Chapter 86: That time when we were having a factory tour-like experience

TL: kizen

PR: Filip/Gecko

Its the following day after I used the power of alcohol to breathe fire. I finished eating breakfast and I was told by Suzuran to go to the distillery upstream from the poultrys pond. It was about the dwarf that I brought with me yesterday.

I heard that he was talking with father and they arranged some sort of meeting so hell probably come.

Sup

Hey. Have you seen a dwarf here?

Dwarf? I havent. Why?

After he said that, I explained the whole situation to him.

I see. Thats why you came here

Yep

This isnt related but did you get the ability to breathe fire after becoming a Demon Lord?

Theres no way I did. Why?

Its probably because of what I did yesterday but Ill just ask first.

Well, the guys at work have been saying that they saw you breathe fire when they went to the bar last night. Thats why I asked

Ah, the headmaster was spouting things about there having a new way of drinking if the dwarf spread word about our villages liquor so

What are you hesitating for? Go on

As he said that, Wurst placed his arm around my shoulder.

You know that liquor can catch fire right?

Of course. We take measures to avoid that after all

Well, you can drink the liquor while its still on fire. Its called a flaming shot

Wont you burn your stomach if you do that?

Wurst suddenly changed to a more serious tone.

Because of that, I looked around for a bottle with liquor inside that was just lying around the place. Once I found one, I lit the contents.

You extinguish a fire by cooling it, removing the source of fuel, or removing the air

I covered the opening of the bottle then showed it to him after the fire was put out.

Since fire uses air to keep burning, you can put it out by just covering it like this

Its true. Even though theres still some left, its not on fire anymore. Why doesnt it burn up instantly though?

That might be because, even though theres a lot of fuel for the fire, the only place that it can burn is on the outside. It would need more area for the fire to do its work

As I said that, I put a bit of the liquor in my mouth then sprayed it all out.

The liquor turned into this fine mist so it burns more vigorously. The same thing happens to flour you know?

As I said that, I held liquor in my mouth once again but this time I sprayed it in a way that it would pass through a Fire from my fingertip.

See?

Ive always thought this but even though youre smart, youre still an idiot, huh?

Well, yeah. Im not gonna deny that. Listen up. A man will always be a child no matter how old he becomes. Once one becomes an adult, they either continue to deceive themselves or embrace that fact. Doing this at the bar was just me doing the latter

Can you not say such nonsense with a serious look? Youre definitely an idiot

By the way, if youre cooking and it catches fire, immediately cover it with the lid. If its the oil thats burning, you can add more oil to it to cool it down so dont panic when that happens

After that conversation, Van-san arrived.

Oh! So this is the secret to making strong liquor!

Its not a secret though. Neither the distillery nor the method

Good morning, Van-san

Oh. The method of drinking yesterday was interesting. I can even boast about it in my hometown you know?

Youll have to bring back liquor with you when you go back then

Of course!

Van-san laughed loudly as he said that.

Anyway, Van-san. This here is Wurst. Hes an experienced worker who has been working in this facility since it was established

Hey. Nice to meet ya

Well then, please go ahead and explain it to him

Youre leaving it to me!? Why dont you do it?

I came up with this facility but youre the one whos working here so you have more credibility

You say that but you just think its troublesome right?

I just averted my gaze as he said that.

Oi, dont look away

After that exchange, Wurst reluctantly began explaining. Since hes been to various villages and towns to train people, hes already accustomed to explaining things. He can even answer all of the questions asked without needing help.

Its like youre separating the alcohol and water using a still

I see. Is liquor just a mixture of alcohol and water?

Thats right. Thats why, you heat it up and only collect the alcohol. You know how theres some kind of smoke that comes out when you heat water right? Thats what you collect. Well then, do you want to see it in action?

Yeah!

Wurst went on and said lines that youd expect to hear from a tour guide. Hes like the manager giving guests a tour.

I wish we could do something thats a bit larger in scale here like fermentation but our distillery is still too small. Once we start producing beer, Im going to pour it all into the still. Its a little inefficient but that doesnt matter.

The tour resumed after that. Wurst added some barley beer into the still then started it up. After a while, he scooped up the undiluted liquor that had already been cooled into a cup then gave it to Van-san.

