it weren't for my legendary status, I would have been hospitalized with alcohol poisoning last night.