Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 82: Does Alice understand the ways of the world?

"I'm Shelia, the bartender and waitress at the 'Fairy Sleep' Inn. Thank you for your guidance."

The cool bartender gently shook the wine utensils in her hands, making a rustling sound. The mixture of various fine wines hit the glass wall of the cocktail shaker, like the sea tide hitting the rocks on the shore. There was a pleasant frequency hidden in the low sound, which was very pleasant to hear.

At the same time, her free hand was not idle, but opened the door of the shelf next to it, which contained various exquisitely crafted wine glasses, including beer glasses suitable for drinking in one gulp and high-heeled glasses suitable for careful tasting. A qualified bartender will decide which glass to use based on the guest's appearance, temperament and personality.

"Snapped!"

The bartender casually snapped her fingers, and several tall crystal glasses flew off the shelf as if being pulled by some invisible force, landing lightly on the counter without splashing any dust. Then, she opened the drawer next to her, took out a few small square ice cubes, and threw them into the glasses. The solidified ice cubes collided with the clear and transparent cup body, making a ding-dong sound that stimulated people's eardrums.

When the ice cubes were still rolling and colliding in the cup, the bartender suddenly stopped flipping the wine glasses and flipped the lid with her thumb. With a crisp "pop" sound, she poured the prepared wine into the cups one by one. The cold white wine flowed down and mixed with the crystal clear ice cubes and the clear and transparent cup body, indistinguishable from each other, just like the snow on the mountains melting into the frozen ocean, exuding a hint of coldness.

The whole set of movements is smooth and full of a unique beauty that dazzles the eyes but makes people reluctant to look away.

"Please have a taste." Xie Liya pushed the wine glasses in front of the three people, with a bit of confidence in her eyes: "Consider it my gift to you all."

"Great!"

"Is it really that delicious?" Alice said in disbelief: "It's just a glass of water..."

angry!
Alice's fist hardened.

She couldn't help but take another sip, her eyes curved into crescents, and she fell into intoxication.

"..."

"Woo!" When Miss Xie Mi heard these words, she finally couldn't help but let out a cry of pain. She buried her face deeply in her palms, too embarrassed to face anyone.

Eh?
Everyone was stunned, including Lingge. Only the maid Xie Mi laughed awkwardly and lowered her head quietly, as if she couldn't bear to look directly at it.

She thought deeply for a long time, and finally said word by word: "I decided to name it: Holy Nectar."

It turned out to be a water regulator.

"It's not wine?" Alice was obviously disappointed, but Metien was very happy because this way she could also taste the wine... no, the water.

Lingge silently withdrew his hand and stopped stopping Metien and Alice.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Shelia." Linger said, "But minors are not allowed to drink."

The pink-haired girl picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and her eyes lit up immediately: "Delicious!"

Cielia pointed at the bottles of "wine" she had just used to mix cocktails, and said seriously, "This is the clear spring on the top of Maranta Mountain, the highest peak on the southern foot of the Sosen Mountains. It was once a place where water monsters lived, and the water is the clearest and cleanest. This is the birthplace of the ancient holy spring Sullivan, the source of the unfrozen river 3,000 meters underground, and the water is the most sacred and pure. This is the deep water of the Arctic Ice Lake Kaber, which only thaws for one day a year, and the water is the coldest and purest..."

Alice was immediately furious: "I'm not a minor!"

"They each have their own advantages and disadvantages, but it would be a pity to taste any one of them alone. Therefore, I eliminated their impurities and combined their unique temperaments together to create the cup in front of you -"

The bartender behind the counter was also silent for a moment, then said, "This is not wine."

Lingge was silent for a moment, then added: "Those who are underage are not allowed to do so either."

Alice, the bad girl who had wanted to try drinking for a long time, shouted happily and reached out to take the wine glass in front of her. Metien was also a little tempted and wanted to taste what the wine made by the goblin would taste like. But at this time, Linger reached out to stop them.

As cold as ice, but as gentle as the wind; as cold as snow, but as soft as flowers. The moment the clear nectar touches the tip of the tongue, the cool, sweet and slightly stimulating feeling rushes straight into the mind, making every picky taste bud beat actively, every pore of the body relax happily, and the whole person suddenly feels refreshed, as if all the clutter and fatigue have been washed away, clean and transparent from the inside out.

She picked up the glass and drank it all.

then.

"Metien, give me some more." "No!"

"Lingge, do you want to drink? If not, I'll help you..."

Lingge pushed her thieving hand back expressionlessly.

In the end, Alice could only look pitifully at the bartender behind the counter, hoping that she would be merciful and make her another drink... or water.

Xie Liya's eyes flashed with a hint of hidden pride. She gently stroked the silver hair beside her ears and said lightly: "For a real bartender, the burst of inspiration often only lasts for a moment. This cup of holy nectar is the most proud work of my life. Even if I have the same materials, I dare not guarantee that I can replicate it."

“How could this happen!” Alice cried out in disappointment, but still unwilling to give up, she begged desperately: “Master, I believe you can do it, please try again!”

"I'm sorry, sir." Xie Liya said in a cold tone: "I also have my own pride."

Xie Mi muttered quietly, "You said the same thing about the 'Spring in the Sky', the 'Mourning of the Earth', and the 'Whisper of the Holy Spirit' before that."

The bartender glanced at her sister, who immediately became silent and dared not say a bad word again.

"In that case—" Alice, who had been slapped in the face for despising the master's masterpiece, had no choice but to settle for the next best thing. She set her sights on the bottles of "wine" and asked, "Is there any left? Can I have some?"

"Please feel free to do so."

Alice took them all and poured a little of each into her cup, trying to replicate the masterpiece of Master Shelia. Seeing this, the latter shook her head slightly: "Your technique is too rough. Not only will it fail to stimulate their flavor, but it will also become less pure due to the mixed ingredients..."

"It doesn't matter." Alice said, "My composition is also complicated, but my personality is very pure."

The same principle must apply when judging people by their water quality.

After she poured several kinds of "wine" into the cup, she shook it casually a few times to mix them evenly, and then took a sip carefully with the attitude of "just give it a try".

"what?"

Alice discovered a new world.

This taste seems to be no different from the previous "Holy Nectar"...

She couldn't quite believe it, so she took another sip and confirmed it.

Indeed, they are exactly the same.

Alice raised her head and looked at Miss Shelia who was sitting behind the counter with a calm expression and a masterly demeanor. She then looked at Miss Shemi who was standing next to her with an embarrassed look on her face and seemed very ashamed. Suddenly she understood something.

It seemed like I had discovered a shocking secret by accident.

But, I can't say it out loud.

Because no one can guarantee that the master's temperament is as open and tolerant as her water-adjusting skills. What if she holds a grudge against Alice for exposing her true level, secretly retaliates, and plots to kill people to silence them? This is the inn of the traveler goblin, there is nowhere to run even if she wants to.

Therefore, the golden-haired maid gave the master a thumbs-up and smiled, "That's amazing, Miss Shelia. I can't even reach one ten-thousandth of your level. You must be the best bartender in the entire kingdom, oh no, the entire continent, right?"

A hint of joy flashed in the bartender's eyes, but on the surface she was calm, indifferent to fame and fortune: "You are too kind. I still have a lot to learn."

Xie Mi breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at Alice with a little more gratitude in his eyes. He became more convinced that this lady was indeed a good person.

Moving!

So, the other world is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and worldly wisdom.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)