Alien Bar: Found a Wizard Girl, Gale Sword - Chapter 17: Contemplation

After changing his clothes, Leon walked up to the bar counter, and his fluctuating emotions quickly calmed down.

Within the small space of the bar counter, it was his own domain, a place where he felt at ease upon entering.

Before the guests arrived, there were only three people in the store: Leon, Nilu, and Elise. To alleviate the awkwardness from earlier, Leon took the initiative to break the silence.

“Why is Prince Lieyang able to understand what I say even though he doesn’t know Earth’s language? The same goes for Lanya and Karina.”

Nilu explained with a smile, “This question involves the magical construction of this bar on a magical level, encompassing various magical disciplines. It’s a complex explanation. But you can think of it simply as anyone who enters this bar gains a sustained magical effect, allowing them to understand the languages of other races.”

“I see.” A doubt in Leon’s mind was resolved.

After the bar officially opened for the day, Leon wiped the bottles while speculating about who the first guest of the day would be.

Karina might not come today since she saw him changing yesterday. Even if she did come, she probably wouldn’t be as enthusiastic as usual.

Prince Lieyang also probably wouldn’t arrive so soon, leaving Lanya as the only likely regular customer.

When the wind chimes outside the door rang, Leon looked towards the entrance. Contrary to his expectation, the person walking into the bar was not Lanya, but a new customer.

An elderly man with white hair, a long beard that reached his chest, and dressed in a simple gray robe, entered while leaning on a staff almost as tall as himself.

The staff looked more like a thick-to-thin rod, very plain in design.

The old man had deep and bright eyes. After a casual glance around the bar’s interior, he walked to a table and sat down, placing his staff on the table.

Elise approached with a menu in hand and politely asked, “Sir, may I take your order? We not only have alcohol here but also non-alcoholic beverages like soda, fruit juice, and tea.”

The old man smiled gently, “Of course, in a tavern, one drinks alcohol.”

“Very well, we’ve recently introduced a new selection of drinks, made from a blend of various spirits. They have unique flavors. Here’s the menu, please take a look at which one you’d like.”

Elise placed the menu in front of the old man. It was a pictorial menu, and as he flipped through it, he saw the sparkling cocktail images. He praised, “Your drinks are truly exquisite.”

Then he pointed at the menu with his hand that resembled a withered tree branch.

“I’ll have a ‘Contemplation.’ It’s a good name. I wonder how it tastes.”

“Of course, please wait a moment.”

Elise came over to the bar counter and immediately put on a more serious expression.

“Hey, a ‘Contemplation,’ make it quick.”

The bar wasn’t large, and Leon had already heard what drink the old man ordered. When Elise came over, he had already taken a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet.

“Understood.”

Elise sat at the bar counter, her hands supporting her delicate chin, watching Leon’s every move as if intending to learn from him.

Leon didn’t mind, saying, “If you want to learn, come and help.”

Elise blinked, a hint of puzzlement in her beautiful eyes.

“Do you really want me to come in?”

“If you don’t want to, just forget I mentioned it.”

“Cough, well, since you’re so eager for me to help, I’ll lend a hand.”

Elise tilted her head and entered the bar counter, standing next to Leon. There was a hint of excitement in her eyes.

“Alright, tell me how you want me to help.”

Seeing her pretending not to care, Leon couldn’t help but want to laugh, but he maintained his calm demeanor.

“Fetch some ice cubes and six fresh mint leaves. Remember to clean them thoroughly and slice a fresh lemon as well.”

Elise obediently went to do as instructed, which surprised Leon. Wasn’t this the same Elise who often threw tantrums?

Although Elise’s bartending skills weren’t great, her movements were surprisingly skillful. She quickly prepared the ingredients Leon needed.

Leon’s gaze swept over the ice bucket, the six mint leaves with water droplets still clinging to them, and the golden slice of lemon. He praised, “Very good, fast and accurate, and your slicing technique is pretty good.”

Elise’s face showed a hint of unnaturalness.

“Hmph, don’t think that just because you praised me now, I’ll change my mind. Once my skills surpass yours, I’ll still kick you out of the bar counter.”

“Looking forward to your performance.”

Seeing Leon’s usual smile on his face, genuinely friendly and not feigned, Elise thought to herself, Could he really think that way? Even if I surpass him, it wouldn’t matter? Is he really so generous?

With these thoughts in mind, she began to carefully observe Leon’s hands. Those hands were fair, well-proportioned, and articulate, exhibiting elegance and agility as he prepared the cocktail.

As he picked up the stainless steel ice tongs and lifted a translucent ice cube from the bucket, those hands seemed like a work of art, exuding a sense of purity.

When he delicately tore the tender fresh mint leaves and placed them into the cocktail shaker, his movements were gentle and meticulous.

Then, his hands took a teaspoon and added a spoonful of syrup into the shaker, followed by the whiskey from the bottle. After closing the shaker, he vigorously shook it.

His hands became a blur in her eyes, alternating between clarity and obscurity, accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of shaking. It felt as if her heart was also caught in the motion, becoming a chaotic mess.

Her breathing became irregular, her chest rising and falling slightly.

At that moment, his hands abruptly stopped shaking, moving the shaker gently over the classic cocktail glass that had already been prepared. He lifted the lid, and the crystal-clear liquid poured out, filling the glass.

A golden slice of lemon descended into the glass, like the sun sinking into the sea, completing the “Contemplation.”

“Do you remember it?”

Leon’s voice suddenly reached Elise’s ears, bringing her back from her reverie. She shifted her gaze away from his hands.

“What?”

“I asked if you remembered the steps I used to make the cocktail. Every detail matters.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Elise felt her face growing slightly warm. She had been so captivated by his hands that she hadn’t paid attention to the details of Leon’s cocktail-making process.

“That’s alright. Next time, I’ll demonstrate it again if you have the chance. For now, take this drink to the customer.”

“Oh, okay.”

Elise lowered her head and left the bar counter, picking up the prepared “Contemplation” and delivering it to the table of the gray-robed old man.

Leon stared at her figure, finding her behavior a bit odd. Wasn’t the preparation of a “Contemplation” relatively simple?

Just then,

 the wind chimes at the entrance rang again.

A petite figure dressed in purple burst into the bar, accompanied by a childish sob.

“Leon, I’m sorry, I lost your gold coins.”