I decided to head to the bar in the basement of the house to ask Anima for advice and to stand around and talk to her. On the way there, Anima asked me with a strange expression.

''.......Master. I've been wanting to ask you for a while now.......why is the bar in the basement of the mansion?
...What?
I don't think it needs to be a bar if you're going to be drinking, but...

　I knew that one day someone would run into me, but it's finally here. Why does the bar exist in the basement of the mansion... or is there no more answer to this other than Alice's prank?

Oh, no!　I understand, of course, that your master has deep thoughts, but my shallow self could not deduce his intentions...

　I see, apparently, Anima had some idea of what I had in mind when she built this bar, but she thought she, as a sous chef, had to know, so she asked the question out of shame.
　...No, I don't know why, either!

'Well no, the bar was made by Alice on her own, so it's not like I have any ideas.

....

　It's something I've been thinking about since before, but I have a feeling that Anima thinks a lot of good things about Alice. Why is that?　I thought he was competent to look like an idiot, but he's still just an idiot but like a competent one.......

''........Anima appreciates Alice a lot, doesn't she?
'Of course!　Lord Alice is my target!
Is that right?
'Yes!　An overwhelming amount of military strength, an intelligence that seems to see the future, a charisma that allows you to lead a large army, and endless loyalty that supports your master in the shadows and in the sun!　Lord Alice is indeed the ideal of a squire. It's a very high peak, but I hope to reach it one day.

　
　I've seen it in regards to the battle with Sigma and the decisive battle in the divine world, and if I think back, it seems that Anima felt inferior to Alice before, and that kind of thing combined with that kind of thing may have led to the high rating.
　As I was thinking about that, Alice, who was disappearing in a small voice that I could only hear, spoke to me.


'You, don't ruin Anima's dreams...'
We'll do our best.

　After having such a conversation, I turned my gaze to Anima, and she clenched both fists with a guffaw. The way she seemed to say she was going to do her best was somehow cute, as she seemed even younger than she looked.

''........Anima, you don't have to look like me in terms of personality. I mean, please, please don't look like me.
'What?　Uh, yes?
Okay, let's go.
Are you okay?

　Anima follows me with a curious nod of her head, but this is something I have to nail down. It would be nice to be as competent as Alice, but if she even resembles my personality, I'd have a stomachache like Lilia-san.







　When we entered the bar, Iris-san, who is the owner of the bar, turned to me from the counter. If I were to elaborate, I could say that Iris-san is also someone who lives in my house.

'Hm?　To Miyama Kite - I think it was Squire Anima, or was it?　Good to see you, take a seat at the counter.
Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Iris.
Excuse me, Master Iris.

　I greeted Iris-san, who greeted me with a light smile, and took a seat with Anima.

''Well, I haven't had much of a cocktail before, so if you can have something easy to drink...''
I'd like something sweet if I could...
'Mmmm... so can we get something from Miyama Kite first... with a little bitterness?'
Yeah, I'm fine.

　I'm not much of a drinker, so I'll leave it up to you, and Anima was asking for something sweet because she doesn't like dry drinks. I remember hearing that Caraway-san, on the contrary, likes dry liquor and doesn't like sweet liquor.
　After preparing the container in front of us, Iris-san mixed the liquor with a shakashaka, which I still don't know the name of, and poured it into the glass she put in front of me.
　It's a beautiful, clear-colored liquor, clear as water.

Alice told me that the cocktail is named after the language of the region you lived in, and it's called the Kamikaze, a mixture of vodka, white curacao, and lime juice, and it has a pleasant taste. It's a sharp, dry, but easy-drinking cocktail.
Oh, thank you very much.
"Hmm, now for the anima...

　

'.........it's the 'Scarlet O'Hara'. The strength itself is a bit high, but it has a citrusy sweet and sour taste, so it should be easy to drink.''
Thank you.
Mm, let's get you some snacks.

　Hmmm, I haven't been to this bar very often, but it may be a good place to visit. The atmosphere inside the bar is nice and quiet, and I'm sure Iris' skills must be quite good, judging from the way he prepares the drinks.
　It might be a good idea to come back next time you want to relax and have a drink.

In that case, Anima... let's have a toast.
Oh, yes!

　Me and Anima lightly bumped glasses with each other in an atmosphere where we were supposed to be here to consult, but we seemed to forget about so-and-so and enjoy it.