Published: February 1, 2026
It was pure coincidence that Jill visited that shop in Astarnia.
The authentic bar, rumored for its delicious drinks, was located somewhat deep in an alley. The shop was small and narrow, just as it looked from the outside. However, the shelves behind the counter were lined with an enormous number of liquor bottles, and anyone who saw them would nod in agreement that the rumors were true.
"...Are you Jillbert?"
Upon entering the shop, Jill slightly furrowed his brows at the voice and looked at the man standing behind the counter.
The man, who seemed to be about the same age, looked at him suspiciously as if saying "No way." Seeing that face and recalling his own rarely used name, a faint memory stirred deep within him.
"...Yeah."
"What’s with the 'yeah'? Just 'yeah'?"
When Jill nodded as if he had recalled something, a dissatisfied complaint came back.
Since it was close to midnight and there were no other customers, Jill sat down at the counter without concern, and the man, known as the proprietress, shrugged his shoulders and put down the glass he had been wiping.
"You've gotten rougher."
"Shut up."
Jill watched the man smile as he folded a white cloth, while leaning heavily on the chair's backrest.
Looking closely, Jill recognized the familiar features on that face. They had spent their childhood together in their hometown when they were still quite young.
The last time they met was long ago, probably when Jill had been kicked out of a certain marquess family and had come back to the village.
"What will you have?"
"Laphroaig."
"You always pick such niche stuff. On the rocks? Straight?"
"Straight."
Since this drink was rarely handled in ordinary taverns, Jill had ordered it on a whim, but apparently, they did have it. The rumor was indeed accurate. Resting his elbow on the counter, he casually watched the man's hands as they moved over the various bottles with different labels and shapes, finally picking up the one he wanted.
"I've heard the rumors, 'One Cut.'"
Suddenly, the man smiled gently as he said this, causing Jill to furrow his brows.
When had he started being called “One Cut”? At least when he last visited the village, he wasn’t called that because he hadn’t become an adventurer yet.
Without saying anything, and noticing Jill’s gaze, the man laughed in a friendly tone as he opened the bottle.
"I told you, you were going to become an adventurer."
"That’s all there is to it."
"If it’s you, that’s more than enough."
Placing a shot glass on the counter, the man lowered his eyes with a posture of mock praise.
"If One Cut is the strongest adventurer, it can only be you."
Jill, struck by the deep trust implied in those words, nonetheless showed no reaction and reached for the glass placed before him. The rich golden color shimmered in the clear liquid.
He was being praised, but it was clear the praise wasn’t purely genuine. He exhaled softly and raised the glass to his lips. A distinctive scent of seaweed wafted past his nose.
"You took quite a liking to it, huh?"
"Don’t say that. Back when we were kids, I didn’t even know what battle-hardened meant."
In the dimly lit shop, the man laughed happily.
Watching that, Jill took a small sip of the amount of liquor he could lick. The first thing he noticed was a strong smoky aroma, followed by a scent reminiscent of seaweed, and as it spread through his body, a faint sweet vanilla fragrance quietly appeared, which felt pleasant.
"We always played with you, so it seemed normal to us. But the reactions from outsiders were intense."
Setting aside the fact that Rize probably wouldn’t like it, Jill thought absentmindedly.
He put down the glass and recalled a certain past—the “worst labyrinth.” Even Rize and the others, who had seen him as a child, often said he didn’t act like a kid and had a rough demeanor, but Jill himself was unaware of that.
"And they dragged an untrained kid who couldn't fight out in front of adventurers."
"Heh, it was fun. It was hilarious to see outsiders back down just from seeing you."