Chapter 32

In the town below Alkymaira's castle.

At the edge of the town, there was a run-down bar.

It was a bar that seemed to assert its age with pride.

The plaster on the walls was peeling in places, and after numerous repairs, it had unintentionally become a mosaic-like wall.

The interior was also old.

Mostly made of wooden furniture, but it wasn't as if they had deliberately chosen to use only wooden furniture. It was simply that they had continued to use the same unchanging furniture since the bar first opened, when modern products did not exist. While the words mean the same, it gave more of an impression of being "outdated antiques" rather than "antiques."

However, even such a run-down bar, with its long history, had a certain number of regular customers. And it was only because of these regular customers that the bar had managed to maintain a healthy business up until now.

"…Come to think of it, I haven't been here in a while, have I?"

The man with disheveled hair, who was a regular customer, stood in front of the bar.

He had just happened to pass by, but it was already after sunset, and it was just about to turn into night. He hadn't been there for about two weeks, but today he might as well have a drink and go home.

Thanks to the bonus he received from the recent war, his pocket was warm.

Although he had been suddenly transported to a different world and forced to live a life where he didn't know if he would see the next day, that was only until the other day. There was no one among the citizens who had seen that speech who worried about the next day. Alkymaira was a country led by that king.

Then, worrying about tomorrow would be a waste of time.

"So, there's no problem with me going all out and drinking tonight."

He muttered to himself, thumping his pocket where his wallet was.

He was afraid of his wife's reaction if he returned home with an empty wallet, but he wouldn't be scolded just because it was a little lighter.

He had heard that the development project was about to start. As a public project led by the state, it would create many job opportunities not only for the residents of the capital but also for the soldiers of the various military units who had gathered for the national founding celebration.

He intended to participate in it, which meant that his wallet would soon regain its weight. So today, he should just drink. He could think about tomorrow tomorrow.

"Having decided that—Hey, it's been a while, boss! I'm coming in!"

He pushed open the creaky door and called out to the back of the bar.

However, the familiar boss was not at the counter. He couldn't see him anywhere in the bar.

"…What? Where's the boss?"

"Huh? …Oh, it's you, it's been a while. The boss went to restock. It seems the wine ran out."

"Wine? Do we have that many customers who order such fancy stuff here?"

"…I see. You weren't here during that incident the other day. Well, the customer base of this bar has changed a bit recently. The boss will explain it to you, so wait a moment."

He conversed with a regular customer, a tiger beastman, who was drinking nearby.

Looking around the bar, he noticed that not only the customer base but also the number of customers had changed significantly.

Usually, it was a good day if half the seats were filled, but today almost all the seats were taken. Some customers were even standing and drinking.

"Oh. What, the counter seat in the back is empty, isn't it?"

He spotted an empty seat.

Two seats at the corner of the counter were empty. The ogre walked through the bar and was about to sit down when—

"Huh… A, ah!? S, stop, don't sit there, you idiot!!"

"Huh?"

A voice of warning came from the tiger beastman for some reason.

But it was too late. He was already in the motion of sitting down. Just as his buttocks were about to touch the seat, a fist flew in from the side and hit him.

"Wha!?"

The fist, which came in a backhand trajectory, hit the ogre's nose, causing him to spin backward. He hit the back of his head on the ground, having received a sharp blow he hadn't expected.

However, he was a soldier.

He immediately hit the ground with both hands and did a backflip, landing on his feet. He then locked eyes with the attacker who had struck him without provocation.

"What the hell did you do, you bastard!!"

"You idiot, that's my line!! You should be grateful, you damn ogre!!"

"What the hell! Who says 'thank you for hitting me'!? Are you sleepwalking!?"

He crouched and raised his fists. He didn't have his mace, but that didn't matter. Not retaliating after being hit would be a matter of honor for an ogre.

He lowered his stance and prepared to charge. But just before he did, the familiar tiger beastman stopped him again.

"Hey, stop! This time, you're really in the wrong! By the way, you just saved your life!"

"…What?"

When even his drinking buddy tried to stop him, he had no choice but to listen.

