Volume 4 Chapter 34 Interlude - Time Just For The Two Of Us
"Why won't you let me in!"
"Huh?"
One day.
Returning from a leisurely shopping trip in town without a request for a Nurturer.
From a side street off the main road, I heard a familiar voice.
I was drawn by the voice and went to check out the side street.
And there, just as I expected, was Cosmos.
"So, you see, there's a rule that people under 16 can't go in here. With your age, well..."
"I've been saying I'm already 18 for a while now!"
It seemed like she wanted to enter some store, but it looked like the staff wouldn't let her in because she looks like a child.
The store right in front of her where the interaction was happening seemed to be a tavern named "The Sun That Doesn't Rise."
Does Cosmos want to go in there?
"What are you doing, Cosmos?"
"Ah, Roezé"
Seeing her like this, I called out to her, and Cosmos happily ran over.
"You came at just the right time, Roezé. Tell them for me too. I'm already a proper adult!"
"...I don't really get what's going on?"
It's really troubling when I'm suddenly told something like that.
How could I prove that she's an adult?
First of all, what exactly led to the disagreement with the staff?
As I pondered this question, a person in a black jacket...
"Our tavern does not allow people under the age of 16 to enter. We mainly serve strong alcohol, and there have been many cases of nuisance caused by drunk young customers, so the owner has decided to impose an age limit."
"Ah, I see"
Basically, anyone can drink alcohol, but perhaps the establishment set an age limit because young customers were causing trouble.
Since there has been real damage, they have no choice but to take such measures.
I hear that in some countries there are age restrictions on drinking alcohol.
"Therefore, we are refusing to allow this young lady into our store..."
"Well, Cosmos. There's no other way, so just give up."
"How can that be? You know I'm 18!"
Well, I do know that, but...
There's no way to prove that in the current situation, so what can we do?
The only thing that can prove age is appearance.
If you're from a famous family, you can prove your identity just with your name and age, since people know them.
"I'm really sorry. We try to let people in as much as possible, but we can only permit entry if there are no obvious issues..."
The staff glances awkwardly at Cosmos.
She's only about my chest height.
A delicate frame wrapped in a black robe, with a small, childlike face like that of a small animal.
Even her sulky demeanor looks only like that of a spoiled child, making it understandable that the patient clerk would stop her.
The clerk probably wants to increase the number of customers as much as possible, so they can't really blame her.
"It's unfortunate, but it seems you have no choice but to give up. Look, I'll treat you to juice at a nearby stall."
"Don't treat me like a child, you know!"
Just as I'm receiving a sharp retort, the staff suddenly looks toward the inside of the store.
Then they lean towards us and quietly shares some information.
"However, if someone over 16 accompanies you, entry is possible."
"Huh?"
"And if that person is expected to drink, you can also order alcoholic beverages..."
"..."
Cosmos slowly turns to face me.
And as soon as our eyes meet, she flashes a bright smile displaying her white teeth.
"You'll pay for making fun of me."
"You should say 'please'"
Well, I don't have anything to do after that, so it's fine.
So I decided to accompany Cosmos so that he could enter the store.
When I entered the tavern, it was a dark tavern.
Small orange lights are sporadically hung from the ceiling.
The wooden round table and chairs are also made of black materials, so I felt that the overall atmosphere was calm.
I was told to take any available seat, so I headed towards an empty seat I found at the edge, and asked Cosmos.
"It's unusual for Cosmos to come over for a drink. Did something bad happen?"
"Why is it assumed that I'm irritated?"
Well, I couldn't think of any other reason for Cosmos to come to the tavern.
Normally, she's either out on monster hunting quests or reading books in the library.
It's indeed rare for her to come to the tavern alone like this.
"I heard rumors in the guild. They say the drinks here are delicious, so it's definitely worth trying at least once. It seems the flavors are a bit on the sweet side, and I wanted to give it a shot."
"Oh, so it's a rumor in the guild..."
I haven't been to the adventurer's guild much lately, so I had no idea.
As we take our seats, the waiter comes over with the menu.
Following the recommendation of the staff member outside, I decided to order one drink while pretending to drink alcohol and also ordered a juice for kids.
The order was successfully placed, but I was told something that raised my concerns.
"This is a popular menu item, so the number we can serve per person is limited. We would like to ask for your understanding."
"Y-yes."
The waiter said that and left our table.
I can't believe there's even a sales limit; it really must be a super popular drink.
Even now, in the afternoon, there are quite a few customers, and it's lively, making me start to get curious about the drink.
Before long, the drinks and juice I ordered, along with a snack I added on, arrived at the table.
After watching the waiter step back, I swapped drinks with Cosmos.
The alcohol looks like fruit wine, the liquid in the glass is a light color.
It has a slight viscosity and definitely gives off a hint of a stronger drink characterized by a refreshing sweet scent.
