Chapter 248
Chapter 248. Light Chit-Chat
“Is that you, Claire? Nice to meet you.”
The girl who introduced herself as Claire had downcast eyes but was undeniably cute, with a doll-like, well-proportioned face that would leave quite an impression at first glance.
However, Tafuman didn’t recognize her at all. That meant she was likely a newcomer to the Autonomous District recently.
(It’s kinda hard to ask about that…)
With a slightly troubled expression, Tafuman fell silent. Not all residents of the Autonomous District were soldiers like him, who had miraculously survived. There were those who had failed to escape the country, lost their beloved families, and were forcibly thrown into the District.
Although he initiated the conversation, Tafuman wasn’t bold enough to delve into such personal topics upon meeting someone for the first time, especially not with a woman.
“Recently, it’s been getting pretty hot, huh?”
So instead of a safe topic, he ended up bringing up something quite clichéd.
“Ah… y-yeah, I guess?”
However, even though it should have been a safe topic, Claire’s demeanor became suspiciously fidgety, as she hurriedly took off her robe and exaggeratedly fanned herself, saying, “Wow, it’s really hot!”
“Uh… but it’s actually pretty cool tonight…”
“Right? I don’t have many clothes, so adjusting to the temperature is tough!”
Claire began putting her robe back on hurriedly. Tafuman thought he might have inadvertently approached a rather eccentric person.
“If you’re short on clothes, I know a craftsman I can introduce you to…?”
Being in a tavern likely meant she held a position with a decent salary. Yet, he still found it odd that he didn’t recognize her at all.
“What kind of work do you do?”
As Tafuman lowered his voice slightly to ask, Claire seemed to pick up on the change in tone and quickly wiped any expression off her face.
“…I’m assisting an official at the Royal Castle.”
“Wha… at the Royal Castle…?”
His eyes widened. Tafuman, as one of the original members since the establishment of the District, had never heard of a Human being in such a position. The administration was supposed to be completely controlled by Night Elves, Demons, and Hobgoblins…?
“Well, I’m not just an ordinary resident of the Autonomous District,” Claire said, shrugging with a sheepish look.
“I… was the daughter of a low-ranking official, but my handwriting is pretty good. I got captured by some curious demons and ended up doing a lot of paperwork. You could say I was a skilled slave. I did things like copying reports for the Night Elf officials and writing letters, stuff like that.”
“Oh… I see that’s a thing.”
“Well, after going through quite a few twists and turns, I ended up in the Autonomous District. So, it’s more like I was used by the Demon Lord’s Kingdom rather than just being a prisoner.”
“I get it now. No wonder we hadn’t crossed paths.”
Tafuman accepted that she entered the District through a different route. If she had originally been employed in the Demon Lord’s Kingdom, it made sense that she could enter and exit the Royal Castle. And with her high-level skills in paperwork, she was probably earning at least as much as Tafuman, if not more.
“And what about you?”
“I’m the vice-captain of the Soldier Corps.”
When asked in return, Tafuman awkwardly replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. It wasn’t so much that he felt awkward but more uncomfortable.
Tafuman thought that even if he were to rise to the highest rank, he’d only make it to Sergeant (which was the highest rank for a soldier in the field, but lacking leadership abilities), so the title of “vice-captain” felt a bit off to him.
“Oh, wow! Vice-captain, that’s impressive. I’ve definitely heard of you. You’re that Tafuman, huh?”
“…Probably,” he replied.
As far as Tafuman knew, there wasn’t anyone else with that name in the Autonomous District.
“Here you go, your order!”
Just then, the waitress brought over Tafuman’s food and drinks.
“Whoa! Finally here…!”
His face lit up with excitement.
Before him was Warlito Beemi served in a wooden cup, a delicacy of summer vegetables stir-fried with spices and topped with cheese, all baked to a crisp in a hearth. The meat was a luxury, with just a little bacon added, but it was delicious.
(Hmm. Oh no…)
While savoring the enticing aroma of the dish, Tafuman realized his “mistake.”
Without thinking, he ordered his usual dish, which might not match well with the smooth texture of Warlito Beemi.
(No! I can’t tell yet… first, one sip…)
He cupped the wooden cup in both hands and brought it to his lips.
“Ugh… so good…!!”
Tears welled up slightly as he savored the flavor. The alcohol soothed his tired body, spreading warmth throughout his system! This was what they meant by “seeping into your organs”…! Although it was much stronger than ale, its smoothness allowed him to drink it easily.
(This is bad! This drink is dangerous…!!)
He remembered a time when he and his comrades drank the commander’s treasured Arien Beemi during a retreat where they abandoned a fortress, but compared to that, Warlito Beemi had a more common flavor.
Yet, precisely for that reason, it made him feel so comfortable that he ended up drinking it easily, as if having a good time with close friends!
Even if it wasn’t cheap! If he wasn’t careful… his expenses this month…
He wanted to drink more but couldn’t just go all out. Tafuman was glaring at the cup in his hand— which had significantly diminished in a moment—
“Hehe…”
A light laugh came from beside him. Claire was stifling her giggles.
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
He completely forgot about her existence, engrossed in the drink. That was pretty rude of him.
