Alcohol and Ogre-girls ch36

p2
>Do you hear me, Isuzu? Listen closely.
>You mustn't get close to ogres.
>Ogres are dangerous and terrifying beasts.

>When I recall the cold sensation of my father's hand as he laid withering away in his futon,
>I remember what I learned prior to how to greet people.

>Isuzu, my precious daughter.
>That's right. I am a proud
>Sakata girl.

>That's why I've kept my promise to my father.
>...Until now, that is.

>A LINE from Sumire-senpai...
>A request to order mint liqeur...

p3
>Where should I order drinks from...?
>I should ask her about it later.

>Isuzu!

>Grandfather!!!
>Ooh~!

>Isuzu~!! My cute granddaughter!
>Are you doing well!? Have you grown taller!?
>I'm doing well! I haven't grown at all!
>I see!

>I'm sorry I've been away from home as of late!
>It's fine! It's to be expected when you're so busy serving the Sakata family!

p4
>Have you been to see your father while I've been away?
>Yes... but he was asleep, so I only showed my face without speaking to him.
>It's been rather cold lately, so his body hasn't been doing so well...

>I see... Honestly. So pathetic, even when his daughter comes to visit.
>I'm never gonna be able to step down as head because of that illness.

>Because of that, Gramps has been ever so lonely since he rarely gets to see his cute granddaughter. I was this close to giving myself self-punishment!
>If you gave yourself self-punishment, we'd never be able to see each other again!

>But don't worry!
>I, Isuzu... will train even harder than I have been recently!

>I want to become a Sakata warrior who can help you as soon as possible, Grandfather!

p5
>I see...
>I see!

>You're a good girl,
>Isuzu!
>That's why I'm proud to have you as a granddaughter!

>Head, it's time...
>Yes.

>Keep it up, Isuzu.
>But be careful not to get hurt, okay?
>Don't go anywhere dangerous!

p6
>Do your best
>with your "sword practice"!

>...Yes!

p7
>Um... I know I got into it and made a lot, but...

>are you gonna be okay drinking all of that...!?

p8
>Okay? This is awesome~!! It's like, woo~!
>I want this campus festival to last forever!
>Is it me, or are you horns longer than usual...!?
>They get bigger when I drink! I'm an ogre, after all!
>Eeh...?
>You're so loud.

>So like, you've got a good grasp on the festival cocktails, right!?
>Yes! I've found a pretty good rhythm thanks to you.
>From where to put the barstools to keeping production running smoothly... It's all so deep.
>Having a smooth flow is important~!

>I'm gonna get hooked on these image cocktails! They're delicious and I get to support the fandom, so it's two birds with one stone!!
>...

>...So about the shifts on the day of the festival...
>?

>Um...
>Do you think you'll be able to do it?

>With Sakata-san...

p9
>Ah~...
>Hmm... Well~ I'll have to pass the time somehow.

>Tsukasa's pretty overbearing too.

>...The four Yorimitsu houses are deeply involved with the Ibukis.
>>Watanabe
>>Sakata
>>Usui
>>Urabe
>But their power relationships... and their stances on ogres are different.

>It varies depending on the era and the leader,
>but the Sakata and Watanabe families have been unwielding when it comes to ogres... not to mention their both extremists who fight over leadership.
>>Sakata
>>Watanabe

>But take Tsukasa, example. He's always been that kind of character, even when the Watanabe head brought him along to an Ibuki meeting long ago...

p10
>Are you ogres?

>We played together behind the adults' back.

>But Isuzu... being from a different age and all, didn't have that at all.
>I think her family has a policy on not getting close to ogres.

>...So the other day was the first time I got a good look at Isuzu too.
>Wait, why are you spacing out?
>Eh!?

p11
>Well, y'know... It's a different world you're talking about here.
>It's like... your families are amazing.
>Ahaha.

>...It's a strange world, right?

>!

>Who could it be at this hour...?
>Did you order anything, Hinata-san?
>I don't think so?

>Naori! Open up!
>That's Notarou-san's voice.
>Notarou-san, you didn't need to ring the doorbell...

p12
>Sakata-san!?

>Naori-senpai...

>Wh-
>What happened to you!? You're injured!

