Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World

Chapter 21: The Daily Life of an Eight Year Old - Reinforcements and Drinking Professionals

It wasn't too far from Simon's house.

It was in a poor section of the town of Reedwald. If he had known that this was where he would be living, Roland would have followed him.

Old, dirty houses lined the street. The wooden buildings were glued together, and the half-demolished stone buildings had boarded up against them as walls. At first glance, the scene looked like a slum, but I think the atmosphere was different. The faces of the people on the street were cheerful, poor but not corrupt. The children running through the streets were also very cheerful.

As I followed them from side to side, I thought to myself, "I used to be a kid, too…" I was lost in old-fashioned emotion when I arrived at the house I wanted.

It was a small house, no different from its surroundings.

As I knocked on the door, I felt eyes on me from the windows of the neighboring houses. I was dressed in my usual neat little outfit, but it seemed to stand out, and I had attracted a lot of attention on my way here. At the time, they probably thought I had just wandered in. But now they knew that this house was my destination. In a community like this, horizontal ties are strong. I wondered what purpose the wealthy boy had come for. I guess they are mostly on the lookout for that.

As I waited with such a gaze, the door rattled open after a while.

As soon as his straight eyes slowly lowered and stared at me as if I were a fool, the landlord jumped back and prostrated himself in the doorway. That's how he carries himself, though, on his knees.

"It's been a long time, Nerio. Do you remember me?"

"Of course, I remember you, Alter-sama!"

"I'm glad you remember my name. We met only three years ago. I can still vividly recall that time, Eleph. You were quite brilliant."

"What a waste of words!"

"Stand up, please. It's hard to talk."

Nerio stood up with "Yes!".

It's fine to be cheerful, but please don't raise your voice every time. People heard our conversation, so passersby stopped to see what was going on, and neighbors began to gather as if they understood that there was no trouble. It was a crowd.

"What's going on here, can I come in?"

"It's very dirty, sir, but come in!"

I was invited into the house with a wry smile.

"It's been three years since we've seen each other, and I'd like to take my time and listen to your hunting stories, but I can't. I have urgent business. I have urgent business to attend to."

Nerio remained upright and puzzled.

"But first, let me ask you something. Are you still hunting?"

"Yes!"

"Are you familiar with medicinal herbs?"

"I've hurt in the forest, so I know a lot!"

"Do you know where Kerisea and Einaris grow?"

"Yes!"

I couldn't help but smile."

‘Let me thank you for meeting me. Nerio, I want to collect as much Kerisea and Einaris as possible. And I want it as soon as possible."

"I'm at your service! Um…"

"What is it?"

"If you need a lot, I know some good hunters. May I call on them as well?"

"That's reassuring. Can you do that?"

"Yes!"

As soon as he replied, Nerio took off and ran through the narrow street in a flash. You're fast, man. You're even faster than Oze.

But he was gone before I could finish my story. Well, he knows who I am, and he'll deliver me to the mansion. I smiled back at the onlookers and left Nerio's house.

◇◇◇◇

I tied the leather bag tightly to my belt and left the magic guild.

As I thought, I couldn't get any information from the magic stone. I even asked about the mage who created the cure, but even the old staff didn't know. It was hard to believe that the mage who had left so easily was connected to an organization like the guild. I was not too disappointed. In the meantime, I asked him to let me know if he found out anything.

The only thing left to do was to gather materials.

We could try to find a specialty store, but I'm sure Roland has already been around. I wondered what other materials I could gather.

Thinking back to Roland and Ozé's words, I looked at the stalls on the main street.

I found a lot of Majumag stones, one of the materials. Most of them were fixed to pedestals and used for neck ornaments and bracelets. There were also rings, but they were poorly cut and did not look good. Other gems are cut to a certain degree, so Majumag must be difficult to process. On top of that, the color is a dull milky white, and in some cases, even the brilliance of the base is overshadowed. It was no wonder they were sold at a low price.

It's easy to get a Majumug. We'll get it later.

As I looked around for something else I could get, I see a tavern.

Even though it was past noon, the place was busy. I don't have the habit of eating lunch, so I guess most of the customers are here for the sake. But drinking in the middle of the day? I hope it's not some kind of cesspool of useless people.

I pushed open the swinging door and walked in, the smell of alcohol wafting in the air.

Odd stares pierce through the air. It's a good day to be seen.

The owner saw my outfit and was wondering how he should react.

"This is a tavern, what can I do for you?"

