Chapter 97 - Thankful Servant
writer:Miki Nazuna      update:2022-08-22 15:34
  Inside the bar there was a ton of alcohol and food on the table in front of me.

  The proprietress of the bar, Inessa, carried them out one after another. They casually brought out enough food for an all you can eat buffet, so I could clearly tell how seriously they took entertaining me.

  「Your Majesty, please.」


  The beautiful woman next to me poured me some alcohol.

  She poured in some cloudy alcohol, it was apparently the 「trousseau」 made in Magatan.

  As expected of a specialty product, it was quite delicious.

  「Another your Majesty?」


  「Yeah. But man……」


  I said while she poured me another glass, my eyes gazing at the table filled with food.

  There was meat, vegetables, and fish…there were even different types of grains and corn.

  There was almost any type of food I could thing of at the moment.

  「You did well to prepare all this.」


  「It’s all thanks to your Majesty.」


  The woman left the bottle of alcohol on the table and looked at me.

  「Umm, your Majesty?」


  「Hm? What?」


  「I’ve always wanted to express my gratitude.」


  「What do you mean?」


  「I recently drifted into Ribek.」


  「Drifted? You mean you were turned back from a monkey right?」


  「No. Our village had been destroyed by the Evil God’s forces, my family barely escaped with our lives and hid in the mountains. However, after a while in the mountains, we were unable to find enough food…then we had to go out……that’s when we met Marato.」


  「Marato…」


  It’s a name that came out more often than I expected.

  「That’s how we met Marato, we were dragged back to his place. Then Your Majesty arrived.」


  「It was that day huh?」


  I could understand the timeline better now.

  「Yes, you defeated Marato and saved us. I’ve always wanted to express my thanks.」


  「Don’t worry about it.」


  After all, I didn’t do it for thanks.

  I did it because I wanted to, I didn’t need any thanks for it.

  「Ok, but even so…thank you very much!」


  「I see. So how is your life now?」


  「Thanks to your Majesty I am able to work and live properly.」


  「It’s not really any-」


  「Uh-uh, it’s thanks to you Your Majesty. For a while after that, our lives were painful…but one day Your Majesty came again——though you were a feudal lord then…but you allowed us to work and live properly.」


  I put down my glass and looked at her.

  If that was true, then I must have met her before but……I don’t remember.

  I tried harder…but still couldn’t remember.

  「I’m sorry, I don’t remember.」


  It couldn’t be helped so, I just honestly apologized.

  「It can’t be helped. After all, Your Majesty does such things every day. I’m sure it’s just like you can’t remember every breakfast you’ve ever eaten.」


  The woman smiled and laughed. It didn’t seem like I’d hurt her feelings.

  「But I am still very grateful.」


  「I see.」


  It wasn’t a bad feeling.

  I drank and ate.

  I enjoyed my time as I basked in their warm reception.

  「That’s right your Majesty…」


  As she brought out food Inessa spoke up.

  「Can I ask one thing?」


  「What?」


  「Your Majesty is our store’s first customer…ah- I won’t charge of course…but you are our first customer right?」


  「Yeah…what about it?」


  I don’t have to pay they say…but I’m still the first customer. I suppose they’re right.

  「I wanted to take this chance and ask you to give the store a name.」


  「A name?」


  「Yeah.」


  Inessa nodded.

  「I was hoping you might do so.」


  「Inessa-san that’s too rude. I feel like we should think of it instead and ask the king to officially recognize it.」


  「I see! That’s right, that’s better!」


  「NO……wait.」


  I held up my hands and stopped them.

  「I’m sorry, but that’s NO GOOD.」


  「Why?」


  「Why you ask…」


  An image of townspeople chanting 「Bragadeleu」 popped into my head.

  I feel like its dangerous to leave naming to my citizens.

  It doesn’t feel bad when they do things like that…but it’s too much.

  「I’ll think of it.」


  「Is that ok?」


  「Yeah.」


  It’s not like thinking of a name is that difficult.

  Though it takes a bit longer than using a DORECA to make something, the effort wasn’t that much.

  I thought for a while. Bar…or pub…tavern…


  If you’re thinking of a bar it should have one meaning when in two words and a different yet similar meaning when combined into one…


  I think that’d be good.

  ………Yatsu Rei? (Thankful Servant when separated into 2 words and slave when combined into one word)

  「No no that’s no good.」


  「What is it?」


  「Forget it. That’d be too much. It’s closely associated with slaves.」


  「Really!?」


  Inessa latched on with a weird glimmer in her eyes.

  「Ummm?」


  「Is that really ok?」


  「Eh? Well…it’s a slave?」


  「I don’t know how it is in other countries, but slaves are treated as special existences. For our name to be associated with them…」


  「……is that really ok?」


  Inessa nodded fervently.

  「………I got it…wait for a bit.」


  I left the shop and grabbed some leftover wood.

  I used the DORECA to make a writing brush. I used it to make a signboard for them.

  I took it back inside and showed it to Inessa.

  「Is this really ok?」


  I had written 「奴れい」 a name that was reminiscent of bars in my old world.

  「Does this have the meaning of slave?」


  As expected…they can’t read it.

  「Yeah, it means slave like this.」


  「Thank you Your Majesty!」


  「Congratulations Inessa-san.」


  Inessa seemed very happy, and the woman congratulated her.

  I was still wondering if this was really alright.

  I suppose this was for the best.

  The royal purveyor of alcohol 「奴れい」 became one of the most prosperous in the area.