Found You

"Shaya, what's wrong with Alicia?

It's past ten, why is she still under the covers and not waking up?

She won't wake up no matter how I call her. Is she not over her previous illness?"

Arthur said with some worry, standing at Shaya's doorway. Ever since the director of the orphanage, the person closest to him, died, he had become extremely fearful of death, which made him constantly worry about Alicia's health.

Shaya was currently sitting at his workbench, fiddling with something. He had placed some of the alcohol he bought from the Imperial Capital there, along with some imported rum and sugar.

"She's fine," Shaya said while busy with what was in his hands. "Have you heard a saying?"

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"You can never wake someone who is only pretending to sleep," Shaya teased.

"You're saying Alicia is pretending to sleep?" Arthur asked, a little confused. "Why would she pretend to sleep?"

"Doesn't everyone want to sleep a little longer sometimes?" Shaya said.

Arthur nodded. "Then when will she get up?"

"When she reconciles with her past self from last night,"

Shaya murmured softly. As he spoke, he finished making what he intended to mix. He picked up the drink he had prepared and took a small sip, then nodded with satisfaction.

With a wave of his hand, all the tools and alcohol on the table vanished without a trace.

"Reconcile?" Arthur was even more confused. "Did she do something last night?"

But Shaya had already walked past him and was heading downstairs, not answering his endless questions.

Sunny was running up from the stairs. For this lion cub, the stairs seemed a bit high, and climbing them was slightly strenuous.

Seeing Shaya coming down, it looked at him with eager eyes, expecting him to carry it upstairs, but Shaya ignored it.

He picked up a coat hanging by the stairs and said to Alicia, who was behind a curtain at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm going out."

Swish~

The curtain was pulled open. Alicia, wrapped in her blanket behind the curtain, revealed only her eyes. Her sapphire-like irises gave off a quiet, steady, and luxurious aura.

This was the first time Shaya had observed her eyes closely.

"How much do you remember about what happened last night?"

Shaya looked at her with feigned "confusion." "Didn't we go to the banquet together last night?"

"I mean…" Alicia bit her lip. "How much do you remember of what I said last night?"

Shaya frowned slightly, putting on an expression of trying hard to recall.

"It was too noisy back then, and I didn't hear very clearly. Was it something important you said?

Why don't you tell me again."

"No, no!" Alicia quickly said. "It's not important, not important at all!"

Shaya smiled with a hint of knowingness. "Is that so…"

He turned around. "Then I'll be going."

With a clack of the front door, Alicia, confirming Shaya had left, pulled the curtain back.

She curled up her limbs, burying her entire face in the blanket, her ears burning red.

"What… what did I do…"

Cassifa, sitting on the fireplace, witnessed all of this. It looked at the door, then at the curtain, tilting its head in confusion.

Humans, such difficult creatures to understand.

Shaya walked out of the gates of Eagle's Horn Port. He had learned the identity of the old man last night, or rather, the old man's status in this small town.

He begged by the east coast. People's impression of him was that he was a drunkard who was drunk all day, and all the money he begged for would eventually be used to buy alcohol.

He basically lay in one spot every day to bask in the sun, so Shaya found him in no time.

He was lying in a corner, eyes closed, dozing. He still had that smell of alcohol about him, his cheeks slightly flushed, appearing tipsy.

"I think some of my views are different from yours," Shaya said.

The old man slowly opened his eyes, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at him with interest.

"You're right, life truly has no meaning," Shaya said.

"Human history, tracing back to ancient times, might only be a few hundred thousand years, but the countless stars in the sky have existed for billions of years. Humans are merely insignificant dust in the universe.

One day, we will be forgotten by people, by this world."

He paused, then continued.

"However, in the face of such reality, every day people live becomes even more precious.

Or rather, being alive is the meaning of life.

Because of their finite lives, people pursue the meaning of life, and the process of seeking is itself part of the meaning."

I understand what you mean. To praise life, accept its impermanence, and face all sorrows with a posture of indulgence.

But I believe the beauty of life is definitely not just about indulgence, and the pleasure of drinking shouldn't just be about getting drunk."

Shaya raised his hand, and a glass appeared in it. Liquid automatically poured into the glass, and he handed it to the old man.

The old man took the wine glass and took a sip. The taste was cool, refreshing, sweet and sour, giving a clear sensation. His eyes brightened, and he looked at the wine glass in his hand, saying, "What is this?"

