Whether she'd become famous or not wasn't something Alice needed to worry about.
Right now, what she did need to worry about was how to escape this overly enthusiastic restaurant.
When it came to dining establishments in Orario, many of them took on the nature of a tavern after the sun went down. Besides serving plenty of food, they also served plenty of alcohol.
As for Orario's alcohol—Alice had never actually tried any.
But from her [Knowledge Repository], specifically from the oni who'd taken up residence at the Hakurei Shrine, she'd obtained a [Guide to Tasting Alcohol]and a [Guide to Drinking Competitions], which had taught her how to evaluate alcoholic beverages.
To Alice's sense of smell, the ale being served at this tavern, known as the [Hostess of Fertility], wasn't anything special.
At least, that was the case ever since she'd acquired the oni's knowledge about liquor.
Alice thought the large tankard of beer (?) in front of her was probably just a simple grain-based brew.
It was full of bubbles, not to mention the smell was rather pungent. The malt aroma was fairly pleasant, but after taking a sip, a bitter aftertaste lingered.
Still, the drink before her had been offered by someone else, so even though Alice didn't particularly like this fizzy ale, she felt she ought to at least try a little.
She lifted the wooden mug, took a small sip, and then set it down, turning her gaze to the man and woman seated across from her.
"So, Lord Hermes, was there something you wanted to discuss with me? If it's about the Freya doll, then I don't think we have much to talk about."
A faint flush had risen to Alice's cheeks, thanks to the alcohol.
"Aww, come on now, Alice-chan! That doll you made had some kind of problem—it blew up right in my face! I was hoping to get some compensation from you. How can you say there's nothing to talk about?"
Hermes looked across at the beautiful girl sitting opposite him, a smile playing on his lips.
He was genuinely surprised.
Even Hestia could down four or five mugs of this malt ale in one go without showing signs of intoxication so quickly.
But Alice? She'd only taken a tiny sip, and already she looked tipsy. Hermes found that pretty hard to believe.
As for why Hermes and Alice were sitting face to face drinking at the [Hostess of Fertility]—it was all because Hermes had caught wind through the black market that the Loki Familia had gone to purchase information on Alice. He'd been on his way to the Loki Familia to ask about her himself.
The black market would take on any job—any piece of intel was available if you paid enough.
But they had pretty solid professional ethics.
If the Loki Familia paid a million for info on Alice, then you, Hermes Familia, would have to cough up a million too if you wanted the same. Otherwise, you could forget about getting anything.
And Hermes was pretty stingy. If there was a good chance he could get the info from Loki directly, why would he spend money on it?
So, Hermes—with Asfi in tow—was heading toward the Loki Familia when he happened to run into Alice, who was just leaving.
He invited her to discuss a few things, and that's how they ended up here.
Blowing up the Freya doll had been something Alice did in a fit of anger, partly to erase an embarrassing chapter of her past.
So when Hermes brought up the doll, she felt a little guilty.
But now, after a sip of that awful malt ale, that guilt completely vanished.
"God Hermes, I intentionally detonated that doll. If you really want to discuss the matter, then before we do, let's talk about why you, who goes by the name God of Commerce, violated the contract we agreed upon."
Alice didn't feel the slightest bit guilty now.
Sure, the doll she made was a little… unconventional, but she'd still fulfilled Hermes' order. He, on the other hand, hadn't kept his end of the bargain.
"Under our agreement, you promised my dolls would take Orario by storm. But so far, hardly anyone knows about them."
"Hic…" Alice couldn't hold back a slight burp. Her mouth felt bitter and dry. Spotting a large wooden mug in front of her filled with a golden, fizzy liquid that gave off a malty aroma, she picked it up, brought it to her lips, and tilted her head back.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Just like the oni in her [Knowledge Repository] when they drank, she downed the entire mug of ale in one go.
Thud!
After finishing, she slammed the empty mug down on the table.
The sound was loud, but nobody around paid any attention. The place was rowdy—everyone was drinking, laughing, and making noise. In a lively tavern like this, Alice's behavior seemed perfectly normal. No one batted an eye.
Hermes, however, watched her with a strange look in his eyes.
"Um, Alice-chan? Maybe we should continue this tomorrow? You seem a little… off right now."
Honestly, even as a god who'd lived for millions of years, Hermes had met plenty of people who couldn't hold their liquor—but he'd never seen someone get drunk from just one sip.
"No! We're settling this right here, right now!" Alice glared fiercely at Hermes, then turned and called out loudly, "Miss Elf! Another round, please! Lord Hermes is treating me today, and I'm going to drink back every coin I lost!"
She placed the order without hesitation.
Hermes' eye twitched.
What Alice said was reasonable enough, but in her drunken state, her beauty had become even more captivating.
Her bright eyes were now hazy and dreamy. Every time she blinked, her long lashes and flushed cheeks gave her a deeply alluring charm.
Each flutter of her eyelashes seemed almost flirtatious.
So when the other patrons heard her mention [lost money], they immediately pegged Hermes as the kind of guy who'd skip out on paying after… certain transactions.
Gods—everyone present knew what they were like.
Hermes' name was well-known in the pleasure districts; he was definitely a regular. But a working girl as pretty as Alice? They'd never seen one like her.
And though Alice was stunning, she looked young—just a girl, really—and didn't carry the air of someone from the underworld.
Not that it stopped them from joining in on the fun.
"Lord Hermes! What did you do to trick this young lady?"
"Making a pretty girl cry is a bad look, you know."
"Tomorrow's headline: God Hermes lures innocent girl into bar, gets her drunk, and she cries foul!"
Listening to the crowd, Hermes sweatdropped. He finally sighed in resignation and turned to Asfi, who was already looking at him like he was scum.
"Let's take Alice-chan to the Loki Familia. Loki should know where she's staying right now."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.