"Can you promise not to tell Sly what I'm about to reveal?" Burtram asked cautiously. Though he'd decided to betray Sly's trust, it'd be better if the man never found out.
"Of course! My lips are sealed!" Sophie put on her most solemn expression.
"Good." Burtram nodded in relief. Sophie had successfully gained his trust.
"It was about five years ago..." Burtram's eyes grew distant as he slipped into memory.
"Back then, we brothers enjoyed wandering around and teasing disobedient kids." He chuckled unconsciously at the recollection of their youthful antics.
"One night, Bob, Bowen, Byron, Kyle and I didn't feel like going home, so we decided to drink all night at the Black Bat Tavern—the rowdiest, most dangerous bar in the Beastmen Kingdom, though every man in the country loved it. That's where we met Sly." Burtram shook his head with a wry smile, remembering.
"Perhaps because we stood out too much, a group of drunkards started openly harassing Bob despite others trying to stop them. Before we could react, there was a blur—and one of the harassers went flying." Burtram's eyes shone with admiration as he relived the moment. "Sly stood swaying beside Bob, fist still extended, eyes bleary and face flushed. He must have been thoroughly drunk already, but still somewhat conscious."
"When the other drunks saw their friend attacked, they all rushed at Sly. Before we could lift a finger, he'd taken them all down, sending them scrambling out of the tavern. Though we didn't really need his help, since he'd stepped in, we felt we should show our appreciation." Burtram grinned at this point.
"But Sly completely ignored us, just staggered back to his corner table covered in empty bottles. When Bob went over to thank him, do you know what Sly said?" Eyes twinkling, Burtram decided to make Sophie guess.
"Uh... 'Don't mention it'?" Sophie ventured, though it seemed unlikely.
"He said, 'Don't interrupt my drinking!'" Burtram burst out laughing at the memory of Bob's flabbergasted face.
Seeing Sophie's unamused expression, Burtram composed himself and continued. "We later realized Sly hadn't been helping us—those drunks were just disturbing his brooding session."
"Since Sly clearly wanted to be left alone, we didn't bother him further. For our usually arrogant group to accept such dismissive treatment was rare—probably because Sly's fighting skills had impressed us." A hint of bewilderment flashed in Burtram's eyes.
"The night passed quietly. We got drunk and went to dance, so we missed seeing Sly—completely wasted—being thrown out by the bouncers. When we left at closing time, we saw a group beating up a drunk who could barely lift his arms in feeble defense." Burtram frowned at the memory. "Such scenes were common outside bars in our kingdom. We would've ignored it, but Byron recognized the victim as the man who'd helped Bob earlier—being attacked by the same harassers from before. We couldn't just walk away." A ruthless glint entered his eyes.
"After dealing with them, I took Sly to my place." Seeing Sophie's confusion, he explained, "My family was more lenient than the others', so I was the only one who could bring strangers home."
"Why take him home at all? Why not just chase off the attackers? Weren't you afraid he might be some criminal?" Sophie asked.
"I don't know," Burtram admitted. "We voted and it fell to me. Maybe it's our beastman nature—we respect strength. Sly had impressed us earlier, and only lost because he was dead drunk." He grimaced at the memories that followed. "I put him in a guest room at dawn, told the servants to look after him, and went to sleep. When I woke up, I learned Sly had turned my home upside down."
"Details!" Sophie urged, fascinated by Burtram's pained expression.
"According to the servants..." Burtram recounted their report verbatim. "He started vomiting the moment he lay down—all over himself and the bed. They'd barely clean him up when he'd vomit again. This repeated until he was dry heaving bile. The whole room reeked of alcohol and stomach acid. After moving him to another room, he started calling a girl's name and begging her not to leave him. Clearly, he'd drunk himself into that state over heartbreak."
Seeing Burtram's sympathetic look, Sophie rolled her eyes. "Only idiots think alcohol solves problems! It just makes you miserable while postponing the pain. What's the point of drowning your sorrows? If you get dumped, just move on! Plenty of fish in the sea—no need to cling to one tree and make yourself pathetic!" Her rant about failed relationships grew increasingly impassioned, straying from the original topic.
"Uh..." Burtram broke out in a cold sweat, cautiously watching the fired-up Sophie as he debated whether to interrupt. For safety's sake, he opted to be a patient listener.
Finally pausing for breath, Sophie asked, "Why'd you stop? What happened next?"
"Wasn't it you who wouldn't stop talking?" Burtram thought but wisely didn't say. Suppressing his frustration, he continued his tale.
"He finally passed out around noon after causing chaos all morning. My family gave me an earful for bringing him home." Another pained smile.
"When he woke up, he was listless and indifferent to everything, just demanding more alcohol daily. Then one day, a squad of guards from Quelicia Kingdom came for him. We nearly fought them, thinking they meant him harm—until Sly voluntarily went with them." Burtram sounded proud of standing by his friend.
"Then how did you become so close?" Sophie found it hard to believe such an encounter could lead to their current friendship.
"Later?" Burtram chuckled at her eagerness. "Later, Sly returned to the Beastmen Kingdom with his merchant caravan—vibrant and full of life, the very image of a shrewd businessman. He made quite a fortune trading in our kingdom."
Sophie found it odd that Burtram sounded pleased about his country being "exploited." "Why are you happy about him taking your money? Shouldn't you be angry?"
"Heh, I got my cut! Without our help, he couldn't have profited so easily here," Burtram said smugly.
"Traitor... cunning... greedy..." Several unflattering words popped into Sophie's mind.
"Do you know who the girl was that drove Sly to drink?" This was what Sophie really wanted to know.
"No idea. Though he kept repeating a name, no one could make it out clearly. Once sober, he never spoke of her again." Burtram looked equally frustrated.
"Ah!" His eyes suddenly lit up. "Once, Hurda let slip that she was some kingdom's princess. They met through business dealings, fell in love, then split for unknown reasons."
"Useless! That tells me nothing new!" Sophie gave him an exaggerated eye-roll.
Having learned all she wanted, Sophie stretched and prepared to return to camp.
Watching her leave, Burtram grew anxious. Hadn't she promised him love advice?
"Sophie!" He hurried after her. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"Like what?" Sophie blinked innocently.
"The love advice you promised me?" Her blank look confirmed she'd completely forgotten their original deal.
"Oh! That!" Sophie laughed awkwardly, having been too focused on Sly's secrets.
"Persistent pursuit!" She bestowed the four-word wisdom upon the lovelorn beastman.
"What does that mean?" Burtram looked utterly confused. Was she telling him to hit Sally? She already avoided him—if he actually struck her, he'd never see her again! Not that he could bring himself to harm her.
"Never give up! Stick to Sally like glue—go where she goes, help with whatever she's doing. Create little romantic moments, give small gifts... That's all I've got for now. I'll share more if I think of anything!" She gave an encouraging pat to his shoulder.
Seeing his doubtful expression, Sophie declared confidently, "Don't worry—I'll help you!"
Assured of her support, Burtram broke into a grin, already imagining Sally nestled tenderly in his arms.
**Will Sophie's advice actually help Burtram win Sally's heart?**