This is what it looks like before they are put into barrels. I think you should already know about it if you went to the bar but this is one can have fruit seeped into it

Gah. This is pretty strong

He put a little of it into his mouth to taste then immediately spat it out into a cup. It seems like this one is too strong even for dwarves. The headmaster just drinks it like water though.

Well, thats how it goes

That was the end of Wursts explanation.

Van-san. You will need to make this still so please make sure to inspect it properly. Youll have to make one for your hometown as well as the island

No problem! Dont underestimate our abilities. We can easily make one by looking at a simple drawing of it. Itll be done in no time as long as we have the materials for it

How reliable. Well, I dont have the money to buy materials right now though. Thats why were selling coffee. Im thinking of harvesting the cacao sooner or later so that we can also sell chocolate and stuff. I wonder if that plan will be realized by next year.

Well then. Ill leave Van-san to you, Wurst. Ill go ask the chief if there are any vacant houses left

Alright

He might complain but his true nature comes out in the end. Theyll probably be alright.

I tried searching for the chief next but, as usual, he was the one who approached me from behind. Because of the segregation I suggested last time, they were able to easily find out that there were still some vacant houses. I asked for one that was closest to the bar and told them why I wanted one in the first place.

After confirming the location of the house, I went back to the distillery where I found that the headmaster has now joined the two. The classes are still going on, right?

Ha ha ha. Its simple once you know the process right?

I didnt know that liquor turns into steam faster than water

I told you about it before you know~?

How was the newly distilled liquor?

It was amazing. It made me feel dizzy after all. Its the first time I had to drink water after drinking liquor you know?

A chaser huh? I usually also order one myself. Wait, why arent you drunk yet? The headmaster is the headmaster but I guess thats to be expected of a dwarf. Im also pretty resistant though.

At this rate, we might be able to build even bigger things once I go back home

Ho, maybe I should find out where that place is and bring everyone to have some fun

Please dont. If the dragonkin joins in, there wont be enough liquor to go around. Were going to be drinking too after all!

Gyahahahaha!Ho ho ho ho

At this rate, theyre going to form an alliance based on liquor. If one side gets attacked, the other would send out a large number of reinforcements. Its just a bunch of liquor lovers helping their fellow liquor lovers out. I dub it the drunkards alliance.

In that case, I will send a few from my hometown so that you guys can build a large-scale still

Alright. Anyway, I was told that you can pour anything thats been turned to liquor into this and an even stronger one will come out. Is that right? I dont know what kind of liquor is made in the dragonkin village but its not the same as the one made here, right?

At first it was just wheat but since we have poor soil, weve recently been trying out potatoes, apples, and grapes. I even want to try using buckwheat. Its also necessary to be particular about the wood used to make the barrels. We tried five types of wood just to produce one type of liquor you know? Im looking forward to the results five cycles of seasons from now

So apart from aquavit and shochu, theyre even making calvados? The dragonkin are incredibly passionate about their liquor, arent they? I wonder if its because of their long lifespan? He said before that theyre going to keep one in their vault to age for a century but it looks like more liquor will be added to that place.

Ah, sorry for interrupting mid-conversation but its about Van-sans accommodation

Oh, lets just deal with that once the workday is over. Were still going to drink this all dry after all

Thats the spirit. Lets spread this liquor all over the world. Then Ill go around the world to try them all out!

The headmaster proclaimed loudly with his hands stretched out. Does he think hes still young? How long does he intend to keep enjoying liquor? I guess he plans to do it until his last breath. Well, it cant be helped, I guess Ill play with the children.

Ah, papa. Welcome back

Im back

Um, does fire come out of papas mouth?

Miels eyes glistened as he asked me that. It doesnt take long for weird rumors to spread huh?

No, I just set that strong liquor Lily had the other day on fire

But, the uncle who passed by while we were playing said that it was a huge fire you know?

While you were playing?

Un. While we were playing, he was suddenly like, Your father was breathing fire.

I sighed as I put my hand in front of my eyes and shook my head. Im sure that rumor will reach Schinken and Speck as well. This isnt good. I should let Wurst explain it to them.

Show me, show me~

Was I like this when I was four years old? Maybe I was but I guess not in this world.

Since there was no helping it, I took out the liquor from the cupboard then quickly showed it to him outside.

