Intermission 4 Gilui's Northern Bar

 

Clank clank

The door closed while making a pleasing sound.

Finally got my important free time after today's work's done. I felt like enjoying my time in a quiet bar, so I went to one my coworker told me about.
Ah, I'm Kyle. A humble guard of the west gate that may or may not be a key figure there.
Just right when the evening bell rang to signify I could go home for today, total-commander caught me and made me go through a special training overtime.
Geez, I always get overtime the entire week whenever total-commander is around. My body's screaming y'know. If I had to go do that special training, might as well do it with Eleanor-san, I woulda work hard then. And then she'd invite me to a dinner... Mufufufu.
Oops, no no, gotta drink quietly today.

The store interior is dimly lit, but this calm atmosphere is perfect for drinking slowly. As it's still early in the evening, there's a few customers inside and only one at the counter.
Oh, I 'mite as well sit at the counter. Sipping my glass while listening to the barkeeper is how adults have their drink, yep.

"Welcome. What would you like to have?"

The mustached barkeeper with dark green uniform asked me at the perfect timing right as I sat. He looks familiar somehow, but I can't put my finger on it. Ah, well.
Looking at the menu, there's quite a lot of liquors. Some I've never seen before. What the heck is 1UP Oozeki? Why is it drawn with a green mushroom, what a mystery.
I found some with 『Cold』 mark on the menu. When I asked what they were about, apparently, the barkeeper just procured some nice ice blocks from his acquaintance, so he's got some drinks that's been cooled well. That sounds good for my sweaty body, I ask for a cup of cold ale.

Afterward, a stone cup was put on the table, and the barkeeper poured cold ale into it.
Sipping it down, my flushy body is cooling down. I reflexively chugged it all down. Whew, can't believe just having it cooled could make it taste unlike anything I've drunk before. In the first place, just where'd he get all the ice when summer is fast approaching, but I feel like I'll lose if I delve too deep. Either way, I'm a lucky guy to have this chance. I ordered another cup and looked around the store.

It's dim cause there's only a few lighting, but by no means it's unpleasant, in fact, this quiet atmosphere is probs what makes it perfect for slowly drinking booze. Looking around, all other customers are also enjoying their drinks calmly.
The customer sitting next to me is... Huh? Don't I know this guy?

"That you... Nobusada?"

The haggard battered out-looking customer turned out to be the aspiring adventurer I met before, Nobusada. I couldn't tell that it was him at first. How do I say it, he's got this tragic aura around him.

"Oh, Kyle-san... it's been awhile. What's the matter?"

"That's my line, what's up with you? You're like some veteran at the window on the verge of retirement, what happened?"

"Do I really look like that? Haha, well. The training with Master and Eleanor-san have been really tough these past few days..."

Apparently, he recently suffered an embarrassing defeat to adventurers, thus Master who heard about that put him through some intense training regimen. Like how he's been training, heating up together with Eleanor-san for hours on end.

"But, ain't that nice. Eleanor-san is in your constant attendance the whole time rite'? What more could ya ask?"

I regretted saying that right afterward.
Because Nobusada began trembling so hard the counter was saying, I thought it was a quake. Then he's staring blankly into space with a pale face. Did I make him recall something?

"No no, please stop already. Eleanor-san, look my face is bloody all over. Please stop thinly cutting up my skin with your fists. Hiii, stop aiming at my neck. Ouch ouch ouch, itchy, it's too fast I can't see you swinging your fists anymore. Eh, don't look, feel? No way no way, it's impossible. Give you my left cheek since you're done cutting up my right? No no no, help mee~~~~~~~~"

"C-calm down. My bad my bad. I shouldn't have asked that."

Nobusada is quivering while tearing up. My impressions on Eleanor-san have slightly changed. Just what kind of training did she make him go through with?
T-think I should change the topic here?

"I mean, look. You're gonna train with her for a long time right. Which means you're gonna get to taste Eleanor-san's homemade cooking yea? Ain't that something to be glad for as a man??"

Nobusada suddenly stopped trembling like, pita! Then he makes a really hard to describe expression. It's like expressionless that comes after going beyond terror. Like he's reached an enlightenment.



