“You all!! Today we celebrate Kaido’s kid and the Kiō! Let’s drink until we all pass out!!”
“Ooooooh!!!!”
After that, I somehow managed to prepare a banquet for the ogres, loosened my tie a little, and let out a big sigh.
It was as if only this person, or rather, only this ogre, could announce the start of a feast with such a loud voice.
The banquet began early with the instructor’s toast.
The feast, prepared with all the might of this establishment, was quickly devoured by the ogres.
At this rate, I thought the chefs might get tendonitis from the insane pace of consumption of both alcohol and food.
To the sake-loving ogres, big jugs of beer were no different from water.
“Brother! Shochu straight, largest mug possible, please.”
“We’ll take a bottle of whiskey over here!”
“Do you have Spirytus?”
“You idiot, it’s Tequila or nothing here.”
“Sake, by the barrel.”
“Now that’s an idea!!”
Thanks to a quick drink of beer, a mountain of mugs quickly piled up.
The staff, rushing to collect them, became even busier as they took more orders.
Just in case, I contacted Sehas and instructed him to deliver the anti-instructor sake from my mansion to the bar free of charge, and informed the manager, so there’s no need to worry about running out of alcohol.
“You and the Kiō are finally getting married! And you’ve even had a child, that’s wonderful news! Here, this is a gift for the Kiō!”
“Thank you. I never thought I’d live to see the day you’d congratulate me.”
Once the atmosphere was set, the ogres, seasoned veterans of celebratory gatherings, were in their element, livening up the party and toasting.
At the banquet, the ogres drank, sang, and cheered.
As for me, I’m on guard duty for Meguri-san, so my alcohol tolerance is low. Still, I’m sticking to Japanese sake, sipping it slowly.
In the past, I’d get drunk quickly from Japanese sake, but since I’ve been in this body, I only feel a mild intoxication. I’ve certainly become stronger.
Next to me, Amili-san is receiving a large ball from the instructor.
“I never thought I’d see the day I’d give this to you! Kaido is my disciple, after all. And you, who are carrying my disciple’s child, are family to me.”
“…I agree with that sentiment. However, given past events, I’d like this gift to be a starting point.”
“Hmph! As stubborn as ever. You don’t need all those long-winded words!!”
I don’t know what the gift is.
It’s a crystal-like ball, about the size of a bowling ball, with a slight green tint. It came in a large wooden box, tied with a rope that looked like a shimenawa.
“Have a healthy baby! When it grows up, I’ll train it myself.”
“Thank you. If the opportunity arises, I would be honored. However, I would request a gentler approach then.”
“Gahahaha! Alright, I’ll go easy on you, just like I did with Kaido the first time.”
As he handed over the gift, I noticed a flag being planted for Kaido’s child possibly becoming a great general in the future. I thought Kaido’s child might have a hard time, but then reassured myself that it would probably be okay and discreetly looked away.
I’m a little concerned about Meguri-san’s sparkling gaze directed at Instructor Kio, but I suppose it will be fine.
“That’s the ‘Treasure Ball of Fertility’ passed down in the ogre tribe. It’s quite large, though.”
Having discreetly averted my gaze and no longer worried about anything happening, I reached for the Oden prepared at my seat.
“Is it large, Memoria?”
The daikon radish, cut in half with my chopsticks, was perfectly tender and had a good flavor. As I enjoyed the taste, I noticed Memoria next to me with widened eyes, so I asked after swallowing the radish.
“Yes, our guild handles them as well.”
Thinking we wouldn’t be able to have dinner together if things continued like this, I called Memoria, Suella, and Himik, and though I doubted she’d make it, Evia as well.
As expected, Suella, Himik, and Memoria were able to come, but I received word that Evia would be late. While it’s not exactly the Tanaka family, the place where my wife and children eat together is protected by a barrier.
This was done to avoid startling the children, and Yukiera and Sachiera were intently watching the ogres, who were a rare sight, rather than eating. They seemed more interested in the boisterous ogres.
The ogres were having fun, and the children were excitedly chattering.
Normally, I’d expect children to cry at the sight of such fierce-looking ogres, but my daughters were quite spirited.
“Peek-a-boo!!”
They even played peek-a-boo with the ogres, who seemed to enjoy it.
“Kyahaha♪”
They laughed so hard. The ogres, making funny faces in their drunken state, were delighted by their innocent smiles and wore sloppy, affectionate expressions.
Suella, seeing that the children were happy, called forth cat and puppy spirits to stay near them and enjoyed her meal without any particular concern.
In a way, it was work, but I felt a sense of relief as the environment began to relax.
I had gained enough composure to ask Memoria a question.
“Yes, for a normal household, it would fit in the palm of your hand.”
“…If that’s true, how much effort did the instructor put into this?”
“He must have been overjoyed.”
“Probably. You can tell by looking. He looks happy.”
If a size that fits in Memoria’s small, white palm is considered normal, then the bowling-ball-sized object the instructor prepared was definitely not normal.
It was understandable that his lips curled into a smile, fitting for someone who cherishes his family.
“Hey! Kiō! You can’t drink, so you’ll drink with me!”
“Y-yes! Kaido, you’re the man!”
“Hahaha! You fool!! I’m drinking with *you*! You’re the star of the show! I’ll celebrate you!”
