Chapter 56

The dwarf, a strong and ancient one, crossed his arms and directed a challenging gaze.

His request was very simple.

"Serve me the strongest drink."

It boiled down to just that.

I had heard from Neskasan that dwarves were all big eaters and heavy drinkers... I see.

To demand the strongest drink without hesitation must mean he has confidence in his alcohol tolerance.

"Didn't you hear, kid? I want a drink. I'm going to have that drink you boasted about last night. I won't let you say it was a joke now."

"Huh, it wasn't a joke."

I took out a bottle.

"This is the drink I talked about yesterday, the one that lights on fire, 'Spiritus'!"

—Spiritus.

If you're a drinker, you've probably heard of this name, the vodka that everyone knows.

In Japan, it is classified as a Class 4 hazardous material, and it can ignite with just a cigarette lighter, making it dangerous in many ways.

Its alcohol content is a staggering 96 percent.

"Hmm. It's as clear as water. Is it really a drink?"

"It becomes colorless through repeated distillation. It looks like water, but you can tell it's a drink just by the smell. But... are you really sure you want this drink—Spiritus? You can still change your mind. Personally, I strongly recommend beer or wine, like everyone else."

I tried to dissuade him.

Spiritus is the kind of drink that is only consumed as a bad joke or as a punishment game.

I would prefer that he enjoy a delicious drink.

That was the thought behind my words, but...

"Hey, hey, hey, that guy is provoking Mr. Eldos!"

"Could it be you don't know 'The Indestructible Eldos'!?"

"This town is at the edge of the world. It's not strange not to know Eldos' name."

"He is one of the Sixteen Heroes? Even kids in the capital know him."

The adventurers began to murmur.

It seems the dwarf in front of me was a super famous person among adventurers.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm."

Eldos, the dwarf, laughed happily.

"Are you provoking me, kid? Fine, I'll take that challenge!"

With that, Eldos placed a wooden mug on the table.

If this were a bar, it would be the size of a 'Mega' mug.

This, I'm pretty sure, can hold all the contents of the bottle.

"Come on, kid, pour that drink into this."

"No, that size is... really..."

The mug was thrust at me, and I lost my words.

Even though I had been told that dwarves are heavy drinkers, it doesn't mean they are all strong with alcohol.

And Spiritus is a drink with an extremely high alcohol content.

I had planned to serve it in a shot glass, but I never expected him to bring out a mega-sized mug.

"What's wrong, kid? Are you stingy with your drink? Don't worry, I have plenty of money. There's no need to be concerned. ...Hmm. What's that face? You're not scared, are you?"

Eldos looked puzzled.

I nodded and replied.

"...Yes, I'm a bit scared. This Spiritus is a drink that can make you wobble just from a small sip. And you're giving me such a large mug... Ah, right! How about we start with a small sip? If that's okay, we can continue with another small sip, and so on—wait, what?"

"..."

Eldos fell silent, his shoulders trembling.

The adventurers spoke up instead.

"Look! That guy is further provoking Eldos!"

"A small sip? That's completely treating him like a kid! Eldos is over 200 years old!"

"Is he making fun of us dwarves? We all grew up with a barrel of alcohol instead of a bottle!"

"To treat the hero Eldos like a child... what a reckless young man."

The adventurers were buzzing with excitement.

But that's not it. I'm not provoking him.

Seriously, this Spiritus is a dangerous drink.

"Kid, are you insulting me! I've never been drunk in my life. Don't underestimate me!!"

"I'm not insulting you, and I'm not underestimating you! Mr. Eldos—can I call you that? You might not know, but drinking too much can be fatal. You can choke on your own vomit! In my hometown, several people die each year from alcohol. If I serve you a drink, I won't let you drink recklessly. If you drink—"

I placed a shot glass (a glass that can only hold a small sip) on the counter and continued.

"I won't serve it unless it's in this glass."

Compared to the mug Eldos was holding, the shot glass was incredibly small.

"I'll take that as a challenge! Kid! Get out there right now!!"

As he shouted, Eldos took off his jacket, revealing a physique that was far beyond just 'muscular'.

He pointed outside with his chin and cracked his knuckles.

A sudden sense of battle.

I panicked.

Aina and the others panicked even more.

But a helping hand came from an unexpected place.

"Mr. Eldos, please calm down."

"Who are you?"

"I am a priest serving the Sky God Florine, and my name is Rolf Fos Mozart."

The one who appeared in this dire situation was Rolf.

Rolf bowed with a smile and stepped between me and Eldos.

"Hmph. What does a priest want with me! Are you going to lecture me? Or do you want to be the witness in my fight with the kid?"

"Not at all. I just want to say that this Shiro is my friend."

"Hmm. A friend, you say?"

"Yes, a friend. A very important friend."

Rolf said, deftly handling Eldos' angry words with a gentle smile.

"Are you trying to protect the kid? I don't mind a two-on-one fight. I'm confident in my body."

Eldos clenched his fists and made a motion as if to punch something.

He must have seen through Rolf as more than just a priest from his physique.

"Please, I'm here to stop you. As you can see, Shiro is not good at fighting."

I nodded vigorously at this.

"I'm not good at fighting. I'm not good at anything painful! Because it hurts!"

