Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Worry About Tomorrow Tomorrow
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Munich, a city in the Holy Empire
With a population of 200,000, situated between the Bohemia region and the Bennetsa Republic as a key transportation hub, and the hometown of Emperor Huz Matis to boot—this place boasted a scale and power rivaling any other city in the Holy Empire.
A place steeped in genuine history and tradition.
In the heart of this massive city stood a famous tavern.
Known as Kaswhite, it was one of the top breweries in the empire, home to the finest beer. There was even a superstition—not quite a myth—that once you'd tasted their brew, you'd never forget it.
A place with tremendous renown backed by exceptional booze.
As such, it was always packed with people. Inside, the clamor of patrons drowning their hard day's worries in drink filled the air.
A spot brimming with vitality, regardless of the continent's turbulent politics.
And right in the middle of it all was a woman, moving with practiced ease as she carried mugs of beer.
Dressed in a maid outfit, she glided effortlessly between tables, balancing three or four hefty mugs in each hand.
Her abundant red hair was tied loosely at the ends, paired with ruby-red eyes that sparkled. Strikingly beautiful, she flashed a bright smile as she set the mugs down in front of her customers.
"Here you go! Your ordered beers!"
Her voice, brimming with energy, seemed to light up the room around her.
The customer who received the beer felt his day's stress melt away, gratefully taking the mug.
"Thanks. I'll enjoy it."
"Sure thing! Just call if you need anything."
With that, she swiftly delivered the remaining mugs to other tables.
Her cheerful voice made patrons forget their daily woes and the uneasy state of the world, if only for a moment. They set aside their tangled thoughts and simply savored the moment.
The tavern's undisputed mood-maker.
Once her hands were empty, she headed back to the counter to pick up the next round of drinks and snacks.
"Polena, could you take this to table five, please?"
"Yes! Got it!"
She replied with her usual pep to the head chef.
Polena bustled off again with lively steps, carrying the booze and food.
A moment later, she arrived at table five.
Seated there was a pair—a man in traveler's garb and a woman in Holy Knight attire.
"Alright, young customers! Here's your order of drinks and food."
As always, Polena greeted them with boundless enthusiasm.
But...
"... "
"Thank you."
The man responded with silence, while the woman gave a quiet reply—even to words that could coax a smile from someone facing death tomorrow.
Polena tilted her head slightly, still smiling warmly.
"Oh dear... Got some worries weighing you down? Drinking in a great spot like this with such gloomy faces."
"...Haa..."
"...Yeah... We've got a bit of a situation."
The man let out a heavy sigh, and the woman spoke with a tinge of bitterness.
Polena, beaming as ever, glanced at them slyly.
"Is that so? What kind of trouble has such a pretty young lady and strapping knight looking so down? If you don't mind, your big sis Polena could lend an ear."
Working here as a server, she'd always livened up the place while serving food.
In the process, she'd heard countless woes and made it her joy to bring at least a fleeting smile to patrons' faces while they drank.
To her, this couple— the only ones brooding amid a sea of smiles in these trying times—were a prime target.
"Come on, spill it. Old saying goes, shared sorrow is half the sorrow. If you've got troubles, let 'em out nice and loud!"
Polena urged them with a grin.
Seeing she wouldn't let up without a story, the pair felt cornered.
Compelled by her words and their own pent-up frustration, they finally opened up.
And the tale they spilled... was far heavier than Polena had imagined.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The rough vent of our frustrations.
Listening in, Polena—the confident server from moments ago—looked a touch flustered, her expression shifting to a far more serious one than her earlier breeziness.
"I see... So it's Emperor Huz Matis after all."
"Yeah, it's got travelers like us on edge in all sorts of ways."
"...Can't blame you. Especially considering who's been tapped as the next emperor..."
Polena nodded slowly at Kazeros's words, showing her agreement.
We'd only just heard about the emperor's death through a contact Shylock had introduced.
Official announcements of his passing and the funeral were still pending, so this was cutting-edge news for common folk.
Even so, her reaction struck us as more earnest than expected.
In this world without internet or newspapers, official postings offered limited insight.
Save for well-informed merchants or nobles, few knew the death's implications or what the successor might do.
Yet here was Polena, a tavern worker, seeming clued in. It caught me off guard.
Honestly, I'd half-expected her to miss the point or brush it off lightly.
But surprisingly, she took it seriously.
As if she'd been waiting for this very shoe to drop.
Her demeanor puzzled me at first, but then it clicked.
'Wait... Actually, working in a tavern might make her more plugged into global affairs than most. With patrons from all over crowding in, info flows freely.'
That made sense enough to satisfy me.
Then...
"Well, even so, isn't worrying about it here for a hundred days straight pointless?"
"Well..."
"True... I suppose."
Her words hit the nail on the head, drawing automatic nods from us.
Seeing our reactions, Polena continued with a deep smile.
"Right? So let's drink up and have fun! Worries you can't fix right now are just a waste of energy. If trouble comes, it'll be tomorrow's problem. For now, enjoy the moment with a smile!"
"...Ha... Haha..."
"...Can't argue with that."
Her words were light yet spot-on.
Unable to counter her silver tongue, and feeling a bit lighter from the talk, we managed faint smiles as we raised our glasses.
But then...
-Bang!
"?"
"Wh-what was that?"
The next instant, a loud crash from outside.
Our eyes snapped toward the sound, and Polena's cheerful face turned icy in a heartbeat.