SWNOVELXO Chapter 100
Chapter 100. The Drunkard In The Wilderness
That night, I headed out to a bar with Yaralai.
Not our usual spot, the Lizard’s Tail Tavern, but a slightly nicer place.
Just to be safe, I asked Narunia, the self-proclaimed poster girl of our inn, the Whale Inn, to relay a message to Hagg.
She seems scary when she gets sulky. I also asked her for a recommendation for a bar where we wouldn’t get ripped off.
The place was quite lively. They said the night curfew had been lifted, so late-night business was now allowed.
Though it felt more like normal business hours compared to the late nights I’m used to.
The tables were all taken, so we sat at the counter. When I mentioned that the Whale Inn had recommended us, the bottles of sake they brought were subtly different despite being the same brand.
Upon closer inspection, I realized they distinguish between travelers and locals (including us). The contents are probably different.
We chose something slightly better than the average wine. Though it wasn’t particularly great, drinking in a local bar always makes it taste better.
Think of it like festival food stalls.
The floor and walls were sand-colored. The pillars were made of wood, so it seemed like a relatively new building.
The counter base was adobe, but the top was properly made of wood.
Torches hanging on the walls cast a fantastical light around the room.
Humans, beastmen, dwarves, and even what seemed like a halfling, were all enjoying their drinks and food.
Some groups were talking loudly without considering others, while some were mechanically pouring down drinks. The bar was a microcosm of the country.
“This place is more lively than I expected.”
“Yeah, after what happened, it’s surprising it’s not more downcast. The previous king must have been really hated.”
I spoke in Midal, but he responded in Elvish. Maybe he was starved for Elvish conversation. There was no problem, so we continued talking.
“By the way, Yaralai, what about the guns? Should I give you both?”
After our shooting practice, the sun had set, so we quickly stowed them in the container and ran back. I hadn’t given Yaralai the guns yet.
“Hmm… For now, I’ll just take the handgun. It’s small enough to fit in my item bag.”
Makes sense. Both would stand out too much.
Since there were no other customers at the counter, I placed the P229 and two empty magazines on it when no staff were around.
Yaralai quickly stowed them in his leather bag. That must be his item bag.
“What about the bullets?”
“They’re consumables, right? How much do they cost?”
“1600 yen for 50 rounds.”
He widened one eye slightly.
“That’s cheaper than regular arrows.”
“Really?”
“It depends on the region, but around here, arrows are quite expensive.”
Ah, even if the wood is plentiful, it’s not free, and you need iron for the arrowheads and feathers for the fletching. All of these would be scarce around here.
“…Where I lived, it was relatively peaceful, but many places a bit further away were at war, so they mass-produce them cheaply. Rifle bullets, for some reason, were more expensive though.”
I don’t know the market price, but 5.56mm rounds are probably much more expensive than the procurement price.
“Hmm…”
Yaralai folded his arms.
“I’ll cover the cost of the bullets.”
“I appreciate that, but it’s an expense for protection, so I should pay.”
“Then we can decide case by case.”
That sounds like a good flexible approach.
“I’ll cover it this time then.”
“Understood.”
When there were no staff around again, I placed a case of 50 9mm Parabellum rounds on the counter, and Yaralai quickly stowed it. He’s quick on the uptake.
“Akira, if possible, could you teach me more about the guns? They need maintenance, right?”
Oh, I forgot. The M4 is fine, but the P229 has seen quite a bit of use. Without cleaning, it could misfire… though I’m not that knowledgeable about it.
“Can you read Midal?”
“No problem.”
“Then…”
After thinking for a bit, I made a wish. A book on firearms maintenance for beginners and a complete gun cleaning kit.
-Approved. New items have been added to the SHOP-
Oh, interesting. Let’s check it out.
Handguns for Kids: Starting at Age 3 = 1980 yen
Comprehensive M4 Encyclopedia: From Beginner to Expert = 2980 yen
Gun Cleaning Kit = 3795 yen
There’s a lot to unpack here!
Three-year-olds don’t use guns! Ridiculous!
…Well, I guess it means it’s an easy-to-understand book.
I’ll buy them for now. I can’t judge without seeing them.
Remaining balance: 4,376,394 yen.
The gun cleaning kit came in a larger nylon bag than expected. Peeking inside, I saw rods, brushes, cotton, and grease.
“Can you fit this?”
“Still have room.”
Yaralai quickly stowed the cleaning kit.
The books, unlike the unusually heavy ones from before, had ordinary bookstore-like bindings.
“This should have detailed instructions, so read it later.”
“Got it.”
He quickly stowed the books too. His bag must have a large capacity.
“I don’t carry much originally.”
He answered my unspoken question. Despite traveling, he doesn’t seem to carry much.
He showed me another similar leather bag, meaning it’s also an item bag.
Aren’t those quite expensive? I guess if he can solo hunt buffalo, he can afford them. Impressive.
“Do we have everything we need now?”
“Probably.”
That’s good. Time to relax with a drink. I ordered the recommended sake and snacks from the staff.
They brought a slightly cloudy sake with low alcohol content and some grilled buffalo meat.
The sake was a local specialty made from plants growing by the river. The grilled meat was cheap and tasty buffalo meat, a lucky find, they said.
I knew that already.
When I grinned at Yaralai, he returned a sly smile, looking a bit tipsy. Damn, he’s handsome.
“Still no sign of Hagg.”
Though I hold my liquor well, I started to feel the buzz when I realized this.
“I don’t care if that iron-smelling dwarf doesn’t show up.”
He turned his face away in a huff. How much does he dislike him?
“Don’t say that. Both of you saved my life.”
“…”
Yaralai, still with arms crossed, glanced at me.
“Stop calling me your lifesaver.”
But that would make me ungrateful.
“It’s natural to help a friend. If you feel indebted, just help me when I’m in trouble.”
I can’t imagine that happening.
“…True. Though I doubt I’ll ever need help, I promise to repay the favor.”
He nodded deeply.
“Don’t worry. I’ll train you to be a warrior capable of that.”
Wait, what?
“You mean physically?”
Yaralai chuckled softly, looking down.
Oh, he’s drunk. Definitely drunk!
In retrospect, we’ve had quite a bit.
Over ten ceramic bottles were rolling around.
Realizing this was bad, I tried to stand and leave, but Yaralai grabbed my arm and made me sit back down.
“You need to learn the ways of a warrior.”
His eyes looked slightly glazed. I had a bad feeling.
“I don’t think I need to…”
Akira tried to escape!
But Yaralai circled around and blocked him! No escape!
Thus, the night went on with Yaralai lecturing me on warrior principles and his fighting techniques.
In the end, Hagg never showed up.