The Imperial Capital Zebuldia has many shops catering to Treasure Hunters.
Training facilities, weapon shops, armor shops — there are shops selling a variety of items that support activities in the Treasure Halls, and information brokers who specialize in intel about Phantoms and Monsters. Some shops even lend out skilled Hunters as temporary Party members, while others specialize in buying and selling Treasure Weapons.
Among all of these, "taverns" are one of the most common shops in Zebuldia.
Every Treasure Hunter loves to drink.
Most Parties, after finishing a life-or-death venture into a Treasure Hall, hold a feast at their favorite tavern to celebrate each other's achievements and savor the fortune of having survived.
And they eat and drink as if washing away the exhilaration, the excitement, and the terror.
Not just the front-line fighters — swordsmen, Thieves, and the like who move their bodies in close combat — but even the back-line fighters such as Mages and Healing Technicians eat amounts that would seem unbelievable to ordinary citizens. And that food becomes tomorrow's fuel.
Both the quantity of food and drink consumed and the money spent on it are orders of magnitude beyond what an average person would spend. And since Hunters are, for the most part, rough sorts, the Imperial Capital has no shortage of taverns dedicated exclusively to them.
These are the kind of places that value quantity over quality, where you can drink as if bathing in alcohol. If you ask, they'll bring out the barrel — that should give you some idea of the quantities involved.
I had come to our regular tavern — the Golden Chicken Tavern — with Citry, Liliz, and Tinno (who was swaying on her feet).
The Golden Chicken Tavern is a chain of Hunter-oriented taverns spread across the Imperial Capital. The signature dishes differ depending on the branch, but today I was in the mood for poultry. Liliz was more of a quantity-over-quality person anyway, and Citry deferred to me, so choosing the restaurant always ended up being my job.
I pushed open the wide double doors — sized for the massive Hunters who frequented the place — and was greeted by the thick, heavy scent of alcohol that permeated the air.
The clamor of Hunters who had finished their Treasure Hall explorations early and were now holding their celebrations filled the spacious interior. The shouts and laughter of quarrelsome drunkards, which had terrified me when I first entered this world, were now familiar sounds.
A burly female Hunter was kicking a large man who had apparently drunk too much and collapsed on the floor, sending him rolling toward the corner. The man, oblivious even as he rolled all the way to the wall, began to snore like rumbling thunder.
Weapons propped up against each table made it clear this was a Hunter's tavern. Some still bore traces of dried blood. Since blood disappears when dealing with Phantoms, these were probably marks from slaying Monsters.
A heroes' feast. The very scene I had once imagined back when I still idolized Hunters was right there before me.
The weak are weeded out, and only those who have honed themselves as the strong are celebrated. It was a place you could never set foot in without Liliz and Citry.
"I claimed the spot next to Klye! Citry, you're sitting next to me. If I leave you next to Klye, you'll just do something unnecessary."
As we were led to the round table at the far end, Liliz immediately sat down to my right — on the aisle side — and declared her claim with a threateningly cheerful expression.
A Party typically consists of six members. The tables at the tavern were also set up to comfortably accommodate six people, but Liliz was, as always, sitting a little too close.
Normally it didn't bother me because Anthem and Luke were around, but having shown up with three (attractive-looking) cute girls, I was drawing quite a lot of attention. I just hoped Liliz wouldn't start causing a scene...
"...That's fine by me, but... wouldn't it be better to put Tinno-chan next to you? She is your apprentice, after all. And I have things I'd like to discuss with Klye-san too."
Citry, far from being intimidated by Liliz's glare, smiled sweetly and grabbed Tinno's arm. Tinno was still unsteady on her feet from her earlier loss of strength (she had been washed off by then).
Tinno flinched and trembled. She looked as frightened as a small animal.
Her outfit had changed from the bottom-baring pants she wore earlier to a pair of half-shorts that reached roughly mid-thigh, increasing the amount of fabric involved — but that probably wouldn't do much to deter Citry.
Her Master looked at her thoroughly exhausted apprentice and, without any particular comment on her condition, said: "Hmm... ahhh... it's fine. Tinno is here to help with serving, so she doesn't need a seat. Bring me the food and drinks I ordered! For now, ten tankards of Golden Ale. Super quick, please."
That was just too pitiful. Even I had to speak up.
I was filled with guilt. No matter that she was an apprentice, she was a full-fledged Hunter. She couldn't possibly relax sitting next to Citry.
Please stop picking on our mascot so much.
"Tinno, my left side is open. Have a seat."
"Huh?! R-... Is that really okay?!"
After a moment of blank surprise, Tinno's face blossomed into a radiant smile.
That was when I realized.
Could this possibly be... one of those "flowers in both hands" situations?
I had always privately judged Ark for constantly surrounding himself with girls in a harem-like arrangement, but this was something else... Surprisingly, I felt no sense of superiority. I should apologize to him next time.
Liliz and Citry — a thorny flower and a poisonous flower — stared intently at Tinno — the pitiful flower.
"Tch... Fine, if Klye says so. Tinno, if you embarrass me, I'll kill you."
"...Tinno-chan. Klye-san has a bad habit sometimes — even though you just got cleaned up, if you sit too close to him, he'll start rubbing up against your legs again. You should probably leave one or two seats of space, don't you think?"
Liliz issued her threat, while Citry maintained her smile and proceeded to slander me. Just what kind of person did Citry think I was?
Tinno tiptoed over to my left side, straightened her back, and sat down primly. Perhaps because of Citry's earlier offense, the nape of her neck was still flushed red.
She wasn't Citry, but she was quite adorable. Being around our party members (well, Liliz and Citry had plenty of good points too) was all the more soothing for it. Of course, I would never let my hand wander to her legs. I was a man of steadfast character.
The drinks arrived.
For Liliz, Citry, and Tinno: oversized tankards filled with the tavern's signature golden ale. For me: a tankard of amber liquid — a special tea that looked like whiskey.
Hunter-grade alcohol was several times stronger than the stuff ordinary people drank. If you tried to keep up with high-Level Hunters, no amount of liver capacity would be enough.
I raised my tankard. Citry and Liliz mirrored me with smiles, and Tinno hesitantly did the same.
"Well, this might be a little premature, but — to celebrate the safe return of Liliz and Citry from the City of Ten Thousand Demons!"
— Cheers.
Tankards clinked together with a satisfying ring. The feast had begun.