Close encounter with the forbidden glass

A few steps past the temple laid the market, which was nothing but a road flanked by various stands on which the villagers sold their goods, mostly food, but also clothing, medicinal herbs and other basic items. As Raiko walked in the middle of the road, everyone turned to greet her, which made her a bit embarrassed for the celebrity treatment she was getting.

Most importantly, past the market there were some actual stores on which villagers such as Tito had their workshops or sold imported goods. Raiko was legally an adult now, so nobody would stop her from purchasing alcohol. With a mischievous grin, she headed towards the liquor store.

The place was a wooden building like many others, separated from the familiar household by a small courtyard. Inside of the store there were many tables and chairs, as the place also served as a bar, a few men and women greeted Raiko on her first official incursion into unexplored territory.

Armed with courage she walked past the people and into the bar, fascinated by the countless bottles lined up on the shelves. A particularly bright bottle with an orange liquid captivated her attention, so much that she didn’t notice her cousin approaching her from the other side of the counter until she waved her hand in front of her face.

“Good to have you back here on Earth, Raiko, happy birthday.”

“I somehow ended walking here, dad almost kicked me out.”

“Gee… I wonder what our old men could be planning for today, for your birthday… your fifteenth birthday…” Hanako kept going with an amused look.

“So… isn’t there a present for me for becoming a purifier?, such as that expensive looking bottle on top of that shelf?” Raiko elbowed her cousin with a smug face.

“Which one you mea- “

Hanako stopped the instant her eyes found the object of Raiko’s attention. It was imported from a distant country named Ireland, then the store owner bought it when she went to the capital, and it was her personal trophy, not intended for sale.

“You mean the vodka bottle from over there?” She still tried to change the topic.

“No, I mean that orange one with the weird letters.”

“Not a chance, that’s the Mizuhashis family relic.” Hanako was dead serious. “Even if the queen herself visited us she'd have to take the bottle from my boss’ cold dead hands.“

Raiko went silent.

Not just that, she stopped moving, as if petrified. She had to process what she just heard. It went on for long enough for Hanako to feel uncomfortable at this, but was not sure about what to do when…

“Bwahahahahahaha!”

Raiko burst into laughter so loudly that it attracted everyone else’s attention. Hanako stepped back out of surprise, then jumped on her cousin.

“Hush!, you’re dragging too much attention, keep it down!”

But Raiko kept laughing, it was just too funny for her. She even imagined the queen having an epic battle against the Mizuhashis, as that one bottle had the ability to decide the fate of the world. Her sides began to hurt, she was trying to calm down, then she noticed Hanako, and the laughing cycle started anew.

“Come on, it isn’t that funny.”

“You should see your face, it is.”

“Smartasses get no presents.”

“Oh, so there is a present.”

“It’s not much, but here.”

Hanako poured a bottle of some different orange liquid into a small glass. Raiko picked it up immediately, but then she slowed down to taste it slowly. First, she gave it a small sip, feeling a very sweet fruit flavor with sour undertones.

The moment she swallowed the drink she felt as if her entire body was heating up. It was indeed good, much better than the beer she had before. She then drank the rest of the glass without a hurry, it was good but it wasn’t much, so she better enjoyed it.

“So this is raja…”

“Good, isn’t it?” Hanako winked at her.

“Yeah this is really good stuff, is this my present?”

“You will have until I’m off, but yes.”

“Boo.”

“Don't get mad at me, if you keep this village safe I promise to give you a discount on... the good stuff.”

“We got a deal then!”

“Just don't tell the boss, she would kill me if she realizes I'm offering discounts.”

“Fine, my silence is as easy to get as an ancient liquor bottle.”

“Ha! Nice try.”

Someone ordered two more beers from a table, so Hanako had to leave her cousin to fulfill the request. Raiko simply watched her cousin at work, she wasn’t particularly different from her usual self, she was smiling and joking with the customers, keeping track of what everyone was having with a small notepad.

She helped another customer, who had too many drinks, to stand up, he paid for his drinks while apologizing, which flustered the bartender just doing her job. Even then, she escorted the drunk guy to the exit, waving him goodbye as he walked back home.

“See you tomorrow, Ivan! Bring in the cards next time!”

She eventually returned to Raiko, who was getting bored but didn’t want to interrupt her during work. It wasn’t noon yet, but the place was still pretty crowded today.

“I am amazed by your ability to handle so many people so easily.”

“hahaha” Hanako scratched the back of her head. “I wasn’t always this good, when I started working I would stand in front of the customers in silence because I was too nervous to ask them what they wanted.”

Raiko nodded at her cousin’s display of humility, as there was no need for words. She did realize that she was pretty busy and she shouldn’t be distracting her, though.

“I should be leaving now, I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“You’re fifteen now, you can come by whenever you like, you will have to pay, though.” Hanako waved her goodbye with a smug face.