第１００８堀：飲みにケーション (Part1)
Chapter 1008: Drinking-munication
Side: Kagura
*Sizzle, sizzle.*
Along with the sound of meat grilling, an indescribable, mouth-watering aroma wafted throughout the shop. As I felt my appetite being stirred by the sounds and scents...
*Clang, clang.* The door opened again, and more people walked in.
"Ah, I'm beat today. Hey, old man, give me the usual."
"Sure thing. Starting with a draft, right?"
"You know it!"
The man who walked in said this, then skillfully downed the beer that was promptly served, his throat bobbing as if to say this was the pinnacle of bliss.
Yes, this is a yakitori shop in the back alleys of Weed. It’s a hidden gem of a tavern, run by a seasoned, "silver-fox" of an old man—a place known only to those in the know. It’s one of the few places, even among the spots Yuki occasionally visits for a drink, that I personally find delicious.
That said, I couldn't help but wonder: why on earth did I end up here today?
Because...
"Phew! This beer is delicious!"
"Indeed. A drink after work. It is exceptionally tasty. You agree, Lady Kagura?"
For some reason, I wasn't here with Yuki or my fellow wives. I was here in a group of three with Menou, a diplomat from the Seasifo Kingdom, and Lady Show of the Zurable Empire.
"Ah, yes. It is delicious. Beer and yakitori."
Still, I wasn't so socially inept that I couldn't play along, so I managed a reply.
"Right! As expected of someone with Japanese blood! You get it!"
"Wait, what!?"
Menou is a reincarnator from Japan, so she naturally knows about Japan and that Yuki came from there. But Lady Show doesn't know that. Or rather, that is a top-secret matter concerning Yuki; it’s not information to be blurted out in a tavern, fueled by alcohol.
"I see. So, Lady Kagura, your ancestors came from a country called 'Nihon'?"
"That's right! I'm the same way. It's romantic, isn't it? To come to such a far-off, foreign land and find out we share the same origin."
"Ah, we have stories like that in Zurable, too. People meeting and realizing their clans were scattered by war, or that they share the same distant ancestors."
It seems Lady Show mistook it for just some country or ethnic group she hadn't heard of. *Phew.* I managed to avoid having Yuki's secrets pried into.
Wait, no! That's not the point! The point is why I ended up at a yakitori shop with these two! Let's see, why was it again?
"Alright! Let's toast once more! To a New Continent joint drinking party!"
"Understood."
"Ah, sure."
That was it. This gathering was composed of members from the New Continent stationed in Weed. Which means...
"Yahoo! Kagura, I'm here!"
"Sorry, I had work, so I'm late."
"Apologies for the wait."
Oh, they’re here. To put it bluntly, a delicate priestess and a beautiful knight—even with a scar on her face—looked completely out of place in this run-down tavern where local middle-aged men usually hang out. ...The other one, however, looks like she frequents places like this, so she’s fine.
"Hey now. You were thinking something naughty when you saw Micos-chan, weren't you?"
"No, not at all. I just thought she looked the most at home in this shop out of the three of us."
"Eh? Really? Micos-chan looks like she belongs in a place like this... wait, who are you calling a commoner!"
"No, you are the daughter of a Baron, aren't you?"
"That's wrong! Micos-chan is Yuki-sensei's cute wife!"
It’s irritating. Just as I thought that, Enora and Princess Stasia reacted immediately.
"If we're talking about that, then so am I."
"And I as well. ...Do I and Enora not look like we belong in a place like this?"
"Ah, no. That’s not what I meant..."
"Well, I get what Kagura is trying to say. It’s an image thing, right? Stasia and Enora don't usually come to places like this."
If you knew that, you should have said so from the start.
"Ah, now that you mention it, that's true. I only started coming to places like this after I married Yuki."
"Yes, same here."
Well, of course. Enora is a priestess of the Haire religion, and Stasia is a princess. People of such status wouldn't normally show their faces in a town tavern. As I was thinking that...
"Come now, let's talk while we drink. Anyway, all three of you, sit, sit."
Prompted by Menou, Micos and the others took their seats.
"Old man. Three more beers, and ten skewers of the chef's recommendation, please."
"Coming right up."
Lady Show placed the order with practiced ease.
"Oh, you've gotten quite used to this."
"Yes. It has already been two weeks since I arrived here."
"Ah, has it been that long? To me, it feels like Micos-chan just got here the other day."
"Well, one could say it's only two weeks, but it's not like things are overly complicated. It's enough time for a person to get used to things. How are you finding Weed?"
"Oh, no. I'm still not quite used to it. Well, I've gotten used to going out for meals with friends like this, but there are still so many things that surprise me."
Well, I think that’s true. The more you learn about Weed, the more your common sense gets blown away. Still, as Princess Stasia said, I think we’ve settled down a bit.
"By friends, do you mean Menou-san?"
"Yes. She is the first diplomat from another country I met in Weed. She has been teaching me about the things that surprised her as well."
Ah, I see. Come to think of it, that's true. Even though we are diplomats from other countries, we are Yuki's wives and part of the Weed family. From Lady Show's perspective, we aren't exactly a neutral source. That’s why she chose Menou. ...Well, even though she is Japanese on the inside, so she’s technically on the Weed side, too.
"That's right. We're both struggling with how to deal with such an outrageous country."
"Indeed. I have been helped greatly by Lady Menou."
"That's fine and all... but wasn't today supposed to be a drinking party for everyone from the New Continent? That's what I heard, Micos-chan."
"Ah, right, right. I asked Kagura to do it. The Zurable Empire has newly joined the New Continent members, right? We'll talk officially in meetings later, but I thought we should deepen our bonds here first. You know, Yuki-sama also said we should try to get along, didn't he?"
Come to think of it, he did say that. I see, so that's why we were gathered today.
"That sounds like Yuki. Well, since we're already communicating and discussing trade across the continents, it would be bad if we didn't do the same."
"Indeed. As Enora says, we in the New Continent are still dealing with wars and troubles, so trade isn't exactly active yet. Moreover, the only major powers officially participating are Haiden, Seasifo, and my own Findar. The others are still in a 'wait and see' state."
"Ah, I see. So compared to the other continents, our trade volume and range are still quite small?"