Chapter 3
Ding!
<Notice> Quest Triggered!
You have encountered Captain Hook, who is fuming with rage.
Please welcome him as an honored guest.
Reward: 500 coins, Dried Snack Set x10
Will you accept the quest?
[Y] [N]
I was already tense, and the clueless system sent a quest notice, even helpfully confirming that the other party was enraged to the point of steaming.
I didn’t want to work. I just wanted to drink. I had no intention of taking any risks…
‘Dried Snack Set!’
Suddenly, my mind perked up. What would be in that set? Nuts? Dried squid? Tteokbokki? Dried pollack? Dried fruit?
The salty and savory dried snack set that pairs perfectly with alcohol and is also convenient—I couldn’t pass that up.
When I selected Y, a blaring fanfare sound played, making me quickly cover my ears.
<Notice> Please say ‘Summon Cocktail Making Kit’ out loud.
“Summon Cocktail Crafting Kit.”
As I muttered the words, my shoulders felt heavier. An ice box full of ice and a bag containing liquor bottles and glasses had appeared.
“Ah, heavy…”
“Who’s there?!”
Though I had only mumbled, Captain Hook didn’t miss my voice.
In an instant, I was surrounded by his crew. I gulped and raised both hands in surrender.
“A human we’ve never seen before. And an adult at that?”
“Wearing strange clothes too…”
“Hmm. Doesn’t seem to be one of those damnable kids’ tricks.”
I felt their scrutinizing gazes. With rising tension, I let out a low sigh and put on my business smile.
“Hello there. I’m a passing bartender. How about a cocktail?”
I took out a liquor bottle from the bag as I made the offer.
“Is that alcohol?”
“How long has it been since we had alcohol? There’s none in Neverland.”
The crew licked their lips, and Captain Hook drew his rapier.
“Don’t fall for it! It must be those brats’ doing!”
Looking at Captain Hook, a ‘Rage 100%’ gauge bar appeared above his head.
I wonder why they needed to explicitly display that.
It must mean that beyond simply serving cocktails, if I can defuse that rage, there will be a special bonus.
‘It’s not my first time dealing with customers.’
They may think it’s just a mere glass of alcohol, but historically, how many have fallen to that ‘single glass’?
“If you’re worried, how about one representative tries it first? If there’s an issue, I’ll obediently become fish food.”
“But where did this guy even come from…”
“I’ll take volunteers to try it first!”
“Me!”
“I’ll gladly do it for the ship!”
The crew started clamoring, bidding for the chance. Fortunately, the topic changed before suspicions arose.
“Silence. Helmsman, you give it a try.”
Captain Hook waved dismissively. The helmsman’s eyes gleamed as he approached me.
‘What kind of cocktail should I make?’
I rolled my eyes and looked around. My eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, found more things than before.
For example, various empty canned foods.
‘It must have been quite a dry meal.’
In times like this, a refreshing and moist finish is needed.
I filled a highball glass with ice and squeezed a fresh orange on the spot.
‘Mix vodka and orange juice in a 1:2 ratio.’
I stirred it lightly with a bar spoon and garnished the glass with an orange slice.
“I present to you a ‘Screwdriver.'”
“Ooh!”
The helmsman exclaimed in admiration at the shimmering orange-colored cocktail. He smelled it first and then took a big sip of the screwdriver.
“The taste is as refreshingly sweet and sour as its vibrant color. It’s been so long since I had such a tart drink.”
The helmsman was overwhelmed with emotion and shed a few tears.
Of course. It’s not easy to taste such fresh fruit on a ship.
“As you said, helmsman, it’s a refreshing cocktail. Do you know why this cocktail has the rough name ‘Screwdriver’?”
“Hmm? Isn’t that the name of a tool?”
“Yes, that’s right. There’s a theory that it originated from miners mixing vodka and orange juice with a screwdriver in mines.”
“Oh.”
“So they drank cocktails even in barren environments like mines. It’s definitely possible on a ship too. Let me tell you a simple recipe.”
As I chattered on with the explanation, the sailors gathered around and listened intently.
“Helmsman, so is that drink okay?”
“Yes, Captain! The intense vodka that stings the throat and the fresh taste of orange evokes a feeling of returning to the scorching sun of my hometown. I could drink several glasses of a drink like this……”
“Who told you to evaluate its taste!”
The helmsman flinched and bowed his head when Captain Hook shouted.
At a glance, he still seemed angry, but I didn’t miss the curiosity flickering in Captain Hook’s eyes.
I shamelessly grinned and raised the glass.
“Would you like a glass too, Captain?”
“Ugh, just give it here.”
“What kind of taste do you prefer, Captain? Sweet or tart……”
“What kind of weird question is that? Why do I need to tell you my taste preferences?”