Papas amazing

Dont try to imitate me, okay?

After I said that, I saw Lily running towards us.

Father, was that the magic to breathe fire!?

Yep, I should have known that Lily would also see that. I had to repeat my explanation then I was asked to show it again.

Fathers so cool!

Ha ha ha. Dont copy what I just did though because its dangerous. You might burn the inside of your mouth after all1

Un!Yes

A few years later, I was told by Miel that Lily tried to do it in the bar and was scolded really hard by Latte.

After that, they pestered me into training with them. I can win if its one-on-one but Ill have to use magic when facing both of them at the same time or Ill lose. Rather, I had to use magic. It would have been impossible otherwise.

Miel knocked me off balance with his magic while Lily tripped me to get me to fall down. Then, Lily swung her spear stick downward as Miel shot out a large fireball at my face while avoiding interfering with his sisters attack.

In reaction to that, I produced a stone wall to block the strike as I countered the fireball with my own water ball. I forcefully rolled myself towards the opposite direction, then stood up to surrender as I endured the pain on my left from being tripped.

Alright, I give up. Im no match for you two

It seems like Lilys attacks have become heavier. Miels gotten better at using his magic as well. Whats more, theyre perfectly in sync. It made me wonder if being siblings really do give them an amazing advantage.

After they heard that, the two of them celebrated.

We beat father~We won~

Well, Im their father so I didnt let out any bloodlust while we were fighting. I wonder how theyll react when theyre faced with that pressure though.

I might have to let them experience it in preparation for the future. At that time, will I be able to attack the children with the intent to kill?

Well, Ill just think about it at that time.

Mother, we did itMama, we did it

We beat dad/father2

The children hugged Suzuran after they said that so she patted their heads.

As she did that, she glanced at me and examined me from head to toe. She was probably checking if I was injured.

Ive already prepared the bath. The three of you go in. You made your father use magic, didnt you? How admirable

She stroked their heads even more after she said that.

Your father wasnt fighting seriously yet so make sure to work hard until he does okay?

kay~

My wife, what kind of parenting is that?

Caam. You can slowly stop holding back as they get stronger but make sure they wont get hurt

No, dont ask for the unreasonable. I can probably gradually stop holding back but theres no way they wont get hurt!

Suzuran looked surprised when I said that but she didnt dwell on it and just went back inside the house. As for me, I began to prepare a change of clothes for me and the children.

After our bath, I went to pick up Van-san to show him his accommodation.

Alright! I know where it is now. Time to go back to the bar

He hastily went back without even looking inside the house.

I really dont get how a dwarfs mind works.

During dinner, the children excitedly reported the results of our training to Latte.

We won against father you know?

He even used magic

Oh, thats great~. Since you can beat a Demon Lord, will you guys be Demon Lords in the future~?

I want to be an adventurer

I want to support onee-chan

I see, I see. Thats a nice dream~. Being an adventurer is great, isnt it~? Go and make a name for yourselves as a pair of sibling adventurers and make the village rich okay~?

She ruffled their hair as she said that.

However, papa belongs to me and mama Suzuran so dont make him cry or well get angry, okay?

She smiled mischievously while wagging her finger.

I thought what she did was pretty cute, to be honest.

Be careful or youll get punched in the stomach by mama Suzuran~

What the heck are you saying to the children? Even if she was angry, she wouldnt show it on her face or actions so that was a surprise. The only time she did hit someone was to hide her embarrassment.

That statement is even more dangerous considering that she always has those knuckle dusters that I gave to her in her pocket. I could see its shape from her pocket after all. My wife is way too scary. 3

When it was time to go to sleep, the children immediately slipped into my bed while saying that it was their turn today. Was there an established order Im not aware of?

The next day, my arm was swollen and all red because of Lilys horn. Im really considering getting a cushion for her horns at this point. Not just for me but also for the sake of her future husband.

When that person comes and asks for my daughter, Ill say.

You need to be careful of her horns. Its going to really hurt when she hugs your arm and rubs her face against it in the middle of the night you know? Thats all I have to say since it really, and I mean REALLY, hurts!

Alright, thats perfect.

After I muttered that to myself, I looked around and felt relieved that there was nobody there to hear it.