Drink Bar-san's perspective.
My name is Holger.
I am an A-Class Adventurer and the leader of the adventurer party Crystal of Dragon Water in Tower City.
For some reason, I’ve been dubbed "Drink Bar" by a certain someone.
Yes, the Alraune herself.
To begin with, what on earth is a "Drink Bar" even supposed to mean?
No matter how many times I ask Alraune why she calls me that, she never gives me a straight answer. All she ever says is, "The water is tasty."
I have a perfectly good name—Holger—but I wonder when she’ll finally bother to learn it.
Still, if it's Alraune, I have no complaints regardless of what she calls me. To us, she is more than just a benefactor; she is a hero.
The Crimson Flower Princess Alraune is the savior who protected Tower City from the Demon King's Army. There is hardly a resident in this city who hasn't had their life saved by her.
She might be a monster, but to the people of the city, that label doesn't matter anymore. Though our races are different, she is a comrade of this city.
When I think of it as receiving an honorary title from a hero, "Drink Bar" doesn't feel so bad. I still don't understand the meaning, but I'm sure it's an honorable term. I might even be able to take pride in it.
Lately, however, my mind has been elsewhere. I have fallen in love.
My heart belongs to Yasmin, the Adventurer Guild Receptionist.
It’s a bit much to say it myself, but as an A-Class Adventurer, I’m popular. I consider myself reasonably handsome. Perhaps because of that, I’ve never lacked for female attention.
But while I’ve had flings before, none of them ever turned into a deep, meaningful relationship. I’ve spoken with many women, but I had never felt a sensation that made my chest tighten like this.
Yes, I have finally encountered a fated love.
"Hey, Guild Master. Is Yasmin in?"
When I visited the Adventurer Guild for my daily routine, the bearded Guild Master greeted me. Personally, I had no desire to stare at his mug. I wanted him to call Yasmin out as quickly as possible.
"Yasmin is off-duty today."
Well, I suppose those days happen. Come to think of it, she mentioned her relatives were coming to the city soon and she needed to prepare. This was likely related to that.
"By the way, Holger. Are you serious about Yasmin?"
"Dead serious. I’ve never felt such passion in my life."
It started on the night of the festival, when we danced together. Or perhaps it started earlier that day, when I saved her from a witch’s attack. Or maybe even further back, from the moment I introduced her to the guild and asked them to hire her.
In any case, since that festival night, Yasmin and I have been more than just friends. Spring has finally arrived for me.
As the seasons shifted, our relationship deepened. Day by day, the pressure in my chest grew more intense until I finally couldn't hold back. On New Year's Eve, I called her out and confessed.
But I'm still waiting for an answer.
"Let me think about it" was the only thing she said.
I told her I’d wait forever, but more than ten days have passed. It was the first time I’d ever confessed to a woman myself. The suspense was killing me, which is why I’d come to the guild to check on her, but it was a bust.
"Listen, Holger. I don't intend to meddle, but if you make Yasmin cry, I won't let it slide," the Guild Master grunted before disappearing into the back.
I knew Yasmin was the guild’s darling. Lately, the Adventurer Guild Staff had been looking at me with increasingly harsh eyes.
And yet, despite her popularity, no one in the guild actually knew much about her. She didn't have any human friends. For some reason, the only person she recognized as a friend was the Forest Alraune.
Yasmin was a woman of many mysteries. The more we interacted, the more I felt she was hiding something from me.
She was supposed to have been a maid at some mansion, but perhaps she was actually a noble? An illegitimate child, perhaps?
But other things bothered me. I’d looked into the mansion where she supposedly worked, but there wasn't a single house in this city that had ever employed her. When I first met her, she had been wandering the city in that maid outfit, starving. Where had she actually come from?
There was also the fact that she never removed her hat. I had never seen the top of her head—and the Guild Master said he hadn't either. I was dying to know what was under that large hat.
And occasionally, her fluffy skirt would move in a very unnatural way.
I wanted to find the courage to ask, but I wouldn't do something so boorish as to pry. I didn't mind her keeping secrets until she was ready to share them. Because I believed in her.
"Which one of you is the man named Holger?!"
A voice suddenly boomed through the guild. A large man had stomped inside. He wasn't a local, but I could tell at a glance: this guy was incredibly strong.
"...That would be me."
I didn't know why he was looking for me, but I am the only A-Class Adventurer in this city. I wasn't about to hide like a coward.
"Is it you? The man who seduced my daughter?"
"Daughter? Uh, who are you?"
"Can't you tell? I'm Yasmin's Papa."
The man surprisingly identified himself as Yasmin's father. So it was true that her family was coming to town.
"You. Are you dating my daughter?"
"N-not officially yet, but I want to."
