Day 541-550/Day 547

Day 547 / 77th day
　We started our activities in the morning to put yesterday's promise into action.
　When I went to the residence of the dwarf merchant chairman that I was told about, I found a small rocky mountain. As I looked around, I noticed that it was a high-class residential area with many beautiful and large houses, and the rocky mountain was so different that it stood out from the surroundings. As I walked around the mountain, wondering if I had actually found the right address, I found a gaping hole in the ground. There was a gate and a gatekeeper at the side hole, so I checked it out and found that the rocky mountain was definitely the residence of the Dwarf Trade Chairman. The gatekeeper had heard the story beforehand, so he immediately took over.
　After a short wait, a dwarf came from the back. He seemed to be working as a butler. We were greeted politely and led into the rocky mountain. The inside of the rocky mountain was beyond my imagination. The floor was cleaned and paved with something that looked like marble. The walls were decorated with artistic carvings, and the ceiling was illuminated by glowing crystals. The furnishings look luxurious, and you can sense the taste in their placement. However, the passageways and rooms are a little narrow, perhaps due to the size of the dwarves. It's just right for a black kobold king, but for a human, a tall man might bump his head.
　When the young man bent down and bumped his head a few times, the butler dwarf led him to the parlor where the chairman of the dwarf merchants was already waiting for him. We hugged each other as a greeting since we had gotten to know each other at the drinking party, and drank a cup of the labyrinthine wine I had brought as a souvenir.
　We opened a bottle of the labyrinth wine "Tenma Nativity," which could only be obtained from a few bottles in the Balance Tower. At first, it tasted gorgeous and slightly sweet, but after it passed, a unique spiciness remained. The taste changes greatly as it spreads in the mouth, but it is delicious. It was the first time he had tasted it, and the dwarf chairman was intoxicated and wanted to drink it again. I handed him a precious bottle, as I still had some in stock, and explained the plan again. At that time, I found some points for improvement. The Chairman of the Dwarf Trading Company was able to make some corrections based on the information he had, and he even covered some things I didn't know. As a result, the plan became better and we were able to make a formal contract with the Dwarf Trade Chairman. From now on, the Chairman of the Dwarf Trading Company will be at the helm, and we'll be working behind the scenes. It will be a while before we can really get going, but I think we'll be able to handle one of the most important jobs for now.
　As we discussed other details, the time seemed to be progressing faster than expected, and before we knew it, it was night. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the dwarf chairman of the board of directors agreed to have a drinking party at the Iwayama residence. After all, it's nice to have someone you can drink with as much as you do.
　Incidentally, as a side note, there was no problem for the dwarf chairman in refusing this case. In fact, there are more disadvantages than advantages, but the fact that you have a drinking buddy who can drink as much as you can - of course, that's me - and the privilege of beautiful wine that has a value that money can't buy are the deciding factors. That's right. After all, for those who like to drink, the real thing is probably more effective.
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PLACE TRANSLATIONS ABOVE THE BAR. THESE ARE THE RAWS, LEAVE THEM HERE. CLICK EXPAND TO VIEW THEM.
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“七十七日目　／　五■四■七■目”
　昨日の約束を早速実行に移すべく朝から行動する。
　教えてもらったドワーフ商会長の屋敷に向かうと、そこは小さな岩山があった。
　周りを見回すと小奇麗で大きな屋敷が密集している高級住宅地な事もあり、岩山は異質過ぎて周囲からは非常に浮いている。
　本当に住所があっているのか不安になりながら岩山を少し回ると、ぽっかりと横穴が開いている場所があった。
　横穴には門と門番が居たので確認してみると、岩山はドワーフ商会長の屋敷で間違いないらしい。
　門番はあらかじめ話を聞いていたらしいのですぐに取り次いでもらえた。
　少し待つと、奥から一人のドワーフがやってきた。
　どうやら執事をしているらしい。丁寧に迎えられ、岩山の中に通される。
　岩山内部は想像を越えていた。
　床は綺麗に掃除され、大理石のような何かで舗装されている。壁には芸術的な彫刻が施され、天井には光る結晶が光源となって照らしている。
　調度品も高級そうなものばかりで、その配置にもセンスが感じられるだろう。
　ただ通路や部屋はドワーフサイズなのか少し狭い。黒小鬼王である今は丁度いいが、人間だと背が高いと頭をぶつけそうなほどだ。
　身を屈めた肉袋青年が幾度か頭をぶつけた頃、執事ドワーフに案内されて通された応接間には、既にドワーフ商会長が待っていた。
　飲み会で親しくなったので挨拶としてハグし合い、手土産に持ってきた迷宮酒でまず一杯飲み交わす。
　開けたのは天秤塔でも数本しか取れなかった迷宮酒【天魔降誕】。最初は華やかで微かに甘い味がして、それが過ぎると独特の辛みが残る。
　口の中で広がる味の変化が大きく、しかし美味い。
　初めて味わうそれにドワーフ商会長は酔い、また飲みたいと言っていた。
　まだストックがあるので貴重な一本を渡し、改めて計画の説明を行った。
　その際、何点か改善点が見つかった。ドワーフ商会長がもつ情報による修正で、俺が知らなかった部分までカバーしてくれた。
　結果としてよりよい計画となり、無事にドワーフ商会長と正式に契約する事が出来た。これからはドワーフ商会長がトップに立ち、俺達は裏方に回って色々と働く事になる。
　本格的に動き出すのはまだ後だが、これで一先ず大事な仕事の一つは何とかなりそうだ。
　その他細かい部分も打合せしていると時間も予想より進んでいたらしく、気が付けば夜になる。
　折角だからとドワーフ商会長の言葉に甘え、夜も岩山屋敷で飲み会となった。
　やはり同じくらい飲める相手がいるのはいいもんだ。
　ちなみに余談だが、ドワーフ商会長にとっては今回の一件は拒否しても何ら問題はなかった。
　むしろメリットよりもデメリットの方があるくらいなのだが、同等に飲める飲み仲間――当然だが俺である――が出来た事と、金では買えない価値を持つ美酒という特典が決めてだそうだ。
　やはり酒好きには実物が有効だろう。
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Category:Novel
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 3