"Tell me what you want... Sir!" The bartender, taking a deep breath to calm himself down, addressed Ash. Although he was highly dissatisfied with a young brat like Ash's arrogant behaviour, the other party was a customer. Unless he wanted to shut down his business over something as trivial as reputation or ego – which clearly wouldn't put food on his or his daughter's table – he wouldn't dare mess with him. Of course, if he didn't have money, beating the hell out of Ash before throwing him out of the tavern would probably be the cheapest punishment.
Ash looked at the bartender, who wore a cold, murderous expression, and was observing him up and down but remained unconcerned. He knew why the other party had such an attitude toward him. So what? Now he was playing the role of a rich young master. How could he care about a random bartender's emotions and not look down on him? Isn't being arrogant and looking at others with lower stats full of disgust the most basic quality of a rich young master?
With those kinds of thoughts running through his mind, Ash casually tossed his money pouch, containing 95 coins, onto the counter and spoke in a lazy drawl, "Give me the absolute best of everything you have. Drinks, food, a room – all the services should be impeccable and luxurious. I don't want to see anything cheap. There should be enough money in this pouch. Consider the remaining amount a tip. Oh, and remember to bring me a sweet, cold drink, alcoholic or not, as long as it's your finest."
Saying such without giving the bartender a chance to respond, Ash rose from the counter and sauntered towards a window-side table, settling in to wait for his order.
The bartender, who initially harboured doubts about Ash's identity due to his cheap clothing that made him resemble a peasant, was moved to tears upon witnessing Ash's display of wealth – the casual throwing of money like it was trash. For a business owner who craved money like oxygen, customers like Ash were no different from gods. Unfortunately, due to the poor location of his tavern, even having one big shot like Ash's visit in a year could be considered an absolute lucky year.
"F*ck! Why did I send Alice out today?" The bartender cursed under his breath. "If only she could somehow seduce this rich idiot, then I'd never have to worry about anything again. Damn it, I hope he stays here for a few days. Based on my experience, it's easy to make a big-headed, hot-tempered idiot like him fall for a beautiful girl like Alice. Just a few tricks here and there... I have to work hard, for Alice's future, for my own happiness and dreams." Motivated by a burning determination, the bartender kept his eyes on Ash, who was exuding an aura of wealth. He quickly untied the money pouch Ash had given him and, after meticulously counting the coins inside, took a deep breath.
"Good guy, 40 coins as a tip! If all my customers were as generous as this rich fool, then my dream of becoming wealthy and travelling the world on my own luxurious ship would have come true a long time ago," The bartender muttered, a pang of envy shooting through his heart. On one hand, he had been toiling day and night for decades to amass wealth and achieve his dream. On the other hand, a random fool could have everything he desired without lifting a finger.
Sigh, there is really no such thing as fairness in the world, The bartender thought, pocketing the money and quickly getting to work. Today, his daughter wasn't at the tavern, which meant he had to handle everything himself, which is not a simple task, especially when he has to take care of a big shot's mood.
While the bartender racked his brain, devising ways to keep Ash at the tavern for a few days so he could become the matchmaker for his daughter and him, Ash himself sat languidly in a chair by the window, gazing out, wondering how he was going to start a chat with the bartender's daughter when she brought his order.
This was precisely why he was playing the role of an arrogant young master. Under the ultimate power of money, not only does the bartender not poke his nose in their affair, but Ash also gets to know more about her, which can come in handy later when he seriously pursues her.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
The tavern was a dull place in the morning. There wasn't anyone to listen to gossip or glean other bits of information. It meant sitting alone like an idiot in an entirely empty tavern... "Forget it," Ash muttered, shaking his head. "Let's focus on how to complete the quest. That's the most important thing right now, besides finding a girlfriend." He began formulating plans for the future.