“It’s fine, you really like your drinks, huh?”
Being laughed at by a girl who was young enough to be his niece made him feel embarrassed, among other things.
“But, if you’re the vice-captain, can’t you drink as much as you want?”
“No… my salary is almost the same as the regular soldiers…”
“Really? Why not?”
“Well… I’m not the kind of person who can lounge around being proud because I earn a lot.”
Tafuman shrugged nonchalantly, and Claire blinked in surprise, falling silent.
“Is it really that good?”
“It’s delicious. Really delicious.”
“Hmm, then I’ll have to try some!”
Calling over the waitress, Claire ordered Warlito Beemi. Tafuman was surprised at how casually she made the order, indicating she must have some extra cash to spare.
Soon, a wooden cup filled with a swaying transparent liquid was brought to Claire, who eyed it with a somewhat cool gaze.
“To the vice-captain!”
She raised her cup, a teasing tone in her voice.
“To the cool summer night!”
With a smirk of revenge, Tafuman raised his cup in reply.
“Cheers!”
They downed it in unison.
“Hmm…”
Claire tasted it expressionlessly, then tilted her head after swallowing.
“…It’s still no good. I can’t tell good from bad in alcohol.”
“Eh…”
Tafuman couldn’t help but give her a look of disbelief at her total lack of reaction.
“Here, you can have this.”
She placed her cup, which she had only taken a sip from, down on Tafuman’s table, making his eyes widen even more.
“Eh!? Is that okay?!”
“That drink would definitely make someone who likes drinking happier than someone like me who can’t tell good from bad.”
Though her tone was somewhat sarcastic— even mixed with self-deprecation— Tafuman was far past thinking about that.
“Ah… thank you…!!”
While he wasn’t bold in conversations, he was a bold man when it came to alcohol. Without any shame, he lowered his head to Claire, grinning foolishly.
Claire became expressionless again, perhaps at a loss over how to react to such a display.
“…Hey, not to be rude or anything, but could you tell me more about the current situation of the Soldier Corps? How’s the work going?”
“Well…,”
Gleefully sipping the Warlito Beemi, he began to answer Claire’s questions.
“The area of operations outside the walls is gradually expanding. We’ll be getting busier with things like preparing fields and such; we need more manpower—”
“Really? Is that so?”
“However, security is likely going to become pretty strict… and by security, I mean for our self-defense as residents of the Autonomous District. You know, since Humans in the Demon Lord’s Kingdom…”
“Oh, right. There are all sorts of things that happen.”
“The Demon Lord’s Prince mentioned that other hostile Demon Lords might make some moves against us—”
Tafuman found himself in an unusually good mood, enjoying great food, better-than-usual drinks, and a girl like a niece asking him questions.
They talked about various things: the Soldier Corps, uncertainties about the future of the Autonomous District, various issues with the Soldier Corps, and rumors he heard through Sebastian— every now and then, Claire would order more drinks and share snacks, which made the conversation keep flowing.
“…So yeah, they’re planning to establish a new village. But we never know what the other Demon Lords will do, and there’s a chance that magical beasts might show up again, so we have to do our best.”
With a tipsy air, Tafuman swirled around the last sip of alcohol that remained in his cup.
“We’ll take care of the dangers outside the walls, so you just stay somewhere safe and take it easy.”
“That’s so kind of you, thank you. But you don’t need to worry; I hardly go outside during the day anyway. I’m stuck helping out with the shadows’ affairs.”
“…Oh?”
Tafuman blinked in confusion.
“Wait, they’re nocturnal yet they’re made to work during the day?”
He wondered if Claire really had time to listen to a drunkard’s ramblings in this tavern since it was broad daylight right now for the shadows.
“…That’s exactly why. I need to take care of things while they’re asleep.”
“Oh, I see. That’s a reverse situation, huh?”
Tafuman accepted that there was a lot going on.
“Well… it’s about time for me to take my leave. It was fun talking to someone normal outside for the first time in a while. Thank you.”
“No, thank you for everything—”
Looking back at the table, he had been enjoying himself, but suddenly fell silent when he saw the number of plates and cups.
“Um… I still had half…?”
“I’ve already paid for it.”
As Tafuman cautiously pulled out his wallet, Claire shrugged it off dismissively.
“Don’t worry; I probably earn more than you. But even if it’s just me, there’s no good way to spend it. …Seriously, I have nothing. So just enjoy being treated here, okay?”
Being treated by someone young enough to be a niece made Tafuman feel a bit pathetic, but after hearing that, he felt it would be rude to hesitate.
“I’ll treat you next time.”
“Ahaha, that’s why you shouldn’t worry about it. I… I eat little anyway.”
She stood up and waved her hand gently.
“But today, since I did nothing but listen to your stories, next time we meet, I’ll tell you about things I overheard at the Royal Castle.”
With that, Claire left. A sweet citrus scent wafted through the air.
Tafuman pondered whether to walk her out but decided against it since the main road to the Royal Castle was just a short walk, and the security in the District was good for now.
After all, it was rare for someone of the same kind, who had survived until today, to have the audacity to attack others…
And from that day on, Tafuman began to frequently exchange information with Claire at the Hobgoblin tavern.
