147 . Information Gathering – Night Part 2
I squeezed myself among the customers and asked a lot of questions .
No one looked down to a girl who is a friend of their co-workers or superiors and loves the navy-stuff . Moreover, it’s a girl whose age is close to their granddaughter’s . And it seems amusing for them that the girl got into such a place alone .
Also, from my self-introduction, or rather, from the content of my name, they naturally considered me as a noble daughter . …I mean, there’s no common girl who puts out one gold coin for one cup of juice .
Considering my heritage and that I will be the wife of some noble in the future, a navy-loving noble girl like me should be an important treasure in Navy’s perspective .
…Well, they’re probably think that I’m originally a daughter of a naval house .
And so, if you make-fun of the army while praising the navy and help them emptying their glass until they’re drunk, eventually their mouth becomes loose . Alright, speak already!!
“Currently, is there a plan to deploy a new exploration fleet?” (Mitsuha)
“Every how many years do the navy deploy that sort of fleet?” (Mitsuha)
“As expected, do we occupy the continent we find and make it a territory of our country, also do we make all the residents as slaves?” (Mitsuha)
Right, it would be suspicious if I ask such a thing suddenly as a noble daughter of another country in the social world of the Royal capital .
But here, there are grandpas who gladly answer to every question that a curious navy-loving lass asked .
As expected, military secrets and political stuffs is one thing, but what I want to know is not that sort of stuffs . I don’t want to hear about politics of another country . So no problem .
… I can collect information about that kind of stuff in the royal capital .
After that I ordered [Single Milk, Rock] and [Orange Juice, Straight], and gave the bartender gold coins . I tried to look cool by playing trick with the coin and it flew somewhere, everyone helped me to search the coin …
No, I knew some splendid tricks, just so you know!
And it seems to be the right time to withdraw . As expected, I can’t afford to stay until the closing time, which will be late at night .
When I said I’m going home, the bartender returned all the gold coins except the first one and nine small gold coins .
“As expected, if I have a little girl to pay several gold coins just for a few soft-drinks, it will be recorded in the black history of my life, please pardon me” (Bartender)
Well, if he says it like that, I have to receive it .
“Thank you for everything today! it was very fun! … Oh, that’s right!” (Mitsuha)
I almost forget .
In case I get to hear good stuffs, I prepared gifts to thank them and to make good impression in the future .
Of course, I don’t think they’ll accept it if I try to give them something expensive, and it’s not smart to give an expensive gift for something like this . In such cases, this kind of gifts is perfect .
Right, because they’re drinkers, so booze is the best!
“I will pay the carry-on fee, please overlook this one . ” (Mitsuha)
I told the bartender that, and I took a bottle from my bag .
… There’s no way I can get one for each of them . I can’t bring that much . So, from one bottle, pour little by little into everyone’s glass for tasting .
“It’s the booze from our side, can you try it?” (Mitsuha)
Without realizing, I stopped using polite words and became unreserved, well whatever . Nobody will get angry at a little girl, maybe .
When I opened the lid, the bartender gave me a new glass for each person, and I poured into everyone’s glass .
“No carry-on fee is required, let me taste it too” (Bartender)
U~n, gladly!
And everyone holds out their glass towards the light to check the color, spins the glass and smells the scent, then puts it in their mouth and after a few seconds, they gulped it down their throat .
“ “ “ “ “ “Wha……” “ “ “ “ “ (everyone)
Ufufufu, are you surprised?
This is the pride of my homeland, The Hakushu 12-Years-Old Single Malt Whisky!
Due to limited budget, I can’t afford the 18-Years-Old or the 25-Years-Old!
Alright, it seems I don’t even have to hear what they think . With this, a good impression of me must’ve been planted . Please give me good information next time too!
“Well then, later!” (Mitsuha)
With that said, i left the bar before everyone reacted .
It feels like I heard something from behind, what a bunch of lively drunkards .
(Narrator’s POV)
“Hey!” (Uncle 1)
“ “ “ “Roger that!” “ “ “ (Bunch of Uncles)
A little girl cannot be allowed to walk on the road at night alone . Moreover, she’s a girl of a noble family who is cute and navy-friendly .
And several men jumped out of the bar to escort the girl home .
The others were tasting the glass of liquor little by little . It’s sacrilegious to drink it all at once .
After a while, the men who came out returned .
“Wha… You lots, what about that girl! Why return without escorting her home!?” (Uncle 2)
The men who remained in the bar got up from their chair and shouted at the other group .
As a gentleman, they cannot overlook the fact that a girl walks alone at night . So, naturally they’re surprised when the escort group return this soon . It’s only a few minutes after the girl leaves the bar, one can hardly imagine that she has already escorted to her house in such short time .
“W-well, when we got out of the bar, she just went into the first alley on the right, so we hurriedly followed her, but when we got into the alley, she was already gone . We ran in a hurry and searched all the branches but could not find her . Even if she was kidnapped, it is impossible to run that fast while carrying a girl, and there is no carriage, no doors, no wooden box that can hide the girl . First of all, how long did it take us to run! A few seconds at most! It doesn’t even take 10 seconds! Do you think one can kidnap girl that age without making a voice, in such a short time, in a place without carriages or entrances!?” (Uncle 3)
“ “ “ “ “ “……” “ “ “ “ “ (the uncles)
It’s hopeless .
It was uncertain that she had been kidnapped and given the circumstances it seems unlikely that it was possible .
They only know her first name and doesn’t know her origin .
[Multiple men chased the girl, that they met for the first time, after she came out of the bar, but they lost sight of her]
If you make such report to the guards, they will move immediately . …Investigating the suspicious men who tried to follow the girl .
“…it’s useless, it can’t be helped…” (an Uncle)
However, everyone is not seriously worried .
Through the various talks, they know that the girl is not a complete idiot, that she seems to have some awareness of the security situation in the port town, and that she seems quite bold . And the time between when she left the bar and when she was disappeared is too short . It was much more logical to think that she had prepared a safe way to get home in advance than to think she was involved in an incident .
And someone muttered the words that represented everyone’s mind .
“…who in the world is she, that little girl…” (last uncle)
And then everyone silently tasted the liquor . The liquor that was offered as a sample with an incredibly rich aroma . Of course, the bartender was one of them…
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