"Ah... my apologies. It's just that Miss Bronie looks a lot like a friend I know... And indeed, Miss Bronie is a very cute lady."
"Cute, huh... Bronie will take that as a compliment. What would you like to drink, customer?"
"—Bronie is the bartender of this establishment, you know."
The gray-haired girl proudly brandished the cocktail shaker in her hand, showcasing her role as the bartender.
"Bronie—the customer said she wants one of everything. Get to it."
Raven's voice cut through the gray-haired girl's showboating, foretelling a late night for her.
"Eek—Customer, are you not afraid of getting drunk at all?"
Realizing she was in for a long night, Bronie eyed the girl before her with renewed suspicion.
"Drunk? ...I won't be."
Imhotep flashed a confident smile, as if the vast array of cocktails on the menu were nothing more than ordinary beverages she could down without a second thought.
Hmm, this white-haired, blue-eyed girl is most likely a Schicksal Valkyrie, and probably one with a special bloodline at that, Bronie concluded. While off-duty Schicksal Valkyries often frequented the bar, and many self-proclaimed heavy drinkers had boasted they could handle the entire menu, only three types of people ever truly made it to the end.
The first were Valkyries with naturally white hair. Regardless of their prior drinking experience, their alcohol tolerance seemed innately high. The second were Yugoslavs with the same peculiar accent as her adoptive mother, Natasha. The last were native Shenzhou Valkyries—specifically those who spoke official Shenzhou Mandarin with a thick regional accent.
—In Bronie's mind, Imhotep fell squarely into the first category: the type who could power through with sheer physical constitution.
"Since you're so confident, customer, Bronie won't hold back—how about we start with a classic and famous Long Island Iced Tea?"
"Please—"
Imhotep nodded, signaling for the cute little bartender to go ahead. With Imhotep's approval, Bronie turned, climbed a custom-made step stool, and began gathering the necessary spirits and ingredients from the counter to start mixing.
Meanwhile, Raven, who had been preparing food on the other side, seemed to have finished a simple snack and was now plating it.
"Normally, bars don't serve food like this... but mine is an exception. People working nearby often drop in for a drink and then order takeout from nearby restaurants. Over time, we started offering some simple dishes ourselves. We mostly stick to Western-style snacks and fast food, though. Shenzhou cuisine is too time-consuming to prepare and doesn't really fit the vibe of this bar..."
Placing a basket of freshly fried potato wedges on the counter, the cheerful Raven introduced her little bar to Imhotep. The potatoes, fried to a perfect golden-brown, released an enticing aroma. Coarse white salt was evenly sprinkled over their crispy skins.
"The truth is, Mama Natasha is completely hopeless with Shenzhou cooking—she can never grasp what 'season to taste' means on a recipe. Otherwise, that money-grubber would have jumped at the chance to expand the business."
Bronie, having finished mixing the Long Island Iced Tea, sidled over and ruthlessly called Raven out. The young woman opened the shaker and poured a glass for Imhotep, Raven, and herself.
"Ahahaha..."
Raven, mercilessly exposed by her adopted daughter, laughed awkwardly and muttered a complaint.
"Who knows what 'an appropriate amount' even is? Why do Shenzhou people love that word so much? Even when adding water, they say 'add an appropriate amount'..."
"Hmm... So, Miss Natasha... is Bronie your daughter?"
Imhotep's eyes lit up with interest.
"I thought I heard her call you 'Mama' just now? But you look so young, Madam Proprietress..."
"Could it be..."
"Ahem! Stop reading those trashy Shenzhou romance novels. Bronie is my adopted daughter. I found her on the street, looking dazed, lost, and half-asleep. I was going to take her to the police station, but the officers couldn't get a single straight answer out of her. When they were about to send her to an orphanage, the officer and the orphanage director asked if I wanted to adopt her... I had a moment of weakness and agreed."
"So, Miss Natasha, you adopted a daughter, is that right...?"
Miss Imhotep began skillfully guiding the pair before her, aiming for a certain... delightful outcome.
"No... Natasha has adopted enough children to fill an entire orphanage."
Oblivious to Imhotep's intentions and the treachery of the human heart, the adorable and outspoken Bronie blurted out Miss Raven's deepest secret.
"Whoa! An entire orphanage's worth of children? In that case, Miss Natasha, your house must be huge, right?"
"A skyscraper? A massive villa? Or maybe even a private island? To afford a storefront in the bustling heart of Arc City, you must be a secret tycoon, Madam Proprietress!"
Critical Hit. True Damage. Sure Hit. Bonus Damage. Type Advantage. Miss Imhotep had stacked every possible damage multiplier onto her words.
[ Y O U R H O U S E M U S T B E H U G E ]
Caught completely off guard, Miss Raven was once again hit with a devastating emotional blow. Staring into the white-haired girl's curious and "innocent" eyes, Natasha could only glare murderously at Kiana, who was peeking out from a corner of the bar. Her red eyes seemed ready to erupt in flames and burn the Herrscher cowering there to ash.
Kiana, who knew exactly why the bar owner was glaring at her so murderously, shrank back guiltily. The aroma of food from the bar was tempting, but the proprietress's glare could eat you alive.
"Ahaha... my house... sob... My house—my private island villa—!! Waaaaah!"
The smile Natasha had been barely holding onto suddenly shattered. An adult's breakdown can happen in an instant. The Black Dodo chugged the Long Island Iced Tea beside her in one go, then slid off her stool and collapsed onto the floor with a gurgle.
"Huh? What's wrong with Miss Natasha?"
Imhotep turned to Bronie with an "innocent" look.
"Bronie thinks this is what an adult's breakdown looks like... probably?"