I could see them now, with their arms around each other, as Kaido poured a large sake cup to the brim for him. It was a cup, the kind sumo wrestlers use in ceremonies.
Holding it with both hands, he was poured a full bottle’s worth of sake. He then drank it all in one gulp.
In this day and age, there’s alcohol harassment, but thankfully, our bodies, strengthened by magic crests, don’t get drunk from this much alcohol.
“Puh!”
“That’s some good drinking!”
“Yes! Instructor, please have some! A return toast!”
“Oh! Then I will!”
And the instructor, who boasted that alcohol was the water of life, was not weaker than Kaido. He gracefully accepted the cup Kaido offered and, after being poured an equal amount, demonstrated an even more impressive drinking technique.
“Kaa! Japanese sake is delicious!”
He beamed as if he lived for that one drink.
“Here! You drink too, young lady!”
“Oh my! Calling me a young lady, you’re quite the charmer!”
“Gahahaha! To me, all humans are youngsters and young ladies!”
Then, the instructor offered a beer bottle, not Japanese sake, to Meguri-san, who was sitting near Kaido.
It might be surprising, but the instructor doesn’t force drinks on people who are reluctant. It seems to be an ogre characteristic to gauge how much someone can drink. According to the instructor, forcing someone to drink is a waste of alcohol, which is an ogre-like reason, and it gives a hint as to how strong he is.
He has the common sense not to suggest a shot of Japanese sake to someone as petite as Meguri-san, who isn’t even enhanced by magic crests.
To the instructor, a beer bottle looked like a 500ml PET bottle in his hand. Compared to that visual, a normal glass would look like a child’s cup.
I watched as beer was poured into a glass held by Meguri-san.
“Whoa!?”
However, seeing her, Kaido suddenly remembered something and realized something dangerous. He reached out. But it was too late. Meguri-san drank the beer in one gulp. Come to think of it, she was drinking oolong tea at first. Well, perhaps she couldn’t refuse the instructor’s offer, or maybe Meguri-san herself, emboldened by the instructor calling her young, decided to drink.
The instructor doesn’t push alcohol on those who can’t drink. He instinctively senses allergic reactions, so I optimistically thought it would be fine.
“Kaa! Delicious!”
Suddenly, Meguri-san exclaimed loudly, and I was startled.
“You can hold your liquor, young lady.”
“Of course! Um, are you Kiō-san?”
“Oh! You can call me that.”
“With such adorable children, how could I not drink! I’m going until I collapse!”
It was obvious she was already drunk from just one beer. Her eyes were glazed over, and her cheeks were flushed. Signs of drunkenness.
“Hmm, isn’t that problematic?”
Himik sensed danger in her state and was about to go with a water pitcher, but from afar, Kaido held up his hand as if to stop her. He then mouthed the words:
“Are you okay…?”
So, it was probably fine. And then, Meguri-san again downed another beer in one go. I felt uneasy, wondering if she’d be alright drinking like that with her small frame.
“Oh! That’s a great way to drink!”
“Naturally! Now, Kiō-san, have a drink too!”
“Oh, I will.”
Other than her expression and high spirits, there were no abnormalities. Now, she held a full bottle of sake in one hand and smoothly began to pour it into Instructor Kio’s cup.
“She really seems to be okay.”
“Yeah.”
Her movements were fluid and not at all clumsy. Instructor Kio, watching her pour the sake with a happy expression, was also present. In a sense, having a connoisseur of alcohol nearby provided a sense of security. Seeing that I didn’t need to intervene, I lowered my body, which had started to rise, and returned to my quiet meal.
“You know, I had trouble conceiving…”
Just then, Meguri-san started talking about herself in her drunken state.
“I myself am rough, crude, and a woman who easily resorts to violence, but my husband fell for me just as I am and we got married. I was so happy, so happy. And when Tadayoshi was born, I cried so much.”
Even amidst the noisy chatter, her words, spoken with a smile, reached everyone, and those around her listened without interrupting.
“I finally understood what ‘love’ was. He had his father’s quiet side but also my mischievousness, so he was quite a handful. In high school, I thought, ‘What will this kid do with his life?’ He was so much like me. I decided to watch over him until the end, but then he went off on his own. They say no news is good news, but before I knew it, he was talking about marriage, which surprised me.”
She spoke with deep emotion, and with a beaming smile. As if demonstrating how to be drunk, she slowly swayed her head.
“To think he’d bring someone as adorable as this… I truly have a filial son.”
Then, with the hand not holding the sake, she hugged Amili-san. She had been so critical when sober, but now she was full of praise. I glanced at Kaido, who buried his face in his hands in embarrassment.
I see. Kaido knew this would happen.
“Oh! Amili-chan, thank you for liking my Tadayoshi!”
“We are also grateful.”
“Come on, you children too! Grandma will give you a hug!!”
Seeing Meguri-san hug the twin angels, who looked a little envious. The instructor grinned and said,
“She’s a good mother, isn’t she?”
“…Yes.”
He nodded shyly at the instructor’s words.
Today’s word:
A celebration is more fun with more people.
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“Pandora Pandemic Panic” – Pandora’s Box has been reopened, but we’re fighting back with secret bases and other means!!
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