Seeing that drink in the hands of the young-looking Cosmos feels, without a doubt, very out of place.
"Let's taste it."
Cosmos put the glass to her mouth without hesitation, as if to shake off the strange feeling.
The moment the thick liquid entered her small mouth, Cosmos's black eyes suddenly became large.
"Delicious!"
Cosmos's previous bad mood seemed to disappear, and a dazzling smile appeared on her small, childish face.
A sake that makes Cosmos, who is honest in a good way and rude in a bad way, exclaim that it's delicious.
When I see that with my own eyes, I can't help but be curious.
"Huh, what does it taste like?"
"..."
I asked casually.
But after asking the question, I regretted it late, wondering if that was a bad idea.
It felt as if I was asking to taste it, as though I wanted to know what it tasted like.
Since it would become an indirect thing, I prepared myself, thinking Cosmos would scold me about it.
However, Cosmos silently offered me the glass without getting angry.
"Huh? Is it okay?"
"W-Well, it's not like I'm at an age where I should care about that, and it's unfair if only you can't drink."
Maybe feeling a bit tipsy already, she handed me the glass with a flushed face.
I never expected Cosmos to agree to it.
I just wanted to hear her thoughts on the taste, but since she went out of her way to offer it, I decided to drink.
"Well then, I'll gratefully..."
I felt that if I refused here, it would seem like I was being Consciousness.
So, I tilted the glass I received from Cosmos and took a sip of the refreshing-smelling liquor.
In that moment, the sweetness and flavor of a fruit I had never tasted spread over my tongue, and right after, the sensation of the alcohol gently settled into my mouth.
The thickness was pleasant on the palate, and it was a delicious drink that was strangely addictive.
"Wow! What is this!?"
"See, it's delicious, right!"
Cosmos strongly agreed with my spontaneous reaction.
Thanks to the excitement from our shared sentiment, she didn't seem particularly bothered about the glass I returned and happily drank again.
"It's really a taste you want to drink again and again. The adventurers in this town are addicted to it."
Cosmos then put the glass down on the table, wiped the wet edge with her finger, and gave me a sidelong glance.
"So, um, can I invite you here again?"
"Huh?"
"Because I can't go in by myself. You're the only one I can invite casually."
"Well, I see. Rose is only 15, and if she's not with me, she'll just be turned away again."
We could wait another year until Rose can come here, but this isn't a place where you can afford to be that patient.
"Yeah, I got it. I liked the food here too, so if you invite me again, I'll go with you."
"...R-right."
Thank you," Cosmos said quietly, then took another sip of her drink.
──At that moment.
"Hey! What do you mean there's no more alcohol!"
"...?"
I heard a man's angry voice coming from the counter seats in the shop.
When I turned my gaze in that direction, I saw a huge man slamming his fist on the counter, confronting the staff member.
"We have limited alcohol available today, so to ensure that all customers get a fair share, we have to set a limit for each person. You should have already agreed to this when you placed your order..."
"Huh? I didn't hear anything like that."
The giant glared at the staff member while letting out a hiccup.
He seemed to be quite drunk.
When we were placing our order, the staff had properly explained the sales limits, so I thought he must have just forgotten because he was drunk.
However, the staff member appeared to be intimidated and wasn't able to respond strongly to the giant.
It was understandable.
Unlike the delicate and gentle-faced male staff member, the man arguing with him had a tough look and limbs as thick as tree trunks.
He's probably not a novice adventurer, either.
The surrounding adventurers and Cosmos also looked puzzled, as if they didn't recognize him, so I thought he must be an adventurer who came from another town.
As if to affirm that guess, the man continued while surveying his surroundings.
"The reason the alcohol runs out so quickly is that you're giving it out to novice adventurers. Just ignore those guys and bring everything to me."
"W-Well, it's not that simple..."
"Tch, don't drink if you can't handle it. There's no alcohol for weaklings to drink. Everyone should hurry and bring the alcohol to me. It's the rule of adventurers for the weak to obey the strong."
The man carelessly tossed aside the empty glass and provocatively gazed at the surrounding adventurers.
He stared at the novice adventurers relentlessly, and under his gaze, they all began to shrink back.
I try to avoid eye contact as much as possible.
That judgment is generally correct.
There's no way they could compete with that man.
"Ha, you cowards, all you can do is sit there in silence. It's a waste to make scum like you drink alcohol! Get out of the tavern and drink some sewer water, you novice guys."
There was no one who could counter the insults, and the atmosphere in the shop became heavy.
...I was having such a nice time enjoying delicious drinks, too.
It's one thing to make noise in the shop, but I can't overlook them speaking ill of the novice adventurers I was hoping for.
I thought I should say something strong, so I tried to get up...
"...so annoying"
"Huh?"
Before I could, Cosmos had already stood up from her seat.
