Chapter 14.1 – Forbidden Liquor

Now then, the other party involved—Count Alhena.

Naturally, Gaikaku headed over to pay his respects.

Dispatched by the Supreme Knight Commander, Gaikaku carried tremendous authority.

Refusing to meet him would be the same as publicly admitting you had something to hide.

Worse, it could give the Knight Order a perfect excuse to brand you an enemy—evil incarnate.

Barring an iron-clad reason, “I won’t see him” simply wasn’t on the table.

That’s why Count Wasat met Gaikaku at once and spoke with him frankly, one-on-one.

So what about Count Alhena?

To be blunt, the rumors were right—he really was the mastermind behind the wrongdoing.

He’d unleashed a band of mountain bandits on Count Wasat’s trade routes and even given those bandits a measure of protection.

Anyone digging into his affairs would spell disaster.

※

The Conjurer Knight Order’s commander was coming to his domain.

From the moment the official notice came through Tistria-sama, Count Alhena had been in a panic.

First, he split the bandits up and hid them in several vacant houses, ordering them to stay out of sight until the knights left.

He then planned to greet the visitors with lavish hospitality, tossing out lines like, “Haven’t seen bandits lately, have we?” and “They must have disbanded once the knights showed up,” hoping to bury the issue in vagueness.

That, he figured, would count as “problem solved”—or at least something he could insist on.

Ordinary townsfolk would shrug: “The knights came to exterminate them, so the bandits scattered? Yeah, I’d run too.”

Victims might fume that the culprits got away unpunished, but if the bandits really had melted into the hills, there’d be nothing to do but swallow their anger.

With that goal in mind, Count Alhena drew up his plan.

Step one: under no circumstances meet Gaikaku alone.

“I hear Lord Gaikaku Hikume is on his way, so I’ve decided to throw a little party… Has that message been delivered?”

“Yes, milord. He accepted the invitation quite readily—almost, well, unsettlingly politely…”

Count Alhena was conferring with his newly appointed young butler.

The butler knew nothing of his master’s crimes, but Alhena had managed to keep him none the wiser.

“I see… Your own impression—did he seem suspicious?”

“Very much so, sir.”

To put it bluntly, Gaikaku practically screamed “suspicious.”

“How can I put this… He doesn’t look like a Knight Commander at all. Just as the rumors say, he’s going out of his way to appear mysterious—like an actor playing ‘Shady Guy.’”

“I thought as much… Then we must avoid a face-to-face meeting.”

“A wise choice.”

(Yes—score!)

Count Alhena, early forties.

The man, already a grandfather, pumped a mental fist.

If he himself had declared, “No matter what, I refuse to be alone with him!” the butler would have eyed him with suspicion.

But if everyone—including the butler—already thought, “Better not meet this Gaikaku fellow alone,” he could steer clear without seeming odd.

“Still, refusing a private audience with the Knight Commander could look like an admission of guilt, but if the man himself is that sketchy, we have no choice.”

“Indeed, milord.”

“Count Wasat met him directly, though… Won’t that look bad for us?”

“A foolhardy stunt of youth, nothing more. You, Count Alhena, mustn’t risk crossing a rickety bridge. There are even rumors that Tistria-sama herself is being manipulated by him.”

“Baseless tavern gossip should stay in the realm of drinking jokes.”

“M-my apologies, sir!”

(Excellent…)

Count Alhena, early forties.

Chatting with a butler not much older than his own children, he inwardly did a little dance.

“Still, caution never hurts. Let’s keep an eye out without giving offense. Anything strange so far?”

“Yes, sir.”

“…Refreshingly direct.”

Count Alhena, early forties.

Things were going so smoothly it was almost unsettling.

“In fact, the commander wishes to contribute something to the welcome party…”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

“Liquor, sir.”

“…Does he take me for a fool?”

Count Alhena pulled a long face.

His love—no, expertise—for liquor was common knowledge.

He didn’t hide it; if anything he advertised it.

He’d just taken second in the recent tasting tournament and usually placed first or close to it in other competitions.

But he wasn’t foolish enough to drink whatever “liquor” some shady stranger brought him.

If Gaikaku thought, “Offer him booze and he’ll drink it, loosen up, even confess,” well—being seen that way by someone he’d never met was downright insulting.

“I get what you mean, milord, but refusing outright might be awkward.”

“True enough… A guest providing liquor at the party thrown in his honor is normal, never mind that I’m fond of drink.”

“And… it wasn’t a single bottle but two whole casks he sent over.”

“Enough for every guest?”

“More than enough, sir.”

Had Gaikaku delivered a lone wine bottle with the line, “Just for you, Count—only you,” suspicion would have gone beyond red-alert.

But two full casks meant everyone at the party would be drinking. Unless he planned a mass poisoning, it was unlikely to contain anything deadly.

“…What label is it?”

“Pardon?”

