The first liquor served before Ray and Elena was in a small barrel.
　That's the sort of barrel that's for sale to individuals, so it's about two liters long.
　It's not enough to drink as much as you want, but if you think of it as a sake for a slow taste, there are quite a few.

"Since it was a souvenir, how about this kind of sake? This sake is sweet, but the aftertaste is good and everyone can enjoy it. In fact, many people buy this sake altogether when they have a party."
"I see. Then, for the time being, give me that barrel... well, about ten barrels."
"He?"

　The clerk was a little surprised at what Ray said without any particular hesitation.
　I didn't expect to buy it so easily.
　The sake sold in this brewery is not classified as high-It's not a luxury one.
　Still, many of them cost as much as the average person would drink on a slightly luxurious meal.
　Some of them are quite cheap, but the liquor that the clerk recommended this time was a bit of a luxury.
　But soon she remembers what Elena and Ray are, and opens her mouth with a happy smile.

"All right, I'll get you ready right away. So there are many other kinds of liquor. What shall I do?"

　At the clerk's words, Elena glances at Ray, asking him what to do.
　Ray nods back, thinking that drinking is not a problem -- although he doesn't like it.

"Okay, bring me some. If it's a good drink, let me buy it."
"Thank you! Wait a minute!"

　Rey's words suggest that this is a good customer. The clerk heads to the back of the shop with a happy smile.
　Knowing Ray and Elena, I'm sure they never thought they were bad customers from the beginning.
　But still... there was no doubt that he was a much better customer than I had expected.
　Some of the sake sold in this brewery are cheap and some are expensive.
　Even if it's expensive, that's not enough money to build a house, but there are still many kinds of sake that seem to be high-quality.
　Specifically, it's like drinking at a small celebration, or giving it to someone when something goes wrong.
　Ray and Elena would buy a lot of such liquor, too.
　With that in mind, the clerk hurriedly goes for a drink.
　Incidentally, since this sake brewery is well known in Annesis, there are staff other than Ray and Elena, who naturally deal with other customers there.
　Such other guests are also fascinated by Ray and Elena's presence.

(I'm being watched... well, as usual)

　Ray talks to Elena, not particularly concerned, while feeling the gaze of other customers and clerks.

"How much alcohol do you think I should buy?"
"Huh? That's kind of hard. That's what we've heard from Georgima about not only drinking, but also disinfection and gift."
"Ah... well, for cooking."

　Ray was also strongly convinced of the explanation.
　That's because when I was in Japan, when an acquaintance hunted a bear and asked me to share the meat, I saw it boiled in a large amount of sake together with flavored vegetables such as ginger and leeks as an antidote to the odor.
　In fact, Ray remembered that the bear meat cooked in that way had no animal smell at all, and that it would collapse easily if it was stewed in his mouth for a long time.
　Other than that, I've seen dishes like beef stewed in red wine on TV, though I've never actually eaten Ray.
　I've also seen Marina use alcohol when she cooked for me.
　With these in mind, I was able to honestly agree with Elena's words about using them in cooking.

(However, it seems that there was a cooking liquor...if you use ordinary liquor for cooking, what on earth do you use cooking liquor for?)

　Ray has such a question, but before he speaks of it, the clerk appears with a tray of cups of sake.
　They would have liked to have brought a barrel, but this time they probably couldn't have done it.
　How many kinds of liquor do you have... a cup on top of the clerk's tray showed.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I've brought you some high-quality drinks and more delicious drinks than enough, even if they're cheap. These are all delicious drinks I can confidently recommend."

　Working in a brewery, the clerk must really like to drink.
　She still smiled in front of Ray and Elena in the most joyful way.

"Originally, it is sold wholesale to various stores, but the good thing about sake breweries is that you can buy it at a slightly lower price than you can buy it at such a store."
"Well, I suppose so,"

　Ray nods to the clerk's words.
　It was only natural that if you bought a drink at a place like a bar, the price would go up as much as there was a bar in between.
　If you buy it where you make it, it's natural that it's cheaper.
　To be honest, Ray doesn't mind that much difference in price, since he has enough money to live a life of luxury even if he is reborn several times.
　However, it was Ray's case, and the difference in price was undoubtedly a big one for others... who came to buy sake at this brewery.

"Well, here you go. This is a cheap, but definitely first-rate drink."
"... Is it cheap even though it tastes first class?" I think that'sounds contradictory.
"No, the weather was bad in the year this sake was made, and the crops were poor. Thanks to that, there were no buyers for the sake this year... the taste itself is perfectly fine, as I said earlier."

