- Cold beer is the best! -
The meals were done after sometime. Grace came up to pick up the platters. Fuyumi and Grim ordered some drinks, I ordered one as well. Three of them shocked.
"Err..You see Irumi-chan. Are you okay with beers?", Grim asked blankantly in a worried manner.
"Umu,", I nodded as I mumbled. "I had some in the past.", I replied. Well, I'm older in the inside though, it's what I can't say to them.
"Ah..fufufu. Okay then 3 glasses will come in no time!", Grace spoke up to break the awkwardness. She waved at Dan, giving 3 fingers gesture at him. Dan nodded and going back inside from the kitchen entrance, shortly after he came out with 4 wooden glasses of drinks on a tray. He came to our table.
"Here you go folks!", he put down the glasses to us one by one. "Mind if I joining in as well? You guys are the only customer for tonight anyway.", he said as he sit on the empty round chair infront of me. He did asking permission, but doesn't look like it.
"Well, do we have a chance to say no?", Grim teased him.
"Hahaha! You don't. Cheers!", he responded and toasted after. They looks like have known one another for a long time.
"Cheers!", 3 of us responded his toast. The beer is quite nice, like made from wheat or something. But, I feel like there's something missing with it.
"I'm quite suprised you can drink, Irumi.", Dan said the words after he put down his glass while mopping his lips with his arm.
"Umu.", I nodded again as a reply to his statement. "As a warrior, knowing how to drink is a must. My grandfather taught me.", I replied with made up story.
"Indeed.", Grim nodded as he agreed on my opinion in a gallant pose.
"I can't say that's wrong somehow? Haha..", Fuyumi agreed as well while he take another sip on his drink.
"Fuhahaha!", he laughed. "You got a point there little lady. I like your warrior spirit. Making me remember someone I knew from those days of venturing the world.", He hit Grim's shoulder while saying those words at me.
"Fuhahaha! Yes yes! I agree with you as well as a martial arts fellow.", he responded as he tapping on the tabble. "Cheers for the old days Dan! Hahaha!", Grim raised his glass for Dan.
"Hahaha I got you Bro! Cheers!", Dan responded Grim's toast. "HAHAHAHA!", They both laugh after.
Fuyumi just smiling in silence. Enjjoying his drink while taking a look on the view of his friends having fun. I'm just sitting there, looking at how friendly they are to one and another. I finally realized what's missing from the beer. A beer should be served cold! So I reach out my left hand's palm on the glass. Thinking of using [Water magic] combined with cold [Wind magic] trying to make some ice shaped in cube by manipulating the [Mana] in such combined way. I concentrated my mind while doing the [Mana manipulation] method.
'plop plop', the sounds of those ice cubes made when they fell into the glass of my drink. 3 of them became suddenly quite when they were looking at whatever I was doing. I ignored their behaviour and started to pull up my glass a little higher and then shaking it in a circled manner, trying to make the cold from the ice spread wider and faster within the drink. Then I raised the glass and took some digging on it.
'Glug...glug', thr sounds I made as I gulping down the cold beer. "Fwaaah!! Now this is nice!", I said while dropping the glass on the table with minimum force and mopping my lips with my fingers.
The 3 of them shocked by both of my reaction and action. They looked at their own drink, then to eachother in confusion and curiosity which filled them.
"Hei, hei Fuyumi.", Grim whispered to Fuyumi whose infront of him. "Can you do that too?", Grim asked him while pointing with his left thumb trying to act secretly while it's really really obvious. Fuyumi shaked his head with innocent face. They all look cute though, like a dog somehow, with those facial expressions. I kind of pitying them. So I asked for Dan to get us a bowl.
"Sigh. Well, I'm feeling generous today then.", I said while raising both my hands up sideways and lifting my shoulders while closing my eyes. "Dan-san, can we borrow a bowl here? I'll put some ice in it for us to enjoy it.", I requested.
Fuyumi and Grim automatically startled reacting to my request. "Yes, ofcourse he can!", Fuyumi and Grim answered for Dan and stared at Dan direction after. Dan shocked, looking at both of them on their faces and giving in.
"Sigh, fine.", he sighed while saking his head. "I'll bring some more drinks then. They're all on me.", He stood up and scratch his head while saying the words.
"NICE!! That's my man!!", Grim yelled and gave him a thumb up gesture.
"Oh, yes please. Thank you Dan-san.", I thanked him with a composured manner.
Then he walked back into the kitchen with a tray. Shortly after, he walked out with 4 more glasses on a tray on his right hand's palm, and a mid sized bowl held on his left hand. He came to us, put down the bowl in the middle and our extra drinks in respected orders.