"As you can see, I'm not a customer. I have a small favor to ask."

"A favor to ask……?"

He looked down at me with extreme caution.

"Can you show me the strongest sake in the store?"

The owner gave me a dumb look and nodded his head. I can't explain it, and it's not a good idea to talk about it, especially here. Tomorrow morning, the whole town will be talking about it. I urged him silently, and the owner, who had lost his patience, pulled out a bottle from the shelf behind the counter.

"This one is the best."

It was an amber-colored sake with a slight reddish tinge.

I took it and activated the "Appraisal".

Name: Carna

Features: Bitters produced in the western part of the Arsis Empire. The raw material is rye, and the flavoring is the bark of the Havuram tree. Because of its strong bitterness, it is usually diluted with water or fruit water. The alcohol content is around 52 degrees.

Characteristics: Unknown

Bitters? If it's made from rye — whiskey, right? I'm not sure, but I guess it's whiskey with bark mixed in. I've been a minor in both my previous and current lives, and I'm not proud of it, but I've only ever drunk amazake.

I'm not proud of it, but I've only ever drunk amazake, and I'm pretty sure it's strong liquor because you have to dilute it. I'm pretty sure beer is about 5 degrees, but I think it's 52 degrees, so it's on the high side. Well, I've heard that some liquor catches fire.

"Does this stuff burn?"

"That's a disturbing thing to hear. Well, it can burn if it's set on fire, but why do you want to know about that?"

"I know a guy who likes to drink. Yeah, he's an adult. I thought I'd give it to him since he likes his liquor to burn."

Suddenly, not only the owner, but even the customer smiled.

Eh, what? That's a little creepy.

"Haha, looks like you have a great friend, Bo-chan! Sake is good! You can forget all the bad things and the important things at once! It'll make you stronger, too!"

You can't do that with important things. And don't lie to me.

"Remember, kid, the world thinks of drinkers as bad people. But, there's no such thing as a bad drinker! Bad people drink too! That's all there is to it!"

The shopkeeper's declaration was met with cheers from the customers.

I'm sorry to interrupt your excitement, but that can be applied to anything. Also, your tone of voice is too familiar. I've never been called a "monk" before in my life.

I smiled nonchalantly and nodded, "I see, I'm learning."

"Oh, it's good, to be honest. This one might not be enough for him. However, there's not much demand for the sake that's too strong. I'm not sure if they have it at the trading post. The only other people who might have it are dwarves."

Dwarves?

You can't find many of them in this town. They're professional drinkers.

Disgustingly professionals.

"The dwarves' secret brew might be perfect for you. Even if the heavens and the earth turn over, they won't give it to you."

All right, I'll see what I can do.

"Oh, I think it's impossible, but do your best. Please come again when you grow up."

◇◇◇◇

I started to feel like I was doing an errand in an RPG.

If I went to the adventurer's guild, I could probably meet one of the dwarves. But I don't think they'll listen to a stranger's request. As usual, dwarves have a difficult personality, and my position as the son of a lord could have the opposite effect.

I thought of someone who might know a dwarf, got his permission to mention his name and asked him where he was. I arrived at a corner where artisans were gathering. When he got there, he realized that the dwarf he had been introduced to was uncertain if he had any liquor, and he wondered what he should do.

"Well, it's a little late for that now, isn't it?"

Muttering to myself, I gave up and knock on the door.

There was no response, so I knock on the door again. I could hear the noise. I'm sure he's home.

I was about to raise my hand to knock again when

"Shut up!"

I heard a shout that sounded like a broken bell.

A dwarf with a brown beard opens the door.

He seemed to be an unexpected visitor, and his eyes widened for a moment when he saw me.

" What it is, sir?"

"Ragnidig-dono?"

Ragnidig gave me a suspicious look.

That's what happens when a noble kid comes alone.

"I was introduced to you by Deryn-dono of the Groen Armory. My name is Alter Les Reedwald. I'm the one who had the horns of Eras Rhino processed."

"Oh, those horns! Just the stilettos? Where's the sword?"

"It's such a good sword, it should be enough for the whole town. Thank you for your help back then. You made a really good sword for me."

"You can thank Egil. He polished it, I only made the scabbard."

Ragnidig is a blacksmith.

"Of course. But even the best sword is difficult to hold, and a second-rate scabbard will ruin it."

"Have you finished your business? You can leave now. I'm working."

With an unfriendly look, he said that.

"No, I'm not done. I need a favor."

"If it's a job, go through Deryn. I'm not taking the job."