"So it... it was t-true... Behind my back, with some man of unknown origin... Unforgivable."
A sinister aura radiated from the man. His magical power was immense—easily A-Class, perhaps even higher. I had no idea Yasmin’s father was such a powerhouse.
"Boy, do you truly love Yasmin?"
"Yes, I'm serious about her."
Technically, we were still just friends, though I desperately wanted to bridge that gap.
"Then sign these documents."
Yasmin's father slapped several sheets of paper onto the table. It was a contract. It was incredibly long, and I had to fight off a wave of dizziness as I read through every word.
The summary was as follows: - You shall not intentionally harm Yasmin. - You shall not betray Yasmin, regardless of the nature of your relationship. - You shall not torture her, mutilate her, or capture her to hand her over to others. - You shall not kill Yasmin, no matter the circumstances. - You shall always act with Yasmin’s well-being as your top priority.
I could understand the "no betrayal" part, but I didn't expect a clause about not harming or killing her. As if I’d ever do such a thing. Did he think I was some kind of bandit?
"If you don't sign this, I will never permit you to associate with my daughter."
With that ultimatum, I had no choice. That was how serious I was about her. I would never betray her, let alone kill her... her father was clearly a bit of an overprotective nut.
"There, I've signed it. Now, in the one-in-a-million chance that I break this promise, what happens?"
"You die."
"......Eh?"
"If you violate the contract, I will crush your heart and your soul personally. Be ready."
With those diabolical words, Yasmin's Papa stormed out of the guild.
Terrifying... the look in his eyes said he meant every word. He was clearly no ordinary man. Was Yasmin really a high-born lady?
While I was sitting there agonizing over the contract, another visitor arrived.
"I wonder which of you is the man named Holger?"
Now what? An exceptionally beautiful woman with an incredible figure walked through the door. Another face I didn't recognize.
"......That's me."
"So you're Yasmin's lover. I've heard all about you."
"We aren't lovers yet, but..."
"The details don't matter. Forgive my late introduction. I am Yasmin's Mother."
Now her mother? What was going on today?
"I have business with you. If you intend to stay close to Yasmin, I want you to sign this."
She produced a document almost identical to the one her husband had brought. It listed the same points: cherish her, love her, do not harm her, do not take her life.
Like her husband, she was clearly just a worried parent. Since I had already signed one such contract and fully intended to cherish Yasmin anyway, I didn't hesitate.
"Oh? Signing without a word of complaint? You’re a promising young man."
"It's nothing, really... So, in the impossible event that I break this contract, what happens?"
"You'll die."
"............Eh?"
"The moment you break it, you're off to the next world. If you don't want that, you’d better cherish my daughter."
The woman stood up.
"If even a fraction of a violation occurs, I will torture your soul until it is obliterated. Keep that in mind."
With that, Yasmin's Mother left the guild.
"............Wow, okay."
She was even scarier than the father. He was definitely a henpecked husband. Yasmin’s family must be a matriarchy. I’d have to be careful.
"Still, what was with those two?"
They both spoke to me as if they were demons. I’d never heard of parents forcing a suitor to sign a magical contract like that.
But it made me think. Perhaps Yasmin was from a truly prestigious family. Maybe she was so high-born that an A-Class adventurer of common birth shouldn't even be allowed to look at her. Like the daughter of a high-ranking noble.
Maybe she’d run away from home in a borrowed maid uniform? She’d had no money when we met. It made sense if she was a sheltered young lady. That would explain the extreme contracts.
The content was so radical it felt like dealing with a devil—those creatures were famous for being sticklers for contracts. But if they were devils, they wouldn't be making me sign a contract to be a lover. It was impossible for the Demon Race to interact with humans like this.
If Yasmin were a devil, she’d have had plenty of chances to kill me, yet she’d never once attacked. Besides, a devil living in a human city and working as a receptionist? Heaven and earth would have to flip upside down first.
What a stupid thought.
"Hey, Holger!"
Just as I was shaking my head, the daughter of the two terrifying visitors appeared. My one and only love, Yasmin.
"Did my Papa and Mama come here by any chance?"
"Yeah, they did..."
They made me sign those crazy contracts. I looked into her eyes, hoping for some sympathy or a "sorry they were weird."
Instead, she gave me a bright smile.
"Then that makes things simple."
Yasmin placed a single sheet of paper on the desk. Fearfully, I looked down at the document.
"I have a favor to ask, Holger—I want you to sign this one too."
And so, that was the story of Holger, also known as Drink Bar-san.
I’ll leave the contents of that final contract to your imagination. Perhaps it will be revealed one day.
By the way, it seems that if he ever breaks those contracts, something truly horrific will happen...!
Next time: Who is the Little Witch’s Tutor?