“The make. Admittedly labels can be faked, but…”

“He said it’s brewed at his own place. Whispered to me, ‘It’s bootleg.’”

“…Well, I’m hardly one to judge, but admitting it’s moonshine is bold. Anyway, have we done a taste test?”

“Of course, sir. We tried it with the planned dishes and watched for reactions. Nothing unusual. We also observed over time—still nothing.”

“Then we can’t very well refuse… Wait—an obvious question I overlooked. How does it taste? If it’s swill, we could decline on that basis.”

Now, Count Alhena was a bona fide connoisseur.

He even taught his juniors about drink.

Naturally, his young butler had received that education as well.

The butler grinned—not as a servant, but as a fellow drink lover.

“I’d say it really is homemade. There’s a touch of roughness…”

“That can have its charm…”

“Even with that, it’s delicious. Rich aroma, mild strength—something both older gentlemen and young ladies could enjoy. But I’ve never tasted anything like it, which did strike me as odd…”

“…To get such praise from you, hm.”

Count Alhena had let the butler sample nearly every bottle in his collection—part brag, part education.

If the butler didn’t recognize it, odds were he himself wouldn’t either.

“What shall we do? We could claim it clashes with the food…”

“That would hurt the house’s pride. Besides, now you’ve made me want to try it.”

“M-my deepest apologies for tempting you!”

“Think nothing of it. In any case, we must treat our guest courteously.”

Whatever else, Tistria-sama vouched for Gaikaku’s identity.

Surely someone she recommended wouldn’t bring blatantly dangerous booze.

So he told himself—momentarily forgetting he was the bandits’ puppet master—and looked forward to the banquet.

※

At Count Alhena’s castle.

The hall was filled with the region’s notables.

Their true interest, of course, was the guest of honor:

“The Conjurer Knight Order’s Commander, Gaikaku Hikume.”

“Hee-hee-hee! A humble servant of our Supreme Knight Commander Tistria-sama! I, Gaikaku Hikume, Commander of the Conjurer Knight Order, salute you, ladies and gentlemen! Pleased to make your acquaintance!”

(Amazing! Exactly like the rumors!)

(He looks like a jester!)

(That guy’s a Knight Commander? I could do that job!)

(“Conjurer” fits, but “knight”? Really?)

Watching Gaikaku play the perfect eccentric entertainer, the nobles shuddered.

This man was a Knight Commander—personally recommended by the Supreme Commander. Nothing to do but be shocked.

If only he were a performer with a gimmick, they could laugh it off—but no, he really held the post.

“For everyone here, I’ve brought a very special liquor from my private reserve! Please enjoy, ladies and gentlemen!”

Now then—liquor.

Alcohol is a drug that dulls the senses; with the right flavor you could mask its strength and lure a target to your bed.

That’s with ordinary booze. Laced with malice, it could easily become murder.

But tonight, that wasn’t happening.

The liquor came from a Knight Commander, served at a lord’s banquet, poured from the same cask for a large crowd.

Short of an intent to poison every last guest, tampering was impossible—even for the craftiest magician.

Fine crystal wineglasses in hand,

the guests lifted them and took a sip.

“Well…”

“Oh…”

Men and women alike let out dreamy sighs.

They might not rival Count Alhena’s palate, but these guests knew good drink.

Every one of them was enraptured—not drunk, but delighted.

“It goes down so smoothly… Wonderful bouquet. What kind of liquor is this?”

“Given his eccentric antics, I expected something gimmicky, but ha—he blindsided me.”

“As expected for something served to Count Alhena. I haven’t the faintest idea what it is, though.”

“Indeed, but it’s fine stuff—neither crudely strong nor finicky. It’d pair with anything, and I doubt it’ll leave a nasty hangover.”

No over-the-top reactions like in a comic strip,

yet everyone, deep down, praised the drink’s quality.

Even among the count’s guests, ages and tastes varied.

All were adult humans, sure, but preferences should differ.

Yet every single person said, “Simply delicious.” It was almost eerie.

(Perhaps I’m overthinking…)

So Count Alhena chided himself.

At a count’s banquet, if the Knight Commander’s liquor wasn’t especially strong or odd, of course people would politely compliment it.

Comforted by that logic, he approached Gaikaku.

“Lord Gaikaku Hikume. It seems everyone is pleased with your offering.”

“Oh, Count! Knowing the guests are happy, I too am relieved! Words fail me—my joy overflows that I haven’t sullied your table!”

“…Embarrassing to admit, but suspicion had me wary. I feared you might have sullied the liquor and thus hadn’t tasted it until now.”

“Oh…”

“Well, consider it a secret until it was served.”

“Yes, yes, quite understandable! Then, might I expect a tasting?”

“By all means.”

Every attendee had already sampled the drink.

Each and every one had tilted their head: “Never had this before.”

Now the famed tasting champion himself was about to judge it.

All the guests, Gaikaku included, and the household staff fixed their eyes on him.