>I found her collapsed in the forest.
>A human!?
>She matched the description of the swordswoman you told me about, Naori.
>I tried taking her to Urabe's hospital, but she was all "I ain't looking after her" and was really annoying, so I brought her here for now.

p13
>So how did she get like this...?

>Look you... You can't just point your sword at every monster you meet.
>You're becoming the talk of the forest.
>You're lucky you got away with just an injury.
>Not all monsters are trying to meddle with humans! Give the Sakata no Kintoki act a rest!

>Shut up...
>A Sakata descendant doesn't take orders from a mere monster...!

>...Is that so?

>Naori! She's all yours.
>Eh!?
>She's your kouhai, right? You look after her.
>Ugh.

>...

p14
>...I couldn't tell father or grandfather...

>that I had met an ogre.

>Following Naori-senpai because she said "Hinata" was a mistake to begin with.
>To think I would actually meet the next Shuten-doji...

>not to mention end up working with her at the college festival. What on earth is Tsukasa-nii-san thinking?

>Naori-senpai is definitely being deceived too. Ogres always pretend to be docile while waiting for the right chance to take humans by surprise.

>Grandfather will exterminate them someday.
>Grandfather will.

p15
>Grandfather never calls me a warrior.
>Is it really just "because I'm a high school student"?

>Will grandfather ever acknowledge my training
>as anything more than "sword practice"?

>...

p16
>I messed up again.

>...I let my guard down.
>I was lost in thought...

>All I can do is give you first-aid.
>You'll have to go to Urabe-sensei's place...

>No... Urabe is a doctor who sees monsters, isn't she?
>That's what I've heard, at least... I haven't been there myself since it's so creepy.

>So how have you been treating your injuries up until now?
>...By myself...
>Honestly!
>Awkward...

p17
>...Um,

>Naori-senpai, are you and the next Shuten-doji...
>living together in this house...?

>That's right.

>The two of us
>live here together.

p18
>My bartender is such a super darling...!

>Ah!

>I'm out of bandages...
>I still need those to stop the wound...

>I'll just... go back some!
>Eh!?
>I'll be right back!

>Naori, wai-

>...

p19
>Aah~ She's so damn diligent that she never pays attention to her surroundings! I love that about her, I really do, but has she even considered how she's leaving me alone with Isuzu!?

>And it's a one-room apartment too...
>No room for escape~

>>snooze...

>...

p20
>She's asleep, huh...
>She must be tired.

>Now that I look closely, she's pretty cute when she's asleep.
>She's still in high school, after all...

>...
>!

>...Is she cold?

>Here's a blan-...

p21
>Don't touch me...!

>Just now... you were trying to choke me in my sleep, weren't you!?
>You cowardly ogre!
>N-No...

p22
>You seemed cold... so I was bringing you a blanket...
>That's...
>all...

>...Eh...?

>...

>...I'm leaving.
>Eh? But you're still...
>The bleeding's stopped. It doesn't hurt anymore.

>...Sorry for bothering you.

>Wait...

p23
>Is Sakata-san going to be okay...? Are you sure nothing happened?
>To storm out with that injury...

>Notarou-san went off somewhere too...
>I'm all kinds of worried...

>...Hinata-san?

p24
>Eh?
>...Ah,
>yeah!

>...Say, um.
>Naori.

>I think
>I should just give up...
>on helping with the college festival...

>I mean, I can't touch alcohol, after all~!
>I'd just be in the way! I'm satisfied with just drinking all of those samples! For real!

p25
>I wanna take a look around too,
>so I don't really have the time, now that I think about it!

>Sorry it's so last minute!

>That's why...

>...Did something happen
>with Sakata-san?

p26
>...I

>didn't do anything that would cause a girl
>to make such a face...

>...Her falling tears pierce my heart.

>Even though I should be used to this,
>even though it never bothered me before, today I just...
>can't...
>I've made a terrible
>misunderstanding.

p27
>I think that was the first time
>I've seen the next Shuten-doji face to face.

>That's the most terrifying ogre?
>That's terrifying?

>I'm sorry for leaving you on your own...

p28
>It certainly didn't seem that way to me.

>Isuzu...

>...Father...

>Why does my heart ache so much?

>Just what
>are ogres...?