She picked up the staff leaning against the table and crossed between the shrunk novice adventurers to head towards the counter seats.
Then, she called out to the large man who was still bothering the waitress and had even started grabbing him by the collar.
"Did you say there's no drink for weaklings?"
"Huh?"
"Then there's not a drop of drink I'll give you!"
It was a provocation that couldn't have been more on point.
The surrounding novice adventurers seemed to sense the dangerous atmosphere and stood frozen in shock.
Naturally, the provoked large man turned around slowly, veins bulging on his forehead.
However, upon seeing Cosmos there, what slipped out wasn't anger but laughter.
"Haha! What the hell are you! I thought some clueless fool had come, but I never imagined it would be such a kid!"
The man echoed with loud laughter.
It seemed Cosmos didn't feel anger in response, instead continuing to glare coldly at the large man.
"So, you say there's not a drop of drink I'll give you? I acknowledge that you have the guts to say that with your size, but your courage...
After saying that, the giant pointed to Cosmos and his smile deepened.
"You're not even old enough to drink here, regardless of your abilities. You're not even qualified to drink here."
He laughs loudly in the tavern.
Cosmos still didn't say anything in response and didn't move away, so the giant gave her a threatening look.
"No one wants a piss-smelling brat. Go home and suck your mother's milk."
"..."
Snap, I feel something snap inside Cosmos.
Just as I had expected, Cosmos began chanting a familiar phrase.
"[Sparkling smile──this thrilling feeling──shine, my brightest star
]"
"Haha! What the heck is that! Is it some kind of spell that's popular among kids?"
The giant, who evidently didn't know that, was happily laughing while getting closer to Cosmos.
As if he was about to threaten her, he swung his log-like arms while laughing loudly.
Undeterred, Cosmos quietly smiled.
"It's fine to laugh loudly, but let me give you some good advice."
She took a stance with her staff, looking up at the giant as if she was threatening him back.
"You'd better brace yourself."
"...Huh?"
In an instant, Cosmos's anger manifested itself.
"[Rigel]!"
A magic circle expanded at the tip of her staff, and from it, a rock the size of a fist was shot out at high speed.
The powerful blow exploded against the giant's stomach.
"Ggh!"
A dull sound echoed, and at the same time, the tremendous impact sent the man flying.
Having anticipated this, I had moved to where the man was likely to be flung, clearing away tables and customers in advance.
Thanks to that, the man rolled awkwardly on the inn's floor without hitting anything.
As expected of someone who just struts around, he was sturdy and didn't lose consciousness from a single blow, but it seemed Cosmos's strike really affected him as he writhed on the ground.
"Ugh... ggh... ahh...!"
"Ah well, I told you so."
In an instant, the person looking up and the person looking down are swapped.
Cosmos expressed the anger of the adventurers present in words and lashed out at the man.
"Drinking alcohol doesn't have anything to do with strength. Of course, even a novice adventurer can drink as much as they like. They drink to recover from their adventures, and then goes on another adventure and gets stronger little by little. That's how this town works. Remember that."
Cosmos said this while looking down at the giant, then she bent down and put her face close to the man's ear.
"Or..."
This time Cosmos spoke in a low, menacing voice, as if to threaten the man back.
"You seem to have a bad memory, so maybe I should give you another shot and teach you a lesson?"
"N-no, please stop...!"
As if to say "this is bad," the huge man shook his head weakly while rolling on the ground.
After that, the huge man somehow managed to stand up and wobbled out of the store, witnessed by the novice adventurers who had mocked him thoroughly.
As Cosmos watched his pathetic figure leave, she let out a bored laugh through her nose and muttered to herself.
"You really shouldn't underestimate the adventurers in this town."
In that moment, cheers erupted from around.
Looking over, the novice adventurers who had been seated unexpectedly stood up and started applauding her.
"Wow, as expected of Ms. Cosmos...!"
"Thank you for driving him away...!"
She was showered with immense gratitude from everyone.
Well, it was only Cosmos who could defeat that man in this situation.
Everyone must have been feeling frustrated, so this storm of gratitude was only natural.
In response to that, Cosmos slightly averted her gaze and blushed, feeling a bit shy.
On top of that, she was also receiving significant thanks from the store.
The shopkeeper expressed his gratitude to her, and because of that recognition, she was now allowed to enter the tavern alone.
"We look forward to your next visit, Lady Cosmos."
In the end, they even said that to her.
So, from now on, Cosmos no longer needed my accompaniment and could come to this store whenever she liked.
It seems that the risk she took in confronting the barbarian had definitely paid off.
"Good for you, Cosmos. Now you can go drink that drink by yourself whenever you want."
"Oh, yeah, that's right. Now I can be alone anytime... haaa"
Cosmos had a look on her face that seemed a bit unsatisfied.
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