I'm trying to reach for the bowl in the middle of the table with almost standing up with both feet due to my short body. Grim saw me and helped me by moving it a little closer to me, and dan finally reaches his seat after. I pour down some small ice cubes into the bowl with the same magic from [Mana manipulation]. The bowl is full of ice cubes in second. With my assassin's class instict and sensing skills, I can feel Grace was smiling at us before she walked upstairs. I chose to ignore it.
Each of them took some ice cubes and put them in their respective glasses. They looked at each other afterward. Then they looked at me. I got a cold chill from their stares which came out from curiosity like asking what should they do next.
I shake my glass with my hand in circling manner then take the sip on the beer with my eyes closed while they're glaring at me. They pulled their glare from me to each other. Lifting their glasses a little bit up from the table following my gestures and moving their sight direction from each other to their own glasses. Then they drink it. I saw their actions through peeking with 1 eye while taking down my drink.
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'Glug...glug...glug...', the sounds made from their gulping seemed like echoing to my ears. "FWAAAAAAAH!", They slammed the glass to the table simultaneously.
"THIS IS GREAT!!", they yelled outloud together in the sametime with any advance coordniation. I'm shocked, they're all also shocked. We drown in awkward silence in second, then we laughed hard.
"Pffft! HAHAHAHA!!", We laughed together responding to their latest actions. The night was spent quite nice with some more rounds of cold beers which I treated them. I added some more ice cubes using [Mana manipulation] in between those rounds. We laughed hard, we talked fun memories and stories, and we enjoyed the night. Before we finally going upstairs for hitting the deck, we helped Dan to do the closing and took back our entrusted armaments from the shelves with us. Dan stayed downstairs. Saying that he needs to wait for some specific night patrol which paid by the inn to stand guard here every night. We excused ourselves to eachother and went straight to our respective rooms. Then, we went to sleep with a heart full of warmth and joy.
--
The next day, morning came. I woke up due to someone knocking on my door. I get up and down from my bed to get the door. "Okay, coming..", I said with barely getting back to the reality.
I opened it, I saw Dan with a wooden bucket with full of warm water and some towels hung on his arm.
"Fuhahaha! Good morning little lady. Here's your water. Pardon my intrusion!", He greeted me and push his way through into the room passing me whose half woke up.
I stand there in silence just looking at him in a sleepy manner. He put down the bucket on the drawer. Taking the empty bucket then put those used towels and fragrant liquid's bottle inside it. He put down the towels neatly. Then he's reaching out for his small bag on his right belt. He pulled out 2 small bottles of the fragrant liquid from there and put them on top of the towels. He turned his back while holding the empy bucket filled with those used towels and small bottles, and shocked when he saw me still stand there looking at him in a dazed state like barely alive. Not to mention, my messy wake up hair.
"Guh.. Hei, is someone alive in there?", He teased me.
I snapped a little hearing his words. "Yea... half of it. Yawn~", I yawned after answering him.
"Hahaha! It's morning already you see? Fuyumi told me some stuffs about you. You may want to step out early for the adventurer entry tests though.", He said to me while walking towards the door behind me.
"Ah.. I hate morning.", I whined like a spoiled kid. "Is that so? Then, good morning too, Dan-san.", I greeted him back.
"Hahahaha! Isn't that reply a little bit too late? Fuhahaha!", he laughed hard. "I'll see you again later, little lady!", He stepped out of the room through the door. He pats-ed my head with my messy waking up hair on the go before he reached outside the room.
"Yes, thank you again, Dan-san.", I thanked him then closing the door and locking it after.
[Magic crafting], I said the commands in my mind while pulling up my right hand's palm and walk to the chair next to the window. I pull the chair from there to the drawer next to the bed. I am thinking of making some things for today's possible necessities. Trying to make some normal, small and thin but solid [Flying daggers], shaped with my preferred imagination, from normal [Steel]-s. I made 100 pieces of them inside my [Inventory]. Next, I edited and added [Aeon]'s unique trait to be linked with my [Inventory] and [Storage]. Then, I'm taking my bath and preparing myself for the day.
Downstairs, I went straight to the chair on the table. I didn't see Grim nor Fuyumi, I didn't knock on their door too anyway. I waved at Dan, he saw me and gave me an 'OK' gesture from there. Then he walked back inside to the kitchen. Shortly after some time waiting there with my face on the table, I sensed Dan's presence is coming towards me. I get up from that position.
