Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 123

Drogan and Rosca descended into the basement, where a considerable number of dwarves were already seated.

“More drinks, bring ’em over here!”

“Hey, we’re running out of booze!”

The voices of dwarves shouting with raised cups echoed throughout the tavern.

“It’s noisy as expected when entering a tavern.”

“…Their voices are really loud.”

Drogan seemed amazed by the forceful exchange of words, while Rosca, with her keen ears, appeared surprised.

Perhaps due to most of them engaging in physical labor like blacksmithing, their voices were incredibly powerful.

“Will ale be fine for drinks?”

As I sat down in the quietest corner, a dwarf woman approached.

She resembled the innkeeper who had greeted us earlier, but her height and hairstyle seemed subtly different.

Or rather…the first thing brought up is about alcohol. As expected of a dwarf.

Drogan glanced at me and asked, “Can you handle it?” I nodded without objection.

It’s already getting dark, and I don’t plan on going out now anyway. Having a drink won’t be a problem.

Rosca also nodded, indicating she could handle the alcohol.

“Alright, we’ll have three of those. Also, an order of salt-grilled angry beans and lazona skewers.”

“Sure thing!”

After Drogan placed the order, the dwarf woman went off.

“…Boss, was that the landlady’s kid?”

“No matter how you look at it, can’t you tell?”

Timidly asking, Rosca inquired, and Drogan responded naturally.

“No, I’m sorry. It’s hard to tell if they’re adults or not.”

Elves also have an ageless quality due to their longevity, but dwarves are quite the same.

It seems like the day we can distinguish them is far off.

Lost in thought, the ale arrived promptly.

“Well then, cheers!”

“Cheers.”

We lightly clinked our glasses and drank the ale.

Compared to the alcohol we drank in our past lives, the taste is rough.

Depending on the place, it can be quite acidic and have a strong flavor, but this kind of alcohol isn’t bad either.

“Here’s the salt-grilled angry beans and lazona skewers!”

As we sipped our ale, a serving girl brought us our food.

“You can eat these beans with the shell. If it bothers you, you can remove it.”

With that, Drogan grabbed an angry bean, shell and all, and ate it heartily.

Finding it troublesome to peel, I followed suit and tried eating it as it was.

The crunchy texture of the shell, combined with the soft bean inside, was delightful.

The salt sprinkled on it, reminiscent of ginkgo nuts, provided a nice accent.

“These beans are pretty good!”

“Yeah, having the shell gives it a nice crunch.”

“And washing down the salty angry beans with ale is good.”

“After the angry beans, next up is the meat skewered on the stick.”

I pick it up and take a bite.

It looks and feels similar to chicken. Surprisingly, there’s no gamey taste, and it’s quite juicy.

It tastes like well-marbled chicken breast.

“Is lazona meat a type of bird?”

“No, it’s different. It’s a type of crocodile that inhabits near the Ladeo Volcano.”

“What! This isn’t chicken!?”

Rosca seems surprised upon hearing Drogan’s words, apparently thinking it was chicken.

So it’s crocodile meat. I’ve never had it before.

It’s much softer and easier to eat than I imagined.

It’s fun to try out these exotic dishes when you travel to different places.

“Why not try the wings next? You can really feel like you’re eating crocodile when you see its legs.”

“Is it delicious?”

“It’s seasoned with tangy spices, very tasty.”

“P-Please!”

“Me too!”

Having legs of a crocodile sounds scary, but if it’s delicious, I’d like to try it.

With determination, I nod, and Drogan calls the waitress over to place an order along with the other dishes.

“Hey, look, there’s an unusual one here!”

As I pick at the angry beans, waiting for the lazona wings, a dwarf holding a glass sits opposite.

I thought perhaps he was addressing me, a human, or Rosca, a beastkin, but the dwarf who sat down turned his gaze toward Drogan.

“Long time no see, Drogan.”

“Baris.”

“It’s rare to see a lone wolf like you with someone else.”

Comparing Drogan to the dwarves making noise in the tavern, it’s clear he’s a quiet type.

It seems he hasn’t been one to socialize much since long ago.

