Anima and I decided to head down to the bar in the basement of the mansion so she could give me some advice, as it seemed better than talking while standing in the hallway. On the way there, Anima turned to me with a puzzled expression.
"...Master. I’ve been meaning to ask you for some time... why is there a bar in the basement of this mansion?"
"...Eh?"
"If it’s just a matter of drinking alcohol, I don’t believe it necessarily needs to be a bar, though..."
I’d figured someone would call me out on it eventually, and the moment had finally arrived. Why was there a bar in the basement? Honestly, there was no answer for it other than it being one of Alice’s whims.
"Ah, no! Of course, I understand that you must have a deep reason for it, Master, but I simply lacked the foresight to fathom your intent..."
I see. It seemed Anima assumed I had some grand design when I built this bar. As the Attendant Captain, she felt she needed to understand my motivations, so she’d swallowed her pride to ask the question.
...Except, I didn’t know the reason either!
"...Um, no, Alice just built the bar on her own, so it’s not like I had any specific plan for it."
"I see, so that’s how it was... If Alice-dono was the one who made it, then even if the purpose isn't immediately apparent, it must be something that will eventually be required!"
"..."
I’d thought this from time to time, but it really felt like Anima held Alice in incredibly high regard. I wondered why. I used to think Alice was a genius pretending to be an idiot, but as it turned out, she really was just an idiot who happened to be a genius...
"...You really think highly of Alice, don't you, Anima?"
"Of course! Alice-dono is my ultimate goal!"
"...R-Really?"
"Yes! Her military might is practically overwhelming, her intellect is so sharp it’s as if she can see the future, she has the charisma to lead a vast army, and her loyalty in supporting you, Master—both in public and from the shadows—is boundless! Alice-dono is truly the ideal attendant. It is a staggering peak to scale, but I hope to reach it someday."
That was some extreme praise... Come to think of it, had Anima never actually seen Alice’s usual antics?
She’d witnessed the fight with Sigma and the decisive battle in the God Realm, and looking back, I remembered Anima had once mentioned feeling an inferiority complex toward Alice. Maybe those experiences combined into this lofty evaluation.
While I was contemplating that, Alice—who was currently invisible—whispered into my ear in a voice so low only I could hear.
"...Even for Alice-chan, this is a bit unexpected... If she talks about me like I’m some kind of idol, it’s going to be hard to mess around in front of her from now on."
"Don’t you dare destroy her dreams..."
"...I’ll do my best."
When I glanced at Anima after that quiet exchange, I saw her fists tightly clenched. Her posture, radiating a sense of "I'm going to do my best," made her seem much more childlike than she looked. It was actually quite cute.
"...Anima, you don’t need to emulate her personality, okay? Or rather, please, just don't."
"Eh? Oh, yes?"
"Well, shall we go?"
"As you wish?"
Anima followed me while tilting her head in confusion, but I felt the need to be firm on this. It was fine for her to become as capable as Alice, but if her personality ended up the same, my stomach pains would start hitting Mach speed just like Lilia-san's.
When we entered the bar, Iris-san, the manager, turned toward us from behind the counter. To be precise, Iris-san was also a resident of my home.
"Hmm? Miyama Kaito and... if I recall, the Attendant Captain, Anima? Welcome. Have a seat at the counter."
"Sorry to bother you, Iris-san."
"Iris-dono, pardon my intrusion."
I greeted Iris-san, who welcomed us with a faint smile, and took a seat beside Anima.
"Um, I haven’t really had many cocktails before, so I’d like something easy to drink."
"If possible, I would prefer something sweet..."
"Understood... Then, starting with Miyama Kaito... are you alright with a hint of bitterness?"
"Yes, that’s fine."
I wasn't particularly picky when it came to alcohol, so I left it to her. Since Anima wasn't good with dry drinks, she asked for something sweet. I remembered hearing that Caraway-san was the exact opposite—she preferred dry alcohol and disliked the sweet stuff.
Iris-san prepared her tools and then mixed the drinks in that shaker-thingy, eventually pouring a liquid into a glass she placed before me. It was a beautiful, clear drink, as transparent as pure water.
"...This is a cocktail named after a word from your home region, which I heard from Alice... It is called a 'Kamikaze.' A blend of vodka, white curaçao, and lime juice. It has a sharp, dry finish, but it’s quite easy to drink."
"Heh, thank you."
"Right. Next is Anima..."
Murmuring that, Iris-san quickly prepared the ingredients and gave them a shake. The cocktail she poured into Anima’s glass was a pale red so beautiful it felt like one could be drawn into it.
"...This is a 'Scarlett O'Hara.' The alcohol content is somewhat high, but the sweet and sour citrus notes make it go down easily."
"I appreciate it."
"Yes. I shall prepare some appetizers as well."
Hmm, I hadn't visited much before, but this bar was actually a pretty nice spot. The dim, quiet atmosphere was relaxing, and judging by her movements, Iris-san’s skills were the real deal. It might be a good idea to come back here when I wanted a quiet drink.
"Well then, Anima... shall we have a toast?"
"Ah, yes!"
In an atmosphere so pleasant I almost forgot I’d come here for advice, Anima and I lightly clinked our glasses together.
Serious-senpai: "By the way, liqueur-based cocktails are often recommended for beginners because many are easy to drink. On the flip side, vodka-based drinks like the one Kaito is having tend to have a high alcohol content, so they aren't great for people who can't handle their liquor. For some trivia, the most expensive cocktail in the world, which holds a Guinness World Record, is called the 'Winston.' It costs a whopping 1.8 million yen per glass and takes 16 hours to prepare. Japan also has a 1.8 million yen cocktail called 'Diamonds Are Forever,' but as the name suggests, it comes with a real diamond, so that’s where most of the price comes from. A more accessible luxury is the 'Balmoral,' which costs about 9,300 yen. It’s still expensive, but maybe worth it for a special anniversary. Though, it’s served in a shop in New York, so getting there might be the real expense."