Chapter 42: The Sake King

— The Great Hall

We were guided by the servants and seated on a tiered platform, a dais in the great hall.

Everyone seems to have taken a bath, they all appear refreshed, and a pleasant fragrance lingered in the air. Even though we had only been in our rooms for about an hour, we all agreed that life here is amazing.

This great hall could accommodate about a hundred people. There were ten barrels on each side of the dais, and five barrels were placed in the center of the room. Additionally, a large number of spare barrels were stacked in the corridor. Are they going to drink all of them tonight?

Just considering what’s in the room, it would take four of us to finish one barrel…

“Oh, friends of the dwarves. Why the gloomy faces? Don’t worry, drink as much as you like.”

“Ah, thank you. Is the alcohol made in this city?”

“Yes, there was a sake house here. It seems the ancient people also loved their alcohol. Wahahahahaha!”

I think I understand why they moved here. No, there’s no doubt about it.

With a toast from the Dwarf King, the banquet began. I thought we would have to exchange greetings, but there was none, which was a relief.

Karla was introduced to the dwarves not as a princess but as a regular demon. A lot of dwarves gathered around Karla. I don’t know if they have romantic feelings towards different races, but she was definitely popular. Every time a dwarf casually spoke to Karla, Gale’s cup shattered, and Aaron became flustered. It was amusing to watch.

Mia and I were constantly challenged to a drinking competition called the “Sake War” by the dwarves. The “Sake War” involved consuming high-alcohol content liquor called the “Dwarf Slayer.” We were undefeated, winning all ten rounds. By the way, the Dwarf King, Gon-san, fought in the eighth round and is now lying on his back at my feet, fast asleep.

Mia and I left the venue while the cheers of “Sake King” resounded.

“Mia, I think you understand, but we must keep this a secret.”

“Yes, you’re right. If they accuse us of cheating and force us to remove our rings… it would be terrifying.”

“Never remove the ring. We don’t know how the rings work, so if we take them off, we might die from acute alcohol poisoning.”

We were grateful for the “Enhanced Yellow Rune Ring with Abnormality Resistance +95” that Marle-san made for us.

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-The next morning

After having breakfast in our respective rooms, we gathered in the reception room from yesterday.

Only Mia and I were present. Karla and Gale hadn’t arrived yet.

I hope it’s not what I think… that they have a hangover.

The door to the reception room opened, and the Dwarf King, Gon-san, entered.

“Yesterday was fun. To think that Takumi and Mia were such formidable warriors… It’s the first time I’ve seen drinkers surpass us! Kukuto and Marle must have acknowledged you.”

Mia and I started being called by our names like Karla. Could it be the effect of being the “Sake King”?

But dwarves truly live up to their reputation. They don’t seem to experience hangovers.

“Now then, as promised, I would like to continue yesterday’s discussion, but I received a message from Karla’s attendant.”

As expected, Karla has a hangover and can’t get up.

Something was wrong with Karla yesterday.

“Takumi. Please don’t blame me. Demons have very little interaction with other races. I was invited to a banquet in another country for the first time, and I braced myself for it, but I guess I drank too much because I was nervous.”

I remember having a similar experience at a company welcome party… although the burdens are quite different. The dwarves who gathered around Karla might have sensed her nervousness and tried to talk to her.

“We can save the talk about the demons and the World Tree for when Karla has recovered. This is a rare opportunity, so please tell us about Kukuto and Marle. Kukuto even gave you the ‘Gonhillrim’s Pass.’ There must have been another purpose besides resurrection, right?”

Should we talk about our skills to the Dwarf King without Kukuto-san and the others? I hesitated, but decided to speak.

But we need the Dwarf King’s cooperation to revive them. To achieve that, we need to provide him with some of our information and gain his trust.

-After talking about our skills-

“——I see. Interesting! Do you have the branch you showed Kukuto now? Can you show me?”

I give the branch that expands and contracts freely to the Dwarf King and explain how to use it.

I handed the Dwarf King the branch that could freely extend and contract and explained how to use it.

“W-What in the world is this?! So Kukuto was doing something this interesting!”

After playing with it for about ten minutes, he finally started talking to us. I remember Kukuto swinging it around when he first saw the branch. I thought he was researching what kind of weapon it could become, but judging from the Dwarf King’s reaction, it’s highly likely that he was just playing around.

“It was a message from Kukuto and Marle that led Takumi and Mia here.”

“A message?”

“Have you heard why those two left this town?”

“I heard that the city of Gonhillrim couldn’t expand because it’s inside a dungeon. I heard that those who had confidence in their skills left the city because there was a limit to the number of people who could live there.”

The Dwarf King shook his head.

“What did you think when you saw this city? It’s managed by artifacts for food, water, and housing, and we can live here without any inconvenience. There’s still plenty of room for housing.”

Hmm? If that’s the case, then why did they leave this city?

“Long ago, we were split into two groups. Those who despaired at the high level of technology of ancient civilizations and gave up on the path to become the best craftsmen, and those who push forward to master the craftsmanship.”

The Dwarf King let out a deep sigh.

“Kukuto and Marle became the leaders of those who sought to master craftsmanship. And in order to avoid internal division, they left this city. Well, I think they were also disappointed in us, who had become content with just living comfortably through the technology of ancient civilization, rather than creating things.”

So, everyone who left the city with Kukuto and Marle were craftsmen. They ventured outside seeking opportunities that would require their skills, but they weren’t needed due to the influence of magical artifacts.

They wanted to prove themselves to the people in this city, but even outside, their skills were not in demand. It must have been quite tough for them, living as craftsmen.

“The reason why Takumi and Mia were led here is to show that the Dwarves’ technology can surpass magical artifacts and ancient civilization! We still have so much more to offer! They wanted to convey that to us, the craftsmen who had lost heart. That’s what I believe.”

Considering the hardships and despair they have faced, it’s not surprising to think that Kukuto and Marle believed that me and Mia could get the Dwarves back on their feet.

Although we don’t have much time since we need to go to the Demon Realm, it seems possible to make them aware of their potential

“Understood. Then let’s create something together with everyone! So that Kukuto and Marle’s message can reach them.”

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