"Did you hear that, Mr. Eldos? If you fight, you'll just end up hurting Shiro. As one of the Sixteen Heroes, would you really want to hurt an unarmed person? It would tarnish your reputation."

"...That kid is at fault for hurting the pride of the dwarves."

Eldos pouted, seeming to regain some calm.

"That's a misunderstanding. I've seen many people who intended to drink Spiritus end up being drunk and wobbling. For the sake of my shop's reputation, to avoid causing trouble for the Adventurer's Guild, and most importantly, for Mr. Eldos' health, I can't let you drink a lot at once."

"..."

"Mr. Eldos, can you understand my friend's feelings?"

"I understand what the kid is saying. But we dwarves don't consider such a small drink to be a real drink."

"True. That's why I have a proposal."

"Go on. What is it?"

"Shiro, there is a sacred magic called 'Detox' that priests can use. This magic can not only cure poisoning but also sober up someone who is drunk."

"Oh! Such a magic exists!"

What a convenient magic. Hooray for the other world.

Indeed, being drunk is like a status ailment.

"If Mr. Eldos becomes too drunk to stand, I will immediately use 'Detox' to sober him up. What do you think? Under these conditions, would it be okay to let Mr. Eldos try Spiritus?"

"That's a good point..."

I thought about it.

The scary part of alcohol is acute alcohol poisoning.

It can lead to a drop in consciousness, vomiting, and worsening breathing, potentially resulting in death.

However, if the danger can be resolved by Rolf's magic, what about it?

It might be good to let the brave dwarf experience the threat of Spiritus.

"Alright. Under these conditions, I will serve you Spiritus."

"Shiro says that, but what do you think, Mr. Eldos?"

"I'm fine with that. But, kid, as I said, I've never been drunk."

Eldos glared at me.

"You said it would make me wobble? Hmph. I've fought countless monsters with my battle axe and have never once fallen to my knees. Demon Lord, Ancient Dragon, No-Life King... they were all incredibly strong, but none of them could make me kneel."

The adventurers murmured in awe.

Neskasan, standing behind me, muttered.

"...All of them are legendary monsters."

The hero's name is not just for show.

"Come on, kid, give me that drink!"

Eldos raised his mug.

I unscrewed the bottle cap.

"Don't drink it all at once, okay? If you feel it's dangerous, stop drinking immediately, okay?"

"Hmph. If I wobble, I'll do whatever you ask."

"Then, if you don't wobble, what should I do?"

Eldos laughed at my question.

"Make all the drinks I have today free. How about that?"

"Alright. I don't like gambling, but that's fine."

"Good! Now, fill it to the brim! Don't be stingy. A drink is meant to be poured until it overflows."

"Alright, alright, I got it."

I poured the Spiritus into the mega mug.

"Hmm, it does smell like a drink. And it's an incredibly strong smell."

Eldos slightly grimaced at the intense alcohol smell of Spiritus.

And in front of everyone—

"Here... gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp,"

He turned the mug upside down and drank it all, without any hesitation.

"Gulp, gulp, gulp... phew. My stomach feels like it's burning. But... what do you think, kid? Am I drunk?"

Eldos' gaze was as sharp as ever, perhaps even sharper from the alcohol.

I raised my hands in surrender.

"I was wrong. I lose."

It seems dwarves are incredibly strong with alcohol.

"Hahaha! You finally got it. But a bet is a bet. All the drinks I have today are on you, got it?"

"I understand. But don't drink everyone else's share, okay?"

"Then make sure to serve me good drinks. That might help quench my thirst. Though I've never been drunk, not once! Hahaha—*hic*"

Eldos, who had been laughing loudly, suddenly fell backward.

"..."

The bar fell silent at the sudden turn of events.

I immediately sprang into action.

I rushed over and shouted in his ear.

"Mr. Eldos? Mr. Eldos!! Hey, can you hear me—ah, this guy is completely out. Rolf, quickly use the magic to sober him up!"

"R-right, I understand."

Rolf, who probably didn't expect this, hurriedly chanted a prayer and cast the 'Detox' spell on Eldos.

Eldos, who was unconscious, received the magic and his body glowed faintly.

◇◆◇◆◇

"Mr. Eldos, I told you, didn't I? I said to drink it in small sips."

"U-um, I think you did mention it."

"I did. I clearly said it! And yet you drank it all at once... If Rolf wasn't here, you could have passed out and died, you know?"

"...I understand. I'll thank that priest later."

"Of course. Heroes or not, alcohol is meant to be enjoyed, not drunk like that. Don't you think it's disrespectful to the drink?"

"Hmm..."

I was scolding the now conscious Eldos.

I was really scolding him.

"That guy is lecturing Mr. Eldos."

"I've never seen him so cowed!"

"But he did fall over without even a knee bend, right?"

"To think the first thing to bring down a hero would be alcohol. Huh... I'm interested too."

"What was that drink again?"

"Something... 'Spiritus' or something, right?"

"Maybe we should call it 'Hero Killer'?"

"That's a good name. I might try the Hero Killer."

"Me too!"

Ignoring the buzzing adventurers, I continued to scold Eldos.

The drink called 'Hero Killer,' which originated in Nino Rich, would soon sweep across the continent.

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