“The beastkin is my apprentice, and the human is an accompanying adventurer.”

“I’m Rosca.”

“I’m Shuu, the adventurer.”

“I’m Baris. I’ve known Drogan for a long time. I make glassware in this town.”

The dwarf named Baris said, showing the glass in his hand.

“Did you make this glass, Baris-san?”

The glasses in this shop are wooden. So, the fact that he brought such a finely crafted glass means that Baris must have brought it himself.

“Yeah, that’s right. I believe in pouring good wine into a good glass and drinking it.”

Baris proudly spoke, his glass meticulously carved and very beautiful.

It may not be as transparent as glasses from my previous life, but filled with ale, it emits a golden glow, possessing sufficient artistic value.

“Such exquisite decorations! Are these patterns designed to reflect light?”

“Oh, you understand. That’s right. I made them intending to make the golden ale shine.”

They seem to be bonding as fellow craftsmen.

Despite having just met, they seem to be getting along well.

“Being so knowledgeable about decorations, are you working as a decorator?”

“Yeah! I decorate the master’s armor and make accessories myself!”

“Well, that’s interesting. Hey, Drogan. Can I invite this guy to my workshop?”

“I brought her here to apprentice with Baris from the start. Feel free to put her to work.”

“Is that so!? Um, nice to meet you again!”

Rosca and Baris exchanged a firm handshake.

It seems that from the beginning, the intention was to visit Baris’s workshop as Rosca’s place of apprenticeship.

While munching on the roasted meat from the lazona skewers, Drogan seemed satisfied, saying, “Saves the hassle of going to see him.”

“Alright, this calls for a celebration. Let’s toast again!” Baris, in high spirits, said after downing his ale from his glass.

I managed to finish what remained in my glass somehow, got a refill, and toasted again.

Baris and Drogan drank their ale with gusto, making satisfying gulping sounds.

Despite the substantial amount in each of their glasses, they were both down to less than half in no time.

“As expected of a dwarf. Drogan-san, you’re quite strong with your drinks.”

“Is that so? This is like water to me.”

Even though Drogan wasn’t as rowdy, he was still a dwarf. It seemed he was exceptionally strong when it came to alcohol.

He remained unfazed even after downing that much in one go.

Calling ale water seemed odd to me.

“I would prefer a stronger drink that packs more punch.”

“Why not try distillation then?”

“…What’s distillation?”

I suggested it casually, but Baris asked with a serious expression, quite different from the cheerful person he was just moments ago.

I wonder if there is no distilled liquor in this world. I don’t drink alcohol much normally, so I’m not sure about the details.

“Whoa! Suddenly there are a lot of dwarves!”

“Forget about that, tell me more about this distilled liquor.”

Before I knew it, the dwarven customers who were making noise earlier had gathered around us.

Everyone was looking serious, ready to listen to the discussion about distilled liquor.

It seems like I might get scolded if I say something half-baked.

“Well, if you heat alcohol, only the alcohol vaporizes, right? If you cool it down and collect it, you should be able to make stronger alcohol than usual.”

“Wouldn’t it just turn into steam and mix with water like when you heat water?”

“The alcohol vaporizes faster than water.”

I’ve only glanced at it in books, so I only have this level of knowledge, but that should be roughly how it works.

“I’m not familiar with brewing, but if it can make stronger alcohol, it’s worth a try.”

“Let’s give it a try for now.”

“If it really works, we can make it on a large scale.”

“How will you cool it down?”

“You can use ice stones. I have some, so you can use them.”

As Baris muttered, the dwarves around us started discussing seriously.

“All right, let’s try it right away!”

“Yeah!”

It seems like they decided to put their ideas into action rather than just thinking about it, as in no time, the dwarves, led by Baris, left the tavern.

Even though it’s nighttime, are they planning to make the tools for distillation now?

Every dwarf here is some kind of craftsman. It’s frightening how, with them involved, nothing seems impossible.

Unable to keep up with the dwarves’ pace, all I could do was blink.

“Th-this is becoming quite something.”

“It’s because we mentioned a new type of alcohol in front of the dwarves.”

Perhaps I’ve inadvertently stirred up something incredible.