As he seriously contemplated his work, time flew by. Before Ash knew it, the bartender reappeared before him with a litre-sized wooden mug. It was filled with a pale, straw-coloured liquid with a golden sheen, topped with a frothy head. A few crudely cut, small ice cubes bobbed on the surface, and a sweet fruit fragrance emanated from the drink, completely different from regular alcohol.
After looking at the ice cubes floating atop the beer-like beverage in front of him, a look of disbelief appears on Ash's face. He couldn't understand where the hell this bartender procured ice from. After all, unlike the modern world of his previous life, after spending nearly two weeks in this world, Ash had already confirmed that there is no such thing as a magical alchemy item that can produce wonders of electronic devices. Everyone relied on antiquated and crude methods for daily tasks.
In the name of entertainment, there are only books, and even those were scarce. Unless one had deep pockets, even such items were unavailable. If not for Linda's generous son, who used a notebook to remember things, Ash might not have been able to find paper unless he journeyed to the port city. As for technological items powered by magic, as he had read in novels, Ash hadn't seen anything like that in Woodworth Town at least.
So now, seeing the ice cubes in front of him felt like a door to a new world had opened. He quickly glanced at the bartender, who wore a deep frown and a hint of nervousness. The bartender was probably wondering why Ash was staring so intently at the soft drink as if it were some magical concoction.
"Sir, is everything alright? Is there a problem?" Inquired the bartender, already viewing Ash as his future son-in-law. He spoke cautiously, his voice filled with respect and concern. After all, if Ash became displeased with his choice of drink, then he might not be able to hold him until his daughter returned, and his entire plan, which he spent a lot of time on (5 minutes at most), would be ruined.
"Where did you get those ice cubes?" Ash didn't answer; instead, he calmly picked up the mug. He blew away the foam and took a small sip of the soft drink. The taste wasn't particularly remarkable, but as a casual beverage to refresh the mind and tongue, it was quite good. It had a mixed fruity flavour, both sweet and sour, with the aroma of real fruits, similar to most traditional fruit beers. Ash enjoyed such drinks occasionally in his past life. Compared to sugary, chemical-laden soft drinks, this type was certainly better. Overall, the drink was acceptable.
"Ice cubes? I made them myself. Sir, Please don't joke with me," The bartender sputtered. "How can a rich and powerful people like you not know about such a common thing? Though an ice maker is a bit expensive, Sir, people like you could buy them without batting an eye. By the way, Sir, do you like this drink, or should I bring another flavour? Berry Fizz is quite the favourite among young people in town who abstain from alcohol, but its taste is rather mediocre. If you prefer something stronger, I have a few fine wines with premium taste. Should I bring them for your consideration?"
"No need!" Ash interrupted the increasingly excited bartender. His enthusiasm sent a shiver down Ash's spine. He couldn't understand why this uncle was trying so hard to bootlick him. Even with a generous tip, it would only be a few dozen coins. Why was he reacting so strongly?
"First, bring out some decent food, including meat," Ash said casually, dismissing the bartender as he continued to take small sips of the drink.
"Yes... yes, sir!" The bartender, though slightly disappointed that he couldn't sell his expensive wine and exploit Ash's deep pockets, quickly cheered himself up and hurried towards the kitchen to prepare the food.
"Sigh, what a big loss," Ash muttered. "I thought after playing the big shot and throwing around money, this greedy bartender would immediately order his daughter to seduce me. But it seems I was overly optimistic. How can there be so many heartless people in the world, selling their children for money without a blink? He's probably scared I might force myself on his beautiful daughter, so he's simply keeping her hidden and avoiding introducing her to me. Well, it's actually a good call. According to the typical script of such backward times, rich people truly don't care about common folks. Stealing their daughters and wives right in front of their eyes is probably not a big deal for them. At most, if the other party gets too noisy, just slit their throats, and done."
"Maybe I have to come up with a genuinely good plan if I really want to win the bartender's daughter's heart," Ash muttered, racking his brain once more while enjoying the cold drink on a warm morning.