Dere Phase

“Ooh!”

The Emperor is surprised, too.

In front of the Emperor, Sherry easily downs a jar of Dwarf Killer.

So daring.

Is she still sober?

Was it a strong liquor?

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, this quant.i.ty isn’t much.”

Because it’s a small jar, the quant.i.ty can’t be much, certainly.

Still, she drank it like she was drinking water.

Was it actually water, perhaps?

Thinking so, I receive the jar from Sherry; however, it was genuinely alcohol.

“It’s great.”

“Yes, it’s a great liquor. Is it 30-year-old Russo? If it weren’t that aged, it wouldn’t make you this mellow.”

“As expected of Sherry-sama. This lodge does have 30-year-old Brightest Russo.”

Sebastian approves Sherry’s taster capability.

Does strong liquor make you mellow?

“Wonderful. Would you like to taste Ours, too?”

The Emperor shows her a jar.

“‘Ours’?”

“This.”

While Sherry had her head tilted, the Emperor personally offers the jar.

Because I didn’t say anything, is that why I didn’t receive yet?

Should I have received at least once?

Is it fine for Sherry to receive personally from the Emperor.

It should be fine for it’s not known that he’s the Emperor.

Sherry receives a famous brand of alcohol from the Emperor.

To a third person, the scene appears grand.

I wonder if the person concerned, Sherry, realizes it, too.

“Still, if I drink this much, I may get a little drunk.”

That’s why you should have declined.

“There’s no problem with getting drunk a little. Go ahead.”

I push Sherry, flurried.

You can’t not drink his alcohol. If he asked, it had to be done.

“……Okay.”

After glancing at Sebastian, Sherry uncorks the jar.

Is Sebastian’s opinion more important to her than mine?

In crucial times, you seek an elderly for help.

Unfortunately, however, the other party is the Emperor.

Sherry drinks the Emperor’s liquor with ease.

“Ooh. Can you still go on? Carlos.”

“Yes.”

The guard presents a jar to the Emperor which he, once again, bequeaths to Sherry.

I don’t think he’s intentionally exaggerating it.

That’s just how he is.

Sherry downs the third jar.

“Is it alright to drink this much?”

“I’m feeling good a bit. I’ve gotten a little drunk, I think.”

Upon the Emperor’s enquiry, Sherry replies soberly.

A drunk would never say they’re drunk.

They remain cool headed to the end.

When you’re drunk, do you become intellectual?

“Still, it took you three rounds to get drunk. Marvellous. If you’re ever troubled, you can visit Us.”

“Okay. Thank you very much?”

She answers questioningly.

I must say, even if we visit, you’ll just turn us away.

Literally.

“Well then, although it’s regrettable, we have to get back to official business.”

“I guess.”

The Emperor gets up from his seat followed by the guard.

Even though it’s such a place, Sherry won’t step on the Emperor, right?

On the other side, the three n.o.bles stand up, too.

“Well then, Michio, we’ll be going, too.”

“See you in ten days.”

“Bear in mind that you’re not perfect, so work hard as a member.”

The three speak to me.

The Earl does harbor ill intentions.

Will these three n.o.bles be returning with the Emperor?

Well, they did come together, so it shouldn’t be surprising.

“Well then.”

“Alright then, senior brother, see you sometime.”

Nope, I don’t want to.

The Emperor’s group leaves the room.

Should Sherry and I have seen them off, too?

“Gaius-sama, thank you for today. Please bestow this place with your royal visit again.”

Sebastian accompanies them to the end and offers valediction before sending them off.

As you would expect, all the staff members of the lodge are together with him.

“‘Royal visit’?”

“It just means visit again.”

Fortunately, it’s a word which Sherry doesn’t understand.

What’s more concerning is that all the staff members are bowing.

“As expected of Master. Your Brahim language is superb.”

She’s definitely drunk, isn’t she?

For Sherry to sound like Roxanne.

“Really?”

“But that gate is odd.”

While I was thinking so, she points out.

Because she’s drunk, is that why?

Or because it’s a j.a.panese style gate?

“Well, it does look unusual.”