“People have different tastes. When a delicious cocktail matches the right taste, it becomes the perfect drink.”
No matter how delicious a cocktail is, if it doesn’t match the drinker’s taste, it’s a bust.
Would someone who loves the tart ‘Fuzzy Navel’ with peaches and oranges enjoy the potent ‘Earthquake’ cocktail with an alcohol content approaching 42%?
They would certainly take a sip and be startled by the bitter taste.
That doesn’t mean the Earthquake is a deficient cocktail. It’s just a matter of mismatched tastes.
As long as everyone has their own taste, the greatest cocktail will vary.
“My taste……”
Captain Hook moved his lips as if he wanted to say something but found it hard to spit it out, then snapped his head away and continued.
“It doesn’t matter what it is!”
This is probably because he’s uncomfortable talking about his taste.
What’s needed in times like this is a bartender’s intuition.
‘He’s not the pour and drink type. If he was, they would definitely have stocked alcohol on the ship, but everyone said it’s been a long time since they had a drink.’
If that’s the case…
“I’ll make a special cocktail for you, Captain.”
I put ice, tequila, lemon juice, and grenadine syrup into a blender and blended them.
Whirrrrr—
The sailors looked at the blender with surprise and curiosity in their eyes.
This time, instead of a rough glass, I took out one with elegant curves.
Glug.
The reddish hue that seemed to hold the sunset was truly stunning.
“This glass is a ‘Tequila Sunset.’ It captures the setting sun.”
“Hmm, let me see.”
The captain’s eyes flashed as he snatched the glass. Then he downed it in one shot.
With its low alcohol content and slushy texture from the crushed ice cooling the warmth, it was the perfect
‘Beginner’s drink!’
The anger gauge displayed above Captain Hook’s head rapidly decreased.
Ding!
<Notice> Quest Complete!
You served Captain Hook a cocktail he was satisfied with.
Reward: 500 coins, Dry Snack Set x10
<Notice> The reputation of the cocktail bar ‘I don’t know. Stuff like that’ has increased by 300. (Total 300)
It is currently at the level of a ‘Hidden Cocktail Bar Only I Know.’
“Suddenly, I feel so uplifted. Like I’m soaring through the sky. Was this the feeling of freedom he felt……”
Captain Hook muttered wistfully.
My gaze was fixed on his 65% anger gauge.
Anyway, the quest was over. I had secured my goal of getting the dry snacks, so I could leave at an appropriate time.
That’s enough. If I shower, have a cocktail, and sleep, it’ll be a perfect day.
‘So don’t make a fuss. Let’s just go back and rest.’
But…
“……Do you have something troubling you?”
I asked as I offered the next glass.
A bartender’s instinct wouldn’t let me ignore a customer’s sigh so easily.
As Captain Hook drank the second ‘Tequila Sunset’, he began to speak.
“There’s a brat who caused me trouble. The despicable one who took my left arm. I have to crush him somehow, but it’s not easy.”
Perhaps due to the alcohol, Captain Hook’s words sped up. The sailors nodded in agreement with his words.
I tactfully made ‘Screwdrivers’ for the other sailors to liven up the mood, so Captain Hook could open up more easily.
“I’ve lived my whole life without knowing this taste…..”
“Argh! It’s so refreshing?”
“I’ve never tasted anything like this before.”
In an instant, the glasses were emptied. The sailors clamored for “One more!”
In this excited atmosphere, Captain Hook alone had a gloomy expression as he gazed up at the stars.
“Truly an archenemy, it seems.”
“Yes. Surprisingly, I’ve never beaten him even once. Next time, I will definitely…”
Seeing Captain Hook fired up again, I somehow felt at a loss for words.
You can’t reveal the fact that he is the villain here, fated to be defeated.
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⋆｡‧˚ʚ Translator Note ɞ˚‧｡⋆
The ‘Fuzzy Navel‘ is a cocktail made with peach schnapps and orange juice. It’s described as “tart,” meaning it has a tangy, sweet, and fruity flavor profile.
This cocktail appeals to people who enjoy fruity and somewhat tangy drinks.
The ‘Earthquake‘ is a much stronger cocktail, known for its high alcohol content, which can be around 42%. This means it’s very potent and has a strong, potentially harsh taste due to the high level of alcohol.
This type of drink appeals to people who prefer very strong, alcoholic beverages.
Someone who enjoys a light, fruity cocktail may not appreciate the intensity and strong alcohol taste of a much stronger drink like the ‘Earthquake.’ This highlights the idea that the “best” cocktail can differ for everyone, depending on their taste.
A ‘Tequila Sunset‘ is a variation of the more commonly known Tequila Sunrise cocktail. Both drinks are made with tequila, but the key difference lies in the secondary ingredients and their presentation, which mimic the colors of a sunset or sunrise.
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Thank you for reading! ♡
<3