"I'm not talking about work. Only a dwarf can do this. If you have a drink that is far stronger than Karna, would you be willing to give it to me?"

"What about it…..?"

Ragnidig's mouth dropped open. Finally, I saw an expression other than a frown.

"Why do you want a drink?"

"A friend of mine has fallen ill. It's a deadly disease. The medicine that cures it requires a strong drink."

"Why did you come to me?"

"I heard about you in the tavern. I was told at the tavern that the dwarves were experts in the art of drinking. I was told that dwarves are experts in the art of drinking and that they have the strongest sake."

"But why would any dwarf just hand over a bottle of wine when asked for it?"

I was troubled, but also a little refreshed.

He's right. Looking back, the past few days had been full of people who had been willing to do me a favor. Pavel, Simon, and Nerio. I've always been close to them, and I've always given them orders naturally, but even Roland is not my knight. Even if Pavel is my job – no, wait. Simon and Nelio, they're just doing their jobs, aren't they?

I haven't said about the reward…

And I'm asking Nerio and the others to go to a dangerous forest. Oh, this is not good. This is very bad. Let's face it, the only people desperate to cure Valerie are "Battle Axe of Destruction" and me. They're only helping me because I'm the son of a lord. Without realizing it, I've been taking advantage of them and spoiling them. Too late, I guess. When all is said and done, I should be paid properly.

Of course, my status is of no use to Ragnidig, who made me realize that. I need to offer him a definite price. If I were to pay him in money, how much would I have to offer?

I don't even have a single copper coin.

Roland paid for my groceries, and I haven't even distributed the money yet. …… I don't know what I'm doing.

I think I was feeling a bit self-loathing with a faraway look in my eyes. I coughed and straightened my posture as Ragnidig looked at me as if he were looking at something he didn't understand.

"I think it's rude to give money to get sake from a dwarf, so could you give it away?"

"I had no choice. I took out a magic stone from my waist bag."

Ragnidig flutters at a magic stone that is more than a clenched fist.

"Are you going to exchange it for that !? That's more than 200 gold coins!"

"I don't care. Will you give it to me for this?"

Ragnidig folded his arms and glared at me.

Maybe he's just looking at me. Dwarves are strong, you know. We're at the same eye level.

"I don't know. Do you want to help them?"

"They're my friends. I don't know how they feel about that."

"You don't know?"

"We've only known each other about a week."

Ragnidig made an absent-minded face.

"I don't know how you feel about that. You don't seem to be a bad-natured person."

While stroking his long beard, Ragnidig stared at the magic stone.

It's a bit of a trick, but the truth is that everyone else gets 200 and I get about 33. It's probably too much for a necessary expense. I'll have to find some money to make up for it or compensate for it somehow. I feel like I'm going into debt. Isn't this what the son of a nobleman is like?

Soon after, Ragnidig nodded.

"Very well, I'll give it to you. But I don't want the magic stone. Let me make something with it instead."

With this?

"Usually, blacksmiths don't handle something like that. I mean, it's useless. So I'm going to crush it."

I looked down at the large magic stone in the palm of my hand.

You're going to smash this? I said it was a replacement, so it doesn't matter how he handles it.

"How about it, are you ready to stop?"

"No, I'm asking. I'm more interested in what you can do."

When I released the magic stone, Ragnidig took it in a hurry.

"Dumbass, is there a guy who wants to throw it?!"

"I don't mind if you crush it."

"Man, I can't believe you're going to crush a big guy like that."

The person who started the whole thing complained and put the magic stone in his pocket.

And he withdraws to the back saying "Wait".

After a while, a large barrel arrived with a rumbling sound.

I didn't know that barrels walk in the dwarf houses.

"Take it away!"

"I can't take it! How many do you think I can carry? It's too big!"

"How can you be so angry? Come on, let's go."

Ragnidig pushes the barrel against him.

I'm not sure if I can do it.

A dwarf of the same height could carry it, so could I. ……

It's crushed.

"I'll die!"

I complained as I was helped up by Ragnidig.

I thought I was going to die. The third time I was crushed to death by a barrel, it wasn't funny.

"Poor thing."

"I'm still eight-year-old! My body is so soft and pliable!"

"I've never seen a man so proud of his weakness. I'll carry you while I'm at it."

I returned to the mansion, accompanied by a barrel named Ragnidig.

When the barrel looked up at the house, he exclaimed, "You're the son of a lord? ……" and I was amazed. I was proud of myself.

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