"A mixed drink. I call it a cocktail," Shaya said.

These wines were all ordinary wines bought from the Imperial Capital, so naturally, they couldn't compare to the wines brewed by the God of Wine. However, the innovation and beauty of imagination behind them were common.

The old man seemed very interested in this drink. He took another sip and said, "It tastes like light rum, the mint makes the whole thing refreshing, and the collision of lime and wine is very striking.

There's also a taste I've never experienced before, tiny bubbles bursting in my mouth. It's simply a stroke of genius, very interesting."

"That's called soda water," Shaya said with raised eyebrows. "My secret recipe."

"Interesting, so interesting."

The old man gazed at the wine glass with burning eyes. "Mixing different wines with some ingredients actually creates such an interesting taste.

You've invented a new type of wine.

You've blended wines from different places to create a brand new and interesting experience. It's truly a vibrant and free wine."

He looked up at Shaya.

"You must know how to make more than just this one cocktail."

"I know many recipes. This is just one of them, and I've named it 'Mojito'," Shaya said. "This isn't even the best one."

When your major doesn't lead to good job prospects, you're always forced to learn other skills. Bartending is one of them.

"I think I understand what you mean now."

The old man drained the rest of the wine in the glass.

"This drink has given me a pleasure beyond drunkenness, like the changing seasons, or the unpredictable heart of a young girl."

The old man looked at him quietly, his bright eyes filled with wisdom. "Can you teach me? I'm also very interested in that water you mentioned, it's like sprites dancing in my mouth."

Shaya thought for a moment and said, "I want to open a bar and sell this kind of drink, but I'm still missing a bartender..."

"You want to hire me?"

The old man slowly curved his lips into a self-deprecating smile.

"Hire a beggar who only knows how to drink?"

Shaya offered a faint smile, his gaze shifting. "I think if I hire you, my bar shouldn't lose money at least.

And you seem to have a lot of free time, don't you?

I can teach you all the recipes I know and provide you with an unlimited supply of soda water."

The old man nodded and murmured softly.

"That's truly an offer I can't refuse..."

He paused and then said, "I can agree to your offer, but I still have some things to take care of. However, I'll be back before your shop opens.

By the way, you haven't found a source for those wines you're selling, have you?"

"Not yet," Shaya said.

"Then you don't need to look. When I get back, I'll take you to a good place," he said.

Shaya smiled, "I look forward to your arrival, Mr. Dionysus."

"I haven't used that name for a long time," the old man said. "Now, I'm just a wanderer barely surviving in this era. You can call me Semler. That's where I come from."

As he spoke, he struggled to get up from the ground and walked towards the end of the alley, limping slightly as if he had a bad leg.

No one would ever think that such a disabled beggar was once a powerful god.

In him, Shaya saw the end of an era.

He hadn't originally planned to invite this person to be his bartender, and the idea of opening a bar had only just occurred to him.

The reason he made a cocktail for this being to taste was influenced by the God of Wine festival yesterday, and he had recently discovered a natural soda spring, so he felt like trying it out.

Compared to giving it to Alicia and Arthur, it was natural to give it to someone who understood wine.

Of course, his main goal was to make friends.

After all, having more friends means more paths. In this unfamiliar world, making some powerful friends could only be beneficial.

When he said "I'm still missing a bartender," he actually had more to say, which was roughly that once he found a suitable person, he could also learn along while teaching the bartender.

But he hadn't even finished speaking when the God of Wine jumped in, and Shaya naturally had to go along with it.

He truly hadn't expected it to succeed.

For beings at his level, worldly things should already be insignificant, and they would pursue more pure things. His cocktail just happened to touch upon that.

Shaya wasn't worried about him leaving halfway. After all, there were no cocktails in this era. As a product that had been proven by the market, it was only a matter of time before it became popular, and he would recoup his investment quickly.

Besides, he wasn't trying to make money in the first place.

Watching the old man's back completely disappear from his sight, Shaya chuckled. He then retraced his steps, preparing to return to his castle.

He walked through several alleys and crossed streets, then suddenly, he stopped.

He let out a soft breath and then looked up at the rooftop of a nearby house.

There, a woman wearing a large hat on her head was watching him, slowly curling her lips into a smile.

"Little Shaya, I finally found you."