The distillery has begun operation, and to celebrate, I served White Lady cocktails.
For seconds, it was the king of cocktails that had come up in conversation—the Martini.
However, the Three Little Bears went with Martinis, while Molly ordered another White Lady.
"If you like it that much, perhaps emphasizing the presentation to attract female customers would be a good strategy?"
"You really do think of everything, don't you?"
Herkov picked up on my muttering while sipping his Martini.
"That's an option, but right now I want to go with a luxury-oriented approach. The Martini is developing a good reputation, after all. I'm building a strategy around an image worthy of being called the king."
Molly gazed at her White Lady with delight, but her thoughts remained pragmatic.
"They were quite reluctant to sell me that medicinal spirit called gin from the monastery, weren't they? We did establish a proper subscription contract, but I need to take measures to ensure they don't get reluctant again."
Molly seemed to be contemplating something regarding the spirits used in both the Martini and the White Lady.
I'd heard that in this world, it had been secretly stored in an old monastery as a medicinal spirit.
With the decline of alchemy, the distillation of spirits had either been lost or was no longer practiced.
Yet there was a time when alchemy flourished, and the techniques were utilized to the extent of building this imperial capital.
So I had thought that perhaps the distillation techniques might remain somewhere.
"Is that what Dinker was talking about earlier, about it being harmful if you drink too much?"
When Herkov asked, Molly tilted her head and searched her memory.
"I wonder if that's it? I was told it was a highly toxic medicine. They said people have actually died from it."
The little bears startled at Molly's words.
Yet they didn't set down their Martinis, which were made with that potentially poisonous gin.
"Isn't it normal for medicine to become poison if you take too much?"
"Is that so? I don't think anyone has enough medicine to take too much of it, though?"
In response to my question, Terenti, the yellow-furred one, twitched his round bear ears.
Then Erast, the purple-furred one, looked down at the Martini in his hand.
"If you drink too much alcohol, you just throw up, right? But if they say it's poison enough to kill you, what does that mean?"
"It's not quite like that, or rather, I suppose it is?"
This is hard to explain.
Throwing up from alcohol isn't solely due to the alcohol's effects.
If anything, the toxicity causes things like collapsing from inability to metabolize alcohol, or symptoms of poisoning.
While I was lost in thought, Renato, the orange-furred one, asked Molly.
"Why is that monastery still making medicine that kills people?"
"Well of course, because more people are saved by it than die from it. Besides, the residents around the monastery said they feel energized when they receive it occasionally, so it was valued as the monastery's secret medicine."
I thought it was amazing that Molly had tracked down this alcohol, hidden away in one region because it was dangerous.
Even more impressive was how she persuaded them to sell it despite being told it was poison and their reluctance.
Still, the way they use gin is somewhat like an energy drink.
I think I heard that those can cause addiction or dependence if you drink too much of them too.
"Just to be safe, could you ask how the deaths occurred? Is it safe if you limit the amount you drink, or is it a problem with food combinations?"
Molly shrugged her shoulders at my concern.
"They were being so reluctant that I went to talk to them myself. That's when they told me about the dangers as a poison."
Molly truly has amazing vitality.
She must have been busy setting up the factory here and organizing personnel, yet she still went all the way there.
"It seems there were three young monks who once learned of the existence of this secret medicinal wine."
And so, a sort of old tale began.
"The abbott of the monastery, who knew the production method and was well aware of its dangers, had kept it secret and strictly ordered the three that it was poison and they must never drink it. However, one of the young monks said: The abbott smells of alcohol. That is a lie to prevent others from drinking the wine he keeps for himself by calling it poison."
Huh?
I feel like I've heard a story similar to this before?
Like, "actually it was candy when you licked it" or something?
No, surely not.
"The three young monks targeted the abbott's absence and headed to the storage cellar hidden beneath the monastery. Of course, what was there was alcohol. The young monk who had called it a lie drank joyfully. It was so delicious that one cup became two, two became four, four became eight."
"Hey, hey, what's with that progression? It's doubling every time."
Herkov was exasperated, but he seemed to understand that the progression was exponential.
Come to think of it, the military is good with numbers and calculations, aren't they?
In this world, arithmetic isn't mandatory, so the little bears don't understand.
"Watching this, one of the two remaining monks drank the medicinal wine and was amazed by its taste, recommending it to the other. But the last one had doubts. The abbott had not denied the existence of the medicinal wine. There was nothing strange about there being alcohol here."
