Extra: The Hero and Gozoh
Wataru Nishimi was a hero.
However, even to a hero, a debt of twenty-three hundred gold coins is a bit… no, is fairly… no, is really painful.
And because of that, he stopped using the suite, as well as lowered the rank of his meals.
Although inn fees were provided by Haku, he decided that to set it aside for the payments since it couldn’t be helped.
Wataru moved into a normal room, but it wasn’t particularly troubling either. Rather, the futon was considerably comfortable. He felt that it’d be fine even if he just stayed in one of them from the start next time he came.
Moreover, he could enter the onsen however many times he wanted, as well as use the game room.
He’d want to come and stay at the onsen inn even if there weren’t a dungeon.
“… But this debt is horrible huh… haah…”
Wataru sighed while eating cream stew in the dining room.
“Oh? What’s wrong, Pudding An-chan?”
“Ah, thanks… umm, Dwarf-san?”
“It’s Gozoh. Thanks for the pudding yesterday. So, what’s with the sighing?”
“Ah, I’m Wataru. And well, it’s just… I have a bit of a debt.”
Wataru gave a small laugh as though to lie to himself.
“Haah, so that’s it? Something serious happened right after that yesterday huh. After you brought Kehma to the room? What happened?”
“Well, it was just something with this.
Saying that, he showed him the dice.
“I was just a little self-confident.”
“Be careful, gambling can destroy your body you know? That receptionist, that Ichika girl? She fell into slavery after accumulating debt from gambling. She looks pretty happy now though… actually, today it looks like she’s seeing the end of the world for some reason.”
“Ahaha, I’ll take care.”
Wataru smiled wryly, figuring that her name sounded familiar, and it that was probably because of her punishment.
“Let’s see, in debt to Kehma? I haven’t seen that guy gambling at all, but… between you and me, my relations with Kehma are good. I could tell him you need to wait a little to pay if you need.”
“Haha, thank you for that… Kehma-san said that my installments will be interest free, so well it’s alright.”
“Ah is that so? It’s all good then.”
While saying that, Gozoh drank another swig of alcohol from his clay decanter.
“Wait, is that alcohol? I heard that this inn didn’t deal in alcohol though?”
“Yeah, I brought it. I traded for it directly with a merchant, they overlook it since I just bring in what I buy for myself… Want to drink some? You gave me that pudding yesterday.”
“Itadakimasu.”
To tell the truth, Wataru hadn’t drank alcohol before. Summoned to this world at the age of seventeen, he continued with his Japanese customs even here and didn’t drink or use tobacco until the age of twenty. And now that he thought about it, he was already twenty. Though he was already at the age he could drink, there hadn’t been any chances.
Wataru accepted the clay decanter from Gozoh and suddenly drank it.
… The alcohol had an amazingly intense flavor. However, Wataru didn’t think he disliked that.
“Hooh, you’re a good drinker.”
“That’s the first time I drank alcohol, but I think I like it.”
“First time? Fumu, then you’re a natural. Well, drink up, I have others.”
“… Then I’ll accept your offer. Itadakimasu.”
“Aye, you should drink alcohol even if something bad happens.”
Gozoh took out another clay decanter he brought in with him and drank as well.
While the two were drinking, Gozoh’s companion, Roppu, came along. Although Gozoh was a dwarf, Roppu was a human woman.
“Oh, you’re drinking! And you, I haven’t seen your face, Newcomer-san?”
“Ah, I’m Wataru Nishimi. A hero.”
“Heeh, you were a hero huh.”
“Hero!? Isn’t that S-Rank? Eeh, amazing, wait you were drinking with him without knowing that? … Let me in!”
And so, Roppu began drinking alcohol with them.
Luckily or not, no one stopped them.
“Eeeh, twenty three hundred!? You racked up a huge amount.”
“Ye~ah~. Kehma-san, he’s a demon! A devil! Kehma-san is!”
“Oi oi, that’s rude. A demon or devil would’ve let him go with around fifty gold!”
“Uu, half a year of hard work…”
“Eeh, you can pay it? S-Rank is amazing~”
“I could get it in a single month if I got serious though! I won’t do it since it’d cause a grudge though.”
“Riiight, it’s better to stop before causing one of those~. Well, drink up, drink up. Today’s on me!”
“Itadakimaaasu!”
Wataru continued drinking whatever alcohol Gozoh took out.
“Hey heeeey, Wataru-kun. What did you do to Kehma-san? I don’t think twenty-three hundred gold is normal.”
“Weeell, it was a bit of a misunderstanding… you know that dog eared child serving tables here yesterday? That child.”
“Yeah, that Jou-chan huh… Wataru did something bad then?”
“Hahaha, yeah… thinking that tiny girl was having a hard time… didn’t I have to save her if I could? As a man.”
“Wooaah~, Wataru-kun is cool~… but it’s useless you know? Slaves are a person’s property. And besides, that child’s madly in love with Kehma-san, she’s not dissatisfied with her current position at all!”
“Looks like it huh… haaah, doing something unnecessary for a twenty-three hundred gold coin debt… twenty-three million rion huh…” [1]
“Alright, drink up. Today’s my treat, there’s still alcohol!”
“Itadakimaaaasu!”
He left it all to Gozoh and drank the alcohol Gozoh took out with vigor. With a burp, he sat the clay decanter he’d emptied onto the table.
“Hey Gozoh, it’s not too early to go to Kantra’s place you know? He said there’s still alcohol at the smithy’s spot you know? And it’s fine even if we make more noise there you know?”
“Oooh, right, Roppu, you’re a genius! Oooi, Kinue-san, bring some snacks! Drink this Wataru, follow me!”
“I’m coming, Gozoh-san!”
“Ah, Kinue-san. The bill. Can you bring it?”
“Yes, certainly. I’ll have Rei bring it all. Are deep-fried potatoes alright?”
“I want those soft and flaky fried things!”
In this way, they hit it off with Wataru spewing his complaints. However, as for them becoming comrades that would travel the world under the name of [Team Bacchus], that is a story for another day. [2]
Furthermore, [Team Bacchus]’ main directive was to [Drink All of the Delicious Alcohol From Around the World].
*
“Mmm~, so alcohol was such a delicious thing~”
The next day, Wataru woke up feeling refreshed, not even having a hangover.
He didn’t know if it was in his original nature, or perhaps because of a hero’s abilities. However, he was able to enjoy alcohol without needing to worry about how he’d feel the next day. That would be good to do from then on.
Since he’d planned on going to the dungeon [Cave of Desires] today, he would have had to change his plans if he’d had a hangover.
And since he’d need to leave soon, this might be the final day that he could properly look through the dungeon.
So he intended to go as far in as he could today.
“… Guess it’s time?”
Wataru, equipped with his skills as a hero, went into the dungeon.
Footnotes:
I have no idea what rion is either. This is the first time it’s appeared so far as I can recall…? I really hope I’m not being stupid here. =| ‘２３００万リオンかぁ’
Bacchus, also known as Dionysus, from Greek/Roman mythology. Click here for more