Eckleya ordered wine with fake grandiose:
“That one.”
“Understood.”
Hearing that, only one specific drink floated to mind, one which involved the synthesis of ten different strong spirits to produce a ten coloured drink: the Nazarick.
The exterior appearance was extremely beautiful, and the taste was deeply satisfying, with regular customers often commenting that it deserved the name of Nazarick. However it was not something he would recommend to others.
In order to make it even more delicious, he had gone through much trial and error, and it was still incomplete.
With skillful movements he produced the ten-coloured drink, and placed it in front of Eckleya.
“The lady over there, please try this.”
After this, a ‘plick...plock...bang’ noise could be heard.
Eckleya wanted to slide the cup over to her on the counter. However that move was something only found in mangas or performed by people with great skill, and definitely not something a penguin could pull off.
Piki picked up the dropped glass, confirmed that it was not damaged and let out a sigh of relief. He then took out a cloth and wiped the spilled drink off the counter. With displeased eyes, he spoke slowly:
“Could you please refrain from waving your flipper around? If you insist on doing that, I will put you in a basin and push you out.”
“...I’m really sorry.”
Becoming aware of Eckleya for the first time, Shalltear raised her head and greeted.
“Ah, if it isn’t Eckleya. It’s been a while.”
“A while… But we see each other every time I come to the ninth floor.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes it is, but… I hardly ever see you in this bar. I thought that only Guardians like Demiurge come here. Last time, him and Cocytus came together to appreciate their drinks quietly.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Hearing her colleague’s words, Shalltear’s eyes widened.
“What’s the problem? Why are you acting like this?”
“It’s no big deal… No... I’ve committed a grave mistake, that is why I’m finding comfort in alcohol, just like a failure would.”
Eckleya made a subtle facial gesture towards Piki, silently enquiring “What is it with this girl?”, but Piki didn’t reply to this, and merely shook his head.
Since he wanted to give them a more enjoyable drinking experience, he asked:
“To lighten up the mood, how about some apple juice?”
The two of them were surprised by this suggestion.
“Made from apples picked from the sixth floor.”
Their curiosity were aroused and both of them nodded at the same time. Their straightforward reaction gave Piki a strong sense of satisfaction.
What was then placed on the table were two portions of unremarkable apple juice. His eyes drifted over to the male servant, but as usual, his offer was declined.
Of course, Eckleya had a penguin’s beak, so he had not forgotten to include a straw.
“A refreshing taste.”
“Although it isn’t bad, it lacks impact… Perhaps it is not sweet enough?”
That was the impression the two people had after finishing it in one go.
“Well, it cannot be helped. I tasted a sample when I brought it over, and compared to those stored in Nazarick, its flavour is insufficient.”
“There are apple trees on the sixth floor? I don’t recall there being any.”
Wherever Shalltear had heard of this impression before, she gave the correct answer before Piki replied:
“Could it be that it is the one which Ainz-sama brought back? I heard from Albedo that he was experimenting to see if outside fruits could be cultivated in Nazarick, to serve as replenishable consumables.”
Piki had also heard of this.
Apart from this, he had also accepted various foods from the outside because it was his task to confirm if it were possible to produce ability boosting cuisine.
“That’s right, I heard that too. If the plan goes smoothly, next would be cultivating fruit orchards, but it looks like the sweetness is still lacking by far.”
“No, it’s not like it is undrinkable. I would prefer this if I am looking for a refreshing sweetness.”
“...Then who is doing the cultivation at the moment? Aura and Mare are out, could it be that this responsibility... has been given to the monsters?”
“No, no. It’s delegated to the forest sprite that Ainz-sama brought back from the outside.”
Wondering who it was, Eckleya made a puzzled expression, whereas Shalltear let out an expression of realization.
“What is happening? Have there been new people joining Nazarick?”
Shalltear answered Eckleya’s question. Although Piki had seen the forest sprite, he did not know how the situation came to be and so he perked his ears to listen.
It seemed that the forest sprite was brought back after the battle to confirm the guardians’ teamwork. As a result of some agreement, it came to Nazarick and became an apple farmer.
<TL: Events from Drama CD 1>
“Nazarick is also evolving, becoming more powerful.”
Both Piki and Shalltear agreed with Eckleya’s words.
As deputy chef, Piki had no idea of the future plans for the Great Tomb of Nazarick. But now he understood that Ainz Ooal Gown, the final remaining Supreme Being, had put his full effort in gaining power in this world and becoming more powerful.
“I see. Then in the future there may be more entities like that forest sprite joining the ranks of Nazarick.”
Shalltear puffed up her cheeks and vented her dissatisfaction at Eckleya.
“I detest this. For this place created by the Supreme Beings… Why should those filthy things be allowed to roam these grounds?”
He also shared the same sentiment. This place was blessed with the presence of the Supreme Beings. For those who were born in this place, the mere thought of outsiders being allowed to enter would cause them to frown, but there was a point more important than his personal thoughts.
“We have to endure this. It is Ainz-sama’s decision after all.”
The highest Supreme Being, Ainz Ooal Gown’s decision was absolute. If he said something white was black, then it must be black.