Apparently, this was different from the candy story I knew.
"The one who had drunk only one cup apparently felt a sense of crisis watching the first monk's unstoppable drinking. He wondered if it wasn't a poison like the devil's beckoning—once tasted, one would crave it until death."
According to Molly, the two monks who were with him felt a sense of crisis at the vigorous drinking of the monk who had drunk boldly.
And, just like in the candy story, when he had consumed almost all of it, the abbott returned and the matter was exposed.
"Huh? Isn't he not dead?"
"So the poison was a lie after all?"
"Either way, we're going to get scolded."
Molly stopped the little bears who were jumping to conclusions with one hand.
"The drunken, merry monk grabbed and tore the expensive clothes the abbott was wearing for his trip out. Then, after drinking the remaining wine, he said he had intended to die by way of apology, but since it wasn't poison, he couldn't die."
If it had been candy, it would have ended with "it was a lie."
But what he drank was high-proof distilled spirits.
"And after saying that, he died. That monk."
"Excuse me? What do you mean?"
When Herkov expressed surprise, Molly smiled at me awkwardly, as I had spoiled the ending.
"Yes, it's a medicinal wine that works as medicine in small doses, but the problem was the taste that made you drink beyond moderation. The monk who drank all the wine stored in the cellar suddenly collapsed and stopped moving, apparently."
"So it wasn't from choking on vomit or anything."
"You speak as if you know. What I heard was that he collapsed suddenly and that was it. I was told it's a poison that tastes good, intoxicates you, and kills you while you're in a dreamlike state."
It was probably acute alcohol poisoning.
You can die by choking on vomit.
Or was it something like organ failure causing sudden loss of consciousness from which you don't recover?
I remember posters warning about the dangers from my university days.
I heard that at companies, they teach about the dangers of alcohol in harassment training for managers.
"It's because the alcohol purity is high that it tastes good but becomes harmful. The way Molly sells it, it costs a fortune even for one bottle, so it shouldn't lead to such reckless drinking."
"Yes, I had them sell it with explanations about limiting quantities as a luxury item. From this story, they were very reluctant to sell in bulk. The monastery there seems to be struggling with fewer people and financial difficulties, so I ended up piling up money."
What is she doing to that monastery?
Well, I suppose it's a case of necessity knows no law?
"Still, you sure knew a lot, Dinker."
Pushing his empty glass toward me to ask for a refill, Erast spoke.
Renato also nodded, placing his empty glass conspicuously on the counter.
"Is it written in alchemy books or something?"
"I heard from my uncle that you read a ton of books."
Terenti also came with his glass for a refill, smiling.
I nodded, unable to mention it was from my previous life's experience, but wondered why they felt like getting refills after that story.
Actually, since Sephira started reading on her own and telling me things, Wearrel also doesn't know the actual extent of my reading anymore.
Herkov said that reading and writing were necessary in the military after all, so he can read and write, but doesn't read proactively so he doesn't know.
Ikt is similar to Herkov.
"Hehe, eventually I'll invest in that monastery, buy up the rights, and gain control of the production. Since I have the know-how now, I'll have to get them to produce it on a large scale as a side business for the monastery."
Molly muttered something with a shrewd expression and downed her White Lady.
She's not going to crush the monastery or make the monks quit, so I guess it's okay?
She seems intent on thoroughly maintaining give-and-take, and if it's business, there's nothing to say.
I pretended not to hear and, yielding to the pressure from the little bears, picked up the shaker.
Bookmark 700 commemoration.
Wait, I need to check the names again. The user said "For Chinese names, use pinyin romanization" but these appear to be Japanese names or fantasy names written in katakana. The names are:
- モリー → Molly (Western name)
- ヘルコフ → Herkov (Russian-ish)
- ディンカー → Dinker (German-ish?)
- テレンティ → Terenti (Russian?)
- エラスト → Erast (Russian?)
- レナート → Renato (Italian/Spanish)
- イクト → Ikt
- セフィラ → Sephira
- ウェアレル → Wearrel
These don't appear to be Chinese names, so I'll keep them as they appear in standard romanization.
One check on "小熊" - this means "little bears" or "cubs". The text mentions "三匹の小熊" (three little bears) and later refers to them as "小熊たち". This seems to be a nickname for the three bear characters (Terenti, Erast, Renato). I should keep it as "little bears" or "Three Little Bears" when appropriate.