He didn't know about other countries, but this was Alkymaira. If there was room for negotiation, he should listen to what the other person had to say. And if he still didn't like it after listening, he could punch the guy later.

Reluctantly lowering his fighting stance, he looked at the attacker again. It was an orc with a slightly yellowish complexion. From the quality of his equipment, he might be a high-ranking orc.

The orc shouted at him, spitting out saliva.

"Listen, you idiot ogre! The seat you were about to sit on is now a permanent reserved seat!"

"…What? This bar doesn't have reserved seats. It's a run-down place that's empty most of the time. What do you mean by a reserved seat? Are you drunk or something?"

"I haven't had a drop yet. This mug only has tea!"

The ogre suspiciously looked at the mug, but sure enough, there were no bubbles. The color suggested it was indeed tea.

"Why are you drinking tea in a bar?" he wondered, but continued the conversation.

"Listen, you idiot ogre. Only a very important person can sit in that reserved seat. The boss decided this after a certain incident."

"Very important person? Even if there was a customer who wanted a reserved seat, it would be at most a squad or platoon leader. Don't exaggerate."

"There's a reason it's not a platoon leader. It's higher."

"Huh? Higher… Wait, are you saying a battalion commander or something is here?"

"Even higher."

"…Wait, wait, that's not funny. If it's higher, it would be a deputy regiment commander, right? You can't be serious about a regiment commander."

"Still higher."

"…Wait, wait, that's not funny. If it's higher, it would be… No, no, it can't be the supreme commander, right?"

"Close. It's a joke, but… it's one step higher."

The ogre's expression changed from a wry smile to a serious one.

He then clenched his fist and took a step forward. He knew there were words that could be forgiven and words that could not.

"…Hey, pig. This isn't a joke. I'll beat you to a pulp if you don't stop. If the second regiment's guards hear you, you'll be beheaded for disrespect, and you won't be able to complain."

"Guards? Sure, call them. I'll have the stiff-necked ones vouch for me, and you'll believe what I'm saying."

"…You've got to be kidding me."

He looked around suspiciously, but everyone was giving him a warm, indifferent look. No one seemed to agree with him.

"No… No, no, no, no, that's not right. I mean, look… No, no, no, no, it can't be. It can't be, right?"

"Stop spouting nonsense you don't understand."

"You're the one who doesn't understand! Do you really know what you're saying? The supreme commander… There's only one in the world!"

"Right. —So, that's what it means."

The orc nodded sympathetically, and the familiar tiger beastman also nodded in agreement. Even the ogre, who was usually tough, understood that it was the truth.

He then remembered where he had almost sat and turned pale.

"So, with that in mind, do you have anything to say to me, regular customer?"

There was no need to think.

The ogre lowered his clenched fist and faced the orc seriously.

"…Thanks for stopping me, brother. I owe you one. Let me buy you a drink tonight."

"Tea is fine. I thought I knew all the regulars, but I got a scare today."

The orc, who had become a savior, sat down in the chair, looking exhausted. The dwarf sitting next to him offered his seat to the ogre, who then gave the dwarf a large copper coin for a mug of ale before sitting next to the orc.

"Hey, just to be sure, are you serious? Is that really the supreme commander's reserved seat?"

"I'll say it as many times as you want, but yes, it's serious. It became that way after a certain incident. …By the way, don't ask about 'the incident.' There's a gag order, so we can't answer."

"O, okay…"

He shuddered, realizing that he had almost put his foot in the grave a moment ago.

"And try not to spread the word about 'the supreme commander's reserved seat.' Since you're a long-time regular, I told you, but… the supreme commander doesn't want it to spread."

"Got it. Only those who know should know. But what if someone sits there without knowing?"

"That's why we, the regulars, take turns watching. It was chaotic for a while with all the new customers… I thought things had settled down, but then you showed up."

"…Yeah, sorry, brother. My wife has been strict lately, so I haven't been here in a while."

The orc gave him a slightly sympathetic look, understanding that he was married. From the decorations he wore, his wife was probably also an ogre.

Ogre wives are scary. Most of them are physically strong. And at night, they can be quite intense.

