Richard:...
He looked at Sharol, who was grinning broadly, and asked, "Hey buddy, are all the girls in Asgard this enthusiastic?!"
Sharol chuckled awkwardly, "Uh, Sister Kiri is different; she waited for Brother Marcus for ten years..."
"Okay," Richard nodded, indicating that he understood.
When old flames meet again after ten years, it's inevitable to be a little more enthusiastic and proactive, right?
He tapped on the bar. "Hey buddy, give me your bar's hottest drink!"
Sharol bent down and carried a bucket of Thunder Ale from under the bar, placing it on the bar with a 'duang'.
" Thunder Ale, a specialty of the Dwarf Race, I guarantee you'll love it!"
He winked at Richard and whispered, "Since you came with Brother Marcus, you're not an outsider. Feel free to drink as much as you want!"
Richard raised an eyebrow. "Thanks~"
He took a large glass, held the barrel of Thunder Ale with both hands, and poured out a stream of golden-orange liquid.
A sweet aroma of malt wafted up and filled the air...
On the other side, unlike the other patrons at the table who were cheering, Old Jack and Fitch looked at each other with expressions of disappointment.
Old Jack: " Fitch, I didn't expect you to like Kiri too..."
Fitch rolled his eyes at him, annoyed. "Nonsense! You think you're the only one with good taste? Every single guy on Gading Island would be eyeing a girl as good as Kiri!"
Old Jack got up, picked up the Thunder Ale from the table, and poured a full glass for Fitch and himself.
He picked up his glass and said, "No more words, let's drink!"
Fitch raised his glass and clinked it against his, saying, "Drink!"
Then, just like Old Jack had done before, he tilted his head back and gulped it down in one go.
At the bar, Richard took a sip of Thunder Ale, his eyes lighting up.
"Delicious! Surprisingly, it's not overly sweet; instead, it has a subtle, intense flavor, like..."
Sharol interjected with a laugh, "Like Thunder."
Richard snapped his the Snap: "That's right! No wonder it's called Thunder Ale. It's as explosive as Thunder on the palate, with a sweet malty aftertaste! A truly exceptional beer!"
Sharol nodded and smiled, "This kind of Thunder Ale isn't produced in large quantities even among the Dwarf Race. It's only thanks to Sister Kiri's good relationship with Lady Vilma of the Dwarf Race that we can order fifty barrels every month."
Richard, realizing what was happening, asked in surprise, "Miss Kiri, aren't you a waitress? How did you become the boss?"
Sharol paused in her wiping of the wine glass, a look of reminiscence crossing her face.
"Eight years ago, Sister Kiri rescued Grand Duchess Vilma of the Dwarf Race from being chased at the fishing port. Later, to express her gratitude, Grand Duchess Vilma bought the Midnight Carnival and gave it to Sister Kiri."
He remarked with emotion, "Actually, Sister Kiri had the opportunity to leave Gading Island six years ago."
"At that time, a nobleman on Central Island took a liking to Sister Kiri and wanted to marry her, but Sister Kiri refused..."
"Although she didn't say it, we knew she had been waiting for Brother Marcus."
"I just never imagined that this wait would last ten years..."
As Sharol was speaking, a sudden change occurred.
'boom!'
The bar's wooden door was kicked open, and a burly man with a golden lion-like hairstyle swaggered in, followed by three henchmen.
"Hahahaha!" The person burst into hearty laughter as soon as they entered.
"I heard they sell Thunder Ale here, give me ten barrels first!"
The people behind him pulled out seats and took their places.
Richard turned his head to look at the person who had come in, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Thor the God of Thunder?!
Hmm, those three little brothers behind him are the Warriors Three of Asgard: Hogun, Fandral, Volstagg.
Sharol had never met Thor the God of Thunder, so she naturally didn't know that the visitor was Prince of Asgard.
"Damn it, don't these bastards know that Midnight Carnival is under Ms. Vilma's protection?!"
With a dark expression, he pulled a large iron hammer from under the bar.
"Don't be impulsive, buddy!" Richard raised his hand and pressed the hammer he had raised back to the ground.
"Sir, you?!" Sharol's gaze towards Richard suddenly became incredibly respectful.
Richard smiled at him, "I'll take care of these people."
Sharol nodded and said, "Sir, please let me know if you need any help!"
At this moment, all the patrons in the room looked at the arrogant Thor the God of Thunder with unfriendly expressions.
One of the drinkers slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly.
"Hey kid, are you here to cause trouble?!"
Thor was taken aback. Volstagg, standing behind him, stepped forward and arrogantly said, "Sit back, kid. Otherwise, I'll beat you up and throw you out."
The patron flew into a rage, pointing at Volstagg and about to yell, "You bastard..."
Richard's booming voice suddenly rang out in the bar. "Please calm down, everyone!"
With that sound, the negative emotions that had been rising in the drinkers' hearts suddenly vanished.
The excited drinker also sat back down.
Fandral frowned and instinctively clutched the longsword at his waist.
He whispered a warning to the others, "I just sensed a faint aura of Magic; this person is no ordinary individual!"
"Not simple?!" Thor turned to look at Richard, but when he saw Richard's 'thin' physique, he immediately showed a disappointed expression.
Richard smiled, picked up the barrel of Thunder Ale from the bar, walked over to Thor, and slammed the barrel down.
" Thunder Ale, we still have dozens of barrels left..."
"But everyone knows how precious this wine is; even among the Dwarf Race, its production is quite limited. So, if you guests wish to take ten barrels, you must pass our test."
"A test?" Hogun frowned and asked, "What kind of test?"
Richard slapped the cork off the barrel. "The test is simple... drink me out of the water!"
He looked at Thor with a smirk. "Not only will you get to take ten barrels of Thunder Ale, but you'll also be able to take some fine wines from other worlds..."
Richard casually stroked the table, and instantly more than a dozen ornate wine bottles emitting various strange aromas appeared out of thin air.
" The Mermaid's Kiss is made from the secretions of fire coral from the deepest abyss of the sea; the song will drift along with the aroma of the wine~"
" Elven Morning Dew Wine..."
" Core Spirits..."
" Moonlight Nectar..."
" Dragon Blood Bone-Tempering Wine..."
Thor's eyes lit up as he looked at the table full of wines he'd never seen before. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted excitedly, "Bring the wine right now!"
"Wait a minute!" Richard looked at Thor, a smile playing on his lips, and said, "If I lose, I'll give you all this fine wine, but What If...?... you lose?"
Thor patted his chest confidently and said, "Impossible! I've never lost a drinking contest since I was a kid!"
Richard's smile remained unchanged as he said, "The guest is quite confident, but... nothing can be accomplished without rules!"
"So it's best if we agree on this beforehand."
"You're right..." Thor thought for a moment, then casually said, "How about this, if I lose, you can take anything you want from me!"
The Warriors Three of Asgard's expressions changed, and they exclaimed in unison, " Thor!"
Thor waved his hand and said, "Trust me, brothers!"
Richard smiled and nodded, saying, "A promise is a promise, and I trust my guest's commitment."
He snapped his the Snap, and the empty tables around him were instantly filled with barrels of liquor.
"Come, Prince Thor, the God of Thunder of the Asgardians!"