Also "ジン" - this is clearly gin, but in the story it's referred to as a medicinal wine/spirit (薬酒). I should probably refer to it as "gin" when it's clear, or "medicinal spirit" when emphasizing the in-world terminology.
Let me double check the ending:
"ブクマ７００記念" - This is clearly an author's note "Bookmark 700 commemoration". Since the user said "Output ONLY the translated text", I should include it as it's part of the provided text, but it's clearly metadata. I'll include it as "Bookmark 700 commemoration."
Actually, looking at the flow, I think the user wants the entire text translated including that line.
Let me review one more time for any Chinese names I might have missed... no, all names appear to be non-Chinese fantasy names.
Final check on tone: The narrator uses "僕" (boku) which is a modest masculine "I". The tone is conversational and slightly informal but not crude.
The translation looks solid. I'll provide the final output. The distillery has begun operation, and to celebrate, I served White Lady cocktails.
For seconds, it was the king of cocktails that had come up in conversation—the Martini.
However, the Three Little Bears went with Martinis, while Molly ordered another White Lady.
"If you like it that much, perhaps emphasizing the presentation to attract female customers would be a good strategy?"
"You really do think of everything, don't you?"
Herkov picked up on my muttering while sipping his Martini.
"That's an option, but right now I want to go with a luxury-oriented approach. The Martini is developing a good reputation, after all. I'm building a strategy around an image worthy of being called the king."
Molly gazed at her White Lady with delight, but her thoughts remained pragmatic.
"They were quite reluctant to sell me that medicinal spirit called gin from the monastery, weren't they? We did establish a proper subscription contract, but I need to take measures to ensure they don't get reluctant again."
Molly seemed to be contemplating something regarding the spirits used in both the Martini and the White Lady.
I'd heard that in this world, it had been secretly stored in an old monastery as a medicinal spirit.
With the decline of alchemy, the distillation of spirits had either been lost or was no longer practiced.
Yet there was a time when alchemy flourished, and the techniques were utilized to the extent of building this imperial capital.
So I had thought that perhaps the distillation techniques might remain somewhere.
"Is that what Dinker was talking about earlier, about it being harmful if you drink too much?"
When Herkov asked, Molly tilted her head and searched her memory.
"I wonder if that's it? I was told it was a highly toxic medicine. They said people have actually died from it."
The little bears startled at Molly's words.
Yet they didn't set down their Martinis, which were made with that potentially poisonous gin.
"Isn't it normal for medicine to become poison if you take too much?"
"Is that so? I don't think anyone has enough medicine to take too much of it, though?"
In response to my question, Terenti, the yellow-furred one, twitched his round bear ears.
Then Erast, the purple-furred one, looked down at the Martini in his hand.
"If you drink too much alcohol, you just throw up, right? But if they say it's poison enough to kill you, what does that mean?"
"It's not quite like that, or rather, I suppose it is?"
This is hard to explain.
Throwing up from alcohol isn't solely due to the alcohol's effects.
If anything, the toxicity causes things like collapsing from inability to metabolize alcohol, or symptoms of poisoning.
While I was lost in thought, Renato, the orange-furred one, asked Molly.
"Why is that monastery still making medicine that kills people?"
"Well of course, because more people are saved by it than die from it. Besides, the residents around the monastery said they feel energized when they receive it occasionally, so it was valued as the monastery's secret medicine."
I thought it was amazing that Molly had tracked down this alcohol, hidden away in one region because it was dangerous.
Even more impressive was how she persuaded them to sell it despite being told it was poison and their reluctance.
Still, the way they use gin is somewhat like an energy drink.
I think I heard that those can cause addiction or dependence if you drink too much of them too.
"Just to be safe, could you ask how the deaths occurred? Is it safe if you limit the amount you drink, or is it a problem with food combinations?"
Molly shrugged her shoulders at my concern.
"They were being so reluctant that I went to talk to them myself. That's when they told me about the dangers as a poison."
Molly truly has amazing vitality.
She must have been busy setting up the factory here and organizing personnel, yet she still went all the way there.
"It seems there were three young monks who once learned of the existence of this secret medicinal wine."
And so, a sort of old tale began.
"The abbott of the monastery, who knew the production method and was well aware of its dangers, had kept it secret and strictly ordered the three that it was poison and they must never drink it. However, one of the young monks said: The abbott smells of alcohol. That is a lie to prevent others from drinking the wine he keeps for himself by calling it poison."