When a red ogre colleague came to work looking exhausted, everyone greeted him with a warm, indifferent look, the orc recalled.

"Huh? By the way, there are two seats empty, right? Even with standing customers, the seat next to you is empty…"

"That's also a reserved seat. Only a certain guest can sit there. Maybe other guests invited by the supreme commander can sit there, but it's still a reserved seat."

"…A secret meeting, huh?"

"Maybe. Since the incident, the supreme commander hasn't come here yet. I'm not sure."

The orc had been coming to the bar every day since the incident, but the reserved seat had always been empty. The boss kept the counter and glasses polished, ready for the supreme commander's arrival, but so far, there was no sign of it.

"…Hey, by the way. The crystal ornament on the counter at the reserved seat…"

"As you guessed, it's a magical device. It has a soundproofing spell to prevent voices from leaking, a confusion spell to subtly divert recognition from others, and a simple concealment spell. It was delivered in a package with a letter asking to place it there. The sender is unknown."

The magical device was currently inactive and just an ornament.

But once activated, it would make the fact that someone was sitting there unrecognizable. Combined with the soundproofing and concealment spells, it would create a space that no one would notice, like a private room.

"Soundproofing is one thing… but a confusion spell and a simple concealment spell? And all three spells are inscribed in a composite spell? That means…"

"It's almost a quasi-relic. And I'm here to guard the reserved seat and be a new regular customer."

Although he didn't say it out loud, the orc, who was assigned to guard the seat, was promised a salary equivalent to a platoon leader.

Even though he didn't know about it, the ogre, who had committed an act of disrespect during "the incident," was prepared to die when he heard from the platoon leader that "an order had arrived from the castle." However, when he opened the envelope, it contained a high-paying job offer.

But it wasn't a job he could take lightly. After all, he was guarding a quasi-relic. If he sold it, he could open a shop on the main street of the capital. It was not something that should be carelessly placed on the counter of a run-down bar.

The job offer stated, "It would be appreciated if you could stay permanently" and "Please keep an eye on it casually while drinking." But given who had given him the order, he couldn't afford to be careless. Considering the gravity of his duty, he couldn't even drink alcohol.

That's why, despite being in a bar, he was drinking barley tea. He would have a drink at closing time when the customers had left, but he wouldn't drink when the boss was away from the counter.

Incidentally, since he was on a special mission and had left his original unit, he was considering getting officially hired as a staff member of the bar.

Most customers were aware of the "reserved seat," so he would soon have free time. Of course, he would continue his guard duty, but he could do something like polishing dishes near the reserved seat. He didn't want to just drink tea all day.

"Hey, Shinogeki, sorry to keep you waiting. I shouldn't have left you to watch the shop. …Oh, the guest next to you is—"

A goblin carrying a wooden box of wine called out to the two of them from behind. He was the boss of the bar.

"Hey, it's been a while, boss."

"Sure enough, it's you, the ogre. It's been a while."

"I've always said, stop calling me 'ogre,' boss. …By the way, what's with 'Shinogeki'? Is it 'True Strong Ogre'?"

"It's my nickname, brother. I'm an orc, not a strong or mighty ogre…"

The orc sighed, looking a bit tired.

He seemed to be in a melancholic mood, but the ogre, sensing the atmosphere, ignored it.

"Hey, boss, give me a mug of ale and two pitchers. And give the brother next to me a lot of tea. It's on me."

"Oh, buying drinks and being generous, that's unusual. I remember you complaining about being short on money the last time you were here?"

"I got a bonus from the recent war. My wife doesn't know about the amount yet, so I can go all out today."

"…I've heard similar words before. I remember you ended up in the hospital when your wife found out last time…"

"And she didn't even pay the medical bills… It's one of my unforgettable memories, having to pay it off with manual labor. But my wife is cute, so I can't complain."

"You're as usual in many ways. Well, I'll prepare it, so please wait a moment."

After that, the ogre and the orc, along with the tiger beastman, drank together until late at night.

After the last customer left, the orc, who had only been drinking tea, finally got a mug of ale and ended up drunk. The three of them left the bar, arm in arm, completely drunk