Kaiden maneuvers through the crowd of men until he reaches the front. He pushes himself between the last two men, finally getting a clear view of the table. Loden can be seen sitting in the center of the group, his hands around a sizable flagon filled with ale. Around him, the men are egging him on, shouting and raising their own flagons in cheer. The atmosphere is thick with the scent of alcohol and a palpable air of competition. Loden's eyes widen slightly as he spots Kaiden appearing in front of him. A hiccup escapes him, the effects of the alcohol already making its presence known, but it doesn't stop him from lifting his giant flagon even higher, seemingly addressing Kaiden in between hiccups.

Grom noticing the interaction, smirks and nudges Loden. "Hey, looks like your friend's finally back from his nap," he chuckles, his voice slightly slurred.

Before Kaiden can utter a word, he finds himself being seized from behind, a man gripping his shoulders and speaking into his ear. "Hey, there you are! You missed a fair bit while you were snoozing, mate," the man says, his words slightly slurred by alcohol. "Loden and Grom here are having themselves a merry old drinking contest. Can you believe how much ale those two are putting away?"

Kaiden startled a little at first relaxes, remembering what the celestial being said about his powers. “How much have they drunk? Who is winning?”

The man loosens his grip on Kaiden's shoulder, clearly excited to recount the events. "They've been at it for a while, let me tell you," he chuckles. "Must've downed more ale than a sailor after a long voyage. As for who's winning, it's hard to say. They're both still standing, but then again, we all know Loden can drink like a damn camel."

Kaiden taken back, “How do you know Loden can drink that much?”

The man chuckles again, clearly amused by the question. "Who doesn't know about Loden's legendary drinking feats around here?" he replies, grinning. "The bloke's like a bottomless well. He can down ale like water and still stand on his own two feet. We all learned not to bet against him in a drinking contest."

Another onlooker nearby overhears their conversation and chimes in, elbowing the first man in agreement. "Exactly!" he exclaims. "Aye, Grom's doing a right good job keeping up with Loden. Most folks would've passed out long ago, but those two seem like they can go on all night."

As if on cue, Grom and Loden simultaneously down two more flagons of ale, their movements almost synchronized. Grom finishes his drink, slamming the empty flagon on the table with a loud thud, then immediately slumps forward onto the table, causing it to creak ominously.

The crowd gasps, a chorus of "Damn!" and "No way!" rippling through the room. Some men look at Grom's unconscious form with a mixture of awe and shock. With Grom passed out on the table, a look of smug victory passes over Loden's face as he stands, his flagon still gripped in his hand. He raises it high in the air, letting out a victorious cheer that's immediately picked up by the crowd.

"Another win for me!" he exclaims loudly, a wide grin on his face. The men around them roar in approval, cheering for Loden's triumph. Some men pat him on the back, while others raise their flagons in salute.

Kaiden shakes his head in amusement, sighing at the predictability of the situation. He approaches Loden, maneuvering his way through the cheering crowd. As he gets closer, he calls out to him, raising his voice over the din of celebration. "Looks like you had a little too much fun there, huh?"

Loden raises his eyebrows, “Kaiden, you missed all the action.” Kaiden responds with, “I got the highlights from a few men, and I saw the ending. Maybe you should rest now, and I will speak with you later about some important information I received from Astralyn.”

Loden grins, still riding the high of his victory. "You should have been here for the whole thing, mate. It was an absolute riot!" he says, his words slightly slurred from the alcohol.

Kaiden's words catch his attention, and Loden 's expression becomes a bit more serious. "Important information? From Astralyn, the Wolf Deity? Sounds heavy. What did they tell you?"

“What did he tell me, you mean? You need to sleep this off. I can’t deal with you like this.” Kaiden turns to leave to ask the bartender about a room when he pulls Loden pull him back.

Loden grabs Kaiden's arm as he tries to walk away, his grip surprisingly strong despite his drunken state. "No, wait," Loden protests, his speech slightly slurred. "You can't just drop that on me and then leave. Tell me what the deity told you. I gotta know."

Kaiden huffs, “There are two warriors here in the capital. We have to find them ourselves though. That’s all I got.”

Loden's hazel eyes widen as he absorbs the information, his expression becoming more focused despite the alcohol. "Two warriors, huh? So, we have to find them ourselves. Got it."

He releases his grip on Kaiden's arm, the intensity of his gaze betraying a hint of sobriety amidst the alcohol-fueled haze. Kaiden returns from speaking with the bartender, only to find Loden standing amidst a group of his rowdy friends. Loden grins like a fool, proudly declaring that his friends have purchased rooms for them. Kaiden lets out a resigned huff, his frustration visible as he crosses his arms. He casts a sidelong glance at the group of men, all of them clearly under the influence of alcohol, and silently prays for a quiet night's rest.