"Okay, here's your soup, bread, and hot milk. The milk is my idea though. I strongly suggest you drink it without any ice magic since it's still early in the morning.", He said. The way he said it really like my mother back in the earth when she concerned about the food I should eat. It kind lf making me a little bit missing her. But, I chose to let it go.
"Hooo, they smell so gooooooood.", I'm a little bit hyped on this second time meal in this fantasy world.
"Kuhahaha! You are exaggerating too much.", he laughed. This making me realized. I think Dan really fond of laughing at anything. "Enjoy your breakfast little lady. It's a big day today for you!", he implied. Before he turns his back, he blinked at me and gave me a thumb up gesture. Then, he started to walk his way back to the kitchen. By the way, I went out with my [Hoodie Cape] equipped this time. While my [Blade] is still in the [Inventory].
"Thank you for the food, Dan-san!", I thanked him while he walks away. A little shouting. He waved his right hand without looking or turning his back at me as a reply which I took it as 'Nevermind, enjoy' or so. Then, finally. Its, meal time!! It took some time before I finally finished my meals. I stood up and walk to the receiptionist desk.
"Grace-san?", I called for her as she wasn't there.
"Yes, I'm here! a minute! Coming in seconds~", Grace answered my call, her voice heard from the door behind the desk. Some steps heard from behind the door coming closer then the door opened.
"Oh, Irumi-chan? How can this Onee-san help you?", She smiled at me with a cute gesture.
'Kuh..! If I'm a boy I would surely fell in love with her. That blonde hair, that pair of glasses, those green eyes, those elven outfit, those breats and mostly, those ears! Who wouldn't fall for her anyway? Now I'm confused with Fuyumi's references.', I fell into some depth with my thougts of this elf lady's appearance infront of me.
"Irumi-chan?", She called for me while looking at me who dazed at her in silence.
I snapped, coming back to reality. "Oh!", startled. "Should I left my room key here when I'm going out?", I asked.
"Hmm, you can bring it with you. Just give me back the key when you'll be checking out from the inn. You have a [Spatial Magic], you won't lost it anywhere-anytime anyway right? Fufufu.", She smiled and grined at me.
"Ah, I get it. Okay then, Thank you Grace-san.", I said.
"Grace Onee-san, Irumi chan~", She insisted while staring at me with her smile.
"Uh..", I got a cold chill from her stare. "O-Okay, Grace Onee-san.", I followed.
"Umu.", she clapped her hands. "No problem! By the way, you're going somewhere today?", She asked.
"Yes, I'm going to take the adventurer's entry test.", I answered her.
"Hoo~ I see. Good luck, Irumi-chan. Do your best!", she said while punching the air with her fist at me.
"Thank you, Onee-san. I will!", My weebs side made me getting hyped up hearing a busty-elf-onee-san cheering for me. She smiled. I bowed my head a little to her before I walked out while pulling out my [Black Ayakashi] from my left palm's white sphere and hooked the scabbard with my left side of the belt.
--
When Irumi finally reaches outside the inn, Grace called for Dan.
"Dan-san! Dan-san!", Grace called.
"Y-yes! I heard you, Grace-sama. Coming!", he answered. Then he came to the front of the receiptionist table where Grace is.
"Yes, what should I do, Grace-sama?", He asked.
"Sigh..", she sighed. How many times already? I told you to leave the -Sama behind. Just call me by my name.", She said to Him while her right hand's palm covering her forehead and shaking her head.
"Ah.. That, I can not do, Grace-Sama. As you-..", Dan replied.
"Okay..Okay, nevermind.", she said while shoving her hands gently. "Can you hold my place for a bit? I need to get to somewhere.", She asked.
"Sure, I can.", he replied. "There won't be much people or things to do anyway in the morning. Where're you going by the way, Grace-sama?", He asked.
"Fufufu... I want to see the 'Cold blooded Blade Demon Instructor' testing a new recruit.", She smiled in such a way while saying it.
"Oh..Irumi and that demon race, Kyou-dono...", He turned his face down while replying to Grace. Grace saw his actions. Feeling like he wanted to see them too.
"Fufufu... I see. Even you wanting to her fights, hmm?", Grace smirked.
"...Yes.", Dan aswered.
"Fine, get my cousins here. Tell them, I, called for them to watch the inn while we're away.", Grace implied.
He snapped hearing Grace's words. "Yes, ma'm! right away, OSU!", he got fired up and left the inn in seconds forgot to say any thanks to Grace. It appears, she didn't even mind.
"Fufufu.. This should be interesting. Irumi, huh?", Grace said to herself wondering and expecting. Propping her chin against both of her palms while her elbows supporting them pressed against the desk's surface.