I explained the situation

Appears as a graceful young girl, but in reality, a true warrior - starting with Uruka-dono taking the lead…
Other samurais, gathering their courage, also took a sip of beer.

Here we go!

…Those seemingly heartfelt words lingered in the air, but in the next moment, their faces, adorned with white beards, broke into smiles.

“Delicious!”

“Even though I used to find the beer of the Empire distasteful…”

“Oh no, even the folks of the empire would not have tasted such exquisite drink!”

“Indeed! Walking through the Land of Death with a heated body… it feels like being cooled from within!”

I wonder if it’s really, truly okay…
In the next moment, everyone collapses, frothing at the mouth. Will they reunite with their deceased comrades from the fallen homeland…?

Whether aware of my anxiety or not, Banho turns towards me with a smile.

“Asuru-dono…!
For us just now, this beer almost seems like the legendary water sung in tales of the gods…
Your kindness, sincerity, a word of gratitude…!”

With that, they bowed while sitting cross-legged.

Is it really that delicious…?
I don’t know much about you all, but can I trust you…?
Everyone, you’re not trying to deceive me, right…?

“Master, I may not know what you’re hesitating about, but it seems impolite to not touch your drink.”

Eve, standing still without a single movement shines her hair in seven colors as she speaks.
That’s true. At least the possibility of immediate poison is out the window.
Now is the time for me to brace myself as well.

“Banho-dono, lift up your face…
This kind of drink is nothing special.
But if you all enjoy it, then I am pleased.”

In this manner, while putting on a facade, I, too, lifted the beer to my lips.
Just a sip, but…

Ahhhh, yes.

Is this really the same kind of beer that I know…?
I see, serving this chilled as Eve decided was the right choice.

It feels like my throat is being carved by a blade…
A tremendous impact hits me.

Since it is beer, naturally, it is bitter.
Bitter, bitter indeed… Yet, this is a sharp, refined bitterness, transforming into an indescribable sense of exhilaration that captivates me.

What follows is… sweetness.
Compared to beers in the past, this one is somewhat modest in that aspect.
Yet, compared to the somewhat tiring shades of bitterness in the other, this sweetness is so elegant and pleasant.

And the overwhelmingly cool sensation that chills you from within…!
The beer just consumed surges through the entire body, replacing the lukewarm blood that flowed before, thoroughly cooling every pore.

Even I find it a taste that evokes emotion.
It will be especially ingrained in these people, who wandered the Land of Death and whose whole bodies were transformed like the iron in the forge…

…Delicious!

…Too delicious!

I’ve never tasted such a delicious beer before in my life!

It was at that moment when I let out these thoughts while putting down the beer glass.
The samurais were once again in a commotion.

“Hey, did he just say he tasted it for the first time in his life…?”

“Didn’t he mention earlier that it wasn’t a big deal…?”

“It feels like there’s a discrepancy between what he’s saying and his actual behavior…”

They discuss such matters in hushed tones.
Looking sideways, Uruka-dono and Banho also had astonished expressions.

Hmmm…
I see, this is it…
It seems like a bad habit arising from my prolonged stay in the Land of Death.

Steeling myself, I decided to ask.

“Um… Did I perhaps accidentally voice my thoughts just now?”

“Um… Well…”

Uruka-dono looked troubled and glanced at the adjacent Banho.
In response, the middle-aged samurai closed his eyes gently and uttered these words.

“…Masterfully told, like a biwa player performing.”

Oh no!? So embarrassing!

After that…

Taking sips of my drink, one after another… I was recounting my circumstances.

“…That’s why these springs, flowers, the drink I’m having now, or even the dishes I’m consuming - they are all relics from the ancient civilization I discovered.”

Though I tried to bluff, but they should not be underestimated…
At this point, it may not matter much anymore.
Changing my tone slightly to a more casual one, I speak as my true self.

“I understand Asuru-sama’s circumstances.”

Come to think of it, I’ve heard that there is a culture called ‘Sado’ in the beastmen country…
Whether it’s the result of that, seeing Uruka-sama sitting on the mat with a drink in hand, she emanates a striking beauty.
With her back held straight as if supported by invisible pillars, one might wonder if they are somehow keeping her posture in check. The girl gazes at the relic of an ancient civilization known as ‘Mamiya.’

“It’s a story that is hard to believe all of a sudden, but when shown relics and things like springs and flowers that shouldn’t exist, it’s impossible not to believe.”

“Indeed…
Being present at this time, in this place… I genuinely feel like it’s fate.”

In response to Uruka-dono, Banho nods deeply.

“Well, feeling the intervention of the heavens in saving a life does indeed make you sense the divine will…”

While I agree, I will slightly adjust the direction.

‘This encounter is the will of the heavens!’

‘Please, lend your strength to the revival of our homeland!’

…and it’s not because I cannot do it.
If I were to act, it would be solely for the people living in my homeland, Lombard.
I feel sorry for them, but ultimately, the fate of people from other countries is of no concern to me.

“With that in mind, I’ve shared my situation…
Now it’s your turn to speak. How about that?”

I posed this question while savoring my beer.
Nevertheless, this is seriously delicious.
If we weren’t having a serious discussion, I would have been gulping it down and digging into the snacks more.

It was at that moment that I thought about such things from the back of my mind.

“G…ugh…!”

One of the samurais began to cry.

Is it poison, after all!?

I pondered nervously if I could somehow manage to throw up the contents of my stomach, but it seemed I was mistaken.
The three senior samurais silently allowed the others to start eating, maintaining proper manners while enjoying the food to a certain extent… .
Among them, a man who had tasted a skewer of chicken with an unfamiliar sauce was shaking with excitement.

“This… it’s both sweet and savory… unmistakably based on soy sauce…!
No way… to think I could taste this flavor again…!”

With the skewer in hand and tears flowing, the Samurai soliloquized.

“Soy sauce, you say?”

“It is our… seasoning used in our destroyed homeland, the Beastman Country.
Now, it is even prohibited to produce by decree of the Empire.”

“That’s the answer Uruka-dono gives to my question.

They won’t even allow the making of a traditional seasoning…
It seems that the Empire’s policies are much harsher than I had imagined.

“Let me ask again.
Please, tell us about the circumstances you are facing…”

They nodded…
Uruka-dono and Banho began to talk about their circumstances.