“A gate normally opens inward. If not, it wouldn’t be of use in defense. The reason being, if a door opens inward, it can be blocked by something, making it difficult to be forced open immediately from outside.”

“Is that so?”

Is that the reason as to why front gates open inward?

Then, the reason as to why j.a.panese gates open outward must be because it’s peaceful there.

However, even in j.a.pan, a temple gate opens inward.

In Sengoku period, the temples were military installations.

Then, why does a modern j.a.panese gate opens outward?

Because it’s convenient.

Imagine the main gate of your house.

If it opened inside, shoes would be an immediate nuisance.

And it would eventually turn into a rabbit hutch.

“If you think about it, it must be important to have it open outward rather than inward.”

Sherry continues to contemplate.

I see.

The Emperor did walk in from outside.

The lodge must be located somewhere the Emperor can walk to.

The library is close by the Emperor’s Imperial residence, too.

In other words, it’s important to have it open outward.

This must be the reason as to why the location of the lodge is private.

“Is the other party the reason as to why the lodge isn’t invaded?”

“But how important is this other party?”

It would be bad if it went on any further.

“It was my bad to have you called.”

“Noo, I was happy that Master called me.”

“Really?”

In order to change the topic, I offer her an apology.

I wish you had declined.

“Ah, excuse me. Can you please give me a minute?”

“What is it?”

Well awake, Sherry trots away.

“Although I was doing work, I unfortunately got a little drunk.”

Sherry talks to the woman who had returned after sending the Emperor off.

She’s the same woman who led her to the reference room.

The work she’s talking about must be the same from awhile ago.

“Is that so? It’s alright.”

“No, no, Sherry-sama. That alcohol was a royal gift.”

Sebastian interjects.

“Royal gift?”

Therefore, it wasn’t wrong.

“What’s this work you were talking about?”

I enquire, changing the topic.

“Yes. There is a plethora of reports in the reference room sent by the members who have successfully subjugated the labyrinths. Most of them comprise a single papyrus. They are required to be copied to the parchment. Since I have already read them, it’s easier for me to copy them, so I accepted the part time job of a transcriber.”

Such a job, huh?

If a report were on papyrus, it would crumble over time.

Therefore, they seem to transcribe it on the parchment.

So she’s a copier, huh?

“You were doing such a thing?”

“I did something selfishly. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“But I have gotten drunk a little.”

If she were drunk, there would be a risk of mistake while copying.

“It was I who made Sherry drink the alcohol. That being the case, I’m the one in the wrong.”

I cut in and stand before the female staff member.

If it’s tiny Sherry, I’ll be enough to cover her.

Sherry huddles close and hides behind me.

She’s so close that she’s touching my back.

Sherry quietly holds my arm with her hands.

Somehow, she looks so cute.

“There’s no issue, of course. Then, I’ll have Sherry-sama’s luggage brought here.”

Says Sebastian and instructs the female staff member.

The woman bows and departs.

“Is that fine, Sherry.”

“Yes.”

I receive Sherry’s consent.

After taking a while, the female staff member comes back.

The woman hands a rucksack to Sherry.

“Your luggage has been put inside. And this is your remuneration for transcribing. I skimmed through it, your work was meticulous. Thank you for today.”

“Thank you, too.”

She receives the luggage and some silver coins as remuneration.

As for the time she took, was she verifying the work performed?

Even if it had been transcribed, if it were illegible, it’d be useless.

Sherry carries the rucksack on her back and hands me the silver coins.

“Because it’s the remuneration of Sherry’s work, Sherry should be the one to keep it.”

“Are you sure?”

“You did this on your day off, after all.”

“Thank you very much, Master.”

A smile blooms on Sherry’s face.

This is bad.

She’s so cute.

Sherry looks a bit different from her usual self.

Is it finally her dere phase? (TN: Dere = lovestruck)

Or, is it because she’s drunk?

“Then, let’s return home?”

“Yes.”

Because she was looking so cute, I bring her back home.

It was just the two of us, of course, when we return home.

It’s probably the first time I’m alone with Sherry.

Moreover, it’s her drunken dere phase.

Sherry is bolder than usual probably because she’s drunk.

