Booze, the ambrosia of dwarves. Or, in better words, beer. We got wine here, so why don’t they drink that? We got little, but we can share it if that’s what it takes for these guys to move their asses.
“But why don’t they drink wine? We got some wine.” Said Lucifer, as he just thought the same thing I did.
“Wine… wine… Well, they call it piss.” Said Darfu.
“Piss?! These bastards are really unforgivable!” roared Partner.
“Calm down, don’t go beat them. They’re important….” I said, stopping Partner.
Partner looked at me frustratedly.
“Master, you’re way too nice. Sometimes you have to leave the nasty work to your friends!” she said.
“Yeah, leave the nasty work to us.” Said Emeraldine with an oddly ominous smile. “We’ll get it down in no time… I particularly dislike how Dwarves are so annoyingly prideful and grumpy.”
Damn, is the rivalry between Elves and Dwarves a thing in this world as well? Is Emeraldine secretly racist against Dwarves?! No, she’s just joking or something… I hope.
“No, wait, please, don’t force their hand. If you get on their bad side, we’ll never get them to help us, even if we get beer. Those two are not like me… Th-They’re way older and prideful, they told me that their masters used to torture them when they didn’t want to work, and they just endured the torture! Their entire bodies are covered in scars, and they didn’t care!” said Darfu.
“Those are some hardy little imps.” Said Catarina. “Nothing that some good punching in the face can’t resolve.”
“You didn’t get anything of what he said, didn’t you?” I asked. “We have to be gentle with them, even as strong as I am. Even if I could possess them and force them to work for me, they wouldn’t go along with me, and I don’t know if my possession can work with things related to knowledge and experience… Also, that would be way too cruel, so I won’t do it.”
Everyone looked at me while raising an eyebrow.
“So you could just do that… possess them…” sighed Lucifer. “Just do that then.”
“What? Why? I have to make the line myself, or I am going to just become a completely evil and lunatic woman, I mean….” I muttered. “I gotta have some limit, personal limit! I can be a monster against those that I hate, but I still need to be nice to my people, or what’ll remain of me? I used to be a human after all….”
“Hm, okay, you don’t have to elaborate it so much. We get it, Maria-sama.” Said the Goblin Chief. “We’ll find another way to do it… Like finding Beer.”
“But where can we find some damn beer for those annoying imps?” asked Catarina. “Seriously, trying to please them really pisses me off.”
“Beer… Well, a few dozens of kilometers from here, there is a town. Maybe they got beer there.” Said Lucifer. “Maria, you don’t really have any? You got that item box of yours, and you’re crazy for booze. I really thought you would have some.”
“I drank it all….” I sighed. “I am sorry. I just like to drink alcohol when I am alone.”
Everyone looked at me with surprise.
“Th-That’s not right…” said Takeshi. “Auntie, you need help!”
“Well, she’s a ghost, so she doesn’t really get drunk, Takeshi.” Said Laura. “She’s just in love with the flavor of it.”
“*Sigh*… A-Anyways, we’ll find beer on its due time. Those dwarves are not really our priority.” Said Lucifer. “Darfu, do you think you know anything about architecture?”
“Architecture? I know a bit. I’ve designed and constructed houses and large treasuries before with fellow friends back in the Nation…” said Darfu. “But I am far from being an expert….”
“That’s better than nothing. You’ll be given the task of making a blueprint for the Greenhouse.” I said. “We are in your care!”
“Eh?! Me alone? Y-You really just go buy some beer! You can fly, right?” said Darfu. “Those two are good architects and also forgers….”
“Hmm… Maybe… I would have to go meet them first.” I said. “I feel like getting them beer is some sort of stupid side quest.”
“S-Side quest?” wondered Darfu. “What do you mean?”
“No… nothing, never mind.” I sighed. “I will go meet them. Lucifer, Emeraldine, and Partner, come with me. The rest, talk with Darfu and plan out what to do next.”
“Okay!” said the Goblin Chief.
Darfu gave us some indications, and the house where the three Dwarves lived was a mildly large one we had, of course, constructed ourselves. The wood still looked fresh, and there was even a chimney made of stone inside and outside.
“Seriously, Maria-sama, why do we have to please these stupid dwarves?” asked Partner. “Let’s just smack them.”
“Partner, you already heard Maria. She doesn’t want to smack nor possess her way out of this. Even as inefficient as that sounds, I can find some reason behind it…” said Lucifer. “And think about the perspective of those two. They endured torture and still kept their pride as dwarves… They must be incredibly powerful men.”
“Huh… Dwarves can be very annoying sometimes…” said Emeraldine. “I remember there was a group of annoying dwarves back in town that always bullied us elves. They were always racists and called us knife ears all the time while calling our women desperate for sex when nobody had ever tried any of that….”
“Eh? Th-They’re that bad? I am sure that was just a band of thugs….” I said. “Come on. You can’t just generalize.”
“Hmm… Maybe you’re right. I shouldn’t generalize. All people are different even if they might be of the same race…” said Emeraldine. “But still… Remembering them really makes me angry.”
“Elves and Dwarves have a deep grudge with one another due to the past. The two continents where Dwarves and Elves originate from once were in a large war…” said Lucifer.
“I-Is that so? Oh well… I guess?” I said. “Anyways, we are here….”