CH 73.4

Around the shrine of the mole god, there were many stern looking adventurers hanging out and around them were stalls selling alcohol and grilled skewers while off duty musicians were earning coins by playing lively music.

I felt as if I had wandered into a different space.

It was an ordinary day but the place was bustling with people as if it were a festival.

Everyone’s face was vaguely familiar as if they were all related to the Schenker family.

There was no distinction between men and women as they passed each other, chatting amiably, and there were even some passionate couples walking arm in arm.

To be honest, I was a bit worried but it seems that the confusion caused by the arrival of men in our organization was not a big deal.

Most of the guys have adapted well and seem to be doing well so far.

Especially this time, Perseus had gathered a group of especially talented men which must have had a positive impact on the organization in that sense.

In fact, the Magical Schenker Group as an organization has become a solid structure since the arrival of the elder slaves.

The problem is that there are not enough middle managers but middle managers are chronically in short supply everywhere.

Even in Japan, there is a shortage of middle managers and in this world where literacy rate is low and people are rough around the edges, it is only natural that there is an even greater shortage.

The only way to solve this problem is to wait for people to grow up so let’s be steady and patient.

I clenched my fists tightly with determination and started to walk home when a familiar voice stopped me.

「Young master! Is that you, Young Master Sawadi!」

It was Roast, a fishkin with a face as red as her bright red hair.

She was smiling wide that you could see her sharp fangs while saying “come here come here”.

Next to her is someone who looked like Mince the scalekin who was propped up against a wooden box that served as a table.

「Your, reek of alcohol.」

「Of course I am, we’ve been drinking.」

「What did you do to Mince to turn her like that?」

「It’s this, it’s this. This is a drink called “assassin” that’s been all rage these days desu yo」

Saying that, Roast shakes a bottle of alcohol whose alcohol content is around 40 percent.

That’s just shochu.

「Just pour this thing in a glass, squeeze a lemon over it, and add salt……」

「Whoah whoah whoah」

You’re not holding a glass in your demonstration. My expensive looking pants are now soaking wet.

I took the bottle of liquor from Roast, put a cut lemon in it, magically froze it, and put the lid back.

「What are you doing, young master? Aren’t you going to drink?」

「I won’t. I made your drink better.」

「Hnn? Well, then, okay」

Roast dexterously made the bottle of shochu on top of Mince’s head who was knocked out on the wooden box. Then, she walks swaying to the left and right.

This girl didn’t have an arm and an eye when we first met.

I’m not a rehabilitation specialist back then compared to the present me and my regeneration magic was still in its infancy so I had to regenerate her day in and day out.

A lot of things have happened to her like losing half of her hair after being slashed with a cutlass, being given a horse by a young master of a merchant house from the south city, getting in a fight with Mince and breaking her arm, etc.

Looking back, we have known each other for a long time.

I’ve been involved with them for five or six years……enough for someone to graduate from elementary school.

「Hey, Roast.」

「What is it? Going to drink?」

「Come over to my house sometime with Pickles, Seele, and the others. Hold my son and daughter.」

「Eh? What do you mean?」

「……nothing, I just thought I’ll give my children an early lesson in what it’s like to be a drunk」

「What was that! I’m a good drunk!」

I chuckled at the smiling Roast.

These guys are not my friends but we have definitely spent a third of my life here with them.

I don’t know why but even though I know our connection would not affect my career as a mage in any way……I somehow felt the need to make this connection for my children.