　Uh-huh. The clerk muttered regretfully.
　The clerk may not be convinced that good liquor is being viewed unfairly cheaply.
　Elena seemed to agree, taking a glass from the clerk and carrying it to her mouth.
　The way Elena's white throat chills every time she drinks is even more bewitching.
　Even professional clerks are fascinated by the sight.
　Such a happy moment of eye refreshment soon comes to an end, and Elena closes her eyes to enjoy the aftertaste of the finished drink.
　Elena's gesture brought the clerk back to life, and he spoke in a flurry.

"Well, how was it?"
"It's delicious. I don't think it's a bit cheap. ... If it's the worst crop, there's no number in itself."
"Well, yes, but I'm sure you'll be glad to have a tasteful drink like Mr. Elena said.
"Huh, don't be so good at it. ... All right, let's get this drink. Ray, I need to give it out as a souvenir, so can I buy it?"

　When Elena asks, Ray nods without hesitation.
　Thus the two of us are buying souvenirs, but there is no particular reason why Ray is the only one who has to pay to buy souvenirs.
　If Elena was going to buy it, Ray had no objection to the word.

"Well, how many barrels do you... sell for a single person? I heard that the original number is small."
"Well, ten... no, how about fifteen barrels? We still have plenty to spare, but considering the amount we sell to other customers, we can't take everything."

　As a sake brewer, if possible, I would like the right person to drink my proud sake.
　But you can't pretend to sell everything to Elena.I don't know what's going to happen in the future, and it's possible that you'll need the sake in case something happens.
　Elena agrees without further strain to the clerk's words, whether she knows the circumstances as a nobleman.

"Well, that's all right, then, for the next drink..."

　After a brief discussion, Elena reaches for another drink.
　Elena continues to drink and accurately express it, pleasing the clerk.
　On the contrary, even the rest of the staff would gather to listen to Elena's expression, and eventually the other customers, the staff who were dealing with her, and even the breweries' artisans would gather together.





"Are you all right?"

　After leaving the brewery, Ray and Elena had bought enough liquor to consume a year's worth of alcohol for an ordinary house, and possibly more, than that, they were walking down the street.
　To be honest, even if Ray buys such a large amount of sake, he rarely drinks it himself, so that's nothing but a treasure trotter.
　I had this feeling in mind, but I decided to buy as much as I could for now, because it was a souvenir and I thought it would be good to use it when Marina cooked.
　Most importantly, maybe... well, maybe, maybe, maybe someday Ray would drink and like it.
　I don't like alcohol very much in Ray today.
　But there are people who are so enthusiastic about making sake, and at the same time enjoy drinking.
　Isn't it a little wasteful to drink it and not taste good?
　The main reason Ray thought that was probably because of the staff who were in charge of the Ray's work at the brewery.
　It was true that when Ray saw the atmosphere of love and love for alcohol straight away, he thought, "If only he could say that..."
　However, after a few drinks, I didn't think of drinking any more now because it didn't fit me at all.
　After all, Ray thought it was delicious to drink.
　...if it were fruit water, he would drink it as he wished.

"Well, a little... I drank too much. The cold wind is pleasant."

　The winter breeze was pleasant for Elena, now a little bit drunk.
　It was not cold, but cool, even in present-day Anesis, where snow began to fall, because it inherited the magical stones of the Ensent Dragon.
　Elena is very glamorous now, not shy, but faintly blushed from slight intoxication.
　I had a strong impression that a glamorous woman for Ray was Marina, but now Elena is as glamorous as such marina.
　Looking at Elena's profile, Ray hands the fruit water out of the mistling.
　A small amount of a kind of liquor, if you drink all of it, is naturally reasonable.
　That's because he thought that a refreshing fruit water would be good for a drunk Elena.
　...when I was actually in Japan, it was only because I saw my father, who came home drunk after a banquet, wanting to drink water many times.
　It's fairly thin even in fruit water, and that's probably why it felt so delicious to Elena. Drink it down happily.

"Oh, ... delicious,"
"Well, I'm glad you liked it. I don't think it's possible to go to the next restaurant first."

　I'm not completely drunk, but Elena is still drunk today.
　I don't know if I'm drunk.k.a. drunkard.
　With this level of intoxication, you can act without any problems.
　But Elena is the Duchess of Kelebel, nicknamed the Princess General.
　That being the case, it would be a disgrace to the Duke and Duchess of Kelebel if they let the drunks do anything wrong.
　With Elena's reputation, it's highly likely that such a thing won't be a problem."

(Elena doesn't have any enemies, either)

　I remember the woman who got involved with Elena at the New Year's party.
　From Ray's point of view, Elena didn't treat me at all, but that doesn't mean I can leave her alone.

"No, I have no particular problem,"
"Is that so?"

　Let's do it after we wake up.
　Trying to say so, Ray immediately pauses and turns his eyes to a certain direction.
　At the end of his gaze... there was a black wolf on the roof of the building.