I’ll Protect the Corn Field
Full autumn is here. It seems like corn planting was particularly active this year, as I’ve been noticing more escort requests for corn harvests.
The corn in this world isn’t as big as in my previous life, doesn’t have as many seeds, and frankly, it’s hardly sweet at all. Still, it’s planted as an easy crop to grow, almost like a pastime, and it’s also used as material for corn pipes. …That said, wheat and barley seem more profitable… I wonder what people who grow it are thinking. It’s a crop I just don’t understand.
Well, anyway, until fairly recently I didn’t have a good impression of corn.
I tried to make popcorn before, but all I got was fried dried corn in oil. I still don’t understand why it didn’t pop.
Corn is no good. That’s what I thought, but…
“It’s called corn whiskey, apparently an alcoholic drink. It uses corn as an ingredient… I had connections with someone from a cavalry unit I met on the battlefield. They gave it to me.”
One day, while I was having an intense handicapped Reversi battle with Raina and the others at the guild, Sheena presented me with a small bottle.
It was clearly a “this is a noble’s item” transparent glass container, with an extremely pale-colored liquid inside.
The capacity was probably about 300cc. Anyway.
“Should I lick Sheena’s boots?”
“Mongrel-senpai, your pride is cheap.”
“Could you not? It would dirty my boots.”
So my tongue is lower than boot dirt, huh.
“You don’t need to do anything like that to drink it. I heard from Raina before that you like whiskey. I received it, but neither Nastasha nor I particularly enjoy drinking it.”
“I think it would be better to consume it within Artemis rather than giving it to Mongrel-senpai.”
“Hey Raina, don’t hog it. We’re friends, right?”
“Then let’s make it so whoever wins this Reversi gets to drink it.”
“Stop it! I can only see a future where I lose!”
“…Well, I could have given it to Raina, but I’m worried about this child’s future if I let her drink too much…”
“Ehhh!? B-but I always drink with moderation…!”
Raina looks seriously shocked. You don’t usually make that kind of shocked face. Just how much do you love alcohol?
This is definitely alcoholism. A responsible adult needs to take the booze away from her…
“Of course, I’m not just giving it to Mongrel. I want others to taste it too and hear their opinions. Someone over there asked me to.”
“What, so it’s like a tasting… Well, if it’s a new product, then it can’t be helped. Fine, I’ll taste it for you.”
“I-I want to taste it too!”
“Yes, yes, just a little bit.”
The whiskey poured before our eyes was indeed pale in color.
I wonder… there’s hardly any amber color, much paler than beer… It’s like vodka with an ear pick’s worth of whiskey dropped in.
“Oh, it has a fragrant corn scent.”
“Indeed… even without explanation, you can tell corn is in it from the smell.”
However, contrary to its pale color, the aroma was very strong.
The sweet-like scent characteristic of corn, and a slight whiskey-like quality. I see, the color is a bit lacking, but this is definitely whiskey-like.
“It seems they use a method that doesn’t involve long-term aging in barrels like regular whiskey. The pale color is probably because of that.”
“Here goes! …Mmm, it’s strong alcohol! The best!”
“You act like strong alcohol is all that matters… Yeah, strong alcohol is good! It burns the throat!”
“That’s the same reaction as me!”
“Birds of a feather…”
Betraying its mild appearance and sweet aroma, the taste was harsh. How should I put it… the alcohol hits your mucous membranes directly. Not refined at all. Rough, and to put it bluntly, it has a cheap taste.
However, in this world, it’s undoubtedly a type of luxury liquor. Only Legol can produce this kind of sharpness so far.
…Ah, I drank it all up.
“I’d like to hear other opinions too, and have someone else drink it… but if I give it to some random guild men to drink, I doubt I’d get much of a review back. I wonder who would be good…”
“…Senpai, senpai, Mongrel-senpai, this is a chance.”
“Oh, what is it, Raina?”
Sheena was right there, but the two of us started having a strategy meeting in whispers.
“We’ll give this corn whiskey to people who seem bad with alcohol under the pretense of tasting, desu. Then the leftovers…”
“We can get the scraps! Hey… Raina, when did you become so wicked… Alright, let’s target people who seem weak with alcohol.”
“Desu!”
“I can hear everything… sigh”
And so, we decided to target people in the guild who seemed bad with alcohol.
For some reason, the flow had become us deciding who to serve the corn whiskey to, but Sheena didn’t seem to particularly stop us. Thanks for turning a blind eye. You really have the makings of a leader.
“Momo-chan, Momo-chan, there’s a delicious newly developed alcohol. How about trying a taste?”
“Hmm? Raina? And Mongrel too. Newly developed alcohol?”
The first person we targeted was Momo.
She seemed to be in the middle of braiding some kind of accessory with leather cord together with Miselina and Vandale in a corner of the guild tavern.
It’s a stylish and good hobby, but well, let’s drink now.