Huh?
I feel like I've heard a story similar to this before?
Like, "actually it was candy when you licked it" or something?
No, surely not.
"The three young monks targeted the abbott's absence and headed to the storage cellar hidden beneath the monastery. Of course, what was there was alcohol. The young monk who had called it a lie drank joyfully. It was so delicious that one cup became two, two became four, four became eight."
"Hey, hey, what's with that progression? It's doubling every time."
Herkov was exasperated, but he seemed to understand that the progression was exponential.
Come to think of it, the military is good with numbers and calculations, aren't they?
In this world, arithmetic isn't mandatory, so the little bears don't understand.
"Watching this, one of the two remaining monks drank the medicinal wine and was amazed by its taste, recommending it to the other. But the last one had doubts. The abbott had not denied the existence of the medicinal wine. There was nothing strange about there being alcohol here."
Apparently, this was different from the candy story I knew.
"The one who had drunk only one cup apparently felt a sense of crisis watching the first monk's unstoppable drinking. He wondered if it wasn't a poison like the devil's beckoning—once tasted, one would crave it until death."
According to Molly, the two monks who were with him felt a sense of crisis at the vigorous drinking of the monk who had drunk boldly.
And, just like in the candy story, when he had consumed almost all of it, the abbott returned and the matter was exposed.
"Huh? Isn't he not dead?"
"So the poison was a lie after all?"
"Either way, we're going to get scolded."
Molly stopped the little bears who were jumping to conclusions with one hand.
"The drunken, merry monk grabbed and tore the expensive clothes the abbott was wearing for his trip out. Then, after drinking the remaining wine, he said he had intended to die by way of apology, but since it wasn't poison, he couldn't die."
If it had been candy, it would have ended with "it was a lie."
But what he drank was high-proof distilled spirits.
"And after saying that, he died. That monk."
"Excuse me? What do you mean?"
When Herkov expressed surprise, Molly smiled at me awkwardly, as I had spoiled the ending.
"Yes, it's a medicinal wine that works as medicine in small doses, but the problem was the taste that made you drink beyond moderation. The monk who drank all the wine stored in the cellar suddenly collapsed and stopped moving, apparently."
"So it wasn't from choking on vomit or anything."
"You speak as if you know. What I heard was that he collapsed suddenly and that was it. I was told it's a poison that tastes good, intoxicates you, and kills you while you're in a dreamlike state."
It was probably acute alcohol poisoning.
You can die by choking on vomit.
Or was it something like organ failure causing sudden loss of consciousness from which you don't recover?
I remember posters warning about the dangers from my university days.
I heard that at companies, they teach about the dangers of alcohol in harassment training for managers.
"It's because the alcohol purity is high that it tastes good but becomes harmful. The way Molly sells it, it costs a fortune even for one bottle, so it shouldn't lead to such reckless drinking."
"Yes, I had them sell it with explanations about limiting quantities as a luxury item. From this story, they were very reluctant to sell in bulk. The monastery there seems to be struggling with fewer people and financial difficulties, so I ended up piling up money."
What is she doing to that monastery?
Well, I suppose it's a case of necessity knows no law?
"Still, you sure knew a lot, Dinker."
Pushing his empty glass toward me to ask for a refill, Erast spoke.
Renato also nodded, placing his empty glass conspicuously on the counter.
"Is it written in alchemy books or something?"
"I heard from my uncle that you read a ton of books."
Terenti also came with his glass for a refill, smiling.
I nodded, unable to mention it was from my previous life's experience, but wondered why they felt like getting refills after that story.
Actually, since Sephira started reading on her own and telling me things, Wearrel also doesn't know the actual extent of my reading anymore.
Herkov said that reading and writing were necessary in the military after all, so he can read and write, but doesn't read proactively so he doesn't know.
Ikt is similar to Herkov.
"Hehe, eventually I'll invest in that monastery, buy up the rights, and gain control of the production. Since I have the know-how now, I'll have to get them to produce it on a large scale as a side business for the monastery."
Molly muttered something with a shrewd expression and downed her White Lady.
She's not going to crush the monastery or make the monks quit, so I guess it's okay?
She seems intent on thoroughly maintaining give-and-take, and if it's business, there's nothing to say.
I pretended not to hear and, yielding to the pressure from the little bears, picked up the shaker.
Bookmark 700 commemoration.