<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka .com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>
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It was a hair-raising experience.
Eleanor-san asked me to teach her how to cook the day before yesterday.
I wonder if there was something that changed her mindset? She's becoming unusually proactive once I started living in Sefi-san's mansion.
But I have to repay the favor for training together with me. I smiled and consented to teach her.
According to Eleanor-san, she's been practicing cooking for a while now but it's never turned out well.
Thus I made her make a simple sandwich first before challenging the harder ones. You simply need to cut up the ingredients and piece them together. That's all, so there's almost no chance for her to mess up.

With my guidance, she sliced the ham, cut the cheese and put them between the bread.
She had no problem making scrambled egg either, or rather, she's proficient at it. How could it turn out bad with this?
While that question crossed my mind, she shredded the prawn and put it in between along with the cut cabbage.

And here's the finished product.

Eleanor's Sandwich Plate
Quality: ??? - Enclosed Mana: ???
Combined sandwich that has been loaded with with Eleanor's devotion.
An excellent article that's been influenced with goddess's protection.

Tettere~♪ Discerning Magic Eye leveled up.

Hm? Having Discerning-sensei leveled up is nice and all...

But there's something on it??? I can't see its quality???

While question marks fly about on my head, Eleanor-san is staring at me with a serious look. She must want me to sample it.
I stuffed the ham cheese sandwich into my mouth while feeling a bit uneasy.

…………

BAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

Such an impact stimulated my taste bud. And then, as if rushing in after that, various things assaulted my tongue. Sweet, bitter, spicy, sour, salty, stinky, ouchy, heavy, painful!!!!!!!

B-but how!? How'd it come to this with those ingredients and process.

Tettere~♪ Resistance: Poison has been liberated.

W-whaaaat!? Just what's happening here?
Eleanor-san is looking at me anxiously. Not good, she'd definitely cry if I don't chow this all down.
I steady myself and put the sandwiches into my mouth one after another. Taste? My taste bud has been completely paralyzed already, I can't feel no nothing.

Tettere~♪ Resistance: Paralyze has been liberated.
Tettere~♪ Resistance: Confusion has been liberated.
Tettere~♪ Resistance: Instant Death has been libe...

Once I finished everything, I smiled at Eleanor-san... and fainted just like that.

Afterward, apparently Master who just got back home found me twitching on the table and carried me to the temple to get a treatment. Looks like Master had gone through a similar experience before, thus he was able to quickly deal with my situation. After I was healed, Master apologized looking deeply apologetic, as I could only wryly smile.

I appraised Eleanor-san who had come to visit me and found one thing that Discerning-sensei couldn't see before.

【Protection of Hadin】
Proof of divine protection given by Goddess Hadin that rules over death and destiny. Greatly increase physical ability. However, any cooking made will be granted abnormal status-giving effect, this is always active. The abnormal status effect will be worse the deeper the affection. One theory states that it might be because Hadin is extremely bad at cooking.

Oh look, another no-goddess.

I explained all this to Eleanor-san who was apologizing in tears. 'That protection on me?', she was surprised and then felt dejected when she heard about its effect.
Huh? But with how bad the abnormal status that afflicted me, am I allowed to consider that she's quite fond of me?

"Please don't worry about, it's not your fault Eleanor-san. Let me be in charge of cooking. I'll make anything Eleanor-san want, okay?"

She was cheered up somehow with that. And then I realized too late how embarrassing that line was.
You there Master, stop grinning you!



While recalling that, Kyle who's stopped moving is looking at me with a worried look. Oops, not good. I spaced out while we were talking.
I break the silence by chugging down my cup in one go.

"Oy oy, sure you could chug it down like that? I ain't gonna carry a dead drunk man out with me, ya hear."

"Ah, this is 100% fruit mixed juice, no problem there."

"You're tellin' me that ain't booze!?"

Thanks for the punchline. But there's no rule that states you must drink alcohol in a bar ya know. Even Milk will do.
But well, I wouldn't drink something like this if the bar owner weren't Boss-san's little brother, Gilui-san. In the first place, I wouldn't have entered a bar as a non-drinker. I came here to deliver ice per Boss-san's request.
Besides, there's times when I just want to relax. That day, I exchanged talks about trivial stuff with Kyle while ordering more mixed juice bit by bit.







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