“If you taste it and don’t like it, you can leave it, so please don’t hesitate.”
“It’s called corn whiskey. Well, it’s probably too early for Momo, so don’t overdo it.”
“Hmm… I’m already 16 years old though!? Very well, hearing it’s newly developed, I couldn’t help but try it! I’ll drink it all down!”
Ah crap, I accidentally encouraged her.
“Gulp, gulp… Gah! Spicy! It’s spicy!”
“A-are you alright!?”
“You drank it all at once.”
“That was a failure…”
“You two… I would have been fine if you just had them drink it normally.”
“Spicy… Just when you think the sweet corn aroma is drifting through the spiciness, the spiciness betrays everything with overwhelming spiciness…!”
“Oh, she gives a proper review though.”
However, it didn’t suit Momo’s childish palate. Well, that’s how it goes. Whiskey was always like that anyway.
“That vice-leader over there… er? Excuse me. What was your name?”
“I am called Vandale. You’re Artemis leader Sheena-san, aren’t you? Come to think of it, we haven’t had a chance to greet each other. Please treat me favorably from now on.”
“Yes, please do… As a token of our acquaintance, how about it, Vandale-san? Miselina-san as well.”
“May I have some? This is delightful.”
“Y-yes. Thank you very much, I’ll have some…!”
Corn whiskey was poured for the two of them as well.
Raina and I crossed our arms and watched the two taste it closely…
“Hmm, this has a good aroma… Oh, it’s certainly spicy. Not something to drink all at once… I see, so this is the famous whiskey…”
“…!”
“Miselina-san? If you’re not good with it, you don’t need to force yourself to drink it.”
“That’s right! It’s poison to your body!”
“Leave the rest to us!”
“The kindness is greedy…”
The corn whiskey Miselina left wasn’t much, but Raina and I shared it and enjoyed the hot throat sensation again.
Ahh, can’t get enough of this.
“Oh my, unusual guests at our table.”
While this was happening, Sally also came out from the guild’s workshop. I don’t know what she was doing, but this is perfect timing.
With Sally’s picky eating habits, she’ll definitely leave some alcohol behind.
“Sally-san. This is something a cavalry member I met during the war gave me – it’s a new distilled liquor called corn whiskey… Would Sally-san like a sip? I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts.”
“A new product, is it? Sounds interesting… Why is Momo sleeping?”
Seems like Momo isn’t very strong with alcohol.
I’ll give her water later.
“Well, whatever, I’ll have some too.”
The sight of her saying “well, whatever” and requesting alcohol while her child was down from drinking was quite something, but from Raina’s and my perspective, it was exactly what we wanted.
“Leader, it’s strong alcohol, so please be careful.”
“I’ve had whiskey before. I know. Now then… Hmm, I see, it has a corn aroma.”
“If you don’t like the taste, you can leave it! Sally!”
“Desu desu!”
“…I feel some pressure, but let’s see…”
Sally tilted the glass and smoothly drank the corn whiskey… oh? She drank it all in one go.
“Mm. It’s delicious. Seems bad for the body, but it would indeed be good to drink in cold weather. I feel my body warming from the inside.”
“You’re actually drinking it, Sally.”
“No scraps?”
“But it doesn’t even have carbonation…”
I feel like this definitely has more power as a stimulant than carbonation though… really don’t understand this guy…
“Alright, the tasting session is over.”
“Eh!?”
“Seriously!?”
“Of course. It’s not something to drink all in one day. Raina, you should also cut back on alcohol. Drinking too much is bad for your health.”
“Desu desu…”
“Desu only once!”
“Desu!”
Geez, what’s with this early closing?
Just when we had a chance to drink whiskey…
…But I see, corn whiskey, huh. If it’s sold without barrel aging, then this might circulate faster than regular whiskey?
In other words, corn harvest directly connects to the circulation of this corn whiskey…
“…Alright Raina! Let’s go take on some harvest escort missions to support Harpelia’s corn industry!”
“Sounds good! I want to do it!”
“Listen! Raina already has a subjugation mission in Baroa Forest scheduled! If you’re going, Mongrel, go by yourself!”
“Uwaaah!”
Damn, comrade Raina had a prior engagement.
“Can’t be helped, I guess I’ll have to protect the peace of the corn fields myself.”
“Mongrel-senpai, please do it for my share too!”
“Leave it to me! I’ll even help with the corn harvest!”
Saying that, I went to the reception desk with momentum to check the missions…
“Ah, you came back.”
“Mongrel-senpai, did you take a mission?”
“No. All the expedition destinations are too far, so I gave up. Too much trouble.”
“Eh…”
“…What happened to the peace of the corn fields?”
“How casual.”
Well, when you calmly think about travel time and such, it’s not worth doing that much.
But well, it’ll probably be fine. The peace of the corn fields will surely be protected by someone other than me.
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