The moment we step into the house, she throws her arm around my neck.

Tiny Sherry stretches her back as much as she can.

Without a moment’s delay, I take her to the bed.

Sherry’s hesitant yet honest voice is so lovely.

After enjoying without s.e.x Maniac, I select s.e.x Maniac and indulge in it once again.

She slightly reeks of alcohol; however, it’s within permissible limit.

After we enjoy each other, Sherry begins to quietly let out sleeper’s breathing.

I produce some hot water, wipe my body and move to the Imperial Capital Adventurer’s Guild.

Roxanne and Vesta are there, huh?

I head into the two’s direction.

While I was walking on foot, I find the two rus.h.i.+ng out of a distant shop on the street.

There’s still quite some distance.

Roxanne starts running in the lead.

“Master, thank you very much for today.”

Roxanne‘s dere phase is on 24/7.

So pretty.

“Thank you very much.”

No sooner, Vesta catches up.

Vesta, who’s taller than me, is pretty, too.

I feel so even more after having enjoyed the tiny Sherry.

“I took a bit more time. Did it go okay?”

“It was okay. Us two, Vesta and I, fully enjoyed our time around here.”

“Yes, it was fun.”

The two of them enjoyed their time, too, it seems.

“Were you and Sherry together at home?”

Roxanne figures it out.

Busted.

“Ah. Sherry drank a strong liquor, so I put her to sleep.”

“I’m glad that Master got to enjoy himself, too.”

Totally busted.

When you’re in a party, you can find out other members’ direction. So inconvenient!

“Do you want to return immediately or do you want to visit more places?”

I sound like a trash husband who’s offering her wife compensation after having an extramarital affair.

And then she extorts dresses and jewellery.

However, it doesn’t end at just that.

“It’s alright.”

“Then, let’s return ahead of time and prepare the bath?”

“Yes. I’ll accompany you to the labyrinth. We can also fight monsters stronger than Black Diamond Tuna.”

She accepts the compensation with an added condition of the labyrinth.

Engaging in a boss battle isn’t required, though, to recover MP.

“Because the member const.i.tution is different this time, it’ll be a fresh take.”

Because she had nothing to do, I take Vesta along, too.

Better three than two.

Vesta unfortunately gets caught up in the backlash. However, like I said, it’ll be a fresh take, so it’s fine.

I heat the bath while partaking in the boss battle; after which, the three of us go and pick Miria up.

When we move from the forest to the sh.o.r.e, Miria was, once again, surrounded by people.

She’s completely reigning as a legendary angler.

She distributes some and brings the rest home.

There’s plenty for us to have fish sanmai tonight.

“There are shrimps, too, huh?”

“Fish exchange, desu.”

“Did you exchange it with fish?”

“Morning catch, desu.”

The other party seems to catch fish only. However, this morning, they caught shrimps, so they exchanged it.

Excellent sized shrimps are in the basket.

There are no less than five.

“Can I fry the shrimps?”

“Entrust, desu.”

Although tartar sauce can’t be made immediately, it’s alright.

“Also, there are some fish which should be deep fried.”

“Alright, desu.”

“Then, I’ll leave rest of the cooking to Miria.”

“Yes, desu.”

After leaving rest of the dishes to Miria and putting the luggage down, I leave for .

I buy bread, eggs and vegetables.

When I return home after buying the cooking ingredients, Sherry had just woken up.

“I’m sorry. I seemed to have slept.”

“It’s alright. There’s no problem, right?”

“Yes. After sleeping for a while, I feel refreshed. I’ll help Miria with cooking.”

Sherry doesn’t snuggle to me like she did earlier.

She goes to Miria curtly.

Her dere phase seems to be over.

I have Vesta help me with the cooking.

While Vesta makes the bread crumbs, I fry the lean tunas and the shrimps.

It’s tuna cutlet.

Although it’s fish, it tastes like meat.

After deep frying for a bit, I boil water in a pot, then add wine, fish sauce and dragon skin.

I put the tuna cutlet and the fried shrimps where I was boiling and drop a beaten egg.

It’s fish cutlet .

Even though there’s no sauce, it’ll suffice.